In downtown Parkersburg, Maka Mia replaced my beloved DiCarlo's. I won't hold it against the pizza restaurant; instead, I'll go in with an open mind - and stomach.



I didn't realize they have more than a handful of restaurants, though I have been to the Ripley location. Some background:

"In 2006, an independent grocery store owner in Kentucky had an idea. He was looking to attract new customers and increase sales to current ones, while staying ahead of the larger supermarket chains. The plan was to use existing deli facilities and staff to create a unique food destination. The concept didn’t come together overnight. It took months of experimenting, baking dough, creating the best tasting sauce, and never settling for anything but the highest quality ingredients. This was important to the concept, because everyone wants a great tasting product and fresh ingredients, with the option to customize it. The next step included branding and marketing, which took more than five years of work, research and design. Today, Máka Mia is a fully registered, trademarked company. From full color counter fronts and outdoor signage to professionally designed digital menus and online ordering, the Máka Mia Team created a package ready to deliver big results in a few short set-up days. The final product is a signature pizza and hoagie concept with over 40 stores in five states, proving the Máka Mia concept a success. Check it out for yourself and see if you don’t agree that Máka Mia is the best tasting pizza you’ve ever had!?"



So, it's a franchise and by looking at the locations, it seems the product is available in grocery stores, food marts and grocery stores - plus a few restaurants dedicated to the name. 

The space has limited indoor dining - whether that's by design or due to COVID19 - but I had placed an order online so I was just picking up anyway. The space has some wood panel flooring, corrugated steel and basic decor. 



The pizza is above average. I like that the pizza sauce was a little bit sweet, and the dough was toothsome - not cracker thin but could actually get some bite from it. 



I also order pretzel bites with cheese, and these were decent, too. I don't see these on menus as often as I'd like, so it was nice little treat. Overall, decent flavors - nothing too different - but still a reliably good slice.

Grade: B

There aren't as many Gino's locations as there are Tudor's locations in West Virginia ... but there is more variation from one location to another. Some have certain menu items that others do not, and that's what it's fun to try a new location. This visit, we're heading to Eleanor.



Eleanor is closer toward Huntington than many of the recent locations I've been to, so I was curious to see if they might offer some of the more Huntington-specific offerings. I believe those locations have a different owner, which can account for the difference. Alas, Eleanor had the standard items you'd find on a Charleston Gino's menu.



But, instead of the pizza, which I've been trying lately ... I went for pasta. Spaghetti is one of my least favorite pasta shapes (give me more noodle to sauce ratio please), but this was fine. It had a thick layer of meat sauce on top, so it was actually kinda tough to twirl noodles at first without them just breaking apart. Once I got into it, I could appreciate the basic and easy dish. It's simple, homestyle and satisfying. 

Grade: B

Gino's Pizza and Spaghetti House has a number of locations throughout West Virginia, and while they may not be quite as ubiquitous as Tudor's, they're probably not far off. In fact, they're usually attached to one another.



The locations do vary slightly from one to the other. Some have independent owners (I believe), which means they can switch up some of the menu items. In this case, I went for a calzone with cheese and mushrooms. You can see it's a litttleeee extra done, especially on the bottom. And I would not have hated some more filling, but I still ate every bite. 

Grade: B

Always and forever, I love pasta. So, when I learned that there was an Italian restaurant at the bottom of my hotel - and it was well-known for being good! - I was sold.



Lombardo's Trattoria is an Italian Restaurant that features salad, pasta, veal, beef and seafood. It's not a huge menu, but there is a nice variety.



"The Lombardo Family's legacy of fine food at moderate prices goes back almost 75 years, and the tradition continues today. Available at all of our locations, Lombardo's Famous Toasted Ravioli. Award winning oversized meat and spinach ravioli, lightly breaded and served with our house marinara sauce and grated cheese. You have to try at least one!" - Website



We started with some warm bread and butter. But I ordered that toasted ravioli not far behind it. I'm not sure why St. Louis calls it toasted, but it's essentially deep-fried, and it's a THING here. It's large beef-filled raviolis that have been deep-fried and blanketed in cheese with a side of marinara. Definitely tasty - and hearty.



