I have never been "to" Grafton until recently. Maybe I've been "through" Grafton, but it was never intentional. In fact, I wasn't even sure how to get there.

For those taking note - if you keep driving back behind the "other" Walmart (instead of getting on the highway), you run right into it.

I happened to be coming home from Princeton when a friend, who will be moving out of the state very soon, asked me to meet up for dinner. Dinner in Grafton sounded as though it could pose a threat of difficulty. According to a few friends, though, Gourmet Express is a hidden gem.

Hidden is right - it's not exactly easy to spot this restaurant. It's essentially a two-story house at 1216 W Main Street in Grafton. There is a small sign signaling passers-by, as well as a small parking lot for patrons. It's hidden in plain sight.

When we walked in, the first thing I noticed was a smell - a good one. It was like a sweet, soft smell. Like I just walked in a fresh meadow. It may also be because I had just walked inside from the humid temperatures, and I smelled like sweat.

As soon as you walk in, there's a counter. The woman behind asked us if we'd like the lower or the upper floor. We decided to just stick the ground floor - mostly because I didn't want to make the poor woman run up and down the stairs for us. Surprisingly, it was fairly busy. There were only a handful of places to sit, plus the counter, and about half were taken up.


Our table had a small flower, and the interior had a girly country feel. Our server brought us some menus and took our drink orders. You definitely get that down-home, southern hospitality feel here. She explained all of their specials right up front (which were also written on the chalkboard, which is nice, so you can refer to them afterward) and gave us some time to look over the menu.

I couldn't get over one of their specials, though, the "portabeller rockefeller" (see what they did there?). Its description was "spinach and cream cheese, shrimp and scallops, grilled potato cake for $14.99. It was probably the most expensive item on their menu - but eesh, it sounded so good! I know Rockefeller (like Oysters Rockefeller) is so '70s, but I wasn't around then to experience the greatness.

It also came with a salad - basic iceberg lettuce, cheddar cheese, couple tomatoes and croutons (I love croutons). I asked for French dressing - this was that orangey kind, as opposed to the Catalina red kind, but it was still OK nonetheless. I ate the good parts out of it and discarded the boring lettuce stock pieces.

Soon after, we were handed some fresh bread. I usually ignore the bread because it's just filler, but this was tasty! It was almost sweet. It wasn't plain, boring. It was fresh, flavorful, slightly sweet. Yum. And before I knew it, our main entrees were out.

A giant portabello cap stuffed with cream cheese and spinach was lightly baked with breadcrumbs on top. A couple small scallops and shrimp were sprinkled around the mushroom, and soaking in a thick, creamy cheese sauce. The scallops and shrimp were much better than I was expecting - who knew the seafood would be decent in Grafton, WV? No, it's clearly not straight from the ocean, but it's probably as close as any of us are going to get.

The mixture inside the mushroom was heavy on the cream cheese, less on the spinach. Rich and delicious. I used this as an opportunity to bring in a starchy, heavy base in my potato pancake. Seriously, positioning these two together is like a culinary heaven. If I had one or the other, I'd complain about the balance. They complement each other perfectly. The pancake was lightly fried, but thick and pillowy and delicious.

So each bite went: Small piece of seafood, chunk of mushroom, scoop of cheese mixture with a dollop of potato pancake. Yum! I sopped up any leftover sauce with my breadsticks and left that place one happy, carb-filled camper.

They had dessert - fresh-baked apple and sweet potato pies. But I was trying to watch my wallet. My total came out to be around $15. Worth. Every. Penny.

Grade: A

While on our way to Charleston for a Ring of Honor match, Chris and I stopped in Beckley for some grub. I had a vague idea of some restaurants that I wanted to try, but when I knew we were stopping for sure, I did some research. A few people had suggested Young Chow's. I don't need much convincing to try a Chinese restaurant.

