The mission has been completed. The goal of visiting every single Gino's location in West Virginia has been achieved after my recent dining experience at the Man location. Yes, if you weren't aware, there is a town named Man in West Virginia.



This location was a bit odd, because they were actually preparing to move spaces. So the menu was limited, but there were some options that I hadn't seen elsewhere. Like burgers, for example. So I decided to try just that.



My cheeseburger was on grilled toast, and I had it topped with mayo, ketchup, and onions. It was a bit underwhelming, but not necessarily bad. The burger was OK; the bread was a bit larger than the patty itself; and I may add more toppings next time to kind of fill it out. Not bad, not great. Not too memorable.



Grade: B

Wild & Wonderful BBQ is a food truck that doles out pulled pork, smoked bologna & sausage, and brisket sandwiches in addition to a bevy of sides.



Based in Huntington, the truck can be found at events locally. I visited them to get my hands on some grub. First things first, I ordered the Mountaineer Cheesesteak with pork, sautéed peppers, and cheese on a hoagie roll. I liked this well enough, but I wish the cheese was cheesing more. I think the cheese sauce was a bit too thin, so it didn't lightly melt. It kinda got soaked up. I did enjoy the twist with the pork though; it added a nice flavor.



And while it might not be the most appealing visually, the smoked scalloped potatoes were pretty good. Scalloped potatoes are one of my preferred mediums of potato and, to have them cheesy and smoked, that took it up a notch.



Because the nature of the restaurant, the menu can change bit by bit. What have you had here? What's been your favorite?



Grade: B

The Habit Burger Grill is a Santa Barbara, California-based burger chain: "Inspired by this coastal town’s laid-back vibrancy and passion for culinary exploration, a simple idea formed: THE LOVE OF THE CRAFT - This means always chargrilling our burgers over an open flame. It means using only the best ingredients we can find. And bringing everything together through our genuine, world-class hospitality. In the end, it all comes from that first idea. A vision that became our Habit."



The regional chain offers burgers, salads and sandwiches with steak, chicken and tuna. Plus fries, onion rings, and shakes. One of the most unique side items they have is tempura fried green beans with ranch dipping sauce. These weren't bad! I liked that they were different, but I think I would have preferred a soy-based sauce.



I went with the portabella char, which has a freshly chargrilled beef patty, portabella mushrooms, caramelized onions, melted white american cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle and garlic aioli on a bun



The mushroom pieces were a bit unwieldly, and I think I'd nix the veggies next time so the umami shines through. Not bad overall.



Grade: B

Margaritas in Huntington is a Tex-Mex restaurant that offers a lot of the standard fare we've come to expect: fajitas, enchiladas, burritos, etc.



I've come to appreciate tex-mex cuisine in its own right, as opposed to lamenting its "authenticity." It's a cuisine in its own right - adapting to an American palate and making a living with their food.



I ordered the "Pollo Con Crema - Grilled chicken in our chipotle cream sauce. Served with rice, beans and flour tortillas." A bit more spice than my typical order. But I enjoyed the sauce - and the crema helped cool things down a bit. Good flavor overall.



Grade: B

Rakku is a pan-Asian restaurant that offere everything from sushi and hibachi to Orange Chicken and ramen - the latter of which is relatively uncommon to find in West Virginia.



I wasn't in the mood for ramen on this particular day so I went for a few other things. Starting with, of course, crab rangoons. Imitation crab, cream cheese all wrapped up and fried. These are such a guilty pleasure; I will get these everywhere. I did like the shape of these because there's that big pocket of cheese and I can discard the too-crunchy ends.



I also ordered two rolls: The West Virginia Roll and a shrimp tempura roll. The former is "Deep fried, crabmeat, avocado, cream cheese, Chef's sauce." This is usually my go-to combo (again, guilty pleasure) but the fried portion has been taking over my palate and the overwhelming flavor is oil.



The shrimp tempura roll is a more reliable go-to and doesn't make everything taste oily. A bit crunchy, a bit creamy. That's the balance I enjoy.



Grade: B

Fruits of Labor is a cool concept that includes bakeries & cafes in Rainelle, Alderson, Beckley and Montgomery. "OUR TEAM, regardless of roots, is a family bound together by talent in a field we call home. Leadership and expertise abounds in: Culinary, Pastry, Baking, Cake Design and Sustainable Agriculture Practices. OUR CUSTOMERS know that supporting Fruits of Labor means far more than buying fresh produce, bread and bakery products, or a delicious meal – it is a personal, tangible investment in the growth and nurturing of people in their own community who demonstrate the daily courage it takes to overcome addiction," according to the website.



"You'll be greeted warmly at the Fruits of Labor Café & Bakery. Sometimes by a core staff member, other times by a neighbor in recovery or young person in an addiction prevention program. Both groups of students participate in our Nationally Certified American Culinary Federation Quality Training Program & Farm-to-Table Café and Bakery. Each time you visit Fruits of Labor, your purchase invests in our students and allows us to offer this training and certification free of charge."



