Wheeling has turned into this super hip little city. I don't remember that being the case when I lived in the Northern Panhandle, but then again, I never frequented Wheeling. I recently met up with my parents in Wheeling to have dinner. While waiting for them, I stopped in the Wheeling Coffee Shoppe.

The Wheeling Coffee Shoppe is located in a cute neighborhood and has outdoor seating where you could revel in the small-town feel. Unfortunately, it was raining, so I cozied up inside instead. Large jars filled with Enrico's biscotti lined the counter, Torani flavored syrups filled the back wall, and a white board off the the left listed the available menu.

Cafe au lait, espresso, latte, mocha, americano. What do I go with? Hot cocoa, because yum. I also got a white chocolate macadamia nut biscotti, mostly because I needed a $4 minimum to use my credit card.

I took a seat, looked over the local paper, drank my hot chocolate and ate my biscotti as the rain poured down outside. My hot chocolate was delicious, as was the biscotti. The atmosphere here was cool, calm. A perfect place to spend a rainy afternoon.




Grade: A

I wanted to shake the "blah" feeling that is associated with a cold, rainy day. Everything was gray, and it was a reminder that winter is just around the corner. But I knew the perfect solution: a delicious chili-slaw dog and ice cream.

The Custard Stand has a few locations around West Virginia: Webster Springs, Elkins, Oak Hill, Danville, Flatwoods and Mannington. I've been to a few, and I want to check the remaining locations off my list. Mannington is home to the closest Custard Stand near Morgantown. While only about 45 minutes away from me, I've never spent much time in Mannington. What better reason to go than for a hotdog and ice cream?

I made my way down through Fairmont and westward until I hit Mannington. The Custard Stand is located in a stand-alone building in the Rainbow Plaza. There is a walk-up window outside where customers can order. Inside is a huge dining area with long running tables. A menu above a bar area lists items like hot dogs, ice cream, pizza and burgers.

I ordered a hotdog with chili, slaw, mustard and onions, as well as a small chocolate cone. The woman behind the counter made my ice cream cone immediately. And THAT is a Custard Stand small! Smooth, creamy and delicious. I love this ice cream!

A few minutes later, my hot dog was ready. It came in a white paper to-go bag. Once I finished up my ice cream, I unwrapped the hot dog. A little messy, but it was wrapped well enough to not get everywhere. Custard Stand chili is quite good. Perfect texture, good flavor. The slaw had a bit of a sweet flavor, so the combo together was delicious.

The Custard Stand in Mannington is located at 12 Rainbow Plaza, Mannington, WV 26582. 304.986.1068. It is open Sunday through Thursday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday-Saturday 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Grade: A
 

While large cities have boasted numerous food trucks - ones with grilled cheeses, banh mi, or artisan ice cream - for quite some time, Morgantown is just making headway into the food truck scene. Of course, local government in Morgantown isn't making it easy for them. But, now, Morgantown has small fleet of food trucks serving up everything from artisan jalapeno macaroni and cheese to a walking taco.



Hash Browns and New Grounds is the only true food truck in Morgantown. Cody Thrasher can be found Wednesday afternoons at the WVU Hospital Farmers Market (11 a.m. to 2 p.m.) and Wednesday evenings (10 p.m. to 1 a.m.) at Brew Pub. He's also at the Bridgeport Farmers Market (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) on Sundays. In the middle, he's usually doing catering events or other festivals that pop up. His menu is ever-evolving, incorporating local, seasonal foods in super creative dishes. He's known for some of his signature items like the H20 Melon Salad - cubed watermelon, feta, mint, balsamic reduction, mint oil and salt. And the jalapeno gnocchi is one of my all-time favorites: jalapeno gnocchi mac & cheese with grilled pepperoni, a panko topping and drizzle of Sriracha. If you see this on his menu while he's out, stop what you're doing and comment here so I can go get some. And then get some for yourself!



Street Meatz is a food truck, but they stay stationary in Ace Hardware's parking lot. Featuring local, grass-fed organic beef, Street Meatz specializes in their burgers, which change each week. Street Meatz is open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. The menu changes weekly, but some favorites include fish tacos on Tuesdays, s'mores bites, fried green tomatoes and beef burritos.


Woodburn Shanks originally started out as just aiming to be a food truck. They evolved into a physical location at the Mountaineer Mall, and the food truck portion isn't out and about often. Woodburn Shanks is open Monday through Friday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. selling some of the town's tastiest pit-style bbq.



Morgantown Tacos should probably be credited with the first-ever food truck, though it doesn't seem to be in commission often any longer. It previously used to hang out on High Street late at night serving up tacos and other late-night munchies. The latest news from the taco truck has been their Twitter feed noting they are trying to find a new kitchen for commissary.



