The Preston County Inn consistently wins local food contests for their emphasis on local ingredients. But, I've had trouble catching them when they were open. But that all ends today.

We'd stopped at the Preston County Inn around Halloween, so we got to see it in its full spooky glory. It has a bit of history:

The Inn was constructed in the Civil War era by James A. Brown, an attorney and a graduate of West Virginia University. He fell in love with a beautiful girl named Isabel who was from Baltimore. They were married and the house was given to Isabel as a wedding gift from her loving husband.

However, they lived in the house for only one year. Isabel contracted smallpox and soon died. James Brown became a Victorian mourner and would not allow anything belonging to his lovely wife to be touched. Nothing was to be changed or moved. Even her sewing remained as she left it, needle in cloth and thimble nearby. 

Highlighting the exterior decoration of the house was the roof; in large letters of light colored slate was the word "home." Through the years and change of owners, this was either removed or covered with new roofing. Much of the front part of the home has been restored to its original nature. There are a total of seven fireplaces in The Inn, three downstairs and four upstairs. The hearths and mantels have been refinished and restored to their original condition. Guest sleeping rooms were added in 1948 as a new addition to the inn. Also included in this large addition were the large kitchen and dining room.

We'd parked behind the inn and began walking around toward the front when I saw a sign on the side of the building that said to enter this way for the restaurant, which is named "Maxime's at The Inn." So, we walked in and awkwardly around the kitchen and down the main hallway. There was no one to greet us, so we walked around and stood awkwardly in the middle for about five ~long~ minutes until I found a server and asked if we could be seated.

Finally seated, I took a look around. Lots of red glowing Halloween decorations, but also lots of classic art and draperies. It has a bit of charm to it, but it could also use a nice deep-cleaning.

The first thing I noticed is that they had a salad bar. You don't see that often at local restaurants. So, I knew that was in my future. While there were many options on the salad bar - including macaroni salads, seafood salads, etc. - they weren't exactly fresh. In fact, the tomatoes had mold all over them, which cast a shadow of doubt on the quality of the rest of the food.

I tried, but I couldn't mentally get over it. I nibbled on things and they were fine, but ultimately set it aside and hoped the entree would prove better.

The menu has a little bit of everything, but I felt like I needed to go the homestyle route. I ordered the meatloaf and mashed potatoes, which came with a thick brown gravy overtop. I can't say this is my favorite iteration of the meal - I prefer a tomato sauce.  This meal was just fine - everything needed a little bit of work. The corn was chewy, the mashed potatoes were very thick and stiff. The meatloaf was dry, and that gravy didn't help. Was it bad? No, it was fine, but would I order this again? No.

I hope there are far better options on the menu, and I totally dig their use of local ingredients when they're competing, but it didn't shine for me this time. I also appreciated how the owner had the chef whip up a simple stir-fry upon learning my friend was gluten-free (but I also suspect he was just wanting to use up the salad bar).

It's also likely I could've chosen poorly. I'm known to do that. What have you had there that you like? What's the best thing on the menu?

Also, of note is the Norma Jean Bar -- lots of Marilyn Monroe happening. Lots of cool little tidbits in this place, but not a total home run for me.

First, the business was Coach's Bar & Grille, a sports bar at the edge of town. Then, it decided to go another route and replaced the "Bar & Grille" with a seafood theme - Coach's Crab Shack. That business seemed to do well, so they expanded over to Cheat Lake. That only makes sense for a seafood restaurant, right? With that move, they dropped the "Coach's" name -- doesn't really fit anymore, right? -- and became Crab Shack Caribba (on the lake). SO, that restaurant seems to be doing well, so they moved the original location from the edge of town over to a very prominent location - in Suncrest Towne Centre. And, it changed its name to Crab Shack Caribba, as well. So, two locations: Suncrest and Cheat Lake.



Got that?

We opened our doors back in June 2013 on Collins Ferry Rd in Star City as Coach’s Crab Shack; named after the former Coach’s Sports Bar in the same location. In May 2016, we went through a little re-branding with our logo and name.

