Ellie May’s is located at the Elk Springs Resort & Fly Shop, where farm fresh trout is raised on site at the hatchery and cooked daily.



The restaurant features traditional breakfast options, classic lunch fare and homestyle dinners. Though, on this particular visit, I was here for the dessert.



The inn is in a lovely, secluded space by the water with a gorgeous wraparound porch and an interior made top-to-bottom of wood. There is plenty of decor dedicated to fishing, as well as a gift shop.



I ordered the pecan caramel brownie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It came with caramel and chocolate sauce. I don't think you could really go wrong with this. This was a super fudgy, brownie and pretty rich. Tasty, but just a touch of bitterness from the cocoa.



Next time, I would love to try all all of the fish dishes from the tacos and midges to dip and more.



Grade: B

Little's Cafe in Madison has made a reputation for itself as being not so... little. Big portions, big appetites and big expectations.



After walking through a cloud of smoke rolling off the grill, I stopped inside with my friend Whitney. I took a quick look at the menu and easily settled on the pulled pork mac & cheese.



This dish had a pile of mac & cheese that was on the cool side, but a giant heaping helping of pulled pork drizzled in BBQ. Flavor was OK. Proportions were a bit off though - and it was all the same texture. Some crunchy green onion would have taken this over the top.



Grade: B

"Sumburger Drive-in was first opened for business in 1953. It was located on South Bridge Street (US RT 23) and housed in a custom-made trailer. The name Trailer Drive-in was the true original name. The original trailer was moved to 1487 N. Bridge St. in 1954, the name was changed to Logan View Drive-in, and an additional trailer was added. Operating during the warm months of the year, only carhop and carryout service were available. Because the patrons referred to the sandwich as 'some burger' the name officially changed to Sumburger Drive-in in 1974," reads the website.

"In 2003 sumburger celebrated its 50th year in business while its hometown, the state's first capitol, helped to celebrate Ohio's Bicentennial. In 2016, we expanded our brand and opened the sumburger Restaurant on the west-end of Chillicothe!"



I ordered their famous "DBL CHZ SUMBURGER" - Since 1953 folks have driven from miles around to taste our famous sumburger®. This meal-on-a-bun starts with 2 fresh all beef patties, served up on a hot bun topped off with 2 slices of melted cheese, lettuce and our own sumburger® sauce. Served with Crinkle Cut Fries and Cole Slaw.



The burger was decent. I think I was a bit cheated on some of the toppings, which actually made it a little dry. I would like more of the mayo-relish sauce for more oomph.



Grade: B

Oaks Coffee House is a beautiful coffee shop that features a modern design, an open and airy interior, and clean lines. Plus, it has a drive-through.



The coffee shop serves lattes, cortados, Americanos, cold brew, drip coffee and teas, in addition to pastries, avocado toast, quinoa bowls, bagels, sandwiches and more.



I did a small caramel latte and a blueberry scone. The coffee was a touch stronger than my usual preference, as it reads a little, bitter to me. I would just add an extra pump of caramel next time the scone was tasty, if not a touch on the dry side. Most scones are, though. Still, those are minor criticisms. Overall, it was the perfect pitstop for some fuel on my way north.



Grade: B

I had never been to Mississippi. So, I recently took a long weekend road trip to drive through the Magnolia State.



Ward's is a Mississippi-based regional fast food chain that specializes in chili burgers, chili dogs and root beer.



"In December 1957, twins Richard and Ed Ward opened a New Orleans-based Frostop franchise in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Frostop served chili dogs, orange soda, and root beer in frosted glass mugs. On May 28, 1978, the Ward brothers opened the first Ward's restaurant at 40th Avenue and Hardy Street in Hattiesburg. By the early 1980s, the first franchised Ward's was opened in nearby Petal. The Ward brothers started Ward's Food Systems, Inc. in 1985 to manage the franchise. In 2004, Glen and Shelley Sullivan became the owners of Ward's and combined the franchise and restaurant companies. Richard Ward passed away in 2019 and Ed died prior to 2017," reads Wikipedia.



"After opening their own restaurant, the Ward brothers brought similar items from Frostop to their new menu, including chili burgers, chili dogs, and root beer. Today, Ward's offers chili burgers in two sizes: the larger burger is known as the "Big One" while the smaller option is known as the "Lil' One". Other options include the "Ward's Quarder", (which includes tomato and lettuce), wraps, chicken sandwiches, salads, hot dogs, catfish, and various sides. Various desserts include floats, ice cream, milkshakes, and fruit smoothies. Ward's also serves breakfast, including made-to-order eggs and a variety of biscuits and breakfast wraps."



I had to try the "Little One," which usss their homemade chili and sauce, plus an order of cheese sticks.



This burger was messy, but pretty tasty. I'm definitely glad I got the Little One because it was hefty. The cheese sticks were decent; if they were piping hot, they'd be better.



Grade: B

Cap City Fine Diner is a Columbus-area staple that puts a modern spin on classic comfort food favorites.



It does the same with the space - which pulls from retro diner decor and adds a modern edge. A dimly lit space accented with cool lighting.



This is a Cameron Mitchell restaurant, of which there are many great ones in the area.

