J&D Bar-B-Q is a new entrant to the Morgantown BBQ scene. They specialize in Carolina style BBQ but have expansive options in other directions.



Located in Westover, this restaurant is easy to find, has plenty of parking and features an indoor dining room - all perks compared to other BBQ joints in the area.



The menu has a little bit of everything: ribs, brisket, pulled pork, pulled chicken, half chicken, fish and even cheeseburgers. They offer both a vinegar-style sauce and a mustard-based sauce, plus a sweet and a hot.



Sides include mac & cheese, potato salad, green beans, cowboy beans, slaw, onion rings and fries.



I tried the pulled pork sandwich with all of the sauces, as well as macaroni and cheese and potato salad. These are some of my favorite things. The pulled pork was good. The sides were all good. overall, it was a good meal. I would not have hated some more bold flavors to make things stand out. But, a solid, satisfying meal, it was.



Grade: B

Before it gets too cold, I gotta talk about one of my favorite foods once more: ice cream.



The Stache has long been Fayetteville's resident go-to ice cream shop. However, they moved locations fairly recently so I thought it was due time to visit them again.



They offer a variety of Hershey's ice cream flavors. The Blue Moon flavor tastes like "blue." and there is always a sorbet of some sort, which is nice and refreshing. on this particularly hot day, I went for lemon and strawberry sorbet.



There is really nothing better than sitting on their deck, watching Fayetteville buzz about, and enjoying a super cold super sweet treat. The folks here are always kind, the treats are always delicious, and I appreciate the vibe they contribute to the community.



Grade: A

I visited Bridgeport Farmers Market for one of its last markets of the season. 



There were so many vendors that were new to me, so I went on a bit of a shopping spree.



These are the ones I visited: The Bread Bowl, Feathers Fire Pit Kettle Corn, Poe Run Craft & Provisions, Hannah's Candies, Re:Source Sanctuary & Farm, LeRoy's Bakery, Haven Herbs and Uncle Frankie's Pasta Sauce.



The Bread Bowl - homemade breads, specifically sourdough and salt rising bread. I got a few of these little mini flatbreads with toppings that were tasty.



Feathers Fire Pit Kettle Corn - both sweet and salty, this kettle corn was freshly made and delicious.



Poe Run Craft & Provisions - they offer everything from garlic spreads to Wolfe and pillows. I purchased a garlic spread that I'm excited to use as a mixture the atop a meatloaf.



Hannah's Candies - candies, treats, and everything delicious. I definitely left with a bag full of cookies to snack on for the trip home.



Re:Source Sanctuary & Farm - they have pepperoni rolls! I had to get a pack to try. Not bad!



LeRoy's Bakery - a beautiful display of cupcakes caught my eye. Plus they have items like cinnamon rolls, galettes, cookies and more



Haven Herbs - lots of Appalachian herbal goodness happening here: teas, tinctures, etc.



Uncle Frankie's Pasta Sauce - Spicy Alla Vodka & Tomato Basil. Roasted Pineapple Salsa. Hot & Sweet Peppers & Sauce. I can't wait to try the jar I purchased.



Here are all the vendors who participate in this market:



PRODUCE
Green Acres Farm
Green Thumb Botanicals
Haven Herbs
HC Monroe Farms
Poe Run Craft & Provisions
Re:Source Sanctuary & Farm
Richardsons Farm
Shipley’s Forest Hill Farm
The Vegetable Garden
West Virginia Briarpatch



MEATS
Novak Farms
Poe Run Craft & Provisions
Shipley’s Forest Hill Farm



EGGS
Hickory Duckery Dock Homestead
Poe Run Craft & Provisions
Re:Source Sanctuary & Farm
Shipley’s Forest Hill Farm



HONEY AND SYRUP
Howe Sweet It Is
Novak Farms
Shipley’s Forest Hill Farm
The Vegetable Garden



BAKERS
Drifter Doughnuts
Leroy’s Bakery
My Little Cupcake
The Bread Bowl (formerly Sew Kneaded)
This n That Bakery

CANDY & CONFECTIONS
Hannah’s Candies

VALUE-ADDED PRODUCTS
Heelbilly Hound Dog Treats
Poe Run Craft & Provisions
Re:Source Sanctuary & Farm
Sunny Hollow Farm
Uncle Frankie’s Pasta Sauce

FLOWERS AND PLANTS
Goldenseal Garden Care
Green Acres Farm
Green Thumb Botanicals
Three Little Buds Flowers

ARTISANS
Covered Bridge Baskets
Dirty Hippie Co Soy Candles
Haven Herbs
Hickory Duckery Dock Homestead
Hill & Holler Herbal Co.
Howe Sweet It Is
Loop Creative Pottery
Marie x3
Patty’s Paca Alpaca Products
Re:Source Sanctuary & Farm
Sudsberry Handmade Bath & Body
Tanner Leather Works
Whimsical What-Nots

FOOD and BEVERAGE VENDORS
Drifter Doughnuts
Feathers Fire Pit Kettle Corn
Groove on the Move Coffee Shop
Mister Crab’s Catering & Boil Truck
The Lunchbox Food Truck

Everyone I know from the Cumberland, Maryland, area has one favorite restaurant: D'Atri's.



