Paw Paws and Spas: A Foodie Road Trip to Berkeley Springs, WV
There’s nothing quite like a road trip on these country roads. Upon invitation from Visit Berkeley Springs, I took a trip to the town of Paw Paw to celebrate North America’s largest native fruit at the second annual West Virginia Pawpaw Festival on September 12. Not only abundant in the region, but the town has an entire park dedicated to this tropical-tasting treat, and its newly annual celebration draws locals and curious foodies alike.
North America’s Largest Fruit is in Appalachia
The pawpaw is found in over 20 states according to the USDA, with the highest concentration in – you guessed it – Appalachia, covering West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia, Ohio, and Kentucky.
August and September marks the short season in WV, but perhaps there are a few days left where you might see pawpaws on the ground. If that’s the case, look up! They are ripe. It’s also why you can’t find them in stores. A ripe pawpaw is a very soft one, which will fall right off the stem and bruise easily. The shelf life doesn’t last long after falling either, all but a few days.
The flavor of the pawpaw is something special. Inside that delicate skin is a soft, creamy flesh textured like a banana. It’s not juicy and is often described as custard-like, but the bite gives a very tropical mango-banana flavor mix.
I first tried pawpaw in a cake last year, and have learned that along with baking, cold recipes like pudding or sorbet are where this fruit thrives if you want to keep it any longer than a few days. Uncle Beehive’s Ice Cream stand at the festival had pawpaw flavor available, and it was knock-out as a dairy dessert.
Festival tasting tickets sell out quickly, so it’s recommended to purchase early next year and head to the tasting area first thing upon arrival. There, you can find several varieties of pawpaws and taste them all. If you love the flavor, there are fruits for sale early on and a vendor had saplings for purchase. I loved to see everyone taking a couple trees back with them!
Since you’ll be headed towards Berkeley Springs State Park, a little spa moment is worth the time in this charming town. Known for its mineral springs and as “America’s First Spa,” I enjoyed time at the main bathhouse and the nearby salt cave experience. Recharged and ready to cap off the day with a great meal, I headed next door to The Vine Trattoria. Newly opened, the meal and service were both delectable!
The Vine’s main dining room features rustic wooden beams, light walls and bright lighting, which I actually love to see my food when I eat, naturally. Despite its newness, the atmosphere was quite inviting and intimate.
We opened dinner with a classic bruschetta, home made toasted bread topped with cherry tomatoes, basil, feta and a punchy drizzle of Balsamic reduction. We complimented the starter with a charcuterie board for two that included a selection of cheeses and cured meats paired with crackers, raspberry jam made in-house, and pickled watermelon.
There was a stand out, spicy piece of meat that I described as a “mushy pepperoni” in my notes, that is now one of my favorites which I must introduce to my foodies reading. It’s called nduja, pronounced en-DOO-ya, and is a spicy, spreadable salami from the Calabria region of Italy. A Google search gives you recipes on how to make a copycat at home without the curing time.
And the main dishes were to die for! The sizzling cowboy steak was melt-in-your-mouth and delivered on a hot skillet by Chef Charlie himself. The 30-day dry aged 24-ounce bone-in steak is seasoned with butter, rosemary, garlic, and thyme, which creates a crispy, delicious crust around that buttery protein. The ultimate comfort dish, the rigatoni included slow-cooked pork sausage and beef, onions and fresh peas with a hint of cream. I was in heaven.
Finally, dessert had me giggling over all the options with my server. The deconstructed tiramisu was so delicious I savored some there and took the rest home with me, and the affogato with decaf espresso is now my go-to sweet end to the night. Although trending on social media right now, it was my first taste of the espresso over gelato, and I must say that it’s trendy for good reason! There weren't any leftovers of that one! Make it yourself with a caramel ice cream for a delightful twist.
I could go on, but The Vine was the treat that made my entire weekend. I recommend taking this little road trip as there is plenty to do around town over a nice weekend with even more I did not have time to cover. The Vine Trattoria restaurant is open Thursday - Monday from 4pm - 9pm. If you’re making it an overnight stay, I recommend a hearty breakfast at Charlotte’s Cafe, which came recommended from my amazing dinner server.
What I carried home wasn’t just a full belly (and a ton of take-out boxes), but a sense of connection to a place I haven’t visited before. From the locals at the pawpaw festival educating us on how to best plant the trees to fruit, to the warm service and recommendations at The Vine Trattoria, this trip reminded me why West Virginia’s people and its food make this place so special. Almost Heaven, indeed.
*The Morgantown Dish originally wrote this article for the Dominion Post. The article has been repurposed digitally for The Morgantown Dish blog.