Vintage Restaurant opened in Elkins in 2014, but it wasn't on my radar until recently. It recently made its way to the 101 Most Unique Places to Dine in WV list, distributed by the WV Division of Tourism.

The restaurant frames itself as a "casual fine dining experience and wine bar." It features woodfired brick oven pizzas, fine wines and a classy atmosphere.

The building is large, dark and has this sort-of burgundy lace-like theme. I had to double-check that I was in the right place. Plenty of parking, though, which is always nice.

Inside, it's a lovely layout. A nice lounge area features leather couches and chairs, large booths are private, and the lighting fixtures extend down to each table so you don't get a glaring fluorescent light over the whole restaurant. There are some nice, upscale touches, and it does have this sort of taste of elegance.

When I first walked in, there was no one around. No host, no greeter. I walked down the stairs. Still no one. I heard some servers off to the corner wrapping silverware, so I cleared my throat hoping they'd notice. After five minutes of fidgeting awkwardly, I walked around the corner and asked to be seated. That was awkward.

Look how crazy this sink in the bathroom was!

The brunch menu was available during that hour, and a few things sounded tasty - like "The Charleston," which had ham, spinach, purple onion, pimento cheese and fried green tomatoes on jalapeno cornbread. The "Lowcountry benedict" similarly caught my eye - fried green tomato, pimento cheese, crab cake, hollandaise, biscuit with potatoes or grits.

But, I can't resist shrimp and grits - sautéed shrimp, spicy ham gravy, tomatoes, South Carolina grits served with a biscuit. The portion came out as a fairly small serving.  It had four regular-sized shrimp, with a few halves of cherry tomatoes. I liked the gravy - it had just a slight kick. Some chewier pieces of ham would have been welcome. The grits weren't much to write home about. But, the flavor of that gravy was pretty solid - creamy, rich. The biscuit was a little dry, a little tough. Overall, a decent dish. Not the best rendition of shrimp & grits I've had, but a worthy contender.



Grade: B