My main dish here, though, was maybe one of my favorite dishes I've had thus far this year. It was a seafood rigatoni with shrimp, scallops, crab meat, peas, mushrooms, and white sauce. It was a creamy sauce that had those earthy mushroom flavors. Some brightness of color and flavor with the peas. And gosh, that creamy sauce. Divine.

Grade: A

Gino's has a bazillion locations throughout West Virginia, and just like Tudor's, I'll eventually visit all the locations. Maybe.

Well, I found myself in Dunbar so I called in an order at Gino's. The interesting thing is that the menus at each of the Gino's vary just a bit.

One of my favorite items I've discovered on some of the menus is the calzone. And Dunbar offers it!

So I ordered a calzone with sauce, cheese and mushrooms.

These are quite the hefty size, but they are full of ingredients. And, I really like the sauce they use. They do get a bit soggy, but still worth it.



Grade: B

Puglioni's has been one of my all-time favorite restaurants. From the bread to the housemade pasta and everything in between, it consistently delivers a delicious experience.

So, when I heard the restaurant had closed down a few months back, I was distraught. However, just recently, it reopened under the name "Pug's" - which is what it was affectionately called. And, many of the same recipes and staff have returned.

First, the space looks just the same to me as it did before. And the smells are the same. The dim lights and welcoming environment. The menu has a lot of similar options - including my absolute favorite: pasta carbonara.

First, that beautiful freshly baked loaf of bread. Absolutely saturated in butter and garlic, this bread is the best in town - maybe state. It was a touch darker than I'd like, but that didn't stop me from carb overload.

Then, my house salad. They easily have one of the best house salads around. No iceberg here. Fresh romaine, tomatoes, onions, croutons, olives - the works. I hope they add a French dressing option to the lineup in the future.

And, there it is. The pasta carbonara with handmade fettuccine, bacon, ham, and I added mushrooms. It's creamy, rich, and delicious. It's amazing. It can get a bit heavy, so it would be nice to have maybe a pop of fresh peas or a drizzle of balsamic glaze to cut through some of the fattiness. That being said, I will order this dish again and again and again because I love it.

Grade: A

Mama Rosa's is a convenience store-restaurants that serves up pizza, Mediterranean dishes and other odds and ends.

This business had a location on the West Side but relocated to Cross Lanes years ago.

So I made my way over to this spot to check it out.

They have a menu behind the calendar, a cooler with a few prepared foods, and sporadic goods spread throughout the store.

After looking over the menu, I went with an order of cheese ravioli and a side of hummus and pita. Why not try the best of both worlds?

First, I tried the small salad that came with the meal. Plus some garlic bread.

The ravioli was fine - nothing too exciting.

The hummus was also pretty standard.



What's your favorite thing here?

Gino's is a West Virginia institution - maybe not quite as much as Tudors - but you can find them in many West Virginia towns.

Gino's features pizzas, pastas, sandwiches and other appetizers.

The menus do tend to change a little bit from location to location, and while I was here, I wanted to try a few different items.

First, I went with cheesy breadsticks (and extra marinara!). These are garlicky and buttery and delish.

Then, I tried their lasagna for the first time. This thing is packed with cheese - mozzarella and ricotta. For fast food pasta, it's not bad.

You've probably heard of Minard's Spaghetti Inn in Clarksburg. The classic Italian restaurant is well loved among locals.

And, recently, they opened an "express" location in Bridgeport.


They serve many of the same classics: spaghetti, rigatoni, etc.

On the day I went, their special was gnocchi, and I ordered hat with their red sauce.


It came with a small house salad and dressing, plus a slice of garlic bread.

This sauce is a bit sweeter - and I'm into it! What's your favorite dish here?