Madeleine's is one of those restaurants in Morgantown that you wouldn't expect to be here. Located at the end of High Street, Madeleine's is not the typical High Street dining. This restaurant tries to serve local food, as to contribute to the local economy. The chef experiments with flavors and textures to create exciting dishes. Parking is iffy, and you'll most likely have to find a meter and feed it for the duration of your meal, but it's probably not going to matter after you've had this dining experience.

When we walked in, the lights were dimmed, and the hostess asked if we'd like to be seated in the window. We said sure - so we had a nice view for our dinner. The hostess lit the candle that was on our table and handed us menus. Our waiter came over soon after and took our drink orders. The waiter was very personable and eager to help. He spouted off the specials then parted to give us time to decide. I looked over the menu, but I wasn't feeling a heavy dinner. There were a few meat dishes and a pasta dish. All of the appetizers looked amazing to me, and I saw the crabcake appetizer also comes as an entree.

I asked the waiter the difference between the crabcake appetizer and the crabcake entree. He said the potato salad it comes with is larger and there's an additional crabcake. I put my order in. My friend was set on a butternut squash appetizer, but when she ordered it, the waiter apologized that he hadn't mentioned they were out. He apologized profusely, so she took another quick glance and ordered the cheese plate, as well as a cup of their special soup - tomato bisque.


We were brought out a small basket of bread with some whipped butter. It seemed fresh, but my appetite wasn't strong, so I waited for my entree.

Her bisque came out first, and she said it was tasty. Next came her cheese plate, with a few types of cheeses, berries, apple slices and some melba toast. She doesn't like strawberries or raspberries, so those went to me. Ripe and sweet.

Finally, my entree came out. It was a little awkward because Kaitlynn's were out way before mine. Granted, they were under the "appetizers" section, but that was her main meal. My dish came out with three crabcakes on top of a warm fingerling potato salad with two asparagus spears. The potato salad was slices of warm potatoes with vinegar, some chunks of bacon, onion, parsley, chives, and some other spices and whatnot. I had never tasted potato salad before, so it was different. It was kind of refreshing and light, though. It wasn't a creamy potato salad - it was a tart, warm potato. But that balanced well with the crabcakes on top.

I only had one crabcake at the restaurant, but it was lovely. It was lump crabmeat, and the breading was slightly crispy. It was quality. But later on when I tried the second crabcake for dinner at home, I had three hard pieces, maybe shell, in the crabcake. That didn't deter me because they were scrumptious. It was very flavorful, the crab tasted fresh, and it was cooked to perfection.

For around $20, I had a pretty tasty dinner, and I know I'll go back. It's a great quality place with some fresh ingredients and creative dishes. It's one of the finer places in town, and it's a great local option.

Grade: A

The Glasshouse Grille, at one point, I considered one of my favorite restaurants in Morgantown. I had been here a handful of times, but it's just a tad on the pricier side, so it was usually reserved for nicer dinners. It's located in the Seneca Center, which is where I used to intern, so I shared many lunches here (also cheaper than dinner, of course). It was always classy and delicious. Then I had my most recent visit.


Located in the Seneca Center, there is a lot of parking, and it has that older factory feel, with a classic touch. It's actually located in the basement, but an awning covers stairs from the outside and leads you right down to the restaurant. A few tables are located outside, but we walked through the front doors. We waited at the front for what seemed like a while, as waiters passed us, before the host greeted us. Instead of saying welcome, she put up her index finger and said "hold on, I gotta check on something." I looked at my friend confused and continued to wait. I looked at my watch, 8:13 on a Saturday night. The host came back after a minute or so and said she had to check with the chef to see if they were still taking people. Embarrassed, I asked what time they closed. 9 p.m. 9 p.m. and you can't seat me at 8:13 p.m.? I thought they would stop seating at 9 p.m. She picked up some flimsy menus, and a few fell near me. I went to pick them up, and the host watched me, and it was awkward.

So she walked us to a table, and we sat there slightly dumbfounded. We obviously weren't welcome there, and we felt uncomfortable. But we decided to try to make the best of it. The host filled our water cups. Another waiter brought us a basket of bread and some butter. I know it was "late," but the bread was beyond stale and burnt on the bottom - to the point where we didn't even eat it. It didn't matter though, as the waiter came by and took it away anyway.

We were brought salads - I opted for the sundried basil dressing, but was less than impressed. It wasn't very flavorful, and I didn't even eat most of it. I don't really have much more to say about this. 

At this point, I wasn't sure what to think. The inside decor was still lovely, with white tableclothes and a feeling of elegance. But the service was subpar, and as I looked over the flimsy menu, I realized the top said "Penny's Glasshouse Grille." Well, that's new. This was certainly different. And the prices were still at the same level, despite the service and cheap menus. The prices started around $40, for a lobster dish and went down to a pasta primavera, which was about $20. One dish that caught my eye was the chicken athena, for $21. It was a chicken breast surrounded with spinach, onions, peppers, carrots, cherry tomatoes, kalmata olives, feta cheese, mushrooms, squash. I took a bite of the chicken, and it was very, very dry. I had a really hard time cutting it with my fork - I wasn't given a knife. It really wasn't exploding with flavor either. It was dry and bland. I took a bite of the mixture, and that was pleasant.


