From haute cuisine to hot dogs, 'Unique Places' list showcases state's diverse dining
From Dirty Ernie's Rib Pit in Fayetteville to Mario's Fishbowl in Morgantown, the people have spoken -- probably with their mouths full -- and helped identify West Virginia's 101 out-of-the-ordinary places to dine.
SUTTON, W.Va. -- From Dirty Ernie's Rib Pit in Fayetteville to Mario's Fishbowl in Morgantown, the people have spoken -- probably with their mouths full -- and helped identify West Virginia's 101 out-of-the-ordinary places to dine.
The state Division of Tourism and the Collaborative for 21st Century Appalachia, a nonprofit community development organization promoting agri-tourism and the use of use of local ingredients, have teamed up to showcase unique dining possibilities in locally owned restaurants across the state.
They produced a "101 Unique Places to Dine in West Virginia" brochure, which was unveiled Tuesday during a gourmet picnic lunch on the lawn of Sutton's Café Cimino, one of the restaurants that made the list.
Chefs and staff from eight other listed restaurants served entrees, salads, appetizers and desserts at the event.
The new brochure is being distributed to welcome centers and convention and visitor bureaus across the state, and is available online at www.wvtourism.com.
Nominations from more than 400 diners were taken into account in preparing the list. To be eligible for inclusion, restaurants had to have a storefront, be open to the public on scheduled hours, and owned by West Virginians and not part of a national chain. Restaurants that serve popular specialty dishes or operate in a historic building had an additional edge.
"We feel lots of people will be glad to know about restaurants around the state, and a one-stop list of the can't-miss places is going to be helpful to travelers and residents alike," said Allen Arnold, director of the Collaborative for 21st Century Appalachia.
"This helps people know that every section of the state has a fine restaurant or a funky, eclectic-type restaurant where you can have a good time along with good food," said Betty Carver, state tourism commissioner.
"We use locally grown produce as often as we can -- and this time of year, it's almost all the time," said Marion Ohlinger, executive chef at Morgantown's Solera Café, one of the eight listed restaurants taking part in Tuesday's event. "We design our specials around whatever Round Right Farm (near Terra Alta) has coming up."
The all-local theme was carried through in a Caesar salad served up by Ohlinger, who pointed out that the salad was first served in a restaurant in Ensenada, Mexico, in keeping with his café's south-of-the-border theme. Even strips of prickly pear cactus included in the salad's lineup of greens were grown in Preston County.
SUTTON, W.Va. -- From Dirty Ernie's Rib Pit in Fayetteville to Mario's Fishbowl in Morgantown, the people have spoken -- probably with their mouths full -- and helped identify West Virginia's 101 out-of-the-ordinary places to dine.
The state Division of Tourism and the Collaborative for 21st Century Appalachia, a nonprofit community development organization promoting agri-tourism and the use of use of local ingredients, have teamed up to showcase unique dining possibilities in locally owned restaurants across the state.
They produced a "101 Unique Places to Dine in West Virginia" brochure, which was unveiled Tuesday during a gourmet picnic lunch on the lawn of Sutton's Café Cimino, one of the restaurants that made the list.
Chefs and staff from eight other listed restaurants served entrees, salads, appetizers and desserts at the event.
The new brochure is being distributed to welcome centers and convention and visitor bureaus across the state, and is available online at www.wvtourism.com.
Nominations from more than 400 diners were taken into account in preparing the list. To be eligible for inclusion, restaurants had to have a storefront, be open to the public on scheduled hours, and owned by West Virginians and not part of a national chain. Restaurants that serve popular specialty dishes or operate in a historic building had an additional edge.
"We feel lots of people will be glad to know about restaurants around the state, and a one-stop list of the can't-miss places is going to be helpful to travelers and residents alike," said Allen Arnold, director of the Collaborative for 21st Century Appalachia.
"This helps people know that every section of the state has a fine restaurant or a funky, eclectic-type restaurant where you can have a good time along with good food," said Betty Carver, state tourism commissioner.
"We use locally grown produce as often as we can -- and this time of year, it's almost all the time," said Marion Ohlinger, executive chef at Morgantown's Solera Café, one of the eight listed restaurants taking part in Tuesday's event. "We design our specials around whatever Round Right Farm (near Terra Alta) has coming up."
The all-local theme was carried through in a Caesar salad served up by Ohlinger, who pointed out that the salad was first served in a restaurant in Ensenada, Mexico, in keeping with his café's south-of-the-border theme. Even strips of prickly pear cactus included in the salad's lineup of greens were grown in Preston County.
Solera Café features Nuevo Latino cuisine, mainly from South America, with menu themes that reflect the fare of different countries or regions. "We've covered Peru, Argentina, Brazil and the Spanish Caribbean," said Ohlinger. "When we first opened, people thought we were some type of fancy Mexican restaurant, but we're really much more than that."
Among picnic offerings from Jefferson County's Hillbrook Inn were dates stuffed with Danish blue cheese, slivers of roast duck breast, meringue cups, and brie and grape canapés. The inn lies between Charles Town and Summit Point on land once owned by George Washington, in a 1920-vintage building that incorporates a log cabin from the mid-1700s.
History was also important to another exhibitor, C.J. Maggie's of Buckhannon and Elkins, with another restaurant scheduled to open soon in Fairmont. "We use 100-year-old buildings, all in the downtown area," said founder C.J. Ryland. "We try to save the historic character of the property, and lead the charge for local downtown development."
C.J. Maggie's restaurants feature homemade pasta sauces and salad dressings. "We offer casual dining from an eclectic menu," said Ryland.
At a table nearby, Debbie Schoolcraft, who runs the restaurant concession at Holly River State Park, doled out heaping helpings of blackberry cobbler.
"We sell more cobbler than any other dish on the menu," she said. The cobbler and other down-home food fare items like plate-sized sandwiches constructed of home-baked bread, meatloaf and lasagna, lure the hungry from miles around to the 72-year-old log restaurant building with wormy chestnut paneling and a native stone fireplace. Meals are served on the original state park dinnerware, dating back to 1937.
Other restaurants taking part in Tuesday's picnic promotion were Charleston's Blue Grass Kitchen, the Sedona Cantina in Fayetteville, and Ember restaurant at Snowshoe.
Kanawha Valley restaurants making the Unique Places to Dine list include Blue Grass Kitchen, Fazio's and Delish Express in Charleston; Fatbob's Roadhouse Diner and Blues Barbecue in South Charleston; Diehl's Restaurant in Nitro; Mayberry's Restaurant in St. Albans and Top Spot Country Cookin' in Sissonville.
Reach Rick Steelhammer at rsteelham...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-5169.
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