There is a bright teal food truck making an appearance in Kanawha City lately. It is dishing out the unlikely duo of coffee and hotdogs, but the name pulls it all together: The Beanie Weenie.



Beanie options include a peanut butter coffee with strawberry drizzle, a mocha coffee with peanut butter drizzle, and the one that caught my eye was The Dudded Milk: caramel coffee with chocolate and caramel syrup. (Side note: Milk duds are one of my favorite candies).



My coffee was quite tasty. Sweet, milky, and no hint of bitterness. Just well-rounded satisfaction.



I ordered the Country Roads hot dog, which is a deep-fried hot dog with chili, slaw, mustard and onions. I don't know that I noticed a big difference with the deep-fried hotdog, and I wish the slaw was a little bit more cohesive and had something to hold it more together. It was a bit piecey, rather than a paste consistency.



Overall, not a bad meal if you are in the mood for brunch: breakfast - coffee and lunch - hotdog.



Grade: B

You may not think of great food when you think of bowling alleys, but a local one has been rated as one of the best for their hot dogs.



Galaxy Lanes sells hot dogs, as well as wings, tenders, pretzel bites, cheese bites, nachos - the works. I found my hot dog to be average - a steamed bun would have kicked this up a notch for me. But I did love my cheese bites. If there's a hot pepper cheese bite in the nearby vicinity, I will find it.



Grade: B

Sassy Pig BBQ is a food truck that I tried out while attending Cryptid Bash at Freefolk Brewery in Hico. The food truck specializes in pulled pork – platters, sandwiches, nachos, and topped on baked potatoes or macaroni & cheese. Wings, ribs, and hotdogs round out the menu, along with potato salad, baked beans, and coleslaw sides. I went for their special, which was macaroni and cheese topped with pulled pork, black olives, jalapeños, barbecue sauce, and sour cream. These toppings left a little to be desired. It ate a little on the salty side with the olives. I would have loved some crunch - maybe a slaw - to bring in some creaminess. Grade: B

There's another teal-tinted business that opened up in South Charleston. This one is doling out coffee and breakfast food.



Cocoa Coffee offers the standard coffee and espresso drinks, like lattes, cappuccinos and mochas. They also have a few bubble tea options, which I thought was exciting so I ordered the strawberry one.



Food options include bagels, muffins, and oatmeal. I went with a bagel sandwich with egg and bacon.



The drink was eye-catching and bright, which stood out amongst the neon interior. Lightly sweet with the popping boba makes for a fun experience. The bagel may have been the tiniest I've ever seen, and I could've easily housed three of them. But I do think they've upgraded since my last visit.



Grade: B

CupLux Coffee Drove-Thru in Charlotte boasts THE BEST drive-through coffee AND cold brew. So, let's check it out.



"Our dream is pretty simple: make the best drive-thru coffee possible. We combine handcrafted coffees, and southern hospitality with the convenience of drive-thru. The result is a one of a kind experience."



Lattes, drip coffee, loose leaf tea, cold brew slushie, drafts, breakfast and baked goods are all on their menu. I, of course, went with the "CARAMEL LATTE (best seller) - latte + housemade caramel sauce" iced. Pretty tasty - not super sweet, but sweet enough. I also add a buttermilk blueberry muffin, which was lovely, but just a titch dry. Nothing a coffee couldn't fix.



Grade: B

At the Hershey Lodge, there is a restaurant called Fire & Grain.



"Experience the energetic and engaging atmosphere of Fire & Grain®, featuring gathering tables, a fire wall, and a full service bar. Enjoy an innovative restaurant menu for breakfast and dinner, crafted with re-mastered comfort foods and flavorful cocktails. Dine with us for any occasion! Fire & Grain is a comfortable and unique restaurant for a birthday dinner, an easy-going breakfast with family, or a fun night out for cocktails with coworkers," according to the website.



I ordered the New York strip steak with crispy herb potato wedges, roasted mushrooms, shallots and horseradish bernaise. This has a few of my keywords: mushrooms, horseradish, etc. I enjoyed this, but it was all a bit heavy. It was a little overcooked, the starch, so that horseradish bernaise would have been perfect if it was amped up x10. And maybe some fresh herbs!



