Diogi's Latin Fusion Restaurant is a well-known restaurant in Fayetteville that recently rebranded a bit and moved to a new location. The dog-themed restaurant serves up latin cuisine and even allows furry friends to dine alongside companions.



Diogis has a large dining area, dog photos adorning the walls and dog treats as centerpieces (didn't love that, tbh). But what I did love: the appetizer of chips and queso we scarfed down in, like, five minutes flat. Mmm queso.



The salsa was actually pretty good, too. The main menu consists of some burgers, carnitas, chimichangas, fajitas, enchiladas and tacos. What stood out to me? Fish tacos! Mmm. They came with three soft flour tortillas with grilled or fried fish, chipotle lime cabbage, pico de gallo, chipotle lime crema and fresh cilantro.

These tacos were pretty good. But man they were kinda tough to eat. There were so many toppings, they were spilling out and over the edges. It was tough to get bites of all the ingredients at once. BUT, when I did manage that feat, it was the perfect combo of fried fish, fresh tomatoes and chipotle cream.

I had a side of fried plantains, which were just slightly sweet. But I actually nibbled on quite a few of these. Tony had the "spicy papas" as his side.



Overall, I think this place was good. I think my fish tacos were pretty good, actually. I just think the execution could be slightly better. Portion them out a bit so I can get all the intended flavors in a single bite. The queso was good. Tony found his meal satisfactory. The dog biscuits on my table though... not loving that.

Grade: B

OK, let's chat about another Morgantown Farmers Market vendor! I picked up some ground sirloin from Hawthorne Valley Farms and just had to learn a little more. Lisa gives us a little background:

Hawthorne Valley Farm is run by an husband and wife, Liz & Frank Abruzzino in Harrison County, WV (close-ish to Clarksburg). Active in the West Virginia Cattleman's Association, they specialize in grass fed beef cattle, exclusively Black Angus. You can find their products at the farmers market, which besides beef, Liz makes vinegars, they grow award winning popcorn, herbs, veggies, and gourds, which are turned in to painted bird houses. They sell at multiple farmers markets and you can find their beef in lots of restaurants in North Central WV. Though newer vendors at the morgantown farmers market recently, they sold at the market previously closer to it's infancy. They are definitely not strangers to farming or marketing! - http://capitolbev.com/hvf/

So, spill! What's your favorite item from Hawthorne Valley Farms? If you haven't tried their ground beef sirloin, you must!

Photo by Sher Yip

This second Motown Mac N' Cheese Cook Off brought out the cheesiest area competitors on Saturday, Aug. 8. Seven local restaurants - and two home cooks! - battled to see who had the best macaroni and cheese dish at the Morgantown Market Place Pavilion.

This year's event was a bit different from last year's. The judges (me, Gretchen Ross and Craig Behr) actually got our servings first in a kind of quickfire round, before the two different tasting sessions opened to the public. I'm super lucky to have the opportunity, and I was happy to be able to mingle with some friend after the judging. First was the home cooks. Then we got into the restaurants!

Home Cooks - There were two home cook entries this year in the new category. And both were really good! The first was a Southwest Mac & Jack, which had Monterey cheese and salsa and sausage and crushed tortilla chips on top. Quite tasty.

Photo by Sher Yip

The second was "Millie Maxine's Sweet Southern Mac," which may have been the best macaroni and cheese I've ever had in my life. It had both shells and wagon wheel noodles in a super cheesy and slightly sweet creamy sauce. It was just incredible.



Terra Cafe - Stuffed poblano southwest mac accompanied by a a mini local beef taco bowl and green chili avocado sauce. All locally sourced ingredients for this dish are from Possum Tail Farm and Round Right Farms. First off, can I say how much I love that I get a card that says what's in Terra's dishes? I LOVE that. Also, I love that they used local ingredients. Of all the macaroni and cheese dishes, I would say this one was the lightest tasting. I think maybe the chili avocado sauce added a bit of freshness? Not sure, but it just didn't feel as heavy or super rich as the others.

Photo by Sher Yip

Photo by Sher Yip

Hash Browns & New Grounds - Jalapeno gnocchi with grilled pepperoni, a red chili sauce, and a panko topping. Cody was the people's choice winner last year. And I was SO excited to have this dish this year! I had it when I visited him before, and it blew me away. It's delicious, as always. And that pepperoni? From Marino Brothers in Clarksburg!

