Goodies serves all-day breakfast alongside a diverse menu of American comfort classics— think egg sandwiches, burgers (including a unique “Breakfast Burger”), wraps, fried seafood, Belgian waffles, pancakes, hot dogs, salads, and house-made desserts like rice pudding.



All I wanted here was a strawberry milkshake. It was a bit tangy - like maybe it was made with yogurt. Just a little different. Still lightly sweet and satisfying.



Grade: B

The Freefolk Brewery is owned by husband and wife, Jeff and Sarah Edwards. Freefolk is nestled in the heart of the New River Gorge and celebrates the Appalachian vibe and culture. Jeff began experimenting with fermentation in his Morgantown, WV backyard in 2014. He started with a 15-Gallon system that he cobbled together from a few garage sales. What started as a hobby soon progressed as he fell in love with the process of creating beer. After spending a lot of years in Morgantown raising their son Seth, Jeff and Sarah decided it was time for a change and moved to Fayetteville and opened the brewery in downtown Fayetteville. With the help of Freefolk’s co-founder, WV artist Jamie Lester, they filled the space with handcrafted steel features, wood, and concrete and covered the walls with painted murals. The original brewhouse was 3.5 bbl and some of the first brews were Moondog’s Blonde Ale, Trucker Speed IPA, and Orange Oswald SMaSH IPA. The Freefolk brand and team quickly grew and in the fall of 2022 they upgraded to a 20 bbl brewhouse. The production brewery found a second home in Hico, WV - 9 miles north of the original location. I had previously visited the Fayetteville location, which is now shuttered. So, I was excited to visit the Hico location and have been here a few times over the last couple years. During my first visit, there was a cryptid festival going on, and the entire space was opened to vendors, artist and food trucks. They had limited food and drinks, but I still enjoyed both. I was especially pleased to see a West Virginia pepperoni roll served with a side of marinara. These were cut on a bias and warm. Topped with parmesan. Tasty. I returned recently now that they have an on-site pizza shop: Ample Pizza. There were a handful of pizza options available: margherita, pepperoni, cherry tomato & ramp. I went with the fig, prosciutto, and goat cheese pizza. It had caramelized onions and a balsamic drizzle, as well. There was a ton of goat cheese and not quite enough fig. Overall, I enjoyed the pizza and would like to try some of the other options. Have you been? Grade: A

Urban Chislic opened in Sioux Falls in 2018 with a bold idea: to take South Dakota’s beloved state nosh, chislic—deep-fried cubes of meat with roots in German-Russian tradition—and give it a modern, urban twist. The restaurant featured a lively, sports-bar-style atmosphere with graffiti art, creative lighting, and a menu that let diners mix and match proteins like beef, lamb, pork, chicken, fish, and even bison with a wide variety of rubs and sauces. Beyond the traditional dish, they offered playful takes such as chislic nachos, the “Regret Burger,” and rotating specials that drew enough attention to land the restaurant on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and Guy’s Grocery Games. After six years, the restaurant permanently closed in August 2024. I was fortunate to check it out before then, though, and tried the sweet BBQ chislic with bison and sauteed seasonal vegetables. The meat itself was a little chewy, but I enjoyed the sauce. Grade: B

Bagel Bin in Omaha is a beloved institution known for bringing authentic New York–style bagels to the Midwest since 1977. Family-owned and community-driven, the shop bakes hundreds of dozens of bagels daily, offering everything from classics like garlic and poppy seed to sweeter options like cinnamon apple and blueberry. Beyond bagels, they serve hearty sandwiches -- such as the Denver Omelet on an everything bagel—along with house-made cream cheeses, challah, pastries, and even lox. I ordered an asiago cheese bagel - one of my all-time favorites - with garlic herb cream cheese. The asiago cheese bagel is golden and fragrant, with a toasty crust that crackles slightly under each bite and a chewy, tender interior. The sharp, nutty flavor of the melted asiago baked across the surface adds richness and just the right amount of salty bite. Paired with garlic herb cream cheese, the combo is unbeatable—the spread is silky and tangy, with garlicky warmth and bright pops of fresh herbs that balance the bagel’s bold cheesiness. The kugel was a disappointment. Served cold, it had a dense, plastic-like texture that made each bite feel heavy and unappealing. The usual comforting sweetness and richness were missing, leaving it bland and one-dimensional. Instead of being creamy and satisfying, it tasted flat and lifeless, more like leftovers that had been sitting too long than a dish made with care. Grade: B

Crawford’s Bar & Grill is the location of one of the first butchers in Sioux Falls, Louis Bauch, Bauch’s Meats in 1896. If you look closely you will see the wood beams throughout the quartzite walls used as scaffolding when building the massive walls for the Bauch’s pMeats property. Bauch’s son and son-in-law’s names are signed and dated “May 1936″ on the back of the bar under the first shelf of wine glasses. Behind the second shelf of wine glasses there is an original piece of cork from the butcher’s cork lined cooler. Black soot runs up the men's bathroom brick wall from where the butcher's meat was smoked, the blood trough still runs along the north cellar wall and a rusty old nail hangs in the quartzite wall under one of the large gilded mirrors. When restoring the building to its original beauty, Bauch’s meat cleaver was discovered, hidden neatly away for almost a century, it is displayed in a special spot in Crawford’s today. Moroccan chandeliers, antique Indian columns, jeweled wallpaper, cowhide-barrelled seats, and a quartzite bar top decorate the space. The mix of masculine and feminine touches—like iron footrests and vintage tiles—adds to its layered aesthetic. I ordered Parmesan Walleye - Parmesan-crusted walleye served with mash potatoes and grilled asparagus, finished with lemon beurre Blanc. And French Onion Tart - Flaky tart filled with caramelized onions and boursin cheese topped with gruyere. The walleye had a mild, clean, and slightly sweet flavor and the lemon beurre blanc added a bright, buttery finish that tied beautifully to the creamy mash and smoky asparagus. The tart featured sweet caramelized onions and tangy boursin wrapped in a delicate pastry, topped by the nutty depth of melted gruyere. Grade: A

