I love a good pairing. It's fun to think through flavors and see how they mix with others. In Morgantown, The Cupcakerie hosts a cupcake and craft beer festival - and this year was the fourth annual celebration. Because of COVID-19, it was held in a different way: drive-through.



We were guided through an area in the Wharf District where we drove right up and received our order - whether it was a 6-pack or 12-pack. Go big or go home, right?



The cupcakes included: red velvet, very vanilla, peanut butter chocolate, lemon shandy, blackberry beer, chocolate coffee beer, lemon filled, apple butter, triple chocolate, sweet & salty Irish red, orange wheat beer and strawberry ale. 



I was really hoping to get some Morgantown Brewing Company beers, but the selection was lovely: Parkersburg Brewing Company, Screech Owl Brewing, Big Timber Brewing Company, and Berkeley Springs Brewing Company. 



It was a fun little treat that I actually enjoyed with my parents. Did you try it out this year?

Taste-of-All looked a little different this year, but I wanted to share some of the delish meals the Generation Charleston group enjoyed!



It was more like a progressive dinner where we stopped at a bunch of different restaurants and had bits and bites at each. 



Our group started at Mea Cuppa at the Capitol Market. Here, I enjoyed a WV Salt + Maple coffee, which was delicious. Love the little bit of salt to bring out the sweetness of the maple.



Next, we made our way to The Block for an appetizer. I went with the Skillet Blue Crab Dip, served with fried pita triangles. 



This was such a huge portion that we had to get extra pita. But it was really tasty. I know some people "yuck" seafood and cheese ... but there's a time and place. And, it's right now. With wine.



Finally, we made a last minute reservation at 1010 Bridge to chow down on our entree.



1010 Bridge is one of the town's most exciting new restaurants, with delicious meals left and right. On this night, they had the bucatini on special. 



It was phenomenal, and topped off with a lavender cocktail? Delish. Where did you go for this year's Taste-of-All? 

Like many events in 2020, FestivALL has been reimagined. The typical 15-day event in June turns Charleston into a work of art with festivities, art, theater, dance and more. FestivFALL is an extension of that event, which takes place each October. And my favorite part of the festival is Taste-of-ALL.

More than 20 local and regional restaurants participate, sharing their best bites with the community. This year, rather than a large one-day event where all the restaurants gather in one place, patrons are invited to dine in or order out at the respective restaurants, who will each be serving a fall special for the event. This way, you can support your favorite local eateries safely.

The Progressive Dinner

A progressive dinner is a dinner party with successive courses at different spots. So, an appetizer one place. And entree at another. Dessert at yet another. This makes it so fun because you can have the best of all your favorite restaurants - one dish at a time.

This year, there are 26 restaurants participating, so I thought I would share two options you could try if you want a 13-course dinner. This is just an example of many, many different combinations you could try - and a very ambitious one at that. I'm using examples of courses from here. 


1. Hors d'oeuvres.
Since this course is typically served during a cocktail hour or as guests are arriving, hors d’oeuvres are usually finger-foods that can be held in the hand.

ICHIBAN | 230 Capitol St. 
Pumpkin Roll (Maki) Cream Cheese, avocado and kanpyo (sweet cooked gourd), topped with seared salmon, pumpkin miso, and black tobiko

SAM'S UPTOWN CAFE| 28 Capitol St. 
Crispy Pork Tacos with corn dip and pineapple habanero slaw


2. Amuse-bouche.
This can be translated from French to mean “amuse the mouth” or more generally, to please guests’ palates with a small flavorful taste. Frequently, this might serve to stimulate the appetite or simply hint at flavors to come in the next meal course(s). In restaurants, this is normally a complementary item specifically chosen by the chef.

RED CARPET LOUNGE | 308 Elizabeth St. 
Fried Green Tomato BLT with pimento cheese spread and jalapeno rubbed bacon

SUPER WEENIE | 805 Quarrier St. 
Two "adventurous" dogs & Free drink Choose from the Tex-Mess, Chicago style, B.S.T., Old World, Hillbilly Fusion, Tahini Weenie, PBJ... WTF, or The Question Mark.


3. Drinks.
This doesn't necessarily need to be its own course, but it can be enjoy during the duration of the meal.

CAFE CREMA | 2317 Fairlawn Ave, | Dunbar 
Pennywise Frappe cotton candy cream frappe with chocolate "blood" drizzle, orange whipped cream & a cherry "balloon" on top Pumpkin Pie Sauce made-in-house Pumpkin Pie sauce for lattes

MEA CUPPA | 715 Bigley Ave. & 800 Smith St. 
WV Salt+Maple Latte JQ Dickinson Salt 


4. Soup.
As with all of your courses, a classic idea is to relate your soup course to the season. It's always smart to avoid soups that are too hearty so guests don’t fill up for the rest of the meal.

