Figaretti's Restaurant is well-known in the Wheeling area. While I had never been, I had heard of the restaurant for years and even saw the pasta sauce sold in the local grocery store. So when I was traveling through Wheeling, Tony and I stopped for dinner.

The interior is dim, and the booze seems to flow freely. Lots of locals seemed at home here and answered by name. In typical Italian restaurant fashion, some bread and butter were brought to the table. The bread was average; the olive oil/balsamic/parmesan mixture was nice.

The house salad is where it started to pick up for me. Nice fresh greens, crisp red onion, firm tomatoes - and a dressing that I loved. The vinaigrette was tangy and full of flavor.

Tony ordered the house-made tortellini (I think). Which was super good. The pasta was smooth and thin and filled with a lovely cheese mixture. Very good.


I went with the stuffed rigatoni - mostly because I don't think I've seen that anywhere else. The house sauce is quite good. It has a nice flavor with a blend of herbs and spices. The pasta was much thicker - chewier - than the other dish, but it, too, is filled with a delicious cheese mixture. And the meatball, while I didn't like it upon first bite, I kind of liked it more afterward once I got a full feel for the flavor and texture. Pretty good.

Italian restaurants are a dime a dozen in North Central (and Northern) West Virginia. But there's a reason why this one has been around for some time - it's good, homey and filling.

Grade: A

I first heard of Bloomery SweetShine earlier this year when they decided to close their doors in response to state regulations that they claim made the business unprofitable. Legislation was introduced to help minimize the problems they were experiencing, and they opened back up shortly thereafter.


Since I was in the area, I swung (is swung a word?) by for a tasting. We arrived as a party was finishing up, so we took a quick tour of the greenhouse beforehand and saw the lemons growing. Then, as it started to rain, we went inside to begin our tasting. One straggler stayed back from the crowd and, shall we say, she probably had a bit too much limoncello.



Bloomery Plantation Distillery produces Bloomery SweetShine, which is a line of fruit cordials. After the owners took a trip to Italy in October 2010, they were on the search for the best limoncello in America. That quickly translated into a mission to make their own. They bought land for the distillery, started growing lemons and raspberries from their own farm and produced limoncello, with more than 20 international awards. The SweetShines also include a chocolate raspberry, a peach shine, their proprietary raspberry lemon and a cremma lemma.

Our bartender - or "fun"tender as they say - was fun, he showed us some great drinks we could make with the various limoncellos, and I ended up leaving with a raspberry limoncello. They're all quite tasty, and they all mix well to make even better drinks. What's your favorite?

While on a trip to Shepherdstown, I stayed overnight at the Bavarian Inn. In addition to the European chalets being absolutely beautiful, comfortable and luxurious, the inn also offers some delicious German and American fare. Before heading out for a day full of adventure, I went to the dining room for breakfast.



The menu ranges from traditional eggs, bacon and potato breakfasts to a charcuterie plate of chilled meats and cheeses. There are West Virginia buckwheat flapjacks, corned beef hash and chipped beef in cream. But first, biscuits, butter and jelly - which were perfectly fluffy and crumbly. Yaaasss. This reminds me of my grandma's, when she would bake some biscuits and pull out a bunch of different jellies, and that was our snack. Delicious.








I ordered Nova Scotia Salmon served with a bagel, onion, cream cheese and capers. This quickly moved up beside French toast as my favorite breakfast of all time - right behind my dad's homemade French toast (nothing beats that, c'mon, it tastes like memories of childhood slumber parties and tons of maple syrup).

The smoked salmon was folded into a rosette, and it was a lovely presentation. For those who don't order bagel and lox often, this probably seems weird. But I swear it's so good (and this one was particularly very good). Slather a toasted bagel with the cream cheese, layer the smoked salmon, sprinkle some red onions and add just a few capers. I wouldn't have minded some tomato, but it didn't need it.

It's perfect. It's absolutely perfect. It's a nice savory and filling breakfast with protein. You have the crisp from the bagel, the creamy cheese, the silky smooth salmon, crunchy onions. The added fruit (plus an unpictured fruit cup (I didn't know it already cam with fruit)) added a touch of sweetness. All around, it is very well-rounded and tasty. Plus I loved staying at this location.

I've also heard their Sunday brunch is to die for. $33, but I would venture to guess it's worth it. That will have to wait for next time.

Grade: A

The history of Holl's begins with founder Fritz Holl's training as a Conditor in Switzerland. As a young man, Fritz was sent to Zurich to be an apprentice in his uncle's Conditorei. (A Conditorei is a combination pastry shop, chocolate shop and café.) By the end of his three year apprenticeship, Fritz could make all the sweet delights found in a Swiss Conditorei, from chocolates and pastries to cakes and ice cream. 

In 1958 Fritz immigrated to the United States. He made his way to Marietta, Ohio in response to an ad for a Swiss-trained chocolatier placed by Ohio dairy company Broughton's. The dairy's owner, Carl Broughton, wanted to offer fine European chocolates and pastries in his chain of ice cream shops. Although the plan to offer Swiss chocolates and pastries at the ice cream shops was not successful, Fritz would work for Broughton's for the next 25 years in various capacities. All the while he continued to make chocolates for friends and neighbors every Christmas and Easter. 

