SunTan Swine BBQ is a family-owned southern West Virginia barbecue business run by Scott and Amy Barnett. It operates primarily as a mobile BBQ truck and catering company, traveling for events, festivals, weddings, corporate gatherings, and what they call “Meat Ups” — pop-up roadside stops where customers can pick up BBQ dinners. The barbecue style is built around low-and-slow smoking, with Scott Barnett using a signature spice blend and traditional smoking techniques. Their menu focuses on classic BBQ staples like pulled pork, brisket, ribs, pulled chicken, smoked wings, and loaded fries, along with traditional sides.

I enjoyed a pulled pork sandwich with slaw and Sweet Baby Rays sauce. Plus a side of mac & cheese. The sandwich had that classic barbecue balance of smoky, sweet and tangy, while the mac & cheese added a rich, cheesy bite. Grade: B

You can miss me with all the "loaded teas" and "protein drinks." But I'll never turn down a lemonade. The Frosted Farm Girl is a southern WV-based lemonade truck that has also expanded to dirty sodas, hot dogs, pies, pudding and more. I ordered a pineapple upside down lemonade, which was a lovely balance of sweet and tart. Grade: A

The Fort Bar & Grill is a restaurant located at 100 Cantley Drive in Charleston's Fort Hill neighborhood.



The restaurant serves dinner Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., and lunch and dinner Friday through Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., while remaining closed on Tuesdays.



The dining room combines the feel of a neighborhood tavern with a steakhouse and includes a full bar featuring whiskey, wine and craft cocktails.



The menu includes appetizers, salads, hand-cut steaks, seafood, chicken, ribs, smash burgers, sandwiches, desserts, and a selection of classic and signature side dishes.



We started with the buffalo crispy chicken bao buns, which weren't super on the crispy side. But that's not too bad. We had another app and a side of brussels sprouts; neither of which were super impressive.



One of the restaurant's featured menu sections is its lineup of house-made smash burgers, which are served with fresh house-cut fries and include options such as the Black & Bleu, Whiskey Bourbon Smash, Backyard BBQ Smash, Mushroom Swiss Smash, and Firestarter Smash.



I went with the Hot Honey Pimento Smash, which has 2 wquality all-beef patties, deep fried pimento cheese bites, topped with hot honey, jalapeno peppers (or banana peppers), crispy onion ring, lettuce and tomato. This was a lot of fried flavor, so I was hoping to get some more of that honey. But still pretty tasty, regardless. The sticky date pudding for dessert was decent.



Grade: B

West Virginia 250 was a celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. While the national America250 initiative is taking place across the country, West Virginia has organized its own, combining history, tourism, entertainment, education and community events.



This year's signature event was a four-day Capital City Celebration held July 2–5 at the West Virginia State Capitol Complex. The free festival featured: The America250 Wheel, a 230-foot Ferris wheel with free rides; concerts, including Alabama and The Marshall Tucker Band; nightly projection mapping and light shows on the Capitol dome; fireworks and, of course, food:





Coal River Mercantile
I wanted a pepperoni roll here, but they were out! So I settled for a pig in a blanket.

Mayhem Nutrition
OBB (The Official Beverage Bar)
Sugar Shanty
Stephens Cotton Candy Lemonade
BG’Z Taco
Boat Bites
Just Drinks





Sip N Sodie
I did an Italian soda with watermelon here. So, light, refreshing and a tad sweet.

MR Poppins Kettle Corn
Kustom Kremes
Bee Refreshed
Oishii Hibachi





Caffeine and Chaos
This was my first stop, and I went with a Sprite and raspberry soda with cream on top. I think I just really like a fruity Sprite.

Cool Beans
Mystic Ice (Mountain Manna)
Quantum Loaded Tea/Lemonade
Lucky Lemon
Getting Piggy With It
Little Jimmy’s Italian Ice





Thai Town
Just a simple veggie eggroll here because it was so warm.

