Charleston went for quite some time without much of a craft beer scene. But then, within the last two years, we have had a handful of breweries open up. One of which is Charleston Nano Brewery.



"We're focused on brewing small batches of craft beverages on site. We appreciate the full catalog of beer styles, so we hope you'll always find something new for you on tap at Charleston Nano. We're also a family-owned business and we're keenly focused on being a family-friendly establishment ourselves. We plan on offering customers with kids a fun place to play board games and to enjoy our own non-alcoholic root beers. We want Charleston Nano to be a business that's involved in the community, focused on brewing education, and a great place for people to enjoy beer and each other. We want anyone to feel welcome at Charleston Nano!" according to the website.



The space is nice - not huge, but not cramped. It was cozy enough to be able to have a convo and relax. I ordered a flight and a snack.



Let's start with the beer. They have quite a few different styles and some very creative options that include flavors like pomegranate, ube and vanilla. I tried a few different sours - all of which I enjoyed.



For my snack, I enjoyed a homemade pepperoni roll and side of beer cheese. They even serve pepperoni rolls with jalapenos, too. My regular one was great, as is though. Certainly taste homemade and wasn't just thick bread. Flavorful.



They are located on the West Side - in Elk City. I think they sometimes get left out of the marketing along with the other breweries. But if we don't want them to leave, like some other Elk City businesses as of late, we have to make sure to support them.



Have you been?



Grade: A

The Springs Soup & Sandwich is a lovely name for a lunch spot in Webster Springs. It's simple, straightforward, but "springs" is also pleasantly bucolic.



This restaurant is a little funky, with bright paint colors and various art pieces on the walls. The menu is heavier on sandwiches than soups, with about a dozen paninis and one soup of the day.



I ordered the Springs Special, which was peppered turkey, lettuce, tomato, purple onion, mayo and cheddar cheese on sourdough bread - plus a side of chips, mini dill pickles and a chocolate mint.



There's nothing too out-of-the-box here. It's a basic sandwich, but it is well done. Each ingredient was solid, and it was all in good proportion to one another. The mint with the meal is a sweet touch.



Grade: A

One of my absolute favorite restaurants in West Virginia, Cafe Cimino, shuttered when the owners retired. The location, though, has a new start as Elk River Hotel & Cafe.



The historic home that now houses Elk River Hotel & Cafe remains stunning - stately, beautifully manicured, yet cozy. They have added a modern twist: geodesic domes.



"Transport yourself in our fully restored historic mansion built-in 1898. All 3 stories in the main house and the carriage house, 12 guest rooms, 4 Glamping Domes (Coming Soon) 3 dining rooms, Cafe (Open Tuesday through Saturday 4PM to 9PM), Bar service in the Café, natural gas fireplaces, outside kitchen, carriage home, outdoor covered patio, and bar are here to offer you a memory-filled vacation," according to the website.



I visited one evening while they had dinner service in one of the domes. I was very excited to check it out. I've never been in one of these domes - let alone eaten in one. It was the perfect time of day – still light out, but approaching dusk. So, it was a bit cool, which was nice, because I can see it getting quite warm in the warmer months.



Inside, it was almost set up like an event space. There were plastic folding chairs, but lovely white tablecloths. There was a really cool modern light fixture dangling from the ceiling.



The menu offers, pizza, calzones, salads, sandwiches, pasta and dinner entrées. I immediately was drawn to the pastas, because it's one of my favorite foods. Though, the bison burger and the rainbow trout were tempting.



The winner for me was the creamy portobello pasta with linguine. They do have a lot of portobello mushrooms in their menu, but that is good news for me. I added some shrimp for some protein, but you can also opt for salmon, meatballs or chicken.



This was a pretty tasty dinner in a really cool setting overlooking the Elk River. it was thick and creamy and comforting. I do wish I would have thought to add something acidic to kind of cut through all of the fattiness but, it was delicious in small doses, and I took the remainder home.



There aren't many opportunities to dine in a setting like this, so it is certainly one of the most unique places to eat in West Virginia.



Have you been?



