Winners: Holiday entertaining
Best restaurant for Thanksgiving dinner
1. Hotel Roanoke, 110 Shenandoah Ave. N.W.
2. K&W Cafeteria, Tanglewood Mall and 1609 Hershberger Road N.W. in Roanoke, and 1215 W. Main St. in Salem
3. Cracker Barrel
Honorable mention: Sheridan Livery Inn and Restaurant, 35 N. Main St., Lexington; The Roanoker Restaurant, 2522 Colonial Ave. S.W.; and Roanoke Rescue Mission, 402 Fourth St. S.E.
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Best place to get Thanksgiving takeout
1. The Roanoker Restaurant, 2522 Colonial Ave. S.W.
2. K&W Cafeteria, Tanglewood Mall and 1609 Hershberger Road N.W. in Roanoke, and 1215 W. Main St. in Salem; and Kroger (tie)
3. The Fresh Market, 2207 Colonial Ave. S.W.
Honorable mention: Sheridan Livery Inn and Restaurant, 35 N. Main St., Lexington; Cracker Barrel; and Mary’s Party Works, 400 Washington Ave., Vinton
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Best venue for a holiday party
1. Hotel Roanoke, 110 Shenandoah Ave. N.W.
2. Pomegranate Restaurant, 106 Stoney Battery Road, Troutville
3. Carlos Brazilian International Cuisine, 4167 Electric Road, and Salem House Restaurant, 311 W. Main St., Salem (tie)
Honorable mention: Blue 5 Restaurant, 312 Second St. S.W.; Coach & Four Restaurant, 5206 Williamson Road; at home with Full Circle Catering, 20 Swink Lane, Lexington, and Olive Garden (three-way tie); and Holiday Inn, Taubman Museum of Art, 110 Salem Ave. S.E., and The Plantation on Sunnybrook, 7342 Plantation Road (three-way tie)
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Best holiday caterer
1. Full Circle Catering, 20 Swink Lane, Lexington
2. Schaal’s Catering and Events, 717 13th St. S.W., and Blue Ridge Catering, 522 Salem Ave. S.W. (tie)
3. Mary’s Party Works, 400 Washington Ave., Vinton
Honorable mention: 2nd Helpings, 1502 Williamson Road N.E.; Plantation Creations, 7342 Plantation Road; and a four-way tie among Center Stage Catering, 315 Franklin St., Rocky Mount; Gillie’s, 153 College Ave., Blacksburg; Hotel Roanoke, 110 Shenandoah Ave. N.W.; and Lib & Amy Catering, 344-1317
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Best neighborhood for holiday lights viewing
1. Grandin Village area
2. Elks National Home, 931 Ashland Ave., Bedford
3. South Roanoke, Old Southwest Roanoke and Cove Hollow, Elliston (tie)
Honorable mention: Raleigh Court, Maple and Main in Lexington, Hunting Hills
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Best local holiday event
1. Suntrust Dickens of Christmas (Dec. 7, 14 and 21, downtown Roanoke)
2. Rescue Mission Ministries/Stellar One Drumstick Dash (Thanksgiving Day, downtown Roanoke)
3. Salem Christmas Parade (Dec. 7)
Honorable mention: Lexington-Rockbridge Christmas Parade (Nov. 30);
Roanoke Symphony Holiday Pops (Dec. 7)
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Best party spot for New Year’s Eve
1. Hotel Roanoke, 110 Shenandoah Ave. N.W.
2. Downtown Roanoke
3. Home with family and friends
Honorable mention: Corned Beef and Co., 107 S. Jefferson St.; Pomegranate, 106 Stoney Battery Road, Troutville; Martin’s, 413 First St. S.W.
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Holiday recipes
Apple-Orange-Date Waldorf Salad
Serves 6
With this recipe, Katherine Craft of Roanoke was the runner up in the Appetizers, Dressings and Salads category at The Roanoke Times’ 1979 Favorite Recipes Contest.
