Tin 202 has finally opened.

We first heard from Tin 202 back in January, when they began restoring the tin ceilings and renovating the space. Each month, we'd see a few updates on Facebook. By March, the interior looked beautiful and new chandeliers were installed. By May, they had taps. Beer was imminent. We had updates; communication was impeccable through May. At the end of the month, they showed finished chairs in a gorgeous dining room and said that soon, happy people would be in them. It was projected to open summer 2014. It looked ready to go.

Then three months passed. Not a single update.


In August, they posted a photo from Sysco that said "Welcome Tin 202," whatever that is supposed to mean. A few people commented "when are you opening?" since it seemed like they were so close months ago, then this random photo. No response.

Another three months go by.

And today, a staff of shiny happy people are smiling, welcoming visitors to their soft opening 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. for lunch for the next two weeks.

Tin 202 became a running joke. Whenever people would mention if it would open, I would scowl, angry that their customers have been left in the cold with no updates. Communication is so key to any operation. And instead of falling off the earth, why would they not let us know what was going on? Instead, they let people wonder if it would ever open and lose faith in the operation, rather than building excitement.

But today, they're open - soft open, at least. They are a real place. And after all those months of build-up, I'm not so sure it was worth it.

The building is beautiful. The tin ceilings, the dark wood, the white buttoned servers. It's like a speakeasy, and I dig the vibe. It's a little small, with just about five or so four-tops and four two-tops.

Our server was a bit nervous, but he was just fine. We ordered an appetizer of prosciutto wraps. While I thought this might be a little fancy, it instead looks like something someone would serve at a luncheon. I assumed with the toothpicks that I could pick it up and eat it. Nope. The prosciutto is thick, making it chewy and hard to bite through. So I mangled it with my fork and butterknife instead. The mozzarella inside? Small cubes. I assumed it would be fresh - not necessarily made in house, but fresh at least. Suggestion: Thinner prosciutto - so it's like a delicacy - and fresh mozzarella.

For my entree, I went with a filet sandwich, which had filet medallions, caramelized onions and horseradish cream on a toasted kaiser bun.

What I was expecting, I'm not quite sure. But it is kind of odd to eat like a steak on bread. The meat, underseasoned. And overcooked. If I ask for medium, I want to see a pink center. It was a little chewy. And the sauce - almost none to speak of. So, no, it wasn't bad. But there just isn't much flavor. Also, the concept is a little weird.

One friend had the Chicken Chesapeake (chicken, house crab mixture, bacon and cheddar cheese on ciabatta), which he noted was kind of dry, with overcooked chicken and a lack of sauce.

Another had the pulled pork sandwich and found the sauce not great with an underseasoned, overcooked meat.

Another had the chicken gyro and liked it, though the tzatsiki sauce was on it, despite her asking for no dairy.

As we received our checks, I was a little unhappy with a $17 bill ($13 for the sandwich and $2 for my part of the appetizer) .... plus $1.25 for water. Tap water. What? WHAT? A soda is $1.99, and tap water is $1.25. Sigh. I just spent $20 for a mediocre lunch.

The charging for water just rubs me the wrong way - like they're trying to get every last dime out of you. And I'm kind of over mediocre restaurants serving mediocre food. Give me something different. Or, if you're doing things I've seen before - at least make them good. More seasoning, more attention to cooking detail, better ingredients and more thought into items.

EDIT: The owner has reached out and said the charging for water was a glitch and was resolved that first day. They do NOT charge for water anymore. Expect Tin 202 to be next on my Restaurant Redemption list =] Looking forward to trying their dinner.

Grade: C

A small pocket of Bridgeport hides a taste of France. Provence, to be exact.

The Provence Market Cafe is located in an unassuming strip at 603 S Virginia Ave. It's a small space, so reservations are probably a good idea on the weekend.

As soon as we stepped inside, the lady who was carrying trays in front set them down and asked if we had a reservation. When I replied that I did with my last name, she recognized the name immediately and ushered me and my friend to a table. I was a little surprised at the quick, attentive service. She literally stopped what she was doing as we entered (I feel most would continue carrying their tray and come back) and knew who was on the reservation list that night. As the night progressed, this woman wove in and out of the dining room as needed - serving, bussing, greeting folks. It was clear this woman was in charge and really cared about this restaurant.

