Pizza Al's makes the best, most authentic New York-style pies in Morgantown. For a tasty flat slice, Pizza Al's is the place to go in town. There's even a second location, aptly named "Pizza Al's II" in Sabraton along Earl Core Road. It's in the same plaza as Rio Grande III, but its name is not written above the location; you'll just have to see the actual restaurant front to know you're in the right spot.

The best part about restaurants being a little out of the way is that it has a direct relationship with how much parking there is available. More out of the way = more parking. I'm a fan of that.

Walking in this location is a little different. First of all, there' s a good bit more room. I always felt like the other location is fairly small inside; this location has much more seating and space. I walked up to the counter, took a to-go paper menu and sat at a table to look over my options. They are also listed on a board on the wall, and they're the same as the original location. A small pizza (14") is only $6.50, and it's a pretty big pie. If you want a topping, it'll cost you an extra buck, though.

The folks at the counter here were very friendly, which is kind of a change from the typical surly attitudes at the other establishment. So, that was a little bit more comforting. I also got a fountain drink. The unfortunate thing is it's $1 for a refill, and the drinks aren't too large. You also can't get a 2-liter when you dine in - to-go only. But you pay right at the counter (yes, they take CC), and you can check them out tossing the homemade dough, spreading the sauce and sprinkling mozzarella cheese on it right before it goes into the huge oven.

It wasn't too busy this afternoon, but the other location tends to be busy all the time. After a few minutes,  I was served a huge pie and a paper plate. Dinner ... is served.

I delicately select a slice and do my best to keep the stringy cheese in tact, before delivering a thin, crispy, yet chewy, crust topped with a high-quality, bright, tasty sauce and just the right amount of fresh toppings. The edges of the pizza are thicker and softer. It is hand-tossed; you get something made right for you, with great flavor.

Want a good pie without tons of frills? Check it out. No truffles or goat cheese here. But a solid, cheesy, tasty pizza.

Grade: A

I've had my eye on The Soul House Bistro in Star City for quite some time. It was originally supposed to open up back in April, but like many restaurants, that date got pushed back. They just opened recently, and I went to check it out at the beginning of the week.

The restaurant is located at 3329 University Avenue across from the gas station, and there is plenty of parking along the side. When we walked in, we instantly saw a sign that said "cash only." If you know me, you know that means I'm out of luck. However, we wanted to try this restaurant so bad, we went back across town to an ATM to get cash to eat here. I think this is temporary (hope) because it is so new.

When we walked in, we weren't quite sure what exactly to do. There were a couple of tables that were arranged pretty close together and the front had two buffet-style islands. We took a seat and discovered the menus on the table. Essentially, you get one main meat dish and two side items. As I perused the options: BBQ ribs, pork chops, meatloaf, fried fish. Really, I wanted to try everything. But the meatloaf was jumping out to be. For the sides, I opted for mac & cheese and candy yams. All the dinners also come with a side of corn bread/biscuit. When I was done ordering, I sat down and waited for them to prepare the dish.

It's cafeteria-style. You can see all the food right there, but the workers behind the counter get it prepped for you and bring it to your table. It's fairly tight inside - I assume they're going to have to take out some tables at some point. There were a lot of two-person tables, and I'd much prefer a couple more larger tables. The walls are covered in famous African-American politicians, artists and athletes. They even have two small TVs on either wall that we have the option to change channels.

I can safely say when my plate came out, I think it was probably the biggest portion of food for the price anywhere in Morgantown ($8.99). The mac & cheese is homemade, so you get those small chunks of cheese and the ooey gooey creaminess. The candy yams were sweet and comforting, and the meatloaf was perfection. The two sides were overflowing portions, while the meat was smaller. But with that said, I still got two good size hunks of meatloaf. It was seasoned to perfection and the sauce on top had a slight sweet taste to it.

I was crazy about this entire meal. It's the best I've had in Morgantown or anywhere in a long, long time. I loved it so much I tried to eat the entire thing. I couldn't. Both of my friends got to-go boxes. Quiet frankly, I felt like rolling over and dying after stuffing myself, but my tastebuds were happy.

I think this restaurant fills a void in our community. That southern, down-home soul food is nowhere to be found. And for many of us, it reminds us of homecooking as children. I love this cuisine - heavy, sweet/salty and comforting. It's clear they put some time and energy into this food. It's not just a restaurant to make money; They're giving a part of themselves to us all.

Grade: A

I've heard great, great things about Apple Annie's, which is just a short drive out of Morgantown and across the PA border. I've been told on multiple occasions to go with someone who knows how to get there because it's sort of situated in an alley. All I know is we took Point Marion Road for a while, then made a couple of random turns once we got close, and there it was.


The first thing I noticed was the smell. We parked in a lot adjacent to the building, but the whole area smelled like a bakery. I asked "Is that the restaurant?! It smells amazing out here." You must have cash for this place; they do have an ATM here, but I try to avoid those extra fees.

Inside, it's very homey. Newspaper clippings about local events or the restaurant decorate the walls. Delicious desserts dot the front counter. We were in for breakfast, and the menu is quite small but complete nonetheless. Unfortunately, both of the people I were with ran into some problems when ordering: One ordered something they ran out of and the other ordered a waffle, but their machine was broken.

All of their specials are $5. I went with the French Toast with sausage (or bacon) and two eggs (sunnyside up). You can also get a la carte items. The portions were huge, homecooked and made me feel at home. The french toast was fantastic, as was the sausage and eggs. I felt like I was back at my parents' house. I was so full by the time I was done, I couldn't take another bite.

But I did. I had to try their apple dumplings that I saw as we walked in. I hadn't had an apple dumpling before. But it's like a miniature apple pie. It's a whole apple with the crust around it. It was a little slice of heaven.

If you want a good homecooked meal, check Apple Annie's out. Service was spotty and not the kindest when we were asking about desserts, but the food makes up for it.

Grade: A

Summer is a time of sunshine, swimming and fairs. Fairs are infamous for their fried delicacies and sugary treats. The Mon County Fair recently made an appearance, and I went to see what it was all about. While I was disappointed they didn't have any local vendors, they did have a handful of shops serving up your typical fair fare:

Cheese fries, cotton candy, pulled pork, deep-fried Twinkies & Oreos, meatball hoagies, pizza, corn dogs, candy apples, and my choices that evening - lemonade, Philly cheesesteak and funnel cake.

ABC made their own list of top fair foods:

1. Caramel Apples
2. Belgian Waffle on a stick
3. Deep-Fried Oreo Cookies
4. Corn Dogs
5. Frozen Coffee On a Stick
6. Cotton Candy
7. Funnel Cake
8. Fried Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich
9. Deep-Fried Norwegian Banana Split
10. Open-Faced Grilled Spam Sandwich

What's your favorite?

I saw the sign for Asian Bistro pop up a few weeks ago in Northpointe Plaza, next to Club 24 Fitness. It's from the same owners of China One. One day, while out and about, I stopped there and asked the construction workers when it would open. They told me two weeks. Ever since, I've been keeping an eye on it.

On Friday, I got word that it was the restaurant's opening day. There even had a sticker on the Dominion Post advertising so. I grabbed a friend and headed that way.

I luckily was able to snag a copy of the menu beforehand and studied it. First off, when calling something an "Asian" bistro, it's tricky. Asia is a giant continent full of lots of countries. And there are a ton of different cuisines located there. I don't think we put that in perspective as Americans and sometimes see "Asian" food as Chinese food. And, that's embarrassing. So, I was hesitant about what the menu would entail.

The menu could use a healthy dose of organization. I had studied it beforehand and still had a great deal of trouble. There's a page called "Asian Cuisine," which is pretty non-helpful category. It ranges from chilean seabass, to Bangkok Beef, to Bulgogi, to Kalbi, to sizzling Mongolian Beef. My suggestion would be to separate these by the type of cuisine. They boast Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai and Vietnamese - SHOW us where each of these dishes is from (similar to Asian Garden). Other pages included "Hibachi Dinner" and "Entrees from the Kitchen" and "Sushi" and "Noodle" and "Rice Dishes." That doesn't make any sense to me. It is difficult to navigate, and you don't really know what you're eating without that organization. I do like the variety here; I just wish I could fully enjoy it.

That being said, I love the location - tons of parking and not too far from my apartment. The interior is gorgeous. It looks upscale, romantic and modern. There's a bar and sushi bar and mood lighting that softly rotates colors. Our server sat us quickly, took our drink orders and filled our glasses with water.

I wanted to try something that I had an idea of how it's supposed to taste; that way, I can have something to compare it to. That led me to the pad thai. It's $10 for tofu and vegetable, $12 for chicken and $14 for beef or shrimp. I went with the chicken pad Thai, as well as a California roll. Just ordering this made me wonder how they were going to do it: They need a sushi chef, as well as someone experience in Thai cuisine. Image a "European Bistro" and expecting the chefs to execute a Spanish dish, as well as a French dish. There's just a good bit of difference here.

Our server kept adding and taking away things from our table. When I ordered, she went to grab for the water glass, but I told her we still wanted water, too. When my friend ordered only sushi, the server grabbed her silverware from the table, as well as the dish it was sitting in. It was just odd - that kind of thing is fine to leave until the end. It was kind of distracting.

Finally, our meals came out. Their timing isn't quite right yet. My friend got hers a few minutes before my meal came out, but that's the kind of thing you work out after opening day. The presentation was quite appealing, but the taste wasn't quite as good. My overall thought was "Meh." California rolls were okay. Not tons of flavor. I added even more wasabi than usual to compensate for that lack of taste. My friend wasn't crazy about her sushi, either. The pad thai was fine, but kind of bland tasting. It lacked that sweet spiciness I've come to love from Chaang Thai. It needed more flavor, more ... something. It was just okay. And there were a lot of onions - some are okay, but I wanted more noodle and less crunch for my buck. When we were finished, they brought us a sliced orange.

So far, I've paid about $20 for a meh dish, so I thought trying dessert might help amp up this meal. The server was adamant about the tempura ice cream (kind of like the Mexican dessert - fried ice cream?), even telling me to get it without solicitation. You can get chocolate or vanilla, so I went with vanilla. My friend got the fried banana & ice cream (but I just realized, she actually didn't any ice cream? Just the banana...). My ice cream was great - light, fluffy tempur covered a frozen ball of french vanilla ice cream, topped with chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, sprinkles, whipped cream and a cherry. I like the crunchy cone, essentially, wrapped around a creamy decadent dessert. The banana was tasty - a fried banana, essentially. I love the coolness of the ice cream, though, with the fried. It was great.


Since it was opening day, we also got a gift set, which was really nice. Unfortunately, they only gave us one. I let my friend have it.

Overall, though, it was a pretty hefty bill for mediocre food. However, since there is such a variety here, another dish could be excellent. I just haven't found it yet. I do know one that I won't get again, though.

Grade: C