In my five years in Morgantown, I hadn't been to the Mountain People's Co-Op. Shameful, I know. But, really, it's intimidating. To go into a small place where you haven't been before is scary. I had never been to a place like this, ever. But my curiosity overcame my fear, and a friend and I went to check it out.

The Co-op offers natural, organic, fair trade, local products on a scale I've never seen before. They offer bulk items, cards, and an incredibly knowledgeable staff. When I first walked in, I was a little overwhelmed. I wasn't sure where to go, but I awkwardly walked around until I gained my bearings. There are only three aisles here. The first one seemed like some basic healthy foods - lots of beige and green packaging. I picked up a jar of tikka masala sauce and some rice crackers. I hadn't had either, so this was already looking promising. As I turned the corner, I noticed the fresh fruits and veggies along the wall. Pricier than what I'm used to, but probably for good reason.


Then I saw the second aisle. Jars, containers, and dispensers full of anything you could imagine. I walked up and down the aisle in awe. There were spices, grains, dried fruits, granola, and tons more.

According to their website, "We have a huge selection of grains, flours, beans & legumes, nuts & seeds, dried fruits, granolas, herbs & spices, medicinal herbs, baking needs, sprouting seeds, fair trade coffees, herbal & regular teas, oils, honey & maple syrup & other liquid sweeteners, miso, castile soaps, shampoos, laundry & dish detergents, and more." That's a lot! Thankfully, there were other shoppers in there, so I watched closely to see how one obtains all these delicacies.

On the right endcap of the first aisle, there's a little stand that has little baggies, with twist ties, and some containers, too. There are also some scoops to use for the containers that don't have ones. Each of these things has a small price. I used small baggies, which I believe are 8 cents, and then you used the twist tie and write the number of whatever you get on it. So, I returned to the aisle, bag in hand, to select small treasures. I hadn't even heard of most of the items, but that made it even more fun. I selected some dried apple rings and dried bananas. They encourage everyone to not "graze" or sample the products. Everyone gets their own food, so you're on the honor system here. And hoping that children or other people didn't just shove their hands in there.

The third aisle had some refrigerated items, where I opted for a container of hummus. I'm usually not a fan of hummus, but I wanted to give this avocado a shot. Glad I did, by the way. There were a ton of other things I want to try, like their noodles and the huge tubs of peanut butter.

As for local foods, they have eggs, chicken, turkey, bison and beef, which are pasture-raised with no added hormones or antibiotics. They have goat's milk cheeses, tofu, honey, jams, jellies, breads, sauces, condiments and more.

When you go to pay, there is a scale on the counter to weigh all those items that you helped yourself to. At the counter was also a small display for the Venerable Bean, which I hope to blog about later on. But the Venerable Bean is an all-vegan baking company in town, which has cakes, scones, etc.; special orders and gluten-free items are available.

I think my total came to around $20, which isn't bad for some fresh products that I know where they came from. They use donated bags, so don't be surprised to get a Kroger or Dollar General bag. And, you can become a member. You don't have to be to shop there, but if you are, you get a 15% discount on special bulk orders, 5% off all in-store purchase on Wednesdays, ownership in the Co-op, and are able to order through their organic produce supplier. It's $30 annually, and students are $20.

Their hours are Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and closed on Sunday. There's a certain sense of community here; it's more like a lifestyle. You can get healthy, local, hard-to-find items. And you get people who care about what they're doing and care about helping you.

If you haven't checked it out, you're doing yourself a disservice. Give it a shot. It might be intimidating, but people are willing to help you figure it out. And I've done the dirty work for you, already.

At the end of town on Cheat Road, Mid-Atlantic Market doesn't necessarily look like a "market." The unassuming building simple looks like a gas station. It even includes typical gas station fare, like slushie drinks, salty snacks and beverages, as well as groceries. But it is more, too.

The Mid-Atlantic states form a region of the United States, which includes Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Washington DC, Virginia, New York and West Virginia. This, I assume, is where this market gets its name. Many of the items for sale here include deli sandwiches, hoagies and others that are shipped in from the Strip District in Pittsburgh, Pa.



