Pie and Pints, Charleston WV

Mrs. Allclick had the fantastic suggestion of driving up to C-town and checking out a new (for us) restaurant "Pies and Pints". I thought to myself "hmm I like pies" and we set off. After driving around the block several times we found an awesome parking space across the road from the restaurant and strolled in. I noted the decor was very clean, funky and modern as we made our way down the length of the restaurant to a pleasant little quiet nook, across from a large sign stating "BEER". We were quickly seen to and ordered a Spinach salad which was fresh, plentiful and had a delicious Gorgonzola dressing.


Then came the pies. We split a large pie with half my choice and half Mrs. Allclick's choice. I had margherita which I was extremely pleased with in all of my pie categories. The crust was light and buttery but was still firm without being tough. This meant you could pick up a big slice and not have to hold it above your head to take the first bite. The pizza sauce tasted like sliced fresh tomatoes but in a smooth and even sauce and the cheese was tangy and well distributed without being greasy.


Our waiter was very pleasant and attentive and the food came out really quickly so it was a near perfect experience. The only bad part of the meal was listening to a grumpy woman complain about her coffee for 10 minutes and then claiming the pizza was made incorrectly for another 15 minutes to the manager (despite that fact that it was made exactly as it should have been). I highly suspect when she was born she complained to the midwife that the wait was entirely too long and that she didn't appreciate being naked.

So, if you fancy a authentic and delicious pizza pie in Charleston go check it out. I believe they get incredibly busy around dinner time so go early and often.

Bellacino's - Barboursville

Last week I walked into a restaurant. I could tell it was an Italian restaurant immediately as all the clues were there; it had a fancy Italian sounding name, there were stain glass lampshades...and the restaurant was playing country music. If I wasn't mistaken I could see the Tower of Pisa out of the window...or maybe it was just Office Depot.

The complete effect was capped by the fantastic service I received at the counter. It was bare (the counter, not the server) and so I perused the menu a while, it was my first time and didn't know what was on offer. The server approached the counter and looked at the computer. I looked at her, she looked at the computer, looked at me, looked at the computer. Apparently, that was the signal that I should order. I (stupidly) was awaiting a greeting or instruction that she was ready (Mamma Mia! Imma so silly!).

I ordered a meatball sub and choose a side (plain chips, or BBQ chips...decisions, decisions! If only they had ONE type of chips I wouldn't have to make such a heartbreaking choice) and was shooed away from the counter. Saying she had a face and attitude like a wet weekend is probably giving her too much credit.

Ambiance and terrible service aside, it was an awesome sandwich. Just incredible. I was only hungry enough to eat half...but then ate the other half anyway. That's how good it was! I am told the Reuben was equally as good (so says Mrs. Allclick) and the Pizza on the table over from ours looked yummy too.

I shall be making a return to Bellacino's if not for a slice of Italy, or a warm, friendly, smiling face, then for a delicious, filling, and meaty sub.

Lunch choices and why I dislike change

Well I just got back from having lunch "out" today. It's something I like to do at least once a week as it's a nice break from eating home made sandwiches and a good chance to socialize. I have to say that I don't like change. I'm a creature of habit. And this will even affect my choice of where I like to eat. I choose Husson's pizza today. It's somewhere I'm familiar with but it's not just the actual building and layout that I need to be aware of. It's the whole process. From where you order, what payments they accept, the likely cost, the choice of drinks, how you get your food, and where the restroom is. Knowing all of these things allows me to relax and feel at home in such a place.

I have a real limit sense of taste in that I dislike a lot of food. I've probably mentioned it before but it kinda annoys me when I'm referred to as "a fussy eater". It's not that I CHOOSE not to eat certian foods, it's that the taste is just incredibly unpleasant to me. The worst part about it is I can actually taste the pickle/tomato juice even once it's been removed from a sandwich/plate. Most of the time it's likely to be in my head I'm sure. So my taste in food often has an impact on whether or not I try new places but not more so than the familiarity.

So when I do go to a new restaurant (such as the excellent Thai House in Dunbar) I feel like I can't relax. I'm constantly analyzing the culture of the place. How often are the servers coming over, what condiments are there, where is a good place to sit, what's the lighting like, what the heck will my tip be....the list goes on.

This week I'll be getting a great opportunity to try a lot of new restaurants so that should be pretty fun. It's a good job that even change won't put me off my appetite.

Small portions

This week I have eaten out at two different restaurants for dinner, so far. Due to a desire to try and eat healthier ( I almost always choose the red-est meatiest option ;-) ) and simply not being that hungry, I thought I'd try for a smaller meal than usual. The first place was an Asian restaurant so I scanned the 200 item menu looking for something small and inexpensive. 10 minutes later I still hadn't found any choices. I was either left with buying a soup, or a small appetizer. Turns out the appetizers actually only cost a dollar less than a full meal but have half the food content in them. So, of course, I ended up choosing a full meal, spending 9 dollars when I wasn't even that hungry and vowing to have something smaller at the next restaurant.

Next restaurant. My thought process was similar and went something like this:
"OK. I'm going to have something small and light. Lets look at the salads."
"Hmm The salads are 9 dollars. Maybe there is a small burger instead"
"Right. The burger is 9 dollars also..but it comes with a side? Well that's better value for my money"
"Maybe the Appetizers have something to fill me up inexpensively"
"Man, these appetizers are pricey, I may as well order a full meal"
(To Waitress) "I'll just take the soup and baked potato"

It was kind of light-ish, it was certainly "carbtastic" and it was only 8 dollars(!).

My Conclusion:

Driving to a restaurant: $5
Parking: $2
Trying to eat healthy and have a smaller portion: Priceless $8