My flight out of Boston back to Pittsburgh was really early in the morning, but that wasn't going to stop me from finding something delicious to eat. As I looked around to see what was in my terminal, I decided that Wahlburgers would be my best bet for something that wasn't a HUGE chain.

So, I found the bright green chairs and was seated for breakfast. I didn't get to try an actual burger, so I went for the next best thing: a breakfast sandwich with two eggs, government cheese, housemade tomato jam, with sausage. I also got a side of tater tots because, I dunno, why not?


So, this sandwich was just OK. My biggest problem is the bun is SO light and fluffy, it just gets completely soggy. The tomato jam became the remnants of some tomato-based sauce that just soaked up in the bun. So, definitely a lack of flavor and some texture issues. Tough to say if their burgers would be better - but if they are using this same bun, it can't be that great.

Grade: C

After a long drive, we were exhausted once we finally hit Boston. So, we called for pizza. What else is a millennial to do?

Kaitlynn ordered from Venus Pizza & Grill. They actually had a good bit more on their menu - like subs, wraps, burgers, fried chicken, pasta, gyros, kabobs and more. Because they had pizza in their name, I went with that theme and got a calzone. It was cheese and spinach and mushroom, and I wanted to get chicken inside but I couldn't figure out that option.

So, it was huge. It was a large pie folder over and cut into segments (that's a first), but I think they put at least three pounds of spinach in there. SO much. And, that made it a bit watery. That definitely didn't stop me from eating it - it was pretty average. My problem is that I tend to think literally everything in Boston is amazing because I've had such amazing food here. But this was pretty average. I think I might try the regular pizza if we do this in the future.

Grade: C

The Preston County Inn consistently wins local food contests for their emphasis on local ingredients. But, I've had trouble catching them when they were open. But that all ends today.

We'd stopped at the Preston County Inn around Halloween, so we got to see it in its full spooky glory. It has a bit of history:

The Inn was constructed in the Civil War era by James A. Brown, an attorney and a graduate of West Virginia University. He fell in love with a beautiful girl named Isabel who was from Baltimore. They were married and the house was given to Isabel as a wedding gift from her loving husband.

However, they lived in the house for only one year. Isabel contracted smallpox and soon died. James Brown became a Victorian mourner and would not allow anything belonging to his lovely wife to be touched. Nothing was to be changed or moved. Even her sewing remained as she left it, needle in cloth and thimble nearby. 

Highlighting the exterior decoration of the house was the roof; in large letters of light colored slate was the word "home." Through the years and change of owners, this was either removed or covered with new roofing. Much of the front part of the home has been restored to its original nature. There are a total of seven fireplaces in The Inn, three downstairs and four upstairs. The hearths and mantels have been refinished and restored to their original condition. Guest sleeping rooms were added in 1948 as a new addition to the inn. Also included in this large addition were the large kitchen and dining room.

We'd parked behind the inn and began walking around toward the front when I saw a sign on the side of the building that said to enter this way for the restaurant, which is named "Maxime's at The Inn." So, we walked in and awkwardly around the kitchen and down the main hallway. There was no one to greet us, so we walked around and stood awkwardly in the middle for about five ~long~ minutes until I found a server and asked if we could be seated.

Finally seated, I took a look around. Lots of red glowing Halloween decorations, but also lots of classic art and draperies. It has a bit of charm to it, but it could also use a nice deep-cleaning.

The first thing I noticed is that they had a salad bar. You don't see that often at local restaurants. So, I knew that was in my future. While there were many options on the salad bar - including macaroni salads, seafood salads, etc. - they weren't exactly fresh. In fact, the tomatoes had mold all over them, which cast a shadow of doubt on the quality of the rest of the food.

I tried, but I couldn't mentally get over it. I nibbled on things and they were fine, but ultimately set it aside and hoped the entree would prove better.

The menu has a little bit of everything, but I felt like I needed to go the homestyle route. I ordered the meatloaf and mashed potatoes, which came with a thick brown gravy overtop. I can't say this is my favorite iteration of the meal - I prefer a tomato sauce.  This meal was just fine - everything needed a little bit of work. The corn was chewy, the mashed potatoes were very thick and stiff. The meatloaf was dry, and that gravy didn't help. Was it bad? No, it was fine, but would I order this again? No.

I hope there are far better options on the menu, and I totally dig their use of local ingredients when they're competing, but it didn't shine for me this time. I also appreciated how the owner had the chef whip up a simple stir-fry upon learning my friend was gluten-free (but I also suspect he was just wanting to use up the salad bar).

It's also likely I could've chosen poorly. I'm known to do that. What have you had there that you like? What's the best thing on the menu?

Also, of note is the Norma Jean Bar -- lots of Marilyn Monroe happening. Lots of cool little tidbits in this place, but not a total home run for me.

Yes, I went to The Back Door. Because I had a duty to do so. You see, Back Door has a happy hour buffet on Friday nights. And, I have it on good authority that the items are homemade (pizza and wings are from Casa D'Amici).

