There's a new-ish sports bar in the Northern Panhandle that has been making a name for itself in the craft beer arena - offering great local options. Basil's Sports Bar & Grill has a very cool digital monitor behind the bar listing what's on tap, and much of it is from local breweries around the state. How cool is that?

The space itself is not very large - but it is open. I had to wait at the bar for a few minutes before a table cleared up. But, the fact that they are busy is a good sign. They have a sports bar theme, with TVs on each wall and sports memorabilia decorating the space. It's family-friendly, though, and there were a few families there.

The menu features burgers, hot dogs, wings and more. I figured a pretty standard burger would be a good measurement for the restaurant. I ordered the "Basil Burger," which has two half-pound handmade patties with the owner's seasoning and served on a kaiser roll with applewood smoked bacon and melted bleu cheese.

The burger was so finely ground, I thought I was eating a meatloaf. This is a good thing - I love meatloaf. :) But, it was very flavorful, very well-seasoned and delicious. The shredded iceberg lettuce did it no favors, though, and I ended up pushing most of it off. The bun was also a bit too soft to hold up the ground beef. But, that patty was delish. Overall, a really solid burger.

Have you been? What's the best? I keep eyeing those wings!

Grade: B

Still to this day, I often judge Thai restaurants by their pad thai - it's probably one of the most common dishes so places should be able to make a good one. That was no different with Thai Valley Kitchen in Hurricane.

Thai Valley Kitchen prides itself in offering authentic Thai cuisine. All our dishes are made to order, using only the freshest vegetables, seafood and prime cuts of meat. We are privileged and honored to have the very best chefs, all native to Thailand. Our servers, all of Thai descent, are knowledgeable of our menu and ready to assist and serve you in any way they can. Our goal is to offer the highest quality food and service, allowing you the ultimate Thai dinning experience (WELCOME).

First of all, I love that we have Thai restaurants that are succeeding here. I love having the variety, and having more access to different cuisines I think not only benefits an evolving foodie culture but also adds some diversity to our offerings. So, I was super happy to see Thai Valley Kitchen in Hurricane. The inside has dark tables and chairs, with some brighter mango-colored walls and some standard art. Service was quick, responsive and friendly.


My pad thai - stir-fried rice noodles with egg, carrot, green onion, ground peanut and bean sprouts - was good. The flavor is nice; I just wish it was a bit more. Thai cuisine is so full of fresh, vibrant flavors, and I think maybe even kicking the heat up a bit on this would have given it just a touch more depth. Even without it, it's still good. I also got an order of the crab rangoons - crispy wontons filled with real crab meat, cream cheese, celery, carrot, green onion serve with house sweet and sour sauce. Seriously, I love these things everywhere. A must-have addition to every meal.

Overall, a pretty solid dish. Next time, I need to kick my spice level up just a touch to get some more depth of flavor. But very tasty nonetheless.

Grade: B

Hill & Hollow hosted its "Ramp-A-Rama" Beer Pairing dinner a couple weeks ago, and my good friend Leah and I went to check it out. My motivation was partially for a ramp column I wrote for the Charleston Gazette-Mail and partially because I really like good food.

RAMP-A-RAMA BEER PAIRING DINNER
April 28th & 29th

Put on your fanciest dress and freshly pressed suit, we're heading to ~The Frederick~.

The Frederick Hotel, built in downtown Huntington in 1905–06 at a cost of $400,000, was touted during its heyday as the most elegant hotel between Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. In addition to its 125 sleeping rooms, 45 of which had private bathrooms, the hotel also had 11 private dining rooms plus the Colonade Restaurant and the Elephant Walk Club. The hotel had its own power generators in the basement and an elaborate stained glass window in the lobby. It rented space to many shops and businesses on its first floor, which fronted on Fourth Avenue and 10th Street in the heart of the town. The owners claimed they traveled to Chicago and spent $100,000 for the hotel furnishings (SOURCE).

This elegant hotel houses "21 at the Frederick," a fine dining restaurant that looks as though it was plucked from a different era. Checkerboard floors, large architectural pieces, sophisticated artwork and intricate design give this place a very classy vibe. That, and the group of women literally wearing gowns who entered before I did (though I think they were just there for an event).

Ten years ago, 21 opened its doors to the public in a really cool space inside the historic Frederick Hotel in dowtown Huntington, WV. Our mission since then has been to provide a unique dining experience, starting with the best ingredients that we are able to find, preparing them to order using a mix of classic and modern techniques, and delivering them to the table with great service. We invite you to come and experience the best our town has to offer - cocktails, fine wines and great food - all served in our beautiful restaurant! (ABOUT)

Let's start with the bread, because I'm actually excited to talk about this bread. It's buttery and garlicky and really, really good.

Their entrees include a filet mignon, lobster trail, pan-seared trout, and lamb chops. And, the one I had a hard time passing up - scallops. I can't help it; I love scallops. These were seared, served atop a bed of mushroom risotto and I had a side of macaroni & cheese - so basically a combination of some of my absolute favorite things.

Everything was fantastic. It was pretty heavy, so I ended up taking most of it home. But, I enjoyed every bite. If you're in the mood to get a little fancy, it's a nice option in Huntington.

Grade: A

Recently, I stopped through Jimmie Colombo's Italian Restaurant for some tasty Italian food. I looked over the menu and picked up an order to go.

Jimmy was born in Gypsy, WV an 1912 and was one of 21 brothers and sisters. Anna Lehosit was born in 1913 in Clarksburg, WV and was one of 15 brother and sisters. Both of their fathers worked in deep mines in Clarksburg, WV. James B. started in the restaurant business in Nutter Fort, WV in 1932. He built his first Colombo's on Bridgeport Hill in Clarksburg, WV an 1945. After 9 years at the site, Jimmy moved to Parkersburg, WV and established the present "Colombo's Restaurant" at 1236 7th Street in September 1954.The original restaurant seated 60 people. Over the years, our restaurant has gone through 7 expansions, added parking and expanded seating to well over 300 people (ABOUT).

The restaurant interior - while I didn't dine inside - looks very homey. Every wall is nearly covered in all sorts of photos. Old stained glass fixtures lined the space, and the red & green motif made its way from the walls to the placemats.

Once I was able to get home, I dove into my "Taste of Italy," which was a combination of lasagna, fettucini alfredo and penne pasta.

But, first, there's bread. Or buttery toast.

Then, there's a basic house salad. I wish there was a bit more to this, but it's not the star anyway.

The star is, however, this giant pile of pasta. I enjoyed the sauce here, and the pasta was perfectly cooked - something hard to come by. I think the penne was my favorite, though the lasagna wasn't bad, either. The alfredo was a bit thick, but fairly average.

Overall, not a bad spot for some Italian food. I think I'm spoiled with the plethora of good Italian dining here in North Central West Virginia. But, the red sauce is always key - and I think they have a good one.


Grade: B