It's located off Exit 44, so it's near that cluster of restaurants. But you do drive about a mile back on Pikeview Drive, so there is some sense of seclusion from the hustle and bustle.

The building is awesome - it's not a boring storefront. It's designed and complemented with some flora. When you walk in, it's almost like a different world. A high skylight brings in the sun's rays, while plants' leaves drape from the ceiling. A light trickle of water splashes from a mellow waterfall. The dining area is fairly large, and there is also a bar and a drive-thru/carry-out area.

We happened to be here for lunch time, so we were able to get a good amount of food for a fairly low price. The lunch menu seems to be a condensed version of their full menu. Unfortunately, we didn't get a sushi menu, even though I would've loved to. The lunch items didn't have definitions beneath, so while some items were clear, some were a shot in the dark. I took a shot in the dark with their "Young Chow's Special Chicken."


It also came with some extras that were kind of unclear. The menu reads - "Served with an egg roll or 3 piece cheese wonton, fried rice, and choice of garden salad or one of the following soups: (1) egg drop, (2) wonton, (3) hot and sour.

I opted for my egg roll, fried rice, and wonton soup. But I wouldn't have had the slightest idea based on that mangled mess of a paragraph. It could greatly benefit from some semicolons.

"Served with an eggroll or thee-piece cheese wonton; fried rice; choice of garden salad or one of the following soups (1) egg drop (2) wonton (3) hot and sour."

Long story short, I didn't know if I was going to get the cheese wontons, so we ordered an appetizer of those. Chris ordered the Kung Pow chicken, which was another dish recommended to us.

The woman taking our orders was very sweet, and she brought us out some dishes as a pre-appetizer, I guess you could say. It was like a build-your-own-eggroll of sorts: an oil/vinegar cabbage slaw and some fried egg roll wrappers. We also had some duck sauce and hot mustard sauce for dipping. I tried this combination a few times, and it wasn't bad. It was kind of fun, actually, but without some meat or other filling, there wasn't much substance. But for a free appetizer, it was great - especially considering at some other places all you get is the fried wrapper and some duck sauce. Here, you get a tone-downed version of an eggroll for free.

Wonton Soup

Our soups were quick to follow. My wonton soup was good - a basic beef broth, with scallions and a thick noodle in the center was tasty. But then I tried Chris' hot and sour soup and was immediately jealous. While it may have been a bit too much to eat the hot and sour soup alone, I really enjoyed mixing his hot and sour with my wonton to give mine a sweeter taste.

Our cheese wontons came out soon. They were much smaller and fewer in number than I anticipated. The shape resembled more of a pouch than those four-pointed cornered ones. The cheese mixture inside was tasty, though. It was full, so you got a good taste of both the creamy cheese and the crisp outside. Some were a little too greasy though, and I got a taste of oil. But overall, pretty tasty.

Kung Pow Chicken - Chris'

Hot & Sour Soup

When our main dishes came out, they looked fantastic. The fried rice was speckled with egg and veggies. A small eggroll was placed on the side, along with a few broccoli florets. And on the center stage sat the "special" chicken.

I tried the fried rice first; I usually go for white rice, but this was good. I hate the rice that's overcooked, dripping in grease. This was moist and added a good base for the special chicken - which was essentially a sweetened BBQ. It was almost too sweet, but I combined bites of the chicken with the rice to make a Chinese food symphony of flavors. The eggroll was also quite tasty, with the ingredients being high-quality.

Chris also seemed to enjoy his Kung Pow chicken. He thought it was about average tasting.

Was it the best Chinese food I've ever had? No. Was it the best Chinese food I've had near Beckley? Oh yes. The atmosphere was really interesting and a nice oasis from the busyness. The service was great. And we got a ton of different food for the price. I love being able to try a little bit of everything. And most of what I had was really great. Overall, though, had the cheese wontons been a little less oily and the chicken less sweet, I think it would've been a homerun.

Grade: B

For the past 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, 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.