Zuls
Wicked Eats

Rolls on the River 2026 was held on June 19 at Haddad Riverfront Park. This special event supports the Legacy Scholarship at Charleston Montessori School, helping make authentic Montessori education accessible to more children in our community. As a judge, I was able to enjoy delicious pepperoni rolls, beer tastings, plus there were inflatables for the kids, artisan vendors, and a fun riverfront atmosphere with friends and family. Some of my favorite pepperoni rolls included a minimum amount of bread and equal parts pepperoni & cheese. Zul's is always a deep-fried favorite, and Brandie Pooh's had the most beautiful pepperoni rose. PEPPERONI ROLL - WITH A TWIST

Kanawha Place Senior Living
G&G Heritage Farm
The Bucket
Triple B Eatery
Plum Street Market
Salvation Army Red Shield Youth Center
Brandie Pooh's Kitchen
Janet Kidd PEPPERONI ROLL - CLASSIC

Zul's
Appalachian Smokehouse
Kanawha Place Senior Living
Plum Street Market
Wild & Wonderful Rolls
A & W Roll Co.
Olden Days Farm and Cottage
Edgewood
G & G Heritage Farms
Hagy's Irish Pie Pub
Sweet Stitches
Salvation Army Red Shield Youth Center
Janet Kidd

LaPorte Cafe was a short-lived restaurant on the East End that replaced the former Tricky Fish space. The restaurant focused on an elevated “café comfort food” approach, with dishes like beer-braised short ribs, roasted carrot risotto, creative wraps, salads, hummus platters and house-made focaccia sandwiches. A friend ordered the carrot risotto: Slow-cooked arborio rice, savory parmesan and a velvety texture were balanced by the rich depth from roasted carrots. Caramelized pear butter & wheat crispies made it hard for me to pass up. But I went with the shrimp & grits: blackened shrimp, served with white cheddar grits, bourbon bacon marmalade and wheat crispies. I enjoyed the flavors here, even if the polenta gave off a bit of a gluey texture. It can be tough to get right. And I wish the wheat crispies actually added a crisp to the dish because I would have loved that flavor addition. Did you get a chance to check it out? Grade: B

Boat Bites is an updated food truck that primarily sticks to the Trojan Landing area but has recently been expanding to area events. The menu features hot dogs, chicken strips, chicken sandwiches and burgers. But what caught my eye was the fish tacos - crispy fried fish, pico de gallo, slaw and boat sauce. Plus a side of macaroni & cheese. I love a good fish taco, specifically the juxtaposition between the hot crispiness and a cold sauce. The former was good, the latter could use a bit more work. But still a solid rendition. Grade: B

Frescos Food Truck just reopened for the season in the Kanawha City Piggly Wiggly parking lot. The Mexican/Tex-Mex food truck features a broad menu, including burritos, bowls, quesadillas, nachos, tacos and loaded waffle fries. First up: A Mangonada. It's a cold Mexican drink made with mango, layered with chamoy, and topped with Tajín. And, it's one of my all-time favorite drinks since first experiencing it in Arizona. For my entree, I had a steak quesadilla, which was a 14" tortilla filled with cheese, veggies, and topped with lettuce, pico and sour cream. It delivered what you’d expect, without anything particularly memorable but nothing bad, either. A small queso and chips complemented my quesadilla. The queso is warm and velvety and creamy. Paired with salty chips, it made for a good bite. Elote is Mexican street corn -- grilled corn on the cob coated in mayo, cotija cheese, chili powder, and lime, creating a mix of smoky, creamy and tangy flavors. This version was coated in Cool Ranch Doritos. YES. For dessert, we had tres leches. Tres leches is a sponge cake soaked in three kinds of milk -- evaporated milk, condensed milk and heavy cream. It was soft and very moist, with a lightly sweet, milky flavor, and topped with whipped cream. Grade: B

The Junior League of Charleston WV hosted its Second Annual Golden Horseshoe Trivia event on Thursday. Held at the WVSU Center, the event raises money for the nonprofit while offering guests a second chance at earning a Golden Horseshoe pin. Natalie Tennant - first female WVU Mountaineer Mascot, first female WV Secretary of State and first Kanawha County Commissioner - emceed the event, and while my team The Golden Girls placed sixth this year, I felt like I won with the food offerings. Brandi Gore is a chef with WVSU and prepared the evening's offerings, which included a huge cheese board display with brie, pepperjack, and cheeseballs covered in herbs and bacon. Peppers, crostini, grapes, blueberries, crackers, cornbread, salami and more. There were a number of other delicious bites -- my favorite being the cheese-stuffed, bacon-wrapped dates. The mini stuffed potato bites were also delish. Also available were pigs-in-a-blanket and these pepperoni "roses." That's a unique, pretty take on a pepperoni roll. There were also a couple dessert options. Peach cobbler, applesauce pie, and pecan tarts. Did you get to try any of these treats?