I remember when smoothie bowls or acai bowls became really popular a few years ago. I drove to Fayetteville - the closest crunchiest town - to try one and just thought it was the most refreshing thing. Fast forward a few years later, and these types of cafes are springing up more frequently - most recently as Fruition Bowls and Brews in Morgantown. 



This new restaurant is a secondary location to its Waynesburg, PA, spot. They offer smoothies, bowls, coffee, specialty toasts and other snacks.

The interior is bright and trendy, while also having a darker accent wall and tables. It feels clean. And healthy.



I ordered the peanut butter & jelly smoothie: banana, blackberry, blueberry, almond milk and house-made peanut butter. I was hoping for a pb&j sandwich vibe, but it kinda fell flat. It was just a bit bland - not overly sweet or nutty or flavorful. Not bad; I just wanted more. 



I also went with an avocado toast complete with multigrain toast, everything seasoning, freshly sliced avocado, and red pepper flakes. Plus I added feta cheese. And, it was really yummy. It was creamy and a little funky and very satisfying. Definitely add the feta if you are a feta fan. Just be prepared for feta to fall everywhere - your shirt, your car, your phone. Worth it.



Grade: A

When I somehow found myself in Elizabeth, I was looking for a caffeine fix and found it at Roots to Wings. 



This home is lovely on the outside and filled with decor and other items inside. But winding around to the back, there's a coffee bar. 



They have a ton of specialty espresso drinks - and many with caramel, which you know is my weakness. 



I went with a salted caramel frozen coffee, which I could tell they don't do a whole lot. It was a bit of a process, and I felt kinda bad ordering it. The texture was a bit off - a little chunky/icy in some spots, but the flavor was fine. It gave me a kick of energy, either way. 

Grade: B

Tootsie's Place is a small bakery and coffee shop in White Sulphur Springs.



From mini cupcakes and muffins to Italian sodas and lattes, Tootsie's has a fairly small selection but hits all the favorites. 



That's evident from the traffic jam inside - lots of folks were excited to gets their hands on some caffeinated or sweet treats. 



I ordered a hot chocolate, as well as a mini strawberry cupcake, mini blueberry muffin and mini vanilla cupcake. There was a bit of a mix-up, so I ended up getting a mini chocolate cupcake, as well.



The hot chocolate was a regular hot chocolate - just like one from Swiss Miss. The cupcakes were good, though. They were moist, light in flavor, and the decor even gave some textural variation. The muffin had a nice little sugar crust. They were all good.



I hope to check them out again and find some different flavors! Something to spice things up.



Grade: B

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: White Sulphur Springs is a really cute town.



It's usually overshadowed by The Greenbrier's presence, but there is really a lovely downtown with a wine shop, brewery, bakery and nice shopping. 



I'm sad the small Jamaican restaurant is no more, but a new BBQ place has taken its spot. 



Road Hog's Barbeque, located at 687 Main Street East, has the moniker: Nothing to hide, sauce on the side. I think that's pretty cute. Like, yes, the BBQ may be good enough to not need sauce. But I still like the option. 



You'll find your standards on the menu: pulled pork, chicken, brisket, ribs and even turkey. And my favorite part of any BBQ restaurant is the sides. Here, you'll find okra, onion rings, baked beans, tater tots, mac & cheese and more.



On this visit, they were doing a special taste event where they were promoting three sister businesses. So I opted for their soft pretzel bites with Big Draft Brewing beer cheese dip. The beer cheese was thick and could make anything taste better.

Potato salad was straightforward. Mac & cheese was pretty tasty - a nice, thick white cheddar sauce. The brisket had a pretty thick fatty layer that I'm not a fan of. I like mine more lean - the texture of that fat cap is not my favorite. It wasn't bad, but I wish every single strip wasn't half fat. I did try each of the sauces; I like that the apple is reminiscent of apple butter in a way. Carolina is vinegary. I went middle of the road with "Bold Hog" for a bit of tang.

Grade: B

Hillbilly Grill in Buckhannon is a bit off the beaten track in town, but has great reviews so I had to check it out.



The first thing to note is that they are cash only, so make sure you hit the ATM before venturing out here. 



The restaurant is rustic - lots of wood, taxidermy and Bud Light signage. The menu has fried appetizers, burgers, sandwiches and homestyle dinners. 



I saw meatloaf on the menu, so I made up my mind quickly and added corn, mashed potatoes and macaroni & cheese as my sides. Plus a roll.



