When I asked friends who live in Cabell County for restaurant recommendations in downtown Huntington, they in turn plied me with questions. What kind of food did I want? Was atmosphere important? What was my price range?
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. -- When I asked friends who live in Cabell County for restaurant recommendations in downtown Huntington, they in turn plied me with questions. What kind of food did I want? Was atmosphere important? What was my price range?
All legitimate questions. They supplied me with a list of some of their favorites, both fancy and casual, and others that are considered of note by the locals. All are unique Huntington establishments and all are downtown.
And before my phone starts ringing, this list is not intended to be comprehensive. Many fine establishments are not on the list. These are just the names that I most frequently hear mentioned and plan to try when I'm in Huntington.
So, with some trepidation, I present the list:
Huntington Prime
910 Fourth Ave.
Huntington Prime offers global and regional cuisine using as many local products as possible. Executive chef and owner Michael Bowe's menu features his signature prime rib served in the intimate dining room on the first floor of an historic building. Pizzas are baked in the dining room's stone hearth oven.
The meats in pork belly with smoked Gouda grits and a slow roasted pork chop with a cracked pepper gravy both come from Mason County. Rainbow trout and lamb shanks are West Virginia products as well. Entrees are paired with classic and creative sides and chef-suggested wines.
Soups, sandwiches and salads are served for lunch.
Dinner prices range from $11 pizzas to nearly $30 lamb shanks or filets or steaks.
Hours: Lunch served 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. Dinner served 4 to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Sunday brunch from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Call 304-697-1113 or visit huntingtonprime.com.
The Thai House
912 3rd Ave
The Thai House, previously a small Dunbar establishment, offers authentic Thai cuisine in bright, airy space in Pullman Square. A variety of curry dishes, noodle and fried rice dishes include lots of vegetables and chicken, beef, duck, pork or seafood, all prepared to the customer's preferred degree of spiciness.
No garden-variety soups and salad here. Instead, Thai seasoned meats and seafood flavor salads and fragrant clear soups. An abbreviated lunch menu features $7 entrees or a $3 special of soup or house salad, crab Rangoon and soft drink.
Prices vary from $10 main dish salads to $11 to $14 for curries, entrees, noodles and rice dishes. The menu includes many vegetarian options.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 4 to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday; noon to 9 p.m. Saturday; and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.
Call 304-522-8898 or visit thaihousewv.com.
Savannah's Restaurant
1208 Sixth Ave.
Inspired by their building's southern charm, the owners chose Savannah's as a name for the elegant, intimate restaurant they opened in an historic house in 1996. Chef Matt Parkins' New Zealand rack of lamb and his generous crab cakes are particular favorites. Pork, steak, veal, chicken, seafood and pasta dishes are seasoned with 20 herbs grown on site.
An impressive wine list of nearly 400 bottles has earned Savannah's a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence every year since 1999.
Small bites and tapas are served in the casual Bistro next door. Dinner service is also available in the Bistro.
Entrée prices vary from about $20 for chicken saltimbocca or pasta Bolognese to about $40 for elk rib chops, filets, steaks and herb and pepper crusted Ahi tuna.
Savannah's opens at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The Bistro opens at 5 p.m. Closed Sunday and Monday.
Call 304-529-0919 or visit savannahsmenu.com.
21 At The Frederick
940 4th Ave
Housed in the historic Frederick Hotel in the space formerly known as the Elephant Walk, 21 At The Frederick retains some of the elephant décor from its mid-20th century years.
Executive chef Jason Oesterreicher creates French/Mediterranean fusions dishes such as a hand-seared center cut filet topped with braised chanterelle mushrooms and seared Chilean sea bass served with Asian stir-fried vegetables and finished with a Thai chile glaze.
Dinners start at about $20 and range to $40 for an Ancho-rubbed prime cut of New York strip steak.
Hours: 2 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 2 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Closed on Sunday and Monday.
Call 304-529-0222 or visit 21 at the Frederick on Facebook.
