A Moose Lodge is a local chapter of the Loyal Order of Moose, a fraternal and service organization that was founded in the late 1800s. The lodges function a bit like community centers, combining social, charitable, and recreational activities. Members pay dues to join and, in return, gain access to lodge facilities, events, and a network of fellow Moose members. The St. Albans location recently hosted a karaoke contest that my friend Erin competed in, and I joined her to support. Bonus: the Moose Lodge also serves food. They have a set menu of chicken tenders, corn dogs, hot dogs, hot wings, fries, pizza, burgers, jalapeño, poppers, fried bologna, pulled pork and mozzarella sticks. On this particular night, they had a dinner special, which consisted of a salad, lasagna and garlic bread. I learned to place an order - cash only - at the side of the bar. Then, they bring it out. The homemade lasagna came out hearty and satisfying, with plenty of layers of noodles, sauce, and cheese. The side salad was simple and crisp, offering a light balance to the richness of the pasta, and the garlic bread was nicely toasted with a buttery finish. It made for a good, filling meal. Grade: B

Cozumel Cantina & Grill on the River location opened in early 2024, replacing the restaurant Mountain Pie on the River. It sits between South Charleston and St. Albans (in the area often called Jefferson) and includes a riverfront outdoor deck and multiple dining areas. The restaurant’s décor features bright colors and Mexican flags. And a mechanical bull. The menu includes street tacos, burritos, enchiladas, seafood dishes, and house specialties. Popular items include Al Pastor, barbacoa, and carnitas tacos, as well as seafood options like garlic butter shrimp, breaded shrimp, and Veracruz-style fish. Thet also offer salads, grilled meats, and pasta dishes. I ordered a gummi bear margarita, because that's just ridiculous. It was as sweet as it was strong. I tried something a little different: Salmon & Sweet Chili Shrimp -Salmon topped with our homemade cream sauce, sweet chili shrimp on a bed of rice. Served with lettuce, lemon and Mexican street corn on the cob. The Salmon & Sweet Chili Shrimp is a solid dish with a good balance of flavors. The salmon is cooked well and the cream sauce adds a mild richness, while the sweet chili shrimp provide a touch of heat and sweetness. The rice and Mexican street corn are decent sides. Grade: B

Montonaro Cakery & Macarons is a "traditional bakery located at 2424 Kanawha Terrace STE B, Saint Albans, WV, specializing in custom cakes and macarons. We can cater your wedding, baby shower, gender reveal, birthday, anniversary or any other special event with cakes, macarons or other pastries. We can sell to individuals, grocery stores, and restaurants. At Montanaro Cakery, we guarantee that every single purchase you make will be a seamless process from start to finish," according to the website.



The storefront can be a bit hidden, so be sure to keep an eye out when driving in the area. The shop has a small entrance with a case full of macarons and opens up to the prep area in the back.



Macarons have become quite popular in the Kanawha Valley recently, and I was excited to see some new flavors. I purchased a box with oatmeal, eggnog, strawberry shortcake and neopolitan. I was also lucky enough to snag a fresh pepperoni roll.



Macarons are notoriously difficult to perfect. The top should be smooth and slightly crisp like an eggshell. It should have small, clean "feet" edges. It should have a good filling to shell ratio. And the interior should give way to a chewy texture. The slight crisp is only on the exterior - there really shouldn't be crumbs or chunks dry and falling apart. It's tooth-sinkable in a vedy satisfying way.



All that to say - these were technically wonderfully done. Maybe a touch on the dry side but that is likely my own mistake not eating them immediately. Very lovely. The pepperoni roll had a nice, soft bread but could use some more filling.



Grade: B

'Tis the season for lenten fish fries.



"According to Christian teaching, Jesus died on a Friday, fasting on Fridays became a way to honor his sacrifice. However, this type of fasting didn’t mean not eating anything (unlike trendy modern-day fasts). It simply meant abstaining from eating the flesh of warm-blooded animals—since the thinking goes, Jesus was a warm-blooded animal. Fish, though, which are cold blooded were considered okay to eat on fasting days. Hence, Fish on Fridays and “Fish Friday” (among many other religious holidays) was born," according to the website The Better Fish.



St. Francis of Assisi in St. Albans is one of a few churches in the area hosting a fish fry.



For $15, you get baked fish, fried fish, fried shrimp, green beans, macaroni and cheese, rolls, baked potato, coleslaw, hush puppies, a homemade dessert, plus tartar sauce, cocktail sauce, butter, sour cream, and a drink.



Yum! Who in the area has your favorite fish fry?

