Blue 5
The great combination - Food Entertainment & Music

The creaminess of the grits mixed perfectly with the strains of the Dobro, mandolin, and steel guitar the wound through notes of “Summertime.” The spiciness of freshly chopped tomatoes on shrimp and andouille sausage washed down brilliantly with a glass of Bogle pinot noir.

I was in the midst of an impromptu party of diners having a blast and didn’t want to leave. The Blue 5 Restaurant, in its sixth week operating as a blues food and music venue on the corner of Second Street and Kirk Avenue, was in full swing on Saturday night with the help of French chef Richard Henri Todeschini and music by Scott Perry and Front Porch Swing. It all coalesced in a style reminiscent of gypsy jazz with a bit of Dan Hicks style swing thrown in for good measure.

But first came the draft of Abita amber ale to wash down two appetizers: the Blue 5 crab cake on a bed of fried green tomatoes, and baked oysters with applewood bacon. The crab cake’s plump and sweet pureness was cut by the tart, perfectly fried green tomatoes. The bread-crumbed oysters topped with smokey bacon exemplified the satisfaction I felt as I glanced up to one of three flat screen televisions that showed a score of 27-0 as the University of Virginia beat Pitt’s butt at the beginning of the second quarter.

Just as we finished our appetizers and I took my last sip of ale, our dinner arrived. My husband had ordered one of the three specials, a pan-roasted duck in a sweet, dried fruit sauce. My shrimp and grits, said owner Kerry Hurley, was his favorite dish. Generous portions, attentive wait staff, and a fine glass of pinot that complemented the spiciness of my dish finely intertwined with the beat of “Shake, Rattle and Roll,” as Hurley took the stage to belt out his version of that blues-rock song.

The gathering at Blue 5 on Saturday Nights was eclectic and reminiscent of Event Zone’s Big Lick Blues Festival. The bar was packed, the tables were at a premium, the people mingled and hugged, and even a few danced and swayed as my husband munched on his al dente green beans and I forked a fat shrimp. Roanoke’s disparate personalities came together in a perfect blend that Saturday night.

The specials of the evening, in addition to the duck, were a seafood trio of shrimp, salmon and tile fish, and a roasted mahi mahi stuffed with crabmeat. The people at the table behind us ordered burgers, which are available in an array of choices such as blue cheese and applewood bacon, shitake mushrooms and smoked gouda, or the Plain Jane with cheddar.
“What about this moonshine glaze?” questioned my husband twice about the baby back ribs and chicken dishes, his eyes twinkling with the possibilities that a Chevy, pumped to 180 with four on the floor and dual exhausts, had actually delivered the ingredients.

Less nefarious menu items such as a stuffed chicken breast of an artichoke risotto, a pan-seared catfish (recommended by the back table), and a steak au poivre with homemade fries rounded out the menu.
Lunch contains a selection of three soups—black bean, chicken, and biscuit, or saffron mussel—a full array of salads, from Caesar (no, Sees Her), spinach and tomato mozzarella, to pasta dishes, sandwiches, the burgers, and entrees. Those main dishes are garlic-cilantro chicken tacos, the shrimp and grits, steamed mussels cioppino, and pistachio chicken fingers.

But we weren’t done. While Ray sipped his strong, black coffee, we shared a large slice of tiramisu, but could have done a classic crème brulee, apple bread pudding, New York cheesecake, French chocolate cake, banana split, key lime square, or the totally European flair of a cheese plate with bread and fruit.

Did we have to leave? The party was going strong. The band was cranking up for a second set. Yes, but we will come back soon. Dinner is served Wednesday through Saturday, lunch Monday through Friday, and music on weekends. On tap are 16 microbrews and by the bottle, nine domestic varieties, in addition to a nice wine list. For more information, log on to http://www.blue5restaurant.com/,where you’ll find the menus and a list of future entertainers.

Posted: November 7th, 2007 under Taste of the City.

Post a Comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.

~Sarah Cox loves to eat and write about food—probably in that order. She believes that most good cooking is the result of excellent ingredients, a dollop of wine and some Miles Davis in the background. This is while her daughter emails her from UVA with a grammar question, and her son’s drum tempo shakes the floor, thus helping reduce the red sauce. Sarah has eaten in working men’s cafes in Tehran, coffee shops in Salzburg, beer halls in Munich, and train stations in Copenhagen, but she likes her mom’s cherry pie best of all. She is a graduate of The University of Virginia and the Hollins Masters program in Writing. She can be contacted in care of City Magazine at 540.345.6300 or contact@citymagazineonline.com.