I needed lunch on Saturday in Fairmont. We saw a steady stream of people pouring into The Firehouse Cafe. How fortuitous, because typically the Firehouse Cafe isn't open on Saturdays. But because of the festival, they opened (and for other large town events, they told me).

Typically they're open Mon.-Wed. 10 a.m.-3 p.m.; Thurs.-Fri. 10 a.m.-7 p.m. They do have music some evenings/weekends. Though, it would usually be tough for me to get here working in Morgantown.

But I got lucky.

The Firehouse Cafe is a small restaurant located on Adams Street. It has - you guessed it - a firefighter theme. The husband of the couple who owns the restaurant is/was a firefighter. There is a ton of firefighter memorabilia all the walls in the form of plaques and photos, as well as toy fire trucks and more.

Walk to the back of the restaurant and order at the counter. I was kind of tired and didn't know what to order in the sea of sandwiches, wings, salads and dinners. Nothing out of the ordinary, but I wanted to know what the best thing was. The family operating this restaurant is the best. The girl working the counter was listing some of the best options, and her mom walked by seconding the chicken nuggets and noted they used to bribe the girl working to clean her room with the nuggets.

Sold.

I had a seat while Lisa placed her order - and proceeded to talk to the mom for, at least, 10 minutes. These people are SUPER friendly and welcoming. I felt like I was at home, which was perfect because I was tired from the day and just felt cozy here. The interior itself is dated and a bit cluttered, but it's warm.

My nuggets - with the requested garlic parmesan - and a side of ranch were brought out quickly. They were bangin. Small chunks of white breast meat, fried and topped with garlic and parmesan. How can that be bad? Plus the quality was good, so yessss.

There's nothing particularly unique in terms of food options. But what they do is good, homestyle food that is made fresh and with a smile. You can't beat that.

Grade: A

I've heard so many good things about Joe-N-Throw in Fairmont - a coffee house/pottery studio that serves up beer, sandwiches and local art. Does that sound like a place fit for me or what?

While I was in Fairmont, I passed this place, not realizing where it was, and vowed to eat there while in town for the day. After the festival, we did just that.

After perusing the menu (which looked tasty), we realized we arrived just after 2 p.m., and lunch was no longer being offered. Total bummer.

That's OK, though, because they have muffins and other tasty pastries to accompany your coffee (or beer, no one is judging here).

I ordered their last gigantic blueberry muffin in the case along with a cafe mocha. This muffin was gigantic and probably 1,000 calories, but it was delicious. I'm assuming freshly baked that morning. My coffee was good, too, and a nice little pick-me-up on a cold day. I only needed a few sips, though, to feel all the caffeine I needed for the day.

So, let's go through the list here: tasty, creative sandwiches. Check. Homemade pastries. Check. Local beer. Check. Coffee. Check. Plus lots of local art, pottery and just a really cool, laidback coffee shop atmosphere.

If you live in Fairmont, go here every day. For me.

Grade: A

When Afton and I went to Bridgeport to stop at our closest Sephora, we stopped to get dinner at Mia Margherita. It was an odd experience.

Where I was seated, I was facing an open area where the staff were just kind of standing around in the dining area waiting on people as they came in. It was super awkward to just be facing these people as they're talking.

And the service was a bit off. We started off with fried calamari, but I think our waitress tried to give it to the table next to us first. I'm not generally a huge fan of calamari, and this was really no different. There was a lemon cream dipping sauce that didn't do much for me, but underneath, there was this sweet and sour sauce I liked much better. But still, just kind of soggy, greasy chewy bits.

For our main entrees, we actually ordered two and split them. First, we had the gorgonzola mac and cheese, because how could you not? Creamy gorgonzola, pancetta, capicolla, garlic and herb breadcrumbs. For an entree portion, I guess I was expecting it to be much larger. The flavor was OK. Got a bit of that kick. The breadcrumbs were just kind of on top; they could've been baked in more so that when you breathe in, you don't inhale all of it. We each ate half, and my tummy was still rumbling.

The other dish we ordered was a small West Virginia via San Francisco pizza. It has pepperoni, sausage, mozzarella, ricotta and parmigiano reggiano. This pizza wasn't bad. The dollops of ricotta could've been more strategic so you actually get some in each bite. Otherwise, it's kind of a regular pizza with sausage. I did like the sauce, though, and the bites with ricotta were pretty good.

With just half the macaroni and cheese and half the smallest pizza, I was still pretty hungry. So I got dessert, too. I ordered the warm gallettes napoleon, which is a fresh-baked Italian cookie, vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce.


First of all, there's no ice cream. It's more like a whipped cream. It was good, though. The dark chocolate part I wasn't crazy about, but the cookie itself was tasty. Chilled and a little hard, but a light sweetness I enjoyed.

So maybe it was because it was coming on the heels of a really great Italian dinner I had recently. Or maybe it was just because the service and atmosphere were a bit off, but I wasn't super impressed. It was pretty average to me. Plus I was still hungry when I left - despite having shelled out more than $20. Meh, I don't know. Maybe another time.

Grade: C

The Feast of the Seven Fishes is an Italian celebration on Christmas Eve that features dishes made with fish and seafood. Seven dishes (sometimes more) are prepared using seafood. While I didn't see anything starting particular dishes are required, there are definitely some popular ones, like fried smelts, fish stew and more.

North Central West Virginia has a large Italian population, so it makes sense to have a festival honoring this tradition in Fairmont. I'm told the festival came to be because of a book, or graphic novel, that showcased a family cooking fish on Christmas Eve. The book spearheaded the launch of the festival and celebration of the Italian heritage.

The Feast of the Seven Fishes festival was held on Adams Street in downtown Fairmont this past Saturday (Dec. 13). There's no fee to get in, but the vendors all have wares and food for sale. Entertainment from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. included Benjamin DeFazio, Jenna Won't Sing and 5 Guys Named Moe.

They have a "cooking school" as part of the festival, which are demonstrations that feature eight classic Italian dishes prepared by local chefs. Tickets for those were $20 per person and included samples of dishes and a glass of wine.

A holiday artisan market was held indoors and had pottery, cutting boards, baking supplies, soaps and lotions, as well as coffee and cookies at the cafe area.

Street vendors had everything from steak hoagies to kettle corn to cannolis to baked goods. This is where I was really searched for those seafood dishes. The most I found was crab soup, lobster ravioli, fried calamari and seafood chowder. Not quite seven.

Lisa did buy one dish - just to have a taste of the Seven Fishes - from Heston Farms Foxfire Restaurant. We got the lobster ravioli for $7. It was pretty tasty, though not quite impressive with the five or so raviolis. It was very good, though.

If you're willing to brave a very chilly mid-December Saturday to check out the festival, it is a nice little getaway. Plus it's a great chance to learn about new artisans in the area and get some very tasty grub!

While in Fairmont, Lisa and I stumbled upon All Things Herbal.

This little market has local, organically grown meat, produce, eggs and dairy, as well as herbs, yoga and local artisan products. It's just a super cool little place, and if you get the chance, you should totally check it out.