I was told to get two things at Fifth Quarter: the prime rib
and the salad bar. So that’s what I did.
Fifth Quarter is located on Clendenin Street in downtown
Charleston. When I was looking for somewhere new to try that wasn’t too far
away, I stumbled upon this place, so my friend Maggie and I walked in. It's supposed to be part of Charleston history.
It’s a bit more formal than what we were prepared for, I
think. That’s not saying much, though, we were in yoga pants/jean shorts, so,
yeah. It's a little older, worn, almost rustic inside. Old school.
Anyway, apparently the Fifth Quarter Restaurant was created by Raymond Danner in Nashville, Tennessee. A second location was opened in
Lousivlle – where Danner was born. A business partner lived in Charleston, and in 1981 our very own Fifth Quarter was born on the corner of Clendenin and Quarrier streets, according to their website.
I perused their menu, looking over cuts of meat. But I ordered the salad bar and prime rib. The salad bar is pretty good. Lots of options to choose from with greens and veggies, as well as items like pasta salad and other picnic-like items. Also - every dressing you've ever wanted.
They bring out some bread and butter, which was much appreciated.
My prime rib was a little less stellar, I think. There were quite a few chunks of fatty parts that I'm just not a fan of. It was served with some au jus. I didn't dislike it; it just felt as though it wasn't extra flavorful. And I dropped a good bit of money to eat here without being extra impressed. $21 for a piece of meat that didn't blow me away? Eh.
But the side of baked sweet potato was a slice of heaven.
Fifth Quarter is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday noon to 9 p.m.
I perused their menu, looking over cuts of meat. But I ordered the salad bar and prime rib. The salad bar is pretty good. Lots of options to choose from with greens and veggies, as well as items like pasta salad and other picnic-like items. Also - every dressing you've ever wanted.
They bring out some bread and butter, which was much appreciated.
My prime rib was a little less stellar, I think. There were quite a few chunks of fatty parts that I'm just not a fan of. It was served with some au jus. I didn't dislike it; it just felt as though it wasn't extra flavorful. And I dropped a good bit of money to eat here without being extra impressed. $21 for a piece of meat that didn't blow me away? Eh.
But the side of baked sweet potato was a slice of heaven.
Fifth Quarter is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday noon to 9 p.m.
After reviewing at least a dozen Chinese buffets, you'd think I'd have this down to a science, right? Well, the truth is, a Chinese buffet is a lot like a fast food joint. You can expect the same kind of food across the board, but the quality differs.
Main Tin is in South Charleston near a cluster of other restaurants, and it's only the second Chinese buffet I've heard about in Charleston. I stumbled into it by accident, actually.
The front of the restaurant looks like a simple take-out place. But behind that is a buffet restaurant. While most of the basic offerings were there, they were not necessarily the most fresh. Maybe we caught them at a bad time.
But it's fine. It's good for what it is. I'd be happy if there were more offerings, more fresh offerings and if they had something a little different, too. A girl can only have so much General Tso's, believe it or not.
Grade: C
Main Tin is in South Charleston near a cluster of other restaurants, and it's only the second Chinese buffet I've heard about in Charleston. I stumbled into it by accident, actually.
The front of the restaurant looks like a simple take-out place. But behind that is a buffet restaurant. While most of the basic offerings were there, they were not necessarily the most fresh. Maybe we caught them at a bad time.
But it's fine. It's good for what it is. I'd be happy if there were more offerings, more fresh offerings and if they had something a little different, too. A girl can only have so much General Tso's, believe it or not.
Grade: C
I have been covering a lot of stories on the Boy Scout Jamboree in Fayette County, and on the way back from one particular trip, we stopped at a local Italian spot. A quick Urbanspoon search showed Giuseppe's had decent reviews, and it was nearby, so we stopped.
It's a local place that has that hometown feel. It's a little worn but in a good way. It has charm and character. A quick look over the menu really made me want everything, but I ordered the small rigatoni. I like my pasta to sauce ratio heavier on the pasta side, so even though spaghetti is their specialty, the rigatoni has a better chance of wowing me.
A house salad proved to be mediocre. Some iceberg lettuce, mozzarella cheese and a few tomatoes. At least they had French dressing available.
Some buttered bread was fantastic. Weird, right? I don't know how some bread can be so good - though I know many people who love bread, that's just not typically me - but the garlic and flavor on this one hit the spot for me.
The rigatoni! Some of the best I've had. I love the homestyle, traditional restaurants that have authentic recipes that have probably been around for ages. This sauce seems to fit that bill. I can see this sauce being fine-tuned and perfected over the years before its served to salivating patrons like myself.
If you're in the area, it's definitely worth a visit.
Oh, and if you have an EXTRA minute, stop at this cool little shop across the road. It's just ... amazeballs.
