The Lox Bagel Shop in Columbus, Ohio, hand-rolls, boils and then bakes their bagels - which has helped them earn spots on lists such as: Bon Appétit Magazine's "The Very Best Bagels in the US (yes, outside New York)" and Food & Wine Magazine's "The Best Bagels in America."



The trendy spot is a bit off the beaten path, but not far. They are known for their hybrid-style bagel - a beautiful blend between nice crunch exterior and soft interior. You can get them as plain, sesame, sea salt and herb, or everything. you can also add a spread or go for a bagel sandwich.



"Our bagels are a cross between a New York and Montreal style, boiled and fired in a live fire oven. We pride ourselves on sourcing the highest quality ingredients as well as sound technique to produce a delicious and enjoyable bagel or bagel sandwich," reads the website.



I had to try their namesake sandwich, the Lox, which has capers, onion, cucumber, and cream cheese. I made mine a sea salt and herb bagel with chive cream cheese.



I loved the sandwich so much. There was a perfect mixture of textures. There was some sweetness from the pickled red onion. There was lots of savory from the herbs and chives. Delicious.



Grade: A

Plaza Azteca is a chain of Mexican restaurants in Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachussetts, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and one singular location in West Virginia: Morgantown.



This space in Suncrest Towne Centre has been home to a number of restaurants over the years, but I do think the bright blue and vibrant yellow hues on the outside of the building make it one of the most welcoming and exciting options this location has seen. I visited with my friend Kayla and her two kids.



The menu features many of the same offerings you'd find at comparable restaurants in the region: tacos, burritos, nachos, fajitas, chimichangas and the like.



It was something else that caught my eye, though.

FRESH TABLE-SIDE CEVICHE ** Citrus-marinated fish, shrimp, avocados, jalapeño, tomato, onion, lime, orange, salt, cilantro.



"Ceviche is a seafood dish where diced cubes of raw fish, marinated in a lemon or lime juice mixture, react with the citrus juices to cure the fish protein and causes it to become opaque and firm while absorbing flavor," according to Southern Living. It is South American/Peruvian traditionally.



I love a tableside preparation, and there are really aren't too many places to get ceviche locally. Food just tastes much more fresh when watching it be prepared right in front of you.



And I enjoyed the flavors - bright, light, fresh, punchy. While it is typically served as an appetizer, I indulged in it as my main meal. I think the only addition that would have made this meal better is a margarita.



Grade: A

In my travels to visit all of the Sam's Hot Dog Stand locations, I thought I just about completed my list. But I discovered a few more locations, like this one in Ashford.



Like most others, this location is set inside a gas station. It doubles as a Hunts Brothers pizza spot as well as cookie distributor. I did a hotdog with mild chili, slaw, mustard and onions. All the flavors melded well together. They really packed on the slide here, though, which made it a bit too wet. Though, I know many others would not be complaining about too much slaw.



Grade: C

I visited The Belgian Waffle Shop a few months ago and was excited to try out something new. Sure, you're probably familiar with Waffle House, but there are a handful of local places around the state that also focus on the waffle. Wheeling happens to be one of them.



To start, I feel for the businesses in this part of town that have had the road inaccessible for quite some time. I'm sure that affects business. Additionally, there seem to be some behind-the-scenes struggles in terms of ownership that have made the rounds on social media lately. I don't want to get into that debate.

But I will debate what IS a Belgian waffle. In comparison to regular waffles, Belgian waffles are smaller without an outer rim and are a bit crisp on the outside and fluffy and dense inside. I think a lot of places use the term Belgian to sound fancy, but most are just regular ol' waffles.



The small shop offere several specialty waffles - Butter Pecan, Double Triple Chocolate, Strawberry-N-Cream, Toffee Crunch and Traditional Vanilla Bean. Plus, they do bubble waffles. And drinks.



I ordered the toffee crunch, waffle, which was more of a regular waffle: large, fairly soft, fluffy. The toppings are really, well, over the top. Candy pieces and ice cream and whipped cream remove this from any breakfast territory and send it straight to dessert alley. My only hope is that my next waffle is more crisp.



Grade: B

Wheeling is home to a few new candy stores.



Luckies Candies 2 is one of them. They feature trendy candies and international treats.



I grabbed a few Laffy Taffies. Have you been?

Rock Hill Creamery is a Shepherdstown ice cream shop that keeps it simple: "We make our ice cream right here in the shop using only milk, sugar, and heavy cream as our base."



