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The restaurant's mango walls are decorated with the owners' collection of large, nostalgic black-and-white photos. |
BY NANCY DEARING ROSSBACHER
FOR THE FREE LANCE-STAR
She: I don't even want to think about what time Miki Chilton gets up in the morning. The quiches? Homemade. The soups? From scratch. The barbecue? Freshly cooked and hand-pulled.
If the cookery didn't deserve kudos (which it does), the energy level would.
He: Culpeper's Radishes & Roses, which originally opened five years ago at a Lovers Lane location, moved downtown to West Cameron Street last year. To adjust to the smaller space, husband-and-wife team Scott and Miki Chilton pared down their collection of large, nostalgic black-and-white photos--auto-obsessed teens in the 1950s and election-eve Kennedy in 1960--and splashed the walls with a cheerful mango color.
The effect is simple yet inviting.
She: The dishes are grander in scale than the modest setting. A "cup" of soup ($2.95) was delivered in a bowl-size vessel. (Note to readers: Please do not give the Chiltons smaller dishes for Christmas.)
The soup specials of the day included a homey meld of plump rice with substantial chunks of turkey, and a creamy Italian spinach dusted with fennel.
He: Echoing this generosity was a slice of one of several quiches available ($3.95). The cheddar, ham and broccoli were all in ample evidence, and the nicely browned crust suggested that it would have come close to equaling the figure "" on a pie chart. For $5.95, the quiches come with a ride-along salad and chips.
She: Sandwiches, hot and cold, are a main feature of the menu, and they carry names regional (the Raccoon Ford) and personal (the Pop Chilton). The Mountain Run ($5.95) rewards the diner with a kaiser roll heaped with the aforementioned hand-pulled barbecue: gently cooked, tender, and served with dipping sauces that are either Texan or--the local favorite--vinegary North Carolinian in attitude.
Crunchy, carrot-laced slaw and a pile of ruffly chips round out the satisfying basket of down-home fare.
He: The Lover's Lane ($7.95), doubtless a well-considered reprise from their previous location, is, in fact, a Reuben--and an excellent one. A judicious slathering of dressing topped the Swiss cheese and lean, thinly sliced corned beef on toasted marble rye. The corned beef is, as all Radishes & Roses' meats are, Boar's Head products.
She: Also worthy of mention is Kacey's BLT ($4.95). The lettuce and tomato, while fresh, are not what sets this apart. It's the plentiful applewood-smoked bacon.
He: Last thoughts: cuisine that is cozy, yet with a touch of flair.
She: Why the name Radishes & Roses? It was a winning horse Miki once bet on.
And I'd bet on this horse, too.
Nancy Dearing Rossbacher and Stephen W. Sylvia publish a Civil War magazine together. She likes to cook. He likes to eat. To reach Rossbacher and Sylvia, e-mail them at editor@nstcivil war.com. Or call 540/374-5430 with comments about today's review.
What: Radishes & Roses Cafe & Catering Address: 106 W. Cameron St., Culpeper, near the courthouse Phone: 540/825-3740 Hours: Monday-Friday, Prices: Breakfast: $1.50-$4.95 Soups and salads: $2.95-$7.95 Sandwiches: $3.95-$7.95 Box lunches (24-hour Children's menu: $4.95 The scoop: Casual and congenial, nonsmoking, vegetarian selections available, wheelchair accessible, takeout and catering available, on-street parking. Major credit cards accepted. |