STARLING'S COFFEE & PROVISIONS |  1599 Washington St. E 
Soups: Organic/Vegan Cuban Black Bean, Vegan Fire-roasted Tomato, Organic Split Pea & Ham Sandwiches *House-made spreads & breads* Benedictine with arugula on buckwheat sourdough, Japanese Egg Salad with dill, lettuce, wasabi mayo on milk bread, Grilled Munster with pesto on an english muffin

BOOKS & BREWS| 222 W. Washington St. 
Homemade Spicy Veggie & Rice Soup with or without cheese and sausage, served with a side of jalapeno cornbread Rotisserie Chicken & Waffles with house made gravy, shredded Parmigiano - Reggiano cheese, bacon, strawberries, and maple syrup Mint Chocolate Brownie topped with Andes Mints, served with a side of vanilla ice cream  


5. Appetizer.
In many parts of Europe, this course is referred to as the "entree" because it introduces the main courses in the meal. It is usually served on serving trays or small appetizer plates and features small cuts of meat, seasonal vegetables, starches, and sauces.

FUSION TERIYAKI GRILL| 4002 Maccorkle Ave. 
Fusion Bowls choice of steak, chicken, pork, served on veggies and rice Gyoza choice of meat or veggie Bubble Tea 12+ flavors

GONZOBURGER| 207 W. Washington St. 
Savory Pretzel duo one loaded and one salted Bavarian pretzel with craft beer cheese and Dijon Candied Bacon & Bourbon Cheddar Sliders three sliders with candied applewood smoked bacon, cheddar cheese, and a sweet tangy bourbon BBQ glaze Sweet Pretzel Duo two Bavarian pretzels dusted with cinnamon sugar and served with warm apple butter dipping sauce


6. Salad.
This course is usually an assortment of raw vegetables with a flavorful dressing. In some parts of Europe, salad is served after the main course, but it is also common to serve salad before.

COCO'S KITCHEN + CAFE| 233 Hale St. 
Zucchini & Sweet Corn Cakes served with rice with sautéed spinach, black bean salad and roasted garlic sauce

MELANGE CAFE | 700 Virginia St. 
Spicy Tofu or Turkey Yammys a combination of sweet & spicy that can be served as a taco combo or on rice as a burrito bowl. Topped with homemade yum yum sauce, cilantro, & sriracha


7. Fish.
This dish is a flavorful light protein before the main courses.

TRICKY FISH | 1611 Washington St. E 
WV Surf & Turf cornmeal crusted catfish, BBQ brisket, grilled milk toast, & stewed kale

THE BLOCK | 201 Capitol St. 
Skillet Blue Crab Dip served with fried pita triangles 12oz Angus Top Sirloin served over sautéed onions and green peppers, with chimichurri sauce and roasted red potatoes basted in butter, garlic and rosemary Grilled Swordfish Steak served with lemon basil risotto and beurre blanc sauce, and roasted parmesan brussel sprouts Pearl Sugar Waffle with vanilla ice cream and bourbon caramel sauce


8. First Main Course.
The first main dish is often a white meat, such as chicken, duck, or turkey.

BARKADAS | 100 Cantley Dr. | Charleston 
Family Dinner 4 or 6 servings of either Chicken Adobo Bowl, Beef Bistek Bowl, or Ahi Tuna Bowl. Each dinner comes with their famous house made wonton chips and sambal ranch!

BLACK SHEEP BURRITOS & BREWS | 702 Quarrier St. 
Slow smoked chili mirin BBQ Ribs half or full rack of ribs, garnished with pickled Fresno chilis and green onions. Served with braised kale and their fan favorite, chipotle sweet potato salad


9. Palate Cleanser.
This is like a reset for your taste buds. Its purpose is to remove residual tastes from the mouth before the next course.

ZEGANZ SMOOTHIE SHOP| 1588 Washington St. E 
Smoothies 11 smoothie options with over a dozen add-ons

CAFFE ROMEO | 1026 Bridge Rd. 
Pumpkin Spice Gelato 


10. Second Main Course.
Typically, the second main course is a red meat, such as premium beef, lamb, or venison.

DEM 2 BROTHERS & A GRILL| 423 Virginia St. W 
Brisket sandwich choice of 2 sides

MI COCINA DE AMOR| 711 Bigley Ave. 
Tacos Dorandos con pollo 3 fried chicken tacos topped with shredded lettuce, strawberry jalapeno pico de gallo, crema Mexicana, and cotija and served with frijoles de olla and Spanish rice. Apple Cinnamon tacos with vanilla ice cream


11. Cheese Course.
Create a platter of different cheeses along with items to accompany them.

ADELPHIA | 230 Capitol St. 
Fried Feta garnished with diced tomato, cucumber, onion, kalamata olives and Yia Yia dressing

