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Jeanna Duerscherl/The Roanoke Times

Metro columnist Dan Casey wrote an interesting column, which ran in yesterday's paper, about the future of the Roanoke City Market Building. Dan's concerned that the nonprofit organization that takes over the building this summer will allow chain restaurants to move in once renovations are complete.

If you have similar concerns or disagree with Dan, feel free to discuss this with him on his blog. I'm here to ask a slightly different question: While the much-needed, long-awaited renovations take place, where will all of our favorite vendors go? Can they find temporary space to fill their needs long enough to weather the storm while still maintaining a presence in the city center?

My colleague Mason Adams quoted Burger in the Square owner Anita Wilson in a story that ran last month. Wilson doesn't think it's reasonable to expect these vendors to return when renovations are complete: "There's no temporary relocation," Wilson said. "You're not going to spend $35,000 to $40,000 on a hood and restaurant equipment and be temporary. ... Wherever these people go, that's where it's going to be. It's not going to be back to the market building."

Wilson makes a good point. How many restaurant-ready-yet-vacant spaces are there in Roanoke right now, much less in downtown Roanoke? Let's brainstorm: The old Howard's Soup Kitchen is empty and would fit more than one vendor, but do they have a hood there? The site of Market Street Pub (formerly Quizno's) is open. The spot next to the Midtown Picnic Club (once Orange Dog) on Campbell Avenue across from Zac's Cafe appears to be open.

What else? And could these vendors expect to be able to pay the rent in these downtown locations? Could they even get a temporary lease? Somehow, I doubt it.

New York Times blogger Bruce Buschel has posted his second 50 rules for the waiters and waitresses at his restaurant, which is scheduled to open in Bridgehampton, NY in the spring.

He clarifies a bit more in the opening sentences that this list might not need to be followed to the T by all restaurants because, let's face it, there are lots and lots of different restaurants. I believe personally that what he is advising on is service for fine dining restaurants, but that doesn't mean all restaurants cannot take something away from the list.

Once again, do you guys agree/disagree with anything in particular on this list?

51. If there is a service charge, alert your guests when you present the bill. It’s not a secret or a trick.

52. Know your menu inside and out. If you serve Balsam Farm candy-striped beets, know something about Balsam Farm and candy-striped beets.

53. Do not let guests double-order unintentionally; remind the guest who orders ratatouille that zucchini comes with the entree.

54. If there is a prix fixe, let guests know about it. Do not force anyone to ask for the “special” menu.

55. Do not serve an amuse-bouche without detailing the ingredients. Allergies are a serious matter; peanut oil can kill. (This would also be a good time to ask if anyone has any allergies.)

56. Do not ignore a table because it is not your table. Stop, look, listen, lend a hand. (Whether tips are pooled or not.)

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When you're on a diet like me, you tend toward the salad side of the menu in an effort to stay virtuous. But it's important to remember that many of those salads contain as many fat grams and calories as burgers, sandwiches or entrees. Some contain a full day's worth of those values, or more! It can be very deceiving. Fortunately, we are intelligent people who understand that fried things, cheese and full-fat dressings (like my very favorite, bleu cheese, waaaaaah!) pack a fatty punch.

From Sparkpeople.com, a great weight-loss Web site I learned about at the YMCA, comes this list of the most fattening restaurant salads. We don't even have some of these restaurants in Roanoke, so that saves us the temptation:

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Mark your calendars now for these upcoming food-related happenings:

* Tomorrow, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. - Fall Open House at Foggy Ridge Hard Cider in Dugspur. This will involve free cider tastings (this stuff is soooooo good) and wood-fired pizzas for sale by Dogtown Pizza. Also, apple expert Tom Burford will be there identifying apples, so if you have an apple tree and would like to know what kind of apples they are, bring a few along to show to Tom. He is a most fascinating character. If the weather is nice, I can promise you this will be a gorgeous drive. For more info, go to foggyridgecider.com.

* Oct. 17, 3 to 6 p.m. - Fresh Flavors cooking demonstration at Fresh Market in Roanoke. Learn to prepare seared chicken thighs with warm Malbec plum glaze. For more info, call 344-5490.

* Oct. 6, 13 and 20, 6 p.m. - Brewmaster dinners at Bull & Bones Brewhaus & Grill in Blacksburg. A seven-course dinner, each course paired with one of the Bull & Bones craft beers. I've seen the menu and it looks really frickin' awesome. Includes a tour of the brewing facilities. Hosted by the brewmaster himself, Jim Strickland. Costs $50 per person or $90 per couple. Seating is limited; advance reservations are recommended. All of this is leading up to the Oct. 24 Blacksburg Brew-Do, the town's first craft brew festival. More details on that to come!

*  Nov. 7 - Children's Miracle Network "Miracles for Children Ball" at Hotel Roanoke. Includes an "Iron Chef"-style cooking competition. I'll pass along more details as they come to me.

