I have a hard time choosing between the coolest small towns in West Virginia. There's Davis/Thomas, Fayetteville, Shepherdstown, Elkins and Lewisburg. I really love each of them, so I was super happy to get the chance to head to one - Lewisburg - recently for some cider scouting.


Before cider, I stopped at Hill and Holler first for some lunch. Hill and Holler brings two loves together: pizza and bikes. Add in some live music, and you have a haven for every Appalachian hipster. Read: Me.

Located on North Jefferson Street, it's right along the main drag in Lewisburg and is housed in this log cabin-esque building.


Inside, it's beautiful. Large windows allow in tons of light; there are a few loungey areas and TVs. Lots of wood accents and exposed beans and duct work. I'm a fan; it's quite lovely.

This bike repair/rental shop-turned-restaurant features local ingredients on their "Neapolitan" pizzas. The dough proofs for three days before cooking in the wood-fired oven, which reaches up to 850 degrees and cooks the pizza within two minutes.

I walked in and up to the counter to look over the menu. It wasn't busy, so I took a minute to figure out which pizza looked best. Once I saw The Forager, I couldn't get past it: pancetta, roasted garlic, wild mushrooms and fresh herbs. Mmm.

This was very good. Very savory, very umami. I almost wish there was just a touch of something sweet to balance it out - maybe a balsamic or cranberry or something. But, it had a nice browned crust, bubbly cheese and delicious mushrooms and crunchy pancetta. What a perfect combo.

Such a cool place to grab a drink, grab a pie and rent a bike for a ride. Will definitely be back.

Grade: A

This bakery, located in downtown Weirton, has been a staple in the town for a long time:

Around 1912, Gus Monezis, and his brother, George, immigrated from Greece to America. Gus came to Weirton, WV, and began working at Weirton Steel Company. George moved to McKeesport, PA, and became employed as a baker and cake decorator at the William Penn Hotel. He later opened his own bakery, the Minerva Pastry Shop.

Gus had three sons and one daughter in Greece. After he got settled, he brought the entire family to Weirton. Two of the sons, Nick and George, were taught the bakery business by great uncle George.

Uncle George started Royal Pastry on Main Street in south Weirton. In the 1935, Nick took over the business and young George went into the Army. In 1960, Nick's son, Gus (named for his grandfather), and his daughter, Helen, and her husband, Nick, took over the operations. Helen and her husband eventually moved to Illinois in 1969, and Gus became the sole proprietor of the bakery. Gus then introduced his own wife, Aggie, and daughters to the business.

Gus's Goodies may have seen a few name changes throughout the years, but it's still the same family business that started so many years ago; and it's still located on Main Street in south Weirton.

What happened to the other Monezis bakers? Great uncle George had a son, George Jr., and he had a son, Mark. They, along with George's wife, Irene, and daughter, Cathy, still operate the bakery in McKeesport, PA.

"My cousin, George Jr., has been my mentor over the years," says Gus, "and I owe a lot to him for all he has taught me."

The bakery sells decorated cakes, foam cakes and wedding cakes, as well as donuts, cookies and pies.

On this day, there were tons of goodies in the case. I wavered between sugar cookies topped with pumpkin icing and these delicious looking cupcakes.


The cakes they had for display were just on a different level, though I, unfortunately, couldn't justify buying a whole cake. Though I did try to talk myself into it.

Instead, I ended up getting a pumpkin sugar cookie and a homemade buckeye. I also ended up with Kaitlynn's white chocolate chip macadamia nut cookie (which happens to be my favorite) because she forgot it in my car. Muahahah.

So, wow.

The pumpkin cookie was good! Sugar cookie with sprinkles, so this can't be bad, right?

The buckeye was made with a sort of chunkier peanut butter - which I actually liked. Milk chocolate + peanut butter is an unbeatable combo.

And, finally, that cookie! I mean, of course it's good too! Chewy, sweet, a nice golden brown. Just delish.

And, I think it's probably tough to grade this place poorly, because it's all desserts. And, I clearly can't say no to desserts. But, I like its history in the community and the memories I have with this place. I think the products they create are also very good. They're beautiful, tasty and locally owned. It doesn't get much better than that.

Grade: A

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