There are about ... oh... three dozen or so Gino's locations that I haven't yet been to. So, when I'm in an area that has one I haven't been to, I'm trying to knock it off my list. 



In Hurricane, the Gino's is right off the exist, so it made the perfect pitstop for dinner while driving through the area. I put in an online order for a small pubwich - which they are known for - and went through the drive-thru. Easy, peasy, lemon squeezy. 



Once I was home, I dug in. I admit - my expectations weren't high. I thought there may be too much breading or too much iceberg lettuce. But, I was so super pleasantly surprised by this sandwich. The ham pubwich has ham, mozzarella cheese, mayo, lettuce, tomato and sweet onion. It was perfectly portioned. They were not skimpy on the melty mozzarella. But it was fresh and not too dense. I actually can't wait to try another one at a different location.

Grade: A

There's a brand new Thai restaurant in South Charleston named "Elephant Thai." I always get excited about new restaurants, but apparently a lot of folks were too about this this, as they've been pretty busy since they opened.



Thai is one of my favorite cuisines. I really fell in love with it through Chaang Thai and Ta-Khrai in Morgantown. I've discovered a love of noodles and curry through dishes at both of these places.



After convincing my friend Sara I think she'd like Thai food, we made our way to The Mound area and waited our turn for a table. 


  
Elephant Thai has a lunch menu, which is available every day they're open (they are closed on Sundays). 



That gave me even more options to try. In my dream, I could have like one bite of everything on the menu. Since that's not realistic in one visit, I came as close as I could by ordering a half-dozen dishes. 



So, I started with a "Thai Pink Milk" drink, which I didn't know what it was, but that was part of the excitement. I was hoping it was strawberry flavored, but I got more of a bubblegum flavor. For bubblegum, that's fine. But for a drink, that's not my favorite. 



Moving on to a few apps: Thai Eggrolls are first. These are smaller than, say, a Chinese eggroll. Served with a sweet plum sauce, these eggrolls have glass noodles which gives them some extra oomph. These were a bit too on the greasy side for me.



Next up were the chicken cakes. These were fried patties of ground chicken with red curry and kaffir lime leaf. It was served with cucumber sauce. I really enjoyed these because it was like a different twist on something so familiar - a chicken patty with some fresh seasonings fried and crisped up. The sauce was really thin but sweet with some tang.



Next is crab cheese rangoons. These were a decent rendition. They were pretty crisped up, but there was a nice pocket of smooth cream cheese. 



Finally - on to our entrees. I went with a pad thai - this is my standard benchmark measure for any Thai restaurant because I know it's going to be one of their most popular items. And, of course, it's one of my favorite dishes. I moved the bean sprouts to the side - not my fav - but the noodles were delicious. This dish had the sweet and sour flavor that I love - not too saccharine but with some depth. There's texture from the peanuts and some acid from the lime. This is my favorite rendition I've tried outside of Morgantown.



Sara went for the drunken noodles, which is another favorite of mine. It's less sweet, but has more of a soy base. It has more crunchy veggies, though, and I love the wide noodles. Overall, both of our entrees were delicious, and I will definitely be back to try some other options. 

Grade: A

It has got to be a really tough time to open a business. With restrictions on occupancy and high standards for sanitization, the hurdles that come along with opening a new business are now tenfold. 



When The Board Room in South Charleston opened up, I wanted to go check them out as soon as possible to give them some support - and see what they're all about!



First off, they don't really have food. They have a few pepperoni rolls (from Rogers & Mazza's), bags of chips and candy bars, but you're probably not going to cobble together a full dinner here.



What they do have, however, is an impressive beer list. Bottles, cans, draft, they have a nice assortment and local collection, too. 



In particular, I was so excited to see the Parkersburg Brewing Company's seltzer line. They have black cherry, blood orange, green apple and hibiscus punch. 



I went for the hibiscus punch, which was delish. It was refreshing but not overly sweet. I'm always seeking out fresh flavors during the winter.



So, The Board Room is a really fun concept. In addition to some great beer, they have a ton of games available to play. And, they have board games - as well as card and other fandom pieces - for purchase. 



We played a few different things - like Jenga of course. Do you have a rule about how far down the tower you can begin pulling pieces? 



I don't remember the name of this last game, but it was funny to try to get these little balls to go in the opponents' corner. 



I don't know that any of us were particularly good at it, but we definitely had fun. And, I think that's saying a lot because there aren't always a ton of places for young adults to go that aren't bars. "



Have you been?

Grade: A

T&L is probably North Central West Virginia's favorite hot dog. With 7 locations in the area, T&L is often a go-to for hot dog enthusiasts. Their locations, including this one on Main Street in Bridgeport, have a retro theme with things like juke boxes, fun decor and neon lighting. 



This T&L may look like a house from the street, but they're even outfitted with a drive-through in the back parking lot area. In the time of COVID-19, this is perfect. I pulled up to take a look at the menu.



Of course, I had to try a traditional West Virginia slaw dog with chili, slaw, mustard and onions. These are slim dogs, so you could easily put away two or three if you're hungry. But, I added a side instead: fresh cut fries.



I'm not the biggest fry - or potato - fan really, but occasionally, I'll get a craving. These were nice and salty, but a little limp for my liking. Nonetheless, a cheap and easy lunch. 

Grade: B

Sabaidee Thai, located in Clarksburg, is a new addition to the dining scene, and while in the area, I wanted to check it out. They had a really simple online ordering process, so I placed my order via phone and walked inside to pick it up.



The interior was a bit dated, but decorated with some Asian-inspired art. They were a bit flustered when I walked in - not sure why - but after waiting a few minutes, they turned their attention toward me. My order was ready and waiting on me, so I received that and went on my way.



I ordered a few appetizers to snack on. First up were these "crab blankets," which were crab rangoons. They were standard - not a ton of flavor, aside from the oils from the wrapper. 



Then, I tried the pork dumplings, which I thought would come with more flavors of sauce. These kinda ended up being a little gummy - but the flavor was okay. 



Finally, I had a spring roll, and it was decent. Overall, I think I have super high standards for Thai food, because it's one of my favorites. This was average.

Grade: C