Birds are chirping, rain showers are pouring, and spring is just around the corner. This time of year always has me looking forward to cookouts. And, there's one place in Morgantown where you can get all the tasty food from a BBQ - but without the work. 



The Backyard BBQ in Cheat Lake is currently doing catering only but hopes to reopen in the spring with the same menu they had previously, which featured hot dogs, burgers, sandwiches, and ice cream. 



I was really hyped for their special, which was a burger with fried green tomato and pimento bacon. Unfortunately, they were out of it. So, I instead went with a single burger since it was already on my mind. 



The space here is kinda nice - rustic, but outdoors with a nice view and a bit set back from the hustle and bustle of Morgantown. The burger was not bad - a little more charred than I'd prefer, but fairly thick and with your choice of toppings.



The macaroni & cheese was good - more of a white cheddar with lots of pepper. Not my personal preference, but I can appreciate it for what it is. Not bad.

Grade: B

The best thing about a buffet? Trying a little of everything. The worst part? Aside from people's germs, it's the fact that there are no leftovers.



Those are the buffet rules. Though, most buffets let you do a takeout box only and charge by the ounce. But one local place was making up its own rules during COVID-19. I really liked what New China Garden Buffet was doing in Huntington. 



They offered some "combos" so you can still get a small serving of a few different items from the buffet to go - not just one whole dish. I ordered white rice, general tso's chicken, baked crabmeat, potato with onion, pork eggroll and cheese wontons. The chicken was stringy and chewy, but that's to be expected. The potato was literally just potato wedges - I was hoping it had cheese or some other deliciousness. The wontons, eggroll and baked crabmeat were all satisfactory. No huge surprises - but I'm curious to know if there's a dish here that is a crowd favorite?



Grade: B

Jerry's Restaurant & Lounge is a mainstay in Grafton with its homestyle food. They have a parking lot out front, a pick-up window and plenty of indoor dining.



Their menu features items like fried appetizers, salads, soups, sandwiches, hoagiess, burgers, pasta and other plated entrees.



When I was visiting, it was a busy day in town, and they were only serving a limited menu. That nixed most of the entrees and many of the sandwiches. 



I placed an order to pick up and drove up to the curbside window. I went with their meatball and cheese hoagie. While you can opt to add in peppers and onions, I went with just the classic mozzarella topping. 



The sandwich was OK. The meatballs I think needed some more seasoning, as did the sauce. It wasn't bad; it just could use a bit more love. It's probably a good middle-of-the-road sandwich for folks who don't want it too sweet or too spicy or too acidic. I just want more. 



Grade: C

My latest column in the Charleston Gazette-Mail has published:

“Pittsburgh style” can refer to a few different things on a menu:

-French fries on a salad

-A charred steak with a rare interior

-A type of BBQ ham sandwich

This original Northern Panhandle West Virginian is familiar with and enjoys all of the meals above, but the latter - the BBQ ham sandwich - is something I think more folks below the Mason-Dixon Line should experience.

Chipped chopped ham, or chipped ham, is a processed ham lunch meat made with ham chunks, trimmings and seasonings that is ground and packed into loaves. That loaf is chipped, or shaved, against a deli slicer blade for thin slices. These thin slices are often pan-fried in BBQ sauce and placed on a bun to create a delicious, regional sandwich.

So, it’s not really “ham.” And, actually, it’s not really “BBQ” - at least not in a traditional way. The ham has been processed upteen times, and there’s no grill involved for the BBQ. But, that doesn’t really matter.

These BBQ ham sandwiches were made locally famous by a store called Isaly’s in the Pittsburgh area. They sold their own “Original Chipped Chopped Ham” and “Original BBQ sauce” and served up a combo of the two between two pieces of bread for customers to eat on site.

“From our beginnings in the early 1900s, the Isaly family and its successors have pursued one mission: bringing deli and dairy products of consistent freshness, purity, and unbeatable flavor, made according to original Isaly’s recipes to your family table. We are best known for our ‘signature’ products, Original Chipped Chopped Ham, Original BBQ sauce, and Old Fashioned Whitehouse Cherry Ice Cream,” the store website reads.

Many still use those original ingredients to make their BBQ ham sandwiches at home. But there’s a lot of variation, whether that’s adding green pepper, onion and celery to the ham mixture or topping the sandwich with pickle relish. Others may make their own BBQ sauce out of ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, worcestershire sauce and mustard.

Growing up, I had no clue this was a regional delight. My mom would make this for lunch and dinner; it was a quick and easy meal that was a crowd-pleaser. Our version was simple: Skillet, add chipped ham, add BBQ sauce and a little seasoning, cook until nice and crisp, pile inside a sandwich bun and enjoy.

It wasn’t until I moved from the Pittsburgh area that I learned the BBQ ham sandwich is a mystery to most others. But, it’s so simple and tasty that I have brought the “recipe” with me as I’ve moved south and share it with friends often.

These food traditions are what make our food culture so special. It’s these stories that help define who we are and what we value. It’s these little tidbits that could be lost to time if we don’t help preserve them.

So, tell me, what are some of your regional favorites? It can be a recipe or unique ingredient or different way to prepare a dish or a technique. What foods are important to your family? And why?

RECIPE: BBQ Ham Sandwich

The most traditional BBQ sandwich you can make would likely be made with Isaly’s Original Chipped Chopped Ham and Original BBQ sauce, though I know those ingredients aren’t readily available for folks south of the Mason-Dixon Line. You can get these shipped directly to your home if you’re interested. But if that’s too much work, simply choose your favorite BBQ sauce and a package of sliced ham to get the same effect.

Ingredients:

1 cup Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce

12 oz. chipped ham

Sandwich buns


Directions:


Heat a medium-sized skillet over medium heat on the stove.


Once the skillet is warm, add in the chipped ham and heat through.


Add 1 cup of Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce to the pan and coat the chipped ham until mixed thoroughly.


Simmer until the ham crisps up a bit and the BBQ forms a sweet crust on the ham.


Remove from heat.


Serve on sandwich buns.

Call's Meat Market in Hurricane offers a ton of local meat, cheese and more.



*Fresh Local Raised Beef *Fresh Local Raised Pork *Fresh Chicken *Lamb *Bison * Grass fed BeefOur Own Country Sausage *Italian Sausage * Hot Italian Sausage * Boar's Head Premium Deli Meats & Cheeses * Deli Meats * Heiner's Bread * Meat Trays * Cheese Trays * Farm Fresh Eggs * Large Selection of WV Products* Coca- Cola * Mister Bee Potato Chips* Package Deals *Custom Orders



In addition to those offerings, they also will make simple sandwiches with their Boar's Head deli meats and hot dogs. Make no mistake, their steaks, chicken breast, pork chops, etc., are the main draw here. The sandwiches, though, are convenient and a way to try some of the product without committing to a full pound or so.



Here are some of the offers: white or wheat bread; black forest ham, VA baked ham, cracked pepper turkey, mesquite smoked turkey, beef bologna, hard salami, pepperoni, ovengold turkey, ever roast chicken, londonport roast beef, chipotle chicken, bologna salad; Amerrican cheese, pepperjack, horseradish, muenster, smoked gouda, Vermont cheddar. 



I ordered a turkey sandwich with gouda, lettuce and tomato on white bread. And, ya know, it's a turkey sandwich. It's not bad. But, man, I really wish all those delicious sauces they offer in the store could have been an option.



That really would've taken the sandwich to the next level. As is, it's pretty straight-forward with a few good ingredients. So, if that's what you're going for, perfect. But if there was just a touch more, I'd be super happy.



Have you been?



What's your favorite sandwich?



Grade: B