Photo by Sher Yip

Photo by Sher Yip

Soul Brothers - Southern-style macaroni and cheese featuring a sweet cornbread and collard green garnish topped with fried chicken. This dish had colby and jack cheese and can actually be found on the menu daily at Soul Brothers - the only competitor that brought a dish regularly on their menu. This was one of my very favorites. I kept coming back to this, grabbing bits of sweet cornbread, with the salty chicken and creamy mac and cheese.

Photo by Sher Yip

Photo by Sher Yip

The 3rd Annual Best Chef Cook Off brought out some of Morgantown's best local restaurants to compete head-to-head to be named Morgantown's "Best Chef" or having the "Best WV Homestyle Dish." The event, which proceeds benefit the Morgantown History Museum, was held Thursday, Aug. 6 at Lakeview Golf Resort and Spa.



This was actually my first time at this event (Sher had gone before and I used his photos), and I only found out about it a few days beforehand. I picked up my ticket ($25) at the museum and got to eatin'!



Tropics - Kalua pork island dumplings (with kung pao sauce, creamy horseradish BBQ, or sweet & spicy mango). Dutch Oven Blackberry Cobbler. Tropics featured the chef who won the previous two years, Jason Hammack. He was previous with The Lakehouse, but has switched jobs and is currently at a restaurant under the same owner of Tropics. The dumpling that I tried, with the kung pao sauce, was pretty tasty. The cobbler, though, was so good I ended up having seconds at the end of the night.



Preston County Inn - Creamed chicken over a biscuit. I think this was my favorite dish I've ever had from the Preston County Inn. I do love a creamed chicken, and this was executed perfectly.


Lakehouse - Spinalis ribeye stuffed with gorgonzola cheese, black pepper bacon, fresh baby spinach and arugula, accompanied with spicy blue cheese cream sauce and cajun shrimp. My cut was a bit chewy, but they certainly went all out with the accoutrements here. Lots of creamy, savory additions here - plus a little twist on a surf and turf.

Sabraton Station - French cut chicken wings (with mild, medium, hot, bbq, honey mustard, Corona, or thai sauce). This is a simple dish, but tasty! Just two chicken wings, served with a variety of sauces.

Coach's Crab Shack - Saffron rice with Caribbean shrimp and potatoes. Lobster and grits with collard greens and cajun gravy. One of my favorites of the night. I didn't quite get it at first - it's a little Middle East mixed with southern. But it still centered around seafood, and it was quite delicious.

Lakeview Golf Resort & Spa - Southern fried chicken biscuit with cajun remoulade. Sweet tea. OK this was my absolute favorite of the night. Lakeview, the home base team here, really brought it. I know it seems like just a basic chicken biscuit, but it was spicy - but not too spicy - with a real kick in the breading, and there was honey oozing from the bottom biscuit. So the sweet and spicy. Plus the sweet tea - which I typically don't even like - was amazing.

Table 9 - Fried chicken with thai peanut sauce, thai basil, cilantro and smoked peanuts. If there's one thing I can always count on, Table 9 will have the most beautifully plated dish. Think of it as a modern take on a thai fried chicken. Love these flavors.

Iron Horse Tavern - Pork belly pierogi with cherry tomatoes, balsamic and romano cheese. It seemed a few folks did the sort of dumpling/pierogi route. I loved that Iron Horse listed all the local farms they made this dish with, and everything was fresh.

Atomic Grill - Prime rib in a port wine reduction with figs and cherries, crawfish cake with lemon hazelnut, potato cheesecake and mint pea puree. I think Atomic wins for most creative. They took some chances. This cut was mostly fat, but the flavors were still on point.


The Dancing Fig - Scandinavian pupusa with braised pork butt, fresh mozzarella and fresh herbs topped with pickled cabbage and sauces. Smoked fish dip with local green tomatoes and fresh dill on focaccia crisp. Last but not least! I like how they showed two different bites here. And I don't think I've ever had a pupusa. Some good flavors and cool textures.

WINNERS:

Best WV Homestyle Dish: Preston County Inn (Jean-Manuel Guillot)
Best Chef Runner-Up: Coach's Crab Shack (Erikka Hooper)
Best Chef: The Lakehouse (Shane Valentine)