Mama K's Kitchen is one of my favorite new finds in Morgantown. Located in Star City, the restaurant has a nice little back story.

"In 1906, Mama Kay was born in a modest village in Italy, San Giovanni in Fiore. By the age of 5, she immigrated to a small coal-mining town in the United States where she married a fellow Sangiovannese immigrant, Papa Joe. By 19 years old she had 5 children, no formal education and they had been thrown out of company housing for Papa Joe's labor organizing efforts.

It was in the midst of this that Mama Kay became devoted to feeding not just her family, but the entire community. Well before formal programs existed, she opened her home and kitchen to nourish those around her, especially those in need. She was known for handing out fresh-baked bread on Sundays, while necessity led Papa Joe to open a local grocery store. It was the best way to feed their family and everyone else, too. Mama Kay mastered simple recipes that allowed her to open her kitchen to everyone. She had very little, but resourcefully built an experience of togetherness and plenty. There was no room for waste while she built a social framework her town relied on.

In continuing her spirit and that of so many immigrant families, we open Mama K's Kitchen to share at your table."



The space is upstairs and in the back of a building, so it's a bit like a secret. But once inside, it's bright and airy, if not a bit small. They serve meals in this space, though they also rent out a space and do catering, as well.



Let's get to the food. The menu has some fun items - like artisan toasts, pastas, salads, sandwiches and specials. I could have ordered anything on the menu and been happy, but I went with the following:



- Sausage Broccolini with orecchiette, pepper oil, garlic

- Mushroom Toast with roasted mushroom, shallot, ricotta



Both of these were tasty on their own. A nice mix of textures, plus bits of freshness. And I like the creativity behind of each of these. It's like taking classic flavor combos but kicking them up a few notches.



But they both would have benefitted from a drizzle. Truffle oil? Balsamic? Some chive cream? I think I just want some more richness to round it out to perfection.



Grade: B

Another trendy Morgantown coffee shop coming in hot! But this one isn't totally new to the game. Stone Tower Brews has locations in Buckhannon, Bridgeport and now, of course, Morgantown. The signature blue-hued coffee shop joins the likes of several fairly new coffee shops in the college town fighting to keep college kids caffeinated.



I have always been fond of this mini coffee shop chain because they also place an emphasis on local art and culture, as well. They often bring a funky side to their shops - whether that's the artwork on the walls or music.



Their list of specialty coffees is long. So many different combinations! I searched the menu for something involving caramel but landed on the campfire mocha, because s'mores are also a favorite. But I don't think you could go wrong with any of the classic combos. This drink was delightful - definitely a rich chocolate background but pops of sweet marshmallow made it.



I also had a breakfast taco, which was basic with scrambled eggs, potato, cheese and sausage. I would have loved a Stone Tower spin on it with a delicious sauce to pull it all together. But that didn't stop me from polishing off my order.



Grade: B

On one of my adventures out west, I found myself in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and in need of caffeine.



Scooter's Coffee is a midwest-based coffee drive-through that offers up a standard slate of options: hot coffee, iced coffee, blended coffee drinks, smoothies, teas and even some food.



I ordered:

"CARAMELICIOUS® BLENDER - SWEET SIGNATURE - Our sweet signature drink fuses world-class espresso with rich, velvety caramel sauce, blended in our ice cream base. This classic is topped with fluffy whipped cream and drizzled with caramel sauce. Such a treat."

"PEACH MANGO QUENCHER - Here's the plot: Peach meets mango, mixes with energy-giving green coffee extract, and quenches your thirst happily ever after. This Quencher is amazing with a base of black tea! It's also available with lemonade, water, or coconut milk. Juiciest story ever. The end."

"SPICY SAUSAGE BURRITO - We jam-pack our warm, soft tortilla with spicy sausage, fluffy scrambled eggs, red peppers and our supremely smooth white cheddar cheese, melted like your heart will be, after you taste this burrito. It’s a zesty way to get your protein going for the day."

Each one of these were pretty good in their own right. The blended caramel drink was on the sweeter side – even for me – which made me love it even more. The refreshing fruity drink was a nice break from all the creamy fattiness of the coffee drink. and even the burrito was decent; I wish it held up a bit better and filled out the tortilla more, but it was a good cross-country morning snack, nonetheless.



Grade: B

"Indulge in the flavors of Modern Appalachian Kitchen with our handcrafted confections. A modern twist on Appalachian nostalgia."

If there is a more enticing phrase, I haven't heard it.

As soon as I stumbled upon Modern Appalachian Kitchen, I went to their website to see how I can get my hands on some of their goodies.



This Morgantown-based home business specializes in marshmallows -- and specifically their couch marshmallow has gained some popularity. Think about it. Burning marshmallows, burning a marshmallow couch. It makes sense for Morgantown. I did purchase one of these, and the novelty is something to behold. Maybe slightly less practical for s'mores, but entertaining nonetheless.



The vanilla couch marshmallow was good, but the Neapolitan and s'mores were even better. They are a bitch softer and stickier, almost, which really reminds me of more of a meringue.



I enjoyed a few other treats, too. The chocolate with candy toppings, known as mountain tops, were lovely, and the chocolate, caramel and nut Freddy is a classic combination that is done just right here.

All of a sudden, there are 1 billion chicken tender restaurants in Morgantown. I may be exaggerating a little bit, but I may as well check them out. Layne's Chicken Fingers is the first one on my list to visit.



"Hatched in 1994 Layne's is Famous for our Hand Breaded Chicken Tenders, Golden Crinkle-Cut Fries, Texas Toast, Gourmet Milk Shakes and Layne's Sauce," reads the website.



I tried the standard chicken fingers, fries and special sauce. The chicken fingers are good quality white meat with a thick fried breading. they do come in a spicy version, which probably would've had more flavor. The special flavor is relegated to the sauce, which the signature is a standard ketchup-mayo blend. The fries are thick and very potato-y. I like mine thin and super crispy. But they were fine. There was also a slice of Texas toast - I would love if this came with a really cool butter. This whole meal was fine. It wasn't super exciting or different, but it was solid and probably is ideal for families with kids who don't want big bold flavors, but instead want mild reliability.



Grade: B