Pizza on Main is a small mom & pop carryout pizza joint in Clendenin. They make a set amount of dough each weekend, and when they're out, they're out. They sell whole pies, as well as slices. Plus pepperoni rolls and garlic knots. They do just a couple items, but do them really well. I had a slice of cheese pizza, and it was phenomenal. The dough is lightly crispy, the sauce is slightly sweet, and a nice layer of cheese made for the perfect bite. I admit that I am one of those people who will abandon the crust if it is too hard. I just don't enjoy that, but this one was crisp and slightly chewy. I finished off every bite. Grade: A

Clendenin Brewing Co. is a microbrewery & AirBnB in the small town of Clendenin.



It's a neat space with a garage style door and a mishmash of decor and brewing equipment.



Some of the beers on tap included:

Clendenin Cream Ale Cream Ale
Slow Paddle Pilsner
Mothgirl
Amber Knights
Cannel Coal Imperial Stout
Gingerbread Stout
Secret Hopper
Udder Mayham
Mountain Mango IPA Double IPA
Three Step Mister
KeyLime Gose
Shya's Shandy
Margarita Beer



The food menu consists of a couple sandwiches, smoked meat platters, nachos and mac & cheese bowls.



I went to check it out with my friends, Erin and Beth, and we played some of the tabletop games while perusing the menus.



I gravitated toward the lighter-bodied beers, and my favorites included the key lime gose and both shandies. I was feeling the summer vibes, and they were just so refreshing.



I ordered the buffalo chicken dip macaroni and cheese. Separately, these are two of my favorite dishes. Together, they could use a little work. Some crunch or herb or something would have made this dish a bit more complete and broken up the soft texture.



it's a local addition to town, and I look forward to trying some of their new and seasonal items.



Grade: B

Blanch's Family Diner in Clendenin serves up homestyle food in a simple, country-esque atmosphere.



"Blanch’s was a well known spot years ago in town for locals, and now, years later, Blanch Jones’ family has opened Blanch’s Family Dinner to re-live some of those childhood memories. Daughters Lynn Taylor and Diana Chandler have made it their mission to bring back some of those memories to pass on to their families. These ladies have taken pride in this diner, and you can tell in the way they speak about their mother that this will be a place where you can definitely come and enjoy a meal and leave feeling like family. There is thought in even the smallest details inside the diner, such as the red checkered curtain tie backs, representing their mother," according to the Clay County Free Press.



I ordered a crispy chicken melt, which came with ham, breaded chicken breast, ham, and mozzarella cheese. This is a really good start for a sandwich, but I needed a sauce to bring it home. The side of macaroni salad was good, though, and added that bit of moisture to the dish.



Grade: B

Clendenin is booming. There's some development happening there, and one of my most recent visits included a stop at Elk River Baking Company.



This little bakery has expanded to offer breakfast, lunch and dinner since I've been there.



They had a case full of little treats. From chocolate chip cookies and peanut butter cookies to one that immediately caught my attention: the pecan toffee cookie. 



So that one was delicious, with that buttery toffee flavor. Plus a fruity shortcake bar and some little odds and ends - all super tasty. Homemade, rustic and quite tasty.



What have you tried?



Grade: A

I was in Clendenin not too long ago for an event, and I decided to check out some of the local grub while here.



Paddlers Bar & Grill is a local bar/grill with a kayaking or rafting or canoeing theme. It's a bit of a local dive, with everyone knowing each other but still welcoming out-of-towners (like me). 



I dissected the menu to determine whether I was in a burger or wings mood. I went with the "wa'a" burger, which means "canoe" in Hawaiian. It features white American cheese, pineapple, ham, red onion and Hawaiian sauce. 



If you're into sweet and sour, this is a good burger for you. It was a bit on the greasy side, and I would've loved more of the sauce to replace some of that grease. But the flavor combo was dynamite. 

Grade: B

The Trail Kitchen, located off the beaten path near Clendenin, got a lot of attention when it opened for its "pay what you want" scale. 



It has since made the rounds for its location, its open or closed status, and its specials. I couldn't wait to check it out.



Because it isn't quite "along the way" for anyone, really, I had to make a special trip out here - and I'm glad I did before they closed for the season. 



Let's start with getting here because that's half the battle. I have a Subaru for a reason; I like to be able to go just about anywhere. But if you have a vehicle with a low clearance or are not comfortable driving on unpaved roads, this may not be the road for you. I made it fine - nice and slow on the dirt roads - but know that you're going to see mostly ATVs and trucks in the parking area. 



The building has a nice outdoor deck area, as well as indoor seating. You order at the walk-up window, which has a menu listed - but no prices. It is a little awkward - without even a suggested price - because money is such a weird, taboo topic in our culture and looking at someone and telling them what you think their work, their effort, their staff are worth. Here's the restaurant's explanation on why they do it:

Our way to "Be the Change we wish to see in the world" ... We have decided to use a business model we have not seen before in any other restaurant. There will be NO prices on our menu! Our customers will decide how much they will pay for their meal. Here will be your 3 options ...

1. Pay only what you can afford
2. Pay what the meal is worth to you
3. "Pay it forward" to help someone who is quietly suffering financially

You will be handed an envelope when you order. Deposit your money into the envelope, the amount will be based on the 3 choices above, then put that envelope into a mail slot near the takeout window to pay for your meal, it will be completely private. OR you can choose to pay with a credit card and the amount will be between you and your cashier. WHY WOULD WE DO SUCH A CRAZY THING???? Please read to the end. Sometimes God whispers and idea in your ear that challenges your way of thinking. We did not do this lightly or on whim. Much thought and prayer went into this decision.

