Five Guys Burgers and....Peanuts?

My parents were here a few weekends back. Because my hometown is Annapolis, Maryland, I haven’t been home yet this semester. They decided to visit on the first weekend of October. So two of my brothers (I have three) and my two parents drove the five hours (plus another two due to traffic in Washington) to visit for a few days. Their visit proved to be enjoyable, especially since they offered to take my roommate and me out to eat.

I am sure that you can sympathize. Most of us are poor, college students. We might make a little money here and there, but that ends up going toward our college fund or our car repairs. So the opportunity to eat off campus rarely presents itself simply because we don’t feel like spending our money to eat off campus when dad could be paying for you to eat in Owens.

If however, you do decide to venture off campus, I highly recommend “Five Guys Famous Burgers and Fries.” This chain restaurant is located right across the street from the University Mall, at 880 University City Blvd. The restaurant is tucked away in a small strip mall, but my younger brother was able to note the location immediately. You should not have any trouble.

If at first you are not impressed, that is okay. When you walk in, you are greeted by cement floors, a typical counter, and the smell of burgers. Usually, the smell is all that I need to tell a quality establishment, but for your sake I will continue. Do not be dismayed by the peanut shells that seem to be ever present on the floor: that is why they have a cement floor. An open box of fresh peanuts extends a warm welcome and bids you try them while you wait for your food.

The menu simplifies reality: how would you like your burger? Hot dogs are also available, but who is going to order a hotdog at a place called “Five Guys Burgers and Fries?” You can get a burger with cheese or with bacon, or without meat. (Impossible? Obviously not.)

The next question is then: how would you like your fries? “My fries?” you might ask, “Are these fries any different from normal?” You can order regular fries, but you can also order Cajun flavored fries. These fries are deliciously seasoned with the perfect amount of Cajun seasoning. As if that was not enough, they have also decided to make Malt vinegar available for flavoring your fries further. This equals the ultimate winner in my book. I am a sucker for vinegar and fries. (Really, it’s not disgusting. Try it sometime.)

In conclusion, our meal was quite enjoyable. The food was ready in less than ten minutes, and the price was about $5-6 per person including fries. Soda is also available, but who drinks soda when you can drink free water? (Perhaps my dad still holds to some college principles of spending.) If you can force yourself past the unadorned floors and inviting peanuts, you will enjoy your meal better than any other burger joint in Blacksburg. You think not? Well, tell me where else I can get vinegar on my fries, because I sure can’t at West End.

Restaurant Review

Restaurant Review
Who doesn’t like fresh baked cookies? And who doesn’t like to create your own cookie combination? The answer is nobody. This is the logic behind Crumb & Get It Cookie Co. located in downtown Blacksburg. Owners Chris and Kelly McMurray took the idea of giving customers choices in ingredients and mixed it with their love for cookies. The process is simple, customers start by choosing their dough and mix-in’s, and follow with cooking them after they are ordered. This not only gives the customers a choice in their cookie, but also a fresh baked cookie.
Customers choose from doughs such as sugar shortbread, oatmeal, peanut butter, and chocolate. Followed by their choice of mix-in’s that include milk chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, butterscotch chips, andes mint chips, caramel chips, walnuts, macadamia nuts, peanuts, cashews, pecans, almonds, m&m’s, peanut butter m&m’s, heath bar pieces, hershey kisses, snickers pieces, crushed oreo’s, peanut butter cup pieces, butterfinger pieces, raisins, craisins, sprinkles, marshmallows, and coconut.
Cookies generally take about fifteen minutes to bake, and come with milk or other drink options when a customer orders the entrees. Entrees start at three cookies, but many other portions are available. Customers can get portions that range from three cookies to multiples of fifty cookies for party trays. Customers are allowed to choose one mix-in, but they can add more for $0.50 per extra mix-in. Customers can also get their cookies topped with icing for the same price.
Some “cookie creation faves” are listed on the menu. These concoctions include “candy dandy” which incorporates sugar cookie dough with m&m’s mixed in, “PB bombs” which is peanut butter dough with peanut butter cups mixed in the dough, and “chooey gooey chocolate” which starts with chocolate dough and has dark chocolate chips as well. These are just a few of the many favorites listed.
The dining room at Crumb & Get It Cookie Co. is a relaxing environment playing quiet music, and is filled with the sweet smell of the fresh baked cookies. The dining room is equipped with bars that allow single customers to dine, but also contains tables large enough for nearly twenty customers to sit together. Each table is also equipped with a stack of cards called “table topic cards” that contain questions that are thought provoking and easily start conversation. Some examples of questions are, “Would you be likely to survive alone in the wilderness?” and “Who do you think is the most important person alive today?” The dining room was well cleaned, and provided the customer a clean and friendly environment to enjoy their dish in.
The restaurant is located in Kent square on main street in the same complex as Starbucks coffee. It is not in the most easily seen location, but there are signs which will direct customers to the establishment. The restaurant is around the back side of the complex on the lowest floor. Even though it is not visible from main street, Crumb & Get It Cookie Co. is well worth the extra walk around the building to get to. I would recommend the restaurant to anyone who enjoys fresh baked cookies with friends or alone. It served the best cookies I have ever had the joy of tasting.

Down Home Cooking

The wonderful down-home food at the Homeplace in Catawba is well worth the thirty minute drive from Blacksburg. After you eat here you will be addicted to its charm, southern hospitality, and of course the food.

Nestled in the Catawba valley, the restaurant used to be a family home that was built in the late 1800’s by the Morgan family. When the Catawba Sanatorium, a hospital originally opened for TB patients, opened the family started renting out some of the nine bedrooms and serving meals to local teachers and patient’s families.

After some additions to seat more people, it was converted into the restaurant it is today in the 1980’s by Harold Wingate who still runs the place with the help of his son. The house sits on top of a small hill overlooking a pound and farm. The views from the restaurant are breath taking, especially in the fall when the leaves on the surrounding mountains are changing colors.
Homeplace also sits along the Appalachian Trail. Because of its location on the trail, you will often see hikers in the restaurant. However, the restaurant reserves the right not to serve someone due to their personal hygiene.

Be prepared for the possibility of a long wait, especially on Sundays during the church rush. If you think there may be a long wait, you can call ahead and get your name put on the waiting list. But a long wait might not be as bad as you think. You can pass the time sitting on the wraparound porch or if it’s cold outside you can stay warm by the fireplace.
The Homeplace can seat about two hundred patrons at a time. Usually they serve around 2,500 a week.

Now for the best part, the food. You only have two options when you eat there, ham or roast beef, or you can get both. You might think a restaurant with only two options is strange, but after you eat at the Homeplace you will understand. You also get fried chicken, green beans, mashed potatoes with gravy, baked apples, pinto beans, and biscuits. The meal is served family-style with unlimited refills. Also included in the price, $13 dollars for adults, is your drink and cobbler.

Many people do not know it, but you can also get food to go from the Homeplace. All you have to do is call ahead and let them know what you want to pick up. The price of takeout is considerably cheaper than eating in the restaurant.

The Homeplace is a great place for Virginia Tech students to eat if they are homesick. The atmosphere will quickly remind you of eating at home with your family. I am sure that once you eat there, you will be hooked and will make frequent trips to the Catawba Valley.