On my blog, I review only local restaurants. But I make special exceptions for restaurants that cause a buzz: Tilted Kilt, Five Guys and Taziki's in Morgantown. Also, I went to Bellacino's in Bluefield, Va., a long time ago before I really knew it was a chain. Since I reviewed them once (and there aren't many in West Virginia), I figured I could do the same for the new restaurant in Princeton.

It's located along Stafford Drive in the plaza with Rose's. There aren't many counter-service restaurants in Princeton beyond McDonalds, Burger King, etc. So I was excited because I usually try to find a place like this and set up shop.

It's a decent-sized building with an aisle down the middle and two dining areas, essentially. I walked up to find a menu and gave it a quick look. I ordered a calzone with meatballs and mushrooms and took a seat. When I opened my computer, I saw they had WiFi! Joy! I walked back up to the counter to ask the password. A worker looked puzzled then went to ask the manager. The manager looked back at me and shook her head. "It's only for people who rent out the banquet room" - what? I can't use your WiFi if I'm just dining it? I have to use the banquet hall? Joke. I was the only one even in the restaurant!

When my calzone came out, I was happy with it. Except it wasn't meatball - more like random shredded Italian-seasoned meat. But overall not bad. Lots of mushrooms, and I liked the tangy tomato sauce. This would be a place I'd go to all the time to get some work done, if only they weren't so stingy with the WiFi.

Tudor's Biscuit World recently opened up a second location in Morgantown - right on High Street - to cater to that late-night, drunk college student crowd - they're open until the wee hours of the morning some nights. Not too long ago, the first location graced Morgantown, much to the delight of biscuit-lovers everywhere. My blog received muuuch attention because of my not-so-great experience. And then my not-so-great redemption.

BUT. Hell has frozen over. I have drunk the metaphorical kool-aid.

I'm a believer.

Is it this specific location? Is it because I dined inside? So, the food was fresh, not soggy, not greasy and delicious?

Maybe.

The downtown location is pretty small. It's at 376 High Street; there are some standing-tables as soon as you walk in and a sprawling chalkboard menu on the back wall. I think there are some specialty biscuits here. I ordered the Huggie Bear - sausage, bacon, egg and cheese. I really only got it because it was the first one on the board, so I assumed it was their special.

There is a narrow line of booths to the right of the ordering area. I took a seat and awaited my meal. Though they were busy, they pushed the food out pretty quickly. As soon as I unwrapped my sandwich, I realized what may have been my issue in the past. The wrapper acts as a small oven, so the longer it stays in the packaging, and the bag, it gets soggier.

They key here is to eat it fresh. As soon as it is made. That makes all the difference.

The biscuit was crumbly, soft, buttery. Cheese was melting atop the hot pile of meat. Good breakfast sandwich, folks. Now you can all rejoice.

Check out their Twitter

Grade: A

I've been meaning to write this post for quite some time, but things got a little hectic. I mentioned that I went to Buck's to judge a chili cook-off. I was really happy to do this, especially because I hadn't ever been to Buck's, so it was a cool opportunity.

Located right in that bend between South Park and Sabraton, Buck's has been around for a long time. It consisted of just the downstairs area, but they've since added an upper level and outside deck. I had a chance to speak with Buck himself, who was quite generous and welcoming.


It was a nice crowd - more older folks and townies. So, it's a refreshing change from the college kid atmosphere. But, there's a good chance that can change at night. It wasn't busy when we were there, and they even had some booths downstairs for those wanting to dine in.

The menu has pizzas, sandwiches, appetizers and salads. The chicken quesadilla jumped out at me - grilled chicken, cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, and onions. It came with salsa and sour cream.

I was pretty surprised at how good it was - flaky tortilla with tons, and tons of melty cheese and huge chunks of white chicken meat. They don't skimp on the toppings here, so I definitely wouldn't mind ordering this again.

Grade: A

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