Have you seen that small blue shack on University Avenue in Star City? You know - the one that looks like it seats maybe three people, has a sign that says "hotdogs," and you're not sure if it's even a real restaurant anymore?

It is.

It's called Star City Hotdogs, as evident by the makeshift sign plastered in front of what used to be a Hometown Hotdogs sign. Apparently they split ways at some point, and this was an easy solution.

This is one restaurant that I've known about for - years - now but most of my close friends scoffed at the idea of coming here. My friend Heaven is a risk-taker. I dig that.

We waked inside to one woman slinging dogs, while hungry onlookers awaited their meal. Meanwhile, orders were being called in. This place was kinda busy.


With only a handful of stools in front, it gets tight in here real fast. Off to the left, there is this strange blue concrete dungeon that has a few mismatched tables and booths.

I ordered a hot dog and a Frito pie. I only had this one other time - at the other hot dog joint across town - and loved it. I was quickly informed there was no sour cream. Meh. Oh well, tried it anyway.

My hotdog - with mustard, slaw, sauce and onions - was OK. Too much slaw kind of overpowered anything, really, and the onions were lost underneath the slaw - so those just blended in. The sauce wasn't bad. I got medium, and it had a big of a bite to it. But beyond an overwhelming cold, chunky texture - not a ton of flavor.

Frito pie suffered from the same lack of flavor - but I did dig the cheese. Cheese can make most things better. Sour cream can make all things better.

So, overall the food is nothing to write home about, and the actual building itself is... well, kind of scary. If you're really interested, I would suggest to-go.

Grade: C

Kayla took me to Choo Choo's back before I started blogging. It's one of a handful of local restaurants in Wetzel County, and I've been wanting to go back ever since so I could have some more Wetzel County places represented in my blog. 

After our trip to the Rogers Flea Market, Kayla's family insisted we go to Mary's Pizza. Apparently this place is so popular it has hourslong wait times. Her parents called in the order before we even left the flea market.

The shop opened in 1961 with fresh tomatoes, homemade thick crust, original sauce that has kept it as one of the most popular restaurants in the area. It was originally ran out of a home, and is still owned and run by the same family. It is located at 301 North Beaver Street (330-424-3559).

The storefront is somewhat hidden, and only a half dozen or so parking spots are out front. But once you see that giant pizza pie stained glass, you know you're in the right place.

Inside, there are a handful of tables, but most of their business is take-out. The phone is constantly ringing off the hook, and workers are slinging finished pizzas into a rack. Despite calling a good bit in advance, we still waited a bit for our pies.

Once they came out, it was so, so worth it.

They're not large diameter-wise, but as far as thickness goes - they're huge. It was reminiscent of Chicago deep-dish pizza with tons of layers of ingredients piled high with a thick, stringy layer of cheese on top.

We had ours decked out with everything. Huge chunks of peppers, sausage, onions and more melding with a slightly sweet sauce tons of cheese - all sitting atop a combination of a fluffy crust with a crisp bottom. It was pretty great.

Don't expect a thin slice here, but what you receive may even be better. Depending on your preference. I know this: I liked this. A lot. It will definitely be on my list to try when I head back to the area.

Grade: A

Rogers, Ohio, has the largest flea market I've ever seen. I swear it's miles long. Shelter after shelter after shelter of antique tools, collectibles, dolls, food, cuts of meat, batteries, jerseys, gadgets and anything you could really think of. Then there is the open air vendors who span the huge field up and down tons of rows. Oh, and there's the auction.

I went once or twice when I was a kid. I remember my parents getting some cookies from the Amish folks there. So good.

Then a few years ago, I went with Kayla to scope out the knock-off sunglasses and purses. 

Fast-forward four or five years, and this time, I was on the lookout for vinyl, another globe and anything else that caught my eye.

What I did end up getting was ice cream.

There are a ton of vendors serving up gyros, philly cheesesteaks, subs, pizza, Italian sausage, corndogs. You name it. They probably have it. There is even a restaurant on site - The Baer's Den.

 I gotta say, it was good ice cream. Heavy on the cream, less on the ice.

