Made From Love is a YWCA Charleston Katherine “Kitty” Dooley Center for Community Enrichment event that was held on Thursday, Feb. 12. The fundraiser featured three local Black women chefs showcasing 3-4 bites that display how they love and nurture through food and delicious recipes. "Have a taste of comfort provided by our local favorites and join us in the conversation of how food and comfort have a long history of resilience and community," reads the event flyer. Each appetizer ticket was $3, and there were 10 total samples. So, I got enough tickets to try them all. My favs from the evening? The eggroll, mac & cheese, and hummingbird tres leches dessert. Brandie Gore
Private Chef & Caterer
"Nourishing your body one PLANT at a time"

- Sweet potato crostini with whipped goat cheese, honey and a candied pecan

- BBQ Jackfruit slider with a hint of heat topped with a bright Nappa cabbage slaw

- Mini Lemon-blueberry bundt cake filled with lemon custard Tanika Varnado
9290 LLC

- JP3 Egg Roll: Jalapeno Popper & Pulled Pork Egg Roll w/Blackberry BBQ Sauce

- Mac & Cheese: Chef Tanika's 5 cheese sweet mac & cheese

- Salmon Slider: Baked salmon w/lettuce, tomato, red onion and a 9290 signature sauce

- Red Velvet Strawberry Cheesecake Shooter: Layers of red velvet cake, cheesecake and fresh strawberries topped with/whip cream Ashley Wright
Dem 2 Brothers and a Grill
"Florida Roots. West Virginia Soul. A love letter in three bites - celebrating where I'm from (Tampa) and what I've built in WV."

- Deviled Crab Croquettes: Golden Tampa-style crab croquettes with spicy citrus dip featuring Holler Hot Sauce

- Brisket Burnt Ends + Smoked Gouda Grit Cake: Sticky, caramelized brisket burnt ends glazed in a rich BBQ jus on a crisp smoked gouda grit cake and finished with chow chow

- Hummingbird Tres Leches Cake: A southern classic with banana + pineapple notes, soaked tres leches style and finished with a sweet, creamy icing

Albuquerque Southwest Bar & Grill was a short-lived Mexican–Southwest restaurant located on Charleston’s West Side at 207 W. Washington Street. It was founded by restaurateur Sergio Lugo-Mata, who had opened the Guadalajara and Sergio’s eateries. The restaurant replaced the former Gonzoburger and Elk City Bistro sites, retaining the classic bar area of the historic Chris’ Hot Dogs space. Albuquerque’s menu featured burritos, enchiladas, fajitas, and house specialties such as red pozole, chile rellenos, tamales, and stuffed sopapillas. Signature items included the ribeye quesadilla. We started with some chips & salsa. The salsa was a bit watery, and it pooled, so not great for dipping. Flavor was average. For my entree, I ordered a "Medallion Burrito" filled with filet, rice, fries, pico de gallo and topped with queso. The idea here is fine, but the execution was just very average. Not enough seasoning, fries were not crisp, and it was just a bit underwhelming overall. Grade: C

One of Charleston’s most anticipated culinary experiences, FeastivALL, returned for its 13th year on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026, at the University of Charleston. FeastivALL is FestivALL Charleston’s signature culinary fundraiser, celebrating the art of food with a multi-course meal, unique beverage pairings and creative experiences that support year-round arts programming in Charleston. Each year, FeastivALL invites a selection of noted West Virginia chefs to prepare each course. These respected culinarians bringing their own tastes and talents to the table — while also working together to create a cohesive menu for FeastivALL guests. The result is a one-of-a-kind dining experience that truly "becomes a work of art." Each course is paired with craft beer and wine selections by Mountain State Beverage, chosen to complement the chefs’ creations. VIP RECEPTION
The evening kicked off with a VIP reception featuring exclusive bites, craft cocktails, live music and more. Chef Ke Frederick crafted cornbread bites with whipped honey butter, cucumber & hummus bites, steak & creamy horseradish crostini and fresh fruit & crudite. Chef KD Jones created a box of handcrafted Appalachian treats. I can't WAIT to try these! AMUSE BOUCHE
Chefs Mike Costello and Amy Dawson, Lost Creek Farms
Communion wafer topped with black pepper farmhouse bologna and six pepper chow chow and communion wafer topped with black walnut farmers cheese, bourbon-sage apple butter and toasted sage
Paired with: Il Tramonto Limoncello Spritz, Italy

