Ron says…

10.19.09

BW3 or the way I first heard it referred to –  ”Buffalo Wild Wings & Weck” – I remember the first time I heard the word “Weck”, back in the early ’90s as I was stumbling down High Street in Morgantown, looking for the Hot Dog Man, I asked myself, what the hell does “Weck” mean?  My room mates were of no help, as if I was ripped they were surely torn.

As you can see from my opening intro for BW3 – well I have a soft spot for it.  Back then, to me, BW3 was nothing more than a bar where I could get cold beer, the food was served till past two AM, the wings were really hot, there were these great little round things like fries that they called “Buffalo Chips”, and if that didn’t satisfy you, well they had burgers too.  (plus I could sit and play trivia with various other losers throughout the land)

What’s not good at 2AM?   I don’t ever recall saying, “dudes, I don’t feel like drinking, let’s go to BW3, and get something to eat.” (course I probably never said “I don’t feel like drinking”, but that’s another story).

WELL – BW3 is now open out at Southridge, brand new large facility right next to Famous Daves.  Having to go spend our payday at Sams Club, Susan and I decided to go have a beer.  I love shopping at Sam’s with a buzz.

So, we go in, I go check out the little beer drinker’s room…  and well they’re nice and clean, good, pomptly back to Susan and we’re seated in the Bar area.

Tons of TV’s around the joint.   We’re at a high table, unfortunetly we’re on the end near a high traffic high congested area.  Oh well, $3 23oz drink is sitting there waiting.  ummmmmmmmmm

I browse through the menu.   I hate menus that have inserts, that fall out.   I HATE IT.  Just staple the damned thing to the menu.  (mental note to carry a Stapler and just do it for the establishment)

So I’m pretty familiar with BW3’s wing selection.  Their hottest is hot and good, they have a great selection of wing sauces, most of which I’ve tried and admit to liking.  Currently, the Mango Habanero is my choice.  Spicy – very, and sweet.   Has a great habanero taste and kick, but plenty of sweetness.

But I didn’t get wings….

As I’m perusing, Susan asks me “what are you going to get?”…  my response will say a lot about my familiarity with BW3.

“.. something I’ll regret…”   I respond.

Those three words say a lot.  Because I know this place.  Food is not their specialty.  Their specialty is atmosphere and hanging out.  As I stated, I never really came here for the sole purpose of eating. Other than getting friends to try the hottest of the hot wings, I don’t even think I’ve ever recommended a BW3 as a place to go eat.  It’s always been kind of like…. “yeah, plenty of TV’s there, and I can get something to eat while I’m there“.

So not wanting wings today, I choose a $7.99 Grilled Chicken Wrap – described as “Take The checkered flag with this large flour tortilla stuffed with our juicy, seasoned, grilled chicken, a blend of cheeses, lettuce, tomato, and your favorite “Buffalo Wild Wings” sauce“.   ~ you know what sauce I’m ordering.  That’s right, the Habanero Mango.

Also, it comes with salsa and chips, I could add fries or buffalo chips for an extra $0.50 or something like that.

I wanted the Buffalo Chips… I loved those things.  Still do.  I mean who wouldn’t?

“You’ll have the green flag to enjoy these crisp natural cut potato slices“… the word “crisp” has me concerned as I never remember them being crisp, maybe they’ve changed some.  Oh well, I want the basket for $4.49 anyhow.  Forget the chips and salsa.  Negotiating with the waitress, she figures it out, and writes it all down.

We don’t really wait long before our meal is served, even though we did wait a little, but the crowd was pretty busy, surprising to me.   It looks as though Bw3 has done a good job of attracting the non-late night drinking crowd out here to South Ridge (btw, I don’t know what their hours are out here, I do know in Morgantown, and the Greater Barboursville Area that those Bw3’s stay open till around 2AM serving food or at least used to).

Well our food comes out, my meal is screwed up I didn’t get a basket of buffalo chips.  But the sandwich wrap is decently sized and thick.  My iPhone picture does not do it justice at all.  Plus I also recieved some salsa and chips (these were not supposed to be here so obviously I’m wondering about the itemized statement of our bill). 

But size and quantity is only half of what’s important - how does it taste? (well to some of you taste is all that matters)  It tastes like a Kroger or Wal-Mart wrap that’s sat in the refrigerated aisle, the only difference is that the meat was warmed up prior to wrapping.   Yes that sounds harsh to say, but it’s the truth.  The item just wasn’t that good.  I don’t think the chicken is grilled, if it’s grilled, it’s grilled like Tyson, and then shipped in shrink wrapped packages only to be warmed up.     There is no smoke and steam coming from the kitchen?  None coming from the building – looking across the street at Famous Daves – they have smoke coming off their grill – or at least they have the illusion that it is.  But not BW3 and my grilled chicken wrap.

I would have thought that they expected the Habanero Mango sauce to grill it and heat it up, except BW3 forgot to add the sauce to my wrap.   Normally I would be having a shit fit over all these blatant fouls, but today, I’m just going with, well it’s BW3 and it’s par for the course.

I didn’t like my chips… I’m like a cat and finiky when it comes to tortilla chips.   These didn’t pass my finicky muster.  

My Buffalo Chips were just like I remembered them.  NOT CRISPY.  lol.   (woohoo thank god for false advertisment)

Our server (forget her name) was very kind, she caught some of the mistakes at first site without being told and promptly made corrections.  She quickly brought out the Habanero Mango Sauce for the wrap.  No, I was nice today, I didn’t complain about the faux grilling.  

So how was it fork wise?  I cannot with a straight face give this meal three forks.  It really came off as not grilled, they get by on a technicality with the Buffalo Chips.  There’s just a lot of hype, and not much substance with the meal I had today.   TWO FORKS.

That being said, I saw several trays of wings, I did not have any, but the wings looked small.  IE the smallest order of six wings, still made the serving container look empty.  They were very small, and it’s a rather steep price to pay for wings in my opinion.   My Habanero Mango sauce though was very good, and I can only assume the rest of their sauces I like are still delicious.  Plus you can purchase them to take home for a reasonable price.   I highly recommend you try the Habanero Mango Sauce.

