I saw a sign for "Agresti's Tuscan Grill" in Westover recently and was really excited to check out the "Tuscan grill." It's right along the main road, and we went around dinner time. There wasn't a car in the parking lot, so I had to double-take to see if they were open. They do open for dinner, but they're still new, so it's not busy.

When we walked in, we waited awkwardly at the front of the restaurant. I looked around and took in the decorations - it was almost romantic. The lighting was dim, the color on the walls was warm, and the chairs were leather and comfy. It was surprisingly elegant inside. Finally, the waitress came over and kind of mumbled something about how we almost caused her an accident, as she was holding her eye. She laughed afterwards, signalling she was joking, but me and my dining partner were thrown off and didn't know what to say. The waitress told us to choose where we'd like to sit. I chose a table near us, and we ordered our drinks.


I realized there was a bar nearby, and the interior was impressive. I was surprised. I looked over the menu and thought to myself, this is going to be better than expected. The restaurant didn't feature the typical choose your pasta, marinara or alfredo and whether or not you want a meatball. Dishes included various types of pasta and inventive sauces, some with peppers, others with spinach or shrimp or chicken.

Before I narrowed down my decision on the pasta, we ordered bruschetta for an appetizer.  I chose the vodka farfalla, which came with a salad, for my entree.

Soon after, we were brought a basket of bread and a garlic/olive oil dipping sauce. This is typical for Italian restaurants, and it was a nice touch. The bread was fresh, and the olive oil mixture was a little lacking in flavor, but hey, how flavorful can plain olive oil be? I think the simplicity of it is what makes it a good starter.

Our salads came out next - basically a bowl of chopped lettuce, some tomatoes and some feta cheese crumbles. I got their house salad, which wasn't powerful, but very subdued. It only accented the lettuce, and since it wasn't that impressive, the salad kind of fell flat. I ate some, but pushed it away fro the better dishes ahead.

Our bruschetta came out looking delicious. The appearance would have earned an A alone, but I certainly wasn't going to go without tasting it. The toasted pieces of bread started to get a little soggy in the middle with the tomatoes salad atop it, but once I was able to scoop a good bit into my mouth, I was blown away. Keep in mind, this is bread, olive oil, tomatoes and some scallions with a delicious blend of flavors. The bread was still crunchy enough to provide a delicious base for the tomato and olive oil mixture - all infusing with garlic and spices. It was a delicious combination that kept me wanting more.

When our main entrees came out, I was happy with the size. I thought for sure that'd I'd have leftovers. Our waitress offered us some fresh cheese on top, and I took her up on that offer. I looked at my plate full of bowtie pasta, topped with a creamy tomato-based vodka sauce. It had small chunks of fresh mozzarella piled on top with pieces of capicola sprinkled throughout. This dish was heaven. It was so creamy, and the mozzarella and capicola made a delicious meal with the perfectly cooked pasta. Slightly al dente allows the sauce to absorb and creates a yummy carb coma. The capicola is a little salty, the cheese is fresh, and sauce is creamy and tomato-y and garlicy. It's so good, that I want to go back and order the same dish because I'm not sure another dish could be as good.


When I had a few bites left, the waitress asked if I'd like a box - I said no, I was going to eat the entire thing. It was THAT good. A few minutes later, she set a box on our table anyway. I didn't think much of it until she came back a few minutes later to take it away and give it to another table. While my entree was fantastic, the service was questionable - the two waitresses stood over behind a a counter chatting for a good bit of the time, while my drink was running empty. They also didn't know the specials and had to keep walking up to the chalkboard in front of the dining area to read it. Not to mention how we were greeted.

Regardless, when she offered us dessert, I wanted to try. She listed off tiramisu, spumoni, and cannolis. I haven't had a good cannoli since Italy, so that was my choice. It came out with some powdered suger, but this wasn't the typical ricotta-filled filo pastry I was expecting. Instead, it was almost like an icing inside the cannoli. I would forgo dessert next time. It simply wasn't tasty - the pastry wasn't sweet, and the filling was an odd flavor.

Luckily, my appetizer and entree were delicious enough for me to recommend this place, especially with it being so new. I can see bigger and better things coming. For $40 for two people, it's really a good price for a bread appetizer, bruschetta appetizer, two entrees, drinks, desserts, and not to mention a strange gel-like mint.