Their deli area has cases full of stuffed peppers, mushrooms, olives, fresh cheese and meats, and even cannollis. Some fresh-baked breads are available, as are some local sauces, like Blue Smoke Salsa. Wine, coffee, and pastries are here, too. They also make some sandwiches on the spot.

Their menu includes hot hoagies: chicken parmesan, buffalo chicken, Italian combo, Philly cheesesteak; deli sandwiches: reuben, ham and jack, tuna salad; fried items: chicken tenders, mozzarella wedges, boneless wings; soups: broccoli cheddar, tomato basil and chili. There's a good bit more, too. There's a small "Fireside Cafe" with some chairs, a TV, and fireplace to sit and eat.

While I didn't order a to-go sandwich, I did get a few deli items: fresh mozzarella and ham salad, as well as a loaf of bread and a chocolate bar. All were tasty and fairly priced. It's very similar to the large deli selection at Kroger, but on a much smaller scale. If you're looking for something fresh or something different, try this place out. You might just find a new favorite.

I tried Dragon- fly closer to when it first opened, and to be honest, I wasn't impressed. I thought I'd give it a second try since it's been around for awhile and has recently come under new management. I can say my experience has definitely changed from the first time to the most recent time.


When I walked in the restaurant, the overall look is very swanky and posh. The interior is very nice. It's sophisticated and sleek, but very dimly lit. A large bar area is lit, and a raised area near the windows has some a few tables to people watch. When I walked in, our waiter, John, greeted us and asked us if we had reservations. He asked if we had a preference for where to sit, and I chose an area close to the window. He set down this small service bar, which has buttons for service, refills or checks. What a great idea. Our service was so impeccable, though, that we never needed it. He also immediately brought out two glasses of water while we looked over the menus.

I really wanted to try a little bit of everything here. I ordered some sushi first: Dynamite Roll and Tempura Shrimp Roll. The Dynamite roll contained crab meat, cucumber, avocado and baked spicy, crunchy salmon with spicy mayo and eel sauce for $12. It consisted of about 10 rolls. It was phenomenal. It's almost like a fantastic California roll, but amped up with some delicious salmon on top. The ingredients were fresh, the rolls were tight, and the flavors were refreshing and dynamic. No raw fish in this roll, so it's also an easy on for beginners. This is one of my new favorite rolls.

The tempura shrimp roll has tempura shrimp, avocado, and cucumber, which is topped with spicy mayo and green onion. This one is $9.50. It comes with only five rolls, and in typical fashion with shrimp tempura rolls, two of the rolls are ends of shrimp. These are always kind of awkward to eat, but they're pretty. The flavors were tasty here, as well. The tempura was crispy, the veggies were fresh, and the sauces added a nice delicate touch.

For my entree, I ordered the pad thai, which consists of shrimp, egg, peanuts, bean sprouts, peppers, onions, and of course, the flat noodles. My portion size was huge. The first thing I noticed were these large, plump shrimp on my plate. That was a nice surprise from the typical pad thai I get. When I bit into it, it was slightly different from what I was expecting. The sauce seem almost more condensed and stronger than I'm used to. But it wasn't bad. In fact, I liked it. Some crunchy veggies helped break up the huge carb-loaded pasta dish, and it added some freshness to the dish. I enjoyed this dish, too. The sushi was definitely hard to follow, though. I had so much leftover, our waiter graciously boxed it up, and even wrote the date on the box for leftovers for later.

Since our experience so far had been fantastic, we decided to try dessert. Boy, was that a good decision. We ordered their specialty that night - a deep-fried raspberry cheesecake with ice cream. Oh my goodness, it was one of the best desserts I've had in town. The light crispy batter on the creamy cheesecake, the tart sweetness of the raspberry combined with the frigid smooth vanilla ice cream was beyond words. I hope this is a regular occurrence because I would go solely for the dessert - it was that good.

One other thing that this restaurant does and does well is their service. I'm just going to say it's the best service I've ever had in Morgantown. If all waiters are as fabulous as John, customers are in for a treat. This place is a bit on the pricier side, so special occasions would be a great time to check it out.


