Continental Divide

Date
2/12/09

Location
On your way to Downtown, across from the Amtrak station
811 W. Main Street

What I ate
Texas hummus, Bison and beef meatloaf with bourbon BBQ sauce

Who went
Kelly and Matt

Thoughts
First things first, finding this place is not a sure thing. We looked for a while and found one thing that says "Continental Divide" apart from the menus - it's a small lit sign behind the bar. Look for the "Get In Here" green fluorescent sign to find this place. Now that you've found it, the review can actually start.

The hummus was pretty good. It had a better consistency than most store-bought varieties and the "Texas" part came through as a nice little spicy kick. It wasn't strong, but it persisted. The chips were a bit on the salty side, but this place is known for their margaritas, so that's probably by design. The meatloaf was tasty, but I didn't taste much difference between it (bison and really good beef) and the stuff I've made before (regular ground beef). That said, I'm sure those meats are healthier and putting anything through the grinder is probably going to dampen the quality, so I won't complain about that. I will, however, complain about the sauce. I'm sure some people like the meatloaf to stand on its own, but I could've used a fair bit more sauce and more flavor in the sauce. The cheesy potato whatnot on the side was a nice complement and the vegetables helped, too. Now that I think about it, the meatloaf alone was a little disappointing, but the plate was really good with the parts eaten together.

The place has a nice, warm feeling to it with interesting paintings and pictures on the wall. Part of that, though, might be because it gets crowded quickly. They don't care, they actually embrace that as part of the atmosphere by posting "Too loud, too crowded, too bad" near the bar. The no-nonsense attitude theme continues on the menu which warns that "[u]nruly children will be fed to the cooks". This atmosphere might scare away someone in search of a quiet, calm dinner, but you're in the wrong place if that's what you seek.

The service was pretty good. The food came out quickly and no one reached the bottom of their glass during the meal. We were handed the wrong credit card recipt initially and didn't see our server again for a while, but I know how tempermental those machines can be and the place was packed, so that's at least partially forgiven. The prices on food are very reasonable and they could add another tap or two, but they have a decent selection of bottled beers. I'm not a big tequila fan, so I'm probably not doing this place full justice. If any of you have gone here for drinks, please post your comments!

Recap
Pros - Pretty good food, good service, and fair prices
Cons - Somewhat limited menu (especially entrees for vegetarians), tough to find if you've never gone before
Overall - Nothing spectacular, but it's a solid choice. If you're in the mood for a nice, loud night out and some good tex-mex food, go here.

The Home Place

Date
2/5/09 (about an hour after the end of my interview)

Location
Out in the mountains
4968 Catawba Valley Drive, Catawba, VA

What I ate
Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, biscuits, green beans, pinto beans, cherry cobbler

Who went
Rebecca, Nicole, Ivy, and Nate

Website
http://filebox.vt.edu/users/kdesrosi/thehomeplace/

Thoughts
I can't remember being so full after a meal that wasn't Thanksgiving. For $13, you get two meats and all of the sides - all you can eat. That also includes drinks; they have a great lemonade that is a bit strong for most. The service is great and the food is good. They sacrifice a little bit of quality for the quantity and speed, but when good food arrives at my table less than two minutes after ordering, it's really tough to complain. Our waitress was very nice and we had refills offered within a minute of running out of anything.

You'll have to ask the others about the pork BBQ, but since it's a Thursday specialty, I'm sure it was delicious. The fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and biscuits (with awesome apple butter) were all really good. The beans (green, pinto) were alright, but a little on the bland side. They complemented the rest of the meal pretty well, but were just boring by themselves. The cobbler was really tasty and well balanced - cold, sweet vanilla ice cream with warm, tart cherries. This definitely felt like a reward for getting through my interview. I was worried about being so tired from digesting that I would have trouble driving back home, but there was still just enough room in my stomach for some good coffee.

A quick anecdote about the interview: They provided cookies for us while we waited for our turn. Since I had a while between the tour and my interview, I saw a bunch of students; a lot of them asked me if I wanted to partake in the great cookie offering. When I told them I was saving my appetite for the Home Place, almost every one of them suddenly found a face of understanding and commented on what a good decision this was. It's a little bit of a hike from anything, but it's well worth the trip.

Recap
Pros - Good food and drinks, all you can eat, great service
Cons - Hours and location may be troubling
Overall - Don't let the timing and drive get in your way. Go here. You will enjoy it.