When I first moved to Blacksburg, I found lots of restaurants that knew how to make pretty good food and offered pretty good service, but somehow they all lacked that edge of professionalism and style that would make them a top-notch restaurant in a truly competitive market. Nerv, therefore, was a welcome addition to the town's restaurant scene, offering the kind of haute cuisine you'd expect in New York or LA (not that I've been to either -- do Baltimore and Atlanta qualify?), but at Blacksburg prices.
I don't think I've had an entrée at Nerv that I didn't enjoy. Their steaks are delicious and far from ordinary. Their menu offers a wide variety of truly unique dishes, artistically presented and served with genuinely edible side dishes (I get tired of soggy vegetables and cold potatoes at other restaurants). Their desserts are impressive, particularly the Bananas Foster, though it's a bit heavy.
It's not a place to bring the kids -- they do offer a children's menu, but it's not written down, so you know they're not used to families. And they're located in the heart of downtown Blacksburg, so plan an extra 10 minutes to find a parking place (and don't park in the apartment lots -- they really do tow, as a friend of mine learned the hard way).
I've never tried their Sunday brunch, but I'm eager to -- if it's anything like their dinners, it will be an experience worth having.
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