The inside is a little fancy. Not too fancy. But it's pretty. Some kind of funky art with refined touches.

We were served some bread with sides of butter and tapenade. Love the tapenade. The menu has a bevy of French-inspired dishes like pate, carpaccio and brulee. For an appetizer, I ordered their soup du jour - which was roasted red pepper. At first, I was disappointed that it was barely filled halfway.

But then I took a sip of the soup.

Super creamy and flavorful. A nice peppery taste. I ate every last drop and then used some bread to finish it off. Delicious.

A small house salad preceded my main entree. Some greens, with a mushroom or two and some carrots in their house dressing. Light, but good.

For my main entree, I ordered Timothe's Seafood Pappardelle (and I learned how to pronounce pappardelle) with shrimp, scallops, mussels, white wine, garlic butter and pappardelle noodles. Light, but filling.

It was a nice change of pace from the otherwise heavy, thick cream sauces dumped on noodles. Not that I don't like that - but this was refreshing. The garlic and butter were perfect for the seafood. I was even a huge fan of the mussels. Great flavor, great quality, plus a little fresh tomato touch.

Though I was already stuffed, I wanted to try the dessert since the meal had been stellar thus far. I went for their sweet potato cheesecake, which had a layer of cheesecake, a layer of sweet potato, a brown sugar crunch and a maple topping with nuts. If you want to know what autumn embodied tastes like, eat this.

A fine restaurant not too far from Morgantown, Provence Market shines.

Grade: A

I have a friend - we won't mention her name (but if you read my blog often you'll probably know) - who tends to get on food kicks. Right now, she's really into pho.

There's a pho place in Pittsburgh named "Pho Kim 88," which we have laughed about when we've driven past. Especially funny considering "pho" is more pronounced like "fuh." So "fuh" "kim." Get it? Get it?

Anyway, we began to take this place more seriously when trying to figure out where to get pho nearby. Something possessed us on a Monday night to drive up to Pittsburgh for dinner. I mean, yolo, I guess that's what you can do when you're 25 and have no significant other responsibilities.

I ordered a Royce Roll, which has shrimp tempura, crabmeat, avocado, cucumber and baked salmon and spicy sauce on the outside. This was pretty good. I didn't realize the salmon was baked when I ordered it, so my roll was warm. I think I would've preferred raw salmon, but overall, tasty.

For an appetizer, we ordered the crispy cheese wontons, because I'm obsessed. These were OK. Extra crispy - like brittle/fall apart as soon as you bite crispy. No dipping sauce, so I missed the sweet part of it. But not bad.

For my mail meal (which, btw, I was already stuffed at this point ugh), I got a vermicelli noodles bowl with pork. It came out as a gigantic bowl full of lettuce, beansprouts, onion/fried onion, cilantro, basil, cucumber, carrot, a spring roll, peanut, sesame seed and fish sauce. I could add sauce as I liked, and it turned into a giant salad with noodles and it was amazing. The sauce was a sweet sauce, plus I added some soy sauce. Delicious and tons to take home for leftovers.

OH, and the bubble tea. I haven't had bubble tea where it's actually like a tea. Usually it's like a smoothie with tapioca balls. This is a tea with ice and these little bubbles that burst. I ordered a strawberry one, and it was delicious.

A little ways away from us, but if you're really wanting Vietnamese, I think it's worth it.

Grade: A

Mountaineer Week is one of my favorite times of the year. There's all kinds of people in and around the Mountainlair, a giant craft fair and activities celebrating our Appalachian heritage.

Did I mention food? Mmm kettle corn, Bavarian nuts, deep-fried Oreos, funnel cake... OK, I have no idea how this is related to Appalachian food, but it's delicious. And it's all over the place during this weeklong event.

Ali Baba Restaurant: The Ali Baba & The 40 Thieves Sandwich Challenge contains one giant sandwich with several Greek meats and sauces loaded with lettuce and vegetables. The 4 lb. sandwich must be finished in one sitting.