I hope some of the experience I had are just because of this being a new establishment and still working out the kinks as I’d really like to give it three forks just for sentimental reasons, even if the food never blows my skirt.   

But as I said today – TWO FORKS.

Susan says…

I knew coming in that this would be all about the TVs and the beer and the food would be incidental.  The only hope for “excellence” with the food was the wings.  I don’t eat wings – too messy, too primal and the sauce gets under my fingernails.  But I know they offer boneless wings, so that was a possibility.

The new location is large.  The parking lot and entrance are set up kind of weird – if you park near the access road, you’re in the back of the restaurant, so drive around toward the Corridor for a better spot.

Unfortunately we were seated right in the traffic lane beside the waitstaff’s holding area.  The seats were really comfy, though.  At least mine was.  We were at a high-top table with one tall chair and a bench.  I slid into the bench quickly before Ron could. 

They must have 50 beers on draft.  The only one I cared about, Michelob Ultra, was available so I didn’t pay too much attention to the rest except to note there was a whole lot of them.  I asked Ron where they kept all those kegs – the bar was one tap after another.  We theorized that they were behind the bar wall and therefore, out of sight.

My 23 oz Unbeer was $3.07, the same price as Ron’s Bud Light.  I was glad not to get ripped off on the pricing – a lot of places charge more for Mich Ultra.  I once was charged the import price at another restaurant – I politely explained to the server that Michelob is indeed made in this country and is therefore not an import.  Unfortunately, the geography lesson did not impact my bill.  But BW3 does not discriminate.

They have mystery ketchup at BW3 – they put their own label on it so you couldn’t tell who the manufacturer is.  I asked Emily if she knew if it was Heinz and she did not know. 

I have been mildly obsessed with Southwest Eggrolls lately.  I love, LOVE the ones from Chili’s.  Last football season, I would call an order into Chili’s when we reached Clarksburg for southwest eggrolls and the spinach-artichoke dip, picked it up on our way into Morgantown and that was my tailgate food.  Ron could eat all the grody brats he wanted.  I was in bliss.

I tried southwest eggrolls at Bellacino’s and they were okay.  Kind of small and therefore skimpy on the fillings, and they are baked, not fried.  Better for the waistline but you can’t beat some deep-fried grub.

I made my own southwest eggrolls for a tailgate earlier in the season this year and will be making them again for the matchup with Pitt.  My filling rocks!  Based on user reviews on the recipe sites, I used wonton wrappers instead of flour tortillas for the exterior.  Next time, I am going to try flour tortillas because mine weren’t quite as good as Chili’s.  I’ll report on it and share the recipe later.

BW3 offers an item called Southwest Dippers.  The menu description is as follows:  Golden-crisp tortilla dippers filled with fajita-spiced chicken, Pepper Jack cheese, tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, corn and black beans.

That’s sounds a lot like the Chili’s version.  To heck with boneless wings.  For $4.99, I was hopeful that I would have some great, crispy southwest goodness.

My hopes were immediately dashed when I received the basket of half-moon shaped little nuggets.  It didn’t look like there was any type of tortilla involved in this dish.  I broke one in half to examine the cross-section.  Nope – looks like regular ol’ breading to me…no tortilla.  And they are so small, the breading to filling ratio would be all wrong. 

The filling was hot and cheesy.  In a typical “nugget” you might find one black bean and two kernels of corn.  I occasionally found a small bit of chicken, but since the nuggets were so tiny, you couldn’t fit a hunk of meat inside them anyway.

Even though the place hadn’t been open for long, our server was great.  She was friendly and joked around with us.  Good job, Emily.

I tasted the chips and salsa that came with Ron’s wrap even though he ordered a substitution.  Trust me, it was no bonus that we received them.  You could bend these chips in half backward and they are not breaking.  You could see the oil glazing each chip.  They reminded me of those awful chips we got at the Town Center Chili’s after seeing Sex & The City.   I agree with him about the buffalo chips – they weren’t crispy by any stretch of the imagination.  I thought they tasted good anyway, but if you describe them as crispy in the menu, then they ought to arrive at my table crispy.  We received two different orders at two different times - both were thick-cut and soft potato slices, barely golden brown.

This was a case of false advertising.  The item I received was nothing like the menu description.  Talk about a padded resume….  They need to just tell it like it is – people are coming there to drink and watch the game, not eat gourmet food.  There is no reason to fabricate the menu – it only builds expectations that will not be met.  TWO FORKS. 

Dan says…

The Creperi has been on our radar screen for quite a while.  The Five were eating subs when we saw two familiar faces looking at the vacant space in the building that houses Intajuice and Penn Station.  I was overjoyed because I love Greek food and this couple make the best Greek Salads and chicken and rice soup I have ever tasted.  Sadly I never got to enjoy soup and salad, because due to an archaic lease the Creperi is not allowed to duplicate what is served at Penn Station. 

I need to say why this is stupid and ignorant.  Do you know why all the good restaurants open around a Wal-Mart?  You open a business where there is foot traffic to support it and Wal-Mart brings traffic.  So if you bring more traffic to that block of Kanawha City then everyone will do well.  That stupid lease hobbles the Creperi and lets Penn Station do a half way job.  The landlord would benefit from having successful businesses in the building. Rant off.

I have visited the Creperi two times recently.  Once for lunch with the crew and once for dessert with the veggie wife and offspring.  During my lunch visit I ordered the smoked salmon and gouda on a buckwheat crepe. 

This creation starts by spreading a thin batter across a well seasoned, large circular griddle.  As your crepe cooks the ingredients to fill the crepe are gathered.  Smoked salmon, creamy gouda, mixed greens, roma tomatoes and homemade greek dressing are layered onto the crepe after in has been flipped.  It is folded once, twice and then a third time to form sort of a crepe envelope.  I enjoyed this made to order creation. 

Also on this visit we ordered up a dessert crepe.  This crepe had a traditional shell filled with brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, and sliced almonds.  We 86′d the raisins due the “quirky” (these quotes are not for emphasis.  This is a quote) requirements of another Forker.  I enjoyed this crepe too.  How can you go wrong with brown sugar and butter?