APPETIZER
Chef Madi Risk, Coco's
Trout cakes with ramp remoulade
Paired with: Stoneleigh Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand and Bridge Brew Long Point Lager, WV

SOUP
Chef Mandy Gum, Carver Culinary Arts
Buttermilk cornbread soup topped with crispy white beans, smoky bacon and raw onion
Paired with: Domaines des Maisons Brouilly, France and Jackie O's See Foam, OH

ENTREE
Chef Seth Samples, University of Charleston
Stuffed quail with sausage, apple and mushroom, along with Benton's country ham risotto and heirloom carrots with red eye jus
Paired with: Belle Glos Balade Pinot Noir, California and New Trail Crisp Amber, PA

INTERMEZZO
Ellen’s Ice Cream
Raspberry Orange Sorbet

DESSERT
Chefs Mike Costello and Amy Dawson, Lost Creek Farms
Flossie Hannah's old-fashioned vinegar pie, topped with maple whipped cream and West Virginia salt
Paired with: Bonanza, Lot 1, Cellar Door Chardonnay, California and High Ground Mamaw's Gingerbread Stout, WV

Mountaineer Food Bank hosted a soup crawl downtown on Saturday. Fife Street Brewing served as the host business, where attendees purchased tickets (6 for $10), as well as tried their first samples. Fife pulled put all the stops with four different soups, as well as chili from the soon-to-be Ursus Brewery. Why It Matters: All proceeds support Mountaineer Food Bank’s mission to end hunger. By participating, you’re helping feed our neighbors and strengthen our community, one bowl at a time. Fife Street Brewing - tomato, gumbo with shrimp, jalapeno popper with chicken & beef stroganoff Ursus Brew Works (served at Fife) - chili Black Sheep Burrito - creamy pierogi with chicken Sam's Uptown Cafe & Bar - lobster bisque Pies & Pints - orzo wedding soup Ellen's Homemade Ice Cream - tomato bisque Taylor Books - broccoli & cheese

The Bucket is a bar & grill, originally located in Dunbar, that opened a new location at Eagle View, the luxury apartments and townhomes perched above the City of Charleston. The bar & grill is locally famous for its deep-fried pepperoni rolls (which has won a number of local contests!) and other bar fare, like wings, nachos and burgers. My friend Beth and I went to check out this new location as part of Charleston Restaurant Week. Like the other restaurants in this space before it, The Bucket has a wonderful view of the city. It's a bit of a funny juxtaposition between sports bar and high-end accommodations. But, everyone loves wings and beer. The space reflects both the high-end finishes with sports-themed menus. I had the pepperoni roll as an appetizer. It's deep-fried and served with marinara and dusted with parmesan. It was a bit over-fried - the outer layers cracked off, But it's hard to overstate how good the oozy cheese is. I had the Bucket Burger, which was seasoned very well. Chips were OK, but their ranch helped. The dessert - the Bucket Balls - were just deep-fried dough with no filling. The cinnamon ice cream was fine, but I'd skip these next time. Grade: B

Lobster Trappn won over the collective hearts of Charleston when their lobster-themed food truck hit the scene several years ago.



Churning out seafood favorites like loaded mac & cheese, loaded fries and combo plates that include shrimp, fish and lobster bites, the food truck filled a lobster-sized void in the Charleston dining scene.



With their widespread popularity, they expanded to a physical location first in Hurricane and then on the West Side of Charleston. Throughout these different locations, I've tried a variety of dishes - lobster rolls to mac & cheese, and everything in between. No matter what I get, though, I have to get a side of the fry sauce, which is like a honey mustard but even better. I get a side of fries just to enjoy the sauce.



I haven't had a bad meal here, and I'm already thinking about the next opportunity to get a box full of seafood goodness.



Grade: A