For the past (almost) year, I have posted a ton of restaurant reviews. Some good, some bad, many indifferent. When my blog began to pick up some momentum, some restaurants that I've graded low, or maybe not so low in this case, have contacted me in various ways. Some are angry, and some want to know how they can improve my experience.

Restaurant Redemption is a small series I've created that will allow me to give those restaurants who are keeping up with their social media (notably, my blog) and have made an attempt to rectify a poor or mediocre dining experience. For the restaurants that have contacted me, I'm giving it another dining go. For the most part, I will try a different dish and make note of the previous observations about the experience as a whole.

On my recent blog about Gino's in Princeton (technically, Athens), the marketing director commented:

"Hi, Candace. My name is Carey and I work in the Marketing Department at Gino's Pizza & Spaghetti House. We're glad you enjoyed your pizza and cheese breadsticks during your recent visit. And we appreciate your candor regarding our spaghetti. Will you please email me (carey@ginospizza.com) so we can discuss further? Thank you"

So I emailed Carey saying I'd be happy to discuss my experience, and she responded with questions concerning the menu board I saw. I had noted that I saw a photo of a plate of spaghetti with two meatballs on it on the menu, and what I was served was a pile of spaghetti with meat sauce. Carey said that this was an issue they recognized and were going to rectify the problem.

"I have spoken with our upper management and we are devising a plan to fix this problem - in each of our 38 locations. It may take a little time, but we want to remedy this so that every guest is clear about what they are ordering ... Thank you for your insight. Feedback like yours helps us to improve the dining experience for every Gino's guest."

Apparently there is a bit of sign confusion. There are two different spaghetti dishes, but the restaurant only offered one - and the photo was of the one they didn't offer. But, I was very happy she took the time to figure out a problem and quickly implement a solution. A few emails and a couple of days later, I received three coupons in the mail from Gino's. One for a sandwich, a large one-topping pizza and a pasta dish.

I ventured back to today to use up my coupons. As soon as we walked in, I instantly noticed that the menu boards were different. No longer was the spaghetti with two plump meatballs featured in the overhead menu - or anywhere else. In fact, the menu seems to have been redone - much cleaner and more concise.

I handed my coupons to the woman behind the counter. She looked befuddled. I started listing off what I wanted: a pepperoni pizza, a baked lasagna and a philly cheesesteak sandwich. Why? Because I wanted to try something different. I stood back while she didn't say anything for an awkward minute. Finally, she said, "Where'd you get these?"

I wasn't really sure how to respond to that. That's kind of imposing? I pointed to the back of one card where Carey so kindly wrote that I was able to use all three coupons on one visit and signed her name. The woman behind the counter seemed to perk up. "Oh. Okay. It'll be about 25 to 30 minutes," she said.

We left for awhile & Chris picked up the order. He arrived with three treats - a large box, a smaller box and a bag. The first thing I did was open the pizza. While most of it looked delicious, it was pretty burnt around one edge. And the pepperonis got pretty crisp, too. After eating around the bad spots, though, it was the same delicious pizza I had once before. It's thin-crusted, with loads of stringy cheese. I'd be happy to do without the pepperoni.

Then, I opened the box containing an aluminum container full of baked lasagna. Not as pretty as it would have been, I assume, had I not ordered it to-go. It's a decent portion, and not too shabby tasting, either. The meat sauce tasted strikingly like a batch of chili. In fact, it was nearly identical. The cheese could have been more prominent, but fairly average overall. A bag of garlic bread was included in the box, which was delicious when warm with buttery deliciousness and garlic.

Finally, it was time to try their philly steak sub. It was split in two good-sized halves, which was perfect for Chris and I. It has shaved steak, cheese, onions, green peppers and mushrooms. This was tasty, though I do wish it had more cheese, I wasn't disappointed.

Overall, my meal was pretty good. It was tasty, free and convenient. Does it get much better than that? I really like Gino's, and their pizza is really starting to move up my pizza rankings.

I do not aim to act as though my second time around that all is perfect. That's not what a review is about. However, it is a good opportunity to see what problems have been fixed and try out a different mean to see where it ranks. I think it's obvious that this restaurant is aiming to please. The menu changed quickly, and that's not always easy to do.

I think there is something to be said for a dining establishment that is so concerned with each and every customer that not only do they keep up-to-date on their social media standing, but they also reach out to customers in a very proactive way. It's one thing to follow-up to address concerns; it's a whole other thing to go out of their way to send coupons to ensure I dine there again.

With good food, excellent customer service and it being a local dining chain, there's really no reason to not go here.

For lunch, a co-worker and I checked out Nonna's Bakery & Deli. I had heard great things, and I was looking for some cookies to bring into the office. Nonna's is located on Burroughs Street. But honestly, the only way I know where it is is because I take that route to go the back way to Walmart. Regardless, Nonna's is located in a small plaza. A small black sign distinguishes it from the other shops.

