The Seneca Center has been home to a number of iconic Morgantown restaurants, including the Glasshouse Grille and Hill & Hollow.



New restaurant Vanessa's Kitchen has now entered the space and has big shoes to fill.  The space is historic, with lots of wood and sprawling nooks in which to dine. 



I went in for lunch, and I think the folks working were surprised and maybe not fully prepared for anyone to be dining in. After I accidentally broke up their party, I was seated in the dining area and brought two different menus. One was their standard menu, I believe, and then there was a whole other packet of paper of specials. It was a lot to look through - maybe if there are that many specials, they could just be incorporated into the main menu.



I started with a crab rangoon dip -  crab dip with fried wontons. I think this is such a smart menu item because it's taking like the best Chinese appetizer and transforming it to make the filling the star. The dip is really thick and cheesy, so it's really, really rich. But when I got a bite of green onion in the mix, it was a perfect bite. I would just add 20x more green onion on top to help cut through some of the fattiness.



For my entree, I went with a filet with mushrooms and gorgonzola and a horseradish cream sauce, mashed potatoes and asparagus. A very generous portion, this meal was so large I only was able to eat about 1/3 of it in one sitting. The filet is just topped with everything I love, so it was fabulous. A little funk from the cheese and heat from horseradish, plus just indulgent creamy deliciousness. The mashed potatoes were not an afterthought - super well seasoned and had some texture, which I love. And asparagus gave a small respite from all the fattiness. So it was just a great overall meal that I needed a nap after enjoying.



Grade: A