Brain-boosting restaurant specials
iStock Photo.
This week is Brain Awareness Week, and the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute decided to observe it by creating an event called “Food for Thought.”
For “Food for Thought,” several local restaurants are offering special dishes made with ingredients that support brain health. The good news is that most of these ingredients are delicious foods we like to eat anyway!
Here, according to a document from the institute, are some of the brain’s best friends on the plate. Click “Read more” to see which local restaurants are offering special dishes and to read a description of the dishes.
Blueberries (and strawberries)
Wild salmon and other oily fish
Nuts
Seeds
Coffee
Tea
Chocolate
Avocados
Spinach
Broccoli
Carrots
Whole Grains
Pomegranates
Oysters
Olive Oil
Garlic
Eggs
Tomatoes
These are the restaurant specials and where you can find them (other restaurants may be participating, but these offerings are confirmed):
Viva La Cupcake
1302 Grandin Road, Roanoke
Thursday: mocha
Friday: white chocolate turtle with pecans
Saturday: dark chocolate salted caramel
All week: The Viva (white chocolate custard, milk chocolate frosting, sweet dark chocolate drizzle)
Fork in the Market
32 Market Square, Suite 128, Roanoke
Spa-for-your-brain pizza: gluten-free flatbread with avocado, spinach, tomato, and anchovies drizzled with garlic-rosemary oil
Dessert: dark chocolate berry nut bar
Local Roots
1314 Grandin Road, Roanoke
Ferguson Farm spinach salad: preserved strawberries, Curtin’s chèvre, spiced pecans, caraway
Metro!
14 E. Campbell Avenue, Roanoke
Dill-roasted salmon: wrapped in feuille de brick, roasted tomato butter sauce, winter vegetables
Walnut salad: Maytag bleu cheese, green apple, cranberry-shallot vinaigrette with spicy walnuts
Sardines: olive oil roasted, Papas Bravos frisée, dill vinaigrette, and smoked pimentone
The research institute has also scheduled several interesting talks about the human brain in the area this week. To see the schedule and read more about those events, click here.
March 13, 2013 - 4:49 PM
RSS feed 
My youngest brother and his best friend got into a fight over “brain food” when they were 10 or 11 yrs old. My mom came home from a trip to the mall with them and when they entered the house, one went upstairs and one went down. I asked her what happened and she said the friend asked what we were having for supper. She said fish, and he told my brother, that’s good. Fish is brain food and you need it. The fight was on. No fists, just verbal. The insults flew until one finally cracked the other one up and it was over.
Haha! I’d be the first person to admit I need more brain food.
As much as I consume of oysters, olive oil, and tomatoes, I should be a lot smarter by now.
Me too!