Wellsburg Edition: Pier 12 Restaurant and Marina

Growing up, "The Pier" was the nice restaurant in town. It's right next to my middle school, so sometimes if we had half days, we would walk over to the Pier and have some lunch. It was some of the first times I remember buying something on my own. Before then, the only time I could purchase anything would be by way of my parents or a friend's parents. But being able to walk to a restaurant and purchase a meal with my own money was empowering in some way. It made me feel like a grown up.

I was recently in town and decided to pay this restaurant a visit. Located on 12th Street, right along the Ohio River, you probably wouldn't know it was there if it wasn't known in the area. There's a large gravel parking lot. When you walk through the front doors, you are immediately met with a dark, stale smokey bar area, through which you pass to get to the dining room. If you're not familiar, this is probably unconventional.

The dining area is one large room with a couple dozen tables with white tablecloths and tacky black chairs. We chose a seat by the river so we could have a view while we ate. The restaurant shows signs of wear, as it's been around for quite a while. They do have an outside deck to eat on when it's nicer out.

I think they go for a sort-of seafood theme, but paired with the murky Ohio River does not leave the best visual. But the menu does have a mix of comfort foods, sandwiches, pastas and more. I decided to go with the fish sandwich. One note here, be careful if the server asks whether you want fries or onion rings. That's an upcharge. The default is chips. Also, the water here is awful. AWFUL.

My parents both got the cream turkey special. After a little bit of a wait, our dishes came out. I was surprised to see my fish sandwich came with fries. I asked about it; the waitress said they messed up and I got fries for free.

My sandwich was quite tasty. Some beer-battered cod, tangy tartar on a fresh bun is one of my favorites. And they are HUGE portions. However, as I went to dive into my second part of my sandwich,  I found a hair. I can't say for sure who's it was, but if you know me, you know that's a sure-fire way to make me end a meal. I don't have a very strong stomach when dealing with food. I'll try anything, as long as I know it's clean, that is. I ended up throwing the rest away. I wish I hadn't found that, because I really did enjoy the sandwich.

Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for my parents' meal. They had hardly any chicken, and their meals were cold. Mine was fried, so they probably scooped theirs and waited on mine. Whoops. My parents won't be back - spending that much money on average food, or even worse than average for them, isn't worth it.

It'll always have certain memories for me, though, and I hope the food and business picks up because I don't want to see this place go under.

Grade: B

Wellsburg Edition: DiCarlo's Pizza

I've said it a few times, and I'm sure this blog post is way overdue, but DiCarlo's is the best pizza there is. Period. It may have to do with the nostalgia aspect for me - DiCarlo's was a rare, albeit delicious, treat in the Nelson household. Feeding our family and whatever friends I had over that particular day could cost you upwards of $50, which wasn't easy for us to come by. We would get a tray of pizza, which is usually four boxes - (28) pieces total with extra cheese and mushrooms. Simply amazing. Though we only got it a few times a year, I couldn't wait for DiCarlo's days. Morgantown is void of my beloved DiCarlo's, so every time I visit my hometown of Wellsburg, it's a must-visit place for me.

DiCarlo's is located in northern West Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania. There is a local rivalry about which DiCarlo's has the best pizza because they are all slightly, slightly different, but in my opinion, nothing can come close to Wellsburg's. Located right on Commerce Street, DiCarlo's is the classic, old-school pizza place. They're only open in the evenings (they only have to be), and they only take cash. You can call ahead to order, but it won't make a difference - they probably won't start making it until you arrive anyway.

On Saturday, Kristen and I stopped into DiCarlo's as soon as they opened, 5 p.m. The parking lot is tiny, and if you're a regular, you know you are supposed to park at an angle so more cars can fit it. But usually you'll have to find a spot along the street or an adjacent parking lot. On this day, there was one woman walking out as we walked in. I have never been to this place when it was empty before - must go as soon as they open again!

When you walk in, you aren't greeted, you aren't waved to - you just get a look of "yes?" And that adds to its charm. The man behind the counter simply greeted me with a surly stare. This wasn't my first rodeo, though. I looked at the chart on the wall, which is the only indicator of their prices. I figured out how many slices I could get for my $10. Which happened to be around 12 slices. So, I asked for 10 regular slices. He wrote it down, without a word, and looked at Kristen. Kristen then ordered, and we took a seat. DiCarlo's only has two fairly small, uncomfortable benches. On a regular day, these are taken up, and many people are found standing outside. Since it was just us, we sat down and waited. The pizza was done within five minutes - the quickest ever. And, they don't know your name, nor do they care. Instead, from behind the counter, you hear "12 regular" and I knew that was my cue.

