Maybe I'm just a fan of pizza places in Charleston. We went to Lola's for my final dinner in Charleston, and we hoped it would be a great end note to my trip. It was.

Parking seems to be scarce, but we luckily got a spot right up front. It was very busy on a Saturday night, so we walked into the small house, gave a name, then went outside to wait. Outside is a small porch with one or two tables and a couple benches. We watched the cars drive by and the lights strung from the trees light up. It wasn't too long before the hostess fetched us and led us to the back of the restaurant. Once I was inside, I was shocked at how ... fancy it was. This small, white house from the outside had plush black and purple seating areas and gorgeous art decorating the walls.


To the right were chalkboards descending from the ceiling by wire that stated what the specials were. our waitress took our drink orders and handed us menus. I ordered a green salad first. It had romaine lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, fresh chunks of mozzarella and almonds all topped with a shallot vinaigrette. The veggies were all super fresh and crisp. The mozzarella tasted like it was straight out of Italy, and the vinaigrette was the best vinaigrette I've tasted. It was tangy, but light and went perfectly with the salad. It wasn't overpowering - I ate every last lettuce leaf.












For pizza, Brittany and I split a large pie. For my half, I got the margherita: their red sauce with spinach, kalmata olives, shrimp and mozzarella cheese. Brittany ordered the shrimp and sausage: oven-roasted tomatoes, shrimp, sausage, goat cheese and mozzarella. When I bit into my slice, I was surprised at the genuine red sauce. It was delicious. A tad bit sweet, but marinara, tomato-y and like I could pour it on any pasta dish. Shrimp on a pizza was new to me, but I dug in and it tasted great! The dough isn't overpowering - it's very thin and homemade, for sure. So the shrimp was a nice accent, and the ingredients blended together seamlessly. Brittany loves her pizza - it's a little heavy on the meat for me. Sausage isn't necessarily my thing, but it was tasty regardless. The meat was balanced with the goat cheese, which was strong.



For dessert, we split a coconut creme brulee. This delicate dessert was deep, and the topping was sugary and brittle, as it should be. The coconut was very, very faint. But it gave it a really creamy, whipped texture that was absolutely divine. There wasn't a bad part about this meal. It was delicious. You pay for the excellent service and superb food, but it's worth it.


Grade: A

I took a trip to Charleston this weekend to see good friends Brittany and Melanie. I left directly after work on Friday, so as soon as I arrived in Charleston, I was starving. I already knew which places was No. 1 on my list to try: Pies & Pints.

This place is a known landmark in Charleston. I believe it started in Fayetteville, and Charleston is their second location. As the name states, this place specializes in brews and pizzas. Their slogan "Handcrafted West Virginia pizza" says why they're the best - the crust is handmade, the ingredients are fresh, and the flavors are unique. I've heard tons of great things about this place, so I was really excited to try. The outside of the building is a vibrant green color.


When you walk in, the bar is directly in front, and you walk along a narrow way with barstools to the right, to get back to the dining area. There is a long, comfy bench that wraps around with a chair on the opposite side. When we sat down, I instantly felt a very cool vibe. The restaurant is filled with cool, bold colors, like black, red and green. When I looked up, there was exposed piping, which lent itself to this relaxing industrial environment. The host was very pleasant as he showed us to our seats. The waiter soon followed with menus.

The pizzas are unlike anything I've seen before. They aren't the typical cheese, pepperoni pies you'd see in a typical Morgantown establishment. No, these pizzas boast shrimp, kalamata olives, coconut and black beans. Small pizzas were 10", so we each ordered our own. I chose the "Chicken Gouda Pie," which had marinated grilled chicken, bacon, smoked gouda, red onions, chipotle crema and scallions. It was simply delicious. The ingredients were super fresh and good quality. The chipotle sauce had just the perfect amount of kick to accent the delicious, creamy gouda cheese and salty bacon. I ate the entire pie. And, I didn't regret it one bit.

Brittany asked the waiter if the "Mediterranean Shrimp Pie," (shrimp, artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, fresh garlic, lemon & herbs) was good. He said he wasn't a fan, but she ordered it anyway. When it came out, she told the waiter it was too salty. He actually gave her a menu to order a different one, and remade her an entire pizza himself. She chose the "Margherita Pie" with fresh mozzarella, tomato sauce, fresh basil, parmesan and fresh garlic this time. She was pleased. I had a slice as well, and I was also happy. It tasted like an authentic Italian pizza.The ingredients were fresh and were given room to shine. It was a tasty pie.


I am not the type of person to ever send back a meal. I simply wasn't raised that way. But the waiter was more than accommodating to Brittany's tastes, and he earned major points by being so gracious. The customer service here is some of the best I've ever seen, and the pizzas were amazing. I can't wait to go back, and maybe I'll get to try the Fayetteville location at some point. For $13 for a delicious pie, you can't go wrong. 

Grade: A

Not to be confused with the Brew Pub, Mountain State Brewing Co. opened up a nice little bar/restaurant in the Wharf District of Morgantown. Melanie and I decided to try it out after a long day at work. We had to park at a meter because there isn't direct parking available for the MSBC, at least not that we saw.





When I walked in, I was blown away at the size. The restaurant is huge and very spread out. The bar area is first, with a dozen tables, high and low, for patrons who want to be near the bar. We opted for a booth, near the right side of the restaurant. The restaurant is reminiscent of a large, cozy cabin. The booth could have sat six people comfortably.


We were handed small clipboards with loose leaf papers containing the menu. Without much hesitation, we both knew we wanted to try the sampler, which consisted of four beers. I wish I knew the names, but the only one I really like was the light-colored one because it was easy to handle, smooth and refreshing. The further you move to the right, the stronger the beer. For me, the more gross it tastes. We came to the conclusion that the dark stout tasted similar to coffee. I ended up ordering the lightest one, which was a good complement to the pizzas we ordered.

Don't make the mistake of asking where the pizzas are. Here, they're referred to as "flatbreads," and they're not the typical pies at a pizzeria. I ordered the "Olive Another" with olive tapenade, artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers and fresh mozzarella. Melanie opted for the "Buffalo Chicken" with chicken breast, buffalo sauce and bleu cheese (lots of bleu cheese!). We both ordered small pizzas and ended up taking the majority of it home. They're made in wood-fired brick ovens that give the pizzas that extra flavor.


















I was hoping there would just be a regular cheese and pepperoni pizza, but there wasn't. I was happy with my pizza, but I was hoping for some more robust flavor. I thought the fresh mozzarella would really kick it up, but the flavors were more muted. Not that olives are powerful, but I was looking for the kick. The artichoke hearts were tender, as were the peppers, but the mozzarella was lacking. Most pizzas need that cheesey goodness to make it feel like a pizza. Instead, this was a gourmet flatbread, but tasty nonetheless.

Melanie's buffalo pizza, on the other hand, had that kick and then some. I really liked the taste of it, though some of the chicken was dry, and the bleu cheese was overpowering at times. I think the pizza would've fared nicely with a healthier dose of hot sauce and less bleu cheese. I liked this one more though. The flavors were so powerful, it was like a tug-of-war in my mouth. Regardless, both of the pizzas tasted delicious, and the atmosphere was very comfortable.

Grade: B