The Bucket is a bar & grill, originally located in Dunbar, that opened a new location at Eagle View, the luxury apartments and townhomes perched above the City of Charleston. The bar & grill is locally famous for its deep-fried pepperoni rolls (which has won a number of local contests!) and other bar fare, like wings, nachos and burgers. My friend Beth and I went to check out this new location as part of Charleston Restaurant Week. Like the other restaurants in this space before it, The Bucket has a wonderful view of the city. It's a bit of a funny juxtaposition between sports bar and high-end accommodations. But, everyone loves wings and beer. The space reflects both the high-end finishes with sports-themed menus. I had the pepperoni roll as an appetizer. It's deep-fried and served with marinara and dusted with parmesan. It was a bit over-fried - the outer layers cracked off, But it's hard to overstate how good the oozy cheese is. I had the Bucket Burger, which was seasoned very well. Chips were OK, but their ranch helped. The dessert - the Bucket Balls - were just deep-fried dough with no filling. The cinnamon ice cream was fine, but I'd skip these next time. Grade: B

Cattlemen’s Roadhouse is a casual steakhouse restaurant the Nitro area; it is not affiliated with the CattlemAn's Roadhouse chain based in Kentucky. It features a large wooden bar area encircled with high-back red chairs. The dining area has booths and tables, wood-tone finishes and classic American steakhouse décor. I started with "Roadhouse Rolls" and cinnamon butter. Wonderful and warm. I ordered the "Roadhouse filet" medium - "our most tender and flavorful cut. seasoned and grilled to order." Plus sides of green beans and macaroni & cheese.

The steak is mild, with a simple seasoning that lets the meat’s natural flavor come through; cooked medium, it’s tender with a soft, pink center and a lightly charred exterior. The green beans are straightforward and savory. The macaroni & cheese is creamy and comforting, leaning more toward classic diner-style than sharp or complex. Grade: B

Here's my latest column for the Charleston Gazette-Mail:

As January’s New Year’s resolutions of moderation dwindle, February ushers in the season of indulgence — mainly in the form of paczki.

Paczki — dense, yeast-raised doughnuts filled with jam or custard — begin filling bakery windows across the northern part of Appalachia in the weeks leading up to Lent.

Richer than standard American doughnuts and historically fried in lard, paczki originated in Polish Catholic households as a way to use up eggs, sugar, butter and fat before the Lenten fast.

Paczki followed the Eastern European immigration into the Ohio Valley in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. That’s when Polish, Slovak, Hungarian and Croatian workers arrived to fill jobs in steel mills, coal mines, glass factories and river-based industries — bringing with them food traditions from their home lands.

Paczki were not designed as everyday sweets but as practical, seasonal foods. Their traditional fillings — prune butter, apricot jam and other preserved fruits — reflect Old World preservation methods that are not unlike those in Appalachia. Both foodways developed under similar constraints: long winters, limited access to fresh ingredients and an emphasis on using what was available before spoilage or fasting periods.

Over time, paczki consumption extended beyond Polish American households. In some Northern Panhandle communities, paczki became a regional marker of late winter rather than an ethnic specialty, appearing alongside fish fries, pierogi sales and other Lenten traditions.

Similar pastries appear in Germany as “Berliners,” in Italy as “chiacchiere” or “bomboloni,” in France as “beignets,” and in the United Kingdom as Shrove Tuesday pancakes. In each case, the foods serve the same functional purpose: using perishable, calorie-dense ingredients before the Lenten fast.

The recurrence of these pastries across cultures underscores that paczki are part of a shared culinary response to religious observance rather than an isolated ethnic tradition.

Paczki have also evolved as they found their way through church dinners, community picnics and neighborhood gatherings — at least in name.

In Polish, the word is pronounced roughly POHNCH-kee, with the “cz” producing a soft “ch” sound and the “ki” ending clearly articulated. In much of the Upper Ohio Valley, anglicized versions — such as PAUNCH-kee or PUNCH-kee — became common as the pastry moved from small, Polish bakeries into mainstream grocery stores.

Paczki persist not as a trend, but as evidence of how the northern edge of Appalachia has long functioned as a cultural crossroads. Unlike other parts of Appalachia where paczki remain relatively unfamiliar, this region absorbed the tradition early, folding it into an already hybrid food identity shaped by migration and industry.

What looks like a donut with a Polish accent is, in this region, a reminder that Appalachia’s table has always been set by many hands.

Pacific International Market is an international grocery store that also offers takeout in the form of kebabs, falafel, shawarma and hummus. It’s known for its diverse selection of global ingredients and prepared foods, drawing from across the globe. They offer a broad array of spices, grains, beans, and specialty ingredients that might not be easily available at standard supermarkets. The international flavors - Indian, Persian, Arabian, African, and other global cuisines, including things like Turkish Delight and regional spice blends. Nearby there's also an Asian Market, which carries a variety of Asian groceries, and Spice Of Life, another neighborhood market with some international offerings. I picked up some noodle packs and spices. Have you been?

Almost Heaven Smokehouse is a BBQ trailer that was located in Mill Creek when I visited, but it also travels elsewhere around the state and beyond. They offer up standard BBQ fare like ribs, brisket, pulled pork, wings, burgers, brats, mac & Cheese, cole slaw, baked beans, baked potatoes and more. I enjoyed BBQ pork with mac & cheese and potato salad. They had several BBQ sauces from which to choose. The BBQ pork was tender and lightly smoky. The mac & cheese was creamy and mild, and the potato salad added a cool, tangy contrast to the plate. A straightforward, comforting plate that delivered as expected without any frills. Grade: B