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When word reached me that Tony Pope had opened a new restaurant, Le Bistro, in downtown Roanoke, I made haste to get there for lunch and dinner.

Pope relocated from Crystal Spring Avenue to the new place on Campbell Avenue, which he opened with business partner Bob Dowling. The new site was previously occupied by at least three other successful restaurants. These included the recently closed Nico's Italian restaurant, Italiano and, years ago, the original Alexander's, which is now located on Jefferson Street.

THE VIBE

This long, narrow restaurant with shiny brick walls and custom woodwork suits Pope's style perfectly. He enjoys taking a view of the tables, noting who is there and walking around making real conversation with patrons while extolling the freshness of his ingredients.

During one visit, Pope came to our table and recommended an exceptional fresh swordfish special.

Besides, this new location opens his place to walk-ins, who filled the dining room during lunch one day recently, and a goodly number who enjoyed early dinner on another occasion when I was there. It's a relaxed, comfortable environment at Le Bistro.

MEET THE OWNER/CHEF

Pope, born and raised in West Virginia, graduated from Johnson & Wales University in Charleston, S.C., where he received a degree in the culinary arts and was recognized for his technique skills. He opened Tony Pope's a few years later and now he's moved to the market area with Le Bistro, a concept that enables him to explore many of the world's great cuisines while incorporating his trademark farm-to-table style. At his former location, he initiated 100-mile dinners, which required all of the ingredients come from within a 100-mile radius of the restaurant. For the most part, Pope implements this same idea today by obtaining much of his produce, poultry and meats from specialty farms in Floyd and Shawsville. Always popular, the Chef's Tastings leave your meal up to the chef with either a spontaneous three-course ($35) or five-course ($55) dinner without wine. With wine, these special meals range from $50 to $75.

The only catch is that everyone at the table must participate; otherwise, this doesn't fly.

THE MENU

At lunch, a soup of the day ($5) heads the menu, followed by two sizes of farmers market salads ($5 and $4) with a selection of three dressings and the possibility of making it a full meal with additions such as shrimp, fish of the day or fried chicken for $5 extra. Six fresh pasta combinations ($8-$10) include pappardelle with shrimp in white wine cream sauce, spaghetti Bolognese, linguini with clams, rigatoni with sausage and spinach puttanesca, tubetti with mussels and asparagus in a saffron sauce, and orecchiette with roasted chicken Provençal.

Five gourmet pizzas ($8) feature the basic Margherita with fresh basil and mozzarella as well as other delectable creations with spinach, chorizo, roasted peppers, wild mushrooms, proscuitto, arugula, tomato and Asiago cheese. These satisfy the robust yearnings for a flavor-packed lunch.

Of the three sandwiches on the menu ($6-$8), Tony Pope's Bistro Burger leads the list. It is made with local beef he grinds himself and enhanced with bacon and hoop cheddar cheese on a brioche bun. Ham and Gruyere on a baguette and roasted vegetables on focaccia with arugula pesto round out the offerings.

Pope's dinners are excellent.

The list of six appetizers spans the globe and takes in bacon-wrapped quail with chestnut polenta and pear compote ($10), seared Georges Bank sea scallops with brown butter cauliflower and orange caper dressing ($11), and prawn cigars with Thai chili dipping sauce ($8), so nice with a glass of chilled white wine.

Entrees ($21- $26) encompass pork, Wagyu beef, pasta with prawns and the House Bistro Burger. There's also stuffed fish Catalan-style with sauteed spinach, crispy potatoes and romesco sauce, the latter a Spanish sauce from Catalonia of pulverized dried red peppers, garlic and nuts.

WHAT WE ATE

Indeed, Tony Pope's Farmers Market salads, whether big ($6) or small ($4), served during lunch provide some of the freshest of soft, floppy lettuce leaves I've ever eaten. On my lunch visit, I selected citrus vinaigrette to adorn the lettuce and it did so with balanced flavor.

My freshly made pasta dish of tender, bite-size chicken pieces mixed with orecchiette (the little ear-shaped pasta), Provencal-style ($8), satisfied my appetite. Others at the table relished every twirled forkful of perfectly cooked linguine with small clams ($10) in an uncluttered light sauce, while another enjoyed a robustly seasoned rigatoni with sausage and fresh spinach puttanesca-style ($8). On another visit, my lunch consisted of perfectly grilled swordfish on a bed of thick, tasty romesco sauce. Divine. I was loath to share any of it with my dining partner.

At dinner, Pope's farm-to-table cuisine comes full circle. Prince Edward Island mussel soup augmented with a creamy saffron broth ($6) won my heart, along with mixed field greens ($7) touched with crunchy apples, cashews and Laura Chenel's incomparable goat cheese. My husband, Jim, savored the Bibb lettuce salad ($7) with the unbeatable combination of heirloom tomatoes and cucumbers adorned with a tasty Green Goddess dressing.

My main course consisted of three crispy sauteed soft shell crabs with brown butter sauce dotted with capers and tomatoes. This meal, so utterly delicious, has become the stuff of my dreams. I wonder, will I ever have something so astonishingly wonderful like this again? Jim fared well with the grilled swordfish featuring a stew of tender littleneck clams, zippy chorizo sausage pieces, fresh tomatoes and crispy potato wedges.

WINES

Pope's wine list unearths many red and white wines from around the globe, with particular emphasis on Argentina, Spain, Italy and Down Under. Many are offered by the glass ($6-$9) as well as the bottle ($22-$60), and a New Zealand 2006 Seifried Sweet Agnes Riesling by the half bottle ($45). At lunch, a chilled Italian 2008 La Cappuccina Soave ($28) went perfectly with our pasta meals, while at my crab dinner, I selected a glass ($7) of 2007 Sophenia Cabernet Sauvignon from Argentina, and it went well with these luxury ingredients.

DESSERTS

Appropriately made, vanilla creme brulee with almond macaroon and bing cherry jam ($6) deserves the place of honor. Strawberry shortcake with pistachio ice cream is fabulous at lunch but insipid and tough-crusted as a "Drunken Strawberry Tart" at dinner.

NOT TO BE PICKY, BUT...

After extolling the qualities of Le Bistro's food to a friend, we went for lunch. Her Big Farmers Market salad ($6) with baby lettuce leaves of many colors, citrus vinaigrette on the side and fried chicken ($5) added, turned out to be disappointing. Someone had sprinkled the lettuce with salt, making the entire plateful too salty. The bread lacks flavor and it's easy to pass up.

Also, food-spotted clothes present a sloppy attitude by servers and have no place as attire in the dining room during meal service. Patrons are paying guests of the restaurant, and dirty garments worn by servers are offensive.

THE BOTTOM LINE

I've always enjoyed Tony Pope's food, his preparations at Le Bistro included. His meals are just as he says they are: uncontrived, generous of portion, full of fresh ingredients and decently priced.