There's a cute coffee shop in Fayetteville called Aurora Coffee that I absolutely loved when I visited. They unfortunately just announced the closure of their brick-and-mortar location here, so check it out while you can! Afterward, they'll just be mobile.



They offer coffee, tea, baked goods and other goodies, too. 



I ordered a frozen Rolo drink, which has caramel and chocolate fudge. I also got a pepperoni roll and a cake pop. Sugar overload! 



Let's start with the drink. I mean, it's hard for me to dislike anything with caramel. It was sweet, and it had a nice texture that was a bit icy. That might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I loved it.



Next up is the pepperoni roll! A fluffy little guy that was pretty mild - not super spicy or sweet or moist or dry. A good, middle-of-the-road pepperoni roll that is a crowd-pleaser. 



Finally,  the cake pop. It was a good one! Moist inside instead of dried out. A little bit of a thick coating, but not bad. 



Grade: A

Elkins is a treasure of a town. There's art and culture and good food, too.



WVa Seafood & Produce Co. is a wild-caught seafood purveyor that offers Mahi Mahi, Cod, Mussels, Chincoteague Oysters, Gulf Shrimp, Sea Scallops and more.



The small trailer has some cute nautical decor and not a ton in the way of prepared foods, but I was set on some dinner. So, I went with some peel & eat shrimp that had some powerful cocktail sauce -- that I was a huge fan of! Like, heat all through the back of your sinuses - delicious. The shrimp had some good flavor, too, despite them suckers being a lot of work. I just want to try more! 



Grade: A

There's something about a rooftop bar that drives people crazy.



And Huntington is home to one of the coolest ones in the area. LaFontaine's has Huntington’s first open-air rooftop lounge!



It's located above LaFontaine's Tobacco and Wine Shop in a really cool like retro space that gives off all the Gatsby vibes. I met my friend Alex for a drink and some snacks to check it out!     



We went with some pretzels and beer cheese, as well as Gigi's Pepperoni Rolls, which are from a local producer. There's both an indoor and outdoor space - both are great depending on the weather. But I love how much light comes in through the windows.



Both snacks were good and really the perfect accompaniment for a good beer. I love a little snacky snack with a drink. Most likely not going to have a whole meal here, but you can fill up on snacks, drinks and a good time with a unique view.




Grade: A

Square Slice Pizzeria is located inside an arcade in Huntington and features deep-dish pizza. Now, "deep dish" is a bit controversial, because we're not talking like a Chicago-style pizza that has layers of toppings. Instead, we're really talking about a thicker crust.



"It all starts with the dough. Each of our delicious deep dish pizzas feature an 8x10 focaccia that we make from scratch daily. Every pie is topped with generous portions of cheese that melt and form a crispy “crown” around the entire crust. Our signature sauce is crafted with whole plum tomatoes and a proprietary blend of herbs and spices. Select toppings such as Ezzo Pepperoni and Old World Sausage alongside fresh and ripe produce seal the deal before heading into our stone fired oven and finished with fresh shaved parmesan cheese. Add an optional hot honey drizzle for the full experience." 



I ordered a pizza with mushrooms, and I tried telling myself in my head to not expect Lefty's, which I desperately miss from Morgantown. It was tough to not compare the two though, as they ended up looking pretty similar. A large personal pizza or small to share. A beautiful caramelization crisp on the edges. Sauce on top of the cheese.



For the most part, this was a pretty good pizza. I like the flavor of the sauce and the extra-done edges. But, there was too much oil/grease that overtook a lot of the flavor. I don't know if the bread soaked up too much or it was old or what, but that cheese and sauce would've shined even more if not for that.



Still, it was an above average pizza for me - I just want it to punch me in the tastebuds next time.



Grade: B

The Dunbar Critter Dinner has been held for decades (yes, critter dinner), and I was so happy to finally attend this year. 



Held at the Dunbar Recreation Center, the dinner is available for a $5 donation or 5 nonperishable items that go to the Dunbar Food Pantry. A unique experience, a good cause, and a meal? Sign me up.



I truly wasn't prepared for the turnout. I arrived a half hour before the dinner started, and there was already a line wrapped around the building, and the parking area was nearly full. It would be another hour before I would make it to the front of the line inside to see what was on the menu. 



Here's what was on the dinner line: crawdads with corn and sausage, ground bison, elk stew, rabbit gravy, camel, yak, boar, alligator, Rocky Mountain oysters, venison, turkey, pork - plus mashed potatoes, green beans, pinto beans, cornbread, rolls, etc. 



My favorite was probably the rabbit gravy - it had a good, light flavor and since it was a gravy, it wasn't dry like some other game meats can be.



I tried a little bit of everything, but for some reason, the crawdads bother me because I just remember using them as bait to fish. It's weird.



Honestly, if you've had a frozen dinner salisbury steak meal, many of these meats aren't too far from that. Maybe a bit different texture or stronger flavor, but nothing totally out of left field.



Is there anything here you wouldn't try?



Or anything you would really like to try?

The Take Out in Fayetteville has the slogan "good food to go." The small restaurant lets you makee your own custom meal - from the base to the protein to the toppings



"Like many of you it was the beautiful natural environment that attracted us to West Virginia and the New River Gorge area. The powerful rivers, the endless trails, and the miles of towering sandstone make this area one of the most awesome playgrounds on earth. We love this community of people and we want to be a part of it in every way. We want our service to echo the creativity of Fayetteville and deliver the same energy that people from all over the world feel when visiting our sights. It is our goal to provide one of the many great food service experiences for our local friends and our visiting guests as well. Thank you for allowing us to represent the beauty and magic of West Virginia!"



I ordered a rice bowl with shrimp and avocado, onion, corn, edamame, sweet soy glaze and a creamy sauce. I enjoyed this a lot because it was fresh, filling and cool on a warm day. 
     

They also threw in a little muffin! Such nice folks delicious food that you can customize to your liking, and can keep it on the healthy side too!



Grade: A

Good bagel shops are few and far between in West Virginia, so I often seek them out while traveling. That's how I discovered Ripple Bagel & Deli.



The shop is known for its steamed bagel sandwiches, and it has a ton of options: 

If I had to choose a favorite breakfast food, breakfast burritos would be in the top 5. And when you're in a big city - like Phoenix - you can enjoy the luxury of having breakfast burritos delivered right to your door.



Cereal Killerz offers breakfast foods, like bagel sandwiches, scrambled egg bowls and breakfast burritos. I ordered the Special K: Eggs, crispy bacon, shredded cheddar jack, tater tots, sauteed onions and secret spicy sauce rolled in a flour tortilla wrap. Served with hot sauce. Spicy way to start the day - plentiful, piping hot and delicious. I just had to down a few drinks with it.



Grade: B