Third & Ninth Deli-Market and Paula Vega cupcakes
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. -- When I asked friends who live in Cabell County for restaurant recommendations in downtown Huntington, they in turn plied me with questions. What kind of food did I want? Was atmosphere important? What was my price range?
All legitimate questions. They supplied me with a list of some of their favorites, both fancy and casual, and others that are considered of note by the locals. All are unique Huntington establishments and all are downtown.
And before my phone starts ringing, this list is not intended to be comprehensive. Many fine establishments are not on the list. These are just the names that I most frequently hear mentioned and plan to try when I'm in Huntington.
So, with some trepidation, I present the list:
Huntington Prime
910 Fourth Ave.
Huntington Prime offers global and regional cuisine using as many local products as possible. Executive chef and owner Michael Bowe's menu features his signature prime rib served in the intimate dining room on the first floor of an historic building. Pizzas are baked in the dining room's stone hearth oven.
The meats in pork belly with smoked Gouda grits and a slow roasted pork chop with a cracked pepper gravy both come from Mason County. Rainbow trout and lamb shanks are West Virginia products as well. Entrees are paired with classic and creative sides and chef-suggested wines.
Soups, sandwiches and salads are served for lunch.
Dinner prices range from $11 pizzas to nearly $30 lamb shanks or filets or steaks.
Hours: Lunch served 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. Dinner served 4 to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Sunday brunch from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Call 304-697-1113 or visit huntingtonprime.com.
The Thai House
912 3rd Ave
The Thai House, previously a small Dunbar establishment, offers authentic Thai cuisine in bright, airy space in Pullman Square. A variety of curry dishes, noodle and fried rice dishes include lots of vegetables and chicken, beef, duck, pork or seafood, all prepared to the customer's preferred degree of spiciness.
No garden-variety soups and salad here. Instead, Thai seasoned meats and seafood flavor salads and fragrant clear soups. An abbreviated lunch menu features $7 entrees or a $3 special of soup or house salad, crab Rangoon and soft drink.
Prices vary from $10 main dish salads to $11 to $14 for curries, entrees, noodles and rice dishes. The menu includes many vegetarian options.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 4 to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday; noon to 9 p.m. Saturday; and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.
Call 304-522-8898 or visit thaihousewv.com.
Savannah's Restaurant
1208 Sixth Ave.
Inspired by their building's southern charm, the owners chose Savannah's as a name for the elegant, intimate restaurant they opened in an historic house in 1996. Chef Matt Parkins' New Zealand rack of lamb and his generous crab cakes are particular favorites. Pork, steak, veal, chicken, seafood and pasta dishes are seasoned with 20 herbs grown on site.
An impressive wine list of nearly 400 bottles has earned Savannah's a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence every year since 1999.
Small bites and tapas are served in the casual Bistro next door. Dinner service is also available in the Bistro.
Entrée prices vary from about $20 for chicken saltimbocca or pasta Bolognese to about $40 for elk rib chops, filets, steaks and herb and pepper crusted Ahi tuna.
Savannah's opens at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The Bistro opens at 5 p.m. Closed Sunday and Monday.
Call 304-529-0919 or visit savannahsmenu.com.
21 At The Frederick
940 4th Ave
Housed in the historic Frederick Hotel in the space formerly known as the Elephant Walk, 21 At The Frederick retains some of the elephant décor from its mid-20th century years.
Executive chef Jason Oesterreicher creates French/Mediterranean fusions dishes such as a hand-seared center cut filet topped with braised chanterelle mushrooms and seared Chilean sea bass served with Asian stir-fried vegetables and finished with a Thai chile glaze.
Dinners start at about $20 and range to $40 for an Ancho-rubbed prime cut of New York strip steak.
Hours: 2 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 2 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Closed on Sunday and Monday.
Call 304-529-0222 or visit 21 at the Frederick on Facebook.
