Honey Baked Ham has always been an afterthought for me. I don't think I have ever intentionally sought out this restaurant; I have only had it as part of a catering order or because it was the only option. But that all changed recently.



Maybe Gen Z is more hip to hidden gems, because several younger coworkers have proclaimed their enjoyment of said restaurant. So, I made an intentional decision to check out the Charleston location.

While it is a chain, there aren't many locations in West Virginia. They are best known for their full-size hams, which are ideal for holiday dinners. But they also serve sandwiches for lunch.



I ordered a ham salad sandwich with a side of the broccoli bliss salad and potato salad. The sandwich comes with lettuce and tomato on multigrain bread.



The sandwich was actually really tasty. The ham salad is sweet, but in a complementary, salty, porky way. The broccoli salad added some nice crunch, but, of course, was also sweet. And the potato salad was a nice salty, creamy addition.

Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this meal. It is a bit on the pricier side for a chain, but it is something different, and I appreciate that.



Grade: A

Lee Street Lounge is primarily a bar and entertainment venue. It does, however, have a limited menu of fried apps and pizza. Occasionally, they will have other specials or additional items.



I went around the holidays when they had drag bingo. It was so entertaining and fun to be part of the lively atmosphere. I even won a round of bingo!



For food, they actually had just hot dogs and nuts available outside that I think was a separate sort of fundraiser.



Though I wasn't mad at a simple hot dog with ketchup! Even if that is sacrilegious in most parts of southern West Virginia.



I thought it was only appropriate to stop back to experience the food coming out of their own kitchen.



On a return visit, I had a trio of cheeseburger sliders and a side of fries. Pretty basic. A bit cold. But serviceable.



Environment and experience are great. Food could use a little work.



Grade: B

The First Baptist Church of Charleston has a commercial kitchen and has been cooking up some delicious dishes on specialty days each week - like Wing Wednesdays and Fish Friday.



To add to their offerings, the church now does hamburgers, hotdogs, nachos, and other sandwiches on Thursdays. I went with a Philly cheesesteak, which came with peppers and onions. It was quite tasty; I would just add some mayo on my next one.

Blissful Bites is a bakery that sells goods at local markets and events. I was lucky enough to catch them recently in Charleston and had to nab some sweets. I devoured a vanilla flavored cake pop as I walked through holiday lights. I tend to like mine a bit more moist, in this one was more on the dryer cake side. Still fun and whimsical.

Grade: B

The 18th annual Heart & Soul Dip Dinner was held today at the East End Resource Center, and I attended for the first time ever. “A dip dinner is simply an event where attendees purchase tickets for $1 each. They use the tickets to purchase a ‘dip’ or serving-spoon portion of a side dish. Entrees and desserts range from two to four tickets, side dishes are one or two tickets and beverages are available for one ticket. It is very similar to the Taste of Charleston, only with good ol’ home-cooked soul foods made with lots of love," according to the Charleston Gazette-Mail. The dinner sees dishes from local churches, restaurants, sororities, and individuals who donate their specialty dishes in a competition to see who has the best bite. The money raised goes toward programming at the center. I bought $15 worth of tickets and got a to-go box to fill up with "dips" to take home. I do wish there was a menu available with the allotted tickets required so I could strategically plan. Instead, I started at one end and made my way around the room nabbing up whatever looked good at the moment. I started with chicken à la king with pastry from Carver Career Center. It's like an elevated pot pie and was a nice balance of homestyle taken up a notch. Next up for me was a potsticker with chili sauce and some curry over rice from Chow Thai. Both were just as good as you'd get in the restaurant, including a bit of heat from the curry. As I moved around the room, I saw some folks packing up as they ran out of items just 30 minutes into the event. I also saw some restaurants like Soho's and Johnnie's sharing some of their classic dishes. I ended up with a Mexican cornbread, which was OK, and kibbeh, which was unique, before finding the back table filled with different pastas. That's my happy place. Rigatoni, macaroni and cheese, and my favorite of the day, sausage and greens bowtie pasta, filled out the remainder of my plate. I had them piling scoops on top of other scoops. But that sausage pasta had a little bit of a kick and it was creamy and earthy, and I'm going to have to try to re-create it at home. Did you attend? If so, what were your favorite items?

The Boba Bus is a new food truck based in the Huntington area, but recently set up in Charleston, and I had to give them a try.



Boba/bubble tea, lemonade, and create-your-own drinks are all on the menu. You can pick a base from black tea, green tea, or milk tea. You can add peach, raspberry, mango, strawberry or passionfruit flavors. And, you can opt for tapioca balls or popping boba.