Grade: B

DeNuzzo's is a deli in Bridgeport that will unfortunately be closing its doors. But I had a chance to visit it recently, and I wanted to share all the goodies available there.



Let me start by touching on the products on the shelves available for sale. Whether it is pasta sauce or the pasta itself, there was plenty to choose from.



There were also refrigerated products, like stuffed peppers, and other charcuterie essentials. I snagged some marinated garlic.



And then there is the deli counter, which has all sorts of deli meats and cheeses, available to purchase by the pound.



this is also where you can select one of a dozen or so sandwiches to be made with those fresh Boar's Head deli meats and cheeses.



I went with Blazing Bianca - Golden Roasted Chicken, Pepper Jack Cheese, Creamy Buffalo Sauce, Lettuce, & Tomato. It was a little heavy on the buffalo sauce, which over took the flavor just a tad. But it was still delicious and I could still tell the ingredients were fresh and high-quality.



Grade: B

It's not the first time - and it won't be the last - that I've been told a gas station in West Virginia makes the best pepperoni rolls.



A lot of times, pepperoni rolls at gas stations are made in house, so it's very likely that these pepperoni rolls are truly some of the tastiest you can get on the road.



I had to check out this gas station just north of Lewisburg because of the rave reviews. And, this was a pretty good pepperoni roll. It wasn't as fresh as it could've been, and I think it sat under the heating lamp a touch too long. But I did enjoy the fluffy interior that had a bit of sweetness and a solid meat to dough ratio.



Grade: B

La Estrella Panaderia is a Mexican bakery in Mesa, Arizona.



The store is flush with savory goods, pastries, bread, snacks, and every other thing you might need from a bakery.



There's a large window case, which has myriad goodies lining one side of the shop: conchas, pan dulce, tres leches, and so much more.



but more than that, they also are a butcher shop. They have a number of cuts of meat available. It may be an odd pairing, but it is convenient to be able to get your protein and your tortillas all in one spot.



I picked out some of the baked goods that looked interesting and delicious.



That included a sweet bread with tiny rainbow nonpareils (which are just the round sprinkles).



And also, a churro filled with caramel.



Plus, a few other goodies here and there.



For those who are Miller familiar with Mexican pastries, what should I get next time?



Are there any must-tries?



And, is there anywhere in West Virginia to get similar pastries?



Grade: B

Valentine in Phoenix focuses on local southwest ingredients and has received recognitiom from both Esquire Magazine and The New York Times for doing so.



"Dishes include the lauded elote pasta with Hassayampa asiago cheese. For brunch, try the steak & eggs, made with Rovey Farms grass-fed beef and Two Wash Ranch eggs. At the adjacent speakeasy Bar 1912, sip on cocktails that pay homage to the 48th state. Bone marrow and mesquite smoke distinguish the Cattle drink, while the Cotton boasts pistachio extract, pistachio oil, pistachio milk, and pistachio “cotton candy.” House-made pine liqueur crafted from foraged Arizona pine cones and tips is the base for the Forest. Save room for bar snack, including nuts, foie gras stuffed olives, and quail ramen eggs pickled with tamari, mirin, piloncillo, and sherry vinegar," according to Phoenix New Times.



This is one of the cooler restaurant spaces I've seen. There are a ton of large windows and it kind of reminds me of a drive-in restaurant (because of the awning) mashed with a super modern, trendy cafe. It was light and airy with greenery all around.



We ordered at the front counter, where they had a ton of delicious looking pastries and snacks. I ordered a scone with Sonoran white wheat, chorizo and cheddar. It was definitely on the dry side, but that's often to be expected with scones. Paired with a coffee drink, it was tasty.



Next up: hushpuppies with red fife wheat and cornmeal, Arizona Gouda, and jalapeño honey cabbage. these were just OK. There was more oil flavor than the strong cheese or pepper or anything else here.



I finished up with a little gem salad – need to get the veggies in. Sunflower vinaigrette, crispy sunchokes, and goatija (goat cheese + cotija cheese).



It was a fine salad, but the description hyped me up a bit more than the dish delivered. Overall, I think everything here was OK. But, there are so many other things I would love to try – including the Elote pasta they're known for. I do love how they incorporate local ingredients into their menu. So I think this will need to have another visit.



Grade: B