Charley West BBQ Fest is an annual BBQ Fest benefiting the Bob Burdette Center After School Program in Charleston. It is held on Kanawha Boulevard at Haddad Riverfront Park, and I attended for the first time this past weekend.



There are a few ways for folks to get involved. You can purchase a meal from a restaurant set up. Or, you can purchase tasting tickets to try samples from backyard and competition BBQ masters. I was super excited about the latter because these are the places you can't just try any day.



I got 3 tasting tickets - $3 - to sample three different places. I mixed it up between backyard and competition style.



I started with pulled pork from Hatfield BBQ, which was moist and delicious. No sauce here - but it didn't need it.



Next up was Gettin Piggy With It 304, which gave me this beautiful sampler of everything because I couldn't make up my mind. Rib, wing, pulled pork, brussel sprouts and a smoked deviled egg. Every item was delicious - I just wish I could get this food again! They were so generous, and I am so appreciative.



Finally, I tried Dakota Farmer's pulled pork, smoked pepper and delicious balsamic BBQ that I could eat on anything. At this point, I think Dakota should just open his own restaurant because the food I've tasted from him at various competitions is always delicious. Next time, I just hope I can get some of Dave Mincer's food!



2023 Charley West BBQ Fest Results:

Backyard
Backyard Pulled Pork
1st Dave Mincer
2nd Tyson Hatfield
3rd Dakota Farmer

Backyard Sauce
1st Dave Mincer
2nd Dakota Farmer
3rd Notorious P.I.G.

Backyard Ribs
1st Tyson Hatfield
2nd Dave Mincer
3rd Dakota Farmer

Backyard Wildcard
1st Dakota Farmer
2nd Notorious P.I.G.
3rd Dave Mincer

Competition
Competition Pulled Pork
1st Stills & Squeals
2nd Getting Piggy with It

Competition Sauce
1st Stills & Squeals
2nd Getting Piggy with Itp

Competition Ribs
1st Getting Piggy with It
2nd Stills & Squeals

Competition Wildcard
1st Stills & Squeals
2nd Getting Piggy with It

People's Choice
Commercial: Soul 2 Soul
Competition: Stills & Squeals
Backyard: David Mincer

Lost Creek Farm is a purveyor of story-rich, heritage-inspired mountain cuisine. You may have seen them on Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown or nominated for a James Beard Award.



At the most fundamental level, Lost Creek Farm is a property that is being restored to its former glory.



Owners Mike Costello & Amy Dawson look to expand their offerings, though, beyond revitalizing the historic farmstead by creating a culinary destination - full of incredible food rooted in place and story.



Moreover, they hope to ultimately offer an educational facility focused on preserving the region's foodways and a heritage foods incubator program creating economic opportunities for Appalachians in the region's re-emerging food and farm economy.



"Once a high-yielding vegetable and livestock farm in the early 1900s, the property now known as Lost Creek Farm went unoccupied for the last several decades of the 20th century ... Having both grown up on rural West Virginia farms, Mike and Amy longed to return to their roots. In 2013 the couple began deconstructing the farm's dilapidated structures, clearing usable crop land, and renovating the 1880s-era farmhouse constructed by Amy's great-great grandfather. Before long, meat rabbits and a flock of chickens returned to the property, along with an orchard of heritage mountain apples, honeybees, and an heirloom garden of regional varieties like Bloody Butcher corn, Fat Horse beans, and Candy Roaster squash," according to their website.



While the duo completes all this work, Mike & Amy offer their "Farm and Forage Supper Club" dinners throughout the summer as both a fundraiser for their efforts and to share their view of Appalachia's rich cultural heritage through cuisine.



These dinners are a hot commodity. Without even knowing a menu or who your dining companions are, people made a mad dash for the tickets and sold out the entire season's dinner in a matter of minutes. Yours truly was lucky enough to snag two tickets for myself and friend Elizabeth. 



On the day of the dinner, I set out on my two-hour drive to Lost Creek, which if you've driven along I-79, you've likely passed the exit but maybe not have turned off on it. The trek to the farm isn't too long, but it does turn from pavement to gravel and becomes a winding, uphill driveway that, if you have a car like me, you might kick up rocks quite a few times but make it with no trouble.