On my second visit we had dessert for dinner.  Tracey and the girls had Belgium chocolate and fruit filled crepes.  Fresh raspberries and bananas topped with powdered sugar was a hit.  I went with a breakfast crepe. The basic crepe batter is topped with cream cheese, fresh blueberries and grape or blueberry jelly.  Now I wanted it to taste like my mom’s born jewish and converted Roman Catholic best friend’s cheese blinz.  No where close.  There was too much cream cheese for my taste.  The blueberries were nice and plump, but when I figured out that it was filled with jelly I could finish it. I think I imagined it would be made from blueberry pie filling.  Is canned blueberry pie filling a quality ingredient? Ah..no.  Does it taste good? Oh yeah!

I like the food, the service and the atmosphere, but I wish it had an expanded menu. 

 The owner told me that he and his wife were close to closing a deal to open a lunch counter downtown that they would run in addition to the Creperi.  The “Cafe Sophia” would serve soups, salad, gyros and other Greek offerings. 

If you are looking for something different for lunch or a cool dessert, try the Three Fork Cafe Creperi.

Susan says… I was concerned that just a crepe for lunch wouldn’t fill me up.  Boy was I wrong.  These things are as big as the plate. I ordered the shrimp crepe for $6.50 which came wth feta cheese, Greek dressing, mixed greens, and onion.  It was interesting to watch the batter being poured onto the crepe plate and swirled around.  The crepes are thin and delicate.

At first, I was loving my dish.  There were a lot of shrimp, plenty of crumbled, sharp feta cheese, tomatoes, onion and a pile of greens.  (And we all know I don’t like it when folks skimp on the lettuce.)  BUT….as I ate my way through the crepe concoction, the lettuce became wilty from the heat of the crepe and the dressing soaked into the bottom half of the crepe making it somewhat soggy.  By the end of it all, I was cutting off pieces of non-soggy crepe to eat along with the shrimp and feta, and leaving the wilted greens alone.

In the future, I will ask for this crepe with the greens and dressing on the side.  That way I can enjoy all the flavors and textures in combination, but keep my crepe non-soggy and my lettuce crisp.  I’ll just add this to my list of food quirks and move on with my life.

Not able to resist the yummy dessert options, the table (minus Phil) decided to order the Crepe Buena, made with brown sugar, cinnamon, butter and toasted almonds, for $5.50.  As Daniel already mentioned, we passed on the raisins.  It was just as good as I thought it would be.  I would like to try one of the chocolate options with Nutella.

Here’s the perfect visit to Cafe Crepari:  bring a friend with similar taste in food, order one savory crepe to share for the entree and a dessert crepe to share afterward.  That way you don’t miss out on any of the good stuff they have to offer.

Unfortunately, there were some things that detracted from the dining experience.  Our food was served on flimsy paper plates.  The kind your mom would buy in a pack of 100 for $.99 and use at picnics with the rattan paper plate holders.  Only here, you don’t get a rattan holder.   Plastic utensils are a pet peeve of mine.  My first fork suffered a broken tine midway through the meal.  Fountain drinks are not an option, but the availability of Perrier made up for that.  French sparkling mineral water to go along with my crepe…

Don’t forget that you can visit the Creperi for breakfast – they are open 7 am – 8 pm on weekdays and 8 am – 8 pm on weekends.

I like the personal service by the Master Crepe Maker himself.  I like the menu options and wish they could offer even more (damn that lease) and the prices are reasonable.  Good tasting, unique food.  TWO FORKS.

Creperi Cafe

Ron says…

Wow, we here at Fork You are getting lazy. So lazy that today, I’m taking the initiative and “Going Rogue”. 

Posting some unapproved nonsense, and plagerizing from the New York Times.

But before I begin… rest assured Fork You has 25 draft posts in the hopper, and several ideas in our collective melons.

Back to my original post…

In the New York Times – (yeah being the world reader I am) I noticed an article on One Hundred Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do (Part 1).

Reading through this first list is like a cornucopia of dining experiences here in West Virginia – at least it is for my hilljack ass.

Take a look at some of these -  here’s four of the first five.

1. Do not let anyone enter the restaurant without a warm greeting.

-  Ron Says - Well you would think this is common sense, but how often does it really happen.  Yes I get tons of “Hi, how are you”, “So nice of you to join us”..  insert lame ass greeting here.   – the problem is I don’t think any place ever actually sells it to me.  What I mean is I don’t believe it.  What I’m actually hearing is “Dammit, another costumer, I’ll never get out of here tonight”. 

- Susan says - One place that really did sell it was Hall’s Chop House in Charleston SC.

3. Never refuse to seat three guests because a fourth has not yet arrived.

- Ron Says -GOD I hate standing in line at Applebees (or other establishment), and there’s seventeen empty tables just across the room.   I often make the comment that “we’ll take that empty table right there” only to be told, “we’re not serving in that section” or some other stupid excuse.  I would much rather wait sitting down than standing up.

-Susan says – I hate what Ron hates in his above comment, too.  But I don’t think that’s the focus of item #3.  In some high-end restaurants, the party won’t be seated until all the members of the party are present and accounted for.  Since we don’t eat in a lot of high-end restaurants and most of the time it is just the two of us, that’s not really an issue.

What Ron mentioned IS an issue, though.  It is tough to be standing there waiting for a table and look around and see a dozen empties.   

 4. If a table is not ready within a reasonable length of time, offer a free drink and/or amuse-bouche. The guests may be tired and hungry and thirsty, and they did everything right.

- Ron Says -”reasonable length of time”…. ok I know that West Virginia is the dining capitol of the world… just try getting into a Logan’s Roadhouse any evening between 5 & 6.  But what is a reasonable length of time?  I don’t know.. but I would settle for at least an estimate of how long I am going to have to wait.

-Susan says – That would be super duper, but again, I believe we are talking about pricier restaurants.  Hell, does the staff at Logan’s even know what an amuse-bouche is???

5. Tables should be level without anyone asking. Fix it before guests are seated.

- Ron Says -I say this everywhere I go.  HOW FREAKING HARD CAN THIS BE!!!!  you would think that this is one of the easiest things to fix…  yet it just goes back to apathy.

