Chris was in town yesterday, and we decided to treat ourselves to a "fancy" dinner. A restaurant called Stefano's has been on my bucket list for awhile because I've seen the commercials advertising it, and it's supposed to be one of the best fine dining establishments in town.

From the outside, we determined it didn't seem too intimidating -- a neon sign and Christmas lights in the tree. To top it off, it's located beneath a bowling alley, Suburban Lanes. It's tucked away, so there's not really a grand entrance, but the windows were dark, so we weren't quite sure what we were in for.

When we walked through the two sets of doors, there was a hostess ready to take our coats. We had called ahead for reservations (as per requested on the website), so they sat us right away. There was one couple and a party of 10 or so. Probably typical for a Wednesday evening.

The lighting inside was very dim, and consisted of mainly modern, circular track lighting. Wine bottles were showcased in a cabinet, and large glass bowls were affixed on the wall. A bar was also placed behind translucent glass, with a few TVs on the wall. The chairs were a dark blue, and there were black accents - all very sophisticated.

The music playing were popular songs, though they had no lyrics. When there were gaps between the songs, we were able to hear the bowling alley above on a few occasions.

We were sat at one of the tables that had a long chain of booth seating opposite the table with a chair on the other end. Our table was placed with a candle, a couple forks and spoons, and as soon as we were seated, we were served bread with a muffaletta olive salad, butter and olive oil. The olive salad was tasty and tangy - paired perfectly with the moist slices of bread.


As we were snacking on the bread, we were served a tortellini special from the chef.  This lovely little surprise was a thick pasta with a mixture of cheeses in a cheese-based sauce. Though the cheeses weren't overly flavorful, they weren't bad. Slightly bland, so it wasn't going to overpower the main course.

Before we knew it - yet another surprise. This time, it was a lemon sorbet. This refreshing little bite-sized  cool treat refreshed the palate before our main courses arrived. I ordered the "Manicotti di Frutti di Mar," which is shrimp, scallops, crab, and lobster rolled in pasta and topped with pesto beurre blanc ~ $24. Chris had the "Spigola di Arigosta," pan-roasted sea bass served with homemade fried lobster ravioli, sauteed spinach, and lobster consomme.

It was a difficult decision; most things on the menu looked delicious. I did, indeed, love my dish (as many others seem to do, too). Though I was worried that the various shellfish would run the risk of a very fishy meal, the chef portioned the fish perfectly to the pasta, and the pesto sauce just hit the right notes. The texture of the shrimp and lobster was nice and firm - not mushy like many seafood/pasta combos. The pesto was creamy, basil-infused with a delicious olive oil base. The combinations of the seafood, pasta and pesto was delicious. I also had a side of french-cut green beans, drenched in garlic and butter, and crisp.

Chris also liked his dish - the fish was moist and flavorful, as was the pile of spinach. The lobster ravioli, however, consisted of one ravioli, which consisted of mostly of deep-fried ravioli edges without much lobster in the middle.


As we finished our meal, the waiter came out with a serving tray full of the desserts they offer. It was very nice to see them all already made and in person - much more effective than photos. I can venture to guess that many patrons end up ordering dessert because all the options looked absolutely delicious. Chocolate and candies were placed on every dish, and it was almost a work of art. I probably could've eaten them off the tray. Among them were a chocolate mousse and creme brulee. Chris and I ordered two: pecan-encrusted vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup, candy-explosion cheesecake  that was adorned with butterfinger, reese's pieces, Hershey's kisses.

We shared both of these, but I think we preferred the ice cream dish only because it was a cold, refreshing dessert after our meal. It was drenched in chocolate syrup, so much so that I took some off the plate and transferred it to the cheesecake. The ice cream had tiny crushed candied pecans that made the dish seem like a fancier Nutty Buddy. The cheesecake was also tasty, with the candy encrusted on the top. Though good in theory, I would've preferred a strawberry or cherry syrup because the chocolate syrup with the chocolate candies was a little much. And without the syrup, it was a little dry. Overall, though, it is better than 90 percent of the cheesecake I've had in Morgantown.

My experience was fantastic - the meal was delicious, service was excellent, and I couldn't have asked for better company. Oh, and we also got these giant mints at the end of the meal.

