Today marked the first snow flurries of the season. Many may celebrate winter, but my first thought is that food truck season is coming to an end. Moonie's is a large, yellow food truck specializing in philly cheesesteaks and wings. I ordered a steak philly, which comes with provolone, sauteed onions and house sauce on a 12" roll. I cannot overstate how large this sandwich is. It is so packed with meat that it could feed a hungry family of three. I had a hard time managing it because to cut it into portions, the steak seemed to multiply. I would have preferred more proportional ingredients – less meat – so I could still get the flavor of the cheese and onions. Grade: B

New Haven, Connecticut, is home to four distinct food truck districts. “Food Truck Paradise” is a collection of mobile eateries overlooking the water on Long Wharf Drive, featuring an array of food options with an emphasis on Latin American cuisines, according to CTInsider. Featured dishes include Chicken Lo Mein; steak and cheese sandwiches, beef, chicken and veggie tacos, pizza, ribs, empañadas, cashew nut chicken, falafels, General Tso’s chicken, Caesar’s salad, lamb curry, coffee, tea, cupcakes, ice cream, and more, according to Visit New Haven. Here is a sampling of the food trucks along the wharf: Arepas CT, El Azteca, El Rinconcito, Ixtapa, La Chalupa, La Chicky Munchy, La Jaltera, La Patrona, La Unica, Old Mexico, Mexicalli Black Truck, Sandwiches El Cubano, Santa Apolonia, Sweeney’s Hot Dog King, Sweeney Mexican Food, Tacos Santa Ines, Tripletas & More and Winn Pinchos. It was quite a sight to see so many trucks lined up in one place - like 30! I wanted to try them all - but that will need to wait til next time. Have you ever been?

Based in Elkins, Mona's Eggrolls is a food truck that offers "a taste of the Phillippines." In addition to eggrolls, Mona's also has pancit, curry, barbecue, adobo and more. I was excited to see this food truck locally as part of the Filipino festival. The line was very long, but after about an hour, I made it to the front and ordered the two eggroll and pancit combo. Lumpia is like the Filipino version of an eggroll, and they tend to be more light and crisp. I really enjoyed these - flavorful, but fresh. Pancit is a veggie and noodle dish that is more mild in flavor but just as satisfying. Grade: A

El Botanas food truck was set up in Charleston recently, so my coworkers and I wanted to check it out. I ordered a street burrito made with al pastor (pork that has been grilled and then sliced off the spit), rice, beans, lettuce, pico de gallo, guacamole and sour cream wrapped in a large flour tortilla. Plus a side of esquite - which is street corn that has been cut off the cob. The burrito was pretty hefty, so points for portion size. The interior had a nice mix of all the aforementioned ingredients, but warm lettuce is not my favorite. It lends a slippery texture. but, I was happy with the freshness of the pico and sour cream. The esquites could have used some more flavor to really season all of the corn.

Grade: B

Moshpit Munchies is a local food truck branded with a heavy metal theme that has been making its rounds throughout the Kanawha Valley lately. They are known for their twisted potato amd funnel cakes, which can be topped with a number of ingredients, in addition to hot dogs, nachos and lemonade. I did a twisted potato with everything bagel seasoning, cheese amd sour cream. It's like a spiraled potato with the toppings sprinkled in the crevices. That nacho cheese is not my favorite because it takes over everything, the other toppings were great - and I would copy my friend Kayden next time and add bacon bits. AND, it would be next level if it was crispy. Grade: B

Triple B Eatery is a food truck in the Kanawha Valley with the slogan "grilled cheese to die for." I was willing to test that theory when they set up recently at George Washington High School. Their menu features some traditional grilled cheese sandwiches, plus some additional items, like a monte cristo and a hot bologna.

The smashed pepperoni roll caught my eye because it's taking West Virginia's greatest delicacy – the pepperoni roll – and making it into a grilled cheese. Two homemade pepperoni rolls are griddled with garlic butter so they are lightly crispy, and then they are sandwiched together with mozzarella cheese in the middle. I thought I had tried every variation of a pepperoni roll, but this was new to me. And absolutely delicious. It's the melted cheese, the crispy, buttery dough, and the hint of spice with the pepperoni altogether that makes this over the top. Grade: A

Hill & Hollow is the latest concept from longtime Morgantown restaurateurs Marion & Allegria Ohlinger, who owned and operated a brick-and-mortar restaurant by the same name, as well as the beloved Richwood Grill.



These folks are dedicated to local and seasonal food. They bring creative, unique takes on heritage-based food. I appreciate that they are willing to add some weird things to their menu so you can try something new.



You can catch them at events across the state, and on this particular day, I did a hickory-smoked BBQ shank and side of local pickled eggs. The former was more traditional, but bold with flavor, while the latter is not something you see every day, but interesting.



Grade: A

Twisted Grille is a local business that has been serving burgers, nachos and fries via brick-and-mortar and food truck. When I saw their food truck, I already knew I wanted to order the Route 60 Nachos. It is tortilla chips topped with pulled pork, white queso cheese, and barbecue sauce. I do love a good nacho, and these were surprisingly simple. I think a pickled jalapeno would add a bit ot fresh, sweet and spice to each bite.