I've been to a few Husson's locations, and finishing out the remainder is on my list. So here's some background on the restaurant from their website:



"Husson's Pizza is primarily situated in the Charleston, West Virginia area. We feel proud that our business is family owned, family operated, and family oriented. Our first location was in St. Albans, West Virginia. It was opened on March 23, 1977. This store was a Dine-In or Carry-Out Location only. We built our business on this: "A QUALITY PIZZA, SOLD AT A FAIR PRICE WOULD CREATE ITS OWN PLACE IN THE MARKET." In the beginning we made pizzas on a Formica kitchen counter. All of our equipment, food, and supplies were paid for C.O.D. We wanted to make sure that we stayed ahead on everything. Our advertising was very limited; there was only good Word-of-Mouth advertising. We counted on a great product and friendly, personal service to bring customers back to us. I worked every minute the store was open and my father (employed at another job during the day) worked every evening and on weekends. We touched every pizza that we sold, talked to our customers, and built a reputation that has lasted through the years. After the first year, the company was solid. People would travel from the surrounding areas for our pizza. In December 1978, we opened our second store in Cross Lanes, West Virginia. In June of the following year my wife, Sharon, and I got married and we worked every night. After we had our first child, my wife wanted to stay involved in the business, so she took over all the bookkeeping functions. She has a conservative nature that helped the business continue a controlled growth. In March of 1982 we opened the Kanawha City store. It was the Turning Point for the company. The volume at this location was about double that of the other locations. The increase in cash allowed for a little faster expansion. The Spring Hill store opened in March of 1984. After taking 1985 off, we came right back and opened the Teays Valley and Pinch locations in 1986 and in 1987 the West Side (Charleston) and Sissonville locations were opened and we built new buildings for our St. Albans and Cross Lanes stores. In September of 1986, we began delivery in the Kanawha City location and by mid-October we were delivering out of all of our stores. This was a good move for us, but it is much different business from the dine-in and carry-out business. We weren't used to that. We studied the market to a great extent to see where we could do better than our competitors. All of 1988 was spent consolidating our position and improving our operations. We changed our marketing approach and began offering more discounts and specials than before. In June 1989, we opened a store in Greensboro, North Carolina, although in February of 1990 we closed this location and re-opened it in West Virginia on Bridge Road in South Hills. It is our continued expansion that offers our manager continual advancement within our company, or as a franchisee. By working hard and maintaining a high profile in the community, we are able to maintain our market share and enjoy watching it increase as we continue to polish our service and quality to the customer's door."



So let's talk about this individual location. It was a little rough around the edges - with a custodial sign on the front door and some folks hanging in the parking lot. Inside, there is a lot of seating for dine-in and TVs to keep you entertained. I had placed an online order, so I picked that up and headed home. I kept it simple with just some cheesy breadsticks. Cheese + bread + sauce always make me happy. The sauce is sweeter.  The cheese did a terrible job at staying on the individual bread sticks, but luckily no one had to see me scavenge for bits and pieces to make a bite. Eh in construction, Ya to flavor. 

Grade: B

I'm seeing more pan-Asian food trucks open up locally, like Hinode, which I found in St. Albans.



This food truck offers hibachi, sushi and some appetizers.   



I went with a steak hibachi. Why they don't give you the delicious sauces along with it, I have no clue. Pros: Lo mein was soft and moist, plenty to offer. Cons: steak a bit chewy, veggies overdone.  



Sushi was deep-fried with shrimp tempura, avocado, cream cheese, spicy mayo, masago, eel sauce. Typically, this would be my jam. But either my preferences are changing or the whole overly dressed, overly dried thing is just not doing it for me. It just tasted fried and oily and not my jam. But I won't turn down shrimp and avocado and cream cheese, so I definitely enjoyed that.

Grade: B

Another day, another hot dog joint.



Drummy's Bar & Grill in St. Albans opened in 1994 and is known for their hot dogs, but they do have sandwiches and pizzas.



The space is a bit underground but not far off the main street in St. Albans. It's a bit dark with low ceilings - definitely a dive bar vibe. But I felt welcomed and the atmosphere was light.



I ordered a hot dog with everything, which, here, means chili, mustard, slaw and onions. That's a true West Virginia-style hot dog. This was a decent hot dog - a touch messy, but hot, a nice mix of ingredients (if not a big heavy on the mustard) and good chili flavor.



Grade: B

I visited Bammy's a few years ago, but they moved locations not too long ago, so I figured it was time to see what it's all about.



They have a giant banner that says "Eat Cheap" so it's hard to miss in St. Albans. Bammy's is known for their chili dogs, as well as BBQ and hot bologna - kind of like a West Virginia trifecta.  



There is some parking located around the building. The interior has some basic artwork on the walls, and there's a decent amount of seating - including for families. I ordered the classic West Virginia hot dog with chili, slaw, mustard and onions. It's a bit juicy, but I think that lends itself to a nice marriage of flavors. You get the meaty chili and the creamy slaw, and it just creates a whole other flavor - not as just a hot dog with toppings. It's a whole entity unto itself.



Grade: A

The Tap is part of a revitalization of the main street area in St. Albans, in. my opinion.



There's coffee, ice cream and now, a tap house. "We are a local tap house in St. Albans, WV. We have a specialty food menu along with some of the finest craft beer, wine, ciders & seltzers from the state of West Virginia and the surrounding areas."



The space is lovely, but not too big. It's been packed each time I've gone. Because of that, I think, service has been hit or miss. 



Drinks have been decent - I had a house sangria, but I appreciate the variety they bring in from places like The Peddler and Weathered Ground.



When I've gone for brunch, I tried the chicken and waffles; the chicken cut itself could have been a better quality, but I did enjoy the waffle with the local syrup. 



Avocado toast (with goat cheese!) was pretty tasty and stacked with toppings, and the breakfast pizza was the winner of the group. 



It had that ooey, gooey cheese and comforting flavors that hit the spot on a Sunday.



Grade: B