I love the Morgantown Farmers Market and would argue it's one of the best farmers' markets in the state. I previously served on their board and know how important it is to them to support local farmers and local food.  I try to visit as often as I can - which is usually a quick, sneaky in-and-out. 



Most recently, I wanted to check out some of the farmers who I haven't yet shopped.









This & That Bakery
Rebecca Williams bakes delights such as cupcakes, cookies, breads, and more at her bakery in Mannington: Pepperoni Rolls, Cinnamon Rolls, Bread - Focaccia, French Macarons, Cobblers, Brownies, Biscotti, Scones and more! I went with a banana pepper pepperoni roll, which was tasty.





Vandalia Florals
Marsha Watkins sells her beautiful flowers grown on her farm near Terra Alta in Preston County. Locally grown, hand-tied bouquets that were absolutely stunning.



R&A Honey and Bees
R&A Honey and Bees - Rick & April Knotts sell honey from their farm near Parsons: Sourwood, basswood, poplar, and locust honey and creamed honey as well. 





Olive Branch Farm
Michael Oliverio sells microgreens from his operation near Masontown.



Pike Mountain Farm
Pike Mountain Farm provides pasture raised eggs, chicken and pork products to the local community. Using rotational grazing, this young family farm is producing nutrient dense protein and healing the land. 

Super Red Bowl Asian Cuisine is a new-ish restaurant in Morgantown that has a little bit of everything: sushi, bubble tea, poke, and a "build your own hibachi bowl," which caught my attention. 



There's something fun - to me - about being able to create your owl meal without doing any of the work.

 
With the hibachi bowl, you first choose from fried rice, white rice, brown rice, lo mein, flat noodles, udon, soba or tortilla. I went with white rice. 



Then, what meat? Imitation crabmeat, shrimp, beef, chicken, pork, squid, dark meat chicken, mussels, ham or sausage. I went with the crabmeat and shrimp. 



Then, all the toppings: broccoli, cabbage, carrot, onion, mushroom, green pepper, celery, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, water chestnuts, zucchini, pineapple, baby corn, sweet corn, bok choy, red onion, snow peas, tofu, egg and peanut. I went with as many as I can. 



And, finally, top it off with chili garlic sauce, teriyaki sauce, yummy sauce, kung pao sauce, sweet sour sauce, garlic sauce, mongolian sauce, honey soy sauce, chopsticks sauce, garlic, butter, hot chili, scallion and jalapeno. I did a combo of garlic sauce and yummy sauce. 



OK to start - crab cheese wontons - these are always good in my book. I liked that these weren't too greasy, and they had an average amount of filling. For the hibachi bowl I made, it was maybe a bit TOO much sauce, so noted for next time. But it was packed full of all the veggies and protein I requested, which I loved. I do with the shrimp had been deveined - not super appetizing to see that. The only downside is I found a hair in my meal. Not one that was mine. It was hard for me to continue on after that, but I definitely need to check it out another time. 

Grade: B

Birds are chirping, rain showers are pouring, and spring is just around the corner. This time of year always has me looking forward to cookouts. And, there's one place in Morgantown where you can get all the tasty food from a BBQ - but without the work. 



The Backyard BBQ in Cheat Lake is currently doing catering only but hopes to reopen in the spring with the same menu they had previously, which featured hot dogs, burgers, sandwiches, and ice cream. 



I was really hyped for their special, which was a burger with fried green tomato and pimento bacon. Unfortunately, they were out of it. So, I instead went with a single burger since it was already on my mind. 



The space here is kinda nice - rustic, but outdoors with a nice view and a bit set back from the hustle and bustle of Morgantown. The burger was not bad - a little more charred than I'd prefer, but fairly thick and with your choice of toppings.



The macaroni & cheese was good - more of a white cheddar with lots of pepper. Not my personal preference, but I can appreciate it for what it is. Not bad.

Grade: B

Masala House Indian Bistro opened a location along the Mileground in Morgantown.

