How about this combination: Books + candy and ice cream. Does it get much better than that?

When Kaitlynn and I stumbled upon this book store in Weirton, imagine our surprise when we learned there was also ice cream. I mean, if you're trying to plan my perfect home-away-from-home, make it have books, coffee and ice cream, and I'm pretty much set.

When walking into Weirton Book Company, you see giant jars of all kinds of candies, gummies and other goodies. A long freezer full of ice cream occupies the right side of the space, and then down a level, there are rows and rows of books.

There were two books in particular I had a hard time walking away from (saving them for another time), but of course, I wasn't going to pass up the ice cream.

They use ice cream from Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream and have a ton of different flavors. Fat Elvis, S'mores, Caramel Apple Pie, Pumpkin Pecan Pie, Salty Caramel Truffle. Obviously I had a tough time deciding, but I ultimately went with "This Sh!t Just Got Serious" and "Salty Caramel Truffle." The first, not only do I lie the name, but it has "smooth salted caramel ice cream brimming with rich sea salt fudge and salted cashews."

Two heaping piles of ice cream later, I was swimming in a salted caramel heaven. Ribbons of caramel, chewy truffles, everything that a caramel-lover ... loves.

So, I could spend some serious time here. I didn't come as much as I wished when I lived in the Northern Panhandle, but what a great place.

And, if you want to pick up just some red gummi bears? They got you covered. What about that obscure book about West Virginia monsters? Yep. And profanity-laced ice cream? You betcha.

Have you been? What are your favorite gets? Next time, I want to try one of those ice cream concoctions made with the yummy flavors!


Grade: A

After Kaitlynn and I had lunch, we were craving something sweet (OK, mainly I was craving something sweet). And considering it was a Sunday in a small town, this was no small feat.

Eventually, I realized that Undo's would likely be open - it's a local restaurant that has expanded into a few different locations: Benwood (the original), St. Clairsville - Ohio, Elm Grove and Weirton.

Weirton's location is actually right inside a Holiday Inn. A little strange. But, we went with it. I was actually pretty excited to check out Undo's because I had never been - and I remember hearing the commercial jingle though - pizza, pasta, seafood and more ... Undo's is the place to be when you crave a taste of Italy... :)

And as soon as we sat down, we were presented with the complimentary appetizer - a cheesy bread with marinara dipping sauce. It's kinda of like a mini pizza without the toppings. Definitely a good way to start off dinner.

When we sat down, we quickly learned there were a handful of dessert options, and I was OK with that. Kaitlynn wasn't a fan of what they had listed and ended up getting a snack instead. I also got a snack because 1) solidarity but also 2) because I never had Undo's food so I wanted to try SOMETHING. And we weren't hungry enough to warrant the buffet they had going on this day.

Also, look at that cute little tin of garlic butter they put overtop the candle so it melts. How neat?

So, my order was tiramisu and the pepperoni rolls (things you can do as an adult -- even if you shouldn't). It doesn't get much more West Virginia Italian than that. And, I gotta say, their version of the pepperoni roll was on point. It had a nice crisp outer that exposed a fluffy dough inside with a hunk of hot pepper cheese. The top was brushed with butter, herbs and parmesan. These couple-bite rolls were pretty damn good. Traditional, no. But a tasty take on a classic? Absolutely.

The tiramisu was pretty good, too. The coffee-flavored Italian dessert has really begun to grow on me - it's light in a sense, and just soul-soothing.

As one blogger put it:

It’s easy to tell if you’ve made a tiramisu just right. Each bite will have rich yet airy yellowish cream, a touch of alcohol, and dreamily soft (but not mushy) coffee-flavored ladyfingers. It should also have a subtle sweetness with just the right bitterness from the coffee and cocoa powder.

My biggest problem is that our server just like left halfway through. We honestly weren't sure how to pay without our checks or knowing where to go.

They have a pretty big menu with all things Italian and more. The space is decent, with a buffet, as well as a sports bar section. The location may be a bit strange, but at least there's simple parking. And, the appetizer and dessert were both good, but the service left something to be desired.