"Like the histories of most entrepreneurial companies, Cameron Mitchell Restaurants begins in a very humble place — Cameron Mitchell’s mother’s dining room table. It was here where Cameron mapped out his career goals which would eventually set the course for his restaurant industry career. After hitting the glass ceiling at the now defunct 55 Restaurant Group in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio, Cameron was ready to go out on his own and pursue his dream of running his own restaurant company. He went fourteen months without a paycheck while putting together all the essential ingredients for his own restaurant. In 1993, Cameron signed a lease for a small piece of storefront property, tucked in the northwest corner of Columbus. The space would be transformed into his first restaurant, “Cameron’s.” This contemporary American bistro wowed Columbus diners with its diverse flavors selected from across the American culinary landscape as well as its extraordinary attention to service. Cameron’s was a notable success, especially when considering Columbus’ highly competitive restaurant business climate. Among the raving fans were investors and developers, who were hungry for more. While remaining independent and privately held, Cameron Mitchell Restaurants has grown to 48 restaurants across the country from Beverly Hills to New York City, and 20 different concepts in 15 states and the District of Columbia. In addition to Cameron’s, the concepts are: Cap City Fine Diner & Bar, The Guild House, Hudson 29 Kitchen + Drink, Martini Modern Italian, Marcella’s, Ocean Prime, Molly Woo’s Asian Bistro, The Pearl Restaurant, Tavern & Oyster Room, The Barn at Rocky Fork Creek, The Avenue Steak Tavern, SoCal Kitchen, Lincoln Social Rooftop, Prime Social Rooftop, Del Mar Naples, Valentina’s, Cento, with future openings Butcher & Rose, Big Rock Italian Chophouse, and Del Mar at Easton. The company also operates a separate, highly successful catering division, Cameron Mitchell Premier Events, and a dynamic food hall hosting 10 kitchens, 3 bars and a rooftop, Budd Dairy Food Hall," reads the website.



My colleagues and I started with the Blue Cheese Potato Chips because I was told they are a must-try.

"A Cap City original - blue cheese, chives, and Alfredo sauce. Alfredo is served on the side."

These were pretty tasty. I would not hate some garlic or truffle oil to take the richness to the max.



For my main entree, I went with "CAP CITY DINER MEATLOAF - Buttermilk-chive mashed potatoes, wild mushrooms, broccoli, chili onion rings, and BBQ gravy served on buttermilk toast."



This was definitely a new spin on the classic. I do appreciate the creativity here and adding in some crispy elements for texture. But I do miss the tomato based sauce that I have to love on meatloaf. The texture was a little bit more dense; I almost would've preferred the toast on the bottom to be ground up inside the meat mixture to spread that moisture around. These are small critiques; overall, this was a pretty good meal.



Grade: B

I visited The Belgian Waffle Shop a few months ago and was excited to try out something new. Sure, you're probably familiar with Waffle House, but there are a handful of local places around the state that also focus on the waffle. Wheeling happens to be one of them.



To start, I feel for the businesses in this part of town that have had the road inaccessible for quite some time. I'm sure that affects business. Additionally, there seem to be some behind-the-scenes struggles in terms of ownership that have made the rounds on social media lately. I don't want to get into that debate.

But I will debate what IS a Belgian waffle. In comparison to regular waffles, Belgian waffles are smaller without an outer rim and are a bit crisp on the outside and fluffy and dense inside. I think a lot of places use the term Belgian to sound fancy, but most are just regular ol' waffles.



The small shop offere several specialty waffles - Butter Pecan, Double Triple Chocolate, Strawberry-N-Cream, Toffee Crunch and Traditional Vanilla Bean. Plus, they do bubble waffles. And drinks.



I ordered the toffee crunch, waffle, which was more of a regular waffle: large, fairly soft, fluffy. The toppings are really, well, over the top. Candy pieces and ice cream and whipped cream remove this from any breakfast territory and send it straight to dessert alley. My only hope is that my next waffle is more crisp.



Grade: B

Twisted Grille is a local business that has been serving burgers, nachos and fries via brick-and-mortar and food truck. When I saw their food truck, I already knew I wanted to order the Route 60 Nachos. It is tortilla chips topped with pulled pork, white queso cheese, and barbecue sauce. I do love a good nacho, and these were surprisingly simple. I think a pickled jalapeno would add a bit ot fresh, sweet and spice to each bite.



Grade: B

Alfredo's has had several Italian/Greek restaurants around the state: Summersville, Buckhannon, Lewisburg, and Marlinton - which we are visiting today.



For as small as downtown Marlinton is, this restaurant is smack dab in the middle. It sits a level above ground, so we walked up the stairs to visit the dining room. It is pretty basic in terms of decor and ambience.



The menu features, pizza, wings, subs, burgers, pasta, gyros and more. Truly fits the definition of "a little bit of everything."



The salad was basic with iceberg lettuce, the garlic knots with cheese were a bit different but dry, and the spaghetti with meat sauce was the definition of comfort food. It's not my typical go-to, but sometimes the simple dish just hits the spot.



Grade: B

Clendenin Brewing Co. is a microbrewery & AirBnB in the small town of Clendenin.



It's a neat space with a garage style door and a mishmash of decor and brewing equipment.



Some of the beers on tap included:

Clendenin Cream Ale Cream Ale
Slow Paddle Pilsner
Mothgirl
Amber Knights
Cannel Coal Imperial Stout
Gingerbread Stout
Secret Hopper
Udder Mayham
Mountain Mango IPA Double IPA
Three Step Mister
KeyLime Gose
Shya's Shandy
Margarita Beer



The food menu consists of a couple sandwiches, smoked meat platters, nachos and mac & cheese bowls.



I went to check it out with my friends, Erin and Beth, and we played some of the tabletop games while perusing the menus.



I gravitated toward the lighter-bodied beers, and my favorites included the key lime gose and both shandies. I was feeling the summer vibes, and they were just so refreshing.



I ordered the buffalo chicken dip macaroni and cheese. Separately, these are two of my favorite dishes. Together, they could use a little work. Some crunch or herb or something would have made this dish a bit more complete and broken up the soft texture.



it's a local addition to town, and I look forward to trying some of their new and seasonal items.



Grade: B