The Red Rooster Cafe is a sweet, country French-like restaurant in Gassaway that is so inviting upon entering that I started to rethink my to-go order. That recliner certainly looked like a comfy spot to eat my sandwich.

I had ordered a crab cake sandwich at the recommendation of the 101 Most Unique Places to Dine in WV list. And, the kind woman at the counter greeted me warmly and went to get my order immediately. Taking a look around, lots of country decor and mismatched chairs make up the dining space. In the sweetest way.

But that wasn't even the best part. The food was. Once I opened the takeout box to see my crab cake sandwich, I was excited. The crab cake had a nice crisp on the outside and giant hunks of lump crab meat were sticking out. Yaaas. While you can't see it here, there was a perfect remoulade sauce with just a bit of a kick. The crab cake was so moist, so flavorful, just perfect. I don't know what's with the middle of West Virginia having damn good crab cakes, but I'm all about it.

Grade: A

I mentioned Restaurant Week in Charleston, which was the greatest, in a previous blog post. Not only did I get to eat at a few restaurants at a good price, I also got to try a new one: Celsius.

Celsius was actually the first foray into Restaurant Week. For $30, I got an appetizer, entree and dessert. I went for the fried goat cheese served over roasted re pepper puree with a cinnamon honey drizzle first to start. These were tasty, but you really have to be good with a giant serving of goat cheese. I would've almost liked these to be smaller (and maybe more of them?) so that the proportion of the fried breading would equal the amount of goat cheese. Plus it would mix up the texture. But honey and the roasted red pepper were a lovely tangy/sweet addition.

The main entree I chose was the chicken curry served with a mango chutney and parmesan risotto. It definitely wasn't anything like a curry I was expecting - but it was tasty. The chicken had some nice flavor, and the risotto stood up well on its own. I do wish there was a bit more of the curry sauce to help bring it all together. But, considering the strange assembly of ingredients, I think it mostly worked.

Finally, a creme brulee cheesecake rounded out the meal. It's a good cheesecake - but no brittle sugar crust on top. But similar flavors, for sure.

Overall, I liked my meal, and I appreciate the creativity of the meal. I think it came up short in a few areas, and I think a lot of restaurants are doing equally as cool stuff in Charleston. Anyone else been here? Thoughts?

Grade: B

On one of my many adventures to the southern part of the state, I began to get hungry (hangry) at the midpoint: Braxton County. Luckily for me, PJ Berry's, located in Sutton, made its way onto the 101 Most Unique Places to Dine in WV list - making it a priority for me to try.

I called in an order of their crab cakes. The lunch portion is truly an appetizer, but the lady asked if I wanted a dinner-size portion, and I said ... well heck yes! I walked in to pick up my order, and the place is quite cute. I liked the low lighting and open feel.

The crab cakes were pretty good. After being spoiled with some good crab cakes lately, I was searching for that bit of golden brown crust on the outside to give it a crisp. Instead, the texture was a bit more mushy - but that didn't inhibit the big hunks of tender crab meat and the incredible flavor. Pretty good.

Grade: B

I make a habit of not reviewing hotel restaurants unless they are unique in some way. Brick Salt Bar+Kitchen in Charleston's Marriott participates in a number of area events, and it most recently held the Cast Iron Cook-Off.

Since I was there for the event, and Joel and Dawn were getting a bit hungry, we stopped down for a snack.

The menu had some fun items, like "Mountain Top Chili," crab poppers, shrimp roll sliders, Charleston nachos, WV apple & chicken salad, pizza, bacon-wrapped meatloaf and waffle bread pudding. Sounds pretty fun, right? I went for the zucchini and corn fitters, with boursin dip, as well as a cup of broccoli soup since I was trying to keep it light.

The fritters were fine, if not a little too well done. Nothing too exciting, but not bad. And for the soup, it wasn't much better. I generally think of broccoli & cheese soup in two categories: one that is creamy, cheesy and thick. The other is runny and tastes like it came from a Campbells soup can. So, yeah.

Overall, I got a pretty average vibe. I would like to try some of hte plated dishes to see if it's much of a difference. But, for now, average.

Grade: C

There are a few pizza places around the state that have a local following. Of course, I'm partial to DiCarlo's in the Northern Panhandle. Then, there's The Pizza Place in Parkersburg. Pies & Pints in Fayetteville. Sirianni's in Davis. Backyard Pizza in Huntington.

And, St. Mary's has The Pizza Station.

The Pizza Station opened in 1984 and has been expanding ever since. I had called in a personal pan pizza for the ride home. Bring CASH. When I showed up, the assembly line of pizza makers had it ready to go, and I was quickly on my way back home.

This pizza is very good. A night, light buttery crust with a slightly sweet sauce and a good portion of cheese. Count me in, St. Mary's. I'm a fan.