"Masala House Indian Bistro has been serving delicious authentic Indian food to residents since 2018, and the success of our operations may be measured by our popularity among Indian nationals and other expatriates, student and natives, all of whom appreciate the fine taste of Indian food as well as the reasonable prices. ​ It's not just us saying that - our restaurant has received independent accolades and rave reviews from the press, notable the 'Editor's Choice,' 'Outstanding Indian, and 'Best Indian' awards from the largest expat magazines. ... Masala House Indian Bistro is your best destination for great tasting, authentic Indian food, with all your favorite Northern Indian recipes, highlights from the Southern Indian style of cooking. In fact, we have so many choices on our menu that it is sometimes difficult to decide what to eat! This makes our special-value lunch full meals a tempting option, and an excellent way for you to try a little - or a lot! The popularity of our food and service has allowed us to expand from our first small restaurant in Pittsburgh PA to the Morgantown WV area. ​"

"Indian" food can be a pretty broad term to describe a large variety of foods available across the country, which of course has variances depending on culture and location. Masala boasts flavors from both Northern and Southern India - but what does that mean? I turned to Food52 to get an idea of the differences between the two. 

North:
Prominent dishes: You’ll find lots of breads and curries in the North. Much of what you eat in the restaurants in the West—such as naan bread, rotis, samosas, curries such as palak paneer (spinach and cheese) and aloo ghobi (potato and cauliflower), and the like—is North Indian.
Spice mixture and powder: Garam masala is the predominant spice mixture used.
Sour ingredient: Sourness is a prevalent flavor in Indian food. Amchoor (dried mango powder) is used as a souring agent in curries.
Dried herb: In the North, some sauces are accented with the use of dried fenugreek leaves.
Hot drink: In the North, you finish a meal off with tea or chai.

South:
Prominent dishes: Generally speaking, South Indian cooking is based around rice, lentils, and stews. Dishes such as dosa (a lentil and rice crêpe), idli (steamed lentil rice cakes), saaru/rasam (tomato, tamarind, and lentil soup), and huli/sambar (spicy lentil and vegetable stew) are all from the South.
Spice mixture and powder: Huli pudi (sambar powder) is often used to spice dishes.
Sour ingredient: Tamarind is used in stews.
Dried herbs: Dried curry leaves flavor some of the soups.
Hot drink: You’d finish off the meal with a special type of coffee made with chicory.



So, back to Masala House - there's plenty of parking, and while the space inside isn't huge, it wasn't busy when I stopped by so we were able to spread out a bit. They have a buffet table, but it was not operating while I was there. 



Masala offers a special thali meal at lunch and dinner, which affords the opportunity to try a little bit of a few different dishes. Thali the meal refers to many different dishes (both vegetarian and non-vegetarian), served in small bowls called (Katori in Hindi) arranged on a Thali, or a platter. A flatbread, rice, pickle, salad, and dessert are also included, as is bread (like chapatis).



So while I absolutely love eating like this, I am the worst at writing down what things were. I know the goal is to have white rice, an appetizer, naan, vegetarian curries, meat curries and daal. So there was a mix of salty, sweet, sour, spicy flavors. And no, not all Indian food is spicy. I'm mostly a wimp when it comes to spice, and the folks are more than happy to make the dish according to the spice level that you specify. 

Everything I had I enjoyed - but I especially loved the pea and mushroom dish, as well as the tandoori chicken. So much flavor. Plus kheer - one of my all-time favorite desserts. Have you been?

Grade: A

Casa D'Amici is well-known for being the downtown pizza joint open late at night. And while you could dismiss it as drunk college food, Casa actually serves up a pretty decent pie. So, I was pleased to see them expand beyond downtown and into the Cheat Lake area.



The Cheat Lake location 1) has plenty of parking and 2) seems so big and open. I think because the ceilings are so high. They offer pizza, subs, pasta, calzones and baked rolls. I went with a variety platter to take home for dinner. 



I always enjoy their baked rolls because it's not something you see at all pizza shops - and hey, it's close to a pepperoni roll, what can I say?



I ordered a spinach, mozzarella and ricotta; I only wish I could've added mushrooms. Always love this flavor combination, and it was just enrobed in a perfectly golden brown crust. 



