The Laurance Jones III, Childhood Language Center hosted its annual "Mac n' Cheese Cook-Off" at the Capitol Market, which is one of my favorite events. 



Who doesn't love mac & cheese? It's one of my favorite dishes, and it's especially exciting because the event is at my favorite place - Capitol Market - and brings together lots of local businesses for a good cause. 



I was so fortunate to serve as a judge - hard job! - and tasted a little of 18 different mac & cheeses. 18! I will say: There were so many really, really good macs. It was a tough choice. You can see my ultimate top 3 on the scoring below.



After all that mac & cheese, it's sometimes tough to keep them straight and distinguish flavors from one another. But, boy, is it a delight. Thanks to all the small businesses that participated. Everyone did a great job. But Chef Ke pulled it out both in people's choice AND judge's, from what I hear! Congrats all!



T-Mobile





Rock Branch Elementary





Carnivore BBQ





Stephen Fernandez







Legal Aid of WV







Sherry Gordon





Capital Insurance Group





Yeager Airport





Country Roads Pet Resort





Cam Vance - State Farm Insurance 





Piedmont Elementary





Bogey's





Big Joe's





Children's Home Society





Rainbow Pride of WV





Real Estate Central





People's Federal Credit Union





Chef Ke

Did you know there are Gino's locations that do NOT have drive-throughs? Enter the Quincy Gino's.



Color me surprised when I pulled up after having placed an online order, in short pajama shorts, not realizing I would have to get up and walk out of my car to receive my cheesy breadsticks.   



Thankfully, they weren't busy and I didn't have to wait long for my order. And, I did check out the interior, which has that old-school Pizza Hut vaguely Italian feel with fake plants and domed overhead lights. Once I got back to my car, I opened the box to panic-eat my feelings. And fortunately, it was a pretty good batch of cheesy bread sticks. Lots of cheese, lots of oozy-stringy factor, and lots of sauce underneath to bring it all together. It was just a touch cool by the time I received it. But a good snack.

Grade: B

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