Before heading to the Chocolate Festival, I knew it would be essential to fill up on actual food first. If you know me, you know I'm crazy. So I had a very full schedule planned to get the maximum amount of Lewisburg experience in just two days. Stardust Cafe was first on my itinerary.

A light blue exterior with some striped awnings set Stardust Cafe apart from the row of buildings along E Washington Street.

My first impression wasn't great, though. It was just a few minutes before open, but there was bustle inside, and the door was unlocked, so we opened the door. We were quickly shooed out, them explaining they weren't open yet. Well, one easy way to prevent that is to keep your door locked until you're ready for people to open it. That didn't make me feel very welcome.

We waited for about five minutes and tried again. This time we received more of a warm welcome. The tables are kind of a mish-mash of shabby chic - repurposed doors as tables, eclectic gatherings of chairs at tables with a mix between playful light blues, white and wood. A very cool, relaxing, yet upscale vibe to this place. It embodies shabby chic.

Our server was super friendly, running down their list of specials and her own recommendations upon request. One of the best waitresses I have had, ever. Really personable, accommodating, sweet and friendly.


The menu had a small history - the restaurant opened in 2005 and the name is a nod to a woman previously ran the restaurant as well as the owner's mother. While she initially wanted it to be a sleepy family-run coffee shop, with her daughter Sparrow running it and her twin brother "The Crazy Baker" making pastries, it instead became a gathering places for high quality food and ingredients.

Speaking of, the waitress did mention they have their own lettuce grower. How. Cool. In fact, much of their menu is locally sourced meat and produce. The lunch menu had sandwiches and salads. A top seller, the naked burger caught my eye: bun-less, grass fed beef, bacon, avocado, lettuce, tomato, onion, sweet red onions, bread 'n butter pickles and their homemade blue cheese dressing.

Our waters were refilled by an old wine bottle filled with water, so I could refill my small glass as often as I wanted. Score for me.

When our food came out, Brittany was enamored. She repeatedly said her salad was one of the best she's had in years.

My plate was also pretty great. It was essentially a deconstructed burger plate, so I made rounds picking up pieces of each item to combine for the perfect bite. Everything was very fresh, and even though it was a burger, it was kind of light. And, it's beautiful. My only gripe was that I was really looking for that element to bring it all together. The blue cheese dressing was nice, but it was a bit too runny for me. I was hoping for something a bit creamier, a bit thicker.

But really, it's pretty incredible.








They are open for lunch Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on for dinner Monday through Thursday from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 5:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m.

Two years ago I went to Morgantown's Chocolate Lovers Day, which was lovely. I've heard absolutely great things about Lewisburg's Chocolate Festival, though, so on April 12, I packed up and headed to town to stuff my face with chocolates. I wrote about the festival in general for Spotlight WV, so you can check out some details there.

Their main street features lots of shops and restaurants that offer a chocolate tasting for one ticket. One ticket is essentially $1. Packets of five tickets are sold for $5. They sold more than 40,000 tickets this year.

While the biggest seller that year was the local Remax agent, who had choocolate fountains, I tried to stick mostly to local restaurants who made their own products. And ones that I knew I wouldn't be eating at later in the weekend (stay tuned for lots of Lewisburg reviews). Others worked with vendors to produce it or bought them.

With more than 35 vendors, Brittany and I thought we could easily eat at 20 different places. This was a poor decision, and we ended up wasting our tickets - but NOT before stuffing ourselves with chocolate. The eighth annual festival brought out 8,000-plus attendees.

-B. Sweet Confectionery, 37 W. Main St., White Sulphur Springs: S’more pop with handmade vanilla bean marshmallow and dark chocolate lava cakes with raspberry sauce Ok, this was super lovely. Not only was it so cute that it was served out of a bright blue and pink truck, but the creativity AND portability was such a good idea. Considering we were traveling around with these, it was super easy to eat and super tasty, too. I didn't know a "fresh" marshmallow until I had this. You could actually taste vanilla - not just pure sugar.

