Wheeling Brewing Company is a relatively new addition to downtown's historic Centre Market district. It neighbors antique shops, great restaurants and other cute stores, plus there's a good bit of street parking right outside.

Wheeling Brewing Company offer a menu full of items like "hoppy hummus" made with their Moondog IPA; three cheese, reuben, and sweet and savory chicken sliders; and meatball or pulled pork hoagies. Specials on the board that caught my eye were a lobster ravioli and stuffed hot peppers. Everything sounded quite tasty, but because we just had dinner, we were only looking for beer.

We were in luck, because Wheeling Brewing Company featured seven of their own draft beers plus a guest beer. This night was Bridge Brew Works' Long Point Lager. You could get a half flight with four beers or their whole seven + guest. We went for the latter.

As we waited for our beer, we talked about the scenery. It's a super chill environment. Dark, but relaxed. An exposed brick wall, cool lighting and an open view into the brewing area set the tone. I would so, so hang out here just for fun.

Somehow, the photo of the flight didn't turn out. But some quick thoughts. I love, love the Panhandle Pale Ale 1 - because of the name and 2 - because it's tasty. Shoutout to the only Northern Panhandle Brewery. The McColloch's Wheat is light and crisp. And that raspberry wheat? Ohmygod. Came home with me in a growler, which I plan to enjoy over the next week.


Grade: A

Parkersburg's North End Tavern and Brewery is the oldest brewery in West Virginia, according to Thrillist. Beer from the North End Tavern is commonly found in Morgantown - usually abbreviated to N.E.T., so they've been on my radar for some time. 

While we had just eaten dinner, I wanted to at least get a sampler of beer. However, I hear they do have a mean burger.

They have an impressive lineup of craft brews: Roedy's Red, Northern Light, WV Wheat, Dawk's Porter, 5-Way IPA, Blackberry Wheat and NET Root Beer.

Roedy's Red is their flagship beer. It's an amber ale with Cascade hops. It has a unique finish.

WV Wheat is a light wheat ale that has a light body. It is pretty refreshing, which makes it great for summer.

Dawk's Porter gets a good bit heavier, richer. It's full-bodied and a bit much for my palate.

The 5-Way IPA takes it up a notch and is, well, super hoppy.

The Northern Light is a much lighter goldenrod ale. Easy, smooth. Good.

The Blackberry Wheat is a lighter, fruity beer made with native blackberries. Not super fruity, but there's definitely a bit of a flavor there.

And the NET Root Beer - how cool is it that they have root beer? Definitely very good!



A very cool place in Parkersburg to hang out, have a beer and get a bite to eat. What's your favorite beer from NET?

Morgantown's nanobrewery has expanded -- and now includes a full-fledged taproom.

Chestnut Brew Works, home of my favorite beer Nate's Nut Brown Ale, has opened its brewery and taproom in South Park at 444 Brockway Avenue and will have a grand opening Friday at 4 p.m.




Owner and head brewer Bill Rittenour graciously allowed me to feature him in a story for a magazine a few months back, and we've had kept in touch. He invited me to a soft opening last weekend before opening up to the public.

And, you're in for a treat.



This place is great! It's small, but easy to find, being right along the main road. About five parking spaces are located to the left of the building. The front side is glass, so it's nice to have a little view of the busy Morgantown street. There are only a couple high-top tables and the main bar, so if you'd like a seat, get there early.



I quickly ordered a flight, which includes Class II Wheatwater, a light-colored and refreshing wheat beer brewed with coriander and orange peel; Halleck Pale Ale, a delectably hoppy beer without the harsh bitterness; Nate's Nut Brown Ale, an English-style brown ale with hints of chocolate and nuts; South Park Porter, a black-colored robust porter with roasted coffee and dark chocolate character; and finally, Your Best Hoption, an IPA with a ton of hops flavor, which accentuate the citrus, piney and fruity characteristics. Start at 12 noon and work your way around so your palate isn't blown out with the hoppiest ones. All five samples of the beer for just $7.



