I remember when "Wings" first opened. It was the talk of the town! A few decades ago,
when Morgantown had more than its fair share of vegetarian restaurants (markets, too),
the establishment became a favorite for bean burritos and salads with
guacamole--good guacamole! (Curiously, their burritos had no meat, but their
"Mexi-rice" was loaded with chunks of chicken breast!) The owners were fitness
enthusiasts, avid joggers, rumor had it, so it was dubbed "the healthy Mexican," and
because of its low prices, which persist to this day, even poor University students could
afford to dine here every time they went downtown. Wings introduced me to
sopapillos and celery or fries with blue cheese, and I’m still a fan of their burritos.
Years ago, when I almost drowned on my Youghiogheny River raft trip, Wings comforted
me on my way home. Still wet after my drive back from Pennsylvania, I felt at home
with a baseball team fresh from the park. In short, it’s a local institution. A success
story, Wings now has three locations and a website: WingsOle.
Since I moved to another WV city not far away, I hadn’t visited Wings in years, but the
Arts and the River Festival lured me back with my bike to try the city’s new trails.
Actually located at a higher level on University Avenue at the foot of the Westover
Bridge, the restaurant has a deck, now with steps down to the riverfront park and
Caperton Trail. After a long ride, I was eager for a reunion. Inside the front door, I
stopped to look at murals: "This is new!" On closer examination, I noticed the artist’s
signature. A friend of mine, David Merrill is as "wild and wonderful" as West Virginia’s
slogan. A painter of coal miners and mountain men, these cowboy scenes were a
diversion for him.
I couldn’t find any change in the menu. Prices even looked about the same. Stepping up
to the counter, I ordered a beef chimi-burrito and Mexirice, and my partner wanted a
chicken fajita, Mexirice, and salad with guacamole--"best salad in town," she insists. The
girl at the counter gave us a number, and we found a table. I don’t consider Wings "fast
food," but one orders at the counter, and then waitresses deliver meals to tables. Service
is fast and impeccable, as the student population supplies fairly alert wait staff, and food
is simply too good and too healthy to think of as "fast." Besides, what fast-food
establishment has O’Douls beer on tap? The only factor relevant to that plebian genre
would be price--under $10 for two people.
At the table, we debated pros and cons of all the restaurants in this town, as we were both
former residents, and decided Wings should be figured among the most unique. Pleasant
decor with plenty of plants and baskets on a high shelf all around the room is rather
"homey." Next time, we’ll try the deck.