When the Waterfront Place Hotel transitioned to a Marriott, the restaurant inside - Regatta Bar and Grille - also changed. This process has been going on for about a year now, but the Marriott sign is finally up and the new restaurant has finally opened.

Bourbon Prime, a bourbon-inspired steakhouse, had been open only a few days before my friend, doctor and childhood role model Kacie Kidd invited me to check it out.

Some background: I grew up probably about a mile away from Kacie, who was a year older than me in school. She was always winning awards, and I remember looking up to her when I was younger. Flash-forward like 20 years and she's now my doctor. Pretty cool. Anyway, Kacie - and her husband - know a lot about bourbon, so they had their eye on this place and were ready to pounce once that (figurative) "OPEN" light turned on.

Bourbon Prime was created in 2017. Our vision is to provide Morgantown, West Virginia with an lively bar & restaurant, one that tells a story of the Appalachian Spirit through bourbon and steak. 

Located inside the Marriott Morgantown, overlooking the Monongahela River, Bourbon Prime provides first class service and cuisine. Much of our menu pays homage to the great American steakhouse through the culinary team’s take on “West Virginia and the Appalachian mountains.” We consistently offer locally sourced menu items, such as grass fed beef, local trout, and wild ramps native to WV. 

It is our belief that food and drink is to be celebrated, and that the dining atmosphere is incredibly important to the restaurant experience. Our attention to detail isn’t limited to just the kitchen. We have created the ultimate bar of vintage spirits, inventive cocktails, choice craft beers, delectable wines, and of course, a bourbon menu that is sure to please even the most refined enthusiast. 

We invite you to experience the newly opened Bourbon Prime!

So, I walked over after work, and I'm relieved the construction is finally finished and has given way to a really beautiful, modern entrance. If you walk to the right side, past the bar and to the hostess stand, you'll be right in the dining room. It's a bit separate from the lobby, but not much. The seating is a deep blue, there are some cool modern fixtures, a large chalkboard-esque corkscrew piece of art, a lovely pizza oven, and I loved the JQ Dickinson salt and pepper on each table - a nice WV touch.

Let's start with drinks. The bourbon menu is large, and they do little flights too, which is neat. Just about two years ago, I did the Bourbon Trail with Vicki. It was really a lot of fun, a crazy busy adventure, and I learned a lot about bourbon and really developed an appreciation for it.

One of the really cool things about Bourbon Prime is that they have a special "Woodford Reserve Country Roads Blend" that is a private barrel selection made exclusively for the restaurant. Kacie ordered one of these neat (just plain), while I got a cocktail using it called "Almost Heaven."



Almost Heaven is made with that "Country Roads" blend, as well as cardamom bitters, simple syrup and it's served in a smoked decanter. This may be my new favorite drink ever. It's slightly sweet, it's smoky, and it comes with this giant hipster ice ball that slowly melts, giving the bourbon a nice sweeter taste for me. I'm super into it.

The voice you hear is our server, who was just absolutely phenomenal the entire evening. She was knowledgable, and when she didn't know, she'd go find out. Super personable and fun. She had just got done explaining why she swirls it around and how it aerates it and then finishes on the presentation (it's vertical because I put it on Snapchat and had no intention of using it here, but I thought yolo).

OK - appetizers. Kacie got the "filet poutine," which came with filet tips, fresh-cut fries, pan gravy and white cheddar cheese curds. Not bad.

We were also surprised with this outstanding pizza - a nice crisp, delicious fresh cherry tomatoes halved, basil, fresh mozzarella and a perfect balsamic drizzle. Classic flavors, presented beautifully. Well done, Chef Meadows.

And, we were also presented with this life-changing cornbread. I'm not joking when I say this may have been one of my favorite parts of the entire meal because my mind was just blown. There are like green chiles in it, and it almost gets creamy because of that. It came with these sort of spiced apples and a whipped butter thing that I will forever dream about. This. Is. Amazing.



For my entree, I ordered a Petite Cut Filet, which is 6 oz. Steaks come in three kinds of quality grade: Prime (the best), Choice and Select. These are based on various carcass quality factors, like marbling (even fat distribution), maturity of the animal, meat color and a few other things.

The menu says they serve only USDA Choice or higher, so there's a possibility you could get a Prime steak, but I'm guessing they're more likely Choice - which is still a good steak. They are seasoned with a JQ Dickinson blend and grilled.

