Heston Farm is a fairly new addition to the dozen or so wineries in West Virginia. However, they aren't new to making whiskey. Located in Fairmont, the winery and distillery portion of the farm are only about a year old. The family has been involved in farming since the Revolutionary War, and made wine on the side.


The 200-acre farm near the Tygart River has an outdoor pavilion for weddings and other events. They have llamas! But the winery/distillery area has been the main attraction for me. It's open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. Private tours are available. Downstairs, you can try all their different wines and moonshines. I think upstairs you can rent for other events.

For about $6 (that's what it was for me last time), you get a Heston Farms wine glass and a sample of all the wines: Bastion (Semi-Sweet Red), Dog and Pony Show (Sweet Red), Dolly Llama (Semi-Sweet White), Jade's Sweet Reward (Rose Table Wine), Prudence & Penelope (Sweet White), Spring Peeper (Chardonnay) and Spring Peeper (Merlot). They have even more than that now, I believe, but the website doesn't list them all.

You can even taste the moonshine. The Pinchgut Hollow Distillery has: Buckwheat, Corn, Honey Peach and Apple Pie (served in cute pig bottles). It's open Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.

But you know I couldn't ignore the fact that they also have food! They have specials every day, and a few places to dine outside. Recently, they had their Heston Arts & Music Festival, and I spend the majority of my Saturday there.


It was so packed, we actually had to park down near the original location with the pavilion and be carted up to the main area. They had bands playing all day long on the small stage near the building, and artisans had tents set up showcasing their work. You could do wine tastings and purchase food, of course.

Typically, the restaurant is open Monday through Wednesday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Thursday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.

The menu had things like gazpacho, bbq ribs, a meat and cheese board, a burger, and peach turnover. The thing that stood out to me was the bruschetta platter. One - I had just paid $10 for the festival, and Two - I didn't have much cash left. The platter was $9, so I went for it. After waiting in line, I put my order in and received a number to take back to my table.

Soon enough, I had a platter full of their house crostini with marinated tomatoes, olive tapenade, roasted garlic and cheese. As well as a glass of Prudence & Penelope - my fav. I must say, I was quite impressed. The flavors were delicate yet bold and everything blended together well. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. I ate the entire thing, and I even scooped up the leftover toppings to eat them sans crostini, too.

I also sampled from the meat and cheese board, which had assorted meats and cheeses, with crostini, fresh fruit, and their house mustard. I loved this slightly spicy mustard - it had a little kick to it, but in a good way. Really, the food here is good, the wine is good, and with events like these, it 's a great time. If you have a chance to go, check it out. The area is gorgeous, and the people are friendly.

For more information, call 304-534-2516 or visit www.hestonfarm.com.

Grade: A

Wings Ole has operates three restaurants: two in Morgantown and one in Fairmont. I've already scoped out the Suncrest location, so I thought it was due time for me to visit the location downtown along University Ave.

As I've mentioned before, Wings Ole is a local tradition. People rave about the fries and bleu - not because it's great food, I don't think. But it's more about that nostalgia. This place has been a part of many youths' upbringings.

The downtown location is positioned right at the beginning of the bridge, so it can be slightly precarious to get into. The parking lot is a little odd, and there is some additional parking down below. But once you get situated, it's easy to navigate.

When we walked through the main doors, there was a cool mural on the wall. It kind of gave it some individual flare. But once I opened the actual doors, a musty smell overcame us. It was like the water they had been using to clean up with was old and leaving a gross smell linger. Not good.

Looking at the menu, they are like a more expensive Taco Bell. They have fast-food "Mexican" plus wings. But the wings are covered in a tomato paste-like sauce that I hear is not great. I'm not huge on wings, so I haven't tried them. I looked to their other fare: quesadillas, enchiladas, tacos, burritos. I had a burrito before from the other location - kind of soggy, bland and not good. I went the quesadilla route. And of course, a side of fries and bleu. My total came to around $11. That's not a lot for a sit-down restaurant, but it's a good bit for a fast-food place. And I consider this place the latter.

When you order the quesadilla, you get a side of sauce. I wasn't expecting that, so I asked what sauces they had. The girl said nacho cheese, verde, ombre and a few others. I asked what ombre was - she said she didn't know. So, yeah, went with nacho cheese on her suggestion.

