Despite a little rain on Sunday, the inaugural Saint George Festival outside Saint George Antiochian Orthodox Christian Cathedral on Court Street featured two days of Mediterranean food, wine, beer, games, shops and live music this past weekend.
I stopped by when the gates opened on sunny Saturday and enjoyed a bounty of baked goods – including a delicious fresh-fried doughnut dusted with powdered sugar – before immediately diving into a hearty grilled steak and chicken platter served with hummus, pita and a Greek salad.
Both of the meats were so tender, delicious and incredibly well-seasoned that I sure hope this celebration becomes an annual affair.
Super Weenie reopens
Hot dog!
Super Weenie has once again reopened its new and expanded location in downtown Charleston with limited hours, following a couple of starts and stops over the past few months.
The hot dog joint at 805 Quarrier St. serves a variety of top-quality West Virginia and New York-style dogs, along with hot dogs and sausages with an international flair. A new bodega next door will soon offer convenience items for downtown shoppers as well.
Current Super Weenie hours are listed as 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday-Friday, but you might want to call 304-410-0364 or check out the restaurant’s Facebook page in advance to make sure they’re open.
All praise the pickle pizza
A follower on one of the local restaurant review groups on Facebook recently posted a question asking if there were any places around town where you could get a pickle pizza.
I immediately suggested the awesome Tickle My Pickle pie served at WV Brick Oven Bistro inside T&M Meats at 5254 Big Tyler Rd. in Cross Lanes.
A pizza endorsed many times over in the feed that followed, this baby is topped with thick-sliced dill pickles, garlic Parmesan sauce, a blend of cheeses and fresh dill to create a tangy little number offering a tart and creamy bite.
I later learned that The Bear’s Den at 405 Capitol St. in downtown Charleston also offers a pickle pizza, and a current seasonal offering at Pies & Pints on Capitol Street is a Nashville hot chicken pizza topped with red onions, creamy gorgonzola and plenty of pickles as well.
More love for WV Brick Oven Bistro
Coincidentally, the same day I was raving about WV Brick Oven Bistro’s pickle pizza is the same day reader Sam Cipoletti reached out to share his own love for that Cross Lanes hotspot.
“They have primo meats, plus pizza, salads, subs, appetizers and THE BEST BURGER IN THE KANAWHA VALLEY,” he told me. “Served on a pretzel bun, I had one Friday with everything except onions and lots of crisp bacon and pimento cheese on it.”
I’ve had one of their giant burgers with a fresh-ground beef patty blended with bacon and I can vouch it was pretty righteous!
“They also have lots of craft beer choices,” Sam continued, “and a great homemade vinaigrette dressing.”
WV Brick Oven Bistro is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. For more information, call 304-776-4809 or visit www.TandMMeats.com.
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Steven Keith is a food writer and restaurant critic known as “The Food Guy” who writes a weekly column for the Charleston Gazette-Mail and has appeared in several state, regional and national culinary publications. Follow him online at www.wvfoodguy.com or on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. He can be reached at 304-380-6096 or at wvfoodguy@aol.com.