Grandpa’s Cheesebarn & Sweeties Chocolates is a longtime roadside attraction in Ashland, Ohio, just off Interstate 71. Part specialty grocery store, part candy shop and part tourist destination, the family-owned business has been drawing travelers since 1978. "The rich history of Grandpa’s Cheesebarn started with Grandpa Yarman, who in the early 1900s sold his only possession (a portable RCA radio) for his first wheel of Ohio Swiss and opened his own Yarman’s cheese house in West Salem, Ohio. Grandpa Yarman smoked his own country hams and bacon. Word of his unique way of smoking meats along with his reputation for quality spread throughout Ohio. His daughter, Vera, met Grandpa Baum and the two of them began to reconstruct Grandpa Yarman's dream. Grandpa Baum followed the same path as Grandpa Yarman and sought out the best cheese makers in Ohio. He explored new areas in Ohio to obtain the best Colby, Swiss, baby Swiss and many other types of local cheeses. In 1978, Grandma and Grandpa Baum, along with their daughter, Ronda, and her husband, Dick Poorbaugh, opened Grandpa’s Cheesebarn in Ashland, Ohio. In 1991, Grandpa Baum sold his store “Wonderland of Food” in West Salem and joined Ronda and Dick working full time at Grandpa’s Cheesebarn. Under the watchful eye of the new Grandpa and Grandma, Grandpa's Cheesebarn has become a favorite among local and traveling customers alike. On the heels of the successful store in Ashland, the family opened a second location, The Best of Grandpa’s Cheesebarn, in 2015 in Norton, offering the same Ohio-made foods. The Best of Grandpa’s Cheesebarn is now the fourth-generation version of this family business. Operated by Mistie Poorbaugh, Ronda and Dick’s daughter, she shares the same passion as her great grandfather to offer the best quality products at affordable prices. Mistie grew up working in the family business while in school and then pursued a degree in business education from Ashland University. She taught business at the high school and collegiate levels and operated several YMCAs before coming back to family business in 2015 to run the new store." The two-story barn specializes in cheeses, including Ohio-made Swiss, aged cheddars, smoked varieties and imported selections. Shelves are also stocked with smoked meats, sausages, jerky, jams, jellies, pickles, maple syrup, honey, baking mixes and other specialty foods. Cheese sampling has long been part of the experience. The lower level houses a café serving casual lunch items, along with homemade ice cream. Sweeties Jumbo Chocolates was added in 1995, expanding the family's food business into homemade chocolates and confections. The neighboring shop features fudge, chocolate-covered pretzels, buckeyes, nut clusters, turtles, truffles, chocolate-covered marshmallows and old-fashioned candies. Its chocolates and fudge include recipes developed by the family, with homemade caramel and cream fillings among its specialties. Sweeties is also a stop on Ohio's Buckeye Candy Trail. Every single cheese I tasted was delicious and unique. Have you ever been? Grade: A

Bask Smokehouse is a relatively new restaurant in downtown Huntington, at 279 9th Street near Pullman Square. It opened in August 2025 in the former Black Sheep Burrito & Brews space. The restaurant is co-owned by Patrick Guthrie, who is also behind Huntington businesses Bahnhof and The Loud and Charleston's Black Sheep. It describes itself as a contemporary take on the barbecue traditions of Texas, the Southwest, Kansas and the Deep South, interpreted through an Appalachian lens. Guthrie said before opening that the idea grew out of smoking meats and fish for specials at his other restaurants and wanting to build an entire restaurant around those techniques. The restaurant itself has a more polished, contemporary feel than the rustic-roadside aesthetic associated with many barbecue places. It has a Southwestern-influenced interior with colorful artwork and a menu that features brisket, ribs, pulled pork, smoked turkey and platters with sides I visited during their soft opening and tried a few different apps. Burnt-End Brisket Rangoon Dip: A deconstructed spin on crab Rangoon, the dip combines smoky chopped brisket burnt ends with a rich, creamy filling and is served with crisp wonton chips for scooping. The brisket adds a savory, smoky element to the sweet-and-creamy profile associated with Rangoon. Fried Deviled Eggs: A Southern-style twist on the classic appetizer, these start with hard-boiled egg whites that are breaded and fried until crisp, then filled with creamy seasoned yolk. The result has the familiar tangy richness of a deviled egg with a crunchy exterior. Grade: A

