Blackstone Grill proves elegant bistro for Hokie fans

Blackstone Grill, just past the New River Valley Mall in Christiansburg, describes itself as an elegant, relaxed, modern bistro. It’s also the winner of a number of The Burgs’ Best of the NRV 2013 awards. With this in mind, I scheduled some visits to try their fare.

The interior makes a strong first impression. While not blatantly decked out with Hokie paraphernalia, Blackstone’s orange walls and maroon accents will please the Virginia Tech crowd. The open interior — with booths and tables on the left, a bar delineated by a bottle-filled wine rack to the right, and a clear view of the grill/cooking space straight ahead — brings a more casual feel to the fine dining atmosphere.

A lunch companion and I started with a small pistachio-crusted goat cheese salad ($7). Highlights were the wheel of goat cheese coated in chopped pistachio nuts and balsamic onions. My companion noted that brownish lettuce ends had been left in the field greens mix. That notwithstanding, the salad’s components worked together as a nice starter.

My friend ordered a Blackstone burger ($12) — one of the award-winning items — cooked medium, with coleslaw. The burger arrived on a fluffy bun. Sadly, it was a rather dry medium-well. The slaw was crisp with a little tang, as slaw should be.

I had more luck with the special — a fried cod sandwich ($12) — which was crisp and flaky. Fries were perhaps the best part of the meal. Cooked to a golden crunch, they had a tasty, well-dispersed salt and pepper coating, rendering them just spicy enough.

A follow-up evening meal with another couple offered an opportunity to sample more dinner items. Spicy orange shrimp ($11), smoky from the grill with a lovely gingery glaze, started us off. A cup of the tomato bisque and the roasted garlic soup du jour ($4 each) were sampled by all. The bisque was a typical tomato bisque — good, but not remarkable. The garlic soup had a nice garlic flavor, though I’d have preferred it a bit thicker.

My husband, reassured by the menu that there was “no filler,” chose the crab cakes ($23) as his entree. Indeed, lovely chunks of crab meat arrived in patties with a nice, browned finish. Accompanied by a much overcooked risotto, the crab cakes also came with a spicy fra diavolo sauce. Our waiter described the latter as “like a marinara.” This is technically true; however, fra diavolo’s distinguishing feature is the spiciness. My husband went in knowing this, but other diners might find the heat surprising, given the description.

My wasabi salmon ($22) was well-presented with a panko crust, wasabi and citrus-ginger sauce, but the sauce was too sweet for my liking and the fish was a bit overdone. A shitake-cabbage stir fry underneath helped to cut the sweetness of the sauce a bit.

One of our party ordered pan-seared tuna ($12) as an appetizer-entree. The tuna was cooked to a perfect rareness; wasabi and teriyaki glaze provided a nice, crispy finish on the outside. The accompanying wasabi sauce also made for a pretty plate and a bright burst of flavor when applied to the tuna.

The evening’s special — a bourbon-braised pork shank with cheddar grits, collards and rhubarb chutney ($25) — was declared the most successful dish of the evening in our group. The meat was tender and flavorful, the grits were cooked properly, and the chutney was a good contrast to the richness of the dish.

Dessert was Key lime pie with an Oreo crust ($5), which was fine but not remarkable. Creme brulee ($6) was much better, with a well-caramelized crust and a mellow vanilla flavor to the custard. Espressos ($3) accompanying dessert were a bit more bitter and thin than desirable.

Blackstone Grill may appeal most to the VT alumni crowd, visiting parents, and/or those who want a nicer catered special event (a banquet room is available for this purpose). The grill definitely presents the advertised modern-bistro atmosphere, with a heavy Virginia Tech feel.

I would argue that a certain percentage of the dishes don’t warrant the “fine dining” prices, but Blackstone’s Best of the NRV awards seem to indicate that plenty of people feel otherwise.

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