On this side of town, parking isn't really an issue, so we parked and walked inside. The door dings and announces that it's open. That was a little alarming. So the fellow patrons inside looked at us as we were announced. There are only three tables, with four chairs each. And there are a few menus, so it's not in one central location. That kind of confused me. One is right by the counter, and another is near the door. I walked up the counter and told the woman I wanted to order lunch, but also some cookies or something. She directed me to the menu. The menu near the door had their sandwiches, so I looked over that until something caught my eye. Most of them looked good. I opted for the Tory, which included fresh ciabatta with smoked mozzarella, fontinella, aged provolone, feta, tomatoes, hot peppers, red onion, and basil pesto. It was panini style - so all those ingredients melted together. I chose a water with it. I looked at the case of their goodies, but nothing had a name or price on it. So, I chose what looked good and I knew what it was - pumpkin sugar cookies. I ordered a dozen. I honestly wanted a variety or mixture of all the little pastries and cookies they had in front, but when I seemed confused about how to order, the woman didn't offer much in the way of support. That's okay, though, the cookies looked good enough.


She rang me up, and my order came to about $33. Whew - that's pricy for a sandwich, a water and a dozen cookies. But hopefully the quality would justify it. I took a seat at one of the three tables, only one other was occupied at this point, and waited on my meal. The woman brought over my box of cookies, with their signature sticker on the top, and I couldn't wait. I opened it up to see inside. I figured I could have just one, but for dessert. We waited for a little while before my panini finally came out. But it was wrapped up steaming hot. I opened the package to see tons of mozzarella and onions oozing out. The panini was fairly large, with two halves stacked on top of one another. The panini wasn't super thick, but it seemed to have a good bit of ingredients. The mozzarella was oozy, and crunchy chunks of onions and peppers were throughout the sandwich. The cheeses blended together, and I could still taste the hint of feta. The sandwich was good, but I think next time I might opt for something with meat. It tasted fine, it just seemed to be missing something for me. I'll definitely try this place again, because it is tasty, but another sandwich might be better suited for me.


Regardless, their cookies are what I heard amazing things about, so I was excited. The cookie was very sweet, and the icing was smooth and creamy. This sugar cookies was so rich, I can't imagine buying store-bought sugar cookies again. The sugar cookie was a sugar cookie, but it was very fresh and tasty. It was moist and delicious. Their other desserts looked great, too. I'll have to try those at some point.

Grade: B

Golden Finch is located on High Street in Morgantown. It is a finer restaurant, but a good happy medium between casual and fine dining. I love how restaurants on High Street have nice window dining areas, as is the case with Golden Finch. The entire front is glass, so you can people watch while you dine. It's a fairly small restaurant, but don't doubt it.

We walked in, and the host/waiter seated us. Their menu boasts soups, salads, appetizers, sandwiches, grand meals, and a great selection of desserts. I quickly noticed that they have a caprese salad, which made my day. This is typically giant slabs of fresh mozzarella and tomatoes. So, I put in my order for a caprese salad. The rest of the menu looked delicious, too, but the thing that stood out to me was the Creole Shrimp and Grits. It's spicy shrimp sauteed in a tasso ham, sweet onion cream sauce served over cheesy grits. I had heard this dish was great from other reviews, so I went for it.


We waited for awhile - service was a bit spotty. My friend received her meal and nearly finished it before I received mine. Granted, she ordered an appetizer as an entree, but she requested it as her main entree. Oh well.

My caprese salad came out, and I was slightly confused. It was a giant pile of baby greens and spinach, covered in balsamic vinaigrette, with a few tomatoes and balls of mozzarella on the edges. In my experience, tomatoes and mozzarella made up the bulk of the caprese salad, and baby greens were there as a supporting role. Not the case with this salad. I was actually disappointed because I was ready to dig into some huge juicy tomato slices and giant chunks of mozzarella. The spinach was tasty, but I wish the tomatoes and mozzarella were more prominent. But this dish alone was good. It also had two cornbread muffins, which were a nice addition.

My main dish came out as a giant stew, almost. I bit into a piece of shrimp, and whoa, it did have that cajun kick. Tiny bits of ham were throughout the sauce, and hearty grits made up the base of the dish. I wasn't overly impressed with the flavors, but it was something new. The spicy creamy sauce was a good pairing for the slightly cheesy grits. The shrimp and ham added some bite to the dish, and it was something I've never had before. It was also a huge portion - so much so that I had to get a to-go box for the remainder. I'm not sure if I'd order this again, but I was impressed with the creativity and thought that went into this dish.

Dessert was next, and they had a wide variety to choose from. The one that made me salivate was the strawberry ginger creme brulee. Wow. This creme brulee had a very thick sugary piece and delicious creaminess underneath. This dessert was so fresh and light, but with a creative spin on typical creme brulee. Their other desserts sounded fantastic, as well, but this was out of this world. It was to die for.

My meal came to around $35 with tip - for a drink, salad, entree and dessert. That's not bad, but that's a little high for a college kid budget. Try it, though, for something new and different.


