By Lauren Nagy
The Local Palate made a stop here in Morgantown, and started like true West Virginians: with a plate full of pepperoni rolls!
They ventured to Clarksburg to try them, but you don’t even have to leave town to find great pepperoni rolls. Nonna’s whips theirs up from scratch, and the zesty recipe they use at Chico Bakery’s is nearly 100 years old.
The Local Palate’s Morgantown picks were top notch, and they got right to the root of this college towns’ flavor with focus on great drinks:
- Mario’s Fishbowl– A must. The giant frozen beer goblets go great with wings & their signature chips.
- Stefano’s– Amazing Italian, and with a wide wine selection to match! That mozerella-stuffed meatball they mention all too quickly in the video? It is like a little taste of heaven.
- Tin 202– For the cocktail crowd, a more refined craft drink. This video really captured the fine attention to detail. Look at that craftsmanship!
Although, beer drinkers can find artisanal taste here, too! Both Mountain State Brewing and Morgantown Brewing Company are local favorites. Iron Horse also crafts upscale cocktails, with house-infused tastes. You can round out your drink sampler with sips from The Wine Bar at Vintner Valley.
It’s also not too far from town to the nearest vineyard & distillery, Forks of Cheat. That’s some real mountain taste— especially the moonshine!
Sorry, got sidetracked there! Back to food: while the Palate travelers definitely gave their taste buds a treat, Morgantown’s dining scene has SO much more than one visit can cover. Here are some of my favorites:
- Terra Cafe– Always my absolute #1 pick! Locally-sourced organic food. And they strive to meet everyone’s dietary needs. Best for Sunday brunch.
- Atomic Grill– Think BBQ, but better. All local meats, and some really unique flavors.
- Chaang Thai– Authentic, and so good. Never had anything here that wasn’t amazing.
- The Dancing Fig– They make their noodles fresh in-house. A great cocktail lineup, too!
- Black Bear Burritos– 2 WVU alumni run this place, and it’s a long-time student fave. Their burritos are globally-inspired and pair great with their beer selection.
- Tailpipes– The menu is very creative and notable. And all of their specialty burgers are named after American hotrods. And they are STACKED.
- Boston Beanery– “The Beanery” is now in 3 states, but it all started right here!
- Oliverio’s– This has been in Morgantown for ages. Definitely a local favorite.
Hope they head back this way for another taste! I could go on.
What are your favorite Morgantown restaurants?
Lauren is a WVU grad, avid bruncher (for whom mimosas are a must), and her local Thai restaurant has her order memorized.