My steak was cooked perfectly medium (rare to see that - ha, get it?), and the light salt seasoning made it sing. It's a beautiful marriage of flavors. That dollop of chivey butter just sealed it. Very well-thought out flavor pairings. We tried the side of the bourbon glaze, which was good - if not a bit sweet. The steak was just so damn good on it's own, all it needed were my tastebuds.

On the side, I got the "pale ale mac & cheese" because of who I am as a person. If there's mac & cheese on the menu, there's going to be mac & cheese in my belly. This was a good version - just a nice little bit of browning, lots of creamy cheese at the bottom.

My dining partners in crime enjoy the steak and the pappardelle (above), respectively.

And, because the drink, the three various appetizers, the main entree and a side weren't enough, we all went in for dessert.

The weirdest thing on the menu was the "Filthy Cherry Spoon Bread," which is spoon bread, almond brittle, "Country Roads" bourbon creme anglaise. It's apparently a take on a bread pudding (!!), which we all know is a weakness of mine. ICYMI: Bread pudding is a big thing in my family (because hello I'm super English - Nelson), so much so that there are bread pudding cook-offs at my family reunions.

SO, this was good. It's hard to compete with nostalgia, but not bad. I got a scoop of vanilla gelato (from Tutto Gelato) to go with it, which was a nice bit of sweet and cool as contrast.

The creme brulee was good. I've had a lot of creme brulees in my life, so I unless it's something really weird or unusual, it doesn't stick out to me too much. But, this was a solid rendition.

The dessert winner, though, was the cheesecake. And, I love cheesecake, but sometimes cheesecake can go TOO sweet too fast and just feel far too artificial. This one, though, was not super super sweet, and the crust and bourbon flavors were divine. Very good.

All in all, this was a most excellent meal. While you may not immediately think a restaurant in a hotel is going to offer up a quality experience, think again. Everything from the service to the meal to the ambiance was top notch. You can even sit outside along the river if you're so inclined. On a cooler evening, I may just do that.

It's great to have another lunch option near work, too. Their lunch menu looks delish. I need that pepperoni roll in my life - and that Chef aAte's Chicken and Buckwheat Waffle Stack.

Kudos Chef Orr + others. Bourbon Prime is a welcome addition to town, and I'm already plotting my next meal.

Grade: A

It's no secret that the Italian culture is a big part of West Virginia's culture. We see its influence everywhere from the Northern Panhandle to North Central West Virginia, all the way down to Southern West Virginia.



Chirico's Ristorante, located in Logan, brings a little bit of Italian food to Southern West Virginia.

Strawberry Pie Week is legendary in Huntington.

Jim's Steak & Spaghetti serves up their homemade strawberry pie just one week of the year - and it has cultivated a following in recent years.


I've never tried it though I've been to Jim's before, and it's a West Virginia classic, so I made it a point to get my fill this year.


Jim's strawberry pie week starts the Tuesday after Mother's Day each year. So, I took that Tuesday off, woke up early, drove to Huntington and got in line. That's right, there was a line. I actually parked around 10 a.m., took a look and saw two people waiting, so I went around the corner and got a cupcake and a coffee. Took my time and then made my way back around 10:30 to see about two dozen people in line.

That's when I decided I should get in place. Unfortunately, it was about 80 degrees this day and I juuuust happened to be outside of the shade. Just barely.

By the end of this week, if last year's history repeats itself, an astonishing 10,698 slices of pie or more will have headed out the glass front doors of Jim's, the popular downtown restaurant. Made entirely from scratch by Patti and her daughter Michelle, Jim's famous strawberry pie is featured one week only, from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, May 16-20 (Herald Dispatch).

When the doors finally opened at 11 a.m., the crowd flowed inside, and the hostess was triaging as quickly as she could and directly people to sit. Within minutes, the entire dining area was full. Media was swarming to document every moment.

Since I was alone, I sat at the end of the counter and ordered my pie. The service was ON POINT despite how crazy it was. I have no idea how they did it. But, since I just came for pie and not the full lunch, I was one of the first to be served, and I was at the end of the counter, and that made me prime for media coverage. See this pie being delivered here? That's mine, and you can see me and my phone and my camera waiting. That photo above? That was my view to the right.

So, the pie. It is quite delicious. The crust is sweet and crumbly, the strawberries fresh and the cream on top is the perfect touch. I can definitely see why this little bit of heaven has a huge following. Since you can only get it once per year (and two slices of pie per customer!), the line is no surprise to me. If I were local, I might be in line every day to get it. I'm a fan.

