Even though Parkersburg has a handful of trendy, upscale dining spots, it's the city's abundance of solid, old school establishments that stand out. We're talking decades-old diners, pizza places, hot dog joints and family restaurants serving a true taste of nostalgia.
Even their very names conjure up images of America's bygone days: The Root Beer Shack and Davis Drive-In. Pizza Place and Mary B's Diner. McHappy's Bake Shop and JR's Donut Castle, for goodness sake.
But while this Ohio River city seems to embrace its culinary past, it's by no means stuck in it. An urban coffee shop, an elegant Wine Spectator-awarded restaurant and a craft brewery also are big draws here. Although, it's interesting to note that even that high-end restaurant is in an historic hotel and the brewpub is the state's oldest.
KENNY KEMP|Gazette-Mail
See what I mean? History abounds in Parkersburg, and that goes for the city's food scene as well.
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While I had a hefty list of restaurants on my must-visit list, there was no doubt where my first stop would be when I rolled into town. Having been a longtime fan of North End Tavern's craft beers, I set my GPS straight to the brewery's restaurant for a pint paired with one of the wicked good burgers I'd heard about.
The juicy stacked beef patty and crisp fries were nice, but they couldn't steal the spotlight from my sips of the Spring Session Pale made from whole-leaf mosaic hops, the Achtung brewed with Munich malt and German magnum hops, and the Blitzkrieg IPA with Bavarian hops. Thirst: Quenched.
I made sure I saved room for dessert, so I left North End Tavern (or The NET, as locals call it) in search of something sweet. Fate had other plans, though, when I passed the funky looking Pizza Place across from the local high school. This was another spot on my list, and, well, I was right there. Just one piece wouldn't hurt, right?
I popped in right as they were removing thin-crust cheese and thick-crust pepperoni pies from the oven. I knew both would be hot and super-fresh, so two pieces would be OK, right? My goodness, this was amazing pizza. I could not stop and ate every last bite. Of both.
And despite that afternoon's carb-a-palooza, I still made plans for Italian that night at Jimmy Colombo's, an Olde World family ristorante if ever there was one. The place opened in the mid-1950s and still looks every bit the part, from its red carpet to its checkered tablecloths to its stained-glass lamps.
Folks from all over come for Colombo's addictive garlic toast, and I could've made a meal of that alone. But I also sunk my teeth into a bubbling hot plate of eggplant Parmesan with sides of spaghetti and a creamy, but surprisingly light, fettuccine Alfredo.
It was a solid Italian meal, but, honestly, the bread was the best part of it. I took one last bite and headed back for a restful night at the elegant Blennerhassett Hotel.
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After my high-calorie escapades the day before, I should've taken it easy the next morning. But Mary B's was calling. And the call could not be ignored.
A classic diner in every sense of the word, Mary B's was the name heard most often when I asked folks where I could find the best breakfast in town. They must be right — the menu itself has “Best Breakfast in Town” emblazoned right on it.
The omelets were fat and the corned beef hash was steamy, but my go-to comfort breakfast is biscuits and gravy. I had to see how these stacked up. Speaking of stacked, I just got a half-order, but the single split biscuit smothered in thick, creamy, slightly spicy gravy was as large as it was delicious. I paired it with a fluffy buckwheat pancake slathered in butter and maple syrup.
It was such a great start to my day that I longed to sample some of Mary B's grilled sandwiches from the lunch menu, plus dinner delights like baked steak in gravy, turkey and dressing, hot roast beef, beans and cornbread, pork chops and more. So classic.
I couldn't eat another bite when I left, but still wasn't finished with my breakfast “research.” Apparently Parkersburg is a big doughnut town, with two local shops, JR's Donut Castle and McHappy's, splitting allegiance among the locals. Several people had asked me to see which one I liked best, so I swung by both to grab a selection of tasty treats for a taste test later that day.
I dropped the doughnuts back at my hotel (to eliminate the urge to break into each bag), then took a driving tour of town, including Parkersburg's gorgeous Julia-Ann Square Historic District of stately Victorian homes and gardens. (Seriously, you should Google it.)
Then I was ready for lunch, trading in traditional American fare for something more exotic at Cham's Lebanese Cuisine. Yes, there's Lebanese food in downtown Parkersburg, just down the street from another ethnic gem, Mango's Latin Bistro.
I settled into a table by the front window at Cham's, ordered a plate of hummus with warm pita and contemplated my next move.
Smaller dishes like tabbouleh, fattoush, falafel, baba ghanoush and fried kibbe teased me, but a big appetite steered me straight to larger platter options. The biggest was Rizkallah's Mixed Grill Special, which quickly became Steven's Mixed Grill Special.
