China Star is a buffet & takeout restaurant in Beaver that offers standard Chinese-American fare. I found myself in the area after hunting for one of the newest Almost Heaven swings that was installed at Glade Springs. I ordered a honey chicken with white rice and a roast pork eggroll. The chicken was the same white meat type you'd find in a chicken & broccoli dish. It's like flatter, moist and tender. The sauce was very sweet; no heat. But no real texture to speak of, either. The eggroll was basic; I miss great eggrolls (like Chin's in Charleston). Crab cheese rangoons = average. Grade: B

Kenzie's Kakes & Coffee offers sweets of all sorts, in addition to coffee drinks and light lunch options. The large cakes are stunning for special events. But I just popped in to see what they had available in the case that day. Several things caught my eye, including the pumpkin roll, cake balls, and a strawberry pudding parfait delight. Everything was pretty tasty, but I was most excited about that parfait item. The presentation was less delicate than the other desserts, but I think that that's what drew me to it. It had a graham cracker crumble, a delicious mousse-like pudding, and then strawberry topping. It was delicious. So were the pumpkin roll and cake balls. I had to try the pepperoni roll, too, ya know, for science. It was a decent one, but more filling to absorb the air pocket would have killed it. I had been to their previous location, and I'm excited to see how they have grown. I can't wait to stop back and try even more items. Have you been? Grade: B

Georges' Taps & Italian Grill in Beaver suddenly closed earlier this year, but I had a chance to snag a meal before their doors closed for the last time.



The restaurant focuses on Italian fare, as the name implies, but they also offered sandwiches, wings, tacos, hotdogs, you name it. But, when I was visiting, I wanted to try some of their signature dishes.



I started with the bruschetta, which I was really happy with. A delicious pile of tomato and vinegar and herbs anchored the appetizer while lightly grilled toast fanned around it. The mixture was a delicious blend of sweet and acidic, and the freshness of the tomatoes with the crunch of the bread made for a really satisfying bite.



I had a small house salad, which included pickled red onion, cucumber and mushroom with a balsamic dressing. The base here was OK, but I did enjoy the balsamic, which again had a nice hit of acid.



Georges' piccata was made with capers, white wine, and chicken stock with butter and lemon juice. It was fab. Just the right amount of sour plus creaminess that made for a really rich dish.



Grade: A

There are few things I love more than a giant bowl of pasta. I don't think I'm ever not in the mood for pasta.



Padrino's Italian Restaurant in Beaver came across my screen a little while ago while searching for restaurants in the area. Initially, I thought I had already been there because there is a Beckley restaurant with the same name. 



I later learned these two aren't related, but I didn't know that at the time. The interior had that general Italian restaurant flare - like painted windows with planter window boxes and cobblestone bricks. 



I ordered a pasta dish, which comes with garlic bread. These were a little on the hard side, but not overcooked. Maybe just a bit old. 



The dish, I believe, was a ziti, but made with penne noodles. Either way, it wasn't bad. The sauce was average - not super flavorful. And I would've loved some ricotta mixed throughout, instead of just the melted mozzarella on top. Not bad overall, though,

Grade: B

Casablanca Italian Restaurant in Beaver is a local favorite that hits all the hometown Italian restaurant marks: red, white and green theme; a variety of pasta shapes in marinara sauce; and diehard fans.



Italian is probably my most eaten cuisine. Pasta + sauce is easy, cheap and delicious. But it's always a job to enjoy it out at a restaurant, too, where it's often much more lovingly prepared than it is in my home kitchen.



Casablanca had checkerboard floors, booths and no people to speak of when I visited. During a pandemic, I'm not complaining. 



The menu is a bit all over the place. I was first greeted with hummus, kabobs and yogurt and cucumber dishes. I flipped forward to find the carbs. 



But, first, some pepperoni rolls. I really liked their version. They're rolled up, sliced and fried, plus topped with cheese and served with marinara. Traditional? No. Delicious? Absolutely. 



Next up, we have a small house salad that accompanies the entree. I was happy to have French dressing - my favorite. The rest was standard - some iceberg, shredded lettuce, green peppers and red onion. 



And then there was some garlic bread, which was not notable. But the entree was better.



The penne pasta with spicy chicken in a rose cream sauce dish was good. The herbs and cheese on top added some extra fresh flavor on top of the rich, creamy dish. I didn't love the chicken itself - a bit blah. But overall, a decent dish.



Grade: B

The Beckley area has lots of great gems that pop up now and then. I recently made a trip out here to check out a few bakeries, the first of which was Kenzie's Kakes. 



The location is a bit difficult to find - it's attached to a preschool/church, and there is a single pink sign and door denoting the entrance. There weren't any windows or anything, so we weren't sure what we may walk into once we opened the door.



What we found was a crowd of hungry patrons waiting to get their hands on the latest sweet treat. 



The space is small - just displays for the goodies and a checkout counter - but it's packed with desserts.

 
From cupcakes to cake balls, the bakery has a variety of treats. 



There are a ton of different varieties of cupcakes - like ones topped with peeps that I had to try since this was around Easter.



I also ordered a caramel vanilla, because I could eat caramel off of anything.



And then the one that I ended up really enjoying was a summery lemon blueberry that tasted like sunshine. 



I also ordered a few cake balls, because I just love these. Not the dry ones you sometimes find - but the ones that are super moist inside with icing and delivers the perfect bite of happiness. 



Just take a look at these photos - there is a nice variety here. Probably a dozen different flavors of cupcakes and more. 



But I haven't even gotten to my absolute favorite treat I picked up. 



Do you see it? Can you spot it?



It's that Snickers brownie. 



Woooo lord. Imagine this: A chewy, chocolatey brownie topped with layers of chocolate and caramel and then crunchy nut clusters on top. It was glorious. I just nibbled on it for days because it's enough sugar to satisfy any sweet tooth.



Grade: A

No matter where you are in West Virginia, there's usually a Tudor's nearby. I found myself driving through Beaver and in desperate need of a biscuit.

My go-to: sausage biscuit with grape jelly.