Here's my latest column for the Charleston Gazette-Mail:

My grandma tells this cute story of when she and my mother hopped in the car to get pizza, strapping my four-year-old self in the car seat in the back.

Once the pizza was secured, my grandma gave me a piece to munch on while on the way back home. Just seconds after the pizza left her hand, it passed between my teeth, over my tongue and through my gullet in the blink of an eye - only the remnants of sauce and cheese on my cheeks were any evidence the pizza existed.

My grandma was aghast at the enthusiasm in which I devoured that piece of pizza - and immediately asked for more - that she continues that story today. It’s way less cute at age 33.

This could have been a sign of my voracious appetite, or, more likely, my love for my hometown pizza.

That pizza? DiCarlo’s.

The cold-cheese pizza found in the Ohio Valley is polarizing because once the dough and sauce are baked, it’s taken out of the oven and then freshly shredded provolone cheese is sprinkled on top so that it gently melts over the bubbly base.

This creates a fresh flavor, rather than a congealed, greasy blob that’s often found on pizza. But, the application of cheese at the end of the cooking process has also earned DiCarlo’s the “cold cheese pizza” moniker.

Though, if you are a seasoned pro, you know to leave the square lid on top of the box for just a few moments to let the heat lightly melt the cheese to perfection, creating an ideal square of crunchy crust, robust sauce and ooey-gooey cheese.

Since 1945, the DiCarlo family has been dishing out the famed pizza in small steel towns throughout the Ohio Valley - the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia, the eastern border of Ohio and spilling over into the Pittsburgh region.

After emigrating from Sora, Italy, to Steubenville, Ohio, in the late 19th century, Michael and Caroline DiCarlo family opened a bakery with Italian bread, cakes, cookies and donuts.

“But when their son, Primo, returned home from serving in WWII, he raved to his family about the popular food he’d spotted everywhere in Italian cafes: pizza,” according to their website.

“Primo saw pizza as a way to stay connected to the family tradition and pursue a business unlike anything else in the valley at the time. His brother Galdo followed him in this venture. The recipe was perfected on borrowed cookie trays from the bakery … Those trays are responsible for both the rectangular shape of the pie we enjoy and, more importantly, led to serving the pizza with cold cheese and pepperoni.”

Primo launched the Steubenville, Ohio, location in 1945 and was the first licensed pizza shop operator in the state. Pizza squares were offered for .10 cents a piece, and just a few years later, Galdo grew the operation by expanding into Weirton, Wheeling, Glen Dale, Elm Grove, and my favorite, Wellsburg.

I love the pizza because, well, it’s delicious. And the memories associated with it.

But I also love DiCarlo’s roots in the area and how intrinsic they are to the communities to which they belong - sponsoring t-ball teams and feeding first-responders.

They’ve defined an entire style of pizza - and made cold cheese cool.


RECIPE: Homemade Ohio Valley Pizza

Being a few hours away from my favorite pizza, DiCarlo’s, has spurred some innovative takes on recreating the classic square pizza. While this isn’t a perfect copycat recipe, it can help cure the craving when I haven’t had my fix in quite some time.

Ingredients:

Dough:

1 cup warm water


2 teaspoons active dry yeast


1 teaspoon granulated sugar


1 tablespoon honey


2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour


2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil


1 teaspoon salt


½ teaspoon garlic salt

Sauce:

6 oz. tomato paste


15 oz. tomato sauce


1 teaspoon oregano


2 tablespoon Italian seasoning


½ teaspoon onion powder


½ teaspoon garlic powder


½ teaspoon garlic salt


⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes


½ tablespoon brown sugar

Toppings:

Provolone cheese, finely shredded


Your choice of mushrooms, pepperoni, onions, etc.

Instructions

In a stand mixer, mix gently the warm water, yeast, honey, and sugar until about doubled in size.


With the stand mixer set to low, add in flour, olive oil, salt and garlic salt, scraping the sides of the bowl and letting the dough hook knead the dough for about five minutes.


Remove dough from the mixing bowl, place on a floured countertop and fold the dough over itself a few times until formed into a round ball.


Return the dough ball to a bowl and drizzle olive oil over top, cover it and let it rise in a warm area.