And, it's an amazingly well-oiled machine. My longest wait was simply to pay because there were folks also trying to place to-go orders. But, I was in and out within 30 minutes once I was seated. That's impressive for the amount of people packed into that space.

If you didn't get a chance to try the pie this year, mark your calendar for next year. And, get that second piece of pie to go.

Lost Creek Farm hosted an Appalachian Spring Dinner at Rising Creek Bakery on May 8. I've had my eye on Lost Creek Farm, which is a historic family farm located in Harrison County that travels around offering Appalachian-inspired dinners.

Mike Costello is a chef at Lost Creek Farm, which he operates with his partner, Amy Dawson. Located in southern Harrison County, West Virginia, the farm has been cared for by Amy's family for over 150 years. Lost Creek Farm's traveling Appalachian kitchen takes Mike and Amy across West Virginia and the eastern U.S. for their renowned Farm and Forage events, highlighting regionally-inspired foods and traditional ingredients either grown or wild-harvested from Lost Creek and other nearby small farms. In late April, Lost Creek Farm visits Rising Creek for a seasonal five-course dinner. An abundance of wild ramps and woodland mushrooms will pair with spring greens, pastured local meats and a variety of early-harvest vegetables for a unique menu defined by the fresh, bright flavors of spring. 

It's really a lovely combination - these folks who are espousing the virtues of Appalachian cuisine paired with the very traditional Appalachian art of salt-rising bread. It's especially exciting that so much of the products used for the meals are directly from the farm; I think that speaks to that this place-based cuisine.

The five-course pop-up dinner was absolutely delicious. It featured seasonal and foraged items from their farm. That's pretty incredible. Plus, of course, there was lots of salt-rising bread!

1) Wild nettle and WV buckwheat raviolo with caramelized ramp garlic ricotta || wild mushroom brown butter || radish sprouts
Absolutely divine. Who has ever had a caramelized ramp? Just delicious. Plus, this raviolo press was an antique from their farm.


2) Lamb sausage and wild mint soup with roasted farro and charred spring onions
So far, I'm learning that they are very in tune with texture because the nice chew of the raviolo was amazing, but this farro was really great too. I had never had farro before, but it combined with the lamb sausage was beautiful.

3) Spring panzanella salad with Rising Creek salt rising bread || shaved asparagus || baby greens || buttermilk ramp dressing
This was very fresh and very tasty. Plus, buttermilk ramp dressing = rampch. New favorite word.

4) Heirloom blue corn crusted trout filet with knotweed confit || mashed turnips with ramp butter || pureed maple braised collards || salt roasted spring carrot || woodland herbs
Those mashed turnips blew my mind with the ramp butter.

5) Salt rising bread pudding || buttermilk ice cream || dandelion flower syrup || candied flowers from the field
I am a bread pudding lover, and this one did not disappoint.

If Lost Creek Farm is coming to an area near you, definitely check it out. They're doing Appalachian cuisine right, and I can't wait to see what else they have in store.

I've been making good progress on trying to hit up all the local groceries in the state. Most recently, I made a trip to Arthurdale to visit the Arthurdale Co-Op Store.





The shop is historic, and has a little bit of everything - fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, eggs, cheese, honey, jam, maple syrup, snaps, coffee, tea, chocolate and more.

The Arthurdale Cooperative Store advertised in the May 14, 1937 “Arthurdale Builder” newspaper: two pounds of ground beef cost 31 cents, a 25-pound bag of sugar was $1.27 and a pound of extra-fancy peanut butter cost 19 cents. 

The store also sold work clothing and shoes to the residents of Arthurdale, the first of Roosevelt's 100 New Deal planned subsistence homestead communities founded to improve the quality of life of impoverished Americans. 

Later it became a sort of convenience store, said Jeanne Goodman, executive director of Arthurdale Heritage Inc., the nonprofit organization charged with preserving and promoting the properties. 

A co-op store is once again operating in Arthurdale — in a building that originally housed an Esso gas station. 

The shop is decorated with some historic pieces, including a display of Pharis Roadgripper Tires. Lined up in a case are cans that held pipe tobacco and snuff and boxes of candy no one younger than a Baby Boomer has ever heard of: “Hollywoods 5 cents” and “Pecan Chills 3 cents.” 

Located on W.Va. Route 92 in Arthurdale, the co-op is open from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. 

The manager of the co-op that opened for business Sept. 1 is C. Lee Martinec, Ph.D., former general manager of Mountain People's Market Co-op in Morgantown. The retired university professor is also a clinical exercise physiologist and natural lifestyle practitioner (WV Always).