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup whipped topping
1/2 tsp. orange zest
3 Tbsp. orange juice
2 tsp. sugar
Dash salt
4 cups diced, unpeeled red apples
1/2 cup pitted, chopped dates
3/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1. About one hour before serving, combine in the container of a blender: mayonnaise, whipped topping, orange rind, orange juice, sugar and salt. Process to blend.
2. Combine apples, dates and celery; gently toss with dressing. Chill. Add nuts before serving.
Turkey brine
Giving your holiday bird a long soak in a salt and sugar brine will make for juicier and more flavorful meat. Start this the night before you plan to roast your turkey.
2 cups water
1 cup kosher salt
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 bag of ice
1 defrosted turkey
1. Bring 2 cups of water to boil, then stir in kosher salt and brown sugar. When salt and sugar have dissolved, add the mixture to one gallon of cold water in a clean, non-corrosive container (such as a thoroughly cleaned cooler or a clean 5-gallon plastic bucket that never held chemicals. Do not use a metal container.).
2. Submerge turkey in the brine. If brine does not cover turkey, add more water to the container. Dump ice over the top, cover container and let turkey soak overnight.
3. Remove turkey from brine, pat dry with paper towels and continue to cook as you had originally planned. Be sure to use a meat thermometer, though, because brined turkeys can cook faster than unbrined birds. Discard the brine.
Latkes
Serves 6
These fried potato patties are traditionally served at Hanukkah. Recipe originally featured in The Roanoke Times on Dec. 20, 2005.
4 large potatoes
2 eggs
1 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour or matzah meal
1/2 tsp. baking powder
Minced onion (optional)
Dash of black pepper (optional)
Vegetable oil for frying
1. Wash and peel the potatoes. Grate the potatoes with a grater/food processor. Drain off the liquid. Beat the eggs and mix with the grated potatoes and all other ingredients except the oil.
2. Heat about 1/2 inch of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until it’s very hot. Drop the potato mixture, by tablespoons, into the oil. Use a pancake turner to flatten them. Fry them to a golden brown on both sides (should take 2 to 3 minutes per side). Do not fry more than three or four at a time. Drain on paper towels.
3. Serve with applesauce and/or sour cream.
Baked cheese grits
Serves 4 to 6
An easy, delicious accompaniment to your holiday breakfast or brunch. Recipe submitted by a reader in 2010.
1 cup water
2 cups milk
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup quick grits
3/4 stick butter
1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. hot sauce
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 2-quart casserole dish.
2. Bring water to a boil. Add milk and bring just to a simmer. Add grits and salt and cook, stirring often, until thick. Remove from heat.
3. Add butter and stir until melted and well-mixed, then add cheese and stir until it has melted into the grits. Stir in eggs and hot sauce, then pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish.
4. Bake 30 to 35 minutes.
No-Bake Rum Balls Makes about 3 dozen
Recipe courtesy of Kathy Lu, features editor for The Roanoke Times. Do not feed these to children, but feel free to eat plenty of them yourself.
2 1/2 cups crushed vanilla wafer cookies
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 cup chopped walnuts
3 tablespoons dark corn syrup
1/4 cup rum
1. Mix crushed cookies, cocoa and confectioners’ sugar in a bowl.
2. Stir in chopped walnuts, corn syrup and rum; mix until well-blended to form a dough.
3. Form dough into 1-inch balls, then roll each ball in confectioners’ sugar.
4. Store in a covered container.
Best-Ever Sugar Cookies Makes about 3 dozen
This is food writer Lindsey Nair’s go-to recipe when it comes time to make Christmas cookies. She got it from a friend, Beth Handley, years ago. The texture is perfect for rolling and cutting, and the hint of lemon flavor is extra-special.
4 cups sifted flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. milk
2 tsp. lemon extract
2 Tbsp. lemon zest (yellow part only)
1. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.
2. In another bowl, cream the butter. Gradually beat in sugar until it is well incorporated. Add eggs, milk, extract and zest and mix well.
3. Stir in sifted ingredients a little at a time until well-blended. Chill dough until firm (about 20 to 30 minutes). It will also keep several days in the refrigerator.
