Dining Out: Awful Arthur's

I've eaten at the Tower's Mall Awful Arthur's twice in the last couple of weeks, and I have to say that the name is a total misnomer.

What might also be misunderstood is the cost. Sure, there were some pricier items on the menu, but I think it's all a matter of timing.

I went the first time during dinner happy hour, which - luckily - is not confined to the smoking bar area. The locally brewed beers were $2.50, and the one I had - a lighter ale - was quite good.

On the dinner menu were a number of items that broke the $10 range, sure, but there were also various salads, apps, and - most importantly - sandwiches that were $6 - $8 with a side. I had the catch of the day (which usually spells mucho dinero) for $7 with a side. Can't beat that.

After the good experience (despite somewhat mediocre service), I went back for lunch and found that the $6 items were gone, though there were still some $7 choices. I suppose I could have asked for a dinner menu, given that there were more "lunchy" items on the dinner menu than the lunch menu, but I went with the shrimp and scallop wrap for $7. It was quite packed with both, not some rice or lettuce filled wrap with a tablespoon of popcorn shrimp. I even took some home after the first half and a side filled me up.

So, with the right choices, Awful Arthur's doesn't have to mean an expensive dinner or drinking. Time it right and you'll get the best of both worlds.

Local Colors Tasty and Fun

Last weekend's Local Colors in Elmwood Park in Roanoke was a really good excuse to get out and eat some ethnic food. Admittedly, what that meant was that - unless one of the many nations represented there had food or drink of some kind - I wasn't very likely to approach the booth. But hear me out.

I'm as extroverted as the next, well, extrovert. But a collection of people in their national garb sitting behind a booth on which rests pamphlets and a few pictures doesn't exactly act like a tractor beam for me. I'm sure they were a wealth of knowledge on their respective countries, but as booth after booth sans food or drink remained largely empty, I knew I wasn't alone in my tendencies.

The Viking tent had shields, swords, and other relevant objects, which drew in some of the more intrepid kids. The various musical talents on stage - from Native American to Lithuanian to hip-hop - was what really kept people hanging out.

At the advice of a friend who was working a booth selling Scottish fare, I tried the Lebanese food, and was glad for it.

The rain came and went sporadically, making wanderers gather under trees in lieu of hiding under booths where bored but eager gurus on myriad foreign countries unintentionally kept all but the most gregarious at arm's length.

There were some booths with wares other than the edible kind, which seemed a sound enough excuse to approach for the potentially apprehensive. After dessert from the Mexico stand, I was strapped for cash, but perused a few booths' goods if only to make those working the stands feel purposeful.

For someone unaware of how varied our demographics are in the valley, the event reflected a positive, diverse environment, and was especially pertinent and beneficial for kids.

Yard Sale Saturday: Early birds beat the rain

This weekend's yard sales were anticipating some hostile weather, it seems, and wisely began pretty early to beat the rain and the heat. I ran into several community yard sales, which are great for quantity.

For some reason, this sometimes makes sellers feel it's more of a flea market and up the prices accordingly, meaning far fewer sales and more junk to lug back into the garage at the end of the day.

Several friendly folks and smiling faces littered the various sales, most of which were up and running by 8am. Some listed as starting at 7am where just unpacking at 715am - a bit of a no-no, and a habit that will invariably result in a big "meh" from early-bird buyers.

Granted, some will just dig through your unopened boxes anyway, but personally I'm never that desperate for a coaster set or salt and pepper shakers.

I picked up some decent books, most of the sellers commenting on the earthquake that had woken them only a few hours hence. There were some decent movies, priced everywhere from 25 cents to several dollars.

The obvious winner for this week's Fun Find was the cardboard stand-up of Jeff Gordon which the owner had colored with red marker over the lips, effectively emasculating the NASCAR racer and arguably decreasing the resale value of the item.

The Sunday sales may have been worthwhile, but with all of the rain from the night before, and the occasional sprinkle throughout the day, I'd guess only the truly dedicated sellers and buyers were out.

Til next time, be sure to check your books for embarrassing home photos you've used as bookmarks before selling, and have some fun out there!

Dining Out: Ukrops for Dinner

All right, so maybe eating at the Ukrops deli and salad might seem to fall a little short of dining out to some, but consider this: I've seen Chinese buffets with much less selection. While running errands, my wife and I lost steam to go home and cook (well, she lost steam, since I don't do much cooking).

Hark, close by loomed Ukrops and a tasty salad bar with plenty of extras, not to mention the grazing along the way. My watch read a little after 7pm, though I gave the time no notice. But then, heading in to see what sorts of muscle-building goodies the bakery offered as samples, we came across three different samplers, each of which was far larger than you might expect.

Admittedly, I had already stuffed my face with a spice cake and a little pound cake before getting to the salad bar.

When you get heavy extras, like tuna salad or noodles, you have to expect the price to shoot up. It's not exactly spinach leaves. Even so, I figured mine wouldn't be too bad, since I'd grown accustomed to around $5 - $6 a pound for salad.

And yet, ringing up with two huge salads and a dessert (as if the cake weren't enough) was just over $8.

What's going on here? I wondered, though of course I just quickly paid as if I were getting away with something that I didn't want the cashier to notice.

I guess the salad bar and select other items are 33% off after 7pm. I'm sure the hour was also the reason for such generous grazing at the bakery.

And sitting upstairs overlooking Franklin Rd is kinda nice, too. It was quiet, and the well-stocked accouterments upstairs leaves little to be desired.

So, lessen learned: if you want some good, cheap eats after 7pm, but don't want to go for the whole sit-down restaurant with the wait and the tip, then give Ukrops a shot.

Dining Out: Kabuki doesn't disappoint

Of course I've been to Kabuki's before: I've been in Roanoke long enough to have such an occasion come up. However, I hadn't been there in about two years when my wife and I went prior to seeing Star Trek as a part of our date night.

Anyone who's been to more than a couple hibachi grills knows that they are not all one in the same, despite inevitable similarities. The important part for me was that the portions remained large and the prices remained reasonable, and - in that regard - Kabuki certainly comes through.

With a drink, our final bill was a little under forty dollars before tip, which I think is pretty good for that sort of dining experience.

The taste - as I remembered it - was quite good. Our chef was a little on the taciturn side, which wasn't lost on another couple at our table. Albeit, it didn't help matters that three of the most docile little girls I've ever seen sat between equally docile parents. Even the pyramid of fire solicited only the most arbitrarily of smiles. (I think maybe there was some cough syrup or medication involved).

Though I was driving and couldn't partake to much of a degree, the array and originality of the alcoholic beverage menu intrigued me; when I return, I hope it's with a designated driver.

All things considered, while so many other restaurants are cutting portions while upping prices, it was nice to see Kabuki still packs on the good food and fun while not breaking the bank.