Across the Board Game Café is a unique restaurant and game café where friends and families connect over delicious food, coffee, and hundreds of board games. They have over 500 games, which is more than I even knew existed. While gaming is not my particular brand of nerdy, I love that it's available for others. I was here for the food. It looks like they have a pretty extensive menu with coffees, ice creams, breakfast, flatbreads, salads, dips, sandwiches, soups, cake, pastries, dirty sodas, mocktails and more. In my eyes, though, I only saw ice cream. Ashby's Sterling Ice Cream is made in Michigan and hand-scooped here in White Sulphur Springs. I took one look at "Strawberry Pretzel Dessert" and knew it needed to be in my tummy. It's a premium, creamy, sweet-and-salty flavor featuring cheesecake ice cream mixed with strawberry puree and a crunchy, salty pretzel crust swirl. I need that ribbon of salty, crunchy contrast in every ice cream for the rest of my life. Grade: A

My third day in Hawaii was spent on Kauai, which is the fourth largest Hawaiian island. It is known for the rainforest covering much of the land. So, I rented a vehicle to explore this beauty. I briefly saw the Kauai Memorial Gardens, Wailua Falls and Opaeka'a Falls.



My first stop was Kauaii Coffee Co. , which is known for its 100% Hawaiian coffee and beautiful grounds.



"Our 100% Hawaiian Coffee has earned the unique distinction of being triple certified by leading sustainability advocates, including Fair Trade USA®, the Rainforest Alliance, and Non-GMO Project. This means that when you drink 100% Kauai Coffee®, you’re choosing coffee that is better for people, plants, and our planet," reads the website.



Kauai Coffee Company operates one of the largest coffee farms in the U.S., with more than 4 million coffee trees spread across roughly 3,100 acres on the island of Kaua‘i.



At the Kauai Coffee Visitor Center, guests can sample more than 30 coffee varieties throughout the day, all complimentary; take guided tours of the coffee grounds and processing facilities; learn how coffee is grown, harvested, dried, and roasted; and shop for coffee, merchandise, and local products.



I ordered a peaberry cookie; peaberry is a type of coffee bean that is pretty unique. A peaberry is a natural mutation of a coffee cherry where only one small, round seed develops instead of the usual two flat-sided beans. Occurring in about 5–10% of any harvest, these dense beans are sorted and prized for their distinct, concentrated and often brighter flavor profile.



Their core lineup includes 100% Hawaiian single-origin coffees made from Arabica varietals like Typica, Red and Yellow Catuai, Mundo Novo, and Kauai Blue Mountain.



These estate coffees range from smooth, balanced medium roasts to deeper, richer dark roasts, with specialty options like Peaberry—known for its concentrated flavor—and small-batch Estate Reserve selections that highlight specific growing regions and flavor profiles.



In addition to their traditional roasts, they’re especially known for island-inspired flavored coffees that lean into tropical and dessert-style notes. Popular options include Vanilla Macadamia Nut, Chocolate Macadamia Nut, Hawaiian Hazelnut, Coconut Caramel Crunch, and Chocolate Strawberry.



Hamura Saimin is a legendary saimin stand in Lihue, Kauai, Hawaii, that’s been serving up classic Hawaiian noodle soup since it opened in a converted army barracks in 1952 by Charles and Aiko Hamura.



It’s a beloved local institution known for its old-school, no-frills u-shaped counter seating, house-made noodles, and flavorful broth that locals and visitors line up for daily — sometimes at peak times. At Hamura’s, the soup is made from a secret family recipe and served steaming hot in generous portions.



Saimin is a uniquely Hawaiian noodle soup, born out of plantation-era fusion cuisine blending Japanese, Chinese, and Filipino influences — featuring soft egg wheat noodles in a savory broth with toppings like green onions, char siu (roast pork), fish cake, and sometimes wontons.



It's cash only, so I made a special trip to make sure I could partake in this culinary cultural phenom.



I ordered the "Special Saimin," which is served with sliced green onions, ham, fish cake, vegetables, wontons, roast pork and egg.



It's like a treasure hunt of delicious broth and tons of little treasure inside. Wontons, egg, fish cake -- some of my favorites. It's a light, clear broth that is super comforting.



I capped the whole experience off with Lilikoi (passionfruit) chiffon pie, which was *chef's kiss*.



Duke's Kauai is a popular beachfront restaurant and bar in Lihue, Kauai, Hawaii, named in honor of legendary Hawaiian surfer and Olympic swimmer Duke Kahanamoku and celebrating his spirit of aloha with food, views, and island vibes.



I came here for the Hula Pie, which is a famous Hawaiian sweet that’s become a must-try when dining there (and at other Duke’s locations across the islands).



Hula Pie is a tall, indulgent ice cream pie built on a chocolate cookie crust and piled high with creamy macadamia nut ice cream — a classic island flavor.



It’s crowned with rich chocolate fudge sauce, a generous layer of whipped cream, and more toasted macadamia nuts sprinkled on top. Decadent and share-worthy -- if you're into that kind of thing.



The Musubi Truck was my final stop on this island.



They put creative spins on musubi, which started as a simple portable treat — sticky rice topped with a slice of Spam and wrapped in nori seaweed — brought to Hawaii’s food scene in the 1980s and now a cultural staple.



