Chef Paul Smith, West Virginia's first James Beard Award winner, has opened his newest restaurant in Charleston: Paulie's Fine Italian. Located just across from his restaurant 1010 Bridge, Paulie's Fine Italian focuses on authentic Italian cusine with an Appalachian flare. Smith draws inspiration from his childhood memories spent in the kitchen with his grandfather, and the dishes at Paulie's each tell a story. I was super fortunate to check out the soft opening of the restaurant; I expected a few kinks considering it's brand new. But, I was blown away and want to share some of the incredibly tasty dishes we were able to try. I went with friends Evan & Heather Osborn, Erin & Eric Conner, and Jamie Ferrell. With such a big party, we were able to order a little bit of everything and share. Even doing that, we only ended up sampling a portion of the menu - but everything was amazing. First up was a round of oyster shooters. This was the first time I've ever had an oyster shooter. My question was: do you chew? I think the answer is no. But, I kinda wanted to savor the flavor of it? I chewed it a bit, enjoying the slimy, briny oyster with a touch of sweet acid from the limoncello mignonette. Next up was the appetizer I ordered: artichoke & potato with rosemary, garlic aioli. We received some complimentary bread and oil with parmesan. Brussels sprouts with guanciale, hot honey and farmhouse cheese. Fried Oysters with fire-roasted Calabrian chili. Fried mozzarella cheese curds wit hfire-roasted tomato sauce and parm snow. PARM SNOW. Fried anchoby stuffed olives, marcona almonds and lemon zest. Folks at the table seemed to love this one the most. Lobsters & Bowties - poached lobster, langoustine cream, and tarragon breadcrumbs. Just from this description alone, you know it's good. I had a hard time deciding because I also still really want to try the Sunday Ribbons, the Sausage and Pea, the Rigatoni alla Vodka, the Carbonara --- literally, everything. I want to try everything. But, wait, there's more. DESSERT. And, I know you're surprised, but I loved every single dessert. The cannoli chip & dip featured sweet ricotta and housemade pizzelles. Tiramisu cheesecake had espresso, mascarpone and a lady finger. The panna cotta had lemon and mascerated berries. The budino was like a chocolate pudding with salted caramel. Finally, the last one of the evening was bread pudding with panettone and rum anglaise. And, this may have been my most favorite of all. Grade: A