Former Roanoke diner Libby's We have reopened as an Italian pizza specialty store.
portabella The month-old restaurant's website, owned by Hassan Ibrahim, says it reflects the owner's “passion for American and Italian cuisine with a Mediterranean twist.” There is. He is originally from Egypt and has worked at various pizza restaurants, he said. This is his own first restaurant.
Hassan Ibrahim opened Portabella at 1132 South Avenue in Roanoke in February.
jeff sturgeon
The menu includes pizza, stromboli, and pasta, as well as burgers and salads. Calvin Page, a former Libby's customer, was sitting in Portabella recently waiting for his pie.
“It's been updated quite a bit. It looks nice. She'd be proud of it,” said Page, 57, explaining that she dined at Libby's as a child. Longtime owner Elizabeth “Libby” Monsour opened the business in 1974. According to her obituary, she passed away in 1996. It was famous for its fried bologna sandwiches.
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“She'll be happy that it's still intact. Everything is pretty much perfect, including the sculpt. That's the sculpt it's supposed to be,” Page said. He gave his opinion on Portabella's chances of success. “Most of the time, it's the food that sells. It sells on its own because it's a good product. There's no advertising or anything. That's how she did it,” he said.
The address is 1132 Salem Ave. SW.
jeff sturgeon (540) 981-3251
jeff.sturgeon@roanoke.com
