Since the last time I visited TK's Fruit Produce & Bubble Tea, they've added a full lunch menu. I was due for another visit.



TK's sells fresh fruit and produce, but there's also a cafe portion where you can get prepared dishes.



They have lunch buffets and specials that change, but they also have a set menu. That's where I was looking.



Their dishes are all vegetarian - and most are vegan, too, I believe!



Here's a breakdown of what I got: Pan-fried dumplings, pad thai noodles and a bubble tea.



The dumplings were good, and the sauce was packing some heat. The noodles were okay. And the bubble tea was great. This is a good option for folks who may be looking to go more veggie - though even some of my most carnivorous friends are big fans, too.



Grade: B

This pandemic has really affected so many businesses. So, I'm thrilled to see some small ones opening up, despite all the difficulty. One of which is AntiquiTea in Morgantown.



The coffee and tea house is located on University Avenue on the bottom floor of a building, with its own separate side entrance.



The interior is nice. It's clean and new and has some spots that would be perfect for studying or writing - if I wasn't trying to do only takeout in light of the pandemic.



The menu features tea, coffee, sandwiches, soups, salads, and sweet treats.



And, they also have tea and teapots for sale.



There were a few things that caught my eye. First, the drinks. I've learned a bit about tea thanks to Appalachian Tea in Charleston. I stood at the counter, looking over the options.



They have loose leaf tea (black, Assam, Oolong, Puerh, Rooibos, Green, Herbal), lattes, cappuccinos, espresso, hot chocolate, iced tea or coffee, frappuccinos and TEA frappuccinos (peppermint or french vanilla). I had never heard of a tea frappuccino, so that was quickly my choice - the french vanilla version. And, it was good! The flavor of tea, but cooling and refreshing. 



Plus I ordered a turkey and swiss panini, which was tasty - even with the fresh veggies, which can either go one way or the other.



Sandwiches come with chips, so I tried these ones from Pennsylvania.



Overall, a nice addition to Morgantown that I could see myself spending some time at. And, I know they're only going to keep adding and evolving

Grade: A

Here's another Jamaican restaurant that has popped up in Morgantown: Big Cock Jerk Pit. No, I'm not joking about the name. I almost wish I was.




Located on Stewartstown Road, the restaurant is located in a small building behind a home with a giant rooster in the yard with a sign.



As a single woman approaching this place, I wasn't sure what I would be met with. I had called in an order, and the man on the other end did not take my name or give me an order number. He just said OK come down, as though he was just going to put it together once I got there. Spoiler.



The interior is all wood, and there was no seating from what I could see - unless it's tucked around back behind the counter. He asked if I called in an order. I said yes. And he then went to the back to assemble it.



After a few moments, I was presented with my meal wrapped up and ready to go: jerk chicken, beans, and slaw. I dug in before I even left the parking lot because the smoke from the grill had me craving it immediately.



PROS: The meat was hot and tender. It had some good char on the outside. Even though it was chopped, bones were easily identifiable so you don't end up chipping a tooth.



CONS: A bit dry. The sides could use some more flavor. The name.



Try it out. Let me know what you think. And what I need to try next time.

Grade: C

Didn't I tell you recently that West Virginia is having a bit of a Jamaican takeover? Quite a few Jamaican restaurants have popped up. This is the first of two in Morgantown - Jamaican Spice.



Located on Greenbag Road, Jamaican Spice is set apart with its unique gray shingled roof on the corner of a small plaza area.



Their menu has staples like jerk chicken, goat curry, oxtail and more. Take a look at their website to see when they host specials.



I put in an order for quite a few things. Let's start with the "Sweet Jamaican Chicken." I've had jerk chicken a number of times, but I've never heard of this. The description states: pan-fry chicken, stewed in a sweet sauce until fork-tender, Served with red bean and rice or white Rice with steamed cabbage. WOW. Yes, it's sweet, but not cloyingly so. I could bottle that sauce and put it on literally everything. Almost like a BBQ, but fruity with a nice sear on the meat, which gives some smokiness.



Then, I got a side of pasta salad, which was in a creamy sauce and added corn and peas. The beef patty was phenomenal. Flavorful, flaky and delicious. And finally, "Jamaican Festival Bread" is a slightly sweet cornmeal. Almost like a sweet-ish cornbread - I'm all here for adding beans for a Jamaican-Appalachian mashup here.


