I've said it a few times, and I'm sure this blog post is way overdue, but DiCarlo's is the best pizza there is. Period. It may have to do with the nostalgia aspect for me - DiCarlo's was a rare, albeit delicious, treat in the Nelson household. Feeding our family and whatever friends I had over that particular day could cost you upwards of $50, which wasn't easy for us to come by. We would get a tray of pizza, which is usually four boxes - (28) pieces total with extra cheese and mushrooms. Simply amazing. Though we only got it a few times a year, I couldn't wait for DiCarlo's days. Morgantown is void of my beloved DiCarlo's, so every time I visit my hometown of Wellsburg, it's a must-visit place for me.


DiCarlo's is located in northern West Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania. There is a local rivalry about which DiCarlo's has the best pizza because they are all slightly, slightly different, but in my opinion, nothing can come close to Wellsburg's. Located right on Commerce Street, DiCarlo's is the classic, old-school pizza place. They're only open in the evenings (they only have to be), and they only take cash. You can call ahead to order, but it won't make a difference - they probably won't start making it until you arrive anyway.

On Saturday, Kristen and I stopped into DiCarlo's as soon as they opened, 5 p.m. The parking lot is tiny, and if you're a regular, you know you are supposed to park at an angle so more cars can fit it. But usually you'll have to find a spot along the street or an adjacent parking lot. On this day, there was one woman walking out as we walked in. I have never been to this place when it was empty before - must go as soon as they open again!


When you walk in, you aren't greeted, you aren't waved to - you just get a look of "yes?" And that adds to its charm. The man behind the counter simply greeted me with a surly stare. This wasn't my first rodeo, though. I looked at the chart on the wall, which is the only indicator of their prices. I figured out how many slices I could get for my $10. Which happened to be around 12 slices. So, I asked for 10 regular slices. He wrote it down, without a word, and looked at Kristen. Kristen then ordered, and we took a seat. DiCarlo's only has two fairly small, uncomfortable benches. On a regular day, these are taken up, and many people are found standing outside. Since it was just us, we sat down and waited. The pizza was done within five minutes - the quickest ever. And, they don't know your name, nor do they care. Instead, from behind the counter, you hear "12 regular" and I knew that was my cue.

I walked up and paid. They assume you know how much since the chart is right there (the chart includes tax), so no words are exchanged. I took my two large, steaming cardboard boxes home and let the excitement overcome me. Keep in mind, I haven't had this in months. I really like the charm of the old-school Italian pizza place. I like the surly attitudes and the unfriendly men behind the counter. You're not paying for their service. Your paying for the best pizza you'll ever have. They know if you're a local or not, and their lack of speaking is a sign of respect - you know what to do when you're in here.

When I got home, I uncovered my first box of pizza and chose a middle piece and a side piece. The pizzas are square, so there are three different types: middle pieces without any crust, side pieces with just the crust on the edge and corner pieces, which have crust on two sides. Though I usually get extra cheese, I wanted my buck to go further, so I opted out of the extras. My slice of pizza was topped with their delicious tomato sauce, slightly spicy and slightly sweet. The hot crust is then topped with cold provolone cheese, which is just melted perfectly. It doesn't get greasy like most places. Then it's topped with soft pepperoni. No crispy pepperonis here, that form into little grease cups. This pizza is perfect.

The ingredients are as fresh as you can get, and you can see the time and effort the cooks take in preparing this delicious meal. The sauce contains just the right amount of spice, and the cheese is fresh and flavorful - the good stuff isn't all fried or baked out of it. The pepperoni is quality meat.

The best thing about DiCarlo's? It tastes just as good cold for breakfast the next morning. You can't go wrong. I've been to Italy, and I'd choose DiCarlo's over that pizza. It simply can't be beat.


Grade: A

Drovers is about one mile from the house I grew up in. Despite its proximity, I rarely went because my family couldn't afford it. But, I know it's a legend in my hometown and the surrounding areas. People travel from all over for Drovers' wings. I'm not a huge fan of wings, so I had actually never had them until this past weekend.

I met my cousin, Chelsey, and good friend, Amanda, here on Friday as soon as they opened, 5 p.m. Drovers has some history behind it, as it used to help travelers. There is also an accompanying historic building beside it, which I believe now is used as a lodge. Because we were there so early, we were seated right away. The house has a few dining areas, a blue dining room, a red dining room, sitting room, back area, and the basement is the tavern. We were seated to the left, in the blue room.


