Did you know that on swlect Mondays Chow Thai transforms into a ramen pop-up. Usually, they offer two bases. On this occasion, spicy miso and tonkatsu were available. I went with the latter, which was super rich and flavorful. That jammy egg is my favorite. Have you been?

The R.M.S. (Royal Mail Ship) Queen Mary was built in Clydebank, Scotland, and upon her maiden voyage in May of 1936 was considered the grandest ocean liner ever built. In the glory days, the crème of high society considered her the most civilized way to cross the North Atlantic Ocean.



After three years carrying passengers and mail between Southampton and New York, the Queen Mary was "drafted" into service in March 1940 as a troop ship in the early days of World War II. She was nicknamed "The Grey Ghost" because her entire hull and superstructure from bow to stern was painted grey to act as a camouflage and defense mechanism to avoid German U-boats and surface raiders.



In July 1943, the Queen Mary set the world's record for carrying more human beings ever transported on an ocean voyage, a staggering 16,683 souls! The heroic vessel continued her service as a troopship and a war bride and baby transport vessel until 1946. During her war service, Winston Churchill was a frequent passenger. It was aboard the Queen Mary plans for the D-Day invasion were discussed.



The Queen Mary served the Allied cause and played a significant role in virtually every major campaign by carrying some 810,730 military personnel across nearly 700,000 miles of ocean. The Queen Mary resumed peacetime passenger service in 1947 and along with her sister ship, the Queen Elizabeth, served another 20 years weaving a tapestry of goodwill and understanding between the old and new worlds.



However, in the early 1960's all passenger liners began to lose money. Jet air travel was becoming the primary mode of transatlantic transportation, so the Cunara Line put the Queen Mary up for sale. The highest bid came from the City of Long Beach, California at $3.45 million.



She set sail on her Last Great Cruise, a 39-day voyage, on October 31, 1967 and arrived in Long Beach on December 9, 1967. Because she is eight feet too wide and 19 feet too long to fit through the Panama Canal, she had to sail down the coast of South America and around Cape Horn in order to get here.



Over the next few years she was transformed into a floating hotel, convention center, and tourist attraction. The Queen Mary reopened to the public in 1971. In 1993 the ship was placed on the National Register of Historic Places under the designation "With Historic Significance." She has now been visited by nearly 50,000,000 people since embarking upon her present role.



Wrapped in the elegant grandeur of the Grand Salon - the former first-class dining salon - and featuring live entertainment, Royal Sunday Brunch exudes a refined and sophisticated charm, setting it apart from the ordinary. With champagne, live music, and a tantalizing signature menu, the Royal Sunday Brunch buffet has become a Long Beach tradition.



There are more than 50 dishes on this buffet, and I was excited to get to try a little bit of everything that I wanted. It is certainly an experience, and possibly the most decadent brunch I've ever had.


Breakfast Station



Eggs Benedict Vol e Vont



Bacon + Sausage Links + Chicken Apple Sausage

Scrambled Eggs

Roasted Breakfast Potatoes Lyonnaise



Corned Beef Hash



Pancakes + Waffles + Blintzes

Chef Prepared Omelets + Cage Free Eggs to Order



Morning Danish + Muffins + Croissants

Sliced Fruits + Berries


Ocean Bounty



Snow + Stone Crab Claws + King Crab Legs



Shrimp Cocktail + Ceviche Vera Cruz



Oysters on the Half Shell



Smoked Salmon



Poached Salmon Serpentine



Sesame Seared Ahi Tuna

Shrimp Louie


Far East Station



Korean BBQ Ribs



Sweet & Sour Chicken

Dim Sum

BBQ Pork Bun Bao

Vegetable + Curry Samosa

Tempura Shrimp

Vegetarian Egg Roll



Selection of Sushi

Soy Sauce + Wasabi

Pickled Ginger + Sambal Olek

Carving Station



Smoked Brisket

Carved Prime Rib of Beef

Carved Honey Roasted Turkey



Rice Pilaf + Roasted Garlic Whipped Potatoes

Maple Bourbon Brussel Sprouts

Market Salad


Regions of Italy

Chianti Braised Short Ribs + Gremolata



Tortellini Carbonara



Rigatoni Bolognese

Caesar Salad + Caprese Salad

Antipasto Grilled Veggies

Roasted Pee Wee

Rustic Bread + EVOO + Aged Balsamic

Caesar Salad + Tomato Caprese

Domestic + Imported Cheeses


Taste of Mexico



Carne Asada + Carnitas Street Tacos

Queso Fundido + Corn Tortilla Chips

Assorted Salsas

Ceviche



Chile Relleno



Iceberg Wedge Salad


Patisserie



Petite Fours

Caramel Flan

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

Chocolate Mousse

Petite Crème Brûlée

Selection of Mini French Pastries

Crepe Suzette

Chocolate Bread Pudding

Mignardise

The 2025 Winter Blues Farmers Market had 126 vendors (including 47 first timers), and 6,000 shoppers. The sales total for the market - $207,000-plus!

