With a name that translates to "House of Wine," how could a place NOT be amazing?

Casa di Vino, a wine store in Wheeling, has walls full of wine including local options. I just thought this little place was lovely, so I wanted to document it :)

Located in Centre Market, Wheeling, Casa di Vino is one of the premier wine shops in the area. Home of over 300 different wines, we are sure to have something to fit everybody’s taste. In addition to our great selection, we offer many products for winemaking, homebrewing, wine accessories and much more. Casa di Vino giftcards and wine baskets always make the perfect gift around the holidays, birthdays, etc. Join us on the first Friday of every month for our First Friday Wine Tasting.

Unfortunately, I was not here for a Friday wine tasting, but I did find a local wine that I hadn't hear of before! Mountain Moonlight was new to me.

Have you been? what was your favorite purchase?

How it got started: Our son, Adam Oliver, holds a third degree black belt in Taekwondo. In 2004 he had earned a spot on the young men's Team USA and was going to South Korea to compete in the World ITF Championship Tournament. He had competed in three preliminary tournaments in Ohio, Texas and Connecticut to qualify for the team and was thrilled when he was selected to represent the United States at this worldwide tournament along with his friend, Zac Taylor, who had earned a spot on the men's Team USA. My husband, Jim, and Zac's dad, Paul, were asked to go along as chaperones. It was the chance of a lifetime for all of them, but how in the world would we afford the cost of sending two people to South Korea for 10 days? The boys' Taekwondo school, Seszko International, sponsored fund raisers, but we still needed to come up with a majority of the funds needed.

One night, at about 1:00 in the morning, Jim sat straight up in bed and said, "I'm going to bake pies." Still half asleep, I responded, "That's nice, honey," and went back to sleep. Jim learned how to bake from his grandmother when he was a teenager and has loved baking ever since, but I was more than a little skeptical about his ability to bake enough pies to get him to Korea. Within the day, Jim had purchased supplies and began baking pies. The rest of our five kids went all around the neighborhood taking orders for homemade 10-inch fruit and cream pies. Friends, co-worker's, and family all placed their orders and we were soon baking a lot of pie. In six weeks we had baked and sold over 400 pies and earned enough money to send both Adam and Jim on their way, and in October, 2004 they spent an incredible 10 day journey touring and competing in South Korea.

After returning from South Korea, Jim went back to work as a crown and bridge technician in his own dental lab, but we often got calls from people asking, "Are you still making pies?" Several even suggested that we open up a pie shop. We toyed with the idea for several months and Jim decided that he wanted to give it a try, so in July 2005 Oliver's Pies was created. We converted a spare room into a "pie room" and the pie baking quickly took on a life of it's own. Jim would work in the lab during the day, and then we would all team together to bake in the evening for the next day's pie orders. It often meant 14-16 hour long days and limited free time for the whole family.
In February 2007 we opened a pie shop located in the historic Centre Market of Wheeling, WV, which gave us more public exposure and meant we no longer had to rely solely on delivery for our customers. We quickly became known as "The Pie Man" and "The Pie Lady" - word of mouth was an amazing thing. 

A year later in February 2008 we moved the entire baking operation down to Centre Market and then things really took off. Jim had given up his crown and bridge lab at the end of 2007 so that he could concentrate on the baking of Oliver's pies and the entire baking process can be observed by any visitor to the Centre Market. The smell of fresh baked pies is obvious the minute you walk through the door of the Upper Market.
Whole 10-inch pies and 7-inch "half pies" available Monday through Saturday, along with individual slices. We now offer homemade cheesecake, as well. Jim's love for his craft, his love and his respect for his grandmother, and his dedication to his family are found in each and every pie that is baked at Oliver's Pies. By the way, the kid who started it all, Adam, came home from South Korea as a world champion, placing first in the patterns competition, bringing home the gold medal. He returned home in December 2008 after serving a two-year service mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Salta, Argentina Mission.

The shop is inside the main building, with a few tables placed nearby. It's small, intimate and also a bit crazy busy.

When we walked in, I immediately picked up a menu to see my options. Mmmm peanut butter or chocolate peanut butter. Or Old Fashion Egg Custard? But, mmm pecan. I had to. I got a slice of pecan pie and ... oops ... may have taken a bite before I even got a photo ... BUT, that's a testament to how good this thing is. Light, flaky crust with a rich, chewy center and delicious sweet pecans.

