ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, December 27, 1996 TAG: 9612270027
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: dining out
TYPE: RESTAURANT REVIEW
SOURCE: DOLORES KOSTELNI CORRESPONDENT
If the forces of history haven't been enough to immortalize Fincastle, the cooking of David Barnes at Miller's Place surely will do the trick.
Barnes gets the highest marks from me for serving attractively presented, tasty food at reasonable prices. What's more, many of his main courses display inspiration and purity of flavor, two qualities that we don't get enough of from today's restaurants. And above all, his food is comfortable: it's fresh, well prepared and easy to eat. Abundant portions are the rule both at lunch and dinner.
You can begin dinner with these spicy little numbers: a tender, jumbo shrimp cocktail with a zippy sauce ($5.95) or the fiery broiled oysters diablo ($5.25). But you can also embark on your feast with a starter that makes a small meal. This concept is great for petite appetites, for those watching their diets, and for those of us (like me!) who like to taste everything on the menu.
The mixed grill falls into this category and features tender strips of mahi-mahi sirloin on either side of sliced chicken breast. I enjoyed this combination not only unadorned but also dressed with some of its accompanying honey mustard sauce. The tempura-coated shrimp ($5.50) and the platter of well-seasoned conch fritters ($5.95) both are hearty appetizers as well.
Like everything else at Miller's Place, salads are abundant, fresh and wonderful. The Caesar is just what it's supposed to be with crisp romaine lettuce tossed with the right amount of dressing, and topped with a shower of Parmesan cheese and croutons ($3.95). The house salad ($2.95), a regular feature on the lunch buffet, combines an assortment of greens with tomato wedges, cucumber slices, red onion rings, shredded carrots, black olives and Mandarin orange segments with your choice of dressing. I also especially liked the salad of baby spinach leaves ($4.95).
For the most part, the entrees reproduce the classics in ways that make them suitable for just about everyone's palate. For example, a rolled roast pork loin Romano ($12.95) stuffs leeks, portobello mushrooms, spinach, prosciutto and provolone cheese within its tender swirls. Barnes finishes the meat nicely with drizzles of a sublime Sambuca sauce.
The Court House Sampler ($12.95) packs a gentle punch with its Creole sauce that envelops shrimp, scallops, mussels, and chunks of fish over rice. When I order this dish, it's all I order, because I want to relish the lively flavors that come together and make it one of my favorites.
At least one of Barnes' entrees exhibits Mexican leanings and reflects the years he spent as a sous chef in Florida in the Hilton Hotel chain and at the Cabana Club in Ocala. The grilled tuna Cozumel ($13.95) gives you a substantial piece of moist and tender grilled yellow fin tuna topped with a colorful, lightly explosive pico de gallo sauce.
Barnes knows how to expertly handle fish and this ability is especially obvious with grouper which arrives at his kitchen as if it had just been reeled in, in one big fresh piece. The review pal with me for dinner one evening, went into gastronomic ecstasy over her grouper flamed with Grand Marnier ($13.95) and topped with a delicate, barely orange, sauce. On another night, when it was a featured special with the delightful name of Sicilia, the grouper ($12.95) sat on a bed of sauted onions, red and green bell peppers, and sliced mushrooms. It, too, elicited comments of delight.
This colorful Sicilia sauce also makes the Court House steak ($16.95) a dazzle of tenderness and flavor. Veal Marsala ($12.95), a thoroughly pleasant dish, comes with a mound of linguine and parades several good-looking slices of sauted veal in a beautiful wine sauce.
I could eat lunch here everyday because there is enough variety to the menu that I wouldn't be bored. Three notable lunch dishes that I tasted include chicken quesadillas ($4.99), the Mexican salad bowl ($5.95) and the southern salad ($5.95). This third salad is just so good with the contrasting bite of raspberry vinaigrette mixed in with grilled (or fried, if you prefer) chicken strips, cheddar cheese, tomato wedges, and croutons on a heap of mixed greens.
Lunch chef Mac Williamson creates a prime rib lunch buffet ($6.95) of splendid proportions on Wednesdays. On my first visit, I had Williamson's lasagna buffet, ($4.95 - $5.95) though a little floppy and loose, it is an irresistible blend of noodles, cheeses, meats, and a fresh-tasting, nicely seasoned tomato sauce. Along with eating too much of this, I indulged in the attractive array of freshly prepared hot and cold foods including house salad, fresh vegetable salad, steamed vegetables, cinnamon apples, plus an assortment of cakes for dessert.
The wine list spans the globe with seven selections from California, four from Virginia, six from France, four each from Italy and Australia, and two from Germany. Most of these bottles are moderately priced and in the $10.50 to $18 range. For celebrations, the stellar champagne, Dom Perignon is available at $150.
Miller's Place is the most adorable restaurant I've been to in a long time. As you walk in, you are at once charmed by Connie Marsh's original mural depicting the Miller's Place corner of Fincastle in its early days. There's a gorgeous antique mirror on the opposite wall and straight ahead, a fireplace and sitting area that come under the watchful gaze of a glass-enclosed classy fortune teller. I like sitting at any of the window tables so I can look out to the stately courthouse across the street.
I'm glad Miller's Place is close by, where we can all take pleasure in David Barnes' talent and passion for culinary excellence. I speak in superlatives about his food, and rightfully so. He deserves every word of my praise and support. |MILLER'S PLACE| At the corner of Main and Roanoke streets,
Fincastle (540) 473-2508
HOURS: Monday through Friday: Lunch: 11 a.m. - 2 p.m., Dinner: 5 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday: Dinner only: 5 p.m. - 10 p.m.
PRICE RANGE: Lunch $4.95-$8.95; dinner $5.50-$16.95
CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover
RESERVATIONS REQUIRED? Not necessary, but encouraged
NONSMOKING SECTION? Yes, the entire restaurant
Dining Out's evaluation of a restaurant's accessibility to the handicapped is provided by the nonprofit Blue Ridge Independent Living Center in Roanoke.
LENGTH: Long : 112 linesby CNB