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

So many things have changed over the past year with the onset of the pandemic. One of which is dining out. It's a huge part of my life, and I've been consistently trying to find ways to support local businesses during this time while also keeping them and myself safe. 



So bear in mind that while visiting these restaurants recently, I may not be getting the most of the experience. But, it's likely similar to what you'd experience, too. While driving through Elkins, I called in an order to Sakura Japanese Steakhouse to go. 



Let's start with crab rangoons, of course. Crunch on the outside, creamy on the inside. With a side of sweet sauce.



I went with a simple California roll with crab, avocado and cucumber. I also ordered a Sakura Roll - shrimp tempura, spicy crab, seaweed salad, crunch, wrapped in soy paper, topped w masago, spicy mayo & eel sauce.



I gotta say - I know what I like. These were both solid, standard. They weren't mind-blowing or necessarily the most flavorful renditions I've had. But they were good and I wouldn't hesitate to try them again.

Grade: B

Pizza is comfort food. So when things are crazy or scary, you know pizza is always there for you. And, every time I've driven through Elkins, I pass Darren's Pizza Shack and have always been curious.



It's an average sized space with a long counter separating the pizza ovens and the customer area. I kept it simple with a cheese pizza, add mushrooms. And, man, it was tasty. The crust was fresh and a little fluffy - not crisp. But it was flavorful and sauce, cheese and mushrooms created a beautiful symphony of flavors. *Chef's Kiss*



Grade: A