So, so good. The only thing that could have made it even better is a glass of cold milk to wash it all down. Ahh, you owe it to yourself to indulge a bit nd get a sweet treat.

Grade: A

And on this episode of me eating my way through Wheeling, I visited The Market Vines Wine Bar & Grille. This restaurant is located in the Centre Market area of town, which is one of my absolute favorite areas with all the little shops, boutiques and restaurants.

Market Vines is actually fairly small, with a bar and few high-tops at the entrance, and a few lower tables toward the back. It's mostly one open space with basic features and furnishings. Less of a wine bar, more of a simple restaurant that also serves wine.

The menu has a few options: deep-fried appetizers (pickles, cheese balls, zucchini, onion petals, breaded ravioli, etc.), chicken wings, salads, wraps, burgers, hot dogs, and sandwiches (including Coleman's Fish!).

So, I ordered the bacon cheeseburger:

Recently, I stopped through Wheeling for a cup of coffee on my way to Wellsburg. I had already been to Wheeling Coffee Shoppe, which seems to be the premier coffee shop in town (and it was good!), so I wanted to try a new one. When searching, Wheeling Coffee & Spice Co. came up.

I went a little out of my way downtown, found a street parking spot right outside and walked into this beautiful, historic building. Inside, there is a small walkway, with high-top tables on either side all done up for the holidays. Poinsettia placemats, flowers centerpieces and large nutcrackers decorated the shop. In the next room over, there was a bit more of a laidback, lounge vibe with couches and bookshelves.

More than 100 years have passed, but many of the traditions are still alive at Wheeling Coffee & Spice Co. The wholesale and retail company remains in the original buildings, graced with four iron columns marked "Sweeneys Co. 1858 Wheeling, Va.," predating the state itself. The Burns coffee roasters manufactured by the Blaw-Knox Company in 1884 are still operational and are used for single batch roasting most of our gourmet coffees.

The beans are slow roasted, hand-raked and air-cooled producing a unique distinctive taste. Paramount Coffee may be purchased in one-pound paper bags designed and copyrighted in 1931, and more important, we still deliver the excellent cup of coffee which Wheeling Coffee has offered to the public for more than a century. 

Paramount Coffee's Gourmet House Blend is a rich blend of choice Central and South American coffee beans roasted to perfection. Wheeling Coffee offers many delicious gourmet and flavored coffees as well as gift baskets and gift boxes for every need. When in the Wheeling area, please drop by and allow our staff to show you some of the interesting aspects of our company's history while you enjoy a cup of our great tasting coffees.

So, I walked up to the front, passing a few other patrons sitting at the tables and looked around. There was no one behind the counter. I figured they were in the back. Nope. After about 30 seconds, one of the women who was sitting at one of the tables talking to her friend got up and got behind the counter. She literally watched me walk past her, stand at the counter awkwardly while she continued to talk to her friend for a solid 30 seconds before she got up to address me.

Then, when I asked a few questions about the menu - like "What is a 'Milky Way'?" She seemed annoyed. I settled on a simple mocha. But, as she was making it, she stopped to address a person who came in after me to pick up a package. Then, she stopped again to talk to that same woman. This woman stood up and stood right beside me, and the two carried on a conversation while I stood there awkwardly just waiting for my single coffee. Finally, she handed it to me, I got a white chocolate chip macadamia nut biscotti and paid. I said thank you. The woman ignored me and kept talking to her friend.

Well, I was actually a little shocked at how poor this customer service was. Not only was my wait held up way longer than it should have been because she initially ignored me and then was tending to other people who came in after me ... but then even when I tried to say thank you for my coffee, she simply ignored me. The service here is some of the worst I've had in recent memory.

The good thing is that I enjoyed my coffee. I think it was tasty; definitely had my taste of the espresso, but the remainder - essentially hot chocolate - was smooth and had the distinctive milk froth. The biscotti, from Pittsburgh, is always tasty.

If you go in expecting a not-so-warm welcome and knowing that you may feel as though you're interrupting a private conversation, you may be better prepared than what I was. That may be the price you pay for a decent cup of coffee in downtown Wheeling. Until I find a better one.

Grade: B