One of the best presents you could ever get me is just a basket full of West Virginia goodies. I love West Virginia products, like Appalachian Mountain Specialty Foods.

They have a variety of sauces, like Zest Sauce, The Real McCoy Mustard Sauce, Uncle Roy's Old Fashioned Ramp Dressing, Orange-Berry Basil Salad Dressing, and Old-Fashioned Wilted Lettuce Salad Dressing. Plus Copperhead Bloody Mary Mix, Old Fashioned Pickling Brine and Mason-Dixon Mix'N Glaze.

I learned about them recently because my friend Carlee wrote a nice piece about the business:

Veronica Stover couldn’t stand to see her favorite salad dressing just disappear. 

For years, Veronica and her husband, Greg, had enjoyed a Wilted Lettuce Salad Dressing — made in Sandyville by the West Virginia-based company, Appalachian Mountain Specialty Foods. 

But one trip to get some more of their favorite dressing in 2013 changed everything.
“I went to get a bottle of Wilted Lettuce and the owners said, ‘This is it. This is the last bottle you’re going to get. We’re moving to Florida,’ ” Veronica Stover said. “I texted my husband and said ‘We need to talk tonight.’ ” 

That night, Veronica pitched her idea to Greg: She wanted to purchase the company.
Greg agreed, and the rest is now history. 

Today, the Stovers own and operate Appalachian Mountain Specialty Foods from a 30-by-60-foot facility in their hometown of Spencer.

Carlee brought me two different products: the wilted lettuce dressing and the ramp dressing. I have fallen in love with the wilted lettuce dressing. 

There's a new-ish sports bar in the Northern Panhandle that has been making a name for itself in the craft beer arena - offering great local options. Basil's Sports Bar & Grill has a very cool digital monitor behind the bar listing what's on tap, and much of it is from local breweries around the state. How cool is that?

The space itself is not very large - but it is open. I had to wait at the bar for a few minutes before a table cleared up. But, the fact that they are busy is a good sign. They have a sports bar theme, with TVs on each wall and sports memorabilia decorating the space. It's family-friendly, though, and there were a few families there.

The menu features burgers, hot dogs, wings and more. I figured a pretty standard burger would be a good measurement for the restaurant. I ordered the "Basil Burger," which has two half-pound handmade patties with the owner's seasoning and served on a kaiser roll with applewood smoked bacon and melted bleu cheese.

The burger was so finely ground, I thought I was eating a meatloaf. This is a good thing - I love meatloaf. :) But, it was very flavorful, very well-seasoned and delicious. The shredded iceberg lettuce did it no favors, though, and I ended up pushing most of it off. The bun was also a bit too soft to hold up the ground beef. But, that patty was delish. Overall, a really solid burger.

Have you been? What's the best? I keep eyeing those wings!

Grade: B

Still to this day, I often judge Thai restaurants by their pad thai - it's probably one of the most common dishes so places should be able to make a good one. That was no different with Thai Valley Kitchen in Hurricane.

Thai Valley Kitchen prides itself in offering authentic Thai cuisine. All our dishes are made to order, using only the freshest vegetables, seafood and prime cuts of meat. We are privileged and honored to have the very best chefs, all native to Thailand. Our servers, all of Thai descent, are knowledgeable of our menu and ready to assist and serve you in any way they can. Our goal is to offer the highest quality food and service, allowing you the ultimate Thai dinning experience (WELCOME).

First of all, I love that we have Thai restaurants that are succeeding here. I love having the variety, and having more access to different cuisines I think not only benefits an evolving foodie culture but also adds some diversity to our offerings. So, I was super happy to see Thai Valley Kitchen in Hurricane. The inside has dark tables and chairs, with some brighter mango-colored walls and some standard art. Service was quick, responsive and friendly.


My pad thai - stir-fried rice noodles with egg, carrot, green onion, ground peanut and bean sprouts - was good. The flavor is nice; I just wish it was a bit more. Thai cuisine is so full of fresh, vibrant flavors, and I think maybe even kicking the heat up a bit on this would have given it just a touch more depth. Even without it, it's still good. I also got an order of the crab rangoons - crispy wontons filled with real crab meat, cream cheese, celery, carrot, green onion serve with house sweet and sour sauce. Seriously, I love these things everywhere. A must-have addition to every meal.

Overall, a pretty solid dish. Next time, I need to kick my spice level up just a touch to get some more depth of flavor. But very tasty nonetheless.

Grade: B