One of my absolute favorite restaurants in West Virginia, Cafe Cimino, shuttered when the owners retired. The location, though, has a new start as Elk River Hotel & Cafe.



The historic home that now houses Elk River Hotel & Cafe remains stunning - stately, beautifully manicured, yet cozy. They have added a modern twist: geodesic domes.



"Transport yourself in our fully restored historic mansion built-in 1898. All 3 stories in the main house and the carriage house, 12 guest rooms, 4 Glamping Domes (Coming Soon) 3 dining rooms, Cafe (Open Tuesday through Saturday 4PM to 9PM), Bar service in the Café, natural gas fireplaces, outside kitchen, carriage home, outdoor covered patio, and bar are here to offer you a memory-filled vacation," according to the website.



I visited one evening while they had dinner service in one of the domes. I was very excited to check it out. I've never been in one of these domes - let alone eaten in one. It was the perfect time of day – still light out, but approaching dusk. So, it was a bit cool, which was nice, because I can see it getting quite warm in the warmer months.



Inside, it was almost set up like an event space. There were plastic folding chairs, but lovely white tablecloths. There was a really cool modern light fixture dangling from the ceiling.



The menu offers, pizza, calzones, salads, sandwiches, pasta and dinner entrées. I immediately was drawn to the pastas, because it's one of my favorite foods. Though, the bison burger and the rainbow trout were tempting.



The winner for me was the creamy portobello pasta with linguine. They do have a lot of portobello mushrooms in their menu, but that is good news for me. I added some shrimp for some protein, but you can also opt for salmon, meatballs or chicken.



This was a pretty tasty dinner in a really cool setting overlooking the Elk River. it was thick and creamy and comforting. I do wish I would have thought to add something acidic to kind of cut through all of the fattiness but, it was delicious in small doses, and I took the remainder home.



There aren't many opportunities to dine in a setting like this, so it is certainly one of the most unique places to eat in West Virginia.



Have you been?



Grade: A