North Central West Virginia is no stranger to good Italian food.



Italians immigrated to the area to work in the coal mines, and we are better for it. 



Morgantown has a new Italian restaurant to add under the "delicious" category.



Nonno Carlo, located in the Suncrest Towne Center, is an Italian deli with imported goods, fresh deli goods and a menu of made-to-order items like sandwiches and pizzas.



From their website: Lifetime Morgantown family plants roots at Suncrest Town Center. Local resident Nick DeMedici announces the opening of “Nonno Carlo“ in the Suncrest Town Center, March 2021. DeMedici, whose family immigrated to North Central West Virginia from Collelongo, Italy in the early 1900’s, has always had a passion for honoring his heritage through family and food.



Specializing in Italian American deli fare, this “fast casual-up” spot will feature delicious Italian staple foods rooted in the Italian American traditions of North Central West Virginia and Italy alike. With wide selection of cold and hot sandwiches, Wood-fired Neapolitan Pizzas, select pasta dishes and soups, Nonno Carlo will offer items you will not find anywhere else. In addition to the menu, Nonno Carlo will offer fresh wood-fired bread, house-made mozzarella cheese, and a selection of high-quality imported foods.



“My family story is like so many others in this area and I want to hear all of them”, said DeMedici. “The story of the Italian immigrant is a fascinating one full of dedication, uncertainty, and overcoming obstacles. I consider myself fortunate to be a very small part of it”. Named after DeMedici’s Grandfather Carlo “Carl” DeMedici, Nonno Carlo will feature a large wall space where people can hang old photos and tell their family story along with a map of Italy for people to place their names in the area their ancestors came from.



Nonno Carlo is the concept of Nick DeMedici and Bron Kayal, founder and CEO of HARMA Hospitality “In addition to being a great friend and great member in our community Bron and HARMA bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise from the food industry to our operation” says DeMedici."



When I walked in, I looked over the products for sale on the wall and picked up this coined-shaped pasta. They were fun. Then, I placed an order for Calabrian pepper dip (calabrian peppers, roasted red pepper, ricotta and bread), as well as the funghi pizza (tomato, marinated portabellas, olive oil, fresh parmesan, basil). And, I got some caprese salad from the deli. 



The pepper dip was spicy, but I kept plying it with the ricotta to make it more palatable. It was good, and I could totally see this working on top of pasta. 



The pizza was delish. I loved that there were long pieces of the mushrooms, which you don't see often. I mean, just look at this beauty.



And finally, the caprese salad!



The fresh mozzarella was not was loose and creamy as I thought it might be; and I suspect it's because it had already soaked up some of the oils and herbs to make it more solid.



Overall, lots of tasty options here that I can't wait to try more of.



Grade: A

Jeff's Curbside is a takeout restaurant located in North Charleston that also offers some delivery.



I visited this restaurant a year or two ago when it was located on the East End in a shop. But now, they have a dedicated space and are open Monday through Saturday evenings.



He is known for his cajun chicken pasta, which has received rave reviews across the internet. But one of my favorite dishes is meatloaf, and on Mondays, guess what his special is? Meatloaf.  



The meal came with garlic bread, a small salad, and two sides. After a little bit of wait, I got my to-go bag and headed out the door - armoas of a hot, fresh meal filling my car. The garlic bread was fine, and the salad for me was a bit different with the fruit and onion together. 



But the meatloaf - wow. It was super moist, full of onions and peppers to give it some flavor, and had a sweet tomato sauce on top, which is my favorite. The twice baked potato was like a special treat that I don't see often, and it was cheesy baked perfection. And the carrots were even delish - slightly sweet and a perfect balance to the rest of the meal. 

Grade: A

I gotta say, when Gino's nails it, they really nail it. One of my favorite items of theirs is the calzone - when it's done right. And Scott Depot did it right. 



I put in an order for a calzone with cheese and mushrooms, and as soon as they slid the box out of the drive-thru window, I could smell fresh bread. That was a lovely first sign. The bottom was a bit greasy, but the interior was full of stringy cheese, marinara and mushrooms. I wouldn't have hated some extra sauce on the side to enjoy those bready edges with. But a quick, tasty lunch nonetheless. 

Grade: B

The Trail Kitchen, located off the beaten path near Clendenin, got a lot of attention when it opened for its "pay what you want" scale. 



It has since made the rounds for its location, its open or closed status, and its specials. I couldn't wait to check it out.



Because it isn't quite "along the way" for anyone, really, I had to make a special trip out here - and I'm glad I did before they closed for the season. 



