Last Thursday we celebrated Dan's birthday with a day trip to Sutton, West Virginia. We took the canoe out on Sutton Lake for the afternoon, then we ate a fantastic meal at Café Cimino Country Inn, a fine Italian restaurant and bed & breakfast owned and operated by lifelong family friends Tim and Melody Urbanic.

The Inn overlooks the Elk River at the end of Sutton's quiet, historic main street. The Urbanics have restored the three-story mansion and surrounding buildings and grounds to create 10 guest rooms, dining rooms on the ground floor of the main house, an innkeeper's residence on the top floor, an outdoor terrace and patio, and a tapas bar overlooking the river. Tim specializes in the Southern Italian cuisine he learned from his Italian immigrant grandparents, the Ciminos. His son Eli, the restaurant's Executive Sous Chef, lives on the family farm, where he grows organic herbs, vegetables, and shiitake mushrooms for use at the restaurant. The Urbanics purchase and serve local West Virginia foods whenever possible, and they ascribe to the Slow Food movement's principles of freshness, quality, and pleasure in eating. Dining at Café Cimino is an experience that engages all your senses.

Dan and I enjoyed an incredible meal there on Thursday evening. The thoughtfully selected wine list includes something for everyone, including West Virginia wines for the locavore's palate. Eli recommended the antipasto platter for starters, and of course we were eager to follow his advice. An assortment of olives, cheeses, fresh-baked focaccia with basil pesto, Caprese salad, and West Virginia bourbon-smoked trout started us off richly. For the main course Dan chose the yellow-fin tuna filet (not exactly local, but delicious) with gorgonzola sauce over pasta. I chose one of the evening's specials, pan-seared West Virginia trout with basil pesto served with polenta and fresh vegetables. I can honestly say that it was one of the best pieces of fish I have ever eaten in my life. For dessert, our very competent waiter served Dan a special birthday slice of cheesecake with chocolate sauce, complete with a candle and "Happy Birthday" written in icing. I scored the very last crème brulee available that evening. Sweeeeet!

The Urbanics are strong supporters of sustainable agriculture, and they are regional leaders in offering farm-raised, locally grown, and artisan-made foods. If you're looking for a truly memorable dining experience or a luxurious weekend getaway in Central West Virginia, look no further than Café Cimino Country Inn.