In 2021, the local paper wrote: "Founded by Gary Miller in Martinsburg in 1996, Rock Hill Creamery was officially closed six years ago. One of Miller’s longtime employees, however, lived in Shepherdstown and realized she wanted to bring the creamery back to life in her town."



I kept it pretty simple with salted caramel, but it was the most silky, luxurious salted caramel I've had in recent memory. maybe because of the simplicity, the flavors really popped. I know next time I want to try a waffle cone, if available.



Grade: A

Twisted Grille is a local business that has been serving burgers, nachos and fries via brick-and-mortar and food truck. When I saw their food truck, I already knew I wanted to order the Route 60 Nachos. It is tortilla chips topped with pulled pork, white queso cheese, and barbecue sauce. I do love a good nacho, and these were surprisingly simple. I think a pickled jalapeno would add a bit ot fresh, sweet and spice to each bite.



Grade: B

I recently heard about Penny's Sweet Confections, so I placed an order to try a bit of everything. Available cookies:

Peanut butter
Chocolate Chip peanut butter
Chocolate chip
Double Chocolate Chip
Creamsicle
Strawberry
S’mores
Snickerdoodle
These were all tasty, but my favorites were the strswberry and s'mores. Have you tried them yet?

Alfredo's has had several Italian/Greek restaurants around the state: Summersville, Buckhannon, Lewisburg, and Marlinton - which we are visiting today.



For as small as downtown Marlinton is, this restaurant is smack dab in the middle. It sits a level above ground, so we walked up the stairs to visit the dining room. It is pretty basic in terms of decor and ambience.



The menu features, pizza, wings, subs, burgers, pasta, gyros and more. Truly fits the definition of "a little bit of everything."



The salad was basic with iceberg lettuce, the garlic knots with cheese were a bit different but dry, and the spaghetti with meat sauce was the definition of comfort food. It's not my typical go-to, but sometimes the simple dish just hits the spot.



Grade: B

Clendenin Brewing Co. is a microbrewery & AirBnB in the small town of Clendenin.



It's a neat space with a garage style door and a mishmash of decor and brewing equipment.



Some of the beers on tap included:

Clendenin Cream Ale Cream Ale
Slow Paddle Pilsner
Mothgirl
Amber Knights
Cannel Coal Imperial Stout
Gingerbread Stout
Secret Hopper
Udder Mayham
Mountain Mango IPA Double IPA
Three Step Mister
KeyLime Gose
Shya's Shandy
Margarita Beer



The food menu consists of a couple sandwiches, smoked meat platters, nachos and mac & cheese bowls.



I went to check it out with my friends, Erin and Beth, and we played some of the tabletop games while perusing the menus.



I gravitated toward the lighter-bodied beers, and my favorites included the key lime gose and both shandies. I was feeling the summer vibes, and they were just so refreshing.



I ordered the buffalo chicken dip macaroni and cheese. Separately, these are two of my favorite dishes. Together, they could use a little work. Some crunch or herb or something would have made this dish a bit more complete and broken up the soft texture.



it's a local addition to town, and I look forward to trying some of their new and seasonal items.



Grade: B

I attended Bop & Nana’s Fancy Ramp Sunday Supper today with my friend Elizabeth. Everything was phenomenal. Take a look: Some passed appetizers for the table: Beverages: Complimentary bellini with a strawberry, water, coffee, ginger tea and mint tea Ramp Chimichuri and Oil Cured Olives in Ramp Marinade Mini Ramp Biscuits & Ramp Butter Rosemary & Parmesan Focaccia Bread Pickled Ramps, Carrots, Broccoli and Cauliflower Gift from the Chef:
Mini Ramp Frittata Appetizer:
Kale with Pork Belly & Sautéed Ramps Soup:
Homemade Ramp & Ricotta Ravioli in Chicken Broth Salad:
Spring Greens with Feta, Redbud, Carrots & Candied Black Walnuts with Ramp Dressing Intermezzo:
Fresh Fruits - strawberry, honey dew, cantaloupe, blueberries Entrée:
Carnitas over Polenta with sides of Ramps & Kale & with Brown Beans Dessert
Chocolate babka garnished with Ramp Sesame Brittle & fresh whipped cream

Bop & Nana’s would like to give thanks and appreciation to all of our local West Virginia growers and food producers who inspire the Chef and help make our 2024 Sunday Suppers possible:

Aroma of the Andes Coffee
Berea Gardens
Chestnut Ridge Winery
Circle S Farm
Every Herb Bearing Seed
Family Roots Farm
Garden Treasures
McColley Gardens
Misty Mountain Farm
Mountain State Farm
Spring Creek Farm
Villa DiTrapano
Working Girl Apiary