So, what the hell? I went on Friday after work. Back Door is in a funny location, because it doesn't have much curb appeal. You can walk through the back of Casa to get to it, or you can enter through the back side, which faces the parking lot. There's a sign over top, but not much else beyond that.

It's $5 to get in, and that gives you access to the buffet. They also had $2 Rolling Rock and $3 Corona. Meh, fine.

So, how was it? It was fine. They had a veggie platter, some pizza, burgers, wings, pasta, meatballs, and weenies & potatoes. I think it's a pretty decent deal for just $5, but 1) it's a buffet so the quality of food is mediocre and 2) I would not want to arrive at the buffet too late for fear of what it would look like after 100 hungry drunk patrons ran through it.

And as a fun aside: The Great 'A Taste of Memphis' Debate - Layne's friend decided this would be the perfect opportunity to question my grading of one of his favorite restaurants in Princeton. This is apparently six years of built up frustration that he was ready to unleash. This is nothing new to me, folks. Food gets people all riled up, and my silly thoughts on restaurants often make me a target. Anyway, I'm sure a few heads were turned, but it was all in good fun.

Overall - average. The food was pretty right down the middle. The pasta was fine, and the meatballs were tasty. Average for what it is, but a good deal for broke college kids.

Grade: C
 

During my time in Morgantown, I've come to know two parties when it comes to Tex-Mex: There are the Los loyalists and the Rio loyalists. I belong to a small not-a-huge-fan-of-Mexican-food contingent. But, when I recently learned that Rio Grande III changed to Rio Verde, I was tasked with checking it out.

Unfortunately, I have no idea if the menu is different, because I had only been here previously like once. So, it could just be a change in name - or it could be owners or a whole overhaul. I'm not sure. Someone who was a Rio Grande devotee, lemme know.

The interior was a bit sparse, but it looked to have a cool mural on the far wall. Basic, quick service with no devoted server - just whoever was free to top off drinks or fill our chip basket. But, a fairly steady stream of people coming in for lunch.

So, my best bet for satisfaction at a Tex-Mex restaurant is queso. It's my saving grace. So, after the initial chips and salsa came out, I immediately put in a request for queso. And, it was fine. It seemed kind of ... condensed? I dunno; I've had better.

All of the lunch options are essentially some combination of tacos, burritos, quesadillas, enchiladas, or chalupas. I've had tacos and burritos more times than I can count, so I went with Special Lunch #16, which had a chalupa and chicken enchilada with rice.

• Burrito: Flour tortilla folded and filled with meat or beans, topped with cheese and covered with our special burrito salsa.
• Chalupa: Flat crisp corn tortilla with beans, lettuce and guacamole on top.
• Chile Relleno: Poblano pepper stuffed with cheese and potatoes, served with cheese notop & covered with a special egg batter with gravy salsa on top (mild, hot)
• Enchiladas: Corn tortilla folded round and filled with your choice of meats or cheese or beans, cheese on top and gravy salsa.
• Tostaguac: Flat, crisp tortilla with beans, beef, lettuce, guacamole and tomatoes on top.
• Taquitos: A corn tortilla filled with beef or chicken and rolled, fried golden brown, nice & crispy.
• Tamales: Corn husks wrapped around a layer of corn mealwith chicken inside. Served with cheese & special gravy salsa on top.
• Quesadilla: A Mexican version of turnover or a grilled cheese sandwich made by folding a flour tortilla in half and cooked with cheese inside over low heat.
• Chimichanga: Crisp and flaky, deep-fried burritos, served with nacho cheese on top and available in chicken or beef.
• Mole: A highly flavored gravy made with chiles, spices, chicken broth and secret array of herbs. Rich and flavorful.
• Mole Poblano: Made like mole but with extra flavors of chocolate and nuts. Very good and flavorful.
• Chorizo: A mildly spiced Mexican style sausage.

So, it's fine. Everything is this sort of same mushy texture, and it all just tastes a bit bland to me. I don't get the appeal, and I'm not sure I ever will. The enchilada was decent - but I think some fresh veggies inside would've made it something I'd appreciate. The chalupa was soggy, and that's just not my jam.

I think some variance in texture or flavor would help make this more well-rounded for me. Maybe I just choose the wrong things. I don't know. I am already preparing for the backlash from this review, so, yes, I know I'm the worst for not loving Tex-Mex.



Grade: C
 

A new hot dog spot opened up at the corner of University Avenue and Patteson Drive. Two and a Fry, which has its primary location in Monongahela, Pa., opened its second location this week and is serving up all things hot dogs, burgers, fries and a few sandwiches.

There was some conversation on a local Facebook page about how this building used to be a burger place called "Snaps," and then a Rally's, but those were both before my time. I don't recall there being a restaurant in this space while I've been in Morgantown, but it's been more of a small gambling joint - I think.