Grade: A

I heard about this little diner from a few friends. They said breakfast was great, but I was only available for lunch, and I wanted to check it out anyway. Located in Cheat Lake, this diner is pretty easy to miss if you aren't familiar with the area. It doesn't boast a huge sign, but there is a small one next to the building.

When you walk in, there is a counter and stools and a few separate dining areas. This is your typical, old-school diner, complete with worn chairs and booths and a homey feel - even a fireplace! We chose a small booth and flipped through the menus that were located on the table. The food was cheap, and featured typical diner dishes - some salads, dinners, sandwiches and lots of side dishes.

I planned on getting the country fried steak dinner until our waitress came over and listed the specials. As soon as she said creamed chicken with biscuits and mashed potatoes, I was sold. It also came with two sides: I ordered a house salad and green beans. We also put in an order for fried mushrooms.


The waitress came back with our drinks - I ordered a coke, which was served in a can with a tiny glass to pour it in.

We waited a little while, and our salads and side dishes arrived. The salad was bland, nothing more than some chopped lettuce and a few mushy, diced tomatoes, and a couple onion slices. Drenched in the French dressing, though, it was fine. The green beans had small chunks of bacon in them, but it wasn't crispy. A lot of the bacon was just pieces of fat, so I picked around the bits. The green beans were fine, too. I didn't get a fresh, garden taste, but they weren't bad.

Our entrees came out shortly after. It was a large helping of a biscuit split in half and a scoop of mashed potatoes with a chicken gravy on top. The biscuit was a little hard, which works well with a gravy over it. The mashed potatoes were creamy and tasty, but the chicken gravy itself didn't blow me out of the water. I was expecting some delicious, homemade gravy, but what I got was a slightly bland gravy reminiscent of a jar gravy. I must admit, my high school made the best creamed turkey/chicken, so I hold the dish to a high standard. This dish just fell right along mediocre. The gravy was a little thick, I would have preferred if it wasn't so much, and it could've done well with a dash or two of garlic. Our mushrooms never did come out, and when I asked the waitress, she said she thought she brought them out. When we said no, we just asked her to take them off the bill, as our entrees filled us up.

I ordered a straw- berry cheese- cake for dessert. Though a small sliver of cheesecake, it was tasty. It was creamy, and the strawberries were very sweet. The graham cracker crust was sweet and moist, and the flavor was delicious. Too bad it was so tiny.

My friend really enjoyed the whole dining atmosphere. If you like that down-home, country feel, this is a nice little place. The food isn't out of this world, but it's comfort food and feels familiar. If you're looking for new and exciting flavors that burst in your mouth, this isn't the place. But it's not trying to be, either.

Grade: C

Are U Hungry, or commonly known as Sandwich U, is an institution in Morgantown amongst the college community. Not necessarily because it's outstanding food, but rather because of its vulgarity and ridiculously "fat" sandwiches. Sandwich U even got a shoutout from ABC for a "college best bite."

This restaurant is located in downtown Morgantown on Walnut Street - prime location near the bars and other drinking establishments. Most people will only choose this restaurant after a few beers.

Why? Well, it's probably the most disgusting, delicious sandwich you will ever see. Their "fat" sandwiches are just that. They do have a few breakfast sandwiches and burgers, but their fame comes from their "fat sandwiches." These sandwiches are piled high with some unlikely ingredients. And some have questionable names.


Their biggest selling sandwiches are the "Fat Bitch" and the "Fat Bastard." The Fat Bitch comes with cheesesteak, chicken fingers, two mozzarella sticks, mayo, ketchup and french fries all piled high on an 8" sub roll. The Fat Bastard features gyro meat, chicken fingers, two mozzarella sticks, gyro sauce and french fries on the sub roll.

See, doesn't that sound like the most disgustingly delicious sandwich? Because of the calorie count one can't ignore, Sandwich U is often a favorite after a long night of drinking, and they are open until the wee hours of the morning - typically around 3 a.m. I assume that's when they do most of their business.

