The Bucket is a bar & grill, originally located in Dunbar, that opened a new location at Eagle View, the luxury apartments and townhomes perched above the City of Charleston. The bar & grill is locally famous for its deep-fried pepperoni rolls (which has won a number of local contests!) and other bar fare, like wings, nachos and burgers. My friend Beth and I went to check out this new location as part of Charleston Restaurant Week. Like the other restaurants in this space before it, The Bucket has a wonderful view of the city. It's a bit of a funny juxtaposition between sports bar and high-end accommodations. But, everyone loves wings and beer. The space reflects both the high-end finishes with sports-themed menus. I had the pepperoni roll as an appetizer. It's deep-fried and served with marinara and dusted with parmesan. It was a bit over-fried - the outer layers cracked off, But it's hard to overstate how good the oozy cheese is. I had the Bucket Burger, which was seasoned very well. Chips were OK, but their ranch helped. The dessert - the Bucket Balls - were just deep-fried dough with no filling. The cinnamon ice cream was fine, but I'd skip these next time. Grade: B

Cattlemen’s Roadhouse is a casual steakhouse restaurant the Nitro area; it is not affiliated with the CattlemAn's Roadhouse chain based in Kentucky. It features a large wooden bar area encircled with high-back red chairs. The dining area has booths and tables, wood-tone finishes and classic American steakhouse décor. I started with "Roadhouse Rolls" and cinnamon butter. Wonderful and warm. I ordered the "Roadhouse filet" medium - "our most tender and flavorful cut. seasoned and grilled to order." Plus sides of green beans and macaroni & cheese.

The steak is mild, with a simple seasoning that lets the meat’s natural flavor come through; cooked medium, it’s tender with a soft, pink center and a lightly charred exterior. The green beans are straightforward and savory. The macaroni & cheese is creamy and comforting, leaning more toward classic diner-style than sharp or complex. Grade: B

Almost Heaven Smokehouse is a BBQ trailer that was located in Mill Creek when I visited, but it also travels elsewhere around the state and beyond. They offer up standard BBQ fare like ribs, brisket, pulled pork, wings, burgers, brats, mac & Cheese, cole slaw, baked beans, baked potatoes and more. I enjoyed BBQ pork with mac & cheese and potato salad. They had several BBQ sauces from which to choose. The BBQ pork was tender and lightly smoky. The mac & cheese was creamy and mild, and the potato salad added a cool, tangy contrast to the plate. A straightforward, comforting plate that delivered as expected without any frills. Grade: B

King's Kitchen is a local restaurant and smoke shop located in both Cross Lanes and Hurricane.



In Hurricane, King's Kitchen has a whole dining area with dedicated menu that features wings, burgers, bowls and fried apps.



I ordered a number of things to try, staring with boneless wings. These were actually more so cut up chicken tenders. But the sweet, salty sauce was pretty tasty.



Then, I tried the cornmeal crusted fried green tomatoes with spring mixed and balsamic vinaigrette. I loved the vinaigrette here that added a bit of punch here, isntead of a more creamy remoulade.



We also tried the chicken southwest egg roll with spinach, black beans and corn served with spicy ranch. The outer wrapper crackled a bit more than it should have - so it was crumbling a bit before biting into it. But, the filling was flavorful.



Finally, my favorite bite was the honey hot cheese bites - lightly coated in crispy crushed pretzel and filled wiht a cheese blend tossed in hot honey over spring mix. The creamy cheesy inside with the crunchy outside - plus savory and sweet. This had me written all over it.



Grade: B

The original Second Bar + Kitchen began as a standalone New American restaurant in downtown Austin, opened in 2010 by chef and restaurateur David Bull. Over time the concept expanded with new locations — including one inside Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in 2017. The menu includes oatmeal and benedicts in the morning, alongside salads, sandwiches, burgers and pizzas later in the day. I ordered the baked brie with currant-apricot mostarda, basil, roasted garlic and baguette. This had a bit more funk to it than expected, but with the fruity topping, I was able to temper it a bit. Grade: B

Phnom Penh Noodle Shack is a family-owned Cambodian noodle restaurant in Long Beach, California, that began in 1985 as a tiny five-table “shack” serving simple Cambodian dishes, grew in reputation through the 1980s and ’90s under the Tan family, and was rebranded with a modern interior as Phnom Penh Noodle Shack in 2012 while continuing to share its rich culinary heritage with the community. Thw restaurant serves traditional Cambodian-style noodle soups and comfort dishes, featuring rich broths with rice or egg noodles, a variety of proteins like pork, shrimp, beef, and chicken, as well as stir-fry noodles and rice porridge that reflect the bold, aromatic flavors of Khmer cuisine.  I ordered the Phnom Penh Noodle House Special, which uses pork meat (sliced, ground, stomach, liver) and shrimp with big rice noodles. Served with pickled chili. The organ meats certainly give this soup an iron-y flavor. The plum soda was salty but so interesting - especially as a counter to the soup.

