Brand new Thai restaurant, Chaang Thai, opened recently, and a friend and I went the opening day. Located on High Street, I assumed parking would be risky. But I luckily got a spot right in front of the restaurant, deposited some coins and walked to the front door. I could see people sitting in the window from the outside, and I was just hoping they'd let us inside. We arrived at 8 p.m., and I wasn't sure how later they were open. The hostess welcomed us, handed us a couple menus and cleared off a table for us. She noted that it was their first day and to try to be patient. She also said they closed at 10 p.m.


I took a quick look around, there were raised bar-like tables along the sides of the restaurant that looked toward the middle. And the middle tables were lined up down the restaurant. We had a middle table. I looked over the menu, and it was all new to me. It's actual Thai food. Well, as far as I know it to be. The menu is super sleek. The first two pages are rice-based dishes, the next page is noodle-based dishes, and another page has curry-based dishes. Each page has a handful of dishes, and you get to pick if you want chicken, pork/beef, seafood or vegetarian. So, there are a lot of options here, but it's very user friendly. You get to first choose what type of base you want: rice, noodle, or curry. Then you look at those dishes. Once you decide on a dish you want, you get to choose what kind of meat. You also get to choose how spicy you want it - from mild, medium, and hot to "Chaang" hot.


We waited for a good 10 minutes before a waitress came over to take our drink orders. I know how restaurants are on their opening day, so I was cutting them some slack. But we went ahead and put our orders in at the same time of our drinks. We had settled on a vegetarian appetizer - the "Chaang" fresh rolls. These were soft rolls filled with vegetables, spices and tofu, all served with a peanut sauce.

For my main dish, I quickly ruled out curry, as spicy isn't my preference. So I looked through both the rice dishes and the noodle dishes. Two stuck out to me: the "Chaang" pineapple rice dish and the pad thai. My friend was set on the pad thai, so I opted for the pineapple dish, with chicken.

Our appetizers arrived almost immediately - we were quite surprised since it took us so long to initially get waited on. Six small rice paper rolls came out on a plate. I grabbed one, dipped it in the sauce and popped it in my mouth. The first thing I tasted was lemongrass and citrus. The tofu was tasteless, the carrots were muted, and there were these tiny, thin noodles that gave the roll some texture and substance. I wasn't a fan of this dish - I didn't like the acidic flavor, I was expecting something more fried. The peanut sauce was tasty, but it couldn't overcome the lemony taste. We finished them, and almost as soon as we swallowed the last bite, our entrees were out.

Couldn't believe how quick it was. A giant white dish cradled a gorgeous mixture of tender, sliced chicken, onions, peppers, pineapple, tomatoes, carrots and zucchini, with another side of finely shredded carrots. The first thing I noticed was the amazing quality of the chicken; it was slices of tender breast. Not chunks of chicken/rib meat and not fake thick slices. It was thin, tender, quality chicken mixed in this sweet and tangy pineapple sauce. The zucchini was slightly gingered, and the tomatoes and carrots packed a hint of spiciness. The pineapple sauce marinated the veggies and chicken, and the dish connected for a sweet, tangy, spicy deliciousness.

This dish hit the right notes - the flavors blended well, and it had a hint of spiciness, which is essential to much of the Thai cuisine. I also tasted the pad thai, which was excellent. The noodles were stir-fried to perfection, and had a nice texture. This dish was more on the spicy side (as requested), but easily manageable and tasty. I think I'll order it for a full taste next time. For around $20, this meal was definitely worth it. I'm happy to see another addition to the Morgantown food scene. I think this will be a crowd-pleaser.

Grade: A

ZenClay is one of the few coffeeshops in Morgantown. I had to meet my professor for office hours here, so I decided to kill two birds with one stone - have a review of this restaurant, too, while meeting with my professor. I had been here only once before, so I was looking forward to what else they had to offer.

Located along University Avenue, closer toward the Evansdale Campus, ZenClay is not only a cafe, but it's also a studio and gallery. The middle floor is the restaurant portion, and you can access it via the door on the side of building. Parking is available right there or across the street, and there's usually plenty of space.

When you walk in, you know it's an art gallery. The interior is decorated with sculptures and paintings and other art in a really clean and sophisticated way. After going through a second set of doors, the counter where you order is right there. Small paper menus are available, but I had already perused their website, so I had a good idea of what I wanted. I chose the Ananda sandwich - a panko-breaded eggplant, organic greens, cucumber, tomato, muenster cheese, and honey mustard on a sourdough bread. It came with a side of their sweet chili slaw and chips. I also grabbed a bottle of water from the cooler. I paid for my meal and found my professor where we began chatting.

Soon enough, a plate was delivered with my sandwich and sides. The chips were dark blue tortillas, tasted like a regular tortilla chip. The slaw was not my favorite - it was runny, and the sauce wasn't too tasty to me. It just didn't have that little creamy kick; it was more like not-quite-the-mark slimy. The sandwich looked delicious though. I bit into it and caught the distinct taste of a picked cucumber. It was quite potent and kind of took over the flavor. I then tasted the crumbly eggplant, which was fantastic. I wanted more of that eggplant, but the other flavors fell to the wayside in the presence of that honey mustard.

Honey mustard comes in a variety of forms, and some are great and some are not so much. This was the latter. I couldn't put my finger (or tastebud) on what it was that made it so strong, but it tasted like horseradish. It was too strong, and it, along with the pickled cucumber, took over the flavors of everything else. I really wish I could have gotten a taste for those other flavors, because I'm sure they were fantastic. But the sandwich didn't let them sing.

For under $10, though, it was something different. And it's really a cool environment because of the local art. It's pleasant to eat local food among local art because you can get a true feeling for Morgantown - not just the college scene. It's a place to check out, and next time, I want to see the other floors.

Grade: C

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