Grade: B

Growing up, we never went out to eat. We couldn't really afford it, and there weren't a ton of options nearby. That, in part, I think fueled my desire to explore and experience new things. But, it also left me without really trying many of the places near my hometown.

Each time I go home, I try to remedy that. There are a few stalwart restaurants in the Wellsburg-Follansbee-Weirton area that date back many, many years. And, I'm slowly trying to tick them off my list as I get the opportunity.

When I was recently in town to see BFF Kaitlynn (!), we went to Vito's Restaurant in Follansbee. This brick building right on the main drag of town doesn't especially stand out, but it does give off the ~Italian~ vibe that is strong through the town.

The first thing I was perplexed by was whatever "AYCE pasta" is. I saw it was their special for the day, and I thought maybe that was named after someone? Nope, I'm just an idiot. It's All You Can Eat pasta.

After we were seated, I looked over the menu. Wings are a big seller, and the pasta looked good, so I went for the gnocchi, which was described as potato dumplings topped with sauce and a meatball. I opted for the marinara, but I was presented with the meat sauce. Oh well.

First, a bit of garlic bread was fine. Nothing too extravagant here.

Then, a house salad. Again, nothing too exciting. Basic.

I also had a lobster bisque, which I thought was actually pretty good. Creamy and rich, if not a bit settled. Definitely sweeter. A light film covered the top from sitting, but the flavor was good.

The main course presented, though, was at least five portions of pasta. See that photo up there? Not bad - a pretty sweet sauce, and the meatball left something to be desired. But overall, not bad. The gnocchi had a little chew to it - which I love. The sauce was fine, if a touch too sweet. But, pretty decent overall.

I think this is a decent local option. I think it lacks a bit of refinement I've come to expect when dining out. The service was a bit too informal, and there were flies buzzing around. Cheap basics like iceberg lettuce or a single piece of once-frozen garlic bread aren't the touches of a fine establishment (not fine dining, just a good meal out). But, was it cozy and filled the tummy? For sure. I liked the pasta sauce, though I know others would find it far too sweet. And I liked that bisque, though I wish it was void of that film on top. So, little things I think could help make it just a touch nicer. Still, not bad.

Grade: B

Before Brittany left to head back to Nashville, we had to stop at her favorite restaurant: Garcia's. And, it just so happened to have moved locations recently, so I figured it would be a perfect time to do an update.

Garcia's Latin Market began on Pleasant Street selling spices, trinkets, etc., and they then moved to High Street in the former Carvel Ice Cream space, where they also expanded to include a restaurant. And, most recently, they moved up a block to partner with The Cue, making the new restaurant's name "Garcia's Grill at the Cue."

So, my understanding is that it's Garcia's restaurant during the day, and then The Cue has it by night, which makes for an odd dynamic. As you walk down the stairs to the space, you're essentially entering a huge basement. Like, super huge. And, it's all open, so there's just this one brightly colored section that has Garcia's merchandise and restaurant part, and the rest is disjointed with pool tables and random dining spaces and other areas that just look like storage. It's also pretty dark.

But, alas, tacos.

Garcia's has breakfast tacos, family packs, a daily juice, and lunch specials. They have daily special tacos (on this day it was enchilada chicken), as well as standard ones: ground beef, bean & potato, bean & cheese, chorizo & potato, and the ultimate best-taco-you'll-ever-have: spicy chipotle bbq pork.

Well. I didn't know how much I could love tacos until I had this taco. For all that is holy in your life, order a spicy chipotle bbq pork taco. Promise.

So, of course, I got one of the spicy chipotle bbq pork tacos and a bean and cheese one as part of the lunch special, which came with a water, chips & salsa, and a cookie.

Chips and salsa were good. You can see they even make and package their own tortilla chips for sale in the shop, which is pretty cool.