Jerseys Subs has a physical location as well as their food truck, though the food truck only really comes out at festivals. They have frequented the Wine & Jazz Festival in Morgantown and other similar events.

Let's Taco Bout It  is a newcomer to the food truck scene. Featuring basic types of tacos, the truck is often seen at festivals or other events.

Martin's Bar-B-Que has their physical location at Suncrest Towne Centre, though they have portable smoker available for catering. I've seen it on display at their restaurant but not out in the wild yet.

Hot dog guys - these guys aren't food trucks. They're more like food carts. But they're closest to the real OGs.



Pyles of Pasta is carb heaven with a handful of pasta options, as well as sandwiches, salads and appetizers!


Heavenly Hoagies makes the trip up to Morgantown every so often and has a hoagie no matter what mood you're in.

Am I missing anyone? Let me know!

A visit to Harpers Ferry necessitated dinner! Canal House came highly praised, and I believe it was featured in one year's edition of 101 Unique Places to Dine in West Virginia list.

The Canal House has a small menu, but it's packed with items from local businesses: local farms, creameries, coffee shops, seafood, etc.

I asked what the most popular item was, and the waitress said "The General" was a big seller: local, grass-fed beef meatloaf topped with a tomato gravy and cheddar with roasted potato wedges and seasonal vegetable. Let's do it.

While waiting, I took note of the interior, which is so super cute. It's a rustic chic feel - lots of mismatched distressed chairs and tables partnered with exposed brick walls, wood floors and stonework.

My dish came out with a large cube of meatloaf with a side of potatoes and roasted zucchini and squash. It wasn't bad. There's nothing especially exciting about it, and the meatloaf was a little on the dry side. But, I really like meatloaf so even mediocre meatloaf isn't too bad to me. I think it could have used a hearty dose of seasoning, and the tomato gravy could have, as well, just for my personal preferences. The potatoes were great. And I always love zucchini.

I think this place is super cute, and there are a number of other sandwiches on the menu I'd like to try. This visit may have been user selection error. It's hard to live up to my mom's homemade meatloaf.

Grade: B

On a recent trip to the Eastern Panhandle, I stopped in Berkeley Springs for lunch. Panorama at the Peak was rated as one of the most 101 unique places to dine in West Virginia, so it seemed like a good option.

Once we got to Berkeley Springs, we began ascending a hill - and passed this cool castle! It wasn't a far drive, and all of a sudden, the trees started to open up, and I could see a nice view off to the right. We parked and took a look at the panoramic views. From this spot, you can see West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania. How cool!


We parked right in front, crossed the road and entered Panorama at the Peak. We were seated near a window. The views are nice, though you can only really see the tips of the hills from inside, and there is a road that separates the restaurant from the parking area, so you have to contend with traffic, as well as people parking in front of the view.

Trivia? Trivia. Trivia! I did a blog post quite a while ago about the restaurants you can attend to play trivia in Morgantown. You can easily find the same thing here: http://www.teamtriviawv.com/find-a-show/. And there's always Buffalo Wild Wings for trivia whenever you want. But here's a nice list to keep for reference!

Monday

I'm usually focused on scoping out the new restaurants, rather than paying attention to current specials going on at already established restaurants. And sure, many bars have weekly specials. But restaurants join in the fun, too. Here are some great ones. Let me know others in the comments below!

MONDAY
Black Bear Burritos - Maniac Monday special for $5. Bring in a ticket stub from any Mountaineer athletic event or West Virginia Black Bears baseball game to receive any menu item from the "Special Guests" section for five bucks.
The Wine Bar at Vintner Valley - Happy Hour from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday through Thursday. Half off features: beer, wines by the glass, single mixer cocktails and pizzas.
Tropics - 25 cent wings
Ali Baba's - half-priced Mediterranean platter

TUESDAY
Table 9 - 1 Burger, 1 Bourbon, 1 Beer for $15. Each Tuesday, Table 9 crafts a special, house-ground burger with creative toppings. Order it along with a bourbon and a beer for $15.
Black Bear Burritos - Burritos and Brews for $15. Choose a "Special Guest" menu item and two West Virginia craft beers.
123 Pleasant Street - Taco Tuesday at Atomic Grill. Atomic Grill's satellite location at 123 Pleasant Street offers tacos from 5 p.m. to midnight with $3 pints of craft beers.
Mario's Fishbowl - Wing Day. Get a dozen wings and one large domestic fishbowl for $8.95. Pick your flavor - mild, medium, hot garlic, honey bbq, blazin' teriyaki, cowboy ranch, Greek and sweet chile habanero.
The Wine Bar at Vintner Valley - Happy Hour from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday through Thursday. Half off features: beer, wines by the glass, single mixer cocktails and pizzas.
The Vintage Room - Half price select appetizers.
Fat Daddy's - Taco Tuesday. $1 to $2.50 tacos.

