Photo by Sher Yip - Taco Americano: Chargrilled chicken, Korean BBQ, brown sugar-encrusted bacon, sesame aioli & scallions on flour tortilla

The famous jalapeno gnocchi mac & cheese that took Morgantown by storm - winning the local macaroni & cheese cook-off and selling out at the food truck - is now a permanent fixture at a Bridgeport restaurant.

Cody Thrasher, who owns and operates Morgantown food truck Hash Browns & New Grounds, is expanding to a brick-and-mortar restaurant: Cody's. While the food truck will continue to be in operation, Thrasher is devoting a lot of attention and energy to his namesake restaurant that will have a seasonally rotating menu - something food truck devotees have come to know and love.

Cody's, located at White Oaks next to McFly Outdoors, held its grand opening Monday. It's so new, it doesn't even have the sign out front yet. Fortunately, Kayla, Lisa and I saw a bevy of diners inside enjoying delicious plates, so we walked in and made ourselves at home. And who did we see first? None other than local food photographer celebrity Sher Yip.

Photo by Sher Yip - Thai street pork belly: Crispy street-style pork belly, sweet Panang curry, Thai basil & lemongrass on jasmine rice

The inside is small - seating at just about 55 people - and very modern. I dig the cloth light fixtures, brick wall and bright, vibrant art work. A large bar area has wooden accents and was full of people when we arrived.

The menu they're starting with has a few favorites from the food truck - like the jalapeno gnocchi mac & cheese. I put in an order for that (because mmm), as well as an order of the Japanese pork buns - savory Japanese braised pork, sweet pickle onion, purple Asian slaw and sesame aioli on a soft steam bun.

Gnocchi mac & cheese: Gnocchi topped in a jalapeno cheese sauce with grilled pepperoni

We waited a bit for our appetizers to come out, but once the jalapeno mac & cheese arrived in front of me, time stood still. This dish is just smart, spicy, and perfect. A thick, soft dumpling covered in cheese, with some nice spicy hunks of pepperoni and a sweet drizzle make for a delicious flavor explosion.

Photo by Sher Yip - Japanese pork bun: Savory Japanese braised pork, sweet pickled onion, purple Asian slaw & sesame aioli on soft steam bun

Shortly thereafter, our main dishes came out. The Japanese pork bun featured savory Japanese braised pork, sweet pickled onion, purple Asian slaw and sesame aioli on a soft steam bun. These were pretty large portions - I was expecting two bite-size portions. These were two half sandwiches, and the flavor was phenomenal. Nice crunch and sweetness and savory. The key here is getting a perfect piece of pork belly - and this one was pretty good. The aioli? Perfectly decadent.

Photo by Sher Yip - Honey Sriracha Fries: Hand-cut fries topped with a honey Sriracha drizzle and crispy fried garlic

Photo by Sher Yip - Three little pigs: Thick-cut ham, brown sugar bacon, mortadella, aged white American, provolone, shredded lettuce & oil and vinegar on fresh baked bread

House salad - baby kale, romaine, celery, sunflower seeds & cranberries with a champagne vinaigrette

Sher shared some photos from his meals, but I didn't get to taste those ones. But they sure as hell look tasty. Considering it was opening day, there were very few hiccups. And, time and time again, Cody has shown that he knows flavor and knows how make really tasty, weird, awesome stuff. I'm super happy to see what he's grown into, and I can't wait to come back and check out how the menu evolves.

Cody’s is open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. On Friday and Saturday, lunch hours are the same, but dinner will be 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.