The carrots, tomatoes, and spinach were a good combination for the kalmata olives and feta cheese, which has a strong taste. It was balanced, with muted flavors and the strong ones. But it wasn't overly creative. We all know kalmata olives go well with feta cheese, and the veggies were tasty. But there really wasn't a sauce to bring it all together to make it one cohesive dish. It was an okay dish. Was it good enough for $20. No.

One last try - we ordered dessert. A waiter brought out a dessert tray, which I do love because it's so visual. One dessert looked interesting to me: the chocolate pate. Now that was one good decision. Our desserts came out, and I wasn't expecting much, but I took a bite and felt immediately relaxed. It was a creamy chocolate with a slight crunch. This is the only dish I finished. It was refreshing and airy, but decadent. It was simply delicious, but didn't leave me weighed down like many desserts. This is probably one of my favorite desserts I've ever ordered. My total bill came to about $30, but the dessert is the only thing I'd order again.

It seems this place has changed drastically - maybe due to new owners. The level of quality isn't the same, and they are cutting corners, and you can tell. The dessert is the only redeemable quality of this meal, so hopefully that doesn't go downhill any time soon.

Grade: C

I saw a sign for "Agresti's Tuscan Grill" in Westover recently and was really excited to check out the "Tuscan grill." It's right along the main road, and we went around dinner time. There wasn't a car in the parking lot, so I had to double-take to see if they were open. They do open for dinner, but they're still new, so it's not busy.

When we walked in, we waited awkwardly at the front of the restaurant. I looked around and took in the decorations - it was almost romantic. The lighting was dim, the color on the walls was warm, and the chairs were leather and comfy. It was surprisingly elegant inside. Finally, the waitress came over and kind of mumbled something about how we almost caused her an accident, as she was holding her eye. She laughed afterwards, signalling she was joking, but me and my dining partner were thrown off and didn't know what to say. The waitress told us to choose where we'd like to sit. I chose a table near us, and we ordered our drinks.


I realized there was a bar nearby, and the interior was impressive. I was surprised. I looked over the menu and thought to myself, this is going to be better than expected. The restaurant didn't feature the typical choose your pasta, marinara or alfredo and whether or not you want a meatball. Dishes included various types of pasta and inventive sauces, some with peppers, others with spinach or shrimp or chicken.

Before I narrowed down my decision on the pasta, we ordered bruschetta for an appetizer.  I chose the vodka farfalla, which came with a salad, for my entree.

Soon after, we were brought a basket of bread and a garlic/olive oil dipping sauce. This is typical for Italian restaurants, and it was a nice touch. The bread was fresh, and the olive oil mixture was a little lacking in flavor, but hey, how flavorful can plain olive oil be? I think the simplicity of it is what makes it a good starter.

Our salads came out next - basically a bowl of chopped lettuce, some tomatoes and some feta cheese crumbles. I got their house salad, which wasn't powerful, but very subdued. It only accented the lettuce, and since it wasn't that impressive, the salad kind of fell flat. I ate some, but pushed it away fro the better dishes ahead.

Our bruschetta came out looking delicious. The appearance would have earned an A alone, but I certainly wasn't going to go without tasting it. The toasted pieces of bread started to get a little soggy in the middle with the tomatoes salad atop it, but once I was able to scoop a good bit into my mouth, I was blown away. Keep in mind, this is bread, olive oil, tomatoes and some scallions with a delicious blend of flavors. The bread was still crunchy enough to provide a delicious base for the tomato and olive oil mixture - all infusing with garlic and spices. It was a delicious combination that kept me wanting more.

When our main entrees came out, I was happy with the size. I thought for sure that'd I'd have leftovers. Our waitress offered us some fresh cheese on top, and I took her up on that offer. I looked at my plate full of bowtie pasta, topped with a creamy tomato-based vodka sauce. It had small chunks of fresh mozzarella piled on top with pieces of capicola sprinkled throughout. This dish was heaven. It was so creamy, and the mozzarella and capicola made a delicious meal with the perfectly cooked pasta. Slightly al dente allows the sauce to absorb and creates a yummy carb coma. The capicola is a little salty, the cheese is fresh, and sauce is creamy and tomato-y and garlicy. It's so good, that I want to go back and order the same dish because I'm not sure another dish could be as good.


When I had a few bites left, the waitress asked if I'd like a box - I said no, I was going to eat the entire thing. It was THAT good. A few minutes later, she set a box on our table anyway. I didn't think much of it until she came back a few minutes later to take it away and give it to another table. While my entree was fantastic, the service was questionable - the two waitresses stood over behind a a counter chatting for a good bit of the time, while my drink was running empty. They also didn't know the specials and had to keep walking up to the chalkboard in front of the dining area to read it. Not to mention how we were greeted.

Regardless, when she offered us dessert, I wanted to try. She listed off tiramisu, spumoni, and cannolis. I haven't had a good cannoli since Italy, so that was my choice. It came out with some powdered suger, but this wasn't the typical ricotta-filled filo pastry I was expecting. Instead, it was almost like an icing inside the cannoli. I would forgo dessert next time. It simply wasn't tasty - the pastry wasn't sweet, and the filling was an odd flavor.

Luckily, my appetizer and entree were delicious enough for me to recommend this place, especially with it being so new. I can see bigger and better things coming. For $40 for two people, it's really a good price for a bread appetizer, bruschetta appetizer, two entrees, drinks, desserts, and not to mention a strange gel-like mint.

Grade: A