While the dough is rising, make the pizza sauce by combining all ingredients into a pot and simmering on medium for 15-20 minutes.


Preheat oven to 500 degrees.


Rub olive oil on the bottom and sides of a rectangular baking pan. Add dough to the center of he pan and spread it to the edges and corners.


Bake on bottom rack for about 10 minutes or until the dough just begins to lightly brown. Remove from heat.


Reduce temperature to 425 degrees. Spread a thin layer of sauce on top of the sauce. Bake for additional 5-10 minutes.


Remove the pizza and top with provolone cheese. Let it gently melt before adding your preferred toppings.


Enjoy.

While I generally try to visit restaurants that are locally owned, I do get excited when I find a regional chain restaurant or even one that just isn't available locally so that I can try it out. That is the case with Del Taco.



Del taco can be found in many states, but West Virginia isn't one of them. They are in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Utah, and Washington. So when I made a recent road trip and needed a quick bite to eat near a Del Taco, I stopped to get a Tex-Mex fix.



The menu is fairly similar to other restaurants of this type: soft tacos, quesadillas, nachos, burritos and hard tacos. I did not take the best photo here, but I was excited to see a crispy fish taco because that's not one common on the menu at Taco Bell or other local chains. So it had shredded cabbage beer battered fish, pico de gallo and a sauce. I don't need to do an official review here because many people are probably already familiar with this restaurant, but I did enjoy my taco. You can see here that there is not a ton of fish, but I do prefer cabbage to lettuce on a soft taco so that was great and the sauce added a little extra oomph. Not bad for a fast food taco especially one offering fish as an option.

The Poca Gino's Pizza & Spaghetti House was next on my list, and, y'all, I'm really tired of Gino's. BUT, when I start a list, I have to complete it. So, we're going for it.



I think I've been sleeping on the actual pizza at Gino's. It's not bad, actually. I usually opt for something ~different~ but the pizza is pretty decent. I usually am a mushroom girl, but a friend recently ordered a supreme pizza, and it hit the spot. So, I went for a pizza with all the veggies and some meats on top, and it just really is a whole different flavor of pizza. Tons of texture and very veggie-forward, instead of mostly cheese. The only thing I didn't love is when I got a harder piece of pepper - like the core. Overall, though, this is a nice way to mix up my regular order.

Grade: B 

There's a new charcuterie board in town - Huntington, that is.



Boujee Boards by Roz delivers charcuterie goods and more right to your door. Or, in my case, we met at the Aldi parking lot since I'm a little far away. 



I put in an order for a lil boujee. I told her to nix any dark chocolate or grapefruit, and we should be all good. 



The box had all the accoutrements, like bamboo cutlery, pretzels, crackers and moist towelettes. Some of my favorites from this box include macarons, the delicious little sweet and sour pickles, and an awesome mix of fresh fruit - raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, kiwis, blueberry, oranges. Some of the cheeses had some kick to them - like the jalapeno havarti and especially the ghost pepper gouda. I had to have some water nearby for that one! But, love these as per usual and always appreciate the creativity.

T&L Hot Dogs is a North-Central West Virginia chain of hot dogs joints.



"The Proprietors, Dave and Barbara Henderson along with their children Scott, Mike, Lori, and daughter-in-laws Joyce and Bev, began an adventure that is still going strong after a quarter of a century. Now, Third generation managers/owners and grandchildren Kristin, Corey and Troy are continuing that adventure in their parent’s footsteps. In the early 1990’s the Henderson’s added a new “twist” to their already popular restaurants. The Oldies Diners were created in an effort to re-create the happy and carefree lifestyle of days long gone by. The walls are covered with antique pictures, toys and memorabilia for customers viewing pleasure. You can listen to the sounds of the oldies as they play on the restored 1950’s juke box only 5 cents a play, and enjoy the great hot dogs, famous “fresh cut” fries, and fabulous specialty sandwiches. Don’t leave without looking at the restored antique gas pump with its unique glass dial. Welcome back to the 50s! “Being West Virginia’s #1 selling hot dog, we are grateful for our faithful customers and to the hundreds of employees, who over the years have been the secret to our success. Hot dogs are still our specialty and the original homemade chili sauce (prepared daily in our stores) continues to attract customers from all over the country. We invite you to visit any of our seven locations throughout Harrison, Taylor, Marion and Monongalia Counties. Bring the kids, but don’t be surprised if you’re asked to explain who “Howdy Doody” was!



