Carnival food at restaurants seems to be a popular trend lately. There was a Charleston restaurant that opened recently serving this kind of fare, and now Huntington has its own local establishment: Carnival Food Place.



They have all the good stuff: funnel cakes, cotton candy, deep-fried Oreo cookies and other carnival snacks like hot dogs, corn dogs, chili cheese fries and boneless BBQ wings.



The deep-fried Snickers bar was sinfully enticing so I put in an order for that as well as a cheeseburger because life is all about balance, right?



It's hard to say anything bad about a deep fried Snickers. truthfully, I'm not sure that the breading adds a whole lot, but it being warm and gooey makes it even more delicious. it sure was messy and a little misshapen so it's not visually perfect but your taste buds will tell you otherwise. The burger was average. It did not have a ton of flavor or texture. I prefer a hand-pattied, fresh, juicy burger. When I went, though, they were still working out some kinks, so I'd be curious to see how things have changed since.



Grade: C

Have ice cream, will travel. I love some good ice cream, so any time I see a dairy bar, I am inclined to check it out. Such is the case with Dairy Delite in Logan. It's like a local version of Dairy Queen, complete with their own version of blizzards.



My once-in-a-blue-moon treat is a peanut buster parfait, so I went for a peanut fudge "Polar Pete," which has some savory peanut butter and sweet ice cream for a delicious, classic combo. Yes, all day every day.



Grade: A

The mission has been completed. The goal of visiting every single Gino's location in West Virginia has been achieved after my recent dining experience at the Man location. Yes, if you weren't aware, there is a town named Man in West Virginia.



This location was a bit odd, because they were actually preparing to move spaces. So the menu was limited, but there were some options that I hadn't seen elsewhere. Like burgers, for example. So I decided to try just that.



My cheeseburger was on grilled toast, and I had it topped with mayo, ketchup, and onions. It was a bit underwhelming, but not necessarily bad. The burger was OK; the bread was a bit larger than the patty itself; and I may add more toppings next time to kind of fill it out. Not bad, not great. Not too memorable.



Grade: B

Wild & Wonderful BBQ is a food truck that doles out pulled pork, smoked bologna & sausage, and brisket sandwiches in addition to a bevy of sides.



Based in Huntington, the truck can be found at events locally. I visited them to get my hands on some grub. First things first, I ordered the Mountaineer Cheesesteak with pork, sautéed peppers, and cheese on a hoagie roll. I liked this well enough, but I wish the cheese was cheesing more. I think the cheese sauce was a bit too thin, so it didn't lightly melt. It kinda got soaked up. I did enjoy the twist with the pork though; it added a nice flavor.



And while it might not be the most appealing visually, the smoked scalloped potatoes were pretty good. Scalloped potatoes are one of my preferred mediums of potato and, to have them cheesy and smoked, that took it up a notch.



Because the nature of the restaurant, the menu can change bit by bit. What have you had here? What's been your favorite?



Grade: B

Grindstone Coffeeology is a Huntington-based coffee shop that takes its craft seriously. This mall location is its second spot, with the first being on 8th Street in Huntington.



The coffee shop offers specialty coffee drinks, iced teas, fruit protein smoothies & frappes.



Snacks of both the sweet and savory variety are available: donuts, muffins, oatmeal slices, bagels, breakfast burritos, etc.



I went with a veggie quiche, which wasn't bad! I think they're maybe baked earlier or off-site and reheated, which made it a bit rubbery. But that's a bit nitpicky; it was tasty enough that I hoovered the whole thing.



I also ordered a caramel frappe, which is a blended coffee milkshake essentually. It's smothered with caramel, so it was sweet with just a touch of roasty flavor.



Also, I love their cool, modern cafe vibe. Despite being in a busy mall, it is like a little chill oasis.



Grade: A

Peking Restaurant in Danville is a standard American-Chinese restaurant. What do I mean by that? I mean that it is a cuisine in and unto itself. It is a cuisine with inspiration from regions of China that has been edited toward an American palate.



These folks are adapting their business for the target audience to make a living - and creating something really delicious at the same time. In small towns all across America.



I think we often get wrapped up in what is "authentic" - and I do this too - but these cuisines are authentic to what they are. And, I absolutely love it.