Juniper and Ivy is located in a converted warehouse at the northern edge of Little Italy in San Diego. Owner Michael Rosen opened it in 2014 with celebrity chef and Top Chef All-Stars winner Richard Blais, initially describing the cooking as “left-coast cookery.” The menu features sophisticated but playful American food built around seasonal West Coast ingredients, with the menu changing frequently according to what local farmers and fishermen supply. Its longtime chef Anthony Wells, who is from West Virginia, joined the opening team as sous chef in 2014, worked his way up to executive chef, and was named a 2022 James Beard Award semifinalist for Best Chef: California. The restaurant itself received a Michelin Bib Gourmand designation in 2019. The inside of Juniper and Ivy is industrial but polished. It occupies a converted 1920s-era warehouse, and much of that character is still visible: very high ceilings, massive exposed redwood beams, concrete, exposed ductwork and an overall open, airy layout. The industrial elements are softened by warm wood tables, curved upholstered booths, camel-colored leather chairs, modern artwork and low lighting. Elote Arancini: The elote arancini were crisp, golden fried rice balls that combined the Italian snack with Mexican street corn flavors. They were served over a creamy, slightly spicy lime mayo with chile de árbol oil, then finished with what appeared to be crumbled cheese and fresh greens. The crisp exterior gave way to the softer rice filling, while the creamy sauce added richness underneath. Melons & Feta: The melons and feta was the lightest of the dishes, pairing chunks of watermelon with feta, thin ribbons of cucumber and wedges of pale melon. The menu also listed lemon balm, mojito snow and chocolate mint, with the icy green mojito component adding a cold, herbaceous contrast to the sweet fruit and salty cheese. It was essentially a more elaborate take on a watermelon-and-feta salad. Michelada Ceviche: The michelada ceviche combined pieces of octopus and shrimp with cucumber and other diced vegetables in a bright, chile-forward liquid inspired by the flavors of a michelada. A large sesame-avocado crisp stood upright over the seafood, while blue corn chips provided another crunchy element. It was colorful and textural, moving between tender seafood, fresh vegetables and crisp chips Wagyu Sliders: The Wagyu sliders were a more straightforward comfort-food option: small beef patties topped with melted American cheese and deeply cooked tallow onions on glossy sesame buns. The beef and onions made these particularly rich, with the cheese leaning into the classic cheeseburger profile rather than trying to make the sliders overly elaborate. Pickles served alongside helped cut through some of that richness. Everything was so good that we had to get dessert, too. Dubai Yodel: The Dubai Yodel takes inspiration from the viral Dubai chocolate combination of chocolate, pistachio and kataifi. A chocolate shell surrounds the dessert, with pistachio ganache providing a rich, nutty center. Pistachio snow and crunchy chocolate kataifi crumbs add contrasting textures, while the sauce underneath brings another creamy element. It is an elaborate, plated interpretation of the now-familiar pistachio-filled Dubai chocolate bar. Have you been? Grade: A

Perched above the Pacific Ocean in La Jolla, George's at the Cove, a longtime San Diego dining destination, pairs coastal California cooking with sweeping views of La Jolla Cove and the coastline. George’s opened in 1984 under restaurateur George Hauer and has since become one of the neighborhood’s most recognizable restaurants. Part of the appeal is the restaurant itself, which spans multiple levels at 1250 Prospect Street. The rooftop Ocean Terrace was added in 1991 and remains the showpiece, with open-air seating overlooking the water. Level2 provides another indoor-outdoor option, while the former California Modern dining room on the lower level now serves primarily as an events space. The Rosemary, Red Onion & Tomato Focaccia was a strong start to the meal, with a golden, blistered crust and a soft, airy interior. The red onion and tomato baked into the bread added extra flavor without overwhelming it, while the whipped basil ricotta on the side was cool and creamy. A spoonful of tomato jam in the center of the ricotta brought in a little sweetness and acidity, making the accompaniments just as memorable as the focaccia itself. The Rockfish Tacos leaned into the restaurant’s coastal setting, featuring local rockfish topped with chipotle aioli, pico de gallo, shredded cabbage and cilantro. The cabbage provided plenty of crunch against the tender fish, while the pico kept everything fresh and the chipotle aioli added a creamy, slightly smoky element. Served with tortilla chips, salsa and lime, it was a relatively simple dish but one that felt especially fitting for lunch overlooking the Pacific. Dessert was the Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake, served with Amaretto toffee sauce, salted candied almonds and almond ice cream. The small cake was dark, dense and moist, with the warm toffee sauce pooling in its center and soaking into the cake as it was eaten. The almond ice cream helped cut through some of the richness, while the candied almonds added a salty crunch. Of the three dishes, this was the most indulgent and a particularly good finish to the meal. Astrid thought so, too. Grade: A

