I did a video on a jockey at Charles Town Races for my class in WV Uncovered last semester. Coincidentally I recently heard from the folks over at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races, but not for my journalistic ability. For my blog.

Final Cut Steakhouse in Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races is a popular restaurant in Charles Town, and they're now bottling their 12 oz. spicy and sweet sauces for $6 each - Signature Steak Sauce, Meyer Lemon Cocktail Sauce and Herbed Ketchup. Developed by Final Cut's Executive Chef Brian Collins, the sauces are bottled in West Virginia and sole at the casino's gift shop and the hostess stand at the steakhouse.

They invited me and a guest to try the sauces at a 3-course dinner at the restaurant, but, unfortunately, I'm not in that area too often. Hopefully I'll be able to check them out in the future, though. Instead, I asked if they would want to send me the three sauces just so I can test them out. They did (on the house!), and I went to the store to pick up some steaks (for the steak sauce!), shrimp (for the cocktail sauce!) and tater tots (for the ketchup!). Nice little surf and turf for dinner.

Let me start off by saying that the steak sauce is the best I've ever had. Which may not be saying a lot because I haven't had much outside of A1, but this sauce is tangy, yet slightly sweet. Smooth, slightly peppery, but not overpowering. I feel with A1, it's just kind of bitter at times. The ratio between steak and sauce quickly weighed heavily on the latter. So. Good.

The cocktail sauce is heavier on the lemon that what I'm used to, but it's still tasty. That citrus flavor is prominent, but hints of horseradish and other ingredients can be tasted, too. I tend to like a little more tomato-y.

The herbed ketchup was very similar to the cocktail sauce, but with that more tomato taste that I like. I wasn't super happy about it with the tater tots, but it would be excellent on a sandwich if you wanted a little extra kick beyond typical condiments. I'll be sure to use it next time I'm looking for something a little fancier.

I've talked about Slight Indul- gence, the gourmet food and wine store, on High Street before. Featuring hard-to-find goodies like fine wines, luxurious chocolates and canned veggies, this gem is the perfect place to try something new and find a new favorite. They have two locations: One on High Street, and the other is on Collins Ferry Road. The latter has a cafe portion.


Right at the corner of Burroughs Street and Collins Ferry sits this second location. In addition to the huge store selection, they have a menu full of paninis and salads in a small cafe area. As soon as I walked in, the helpful woman behind the counter asked if I needed anything. When I told her I wanted to have some lunch, she pointed me to the left wing of the building and brought out some menus.

There are only a few seats on this side, but there is more dining in the back of the building. Be sure to allow yourself some time here - it's a little slow. And once, I tried to come here, and it was completely full with no tables. So, plan ahead.

The panini on the menu that stood out to me was the "Prosciutto & Smoked Gouda," which had prosciutto, smoked gouda, red onion, tomatoes and fontina cheese for $9.95. You can get chips or a side salad, and I opted for that house salad, which was mixed greens, tomatoes and a balsamic/oil dressing. For a drink, I went with a rose lemonade - a lemonade with lemon, ginger spice, and pure rose extract. The menu is really quite nice - some different combinations, but some safe ones, too. I appreciate the creativity.

When our food finally came out, it was like a little taste of summer. It was a nice day, sun shining, and the food was fresh. My sandwich was served on buttered, fluffy bread with a crisp on the outside. Inside was silky prosciutto - almost too silky. But the heavy fontina cheese and sweet onion balanced it out. It really was a nice, delicate sandwich.

And the salad! For such a basic salad, it 's dynamite. I love the balsamic, and the greens were fresh from the garden.

The lemonade was different, as it could almost taste perfumey at times, but it was something new. I did finish it, and by the end, I actually enjoyed it. Refreshing.

On the way out, it was nearly impossible to walk by all the amazing items they had for sale and not buy anything. So, I thought, what's better than a little something sweet after dinner? Chocolate, it is.

I bought this huge Neuhaus bar (for like $7 - ouch). But it was lovely - tiny specks of hard caramel in a smooth, creamy milk chocolate. Gah. Want one now. If you want to try something a little different, a little more upscale, while still casual, give Slight Indulgence a chance. See if you can make it out of there without buying something.

Check out their Twitter and Facebook.

Grade: A

There's been a lot of buzz about "Tilted Kilt," the new scandalous restaurant in town. Known as the Irish "Hooters," Tilted Kilt takes the idea of employing young, attractive waitresses wearing next to nothing - midriff-baring shirts and short kilts - with a Scottish, Irish, Gaelic theme.

The restaurant is the newest addition to the Suncrest Towne Centre, taking the place of now-defunct Damon's Grill. While I prefer to focus on just local restaurants, this is the only Tilted Kilt location in West Virginia, so I wanted to check it out.

