Fox Hops Brewery is a new, award-winning brewery in Elkins that has a unique claim to fame: "We are home to the only certified female brewer in the state of West Virginia, bringing unique perspective and innovation to every batch." In addition to a variety of beer styles including Amber Ale, Brown Ale, Chocolate Stout, IPAs and more, the brewery offers up some delicious noshes. "Fox Hops offers a unique food menu designed to pair perfectly with your pint — from bratwursts made with our own house Amber Ale to specialty burgers like the unforgettable PB&J burger," reads the website. First things first, I ordered a growler of RAMP beer. I repeat, RAMP beer. Using locally sourced ramps. Named "Mountain Music," it has an intense aroma but fairly light in flavor. On the food side, I ordered pimento cheese bites, that are honey pretzel crusted bites filled with pimento cheese, drizzled with honey sriracha. These were addictively good. I also did the PB&J burger, which includes a 1/3 lb. burger topped with bacon, pickled jalapenos, cream cheese, peanut butter and jelly - definitely an interesting combination! That's precisely what drew me to it. It was a solid combo. I almost wish the jelly was a dipping sauce on the side, so I could control the level I wanted. I wanted more! Cool beer. Good food. Locally owned. What more can you ask for? Grade: A

Chef Kevin's Streatery in Elkins was a food-truck-turned-brick-and-mortar-restaurant that featured fun takes on globally inspired menu items.



The downtown restaurant shuttered before finding a solid footing, but I was lucky enough to get a taste before that.



The set-up was sparse - like they just moved in and hadn't had time to set up. And, they didn't have several things available that were on the menu.



But we pivoted, and I ordered a smash burger, which was done well. The patties were thin enough to get some crisp, and the cheese cheesed hard. Plus the homemade sauce gave it that little tang needed.



A side of potato salad left me a bit wanting - not necessarily for toppings but for moisture.



A solid burger, though, done right.



Grade: B

Great Harvest Bakery is a franchise bakery & cafe that has recently expanded to The Mountain State - in Bridgeport and Elkins.



"For over 30 years we have been using long, traditional methods of baking to create breads that are truly one-of-a-kind, simple, wholesome, and delicious. Bread. The way it ought to be ... We still fresh mill our 100% whole grain flour every day. Baking from scratch was the norm for our parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and so forth. Bread. The way it ought to be ... Our wholesome sandwiches are layered with premium, nutritious ingredients between fresh baked bread. Sandwiches where the outside is as good as the inside! Bread. The way it ought to be."



The fast-casual cafe features sandwiches and salads, as well as breads, muffins, rolls, scones and the like. It reminds me of a more country-style Panera Bread with the agriculture-focused decor and menu items.



I visited around lunchtime, so I perused items like the Cubano, Roasted Pepper Chipotle Cheesesteak and the Spicy Apple Bacon Grilled Cheese before ultimately deciding on the Italian with genoa salami, smoked ham, roasted red pepper, black olive tapenade, provolone cheese, red wine vinaigrette, lettuce, tomato and onion on Farmhouse White Bread.



I gotta say - I was pretty happy with this sandwich. It was piled high with those classic Italian deli meats that when paired with fresh veggies and a nice, acidic vinaigrette, it is *chef's kiss*. Fresh, but flavorful.



I also snuck a butterscotch and coconut blondie type situation that was dang good. Sweet, but not too sweet. A little crunch, a little bitter. I appreciated the well-roundedness.



Grade: A

"The Southern Kitchen WV is woman owned and community driven. Sharell Woodward, a graduate from West Virginia's own WVU strives to not only feed the soul's of those in the community but also invest in the community... because there is no community without UNITY!"



This restaurant is unique in a few ways. When I first entered, there is a hostess stand that primarily looks as though it's a carry out restaurant. But you can enter the dining room behind that stand. then, there is kind of a bar upfront and also some lounge-like seating. I think they were still getting into their groove when I visited, but food can trump anything.



I did the "Pick FOUR: (2) Meat (2) Side" - Baked Mac & Cheese; Pasta Salad; Meatloaf; and Sweet & Sour Meatballs.



The meatballs were by far my favorite. I love the sweet and sour juxtaposition. I would have loved some more sauce with the meatloaf and some more *oomph* with the pasta salad. You can't go wrong with mac & cheese in my book. Some really good, some OK.



Grade: B

I stumbled upon Guilty Pleasures Sweet Shop while shopping in Elkins and couldn't resist peeking inside.



"We offer a tasty selection of fresh-baked Grab-n-Go seasonal goodies—muffins, breads, brownies, cookies, pepperoni rolls, and our ever-popular cake pops," according to their website.



I know it's difficult for bakeries to offer a wide variety of options because those goodies don't keep for long. So, you have to have a pretty consistent, steady customer base to have many different sweets for sale.



So, I was pleased to see quite a few varieties of treats to try. Of course, I first scoped out the pepperoni rolls. There were a few versions, but I kept it simple for my first roll. It was a decent roll. The second - with garlic - was a bit more exciting.



The Reese brownie had a thick layer of peanut butter and chopped Reeses on top. The brownie was a bit cake-like to me, so I would've liked it to be even more dense.



There were plenty of other items I want to try next time - like a muffin or cake pop.



It's a cute little shop to walk around in and see what the latest offerings are.



Have you been?



Grade: B

Elkins is a treasure of a town. There's art and culture and good food, too.



WVa Seafood & Produce Co. is a wild-caught seafood purveyor that offers Mahi Mahi, Cod, Mussels, Chincoteague Oysters, Gulf Shrimp, Sea Scallops and more.



The small trailer has some cute nautical decor and not a ton in the way of prepared foods, but I was set on some dinner. So, I went with some peel & eat shrimp that had some powerful cocktail sauce -- that I was a huge fan of! Like, heat all through the back of your sinuses - delicious. The shrimp had some good flavor, too, despite them suckers being a lot of work. I just want to try more! 



Grade: A

The Gino's in Elkins has eluded me for some time because whenever I go to this area, I have a huge list of locally owned restaurants I want to check out first. But I made time for Gino’s on a recent visit, and I’m glad I did.



I’ve mentioned before how many locations that have different owner/operators may have differences in what they offer. In this location, for example, they offer pepperoni bites, which instantly caught my eye.



But they also have baked manicotti, Italian sausage, ravioli, alfredo, jalapeno poppers and "deep dish" pizza - which I've never seen at other locations. I wish I could've tried everything on the menu that I hadn't seen before. 



But I went with these pepperoni bites - pepperoni rolled in small, bite-sized pinwheels, covered in garlic butter and parmesan. Dunk them in marinara sauce, and you have a really delicious bite. It's crispy, it's soft, it's cheesy, buttery, and a pop of brightness with the marinara. Poppable and so good.



Grade: A

This location in Elkins has been a few different restaurants, but most recently, it's King's New York Pizza & Restaurant. 



I was first drawn here because I saw on their menu that they offer Chicago-style pizza. I've only seen that a couple times in all of West Virginia, so I wanted to try it out. 



Unfortunately, they weren't serving the Chicago-style during the pandemic with their limited menu. But they still offered their signature New York-style crust. So, I went with a small pizza with mushrooms.



The sauce was a bit sweet, and the crust was soft and chewy - in the best way. I enjoyed this pizza for what it is. I can appreciate the crispy to the soft and everything in between. This had a nice chew to the crust and flavorful toppings.



Grade: A