Which came first: the chicken or the egg?
At Hart Kitchen in Clarksburg, it’s the “Deviled Eggs of the Moment” first as an appetizer and then the “Oven Roasted Half Chicken with pan sauce, herbs, roasted vegetables and mashed potatoes” second as an entree.
The deviled eggs, which are hard-boiled eggs that often have the yolk mixed with spicy or zesty ingredients like mustard or red pepper, have become a crowd-favorite at the three-year-old restaurant.
“At Hart Kitchen, we change our deviled eggs about every quarter. Never the same egg twice. Yet..,” said Chef Ann Hart, owner of Hart Kitchen.
“One thing I do like to do to my egg is gussy it up,” Hart said. “Keep the bottom classic egg the same but mix up the toppings. I am not even going to suggest you change your recipe to mine but go ahead and come up with your own combo to top your egg!”
Some suggestions from Hart on how to do just that include:
- Buffalo chicken, celery and blue cheese
- Tortilla sliver, jalapeno slice and cheddar
- Caprese with tomato, fresh mozzarella and basil
- Pickled egg with pickled vegetables
- Benedict style with ham, chilled hollandaise, paprika and buttered crumb
- Steak and eggs
“If you are a deviled egg aficionado, you are not shy to let everyone know that your deviled egg is better than anybody’s deviled egg. Repeatedly! Oh, you know that person. I have been told by ‘those people’ that mine are a preeeeeetty close second. I’ll take that consolation prize,” she said.
In addition to the popular deviled eggs, the restaurant serves a number of New American dishes that are both locally and globally inspired.
There is the French-Canadian classic poutine with fries, gravy and cheese curds and warmed pimento cheese dip with housemade crackers.
There’s also a basket of beer steamed Gulf “peel and eat” shrimp served with New England butter, grilled lemon aioli and cocktail sauce. Or try Michael’s Famous Pixie Dust Chicken Wings, which consist of nine large house wings served with bleu cheese and veggie sticks.
The house burger is made up of a custom blend of short rib and ground chuck, cooked to order on a housemade potato bun. Top it with horseradish cheddar or bleu cheese, smoked bacon, cider-braised onions, bourbon mushrooms and tomato jam, if you’d like.
On the side, there are skinny fries, which are adorned with two dips of your choice: English Mustard Mayo, Green Goddess, Bleu Cheese, Calabrian Chili Aioli, Roasted Red Pepper Soup Dip, or Regular Ketchup.
And then there’s the red pepper soup itself. This soup precedes Hart Kitchen and has fans nationwide. That’s because it was a best-seller for more than a decade at Provence Market Cafe, Hart’s previous restaurant.
Provence Market Cafe was a beloved North-Central West Virginia restaurant that achieved the “Award of Excellence” by Wine Spectator Magazine, “New Business of the Year” by the Harrison County Chamber of Commerce, and one of “55 Good Things about West Virginia” from The State Journal, among others, during its nearly two-decade-long tenure.
Then, in 2019, a devastating fire destroyed the building. But, just a year later, Hart opened Hart Kitchen Eatery in Clarksburg with many of the same recipes customers had come to love, as well as Hart Kitchen Cookery, where she offers culinary classes for small groups.
“The most exciting aspect to this career is the day to day challenge as no day is ever the same – no ‘Groundhog Day’ in this business,” Hart said.
For more information about Hart Kitchen Eatery and Cookery, visit https://hartkitchen.com/.
