Local Eats in the Eastern Panhandle

Jumpin' Java

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Restaurant | "Jiminy Cricket, it’s Jumpin’ Java!"

Storefront Photo - Jumpin' Java, Charles Town, West Virginia

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Jumpin’ Java is difficult to characterize. It’s been a part of our community since 1996, so it’s too established to call "counterculture." Yet it has a hippie-bohemian feel about it. It’s not New Age—much too down-to-earth and practical for that. This little eatery on Charles Town’s West Washington Street seems to define the word eclectic. It’s not really a café or a coffee shop, though no doubt you would have to choose one or the other of these terms for a generic listing. It’s located in the heart of town, "almost" next to the post office and not quite across from the court house.Java fills a vital noshing niche, especially for a town like ours that does not have a Starbucks. It s...Read More

Jumpin’ Java is difficult to characterize. It’s been a part of our community since 1996, so it’s too established to call "counterculture." Yet it has a hippie-bohemian feel about it. It’s not New Age—much too down-to-earth and practical for that. This little eatery on Charles Town’s West Washington Street seems to define the word eclectic. It’s not really a café or a coffee shop, though no doubt you would have to choose one or the other of these terms for a generic listing. It’s located in the heart of town, "almost" next to the post office and not quite across from the court house.

Java fills a vital noshing niche, especially for a town like ours that does not have a Starbucks. It serves lattes and iced chai, bagels and breakfast sandwiches, made-to-order breakfast (within reason), coffees, milkshakes and a variety of iced and hot teas, fruit smoothies made with genuine fruit, sandwiches and wraps, burritos and tacos. It also serves some of the best hummus it has ever been my pleasure to consume.

Himself and Yours Truly have been patronizing Java since shortly after it opened. We were intrigued by the sense of having found our own private time tunnel. It reminded me of hippie dives I had known during my youth in Albuquerque, New Mexico. With local artwork on the walls (some pretty good, some really awful), scores of used books, mismatched seating, and occasional live music, it was a bit of a cultural phenomenon as well as a place to eat. Handouts are available near the counter—some for local businesses and attractions, some for political and social issues close to the hearts of management. The tiny stage is gone now, but you can’t convince me the music won’t return. Jumpin’ Java is just that kind of place. Nothing is set in stone.

The main menu is posted on a series of white boards hung on the wall behind the counter, with the understanding that adjustments to the standard offerings are often possible. Orders are taken at the counter, then delivered to your table. Staff members are friendly, efficient, and down to earth. They can be flippant or sympathetic—depending on their mood and your needs. Staff has an attitude—but in our judgment, not a displeasing one. Their demeanor and appearance, piercings and all, are part of what provides the place with its edge.

Food, of course, is the chief purpose of any eatery. And Java serves good food pleasingly presented—nothing fancy, mind--just attractive, tasty, and inviting. If you want to know where particular ingredients come from, just ask. You’ll get honest answers. Management serves local and organic produce wherever practicable. Bags of organic potato chips are available at the counter. Muffins, baklava, and cookies tempt customers stepping up to the counter to pay their tab.

Patrons are also known to bring along a portion of their meal, then fill the remaining bits off the menu. We recently popped in from a street celebration with cupcakes from our town’s 250th birthday bash. With cupcakes in hand, we ordered iced chai and coffee to go with our goodies. I’ve never witnessed anyone being run off the premises for daring to bring along their own. Nor for that matter, have I ever seen anyone blatantly abuse the courtesy.

Himself and Yours Truly visit Java too seldom to call ourselves regulars. We spread our patronage around. But when we’re looking for just their sort of thing (whatever that means), we’re off to Java for a fix of the desired item. For me, that’s likely to mean a wrap with avocado and hummus and an iced chai. For Himself it’ll probably be a Rueben or the shop’s signature beef sandwich served with coffee or lemonade. Whatever we eat or drink at Java, we’ll enjoy it. And we’ll enjoy the ambiance. It’s that kind of place.

© BawBaw, LovesTravel - 2011 Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on October 22, 2011

Jumpin' Java
109 West Washington Street
Charles Town, West Virginia 25414
304-728-0195

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La Mezzaluna Cafe

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Restaurant | "Authentic Italian in an Unpretentious Space"

Inconspicuous Photo - La Mezzaluna Cafe, Charles Town, West Virginia

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La Mezzaluna Café in Charles Town doesn’t look like much from the outside. The exterior entrance is just one more storefront in a row of similar entrances located in a strip mall. The sign declares simply "Café" and leaves it at that. Once inside, the prospects are more encouraging. This isn’t a fancy restaurant, but it is not without charm. There is a large scenic mural along one wall. Tables and booths maximize the space available without undue crowding. Bottles of Italian wine, assorted vessels containing dry pasta, and small decorative items with a Mediterranean theme are tucked here and there to contribute to a modest sense of mood.The décor aside, the real draw for La Mezzalun...Read More

La Mezzaluna Café in Charles Town doesn’t look like much from the outside. The exterior entrance is just one more storefront in a row of similar entrances located in a strip mall. The sign declares simply "Café" and leaves it at that. Once inside, the prospects are more encouraging. This isn’t a fancy restaurant, but it is not without charm. There is a large scenic mural along one wall. Tables and booths maximize the space available without undue crowding. Bottles of Italian wine, assorted vessels containing dry pasta, and small decorative items with a Mediterranean theme are tucked here and there to contribute to a modest sense of mood.