For this Danville restaurant, I ordered: shrimp roll, honey chicken, coconut shrimp, corn nuggets, crab rangoon, and fried rice for a feast.



Both the honey chicken and coconut shrimp were OK. Stringy chicken and too much breading on the shrimp. Sweet sauces, which is a pro for me.



The eggroll was just OK; I am on the hunt for a good one in West Virginia ever since Chin's shuttered. Corn nuggets had too much moisture in the container so they ended up soggy.



Fried rice was OK - I have not found great takeout fried rice, but I'm obsessed with homemade versions. One of these days, I'll find one that isn't just laden with old oil.



Last but not least here are the crab rangoons. A decent version but a bit extra done on the edges. I usually toss that part anyway.



Overall, an average showing. Not bad, not great. Still will scratch that itch.



Grade: C

The Habit Burger Grill is a Santa Barbara, California-based burger chain: "Inspired by this coastal town’s laid-back vibrancy and passion for culinary exploration, a simple idea formed: THE LOVE OF THE CRAFT - This means always chargrilling our burgers over an open flame. It means using only the best ingredients we can find. And bringing everything together through our genuine, world-class hospitality. In the end, it all comes from that first idea. A vision that became our Habit."



The regional chain offers burgers, salads and sandwiches with steak, chicken and tuna. Plus fries, onion rings, and shakes. One of the most unique side items they have is tempura fried green beans with ranch dipping sauce. These weren't bad! I liked that they were different, but I think I would have preferred a soy-based sauce.



I went with the portabella char, which has a freshly chargrilled beef patty, portabella mushrooms, caramelized onions, melted white american cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle and garlic aioli on a bun



The mushroom pieces were a bit unwieldly, and I think I'd nix the veggies next time so the umami shines through. Not bad overall.



Grade: B

Teays Valley has my favorite Husson's. As soon as I stepped inside, I was welcomed. The older gentleman at the counter was running quality assurance and double-checked my stromboli was good to go. And, it was great. Tons of ingredients, baked well and toothsome bites with good flavor.



Grade: A

Margaritas in Huntington is a Tex-Mex restaurant that offers a lot of the standard fare we've come to expect: fajitas, enchiladas, burritos, etc.



I've come to appreciate tex-mex cuisine in its own right, as opposed to lamenting its "authenticity." It's a cuisine in its own right - adapting to an American palate and making a living with their food.



I ordered the "Pollo Con Crema - Grilled chicken in our chipotle cream sauce. Served with rice, beans and flour tortillas." A bit more spice than my typical order. But I enjoyed the sauce - and the crema helped cool things down a bit. Good flavor overall.



Grade: B

Mister Crabs is a food truck, of sorts. Maybe more like a vendor, because there was no truck per se. And, I say Bridgeport, but these folks get around. I was able to check them out when they were in Huntington. Either way, these folks are dishing out fresh seafood boils like nowhere else locally. Crabs, shrimp, mussels and, of course, all the accoutrements.



I ordered a jumbo crab cluster - which was so big, it barely fit in the box. Another box was full of potatoes, corn, shrimp, sausage and both cocktail sauce and melted butter. I could eat this meal every day. Taking simple, fresh ingredients, prepared well, and only adding seasoning makes for such a safisfying meal. It was delicious, abundant and perfect for a summer afternoon.



Grade:

Rakku is a pan-Asian restaurant that offere everything from sushi and hibachi to Orange Chicken and ramen - the latter of which is relatively uncommon to find in West Virginia.



I wasn't in the mood for ramen on this particular day so I went for a few other things. Starting with, of course, crab rangoons. Imitation crab, cream cheese all wrapped up and fried. These are such a guilty pleasure; I will get these everywhere. I did like the shape of these because there's that big pocket of cheese and I can discard the too-crunchy ends.



I also ordered two rolls: The West Virginia Roll and a shrimp tempura roll. The former is "Deep fried, crabmeat, avocado, cream cheese, Chef's sauce." This is usually my go-to combo (again, guilty pleasure) but the fried portion has been taking over my palate and the overwhelming flavor is oil.



The shrimp tempura roll is a more reliable go-to and doesn't make everything taste oily. A bit crunchy, a bit creamy. That's the balance I enjoy.



Grade: B