Grade: A

People across the United States have different words they use for "soft drink." While this is an interesting linguistics case study, people also often engage in friendly debate about which is "correct." Those familiar with linguistics know there is no "right" answer, but instead, they're all right, according to, most often, where you are located.

I say "pop."And I do joke with others when they say "soda," because it sounds southern to me. But if you look at the map above (that has been around for 10 years now), most of the southern states say Coke. If I said Coke, it would be referring to the brand-name cola beverage. You can vote for what you say here. And if you want to see individual responses for "other," click on a state here.

Sometimes this debate goes beyond friendly, but it's definitely interesting to see how one specific term gets people riled up. But looking at the history of the soft drink, soda people may win this battle.

Quick timeline here:

• 1798 The term "soda water" first coined.
• 1835 The first bottled soda water in the U.S.
• 1851 Ginger ale created in Ireland.
• 1861 The term "pop" first coined.
• 1874 The first ice-cream soda sold.
• 1876 Root beer mass produced for public sale.
• 1881 The first cola-flavored beverage introduced.
• 1885 Charles Aderton invented "Dr Pepper" in Waco, Texas.
• 1886 Dr. John S. Pemberton invented "Coca-Cola" in Atlanta, Georgia.
• 1898 "Pepsi-Cola" is invented by Caleb Bradham.
• 1919 The American Bottlers of Carbonated Beverages formed.
• Early 1920's The first automatic vending machines dispensed sodas into cups.
• 1929 The Howdy Company debuted its new drink "Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Sodas" later called "7 Up".
• 1952 The first diet soft drink sold called the "No-Cal Beverage" a gingerale sold by Kirsch.
• 1957 The first aluminum cans used.
• 1959 The first diet cola sold.
• 1962 The pull-ring tab first marketed by the Pittsburgh Brewing Company of Pittsburgh, PA.
• 1965 Soft drinks in cans dispensed from vending machines.
• 1965 The resealable top invented.
• 1970 Plastic bottles are used for soft drinks.
• 1974 The stay-on tab invented.
• 1979 Mello Yello soft drink is introduced by the Coca Cola company as competition against Mountain Dew.
• 1981 The "talking" vending machine invented.

And, maybe the coolest yet, is the Coca-Cola Freestyle machine that allows customers to make their own pop flavor ... 100+ different ways. Now, Morgantown is home to one. Five Guys restaurant has one. Check out my blog on that here. Maybe once we're all making our own combinations, the "soda" vs. "pop" debate will end, and we'll name each of our creations.

Can't wait to try the "Candace" pop soon.

Last week, I blogged about the various types of diets out there. Whether you are strictly a raw veggie person or you are a vegetarian who eats fish, there's probably a certain label out there for you. And there's probably a restaurant that will help cater to your dietary requests, too. Morgantown has a handful that have developed a reputation for having dishes specifically for vegetarians or vegans, and we're not talking about a chicken salad sans chicken. Check out some of the most popular ones:

Black Bear - In addition to serving some local food, Black Bear Burritos makes some dishes with vegetarians in mind. Their rice is vegan, they use 100 percent organic Spring Creek tofu from Spencer, W.Va., they have 100% vegetarian beans, and they have separate grill from vegetarian dishes.

Maxwell's - Maxwell's has little asterisks next to items on their menu that are suitable for vegetarians. And there's quite the variety, too, from nachos and eggs to avocado sandwiches and bean burgers.

Blue Moose Cafe - As a hip, "cyber cafe," this coffeeshop offers tons of choices in that area, including organic houseblends and soymilk. But their menu is also all-natural and primarily vegetarian. Eggs (bacon or fakin'), Reubens, bean burgers, salads and other melts are all here. Blue Moose also does a good job at taking a traditional sandwich and turning it vegetarian- or vegan- friendly.

ZenClay - As an artistic mecca, this place has options like noodles, soups, "moo shu" pocket, eggplant sandwich, and many more creative, fresh, veggie-filled dishes. I like the creativity here, and you get to see some original veggie dishes.

What have I missed? I know there are some other great ones out there. Anyone have a specific vegetarian-friendly dish that is fantastic?