I kept it simple with a strawberry milk tea with tapioca balls. It was refreshing, and I love how generous they are with the tapioca. That extra chew makes it all the better for me.

Grade: A

Charleston Restaurant Week is held the last week of January, and, this year, I was traveling for the duration of it.

I am fortunate to volunteer for this event, so I was able to get some behind-the-scenes views of the menus before they were made public. I may have sneaked a few tastes here and there in advance of the week as my own personal restaurant week.

1010 Bridge just always consistently delivers a delicious meal with inspired ingredients.



Tuscan white bean and sausage



Cast iron seared skirt steak with herb & garlic smashed potatoes, winter vegetables, red wine jus



Chocolate silk pie with brown butter graham crust and salted caramel

Soho's churned out the best special menu that I've seen from them in years. I loved everything I tried, especially the baked brie.



Butterflied jumbo shrimp baked and stuffed with crab meat



Baked Alouette Brie in a cast iron skillet, topped with brisure cherries, praline hazelnuts and hot honey and served with toasted ciabatta bread



12 oz. oz. cider-brined bone-in, french-cut pork chop served with rosemary roasted red skin potatoes and herb-buttered broccolini



Manicotti stuffed with ricotta, romano and mozzarella, topped with fresh lobster in a lobster cream sauce



Two-layered strawberry cake with a cream cheese filling and strawberry pieces, covered in dark chocolate ganache, strawberry coulis and fresh whipped cream



Vanilla bean brûlée with macerated Madagascar vanilla pods, crispy oat crust topped with torched raw sugar

Volstead Room is a brand new contender this year, and they didn't pull any punches. One of my favorites from them was this icebox cake, which was ooey and gave me more vibes.



Which restaurants did you enjoy this year?

Fernbank Public House has been one of the most anticipated new restaurant openings in Charleston that I can remember. This modern tavern with a nod to neighborhood nostalgia partnered with a well-known local restauranteur quietly opened to uproarious reviews. The small restaurant is situated on Bridge Road right beside Lola's. Parking can prove challenging with all of the great eating establishments here. But, once you're able to snag a spot, step inside Fernbank for some thing a little different. Clad with local art, loud chatter and a busy bar, I first ordered a drink. I picked a sweet and fizzy Elderberry Spritz cocktail that was the perfect way to begin my meal. There are a variety of stronger, less fruity drinks if that's your vibe. The menu features a variety of traditional pub fare that turns the creativity up a notch. House fries, mozzarella pearls, chicken tenders, hummus, shishito peppers, and, of course, burgers. I ordered 🍔 The Goat - Signature blend burger with housemade bacon jam & goat cheese served with lettuce, tomato, red onion and mayo on Charleston Bread Brioche with a side of fries. This burger was really tasty with the funk of the goat cheese pairing perfectly with the sweet and salty bacon jam. It's one of those burgers that's a bit tough to eat stacked, so it can be tough to get all the flavors and one bite. But when you do, it's glorious. The fries were also nicely crisp because they were double fried. That's the only way to eat a fry. Grade: A

Cafe Appalachia recently opened a second location in downtown Charleston. The original is located in South Charleston. But, both are more than just restaurants.



"Café Appalachia ... is a social enterprise that is open to the general public as a coffee house and popular breakfast and lunch destination.

The Café offers farm-to-table foods grown on-site and/or locally sourced. ReIntegr8 participants are trained at Café Appalachia and Café Appalachia Catering, where they learn how to grow food, prepare wholesome, nutritious meals and gain valuable skills and employment experiences.

Café Appalachia allows you to experience their garden-raised meals in your own home through GrubHub or business through its catering services, Café Appalachia Catering. The Cafe' hosts private events such as wedding rehearsals, receptions, bridal and baby showers, holiday parties, board retreats, and more," reads the website.



The downtown location is fairly small, with just a handful of tables. But the standout visual is a wall decorated with mountain imagery and a powerul quote.



The menu features standard sandwiches, salads and breakfast items. I ordered the "flat iron steak - Seared flat iron cooked to medium rare, sliced thin and served cold. Wrapped in naan, topped with baby arugula, fresh tomatoes, shaved parmesan and a house made parmesan horseradish aioli." I really enjoy horseradish, so that is what sold me here. The sandwich was pretty average; not bad, but nothing you couldn't make at home - and there's nothing wrong with that! It is fairly healthy, too, so bonus points. If you're looking for a good standard sandwich, this is for you. If you're looking for something with big and bold flavors, you might want to find out how to punch it up.



Grade: B