Review: Richwood Grill, Morgantown, WV

So my nephew had surgery Friday, and Haley and I were on our own in Morgantown, without Mindy and Jeff. We headed, as we often do, to Richwood Grill.

We know about Richwood because a.) Morgantown is a small town, and b.) we know the owners. There are several other places to go for a nice evening out in Morgantown, but not if you really want local, organic, sustainable type food. For example, one night Haley and I went to Cafe Bacchus. The special was lamb, and I LOVE lamb. So I said to the server, "hey, where does the lamb come from?" His response, "you know, from sheep." True story. Back to Richwood...the chef told us last night that he's only doing Atlantic seafood, to get stuff that's as close as possible. And, you can always catch him at the farmer's market (when it's happening) gathering up stuff for the restaurant. So good deal.

We usually wear jeans to Richwood, which is totally fine. Some folks dress up more, and that's fine too. Everybody fits in fine. It's not at all stuffy.

Ambiance is always nice. Dark, but not too dark. Interesting local art to view. The chiminea on the deck was lit, and looked real cozy. The restaurant was plenty warm last night, and it was SO cold outside. I don't know about you, but there's nothing I dislike more than freezing my arse off in a restaurant.

We didn't have a reservation, and a reservation isn't required at Richwood. There wasn't a wait last night, and there usually isn't. However, the restaurant can get pretty full.

I don't know if I'd say Richwood is kid-friendly. I'd say yes, because it's pretty laid back, but I'd say no because there is no kids' menu.

Service is always good, very friendly staff. No snobbery here (I really can't handle snobbery). No long waits for food, or anything unreasonable. If there's ever a wait for food, it's usually a pleasant one because they play great music, and it's a nice place to just relax and sip a drink.

On to the chow. Last night was a special menu, the Rum and Chocolate Dinner. However, the regular menu at Richwood Grill changes with the season, and really has something for everyone...excellent grass-fed beef, vegetarian dishes (Spring Creek tofu), sustainable seafood, etc.

The wine at Richwood is never a disappointment. They offered a flight of three rums with the Rum and Chocolate dinner, so I didn't have wine last night. The rums were very good with the meal, they were all easy to sip. Now I don't know much about rum, or any other booze for that matter, but I always trust Richwood to have great pairings. So far, I have never been disappointed. (And if you're wondering, I did not end up with a buzz after drinking three shots of rum with dinner, so that's nothing to worry about. Although I should also mention that I wasn't driving last night.) If you do know a lot about booze, (scotch, tequilla, whatever), Richwood Grill has an extensive menu and I'm sure that the chef would be more than happy to gab about it with you.

There was bread with the meal last night, and it was brushcetta (more like crostini) with a not-too-sweet chocolate on top. We both got a plate with three pieces. It was tasty.

The salad was mixed greens with grape tomatoes and goat cheese from Firefly Farms, topped with a balsamic dressing with a touch of cocoa. I liked it as well (although I'm not a huge fan of the spring mix), thought it was very fresh. I especially liked the taste of the dressing and the tomatoes together.

The entree was really good...free range pork (a loin chop) with a cocoa rub and sauce that was super tasty. The rice on the side had some herbs that made it match up really well with the pork. There was also some nice looking broccoli on the plate, but that went into my go box. (I almost always end up with a go box...the portions are pretty generous.)

I think that the dessert was my favorite course...a poached pear on top of a white chocolate chestnut mole. It was sweet, but not too sweet, the pear was still a little crispy, and the mole had a nice texture and an amazing taste. The rum seemed to be a little lighter and less sweet than the first two, which was a good thing.


The folks at Richwood really do a good job with local, organic, sustainable. But I know that because I gab with chef. People who don't might not get a great feel for what Richwood Grill is doing. Plus, Richwood Grill doesn't advertise a ton.

I thought the price for the four course meal was completely reasonable. It was $35 without the rum flight, and $50 with the rum flight. (I also wanted to mention something else here...Haley and I both usually only eat out once a week, which makes meals in this price range more doable.)

Will definitely go back. Looking forward to the Valentine's Day Dinner! If you're in Morgantown and haven't tried Richwood Grill, check it out. Same if you're just passing through.

Going to DC to pick up a painting (I'm the one with no kids and hence no college funds to save for) from some friends of mine. So, stay tuned for a review of Restaurant Nora. We're also going to Coppi's Organic, a pizzeria in DC and we'll talk about that.