I ordered the "deep fried SPAM Mususbi," which is baked spam, steamed rice, sweet soy sauce and furikake wrapped in nori, then panko crust it and deep fry it with garlic mayo, kabayaki and furikake. It's literally just so good. An umami bomb that hits every reward sensor in my brain.



I also tried the truffle tots, loaded with parmesan cheese, truffle oil, garlic mayo, sweet soy and furikake. Same flavor profile, but even crunchier.



I would eat both of these every day if it were available.

The Cupcakerie is a stalwart in the Morgantown food scene. Bringing the cupcake craze to downtown Morgantown in 2011, the shop featured cupcakes of all kinda -- including a specialty line influenced by classic cocktails. In 2024, the business moved from its downtown location to 3200 Collins Ferry Road in the Suncrest area and expanded into Café Rosé, adding brunch, salads, sandwiches, coffee, wine and frozen rosé drinks alongside cupcakes. This is when I made the pilgrimage back to Morgantown to check it out. I ordered a blueberry lemon lavender frose, as well as a peach & burrata salad. Let's start with the frose. This had a much more powerful punch than I anticipated. This is perfect for a boozy brunch - but still had some summery floral vibes. The burrata and peach was truly everything I love about brunch. It was light and flavorful and fresh. But creative with a light sauce and dressed arugula. And, we couldn't leave without a cupcake. Mine was caramel-ly and delicious. They rebranded again last year into Cupcakerie Café & Frosé, where they moved away from brunch and instead focus on cupcakes & rose. Both of which are worth the visit. Grade: A

In my quest to visit all of the national parks, I took a cruise to Hawaii to knock off two parks. Why a cruise? 1) You can pay on it over time. This took me a while to save up for. And 2) we are able to visit several islands. There are 7 main inhabited islans, and we started at Maui. Maui is home to Haleakala National Park, as well as Iao Valley State Monument. Both were stunning.



We started in Kahului and we visited the Maui Tropical Plantation in Waikapu, which is a farm-centric destination that features a few different businesses.



We had lunch at Cafe O'lei at the Plantation, where we enjoyed "Huli Huli" Style chicken - bone-in chicken, sweet soy glaze, asian namasu fried rice and local farm vegetables. I think I could live on food like this.



It's the sweet and sticky and a little spicy that does it for me. The meat itself is tender and juicy, with a gentle umami depth from the soy and a hint of brightness from citrus. Overall, it’s rich, sticky, and perfectly balanced between sweet and savory with a touch of smoke.



Outside of the restaurant is The Country Market, which features tons of locally made goodies - including from Kumu Farms and Maui 'Oma Coffee Roasting Company.



I picked up some chocolate dipped pineapple from Kumu Farms.



And, I took home some macadamia nut brittle from Hawaiian Heritage Farms, as well.



The Country Market Coffee Shop serves baked goods, fruit, smoothies, etc.



I enjoyed the "Kumu Sunrise" with orange juice, apple, banana, sunrise papaya, mango and pineapple.



After the first leg of my adventure in Maui, I took an uber to Tin Roof. Tin Roof Maui is a casual lunch shop by Chef Sheldon Simeon in Kahalui, Maui. Dishes include mochiko chicken, poke bowl and pork belly.



Sheldon had two James Beard Award nominations in 2011: “Rising Star Chef of the Year” and “Best New Restaurant,” as well as Food & Wine's "People's Choice Best New Chef" and StarChefs's Hawaii Rising Star Concept Chef award in 2012. Sheldon competed in both the 10th and 14th seasons of Bravo’s “Top Chef,” winning Fan Favorite both times. In 2016, he opened Tin Roof.



It's a to-go only window, and I placed an order for the Mochiko Chicken. Mochiko Chicken: The #1 seller, featuring chicken marinated in ginger-sake-shoyu, fried, and topped with miso sauce, gochujang aioli, and furikake. All washed down with Waiakea Hawaiian Volcanic Water.



My final stop in Maui was Mama's Fish House, a world famous restaurant on Maui's North Shore, featuring Hawaiian fish brought in daily by fishermen.



The restaurant was founded in 1973 by the Christenson family after years sailing the South Pacific, bringing their love of Polynesian food and culture to the area. The restaurant’s name honors “Mama Doris,” and its early success came from serving fresh local fish at a time when tourists were unfamiliar with how delicious local seafood could be.



The menu focuses on today’s catch, with fish delivered daily by local fishermen who often have their name and catch location printed on the menu. Common fish include mahi-mahi, ono (wahoo), opakapaka (Hawaiian snapper), ʻahi (yellowfin tuna), papio (goatfish), and moi — all served within 24 hours of being caught.



To start off the meal they served a complimentary small cup of tomato ginger bisque.



A small, poppy seeded loaf of wheat bread was also served to the table. It was soft, slightly sweet and served with butter.



I ordered the Hawaiian Kanpachi with Crab & Lobster in a Macadamia Nut Crust - sustainably caught off the coast of Kailua-Kona near Keahole Point.



Sweet, buttery crab and lobster are tucked inside tender Hawaiian kanpachi, whose clean, ocean-fresh flavor stays light and delicate. The macadamia nut crust adds a toasted, slightly sweet crunch that contrasts beautifully with the flaky fish and rich shellfish.



Grade: A