The Monongalia County Health Department conducts food inspections so that the public is well-informed. These results are just a glimpse at one point in time, so just because a restaurant may have violations doesn't mean they're always bad.
According to its Website, the Mon County Health Department has more than 700 permitted food establishments, and it conducts more than 2,000 inspections per year. Establishments are required to have these, and typically they're done twice a year. Usually they're unannounced, and they look for:
- Food service workers’ hygienic practices and food handling practices
- Food temperatures for potentially hazardous foods
- Equipment design, maintenance and operation
- Storage of foods and food service items
"Foods must be held cold, below 41°F or hot, above 135°F to help prevent bacterial growth in them. When foods are held for prolonged periods of times between 41°F and 135°F disease causing bacterial can grow to unsafe levels, then when the food is consumed can cause illness. The second most common cause of foodborne illness is sick workers handling food or workers with poor hygienic practices. Sick workers or workers with poor hygiene can contaminate foods with viruses or bacteria."
Non-critical violations aren't directly related to foodborne illness, but include a lack of facility cleanliness and maintenance or improper cleaning of equipment and utensils. Inspection reports are available to the public. January's can be found here.
If you check that out, you can see that the most violations goes to the BFS on University Avenue, with a smacking 21 total. Of those, 9 are critical and 21 are non-critical. That's not too great. Cold Stone had 15 total (3 critical). Subway (High Street) and Wings Ole both clocked in at 13 total.
But the scary ones are the critical ones. Those are the ones that can actually hurt you. Non-critical can be small things, but the critical are worrisome.
It's kind of surprising. Of course this doesn't mean there are constant problems all the time, but it does show one moment in time. These aren't exactly the places I would have thought would be on the top of the most critical. That just goes to show you, you have to be careful. Food poisoning is one of the most unpleasant experiences I've ever had the misfortune of going through.
For more information, questions or concerns can be email to info.mchd@wv.gov.
I have nearly 100 blogposts about restaurants around Morgantown. However, some of the restaurants that I (unwillingly) frequent most often don't appear here. Yes, I'm talking about Mountainlair dining. As WVU's student union, the Mountainlair is home to a handful of restaurants for students to grab a quick bite between, before or after classes. Because I am a full-time student, this includes me.
Since my time here, I've seen some of these changes. Sbarro's and Burger King are staples, as they are across the nation. Quizno's was just opening my freshman year. I tried to use my meal plan there once, and there was some confusion and they wouldn't accept it. I ended up walking away sub-less, and I've only been there once or twice afterward. But there were two that are gone now: McCoy's, which had chicken sandwiches, and D's Express, which had Chinese food. I liked McCoys, but I'm sure most students like Chick-Fil-A more. And D's was always terrible. Despite my fierce love for the cuisine, I couldn't make that work. Taziki's is now in the spot where D's was.
Besides Quiznos, Sbarro's, Burger King, and Freshens, the smoothie place, there are few not as commercialized dining options to choose from. Currently in the Mountainlair are JACS, which has some great breakfast sandwiches; Tazikis, which is a smaller chain that has fresh Mediterranean food; Hatfields, which is a made-to-order breakfast/lunch restaurant; and Side Pocket, which is almost like a hidden bar.
There’s a bar in WVU’s student union? Kind of. The Side Pocket is located on the ground floor of the Mountainlair, and it’s really a nice little hidden hangout. Come by to get lunch, relax, or catch one of their activities – like karaoke or live bands. They’re open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Thursday, 11 a.m. to midnight on Friday, and 8 p.m. to midnight on Saturday.
And the part that caught your eye: Yes, there is draft beer. For $1.88. Bud Lite, Miller Lite, Yuengling and Shock Top. Maybe students are fearful of drinking (or underage drinking) in their student union, or maybe they just forget about it. But, really, it’s close, convenient and cheap. My three favorite C’s.
They have a small menu, with food specials every day. Monday: Boneless BBQ rib sandwich. Tuesday: Hot Dog. Wednesday: Deluxe Pepperoni Roll. Thursday: Cheese sticks. Friday: Shrimp-n-Fry day. Each of these are at discounted rates.
Other items they have includes hoagies, sandwiches, wraps, hotdogs, corn dogs, fries, and chicken/fish baskets. You can also make a “basket” with sandwiches, meaning it comes with fries and a pop. Every time you order, the total comes to just a few bucks.
What's your favorite meal in the Mountainlair? I'm partial to a chili dog from the Side Pocket or maybe a gyro from Taziki's.
Peking House is one of the few sit-down Chinese restaurants in town. Want Chinese food, but without the tackiness of a buffet? Peking House is definitely the way to go. Peking House is located on Van Voorhis Road, with plenty of parking, and some great service.