The interior is plastered with themed garb, TVs, Irish-themed movie posters, and many, many men. There are Kilt Girls everywhere, opening the door for us, seating us, and chatting with all the patrons. The menu is kind of a cluster and ranges from a couple Irish dishes to burgers and tacos? They have 32 beers on tap.


I was set on getting something "traditional," but I was told their versions are anything but (shocker). Burgers were recommended, so I got one of their signature "Big Arse Hamburger" at $8.99 - 10 oz. of ground chuck, and for .79 cents more, you can get cheese. I went with bleu cheese crumbles. The meal comes with fries; I upgraded to garlic fries.

Our waitress was great - she wasn't overly chatty or flirty like most of the others who were all over all-male tables. The Captain's Table, which seats 33, is an area for guests who are dining solo to enjoy others' company, read: Kilt Girls flock here. I have my own qualms about the fundamental idea of this business, but I'll keep it light. I won't choose to spend my money here - I'm more for the local businesses, but I'm not close-minded enough to not check it out either. I'll try just about anything once. Even though it means encouraging young women to participate in that kind of environment. MOVING ON.

My burger was good. It had some french-fried onions, crumbled blue cheese on a juicy burger. Topped with a buttery bun and tomato, lettuce and pickle on the side, it was a solid burger. Textures went together well with the crunchy onions and creamy cheese. It was large, but I needed some sauce to bring it all together, so I ended up dipping it in some ketchup. The garlic fries are killer - don't need any sauce.

Chris got the "Fat Bastard Meatloaf," which he thought was pretty good and slightly sweet. It was a bit more dry than expected, but good enough for him to finish it.

Food isn't bad - not culinary creativity - but that's not the main focus here either.  It can be a little pricey, at $25 for two sandwiches. I would try it because getting a new experience is always good. But this probably isn't a place you'll brag about.

Check out their Twitter and Facebook.

I was recently asked to be a "celebrity judge" for Buck's chili cook-off on Veteran's Day.

Candace,

My name is Gabe Storrick, Social Media guru for Buck's Pub in South Park, Morgantown. First off, I love your blog! My go-to source for what's good in Morgantown!
So, the reason why I'm contacting you is to ask a favor. On Sunday (Veteran's Day), Buck's is hosting our annual chilli cook-off. This year we want to do something a little different.... we want to have "celebrity" judges to help choose the winning recipes. We are searching for a handful of "celebrities" who we thought would be appropriate for judging, and we thought of you. Judging will occur on Sunday probably from 1:45 until 2:45, so it won't take a ton of time. Would you be interested in being a celebrity judge?

I realize this is may be too late of notice, so I understand if you can't join us.
Thanks!

Of course, I said yes! What a cool opportunity. I had never been to Buck's, so it was also nice to be able to review it separately, too.

I stopped in with my friend, Mel, and found out the Katie Richter, Radio DJ for WVAQ, was also a "celebrity judge." We found it kind of funny that we were considered "celebrities," so we joked about it.

Buck's is located in South Park on the way to Sabraton. It is actually two levels, but the chili cookoff was located on the bottom floor, which was the original location before the additional build-on.

We met Buck, who was very thankful and generous inviting us. They had two votes: The Judge's Vote and the People's Choice.

They had 7 contenders in all, and all were pretty good. I think my favorite was #5, because it had a hint of spicy sweetness to it. But all of them were great. The overall celebrity judge winner was #4. And the people chose completely different ones for first, second and third. So, lots of winners!

It's an annual event, so check it out next year! You get to try a bunch of chili and other food, vote, and hang out in a cool place! I was able to get some lunch there, so that review forthcoming.

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.

I blogged about Terra Cafe close to their opening and got a lot of feedback about how in the following months, they began to correct some of the issues, like portion size and other hiccups. I went recently with a couple friends to give it another go.

The interior is the same modern, sleekness that exudes young professionalism. It is a cool atmosphere with free wifi and some comfy sitting areas. (Side note: We actually Facebooked Terra late Sunday night to ask if they did have wifi, and they responded right away - nice!)

The wait service was vastly improved, which I expected now that they're seasoned. This time, I went for the Thai Peanut Wrap - "grilled chicken, fresh mango and mixed greens wrapped with Thai peanut sauce. Served with ginger-orange dipping sauce." For my side, I went with hummus and pita. My total this time was more around $11, and the portions were much larger. Unfortunately, I know this is because they're cutting back on the "local" and "organic" food.

The food was great. The wrap had a smart balance of sweet and slightly tangy. The dipping sauce was coarsely ground, and had a little bit of a bite to it. It added some more tang to the dish. And the hummus was great - creamy and had some depth. And, best of all, my tummy was full and happy when I left. They kept the great food (minus that salad...), lowered some of the prices and worked out some of the kinks. It's still on the pricier side for sandwiches and salads, but if they're all this great tasting, it's probably worth it. I know they change the menu seasonally, too, so you might want to check it out to see what your options are. Their Sunday Cajun buffet is also supposed to be good, but I have yet to try it.