Carver Culinary Arts hosted an alumni dinner at Capitol Market this evening. The event featured more than a dozen alumni from Carver Career and Technical Center’s Culinary Arts Program, who now cook at some of the region’s top restaurants. Those include 1010 Bridge, Ristorante Abruzzi, The Pitch, Ellen’s Homemade Ice Cream, Dancing Dog Ice Cream Café and Sleepy Hollow Golf Club. AMUSE

Savory Chicken Mousse, Leek Pavé, Lemon-Apple Gel, Crispy Herb Cracker

Justin Rieve & Quentin Bartlett • Sleepy Hollow Golf Club STARTER

Chicken Galantine with Figs, Country Ham & Chestnuts, Sweet Potato Pommes Anna, Mache, Mulberry Gastrique

Buck Samples, Nick Morris, Beck Huffman • 1010 Bridge • Paulie's SALAD

Arugula & Spinach Salad with Butternut Squash, Radish, Cucumber, Bacon-Maple Vinaigrette, Garlic-Herb Croutons

Michael Masterson • 1010 Bridge FISH

Monkfish, Creamy Tomato Sauce, Leek Confit, Capers Tapenade, Fried Anchovy

Ligia Rizzo & Hollind Zamora • Ristorante Abruzzi MAIN

Soy-Braised Short Rib, Coconut Arancini, Carrot-Ginger Purée, Pickled Ramp Medley

Travis Oliver, Adrean Oliver, Cordell Gilliam • 1010 Bridge AMUSE

Mini Blood Orange Tart, Lemon Mascarpone Mousse, Raspberry Coulis

Cydny Latta • Dancing Dog Ice Cream Cafe Hillary Haslebacher • Ellen's Homemade Ice Cream DESSERT

Coffee Cake, Poached Pear, Vanilla Pastry Cream, Salted Caramel Mousse, Nut Crumble, Pear Fluid Gel, Tuile

Presley Cunningham, Krystal Stowers, Sam Reid • Ristorante Abruzzi

The 25th Annual Ribfest in Marmet featured a handful of BBQ vendors. Held at the Ben Morris football stadium, the event also featured live music, food vendors, amusement rides in the Kids Zone, petting zoo & more. It costs $6 (cash) to get in, so I took a loop to see what is all available. There were a few standard, general vendors you see at events like this - the fried foods, the old timey drinks, the old fashioned ice cream. Johnson's BBQ & Cowboys BBQ are two BBQ vendors I've had in past years, so I checked out the other two. Swine BBQ is based out of Medina, Ohio, and features Texas-style smoked meats. I got four rib bones here, which don't come sauced. I made samples of their sweet and golden BBQ sauces to try with the ribs. Overall, these were a bit on the dry side, but I appreciated the lack of fat and still fairly tender. Old Town BBQ is a traveling BBQ team with award-winning ribs. I did a half rack here with baked beans (!) and potato salad. Again, the ribs here were dry. I think I've become spoiled with competition-style BBQ, and these ones are made and put in a warming pan. The potato salad was bangin. The beans reminded me why I don't love baked beans. Or, at least, not these kind. Pop's Snow Palace & Treats Peach lemonade is just one of my favorites. Shrimp Lips The crab mac & cheese wasn't bad, but the mac itself was just too thick and dense.

I stumbled upon the Mound Arts & Crafts Fair in South Charleston today and went to check out what food options they had available. I had tried most of the options before, but the Southridge Pacesetters Lions Club stuck out to me because I had a good feeling that meant some good homemade grub. And, I was right. They were offering homemade BBQ with slaw and hot dogs with chili & slaw. I ordered a hotdog with everything: ketchup, mustard, onions, chili and slaw. I think this is the first time I've had ketchup with the traditional slawdog toppings. And, I think I like it better? It adds just that touch of sweetness that sometimes the chili can lack.

But, this was a delicious hotdog. Perhaps my favorite in recent memory. The slaw was super finally chopped, the chili had a great flavor, and the onions were the perfect size. My only complaint is that it fell apart a bit. The bun could've helped keep it together. But major points for taste overall.