I honestly love all of these beers. Yes, I'm biased. But Bill is very, very smart. He knows the science behind crafting a perfect beer - and it shows. They all have excellent flavor profiles, even though they're all quite different. I love the Wheatwater for an easy drinkable beer, while I truly enjoy the flavor of the Nate's Nut Brown Ale. The Halleck gives you that hoppy flavor without being overwhelming. South Park Porter gets a bit more intense with the coffee flavor, and Your Best Hoption is for the serious hopheads.

Easily my favorite brewery in the state ... and maybe beyond.

But wait, there's more.



The taproom? It has food! Just a few menu options to help complement the beer. There are the options of dips - hummus, back bean hummus or buffalo chicken dip. And you can choose your chip - tortilla, pita, pretzel or quinoa. Quinoa? Yep, quinoa chips. They're actually really quite good. I'm a fan.

We ordered the buffalo chicken dip with quinoa chips. Delicious! The chips are good and less greasy than most. The dip was cheesy and rich. Seriously so good.

There are also two options for paninis: a cheese melt and a pepperoni roll melt. The cheese melt has American and cheddar cheeses, while the pepperoni roll melt has mozzarella, provolone and American cheeses and pepperoni, of course. Each are $6.

I ordered a pepperoni roll melt (which comes with a side of humus). I went with the black bean hummus and tortilla chips. I love the taproom take on a regional food - the pepperoni roll. It's definitely more indulgent with a nice layer of melted cheese, but it's a nice version of that food we all love so much.

Oh, and I can't forget the best part: growlers. I can now take a growler - branded with Chestnut Brew Works - home filled with my favorite beer. There's also some merchandise like shirts and pint glasses available.

I left with a full belly from tasty food and a flight of beer plus a full growler for just about $26. That's a pretty damn good deal.

You're going to want to check this place out. Just be sure to let me know what you think. :)

Grade: A

My last stop in Cleveland - after a ton of delicious restaurants and breweries, a trip to the Christmas Story House, the Botanical Gardens, the West Side Market, a candy shop, a play, and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame - was Fat Head's.

Pittsburgh is home to a Fat Head's location, but I've never been. So, the Cleveland location was my first! We went a little before dinner time, hoping to avoid the rush. I'm not sure if there's ever a time to ACTUALLY avoid the rush, because they were pretty consistently busy. After waiting for a bit, we were seated in a booth opposite the bar.


I'm not really familiar with their beers, but once I saw the blueberry beer, there was no contest. The Bumbleberry Honey Blueberry Ale is brewed with blueberries and honey and is served with fresh blueberries on top. How cool is that? It was a refreshing beer, delicate flavor.

From looking at the menu, a few things looked good. I couldn't do a burger because I was still stuffed from my meal (a burger, actually) earlier in the day. But, the deep-fried pierogies caught my eye this day.

And, it was such a good decision. Super crispy on the outside, warm smooth potato on the inside. Cold sour cream to dip. It's comfort food turned up a few notches.

I liked Fat Head's beer and food. I had only wished our service/the experience was a little more on point. Because it was the last stop, I was ready to get my food and head out as soon as I could. But our waitress didn't make frequent visits. Glasses ran dry, couldn't get our check, etc.

But, overall, I really enjoyed my trip to Cleveland. I was able to take in some of the local food scene, discovered my favorite of all time market, got a little taste of the arts and, of course, got to spend some time with a good friend.

Grade: B

No trip is complete without a visit to a local brewery. Great Lakes Brewing Co. has its brewpub in Cleveland. It's well-known and one of the larger craft breweries.

 

Great Lakes is the first brewpub and microbrewery in Ohio; it's also clearly a popular spot among the locals because we waited ~20 minutes downstairs for a table. The downstairs features a bar with so, so many people milling about.

When our buzzer finally went off, we were escorted upstairs to a small table. I quickly decided on the Dortmunder Gold for my drink - it's their first beer and the best-seller of the brewery. I really like this beer. It's light, refreshing, but still has flavor. I also got a sampler of the High Striker Single, a limited seasonal, which was similar in flavor but with more spice.

