A brand new Italian market has opened in Morgantown, and, wow is all I can really say.
San Marzano Italian Market, from the same folks who brought us Apple Annie's, is located on Fort Pierpont Drive.
In fact, it's actually located right next door to Annie's Coffee & Creamery, and there's even a little passageway connecting the two businesses, which quite frankly is genius. If you're waiting on your order at the coffee shop, you can peruse the market.
This market truly has a little bit of everything.
Fresh bread? You got it.
Biscotti from the Strip District in Pittsburgh? Yep.
Olives, marinara sauce, and pasta? Oh yes.
But, wait, there's more.
At the back of the market, there's a deli counter where you can get all kinds of goodies.
They have fresh sandwiches, prepared salads and slabs of meat and cheese that you can order by the pound.
They also have a wide selection of Delallo products, which is a local favorite.
I had to try a few different things.
First, I ordered up some caprese salad - the sliced mozzarella and tomato salad is one of my favorites. This, paired with fresh basil - is perfection. I topped mine with some balsamic drizzle when I got home, and it was perfect.
While here, I also snagged an Italian sandwich. Actually, I would typically call a cold sandwich already made a hoagie. And then a sub it's being made in front of me or is warm. I don't have a real rationale behind that, but that's where we are.
I digress.
You can of course get a variety of other cold cuts and cheeses here, too.
Take a look at what I went home with.
What have you purchased here?
I've mentioned before how exciting it is that during this time of quarantine when more folks are spending time at home, we are seeing a surge in home bakeries and other sort of cottage kitchens. That's how I found A Guy And A Girl Catering.
This local catering company offers a ton of options - from catering events to seasonal offerings to just a few options. The latter is what appealed to me. I didn't have a huge event to cater, but I did have a hungry tummy and a curiosity to check this place out.
They have a number of sweets, but they also had two of my favorites: macaroni & cheese and pepperoni rolls. Let's start with the pepperoni rolls - these are definitely some of the better pepperoni rolls I've had. It has a healthy topping of garlic and parmesan that gives it a ton of flavor. Plus a nice marinara dipping sauce.
Do I need a giant pan of macaroni and cheese? No. Do I want one? Yes. This is probably a pretty good crowd-pleaser since it's pretty straightforward. I doctored mine up a bit with some more melty cheese, a pinch or two of sugar and some cream. *chef's kiss*
Located in Hamlin, M&R Restaurant is a small, hometown restaurant that features home-cooking in a comfortable atmosphere.
The restaurant has vinyl booths and well-loved country decorations. They have seasonal decorations and snacks at the counter for purchase.
The menu has daily specials and many local favorites: fried chicken, open-faced roast beef, shrimp dinner, etc. On this particular day, I was so excited to try chicken and dumplings.
The fluffy biscuits are the base, topped with some pulled chicken and the little plump dumplings have that toothsome bite that just makes them so satisfying. This is a real, down-home comfort food. Adding the green beans and small potatoes rounded it out.
What would've taken this over the top was maybe some fresh herbs on the dumplings to give it some freshness and color. Or even just a touch of lemon juice to wake up the green beans and cut through some of the heaviness.
Grade: B
I know that charcuterie is trendy right now, but truth be told, I've always love eating like this. I used to buy a bunch of different small blocks of fancy cheese, some salami, crackers and mustard and call it a day. Now that that concept is amplified to the nth degree with specialty cheeses, delicious condiment, all sorts of fruit, etc., I am so here for it.
Le Charcutier is located in Morgantown and offers a weekly charcuterie box that is available to purchase on Wednesday and pick up on Friday. I was really lucky they were willing to work with me on a pick-up date to accommodate when I would be coming through town.
This last week's box included truffle cheddar, brie, borgonzola, blueberry vanilla goat cheese, and aged cheddar, plus olives, cornichons, assorted cured meats, nuts, dried fruit, and other accoutrements. The cheeses in this box were the best I've had in a charcuterie box. And, I LOVED the cherries! I never can find cherries locally. All together, delicious.
Grade: A
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