I walked up and paid. They assume you know how much since the chart is right there (the chart includes tax), so no words are exchanged. I took my two large, steaming cardboard boxes home and let the excitement overcome me. Keep in mind, I haven't had this in months. I really like the charm of the old-school Italian pizza place. I like the surly attitudes and the unfriendly men behind the counter. You're not paying for their service. Your paying for the best pizza you'll ever have. They know if you're a local or not, and their lack of speaking is a sign of respect - you know what to do when you're in here.

When I got home, I uncovered my first box of pizza and chose a middle piece and a side piece. The pizzas are square, so there are three different types: middle pieces without any crust, side pieces with just the crust on the edge and corner pieces, which have crust on two sides. Though I usually get extra cheese, I wanted my buck to go further, so I opted out of the extras. My slice of pizza was topped with their delicious tomato sauce, slightly spicy and slightly sweet. The hot crust is then topped with cold provolone cheese, which is just melted perfectly. It doesn't get greasy like most places. Then it's topped with soft pepperoni. No crispy pepperonis here, that form into little grease cups. This pizza is perfect.

The ingredients are as fresh as you can get, and you can see the time and effort the cooks take in preparing this delicious meal. The sauce contains just the right amount of spice, and the cheese is fresh and flavorful - the good stuff isn't all fried or baked out of it. The pepperoni is quality meat.

The best thing about DiCarlo's? It tastes just as good cold for breakfast the next morning. You can't go wrong. I've been to Italy, and I'd choose DiCarlo's over that pizza. It simply can't be beat.


Grade: A

Wellsburg Edition: Drovers Inn & Tavern

Drovers is about one mile from the house I grew up in. Despite its proximity, I rarely went because my family couldn't afford it. But, I know it's a legend in my hometown and the surrounding areas. People travel from all over for Drovers' wings. I'm not a huge fan of wings, so I had actually never had them until this past weekend.

I met my cousin, Chelsey, and good friend, Amanda, here on Friday as soon as they opened, 5 p.m. Drovers has some history behind it, as it used to help travelers. There is also an accompanying historic building beside it, which I believe now is used as a lodge. Because we were there so early, we were seated right away. The house has a few dining areas, a blue dining room, a red dining room, sitting room, back area, and the basement is the tavern. We were seated to the left, in the blue room.

There are glass vases and ornaments placed on every shelf, and the room is decorated quite classicly. At the table is already a bowl with moist towelettes and napkins inside. I browsed my menu and decided on the honey-BBQ wings. I ordered one pound, which is 7 to 9 wings = $5.75. I also ordered a tossed salad for $2.99. Maybe it's because I'm used to Morgantown prices, but I thought this was more than reasonable.

We waited a little while for our food to come out. My salad came out before anything else, and I was happy because I was starving. Complete with a cup of orange French dressing and a garlic stick, the salad was packed with lettuce, tomato, olives, cucumber and some cabbage. I was a little hesitant because the French dressing was orange, but I tasted it, and was pleased. It was creamier, not as acidic, and just a touch tangy. The veggies were average, and the garlic bread was a nice touch on the side - soft and warm complement to the salad.

Finally, our main dishes came out. My wings were served in a small basket, along with the ranch I had asked for and a celery sticks. I wasn't extra, as other reviewers have said. Thank goodness I was in the company of good friends because I probably looked like a monster trying to down the wings. I usually don't order wings because I hate seeing a bone in my food - prissy, I know. But, on a certain level, it grosses me out. Also, it's really difficult to eat without looking disgusting. This is the first time I've ordered bone-in wings in I couldn't tell you how long. I do like boneless. But these wings are legendary, and my friends know I'm ridiculous, so I dug in.

The wings are excellent. I was so happy I wasn't let down since they were talked up so much. There was a good mixture of drumsticks and wings. The wings are fairly large and the outside was crispy. I usually peel off the skin, because the texture is gross, but these were cooked perfectly. The meat inside was tender and juicy. The sauce was divine - this wasn't a typical honey-bbq sauce you buy at the grocery store. It was delicious. It was sweet and tangy and a little spicy, but overall delicious.

It was definitely one of the best wings I had ever had. I took full advantage of the moist towelettes, as the sauce was everywhere. But it was more than worth it, and I was happy to pay my $10 for that meal. You won't find another deal like that anywhere around.

Grade: A