The Morgantown Eats Culinary Crawl will kick off the town's first-ever restaurant week. The culinary crawl, organized by a class in WVU's Reed College of Media, will feature samples from downtown Morgantown restaurants on Saturday, Dec. 5. The following restaurant week will feature specials, discounts and other featured items each day at select restaurants.

Geah Pressgrove's class first hosted the culinary crawl last year, which was a ton of fun and raised around $10,000 for the Monongalia Arts Center. The class teamed up with the Greater Morgantown CVB, Main Street Morgantown and the Monongalia Arts Center to bring young professionals downtown to showcase local offerings, while also making note of available parking.

This year's format has changed a bit; there are two separate tracks from which to choose. The early tour check-in starts at 2-2:30 p.m., and the late tour check-in starts at 4-4:30 p.m. Tickets for each tour are $35, and are likely to sell out. Both tours will feature samples at the MAC during check-in, which include J.W. Thirsty's, Morgantown Brewing Company, Sargasso and Table 9. Then, each tour has different restaurants.

Early tour:

• Apothecary Ale House & Cafe – Sip various samples of Winter Seasonals from the U.S. and Belgium. Apothecary will also provide participants with multiple examples of what winter tastes like for different breweries
• Chico’s Fat – Warm up with a spicy chicken enchilada tasting, paired with queso and chips.
• Garcia’s Latin Market – Sample Puerto Rican coffee with a warm churro.
• High St. Pasta – Enjoy a meatball with sauce and warm garlic bread with alfredo.
• T.K’s Juice – Try something new with bubble tea, and savor green and black tea.
• Tin 202 – Savor almogrote with farmhouse cheese made from scratch, accompanied with a baguette. A specialty cocktail sample will also be available for those guests over 21.

Late tour:

• Black Bear Burritos – A pollo pibil cup and refried garbanzo beans: House fried tortilla cup filled with a Yucatán shredded achiote chicken garnished with pickled onion and served with a side of refried garbanzo beans. Chestnut Brew Works will also provide a craft beer tasting that pairs with dish.
• The Cupcakerie – Select a seasonal flavored mouthwatering mini cupcake.
• Iron Horse Tavern – Sip on any two West Virginia craft beers on tap
• Vintage Room – Chef Thomas will be presenting a variety of wood-fired pizzas and featuring a sample of coconut shrimp. Exclusive wine tasting will also be available for guests over 21.
• Sugar Bears Wall St. Grill – Sample small bites of diner favorites, comfort food and a homemade brownie.
• Zaytun – Nosh on a variety of pizza, gyros, pasta and rice dish samples.

Each tour will have approximately six groups with no more than 25 participants per group. Guided tours will leave from the MAC and progress through each of the six restaurants on the tour. Tours are expected to last approximately three hours. Tours end at Arts Mon, located at 201 High Street.

• Black Bear Burritos – Burritos and Brews: Any house specialty and two pints of WV Craft Beer for $15
• Cafe Bacchus – Celebrate the Many Varieties of Winter Squash. Enjoy a delicious three-course dinner for only $25 (does not include tax or tip). *Reservations : (304) 296-9234 
• First course: Guest’s choice of either a soup (butternut squash) or salad
• Entree: Pork dish complimented with a winter squash OR Ravioli stuffed with winter squash topped with a hazelnut cream sauce
• Dessert: Pumpkin Bread Pudding OR guests can substitute dessert for a featured specialty cocktail such as the Pumpkin Pie Saketini
• Chico’s Fat – TBA
• The Cupcakerie – $25 for a dozen regular size cupcakes, a savings of $4; or $12.50 for a dozen mini-size cupcakes, a savings of $3.50
• Garcia’s Latin Market – Buy 2 delicious tacos and get fresh-made chips and salsa for free.
• High St. Pasta Co. – TBA
• Iron Horse Tavern – Iron Horse will be doing a West Virginia Craft Beer Takeover. A brewer will be on hand to meet and greet with guests and also to answer questions. 
• Morgantown Brewing Co. – TBA
• The Montmartre – Enjoy a three-course meal for a discounted price. *Reservations : (304) 291-4222
• Appetizer : choice of bruchetta or cup of soup 
• Main Entree : Chicken Francaise, Shrimp Montmarte or Steak Diane. 
• Dessert : Choice of our homemade cakes/pies.
• Mountain State Brewing Co. – 20% off entire menu, excluding alcohol. 
• Sargasso – 20% discount off full menu. *Reservations : (304) 554-0100
• Soul Brothers – Free deep fried strawberry shortcake with any full price dinner meal
• Table 9 – A tasting menu with an optional wine pairing. *Reservations : (304) 554-2050
• T.K.’s Fruit, Produce & Bubble Tea – Buy any bubble tea at a 30% discounted price
• Tin 202 – A 3-course dining experience for 2 for $50.00 per couple. *Reservations : (304) 212-5863. There will be a wine tasting with each course. Gratuity not included.
• First course: Cold beet soup, corn and crab chowder or side salad.
• Second course: (Each guest chooses two small plates ) Stuffed and toasted brie, chicken confit, pork belly, and petite dessert.
• Third course: Seasonal dessert
• The Vintage Room – Chef Thomas is preparing a special 3-course dining experience:
• First Course: Arugula & Spinach Salad or Vintage Bleu Cheese Bacon Wedge.
• Second Course: 6oz Stockyard Sirloin with Cognac crème, Apple Cider Glazed Salmon or Chicken Saltimbocca
• Third Course: Three layer Chocolate Mousse Cake, Bananas Foster or Oliver Oil Torte.
• Sugar Bear’s Wall St. Grill – 20% off entire menu, $0.50 brownies and cookies. 
• Zaytun – Gyro Special: $8 for two people AND/OR Family Size Pizza any topping for $10. *Reservation : (304) 292-5550
• Yama – Buy one regular Teriyaki Chicken Bowl, get one regular Yama Tuna Bowl free, eat-in only

*Reservations required at some establishments.
*Participants must mention Restaurant Week to secure the special discount

It was like we couldn't have dinner without getting frozen custard afterward. We didn't KNOW we needed frozen custard after dinner until ... well, it was after dinner, and we were craving something sweet.



