2009.07.03
"Blues" man branches out
Lindsey Nair/The Roanoke Times
Do you recognize this little building? Once upon a time, it was Dee Cee's Deli on Orange Avenue, home of the foot-long Rosie Dog, which came piled with two hot dogs, ham, turkey, bacon, chili, cheese, ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard, sauerkraut, peppers, tomatoes, hot sauce, onions, relish and slaw.
But Dee Cee's has been closed for a while now, and this abandoned little building would probably not even warrant a second glance if it weren't for its garish color (although personally, I love the color purple).
Patrick Maggi is hoping that will change. The owner of Blues BBQ in downtown Roanoke has bought the building, and today is the grand opening of his new restaurant, Rodney's Fish & Chicken. The Rodney in question is Rodney Ward, who has been cooking at Blues BBQ since it opened about two years ago. He will eventually man the kitchen at the new establishment.
Rodney's will sell fried chicken quarters (dark meat or white), fried whiting, chili dogs, fried jumbo Gulf shrimp, hand-cut french fries and authentic Philly cheesesteaks. Once he gets his steamer set up, Maggi said, he'll also sell steamed jumbo Gulf shrimp seasoned with Old Bay. All of this will be sold as take-out for the time being as Rodney's has no inside or outside seating.
When I asked Maggi why he decided to buy the building in the 2000 block of Orange, just past the CVS, he said, "There is no really good food over in this area." He thinks Rodney's can draw a healthy, diverse crowd. And it won't hurt that the city is building a big new fire station right next door.
If you like the purple brick, you'll be a wee bit disappointed to learn that Maggi just hasn't had a chance to repaint his new digs. He will, though, and he's envisioning a bright, fresh white with a red stripe. But I guess the color of the facade doesn't matter one bit so long as the food is good.
Lindsey Nair/The Roanoke Times
I never went to Dee Cee's Deli but I sure would have liked to just SEE one of those "Rosie Dogs!" Good Lord! That must have been a $10 hot dog! And certainly a knife and fork affair! The new place sounds good, they sure have some darn good BBQ at Blues!
Comment by Dennis — July 3, 2009 @ 9:55 am
MMMMMMM Hot Smokes
Comment by Kirk Dudley — July 3, 2009 @ 10:30 am
Maybe the reason that Dee Cee's Deli went under was that Rosie Dog. With those toppings the people that ate it often might be dead from a heart attack. lol. Just joking.
I might have to give the new place a try if I'm out that way. I don't like the color but it does grab you attention.
Comment by Mike D — July 3, 2009 @ 9:52 pm
Did anybody eat here yet? I'm curious.
Comment by Lindsey — July 6, 2009 @ 11:48 am
I went over there for dinner on Friday afternoon. It's really good! There's not much ambiance, but it's a solid menu of chicken and fish, with Philly cheese steaks and hot smokes to round things out.
Comment by Steven Swain — July 11, 2009 @ 12:51 pm