It's truly something special to have a chef invite you to their home to cook for you. While I'm excited to see them expand, it was really a nice memory to be able to join them where they break bread and share stories and be involved in that experience. Elizabeth and I happened to sit next to a relative of Amy's and her friend. They were hilarious and ornery and I couldn't have asked for better dining companions.



We began the evening with a welcome drink featuring knotwood. It was beautiful. mild. sweet. A lovely first sip.



Then we moved onto some passed appetizers featuring communion wafers, which Mike related to his childhood growing up making these at church and sneaking a few every so often. He inherited the recipe and put a beautiful spin on it - like communion wafer, whipped black walnut farmer's cheese, bourbon-sage apple butter and fried sage. I never knew cheese and apple butter would go so well together!



The next communion wafer featured a wild mushroom & chicken bologna, green garlic aioli and garden asparagus. Fanciest bologna I've ever had - and I had quite a few of them!



Next up was a bonus communion wafer! If memory serves me correctly, it was roasted carrot, horseradish, rhubarb pickle and baby dill. And maybe my favorite of the trio - maybe because it was a surprise or maybe because it was larger - but it was all yummy. And, my lighting was the best for this one. 



Moving onto our fourth bite of the evening: heirloom white bean soup, smoked ham and preserved wild ramps. This was such a fun take on a ramp dinner that was creamy and flavorful and well-rounded. Not heavy and dense.



Next was a salad course: killed garden greens, pickled onion, toasted squash seeds, cured duck egg, maple dandelion vinaigrette - a beautiful, bright salad with a punch of acid that cleaned the palate.



Plus then we got some homemade pickles! Another fun treat! Spicy dill and bread & butter. Both fab. 



Next: Milk-poached salt trout, Hickory Cane grits, blistered radish, sour corn and shredded spruce. This was one of my favorite dishes of the night. While they were all delicious, this one was just so well executed. It melted in my mouth. I learned some of the history, and I had no idea I could even eat spruce.



Aunt Floda's dumplings were next, with braised beef, charred broccolini and sumac-sorghum onion. Ohh my goddd. I like drank every drop of this dish. And, my heart was so warmed hearing Mike's mom talk about what this dish meant to the family.



ANOTHER SURPRISE: Vinegar Pie. I feel #blessed that we were able to try this. It was a delicious lemon pie that you would never know otherwise. But deep down, it's resurrecting this depression-era pie history that is really cool.



Finally, an interactive dessert: Peggy's black pepper shortcake with fresh Sickler Farm strawberries and basil cream "Peggy’s shortcake was a hand-written recipe collected in our farmhouse in the early 1900s. We’ve adapted it with some of our own twists, but it sure is special to share this dish in the same house where it was made and enjoyed by Amy’s family almost a century ago." We don't know Peggy, but we really enjoyed her recipe. Plus a cup of coffee.



If you haven't had a chance to enjoy one of their dinners, my best advice is to subscribe on Patreon, so you can get a first chance at purchasing tickets. But if you just want to support their efforts, there are more ways to do that, too!

I've written about ballpark food before - and in Minor League Baseball, it's actually a big thing. So, I've always been curious about the party deck at the local Ballpark in Charleston because it does include unlimited food.



The menu features the following: Hot Dogs, Quarter Pound Hamburgers, Bratwursts, Baked Beans, Chili; Lettuce, tomato and cheese tray, Popcorn, Cookies, Fountain Soda & Water.



Now, I'm not sure if all of those items are available to us on the day that I attended, but I was still happy to get a hotdog from the grill to enjoy with other members of the Metro Valley Society.



Have you been? And if so, what's your favorite item here?

I attended a new-to-me event this evening.



Tuxes & Tails is Kanawha-Charleston Humane Association’s largest and most important fundraiser of the year. It is a special evening where hundreds of supportive and involved animal lovers and donors come together to celebrate, bid on wonderful auction items, and support the life-saving mission of KCHA, according to their website. 



This year, get your hats and bowties ready for Tuxes & Tails "Down and Derby" at the Capitol Market! Come dressed in your favorite derby attire and feel free to be creative! Enjoy delicious food by SOHOs, specialty cocktails, silent auction, live entertainment by DJEJ, Photo Booth, contests, and more!