A friend tweeted about Holy Smoke BBQ recently, and I marked it down on my calendar for the next available time. They seem to just be doing a few days a week for now - possibly to test out the market. Right now it seems to be Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. until they're sold out - which has been about 1 p.m. They do take cash and credit cards.

Better be here by 11 tomorrow. 1 lonely rib. pic.twitter.com/9O4oom2oSO
— Holy Smoke BBQ (@holysmkbbq) July 24, 2014

It seems to have a religious affiliation - hence the "holy" smoke portion. They're operating out of the Colombo Law offices parking lot near Triple S Harley Davison/the new Dairy Queen/Little Caesars/Tim Hortons/Star City Exit/Toward Milan Park. You know.

Parking is a bit haphazard, so I just swung in the first open spot and walked up to the tent. There's some signage around a a handful of folks in blue shirts, so it's not hard to spot.

They have three kinds of meat: brisket, pulled pork and ribs. I went for two meats ($13) with pulled pork and brisket. And a side of macaroni and cheese. Because duh. My total came to $15 - little pricey. I heard someone else comment on the price and the man operating the grill said "cheap food isn't good and good food isn't cheap." I can dig that. Better be good.

Side note: One of the kids who was packaging my meal made it rain with my slices of white bread.

I took it back to the office and opened it up. My first through was that the white bread seemed out of place. If I were using it as a side, why not have a roll? If I wanted to make it a sandwich, why not a bun?

The brisket was smokey and had a thick fat cap on it. Cook with the fat cap by all means. But if it's not cooked long enough or not removed, all my BBQ sauce and seasoning is on top of that slab of fat. And I'm not trying to eat that. The meat, itself, was good - both brisket and pulled pork.

The BBQ sauce was more vinegar-based and tangy - Carolina-style. Not my favorite, but not bad.

The macaroni and cheese was tasty. I wish I had the chance to eat it fresh, as it got a little cold. But it was also goof.

TL;DR: Meat was flavorful. BBQ is vinegar-based = not my favorite, but good for what it is. Mac and cheese is always good.

Grade: B

Every time I travel somewhere, I want to find the most iconic places to try. What is this place known for? What has been around forever? What do the locals order? When people ask "Oh, you went to XXX, did you order the XXX?" I want to say yes!

So, I figured I could try my hand at a little handy guide for folks visiting Morgantown. Only in town for the weekend and want to check out the must-try places? Maybe not necessarily my favorite - but the ones Morgantown is known for?

You're in the right place.

1. Black Bear Burritos - burrito + queso.
Black Bear is probably one of the most identifying restaurants in Morgantown. Started by a couple of alums, this place isn't your typical Mexican burrito. Instead, they have a ton of ethnic, creative burritos - and weekly specials. Try any burrito, but you must get a side of queso. Plus lots of local beer. If you want the real feel, go to the downtown location.

2. Mario's Fishbowl - wings.
Fishbowl is a townie haven. The original location is covered in notes and paper from visitors throughout the years. Uncontested best wings in town.

3. Mountain State Brewing Company - Fire on the Mountain flatbread + beer.
One of two brewpubs in town, and they're known for fun, creative pizzas - or "flatbreads." The Fire on the Mountain is a bit spicy - but good. Check out their weekly special, too.

4. Tailpipes - burger + maple bacon shake.
Tailpipes has some crazy burger combinations, but always comes through. They also have some interesting shake combos. Grab any fun burger & try that crazy sweet, salty shake.

5. The Grind - coffee/latte.
Morgantown's premier coffee shop. Plus they have some tasty sandwiches and other goodies. If you want a place that will show you some cool latte art, check them out.

6. Puglioni's - bread.
Puglioni's has some amazing dishes - my favorite amongst them being the pasta carbonara. But everyone knows their bread. It's warm and buttery and mm.

7. Pizza Al's - pizza.
Best pizza in town. Hands down.

8. Ogawa - Love Roll.
Ogawa is known for this roll. Not my absolute favorite, but it's not bad either. Tuna, salmon, asparagus, avocado, masago and topped with crab, mayo and spicy sauce.

9. Gene's - hotdogs.
It's a fav. Try a hotdog, get a beer and listen to a good band.

10. Oliverio's Ristorante - Angel Hair Crab Balls.
They sound a little crazy, but they're a town specialty. Fried pasta with crab and a tangy sauce. So good.

11. Morgantown Brewing Company - beer.
The only brewpub currently that brews here. Getchu one. Or three.

12. Atomic Grill - fried green tomatoes. pulled pork.
The newest addition to the Morgantown food scene, but now the go-to BBQ place. Try the fried green tomatoes. And definitely get some BBQ.

Like I said, these aren't all necessarily my favorite dishes (if you want those, click here), but they are quintessential Morgantown.

Has anybody tried all of these? Or any of these on your to-try list? What have I missed!

While I've pretty much nixed any chain hotel restaurants, the locally owned places are still a go. I've been to The Montmartre in Hotel Morgan, the Regatta Bar & Grille in the Waterfront Place Hotel, Legends Sports Bar & Grill at Lakeview, and so it was time for Fusion at Lakeview.

There's not really a lot of information about Fusion. I always believed it was the fine, sit-down dining establishment at Lakeview (and Legends was the sports bar counterpart). But, instead, it's a buffet.

They're open Monday through Friday from 6:30-10 a.m., and 6:30 -11 a.m. on Saturday for their hot breakfast buffet. They're open Friday and Saturday from 5-10 p.m. for dinner. Dinner is their prime rib buffet. Plus other American cuisine offerings.

We walked in on Saturday night and were greeted with this menu: "Asian vegetable, field green salad with toppings, Asian blend, jasmine rice, General Tso's chicken, miso cod, 'A Touch of Italy Pasta Station,' slow roasted pepper coated prime rib." That sounded OK, so we went with it.

There's no price to be found anywhere - so we asked. $25. Alright.

So the first portion was just salad toppings - and not very many. I skipped by that since it wasn't too exciting. There was the General Tso's pan, but there was hardly any sauce, and the noodles were not pan-fried - they looked boiled. Which was odd. It was like they were trying to be lo mein, but just looked like spaghetti.

The coconut shrimp was pretty soggy. Yep.

The stations were the best. I had a shrimp alfredo penne with mushrooms dish cooked up. It's nice that it was cooked to order, but it wasn't really flavorful.

The prime rib slice I was cut was decent, though. Ignoring the large chewy/fatty pieces, the actual meat was good. And the horseradish cream sauce that accompanied it was really good. The most standout part of the entire dinner, really.

Dessert was OK. Average. Though there were a few choices - a few pies and cakes.

It might be a good choice if you're sticking around at the hotel, but there are other options around town. Lakeview does host a bevy of cooking competitions, which are great, so I hope to go back soon for those.

Grade: C

When I'm bored, I'll sometimes browse the #Morgantown hashtag on Instagram to see what cool photos of my town folks are capturing. While on there, I discovered Kkochi. After some more digging, I discovered the Facebook page and found out they are delivery only. A few days later, I put in an order with some coworkers.

Kkochi sells two main items: kkochi and kimbap. Kkochi is Korean-style grilled kebabs with Korean BBQ sauce. Kimbap is a Korean-style sushi roll, but everything is cooked (no raw). You can check out her Facebook album for photos of all her offerings. Kkochi offerings include beef, pork, spicy pork, chicken, spicy chicken, shrimp, spicy shrimp, and vegetarian. The kkochi includes two skewers of the meat, plus green onion, onion and sauce - either BBQ or spicy. Plus rice and kimchi.

I ordered the beef kkochi, because I wanted to see what the regular BBQ sauce was like. This was by far the best part of my meal. It was fairly small, though, just two skewers at $13 is a little pricey. But super tasty. Tender beef and a delicious sweet BBQ sauce with some sesame seeds on top. Kimchi was good and spicy.

A friend had the spicy chicken, and I tried it. Not as crazy about the spicy ones as the regular sauce ones. Spicy seems like a mixture of Sriracha.



The kimbap seems like something I'd love because I'm crazy about sushi. She has regular (seaweed paper, rice, crabstick, fishcake, pickled radish, egg, cucumber and comes with pickled radish), cheese, kimchi (with Korean bulgogi sauce), beef bulgogi (with Korean bulgogi sauce), chicken bulgogi (with Korean bulgogi sauce), turkey (turkey bacon), tuna (tuna salad), ham, vegetarian, tofu, veggie meat, and mushroom.