There are glass vases and ornaments placed on every shelf, and the room is decorated quite classicly. At the table is already a bowl with moist towelettes and napkins inside. I browsed my menu and decided on the honey-BBQ wings. I ordered one pound, which is 7 to 9 wings = $5.75. I also ordered a tossed salad for $2.99. Maybe it's because I'm used to Morgantown prices, but I thought this was more than reasonable.

We waited a little while for our food to come out. My salad came out before anything else, and I was happy because I was starving. Complete with a cup of orange French dressing and a garlic stick, the salad was packed with lettuce, tomato, olives, cucumber and some cabbage. I was a little hesitant because the French dressing was orange, but I tasted it, and was pleased. It was creamier, not as acidic, and just a touch tangy. The veggies were average, and the garlic bread was a nice touch on the side - soft and warm complement to the salad.

Finally, our main dishes came out. My wings were served in a small basket, along with the ranch I had asked for and a celery sticks. I wasn't extra, as other reviewers have said. Thank goodness I was in the company of good friends because I probably looked like a monster trying to down the wings. I usually don't order wings because I hate seeing a bone in my food - prissy, I know. But, on a certain level, it grosses me out. Also, it's really difficult to eat without looking disgusting. This is the first time I've ordered bone-in wings in I couldn't tell you how long. I do like boneless. But these wings are legendary, and my friends know I'm ridiculous, so I dug in.

The wings are excellent. I was so happy I wasn't let down since they were talked up so much. There was a good mixture of drumsticks and wings. The wings are fairly large and the outside was crispy. I usually peel off the skin, because the texture is gross, but these were cooked perfectly. The meat inside was tender and juicy. The sauce was divine - this wasn't a typical honey-bbq sauce you buy at the grocery store. It was delicious. It was sweet and tangy and a little spicy, but overall delicious.

It was definitely one of the best wings I had ever had. I took full advantage of the moist towelettes, as the sauce was everywhere. But it was more than worth it, and I was happy to pay my $10 for that meal. You won't find another deal like that anywhere around.

Grade: A

Yama's is a hidden gem on at the corner of Fayette Street and High Street in downtown Morgantown. A huge parking lot is right across from the restaurant, and occasionally you can find spots alone High Street. Otherwise, it's easiest to walk to this small Japanese restaurant. Before you make the trek, though, check out the hours. Like many traditional sushi places, Yama's closes for a portion of the afternoon. Typically, their hours are M-F 11:30 am-3 pm & 5 pm-8 pm; SAT noon-4 pm & 5 pm-8 pm; Closed on Sundays.

Beside from its red awning, Yama's is quite plain and demure on the outside. When you step in, though, Yama's comes to life. With only about eight or nine tables, the dining area is quite cozy, though whenever I've gone, I haven't seen it too packed. That's part of the appeal of a hidden gem.


You order at the counter, where a menu sits on Plexiglas. I opted for the crab, cucumber and avocado California Roll (because I've had them before, and I know they're delicious) and a glass of water. Here's the thing you need to remember about Yama's: They only take cash! This may required some extra prep work for many patrons, including myself, but it's obviously very worthy. And for 12 rolls for less than $10, it's a deal that's better than Kroger's. After I paid in cash, I took a seat near the wall. Cute little decorative pieces were found on each table, and I noticed a Japanese movie and book rental stand across from us.

Soon after, our food arrived on a gorgeous serving tray, complete with ginger and wasabi. I was also handed a small dish for my soy sauce. After breaking apart my chopsticks, I dug in. I can't quite put my finger on it, but the rolls have a creamy, almost buttery taste. It's heavenly. The crab mixture has tiny chunks of cucumber mixed in with it - not the typical cucumber sticks. It really makes the filling cohesive and tasty. The ingredients are all fresh, and I am a fan of the masaga (or roe) on the outside. For those who are squeamish about sushi, try the California roll because it's a good starter roll. Nothing is raw, and at least at Yama's, the flavors are absolutely explosive.


The lovely waitress came by periodically to refill my drink and make sure everything is okay. This place doesn't take cards, do delivery or anything fancy like that. But, if you're looking for delicious, traditional sushi rolls, try Yama's. I don't think you'll be disappointed. Check out my post about this on DubVmenus.tumblr.com

Grade: A

Maybe I'm just a fan of pizza places in Charleston. We went to Lola's for my final dinner in Charleston, and we hoped it would be a great end note to my trip. It was.