Third & Ninth Deli-Market and Paula Vega cupcakes
905 Third Ave.
The deli's Caprese melt of tomato slices, mozzarella cheese and pesto basil is a customer favorite at Third & Ninth Deli-Market, where salads and traditional New York style deli sandwiches dominate the menu. Served in an open, slightly industrial-feeling space, both lunch and breakfast menus offer healthy alternatives to overstuffed sandwiches, bagels French toast casserole and corned beef, hash and eggs.
Most salads and sandwiches are priced at $5 or $6.
Third & Ninth is open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Paula Vega sells her imaginative cupcake confections from a bakery case tucked into the corner of the deli. Filled cupcakes come in combinations like lemon blueberry, Italian cream, red velvet, white chocolate raspberry, strawberry shortcake and chocolate caramel turtle. The rotating flavor selection usually includes five to six varieties daily, and always a vanilla and a chocolate selection. Cupcakes cost $2.25.
The cupcake counter is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Call 304-781-3354 or visit thirdandninith.com.
Call 304-972-2253 or visit paulavegacakes.com.
Jewel City Seafood
1317 4th Ave.
A Huntington icon, Jewel City Seafood's motto is "If it swims or crawls, we've got it all." The restaurant dishes up all things from the sea in the casual, blue vinyl tablecloth-clad dining room. The specialty of the house is Joe's Famous Fried White Fish, served as either an entrée or sandwich. Most of the extensive selection of fish is available fried, grilled, baked or blackened. Shrimp, fish, oyster and crab cake po' boys and sandwiches are served on French rolls.
Alaskan King, Dungeness, snow and soft shell crabs join lobster tails on higher end menu, priced between $10 and $25. Most seafood entrees cost between $9 and $14. Down home side dishes like parsley potatoes, collard greens, red beans and rice, fried okra join the traditional fries, potato salad and coleslaw. Seafood soups and salads range from $4 to $9. Naturally, hushpuppies come with every meal.
Fresh, uncooked seafood is sold by the pound for take out.
Jewel City Seafood is open from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Closed Sunday.
Call 304-529-7961 or visit jewelcityseafood.com.
Jim's Steak & Spaghetti House
929 Fifth Ave.
At Jim's, another long-time Huntington favorite, the servers all wear old-fashioned white waitress uniforms and serve meat and marinara sauce made from the same recipe original owner Jim Tweel used in the 1950s. The walls are lined with photos of dignitaries and famous people who have dined at Jim's, probably on the crispy fried haddock, cheeseburgers, spaghetti or pan-fried steak. People rave about the cream pies, especially coconut.
Prices range from about $6 for sandwiches to $12 for entrees. Important note: Jim's does not accept credit or debit cards.
Jim's is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Closed on Sunday and Monday.
Call 304-696-9788.
Chili Willi's
1314 Fourth Ave.
The casual Tex Mex restaurant's oversized menu includes chilis (red, verde and Southwest turkey), fajitas, tacos, burritos, quesadillas, enchiladas, sandwiches, wraps, salads and wood-grilled pizzas. Chile rellenos with cheese, huevos rancheros stack (tortillas covered with chicken, beans, fried egg, salsa and cheese) and fried chicken flautas are specialties of the house.
Patrons wash it all down with a wide range of flavored margaritas, sangria, beer wine or soft drinks.
Prices range from about $7 to $15.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, noon to 10 p.m. Sunday.
Call 304-529-4857 or visit chiliwilli.com
Taste of Asia
821 Third Ave.
The hibachi steakhouse and grill features an extensive menu of Japanese, Chinese and Thai cuisine and sushi. Dishes are prepared at tableside grills by Hibachi chefs and showmen. Menu features Asian soups, salads, noodles, fried rice, curries, maki rolls, sushi, sashimi and Hibachi platters.
Prices range from about $10 to $25 for entrees.
Hours: 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday and noon to 9:30 p.m. Sunday.
Call 304-781-2222 or visit tasteofasiahibachi.com.
Reach Julie Robinson at jul...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-1230.
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