I love bulgogi, so I went with the beef bulgogi one. It comes with everything on the regular one, but with the beef and sauce. It was pretty tasty, but it was just too dry without the sauce. It really needs that Korean BBQ sauce to give it some more flavor -- just like how sushi has the soy sauce with it. I really think with that extra sauce, these would be awesome.

Lucy, the owner, even threw in some extras for us - kimchi kimbap and ham kimbap. She said the ham has been selling well. Both were not bad. Again, wish I had some of that extra sauce, though.

If you're interested, they're delivery only currently and are delivering in the downtown WVU area. She said they took card but had some trouble when we tried, so I ended up writing a check. But give her a call at 304-881-9653 or shoot her a Facbeook message.

Grade: B

Diehl's is a place that I've heard about for a long time. It's had a secure place on my "to try" list for - I think - before I even moved to Charleston. It fell to the wayside after I moved back to Morgantown, but recently my editor at the magazine I freelance for asked me if I had heard of it. Of course, I responded. He then asked me to do a story on it. Perfect.


Diehl's embodies everything Nitro. It has photos and memorabilia from local heroes and athletes hung on the walls. Cap guns, pieces of history and others decorate each wall here. It feels like home. But I'll save that for my article.

I ordered the roast beef and gravy. It came with two sides - I went with mashed potatoes and sage dressing. Plus rolls. Keith Diehl, and his son Aaron, brought us out some cole slaw and green beans, too. Nice fellows.

This isn't my typical dish, but when in Rome. The roast beef was killer. Super tender and moist and flavorful with the gravy. The sage - IS FRIED STUFFING. I MEAN. C'MON. So tasty. And mashed potatoes - homemade and thick and creamy.

If you want to get a good feel for this area in terms of the culture and history, while also getting a full belly of homecooked food, look no further.


Oh god. And graham cracker pie. It was like this pudding, with graham cracker, whipped cream. So good. I can't wait to try go again.


Grade: A

A growler is a jug that allows folks to transport beer from a brewery to home. Yes, you can buy cans of whatever domestic beer you want in a store, but what about that awesome craft beer that isn't bottled? A growler allows you to take home a half-gallon of beer.

They're filled straight from the tap, sealed with a cap, and the ones in Morgantown cost around $15-$20. That includes buying the actual container, and when you bring it back to get it refilled - depending on the type of beer you want - it's generally cheaper. They'll keep in the fridge for about 7-10 days or 2-3 once opened.

Right now, in Morgantown, there are four* places to purchase growlers:


Morgantown Brewing Company is the only brewpub in town right now that actually brews their beer here, so it's perfect for a growler. My favorite is their Kettle Bottom Brown.


Mountain State Brewing Company is the other brewpub in Morgantown - though they don't actually brew in town. They brew at their Thomas, W.Va., location. Still great brewpub with my fav. there - the Almost Heaven Amber Ale.



The third place that sells growlers is Black Bear. They don't brew their own beer, but they have a lot of local beers on tap, so it's a pretty cool option if you want, say, Chestnut Brew Works. Hopefully that's actually not the case for much longer, as Chestnut will be opening a taproom in South Park soon.

**Since this post, Chestnut Brew Works has opened their taproom, and they DO offer growlers. You know I got one.

Any others in town?

Morgantown is fortunate to have a handful of farmers markets spread throughout the area from which to choose. There's no place better to get the freshest, highest quality produce - or baked goods, candies and more - than straight from the folks producing it.

Monday - Cheat Lake Farmers Market

Tuesday - Westover Farmers Market
               - WVU Medicine University Town Centre Farmers Market

Wednesday - Health Sciences Center Farmers Market

Thursday - South Morgantown Community Farmers Market (1966 Grafton Rd.)
                 - WVU Farmers Market

Friday - XXXXXXXXX

Saturday - Morgantown Farmers Market

Sunday - Bridgeport Farmers Market

Online - Mountaineer Country Farmers Consignment Market

Do you know of any others? Let me know so I can add them!