WEDNESDAY
Bartini - $2 sliders. Choose from meatball sliders, reuben sliders, buffalo chicken sliders and more.
Mario's Fishbowl - Philly and a fishbowl for $9. Also, Worm of the Week drawing at 8 p.m.
The Wine Bar at Vintner Valley - Happy Hour from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday through Thursday. Half off features: beer, wines by the glass, single mixer cocktails and pizzas.
The Vintage Room - $7 select pizzas and 2-4-1 martinis.

THURSDAY
Black Bear Burritos - Burritos and Brews for $15. Choose a "Special Guest" menu item and two West Virginia craft beers.
Mario's Fishbowl - Two loaded hotdogs and a domestic draft for $8.
The Wine Bar at Vintner Valley - Happy Hour from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday through Thursday. Half off features: beer, wines by the glass, single mixer cocktails and pizzas.
Bartini - Tuscan Tuesdays with all pastas half off until 8 p.m. and bottles of wine 25 percent off.
The Vintage Room - Homemade pastas served with a side salad and garlic bread for $15 and half-price bottles of wine under $75.

FRIDAY
Black Bear Burritos - New specials available at both Evansdale and Downtown locations.
The Backdoor - $5 Happy Hour Buffet. I've actually never been to this one (bucket list item?), but it boasts an all-you-can-eat buffet including pizza, wings, meatballs, pasta salad and veggie trays.
Sports Page - Happy Hour wing buffet from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

SATURDAY

SUNDAY
Sports Page - .35 cent wings.
The Wine Bar at Vintner Valley - Happy Hour from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday through Thursday. Half off features: beer, wines by the glass, single mixer cocktails and pizzas.

DAILY SPECIALS
Tailpipes - Tailpipes offers a daily special burger.
Atomic Grill - Atomic Grill offers a daily special meal.

I'm usually focused on scoping out the new restaurants, rather than paying attention to current specials going on at already established restaurants (cue idea for next blog post). But there are a few weekly specials at restaurants that deserve some attention. Table 9's 1 Burger, 1 Bourbon, 1 Beer (hey George Thorogood) is one.

Table 9 features a weekly burger special every Tuesday that comes with a bourbon and a beer for a total of $15. Each week's house ground burger features something new. The one photographed up top is fresh, local beef, swiss cheese, bacon, fried egg, pickled onions, lettuce, tomato, garlic aioli on brioche with a side of fries.



Sher, local food photographer extraordinaire, never misses a Burger Tuesday. Take a look through some of the great burgers that have been offered as part of this special!

Burger w/ Red Onion Compote, Sweet Potato Planks, Mushroom Port Reduction, and Swiss
Ranchero Burger - Fire Roasted Veggies, Zucchini, Squash, Peppers, Onion, Cheddar, and Creme Fraiche


BBQ Pulled Chicken Burger with Cheddar, and Slaw

I am a bit fan of lists. I like checking things off lists; I like complete collections. I have lists of lists.

I'm sure that comes as no surprise, as I've been ticking off things on the WV's 101 Most Unique Places To Dine list and the 55 unique things to do in the Mountain State list that are sometimes seen through this blog.

This prompted me to accept the personal challenge of trying all The Custard Stand locations. I've already been to a couple: Flatwoods and Oak Hill. And since I was driving up from Logan, I drove right through Danville - another Custard Stand location.

The Danville Custard Stand is actually housed in an Exxon, but don't fret, as the restaurant actually has its own separate dining area. I think the folks who work the actual gas station also work the ice cream part, because there was no one around when I first walked up.

I looked around for a second until I saw a girl scurry over. I said hi! She half-heartedly smiled and just continued to stare at me, like "hurry up and tell me what you want." So I ordered a small chocolate cone. Easy enough, right?

I didn't love that she didn't use a glove or a napkin to hold the cone as she filled it with ice cream, as she was probably handling money at the cash register previously. But, hell, I've probably eaten worse, and this is ice cream we're talking about.

Thankfully, it's still the same ice cream I know and love. Smooth, creamy, delicious. I know the Custard Stand is big on their chili, but I just ate three THREE lunches, so ice cream was the perfect finish.

Just three more to go after this: Elkins, Mannington and Webster Springs!

Grade: B