Grade: A

Cass is home to Cass Scenic Railroad State Park. This park features an 11-mile long heritage railroad and authentic company town. It also features an artisans co-op and the Cass Historical Theater and Historical Museum, one of America’s only authentic lumber railroading museums, according to its website.



My favorite part, though, is the Company Store, which houses a gift shop full of local products and also Shays Restaurant and Soda Fountain. My friend Beth and I stayed at a company house then headed to Shays the next morning before boarding our excursion train ride.



Named after the shiny black “Shay” steam locomotives that continue to go into deep forests, the restaurant offers breakfast, lunch and dinner. We arrived during the transition from breakfast to lunch, so I opted for the lunch menu. I also noticed some train-themed decor here and there, but the space was mostly filled with highly lacquered tables and chairs.



Corn dog bites & a pork BBQ with slaw sandwich. What a combo, eh? The mini corn dog bites were crisp enough but would've been perfect with some sort of tangy sauce.



The sandwich was tender and had a nice tomato-based flavored sauce. I think I would get the slaw on the side, because it kinda overtook the flavor a bit. But, still really enjoyable.



Grade: B

I stumbled upon Guilty Pleasures Sweet Shop while shopping in Elkins and couldn't resist peeking inside.



"We offer a tasty selection of fresh-baked Grab-n-Go seasonal goodies—muffins, breads, brownies, cookies, pepperoni rolls, and our ever-popular cake pops," according to their website.



I know it's difficult for bakeries to offer a wide variety of options because those goodies don't keep for long. So, you have to have a pretty consistent, steady customer base to have many different sweets for sale.



So, I was pleased to see quite a few varieties of treats to try. Of course, I first scoped out the pepperoni rolls. There were a few versions, but I kept it simple for my first roll. It was a decent roll. The second - with garlic - was a bit more exciting.



The Reese brownie had a thick layer of peanut butter and chopped Reeses on top. The brownie was a bit cake-like to me, so I would've liked it to be even more dense.



There were plenty of other items I want to try next time - like a muffin or cake pop.



It's a cute little shop to walk around in and see what the latest offerings are.



Have you been?



Grade: B

Cryptids are pretty popular these days; Mothman turned from a terrifying monster to a friendly anti-hero we celebrate through merchandise, at festivals - and even at restaurants.



Bigfoot Hotdogs, named after another cryptid, in New Martinsville serves up primarily a few hot dogs, but also friees, wings, onion rings, chicken tenders and sloppy joes.



The restaurant portion itself is not very large; I assume the bar/gambling area brings in more money. But, I thought the tin ceiling and counter front were cool, and there was some fun merch. Overall, though, it's fairly simple and unassuming.



I ordered a hot dog with chili, cheeese and onion. It's a hefty dog, but flavors were all pretty mild. I did, however, get some more flavor from those jalapeno poppers with raspberry dipping sauce. Love the play on spicy and sweet there.



Grade: B

A lot of small town shops have to serve multiple purposes. That means the local gas station likely also has a convenience store and it may just be home to the best deli in the region.



The Sandstone General Store and Eatery is one of those places that has a little bit of everything - including tasty food.



"We are a mom an pop convenience store/ gas station and food dive. The original store opened in 1888. Since then the store has grown an changed but we're still country. We have all your needs; restaurant, deli, local produce, groceries, gas, diesel, propane tank fill, convenience items, local to the area products, hunting an fishing supplies (including license and live bait), camping supplies, and a little bit of everything else too!" according to the website.



In their deli case, they had sandwiches and salads. But I was more so looking for a snack to keep me company on my drive. And there was a cheeseball staring back at me.



Nuts. Cream cheese. All of the herbs and spices. There are many different takes on cheeseballs, but this one was one of the better ones. Not a fan of sweet ones, and this had a nice savory, herby flavor. Know the secret to delish, punchy flavored cheese balls? MSG.



So I added some crackers and a drink to my purchase to round out my meal. But aside from the deli offerings, they also have a menu full of items like hot dogs, wraps and sandwiches. While I didn't need a full meal on this day, I was excited to try something from the cold case to sample what the kitchen is churning out.



Have you been?



Grade: B