The interior is one giant room. We went outside because it was much fresher. They actually do have a nice, small outdoor dining area because it overlooks the river and the bridge. It's nice. Our food was out fairly quickly. The servers brought out our food on trays, but then took our paper plates full of food and put them on the table and took the trays back with them. It was odd that they didn't just leave the tray with us, considering the food was on flimsy paper plates.

My quesadilla was good. It was a good fast-food-like quesadilla. Just like something I could get at Taco Bell. Maybe quesadillas are safe - if you can pack some colby jack cheese and small chunks of chicken between two tortillas, I think you're safe. But it was good. I finished the whole thing, and I'd order it again. I won't actively seek it out, but if I ever find myself there again, I'd totally order it. I didn't bother with the nacho cheese though, didn't really need it.

I do also like their fries and bleu. The fries were golden crispy on the outside, and the bleu cheese, while not really bleu cheesy, is tasty. It's basically ranch, but I really like fries and ranch, so I'm happy either way. Don't expect chunks of fresh bleu cheese or creative, mind-blowing flavors. But for what this place is, I'm okay with it. If you're feeling into a sit-down fast-food joint, why not? Plus it does have a decent view.

Grade: B

Rounding out the trifecta of Mexican invasion in Morgantown, Don Patron is the newest tex-mex restaurant to add in the mix.

Just like its two partners in Los Mariachis and Mariachi Loco, Don Patron has the exact same menu but it tackles a new area in Morgantown. Stretching from one side of town to the other, these restaurants are dominating the Mexican restaurant business.



Don Patron is located at Pierpont Landings. Los Mariachis is on Van Voorhis, and Mariachi Loco is on Hornbeck Road by the "other" Walmart.

Don Patron replaced the now defunct Penny's Diner. So it's not along the main drag, but I think that's their goal here. If you've had Los Mariachis or Mariachi Loco, you've had the same food. And as I've said time and time again, I'm not entirely impressed.

The inside of this building is quite nice - homey, clean, classic. The service was spectacular. I do love the complementary chips and salsa, but I always ask for queso. It is probably my favorite thing here. It's cheesy and piping hot and creamy. If you run out of chips, they'll give you more.


I ordered the "Jumbo Burrito" which you can have your choice of beef or chicken plus rice and beans, lettuce, tomato, cheese and sour cream. I don't get the soggy, shredded, bland iceberg lettuce phenomenon. But the burrito was okay. It was very average to me - soggy, kind of bland, nothing I'd really want to spend money on again. But I would probably go back for the queso.

If you're into Los Mariachis and/or Mariachi Loco, you'd probably be a fan of this place. But if I want a burrito, I think I'm heading to Chico's ... This is one of the not-so-great dishes I've had here. Next time I'm going for a quesadilla.

Grade: C

With a sign reading "Chico's Fat," it's no wonder many are hesitant to try this High Street restaurant. Situated near the top, the unassuming restaurant's name is actually "Chico's Fat California Burritos & Tacos." This Cali-style Tacqueria's specialty is their fat burrito, but they also serve traditional Mexican fare.

I had tried this once a few years ago, but it somehow got lost in the shuffle. Recently, when I went to the Arts on the River festival, I discovered a love for their fish taco. Panko-encrusted tilapia with baja slaw and spicy jalepeno crème fresh. Unique and tasty, that taco lured me into checking out the restaurant.

As soon as I walked in, I first noticed the colors. Bright blues and greens and reds - reminiscent of southern Cali decor. Only one other couple was in the restaurant, which already makes me happy. I'll gladly skip the crowds. It's an order-at-the-counter, assembly line type of place, much like Qdoba. But the vibe here isn't "HEY, we're MEXICAN." It's more like, "this is a cool, chill place to relax and get a huge burrito."

I walked up to the counter to look over the menu options. Soups (like chicken enchilada), salads (like avocado salad), burritos, burrito bowls, nachos, quesadillas, tortas (a Mexican sandwich), combination plates (you can choose two or three: taco, tamale, enchilada, tostada, chimichanga), and tacos are all here. I feel like I had to try their signature burrito. They have a few different types:

• Basic Rice - Choice of beans, pico de gallo, cheese and salsa
• Regular Rice - Choice of beans, choice of meat, pico de gallo, cheese and salsa
• Vegetarian Rice - Choice of beans, tofu, pico de gallo, cheese and salsa
• Super Rice - Choice of beans, choice of meat, pico de gallo, sour cream, guacamole, cheese and salsa
• and a Mojado - Choice of red or green sauce and cheese broiled

