Parkette

Parkette
(Listed as "The Parkette" on the list)
Old Rt. 50/Old Bridgeport Hill Rd
Clarksburg, WV 26431
304.623.0155

This was my second visit to the Parkette, and I'll admit I went in a little skeptical; my original visit was somewhat of a disaster. It was a cold, wet night, the place was packed, and it took half an hour to get drinks and order and an hour to get our food and all 5 of us at the table were hungry!

I'm glad this blog gave me reason to give this Harrison County mainstay another chance. Serving the area for over 50 years, Parkette serves up classic diner fare like hot turkey sandwiches, cheeseburgers and perhaps the best cherry milkshake I've ever had. In true Harrison County fashion(read: lots of Italian Heritage!), they also serve several Italian classics.

The three of us dining, barely beat the lunch rush and had no problems getting at able at 11:30. There were a variety of daily specials, so many I don't remember them all, but I know the list included stuffed peppers because I debated ordering that, and a chicken bacon sandwich, which both of my fellow diners chose. I decided on a meatball sandwich and fries, something I remembered drooling over last time.

Our friendly waitress took our order and the place began to fill up. What you immediately notice when you enter Parkette, is that the place is spotless! You would never know how busy it gets because everything sparkles and the side dining room where we were seated was no exception. One thing I immediately noticed, and appreciated, was the family portrait on the wall of who I'm guessing were the original owner's children, alongside their individual portraits (perhaps senior pictures?). Family and community seem to take center stage at Parkette, as other decor includes framed jerseys from the restaurant's baseball team, and numbered prints of WVU's Mountaineer Field AND Marshall's Joan C. Edward's Stadium.

As the restaurant filled up, the volume level considerably rose, making it difficult to carry on conversation (it was reaaaaaallly loud), but after 15 minutes or so we had our meals and weren't interested in talking too much then anyway. ;-)

The chicken bacon sandwiches looked amazing. The chicken was plump and juicy and the kaiser roll they were served on looked very good. As they dissapeared, I'm told they tasted as good as they looked. We all got french fries and they were nice and crispy, but they were frozen crinkle-cut fries, so beyond getting them to the right crispy level, it is hard to be more than a frozen crinkle cut fry...they were good all the same.

I ordered a meatball sandwich (different from their meatball hoagie which is served

on a 12" bun with your choice of peppers)..and as I mentioned, fries. You should know that when you live in Harrison County, as I do, you will eat about a billion meatballs...remember this is home to the West Virginia Italian Heritage Festaval, and every restaurant offers their own version.

To cut to the chase, the meatballs were perfect! So flavorful and juicy, and perfectly seasoned. I would have liked a little more sauce, but that is perhaps my only criticism. The bread was so soft and perfectly toasted, and was a great textural combination.

I'm glad I gave Parkette another try; it was a great, inexpensive and tasty lunch. Personally I like weekend meals out to be more of an experience, but for a weeknight dinner Parkette totally fits the bill.

Pies and Pints

Pies and Pints

219 W. Maple Ave.
Fayetteville, WV 25840

304.574.2200

Saturday night led myself and 3 companions to Fayetteville for a night of pizza and beer, as you probably guessed to the name of the restaurant - Pies and Pints.

Located in one of the coolest small towns in America, Fayetteville is a mecca for outdoor enthusiasts who come for various outdoor pursuits such as zip lining, kayaking, hiking, biking or rafting. It looks like the type of place you would want to poke around on a Saturday morning, going to antique stores, the farmer's market and then settle in to a nice lunch al fresco or indoors at a great little local spot - and Pies and Pints totally fits the bill.

We chose to dine outside in their lovely patio which is fully equipped with overhead heaters for chilly evenings, and an impressive play area for smaller clintele. While appetizers such as the pork and pepper nachos, and their giant, shareable Greek salads were extremelly tempting, we settled on a medium white pizza with roasted red peppers and tomatoes added on, and 3 small pies: a classico with pork sausage, banana peppers and pepperoni, a mushroom and garlic with jalepenos and my own choice, a pesto pizza fresh mozzarella (which i subbed for goat cheese) tomatoes and a basil aioli.

While the beer selection was impressive, we opted for a pitcher of Yuengling Lauger, taking advantage of it's new draft availability in our area.

Our server was polite and prompt, and before long we were enjoying our pizza feast. While I only tried 2 of the 4 pies present, I can tell you I would like nearly anything on the menu. For me it is all about the crust, and Pies and Pints has that down pat. The small pie was perfect for 1 person and two of us could have easily shared a medium and perhaps a salad, and left content.

Dessert selections included a peanut butter brownie terrine, tiramisu and cheesecake - each at

$4.75. One of my companions ordered the peanut butter brownie goodness which he gracioiusly gave me not one, but two bites of - for research purposes of course. The brownies were thin and crispy and a thick peanut butter cream seperated the layers, all dripping in a perfectly executed deep dark chocolate ganache.

The variety of toppings available was impressive, ranging from chopped sea clams and pulled pork, to grapes and gorgonzola (which are offered together on their wine and cheese pie).

I felt the pricing was very reasonable, and the ingredients were high quality; some of the best aioli I have ever had in any representation.

Pies and Pints does not accept reservations which is perhaps its only downfall. We arrived around 4:30 in order to guarantee ourselves a table, which we did easily. As we were leaving, closer to 6, the place was full! It is no surprise why, great atmosphere (both inside and out), friendly helpful staff and wonderful handcrafted pizza = a great experience!

My only question is, when can I go back?