Published: July 31, 2009 12:06 am      

TIM PRESTON: Italian, barbecue, barbers and decor 080209

If I had any sense, I would hang onto some of my notes this week and use them for another column next Sunday. Rarely, however, have I been accused of having good sense, so I’m going to try to fit everything in.

After a prolonged fight with “tummy troubles,” I’m having too much fun getting out and eating things that had been on the no-no list (such as anything Italian or spicy or with a lot of meat) in recent days. We had a busy afternoon in the newsroom last week and lunch wasn’t an easy option, so I was really happy when someone pulled out a menu for Belle Fonte Italian Restaurant, 1320 Carter Ave., Ashland and we called in an order.

I had their pepperoni calzone, and loved it. The thing was so big I had to put half of it in the office refrigerator because I couldn’t eat it all. At the end of the day Friday, it was still in storage as I left the office and I’ll admit I thought about it sitting there all lonely and cold all weekend. Belle Fonte’s menu includes several other things I suspect will make for excellent lunches in the days ahead. For information or to place an order, call (606) 920-7682.

Good sauce

One of the highlights of my Summer Motion 2009 was a chance to sit in the grass at Central Park and enjoy a sample of Andy’s Barbecue. I know a lot of people who don’t hesitate to say Andy’s has their favorite local barbecue, but it had been a bit of a mystery to me. My only previous taste of Andy’s brand of slow roasted pork and sauce came last year when we had a group of local coaches in the office, and they left a few scraps behind.

The folks at Andy’s Barbecue have teamed up with the staff at My Dad’s Pizzaria, 635 Bellefonte Road in Flatwoods, and reports indicate they have an excellent buffet. For more information or to place an order call, (606) 836-8165.

New barber

I had been trying to find a telephone number for Chester Stallard at Chester’s Broadway Barber Shop after someone slipped me a note about the new barber working at the shop.

I gave up looking for the number and walked to the shop near the corner of 16th Street and Greenup Avenue and found the new guy working in the window. He is Melvin Ward of South Point, who recently relocated to this area from Murfreesboro, N.C.

Ward called me the day after I stopped by the barber shop and asked if I would include his parents’ names in whatever I was writing. The request made me like the guy even more. He is the son of Betty Ward of Murfreesboro, N.C., and the late Melvin Ward Sr.

Chester said there’s no mystery about the phone number at the shop — there is no phone there. The shop, which is furnished with a great bit of antique oak and marble fixtures, provides what Ward called “good old-fashioned haircuts” to clients as they walk in or wait their turn.

Stallard said he hired Ward fresh from barber college because “he is good, honest and hard-working.”

For more information, stop by Chester’s Broadway Barber Shop and have a seat.

Patsy’s

I had noticed people working at a shop on 16th Street in recent weeks and walked by this week to find the shop full of stuff and open for business. Patsy Lentz is now operating Patsy’s, featuring furniture, gifts and accessories along with decorating and design services at 240 16th St., Ashland.

Lentz, who is a strong believer in old-fashioned customer service, has stocked the place with items you’re not likely to find in another local shop. Gift items include kaleidoscopes made by local artist Cathy Painter, along with things like diffusers, tea towels and throw pillows.

“It is more designer-oriented,” Lentz said as she explained her approach to business, which includes offering items on either end of the price scale. “It is kind of like a lifestyle store.”

It’s a place full of things you might expect to find “out of town.” Or, as I told Lentz on my way out, it’s the kind of place I hope my wife never finds.

Patsy’s is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and at other times by appointment. For more information, call (606) 324-1228.

Big box

Local developer Steve Blair was proud to announce this week that Magic Mart will soon open in the 95,000 square-foot space formerly occupied by Ames at Liberty Square in Teays Valley, W.Va., at the intersection of Interstate 64 and W.Va. 34.

In a time when few companies are looking for such large spaces, this is a notable deal even if it is several miles down the road from Boyd County.

The new Magic Mart will feature branded fashions for men, ladies and children in addition to family shoes. The store will also carry casual foods, health aids, stationery, electronics, housewares, toys, sporting goods and automotive items as well as furniture and rug departments.

The store is expected to announce job opportunities in the near future. For more information about Magic Mart, with stores in Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee, log onto www.magicmartstores.com. For more information about Liberty Square, contact Steve Blair at (606) 694-1380.

TIM PRESTON can be reached at tpreston@dailyindependent.com or at (606) 326-2651.