My grading of Morgantown's Tudor's received quite the feedback. I got emails, direct mentions, comments online and in person about the blog. People love this place. I think that's proof enough that my opinion on it isn't that important. The step that made me realize I had to try it again was a personal direct mention from Tudor's Biscuit World's Morgantown twitter handle (@TudorsMotown). It was quite a while ago, but it was something to the tune of - "sorry you had a bad experience, please let us try to serve you again in the future" or something of the sort. I marked it down as a note to try it again at some point in the future.

That some point came recently when the original Tudor's Twitter handle (@TudorsBiscuits) opened a competition for a coupon for a free bigger better combo meal. All you had to do was retweet their tweet, and they picked a winner. Simple. I won.

I don't know if it was strategic or luck, but regardless, I received my coupon for my free bigger, better combo meal and headed to Tudor's. Their promotion is essentially promoting their lunch options. I don't think their breakfast ones need the help. This restaurant (as well as Gino's, which is under their PR roof) is amazing with their PR. Best I've seen a West Virginia restaurant have. So that deserves a second-chance, right?

I've had the breakfast a few times, and I must say - it's not bad. Is it better than comparable breakfast places? I'll plead the fifth. I enjoy the bagel sandwich as opposed to the biscuit. And lots of cheese.

But I was here for their bigger, better $5 combo. That is their menu of a sandwich, fries and a drink for $5. The options are pulled-pork, stacked ham, a hamburger, two hotdogs or hot bologna. I had already reviewed the pork sandwich, and I could get a burger anywhere. I went outside my comfort zone and opted for the stacked ham.

I had actually came around 1 p.m. on a day they closed at noon. So I had to fit time in my schedule to get here before 2 p.m. a different day, which meant a weekend for me. The hours here are difficult. But I drove around back to the drive-thru and once prompted, I said I had a coupon for a free bigger, better combo and I'd like to get the stacked ham sandwich. She asked me to repeat it. So I did. Then she said "One more time?" So I repeated it. Again. She quoted me a price and told me to drive around.

This tells me a few things: 1 - she didn't listen to me tell her that I had a coupon for a FREE meal. 2 - their speak system must not be the greatest. I don't mumble; I've never had this problem anywhere else. I only had to repeat myself three times this time, as opposed to the six times on my first visit, so I suppose reduction by 50% is good.

I pulled around to the front and handed my coupon. They seemed confused. I waited for a good while before the girl at the counter handed me my drink then asked me to pull around to wait for my "fries and stuff" - meaning my one sandwich and fries. No "hi" or "sorry for your wait" or "thank you." So I pulled around front. I saw on their front glass a poster for the bigger, better combo promotion, so apparently they are familiar with it.

After waiting for five minutes or so, the girl came out to my car. She held out the brown paper bag for me to grab while she was still taking an order via her headset. No words were exchanged.

Itook my bag and drove home. Still not ideal customer service here, folks. I waited quite a while. When I say "thank you" when you hand me something, the least you could do is say "you're welcome."

When I got home, I took a bite of my sandwich. It was surprisingly better than I thought it'd be. I liked the salty, thinly sliced ham. The crisp, fresh lettuce, but I think it was missing their "special sauce." Some sauce, some cohesive element was missing to pull all these together. I assume their sweet, "special" sauce does that, but it appeared mine was at a loss for it.

The fries weren't bad - not crisp - more potatoey and less grease than, say, McDonalds. The food isn't bad. Had it had the sauce, it probably would've actually been pretty good. The workers at this location seem to need some more practice. Or maybe the tow times I've gone have just been coincidental. Regardless, the food isn't bad. The PR here is phenomenal, and if this is something that is near and dear to your heart, you don't need me to tell you what to like anyway. Everyone who has grown up with this restaurant has their opinions.