"Nestled in scenic LaVale Maryland, D’Atri Restaurant first opened its doors in 1971 when Robert D’Atri sought to supplement his income from the Kelly-Springfield tire plant by opening a small pizza shop in Cumberland. Surprisingly, rather than pizza, the crowd-pleaser turned out to be the family-recipe steak sub – a foot-long creation made with chopped rib-eye steak and lettuce flavored with the family’s blend of Italian seasonings. The steak subs were so popular that the D’Atri family opened another restaurant in 1976 in LaVale...



... Now the steak sub has become a regional favorite; so much so that former residents often have sandwiches shipped to their homes! And when returning to Western Maryland, former-locals always make sure to visit D’Atri Restaurant. Now owned by D’Atri daughter Antoinette and her husband Scott, D’Atri’s Restaurant is continuing the family tradition of keeping the highest-quality food and service at prices everyone can afford."



I had to try that famous steak sub, though the menu features a wide variety of breakfast options, salads, soups, sandwiches, burgers, pasta, and other dinner plates.



The steak sub features chopped ribeye, onions, lettuce, tomatoes and Miracle Whip on a roll. It is served warm and with some special Italian seasoning. It is large and served splayed open because it is stacked with toppings. It proves a bit difficult to eat, unless you smash everything down or cut it up.



But once I got in, I enjoyed this sub. The steak was of good quality, so there wasn't a bunch of pieces with fat or sinew. It ate well for that reason. The lettuce was crunchy and had a sweet and vinegary flavor. So, there was a great combination of textures, plus the freshness of the vegetables rounded out the sandwich.



The side of potato salad wasn't necessarily my favorite. I like a tangyp potato salad, not necessarily a sweet or peppery one.



Have you been?



Grade: A

Hens & Heifers in Elkview has had mixed reviews since its opening, so my friend Beth and I were eager to check it out for ourselves.

From the outside, the restaurant looks new and clean and like a good amount of work has been done on it to bring it up-to-date. And, there are some risqué nods to "hard up hens."



The restaurant features, chicken tenders, and wings, as well as burgers, pasta, fish, and steak. The "hard up hens" refers to chicken tenders, which come with a variety of different sauces - like ranch, barbecue, Jamaican jerk, and mango habanero.



I wanted to try the chicken tenders, since it is their signature, but I opted to have them atop white cheddar macaroni and cheese. I got this with a "Hen" sauce, which they bill as tangy and creamy. This dish would've benefited from a lot more of it. The mac & cheese was thick and dense and the chicken was a bit dry. So, that tangy dressing could've added a much needed dimension. As it was, it was just a bit stodgy.



But, I also tried their smashed potatoes. The description says that it starts out as a baked potato that is squashed flat and smash cut on the flat top griddle. I thought that meant a larger surface area would lend itself to crispier bits. But, it was really just a baked potato in a cup with toppings on it. Having melted butter and cheese would have kicked this up a notch. I do like this concept; I think the execution could get better.



Finally, we tried dessert. The slice of Keylime pie was a bit small on the plate, but tasted fine. It was just a bit puny.



The cocktail list looked expensive, and I would definitely check that out next time. Overall, though, not bad, but certainly room for improvement. I do appreciate a good concept and some creative effort.



Grade: B

"Fuddruckers" almost sounds wrong to say; I'm worried my tongue will get twisted and I'll instead say a not-so-pleasant version of this restaurant's name.



Alas, this is a family-friendly restaurant, and in a fast-casual style that focuses on hamburgers. And, there is not a single location in the state of West Virginia, so when I stumbled upon one in Pennsylvania, I had to check it out.



"Some people are driven to create the world's fastest cars or the world's tallest buildings. Our calling is only slightly less glamorous but a whole lot tastier. We were born to create the World's Greatest Hamburgers®. A mission of this magnitude requires an obsession with quality, and it all begins with Fuddruckers fresh, never frozen, 100% USDA All-American premium-cut beef. Choose from 1/3, 1/2, or 2/3 lb patties and we'll always grill it to order, just the way you like it. Of course you don't put the World's Greatest Hamburger on the World's second greatest bun. Not if you want to remain the World's Greatest Hamburger. Our sesame-topped buns are baked from scratch in our restaurant bakeries all day long. It's the only way to get that perfect combination of crisp crust and melt-in-your-mouth, fresh-from-the-oven taste. Not fresh from-a-truck taste like everyone else. Ah, there's nothing like that new bun scent," according to the website.



From there, you get to "Build Your Own" toppings from the produce bar - tomatoes, lettuce, sliced onions, dill pickles, pico de gallo, cheese sauce, honey mustard, and even more.



So, I had a burger with American cheese, red onion, mayo and cheese sauce. Plus onion rings with a variety of dipping sauces. The perks here are that you can make sure the burger is made how you like it and you can add as much or as little of any toppings that you'd like. The cons are that it is like buffet-style, and that can be a bit of an ick factor. Overall, it was an OK burger - a bit dry and could use some seasoning - but nothing I couldn't make up for with plenty of toppings.



Grade: B