The Buckhannon location looks like a new build and has a drive-thru with signs plastering all their offerings - sundaes, shakes, cones, mac & cheese, beans & cornbread, and more. 



I think it's only fitting to get a hot dog, though. So I got one with chili, plus a side of potato salad. 



Both of these were good. Sometimes a down and dirty hot dog is just what hits the spot. Nothing fancy. Just a few components, but all of them together make for a tasty bite. The potato salad was full of nice hunks of potato, and the mayo just held it together - rather than the other way around. I was happy with a quick, tasty meal.



Grade: A

Mama Roma Pizzeria and Restaurant in Buckhannon is an Italian-American restaurant complete with a character tossing pizza on the window and red/white checkered tablecloths inside. 



"Mama Roma Pizzeria and Restaurant is a place where you can simply relax and enjoy the company of your favorite people while enjoying traditional Italian food at its best. Our team is pleased to welcome you – and honored to serve you. We know many of you by name and view all of our customers as family. Nothing brings us greater joy than sharing the tradition of good food and hospitality with our guests while sharing experiences and making memories!"



The menu features pizza, pasta, subs and a whole host of entrees categorized by their protein. The menu is pretty huge, and I can't imagine someone not finding something that caught their fancy - chicken marsala, sausage cacciatore, veal scallopine piccata, eggplant rollatini, and so many more. 



If pressed, I think one of my favorite pasta shapes is rigatoni, which is what I was drawn to on the menu. I went with the rigatoni with vodka sauce - their house pink sauce (which is usually their red marinara and white combined). 



So, I was loaded up with my entree, a soup and a side of garlic bread.



First, I enjoyed a simple soup - a minestrone with carrots, onion and more.



Not bad - nothing too notable, but not offensive either.



The garlic bread was tasty - I loved the soft rolls, though they did get a biiit too dark on some portions.



And now for the main attraction - the largest portion of rigatoni I've ever been served. I enjoyed the sauce - a little sweet, a little acidic, lots of good flavor. The rigatoni were a nice al dente, so not so soft they just lost all texture. But, regarding texture, I would've loved maybe some veggies or something to break up the carbs. I could've added chicken or sausage, but I wasn't feeling it on this day. In retrospect, it would help with that mouthfeel. 



All in all, a fairly decent meal that is comforting and filling. 

Grade: B

Buc-ees is a gas station. But, it is, without a doubt, the best gas station I have ever been to.



They are only located in Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky and Florida.



First of all, I saw billboards - some maybe 100 miles away - before I saw the gas station. They built up anticipation and highlighted all the features of this place and all included this cute little beaver. 



I don't remember which city I even was in when I first visited Buc-ees. But, I immediately fell in love. 



It is the largest gas station I've ever seen. It's like a Sheetz but on steroids. The one I visited, I swear, must have had close to 100 different pumps. 



And, then, you go inside. 



They have clothing, souvenirs, super clean restrooms, and food - lots of food. 



They have grab-and-go stations that have meat/cheese packages, fruit cups, etc. Then, there are jerky, bakery and fudge counters. Plus tacos, lunch items and even packaged & branded Buc-ees goods. 



A few that I was attracted to were "kolaches," (kuh-la-chees) - which are bread, meat and cheese. Kinda like a pepperoni roll!



They had sausage, cheese and jalapeno versions, which were really good. The bread was sweet, while the spicy and savory inside made for a perfect roadtrip snack.



They also had sweet, fruit-filled versions that I was sure to try. Plus, some Buc-ees branded sweets and beaver nuggets - which are like a kettle corn version of a cheese puff.



Have you been?



Let me know your favorites! 

Merry Land Express in Beckley is a Chinese restaurant that serves up standard Chinese-American fare.



The menu does have some interesting items that you might not see everywhere like fried bananas sesame balls and even curry chicken.



They do have a buffet available but I opted for some takeout options.