Primanti Bros. is an institution in Pittsburgh. It has even been featured on TV (Man vs. Food) (Travel Channel) and in print (National Geographic). It's greasy good with a surly attitude. But the Strip District expanded to nearby suburbs that are more sit-down and less surly. One such location is in Robinson Township. A few friends and I ventured here. We walked in and told the hostess how many were in our party, which is way different from the original location.

The walls are coated in sports memorabilia and their menu. It's very sports bar-like inside. We were sat in a booth, and our server asked if we had been there before. When I shook my head, he explained the menu briefly to us. This location has everything from appetizers to wings to salads to Italian dishes to pizza, and of course, their sandwiches.


We put in an appetizer of a crispy chicken bowl, which is their "famous" cheese fry boat topped with chicken fritter bites, BBQ sauce, sour cream, bacon and tomato. It wasn't really an appetizer since it came out the same time as our meals, which was...

The #2 Pitts-Burger cheesesteak - "the original almost famous sirloin beef patty sandwich that feeds the spirited fans of Pittsburgh." The sandwiches are served on fresh Italian bread with fresh-cut fries, cole slaw, tomatoes and provolone cheese. The #2 best-seller is actually a local joke - the cheesesteak is their best selling sandwich. There's no #1 seller listed on their menu. Their #1 seller is their beer (Iron City, specifically).

The sandwiches don't take too long to make, despite the monstrous two-hands-required meal. My sandwich was served wrapped in wax paper and nestled in a plastic basket with a few stray fries around the edge. I unhinged my jaw and took a bite - quite tasty. The towering mass of meat, fries and tangy cole slaw was sandwiched, literally, between two hunks of Italian bread. The vinegar/oil slaw is crunchy and goes well with the softer, salty fries. The meat, well-seasoned, added a solid base for the sandwich. Top it with tomato, and you have a Pittsburgh original. I do wish the bread was toasted, but it's delectable nonetheless. It's a must-try.

Oh, almost forgot about our chicken bowl. It really was an afterthought at this point. But fries slathered in cheese, topped with some BBQ, bacon and sour cream can't be bad. I wish it had been a little heavier on the sour cream, lighter on the BBQ, but hey, if you like fries, this can't be a bad choice. It wasn't bad overall, but after stuffing myself with the sandwich, there's really no need for anything else.


Grade: A

Tucked away in South Park, Gene's Beer Garden might be missed if you weren't looking for it. While it was easy to spot along 461 Wilson Avenue, it's not along a well-traveled path. That might explain why the crowd is a bit older, a bit more local and bit more down-to-earth - no offense, college kids.

I had heard that Gene's was the place for a cheap beer and a good hotdog. I found my way there for just that. South Park is a bit different with their parking, so make sure when you park along the street that you're not on a colored line. This bar is small, so it's not like you're fighting with a ton of other people for a spot. There are actually two doors to the bar, one to the left and one to the right. We walked in the right to discover a small counter, a couple booths, a center table and a stage. A band was playing, quite loudly, in front of a lit-up wooden West Virginia cutout. The walls were decorated with WVU memorabilia. I felt at ease right away.

It's a total local bar, and I think that's why I love it. You can come in in jeans and a hoodie and feel at home here. The lady behind the counter was sweet and helpful. I ordered a beer and a hot dog and made my way to the one empty booth. After a few minutes, she walked over with our hotdogs in hand. Complete with chili, mustard and onions, the hotdog was fine. The chili was toppling over the bun, and it had a little bit of a kick to it. It was a solid hotdog overall, especially for the price. It was even better with the ice cold beer.

There's a larger, more relaxed room to the left, which is where the other door leads to. It was much quieter here, so I could talk with my friend. There was a comfy wraparound couch and a pinball machine. Sitting here, you can watch the army of people outside having a cigarette, enjoy some local music, some good hospitality and a fine hotdog. I felt like I belonged here - and I think they felt that way, too. I think my total came to around $3, with tip $6, so it can't be beat.

Grade: A