Grade: B

Viper Wood Fired Oven Pizza is a food truck (or bus?) that often serves the western half of the Metro Valley. So, I was excited to catch them in Hurricane. The menu consists of a few standard pies: pepperoni, cheese, meat-lovers, etc. I opted for the margherita because I think it's simple enough to let the ingredients shine, but is not too basic to be boring. The crust was lightly crisp and the cheese may have caused a bit of sogging. But crispy + cheesy is a hard combo to beat.



Grade: B

The Boba Bus is a new food truck based in the Huntington area, but recently set up in Charleston, and I had to give them a try.



Boba/bubble tea, lemonade, and create-your-own drinks are all on the menu. You can pick a base from black tea, green tea, or milk tea. You can add peach, raspberry, mango, strawberry or passionfruit flavors. And, you can opt for tapioca balls or popping boba.



I kept it simple with a strawberry milk tea with tapioca balls. It was refreshing, and I love how generous they are with the tapioca. That extra chew makes it all the better for me.

Grade: A

"Locally owned and nationally known, Cousins Maine Lobster brings authentic Maine lobster to neighborhoods across the U.S. by way of our food trucks, food halls & brick & mortar restaurants. As seen on Shark Tank, We bring our customers the most authentic Maine seafood experience by staying close to the source, proudly serving premium, wild-caught, sustainably harvested lobster from Maine, accompanied by our signature Downeast Maine hospitality.

Started in 2012 by real-life Cousins and Mainers, Jim Tselikis and Sabin Lomac, Cousins Maine Lobster began with two things: A Food Truck, and a shared vision to extend the highest-quality Maine lobster to the lobster-starved masses. Growing up in Maine, lobster was tradition, and always a reason to gather family, friends and loved ones to share a special meal. After appearing on Shark Tank a few months later, Jim & Sabin partnered with Barbara Corcoran and began franchising, partnering with local owners and entrepreneurs to bring Maine lobster to over 30 cities across the country.

Since 2012, Cousins Maine Lobster has been continually featured on the most influential entrepreneurial and culinary programming, including Shark Tank, The Food Network, Good Morning America, The Today Show, CNBC, The Chew, the Cooking Network, and more. Voted best Lobster Roll on the West Coast by Tasting Table three times, Cousins Maine Lobster regularly appears in leading publications Inc., Entrepreneur, Saveur, Food & Wine, Zagat, Eater and many more." One of these famous food trucks made a stop in Charleston outside of Fife Street Brewing. I had heard about this business, and I was excited to see it come to my own backyard. Me, along with half the City of Charleston. I joined an already lengthy line at around 11:50 a.m. They opened at noon. At about 1:30 p.m., I received my food. A quick note on this: I am a huge supporter of local businesses. In fact, one of the reasons I even have this blog is to showcase those hidden gems across Appalachia. But, I am also a supporter of letting people enjoy what they enjoy. Something new, out of the ordinary, limited, etc. is going to be exciting to people and that's OK. I want to try the same food that Barbara Corcoran tried that made her invest in this company. It is an experience, and you can spend the other 365 days of this leap year supporting our local restaurants in town. You can support both. Starting with the menu, it has lobster rolls, soups, tots, quesadilla, tacos and grilled cheese. While waiting, I initially started with just an item or two in my head, but as time went on, my order grew to double the size to make the wait worth it. Here is what I went for:

Maine Roll: Our Maine roll features Maine lobster, served chilled with mayo, on a New England roll, with a lemon wedge. One of our two classic roll styles, the Maine Roll is a favorite of Mainers and purists alike.

Connecticut Roll: Our Connecticut Roll features Maine lobster, served warmed with butter and lemon, on a New England Roll. The second of our two classic styles, our Connecticut Roll is our most popular roll and often referred to as heaven on a bun.

New England Clam Chowder

Lobster Bisque The lobster rolls themselves are fairly small – maybe the size of a regular hotdog – so two was the perfect size. Both were topped with big hunks of fresh lobster, though I truthfully did not notice much of a difference in the two rolls, because the the butter or mayo were very minimal. Lobster meat is a touch sweet, which was delicious with the buttered bun. I didn't even mind the bite of shell I got. The clam chowder was hot, which was the main thing that attracted me to it in 30° weather. But, it was flavorful, and one of the better versions I have had. Creamy, flavorful and perfectly salty. The lobster bisque was thick and sweet and paired great with the oyster crackers I sprinkled on top to add a touch of salt. Plus, easily the best Whoopie pie I've ever had. I didn't even really think I liked them until this one. Overall, something a little different, and interesting to try.

The Lunchbox Food Truck is located primarily in North-Central West Virginia, and I was lucky to catch them at one of the last farmers markets of the season in Bridgeport. They offer a small variety of options, like smashburgers, chicken tacos, Filipino eggrolls, hand-cut fries and more. I ordered their "Street Cart Chicken & Rice," which had marinated chicken, yellow rice, yogurt sauce, lettuce, tomato and butter garlic naan. This was so flavorful; it might sound plain - but the seasonings and different textures made this an A+ in my book. The eggrolls were not as crispy as I would have preferred. But, flavor was still there. Grade: A