When patron saint of Appalachia Dolly Parton recently passed away, the nation collectively decided that 9/25 would be the perfect day to celebrate her legacy. The City of Charleston in partnership with the Office of Public Art, Arts Amplified, FestivALL and Folklore Music Exchange created Dolly Day 9.25: A Tribute To Dolly Parton at City Center at Slack Plaza, featuring Crawford & Ashby, Holly Forbes, Brittany, Brenna & Justin, Unmanned and Emmy Davis. There was a Dolly Parton lookalike contest. Fife Street Brewing served their “Brawley Parton” Belgian Blonde Ale. FestivALL sponsored a free screening at Park Place Cinemas of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. And, a portion of proceeds benefitted Dolly Parton's Imagination Library of West Virginia. But I was most excited about The Hideaway, which is an ever-changing pop-up restaurant and bar operated by MMDI — Morgan’s Million Dollar Ideas — the event production company founded by Morgan Morrison. The space rotates through immersive themes, with décor, food and drinks changing along with each concept. Over the course of just a couple days, the space went from green paint & pickles to sparkly pink walls & butterflies to launch The 9-to-5 Lounge. On Friday and Saturday, the lounge featured karaoke and Dolly-inspired drinks and Southern bites: PIMENTO PARTON -
Homestyle Pimento Cheese Dip & Crackers SMOKY MOUNTAIN CHEESESTICKS -
Deep Fried Mozz Cheesesticks TENNESSEE TATOR FRIES -
Bacon Cheese Fries BETTER GET TO CHICKIN -
Fried Chicken Bites & Fries The 9 to 5 Mocktail -
Pineapple, Lime, Sprite & Grenadine The Dolly celebration continued Sunday at The Hideaway for a special singalong brunch, which featured recipes from Dolly herself. Dolly’s Favorite Chess Pie — A classic Southern custard pie made with sugar, butter, eggs, milk, cornmeal, flour, vanilla and a little vinegar. It bakes into a rich, very sweet filling with a lightly browned top and tender, almost gooey center. Dolly has publicly named chess pie as her favorite pie. Dollywood Broccoli Supreme — A creamy broccoli casserole combining broccoli with cream of chicken soup, sour cream, grated carrot and onion, then topped with buttery herb-seasoned stuffing. It’s a very traditional Southern potluck-style side dish with a creamy interior and crisp topping. Dollywood’s Famous Cinnamon Bread — The signature treat associated with Dollywood’s Grist Mill: soft yeast bread coated with butter and corn syrup, packed with cinnamon sugar and finished with a sweet glaze. The deep cuts in the loaf allow the cinnamon mixture to work its way inside, creating the bread’s characteristic pull-apart sections. Dolly’s Miracle Madness Salad — A decidedly retro salad of crisp iceberg lettuce and fresh tomato tossed in a creamy dressing made from Miracle Whip, lemon juice, sugar, salt and pepper. The sugar gives the tangy dressing a noticeable sweetness. Dollywood Macaroni Salad — A creamy cold pasta salad with macaroni, cucumber, green bell pepper, onion, sweet pickle relish and chopped hard-boiled eggs. The dressing uses equal parts mayonnaise and sour cream with a little milk, making it especially rich and creamy; it’s best chilled overnight. Dolly’s Southern Corn Pudding — A soft, buttery corn casserole made with Dolly Parton’s sweet cornbread mix, whole-kernel corn, creamed corn, eggs, sour cream and melted butter. It lands somewhere between cornbread and spoonbread, with a tender center and lightly caramelized edges. Dolly’s 5-Ingredient Chicken Casserole — A straightforward comfort-food casserole of shredded chicken, cream of chicken soup, sour cream and cheddar cheese topped with crushed buttery crackers. It bakes until creamy and bubbling underneath with a crisp, golden cracker topping. Dolly & Rachel’s Mac & Cheese — A particularly rich baked macaroni and cheese from Dolly Parton and her sister Rachel Parton George. It combines cheddar, Monterey Jack and Velveeta with eggs, whole milk and sour cream rather than making a traditional stovetop cheese sauce, resulting in a thick, creamy baked casserole. Dolly Parton’s Banana Pudding — A classic Southern banana pudding made by layering sliced bananas and vanilla wafers with a rich, homemade vanilla custard. It’s topped with fluffy meringue and baked briefly until golden. This version was published in Cooking with Country Music Stars in 1988 and was served at Aunt Granny’s restaurant at Dollywood. Dolly’s Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread — A sweet-and-savory cornbread made with Dolly Parton’s sweet cornbread mix, plenty of shredded cheddar and finely chopped fresh jalapeño. Butter and milk keep it rich and tender, while the jalapeño adds a little heat to balance the sweetness. Dolly Parton’s Stampede Soup — A copycat of the creamy soup served as the first course at Dolly Parton’s Stampede dinner attraction. It’s a velvety cream-of-vegetable soup made with chicken broth, finely chopped mixed vegetables and half-and-half, lightly seasoned with onion, garlic and white pepper. Dolly’s Cowboy Pork & Beans — A heartier take on baked beans that combines pork and beans with ground beef, onion and bell pepper. Ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar and mustard create a sweet, tangy sauce, turning the traditional side dish into something closer to a cowboy-style supper.