The hearty spread of shish taouk (chicken kebabs), lamb kebabs, kafta (beef with parsley and onions) and shawarma (sliced beef grilled with tomatoes, onion and tahini) served over rice made for a delicious midday feast.
Cham's was so good it would be a regular dining spot if I lived any closer. I paid my tab and begrudgingly bypassed the counter of Middle Eastern desserts, because I had a big doughnut showdown to resolve.
I took a quick drive up to gorgeous Fort Boreman Park, a historic overlook offering sweeping views of the Ohio River, with Parkersburg and Marietta hugging each side.
Then I made my way back to the hotel, where I spread JR's and McHappy's treats out before me: A traditional doughnut, an apple fritter, a cream horn, a chocolate-topped and JR's local-favorite Yum-Yums, giant glazed pastry knots that are soaked in, I'm not kidding, seven layers of butter.
J.R. Parsons, owner of JR's Doughnut Castle.
Declaring which doughnut house you prefer is somewhat of a rite of passage in Parkersburg. But since my top two favorites included one from each place, I'm taking the wimpy way out and calling it a tasty tie.
An initial sugar rush lead to a crash, so I took a little snooze in the room before heading down to the hotel's highly regarded Spat's Restaurant for cocktails (a mango margarita and coconut mojito) and then dinner.
Spat's has a well-deserved reputation as the city's best restaurant for breakfast, lunch, brunch or dinner, so it felt like a special occasion just being there. So much so that I ordered a glass of Champagne to take it all in.
A selection of salads tempted me, but the honey-espresso vinaigrette on the spice-roasted acorn squash salad with toasted pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries was too intriguing not to try. I loved it.
It was also filling enough to help me bypass appetizers like honey-glazed pork belly with charred apple and tomato puree; fresh mozzarella burrata with oven-roasted beets, tomatoes, pea shoots, olive oil and citrus zest; fried calamari with lemon Sriracha aioli; and seared scallops with spaghetti squash, almonds and apple cider reduction.
Spat's Maryland Style Crab Cakes
Entrees were no easier to resist: Asian-glazed chicken; blackened jumbo shrimp with creole cream; Bourguignon-style boneless beef short ribs; seared duck a l'orange. (I mean, where else can you get duck a l'orange around here?)
But as I spied the evening's special being delivered to every table around me, it looked too good not to try. Perfectly grilled salmon (moist inside, light char outside) was topped with a large disc of mildly flavored ramp butter that slowly melted to glaze and glisten each bite. Served with fresh sauteed veggies and tomato rice, that salmon was a true thing of beauty.
I would've been satisfied had I stopped there, but then my waitress came by and whispered those three little words: Trilogy of Chocolate.
This over-the-top dessert featured a small flourless espresso torte, a tiny white chocolate and raspberry pot de creme and a mini dark chocolate and pistachio eclair served on a long, thin plate with a river of chocolate flowing down the middle.
It was a fitting ending to a truly wonderful meal.
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My last morning in town, I walked next door to The Coffee Bar for a fantastic Kenyan pour-over, which I savored while digging into the previous day's doughnut stash in The Blennerhassett Hotel's cozy study.
Then after packing up and checking out, I made a beeline for the colorful corner spot I had spied the day before. Mango's Latin Bistro is a fun, tastefully decorated cafe featuring a hot-and-cold coffee bar and a small menu offering a selection of Caribbean and South American specialties.
I eyed the Tropical Salad with mango, avocado and pineapple, but started with a delicious bowl of black-as-tar black bean soup that was bursting with flavor. After that, I toyed with trying the Jibarito (a steak sandwich between flattened plantains) or the Pernil Asado (slow-roasted pork marinated in Puerto Rican spices) or any of the other seasoned and sauced shrimp, fish, chicken and beef in the mix.
But then I remembered a Venezuelan friend once raving about arepas, so my decision was made. The hand-made grilled corn flour pocket stuffed with shredded chicken, lettuce, cheese, banana peppers, mojita and avocado was worthy of its praise.
I gobbled it up and walked out of Mango's convinced that my Parkersburg food adventure was over. I really did. But as I was driving out of town, I passed a tiny little place called The Root Beer Shack and just had to stop.
Although there was a menu offering 22 different hot dogs (one with peanut butter and banana peppers!) and another 10 sandwiches, I just ordered a simple hot dog with chili, slaw and mustard (on a butter-toasted English split bun) and a frosty mug of root beer to wash it down.
Being old-fashioned never tasted so good.
IF YOU GO: For more information on Parkersburg's restaurants, attractions and accommodations, contact the Greater Parkersburg Convention & Visitors Bureau at 800-752-4982 or www.greaterparkersburg.com.
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, wvfoodguy@aol.com or follow WV Food Guy on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.