I chose the Super Rice because I wanted everything! So, here's how it works. You pick the general item you want, whether it's a burrito, a taco, a quesadilla, etc. Then, you choose your beans:

• Black
• Refried
• Pinto

Then you choose your meat, which is awesome:

• Carne Asada - Marinated grilled steak
• Chili Colorado - Steak & poratoes simmered in red sauce
• Barbacoa - Mexican BBQ shredded beef
• Carnitas - Slow roasted pork
• Al Pastor -  Marinated roast pork
• Chili Verde - Stewed pork in green sauce
• Pollo Asado - Marinated grilled chicken
• Pollo En Salsa Roja - Spicy stewed chicken

Seriously, who gives that many meat options? And they all look pretty killer. I decided on the Barbacoa - Mexican BBQ shredded beef.

Then, you choose your salsa:

• Mild
• Medium
• Hot
• Verde

So far, I was super happy at how easy this all was. It's not like reading some fancy dish name, then reading the description to figure out if you like every component. Instead, you get to build a burrito the way you want it with tons of options. When I was finished, I ended up with a Super Rice Burrito, with black beans, Barbacoa, pico de gallo, sour cream, guacamole, cheese and mild salsa. It was all made right in front of my by a very friendly guy. I added on a fountain soda for a total of around $11.

Apparently the owner, a WVU grad, originally wanted to open up a BBQ restaurant, but the current location was too small. Maybe that's how the Barbacoa was formulated.

I took my basket containing the foil-wrapped burrito and side of chips and salsa to a booth that lined the slender dining way. The fountain soda dispenser was a bit different. Instead of pressing your cup against a button, essentially, you manually pull a level which pours the beverage into your drink. Rather than the gushing of a typical fountain soda, this instead slowly pours it in. It just struck me as odd.

At our table was a candle of the Virgin Mary, or Virgin de Guadalupe. Interesting. On the walls were some framed art, maybe posters of musical groups.

I took a quick bite of my salsa and chips - nothing too mind-blowing here. It was basic. But it's free and on the side, so I can't complain. I unwrapped the behemoth of burrito and began prodding it with my fork. Some of the burrito had began to rip from the sheer enormity of the thing, so I thought fork would be the best way to go. Everything was fresh and flavorful. The meat was well-seasoned and had a smokey flavor. The cool sour cream rounds out my trifecta of tastiness. Creamy guacamole and generous portions of slightly spicy rice and beans made this lip-smacking burrito marvelous.

Everything tasted as if it was made that day - the salsas, sauces and meats. I have an appreciation for that freshness and attention to the smallest details. I had a hard time finishing the entire thing, but I'll be damned if I didn't. With awesome ingredients, tremendous variety, huge portions and great service, what's not to like?

Besides, it was pretty cool to see them wrap up a huge burrito in a near-artistic fashion. What they do is truly an artform. Check it out. And you must try the fish taco if you get the chance.

Summer Hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Closed Sunday. 456 High Street, Morgantown, W.Va. 26505 (304-241-4712)

Grade: A

Seems to be lots of places moving around recently. What has been going on? So far, this is my compiled list of what I've seen:

• Mario's Fishbowl adding a new Suncrest location (Tailgators location? - if so, where is Tailgators going? I've never been here and want to try it!) EDIT: Guess Tailgators is gone as of June 30.
• Black Bear adding a new Suncrest location
• Rusted Musket has signs that they're moving (Reminds me, I still haven't reviewed them..)
• Rhythm and Brews selling?
• Bucketheads moving/selling? (Never even heard of this one...)

I need to have a post about all the places that have moved - like Tutto Gelato. Have anything else to add/negate? Just curious, folks!

EDIT: Dragonfly moved to 160 Fayette Street - but it's not going to be Dragonfly anymore. It's going to be "Blues, Brews & BBQ (Texas Smoker Style) & New Buddha Lounge"

Also, apparently a Lebanese restaurant may be going in where Synergy/Careyes was.

I also heard a rumor of another potential restaurant going in place where the furniture store is next to Chasers.

Oh and the "Fondue Factory" where Rain is.

EDIT EDIT: Plus the Soul House Bistro that is to open in Star City. It was supposed to open back in April, but still hasn't ...