1010 BRIDGE | 1010 Bridge Rd. 
White Cheddar Pimento Cheese with jalapeno pepper jelly, candied pecan, spiced saltine crackers Short Rib Bolognese Bucatini pasta, san marzano tomato, crispy pancetta gremolata, baby arugula


12. Dessert.
Usually accompanied by a glass of dessert wine or coffee and tea, this is a sweet and decadent course.

APPALACHIAN TEA | 613 Ohio Ave. 
Ginger Chocolate Chili Cake a moist chocolate cake with a hint of cayenne, soaked in ginger syrup

ELLEN'S HOMEMADE ICE CREAM | 225 Capitol St. 
Pumpkin Ice Cream Sundae


13. Mignardise.
At the end of the meal, you can serve a mignardise, which is a tiny, bite-sized dessert or pastry served with tea, coffee, port, brandy, or scotch.

MIA'S VEGAN COOKIES| at Zeganz Smoothies & Mea Cuppa 
Stuffed Pumpkin S’mores Cookie

ROCK CITY CAKE COMPANY | 205 Capitol St.
Pumpkin Pie (standard) also the option of mini pumpkin & pumpkin chocolate chip pies Pumpkin Roll; Pumpkin filled King Cakes

Charleston has implemented Food Truck Wednesdays, and I couldn't be more excited. 

Food trucks are always sort of fun and a novelty, since they're like a little treat when you stumble upon one. But having a handful in one location? Even better.

This past Wednesday featured local favorites like Dem 2 Brothers & A Grill, Joey's Rockin' Dogs & Tacos, and more. But I had my eye on one in particular.

Bite Mi is a new "Asian Street Food" food truck that was serving up stir-fried ramen, fried rice and other favorites throughout the morning but had just a few items left by the time I arrived. 

But I was excited to try the "Bite Mi Bao." Fluffy steamed buns held pickled carrots, pickled daikon pate, mayo, cilantro, jalapeno, cucumber and chicken, pork or beef. Or, you can be weird and get shrimp like I did. 

There is something about the texture of bao buns that makes me fall in love. It's like a warm cloud holding fresh, crunchy ingredients. Plus three of these for $8 was an easy choice. 

These had a fabulous flavor, and I especially enjoyed the pate on these. 

And, I also ordered BBQ Pork Buns. These I haven't had since I was on the West Coast, and I'm absolutely in love. Again, the dough is soft, steamy, but toothsome. And inside is this sweet, salty BBQ pork that is just a treat.

If I could get these daily, I would be in big trouble. These are two of my favorite Asian street foods, so I was very excited to see them.

To finish off my meal, I had a Vietnamese Iced Tea. This was less sweet than I would have liked, but it helped balance the meal overall. Yum. Have you been?

Grade: A

"We at Capitol Market know Easter week is usually a time of fellowship and community gathering. Our small businesses feel this loss, too, as our usual bustling marketplace has suffered in the wake of this global pandemic. We wanted to find a way to celebrate the season while also giving you a way to help your favorite local spots that call Capitol Market home. So today, we are launching our Capitol Market Easter Sundries Basket Fundraiser! With a $65.00 donation to Capitol Market (a 501 (C)(3) non-profit public market), you'll get a market tote bag full of various sundries and treats from participating market businesses!"

When I saw this, I was all in. I picked up what I consider my Easter basket, and it included specialty kitchen and wine items, dip mixes, sauces, jams and jellies, gourmet crackers, JQ Dickinson salt, spices, coupons, and more - including a voucher for a Soho’s brick-oven pizza!

Buzz is a Charleston-based meat and seafood distributor. In addition to providing top-quality food to establishments around the state, Buzz is a huge asset to the Charleston community.



The company cares about its local people, its product and the customers - so much so that they give back in many ways.



For example, Charleston Restaurant Week was the brainchild of Buzz during the Charleston water crisis to help local restaurants stay afloat.



And now, during the quarantine, they've showed up once again to offer some of their items - which many have been difficult to find locally - directly to the public in a safe and easy way.



They shared the promotion on social media, I reserved my box and then drove up to the Big Lots parking lot to see giant Buzz Food meat trucks ready to go. It was so easy - I gave my name, slid my card, received the box and I was on my way.



What does this amazing box contain you ask? Well, it has 1.5 lbs. of deli meat, 1.5 lbs. of cheese, 2 lbs. of ground beef, 1 lb. of hot dogs, 1 lb. of bacon, 4 pepperoni rolls, fresh tortillas, and 1 box of Buzz Buttered Steaks.



And I've already put an Insta Cart order in for buns, taco ingredients, and more to put all this delicious stuff to good use.

