There are a handful of chocolate-makers in West Virginia - the most recent one I discovered was EH Chocolates. Based in Kirby, the chocolatier uses Swiss chocolate and makes chocolate creations in truffle form. Some of their popular candies include peanut butter buckeyes, chocolate covered strawberries and coconut eggs.



Here's a little bit about Chef Eric Hott: "I was born in Winchester, VA and grew up on a farm in Kirby, West Virginia. My mother is from Hornberg, Germany and my dad is from Kirby, where my family still lives ...  My grandmother always had something cooking and she definitely taught me a lot about good home cooking and country style food. That’s where a lot of my creations and dishes started. Mixing together ingredients to inspire new flavors, designs and textures were all things that I noted to make a twist on many foods. ... High School did not provide all the food classes during my attendance, but I made the best of what I could get. Sweets, from pastries, chocolates and desserts became a big passion for me. Just hearing the positive feedback on these creations was a positive boost of self-esteem. After graduating High School in 2003, I moved to Baden-Baden, Germany and started a three year apprenticeship to obtain my Culinary Arts Degree. Working with Swiss Chocolate alongside a French Pastry Chef at the Kurhaus Firm/ Confiserie Rumpelmayer, became the new ground rule. ... Ten years in Europe provided me with so much experience and wisdom. I spent the summer of 2013 creating and designing recipes while enjoying the task of gardening to processing the produce. I call it back to the roots, literally. Nature provides a lot, it is a matter of what is made and done with it. In the meantime, I started a small business called EH Chocolates & More/Farm Food. I have put my chocolate creations into many different taste assortments in truffle form. I enjoy the aspect of allowing locals to experience chocolate at a gourmet level. I use Swiss chocolate exclusively; therefore, it has its own standard for quality. "



I had reached out and set up an appointment to pick up an assortment of chocolates, as well as some chocolate-covered strawberries. There's really something special about a box of assorted chocolates. Each and every one is like a little treasure. It's clear these are made with loving attention. to detail, because the flavors are clear and perfectly combined.



If you haven't had a chance to check them out,  add this to your must-try West Virginia list.



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Let me set a scenario for you: It's a cool late summer/early fall day. You're at the farmers market. There's a donut food truck. Does it get much better? I caught Drifter Doughnuts at tbe Bridgeport Farmers Market recently and had to get my hands on these mini donuts.



They serve a small boatload of mini donuts topped with all sorts of goodies, like fruit, nuts, caramel, and even bacon. I went for cherry crisp, which had cherry pie filling, cream cheese icing and graham cracker crumbles. Sweet, crisp donuts with that fruity, comforting topping - a delish snack on this day.



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Taco Tuesday has taken on a new meaning in Charleston with BG'z LA Street Tacos. This pop-up vendor is using the commercial kitchen at 432 Shrewsbury (First Baptist Church) every Tuesday and you do not want to miss out.



They offer 3 chicken or steak tacos along with rice and beans for just $10. I went for one chicken and two steak so I could get a taste of each. Plus, there are a whole variety of salsas to top the tacos with.



YUM. They're like homestyle tacos, but with the benefit of tons of options for sauces. I could pass on the beans next time and double up on the rice - which was moist and flavorful. The tacos had well-seasoned meat, fresh veggies and they were piping hot to order.



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While staying at Hershey Lodge, I stopped by the Cocoa Beanery.



"Cocoa Beanery is an all-day coffee shop, serving up eats, ice cream, drinks, and treats in the heart of Hershey Lodge®. Stop in for snacks, grab-and-go meals, specialty coffee, espresso, rotating flavors of ice cream, and your favorite Hershey's candy toppings," according to the website.



I went for a cookies and cream, ice cream, topped with marshmallows. It is almost impossible for this to not taste good, right? It is kinda unfair. But, this was sweet and satisfying, and simultaneously familiar, but with a little bit of a unique spin.



Have you been to Hershey Park?



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I may be weird, but I get excited when I get to try a new caterer.



Because, you can only check their food out in certain circumstances. You can't just decide to order a meal whatever you want. There has to be an event with food, and you have to hope that it's not just a generic provider.



I got lucky I had a recent Junior League of Charleston event where we celebrated our centennial anniversary. And one of the highlights for me was getting to eat food from Tastefully Dun.



We were able to enjoy crabcakes, antipasto skewers, fig and goat cheese crostini, stuffed meatballs, and, my favorite, a Swiss almond dip that I could have eaten the entire container of.



Plus, there were desserts: Macarons and fruit tartlet bites. I wish I could have dinners like this all the time. Just a bunch of hors d'oeuvres and I'm happy especially when they contain a lot of cheese.



Have you had the opportunity to enjoy any food from Tastefully Dun?



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Macarons have hit the Kanawha Valley, and folks can't get enough.



Bake My Day is a home baker who is specializing in French macarons and popping up at events all over.



Sure, there are some other bakeries in the area where you may find a flavor or two of macarons. But Bake My Day is all in on them: vanilla, strawberry, blueberry, tangerine, margarita, mimosa, mint, blue raspberry and more.



