Diana’s Capitol Street Cafe is moving from a storefront on Capitol Street to 180 Summers Street. In keeping with the move, the name of the business will become Diana’s Downtown Cafe.

Diana Thomas, owner and head chef, said, “I’m so excited to offer my customers more room to sit and enjoy their breakfast or lunch. I’ve got a loyal following and I hope they’ll follow me to my new location — it’s going to be bigger and better than ever and it’s just around the corner.

“I’ll be cooking and baking all holiday weekend to make sure that I have lots of the fresh foods and goodies that people expect from my cafe,” Thomas said.

Manoli Stavrulakis’ latest venture, Pizza Barbarossa, serves Greek-Italian style food including pizza. The restaurant opened a few weeks ago. Stavrulakis said his dream of owning a Greek-Italian-style restaurant started a while ago when he first opened Café Creperi.

The native of Greece and his Iraqi wife also own Café Creperi in Kanawha City and Creperi Café Plus in the Shoppes at Trace Fork in South Charleston. The new pizza shop is located in part of the former Shoe Carnival location.

The new place serves the same calamari, bread, dressings and spaghetti as well as chicken Alfredo and chicken Marsala. A few items have been added to round out the small menu. Stavrulakis said he may add items to the simple menu later on.

With the new restaurant, Stavrulakis and the staff are trying out the use of iPads and iPods for taking orders. The technology also handles the restaurant’s inventory list, as well as tips and timecards for the wait staff.

The newly renovated Quarrier Diner reopens its doors after over a decade, to serve Charleston locals their diner favorites and them some. Quarrier Diner is open from 11 AM to 2 PM and from 5 PM to 10 PM Monday through Thursday and up to 11 PM Friday and Saturday. Call 304-343-5686 for reservations and inquiries.

The new owners Anna and David Pollitt restored the Art Nouveau building to resemble its original facade. They also added modern touches like flat screen tvs, iPad menus, and other cool features.

The main dining room features a menu developed by Chef Tony Henderson, who developed the menu with extensive input from the Pollitts. The new Quarrier Diner menu includes signature dishes as well as family favorites. Henderson has his roots in Charleston, and developed his unique culinary vision in Southern California. He worked at the Charleston Marriott and Embassy Suites and at all three of the restaurants by Chef Bill Sohovich.

Indian cuisine is vibrant and zesty, noted for its extensive use of spices and herbs, on a wide selection of vegetables and meats (including beef, lamb, poultry and seafood). Due to the size of the country and the number of regional groups living in different areas, not just the ingredients but also the cooking techniques vary from place to place.

Little India in Charleston’s East End (at 1604 Washington St., East Charleston, to be exact) brings a little bit of everything to your plate. Featuring dishes from both Northern and Southern India, the restaurant has a wide array of meat and vegetarian appetizers, sides, and entrees as well as exotic Indian desserts and beverages.

The cooks at Little India will spice your food according to your request, so everything is flavored to perfection and there are no fiery “mishaps”. The organic meats used in Little India’s beef and lamb dishes are carefully selected and lovingly cooked. Meanwhile, their vegetarian dishes are so delicious that even card-carrying meat-eaters are sure to love them.

For starters, try the Vegetable Samosa or the Vegetable Pakora – light and crispy and just enough to whet your appetite. Then you can move on to some hearty entrees such as Tandoori Chicken, Fish Tikka, or Beef Korma – big enough for two! You can also pair your entrees with Tadka Dhaal (sautéed lentil soup) and freshly steamed Basmati Rice. Lastly, you can round out your meal with some Kulfi – Indian ice cream, or Mango Lassi – mango and yoghurt shake.

The service at Little India is stellar. Even when all of Charleston seems to be waiting for a table (the dinner rush starts at around five in the afternoon), the staff still does an amazing job making sure everyone is taken care of. Little India provides a great over-all dining experience, so be sure to check it out when you want to satisfy your craving for something different.

Pho is a Vietnamese noodle soup, usually served with thinly sliced beef or chicken, rice noodles, basil, lime or lemon, bean sprouts, and other ingredients. Pho is loved all over for being light and healthy yet full of flavor — it is one of celebrity chef and travel show host Anthony Bourdain’s favorite foods in the world.

For Charleston locals who crave the vibrant flavors of Vietnamese cooking, or for those who want to give this exotic cuisine a try, Pho Vin Long on D Street in South Charleston is a place worth visiting.

For starters, try their rice paper rolls — which are unlike any egg rolls you have tried at your favorite Chinese place. The rice paper wrappers have a lighter consistency, and are so flaky that they practically explode with flavor when you bit into them.

The filling consists of ground pork and shredded vegetables such as mushrooms, carrots, and onions. Dip them briefly in the hot and sour dipping sauce provided and your will have a taste sensation unlike any other.

For your entree, Vietnamese favorites such as beef and chicken pho are served piping hot, accompanied by a mound of fresh herbs and other condiments for the diner to add to their bowls of soup. The sliced beef practically melts in your mouth, while the chicken is a flavorful mix of both dark and white meat.

All the ingredients are fresh and cooked to perfection, and the broth is made using a family recipe. If you are feeling particularly adventurous, there are other options to try such as beef tendon — which bears a similar consistency and flavor to bone marrow (another prized Asian delicacy).

With entrees averaging at about USD 10, and a location just blocks away from the Ramada and Wingate hotels, Pho Vin Long will definitely get you hooked on Vietnamese.

