Huntington is home to a few Gino's locations, and the most recent one I tried is on Washington Avenue. This spot, unlike many, is stand-alone restaurant without a connection to a Tudor's.
The Huntington locations have some slightly different options, as they have a different owner. So, I always enjoy trying something I don't always see - like this chicken parmesan. It is pretty much the homestyle spaghetti with lots of mozzarella and chicken bits sprinkled on top. I wouldn't have hated a giant breaded chicken cutlet, but it was still a not bad and filling meal. Some chunks of peppers and onions makes the sauce feel homemade, and anything covered in cheese can't be too bad.
Grade: B
I think Sushi Garden is a hidden gem in the area. 
The popular Capitol Market vendor also has a stand-alone location in Cross Lanes, where they serve their delicious sushi, as well as ramen, teriyaki and more. 
The restaurant itself is small, intimate. There is only room for a few tables. A large sushi menu adorns two dry-erase boards and includes inventive rolls with tasty combinations.
I went all out and ordered shoyu seafood ramen first. A huge contributing factor in this choice was the fish cake - that beautiful little pink swirled guy. I don't know why, but I just love them. It also had shrimp, bamboo shoots, green onion, seaweed and chashu - or Japanese braised pork belly. I didn't love the broth - a bit fishy (duh) - but I loved every single ingredient.
On the sushi side, I went for a roll with crab, cream cheese, tempura batter, masago, and scallions - just a few of my favorite things. Lots of different fresh flavors and textures - no simple, straightforward roll this visit.
What's your favorite order here?
Grade: A
Uncle Bill's Pub & Grill is not a restaurant I hear come up in conversation often. Maybe it's because they're more of a sports bar that caters to a regular crowd.
The restaurant is set back a bit off the main road in Barboursville and is adorned with flags flying outside.
Inside, the walls are red, there are 18 beers on top, 8 big screen TVs, darts and a small menu. They have specials on a chalkboard, which definitely caught my attention.
I ordered some "Bill's Balls," which are round dough balls stuffed with a filling. Ham, Italian, reuben, cheese and buffalo are all available.
I went with cheese, and they were pretty good - I don't think you can go wrong with dough, cheese and marinara. But I do love getting the slight crisp paired with the cheese before being dipped into the marinara. That arrangement really does change the flavors.
I also had the meatballs, which has that "from the freezer section" flavor and texture - not my favorite. The pretzel bites in cheese weren't bad, though. I think it's fairly on par for what I'd expect from a bar and grill - though I do think the "balls" are a bit more fun.
Grade: B
While I love all food and new food, Italian food has a special place in my heart - or tummy. It's comfort food - and is especially comforting in cold temperatures.
Unfortunately - or maybe fortunately - I've tried all the Italian restaurants nearby. But I was in the mood for a new place, so I ventured just across the border into Gallipolis, Ohio, to dine at Tuscany's.
Tuscany's is a sister restaurant to Fratelli's in Barboursville. The branding is similar, and the menu items are similar, too. My goal was to find the richest, most indulgent dish, and I landed on the lobster and shrimp ravioli: ravioli stuffed with shrimp and lobster tail, blended with ricotta, romano, parmesan cheese, Italian herbs and spices, and topped with a blend of their creamy lobster bisque and their signature alfredo sauce.
First, though, I had some simple breadsticks. They are pretty thing and just lightly dusted with parmesan. Not a ton of flavor, but something to whet your appetite.
Then, a simple salad was served. Some crunchy lettuce, slivers of red onion, tomatoes, a few croutons and a side of French dressing for me.
Finally, that entree. It may not photograph beautifully, but it tastes great. The lobster meat gives a slight sweetness to a heavy, rich creamy sauce. It is all comfort in one bite. Some more herbs could have added some brightness, but the flavor was still great.
Grade: A
In terms of unique locations, the Fly In Cafe in Huntington ranks pretty highly. There aren't many places you can enjoy a drink or dinner and watch skydivers land nearby.
The restaurant is situated on the Robert Newlon Airpark, so the name of the restaurant draws on that feature and the fact that you may catch a glimpse of small aircraft taking off or landing.
After a bit of an adventure to find the restaurant, I walked inside to discover World War II and aviation memorabilia decorating the walls, the ceiling painted like the sky and small toy planes hanging above my head.
The menu has some cute headings like "take-offs" and "parachute parts." There is a good bit of seafood on the menu, like fried oysters, peel & eat shrimp, crab cakes and more.
I ordered the coconut shrimp with a side of carrots and fried green tomatoes. A bit random, but that's my doing - I love all these things, so why not together?
The coconut shrimp had shreds of coconut in the breading, but it wasn't enough to combat the oily flavor of the fryer. They were just a bit over-fried, over oily, and a sauce would be nice to help cut through some of it. The carrots did provide a bit of a sweet solace.
Grade: B
Baked - Craft Wings in Hurricane has been a long time coming. The sign has been up for some time, but the "open" sign metaphorically finally turned on within the last couple weeks.
Located in the Mid Valley Square area, the restaurant has plenty of parking and is sandwiched between other local favorites Whiskey Taco and Hiro.
Baked - Craft Wings kind of reminds me of a quick-service restaurant you might find in a marketplace or student union. It has a simplistic, but industrial feel with just a few pieces of artwork and those trendy slat back side chairs that are everywhere now.
The menu is very straightforward: wings, tenders, sandwiches and waffle fries. That's it. But they do mix it up with the sauces: buffalo, spicy buffalo, bbq, spicy bbq, garlic parmesan, buffalo parmesan, tangy gold, lemon pepper, mango habanero and sweet chili.
I went with a chicken sandwich - which was really just two tenders on bread with pickle - as well as waffle fries. I also ordered sides of garlic parmesan, baked sauce, sweet chili and tangy gold.
The chicken was on the well-done side, but that's better than the alternative. Their baked sauce is like a mayo/ketchup mix that was my favorite of the bunch. The others were pretty thin for a dipping sauce and instead probably make sense for a sauce on the wings. The waffle fries were OK - I actually wish they were crispier. Overall, not bad. Straightforward. If you're looking for a simple tender, this could be your place.
Grade: B
Are you as tired of Gino's as I am? Don't get me wrong, sometimes the calzones just hit the spot. But after trying to hit up all the Gino's locations over the past year, I can only have so many sandwiches or pizza.
On this particular day in Ansted, the ham sandwich caught my attention. It has ham, provolone, mozzarella, lettuce, tomato, sweet onion and mayo.
Overall, it was an OK sandwich. I really dislike when the large core chunks of lettuce are added in - it makes the sandwich a bit unwieldy to eat and waters down things. It was a bit haphazard in general, but still an average ham sandwich.
Grade: B
China House in Huntington is a bit nondescript, aside from the large letters outside the strip mall space.
They offer a buffet, but I went ahead and placed a to-go order while passing through the area.
I ordered a whole bunch of things to try - let's check them out.
They were out of the "chicken balls," which I was excited to try. But, the other things were all pretty tasty.
Thankfully, my boyfriend helped me finish off these items.
The eggroll was pretty average - a lot of filler, not a ton of flavor. Lots of cabbage.
The honey chicken - one of my favs - was a bit chewier than my preference, but the sauce was sweet and a bit tangy.
The crab cheese rangoons were good - a bit lighter in color than typical. Not a deep rich, golden fried color.
Finally, we had lobster fried rice. I really enjoy a fresh fried rice, but often when ordering it, it's fried in old oil and just permeates the entire dish. This was somewhere inbetween that. Not bad, but a bit heavy on the oil flavor.
Grade: B
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