Grade: A

Crabby Patti's is a seafood gem tucked inside landlocked West Virginia. This restaurant, which is only open Tuesday through Saturday from 5-9 p.m., is easily the best food I've had in Ripley (from the whole two restaurants I've been to there).

My friend RL arrived at the restaurant before me, Veronica and Courtney. And he had already ordered appetizers of fried pickles and calamari. The calamari was so, so good! The best calamari I've ever had; it wasn't these small rings. It was a breaded calamari steak (which is the body of the squid) served with marinara, and it wasn't chewy like so many others I've had. So good.

Next up was my salad, which was small and simple, but fresh. Key.

I ordered the Maryland lump crab cake with sides of rice and creamed spinach. OK, the creamed spinach was a mistake. For some reason, it sounded better than its reality. But the crab cake was sooo much better than what I had expected. Giant pieces of lump crab meat with the perfect amount of spices formed into this ball that was fried.

It gets even better. A piece of peanut butter pie is probably one of the best ways to end a night. This giant slice was the perfect sweet ending I wanted. Creamy, a nice peanut butter crust and little bits of chocolate on top. OMGah good.

Da Vinci's Restaurant is located just a bit north of Parkersburg in Williamstown and is known for delicious Italian fare. I stopped here for lunch recently with Veronica and communications superstar Jacque.


We started off with a fried ravioli appetizer, which was prettyyyy tasty. Deep-fried beef and cheese raviolis dipped in marinara sauce can't really go wrong.

Next up: a small spinach salad. Hard-boiled eggs, mushrooms, red onions, mozzarella cheese, bacon and hot bacon dressing. Not bad.

And, finally, the main course: A half meatball sub with chips. The meatballs here were fine, but the cheese kinda of congealed to the top bun (instead of nice and melty down the meatballs) and had so many of these onions that were slightly soft/slightly crunchy and just a bit too pungent for my palate. I pulled the long threads of onion from the mass of cheese in an attempt to help. But it was a bit of a lost cause. Rather, I just ate the meatballs out of the sub - which were pretty good.

Overall - looks to be some decent dishes on this menu, but I'd avoid the meatball sub next time.

Grade: C

Someone upstairs is doing me a solid by finally opening a DiCarlo's in North Central West Virginia. I've heard that yeas ago, Morgantown had one and it didn't do well. But now, Fairmont is the newest city to boast this perfect pizza place.

And, if you've spent any time on this blog - at all - you know that DiCarlo's has my heart. You can call it nostalgia; I'll call it damn good pizza. I then decided I wanted to visit all the West Virginia locations. And, I have. Fairmont, of course, would be no exception.

I reached out to ask DiCarlo's, though, about the subtle differences between locations. It turns out each location is independent, franchised or family run.

@Candace07 @dicarlospizza
Sadly, no. Although we come from the same origin, some locations are independent, franchised, or family run.

— DiCarlo's Pizza (@DiCarlos_Pizza) February 4, 2016

@Candace07 @dicarlospizza
All operate with similar products as to stay true to the original recipe. Fairmont will most like Wheeling.

— DiCarlo's Pizza (@DiCarlos_Pizza) February 4, 2016

I walked into the restaurant just days after opening to a still-training staff and a bit of confusion. Pepperoni rolls were on the counter, and they also offer calzones, wings, fries, and breadsticks.

I placed an order for two pieces with mushrooms. A bit later, I was handed a box lid folded over, encasing two pieces of culinary gold. The first thing I noticed was the finely shredded mozzarella cheese. And the mushrooms were underneath. Because I went so early in the day, I'm not sure the oven was hot enough or maybe it's just a result of a new place, but the crust could've been a bit more crisp. But, it's a good piece of pizza. Quality ingredients and the perfect blend of flavors; what more could you want?

Grade: A

CJ's Italian Kitchen was originally planned for a lovely lunch. I had a nice, planned out weekend, and this restaurant threw a wrench in my plans/ruined my life when they closed for lunch unexpectedly. Instead, I had to settle for a quick stop after dinner just for dessert.


Fortunately, dessert is right up front in the case when you walk into the restaurant.

There were CJ's Italian Kitchen desserts, as well as desserts from a nearby bakery, The Village Cakery.

I ordered a piece of the lemon cream cake from CJ's to go. I think part of the problem of having slices already portioned out is that the cake gets dried out. That was the case here. Sure, it tastes like a lemony cloud. But some more moisture in the cake layers would take this up a notch.

Grade: B

Lynn's Self Serve in Elkins is a gas station -- but it's not just any gas station! It has a growler fill station. How cool is that?

In 2015, after the passing of Senate Bill 273, this local gas station/convenience store began offering an eight-tap growler station that features local and seasonal beers. The growlers, which are available for a one-time fee of $4.59 (for a 32 ounce) and $4.99 (for a 64 ounce) in addition to the beer, uses a system that keeps beer fresh for 45 days.

I love that not only does offering craft beer gift this shop a leg up, it helps gain exposure for some local breweries.