Parking seems to be scarce, but we luckily got a spot right up front. It was very busy on a Saturday night, so we walked into the small house, gave a name, then went outside to wait. Outside is a small porch with one or two tables and a couple benches. We watched the cars drive by and the lights strung from the trees light up. It wasn't too long before the hostess fetched us and led us to the back of the restaurant. Once I was inside, I was shocked at how ... fancy it was. This small, white house from the outside had plush black and purple seating areas and gorgeous art decorating the walls.


To the right were chalkboards descending from the ceiling by wire that stated what the specials were. our waitress took our drink orders and handed us menus. I ordered a green salad first. It had romaine lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, fresh chunks of mozzarella and almonds all topped with a shallot vinaigrette. The veggies were all super fresh and crisp. The mozzarella tasted like it was straight out of Italy, and the vinaigrette was the best vinaigrette I've tasted. It was tangy, but light and went perfectly with the salad. It wasn't overpowering - I ate every last lettuce leaf.












For pizza, Brittany and I split a large pie. For my half, I got the margherita: their red sauce with spinach, kalmata olives, shrimp and mozzarella cheese. Brittany ordered the shrimp and sausage: oven-roasted tomatoes, shrimp, sausage, goat cheese and mozzarella. When I bit into my slice, I was surprised at the genuine red sauce. It was delicious. A tad bit sweet, but marinara, tomato-y and like I could pour it on any pasta dish. Shrimp on a pizza was new to me, but I dug in and it tasted great! The dough isn't overpowering - it's very thin and homemade, for sure. So the shrimp was a nice accent, and the ingredients blended together seamlessly. Brittany loves her pizza - it's a little heavy on the meat for me. Sausage isn't necessarily my thing, but it was tasty regardless. The meat was balanced with the goat cheese, which was strong.



For dessert, we split a coconut creme brulee. This delicate dessert was deep, and the topping was sugary and brittle, as it should be. The coconut was very, very faint. But it gave it a really creamy, whipped texture that was absolutely divine. There wasn't a bad part about this meal. It was delicious. You pay for the excellent service and superb food, but it's worth it.


Grade: A

Tricky Fish - what an interesting name for a restaurant. This is a sister restaurant to Bluegrass Kitchen, which I appreciated. This would be an interesting trip, I thought. Melanie, now a local in Charleston, ushered me through the back door, past the bar and up to the front of the restaurant, where you order at the counter. If I wasn't with somebody who knew what they were doing, this experience could have gone awry quickly. But the woman behind the counter was very mellow and friendly. I looked over the chalkboard menu to my right as Melanie and I pondered what we'd order for drinks first. I went for the Tricky Punch - sounds like something I'd like. We then grabbed menus from the counter and found some seats while we waited for our drinks. The interior reminds me of a hippie, eclectic, vegan place. The chairs were heavy cast iron, and the table was made out of large, unique blue and white tiles. On the walls were random drawings, and a few colorful art pieces decorated the rest of the area. The front looked as though it had a large deck for people to dine, but it was entirely too hot this day.


The waitress brought over our drinks. Mine was served pink in a large, nondescript glass. I could taste the alcohol in it, but it wasn't overpowering. I studied the menu fairly closely. Their fish tacos seemed to be popular, but I wasn't feeling it. I opted to go for the crab cake sandwich with a side of hushpuppies. The sandwich had a toothpick in the middle, topped with a sweet pickle. I ate the pickle and plucked the toothpick out. I bit into the sandwich, but only got a taste of the bready kaiser roll. Second try: I bit again, but was the sandwich really this bland? I was a little disappointed. I poured some of the "spicy Tricky sauce" on the sandwich, which definitely gave it some flavor. The crab cake was fairly loose, and the lettuce and tomato were falling out, but I was determined to make this sandwich work. But I wasn't really impressed. The seasoning was a little dull for me, and the tricky sauce added a kick (their version of a remoulade sauce), but not enough to save it overall. Maybe had the outside been a little crispy or some spices really stood out, I'd be more impressed. It was okay overall - I finished it, but it probably wouldn't receive higher than a C for me.

The hushpuppies blew me away. They were the best hushpuppies I've ever had, hands down. They came with a mashed honey butter, which had the consistency of a sticky applesauce. It was amazing. It only came with a handful, so of course I would've liked more. But once my dining buddies tried one, Brittany had to order another whole basket for the table - they were that good. The seasoning is spot on, the outside is crispy and the inside is warm and fluffy. The sauce is sweet and buttery and warm. If you're here, be sure to try the hushpuppies if nothing else.




Grade: B