The good thing about this new restaurant is that it is very visible. That's a high traffic area, so it's prominent. However, because it is a high traffic area, it can be a bit tough to get into and out of. The parking lot is ... odd, and if you go through the drive-thru, you arrive at more parking in the back - but we only found this out via trial and error.

So, we walked around to the front and stepped inside. It's a fairly small space, with seating on either side, and the counter to order is at the back. A line of construction workers snaked to the back, and we waited eagerly in line to see if we could use a card here (they do accept cards!).

The menu features hot dogs, of course, with a variety of toppings, burgers, kielbasa, hot sausage, chicken, fries and onion rings. I ordered the top special - two hot dogs, fries and a drink. I got chili and slaw on top, because there was a small toppings bar to the side that had onion, relish, mustard and ketchup.

I have to admit, the service was a bit of a mess. Granted, they just opened, so that was to be expected. But the poor woman who was running the front of house was also running food, and orders were getting messed up (mine was OK!), so they're still working out the kinks there. BUT, she was kind to customers despite the chaos.

Somehow my total came out to more than $7. I was thinking it would be closer to $5 - even with the upcharge for slaw. Whatevs. I tried to get some ketchup for the fries, but they had run out. I only had a little for my fries. But, I filled my drink and found a seat, and within a minute, my order was out. Very quick despite having a full house.

The slaw came as a small container on the side, and I added some onion and mustard to it. I'll be honest in saying it wasn't my favorite type of chili; it had a bit of sort of generic, bland taste. The slaw was a bit tangy and a bit liquidy. Not bad - average. I do love a good boiled hot dog, and the bun was fine - nothing too remarkable. The fries were decent, but crunchier and more seasoning and salt would've made them great.

I still think my hot dog crown belongs to Hometown Hot Dogs. And, I do think there is value in a good hot dog spot. Every so often, it's a nice change to get two dogs with all the fixins. I'll be curious to see how this place does. It seemed to be popular with the folks dining inside, and I do think they are filling a need for it over on that side of town.

Getting out was also interesting. We were in the drive thru line to leave until we realized we could go around. Making a left out of this place is likely impossible, but a right was no problem. If you go, let me know your thoughts! And, I'm sure things will grow and evolve as they continue on. I want to give them the benefit of the doubt, as they are so new, and they seem excited. So, I'm excited to see what they have in store for the future.

Grade: C

Let's Taco Bout It is a new food truck in Morgantown that has been making its late-night taco rounds downtown. It recently made an appearance during a daytime event, so I was sure to swing by and get my fix.

The truck featured:

• tacos (hard or soft) with choice of chicken, beef or bean, lettuce and cheese
• burritos with choice of beef chicken or bean, cheese and rice 
• Taco in a bag with choice of beef, chicken or bean, lettuce, cheese, and Nacho Doritos or Andy Capp Hot Fries

Grade: C

I've been on a quest lately to knock off some of those restaurants I've had on my list for quite a while. They're often ones I've heard about, but they're on the outskirts of town or they are those "bar & grills" that are heavier on the bar side than the grill side. Or, I just don't know much about them.

RJ's Grill & More - Homemade and Beyond is located on Dunkard Avenue in Westover. I don't traditionally have the best luck with Westover restaurants, but I wanted to give this place a try. So, I headed over there for lunch.

Lodged next to an asbestos removal company and across the way from a secondhand Subaru lot, the restaurant is definitely in a part of town that I don't see often. The space used to be a former hot spot, I think, and the smell of smoke still overcomes the tiny place. The walls are adorned with chalkboard pain and the menu, which is pretty expansive.

The menu has really great sounding items like the "Goldened Blue Burger," which is topped with a Portabella mushroom in a blueberry bacon cream, provolone & pepper slaw. Or there's the "Colonel Mustard" sandwich, which is turkey smothered in spicy mustard butter topped with barrel slaw and onions petals on rye.

I learned the owner previously the Rusted Musket, but he grew tired of the college kid crowd and sold the business. Now, he's catering to the Westover crowd and has seen some decent business due to delivery via OrderUp. He suggested the open face chicken sandwich, which was on special. I was gravitating toward that Goldened Blue Burger, but he said he hadn't currently made that and he only does so every four days. Instead, he suggested the Blue on Black (which isn't on the paper menu), which had cajun seasoning, mushrooms and bleu cheese. Got that with a side of potato salad.

There are maybe 10 or so seats inside - half along the front bar area and half in front of the window. A large TV up in the corner was playing Law & Order. It's cramped, a bit dark and has some questionable area visitors, but the food wasn't bad. Points for some creativity on the menu, but the execution was pretty average, I think.

The burger wasn't especially thick or juicy, but it was fine, and the bun was better than most places. The potato salad had some kick to it that I'm still feeling the residual effects from. The owner. who was friendly, in a rough-around-the-edges sort of way, didn't skimp on the cheese - which I like. The area is a little less than ideal. Overall: Average. But, would I go out of my way to come back? Nah. If I were in the area? Maybe.

Grade: C