The Suncrest location is brand new, so I went to check it out with Brittany. Situated right on the corner, it's easy to find (unlike the Collins Ferry location) with plenty of parking! It doesn't have the beautiful space overlooking the lake, but it is like a mile from my place ... so, same thing.

Walking in, the large tiki bar is the focal point. Booths surround that central bar, with paper table covers, Corona salt & pepper shakes, and a mason jar full of utensils. They're definitely going for that Caribbean theme with the extra decorations and other bits and pieces.

The menu has lots of goodies that I'd like to sample - appetizers like "The Crabby Crab Dip" and coconut shrimp. Plenty of fish dishes, pastas, steak and chicken, too, as well as the raw bar. Their "Signature Steamers" are essentially a plate full of seafood with melted butter, corn on the cob, red potatoes and hush puppies. You can get lobster, shrimp, crab, mussels, clams, crawfish or you can mix-and-match via the a la carte menu.

Crab Shack Caribba serves everything we offered on the Coach’s menu; however, the new menu now also offers dishes with Caribbean influences. Jerk chicken and shrimp, fried plantains, and a Spanish Caribbean Paella dish, just to name a few.

So, I went with the "Shack Classic," which had 1/2 lb. Snow Crab, 1/3 lb. shrimp, 1/2 lb. clams and kielbasa, in addition to all those sides. You can also choose your "flavor" - Hot Mess Garlicky 'N Juicy (garlic butter, old bay, cajun spice), Spicy Cajun, Old Bay, Garlic & Herb Lemon Butter or Good Ole Steam. I went with the hot mess, because of course.

Brittany got a house salad to start, and it may have been the tiniest salad I've ever seen. At least it was fresh.

So, it's definitely a weird experience to get your entree served in a plastic bag, but hell if it's not tasty. And, in full disclosure, I may have dove into this mass of food before taking a picture. And at that point, my hands and mouth were covered in garlicky goodness that I didn't want to stop to take a photo. But, don't worry, I did.

Our seafood comes from all around the country, gets flown into Pittsburgh and then trucked into Morgantown three days a week.

So, I cracked the legs to get giant pieces of meat (though I wish I had a better digger utensil), devoured those kielbasa and potatoes, peeled shrimp and reveled in the slightly spicy and garlicky juice. So tasty. Plan to get a little messy and take advantage of that bib they give you. But, if you need your seafood fix, this is the place in Morgantown.

We put in a lot of effort to bring the freshest, highest quality seafood products at the best value possible for our patrons. Blue Crabs from Maryland, Crawfish from Louisiana, Snow Crab from Alaska, Oysters from James River, Virginia, Lobsters from Maine, Salmon from Norway, Peruvian Scallops….

With a meal this good, how could I not get dessert? I went for the "Ice Cream Sunday," which has deep-fried brownie bites with vanilla bean ice cream, chocolate topping, whipped cream and a cherry. I think they must freeze the ice cream in the glass because it was SO difficult to get out. BUT, it was tasty. The brownie bits weren't my favorite part, but ice cream. Always ice cream.

They were just opening, so service is something that needs a tiny bit of work. The portion of that salad was comical, but the space is lovely, the food is tasty and I'm pleased to see this restaurant doing well and filling a void in town. You're not living til you try the hot garlicky mess.

Grade: A
 

So, I recently went to Preston County to check out the zoo -- that's right, West Virginia has a zoo. And while in the area, Brittany and I decided to head into downtown Kingwood to grab a bite at the Brew Ha Ha.

Side note: It also happened to be the same day that the stores were doing a sort of trick-or-treat, so we got to see lots of kids dressed up as superheroes or princesses as we enjoyed our meal. Super cute.

This cafe is cozy and bright with a good bit of seating and some tasty drink and food options. The menu options encompass a little bit of everything - from egg rolls and chips & salsa to a pancake platter and grilled cheese sandwiches.