-Susan says – Ditto.

Here’s another favorite -

14. When you ask, “How’s everything?” or “How was the meal?” listen to the answer and fix whatever is not right.

- Ron Says -not only fix it, but at least wait till I have a chance to taste it.  How many times am I asked how is everything almost immediately after it being placed on my uneven table?   Or better yet, I like it when they bring it out and they know it’s bad, the sever may point out that it’s incorrect – WHY BRING IT OUT IN THE FIRST PLACE?!  but this goes right along with #21….

-Susan says – A lot of times the question is asked but no one cares what the answer is.  If you say they forgot to bring something out, you never got a drink refill, the vegetable was served cold, etc. what happens next?  Most of the time, I get that question at the end of the meal experience when it’s too late.  Another thing that irritates us is when something is wrong, wrong enough for us to speak up, and then they “fix” it by giving us a free dessert that we don’t want.  Take the cost of the messed up food off our bill – we don’t want to pay for something you screwed up.

21. Never serve anything that looks creepy or runny or wrong.

‘Nuf said.

This next one is good…

31. Never remove a plate full of food without asking what went wrong. Obviously, something went wrong.

-  Ron Says -DUH…. but if they asked what is wrong, then they “may” be compelled to do something about it.   We wouldn’t want that.

36. Never reek from perfume or cigarettes. People want to smell the food and beverage.

- Ron Says -My guess this even applies to the Blackhawk Saloon.   Just don’t do it.  If you have to go out and take a smoke break, clean up before you come back.

48. Do not ask what someone is eating or drinking when they ask for more; remember or consult the order.

 - Ron Says - lol, this always makes me laugh.  

-Susan says – This one doesn’t really bother me, but I guess it might if I was spending a boatload on the meal.

Well there are several other good ones in there, and I guess next week sometime they’re publishing 51-100.  Check back.

Also comment on the places where all these apply.  Should be great.

What and how you hand out treats to the ghouls and goblins on Trick or Treat night says a lot about a person.  Here’s what the Fork You crew will be doing tonight:

Misty:

Misty is giving out a veritable smorgasborg of Halloween treats: Blow Pops, Pixie Stix, M&Ms, Twix, Snickers (all snack size), Dum Dums, Skittles, Smarties and Starburst.  Oh, and some leftover Easter M&Ms in pastel colors.  No one will know, right?

She considered leaving distribution duties to her husband who employs the “more is better” philosophy, giving out a handful of candies to each child.  After said consideration, Misty will give each child 1-3 pieces, depending on the quality of the candy and adjusts the composition according to each child’s age.  Have we mentioned that Misty is a little bit particular?  No wonder her husband just gives out handfuls.

If a child rings Misty’s doorbell without a costume…well, that’s what the Easter M&Ms are for.

Susan:

Susan has been trying to buy candy faster than Ron can consume it.  Having amassed an adequate inventory of bubble gum, Skittles, Pixie Stix, gummy spiders and snack bags of pretzels, she is now hoping Ron actually HANDS OUT the goods tonight before he eats the rest of it.

It’s hard to tell what kind of torture Ron will put non-costumed kids through. 

If it were up to her, each kiddie would receive only one item each – after all, there are over 150 homes in her subdivision and what kid needs THAT much candy? 

And I think we all know who the cheapskate is now due to the lack of chocolate in Susan’s candy bowl.

Daniel:

Daniel will be distributing a variety of chocolate snack-size candies including Snickers, Twix and M&Ms.  He hands out one item per child but if you are in Daniel’s neighborhood tonight, keep in mind Bonus Hours are from 7:30 -8:00 when he will be doubling the serving size of the treats. 

He has a stash of leftover candy from previous holidays, as far back as Valentine’s Day, that will be given to those not wearing costumes. 

Daniel has observed that there is an inverse relationship between the slope of your street and the amount of candy you need to buy.

Phillip:

Due to the relatively light child traffic in the neighborhood and the propensity for us to over-purchase, you will likely get a handful of candy at our home.  I believe that the purchased items included Laffy Taffy, Nerds, Snickers, Baby Ruths, Nestle Crunches, Butterfingers, and Starburst, amongst other things.  Basically, we purchase the candies that we like to eat ourselves (again maybe why we overpurchase in the first place.)

Although we may have old candy around the house, only fresh is handed out.  And, if you get an invitation to the costume party this Saturday, the food only gets better!

What About You?

Tell us what you’ll be giving out to the kiddies tonight in a comment below.  We’ll select one commenter at random to receive a free bottle of Country Bob’s All-Purpose Sauce.

Happy Halloween!

Daniel says…

Bella Via is located between Wheeling and Triadelphia off of I-70 at exit 5. (as of 10/15/2009 don’t try to get to Bella Via from I-70 due to exit construction.  Use National Road – 40E)  This two story restaurant is right on the corner and is hard to miss.  Hungry for pasta we jumped out of the car and I quickly took a picture of the building in the parking lot.  At the hostess stand we were ‘greeted’ by the owner (in cook’s apron) and asked if we were taking pictures of his restaurant.  I said, “Yes” and he replied that he was going to have to charge me.  I asked, “How much?” and after a brief back and forth he told his hostess to hurry up and seat us before we leave.  If he only new the around about way we had to drive to get there he would have known we weren’t leaving.

As soon as I was seated I knew I had eaten here seven years earlier. I recognized the dining room dimly lit by yellow and red glass lamps. What I really remember from that visit was the food envy I had.  The Ohio County local who brought me here in 2002 had ordered the home-style pasta with meat sauce, and I was pretty sure that’s what I was going order.  After briefly reviewing the menu and ordering a bottle of the house Chianti I stayed with my original choice, home-style pasta with meatballs.

My particular pasta dish didn’t come with a side salad so after quizzing the server about the dressings for a minute or two I ordered one.  None of the dressings are homemade - not even the Italian!  The salads and fried ravioli appetizer arrived quickly.  The fried ravioli were a perfect golden brown and the cheese filling was surprisingly spicy. The salads were a mix of iceberg and baby greens with cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, white onion and a pile of canned black olives. I sound negative, but I devoured it with a piece of Italian bread.