In 1986 Fritz retired from Broughton's, but he wasn't ready to slow down yet. Friends encouraged him to return to his original training, and in April of 1986, Holl's Chocolates was born in the founder's kitchen. 

A local wine shop was Fritz's first customer. Only eight months after the business started, the wine shop sold over 400 pounds of Holl's chocolates. As a result of this demand, the Holl family kitchen became a chocolate factory, much to the dismay of Fritz's wife Elisabeth. The Holls decided to make a go of the business and invest in a "real" location. 

They moved to a small storefront about 10 miles away in Parkersburg, West Virginia. The entire space, which housed both the production and the selling areas, was about 600 square feet. The store was located on a steep hill just off of a fairly busy street and had only enough parking for four cars. Despite these obstacles, people went out of their way to visit the little chocolate shop just to try Fritz's chocolates. 

It was in the shop that Elisabeth's skills were put to use. As a young woman, she had worked at one of the finest florist shops in Zurich. The shop's elite clientele expected an exceptional level of personal service. Clerks were expected to greet their customers by name and to know their favorite flowers and their spouse's favorite flowers. 

When a customer entered the chocolate shop, Elisabeth would greet them by name and have a sample of their favorite chocolate ready. This special attention, and the superior taste of Fritz's chocolates, made a trip to Holl's Chocolates an experience people were eager to tell their friends about. 

As word of mouth brought more business, Fritz's retirement hobby became a full-time job that required more room and more staff. In 1990, Holl's Chocolates moved to its current location in Vienna, West Virginia. 

As the store grew busier, Fritz's son Dominique joined the family business and learned the craft of chocolate making just the way his father had 50 years earlier. Under the younger generation's guidance, Holl's began to adapt their processes to blend the best of the old ways with the best new methods in order to keep up with growing demand. 

Today, Dominique and his wife Michelle continue to adhere to the quality standards set by Fritz and the service standards set by Elisabeth. The elder Holls are no longer active in the business, but can occasionally be found chatting with customers in the retail store. 

I ended up being able to try the chocolate-covered strawberries (to die for!), some of the milk chocolate almond bark (amazing!) and some individual chocolates (so, so good). Of course, some of my favorites were the ones with caramel. If you've never been, it's certainly an awesome experience. Each chocolate is lovingly made, and the elegance of the shop is incredible. If you're in the Parkersburg area, this is a must-stop.

Mister Bee Potato Chips are the only potato chips made in West Virginia, so naturally, I love them. While in Parkersburg, I wanted to go see the factory because I'm crazy. They don't have much of a retail space, but you can purchase potato chips there.

I walked into someone's office, essentially, and asked if I can buy chips here. She replied yes. I asked where. She pointed behind me, where there was a rack of "sample" bags. So I looked over to the sample bags to figure out which one I wanted to take home with me. They have 16 oz., 9 oz., 2 oz., and 1.25 oz. bags in original, barbeque, sour cream and onion, dip style and honey bbq. I picked a bag of the sour cream and onion chips and went with it. Yum!

Mostly, I'm happy they're still around. They were created in 1951, and are available all around West Virginia. In 2011, they filed for bankruptcy protection and stopped production. The next year, they were back running and back in stores and seem to be focused on expanding a bit and capitalizing on the made in West Virginia aspect - even having a logo of the state on the bag now.

I don't even buy chips ever, really, because I go for sweet over salty. But I'll make an exception for Mister Bee. Have you tried? And what's your favorite flavor?

Check out Mister Bee on Facebook.

Ye Olde Alpha is an landmark bar and restaurant in Wheeling that dons deer, moose and other wildlife on the walls and has done so for more than 80 years. The tradition apparently dates back to 1932 when the owner and his hunting friends wanted to adorn the walls with their prized trophies.




The building is half bar, half dining room and was filled with a regular crowd - noticeable by the fact that few needed to look at the menu. Meanwhile, I pored over the menu, eliminating options I could get elsewhere. They dish out fried appetizers like cheese sticks and zucchini planks. Sandwiches, steaks, burgers, pasta, fajitas, wings - there's a little bit of everything here. But one thing folks kept commenting on was the greek wings.



I ordered one pound of greek wings - wings that they claim are the best in the Ohio Valley. But before our entrees, we were presented with a basket of tortilla chips and homemade salsa. Odd. BUT, I surprisingly liked the salsa. Not loved, but I liked it.



The wings were not bad. They were friend with hunks of feta cheese on top. I think maybe if there was a buffalo sauce or something a bit more cohesive, the flavor profile would've been better for me. But, ya know, can't really go wrong with fried chicken wings topped with cheese. Just a sauce of some sort would've worked, too.
Ye Olde Alpha is open Monday through Saturday at 11 a.m. and on Sunday at 10 a.m. Ye Olde Alpha 50 Carmel Road, Wheeling, WV 26003; 304-242-1090; yeoldealpha.com

Patiently crafted Appalachian spirits in Greenbrier County. Smooth Ambler Spirits, founded in 2009, set out to produce just that. The craft distillery says it uses a combination of high-valley mountain air, natural waters, ideal temperature variations and friendly folks to produce their truly remarkable drink.

