I feel like it's probably embarrassing of me to admit I went to McDonald's while in Canada.



But, like, I was super curious. Wouldn't you be? The first interesting thing is that you can order via kisok. But if you want to pay with cash, you have to go to the counter anyway. OR if you try to order here, like me, and print out the ticket but then it runs out of paper, you still have to go to the counter.



Turns out, McDonald's in Canada is pretty similar to the US - at least for breakfast.  The one thing I thought was cool was they had like a few kinds of bagels and a bagel BLT for breakfast. So, yes. I got it on an everything bagel, and it wasn't bad!

While I'm most passionate about telling the stories of local restaurants and the culinary space they occupy in our culture, it's always fascinating to learn about local chains or other restaurants not found all across the state, too.

There are a couple chains I've noticed in the Kanawha Valley that I haven't seen elsewhere.

First, Schlotzsky's. There's one in South Charleston and another in Huntington.

It specializes in sandwiches, specifically "The Original." It's lean smoked ham, Genoa and cotto salamis, and melted cheddar, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheeses layered with black olives, red onion, lettuce, tomato, mustard and a signature dressing on our toasted Sourdough bun.

Another one you don't see in the rest of the state is Rally's or Checkers.

There are two Rally's: One in Charleston and one in Huntington. And, there is one Checkers in Nitro.

And while I haven't been yet, it appears there are just a handful of Donut Connections in the southern part of the state.

What other chains you can't find everywhere?

Popeyes



The much-awaited Popeyes has finally opened in town. Located along Earl L Core Road in Sabraton, Popeyes opened less than a week ago, and lines have been nonstop ever since.

It's "Louisiana-style" chicken, meaning it has a little bit of a kick to it. It's fine. I do like the Coke Freestyle machine.


Well, I think I liked the biscuit the best.


Denny's

Also, a new Denny's also opened up in town. Not necessarily up my alley. But it's a thing. It's located toward the southern end of town near the I-68 Walmart plaza area.

I ordered a salad, which may not be most representative of the kind of food they serve, but it was average. Nothing especially notable - though it did have potato stix, which I wasn't expecting.


Sheetz



I know you're shocked we have a new Sheetz in town, but this one is a little different. It has a drive-thru!


Also located near the I-68 Walmart, this Sheetz has the ability to order MTO from your car and pick it up from the window. I don't hate this idea when it's cold so you can keep warm in your car. I also learned the amazingness of their "boom boom sauce," which is a bit tangy and will now go atop everything I order from there.

Buffalo Wild Wings

There is also a new Buffalo Wild Wings that just opened in the new development near the Black Bears baseball stadium. I haven't been there - thus no photos. But, I'm sure you can imagine what it's like, too.

In-N-Out Burger 
You guys, there are TOTALLY DIFFERENT fast food restaurants in the western part of the U.S. than we have here. Recently, I was sent to Oklahoma via Dallas to give a presentation for work, and the first thing that popped in my head was: I gotta find an In-N-Out Burger.

So, I dunno if In-N-Out has always been super popular, or if it's a recent thing - or maybe I've only just noticed it recently. But, I have heard people declaring this the best burger in the world, and I knew I needed to get my hands on one of these as soon as I could. Texas provided me that opportunity.

So, I flew into Dallas and had to drive up to Sulphur, Oklahoma, for the conference (2.5 hour drive), so I mapped out some of those coveted places to dine during these travels. Grapevine has an In-N-Out, and it was the first stop after I got my rental car.

One of the big things with In-N-Out is their (not so) secret menu, and I definitely wanted to try that out. I ordered a Double Double (their most popular burger) "animal style," which means the burger of your with hand-leafed lettuce, tomato, a mustard-cooked beef patty; add pickle, extra spread with grilled onions. Their "spread" is a version of Thousand Island. I also got fries "well done," which means extra crispy. And I got a "Neapolitan" shake, which is all three flavors mixed together.

Yes, this is a good burger. The sauce is good, and I loved those grilled onions. The double double may be a bit too much meat for me. Still, flavor on point. I kind of thought of this as a cross between a Five Guys burger with the McDonald's Big Mac sauce. Truly a good fast food burger - maybe the best - but it's still a fast food burger and isn't going to be as good as one on your grill. The fries aren't killer here; they're just not. Even crispy, they don't have a ton of flavor. The milkshake was tasty!

"The Braum’s Dairy isn’t your “typical” dairy. As a matter of fact it’s one of the largest dairy operations in the world and a showplace in the industry. Each day, we’re milking thousands of cows an hour, providing enough fresh raw milk for over one million glasses! We’re the only major ice cream maker in the country to milk our own cows. This milk is used in our ice cream, bottled milk and other dairy products. And because Braum’s milk comes from our private dairy herd we know what goes into it and what doesn’t. We don’t use any growth hormones to stimulate milk production and we never add antibiotics to their feed. Braum’s dairy herd enjoys a 100% vegetarian diet including alfalfa hay, cottonseed and corn, with the majority of the feed grown right on our farm."

Well, I got a Turtle Sundae, which has vanilla ice cream covered in hot caramel, hot fudge, pecans, whipped cream and a cherry. There's no way this can't be good, right? Right. I mean, ice cream. Delish.

Let's talk about the deluge of fast food places in Morgantown recently.

Chipotle
This is the, possibly, the most anticipated restaurant opening of the year. And, I think possibly my most retweeted tweet ever when I broke the news. Despite the E. coli, Salmonella and norovirus outbreaks at Chipotle locations, Morgantown was undeterred. This place has been packed pretty much since it opened. My thoughts? It's decent. Am I crazy over it? Not at all. Is it an OK option in the area? Sure.

Starbucks
Connected to the new Chipotle up near the University Town Centre, a new Starbucks is in town. We have a standalone one in the Suncrest area, and there's one at Target and the B&N Bookstores. So, I'm sure people are happy to see this. I'll be making a few visits, if only because I got some Starbucks giftcards for Christmas.



IHOP
A new IHOP opened up at University Park. I actually think it's a good idea to have a 24-hour place for students (and community members). Our other IHOP is only open 24 hours on the weekends, and I would've loved a place like this for all-nighters.


Sheetz

I finally made it to New York City - the place I dreamed of since I was a little girl. I thought one day I could be the editor of the New York Times. Lofty goals, I know. But I had never had the chance to visit New York City ... until this fall. I meticulously planned places to go, things to see and, of course, food to eat.

My incredible friends Kaitlynn and Josh drove into the city from Boston on a Friday night. As soon as we got to the city, we immediately went to Grand Central Terminal - a beautiful, beautiful site.

Not only did I want to see Grand Central Terminal, but I could also get a burger at Shake Shack. It was pretty busy, so we got in line and waited our turn. I paid. Then, we got a buzzer for when our order would be ready. When mine went off, I went to the front of the line. The woman behind the counter grabbed the bag with my name on it, looked up and said "it's empty." I gave her a puzzled look back. "That means somebody probably took it." Oh. So, my order went back in queue, and I waited some more.

When my buzzer went off this time, my burger was there - as well as a complementary order of fries for having to wait. I took my single Shackburger (cheeseburger topped with lettuce, tomato and ShackSauce) and order of fries back to an open table.

These burgers are good! For a fast food burger, it's damn good. It's a good patty, the toppings were fresh, and I dig the sauce.

And even though I didn't order the fries, they were still good. Free fries taste even better.

Grade: A