Well, we have talked before about all the new restaurants at Evansdale Crossing. And, new this year, are two more new restaurants: Two Birds Chicken and Panini Pete's.

Two Birds Chicken

Two Birds Chicken replaced Collo Rosso. It features - you guessed it - chicken. Chicken fingers, chicken sandwiches, fried or roasted chicken plates, chicken salads and chicken-topped mac & cheese or jo jo potatoes.

I wanted to try something simple, so I went with the chicken tenders and a side of macaroni & cheese. I also asked to try each of the sauces: Two Birds BBQ, White Sauce, Herb Vinaigrette, Ranch and Honey Mustard. The chicken fingers were pretty small, but I think I got an extra one? Not bad. My favorite sauce was the honey mustard. The mac & cheese was the best part - so, so cheesy.

Panini Pete's

Panini Pete's is located at the top of Evansdale Crossing within the Octane space. Don't worry, there are signs to help you figure out where to go.

The menu spans burgers, paninis, beignets (?), and salads.

So, I ordered the "House-roasted medium rare roast beef panini," which was sliced thin with homemade gorgonzola spread, onion confit, tomato, baby greens and dijon on focaccia bread.  This was very tasty. Tony had to wait quite a while for his sandwich, but we headed outside to eat on the rooftop, which was cool. My sandwich was very tasty, fresh and perfectly grilled, too. The housemade chips on the side were a good addition.

Saffron, previously located on the Mileground, has moved to 268 High Street in the former Buffalo Wild Wings location.

The puts Saffron, Mother India and Bombay Grill - all three Indian restaurants in town - just minutes from one another. And, while they each serve Indian food, that's a pretty big umbrella. Mother India is more north India, Saffron is more south, and Bombay is more west Indian cuisine. Of course, as much as we'd like to pretend there are lines drawn to separate each cuisine, they draw influence from lots of other places - family history, neighboring cuisine, etc. - so there's no clean cut differentiation.

Saffron is often the crowd favorite, and a more central location seems to be well-received. First off, the new space is lovely. Bright colors, lovely photos by the Sher Yip and a good bit more seating than their previous location.

Tony, Dave and I went for their opening lunch buffet. It had: onion pakora, channa masala, mutter paneer, ginger spinach, rice, chicken tikka masala, goat curry, tandoori chicken, naan, cumin rice, kheer and a cold salad bar.

Well, I tried the onion pakora (yum!), the mutter paneer (not bad, but had no idea that paneer is like a fried cottage cheese*), and the chicken tikka masala (good, though I might like Mother India's iteration better). There are really only a handful of options, but they're tasty. Oh, and kheer for dessert, as always.

Same great food from Saffron, new and spacious new place. Have you been yet? What do you think?

Grade: A
 

The building has some cool history:

The inn, then called Stockton's Inn, opened in 1839. Col. Aaron Stockton built the original red brick structure with imposing white pillars and double porches as a private residence in 1816 or 1819. The actual date is unknown because the original documents were burned in a fire and both dates are listed in subsequent accounts of the house.The building later served as an inn along a stagecoach route and a Civil War hospital before it was purchased by a nearby aluminum plant that added a wing to accommodate the increasing number of guests who visited the facility. The inn's occupancy is not quite as high as it was in the days when the aluminum plant generated a steady stream of guests, but the owners still update the rooms, two or three each year. In the past several years, Hill has overseen improvements including the removal of carpet and installation of hardwood floors and carpet, new wallpaper and paint in the common areas and the installation of WiFi throughout most of the inn.

The restaurant, done up in mint green and pink, serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, with traditional country fare dominating the options: filet mignon, pork chops, grilled lemon pepper tilapia, crab cakes, pasta and prime rib.

First, I was served one of the restaurant's famous made-from-scratch yeast rolls. Slathered with a dab of butter, these rolls are melt-in-your-mouth good. They're made daily by a household recipe that I would love to have.

For me entree, I went with the crab cakes. The housemade, lightly seasoned and deep fried cakes were tasty. I do know they were homemade, though, because my teeth came crunching down on a hard piece of shell. Ouch.

While these were good, I've had better. A little bit more moist, a bit more seasoning, and a bit larger portions would kick this up a notch for me.

The scalloped potatoes on the side were decent, if not a tad bland, and the veggies were beautiful and added a lovely color and crunch to the dish.