When my friend and I walked in, we were immediately seated, with a pot of hot tea awaiting us as well as two glasses of water. Our waitress was very sweet and accommodating - she even asked us if we had a preference where we sat. The menu consisted of a page of chef specialties, and then the usual dining options - some appetizers, then pork, beef, seafood and chicken options. 
I ultimately decided on my old faithful options: an order of cheese wontons and sweet and sour chicken. I had been craving rice pudding all day. On a whim, my friend asked if they happened to have it. While our waitress had no idea what we were talking about, she then brought out her manager who talked to us about rice pudding. He wasn't really sure what we were asking for either, but he joked with us about it for a minute and tried to address our question the best he could. 
Our waitress brought out a big platter of rice, which you share. This communal rice dish is kind of cool because it's more intimate. Plus they bring you as much as you need.The cheese wontons were a little different than what I'm used to. They were basically all cream cheese inside. I like it when there's a good bite of crab and some other herbs in there, rather than plain cream cheese.
Our food was served on these large dishes. We also had smaller dishes where we could combine the rice and our entree. Mine came out piping hot and delicious. Large chunks of battered white chicken with some green bell peppers, carrots, and pineapple chunks in a tangy sweet and sour sauce. I can't say a bad thing about this dish. It seems like it was prepared meticulously with a lot of love. It was delicious. The veggies were fresh. The chicken was of good quality, and I loved the textures of the veggies and flavors of the sauce.
My whole meal was cheaper than what I'd pay for delivery for a single entree. And the quality is much better. This restaurant is truly a little gem in Morgantown. I even had some to take home. But, I think my fortune is a little off.Grade: A
The Co-op offers natural, organic, fair trade, local products on a scale I've never seen before. They offer bulk items, cards, and an incredibly knowledgeable staff. When I first walked in, I was a little overwhelmed. I wasn't sure where to go, but I awkwardly walked around until I gained my bearings. There are only three aisles here. The first one seemed like some basic healthy foods - lots of beige and green packaging. I picked up a jar of tikka masala sauce and some rice crackers. I hadn't had either, so this was already looking promising. As I turned the corner, I noticed the fresh fruits and veggies along the wall. Pricier than what I'm used to, but probably for good reason.
Then I saw the second aisle. Jars, containers, and dispensers full of anything you could imagine. I walked up and down the aisle in awe. There were spices, grains, dried fruits, granola, and tons more.
According to their website, "We have a huge selection of grains, flours, beans & legumes, nuts & seeds, dried fruits, granolas, herbs & spices, medicinal herbs, baking needs, sprouting seeds, fair trade coffees, herbal & regular teas, oils, honey & maple syrup & other liquid sweeteners, miso, castile soaps, shampoos, laundry & dish detergents, and more." That's a lot! Thankfully, there were other shoppers in there, so I watched closely to see how one obtains all these delicacies.
On the right endcap of the first aisle, there's a little stand that has little baggies, with twist ties, and some containers, too. There are also some scoops to use for the containers that don't have ones. Each of these things has a small price. I used small baggies, which I believe are 8 cents, and then you used the twist tie and write the number of whatever you get on it. So, I returned to the aisle, bag in hand, to select small treasures. I hadn't even heard of most of the items, but that made it even more fun. I selected some dried apple rings and dried bananas. They encourage everyone to not "graze" or sample the products. Everyone gets their own food, so you're on the honor system here. And hoping that children or other people didn't just shove their hands in there.
The third aisle had some refrigerated items, where I opted for a container of hummus. I'm usually not a fan of hummus, but I wanted to give this avocado a shot. Glad I did, by the way. There were a ton of other things I want to try, like their noodles and the huge tubs of peanut butter.
As for local foods, they have eggs, chicken, turkey, bison and beef, which are pasture-raised with no added hormones or antibiotics. They have goat's milk cheeses, tofu, honey, jams, jellies, breads, sauces, condiments and more. When you go to pay, there is a scale on the counter to weigh all those items that you helped yourself to. At the counter was also a small display for the Venerable Bean, which I hope to blog about later on. But the Venerable Bean is an all-vegan baking company in town, which has cakes, scones, etc.; special orders and gluten-free items are available.
I think my total came to around $20, which isn't bad for some fresh products that I know where they came from. They use donated bags, so don't be surprised to get a Kroger or Dollar General bag. And, you can become a member. You don't have to be to shop there, but if you are, you get a 15% discount on special bulk orders, 5% off all in-store purchase on Wednesdays, ownership in the Co-op, and are able to order through their organic produce supplier. It's $30 annually, and students are $20.
Their hours are Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and closed on Sunday. There's a certain sense of community here; it's more like a lifestyle. You can get healthy, local, hard-to-find items. And you get people who care about what they're doing and care about helping you.If you haven't checked it out, you're doing yourself a disservice. Give it a shot. It might be intimidating, but people are willing to help you figure it out. And I've done the dirty work for you, already.
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