Those were just some of the summer flavors, but there are always different, creative ones added.



French macarons are notoriously difficult to make. They are technically challenging, but these are the right combo of soft and crisp. My favorites have been the fruity-boozy flavors.



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Black Draft Farm & Distillery is a lovely agritourism destination that I've seen grow over the years. My first visit was to their home property with a barn in the back.



Now, they have a full-on event venue in Martinsburg that plays host to music, food trucks and more every weekend.



Not only that, but they also began serving their own food - hot dogs. So, I had to check that out. First - a little about their booze.



"Founded in 2014, we joined the growing number of artisans seeking to blend our techniques with the West Virginia traditions of times past. We chose to first produce our First Harvest Moonshine because it reflected our commitment to following generations of folks producing fine corn whiskey right here in West Virginia. Over time, the high quality and explosive popularity of our First Harvest Moonshine inspired us to dream bigger and expand into Bourbon. Water in our area comes from the same type of limestone aquifers that western Kentucky distilling legends use. Naturally, we saw the mineral laden waters Berkeley Springs water as a perfect foundation for producing a great tasting bourbon. The overwhelming demand to our first Straight Bourbon batches proved we had another outstanding product to share with our friends and locals. Over the next 3 years, we added 3 more terrific flavors: Rise & Shine Coffee, White Julep Moonshine, and Black Draft Vodka. Each is perfect for mixing or sipping straight over ice."



And then the hot dogs - pretty simple, to be honest. I think it's more so to just have some in-house snacks. I had mine with ketchup, and there's the option to add chips and a drink.



There was also a food truck set up - Rumsey Food Truck - where I got some additional bites: a pepperoni roll, some eggrolls, and a riblet sandwich using a BBQ sauce made with Black Draft Distillery booze. Love that! 
 

Good food, good drinks, what more could you ask for?



What other food trucks do I need to try next?



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"Amani means love and the most beautiful girl and is the middle name of our daughter, Paris. The flower is Chrissy's birth month flower and the colors we use are those present in the sunrises and sunsets here at the brewery," according to Amani Brewing's website.



"At Amani Brewing we value craft products, community-driven activities and our environment. We believe that life is a journey, not a destination. Loving what you do and doing what is right are part of our core principles and we are always striving to do better. We value our customers and employees and consider all of you family. Everything we do is focused on an exceptional product and experience."



Here are some of the brews they currently have on tap at their Martinsburg location:

- Namaste Seltzer - 5% - cherry/limeaide, watermelon
- Trailhead Pale Ale - 5.3% - it's just beautiful
- Hazy Day Maker NEIPA - 6.8% - grapefruit, mango, orange
- The Mountaineer Pilsner - 5.3% - light, clean, malty background
- Embracing Risk: Dragon Fruit/ Mango Fruited Sour - 5.5% - dragonfruit, mango *contains lactose
- Between Here and There NEIPA - 7% - strawberry, tropical lime
- Ridgeline Kolsch - 5% - made for the river
- Pacific Sunset IPA - 7% - easy drinking
- West The Road Goes Ever On English Mild- 4.2% - toffee, caramel, cinnamon 
-"Are We There Yet?" A Kid's IPA - 0.0% - fruit punch, gummy worms, whip



They actually don't do growler fills here; they do have cans, though. So I couldn't add a new growler to my collection. But, I did taste the Citra/Lemondrop, which just slightly reflected those flavors in a pretty straightforward pale ale.



I really loved that they seem like a real community gathering space. There were a ton of folks outside, enjoying their drinks, playing yard games, listening to music. 



Love seeing these local spaces grow and thrive with the community.



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"Rippon Brewing is the estate brewery of Ripon Lodge Farm. Rippon Brewing's mission is to use local ingredients, including hops, barley, wheat, and rye grown and malted on our farm to produce outstanding beer."



Some of the beers they currently offer include:

- Slo Daze Golden Ale: A lighter, easy drinking beer with a clean finish for those days when there's time to kick back and soak in some country views, but not too much punch in case the cows get out. ABV: 5.4% 

- Pale Ale: An American styled pale ale made with Ripon Lodge Farm 2-Row barley and local Cascade Hops. Locally crafted, this beer shows off the "terroir" of the Northern Shenandoah Valley and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. ABV: 5.6%

- Farm-Use Saison: A Belgian styled farmhouse ale made entirely from Ripon Lodge Farm malted barley and with hops grown at our neighbors at Beverly Farm. ABV: 5.8%

-Nevermore IPA: Our top seller - An American IPA with over 3 pounds of Azzaca hops per barrel. Perfect for any hoppin' occasion. ABV: 6.7%

-Bullskin Creek Stout: A dark beer with a smooth taste brewed with a variety of roasted and chocolate malts. ABV: 5.8%



If you're unable to make it out to Rippon, no worries. You can find their beer on draft at many restaurants and bars in Jefferson County, including the Mecklenburg Inn, Domestic, White Horse Tavern, Anvil, Barn, and Abolitionist Ale Works.



They don't sell by the glass, but you can get a growler to go. And, every beer I've had here, I've enjoyed! 



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