Fruits of Labor is a cool concept that includes bakeries & cafes in Rainelle, Alderson, Beckley and Montgomery. "OUR TEAM, regardless of roots, is a family bound together by talent in a field we call home. Leadership and expertise abounds in: Culinary, Pastry, Baking, Cake Design and Sustainable Agriculture Practices. OUR CUSTOMERS know that supporting Fruits of Labor means far more than buying fresh produce, bread and bakery products, or a delicious meal – it is a personal, tangible investment in the growth and nurturing of people in their own community who demonstrate the daily courage it takes to overcome addiction," according to the website.



"You'll be greeted warmly at the Fruits of Labor Café & Bakery. Sometimes by a core staff member, other times by a neighbor in recovery or young person in an addiction prevention program. Both groups of students participate in our Nationally Certified American Culinary Federation Quality Training Program & Farm-to-Table Café and Bakery. Each time you visit Fruits of Labor, your purchase invests in our students and allows us to offer this training and certification free of charge."



I had been to the Rainelle location previously, so I was fairly familiar with the menu. Sandwiches, burgers, salads, soups and teas. The interior is basic, with some tables and chairs and a cold case but minimal decor. I landed on a ham salad croissant sandwich with a side of pasta salad.



I think the sandwich was OK: the ham salad was not super flavorful. I think it needed more salt, sugar, seasoning, something. Similar for the pasta salad, but it had a kinda sweet flavor. I wish it had some more savory notes with veggies and whatnot.



Grade: B

Guess how many Gino's locations I have left to visit? About a dozen. So, let's dig in to the Montgomery location.



If you're not familiar, Gino's is s local chain that specializes in pizza and pasta dishes. It is often found coupled with Tudor's Biscuit World locations - but doesn't have quite the same fan following. Alas, I decided during the pandemic that I wanted to try all the different locations, which are primarily located through southern West Virginia.  



I went with my favorite Gino's item this time: The Calzone. And as soon as I got it and it smelled of fresh baked bread, I knew we were in business. Look at that parmesan melting into the top? Heavenly. Tons of sauce (maybe a touch too much), tons of cheese and mushrooms - my perfect palate. And, enough for leftovers for the next day!

Grade: A

There are no lengths I'm not willing to go to in order to try a new (to me) restaurant. Such is the case when I had a craving for Chinese food, but I could only justify it if I could produce new content for my blog. And since I've tried all the Chinese restaurants in the Charleston area, I was led to Montgomery.



China House Xiu Hunan is the only, I believe, Chinese restaurant in Montgomery, so it has the market cornered. It was previously named Potamkin and has had decent reviews over the years. During COVID-19, they do not have indoor dining, so it looked more like it was used for storage and it had dim lighting. 



I had put in an order online, and when I got there, they said it was ready. But then I waited another 15 minutes or so. Once I got my bag stuffed full of food, I sped home (not literally, in case there are any cops reading) to try it out.



Let's start with the pad thai. This is one of my favorite dishes, but I just have not found a good version in the Kanawha Valley. It's a bit bland, the texture overall is just a bit mushy, and I'm looking for the nutty, sweet, chewy dish I love. And this just wasn't it. 



Next up, I tried honey chicken. I probably ate the most of this - it has the sweet tangy flavor of a General Tso or Crispy Chicken entree you might expect. It's not all white meat, though, which I was hoping for. I also don't think this one exactly agreed with my tummy.



Finally, we also tried the coconut shrimp. The coconut sauce came on the side, which was nice. But the breading for the shrimp was soft and mushy. So, I tried to pick off most of that and just dip the shrimp in the sauce. It wasn't too bad that way.



This place did have a few different items - like a crab eggroll. This had a stick of crab in the middle and like stuffing filling up the remainder. I really liked it. 



Then, of course I had to try whatever a cheese eggroll is. And, it's essentially the cream cheese in crab rangoons enveloped in a spring roll wrapped. I liked it!



And to top things off, I tried the crab rangoons. I think I liked the eggroll one better, because the rangoons are super hard around the fried edges. But the filling - always good.

Grade: C

There's a pizza shop in Montgomery called Frank's Pizza.

This pizza shop is pretty straightforward and has been around for quite some time.

I called in an order for a calzone with cheese, sauce and mushrooms.

And, once I arrived, I saw a few locals enjoying meals at the standard diner chairs. I took my calzone home to enjoy.

Have you been?