Grade: B

Beercode is a gastropub located in the Airside Terminal of Pittsburgh International Airport and is known for its extensive selection of local craft beers from breweries like Dancing Gnome, Abjuration and Eleventh Hour. The food menu features items such as burgers, chicken and waffles, and pierogies. Wings, fish & chips, and even breakfast round out the menu. Pierogies are popular in Pittsburgh because of the city’s strong Eastern European immigrant history, especially Polish, Slovak, Ukrainian, and Rusyn communities who settled there in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These immigrants came to work in steel mills and coal mines and brought pierogies with them as affordable, filling comfort food made from simple ingredients like potatoes, cheese, and onions.

Beercode's pierogi plate includes caramelized onions and a sour cream sauce. I love pierogies. These were an OK version. The pierogies had some golden exterior, but they were a bit too greasy on the outside, which weighed down the first bite. Inside, the filling was dense and slightly dry, lacking the creamy softness that makes a great pierogi so comforting. While the flavors were there, the contrast in texture kept them from fully hitting their potential. Grade: B

Your Family Restaurant is a family-oriented diner in Kenna that features homestyle breakfast options, lunch specials and dinner plates. The interior is simple with wooden chairs and tables filling the dining room and a some country decor. I ordered a western omelette with ham, cheese, green peppers and tomatoes. I was surprised at the amount of filling inside. It made me realize how much I could actually like omelettes! But, there needed to be more cheese to pull it all together. Grade: B

Last year, my friend Kayla and I decided to see Punxsutawney Phil for Groundhog Day. Groundhog Day is celebrated each year on Feb. 2 and centers on a bit of weather folklore: if a groundhog emerges from its burrow and sees its shadow, winter is said to last six more weeks; if it doesn’t, an early spring is predicted. The most famous celebration takes place in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, where “Punxsutawney Phil” has been making his prediction since the late 1800s. After a very cold and adventurous morning, we found ourselves at Lonnies Restaurant & Bakery. Lonnie’s Restaurant & Bakery in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania is a no-frills, hometown diner where the bakery side of the building is just as much a draw as the grill. I grabbed an Italian hoagie from the grab and go cooler, as well as a variety of Groundhog Day themed sweets. I mean, when else can you enjoy a groundhog-shaped cookie? The sweets were OK - a bit dry, but that may have been because we were there mid-day. Grade: B

Escobar’s is a stylish bar and restaurant located in downtown Morgantown that blends an elevated dining experience with a lively nightlife atmosphere. Known for its craft cocktails, wood-fired pizzas, and shareable small plates, Escobar’s is popular spot for late-night gatherings. I ordered a crab fondue with lump crab meat, cream cheese and sherry wine, which had a nice presentation. The crab fondue had a rich, comforting base, but the execution fell a tiny bit short. I wanted just a cleaner flavor of each of the ingredients. Grade: B

Kidz Funland is an indoor kids’ fun center in Morgantown with a wide variety of activities and games designed to entertain children of all ages. In addition to standard kid-friendly snacks, Kidz Funland offers a small menu that leans into Vietnamese-inspired items and specialty drinks. Think eggrolls, boba tea and BBQ pork baguettes. Not what you might expect! Those are the ones that were exciting for me, but there are plenty of other options, like pizza, hamburgers and smoothies. I ordered a Korean corn dog, which instead of a cornmeal-heavy batter, it had a rice-flour batter that fried up light, chewy, and slightly sweet. The hot dog inside was replaced by mozzarella cheese, so when you bite in, you get a dramatic cheese pull. It was rolled in panko for extra crunch. So indulgent. But a sauce is needed. I also had a brown sugar boba, which is a milk-based drink featuring tapioca pearls cooked in a rich brown sugar syrup with deep notes of molasses and caramel. The syrup is swirled inside the cup before milk is added, creating a striped look and layered sweetness. Grade: B