Grade: A
It's a local place that has that hometown feel. It's a little worn but in a good way. It has charm and character. A quick look over the menu really made me want everything, but I ordered the small rigatoni. I like my pasta to sauce ratio heavier on the pasta side, so even though spaghetti is their specialty, the rigatoni has a better chance of wowing me.
A house salad proved to be mediocre. Some iceberg lettuce, mozzarella cheese and a few tomatoes. At least they had French dressing available.
Some buttered bread was fantastic. Weird, right? I don't know how some bread can be so good - though I know many people who love bread, that's just not typically me - but the garlic and flavor on this one hit the spot for me.
The rigatoni! Some of the best I've had. I love the homestyle, traditional restaurants that have authentic recipes that have probably been around for ages. This sauce seems to fit that bill. I can see this sauce being fine-tuned and perfected over the years before its served to salivating patrons like myself.
If you're in the area, it's definitely worth a visit.
Oh, and if you have an EXTRA minute, stop at this cool little shop across the road. It's just ... amazeballs.
Grade: A
I see Charleston as having a strong sense of community.
There have been so many events I’ve attended that I’m starting to lose track. I
figure I need to do a recap at about this point – midway through the summer –
before I get any more under my belt.
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Free music on Fridays, what more can you ask for? I’ve had a Dippy-Do from The
Shape Shop. Tasty.
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This was a lot like Live on the Levee with many of the same
vendors, but additional blues music. I had two West Virginia hotdogs from Mardi Gras Casino.
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The Vandalia Gathering is devoted to old-time music and
bluegrass. We saw a fiddling competition! It also brought lots of vendors to
the Capitol grounds, and my poison was a meatball sub from the South Charleston
Lions Club. One of the better subs I’ve had in my life. Mm. Oh, and a lemonade
from the Southridge-Pacesetter Lions Club was pretty tasty, too.
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These are awesome! Thursday night has $1 drafts, so, yes.
Also, the pulled pork nachos, with cheese, are something I crave. A small
helmet full of cookie dough dippin’ dots. Heaven.
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What a cool idea this is. The West Virginia Symphony Orchestra has a concert on the University of Charleston’s lawn. All kinds of
vendors – and other small businesses (I got a book for 50 cents!) – attend. I
got a smoked fish taco with mango salsa over saffron rice from Vandalia Grille.
I was also to get a Symphony Sunday Signature Lemonade – complete with half a
lemon. Oh, AND Ellen’s Symphony Sundaes which was symphony chocolate ice cream
(think a Symphony candy bar) with hot caramel, almonds and whipped cream. Holy
crap.
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Surprisingly smaller than what I expected, but I still got a
decent orange slushie out of it.
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It’s not every day West Virginia turns 150, so Charleston
made a pretty big deal about it. It actually overlapped with a couple other
things, but amazing fireworks three nights in a row and a 3D lightshow made for
an awesome experience. Lots of vendors – I got some hotdogs. Oh, and there was
free cake. For everyone!
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This 10-day event is awesome. There are all kinds of events
focusing on the arts, and there are a few the center around food: the OldFashioned Ice Cream Social, the Chili Cook-off and Taste-of-All. I didn’t check
out the ice cream social because I was tuckered out from the other events. The
Chili Cook-off had kind of disbanded by the time I made it there, but it seemed
like a cool event. Just need to make sure I get there earlier next time. But
Taste-of-All was awesome! Right up my alley. You buy tickets and different samples from restaurants cost different amounts of tickets. I got:
-chocolate ice cream cone from Huskey’s Dairy Bar
-Jambalaya w/Creole Sauce from A Taste of N’Awlins
-Meatloaf AND spicy sweet macaroni salad from 5 Corners Café
-Deep fried mac ‘n cheese wedges from Mayberry’s Restaurant
Great way to get to taste something small from each of the
restaurants. I know a couple that I learned about and can’t wait to go back.
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This event is part of FestivALL, but it’s a pricier one. I
actually got a deal where I paid for this and Wine and All That Jazz for $30,
but usually tickets are $18 in advance and $20 at the door. At Blues Brews
& BBQ, that $20 doesn’t really get you much beyond access to the music,
which is OK, I guess. I did snag a killer BBQ sandwich with slaw from Ridgeview
BBQ.
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My last FestivALL event definitely went out with a bang. For your ticket price (again, $18 in advance or $20 at the gate – unless you can
stumble upon a deal like I did), you get a stemless plastic wine glass and all
of the samples! You could literally go here and just round the tents and get
samples all evening. I tried most of the wineries and got a bottle from Forks
of Cheat – my fav. I got a philly cheesesteak here that I could’ve gone
without, but it was just generic greasy fair food – not a local restaurant.
I’m sure I’ll have more coming up.
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