So what is PlateUp?

Roanoke Times food writer and Fridge Magnet blogger Lindsey Nair explains:

In my admittedly biased opinion, The Roanoke Times is the leading provider of food coverage in Southwest Virginia. We offer columns on food and drink, restaurant reviews, food and retail blogs, the 7-Day Menu Planner, a local food database, a Foodie Calendar and so much more.

But if you’ve ever gone hunting for those features on roanoke.com, you may have found them organized in a scattershot way. I’m here to tell you those days are gone.

Welcome to PlateUp, where we have aggregated all of our culinary coverage in one easy-to-use location. Bonus: We have added several exciting new offerings to the buffet.

We chose the name “PlateUp” because it conjured images of delicious food, whether restaurant prepared or home cooked, ready to be dished up and devoured.

On our site, you will find all of our existing food content, along with these new additions:

-- A database of Southwest Virginia restaurants that is searchable by computer or mobile phone. Whether you are a resident or a visitor to Southwest Virginia, our Find a Restaurant tool will help you satisfy that craving-of-the moment. Staff and user reviews will be attached to the search results to give readers a better sense of whether they want to check out a particular establishment.
 
-- A recipe database, which includes recipes from past Front Burner columns and personal favorites from our staff. For example, president and publisher Debbie Meade shared her recipe for teriyaki salmon with scallions, and editor Carole Tarrant added a recipe for her simple, delicious corn souffle, which won first place at our annual holiday potluck one year. After a simple registration, users of PlateUp will also be able to add their favorite recipes and share them with other readers. You can even flag recipes that gave you trouble, add photos of a dish you prepared or rate recipes using a 5-star system.
 
-- With the launch of PlateUp, we introduce a new blog, The Shoptimist, which will keep readers apprised of the latest coupons, sales and deals so they can make the most of their hard-earned money. 
 
-- Advertisers will have the option of sharing coupons with our readers. Got a question about advertising? E-mail us!

As you continue to explore PlateUp, don’t hesitate to drop us a line with questions or comments by e-mailing food@roanoke.com.