Let's start with getting here because that's half the battle. I have a Subaru for a reason; I like to be able to go just about anywhere. But if you have a vehicle with a low clearance or are not comfortable driving on unpaved roads, this may not be the road for you. I made it fine - nice and slow on the dirt roads - but know that you're going to see mostly ATVs and trucks in the parking area. 



The building has a nice outdoor deck area, as well as indoor seating. You order at the walk-up window, which has a menu listed - but no prices. It is a little awkward - without even a suggested price - because money is such a weird, taboo topic in our culture and looking at someone and telling them what you think their work, their effort, their staff are worth. Here's the restaurant's explanation on why they do it:

Our way to "Be the Change we wish to see in the world" ... We have decided to use a business model we have not seen before in any other restaurant. There will be NO prices on our menu! Our customers will decide how much they will pay for their meal. Here will be your 3 options ...

1. Pay only what you can afford
2. Pay what the meal is worth to you
3. "Pay it forward" to help someone who is quietly suffering financially

You will be handed an envelope when you order. Deposit your money into the envelope, the amount will be based on the 3 choices above, then put that envelope into a mail slot near the takeout window to pay for your meal, it will be completely private. OR you can choose to pay with a credit card and the amount will be between you and your cashier. WHY WOULD WE DO SUCH A CRAZY THING???? Please read to the end. Sometimes God whispers and idea in your ear that challenges your way of thinking. We did not do this lightly or on whim. Much thought and prayer went into this decision.

1. Someone who can't afford a meal, gets a meal while keeping their pride and dignity intact.
2. Someone who can afford a meal gets a great meal and pays what it's worth to them.
3. It gives those who can pay a little extra the opportunity to "pay it forward" to someone who is quietly suffering.

This prolonged pandemic and polarized political divide is creating a toxic environment in our country. When you're overwhelmed with fear and frustration, the best answer is to respond with fearlessness, and faith. We have faith in ...
God
Our community
We the people
Americans
and especially West Virginians

Anyone can fall on hard times and this pandemic has only amplified the problem for many families. Imagine if you couldn't take your daughter to a special birthday dinner, or celebrate a special event, or just needed a real meal that didn't come from a microwave. We will offer delicious meals made with quality ingredients, this is a real restaurant and we take pride in our food. We are not rich people, we are not a non-profit, we are not a "soup kitchen". We have built a first class commercial kitchen with an enormous deck on our property with our life savings and months of hard work.

We are a family owned small business that operates on old fashioned American values...
Faith in God
Hard Work
Quality product
Service to others
Strong Community

Life is more than the mindless pursuit of money and material things. We still have to pay bills, buy food, maintain the restaurant equipment and stay complaint with the health dept.. This bold move to operate solely on an honor system is scary, but we believe you must. "Be the change you wish to see in the world" and we believe this is the right thing to do. This is our preferred business model. If for some reason we are unable to continue operations in this manner, we will adjust our pricing plan but only if the original plan proves to be unsustainable. The founding fathers of our country had faith in "We the people" when they wrote our constitution. So, we will have faith in the people as well.

The Markers
The Trail Kitchen LLC "In God We Trust"



So I walked up to the window and put in an order for their "Trail Dipper," which is grilled sourdough with pepperjack cheese, american cheese, turkey, lettuce, tomato, onion and homemade ranch to dip it in. They also had homemade french onion dip that I added - I figured it could be fun to try that as a dip for the sandwich, too. 



After I placed my order, I walked inside the little breezeway area that has restrooms, as well as a small complimentary coffee bar. How nice that is for those who have been traveling! A little pick-me-up. After just a few minutes, my food was ready and I left to enjoy it. 



The sandwich is stacked. The bread is beautifully grilled, the cheese was perfectly melted, and there's a substantial amount of deli turkey, without it being unwieldy. The one thing I would change is the stringy shredded lettuce. I don't love that texture when glopped with a sauce. So I scooped out the bulk of it and enjoy the remainder of my sandwich.

If you want a one-of-a-kind West Virginia experience, the Trail Kitchen can provide that. I appreciate what they're doing and providing, and it's something different we can enjoy.

Grade: A

Legacy Foods has been distributing their products to area stores for some time now, but they just opened their own physical location in Indore.



Its' a little bit of a trek and out of the way for most folks, but that just means you may need to make a special trip there. 



Legacy Foods is a shop selling their bakery goods, as well as other West Virginia products and produce and a deli. 



I was most interested in their bakery products, so I took to the shelves to check out what they had. 



I fell in love with the idea of the s'mores brownie - with little marshmallows and teddy grahams sprinkled on top. 



And, like every good West Virginia bakery, they had some pepperoni rolls. 



Both of these were good. My personal preference is a bit more on the moist side, but they both still had decent flavor. 



The deli sandwiches are made from the meats they have available in the case.



Which would you try?

Grade: B