Sweet Charity returned to Charleston on Tuesday, September 9, 2025, after a four-year hiatus, bringing an evening of sweets and community spirit to Capitol Market. Hosted by Faith in Action of the Greater Kanawha Valley, the event ran from 7 to 9 p.m. and featured a wide array of signature desserts created by local bakers. Guests who purchased a $40 Taste Passport sampled the treats while a panel of judges evaluated each entry on taste, creativity, and presentation. The lively competition not only highlighted local culinary talent but also raised funds to support Faith in Action’s community programs, making the evening both indulgent and impactful. 1. Café Appalachia 2. Chef Ke - this bread pudding was to die for! 3. Coco’s Kitchen + Café - blondie with tahini! 4. Edgewood Country Club - white chocolate won folks over 5. Edgewood Summit 6. Girl Scouts of Black Diamond - loved trying their new cookie, Exploremores. 7. Rainy Day Bakes - brand new to me with a light cake and fruity filling 8. Sugar Shenanigans - Dubai chocolate heaven 9. Sweet Mama’s - I heard this peanut butter brownie situation was wonderful.

The West Virginia Cupcake Festival returned to Hurricane this weekend and brought out cupcake, vendors, food trucks and more. There were plenty of new-to-me cupcake makers like Bentley Cupcakes, Cakes by Meagan, Christal's Kitchen, The Cupcake Ranch, Betti's Sweet Treats and more. I tried Batters Up Cupcakes & Cakes' pineapple upside down cupcake, which was more just like the cupcake top. It was like a poppable little bite of sweet deliciousness. I also stopped at Sweet Bliss Bakery, where I purchased a brownie and pepperoni roll. The fudgey brownie was the best kind, and the pepperoni roll wasn't bad.

The Second Annual Jam Off was held at Capitol Market today, featuring nearly two dozen different jams, jellies and marmalades. Contestants included: Laura McComas, Up the Holler Goods, Knorrsgaard Jams, Homemade by Londa, Homemade by GiGi, JarHead Farms, Therese Blair and Dreama Viars. Hosted by Liz Martin LLC, the event raised $3,000 raised for Make a Wish West Virginia (the “Organization”), a non-profit organization dedicated to making wishes come true for children diagnosed with critical illnesses. Founded by Elizabeth Martin in 2023 and previously hosted by Tudor’s Biscuit World in celebration of its 25-year partnership with the organization, the event’s return marked the company’s first fundraiser and aimed to celebrate Appalachian heritage by supporting and highlighting local jam and jelly makers. In total, the 2025 Jam Off featured 23 different jams, jellies, and preserves from local amateur and commercial artisans throughout the state of West Virginia and bordering area of Ohio, a live musical performance by West Virginia country-rock artist, Brandon Laxton, and a silent auction containing local West Virginia goods including a jam and jelly gift basket consisting of jams and jellies showcased during the event. Public tasting tickets were sold as a part of the Event to allow guests to taste and vote on their favorite flavors with t-shirts and water also available for purchase. During the event, an official judge’s panel featuring Hannah Cline, WCHS TV anchor and former wish child, Steven Kieth, the Food Guy, and yours truly awarded first place to amateur contestant Stacy Holstine AKA Homemade by GiGi (Charleston, WV) for her GiGi’s Christmas Jam entry and commercial contestant Whitney Bolton from Up the Holler Goods (Bob White, WV) for their Peach Habanero entry. Each winner received a certificate and a $500 cash prize. Additionally, the Event featured a People’s Choice category, voted on by the public, and a Wish Kid’s Choice category that allowed a select panel of Make a Wish children to sample each flavor and pick their favorite entry. People’s Choice and Wish Kid’s Choice were both awarded to amateur contestant Therese Blair (Long Bottom, OH) for her Banana entry in which she received two certificates in honor of the victories. I enjoyed 23 different jams from amateurs and commercial vendors. Check them out below!