Hurricane is quite the foodie town between a Thai restaurant, cool coffee & used book shop and now a specialty pizza place. 

Mountain Pie Company is a homemade pizza shop that specializes in personal-sized pizzas made on a hand-stretched tandoor naan crust.

The space has a dark, more intimate vibe, but there is an addition that has like concrete floors and plywood walls. I was there pretty early, but the place quickly filled up.


The menu features appetizers, soups, salads, a few pastas and a dozen or so specialty pizzas. I went for the Chicken Chicken, which has an alfredo base with gouda, marinated chicken, bacon, red onions, parmesan and oregano.

The flavors are good, but I'm not sure I'm totally sold on the naan pizza. I make something similar to this at home when I don't feel like making a real pizza crust, and there's just something special about a homemade dough that I miss. That aside, the gouda here was delicious, of course, and it was a good combination of flavors. Not a bad pizza.


Grade: B

This small Italian restaurant in Hurricane has a bit of an old-school following. Italian Grille & Deli, located at 17 Putnam Village Shopping Center, has the classic Italian-American dishes in an old-school environment.

The Italian Grille and Deli, located in Putnam Village Shopping Center, is a family-owned and operated restaurant specializing in homemade Italian Cuisine. All dishes and pizzas are made to order using the healthiest and freshest ingredients available. The Meatballs, Stuffed Peppers, Eggplant Parm, and Grandma's Italian Cream Cake are among the many dishes made from scratch. Our Salmon and Steak are also customer favorites. Come be our guests for dinner - homemade takes a little longer, but it's worth the wait.

Walking inside, it's kinda par for the course in small Italian restaurants in West Virginia. Vinyl tablecloths covered black table/chair sets. A string of lights zigzagged across the drop ceiling. A few pieces of art decorated the walls, and I liked the archways separating the dining space.

The menu features lasagna, ravioli, spaghetti, linguini alfredo, pizza, and grinder sandwiches, among others.

First up, though is the bread with side of marinara sauce. Not bad. Same for the salad - shredded lettuce, couple cucumbers, cup of dressing.

The lasagna was decent. I think I like my red sauce just a bit more flavorful - more spices, more herbs. But, this is more mild, more basic version. Decent. Plus, you get these odd little candies at the end.

What's the best thing to get here? I'm thinking about the alfredo sauce on next try?

Grade: B

If you find yourself in southern West Virginia and need a really, really good sandwich, look no further than 34:Ate.

This Williamson restaurant is the cutest space in town. It's a colorful, shabby-chic cafe that serves up salads, sandwiches, soups and desserts. 

Our vision was simple. Food: just like we'd make at home. Fresh salads, creative sandwiches, comfort food, and of course, dessert. Watch our for "Pop-up" dinners & Brunch! Quick Facts: We deliver lunch within the downtown Williamson and South Williamson area. 34:ATE is owned and operated by Debbie Young, Robyn Gannon, And Natalie Taylor. The doors opened in September of 2014 and they have been serving up fresh lunches and hosting pop-up dinners ever since. Where did we get the name? The Bible! Psalms 34:8. Look it up! Our favorite places/food to eat - Debbie: Cru Cafe (Charleston, SC), Robyn: Spaulding Donuts (Lexington, KY), Natalie: Max Brenner (New York, NY) (ABOUT).

Psalms 34:8 says: Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.


Along the wall are a few two-top tables, so I had a seat there while looking over the menu. The special that day was pepperoni rolls, and it was tough for me to pass them up. But, I wanted to try something standard on their menu, so I ordered the "Turkey Bacon Blackberry," which comes with turkey, bacon, Swiss, mixed greens, and rosemary infused blackberry mayo.

Really love the mix of sweet and savory sandwiches on the menu. They're not your plain, run-of-the-mill sandwiches you'd whip up in your kitchen. They all have a creative spin. My sandwich was huge, packed full of layers of turkey breast. It was all fresh, and the bread was toasted perfectly.

If you're in the market for a darn good sandwich (with a side of ruffles chips!), look no further. Indulge. You're welcome.

Grade: A

One place that has been on my to-try list for quite some time is The Surrey House in Chapmanville. I've heard from folks in the area who claims it's great country food, and that's a good enough reason for me.

The Surrey House is, well, a house. I love the homey vibe and comfortable atmosphere. I walked inside and it was a bit quiet so I had to find someone to seat me. Once I did, I took a look over the menu. Specials for the day included BBQ sandwich, pork chops and salmon patties dinner.

But there was something that stood out to me -- the Monte Cristo. It not only was the first thing on the menu, but that's not a common thing at restaurants. So, I went for it. Deep-fried ham and cheese sandwich, sprinkled with powdered sugar and served with preserves on the side. Plus a side of onion rings.

After a bit of a wait, I received my sandwich. I was worried at first when I saw no preserves, but not to fear, they were simply forgotten. It's an average size - plain white bread, but tasty.

The deep-fried sandwich makes for a perfectly melty cheese, a nice crisp crust, and the sweetness of the preserves hits all those spots that make me say mmmm. The ham is lunchmeat - rather than freshly carved pieces - but no matter The onion rings were quite large and lovely.

This was a good replication of a monte cristo. I love the sweet and savory, the creamy and the crisp. I think this may have been the best monte cristo if there was a more substantial bread or a higher cut of ham. Very tasty, nonetheless.



Grade: B

The long awaited German beer garden in Huntington is open.




Bahnhof WVrsthaus and Biergarten, located at 747 7th Avenue in Huntington, has brought German-inspired food and beer to the city. The German gastropub opened in April, and has been the talk of the town, so when I made my way to Huntington, it was a must-stop along my tour.