Giuseppe's has been a mainstay in Mount Hope for years, though it's gone through some openings and closings. And most recently, they seem to have shuttered their doors.



Hopefully they can make a comeback. But in the meantime, let's take a quick look at the Italian restaurant from my last visit.



The interior has some traditional decor, red and white checkered tablecloths and a menu full of classics. I went with a cheese ravioli in a blush sauce, which came with salad and breadsticks. 



This is comfort food to me. The pasta is rich and carb-tastic. I do wish maybe some fresh herbs or something was there to add a bit of brightness to the dish. The house dressing is tasty and punchy, though I would've loved something other than iceberg. And my breadsticks - covered in butter and cheese - were delish - if not a little unevenly baked.



Overall, a classic, homestyle Italian. restaurant with a good bit of history that I hope returns.

Grade: B

I'm not sure if it is exposure therapy or if it just really is that good-  but Gino's Pizza and Spaghetti House has a yummy pizza.



I like getting mine with just mushrooms, which is my usual. I usually opt out of pepperoni because I think it makes it too greasy.



But I do like their sauce and the crust is thin enough - and crisp enough - that you can get a good taste of all of the toppings. This location in Mount Hope produced a pretty solid pizza.



Grade: A

Mount Hope is home to a small coffee shop called Coal Bucket Coffee Shop. I had been wanting to check it out because small town coffee shops are one of my fav places to visit.



I arrived here as soon as it opened... but it wasn't open, unfortunately. Ten minutes after... fifteen minutes after... still no sign of opening. So I had to leave, go do my errands in the area and come back. Thankfully, they were open the second time around.



There wasn't anyone to greet me right away, so I kinda hovered awkwardly until I was waited on. Once that happened, I was able to order a frozen caramel coffee. The ice was a bit chunkier than I'd prefer, but there was plenty of caramel to please even the sweetest tooth - like mine.



Grade: B

After a long day of reporting, my photographer friend and I were in search of something quick to fill our stomachs, but paramount, was finding a place with WiFi. Usually, this isn't too difficult, but in Mount Hope, it was trying. We bopped around to a few places before we saw a Boston Beanery and decided to try our luck there.

The Beanery has three locations in Morgantown: Downtown, Evansdale and at the Pines. So I had an idea of what I was getting myself into. I called beforehand and asked if they had WiFi. They confirmed that they do.

We were a little frazzled trying to connect to the WiFi with workers who really didn't have the slightest clue. I ended up connecting to a random business because for whatever reason, the Beanery network wouldn't work. But in the midst of this, I quickly ordered a grilled cheese (and curly fries) with a cup of lobster bisque.



I don't remember how long it took them to deliver the food, because I was still trying to fidget with the internet, which they weren't really helpful with. But sooner or later, I got my cheddar cheese grilled cheese.It was on two slices of thick, toasted bread. Cheddar cheese oozed out the edges. I plopped each bite into the buttery, sweet lobster bisque.

I was pretty satisfied with my meal. It was simple, comforting, but good. I just wish my service had been a little bit more helpful.

Grade: B

I have been covering a lot of stories on the Boy Scout Jamboree in Fayette County, and on the way back from one particular trip, we stopped at a local Italian spot. A quick Urbanspoon search showed Giuseppe's had decent reviews, and it was nearby, so we stopped.

It's a local place that has that hometown feel. It's a little worn but in a good way. It has charm and character. A quick look over the menu really made me want everything, but I ordered the small rigatoni. I like my pasta to sauce ratio heavier on the pasta side, so even though spaghetti is their specialty, the rigatoni has a better chance of wowing me.

A house salad proved to be mediocre. Some iceberg lettuce, mozzarella cheese and a few tomatoes. At least they had French dressing available.

Some buttered bread was fantastic. Weird, right? I don't know how some bread can be so good - though I know many people who love bread, that's just not typically me - but the garlic and flavor on this one hit the spot for me.

The rigatoni! Some of the best I've had. I love the homestyle, traditional restaurants that have authentic recipes that have probably been around for ages. This sauce seems to fit that bill. I can see this sauce being fine-tuned and perfected over the years before its served to salivating patrons like myself.

If you're in the area, it's definitely worth a visit.

Oh, and if you have an EXTRA minute, stop at this cool little shop across the road. It's just ... amazeballs.



Grade: A