Bent Mountain Bistro opens this week

Bent Mountain Bistro officially opened Wednesday night.

The bistro is serving wood-fired pizzas, salads, sandwiches and BBQ, with many of the ingredients coming from local purveyors, said Greg Aldridge, a spokesman for the restaurant.

The restaurant is at 9607 Bent Mountain Road, in a building that used to house a Mexican restaurant. Aldridge said renovations took 16 to 18 months because the building had to be stripped to bare bones. It has a new roof and new concrete floor, and a solid oak bar. It also has interior trim made from American chestnut salvaged from an old barn.

Aldridge said a new brick oven was ordered from Italy and installed by Dewayne Powell, who makes pizzas for the restaurant and also will be in charge of a garden on the property that will grow food for the restaurant.

The property is owned by Jim Woltz, who is leasing it to a group of individuals that partnered to start the restaurant. Aldridge did not identify the people behind the restaurant but said he is not one of them.

— Lindsey Nair

n Goodwill Industries of the Valleys will host a resource and job fair Aug. 14 in Roanoke. Visit goodwillvalleys.com for information.

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