Every October, Blennerhassett Island State Park offers "Mansion by Candlelight" tours for one weekend. Blennerhassett Island is located on the Ohio River near Parkersburg and is known for its rich history. It’s home to a reconstructed 18th-century mansion once owned by Harman and Margaret Blennerhassett, whose estate became linked to Aaron Burr’s alleged 1806 treason plot. Today, visitors reach the island by sternwheeler to tour the mansion, enjoy horse-drawn wagon rides, and experience living history at this unique riverside park. During this event, the mansion and its grounds are lit by candlelight and feature a number of activities, including horse-drawn wagon rides, singing and dancing, tours and a harvest supper. We boarded the Island Belle sternwheeler at Civitan Park in Belpre, Ohio, and journeyed to Blennerhassett Island. Once there, we stepped into an 18th-century world, with the island and its mansion illuminated by hundreds of candles and lanterns. Our first stop was the Harvest Supper, featuring ham, mashed potatoes & gravy, sautéed green beans, corn, fresh salad, assorted pies, and more. For a served buffet, it wasn't bad. The bulk cooking of green beans and corn left a bit to be desired in regards to the texture. But all in all, it was a hefty portion that filled the belly. And that wasn't all - there was a gingerbread cake after touring the mansion and some snacks over at the fire. Snacks consisted of apples, cheese, sausage, apple butter and bread. And hot apple cider!

First Chapter Bookstore is a delightful independent bookstore with a coffee bar located in Parkersburg. They offer books for folks of all ages – including children all the way up to what they call the naughty corner. When I visited, they had a local author doing a book signing. It was a bit chaotic, but it was nice to see the shop busy. The coffee bar portion was cluttered, so I had a hard time making out the menu or if it was even open. So I hopped in line and placed an order for a hot chocolate. Not bad. More milky and less chocolately, but hot chocolate can never be bad. Grade: B

Mizu Sushi & Hibachi, located at 102 Lakeview Drive in Parkersburg, is a Japanese restaurant offering sushi, sashimi, hibachi, and other kitchen entrées. One unique feature is their "All You Can Eat Sushi & Hibachi - $22.99 per person." Like a buffet concept, but made to order. I ordered a deep-fried sushi roll filled with crab and egg, as well as some General Tso's chicken. The deep-fried sushi roll was a bit soggy on the outside, but I enjoyed the rich, savory filling of crab and egg. The General Tso’s chicken was sweet and tangy with a sticky sauce that clung well to the pieces, though it leaned slightly on the sugary side. Grade: B

The Pizza Station opened its Parkersburg location at 430 Third Street (formerly the Third Street Deli site) in downtown Parkersburg, officially welcoming customers in January of this year. Owned by Bill Sams, this marks a second site for The Pizza Station, which has been serving St. Marys and surrounding communities since 1984. The train-themed Parkersburg restaurant operates seven days a week, offering homemade pizza, pepperoni rolls, subs, salads, and desserts, including fruit pizzas, which remind me of Pizza Hut back in the day. I learned that when you order a to-go order, you go around back and into the basement to pick it up. My meal for the evening was a pepperoni roll with a side of pizza sauce and a cherry dessert pizza. The roll has a warm, slightly chewy interior with crust just firm enough on the outside to give some texture without being tough. The pepperoni brings good salty flavor, and the pepperoni’s oil seeps into the dough, which adds richness. The side of pizza sauce was key for me, as it cuts through the richness of the roll’s meat + cheese, giving a refreshing contrast. The small cherry dessert pizza is a sweet and tart treat with a light crust and a generous layer of cherry topping. The flavor is bright and tart-sweet, though the center can get a bit soft from the filling. It’s simple but satisfying, best enjoyed fresh out of the oven. Grade: B

Mary B's Diner South Side in Parkersburg is a popular breakfast spot that serves up all the classics. I went for both sweet and savory with stuffed French toast and a breakfast sandwich. Both of these were satisfactory. Good ol' homestyle breakfast without all the bells and whistles. Grade: B

Donatos is a Columbus-based pizza chain that boats a thin, crispy crust, with edge-to-edge toppings.

"When Jim Grote was 13, he took a job at a Columbus pizza shop. By his sophomore year at The Ohio State University, the pizza business had him hooked for life. Jim bought the shop in 1963 for $1,300. He kept the name, derived from the Latin for "to give a good thing"-the perfect way to describe the Donatos' promise: "To serve the best pizza and make your day a little better."



The chain has over 375 locations in 22 states, including Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Virginia, South Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Florida and now West Virginia with a location in Parkersburg. I placed an order online and went to the pick up window to retrieve my pizza and meatball sub.



The mini pizza was made with the works: green peppers, onions, pepperoni, mushroom, sausage, smoked romano and provolone. There may have been too many ingredients for this small size, but that's on me. I do wish some of the ingredients, like the peppers, were cut a bit smaller so the flavors of the other ingredients had a chance to shine. The meatball sub was fairly average - a healthy dose of some bold marinara would be my request.



Grade: B

New China in Parkersburg is a Chinese-American restaurant serving up many of the classics: General Tso's chicken, pork fried rice, and the like.



For their crab cheese wontons, they use the folded-over method, which I like. It seems to have more cream cheese inside. I didn't notice much - if any - crab, but I do not mind. I like the fried cream cheese with sweet-and-sour sauce.



The egg roll was pretty run-of-the-mill. It seemed to have a lot of cabbage, and not much else. But that seems to be the norm locally.



For my entrée, I ordered sesame chicken but with white meat chicken. this is my favorite hack when it's available. All the delicious flavor of the sweet and tangy sauce, but over top of white meat chicken. No stringy or gristley pieces. Just fresh, tasty bites of chicken with some zing.



Do you have a favorite Chinese-American menu hack?



Grade: B

Napoli's is a local chain in the Mid-Ohio Valley area serving up pizza, pasta, sandwiches, subs and salads. 



I've visited most of these locations - except the South Parkersburg one. It's a fairly large space with wooden floors, tables, chairs. Traditional, but not old-fashioned.



Pasta was on my mind on this particular day - but when is it not. First, though, more carbs. Basic breadsticks. Not real flavoring here, but even boring bread is still bread. 



Six-cheese lasagna was calling to me. I have a soft spot for lasagna because it's one of my favorite dishes that my mom makes. As I get older, lasagna isn't as friendly to my tummy. But, sometimes I decide to brave it. Today was the day. I think it was oversauced, overcooked and still, satisfying. There are a lot of little things I would've liked to make this better, but I'm still always going to enjoy sauce, noodles, and cheese. So, was it unique or really delicious? No. Was it still kinda comforting and scratch that itch? Yes.



Grade: B

Wine Down on Market is a wine bar in downtown Parkersburg, which also serves shareable plates, flatbreads, sandwiches and entrees.



I, however, happened to visit when they were serving brunch. It was one of their first ones, and it was honestly a bit chaotic. Despite being the first person in the restaurant, they didn't know if they could seat me without a reservation. But once I was seated at the bar, I had a first-hand view of the stresses of the staff. 



Beyond that, though, the space is lovely, sleek and refined. The menu featured challah french toast, lox bagels, avocado toast, eggs benedict, and my choice: the shrimp and grits with bell peppers, andouille sausage, and cajun veloute. The shrimp was a bit on the salty side for me, but I enjoyed the cheesy grits and delicious sauce. 



I also ordered a side of candied chocolate bacon, which was not whatI was expecting. It was more like bacon that with haphazard chocolate, but you can't really go wrong with the sweet and salty combo.



Grade: B