B. Sweet Confectionery: S’more pop with handmade vanilla bean marshmallow

-The Bakery, 102 N. Court St.: Chocolate Crinkle cookie sandwich This was actually one of my very last stops, and I ended up using four tickets to snag some of these cookies and take them to go, since they wouldn't melt. I'm glad I chose these ones because they were absolutely phenomenal. The icing was sweet and thin. The cookie was thick and cookie-like (rather than cake-like). So good.

-Bella the Corner Gourmet, 100 E. Washington St.: Real Scottish butter cookies, dipped in dark and milk chocolate with sprinkles This was probably one of the prettiest ones. I ate glitter and sprinkles! But it was a nice, slightly sweet, dessert. It wasn't overwhelming with chocolate (like some places), so a little cookie was nice.

Bella the Corner Gourmet: Real Scottish butter cookies, dipped in dark and milk chocolate with sprinkles.

-Del Sol Cantina, 206 W. Washington St.: Chocolate mini martinis I have to say - I know this is often a popular one, but I wasn't crazy about it. It was just too.. much for me.

-Edith’s, 114 E. Washington St.: Dark chocolate-covered coconut treats

-Food & Friends, 213 W. Washington St.: Chocolate brownie S’more with salty caramel drizzle Definitely one of my favorites. I think I got two of these. I mean, it's combining s'mores and caramel and chocolate. Just super good.

Food & Friends: Chocolate brownie S’more with salty caramel drizzle

-The Front Porch, 219 E. Washington St.: DeBrand chocolate truffles

General Lewis Inn:  Chocolate brownie

-The General Lewis Inn, 301 E. Washington St.: Chocolate brownie This was a make-your-own-brownie station! I didn't know what I wanted, so I asked the lady to make me her favorite. She topped the brownie with a strawberry filling, whipped cream and nuts. I was excited to go to this one because it was one of the few on my list of places to try that I didn't get to. We considered staying here for the weekend while we were in town, but it was a bit more pricey. But the brownie was good, and the back yard area was lovely!

-Greenbrier County Visitors Center, 200 W. Washington St.: Chocolate pretzel drops, chocolate frozen yogurt, DeFluri’s truffles

-Greenbrier Episcopal School, 3100 Houfnaggle Road: Mobile tastings

-Greenbrier Real Estate, 118 E. Washington St.: Milk Chocolate Houses

-Greenbrier Valley Banking Co., 110 S. Jefferson St.: I ♥ Chocolate triple chocolate heart confection This is one place that was involved in the actual beginning of the chocolate festival, so you can imagine she goes big pretty much every year. This was a white chocolate heart base with a milk chocolate ganache and dark chocolate shavings. It was tasty - but also beautiful.

Greenbrier Valley Banking Co.: I ♥ Chocolate triple chocolate heart confection

-Harmony Ridge Gallery, 209 W. Washington St.: Classic dark chocolate pot de crème with yuzu citrus cream and triple chocolate verrine

-Irish Pub, 109 E. Washington St.: Samuel Smith’s Organic Chocolate Stout

-The Livery, 217 E. Washington St.: Chocolate molten lava cake with crème fraîche

-Hill and Holler, 118 W. Washington St.: Teal white chocolate fudge and chocolate-covered pretzels

-Osage Pecan Co. of Lewisburg, 204 W. Washington St.: Chocolate- and dark chocolate-covered pecans, chocolate turtles, chocolate amaretto pecans and more

-Plants Etc., 102 S. Jefferson St.: Double dark chocolate ice cream by The Homestead Creamery
 
-ReMax, 111 E. Washington St.: Chocolate dipping fountain with dipping treats

-The Retreat on White Rock Mountain, 118 E. Washington St.: Instant karma cupcakes

-Robert’s Antiques, 120 E. Washington St.: Mosato d’Asti in chocolate cups Robert's Antiques is unlike any other antique store I've visited. They have ACTUAL antiques - not just old things of questionable value. Vintage rugs, beautiful furnishings and an actual guillotine. And the wine was at the very back, so we were able to gaze on as we waited. It was tasty. A little messy with a quickly melting cup, but just means it's quicker to drink!

-Serenity Now Outfitters, 207 W. Washington St.: Sticky-finger apple slices

-Shoney’s, U.S. Route 219 at Coleman Drive: Shoney’s signature hot fudge cake

-Show Your Colors, 101 Court St.: Chocolate-covered strawberries

-The Spring, 204 N. Jefferson St.: Brigadeiro (Brazilian chocolate truffle)

-Stella’s, 111 S. Lafayette St.: Flourless chocolate mousse cake with whipped cream and raspberry coulis I was pretty excited about this one, but there was just something about the cake that didn't totally sell me. It was OK, don't get me wrong. But not great.

Stella's: Flourless chocolate mousse cake with whipped cream and raspberry coulis

-Sunflower Soul, 203 E. Washington St.: Chocolate-covered strawberry smoothie This was, well, a little off. You could kind of tell it was supposed to be a bit healthier, but in an odd way. It was OK.

-The Washington Street Gallery, 123 W. Washington St.: Bad Ass beer brittle XX-hot and OO-not so hot I don't recall these being homemade, but they were fine, nonetheless.

-The Wild Bean, 119 E. Washington St.: Espresso brownies

-Wolf Creek Gallery, 112 W. Washington St.: Variety of Belgian chocolate pralines Another place I couldn't wait to check out in Lewisburg. It's a cool little shop, with some higher-end merchandise. The chocolates weren't homemade, but they were fine.

-Yarid’s, 202 W. Washington St.: Holl’s chocolate shoes

That's about it. I wish I could've tried all of the places, but I'm pretty sure my stomach would have not been to pleased with that decision. There's always next year. =]

I heard about the catering company Meadow Mountain opening up a little cafe. Then, I met the owner at a networking event. Between hearing good things and meeting the woman, I couldn't wait to try it out. The problem is they're only open Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. And they're up on Greenbag Road (I do love that parking isn't an issue). It's not far from work, but it still requires some coordination and planning.


I'm glad I convinced Tony to go with me, because it's one of the better meals I've had in Morgantown in some time.

The outside is nondescript, and the inside is simple with some black and white paisley tablecloths, a few photos on the back wall and a display with pots and pans. It's small with only three tables separated by some rolling shelving units and the kitchen is on the other side.

Each day, they post specials on their website. They also had them printed out. I ordered the French BLT, which was bacon, brie cheese, lettuce, tomato and their "secret sauce" on a French baguette. I also got a cup of soup, which was potato cheddar all for under $10, plus water. Tony went with the ham and swiss with mustard on French bread. The lunch items are lighter - crepes, sandwiches, salads, soups.

It was just the owner, Terry, cooking for us and managing the whole operation. The great thing was, the whole time, I just felt like I was in my grandmother's kitchen. Terry is super conversational and makes sure you're taken care of. You can tell this is something she enjoys doing.

Tony enjoyed his sandwich, which looked great. And my sandwich was fantastic.

The ingredients were fresh, the french bread was grilled and buttered perfectly, bacon crisp, and tons of oozing brie cheese. They aren't greedy with toppings, either. Mine was piled high. I had to unhinge my jaw a bit to be able to eat it, but that's a good problem to have.

The soup - thick, creamy, delicious.

And, she brought us these almond bars at the end of our meal. Very simply, lightly sweet and crunchy. Perfect ending to the meal.


So, sure, Terry may have won me over during our brief encounter at the networking event. She's sweet and inviting. But visiting the cafe really made me a believer. I love that it's this simple, but elegant, idea with warm hospitality. The food was all really delicious (wouldn't it be awkward if it wasn't?), and at a great price.

Meet Terry. Get treated like you're part of the family. Fill you belly with some light, delicious food.

I'm not quite sure if there's a better way to get my attention than creating a brewery in a church.

It's kinda edgy and combines two things I enjoy: craft beer and theology. Kinda.

Tony and I were at a conference in Pittsburgh, so, of course, we used it as an opportunity to try a new restaurant.

Church Brew Works is located on Liberty Avenue (just down the road from my father's former workplace). The brewing is done, literally, in the alter of the restored Roman Catholic church.

Their menu is kind of all over the place, from pierogies and cheesesteak to steamed mussels and buffalo meatloaf. The last one was interesting because I haven't seen it anywhere else. Plus it looked to be one of their specials.


But first - an appetizer. They have "untraditional pierogies" as a daily special with different fillings. That day was chicken and black bean pierogi with a curry BBQ sauce.



It was good. It was different. The sauce was a little sweet, which was nice with the savory filling.

The meatloaf was also different, but I appreciated it. It came with rosemary redskin potato croquettes, braised greens, applewood smoked bacon, garlic chips and roasted tomato demi-glace.



The texture was a bit more ... can I say slimey? than maybe beef. But that wasn't necessarily bad. The flavor was OK. Nothing too special. Combined with some of the garlic chips, it was better. That flavor had to be derived from the additions - not within the meat itself. The fried potato pancake was great, and the greens were a bit bitter so combining a bite with all three flavors made for a decent meal.

We also had a beer sampler. Their main beers were a Celestial Gold (light later), Pipe Organ Pale Ale (English pale ale) and Pious Monk Dunkel (Munich-style dark lager) plus some rotating beers. Overall, I felt the beers were OK. Some pretty good, some interesting, some a little less pleasant. But definitely a good bit to choose from.

I wasn't raised Catholic, but that hasn't stopped me from taking part in our culture's penchant for fish during the Lenten season.

"Historically, since about the second century of Christianity, Christians abstained from meat on Friday as a kind of sacrifice and reminder that acknowledged Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross which we commemorate on Good Friday. It’s also why we proclaim the sorrowful mysteries of the rosary on Friday. About a century or two later, Lent came into being, as a season of intense preparation for Easter, so the fasting and abstinence was extended to much of Lent (source)."

Catholics are to abstain from eating meat on Fridays during lent, so many restaurants have fish specials on Fridays, fast food places have sales on their fish sandwiches, and churches and fire departments (among others) have fish fries.

I love a good fish sandwich. I have memories of my dad and me going to Shop 'N Save (yes, Shop 'N Save) and getting huge fish sandwiches. A fried and battered piece of fish sandwiched on a hoagie bun with tartar sauce was a special Friday treat every once in a while. Nostalgia does weird things--I don't know.

My frenemy Robert Phipps told me about the fish fries at St. Francis de Sales. From 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., they have fried or baked fish, a roll, drink and dessert with your choice of three sides: French fries, macaroni & cheese, green beans or cole slaw. It's $8 for adults and $4 for children 12 and under. Eat in or take out. But since there is only one more Friday during Lent, you only have Friday, April 11 to check it out.

Aside from being at the top of a hill in Morgantown and getting to see the area from a cool angle, the meal was really good. When we walked in, we walked up to the counter and paid. Cash or check. Then I was a little confused on where to go because lots of people were standing around for to-go orders, I assume. I made my way to the left and down the hall. I had wo huge fish portions that were quite tasty. The roll was fresh and warm - probably one of my favorite parts of the meal. The cole slaw was also great - finely chopped and thick. Macaroni and cheese and french fries were OK. And good lord they have a ton of different desserts brought in or homemade. A huge table full of different kinds.

If you go, the place does get packed - even when we went right at 5 p.m. There's room upstairs, FYI.

Any other places in town do fish fries? Or maybe just a place that has a REALLY good fish sandwich?