Oh, DiCarlo's, dear friend, we meet again.

I've been to each DiCarlo's location in West Virginia - whether they are independent, franchised or family-run. This Weirton one slipped through the cracks because it is called "Mario DiCarlo's."

Mario DiCarlo's Pizza serves delicious, top-quality pizza to the Weirton, WV area. As a family-owned and -operated restaurant established by Mario DiCarlo in 1952, we strive to give you a pizza experience you will never forget.

Located on Three Springs Drive, Mario DiCarlo's tends to operate in the same fashion as the other DiCarlo's locations: minimal options, straightforward prices. Their menu consists of white pizza, drinks, and toppings that you can put on your square pizza. And, you can easily find out how much each slice costs based on how many toppings you want right on the chart to the right of the menu. They do seem to sell fresh bread, though, which is new.

So, I ordered just two pieces, and a few minutes later, I approached the counter, handed over my $2 and received my folded-over box rubberbanded with edible gold inside.

And if you're not familiar with my other DiCarlo's posts, let me bring you up to speed. DiCarlo's is an old-school pizza joint found up and down the Ohio Valley. I looked forward to the once a month or every other month when we had the money to splurge on this treat growing up. The surly, business-forward attitude is comforting to me - pizza is serious business, y'all.

Mario DiCarlo's fits the bill. The pizza has some minute differences from some of the other locations that maybe only a DiCarlo's connoisseur (ahem, me) would notice. It's a nice crisp crust that requires a bite with a slightly tangy sweet sauce that is baked hot ... and then fresh, thin shreds of mozzarella-provolone are placed atop so that it delicately melts overtop. Overall, it is a very solid square of pizza - one of the best in the city, easily.



I think the sauce is a little more mild, and the cheese is a bit more stringy than the other locations. But, just as good? Absolutely. This pizza is the stuff that dreams - my dreams - are made of, and I put it up against any other kind of pizza. Unless, of course, it's the Wellsburg DiCarlo's.

Grade: A

Lewisburg has a little bit of everything - including one elegant French restaurant.

So, I first heard of The French Goat from their social media presence and have been waiting to check them out for quite some time. When that time presented itself, I quickly made reservations online.

The French Goat is actually in the former Stella's location, and there is street parking, as well as a lot naerby. There is white fencing and fountains with bright blue umbrellas and all of the green shrubbery. For a moment, I thought I was transported to the French countryside.

And as I walked inside, I saw the white linens, long-stemmed water glasses and simple charm of this French restaurant in the heart of Appalachia. They already had a table set for one near the window, and the owner recognized my name and recalled my social presence. Bonus points!

After a warm welcome, I was seated and looked over the menu as my server rattled off the evening's specials. A hunk of baguette and a side of butter with the black sea salt was presented as a first bite. Simple but oh-so-delicious with that smooth, rich butter.

First, I ordered the "Hushpuppies de Brie" on the recommendation of the server, which come with celeriac, brie, arugula, aleppo pepper and maple syrup aioli. Maybe not super French, but definitely an interesting fusion.

They were fairly mild-flavored with the sauce heavier on the sweet side. The cheese gets more baked into the bread, so don't expect stringy pieces. But, a good, delicate flavor - even for a fried ball of dough.


For my entree, I went with the boeuf bourguignon, which had roasted fall root vegetables, crimini mushrooms, potato puree and sauce bordelaise. I've never had this dish before, though it is a classic. The beef melted in my mouth, those roasted veggies were bursting with flavor, and that potato puree was so light and fluffy, it was unreal. This is quite the solid dish. Tons of flavor, texture and balance.

It's a nice restaurant right in Lewisburg that brings something a little different to our culinary offerings in the state. If you want a lovely experience, some delicious food and a little change from the ordinary, definitely make this a destination.

Grade: A

I have a hard time choosing between the coolest small towns in West Virginia. There's Davis/Thomas, Fayetteville, Shepherdstown, Elkins and Lewisburg. I really love each of them, so I was super happy to get the chance to head to one - Lewisburg - recently for some cider scouting.


Before cider, I stopped at Hill and Holler first for some lunch. Hill and Holler brings two loves together: pizza and bikes. Add in some live music, and you have a haven for every Appalachian hipster. Read: Me.

Located on North Jefferson Street, it's right along the main drag in Lewisburg and is housed in this log cabin-esque building.


Inside, it's beautiful. Large windows allow in tons of light; there are a few loungey areas and TVs. Lots of wood accents and exposed beans and duct work. I'm a fan; it's quite lovely.

This bike repair/rental shop-turned-restaurant features local ingredients on their "Neapolitan" pizzas. The dough proofs for three days before cooking in the wood-fired oven, which reaches up to 850 degrees and cooks the pizza within two minutes.