1. Someone who can't afford a meal, gets a meal while keeping their pride and dignity intact.
2. Someone who can afford a meal gets a great meal and pays what it's worth to them.
3. It gives those who can pay a little extra the opportunity to "pay it forward" to someone who is quietly suffering.

This prolonged pandemic and polarized political divide is creating a toxic environment in our country. When you're overwhelmed with fear and frustration, the best answer is to respond with fearlessness, and faith. We have faith in ...
God
Our community
We the people
Americans
and especially West Virginians

Anyone can fall on hard times and this pandemic has only amplified the problem for many families. Imagine if you couldn't take your daughter to a special birthday dinner, or celebrate a special event, or just needed a real meal that didn't come from a microwave. We will offer delicious meals made with quality ingredients, this is a real restaurant and we take pride in our food. We are not rich people, we are not a non-profit, we are not a "soup kitchen". We have built a first class commercial kitchen with an enormous deck on our property with our life savings and months of hard work.

We are a family owned small business that operates on old fashioned American values...
Faith in God
Hard Work
Quality product
Service to others
Strong Community

Life is more than the mindless pursuit of money and material things. We still have to pay bills, buy food, maintain the restaurant equipment and stay complaint with the health dept.. This bold move to operate solely on an honor system is scary, but we believe you must. "Be the change you wish to see in the world" and we believe this is the right thing to do. This is our preferred business model. If for some reason we are unable to continue operations in this manner, we will adjust our pricing plan but only if the original plan proves to be unsustainable. The founding fathers of our country had faith in "We the people" when they wrote our constitution. So, we will have faith in the people as well.

The Markers
The Trail Kitchen LLC "In God We Trust"



So I walked up to the window and put in an order for their "Trail Dipper," which is grilled sourdough with pepperjack cheese, american cheese, turkey, lettuce, tomato, onion and homemade ranch to dip it in. They also had homemade french onion dip that I added - I figured it could be fun to try that as a dip for the sandwich, too. 



After I placed my order, I walked inside the little breezeway area that has restrooms, as well as a small complimentary coffee bar. How nice that is for those who have been traveling! A little pick-me-up. After just a few minutes, my food was ready and I left to enjoy it. 



The sandwich is stacked. The bread is beautifully grilled, the cheese was perfectly melted, and there's a substantial amount of deli turkey, without it being unwieldy. The one thing I would change is the stringy shredded lettuce. I don't love that texture when glopped with a sauce. So I scooped out the bulk of it and enjoy the remainder of my sandwich.

If you want a one-of-a-kind West Virginia experience, the Trail Kitchen can provide that. I appreciate what they're doing and providing, and it's something different we can enjoy.

Grade: A

The Chili'N on the Elk – Chili Cookoff / Beer & Wine Festival was held on Saturday in Clendenin.



I was really excited to be able to judge the chili portion, which included traditional, homestyle and salsa.

 
For many folks, chili cookoffs are a very competitive sport. Sure, some do it just for fun. But for others, it's serious, and they go on to bigger competitions. 

  
The Clendenin event is an ICS-sanctioned event, so the winner automatically qualifies for the World Championship Chili Cook-off held in Myrtle Beach in 2022.



The ICS guidelines say that homestyle chili must have beans, but it can also have all kinds of other fillers and flavors.



Homestyle Chili
Homestyle Chili is any kind of meat, or combination of meats, and/or vegetables cooked with beans, chili peppers, various spices and other ingredients. Homestyle chili may be any color. Beans are required. Preference is not given to either cut meat, ground meat, shredded meat or cubed meat. Seafood is allowed. 



But traditional red cannot include beans and tends to be pretty straight-forward.



Traditional Red
Traditional Red Chili is any kind of meat, or combination of meats, cooked with red chili peppers, various spices and other ingredients. Beans and non-vegetable fillers such as rice and pasta are not allowed. Preference is not given to either cut meat, ground meat, shredded meat or cubed meat.



During each of the three rounds - salsa, homestyle and traditional - there is a table with numbered containers.



We have no clue whose is whose, and we take a sample of each and write down notes. Then, you rank your top three at the bottom. I usually take a spoon to each one, with palate cleansers like tortillas or sour cream in-between, and then go back for a second taste on my top three to confirm their rankings.



It really is a lot of fun to think intently about the flavors and how they differ - especially when some chilis are so similar. 



There were some really tasty ones - I love the ones that have a different spin on them and are really well balanced. 



So, while all the delicious chili tasting is going on, there is also a whole other side to the festival that includes beer.  Local breweries and wineries like Greenbrier Valley, The Peddler, Weathered Ground, Big Timber Brewing, Screech Owl, Forks of Cheat Winery, Swilled Dog, Hawk Knob, Bridge Brew Works, Freefolk, Parkersburg Brewing, Stumptown Ales, and Chestnut Ridge were on the slate. 



On top of all the chili and beer, there were also vendors. One that I stopped at was Elk Valley Crafters. They had all kind of goodies!



From honey and maple syrup to candles and cookies, Elk Valley Crafters had a lot. I purchased some whipped honey that was chocolate flavored (they suggested dipping graham crackers in it - how good would that be!), as well as some butterfinger cookies AND a candle that I have yet to burn.



What an awesome small business that's really making the most of what they're producing. 



It was a great day to explore Clendenin. 



My friend Todd showed me the space where there is going to be a "bed & brewery."



So, I can't wait to come back to check that out! 



While here, I was also able to check out some other local restaurants that day.



So, stay tuned for those!