Grade: B

The Kenyan Cafe is located in Chelsea Square, which is near Applebee's. It's one of the more unique restaurants in town, as I believe it's the only African cuisine in Morgantown. The restaurant focuses on healthy food and organic drinks. The Kenyan Cafe has vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options.



When we walked in, the woman waited a minute before coming over to us. This confused us, so we weren't sure if we should seat ourselves or what. She finally came over and asked what we wanted to do. She grabbed menus and seated us at a table. Once we were seated, she cleaned it off. When I was sitting there, I had a chance to finally take in the scenery. The walls were brightly colored - oranges and greens, and some sophisticated art littered the walls.


Our table had a cup of silverware that you plucked your own from. That wasn't my favorite part of the dining experience, but I made it work. I looked over the menu - Briani caught my eye. It is a mixture of well-seasoned beef, rice, corn and green beans. I ordered that, as well as a side of vegetarian samosas, which is sough with African spices wrapper in a flour rub. I also ordered a water, which was convenient, because the fountain machine was right across from us.

We waited for what seemed like a long time, and then my samosas came out. Steaming hot, two small pastry-looking pockets came out. I bit into it, and my first thought was that it was a potpie. It had carrots and peas and green beans. It was tasty, though. It was like a a miniature potpie with almost a sweet aftertaste.


Finally, our meal arrived. In a big bowl, a mixture similar to stew came out. Not only was it steaming hot, but it was spicy. The beef and vegetables were tasty together, but after two bites, my mouth was on fire, and the dish was starting to taste bland. I had originally ordered a water, but I refilled with a coke, and it was exactly what I needed for this dish. The sweet coke balanced out the heavy, spicy meal. The meat was tender, and the veggies were cooked until they were almost mush. It was exactly like a really thick stew. Once I had my coke in hand, I finished the large meal and felt satisfied.

We went to the front counter to pay, and the staff asked us how we liked our meal. Though $15-$20 isn't worth it to me, I liked the experience of trying something new. The hearty, spicy dishes aren't my fancy. But I do know a lot of people prefer that type of food. I might go back and try something different - though all the dishes are fairly similar. It's a good addition to the scene, but it's just not my type of food.

The restaurant has a great little story, though, and supporting local business is a great thing. I think a lot of people would be a fan of this.

Grade: C

It's rare that Chris and I are making the trip from Morgantown to Princeton together. This just so happened to be the case one day during Thanksgiving break. So, we seized the opportunity to try a new restaurant along the way. I've had my eye on Pies & Pints in Fayetteville for awhile - ever since I tried the Charleston location a few months ago. I already had a taste of the excellent pies and fun atmosphere, and I expected the original location would be no exception.

The restaurant is located just off the highway and back a street. Signs lead right to the restaurant. Unlike its brightly colored companion in Charleston, this Pies & Pints doesn't stick out. I actually passed it the first time, but I realized it as soon as I did, turned around and headed back. A large parking lot was situated behind the building. When we walked in the restaurant, I was surprised it wasn't larger. The waiting area is right in front of the restaurant, so all those at the bar looked at us as we waited.

The one in Charleston is set up slightly different - when you arrive, it isn't a grand entrance. We were seated along the wall in a booth/seat table combo. The menu is the same as I remembered Charleston's - lots of creative pies and some tasty looking brews. The first thing I was drawn to was the salads. I am a sucker for a good spinach salad. Pies & Pints has a nice spinach salad with Gorgonzola cheese, grapes, sunflower seeds and red onions in their house vinaigrette. The distinctive crumbly cheese has quite a bite to it. The red onion have a mild, slightly sweet flavor and the house vinaigrette was mild and slightly tangy. The grapes, though, are what makes this salad. That sweetness brings all those flavors together.

Chris opted for a Caesar salad - delicious. The light dressing and homemade croutons made this salad simple and tasty. He really enjoyed it - down to the last bite.

I already knew what type of pie I was wanting - the chicken gouda was heavenly. It has marinated grilled chicken, bacon, smoked gouda, red onions, chipotle crema and scallions. Chris decided on the Mediterranean Shrimp Pie, which has shrimp, artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, fresh garlic, lemon & herbs. We split a large pizza for maximum cost-benefit and deliciousness.

My side of the pizza has that delicious smokey cheese taste with some salty bits of bacon and creamy, tangy chipotle. I would've liked some more chipotle on the pizza to really help mesh those flavors better, but it was still fantastic. One of my favorite pizzas I've ever had. The creativeness of the pizza and fantastic smokey/salty/creamy flavors combine for a really great pie.

The Mediterranean pizza is lighter and more acidic - with the lemon and salt - but delicious in its own way. A lighter pizza was some salty olives, artichokes and shrimp. Salty, lemony and light - this pizza is a nice pie that won't weigh you down. They were both delicious.

This location is more homey, but just as delicious. These pizzas are some of the best that the state has to offer. What are you waiting for? #GetSome

Grade: A