One of my favorite parts of the evening was the wiener dog races. My friend, Kelsey, entered her dog, Teddy, who came in second place!



Soho's catered the event and offered cheese, fruit, shrimp cocktail, shrimp skewers, hot browns, meatballs and some desserts. Later on, they brought out some pizzas, as well.



Have you been?

Cookin' for Comfort is a brand-new event from the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern West Virginia that pits two local chefs against one another in a competition to elevate their favorite childhood meal - all while helping raise funds for the nonprofit. 



Held this evening, this incredible event featured Chef Paul Smith, a James Beard semifinalist and chef at 1010 Bridge, and Chef John Wright, formerly of Bridge Road Bistro and current co-owner of The Pitch in Kanawha City cooking in the kitchen at the Ronald McDonald House, and I was fortunate to be one of the judges alongside Steven Keith, the Food Guy, and Chris Miller, of Dutch Miller.



What is the Ronald McDonald House, you may ask? "Since 1985, RMHC of Southern West Virginia has been providing housing, support, and community so families with sick children can stay together. That is 38 years of making a tremendous impact on the lives of pediatric patients and their families in Southern West Virginia. Your support is a vital part of helping us deliver comfort and care to children and their families."



This event has a few different layers. First, folks can purchase tickets to the event, which included hors d'oeuvres, an open bar and a gift bag. Some of those delicious snacks included 1010 Bridge favorites like: potato souffles (one of my favorite bites in all of town), cheeseburger sliders (a la McDonald's sauce), pimento cheese cups, chips, bacon-covered dates, cupcakes, cookies and more. 



Leading up to the event, folks were able to cast votes toward the "People's Choice" Chef Award by donating $5 online in support of their favorite chef. At the event, folks were also able to donate $5 in person - either cash or by dipping their card - toward their favorite chef. 



How they determined that was a few different ways - whether they were friends, whether they liked the concept of the dish or if they were able to sample some of the dishes from the chefs from the two additional plates they created for communal tasting. So, let's get to those dishes.



Chef Paul talked about Pizza Hut dinner nights and eating Buzz-Buttered Steaks growing up. So, he opted to create a jazzed-up patty melt using those same Buzz-Butter Steaks.

Chef John talked about how an Italian dish from his neighbor was near and dear to his heart, so he opted for a mushroom & lamb sausage crepe.



One item they both had to use was jicama. The secret ingredient was revealed to the chefs 30 minutes into  the competition and was selected by the public when they donated to the website. 



We judged the dishes on taste, presentation and creativity. It was a close call, truthfully. The judges went back and forth a few times. Here are some of my overall thoughts:



Chef Paul's dish was big and bright and beautiful and had some nice crunch and freshness. The ramp ranch was a lovely extra touch. His Buzz-Buttered Steak was elevated with white American cheese, fresh lettuce, tomato, onion, jicama and some mac sauce. 



Chef John's dish was really creative with housemade lamb sausage, a rich cream sauce and a lovely crunch from fried jicama fries. The sausage had a great flavor that paired beautifully with fresh local mushrooms from Hernshaw Farms and some dried morels. 



They were both delicious, but Chef John came out on top for the judge's choice, and Chef Paul came out on top for people's choice. 

But, at the end of the day, the real goal was to help support what the Ronald McDonald House is doing. RMHC provides a crucial service for families who are facing significant challenges in their lives, and a warm meal, a cozy bed and a private space can provide a world of difference. From collecting and donating pop tabs to helping to cook dinner, I have volunteered for this organization because it holds a special place in my heart and truly makes a difference for those who need it most.

When children must travel long distances to access top medical care, accommodations for families can be expensive or not readily available. The charity helps families stay close to their ill or injured children, increasing the caregivers’ ability to spend more time with their child, to interact with their clinical care team, and to participate in critical medical care decisions. That is one less stress these folks have to consider. 

McDonald’s support extends from monetary contributions and volunteerism, to cause related marketing promotions and the space to place RMHC Donation Boxes and Round-Up For RMHC that raises money for Chapters around the world. Although the McDonald’s system is the largest corporate partner,
RMHC is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation, relying on the support of the entire community and other corporate partners.

Here are some easy ways to give or click here: