Coach's Crab Shack has opened a new location in Cheat Lake recently. The original location is on Collins Ferry Road, a bit out of the way for most folks. A lakeside space just makes sense for this seafood restaurant.

The dining space is large and open. Bright teals and yellows accent the space, with some fishing-themed trinkets scattered about. Outside, there is a lovely deck that overlooks the lake. Unfortunately, all those spots were taken up when we visited. I can see why, though. A sunset while sipping bloody marys and eating seafood? That sounds lovely.

Vicki and I got an appetizer of peel and eat shrimp. Correction - Vicki got the appetizer and was so kind as to let me scarf down a few pieces. The shrimp were seasoned with old bay lemon and had a nice cocktail sauce that had some heat to it. These were really, really good. The shrimp were plump, that cocktail sauce was perfect.

For my entree, I built my own steamer. They recommend three shellfish options with corn and potatoes/fries for a single person. I was trying to be a bit more calorie conscious (lolz despite everything doused in butter), so I got 1/3 lb. shrimp, 1/2 lb. scallops and 1/2 lb. snow crab. All of that in the "garlic herb butter."

It all came served in this plastic bag just steamed with butter. I liked that I could pluck the scallops right out first. Could use more of a sear, but still good. Then the shrimp were the same that were in the appetizer. A little more work to peel - but worth it when all that flavor is trapped inside the shell. And then a good bit more work is the crab. Luckily, Vicki is used to me being ridiculous because I was making a mess. But it was so worth it. Nice hunks of fresh crab meat pulled out from those shells. Delicious.

Vicki was less impressed with her crab cakes, but I have yet to try those.

Grade: A

Ever since the Mediterranean Market on High Street closed shop, this space has gone through a bit of an identity crisis. It first transformed in Dos Bros and then changed its name to "Speedys 2." And now, it is Zaytun.



The interior looks like it still belongs to Dos Bros, with brightly painted walls and colorful accents. The bar is a huge focal piece, but it doesn't seem like they use it at all. Instead, go all the way to the back of the restaurant and order at the counter.

From their menu, they serve pizza, calzones, gyros, shawarma, sandwiches, pasta and salads. I'm thinking they're going with a "spray and pray" method - try a little of everything, and then there must be something for everyone! To me, this just says kinda confused and unfocused.

When figuring out what to order, I asked the man behind the counter if these folks are the same ones who owned the previous restaurants in this space. He said no, not really and that the current owners are folks who used to work at Casa. The pizza connection makes more sense.

I wanted to try the Chicago Style "Dip" (?) Dish Pizza, because where else in town can you get a deep (I think that's what they were going for) dish pizza? That's unique on this menu. But you couldn't purchase it in slices. Well. Hell with it, give me a whole one. (I just ate a slice or two and took the rest back to the office. My coworkers benefit from me wanting to try something.) Now, the guy behind the counter warned me this isn't a traditional Chicago deep dish pizza. He said they make a pizza, then they put another pizza on top. So I guess it's kind of more like a calzone.

Well, it really is essentially a whole pizza, with just another crust put on top. So if you really love the crust part of pizza, you'd probably love this. But who the hell loves the crust part? The sauce and cheese are what I want. And it did have that, plus onions and green peppers and mushrooms. But mostly I could just taste the crust since there was so much of it. It itself isn't really bad. It's not. I just was hoping to have layer upon layer of toppings, instead of this contraption.

It's different, so points for that. But would I want it again? Meh.

Grade: C

At my "home" home in Wellsburg, there are few restaurants. There are even fewer that deliver to the giant hill I grew up on. And, sometimes, when it's a nice evening and you're visiting with family, it's good to just get dinner delivered right to you.



DeFelice Bros. Pizza is one of the few options available. Now, they are no DiCarlo's. But, they do deliver and offer entrees besides just pizza: salads, sandwiches, wings, calzones and pasta. That was perfect for this evening when my dad wanted a salad, mom wanted a philly cheesesteak, and I was salivating over a meatball sub.



There are four DeFelice locations in West Virginia: Follansbee (which we ordered from), Bethlehem, Moundsville and Wheeling. There are also four right over the border in Ohio: Martin's Ferry, Shadyside, St. Clairsville and Wintersville.



After a little bit of a wait, our food arriving hot. Dad sang praises of his salad (complete with extra chicken), which came with a side of bambino bread. Mom's cheesesteak has a ton of meat, cheese, peppers and onions. She was a happy camper.



And my meatball sub was pretty killer. I know you probably can't tell from the photo, but the soft, lightly toasted bun housed a half dozen perfectly seasoned meatballs. The sauce is slightly sweet, but it has a good flavor. I think it was probably a perfect marriage of my desperate craving and a solid sandwich that fulfilled that. Whatever it was, I know I left wit ha happy tummy that night.

Grade: A

On my first visit (ever!) to Ripley, I was determined to find a good lunch spot. A few local places were on my to-try list (like Crabby Patti's and The Downtowner), but considering it was a holiday weekend, most on my list were closed. Except one: Fairplain Yacht Club.

I was riding solo for this one, so I sidled up to the bar and asked for a menu. The interior is dark and looks just like a sports bar, with flags and beer signs and ball games on all the TVs. But families were dining here, so maybe it's dual purpose.

I asked the server what was best here. She mentioned the burgers are big sellers. I ordered the "Buoy Burger," because it is classic - lettuce, tomato, onion and mayo. I added cheddar cheese. And judging by the photo, it's more colby jack. I also got onion rings. And also judging by that photo, you probably didn't want to be anywhere near me after this meal.

And, you know what, this is a good burger. A really good burger. It was juicy, flavorful, and they weren't skimpy on the toppings. The bun was nice and buttered and grilled. The onion rings were huge and crispy. I mean, it's not good for your waistline. But it was sure as hell good for my tastebuds. Next, I'll have to try one of their fancier burgers. They definitely have the basics down.

Grade: A

On the last day of my statewide trip, I stayed at the Stonewall Jackson Resort. Quite frankly, I was just tired. So a meal at the actual resort seemed like the best idea. Plus it didn't seem like there were a ton of other dining options in the immediate area.

Stillwaters at Stonewall Jackson Resort previously had Dale Hawkins as its executive chef, a well-known chef in West Virginia. He does his own thing now, but he helped make a name for Stillwaters, which was known for serving cutting-edge Appalachian cuisine.



I planned to order something off the menu, but as we were seated, we were walked through the buffet. There were a ton of options right there - no waiting - and it was easy. No thought involved. Buffet, it was.

There were some apperitzer/salad bar items, like sun-dried tomato and basil pesto, potato salad, antipasta salad, broccoli and cauliflower salad, and mixed greens. The main options were pork loin with beer mustard demi, broccoli with boursin gratin and whipped red potato mash.

I had a little of everything. The broccoli and boursin was especially good - but I love broccoli and cheese. The pork was a bit chewy/fatty. In general, some of the other options were lacking salt or seasoning. I feel like that's almost to be expected with a buffet.

Dessert options were OK. I most liked the mango bars, which were a bit citrus-y and refreshing. Overall, not bad ... but nothing that was too outstanding, either.

Grade: C