And, I've got to mention, Buzz is once again, along with Charleston Restaurant Week and Boss Babes, have started "Feed the Fight" - which crowdsources donations to fund food delivery from local restaurants and their staff to nearby health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

My last column in the Charleston Gazette-Mail, for now:

In these times of uncertainty, there’s one sure comfort: Girl Scout Cookies.

You know them as Samoas, Tagalongs, Thin Mints, Do-si-dos, Trefoils, Toffee-Tastics, Girl Scout S’mores and the new Lemon-Ups.

As a young Girl Scout, I peddled the classic cookies up and down my neighborhood, vying for a coveted prize like inflatable furniture or a neon T-shirt. It was the ’90s, after all.

My love for Girl Scout Cookies began at a young age (namely, Samoas), and it’s continued throughout my life (now, Tagalongs). Not just because they’re delicious, but also because of what they represent: young women entrepreneurs learning key skills to make them leaders.

Recently, I was honored to participate in the 2020 Girl Scout Cookie Taste-Off. This event featured Girl Scout-created desserts that highlighted six of the cookies. Girl Scout Cookies are no doubt tasty, but they can also be incorporated into so many desserts, which makes them very versatile. Just look at this lineup of delicious creations:

- Tagalongs Do-si-dos Cupcake
- Thin Mints Sweet and Salty Mix
- Tagalong Shake
- Girl Scout S’more Campfire Cupcakes
- Trefoils Cheesecake Cup
- Samoa Brownie Parfait
If you missed out, you can make these at home by following recipes supplied by the bakery, Little Brownie Bakers.

The desserts were truly scrumptious. Each bite was made more so knowing that the program — and organization — is dedicated to helping develop girls into leaders across the state and beyond.

Sweet in flavor and sweet in satisfaction — a match made in cookie heaven.

In full disclosure, I am employed by the Girl Scouts of Black Diamond Council, and opinions expressed here do not reflect or express those of the Council. They are solely my own. I’ve always loved Girl Scout Cookies, so I am excited to share my devotion — no matter where I am.

The Girl Scout Cookie Taste Off is a media event held by the Girl Scouts of Black Diamond Council.  Marriott chefs are paired with Girl Scouts to make some classic desserts with Girl Scout cookies. I was so excited to attend this year, and I wanted to share some of the tasty treats:

Tagalong Shake 

Girl Scout S'mores Cupcakes


Trefoil Cheesecake Cup

Samoa Brownie Parfait (my favorite!)

Tagalong and Do-si-do Cupcakes



Thin Mint Sweet & Salty Mix


You can find all of the above recipes and more here.

Each year, Habitat for Humanity of Kanawha & Putnam brings one of West Virginia’s most talked-about restaurants to Charleston, giving the community a chance to dine on some of our state’s finest food. This year, they hosted Hill & Hollow of Morgantown for the annual fundraising dinner.

 

Hill & Hollow served unique dishes using Appalachian-sourced ingredients fused with modern cooking techniques. Each item on the menu was sourced from local farms.

 

This event was brand new to me. I hadn't had the chance to go in past years, but I had it circled on my calendar since the date was announced this year.



And I was excited to be able to contribute some ideas for restaurants for the fundraiser. Hill & Hollow is always at the top of my recommendation list because the food is so unique, and you can't find it anywhere else.



So, I was excited to see that one of my suggestions was chosen for the event. And, I was excited to participate in the event, too. I spent the first hour-ish taking tickets and then I found myself at the buffet.



So, if some of the options look a little enjoyed, that is why.



Appetizers included trout fondue, confit beef poutine, roasted pumpkin soup, salt-rising bread, charcuterie, preserves and pickles, warm spinach salad, ramp hummus and local Appalachian cheeses.



And, each one of those - the charcuterie, the preserves - had a billion components.



Entrees included Appalachian cioppino, brown sugar pork tenderloin, roasted chicken with alfalfa, braised lamb, rabbit fricassee, duck shank, spaghetti squash lasagna, wild boar cobbler, and more.



Desserts included pawpaw bread pudding, rhubarb crisp, mincemeat pie, and buttermilk pie.



The evening was full of delicious food, fun music and it was all for a good cause. The appetizer section had all sorts of pickled veggies - even okra.

Plus lots of fresh breads - like a salt-rising, which was my favorite. The ramp hummus was also to-die for. And the warm spinach salad even had its own light to keep it warm.

And local cheeses! I could've spent my entire evening at the cheese station. From soft and strong to hard and aged, cheeses here were delicious.

Trout fondue.

Appalachian cioppino.

Pumpkin soup.

Brown sugar pork tenderloin.

Roasted chicken with alfalfa.

Rabbit fricassee.

Spaghetti squash lasagna.

Wild boar cobbler.


Duck shanks.

Confit beef poutine.



Stew.



Paw paw bread pudding.


Rhubarb crisp.

Buttermilk pie.

Mincemeat pie.



Just look at that - Mmm mmmm.