I had been to the Rainelle location previously, so I was fairly familiar with the menu. Sandwiches, burgers, salads, soups and teas. The interior is basic, with some tables and chairs and a cold case but minimal decor. I landed on a ham salad croissant sandwich with a side of pasta salad.



I think the sandwich was OK: the ham salad was not super flavorful. I think it needed more salt, sugar, seasoning, something. Similar for the pasta salad, but it had a kinda sweet flavor. I wish it had some more savory notes with veggies and whatnot.



Grade: B

The Big LeBOWLski is a traveling food truck "with some spunk," according to their facebook. They riff on the famous movie with their tagline that they pack the freshest bowls.



Often found at Root 19 Outpost in Mt. Lookout (a gathering spot for food trucks and other vendors), the truck features sandwiches, nachos, mac & cheese and hot dogs.



I really wanted "The Dude," which is mac & cheese, beer cheese and bacon sloppy joe. They unfortunately had run out, so I went with "The Duder."



"The Duder" has mac & cheese with pulled pork on top. Plus hella jalapenos, apparently. Judging by the vast array of hot sauces they also have to top your dish with, these folks are not shy with spice.



They served up my order in a box tray with an old-school RC and side of sauce. It was more like a mustard-based BBQ, and I enjoyed that tang.



Both the mac & cheese and pulled pork were a touch dry. I'm not sure if that's because they're batch cooking, and it gets dried out over time or what. Some cheesiness or even fattiness from the pork would have helped. The sauce, though, helped with that.



Those jalapenos were a lot. Especially raw. I would have loved a pickled jalapeno. I moved most of them off to the side - but I am a wimp. They threw in an extra chocolate donut treat to top things off.



Grade: B

"Republica Empanada is located in the Southside Heights Neighborhood of downtown Mesa on the NE corner of 1st Avenue & Hibbert. The mid-century architecture is a unique contrast to the brick row showcased along Main Street. Arizona’s largest selection of South American-style savory empanadas. Our empanadas, as well as our dishes, represent the different regions and tastes of Latin American comfort food," according to their website.



Empanadas are a Spanish/Latin-American pastry turnover filled with savory or sweet ingredients and then baked or fried.

"From the Spanish verb empanar, which means to coat or wrap in bread, the empanada is said to originate from Spain, although many countries claim empanadas as their own, including Mexico, Argentina, Portugal, the Caribbean, and the Philipipines," according to the Farmers Almanac.



Kaitee, Josh and I stopped here and started with yucca fries with crema and ranch. They are pretty similar to potatoes, but maybe a little lighter, a little chewier.



My first empanada was a Cubana - Pernil (slow roasted pork), ham, mozzarella, & dill pickle. This was a fun take on that familiar cuban sandwich - just all wrapped up in this fried handpie.



The dessert empanada had powdered sugar and cheese and fruit, and it was delicious.



The space was a bit warm, but quiet and cozy. That, plus comfort food with a twist made for a delightful meal.



Grade: B

Moundsville is growing, and I'm happy to see that. I still think there is some room for new restaurants, but I was excited to stumble upon Osaka Sushi & Hibachi Steak House.



I ordered some crab rangoons (of course), a Californis roll and a crab cream cheese roll. It was like I ate the same thing in three different forms. And, this was all to go, so I wouldn't mind stopping to dine in sometime.



The crab rangoons were good, as they usually are. I like that the wrapper was a little bit thinner than usual and had a good sweet sauce to go with them. Both sushi rolls were fine – nothing crazy. Just fairly average. I will say that they were maybe attach on the dry side but that's just personal preference.



Grade: B

Who doesn't love a good library? So when I learned of this library, plus restaurant combo in Indiana, my friend Kayla took me to check it out.



Woody's Library Restaurant has some fun library decor, though the menu doesn't follow suit. It does, however, have a ton of variety with everything from fish and chips to sloppy joes to tacos to bison meatloaf. I know a lot of times this is found upon because it shows may be a lack of focus or expertise in one particular area. But I understand the importance of appealing to a wide crowd that has something for everybody. So, everybody can find some things they like at one place.



I started off with the cheeseburger soup. It was a really thick cheese sauce with some ground beef. I wondered if there would be the addition of tomato or lettuce or onion. But it's mostly the two main components of the sandwich, and it's not bad in soup form, but I think I prefer the actual thing.



I ordered the sloppy joe minis, which had two open face slider buns topped with just a mound of sweet and tangy ground beef with honey chipotle barbecue and American cheese. It was definitely a fork and knife situation. again these weren't bad. I am a Manwich loyalist so I would've appreciated a bit more zing, but overall a good rendition.



Grade: B