Did you know there are only a handful of Firehouse Subs in West Virginia? So few that I had never even been to one until the recent opening of the location at University Town Center. Two are in Charleston, one in Bridgeport, one in Fairmont, one in Huntington, one in Vienna and one in White Hall. And, Morgantown is the newest.

My thoughts? Not bad for a chain.

Preston County's oldest brewery, Screech Owl Brewing, opened just a few months ago. How? This brewery, the only brewery in Preston County, is producing small batch beers out of a garage in Bruceton Mills.

Currently, there are just a few seats used to sample the various beers, but you can purchase growlers here from the friendly couple who runs this operation.

So, of course, Vicki, Steve and I had to have a sampler to see what we liked best! Bold Blonde Ale is a light, easy drinking beer. The Threshing Floor Wheat is a good wheat beer - I love a Hefeweizen, so that's no surprise. The Wild & Wonderful Strawberry Ale - which recently was on tap at Iron Horse - isn't so much sweet, as it has a very fruity smell at the end. Even the biggest hophead I know, ahem Vicki, was a big fan. The Adalyn's Brown Ale was a bit heavy for me and has a bit of a bitter taste at the end. The Rykers Revenge IPA wasn't too overwhelming as an IPA, which I appreciated.

I love that they considered naming the brewery Chicken Lips, because that was a nickname my dad often used for a friend. Just a silly little connection. But by going with Screech Owl Brewing, they can abbreviate to SOB, which they like.

I left with a small growler full of the strawberry ale - not even a super sweet beer, but a lovely smelling beer. And, you know, smell contributes in large part to the flavor of things.

Have you been? What's your fav?

I've heard great things about Julio's Cafe - from a New York Times piece to praise from locals. My friend Kayla recently visited this place and once again raved about the meal. I implored her to go once again - with me - so I can finally experience it.

We went to Julio's after work one week night. When we walked inside, there was no one to greet us -- for at least 10 minutes. It was uncomfortable. There was one other couple in the front dining space that just kept casually looking at us as we lingered around the large wooden bar waiting to be seated. Kayla even wandered to the back to find someone, but no one was in sight. Finally, someone came out and told us to sit wherever we wanted. No apologies for the wait. Meh.

We were handed menus, which was nice because I know that they sometimes (or at least used to) not give out menus and rather simply read off the list of menu options.


I quickly put in an order for the "Signature Tomato Plate" because I was starving, and I'm a sucker for anything "signature." Fresh tomatoes paired with fontanella, provolone, pecorino romano, bocconcini mozzarella and topped with their homemade secret sauce. Count me in.

The thick chunks of tomato were delicious, and there were three hunks of fresh mozzarella, and delicious crumbly wedges of the fontanella. I didn't love the thin slices of provolone - I feel like they could've been thicker or not at all. Also the secret sauce was essentially a pesto - and a balsamic would've been delicious. But, it was tasty and a nice fresh first bite.

While waiting for our entrees, I noticed how cool the dark tin ceiling and wooden accents and art was. A lava lamp accompanied each table. Its vibe harkens back to an old-school Italian restaurant - apparently with roots in Calabrian cooking. Many of the immigrants in the Glen Elk area hail from the province of Calabria, so having a restaurant that reflects that type of homestyle cooking makes sense.

We were served a basket of garlic toast, alongside olive oil, crushed red pepper and grated Parmesan cheese to make a small pool of yummy.

Next up was pasta e fagiole with beans and pasta in a light broth. I wish I were a bigger fan of beans, but they just don't do much for me.

My entree arrived in a massive heap. Layers of pasta took turns with a delicious cheese mixture and meat to create a tasty tower covered in a perfect red sauce. This sauce has a great flavor - a deep, rich tomato base with a nice spice and sweet. Not too thick, but not too runny. Very good.

Kayla ordered the Costanza, which was sundried tomatoes in a vodka cream sauce. I snuck a bite, and it was also quite good! I love a vodka sauce. I was surprised the sundried tomatoes weren't chunks within (which would have been a good texture variation), but rather were integrated into the sauce. Tasty.

We couldn't pass up the dessert. I went for a brownie with vanilla ice cream, and Kayla went with a butter pecan ice cream dessert. Both delicious; both diet-busters. Worth it? Yes.

I think, for the most part, this is a lovely little restaurant. I think it has some good, traditional food, and I think it has a great history. I think the first 10 minutes of my experience here set a not great tone, which was a bit hard for me to overlook. Fortunately, the food is tasty - and the basics here (like the red sauce) are phenomenal.

