The Barge is reopening! The Barge is reopening!
I don't know many details yet, but apparently the rumors I've been hearing are true. The one-time floating restaurant along the Kanawha River near the Patrick Street Bridge has been purchased by new owners, who are currently hiring staff and gearing up for a much-anticipated grand opening.
The restaurant was formerly both a fine-dining spot upstairs and a casual bar-and-grill downstairs - both with mixed success - before finally shutting its doors back in 2013.
In a river city with disappointingly few businesses able to take advantage of said river, I can't wait to see how the new Barge shapes up. And if it's good, you'll see me enjoying frequent food and drink there while soaking up the views.
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My love affair with brunch has been well documented, so just imagine how excited I am about this one!
One of my favorite restaurants (Paterno's at the Park) has teamed up with a mobile kitchen I've had my eye on for a while (Mountain Cantina) to offer what sounds like a scrumptious brunch at 10 a.m. on Sunday, April 23.
With an emphasis on fresh ingredients and Appalachian-inspired Mexican fare, Mountain Cantina runs a food cart, occasional pop-up restaurant and catering service around the Kanawha Valley. For this brunch, co-chef/owners Kenneth Jones and Eduardo Silva are joining forces with Paterno's chef Tim Arden for a special menu featuring ...
From Paterno's: margarita-brined fried chicken and waffles, smoked brisket hash, pimento cheese hush puppies, sausage and peppers, plus house-made granola, yogurt and cinnamon rolls.
From Mountain Cantina: chicken and Swiss cheese enchiladas in cream sauce, pork tamales with salsa verde, callabasitas (squash, pepper and corn medley in tomato sauce), chilaquiles (crispy tortillas with chorizo and egg in a red chile sauce) and buttermilk flan with caramel.
Tickets are $30 a person for adults and children 10 and over, and $10 for kids under 10. For reservations or more information, call Paterno's at 304-205-5482.
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My friends at J.Q. Dickinson Salt-Works are gearing up for a new season of tours at their facility in Malden, which will begin April 18. Tours are free and run from 10 a.m. through 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday until November.
Call 304-925-7918 or email paige@jqdsalt.com to book a tour or get more details.
J.Q. Dickinson also has added three new food products to their on-site and online gift shops, including organic dark chocolate bars made by Salazon Chocolate Company in Maryland, plus apple butter and applesauce made with heritage apples from Bluestone Mountain Farm - all using J.Q. Dickinson salt.
To purchase these products and more, either stop by the facility or visit shop.jqdsalt.com.
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Numbers rolling in from the recent Mid-Ohio Valley Restaurant Week seem to indicate that inaugural event was a resounding success.
Coordinator and sponsor Buzz Food Service reports that more than 1,000 special Restaurant Week meals were served during the week, bringing in an estimated economic impact of more than $50,000 in meals, taxes, gratuities, increased bar sales and, in some instances, live music at 13 participating restaurants in the Parkersburg-Marietta area.
I didn't make it up for this year's promotion but heard good reports from those who did. Here's hoping the Mid-Ohio event continues to grow as much as Charleston Restaurant Week has over the past few years.
Steven Keith writes a weekly food column for the Charleston Gazette-Mail and an occasional food blog at blogs.wvgazettemail.com/foodguy. He can be reached at 304-380-6096 or by email at wvfoodguy@aol.com. You can also follow him on Facebook as "WV Food Guy" and on Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest as "WVFoodGuy."