I walked in and up to the counter to look over the menu. It wasn't busy, so I took a minute to figure out which pizza looked best. Once I saw The Forager, I couldn't get past it: pancetta, roasted garlic, wild mushrooms and fresh herbs. Mmm.

This was very good. Very savory, very umami. I almost wish there was just a touch of something sweet to balance it out - maybe a balsamic or cranberry or something. But, it had a nice browned crust, bubbly cheese and delicious mushrooms and crunchy pancetta. What a perfect combo.

Such a cool place to grab a drink, grab a pie and rent a bike for a ride. Will definitely be back.

Grade: A

This bakery, located in downtown Weirton, has been a staple in the town for a long time:

Around 1912, Gus Monezis, and his brother, George, immigrated from Greece to America. Gus came to Weirton, WV, and began working at Weirton Steel Company. George moved to McKeesport, PA, and became employed as a baker and cake decorator at the William Penn Hotel. He later opened his own bakery, the Minerva Pastry Shop.

Gus had three sons and one daughter in Greece. After he got settled, he brought the entire family to Weirton. Two of the sons, Nick and George, were taught the bakery business by great uncle George.

Uncle George started Royal Pastry on Main Street in south Weirton. In the 1935, Nick took over the business and young George went into the Army. In 1960, Nick's son, Gus (named for his grandfather), and his daughter, Helen, and her husband, Nick, took over the operations. Helen and her husband eventually moved to Illinois in 1969, and Gus became the sole proprietor of the bakery. Gus then introduced his own wife, Aggie, and daughters to the business.

Gus's Goodies may have seen a few name changes throughout the years, but it's still the same family business that started so many years ago; and it's still located on Main Street in south Weirton.

What happened to the other Monezis bakers? Great uncle George had a son, George Jr., and he had a son, Mark. They, along with George's wife, Irene, and daughter, Cathy, still operate the bakery in McKeesport, PA.

"My cousin, George Jr., has been my mentor over the years," says Gus, "and I owe a lot to him for all he has taught me."

The bakery sells decorated cakes, foam cakes and wedding cakes, as well as donuts, cookies and pies.

On this day, there were tons of goodies in the case. I wavered between sugar cookies topped with pumpkin icing and these delicious looking cupcakes.


The cakes they had for display were just on a different level, though I, unfortunately, couldn't justify buying a whole cake. Though I did try to talk myself into it.

Instead, I ended up getting a pumpkin sugar cookie and a homemade buckeye. I also ended up with Kaitlynn's white chocolate chip macadamia nut cookie (which happens to be my favorite) because she forgot it in my car. Muahahah.

So, wow.

The pumpkin cookie was good! Sugar cookie with sprinkles, so this can't be bad, right?

The buckeye was made with a sort of chunkier peanut butter - which I actually liked. Milk chocolate + peanut butter is an unbeatable combo.

And, finally, that cookie! I mean, of course it's good too! Chewy, sweet, a nice golden brown. Just delish.

And, I think it's probably tough to grade this place poorly, because it's all desserts. And, I clearly can't say no to desserts. But, I like its history in the community and the memories I have with this place. I think the products they create are also very good. They're beautiful, tasty and locally owned. It doesn't get much better than that.

Grade: A

How about this combination: Books + candy and ice cream. Does it get much better than that?

When Kaitlynn and I stumbled upon this book store in Weirton, imagine our surprise when we learned there was also ice cream. I mean, if you're trying to plan my perfect home-away-from-home, make it have books, coffee and ice cream, and I'm pretty much set.

When walking into Weirton Book Company, you see giant jars of all kinds of candies, gummies and other goodies. A long freezer full of ice cream occupies the right side of the space, and then down a level, there are rows and rows of books.

There were two books in particular I had a hard time walking away from (saving them for another time), but of course, I wasn't going to pass up the ice cream.

They use ice cream from Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream and have a ton of different flavors. Fat Elvis, S'mores, Caramel Apple Pie, Pumpkin Pecan Pie, Salty Caramel Truffle. Obviously I had a tough time deciding, but I ultimately went with "This Sh!t Just Got Serious" and "Salty Caramel Truffle." The first, not only do I lie the name, but it has "smooth salted caramel ice cream brimming with rich sea salt fudge and salted cashews."

Two heaping piles of ice cream later, I was swimming in a salted caramel heaven. Ribbons of caramel, chewy truffles, everything that a caramel-lover ... loves.

So, I could spend some serious time here. I didn't come as much as I wished when I lived in the Northern Panhandle, but what a great place.

And, if you want to pick up just some red gummi bears? They got you covered. What about that obscure book about West Virginia monsters? Yep. And profanity-laced ice cream? You betcha.

Have you been? What are your favorite gets? Next time, I want to try one of those ice cream concoctions made with the yummy flavors!


Grade: A