Featured Restaurant: Chico’s Fat

By Rachel Davis

In the land of pizza and wings that is Morgantown, it’s difficult to find a restaurant that’s truly unique, both in the food it serves and its entire approach to serving food. Luckily, about a year ago, a new restaurant came to Morgantown looking to shake things up. Todd Perry started Chico’s Fat because, he says, “It was something Morgantown needed, I think it’s always needed.”

Perry, a former WVU student, got his inspiration from the authentic Mexican Taquerias he ate at while living in California. When he returned to Morgantown, Perry originally intended to open up a BBQ restaurant, but the location he found on High Street was too small for BBQ, and perfect for a Taqueria, and thus, Chico’s Fat began.

Perry draws on his experiences growing up cooking with his mother and grandmother, as well as his passion for food, to master the authentic dishes he’s created for Chico’s Fat. He also gained some experience cooking Mexican food while living in California. “I chatted up a lot of old Mexican ladies, asking them specifically how they do it,” said Perry.

\His devotion to preparing excellent food comes through in the fresh-made ingredients that go into every dish. All of the sauces, salsas, and meats are made fresh – the only ingredients purchased pre-made are the cheese and the sour cream. Dishes to try include anything with the El Pastor Marinated Pork, and the Fish Tacos, which are personal favorites of Perry.

In addition to excellent food, Perry and his crew strive to create a welcoming and comfortable environment for their customers. The interior of the restaurant is designed with bright colors to reflect the look and feel of Southern Californian décor. The booths were inspired by the interior of Perry’s brother’s 1972 Corvette, and the bright orange walls by the color of Perry’s living room in California. The desired effect is to bring life, fun, and imagination into the restaurant and combine those feelings with new and interesting smells and tastes. Perry says that he wants his customers “to feel more alive, I want it to be fun, I want there to be things conducive to people feeling immediately what’s going on in their space.”

In the future, Perry hopes to start a BBQ restaurant, and possibly expand Chico’s fat to a taco truck to bring his recipes across town, but for now, the focus is on providing excellent Mexican food for Morgantown, and providing an example for other restaurants in the area of how food can be done a little differently on High Street.