As for my meal, I wanted a Great Lakes Brewing Company signature dish, and the fish & chips was calling my name. I'm a sucker for a good fish and chips. This one featured Alaskan cod, crispy Edmund Fitzgerald Porter batter, pub fries, housemade tartar sauce and housemade cole slaw.

At this point, I have to say our service was kind of meh. I think it's because they're so busy, ushering people in and out, they don't really focus on the individual experience.

My fish was fairly average. The tartar sauce was a little gritty and runny, but the flavor wasn't bad. And the fish itself was nicely cooked and good quality.

For dessert, I wasn't going to get anything because I was stuffed. BUT they had bread pudding. So. I couldn't resist.

And thank god, because it was one of the best bread puddings I've ever had. Super dense and indulgent, but SO good. SERIOUSLY SO GOOD.


We didn't get to do a tour because we didn't register in time, but I got a quick glance. They also have a nice shop full of all sorts of merchandise.

Overall, my meal was good, my dessert was great, and service was iffy. But it's kind of special to get beer straight from the source instead of bottled and shipped hours away. So that alone was kind of a cool experience.

My suggestion would be try to find a time between meals to go so it's not quite as crazy busy. And make sure you save room for the bread pudding. You're welcome.


Grade: B

The original Mountain State Brewing Company is located in Thomas. I've been to the one in Morgantown many, many times. So I wanted to see what the original looked like.

From the outside, I was a little confused. I had to like drive around the back, and an entrance wasn't totally clear. When Brittany and I walked in, the one guy sitting at the bar and the other working were dead silent. The TV was on mute. There was no music. It was painfully silent. I awkwardly sat at the bar and asked if they're serving food, and I was told no. Just beer on Sunday. Oh, ok.

Well, we're already here. So, I ordered a pumpkin beer - as I've already had the others on tap - and this one was new. Still, no one is talking. We clearly broke up the boys' club, and it was painfully obvious. The pub part of Mountain State must be more like a man cave, and we were violating the code.

The man working was watching some weird gory cartoons on his laptop, and would occasionally laugh and point at it. OK, time to finish this beer - which was a little too heavy for my tastebuds - and get out. We took turns chugging this, paid quickly and left. I'm sure they felt as relieved as we did.

So, it may be different when they're serving food. I hope. And it is cool that they are brewing the beer there. Luckily, I'm a fan of most of their other beers. The seasonal didn't quite do it for me. So, if it's pub only, I'll pass.

Grade: C

I'm doing a story on Blackwater Brewing Company for Taste WV Magazine, so I was lucky enough to try some of their beer and food while there. You'll have to check that out for their awesome story and plans for the future.

The restaurant features a handful of beers and a weekly rotating menu during the weekends.

Let's start with the beer: They have some German-inspired beers due to the owner's brewing history. They have the Canaan Valley Kolsch, a 3200 Alt Bier, The Goldenrod Gold Ale, The Laurel Run EPA, and The Angus Macker Hardy County Sweet Oatmeal Stout. I had a taste of the Goldenrod Gold Ale and had to get a growlette of it to take back to Morgantown with me.

It's smooth and uses a local honey. How cool.

OK - food. He literally serves food only Friday-Sunday and it changes weekly. As far as a theme, he tries to play on seasons, and there's usually a soup or stew. He had a beef carbonnade, which is a Belgian beef dish with cubes of beef in a rich broth incorporates the Belgian blonde ale as the base. Hot and flavorful. With a side of beer bread.

Then there was a bratwurst that incorporated his Kolsch bier, served with homemade potato salad and sauerkraut. This potato salad was so delicious. It was warm and hearty. So loved it. The bratwurst was delicious and on a nice toasted bun.

My favorite, though, was this beautiful peperonata di patate soup, which had four types of peppers and potato. For one, it's beautiful. And two, it had this really deep, slightly spicy, slightly sweet soup with some potato for some substance. Just super good. Plus some nice buttered crostini.

So, if you go during the week, get a really good beer. If you're there on a weekend, choose one of his meals (there are only a couple options), but I know it'll be worth it.

Grade: A