Grade: A

Quick Bites is a new restaurant along University Avenue in Morgantown. It's located right across from the Life Sciences Building at the light. This building has been home to 5 million different restaurants since my arrival in Morgantown in 2007 (yikes!). But, none have been all that memorable.



Quick Bites seems to be specializing in burgers, with the Cowboy (cheddar, BBQ, onion rings), Sunrise (mozzarella, caramelize onion, egg), and the Diablo (pepper jack, jalapenos, buffalo sauce). The inside seems like it will be a late-night college hangout.



They also have some fried apps: french fries, chicken tenders, onion rings, etc. So I wanted to try a little bit of Column A and a little bit of Column B. First up, the mushroom swiss burger. It's a little mushed because it was in my bag in transport, but the flavor remains. A decently seasoned burger, a healthy slice of swiss cheese and some sauteed mushrooms made for a solid little burger. A little ketchup made it even better.



And, here are some macaroni & cheese bites. I always want these to be better than what they ever are. In concept, they sound great. I love macaroni & cheese. But in execution, they're always a little bland, a little greasy and a little dry.

Grade: C

The collective heart of Morgantown broke when Lefty's Place was forced to close after the building flooded and left the dynamite pizza spot homeless.



Lefty's Place, which serves up Detroit-style pizza, became a quick favorite of mine with its caramelized crust and cheesy perfection - despite my initial hesitation at yet another pizza joint in a college town. But this never was - and isn't - a typical pizza joint.



That's right. Lefty's Place is back. It's now located in Burroughs Place and has used the quarantine time as a soft rollout. I may or may not have planned a trip to Morgantown based solely on picking up a pizza here. As with all things Lefty's does, their ordering process was seamless. They open up ordering a day or two ahead of time. You place your order online for a specific time. You pull up to the shop. They have a rack outside where they will put your pizza with your name on it. No contact. No exchange of money. Perfect.



Oh, and that pizza? Perfection. You all know my love for DiCarlo's... but this may just be the second best in the state.



Grade: A+
(psst yes that's the first ever A+ on my blog - why not try something new?)

There's a brand new winery right in Morgantown called Findley Martin, which is named after the owners' two favorite lake vacations growing up.



"Looking out at her Concord grape vine, Amy asked Murray, "How hard could it be to make wine?" After recalling the hilarity of Lucille Ball and her friend, Ethel stomping grapes, Amy and Murray set-out to learn how to turn fruit into wine. As it turns out, winemaking isn't so easy. We did a lot of research, met some incredibly helpful winemakers, and fermented numerous batches of wine in our kitchens before "going pro."



Proudly made in West Virginia, the business name Findley Martin was inspired by our favorite places...Findley Lake, New York and Lake Martin, Alabama. We hope our award-winning wines remind you of spending good times with friends by your favorite body of water!"



Sam and I stopped here and had a great conversation with the owners while sampling each of the wines: cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir, sauvignon blanc and muscat canelli. They were each tasty and well-balanced.



One of the cool things about this winery is how collaborative they are with other businesses, including Presque Isle Candy Co., which I had to try - butter pecan brittle and pretzel brittle.



Have you been here yet? Which is your favorite wine?



Let me know in the comments!

Bubblefish is a new bubble tea and poke bowl restaurant in downtown Morgantown.

What are those, you may be asking.



"Bubble tea is a Taiwanese tea-based drink. Recipes contain tea of some kind, flavors of milk, and sugar. Toppings, known as "pearls", such as chewy tapioca balls, popping boba, fruit jelly, grass jelly, agar jelly, alovera jelly, sago and puddings are often added." Wikipedia



"Poke is diced raw fish served either as an appetizer or as a main course and is one of the main dishes of Native Hawaiian cuisine. It is often served over rice with soy sauce, green onions, and sesame oil. Others include furikake (mix of dried fish, sesame seeds, and dried seaweed), chopped dried or fresh chili pepper, limu (seaweed), fish eggs, wasabi, and Maui onions." Wikipedia
 

I ordered brown sugar milk tea with boba (which the folks working said was the most popular). And, yes, it does taste like tea, with sugar, and tons of delicious tapioca boba at the bottom. And it comes in the cutest cup with a little heart on top.

 

And I made my own poke bowl: sushi rice, crab, shrimp, edamame, corn, pineapple, teriyaki sauce, yum yum sauce, masago eggs, nori, tempura crisps and avocado. Feel free to copy this combination because it was delish.



Grade: A