According to recent news reports, Kabuki in Roanoke, which is undergoing extensive remodeling, will have a good-sized sushi bar when it reopens. It’s also supposed to have a big koi pond, but that’s beside the point. Although interesting…

At any rate, it’s got me thinking about the state of sushi in Southwest Virginia.

Once upon a time, the only two places to find sushi in Roanoke were Sake House at Lakeside Plaza in Salem and Tokyo on Franklin Road or the city market building. For a while, I had a love affair with Sake House and it’s little carpeted tea rooms. Not so much a fan of Tokyo, however. I think it was the atmosphere more than anything else.

Then, along came Metro! with its Asian-fusion thing and a whole menu of pretty good sushi. A bit more expensive, perhaps, than the competitors, but certainly not short on imagination. I’m thinking of the Angry Tuna roll here, and it’s not making me angry at all. It’s making me hungry.

Read more »

My friend Stacy is going to kill me, but I just had to share this photo with you guys. She e-mailed it to me this morning with this note: “Stacy’s first bundt cake.”

Bless her heart. She wanted to make an apple walnut cake for her father and asked to borrow my bundt pan. I can assure you that the bundt pan is a very beautiful, faceted shape. Nothing like this pile she turned out.

I think she might have tried to remove the cake from the pan before letting it cool long enough. Better luck next time.

Moving along, I would like to share a couple of very exciting snack finds. In this new year, when lots of us are looking for ways to slim down and tame those raging cravings, it is a blessing to find something tasty AND satisfying, but smartly portioned.

Take a look at these babies:

Read more »