I have not yet been to a Taste of Morgantown event. This year is the year.

The event is showcases local culinary talent while raising money for an important cause. What more could you want? It will be held June 11 at the Erickson Alumni Center from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Tickets are $40/person or $75/couple and can be purchased here, at the American Red Cross office in Morgantown or at the door the day of the event.

Check out the release below for more information:



Morgantown residents know that restaurants in our area serve some of the most delicious and memorable food in the country. To celebrate our great regional food and raise money for an important cause, The American Red Cross presents the TASTE OF MORGANTOWN event on June 11.

The 6th Annual TASTE OF MORGANTOWN event is an evening showcasing Morgantown's finest restaurants, specialty food vendors, breweries and top wine distributors. This is a perfect opportunity to sample exceptional food and drinks from more than 25 restaurants and vendors – all in one place.

Morgantown’s River Valley Chapter of The American Red Cross has aided local residents who were severely impacted by extreme weather and prolonged power outages in the past year. By attending TASTE OF MORGANTOWN you will be contributing to the American Red Cross and supporting their invaluable emergency assistance and disaster relief efforts.

The event takes place on June 11 at the Erickson Alumni Center from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Tickets for the event cost $40 per person or $75 for couples. Tickets can be purchased at the American Red Cross office in Morgantown, online, or at the door the evening of the event.

The event is sponsored by Mylan Pharmaceutical, March-Westin and other local companies sponsoring elements of the event.

At the end of the evening an esteemed panel of judges will present awards for the best dishes in several categories. Among this year’s participants are Bartini, Blueridge Beverage, Galaxy Distributing, Joe's Globe, Lebanese Bistro, Morgantown Brewing Co, Mountain State Brewing Company, Oliverio's Restorante, Preston County Inn, Regatta Bar & Grille, Sargasso, Stefano's, The Cupcakery, Terra Café, and Tutto Gelato.

Doors open at 5 p.m., and the food tasting begins at 5:30 p.m. For more information, please contact The Red Cross at 304-598-9500 or visit the event website at http://www.redcross.org/news/event/wv/morgantown/Taste-of-Morgantown.

PR CONTACTS: Kristen Cooper (304) 212-5583 kristen@kristencooper.com
RED CROSS CONTACTS: Shauna Soom, (304) 598-9500 shauna.soom@redcross.org Heather Cross (304) 598-9500 heather.cross@redcross.org

All photos from the American Red Cross and Taste of Morgantown.

The WVU Greenhouse is pretty cool. Want to grow your own tomatoes? Check it out. I got a few '63 plants. We'll see how this goes.

The Morgantown Farmers Market is the best thing that happens at 8 a.m. on a Saturday. If you're lucky enough to be awake this early, get the to the Marketplace Pavilion on Spruce Street to enjoy some of the best food Morgantown has to offer.

From fresh veggies and meats to bread and jellies, this place should be an addition to everyone's grocery shopping. It runs from 8:30 a.m. to noon on the corner of Spruce and Fayette streets.

Tons of vendors were there on this particular week, including Backbone Food Farm (ramps, greens, mushrooms); Cheat Hill Farm (ramps, rhubarb, jams); Cheslock Farm (eggs); DeBerry Farm Fresh Produce (greens, hot pepper jelly); Evans Knob Farm (greens, duck, jellies, rugs, yarn); Fiddlehead Woodworking (cutting boards, bowls, spoons); Firefly Farms (cheeses); Forever Greene House (tomatoes, cucumbers, basil); Homestead Farmery (greens, onions, garlic); Hopping Acres/Lady Baa Baa (woolen items); Hawthorne Valley Farms (beef, asparagus, ramp vinegar); Mike's Berry Patch (jams, jellies); Mountain Diamond Longhorns (ground beef, steaks, brisket); Oak Grove Greenhouses (flowers, plants); Perseverance Farms (onions, spinach, peppers); Richardson Farm (asparagus, greens, jams); SFS Farms (flowers, onions); The Sheephearder's Kitchen (breads, sweet treats, desserts); Sickler Farm (flower baskets, vegetables, corn meal);  Stewart's Farm & Greenhouse (greens, herbs, plants); Two Cow Farm (pies, honey); Working H Farms (eggs, pork chops, beef).


On this particular trip, I stocked up on some kale, tomatoes, hot pepper jelly (a coworker at the Charleston Daily Mail made this, and I couldn't pass it up), stuffed ciabatta bread and banana bread.

Awesome. And I went back the following week. And I'll be back this week. Super pumped for strawberries.

They're going to be doing culinary demonstrations - so that's cool. More info on that here.

Pizza Al's may have finally broken the terrible track record of restaurants in this location. The corner of University Avenue and Campus Drive has had a run of various restaurants: Shiftace, Night Owls, Kenyan Cafe, etc. And to be honest, I don't understand why this small corner never does well.

Pizza Al's has, hopefully, changed that. One of the town's most beloved pizza joints has taken up shop on University Avenue - just closer to the Downtown Campus this time. There's a short-term parking lot next to the building, but I'm guessing they're going to be getting a lot more foot traffic anyway.

Pizza Al's IV (the other on University, another in Sabraton, and one in PA) has the same menu: pizza, calzones, sandwiches and salads.


We ordered a large pizza - half pepperoni, half cheese. For the four of us, with drinks, I think it came out to about $5 each.

Same excellent quality. Thin pizza with a layer of melted cheese. Delicious - not too greasy - and piping hot. Definitely the best recipe in town.

It's nice the Downtown Campus has another lunch option - and especially a lunch option that consists of the best pizza in town. It definitely does look a bit more shabby than the other University location with some worn interior and painting - but I don't think the crowd they're catering to minds.

Grade: A

Atomic Grill is a badass - complete with punk-rock attitude, tatted servers and local food. After a few visits, I can confidently call them on of my favorite restaurants in town. And their response to a misogynistic online review has captured my heart.