Grade: B

Peace, Love and Little Donuts, which I know from its Strip District location, just opened in the Suncrest Towne Centre between the No. 1 Super Buffet and the nail salon. The hippie-themed mini donut shop, whose owner seems to have some opinions contrary to the message of the shop, has about 20 or so locations across the country. For me, these mini cake donuts are a welcome addition to this town mostly void of donuts, save for large chain shops.

My friend Heather saw that this place was open, so she scooped me up after work and we met some friends here. It was literally the first day they were open, so menus weren't up and neither were prices. But the important thing is that the donuts were ready to go.

So, the shop serves up delicious mini cake donuts in three categories: Groovy (plain, sugared, powdered or glazed), Far Out (with frosting), Funkadelic (customized or special toppings). The funkadelic are the fun, special ones that you can see in the photos.


While waiting in line, we were handed a free sample cinnamon sugar donut. So, that prompted me to order five mini donuts to fill a six-pack. Makes sense, right? OK, here were my choices.

Birthday Cake: vanilla icing dipped in streusel/sprinkle mix
Strawberry Cheesecake: cream cheese, graham cracker, 2-3 strawberries
S'mores: chocolate icing, graham cracker, chocolate drizzle, 3 mini marshmallows
Salted Caramel Macchiato: mocha icing, marbled chocolate shavings, caramel drizzle, small pinch of kosher salt
Dirt: chocolate icing, Oreo pieces, gummy worm, chocolate drizzle
Old-Fashioned Cake Donut (this was the free sample one)

My favorite was definitely the Salted Caramel Macchiato, which was just amazing. The others were all good, but that was my standout. My friends also got a variety of donuts that I wanted to show ya!

Banana Crunch: banana icing, Nestle Crunch pieces
Lemon Ginger: lemon icing dipped in ginger sugar
Birthday Cake: vanilla icing dipped in streusel/sprinkle mix
Banana Crunch: banana icing, Nestle Crunch pieces
Cookie Dough: chocolate icing, dipped in streusel and chocolate chip mix
S'mores: chocolate icing, graham cracker, chocolate drizzle, 3 mini marshmallows


Apple Pie: vanilla icing, streusel, apple slice, caramel drizzle, pinch of cinnamon
Dirt: chocolate icing, Oreo pieces, gummy worm, chocolate drizzle
Blueberry Pancake: maple icing, blueberries
Tree Hugger: maple icing, granola and chocolate chip mix, chocolate drizzle
Maple Bacon: maple icing and chopped bacon
S'mores: chocolate icing, graham cracker, chocolate drizzle, 3 mini marshmallows
Salted Pretzel: chocolate icing, two pretzel sticks, chocolate drizzle
Cookie Dough: chocolate icing, dipped in streusel and chocolate chip mix
Cinnamon Roll: maple icing, dipped in cinnamon sugar, caramel swirl
Strawberry French Toast: maple icing, dipped in cinnamon sugar, strawberries, pinch of powdered sugar
Salted Caramel Macchiato: mocha icing, marbled chocolate shavings, caramel drizzle, small pinch of kosher salt
Banana Split: banana icing, chocolate chip, cherry on top

So, go! Let me know your favorites or if you have a special custom creation! There's a small seating area, so feel free to sit and chat and send me all your fun creations :)

Grade: A

Mundy's Place is a townie bar that I've long wanted to visit but the opportunity to hadn't presented itself until recently. The bar has changed ownership, and its current owner is Jay - of Jay's Daily Grind and Jay's Getaway fame. A few friends were stopping after work, so I tagged along.

Located in First Ward, Mundy's is super welcoming with a bit of an older crowd. Large windows let in lots of light, and it's impeccably clean. It's casual, comfortable and simple. I dig that.

I walked up to the bar to order a hot dog. Chili, slaw, mustard and onions, please. And while the menu says there is a "West Virginia-style" with chili and coleslaw, I'm willing to argue my version is the true West Virginia style. After just a few moments, we were delivered our finely crafted hot dogs.

Really, look how nice. Delicious? Yes. Love the chili sauce, too. Slaw was fresh and not too liquid-y. Simple, but good.

My friend Lisa got the Sonoran-style hot dog, which came with bacon, beans, onions, mustard, peppers, tomato, mayo and Sriracha - which also looked super good!

If you want a relaxing, calm environment (which is sometimes hard to come by in Morgantown) to enjoy a beer, check out Mundy's.

Grade: A