So, I got their "Ultimate" Grilled Cheese, which is muenster cheese and garlic aioli piled with crispy bacon and French-fried onions on thick slices of grilled toast.

For a drink, I went with a "brewlatte," which is frozen and blended fresh brewed coffee. I added a salted caramel flavor shot.


We'd only waited for a just a little bit -- taking in the cool vibe and bustling environment -- before our meals came out.

Let's start with the drink - if you want to feel like you're drinking a milkshake that gives you some extra energy, this is it. Simple, but good.


So, my grilled cheese, with a side of pasta salad, was pretty good! It was pretty dense and savory. I think just a touch of something sweet -- like honey fried onions or something would help break that up. But, still, very tasty.

Between good snacks and drinks and wonderful service, this is a great little place.

They even partner with the local brewing company, Screech Owl Brewing for some fun merchandise.

Have you ever been? What's your favorite thing?





Grade: A

Well, if there's one place in Martinsburg I've been dying to go to - it's La Trattoria. It's the first place mentioned when the city is brought up, it has previously made the list of 101 unique places to dine in the state, and I've heard nothing but amazing things.

But, my only dilemma? They didn't open until 4, which was the time I was supposed to be leaving Martinsburg. I called right at 4 p.m. and asked if I could place a to-go order. The gentleman kindly took my order and said it could be ready in 15 minutes. I could swing that.

When I walked in, he was literally packaging up my meal as we spoke and waiting for the freshly baked bread to come out of the oven. I peeked into the dining area to get a feel for the restaurant. It's pretty much exactly what you expect from an Italian-American restaurant in a small town. Some art depicting Italian scenes, synthetic flowers on the table and a wall full of awards declaring it the best restaurant in the region.

The gentleman who worked with me was just phenomenal. He gently packed up each component to my meal, taking the most care to assure it would be to my satisfaction. He even packed up a few little packets of butter to go with the freshly baked bread. And, while the food was done when I arrived, we continued to chat for another 10 minutes or so. I learned about his family and how his daughter goes to WVU. Just great people.

La Trattoria was founded more than 20 years ago, and the Romo family bought the restaurant in 2007. Since then, it has consistently been one of the highest rated restaurants in the area. And once I was finally able to dig into my meal, it did not disappoint. First was this spinach egg-drop soup in a chicken broth. It was certainly different, but savory and warm, which is perfect for the rainy day.

Next, these incredible rolls. I think he gave me half a loaf, and thank god, because I devoured every last one of them. Soft, chewy, buttery deliciousness.

I had ordered the Tortellini Pink, which is cheese tortellini with a pink creamy sauce. So tasty! It makes me wish I had time to try all their other offerings, because the menu is long with tons of enticing entrees. The tortellini was creamy, rich, indulgent ... it eschews traditional red sauce in favor of this thick, comforting cream-based sauce. Delicious? Check. Amazing service? Check check. Will I be back? Check check check.

Grade: A

It's no secret that ice cream is one of the biggest influencing factors in my life. There are a few ways to make me fall in love with you, and offering me ice cream is one of them.

When I recently ran across a list denoting West Virginia's best ice cream spots, I immediately jotted down all locations and made it a mission to get to them.

Petrucci's Country Market, located in Martinsburg, dishes out ice cream from the side of its building where it also has deli meats, fresh produce and other general country market merchandise. I quickly perused inside before heading outside to ice cream heaven.

This place, which apparently used to be called Tad's Dairy Barn, has Hershey's Ice cream in addition to shakes, sundaes, specialty sundaes and more.

So, I went for a simple caramel sundae, which came out topped with whipped cream, nuts and a cherry.

The ice cream was good - nothing too extravagant, but standard and tasty. You really can't go wrong with ice cream, and this was up to par. A richer or thicker caramel or maybe a softer or more flavorful ice cream could've kicked it up a notch even further. But I'm just nitpicking right now. Decent ice cream in a country setting. Perfect for summer, I'm sure.


Grade: B