One place that has been on my to-try list for quite some time is The Surrey House in Chapmanville. I've heard from folks in the area who claims it's great country food, and that's a good enough reason for me.

The Surrey House is, well, a house. I love the homey vibe and comfortable atmosphere. I walked inside and it was a bit quiet so I had to find someone to seat me. Once I did, I took a look over the menu. Specials for the day included BBQ sandwich, pork chops and salmon patties dinner.

But there was something that stood out to me -- the Monte Cristo. It not only was the first thing on the menu, but that's not a common thing at restaurants. So, I went for it. Deep-fried ham and cheese sandwich, sprinkled with powdered sugar and served with preserves on the side. Plus a side of onion rings.

After a bit of a wait, I received my sandwich. I was worried at first when I saw no preserves, but not to fear, they were simply forgotten. It's an average size - plain white bread, but tasty.

The deep-fried sandwich makes for a perfectly melty cheese, a nice crisp crust, and the sweetness of the preserves hits all those spots that make me say mmmm. The ham is lunchmeat - rather than freshly carved pieces - but no matter The onion rings were quite large and lovely.

This was a good replication of a monte cristo. I love the sweet and savory, the creamy and the crisp. I think this may have been the best monte cristo if there was a more substantial bread or a higher cut of ham. Very tasty, nonetheless.



Grade: B