* Also on Nov. 7 - Teach a Friend to Brew Day will take place at the Blue Ridge Hydroponics & Home Brewing Co. at Lamplighter Mall on Williamson Road in Roanoke. The Star City Brewers Guild is teaming up with Blue Ridge Hydroponics for the event. It will include food, beer tastings and instruction on how to make your own beer at home. For more information, call Blue Ridge Hydroponics at (540) 265-2483.

News in the restaurant world:

* From Jenny Boone's Retail column this Sunday: Judge's Chambers, the healthy little downtown eatery in the former peanut shop on Jefferson Street, is expanding. Owner Waqar Malik, who was a partner in The Isaac's Mediterranean restaurant when it first opened, is apparently doing well in his new venture. Considering that I've just started a weight loss challenge, I may be heading to the Judge's Chambers for lunch more often.

* Signs spotted around town: El Rancho Viejo to go in the former Fast Freddy's location at 4th and Main in Salem. Peppers on Apperson Drive is no longer open? That sub shop has been there for a pretty long time. Looks like an Italian or International restaurant may be taking its place. More info on that to come.

* Finally, a request from a blog reader. John Garland wrote in to say that he owns the building that houses the Downtown Roanoke Sports Club. The building will be turned into a multi-purpose space that will include a grocery store, which I've said could be a boon to downtown residents and workers alike. Garland wants your input. Here's his note. Feel free to drop comments in response:

I am the owner of the Downtown Sports Club building (16 West Church) and would love to have additional input on what people would like to see in our building. The current plan is a second floor fitness center and first floor upscale grocery/convenience store, pharmacy, stalls for retail and light food service, coffee/smoothie bar and vendor carts, along with the Chiropractor that is currently there.

Macado's wrap tastes better than it looks in this pic.

My best friend growing up, Samantha, used to order the exact same thing at almost any restaurant we visited together: a club sandwich. Of course, some restaurants didn't have a club sandwich on the menu, but you could bet money that if they did, Sam was going to order it. My editor and friend Kathy is the same way about french fries and Caesar salads. I'm pretty sure she has tried the Caesar salad and french fries at every restaurant in and around Roanoke. Those are just her go-to orders.

Over time, I have come to realize that everyone has a go-to order. My husband's is an Italian sub. It starts as a personal preference and often morphs into a quest to find the VERY BEST club sandwich, Caesar salad or Italian sub in town. I'm pretty sure that Kathy could tell me, were she not in Oregon right now, where she goes to get her favorite Caesar salad. I believe hub's favorite Italian is actually a version of the Italian at Brambleton Deli called the B.D. Special.

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Two items of breaking news on the food scene this afternoon:

* Ukrop's grocery store in Roanoke, which has been struggling for the past few months, has announced it will close in late October. For more info, go here.

* The historic Olde Liberty Station Restaurant in Bedford was damaged by fire today. Here's a breaking news brief by reporter Rex Bowman.

Keep your browser on www.roanoke.com for updates to these stories, and look in tomorrow's paper for the full stories.

Just a quick note this morning to tell you about two great food and drink deals I recently stumbled across in my social flutterings:

1. TGIFridays has one of the best happy hours I've found in Roanoke recently. Every weekday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., all of their appetizers are half price and they have some extremely affordable drink specials. I think domestic drafts are $2, and they have mixed drink specials, too. We had some Jack Daniels chicken strips for about $5 and a three-for-all sampler for about $6.50.

2. Awful Arthur's in downtown Roanoke has a new bar menu that's available during happy hour and after kitchen hours. It offers some great deals on their appetizers - most are about $4.95. This includes a slider sampler that comes with two sliders (your choice of crab cake, burger or tuna) and a pile of fries. You can get two crab cakes, two burgers, or any combination of the three. Howard and I recently shared this appetizer and found it to be delicious and filling. Great value for the money.

If you know of any other great deals, please share them!

What some mezes might look like. Image: Yelp.com

The word is out: Benjamin Ward and business partners at The Isaacs Mediterranean Restaurant in Grandin Village has plans to open a new restaurant in downtown Roanoke. The setting will be the space that used to house Trio Bistro Bar Bottle on the corner of Church Avenue and Market Street.

Meze World Cafe is the name. "Meze" means "small dish" in Greek. So, it is similar to Spanish tapas but with a Middle Eastern twist. At Meze World Cafe, diners will be able to mix, match and share from a menu of mezes. During lunch, there will be a buffet with both hot and cold options, Ward said.

He plans to source as many local ingredients for Meze as possible, which he is already doing over at The Isaacs. He says Meze will offer a lot of outdoor seating with a Paris cafe feel.

They are aiming to open at the beginning of October, but that hinges on the ABC license and some other paperwork. I'll keep you all informed. Ben promises to send along some more detailed information about the business plan shortly.

What are your initial thoughts?

Burger in the Square, a longtime resident of the Roanoke City Market Building, has opened its second location in Southwest Roanoke County.

For more information, head to the SWoCo blog.

What do you think of this news? Is this insurance for the burger restaurant in case things do not work out at the market building? Hmmm...