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or grease well. Roll out dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut with cookie cutters and bake for 7 minutes. To make round cookies, roll the dough into balls and bake until beginning to brown around the edges.
For more great recipes, visit roanoke.com/food
Feature: Restaurants serving Thanksgiving dinner
Special to The Roanoke Times
During the holiday season, there are plenty of good reasons to gather friends and family around a restaurant table. First and foremost, someone else does the cooking and cleanup, making it an event that everyone can enjoy.
The following list will provide a good idea of what area restaurants are offering on Thanksgiving Day, including the hours, prices and bounty provided. If your favorite restaurant is not listed, give them a call to find out if they are open. Most of these places also are open Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, and Christmas hours are noted in each listing.
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419 West
3865 Electric Road, Roanoke
540-776-0419
Hours: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Offerings: Traditional 70-item Thanksgiving buffet
Reservations: Required
Takeout: No
Christmas Day: Closed
Price: Adults, $23.95; children 5 to 12, $12.95; children under 5, free
Billy’s
102 Market Street, Roanoke
540-206-3353
Hours: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Offerings: Gourmet Thanksgiving buffet of 60 to 70 traditional items
Reservations: Required
Takeout: No
Christmas Day: Closed
Price: Adults, $27.99; children 5 to 12, $12.99; children under 5, free
The Greenbrier
300 West Main St., White Sulphur Springs, W.Va.
304-536-1110
Hours: 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Offerings: Thanksgiving Day, menu and a la carte meal service; Friday, Nov. 23, gobbler buffet of 50 to 60 traditional items
Reservations: Required for hourly seatings
Takeout: No
Christmas Day: Open
Price: Buffet, adults, $85; children under 12, $45
Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center
110 Shenandoah Ave., Roanoke
540-985-5900
Hours: Regency Room buffet, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; ballroom brunch buffet, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Offerings: Thanksgiving buffets with 40 to 50 traditional items
Takeout: No
Reservations: Required for hourly seatings
Christmas Day: Open
Price: Adults, $39.50; 12 and under, $18; children under 3, free
Country Cookin’
Locations on Brambleton Avenue and Melrose Avenue in Roanoke, Lee Highway in Troutville and Roanoke Street in Christiansburg
Hours: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Christmas Day: closed
Offerings: Buffet including traditional ham and turkey entrees, salad bar, regular menu items, specials of the day, holiday desserts
Takeout: Yes
Reservations: Not required
Price: Breakfast, $5.99 to $6.99; dinner, salad buffet, $6.99; special menu items, $9.99 each; menu items, $7.99 to $11.99
Natural Bridge Hotel and Dining Room
15 Appledore Lane, Natural Bridge
1-800-533-1410; 540-291-2121
Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Christmas Day: Closed
Offerings: Grand buffet of 50-plus items
Takeout: No
Reservations: Required
Price: Adults, $28.95; children 10 and under, $12.95
Golden Corral
1441 Towne Square Blvd., Roanoke
540-563-8826
Hours: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Christmas Day: Closed
Offerings: Traditional Thanksgiving buffet including turkey, ham, salads, vegetables and desserts plus menu favorites, including grilled sirloin steak and pot roast
Takeout: Yes
Reservations: Not required
Price: Adults, $11.49; children 4 to 8, $4.59; children 9 to 12, $5.69; children under 3, free
The following is a sampling of local restaurants that will be open regular hours on Thanksgiving Day and offer a complete menu:
- Nawab Indian Restaurant, 118 Campbell Avenue, Roanoke, 540-345-5150
- The Roanoker, 2522 Colonial Avenue, Roanoke, 540-344-7746
- Famous Anthony’s (all locations)
- IHOP (all locations)
- TGIFridays, 4869 Valley View Blvd., Roanoke, 540-362-1475 (reservations requested for holidays)
- Hibachi Grill, 1319 Towne Square Blvd., Roanoke, 540-265-8838
- Shula’s 347 Grill at Sheraton, 2801 Hershberger Road, Roanoke, 540-366-5220 (reservations required)