Carnival food at restaurants seems to be a popular trend lately. There was a Charleston restaurant that opened recently serving this kind of fare, and now Huntington has its own local establishment: Carnival Food Place.



They have all the good stuff: funnel cakes, cotton candy, deep-fried Oreo cookies and other carnival snacks like hot dogs, corn dogs, chili cheese fries and boneless BBQ wings.



The deep-fried Snickers bar was sinfully enticing so I put in an order for that as well as a cheeseburger because life is all about balance, right?



It's hard to say anything bad about a deep fried Snickers. truthfully, I'm not sure that the breading adds a whole lot, but it being warm and gooey makes it even more delicious. it sure was messy and a little misshapen so it's not visually perfect but your taste buds will tell you otherwise. The burger was average. It did not have a ton of flavor or texture. I prefer a hand-pattied, fresh, juicy burger. When I went, though, they were still working out some kinks, so I'd be curious to see how things have changed since.



Grade: C

Have ice cream, will travel. I love some good ice cream, so any time I see a dairy bar, I am inclined to check it out. Such is the case with Dairy Delite in Logan. It's like a local version of Dairy Queen, complete with their own version of blizzards.



My once-in-a-blue-moon treat is a peanut buster parfait, so I went for a peanut fudge "Polar Pete," which has some savory peanut butter and sweet ice cream for a delicious, classic combo. Yes, all day every day.



Grade: A

The mission has been completed. The goal of visiting every single Gino's location in West Virginia has been achieved after my recent dining experience at the Man location. Yes, if you weren't aware, there is a town named Man in West Virginia.



This location was a bit odd, because they were actually preparing to move spaces. So the menu was limited, but there were some options that I hadn't seen elsewhere. Like burgers, for example. So I decided to try just that.



My cheeseburger was on grilled toast, and I had it topped with mayo, ketchup, and onions. It was a bit underwhelming, but not necessarily bad. The burger was OK; the bread was a bit larger than the patty itself; and I may add more toppings next time to kind of fill it out. Not bad, not great. Not too memorable.



Grade: B

Wild & Wonderful BBQ is a food truck that doles out pulled pork, smoked bologna & sausage, and brisket sandwiches in addition to a bevy of sides.



Based in Huntington, the truck can be found at events locally. I visited them to get my hands on some grub. First things first, I ordered the Mountaineer Cheesesteak with pork, sautéed peppers, and cheese on a hoagie roll. I liked this well enough, but I wish the cheese was cheesing more. I think the cheese sauce was a bit too thin, so it didn't lightly melt. It kinda got soaked up. I did enjoy the twist with the pork though; it added a nice flavor.



And while it might not be the most appealing visually, the smoked scalloped potatoes were pretty good. Scalloped potatoes are one of my preferred mediums of potato and, to have them cheesy and smoked, that took it up a notch.



Because the nature of the restaurant, the menu can change bit by bit. What have you had here? What's been your favorite?



Grade: B

Grindstone Coffeeology is a Huntington-based coffee shop that takes its craft seriously. This mall location is its second spot, with the first being on 8th Street in Huntington.



The coffee shop offers specialty coffee drinks, iced teas, fruit protein smoothies & frappes.



Snacks of both the sweet and savory variety are available: donuts, muffins, oatmeal slices, bagels, breakfast burritos, etc.



I went with a veggie quiche, which wasn't bad! I think they're maybe baked earlier or off-site and reheated, which made it a bit rubbery. But that's a bit nitpicky; it was tasty enough that I hoovered the whole thing.



I also ordered a caramel frappe, which is a blended coffee milkshake essentually. It's smothered with caramel, so it was sweet with just a touch of roasty flavor.



Also, I love their cool, modern cafe vibe. Despite being in a busy mall, it is like a little chill oasis.



Grade: A