After a seven year wait I got my long awaited pasta dish.  The homemade noodles are about one and half inches long and wider than linguine but thinner than fettuccine.  They are tender and support the red sauce beautifully.  The meatballs were just OK, but with Italian food, tastes are very subjective. Again I didn’t leave anything on my plate.

Kate provided great service and was very attentive.  The photo police checked in on us, too.  Bella Via is relaxing and the food is very affordable with my total coming to $16.50 before tip not including wine.  I’m going to round up. FOUR FORKS.

Misty Susan says…

Well, Misty has been a little busy lately taking care of sick children with the, ahem, you know…that flu.  So I’ll write a few words about her entree.

I can attest to the fact that Misty greatly enjoyed her shrimp stuffed ravioli because she cleaned her plate and hardly spoke during the process.  She was kind enough to share a bite with each of us.

The ravioli had a dinstinctive and wonderful seafood flavor.  The red meat sauce tasted great in combination, but you could choose marinara if you prefer.  For around $12, it was a unique and delicious entree worth every penny.

Susan says…

I am always agreeable to dining at an Italian restaurant, so this was an easy sell for Daniel.  We tried to go to Bella Via the previous night – luckily I called to check their hours since we didn’t meet up until 9 – and found out they close at a very early 8:00 on weeknights.

Situated on a corner lot, the exterior of the building is nondescript and plenty of parking is available.  Inside you notice the vintage light fixtures and the homey atmosphere.  A large party was seated nearby our table and they were talking and laughing loudly enough that we knew this was not a stuffy, library of a restaurant.

Daniel ordered the fried ravioli as an appetizer and we asked our server A LOT of questions.  There were so many things on the menu that sounded good to me, even though it was mostly red sauce, I had a very difficult time making a decision.  The shrimp stuffed ravioli caught my eye, but Misty had already claimed it and we try not to duplicate items during a forking.  Ultimately I made a last-minute decision to order the chicken ravioli and spaghetti combo.  I also decided to order garlic toast for a small price.

The fried ravioli were golden brown and crispy.  They were served with a side of marinara sauce for dipping.  There was some heat to these babies which we guessed came from the marinara.  Upon further investigation, however, we determined that there were some hot peppers included in the cheese filling.  On a scale from one to ten, with ten being the spiciest, I would rank these raviolis at a 2.5.  On the Misty Scale of Spice though, they were likely a 9.  Needless to say, Misty only ate one of them.

I was impressed with the size and composition of the salad.  It had a nice mix of crispy, cold, iceberg lettuce and mesculan greens.  The large pile of lettuces was topped with black olives, slices of onion, cherry tomatoes, cucumber slices and croutons.  I was disappointed that the dressings weren’t homemade, but the homemade pasta more than made up for that when I received my entree.

A plain oval plate held two very large homemade raviolis and a pile of spaghetti covered in meat sauce.  Each ravioli was about the size of a playing card.  You could see that the edges were hand-pinched.  The chicken filling was tender and flavorful with what we guessed was Italian flat-leaf parsley to cause the green color.  The pasta had a nice firmness.  I must have annoyed the others emitting a “Mmmmm” with each and every bite, but it was too good to be quiet.

The spaghetti and meat sauce was great, too.  Albeit the spaghetti noodles were dried pasta, the meat sauce was thick with a fresh tomato flavor with a lovely sweetness.  The price was great and the portion so large, I could not finish it.  It made me very sad to leave anything on my plate since it was so, so good – but I couldn’t stuff in another bite.  Believe me, I tried.

The garlic toast was not very toasty – It was warm, garlicky and topped with mozzerella cheese, but I would have preferred the bread be much crisper and darker brown.  I only ate one of  the two slices I was served because I didn’t want to waste any stomach space on bread when that pasta and sauce was so outstanding.

Kate provided great service throughout our stay.  The casual atmosphere is fitting for a date, a group of friends, or an outing with children.  You can enjoy an appetizer, entree, dessert and wine without breaking the bank.

Bella Via is a must-visit if you are in the Wheeling area and a place I enjoyed enough to make a special effort to return to.  FOUR FORKS from this happy, and overstuffed diner.

Ron Says…

OK, because “the Five” are too busy eating at the same joints they always eat at every week and are too lazy to provide any content.

I’ll have to pick up the slack – albeit just a little because I’m lazy like that.

You may have noticed this article in the Daily Mail today (10.6.09):

Bar, grill opens in downtown Charleston

Let me first say that I have not been there, and I am looking forward to trying it.  I always love it when a new bar opens up.  But after reading the aforementioned article….  I have to wonder about the logic some of our great entrepreneurs….(or at least what they say to the press)

Take this statement (again only from the article and we all know how reporters can be)

“Capitol Street Grill is open noon to 3:00 am Monday through Friday, and 8:00 pm to 3:00 Saturday.”  – Reasonable hours I admit, but wait…

“You can come in with friends, have a conversation and watch a football game without being overwhelmed by noise,” Crowder said. – Ok, I’m a football fan.  One thing I know is that in order to watch a football game, a football game must first be on the television.  When are most football games on?  Saturday day – College – yes there is usually a primetime game on after 8pm that is true.  But most are on Saturday beginning at noon and running into the evening.   The other big Football day is SUNDAY – Capitol Street Grill isn’t even open Sunday.   Yes, I realize there’s Monday Night Football, and a College game typically on Thursdays, but to me if you’re really going for a laid-back crowd that likes to watch games and stuff it seems you’re missing the prime viewing time. 

“The 10 Capitol St. location was opened by friends Scott Carpenter and James Crowder, who turned their prior experience in the restaurant industry into a new lunchtime and nighttime destination for locals.” – glad they mentioned the location, and I am thankful these two entrepreneurs are taking a stab at this and putting themselves on the line for my stupid irrelevant comments…my problem was that I had to go to page two of the article to really see what the detailed qualifications were of these two guys.  One managed the Outback and has opened a few of the stores across the country.   That sounds good to me, I like the Outback.  The other was / is a bartender.