This meatloaf was a brown gravy version, as opposed to a sweeter tomato paste version, so I was a bit bummed about that. Everything was kind of one texture - soft. I like some crunch from peppers or onions in the meatloaf. This was pretty one note. 



My favorite part of the meal was the mac& cheese. It had little mini penne and shell shapes, which was the most texture of the meal. It was a white sauce, rather than a yellow cheddar. And, it was tasty. Next time, I'll go for a burger.

Grade: B

The Market is one of my favorite spots in Huntington. Often, I'll get a drink from one place, do a little work on my laptop, get a snack at another place, do a little work on my laptop, and so on. You get the idea.



So when there's a new restaurant in the market, I'm excited.



The Wing Place opened up within the last several months and is pretty straight-forward: They have wings. And fries. And onion rings. And funnel cake fries. But that's it.



They do have a variety of sauces, which all sounded good. I went with 6 boneless parmesan garlic and 6 boneless Carolina gold. The parmesan garlic was too dry for me. I just needed a bit more of the ~sauce~ so its not hard to choke down. The bbq, though, was tasty. The sweet, tangy wing with a dip in blue cheese adds some funk and makes for a great bite.



Grade: B

You know what's perfect on a cold, snowy day? A casserole.



Casseroles To Go is a new ghost kitchen based out of Carnival Eats that specializes in homecooked meals delivered to your door - hot and fresh.



I love a casserole - and wish that there were like personal sized ones. There are so many different kinds. I wanted to try them all: shepherd's pie, ham & broccoli, tuna noodle, Amish breakfast, baked ravioli, and more. But I put in an order to try two different things.



First up is the: Crunchy Chicken Casserole. This casserole is a taste of goodness with a crunch you will love. Chicken, rice, celery, cream of chicken, mayonnaise, water chestnuts, almonds, onions and corn flakes.



It was pretty tasty overall. I added a touch more salt to punch it up. Since it's crunchy on top, it's not something that can keep forever unless you want the sog. But hot, fresh from the tin - it is good.



I also got a pan of macaroni & cheese, which I think I ate on for a week. It's a pretty straightforward, creamy mac. I added a bit of sugar to mine because I like mine a bit on the sweeter side. 



Have you tried them yet? I think they would be perfect to send to a family in need or a friend with a busy week. Just a really cool option in town.

Grade: B

Gulla's Lunch in Bellaire, Ohio, is known for its hot dogs.



The "Gulla Dog" is made with their specialty chili sauce, onions and mustard. 



They kind of have taken on a life of their own. It's known along the likes of DiCarlo's pizza and Drover's wings (though since those two are from my hometown, I'm a bit more biased toward them). 



While traveling through the area, I put in an order for a Gulla dog, an eggroll and fries with gravy. The hot dog is interesting in that the chili sauce is a little sweet, a little tang, but no meat. It was all very soft in texture, but I enjoyed the flavor. 



I thought it was interesting to see egg rolls available - and they were decent. Nothing too crazy there. Deep-fried so it has a nice crunch, but lots of filled inside.



The fries have "comfort food" written all over them. It can certainly get heavy and soggy, but if you get a few nice, crisp bites, they are dang good. 

Grade: B

Kozy Farm's Sweets is an adorable Beckley bakery serving up cupcakes, mini cakes, cookies and coffee. 



When I was visiting, the cupcakes are what caught my attention. They were bright and stacked and just calling my name.



Now, typically, I'm not a cupcake person. They're fine, but not the first thing I gravitate toward. But these ones were so visually delicious. 



The cherry one was easily my first choice. Cherry is a very underrated fruit, in my opinion. I also have a hard time finding it in grocery stores. Bring back the cherry! 



The cupcake was absolutely stacked with ribbons of icing. A drizzle of chocolate. A gummy cherry. It was fun and tasty.



I also went with a strawberry lemonade cupcake, which was topped with a candied wedge of lemon. How adorable is that? And let's be honest, when it comes to cupcakes, we are more so eating with our eyes than with our tastebuds.



And while they didn't have their "mini cakes" available, I did spy with my little eye some bread pudding. And, you know bread pudding is one of my guilty pleasures. 



They had a maple pecan that I knew I had to have. And, honestly, the bulk inside was fairly dry and would have benefited greatly from a giant scoop of vanilla ice cream. 



Still, this Beckley bakery is adorable and had some fun sweets. I'd like to try some others next time to make sure I'm really getting their flavor.



Grade: B