The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - 62
Top left: Wine by the
glass nicely complements
Nopales' flavors.
Top right: Tacos al pastor.
Bottom left: The stuffed
pork chops are always
charred perfectly.
Bottom right: The flaky
Nopales empanadas are
one of the better appetizers
in the region.
62 MARCH/APRIL 2015
watching, along with the rest of the neighborhood, for
Byrd to pull the brown paper off the windows and set
a grand opening (the restaurant opening was delayed
for several months due to various renovation speed
bumps), but I'm glad he took the time to craft the
space (and the kitchen) to his vision.
The restaurant is warm and inviting, with an open
kitchen in front leading to a small bar and an intimate
dining space that could sit a couple dozen people. It's
not a drastically different set-up than Surf & Turf, the
previous restaurant, but it's far cleaner and easier to
navigate than its predecessor (though the tables are
harder to sit at if you're under 5'4," as the custommade bench seating is a bit taller than a normal chair
- I found I needed to point my toes in order to touch
the floor). On warmer nights, however, it's hard not
to vie for a patio seat with its perfect view of Grandin
Road and its bustle of summer evenings.
Meals, for me, begin with a glass of something
light, like a cava or rosé, paired with a sampling of
one or two of Nopales' flaky empanadas. Here, the
distinction between vegetarian and non- is more of a
formality than a delineation of flavor, with the empa-
nadas being point-in-case. Whether you choose the
butternut squash and black bean empanadas or the
picadillo ones (featuring ground beef, green olives,
golden raisins, and pepitas), you're guaranteed to enjoy one of the better appetizers in the region. From
the buttery, whisper-light pastry to the savory fillings
and the bright zing of the tomatillo-based salsa, you
can't go wrong.
Other starters, like the smoked salmon tacos or
the carnitas al pastor, are equally engaging. These
are no street tacos, with fillings like smoked salmon
with a cilantro-lime yogurt, or shredded pork with a
chunky pineapple salsa, but it's impossible to criticize
the chefs for that. Authenticity isn't always the most
important ingredient in cooking - often imagination
leads the way to a winning dish.
This play on traditional Latin American or Caribbean dishes with a more Americanized palate is what
makes Nopales so successful. One of my favorite dishes is one that merely hints at another cuisine - seared
duck breast with a port cherry-tamarind reduction,
roasted root vegetables, and greens - with tamarind
being the Caribbean nod, and it's a dish I'd order again
THE
R OANOKER.COM
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The Roanoker - March/April 2015
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Roanoker - March/April 2015
Saluting First Responders
Rape: Speaking of the Unspeakable
The Changing Face of Banking, and What it Means to Your Loan Hopes
Roanoke Charitable Giving: Your Guide
Lily & Lucky: Two Rescue Dogs Do Their Own Rescuing
Pets, Pets and More Pets
Weekend: Eastern West Virginia
Dialing Up a Masterful Master Suite
Dining Reviews: La Elinita and Nopales
Notes & Click
From The Editor
The Quiz
The Look
The Flavor
The Calendar
The Gist
The Dish: Dining Guide
Where Are They Now?
The Menu Dining Guide
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - Intro
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - Cover1
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - Cover2
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - 3
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - 4
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - 5
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - 6
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - 7
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - 8
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - 9
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - Notes & Click
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - 11
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - From The Editor
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - The Quiz
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - The Look
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - The Flavor
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - The Calendar
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - 17
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - 18
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - 19
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - The Gist
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - 21
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - 22
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - Saluting First Responders
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - 24
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - 25
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - 26
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - 27
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - 28
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - Rape: Speaking of the Unspeakable
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - 30
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - 31
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - 32
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - 33
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - 34
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - 35
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - The Changing Face of Banking, and What it Means to Your Loan Hopes
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - 37
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - 38
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - 39
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - 40
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - 41
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - 42
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - Roanoke Charitable Giving: Your Guide
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - Lily & Lucky: Two Rescue Dogs Do Their Own Rescuing
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - 45
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - Pets, Pets and More Pets
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - 47
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - 48
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - 49
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - Weekend: Eastern West Virginia
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - 51
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - Dialing Up a Masterful Master Suite
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - 53
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - 54
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - 55
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - 56
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - 57
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - 58
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - 59
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - Dining Reviews: La Elinita and Nopales
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - 61
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - 62
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - 63
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - 64
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - The Dish: Dining Guide
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - Where Are They Now?
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - Cover3
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - Cover4
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - The Menu Dining Guide
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - DG2
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - DG3
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - DG4
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - DG5
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - DG6
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - DG7
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - DG8
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - DG9
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - DG10
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - DG11
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - DG12
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - DG13
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - DG14
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - DG15
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - DG16
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - DG17
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - DG18
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - DG19
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - DG20
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - DG21
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - DG22
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - DG23
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - DG24
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - DG25
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - DG26
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - DG27
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - DG28
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - DG29
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - DG30
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - DG31
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - DG32
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - DG33
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - DG34
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - DG35
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - DG36
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - DG37
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - DG38
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - DG39
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - DG40
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - DG41
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - DG42
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - DG43
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - DG44
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - DG45
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - DG46
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - DG47
The Roanoker - March/April 2015 - DG48
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