Captain Holstein’s Family Entertainment Center is a the pirate-themed indoor playground and family entertainment center located in Kanawha City. It bills itself as West Virginia’s largest indoor playground, with ball pits, trampolines, spiral slides, air cannons, arcade games, a toddler area and treasure digging. It also has a full café and a surprisingly substantial milkshake/ice cream operation.
I ordered a Caramel Cowabunga Milkshake (made with Salted Caramel Swirl and Caramel Drizzle), Pepperoni Roll Bites & Mini Corn Dogs.
The milkshake was delish, and they even make them "over the top" with tons of toppings -- like candies or pretzels or cotton candy -- if you order them in person. The other two apps were decent; the corn dogs get a little soft and transport. The pepperoni bites were different, though I'd love more of a crunch on the outside, as well.
Grade: B
Penn Brewery at Pittsburgh International Airport feels like a pretty fitting place to start a Pittsburgh food adventure, even if the airport setting is a little less romantic than a neighborhood brewery.
The menu leans into the city’s German heritage, with plenty of hearty, beer-hall-style food alongside more familiar breakfast options. I went with the potato cakes and eggs, which came with sour cream and applesauce and immediately made me think of large breakfast latkes.
The combination of crispy potato cake, cool sour cream and sweet applesauce was actually pretty fun, although the potato cakes themselves were a little greasier than I would have liked. The eggs were perfectly fine. And, I opted for sausage, which made the plate even heartier and gave me plenty of salty, savory contrast.
Grade: B
The Strip Market at Pittsburgh International Airport is basically a mini grab-and-go version of Pittsburgh’s Strip District.
It’s post-security in the terminal near Concourse D/Level 3 and is designed like a small market rather than a traditional airport restaurant. The concept incorporates Pittsburgh-area products and vendors, with the design itself inspired by the Strip District’s industrial character.
They offer snacks, treats and specialty goods from regional favorites like Betsy Ann Chocolates, Pittsburgh Pickle Company, Enrico Biscotti and Blume Honey Water.
They also have freshly prepared sandwiches, wraps, salads, bakery items and coffee.
I picked up a few small candies and snacks for the flight -- nothing major.
Is it like the Strip District? In a sense, that you get a variety of things. But less character.
Have you been?
Grade: B
Noble Cafe & Bakery is a cafe and bakery located at 918 Chestnut Ridge Road in Morgantown, serving coffee, pastries, baked goods and other food items.
The cafe was opened by Vince Duong and Huy Lam, with the owners describing the concept as a combination of craft drinks and pastries influenced by Vietnamese flavors, Portuguese baking and their personal experiences and travels.
The interior is described as cozy and modern, with a bright, warm design intended to accommodate customers studying, meeting or stopping in for a drink.
The menu includes coffee, tea, coconut drinks, refreshers, pastries, muffins, cookies, croissants, savory baked goods and desserts.
The cherry pastry was light and sweet. My only qualm with pastries like this is that I wish the topping went edge to edge.
The sparkling strawberry refresher was a carbonated strawberry drink that added a lighter, fruit-forward option alongside the bakery items.
The ham and cheese croissant paired a flaky, layered croissant with a savory ham and cheese filling, making it one of the more substantial items in the bakery selection.
The Dubai chocolate slice was by far the most indulgent item. Super rich and indulgent.
Have you been?
Grade: B
Mountain State Cakes Bakery is a bakery in Dunmore, West Virginia, with a little bit of everything from cookies and cupcakes to pepperoni rolls and other savory items.
The bakery serves Dunmore as well as the surrounding areas, including Snowshoe and Green Bank, and offers custom cakes and cupcakes for weddings and special occasions.
The bakery has a small, straightforward setup with display cases filled with freshly baked goods, including cakes, cookies and breads.
The sweet selection includes cakes, cupcakes, cheesecakes, cookies, pies, donuts, scones and other baked desserts, with options that vary depending on what is available.
On the savory side, the bakery offers pepperoni rolls, pizza rolls, chicken pot pies and other rotating items alongside its selection of breads and rolls.
I went with a serving of cherry cheesecake, which had a creamy cheesecake base topped with cherry filling for a combination of tangy cream cheese and sweet fruit.
The cherry topping added a bright, fruity contrast to the richer cheesecake underneath, while the slice itself had the dense, smooth texture expected from a baked cheesecake.
Have you been?
Grade: B
Stoked Coffee is a local coffee shop with locations in Parkersburg and Marietta, the latter of which I visited recently.
The original is at 302 Pike St. and is the smaller, longtime Marietta location. It has an enormous selection of flavor combinations. Their signature is the Stoked Mocha, which combines espresso, milk, white chocolate and caramel, which I ordered hot.
It’s definitely on the sweeter side, with the white chocolate and caramel giving it more of a dessert-coffee feel than a traditional mocha. The espresso still comes through, though, keeping it from tasting like straight-up melted candy.
I paired it with a bagel, which came simply with a packet of cream cheese on the side.
I promptly made a mess of trying to open the packet, so the most memorable part of the experience may have been cleaning cream cheese off everything.
Grade: B
Hillsboro Public House is tucked into the small Pocahontas County community of Hillsboro, where a historic building has been transformed into a welcoming restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.
The building itself has plenty of character, dating back to its days as Moore’s General Store and retaining details such as pressed tin ceilings, original wood floors and old shelving.
For breakfast, the menu goes beyond the usual biscuits and gravy and eggs with options like the Bagels & Lox, a simple combination that lets the ingredients do most of the work -- and is coincidentally one of my favorites.
The Bagels & Lox starts with a toasted bagel topped with cream cheese and smoked salmon, then gets finished with capers and red onion for a little salt, bite and freshness.
The capers add that briny punch that works particularly well with the salmon, while the red onion brings enough sharpness to keep each bite from feeling too rich.
Plus a brownie for dessert.
Grade: B
All work property of Candace Nelson. Powered by Blogger.