The décor aside, the real draw for La Mezzaluna has always been the food. Certainly the menu is unexpected. This is Charles Town, West (by gawd) Virginia—a small town with no discernable Italian heritage. A first-timer might well walk in expecting to find spaghetti, lasagna, and possibly veal parmigiana—and you will these at La Mezz. But you will also find such specialties as gnocchi Bolognese, tuna grigliata, agnolotti casalinga, and mellanzane alla parmiagiana. All are made to order and are preceded by garlic bread knots and large bowls of salad full of fresh ingredients. The selection of entrees cover a selection that offers something for about everyone—some with Italian sausage, fish or seafood and some that will satisfy vegetarian tastes.

La Mezz always has a special, which is usually an Italian seafood dish. My favorites are those featuring a white fish and/or scallops with pasta and a white wine sauce. Dishes with variations of these ingredients are offered frequently, and they tend to be my favoritesthe —so I look eagerly at the special board when we enter. Failing a special that tempts me, my favorite offering from the menu is spinach ravioli with a cream sauce. Himself likes the agnolotti casalinga, a halfmoon-shaped pasta rich in black pepper, stuffed with porcini mushrooms, and smothered in a Bolognese sauce. He also likes delizie de mare, which is chock full of scrimp, mussels, clams, and calamari—all smothered in marinara.

Aside from entrees, appetizers and desserts are offered, though we rarely partake of either. Both sections of the menu feature Italian staples, including antepasto freddo and panzanella for the appetizers or tiramisu and cannoli for dessert. We usually end our meal with the restaurant’s excellent brew of Kenya coffee. There is also a children’s menu and a small but reasonably priced wine list.

Our meals at this restaurant are without fail appetizing and well presented. Service is friendly and well paced. La Mezz does not take reservations, so the real wait (particularly on weekends) is to be seated. We have waited for up to an hour and half on a Friday night. Patrons know and understand the drill and are willing to wait anyway—no doubt a resounding testimony to the quality of food.

Prices are entirely reasonable for the quality. Our most recent outing to La Mezz was in honor of my birthday. Each of us indulged in one of our proven favorites, then we shared a bottle of wine and polished off our meal with coffee. The tab came to $60, wine and tip included. Moreover, the wine bottle was still about half full, so thanks to a recent change in the laws in our state, we were able to carry the opened bottle home.

I highly recommend this restaurant. You will have to look long and hard for better authentically Italian meals at a better price.

© BawBaw, LovesTravel, DAnneC - 2011 Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on October 10, 2011

La Mezzaluna Cafe
90 Somerset Blvd.
Charles Town, West Virginia

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Bavarian Inn

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Restaurant | "Dining with Pleasure at the Bavarian Inn"

Potomac at Shepherdstown Photo - Bavarian Inn, Shepherdstown, West Virginia

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Imagine a cluster of Alpine chalets positioned dramatically atop a bluff overlooking the bend of a famous river. Now imagine an elegant restaurant featuring German and American cuisine, all prepared in a kitchen supervised by world-class chefs. Add a casual Rathskeller serving good German beer on tap and accessing the same kitchen for meals. Put all this together, and where are you? Bavaria? Austria? The Swiss Alps? Guess again. You’re at the Bavarian Inn in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, and the river you see below is the Potomac, just a few miles upstream and a world away from Washington, DC. The Bavarian Inn of Shepherdstown has been a fixture...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on February 19, 2009

Bavarian Inn
164 Shepherd Grade Rd
Shepherdstown 25443
(304) 876-2551

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Panorama At the Peak

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Restaurant | "Dining at the Peak"

Potomac River Overlook Photo - Panorama At the Peak, Berkeley Springs, West Virginia

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There is an element of romance associated with Panorama at the Peak. Perched atop the Cacapon ridge in the Appalachian mountains and overlooking the sharp turn of the Potomac in the valley below, the restaurant has a spectacular view. Beyond that, the food is simply good. Well, in point of fact, the food is not all that simple—but more on that later. The view is likely to be what gets a visitor to Panorama at the Peak on a first-time visit--certainly it was for Himself and Yours Truly. Truth to tell, it’s not a view to get tired of or take for granted. So, as likely as not, any visitor during daylight hours will take a few minutes to enjoy the view. Certainly, we have never been temp...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on August 23, 2010