A quick google search pulled up Purple Door Ice Cream, which wasn't too far away. With flavors like "balsamic strawberry" and "chocolate whiskey," it sounded too fun to pass up. I ordered a cone with two scoops - maple nut and a caramel. These were both amazing - but holy cow, overwhelming. I got a cup where I could topple the cone upside down and use a spoon. You definitely get your money's worth here.

These flavors are really fun - and well-executed, at that. Try something weird here and enjoy every second of it.

Grade: A 

I couldn't go to Milwaukee and NOT try some of the beer. Pabst Blue Ribbon is one of a few beer giants that calls Milwaukee home.



We took a historic tour of the buildings (and got some beer in the process!). It was interesting to hear how, really, the "hipsters" brought PBR back. They also serve some of these older brands at the bar. Very cool.

Less of a brewery tour and more of a just learning about the history of the company and seeing some of the older buildings where this history took place. But still, very cool to learn a little more.

Since my previous pizza experience was less than stellar, that pizza void was still not filled. I still had a pizza-shaped hole in my heart. Pizza Man filled it.

Pizza Man is located in a fairly new space, despite being a Milwaukee landmark. In 2010, the restaurant burned to the ground. Three years later, a new building was found, and they're still building up the same sense of atmosphere they once had. I, personally, think they have it.

We ordered the "Zak's Antipasto Salad," which had salami, aged cheese, fresh and pickled vegetables, greens, house vinaigrette and garlic bread. I apparently ignored the actually title of the dish and just read the description, thinking it was a platter - not a salad. So, when it arrived as a salad, I was surprised. Stupid.

First off, this garlic bread is heavenly. I love garlic bread, and this was so buttery, it was heaven. The salad was very good, too. Lots of huge chunks of salami and cheese, plus the house vinaigrette had the perfect amount of tang.

We also ordered the Pizza Man Classic pizza - Artichoke A La Mode. It has a classic base, artichokes, tomato, basil, cream cheese, and we added garlic. Seems pretty standard, except ... that cream cheese. It's like a typical margherita pizza, add a little artichoke for some bitter briney flavor, and then the cream cheese just turns it into this creamy, even more delicious pizza. Seriously, why don't we also put cream cheese on pizza? Because it takes a good pizza to this amazing pizza. Seriously good.

Grade: A

Wolf Peach was next on the culinary tour of Milwaukee. The name "Wolf Peach" stems from European folklore:

"When the tomato was first introduced, it was widely considered poisonous. Aristocrats dined on pewter; the acid in tomatoes reacted with the metal, causing lead poisoning. Peasants ate from plates made of wood and were unaffected, so tomatoes became the poor man’s food. The legend grew, as legends do, to include stories of witches using tomatoes, a member of the deadly nightshade family, to conjure werewolves. The wild tomato’s Latin genus name, Lycopersicon, translates to “Wolf Peach.” Wolf Peach pays homage to rustic European cuisine that draws inspiration regional ingredients - including the illustrious tomato."

I had actually made reservations for this restaurant, but, because I'm stupid, I got the reservation time mixed up with the time change to Central from Eastern. This led to us walking around the entire area for about an hour until it was actually time for our reservation.



Wolf Peach does things a little differently. For one, they have communal dining in one part of the restaurant so that folks who don't know each other can eat together. Also, they bring dishes out as they are ready, as opposed to coursing the dishes to "ensuring that they are fresh, bright and ready to enjoy."

"Fueled by passion and a 6,000-pound wood-fired oven, we pair beautiful ingredients from local farms, purveyors and artisans to create food to feed the soul. Our style of service is casual and communal ... We believe dining should be as much about enjoying the company as it is about savoring the fare ... Our menu is an eclectic mix of large and small plates designed to encourage sharing, cultivate interaction and foster a sense of dining at a family table."

We started off our dinner with an appetizer of the smoked bone marrow. Yes, bone marrow - which has become trendy in recent years. It has this odd, carnal appeal - scraping animal bones free of the rich, gelatinous marrow. But, it has become this sort of delicacy - as raw or grisly as it may seem.

It was served with sea salt, parsley, red onion jam and fresh bread. It has this buttery but almost sweet flavor. The red onion jam gave it more of a sweetness, and the bread gave it some much-needed texture. This was good, but mostly it was interesting.

We ordered a pizza with whipped ricotta, baby summer squash, garden tomato, and fresh oregano. When I read this on their menu online, it included a honey Sriracha sauce and something else. I had my heart set on that already, and when we got to the restaurant, the pizza was slightly different. I still wanted to go with it.

I wish I had taken a closer look at some of the other options, because this definitely did not wow me. It was actually pretty bland. It needed a heavy-handed dash of salt and other spices. The vegetables were not particularly flavorful, either. I wanted something light, but not flavorless. That honey Sriracha drizzle could've done wonders. I ended up taking the leftover sweet onion jam and putting it on the slices of pizza. If you visit, opt for a different one. Many others sound tasty.

Grade: B