My friend who has graduated WVU and missed the tradition of Sandwich U had a craving for a "fat" sandwich. So, we decided to order these calorie-packed delicacies in honor of her visit. I went to DubVMenus and looked through the options. I ultimately decided on the "Fat Phillipino" because it has cheese steak, gyro meat, chicken fingers, two mozzarella sticks, french fries and tzatziki sauce (the gyro sauce). Go big or go home, right? All the sandwiches waver around $8 to $9. You can also get tons of extras - like fried mushrooms or mac'n'cheese bites, but I knew my sandwich would already be more than enough.

Our sandwiches arrived just about a half hour later, and they were steaming. I unwrapped my sandwich to find a sub roll stuffed with goodness. The top is piled with french fries, so when you take a bite, it's kind of a surprise. I know a lot of people don't like "mixing" their foods, so this may not be for them. But if you love each of those foods individually, they really do all taste great on a sub with some sauce on it. I can't go on about the grandness that is this sandwich, because basically, it's a bunch of fried foods or meat wrapped into one. But it's definitely oh so good. There's a good dash of cheesiness, along with some french fries and meat. The cheese steak adds that little surprise, and it's all topped with a smooth, slightly tangy cucumber dressing.

It's a rare indulgence, but it's a place to try. If nothing else, but for the novelty.

Grade: B

Mario's Fishbowl is a legend in Morgantown. Sometimes I say a place is a favorite among the locals, well, Mario's Fishbowl is THE favorite among the locals. This bar and grill is packed, literally, with memories and stories. They're written all over the walls, in fact. It's difficult to do this place justice, but I'm definitely going to try.

Mario's Fishbo- wl is synon- ymous with Morgantown, the city. Not the college town - as this place isn't filled with college students. Instead, it's filled with Morgantown natives and those who truly enjoy a good beer and some awesome people. It's a tiny place along Richwood Avenue - so it's not along the main drag, which weeds out the casual college kid, but invites the common frequenter. Parking is spotty, at best, but patrons will parking miles down the street to get a seat inside.


When you walk into Mario's, it's a free for all. If the crowd is feeling up to it, they'll cheer as you walk in. If you're lucky, you might snag one of the 10 booths or tables. But there's a good chance that the bar or long bench area might be your only option. The tables and booths are squeezed in, and it's not infrequent to be as close to a stranger as you are to the people you are dining with.

On this particular day, me and my friend chose the bar stool area. Soon after, a waitress came over with menus and took our drink orders. Now this is where Mario's "Fishbowl" comes into play - the beers they serve are in large, fishbowl-like glasses. They actually come in two sizes, but for most people, the regular they serve is enough. The other size is larger, but I won't even attempt that one. For a little over $3, this fishbowl filled with Bud Light (and ice cold, at that) cannot be beat. As we looked over our menus, we noticed a smaller table had opened up. I placed my order for a philly cheesesteak, while my friend ordered the special of the day - a bbq pork wrap. We then snagged the table, sipped our beers and took a look around.

I've been to Mario's a few times, but it'll never be enough to see everything there is to see. The walls are lined with notes and posters and pictures of patrons and "records" they've set and special memories. It's really the laidback and comforting atmosphere that makes Mario's feel like home. It's not skimpy-clothed girls or loud obnoxious guys, it's a really chill environment, and it's relaxing. The yellowed papers on the walls could take days to read, and this place means so much to so many people.

My philly cheesesteak came out, paired with some ruffles chips, piping hot. Tender sliced steak and white cheddar cheese, sprinkled with some green peppers made for a delicious sandwich. Each bite had a combo of the cheese, meat and peppers to make for a satisfying sandwich. The menu does feature typical bar fare, but it's not cheap ingredients deep-fried. Every piece of steak I bit into was tender and juicy. This wasn't the cheap, processed kind that one would typically expect from a bar. The cheese was melty and covered the entire sandwich. It was just fantastic. The salty chips complemented the sandwich, and it was all washed down with a cold beer. It doesn't get much better than that.

The waitresses were more than helpful to refill our fishbowls if we wanted. All the while, a small jukebox is on the wall playing whatever music the patrons want. While we were there, we heard quite a few Britney Spears songs. Our bill came to around $20 for the food, good service and fantastic atmosphere. You can even buy a fishbowl glass to take with you. I already own one, of course.

This is one of those places you must experience before leaving Morgantown. In fact, it's probably at the top of the list. I haven't met someone who doesn't like this place. Or maybe I'm just not friends with those types of people.

Grade: A