Thankfully the article does mention a specific that’s a favorite of mine:

Happy hour specials run from 5 to 7 p.m. and include $2 domestic bottles and $4 Jagermeister  bombs.  - that’s right Happy Hour from five to seven.  That means I have to wait around downtown for an extra hour after getting off of work to enjoy my budget friendly $2 Bud Light Longneck – YES I’M BEING SARCASTIC – doesn’t sound like much of a bargain to me…… Go down the street to Sam’s as the last time I was there they had $5 Pitchers.   Shit you may as well just put a sign on the door that says “Happy Hour – buy as many as you want”.  

Seriously this little joint in Teays Valley called the Creekside – has $1.25  for 16oz or 20 oz drafts (sorry I forget how big they were as I drank too many of them but you get the point)  Is this a good time to mention that the Outbacks Happy Hour is from 4PM – 7PM and offers Two for the price of one drafts and I think well drinks?  Mathmatically it’s a better deal than a $2 Bud Light (trust me I’ve done the math).  I’m starting to wonder about that resume.

The restaurant serves wings, soups, sandwiches, burgers, pizzas and salads. They plan to make local deliveries in downtown Charleston by next week - Ok so there’s what’s being served up on the Grill… Personally I like all of those items.  The article goes into some more detail about Scott’s special Pulled Pork Sandwich, and a Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich… They say it’s the true way to make one.  I don’t know, but I had a good sandwich last time I was in Reading PA.  Nevertheless, I’ll have to try it out, and next time I have a friend from Philly in, we’ll have to do some investigation.   Unfortunately the Daily Mail left off the one newsworthy and informative nugget – and that’s the menu or any suggested link to the prices of these great items.  You’ll have to ask the Daily Mail why they left that out.

My tone may be cynical, as I was really tore up about the football comment and the hours of operation as I thought those statements were hypocrytical.  It doesn’t sound like it’s a sportsbar, as it mentions that there are only two TV’s.   So don’t go there expecting Murad’s.  

But in all honesty, I look forward to checking the place out, and you should too.  If you’ve been there how was it?

Let the comments begin…

09.11.09

Ron Says…

Chili Willi’s - is one of those places that I truly associate with West Virginia’s second largest city and probably first that will be placed in recievership, also home of the Greater Huntington Area Community College. 

( YES – I’m like Butter!!!  ….  on a Roll )

Chili Willi’s to me is a neat little place that used to reside in the true downtown section near 9th and 8th streets.  But since has moved to a less cramped place down the road near 14th street.  But still serving up the same Tex Mex fare.

What the hell is Tex Mex?   Mexican American?  What?  Neverthess they do have some decent dishes and even if you get a hamburger it’s going to have a south of the border twist to it.  Note the hamburger reference    I’ve always liked Chili Willi’s, but I never really went there a lot, in the old place it was always packed and cramped, and well I’m a a messy drunk and tend to spill a lot.   So if it was crowded I went someplace else. 

But now that it’s down the road in a larger building, I can spread my elbows and enjoy my Dose Ekee brewski.  

Well this Friday eve Susan and I find ourselves in Huntington, having to make some last minute errand running prior to heading to Morgantown and the TRUE University in this great state, to watch the Mountaineers beat up on their first Conference USA foe of the season.  Can’t wait till the second one… HAH – but this is a food blog and not a College Football Blog.

So we decided to eat here, plus it will give us some content.  Plus maybe give us some exposure in the greater Barboursville area.   ( come on would anyone be surprised if Barboursville was to annex Huntington in the future – asuming of course they would want it? )

Well first I order a beer, a “Dose Ekees” draft for $3.50.   But it was a decent size draft,  I forget the size but I wasn’t truly offended, and it was Friday, and this is Huntington home of the Original User Fee ( yes people it was Huntington that came up with this rape of your income ) 

Susan orders some chips and salsas.  The chips are homemade, I don’t know about the Salsas but I assume they are too.  Both are pretty good (the two Salsas that is), the chips are excellent - ours came out warm even, and of course very crispy.

Well having enough of the Dose Ekees, I move on to Bud Light for $2.75 bottle – yes we’re approaching rape zone here, but in my old age I’ve mellowed somewhat.  Perusing the menu I decide on the Burger.  After all, I had been wanting to go to one of those non-dining destination big mouth burger joints all week, and have never made it.

That decided, I begin to enjoy my upper income level priced beer, and listen to Susan describe what she’s going to have.  She can tell you later.

Our server comes by to ask what we would like (BTW, the server was usually pretty quick and friendly so no complaints there) I say the Burger, and she says ….

wait for it….

“We are no longer carrying that.  Took it off the menu about a week ago.”

Think about that for a bit…

Focus on the portion about “the menu”.  You see maybe it’s just me being a dork Engineer and looking at things in a more thought out manner, but wouldn’t “taking it off the menu” imply actually “taking it off the menu” ?  On my menu it was clearly still on there, same with Susan’s.  (Editor’s Note:  the burger still appears on the on-line menu, too.)

When one decides to take something off the menu why is the menu the last thing that gets changed?   Seems this happens a lot.   Keep in mind I understand about running out of a supply of something that can’t be helped.  I understand those unforeseen issues.  No, I’m talking about when someone is having an “it’s not broke, so let’s fix it” moment and consciously decides to take something off the menu for whatever reason on a certain premeditated date.   Would it make too much sense to first fix the menu?

I think it does.

But wait,  let’s say you did fix the menu and the new menus have not arrived in time.  Well hmmmm, my secretary makes these things called “LABELS”, and prints them out for me.  It’s truly amazing as they’re like little stickers too, you can stick them on things that you intend to draw attention to.

For example, one could have been printed and pasted on the menu and said something like:

“Sorry valued customer, due to customer surveys and input, Chili Willi’s has decided to no longer serve the old favorite HAMBURGER, as it was felt it had too much Tex, and not enough Mex for your fine dining establishment, so as of 09/05/09 we will no longer be serving this beast of a burger for  this valued price, instead for a more meatier product we suggest you try our overly cheezy steak quesadilla, and yes if you don’t like cheese and even if you say you don’t want much cheese, we’ll gladly throw a little bit more on it for you“

Ok, I went a little long with my suggested note, consider it foreshadowing of what’s to come.  But you get the idea.

