If there is ice cream, I will find it.

The Caboose Ice Cream Parlor in Elkins has a cute train theme, which is fitting since it's right outside a train station.

They have gallons of all kinds of different flavors.


But, of course, I set out for something caramel-ly, and salty delicious.


It began falling off the cone, so a cup was necessary to contain all the goodness.



What's your favorite flavor?

Now, I've been to the Delmonte Market before.

But, now there are two small businesses operating out of this cool market.

There's The Crossing Coffee Bar.

This coffee bar is small, but mighty.

They have some creative latte flavors and some unique coffee blends.

Of course, I tried the salted caramel. Mmm.

And there's also The Market Creamery.

Now, this is essentially on the side of the coffee bar. But I believe they're separate.

But their ice cream flavors sound so good!

What have you had here?

Have you ever been to a Branson-style variety show? Named after the dinner & a show experiences in Branson, Missouri, this type of entertainment is popular for tourists and motorcoaches.

I've only been to one - the Dixie Stampede. So, I was excited to hear that West Virginia has its very own: The Gandy Dancer Theatre.



You're seated at a table, served all this incredible food and then the performers regale you with all kinds of acts. This evening's performance focused on musical legends over the years.

The meal consisted of rolls, pasta salad, chicken cordon bleu, sliced brisket, green beans, baked potato and dessert.

Have you ever been?

In search of a place to relax for a bit and get a quick bite, I headed to Mama Mia Pizza & Pasta while in Elkins.




The decor has red-checked tablecloths and an archway of grapes when you walk in.

The menu has lunch specials like pizza, chicken parmesan, eggplant parmesan, baked ziti, stuffed shells and ravioli.

Salad with house balsamic dressing




The complimentary garlic rolls!



Stuffed shells



Have you been?

While driving through Buckhannon, I stumbled upon Byrd's House of Donuts - which I think would make a perfect band name!



The donut shop has a case full of filled, glazed and other fun donuts.



Even the seats are covered in cushions!



And, they have ramparoni rolls! This one came with swiss cheese.

And the donuts - this is a lemon filled one!











All of the powdered sugar!



Next time, I need to try the Maple Nut!



It's a pretty decent-sized space for a bakery, so there were folks gathering at the front of the shop over coffee and donuts.



Have you ever been here?

Delmonte Market is this cute market that is a great one-stop-shop for gifts, local foods and more.



They have all kinds of local food and goodies available.



And coffee!



These kinds of things are always fun for gifts.





And a whole space dedicated to whimsical outdoor decorations.



And will ya look at that! This will always be surprising and amazing to me.

Duke's Steakhouse is a local institution in Elkins and has been on my list since a friend from the town insisted I make my way there.



When I found myself in the area, I stopped by to treat myself.



The menu features steak but also is known for their filet sandwich. I wanted to start with the steak first to see what we were working with.



Salad with French dressing



4 oz. filet with side of baked potato (butter & sour cream) and garlic bread

The restaurant is traditional and reminds me of those old-school steakhouses that are associated with fancy celebrations in small towns. I'm sure lots of memories have been made here. Have you been?

Elkins is one of those towns in West Virginia that is just super quirky, fun, artsy and has a ton of great food. That's why there were a few restaurants located in Elkins that were voted as the 101 Most Unique Places to Dine in WV.

That's what brought me to Smoke on the Water BBQ in Elkins. The BBQ restaurant is housed in a log-cabin-esque building situated next to a creek that happened to be roaring that day.

Smoke on the Water was established in 2011 by native Jon Magee, a longtime resident of the river and avid trout angler, to provide unique and delicious food prepared in the laid back style that embodies river living. Jon and his wife Denise have a passion for great BBQ and a desire to provide everyone who enjoys the surrounding mountains a place to relax, while we prepare you a unique taste experience to enjoy at your leisure. All our food is cooked using traditional BBQ methods and many ingredients are also smoked to provide a unique flavor in traditional BBQ favorites. Stop in and visit our BBQ Restaurant in Elkins, WV today (read more about the restaurant here).

Walking in, I noticed it had a bit of an odd smell - mildew, maybe? Reminded me of a bar that had been busy the night before and hastily cleaned up to be presentable for serving food the next day. Save for that, the space is fairly large - wooden floors, booths, ceilings - everything. High ceilings with wooden beams helped light flow through.

The booths are wooden and not super comfortable, but since it was just me, I sprawled out and made myself at home. I looked over the menu, and the "Smoked Super Sampler" seemed like the obvious choice. It was available all day and came with ribs, wings, shrimp and pulled pork. PLUS two sides, which I opted for macaroni and cheese and broccoli salad.

They weren't joking when they called this "Super" because it's a good amount of food! I first got small bits of each BBQ sauce that was on the table so I could try: spicy bbq, river sauce, mild bbq and Carolina mustard.

My favorite was the mild bbq, because I'm a wimp, I guess. It was OK - pretty standard.

The giant display of food was something! Let's start with the shrimp - these were smokey and served with a remoulade sauce. That was different, but it was also tasty. The one pulled pork slider was probably my favorite because it had some good smokey flavor, tender pork (no fat!) and I could slather all the BBQ on it that I wanted. The chicken wings up in the top right were large, but I can't say smokey chicken wings are my favorite. The skin is a bit too fatty for my liking. The ribs were good - if not quite as tender as I'd like.

Overall, I think it's a solid platter. I wished there was brisket, and I appreciate how deep the smokey flavor is. I think a few small adjustments could take this up to the next level.

Grade: B