Breakfast favorites like hotcakes, waffles, sausages, bacon and eggs aren’t just good as first meals of the day. They’re great comfort food any time of the day. They’re also good after a night of partying and revelry. Donna’s Cafe at the Nelson Building serves breakfast and lunch fares on weekdays, but they have recently added new hours: on Saturdays and Sundays, you can head to Donna’s Cafe for coffee, toast and other breakfast goodies from midnight to 5am. Isn’t that just the perfect way to cap your evening?

Donna’s Cafe LLC
1018 Kanawha Blvd E
Charleston, WV 25301-2841
Phone: (304) 720-2592

After rave reviews with their original store in Fayetteville, Pies and Pints is finally treating Charleston natives to its signature pizzas, designer beers, and friendly service. Located at 222 Capitol Street (formerly Cazon’s), the new store offers a wide range of not just pies and
pints, but also salads, sandwiches, wines and desserts.

Some of our favorites from the P&P pizza menu include their take on the classic Margherita, the surprisingly luscious Grape Pie, the rich and luxurious Chicken Gouda Pie, and their Mushroom and Garlic Pie that is an instant hit with vegetarians (and meat lovers too!).

If you don’t feel like getting a slice tonight, there are plenty of other wonderful things to try, like the Char-grilled Hot Wings, the Antipasto Salad, and the Grilled Eggplant and Roasted Red Pepper Sandwich. You can also indulge your sweet tooth with some tiramisu, cheesecake, or chocolate peanut butter brownie terrine.

You can wash all that wonderful food down with a bottle of their wonderful house wines, or head for the store’s other main attraction: their selection of high-quality beers.

Take your pick from exotic beers including Rogue Chocolate Stout, Sam Smith Organic Cider, Yuengling Lager, and Great Lakes Dortmunder Lager. Also available are other import favorites, such as Guinness, Amstel, Stella Artois, and Corona. Just ask your friendly servers on what’s good and in stock on the day of your visit.

Pies and Pints is open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Sundays to Thursdays and 11:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. We suggest calling ahead at (304) 342-7437 for reservations — the place is getting to be quite popular with Charleston’s diners and fills up pretty quickly.

Harish and Meena Anada have opened their restaurant Little India at 1604 Washington St. East, and will be ready to serve adventurous diners and local gourmands starting Saturday (October 16, 2010) at 11:00 AM. If this local Indian couple sounds familiar, the Anadas also own International Groceries and Spices in Kanawha City and Morgantown.

Indian cuisine is unique from other world cuisines with its use of various spices, herbs, and vegetables. Meats are very rarely used in cooking – if at all, and each region in India has its own set of acceptable and taboo meats, depending on religion. Spice is a must at all times – whether mild and sweet or fiery hot, and it is this feisty flavor that attracts many people to Indian food.

Little India offers both North India and South India regional delicacies – such as vegetable pakora and samosa, beef korma, aloom ghobi or fried cauliflower, and chicken vindaloo. The restaurant also offers a delicious variety of salads, side dishes, and desserts for a well-rounded Indian meal.

Little India gave Charleston natives a sneak peek of their menu last Thursday night with an open buffet, absolutely for free. About 150 guests came to the restaurant to have their fill of authentic Indian cuisine – including naan bread, basmati rice, chicken tikka, tandoori chicken, and vegetable sambar.

The Anadas were delighted that so many people came to the menu tasting, and were thrilled by the support they’ve been receiving from the Charleston community. “I’m so excited,” said Meena Anada. “Everything looks so pretty and everyone is saying that the food is really tasty.”

The couple has received help from East End Main Street, a nonprofit organization spearheaded by the Charleston Area Alliance. The organization provided the Anadas with signage and free interior design assistance.

For their complete menu, visit Little India’s website at littleindiawv.com.

A restaurant during the day and a gay-friendly bar at night, Union Square serves gourmet sandwiches, soups, appetizers, salads, side dishes, desserts and beverages along with classic old time favorites. Union Square also accept call-in orders for deliveries and take out.

The bar is hopping every night, with Women’s Wednesdays starting at 4pm. Female patrons can enjoy $12 Yuengling, Bud Light, & Miller Light Buckets, $5 Made to Order Pita Pizza and $3 Sangria.

The Union Square is the sole holder of the license to publicly show the Rocky Horror Picture Show in the region. Screening of the movie is every third Sunday of the month, starting on August 21, 2010 at 11pm. Riffraff passes are available for $15, which includes unlimited popcorn, cotton candy, soda, and alcohol. A prize will also be given to the person wearing the best costume on movie night.

Union Square
703 Brawley Walkway (Fife St)
Charleston, WV, 25301-2201
Phone: (304)205-7848
Fax: (304) 205-0798
Website: www.unionsquarecharleston.com

Hours:
Monday: 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
Tuesday – Thursday: 11:00 am – 2:00 am
Friday: 11:00 am – 3:00 am
Saturday: 4:00 pm – 3:00 am
Sunday: 4:00 pm – 12:00 am

Hamburgers, hotdogs and other homecooked dishes like baked steak and spaghetti are in the offer, with special dishes available only on certain days of the week. The restaurant is open from 10am to 8pm, Mondays to Saturdays. The restaurant is closed on Sundays.

Behind the Mound is located at 244 7th Avenue in South Charleston, WV.