Making Ripples: post-corporate adventures in Floyd County Virginia

The Daily Grind Coffee House in Rocky Mount

David and Susie Pegler run a hospitable little cafe next door to the Franklin County Courthouse in Rocky Mount, VA. It's called the Daily Grind Coffee House.

I wandered in there last Wednesday after attending the Tax Day Tea Party.  I was starving. Something about the place attracted me and I was not disappointed.

David greeted me and made me feel right at home. When I asked what he would suggest for lunch, he promptly responded, "Anything you want!"

A cheerful response like that appeals to me on many levels. I knew I had come to the right place.

I asked for a BLT in a wrap and it was in my hands in a matter of minutes. This was one of the best BLTs I have ever tasted, sweet and crunchy and all of the goodness that a BLT can provide when done to perfection.

I was on my way a few minutes later, but the hospitality and the good food made my afternoon.

I found out while writing this that there is a Daily Grind franchise organization that has been around since 1995.  That surprised me because this coffee shop had the unique feeling of a hometown coffee shop and cafe.

UPDATE: David Pegler informs me that they are an NOT part of the Daily Grind franchise. No wonder the place felt so hospitable!

Franchise operations may be efficient, but they lack the personal touch of an individual enterprise where the owner greets you like an old friend, even if you have never been in the store before.

David, I will be in to see you the next time I am in Rocky Mount.

New Chef Heats up Floyd Food Scene

Scott Hutchinson has taken over the kitchen at Margie Ryan's Over the Moon Cafe and Gallery and he brings new variety to the Floyd County dining scene. I found his entries to be uniformly excellent and the presentation of each dish complemented the quality of the food.

I had the Buffalo Chili Nachos yesterday and they were so good I returned to order them today so that I could photograph the dish and several others.

On this visit, I was able to capture Scott's Sauteed Shrimp and Dirty Rice which was very tasty.

I was also attracted by two other dishes, a chicken salad and a bowl of chili soup. They looked inviting and will be on my list for the next visit.

With Scott's arrival, we have a significant addition to the culinary talent pool in Floyd. Scott, whose resume includes cooking at the White House and a catering business in Salem, VA, favors freshly prepared local food with Asian and Southwestern overtones.

Scott lives in Salem where he and his wife Suzette, own and operate Valley Fresh Gourmet Catering, but he has taken on the challenge of developing a seasonal menu based on Slow Food principles for the Over the Moon Cafe and Gallery.

When Scott was in the Navy, he did a three year stint at the White House Mess as part of the elite team that prepared meals for President Clinton and the senior White House Staff. Following that, he spent several years in estate management and as a private chef before launching his own catering business in Southwestern Virginia.

If you have already sampled the meals in our other Floyd County restaurants, you should take the opportunity to do lunch at the Over the Moon Cafe.

The menu is still evolving so you may not find other meals than the ones I have described and photographed. But I would recommend that you give the Cafe a try.  Call 540-745-2782 for hours of operation.