Miss Vinegar is back, having just recently celebrated her birthday. (The intent was to bring you a review of some actual indie/fancy cuisine in the form of a trip to downtown Roanoke's Trio wine bar; so far, the only intelligence Miss Vinegar can impart on that score is that Trio does not serve dinner on weekdays. Some birthday surprise.) The celebration extended to the Old Vinegar Homeplace, whence the battle of the Readily Available Upscale Chain Restaurants commenced. P.F. Chang's was, alas, disqualified due to accessibility issues; Macaroni Grill was sacrificed on the altar of time constraints. Which left the Vinegar family with the following:
Max & Erma's
Macarthur Center, Norfolk; also locations in Richmond and Charlotte
The Food-- Max & Erma's has what Miss Vinegar prizes above all else in a chain restaurant: variety. (And potstickers!) From a sandwich to a burger to a steak to the aforementioned dumplings, there really is something there for every taste, and it's all good. Miss Vinegar had the Laredo Steak (with "cactus butter:" Miss Vinegar is still not sure what that is, but was pleased to have correctly guessed that it was spicy), preceded by the potstickers, and recommends the living daylights out of both.
The Service-- Daddy Vinegar was temporarily ensconced in a wheelchair that weekend, and the staff was very accommodating.
The Ambience-- Typical American-food chain restaurant decor with a Mom-and-Pop slant.
Special Touches-- Excellent cookies, fresh-baked while you wait.
Overall: ***1/2 (three point five stars out of five)
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