Panorama At the Peak
3299 Cacapon Road
Berkeley Springs, West Virginia 25411
(304) 258-0050

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Casa Gonzalez #2

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Restaurant | "The Chihuahuan Frontier Meets the West Virginia Panhandle"

Casa Gonzalez #2 Photo - Casa Gonzalez #2, Ranson, West Virginia

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Let's face it, good Mexican food isn’t easy to find here in my part of the United States. The usual offerings are either neuvo cuisined or TexMex'ed beyond recognition. Happily for me (and for my tastebuds), Casa Gonzalez #2 in Ranson, WV is an exception. This restaurant’s menu tends toward the Chihuahuan tradition, and in my view, that represents a vast improvement over the options more generally available.Casa Gonzalez #2 is part of a small family-owned chain consisting of three restaurants located in rural Virginia and West Virginia. The food is tasty, the hospitality is genuine, and the margaritas will improve your day--no matter the challenges life may have dealt! Other drinks, spiri...Read More

Let's face it, good Mexican food isn’t easy to find here in my part of the United States. The usual offerings are either neuvo cuisined or TexMex'ed beyond recognition. Happily for me (and for my tastebuds), Casa Gonzalez #2 in Ranson, WV is an exception. This restaurant’s menu tends toward the Chihuahuan tradition, and in my view, that represents a vast improvement over the options more generally available.

Casa Gonzalez #2 is part of a small family-owned chain consisting of three restaurants located in rural Virginia and West Virginia. The food is tasty, the hospitality is genuine, and the margaritas will improve your day--no matter the challenges life may have dealt! Other drinks, spirited and non-spirited, are available, but it is my considered opinion that only margaritas are truly appropriate for evening meals at this good establishment. The folks at Casa Gonzalez offer the usual options for this indispensable beverage--on the rocks or frozen, extra shot of tequila on the side, blue margaritas, and standard margaritas with the house tequila or an upgraded version made with a more expensive brand. Himself and Yours Truly find the house version quite adequate, though we occasionally indulge in the higher priced alternatives. We like our margaritas on the rocks with salt. Yes, we are purists.

Our favorite entrees from the menu offerings are chili rellenos (for me) and steak with mole sauce (for him). The rellenos are made from fleshy medium-sized chilies stuffed with cheese, and the mole consists of a dark and rich sauce served over an inexpensive but tender cut of steak. We're also fond of guacamole with the house tortilla chips. The fresh salsa (basic tomato, chile, and onion with assorted herbs) is mild but satisfying, and the staff will provide a spicier version on request. Despite our affection for the rellenos and the steak, we sometimes dabble in other items, including fajitas, enchiladas, tamales, and even combination platters that include tacos and tequitas. Entrees are generally served with Spanish rice, refried pinto or black beans (your choice), and picante. On the whole, the menu is long enough to offer variety, yet short enough to be managed by a relatively small kitchen. Appetizers, sides, combinations, luncheon portions, entrees, and deserts are all available. For customers who may not be familiar with this particularly cuisine, the menu includes a short directory of terms that will help take the mystery out of ordering.

The décor at Casa Gonzales is simple and unexceptional, consisting of brightly colored paintings, wide-brimmed sombreros, and various bits of bric-o-brac suggesting an origin south of the border. It is an environment in which booths and tables are welcoming and pleasant, but they are by no means fancy. The exterior murals worked in a Southwestern style are unusual for our area, and they help to mitigate the lack of inspiration for the inside of this red brick box of a restaurant. During warm weather, guests may choose to dine on the patio rather than at inside tables.

You'll never mistake Casa Gonzalez #2 for an escapee from the Plaza in Santa Fe. This is a working-class restaurant serving a proletarian cuisine—good peasant food prepared for the American palette while somehow managing to retain its authenticity. When you consider that I'm a snob for "New Mexican cuisine" at its best, that's darn near high praise. A meal for the two of us, plus the guacamole and the margaritas (one each), will typically run $35 to $40 before tip. Not a bad deal, in my opinion. Bottom line: The prices are reasonable, the service is good, and the food has real taste.

In keeping with its working-class character, the Casa Gonzalez chain does not maintain a Web site, and formal reviews are scarce. The restaurant frequented (and I use that word literally) by Himself and Yours Truly is located at 611 North Mildred Street in Ranson, WV. The phone number is (304) 725-1032. Carryout is available on request. Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on November 17, 2009

Casa Gonzalez #2
611 North Mildred Street
Ranson, West Virginia
(304) 725-1032

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