Bakery
BAKr
Blessed-Full Farm/Crago Country Farm - Devoured a plump pepperoni roll with cheese from here.
Bop and Nana's Bakery and Catering, LLC
Deskins Wholesale, LLC
Flying Dollar Farm/Sycamore Creek Sweets - I got some chocolate-covered potato chips from here that I've been snacking on.
Gibson's Goodies - Snagged a cookies & cream fudge bar from here.
Gourmet Granny
Gritt's Farm
Handmade WV Market
Honey Do Farms
Jessica McCallister
Kelly's Fresh Produce & More
Kristi Ann's Bakery
L&C Fudgery
Legacy Foods
Mama Faye's Fudge and Confections
Mamsie's Kitchen - I picked up a pepperoni roll and a cheese roll here that I'm excited to try.
Nana's Kitchen
Pixie Sweets - I purchased some out-of-this-world marshmallows from here. Post Malone Oreo, salted caramel, Alani sunrise and fruity cereal.
Runway Farm
St. Albans Farmers Market
Sycamore Farms & Primitives
Sweet Serendipity Bakery - the mini pineapple upside down cake was the first thing I dug into when I got home.
Tawna's Kitchen - chocolate covered Oreos from here!
The Sourdough Effect
The Wild Ramp
Tibbenham's Chocolatesof WV, LLC
Triple B Eatery
Whimsy and Willows Market
Wild Crumb Bakery
Wildlee Made
Willow Brook Farm and Woodcrafts


Bath & Body / Candles
Almost Heaven Soaps
Appalachian Botanical Co., LLC
Blessings Farm WV
Brookstone Soaps, LLC
Cozy Country Farm
Elk River Candle
Farm Yard Fresh
Hill and Holler Herbal Company
Honey Do Farm - I had to get some pepperoni rolls from here to try!
Middle Mountain Farmstead
North Mountain Apothecary
On the Go Soaps
The Wild Ramp
T.L Soaps
Twisted Chicken Farm
Wild Mountain Soap Company
WV Herb Association, Inc.


Hemp
Genesis Mountain Farm, LLC


Pet
Bella & Beaus Biscuits
The Happy Hound


Canned Goods/ Jams and Jellies
Blessings Farm WV
Clara's Gourmet, LLC
Dark Hollow Foods
Farm Yard Fresh
Handmade WV Market
JarHead Farms
KK's Kitchen - Cowboy candy are pickled jalapenos, and boy do they have a kick!
Kelly's Fresh Produce & More
Novak Farms
Tarbillly's BBQ
Tipsy Roo's, LLC
Tyler Creek Farm
Uncle Frankie's
Williams River Farm


Maple and Honey
Oldham Sugar Works
Ronk Family Maple Farm
Sarah Carter/Lavender Hill Roost
Treats From Trees
Double D's Bees
Farm Yard Fresh
Howe Sweet It is
Oldham Sugar Works
R&A Honey Bees, LLC
Rimfire Apiary
Schamberger Honey
Sugar Bottom Farm
The Potager Farm
Tyler Creek Farm
Woodhaven Farm


Goods
Almost Heaven Loose Leaf Tea
Angie's What's Poppin' Shoppe
Arbaugh Farms
Aunt Bean's Gourmet Popcorn, LLC
Barefoot and Brazen
Blue Thistle Fibers
Boone Memorial Health
Bugtussle Farm Burnt Creations
Cereally Delicious
Elk River Candle
Front Porch Gifts
Hill and Holler Herbal Company
J.Q. Dickinson Salt-Works
Manna Meal Community Garden
Moonraker Alpaca Farm
Mountain Juice WV, LLC
Mountain Mama Crochet
Rustic Miner - One of my favs of the day! I bought every kinf of spice blend to try them all out!
St. Albans Farmers Market
Sassy Gals Gourmet Treats
Solar Holler
Sycamore Farms & Primitives
The WV Pickle Guy - I tried the cherry Kool-aid, which was interesting. I also tried the Juicy Fruit (no go), Bloody Mary (not bad) and got a pint of the ranch.
Tower Garden/Ilar Homestead
Uncle Bunk's, LLC
Villa DiTrapano, Inc.
We B Fryin Snacks, LLC
WVFMA
WV Herb Association, Inc.


Meat and Dairy
Angelos Food Products, LLC
Cozy Country Farm
Critchley Farms - I picked up some freeze-dried fruity snacks here.
Lost River Butcher Block - I bought some summer sausage, beef jerky, and snack sticks here.
Novak Farms
Perk Farm Organic Dairy - I enjoyed some samples of gouda, farmstead and cheddar. All of which were delish.
Quicken Farms
Taylor Custom Meats
Waymaker's Meadows, LLC
Willow Brook Farm and Woodcrafts - I picked up some duck egg noodles that I can't wait to try!


Produce and Plants
Blooming Blessings Nursery
Ellison's Mountain Heritage Nursery
Green Thumb Botanicals
Gritt's Farm
Leslie Drake
Manna Meal Community Garden
Mon Valley Mushrooms, LLC
Mountain State Fungi - They were out of their mushrooms when I stopped by, but I hope to try them soon.
Plant Parenthood, LLC
Sassafrass Mountain Farm
Spring Valley Farm & Orchard
T.L. Fruits & Vegetables, LLC
Terra Fate, LLC
Uncle Bunk's, LLC
Villa DiTrapano, Inc.
We B Fryin Snacks, LLC
West Virginia Farmers Market Association
WV Herb Association, Inc.


Freeze Dried Treats
Buffalo Creek Provisions - They smoke their own cheese here, so I picked up two snack sticks to try.
DARN Good Candy
Harvest Trails Co.
Mike's Munchies, LLC
TC Treats
Treats from Trees - I purchased some dried sweet dark cherries


Coffee
Aroma of the Andes Bean Theory Coffee
Mountain Table, LLC
The Black Dog Coffee Company