The tacos: The bean and cheese was just OK for me. Without the crunch onion and jalapeno, it would be too bland. But that spicy chipotle bbq pork is the stuff dreams are made of. Spicy but sweet and smokey and amazing. Best taco I've ever had.

The cookie, while a nice sweet bite at the end, is chocolate chip. You all know how I feel about chocolate chip at this point. Most people love them; I'm not a fan. I liked the cookie part and mostly spit out the chocolate chips. Monster, I know.

The restaurant still has a corner of merchandise, where you can purchase spices, tea, clothing, baskets, art and more.

They also seem to be hosting a good amount of events with the larger venue space.


Same great tacos, much larger (and darker space). I think there's a lot of opportunity for them to do more, considering they're not constrained by space as much. It's a less visible area and not as bright and cheery as the other one, but I could see them doing some cool stuff here. Looking forward to catching on of their dinners.

Grade: A

The Preston County Inn consistently wins local food contests for their emphasis on local ingredients. But, I've had trouble catching them when they were open. But that all ends today.

We'd stopped at the Preston County Inn around Halloween, so we got to see it in its full spooky glory. It has a bit of history:

The Inn was constructed in the Civil War era by James A. Brown, an attorney and a graduate of West Virginia University. He fell in love with a beautiful girl named Isabel who was from Baltimore. They were married and the house was given to Isabel as a wedding gift from her loving husband.

However, they lived in the house for only one year. Isabel contracted smallpox and soon died. James Brown became a Victorian mourner and would not allow anything belonging to his lovely wife to be touched. Nothing was to be changed or moved. Even her sewing remained as she left it, needle in cloth and thimble nearby. 

Highlighting the exterior decoration of the house was the roof; in large letters of light colored slate was the word "home." Through the years and change of owners, this was either removed or covered with new roofing. Much of the front part of the home has been restored to its original nature. There are a total of seven fireplaces in The Inn, three downstairs and four upstairs. The hearths and mantels have been refinished and restored to their original condition. Guest sleeping rooms were added in 1948 as a new addition to the inn. Also included in this large addition were the large kitchen and dining room.

We'd parked behind the inn and began walking around toward the front when I saw a sign on the side of the building that said to enter this way for the restaurant, which is named "Maxime's at The Inn." So, we walked in and awkwardly around the kitchen and down the main hallway. There was no one to greet us, so we walked around and stood awkwardly in the middle for about five ~long~ minutes until I found a server and asked if we could be seated.

Finally seated, I took a look around. Lots of red glowing Halloween decorations, but also lots of classic art and draperies. It has a bit of charm to it, but it could also use a nice deep-cleaning.

The first thing I noticed is that they had a salad bar. You don't see that often at local restaurants. So, I knew that was in my future. While there were many options on the salad bar - including macaroni salads, seafood salads, etc. - they weren't exactly fresh. In fact, the tomatoes had mold all over them, which cast a shadow of doubt on the quality of the rest of the food.

I tried, but I couldn't mentally get over it. I nibbled on things and they were fine, but ultimately set it aside and hoped the entree would prove better.

The menu has a little bit of everything, but I felt like I needed to go the homestyle route. I ordered the meatloaf and mashed potatoes, which came with a thick brown gravy overtop. I can't say this is my favorite iteration of the meal - I prefer a tomato sauce.  This meal was just fine - everything needed a little bit of work. The corn was chewy, the mashed potatoes were very thick and stiff. The meatloaf was dry, and that gravy didn't help. Was it bad? No, it was fine, but would I order this again? No.

I hope there are far better options on the menu, and I totally dig their use of local ingredients when they're competing, but it didn't shine for me this time. I also appreciated how the owner had the chef whip up a simple stir-fry upon learning my friend was gluten-free (but I also suspect he was just wanting to use up the salad bar).

It's also likely I could've chosen poorly. I'm known to do that. What have you had there that you like? What's the best thing on the menu?

Also, of note is the Norma Jean Bar -- lots of Marilyn Monroe happening. Lots of cool little tidbits in this place, but not a total home run for me.