I was also given the option of a tartar, cocktail sauce and dill sauce. I opted for all three. The dill sauce was pretty good, though I wish there was a remoulade of sorts.

Overall, it's really a lovely place with some pretty good food. And, you can't beat the view. A good time.



Grade: B

Some background: The founder, Merle Berkshire, was a big fan of frozen custard and would always seek out those shops whenever he would travel:

“I have always believed custard is the Mercedes of ice cream. It has a small amount of egg in it, which makes it richer and smoother and creamier. It really is premium ice cream,” Merle said in WV Living.

And as time went on, frozen custard went out of style, but there was a resurgence again in 2000. It was then when he looked to get into the business. He opened a small custard stand at his gift shop in Pipestem and then moved to the three main locations: Princeton, Beckley and Crab Orchard.

The buildings are outfitted in a retro style, complete with black-and-white checkered borders and tablecloths and neon signs. The menu reflects this style: sundaes, milkshakes, banana splits, and custard swirls - in addition to hot dogs, BBQ and grilled cheese sandwiches. One of the cooler features is that these shops actually have a rotating flavor of the week, which is always tasty.

I was en route to another location, so I only went through the drive-thru. I ordered a caramel milkshake to divert from the cone I had last time. First off, it's caramel. So, that's already a win in my book. But, this was seriously good! The roasty sweet flavor was very tasty - much better than the cones I've had here. I don't think I'll ever go back. Milkshakes fo lyfe.



Grade: A

Vandal's Kitchen opened just over a year ago to serve the best coffee in the New River Gorge. Add waffles, tasty sandwiches and a sweet house, and you have one fantastic little restaurant.

Over 100 years ago Abraham Vandal chose a 200 acre farm to be his home. That farm would one day become the town of Vandalia… and one day Fayetteville. His family operated a tavern and stage coach stop that welcomed weary travelers with comfort and warmth of a home made meal. 

Back then food was served fresh from the garden and rarely processed beyond “putting up” food for the winter. Waffles didn’t come frozen in a box. Food was prepared flavor in mind and the nutrients needed to fuel an honest day’s work. 

We’re honoring his family’s legacy with food cooked fresh, and sourced as local as possible every day (well, except Wednesdays).

The restaurant is located in the bottom left corner of an old, white house atop a hill in Fayetteville. The interior has rustic, mismatched chairs, weathered tables and fresh flowers in jars atop every table. And, lots of cool art.

The menu features an amazing assortment of breakfast sandwiches, waffles, and omelettes. They also have a chicken salad sandwich, cheeseburger, fried chicken, salads, and avocado toast.

At Vandal’s Kitchen we believe that the best dishes begin with ingredients selected for optimal flavor and nutritional value allow simple dishes to become truly remarkable. We take pride in using whole, fresh ingredients that are sourced as locally and organically as possible to create southern homestyle breakfasts (all day), filling rustic lunches and a full range of single source coffee and espresso beverages. 

From homemade buttermilk waffles made to order to our fresh dill chicken sandwich we cook with love and the comfort of home.

I ordered "The PBC Sandwich," because it said it was a local favorite. It is served with their homemade sharp cheddar pimento cheese, thick-cut bacon and a fried egg, and it's topped with arugula, sliced tomato and red onion on a soft roll.

This was delicious! It was piled high with fresh, crisp veggies, a soft egg that yolked all over (ha), and that pimento cheese is the stuff my dreams are made of. A very savory sandwich, but crisp bacon, creamy pimento cheese and a hint of sweetness with the onion. Really, a very solid, yet simple, sandwich.

Grade: A

The unofficial end of summer is upon us. That calls for ice cream.

The Stache in Fayetteville is a brightly colored ice cream shop and toy store that serves up tons of fun flavors, but their most popular is Blue Moon. When I asked, like the beer? They said nooo, it's just "blue" flavored. K.

But, it's true. It tastes like artificial "blue." It's not my favorite flavor, and considering it's the most popular, I'm a bit interested to see what else they have. It is a bit reminiscent of childhood, though, and the brightly colored throwback toys lining the walls only add to that memory. If you're looking for a bit of a walk down memory lane - with a cool treat at the end - this place is calling your name.

Grade: B

I scream, you scream, we all scream ... for Fat Eddie's!