The first thing that we started out with was the fried cheese wontons which are always go to for me because they are delicious and each place does them just a little bit differently. I think that I'm the only person who doesn't love the actual fried portion of the wonton so I really appreciate the foldover style as opposed to pinched style because I feel like you get more filling. These were good but I do miss the crab that is often found in other wontons. The egg rolls were standard and had a lot of cabbage filling.



I also ordered the sesame shrimp, which is shrimp, breaded and fried, covered in a spicy, sweet sauce with sesame seeds on top. I have been avoiding chicken that tends to be stringy or chewy because it's just not sitting well with me lately. But shrimp kind of avoids those issues. I do wish that there was a little bit less breading. because that can overtake the flavor. But otherwise, I still enjoyed this dish. I liked the sauce. And I really like the little bit of texture that the sesame seeds add.

Grade: B

Check out this month's J.Q. Dickinson Appalachian Mercantile Subscription Box for May.

Beer Mustard from Crookeed Condiments: These mustards are made in Asheville, NC from local Highland Brewing Company Beers and whole mustard seeds. They are delicious on sandwiches, added to dressings and marinades, or served with your favorite charcuterie items. The Saint Terese's Ale has a touch of horseradish, the Oatmeal Porter has a rich, full bodied flavor, and the Gaelic Ale has a touch of sweetness.

Kettle Corn from Scragglepop: Founded in Huntington, West Virginia. This sweet, salty, and crunchy popcorn pairs the simple ingredients of salt, sugar, and oil perfectly to create a treat for your sweet tooth!

Dried Mushrooms from Hernshaw Farms: George Patterson started Hernshaw Farms in 2018 using reclaimed mine land. His business has been very successful. These dried varieties are delicious and are great to have in the pantry to add flavor to your meals. Rehydrate in stock and add to soups, stews, and sauces. Three varieties: Lions Mane, Oysters, or a mushroom Medley, which include Lions Mane, Oyster and Shiitake.

Toilet Elixir from Turdcules: Somewhere in the wilderness, there’s a gristly man harnessing the power of wood and steel to bring warmth and light to his world. He’s powerful, bearded and his sh*t doesn’t stink. While we hold no remedy for weak grips and smooth upper lips, Turdcules’ Log Splitter Toilet Elixir will shower your olfactory receptor neurons with the sweet aroma of leather, hard-work and coniferous trees.

Chocolate Caramels from Postre: From pure organic cane sugar to locally sourced cream and organic cultured butter, every bit of caramel that leaves our kitchen is proudly hand-crafted using traditional methods and the purest ingredients.

... Plus a soap I need to open!

Teriyaki Madness is a chain restaurant that has just recently launched two locations in West Virginia. There is one in Fairmont and another opening in Beckley.



But the Barboursville location just opened, and I was excited to check it out - because as you know, Asian flavors are some of my favorites.



I first became really interested in chicken teriyaki when I was visiting the Pacific Northwest. Chicken teriyaki is charbroiled chicken thighs in a sweet soy sauce and usually paired with some veggies and rice.



It is super common in the cities and can be found in all sorts of shops. And, here, you can't really find anything quite like that. But a good chicken teriyaki is a perfect late night snack or couldn't even be a healthy meal.



Teriyaki Madness is a chain restaurant that features chicken teriyaki, of course, but also eggrolls, wontons, fried rice and other goodies. First I ordered some fried rice, but the texture was a bit too mushy for me. I think it steaming inside the container didn't do it any favors. So, I switched gears and opted for the chicken eggroll, which was pretty tasty. It paired with a nice little sweet sauce and the texture was not lacking



We also ordered some of the cheese wontons, which were fairly small and pretty crispy so there wasn't a ton of filling inside, but I still enjoy the flavor and might order the larger size next time.



Finally, the main entrée was a bowl of sautéed veggies, white rice, and both teriyaki steak and chicken. I really enjoyed the steak and the chicken, and it was super filling. And I really enjoyed the white rice to go with this; I think that it helps the flavor of the proteins stand out while adding just a nice little textural component. I generally really like the veggies that accompany a dish like this, but in this case they were not super flavorful and did not seem super fresh. So I think a little bit more seasoning could really help out in this case. Overall not a bad meal and one that could definitely satisfy a craving in a pinch.

Grade: B