Located in Rapid City, South Dakota, Bokujo Ramen is the inspired creation of Food Network chef Justin Warner and Brooke Sweeten, who brought their New York-and-Japan culinary expertise to the restaurant. The restaurant focuses on Japanese ramen traditions while incorporating local ingredients such as bison and South Dakota produce. Bokujo’s menu features a variety of ramen styles, including tonkotsu, miso, and seasonal specials. I ordered the Bison Bun - Roasted Bison, Cabbage, Wasabi Mayo; and the Bison Bone Ramen - Bison Brisket, mixed greens, soy egg, sunflower, scallions. While the flavor of the bun was appreciated, the bun’s texture and presentation could use some refinement. The ramen was a bit gamey, and even with the broth, a bit dry. Interesting concept, eh execution. Grade: B

Founded in 2015, Grazers was born from a vision to “recreate fast food” by focusing on speed, freshness, and flavor. Grazers specializes in freshly prepared, never frozen burgers made right in front of hungry customers—“always fast and fresh,” as they put it. They offer a range of options from classic cheeseburgers to creative gourmet builds like the Stuffed Cow Burger (a half-pound beef patty stuffed with bacon, cheese, and veggies) or the spicy Ghost Town Burger. They also offer a local favorite, the Skull Creek Bison Burger, featuring Wyoming-produced bison with mushrooms, bacon, Swiss cheese, and horseradish sauce. Bison’s low-fat profile demands precise cooking to preserve juiciness. Overlooking this can easily lead to a burger that’s “fine,” but not memorable. The breading had a decent crunch, yet the flavor was pretty plain—missing the punch of seasoning that could have made them pop. A little more spice in the batter would have taken them from just okay to really enjoyable. Doc was a version of Dr. Pepper, which wasn't bad. Every so often, I really enjoy a Dr. Pepper. The cola and cherry, plus licorice, amaretto, almond, and vanilla, is A+. Grade: B

The West Virginia Cupcake Festival returned to Hurricane this weekend and brought out cupcake, vendors, food trucks and more. There were plenty of new-to-me cupcake makers like Bentley Cupcakes, Cakes by Meagan, Christal's Kitchen, The Cupcake Ranch, Betti's Sweet Treats and more. I tried Batters Up Cupcakes & Cakes' pineapple upside down cupcake, which was more just like the cupcake top. It was like a poppable little bite of sweet deliciousness. I also stopped at Sweet Bliss Bakery, where I purchased a brownie and pepperoni roll. The fudgey brownie was the best kind, and the pepperoni roll wasn't bad.

The Second Annual Jam Off was held at Capitol Market today, featuring nearly two dozen different jams, jellies and marmalades. Contestants included: Laura McComas, Up the Holler Goods, Knorrsgaard Jams, Homemade by Londa, Homemade by GiGi, JarHead Farms, Therese Blair and Dreama Viars. Hosted by Liz Martin LLC, the event raised $3,000 raised for Make a Wish West Virginia (the “Organization”), a non-profit organization dedicated to making wishes come true for children diagnosed with critical illnesses. Founded by Elizabeth Martin in 2023 and previously hosted by Tudor’s Biscuit World in celebration of its 25-year partnership with the organization, the event’s return marked the company’s first fundraiser and aimed to celebrate Appalachian heritage by supporting and highlighting local jam and jelly makers. In total, the 2025 Jam Off featured 23 different jams, jellies, and preserves from local amateur and commercial artisans throughout the state of West Virginia and bordering area of Ohio, a live musical performance by West Virginia country-rock artist, Brandon Laxton, and a silent auction containing local West Virginia goods including a jam and jelly gift basket consisting of jams and jellies showcased during the event. Public tasting tickets were sold as a part of the Event to allow guests to taste and vote on their favorite flavors with t-shirts and water also available for purchase. During the event, an official judge’s panel featuring Hannah Cline, WCHS TV anchor and former wish child, Steven Kieth, the Food Guy, and yours truly awarded first place to amateur contestant Stacy Holstine AKA Homemade by GiGi (Charleston, WV) for her GiGi’s Christmas Jam entry and commercial contestant Whitney Bolton from Up the Holler Goods (Bob White, WV) for their Peach Habanero entry. Each winner received a certificate and a $500 cash prize. Additionally, the Event featured a People’s Choice category, voted on by the public, and a Wish Kid’s Choice category that allowed a select panel of Make a Wish children to sample each flavor and pick their favorite entry. People’s Choice and Wish Kid’s Choice were both awarded to amateur contestant Therese Blair (Long Bottom, OH) for her Banana entry in which she received two certificates in honor of the victories. I enjoyed 23 different jams from amateurs and commercial vendors. Check them out below!