The ice cream shop located at the Summersville Lake (technically in Mt Nebo) is open seasonally, so when I recently had to travel through the area, I had to stop while I had the chance.

Well, is there anything that says simply summer more than an ice cream stand, hot dogs, a hot sunshiney day and a beautiful lake? A group of teenagers doling out ice cream as their summertime job, dirt-cheap prices and overflowing portions? No, no there isn't.

So, I ordered a hot dog (with an English bun) topped with chili, slaw, mustard and onions. When I asked the girl taking my order what her favorite ice cream was, she directed me the "mudslide" storm, which has vanilla ice cream with peanut butter, Heath bar and hot fudge on top.

The hot dog was delicious. I love the toasted English bun, and the toppings were plentiful and perfectly portioned. The mudslide was delicious (mental note: Always listen to the teenagers' ice cream recommendations). It combined a few of my favorite things and ended up in a delicious mix that is even more than the sum of its parts.

Before the last days of summer slip through our fingers, get yourself to an ice cream stand - preferably Fat Eddie's - and treat yourself one last time for the season.

Grade: A

University Place, the University housing complex in Sunnyside, has a handful of other eateries, and this Pennsylvania-based restaurant is the newest addition.

A burger and hot dog joint unlike others, BnD'z operates on a "fresh" concept:

The BnDz's concept evolved from my love of burgers and hot dogs. I love these staples of American food, but I could do without that first bite guilt. You know the feeling: Is this burger processed, full of additives and preservatives? Fresh buns aren't supposed to be crunchy, are they? Seems like these condiments are just covering up the flavor of the hot dog, not really complementing my meal like home made toppings should. And who actually prepared this? It was just handed to me in a paper bag or was brought to my table from behind some closed swinging doors!

My dream was to offer Pittsburgh the purest burgers and dog's possible. The buns surrounding them would be as fresh as they could be! The condiments meant to enhance these delicious meals would be made fresh, on site! What else could I do to add to the wonderful experience of eating one of these creations?

I've always been fascinated with cooking shows, being able to watch a World Renowned Chef prepare a mouth watering meal with the freshest ingredients right in front of my eyes. The creation is half the fun. That's it! Our customer's will be able to not only witness the evolution of their meal in our open kitchen, they will be able to choose all the ingredients that go into their food! Want a hot dog inside a gluten-free bun, with home made BBQ sauce and a side of fresh, from scratch cole slaw? We can create that! Want a vegetarian burger on a fresh Cellone's bun with balsamic vinaigrette? Done! How about just an all American burger made from grass fed beef, cooked up just the way you like it? Absolutely!

Here at BnDz's, we're committed to bringing you the freshest, tastiest dogs and burgers in the 'Burgh. Stop in and tell us how you want us to create your masterpiece. Oh, and hold the guilt!

We went to the counter to order two of their specialty burgers (you can also make your own). We got these two and got them cut in half so we could share:



BIG DADDY BISON BURGER
Light tomato vinaigrette salsa, sauteed portabello mushrooms, sweet white onions, steakhouse onion cheddar cheese, and our special seasoned oil.!

MAC N' CHEESE BURGER
Comfort food at its finest! A heaping helping of mac n' cheese is the star of this burger!

The bison burger is very good. It was also about $18 total for the meal, so it's not cheap for lunch. But the patty is very well-seasoned and cooked well. The toppings were also a nice mix of flavors, and I was pretty impressed with this burger. Though, that price tag for lunch was a bit hard to swallow.

The mac n' cheese burger wasn't quite as exciting (I know! Me! Saying mac & cheese is eh!). But, the burger was significantly not as flavorful, and the macaroni was OK. Not much else going on there.

The fries were decent, too - if not a bit too salty. But, overall, I was pretty impressed with the bison burger. Only downside there, really, was the price. The regular burger, though, I would skip.

Grade: B

Let's Taco Bout It is a new food truck in Morgantown that has been making its late-night taco rounds downtown. It recently made an appearance during a daytime event, so I was sure to swing by and get my fix.

The truck featured:

• tacos (hard or soft) with choice of chicken, beef or bean, lettuce and cheese
• burritos with choice of beef chicken or bean, cheese and rice 
• Taco in a bag with choice of beef, chicken or bean, lettuce, cheese, and Nacho Doritos or Andy Capp Hot Fries

Grade: C