Lakeview Golf Resort & Spa held their 29th Annual Festival of Food and Wine this weekend, from Jan. 18 to Jan. 20. They graciously allowed me to attend so I could let my fellow foodies see what it's about.

Lakeview is located in Cheat Lake, and is a nice area for visitors. It even has two restaurants: Fusion and Legends. The latter I'll talk about soon.


I was able to stop by on Saturday, and luckily, as soon as I walked in, it was lunch time. The buffet, by Chef Jon Buchner,  featured a baby kale salad, pork Banh Mi sandwiches, braised greens, Ca Ri Ga - Chicken Curry, Vietnamese Cinnamon Flan, Pho Bo - Vietnamese beef noodle soup, and gourmet cookies and dessert bars.

Buchner is the executive chef at Quail Hollow Resort in Painesville, Ohio. Lots of other talented chefs were featured as well. The food was fantastic. It was creative and different from anything I've ever had. The soup was pretty cool, as the beef was served raw and when the chefs pour the broth over it, it cooks in your cup. So I watched it turn from bright pink to a darker well-done.

In addition to having delicious lunches and dinners, there are seminars scheduled throughout the day. Some are at the same time, so you can pick and choose what you'd like to attend. I went to "The Art of Craft Beers" by Morgantown Brewing Company. The folks talked all about the types of beers, what makes a brew pub and how beer is made. I actually took a lot of notes and learned more than I anticipated. It was a really fun, informative session. And we even got to taste some Holiday Blonde at the end!


After that seminar, we hit up "Art of Whiskey Making" presented by Heston Winery. He was great, as well. He spoke about the distillery, how he got started, the different kinds they sell and what distinguishes certain types of liquors from others. And, of course, we got to taste some moonshine. Maybe a little too much moonshine!


They also have vendors in the lobby area showcasing all kinds of products and services - from food to jewelry to massages. If you visit all of them, you're entered into a drawing for prizes.

In addition to all of that, you get a nice little gift bag that has a schedule of events, menus, a souvenir magnet and a small bottle of wine.

It's a great opportunity to see a festival of this caliber in Morgantown. If you want to try something new and have the chance to talk with many experts in culinary arts, this is a fantastic venue to do so. They already have next year's festival planned, and since it'll be the 30th annual, it's sure to be a big one.