So once informed our server suggested I try the quesadilla for $10, and I do.

It is big, the steak was tender, but it was too cheesy for me, and I did mention I didn’t want much cheese.   I’ll take the blame for the quesadilla fail, but for the menu fail I’m blaming that on Huntington and the local mentality.

I didn’t like my quesadilla.  Period.  Most of the time the food I get at Chili Willi’s is pretty good.  I was just flustered and rushed into making this decision based on outdated information, and ordered an item that in hindsight knew I would not like.  My fault.   

THREE FORKS - Service was good, food was, well there was a lot of it.   The chips were good.  I would eat here again, I’m just usually the one that doesn’t suggest eating here.  It’s a cool place, could use some better beer prices, maybe they have a Happy Hour, maybe not.  Go try it out and comment below on what you think… (btw, try to come up with something more original than the “Heather Bresch” and “bought my degree” jokes that have been run in the ground over the last year )

Susan says…

First of all, I couldn’t believe Ron was even suggesting this place.  I want to go to East Tenampa in Milton all the time and he vetoes me because in his messed-up mind, he thinks we eat Mexican too often.  I have tried explaining, on numerous occasions, that “Mexican twice a week” does not equal ”too often”.   I figured he was ok with Chili Willi’s because it wasn’t “real” Mexican, it was Tex Mex.  (I know there will be comments about how our local Mexican joints don’t serve true Mexican food…that’s why I used quotation marks around the word “real”.)

I had been to this establishment only once before and it did not leave a memorable impression on me or my tummy.  I remembered thinking we had paid too much for what we got.  But all that aside, I’d much rather have Mexican or Asian food than a burger joint, so I accepted his suggestion quickly.

The chips were crispy, hot and lightly salted.  The spicier of the two salsas was tasty, but the mild one was too sweet for my liking. 

I chose the chicken enchiladas and asked to substitute tomatillo sauce for whatever sauce was listed in the menu and they accommodated my request for no additional charge. 

When I received the steaming hot enchiladas, I instantly noticed the dark blue corn tortillas and thought they added a cool novelty touch to the dish.  The two blue tortillas were filled with shredded white-meat chicken.  Melted cheese and tomatillo sauce surrounded the rolled bundles.  Taste was good, and they had a decent heat level but the price was steep at $9.95 – with no accompaniment.  That’s right – no rice, no beans, no nothin’.  Unless you count the green onion garnish.  I don’t.   This might be why I only remembered we paid too much last time…

Take a look at that photo.  These weren’t giant-sized enchiladas.  Does that look like a $10 plate of food to you?  I just don’t believe that the blue color doubles the price.   How much can rice and beans cost that you can’t slap some on the plate?  A handful of cold, crisp lettuce would have been nice, too.

The service, as Ron mentioned, was friendly and prompt.  She even joked around with us as Ron was giving her hard time about the menu blunder with the non-existent burger.

The bottom line for me is that I really didn’t note anything special about Chili Willi’s that was worth the additional cost and I wouldn’t drive past East Tenampa for food only half as good.   Even though Dan doesn’t like it when I compare places like that, I can’t help but do it.  I usually have an appetite for a certain TYPE of food, not a particular restaurant, and then I pick the best place for that type of food within a reasonable distance.  If I want a turkey sandwich, I go to Deli Fresh.  If I want chicken with garlic sauce, I go to Taste of Asia.  If I want an enchilada with tomatillo sauce, I won’t go to Chili Willi’s.  TWO FORKS.

Check out what the folks at WV Gourmet thought about Chili Willi’s for a second opinion by reading their review here.

Susan says:
I am curious do you tip at buffets?

Ron's burger, cooked just the way he likes it, $8.95

Susan says… Ron Says…

(Part of my reports from the Charleston SC / Folly Beach area)

Aptly named, this joint is a bar located near the surf just off Center Street in Folly Beach.  The menu offers about a half dozen items so don’t expect great variety.  The family unit wanted burgers.  We heard this was the place in Folly to obtain such a meal and it was within walking distance to our condo.  I gave into the suggestion, thinking this would be a budget-conscious meal, thus freeing up some dollars for our splurge later in the week at Hall’s Chophouse.  …. Ok first “we heard” is not really true, because I do not do research on places prior to when I go on vacation.  That is Susan’s job, well actually it’s not even her job, it’s her HOBBY, no not hobby, but more like her disorder as in OCD.  This is what she found.  Personally I think she did pretty good as I liked it.  Although, “budget conscious” wasn’t really in my mind I just figured I’m on vacation and I’m going to get jacked up wherever I go, why should the surf bar be any different.

We sat on the large patio at a comfortable table.  Lucky for me, a group of attractive firemen were dining near us.  This gave me an opportunity to school my daughters in the importance of public safety. ….  I have to mention this joke here because not two miles from here (ok I’m going off my one month memory so it could have been more than two miles), there was a small subdivision of condos and stuff and two of them had noticable fire damage.  Seeing that the Surf Bar is located pretty much right across the street from the fire station, and the fact that several firemen were indeed sitting in the Surf Bar having lunch or break… makes me go hmmmmmm????  Did I mention they were attractive firemen?

Everyone ordered a burger except me.  I decided on the grilled chicken sandwich for $7.95.  We were all looking forward to the homemade fries and Ron splurged on homemade onion rings as an appetizer for $4.95.  Of course my picky kids aren’t going to eat onions….eeeeeewwwww.  So that just meant more for the grown-ups.  Their loss. … yes the burgers were steep, as in $8.95 steep, but judging by one on the table it looked pretty good.   The onion rings I think were an impulse decision.   My fault.  Impulse decisions are one of Ron’s specialties.