I had heard about this place because I picked up a bottle of their gin - and love it. We arrive too early in the day for a tasting, but I did still want to check out the retail area. T-shirts, bar accessories and some chocolates were all for sale. I ended up with a coffee mug, simply because I didn't feel like lugging a bottle of liquor around with me. Plus I know it's available here locally in Morgantown.

I love that Smooth Ambler Spirits set out to be a point of pride for West Virginia. I think they've succeeded with a delicious product, beautiful branding and local pride. Get yourself some of this liquor!

I was so excited to try DiCarlo's Pizza from the Weirton location that I didn't actually get a photo of the pizza. Blogger fail. But I guess that's a good thing, right? I was so excited to eat it, I didn't get a photo? In case you forget, you can see what DiCarlo's pizza looks like in general here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.

A few things: This DiCarlo's has a pick-up drive-thru. You have to call in, they'll tell you how long, and you can pick it up at the window. With cash. That's convenient for when I don't feel like walking inside and potentially running into people I may know.

When I got home, the cheese had fully melted, but it's clear they use a nice mix of shredded mozzarella provolone. The crust was nice and crisp, the sauce had a great flavor and I only wish there had been a bit more cheese on it. Still, it's DiCarlo's, and therefore, delicious. And don't worry, there's only one more DiCarlo's in West Virginia I haven't been to yet: Parkersburg.

EDIT 12/28/16: Went so I got a photo :)



Grade: A

I stumbled across Deskins Candies quite a long time ago, actually, but I hadn't had a chance to write about it until now. I saw this variety candy tray in Kroger and noticed it is from Bluefield. How cool is that? And the candies are delicious. I love the peanut butter fudge!

The Greene Turtle is a sports bar chain with an East Coast seafood vibe. Most of their locations are in Maryland, with a few in Delaware, Virginia, Washington DC, and New York. Morgantown's recently opened The Green Turtle is the first location in West Virginia.

The menu features crab dip, burgers, wraps, sandwiches, crab cakes, tacos, seafood mac & cheese, ribs, fish and chips, steak, salads, soups and more. I'm thinking Applebees sports bar with a seafood slant. Lots of menu items so there's something to please everyone in your family, plus TVs at every table to make dad happy. Seriously, TVs everywhere. They also have a "mug club" where you can get a discount on draft beer and some other stuff that I don't know.

I ordered a pick two ($7.99) with a soup and half pizza: crab flatbread and Maryland crab soup. My dear friend Maggie loves this crab flatbread, so I wanted to try it. It's essentially a very thin crust with their crab dip on top, with a layer of cheese over top. It's very rich and creamy, but the crust provides a nice crisp. Not bad. The soup was decent. There were a few nice chunks of crab, and I liked the broth, too. The combo was good.

Overall, it was pretty average, I think. Plus a ton of loud TVs. Service could've used some work. And the cups, which have a green tint, were weird housing my water. I felt like there was algae. Small complaints, but whatever. This place is fine. If you're going to watch a game, yes, do it. If you want to actually hear the person on the other end of the table, maybe not so much. Anyway, times and places for all things.

The Green Turtle is open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to midnight; Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. It is located at 7100 Willie G. Avenue, Morgantown, WV 26501.

Grade: C
 

Ah, after a long first day of tasting bourbon (tough work, I tell ya), it was time for dinner back in Lexington! Bourbon n' Toulouse kept coming up in ranking after ranking after ranking - and it got the Brittany stamp of approval - so we ventured to this cajun and creole joint.

It's an eclectic group of diners - from businessmen to college kids. We ordered at the counter; I went with a 1/2 and 1/2 of chicken etouffee and black beans & caramelized corn. The chicken etouffee is their top seller, with its spicy roux base. The black beans and caramelized corn features red bell peppers in a light cream sauce and is vegetarian.

After a short wait, they call our name at the counter and walk up to fetch our plastic plate overflowing with food. We took it back to a table that was surrounded with what looked like a mini version of the French Quarter - beads and artwork abound.

The chicken etouffee had a good, fairly mild flavor with a kick of heat. It is a different kind of cuisine than what I'm used to eating, but it was tasty. Not one I typically gravitate toward, but I appreciate it for what it is.The corn was a perfect balance because it was sightly sweet, so the two went together swimmingly.

I enjoyed my meal, and before we left, I even got an "Ale 8," because I was told I absolutely must have one while in Kentucky. I actually didn't get a chance to drink it until a few days later (I kept it in the hotel refrigerator), but it wasn't bad. I'm not sure what to think of it. A mellower Mountain Dew, maybe? Like a diet or flat gingerale? Not bad, but considering I don't drink pop often, not something I'd go crazy about.


Grade: A