We ordered a few slices to try - a pepperoni and mushrooms, as well as a Hawaiian slice. Both were good - large, thin slices that could be crisper on the bottom, but not bad. 



Finally, we had a vodka penne dish with garlic bread. I liked the flavor, though there wasn't really a ton of sauce. It just coated the pasta, so there were some bites that had virtually no sauce. I also think some meatballs or other protein would help the texture.



Overall, though, I enjoyed my meal. I like the variety offered for what it is, and I've not had a bad dish here. It's consistently good, fast pizza and pizza-adjacent items.

Grade: A

Anvil + Ax is the new restaurant at the Hotel Morgan.



It recently went under some renovations, and the beautiful entryway area on either side is now home to the upscale restaurant - a brightly lit, cool tiled, airy space.



"Anvil + Ax is a relaxed European coffee shop meets refined evening cocktail bar. Part classic, part retro, part modern, Anvil + Ax brings a unique twist to the drinks and dining scene in Morgantown, WV."



I had done my due diligence to find out when exactly they begin serving their pepperoni roll, but when I got there, they said lunch hadn't started. My incredible dismay must've been evident on my face, because the kind gentleman said he'd make it happen. and, he did. Just a few minutes later, he delivered a a wooden platter full of pepperoni rolls and french fries.



The pepperoni rolls are cut on a diagonal, which already makes them a bit more interesting. The fresh bread, beautifully baked exterior gives a hearty crisp bite. The inside has rolled pepperoni and banana peppers, and a side of marinara completes the flavor trifecta. I would not have hated a giant hunk of hot pepper cheese in there - but I appreciate this rendition. The fries, while not exactly my preferred combination with a pepperoni roll, were also really good and crisp.

Grade: A

I remember when smoothie bowls or acai bowls became really popular a few years ago. I drove to Fayetteville - the closest crunchiest town - to try one and just thought it was the most refreshing thing. Fast forward a few years later, and these types of cafes are springing up more frequently - most recently as Fruition Bowls and Brews in Morgantown. 



This new restaurant is a secondary location to its Waynesburg, PA, spot. They offer smoothies, bowls, coffee, specialty toasts and other snacks.

The interior is bright and trendy, while also having a darker accent wall and tables. It feels clean. And healthy.



I ordered the peanut butter & jelly smoothie: banana, blackberry, blueberry, almond milk and house-made peanut butter. I was hoping for a pb&j sandwich vibe, but it kinda fell flat. It was just a bit bland - not overly sweet or nutty or flavorful. Not bad; I just wanted more. 



I also went with an avocado toast complete with multigrain toast, everything seasoning, freshly sliced avocado, and red pepper flakes. Plus I added feta cheese. And, it was really yummy. It was creamy and a little funky and very satisfying. Definitely add the feta if you are a feta fan. Just be prepared for feta to fall everywhere - your shirt, your car, your phone. Worth it.



Grade: A

Mario's Fishbowl is a well-known institution in Morgantown that is famous for its wings and frosty fishbowls full of beer. 



But, they've been expanding from their Richwood location in recent years. They opened a spot in Suncrest a few years ago, and most recently, they opened a takeout spot in Westover. During this pandemic, I am all about takeout, so this is a great option to get your Fishbowl fix without the extra risk.

I placed an order online for some boneless cowboy ranch wings, which is a really tasty tangy flavor with a little heat. They were just as great as I remember - especially dipped in a side of homemade bleu cheese. You aren't getting the rich history and camaraderie at this location, but you're getting the delicious food.

Grade: A

Sweet Southern Smoke is one of the newest BBQ spots in Morgantown. Located on Earl Core Road in Sabraton, this takeout joint offers pulled pork, pulled chicken, brisket, ribs and smoked sausage. 



I don't know why it's impossible for me to take a clear, quick photo - like the one of this menu - but you can check it out here.



They make a limited amount of food, so they were out of a few things. But, no worries, because they were still smoking all kinds of meats outside that they had plenty of.  I went with ribs - super tender, mac & cheese - fairly average but solid, cornbread - good flavor just a little dry, and the collards - which were heavy on the funk. But a very filling and satisfying meal overall.



Grade: B