"Every summer Wednesday since 1969, members of the Serbian Eastern Orthodox Church Men’s Club have gathered at the Serbian Picnic Grounds along King’s Creek outside of Weirton.



In a long, cement block building, they mill about in the dawn light, eating donuts, drinking coffee, and reading the morning paper. They’re here for a weekly fundraiser they call a “Chicken Blast,” for which they roast 300-400 chickens and sell them to the Weirton community (WVPB)."



When I was young, my family would go here often during the summer. They have a little playground where I would have fun with friends, while the adults would chat and play cards.



It's really a simple fundraiser that has turned more into a cultural phenom. It's a whole process that the locals know by heart.



Staring at 6 a.m. on summer Wednesdays, people can call 304-748-9866 to reserve their chicken. They then have to be picked up by 6 p.m. and cost $8. My dad and I made the trip so I could relive this childhood experience. He knew just where to go, and we got in line, and our chicken was ready to go.



The chicken is like a small rotisserie chicken that is hot, tender and moist. Each person could enjoy their own. It as fun to participate again and get a tasty meal. Plus, we also saw this cool Peter Tarr Furnace on the way.



Have you been?

A few weeks ago, I went to check out the West Virginia State Folk Festival.



Not only had I not been to the festival, but they were also hosting a pepperoni roll championship as part of it, so I had to check it out.



They had professionals judging the competition, I believe.



But the most fun part was that you could purchase pepperoni rolls from a huge selection of entrants. 



For $10, I secured six different pepperoni rolls to try - from local grocery stores to homemade. 



There were some with cheese, no cheese, ramps, sweeter dough, more dry dough - and everything in between.



Have you checked it out?

The West Virginia Renaissance Festival was held this past weekend, and since I have never been, I convinced Sara to make the trek to Lewisburg with me - in costume.



In case you're curious, I wore an off-the-shoulder top with a cape and shorts. Not too outlandish, but still fun.  



We truly weren't sure what we were getting ourselves into. But we knew one thing from the start: It was going to be a HOT day. 



We did get to watch some funny skits and some jousting. 



My main goal, though, was to see what food they had on deck.



First up was Dragon Ice Cream, which had the ice cream bars you'd expect from an ice cream truck. How he was in a dragon costume and not sweating to death, I truly do not know. 



Next up was actual food from The Pub.



I went for a Scotch Egg, which is a boiled egg wrapped in sausage and coated in breadcrumbs before being deep-fried. This was fine, but so, so hot and heavy - which was not the best idea for a hot day. But decent nonetheless. 



I was very cognizant to just have a few bites so I could try a few different things. 



Next up was the sweets building, where I ordered a mixed berry crepe. 



This was a bit of an ordeal - it took quite a while, and then when it was ready, it ripped open. So, the kind woman remade it AND refunded my money. That was really sweet - even though it was totally unnecessary. And, it was a decent crepe. The berries in the middle were still kind of frozen, so it was great for a hot day.



There were a ton of other food places, too, like Friar Tuck’s Pantry, which had cheese curds, chicken and fries and more. 



There was this place with lots of loaded chips and other fried goods.



Finally, my last snack was from Caribbean Specialties, which was an empanada! It's like a savory meat pocket. It was definitely on the dry side, but they gave me a whole side of queso that I couldn't complain about. Interesting pairing, but not bad. 



There was also kettle corn and other goodies I didn't get to check out this time, but I appreciated the variety available. 



Have you ever been?



If so, what's been your favorite bite?



And, shoutout to these cool performance artists! 

Just wanted to do a fun, quick little blog post about the delicious food coming from The Wild Ramp! Did you know that in addition to all of the delicious market items they sell, they also have a kitchen? Harvest Kitchen! 



They've been partnering up with a food-themed book club at Cicada Books & Coffee, the Tasty Reads Book Club, to pair a themed dinner along with the monthly book. 



Buttermilk Graffiti was the book last month, and I really enjoy it. The menu featured a fried porkchop with pickle gravy and miso corn, spring salad with pickled watermelon, and cabbage rolls with labneh. It was all pretty tasty - but I especially was crazy about the vinaigrette on the salad. Have you tried it yet?

Food Truck Friday has begun in Charleston! And, it's even bigger and better than before. On Fridays during the summer, the city is shutting down Kanawha Boulevard between Capitol and Court streets for food trucks to park for lunch. 



This week's event featured nearly a dozen different vendors - and a couple I hadn't tried! So, during lunch, I found a nearby parking spot and made my way down the boulevard to check it out. My first - and most favorite - stop was Sunset Slush of WV. I ordered a small "Hi-C," which had fruit punch, lemon and tangerine. And, wow, it felt like the first taste of summer. The ice is so finely shaved that it almost has a creamy texture. Sweet and summery and perfect.



Also new to me was "Just Drinks,"which was selling water and lemonade. 



Then, I saw Skeeber Flob's Kettle Corn - and they had a few fun varieties, like strawberry. I can't wait to check them out again. 

Other folks in attendance were Dem 2 Brothers & A Grill, Shape Shop Cafe, Joey's Rockin' Dogs and Tacos, Chick-fil-A, and others I may be forgetting! Who do you hope to see this summer? 

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?