The onion rings were indeed homemade but I wasn’t crazy about the breading.  It had an okay flavor, but it was sparse and didn’t stick well to the onions.  The onions were too thickly sliced for the amount of breading.  In other, geekier words, the onion to breading ratio was all wrong.  I ate a couple of the thinnest ones and moved on. … Personally I liked the Onion Rings, but I should say, that onion rings are not one of my favorite items to order.  So I may not know what the hell I’m talking about.   I just wanted something different that’s why I ordered them.  They were OK to me.   I do think the ones we get at Sam’s Club and deep fry ourselves are better tasting.  I wished Susan had liked hers more, because I really didn’t want this many onion rings.   I do think it was a good value, as lord knows I have paid a lot more for a lot less.

My grilled chicken definitely had a grilled flavor.  It was a hearty piece of white meat chicken placed on an ample bun.  Portion size, flavor and value for the chicken sandwich were adequate.  Much to my dismay, however, the fries were not nearly as homemade as the rings.  Obviously frozen fries were on the plate instead of the fresh-cut taters the menu had promised. …..  My burger was damned good.  I highly recommend one of these burgers.  I now know why all the firemen are hanging out at the bar waiting for the town to burn down.   Good food.   Great Portion.   Susan is correct, the menu did say Fresh Cut.   We even quizzed the waitress about this glaring oversight, and she admitted to it. What’s one to do?  Suck It Up… write about it later.  The fries however were cooked pretty good.   I thought my meal was good, as in not as good as some but way better than most.

There is no kids’ menu so I paid the same amount for each of my children as we did for Ron.  Consequently, this was not an inexpensive meal as I had hoped it would be.  Yeah, yeah, I know – it’s called the Surf BAR, not the Surf DINER so why should they have a kids’ menu?  If they would just offer a smaller portioned burger at a reduced price, that would not only satisfy kids but also women watching their waistlines.  And it would not require them to have any additional inventory on hand.  They could also offer a grilled cheese sammie made from American cheese and hamburger buns already on hand. …  This is a big let down here, yes it is a “BAR”, but this is also a vacation friendly town, and there were other families with rugrats, so I’m sure it’s no surprise to the owners that children come here.  Plus there’s no “over twenty-one sign” on the door.    I mean how hard is it to prepare a smaller economical portion for the little ones?  I’ll let you restaurant know-it-alls clue me in on why that outlandish request is just too much to ask for.  Now could we have ordered one burger and split it between the two children?  Why yes this is physically possible.   However it is an unrealistic possibility as then we would have to argue over what toppings to get on the damned thing.  Susan and I just figure it’s easier to just pay and avoid the needless discussion.

The service was attentive enough given the small number of staff.  When we mentioned our disappointment over the fries and suggested they correct the menu, our server took a few bucks off our bill.  That was a very nice, unexpected gesture. …  this was nice

I couldn’t help but think about the delightful tacos that were just a short walk away while nibbling on that chicken sandwich.  I would have rather been at Taco Boy.  …  I can’t help but get sick everytime I hear about those so called delicious tacos just a few spots from where we ate this meal.    Oh Puh-lease!  Taco Boy rocked.  I did talk about it a lot, though. 

TWO FORKS for Surf bar.  I just don’t see this as a dining destination for anyone that’s looking for something other than a big mouth burger. …. THREE FORKS for the Surf Bar.  Personally, a “Big Mouth Burger” is a dining destination for me.   I like it when I have to hold it in one hand as that fluid combination of chemically injected beef juice, grease, mayonnaise, mustard, and tomato juices begin to run down my hand and then my arm as I’m trying to contain all this flavor over my plate and keep from dripping down the sides of my chin.  YES picture that, it’s a true dining destination.. that will not happen at Taco Boy!  Your taco will simply slide out the back.    At the end of the day though, the Surf Bar has a lot of potential, but it’s missing something for me to give it that fourth fork.   Good Service and decent food.  If you want a good burger, try it out as I would go back but I wouldn’t lose sleep if we don’t stop in the next time we’re in Folly.

photo from kaminskys.com

Susan says…

Part of my reports from the Charleston, SC / Folly Beach area

This has to be the best bar idea ever.  Located adjacent to T Bonz restaurant on Market Street in historic Charleston SC, Kaminsky’s satisfies both your thirst and your sweet tooth.

The interior ambiance is romantic and intimate.  A large bar stretches across one side of the space.  Brick walls, dark woods and low-lighting complete the stage.  It’s a small space, holding about a dozen tables.  We were seated immediately when we arrived but as we lingered, the place became packed with tourists and locals.

Not only does Kaminsky’s offer a variety of beer, wine and liquor, but they also shake and serve specialty martinis and alcoholic milkshakes!  A selection of homemade desserts, varying daily, is the first thing you’ll see in the glass case to your right as you walk through the door. 

Service was impeccable: prompt, professional and friendly with a side of humor. 

Ron went with the liquid menu, a Highland Gaelic Ale for $4.75, but the girls and I were geared up for some chocolate!  Hope chose the brownie ice cream sundae for $4.75 – a traditional dish of a warm brownie (with or without nuts) topped with vanilla ice cream, chocolate fudge and whipped cream.  Hannah went with the Bailey’s Irish Cream Cheesecake, also priced at $4.75.  I decided to steal from my children.

The brownie was rich and decadent… moist and fudgy.  The contrast of the warm brownie with the cold ice cream makes a winning combination.  I couldn’t really get my spoon in there, though – Hope was defending her turf well.  Moving on to Hannah’s plate, she willingly gave me a bite of her cheesecake.  One. Little. Bite.  The bite I got was creamy and dense with the flavor of Bailey’s running through it. 

Realizing that my plan had been foiled, our server, Damon, asked me if I liked peanut butter.  Of course!  He returned with a glass a little bit bigger than a shot glass, but same style, filled with layers of chocolate cake and a peanut butter whip.  I don’t know how much that cost, because it was on the house.  And it was absolutely delicious.  It reminded me of my favorite candy bar – the Resee Cup.  Two great tastes that taste great together.

The drink prices were what I expected but the desserts were a bargain.  With the great service and atmosphere, we stayed longer than we intended so I also sampled one of the specialty martinis for $7.50.

This was one of our favorite dining experiences of the trip.  Kaminsky’s is now on our must-visit list any time we come to Charleston, SC.  FOUR FORKS.