Stephen's Restaurant, Roanoke, VA

After years of being on my not so short “short list” of local restaurants, I finally had the pleasure of visiting Stephen’s this weekend.   Stephens serves up fresh seafood and certified Angus tenderloin with a decidedly New Orleans flair.  In business since 1987, Stephens resides in the building that long time Roanokers may remember as Ippy’s at 2926 Franklin Road SW.  Having won multiple awards for Best Seafood Restaurant, Best Chef, Best Maître D’ and Best Restaurant  Overall,  Stephen’s has established itself as one of Roanoke most highly acclaimed eateries .  Proprietor and Chef Stephen Foster and wife Linda, who also works as the sous chef, bring Deep South sensibilities to their offerings, which include etouffees, gumbos, and beignets.

Upon arriving at the restaurant, we were quickly greeted by the hostess and even though we did not have reservations, she quickly had us seated.  Our table, which was located in a semi private area where we could barely hear other patrons, was covered in crisp white linen and was adorned with fresh flowers.  The dining area seemed both refined and comfortable, with ample space between tables and simple but tasteful wall decorations.

The restaurant offers a range of fine wines as well as several good beers including imports and microbrews.

As Stephen’s specializes in mainly fresh, seasonal seafood, the menu changes daily.  Appetizers range from Maine Lobster Bisque to Pecan Crusted Rack of Lamb Chops.  Entrées include such items as Blackened Fish of the Day, Seafood Diane (fillet fish fillet topped with scallops, lump crab meat and shitake mushrooms), and Filet Royale (Angus tenderloin topped with lump crab meat and a bacon redeye cream sauce).  Entrées are served with a salad of fresh greens and chickpeas, and freshly baked bread.  A wine pairing suggestion is listed as well.  As for salad dressings, I was surprised that only Bleu Cheese and Raspberry Vinaigrette were available. I opted for the Bleu Cheese but was actually hoping for another choice.

On this visit, I was accompanied by my wife Robin and our son Luke.  Robin decided on an entrée of Grilled Rockfish on caramelized Vidalia onions with tomato coulis and whipped sweet potato.  Luke had fried crab cakes which were served over a tart cider butter sauce.  Myself, I choose their Fish Market Combination, which consisted of blackened Rockfish, three grilled jumbo shrimp and a small fried crab cake.   I often find myself rating a restaurant by the quality of their sauces and the Lime Chili Ginger Garlic sauce that was served with my fish was exquisite and went very well with the spiciness of the fish and the smoky flavor of the shrimp.  All of our dishes were also served with a steamed vegetable combination of cabbage, carrots and cucumber, which I must say I found somewhat unappealing.

We decided against dessert although many of the offerings appeared delicious such as Blackberry Sorbet with White Peach puree and another southern favorite Bread Pudding with whiskey sauce.

Overall, we all found the food and experience to be excellent.   Prices for most entrees range from 26.99 to 32.99.  If you are seeking a fine dining experience in the Roanoke area, Stephen’s may be a good choice.