Grade: A

For Wednesday's paper, I had to write about the new restaurant opening, Volcano Japanese Restaurant. It is located beside Pizza Hut and Radioshack in the Rite Aid/Boston Beanery plaza. The location used to be a former U.S. Cellular store. I wrote a story about it for The Daily Athenaeum, so most of the info is included in that article. So for now, I'll focus on the taste.


I had the chance to try two types of specialty rolls: The West Virginia roll and the Candy Cane Roll.The West Virginia roll consists of shrimp rempura, masago, avocado, and cream cheese wrapped in crab meat. This roll was my  favorite of the two. It had a nice combination of crunchy and soft that really allowed me to gain the full flavor and texture of the roll. It was all very fresh, and it didn't have that "hour-old" feel, when sushi gets slightly sticky and gross.

The second roll I tried, the candy cane, was also excellent. The candy cane consisted of white tuna, white fish, crab meat, and shrimp. Typically, I'm a "California Roll" type of girl because the texture and flavor of raw fish generally didn't appeal to me. This made me a believer. It doesn't have the "ew" factor of raw fish - instead, it just taste very fresh and flavorful. Now, I'm just wondering about all the other sushi I've tried.

The prices are fairly reasonable, with the specialty rolls hovering around $10, and there are a ton of options. When I go back, I'm definitely getting the same rolls - the texture, the freshness of the fish and the unique, secret combination of the sauces has me hooked. These photos are compliments of Mallory Bracken, a photographer of the DA.


Grade: A

I heard about Big Kahuna's from a friend who has a family friend involved with the restaurant. The DA did a story on it, and it's been on my radar ever since. When my friend Kristen said she didn't want to go somewhere right in town, I knew Big Kahuna's would be a decent choice. It's located on Grafton Road, a few miles past the Walmart.

The restaurant itself is a small area, seating about 20 people total, maybe. There's also an attached bar/gambling area. The fixtures were pretty basic, and there were a few "Hawaiian-style" cardboard designs on the walls - nothing fancy. The menu had the typical American grub - hoagies, burgers, pizzas. Some of the dishes did carry on the Hawaiian theme by infusing some pineapples, etc. into the food.

I ordered chili cheese fries and the "Big Kahuna's" burger. The fries were a huge portion - enough for a full appetizer. They came out in a fast-food fry basket, and were doused in a few types of cheese and a mild chili sauce. It was the kind of chili cheese fries that require a fork, which means there's more than enough flavor to go around. They were also served with sour cream, which topped off the meal perfectly.

The burger was cooked perfectly and topped with gouda cheese, pineapple, bacon, tomato, lettuce and a tangy barbecue sauce. The combination was like an explosion of excellent flavors - maybe straight from Hawaii. I really have no complaints about this burger. I really enjoyed the tangy sweet flavor, and I'd go back to have it again - despite the distant from campus.

Grade: B

I found out about Albasha through a DA article. It is located on University Avenue, behind Tudor's and Hibachi. I knew Albasha had Middle Eastern cuisine, which isn't my favorite, but I'm always willing to try a new place. This "restaurant" is really more of a sweets shop with four tables. We picked up the menu, and there are really only four "dishes" to choose from - kebabs and shawarmas in chicken and beef. I choose the chicken kebab, as well as a spinach pie.

Before our dishes were complete, we were served hummus and pita. I seem to think most Middle Eastern food is bland, and this wasn't really much different. It was also served on a paper plate, which put me off a bit. The spinach pies were served soon after, and I was happy with the pie - the spinach wasn't too salty or bitter, but it was tasty with the doughy bread.


When my chicken kebab dish was ready, it came on a bed of basmatti rice and sweet peppers on the side. The four-piece chicken kebab tasted like four pieces of chicken, slightly spiced, on a stick. I wasn't impressed, considering I could have probably made it myself.

Since their specialty was sweets, I decided to get a variety dish that had just a bunch of their sweets in one box. I don't know any of the names, as the woman who served the candies just took a few from each tray and put them in the variety box. Unfortunately, there wasn't one single candy I was impressed with. Some were gel-based, none were really sweet, and most were pastry-like. It's just not my type of food, so that didn't help their case.

In addition to my not being satisfied with the food itself, the atmosphere made me very uncomfortable. I felt like I was intruding on a family business, with kids running around and the owners were sitting at a table, as well. Brittany would go back, but I'd rather not.

Grade: D