Shawnee Park recently played host to this year's Ribfest. Last year, I went the rib route. But this year, there were a few other vendors I was interested in checking out.



Nellita's Cocina - She had empanadas for sale: bbq chicken or pork. I went with the chicken, and it was delicious. Seriously good. The outside was crispy - but not oily - and the inside as moist and flavorful.



Next up is Mountain State Italian Ice. It's like a creamier version of shaved ice with a fruity flavor. 



I went with cherry, and it was a biiiig serving. And perfect for a warm day. 



Have you had Italian ice? 



My last treat for the day was Holy O's. I had just missed out on their last pepperoni roll.



But I wasn't too disappointed to get donuts instead. 



I went for six, topped with caramel. These mini donuts that are topped with something and eaten with a fork are trendy these days. I do like that they're a bit easier to eat, but I miss the slight crisp on the outside giving away to a fluffy interior. Still, can't go wrong with this sweet treat.

Local Eats is a new food truck that has been making the rounds at area events.



I was able to check them out at the Clay Center on a very warm day. 



One thing that's really fun about this food truck is that their offerings are creative. They're embracing food truck cuisine in a fun way: walking tacos, walking banana puddings, waffled chicken tenders, and more. 



After a bit of a wait, I received my food. The chicken tender waffle cone was tasty - a sweet waffle cone filled with hunks of crispy chicken bites drizzled with BBQ sauce and there was a side of syrup, too. I managed to get two things that didn't have flat bottoms, so I was balancing things precariously.



The walking banana pudding was my favorite. Because it's like such a smart idea that I haven't seen elsewhere, and it's so simple. And so good.



The mac & cheese wasn't bad; you could tell it had been reheated though, as it was separating a bit. So, they're still new and nailing down the timings - but the food, I would go back just to try out the rest of the menu.

Grade: B

I came across this mini donut truck in Barboursville recently, and I was excited to check out what they had to offer.



O Goodness Mini Donuts offers teeny tiny donuts by the dozen with both classic and specialty flavors: cinnamon sugar, powdered sugar, glazed, peanut butter lovers, maple bacon and fruity pebbles. 



I threw caution to the wind and ordered a dozen. You can split the dozen into two flavors, so I went with peanut butter lovers and fruity pebbles. 



I actually really liked the texture of these little guys. They had an ever so slight chew that was really satisfying. And the toppings, of course, took them over the top. It's kind of a fun experience to eat a bowl of donuts with a fork - plus fruity cereal and peanut butter candies. It doesn't really get much better.

Grade: A

It's not every day you see a lobster roll in West Virginia - much less a lobster food truck in Parkersburg.



The Wicked Lobstah, based in Ohio, ventured to Parkersburg recently to dish out their coveted lobster rolls, and I made the trip solely to get my mitts on one.



And, I don't think I was the only one. You can actually order in advance via their website, and when I went to place my order - they were already filled up for hours. I picked the first slot I saw and placed my order for the "High Society Roll," which is warm buttered lobster with black & white truffle mayo on a toasted bun. For $24.



They parked just outside of Parkersburg Brewing Company, so there was plenty of street parking. And, as soon as I gave them my name, my order was out to me within a minute or two. I took it back to my car - a cool, but sunny fall day - and dug in. I LOVE a good lobster roll. And, this was a pretty good lobster roll. It's not *too* far from the classic with a lot of extraneous ingredients - but who doesn't love truffle topping on everything? Not only do I love that this is something I can get locally, but it really is decent quality, too. 

Grade: A

Have you heard of Von Blaze Sandwiches?



The current food truck and soon-to-be restaurant is dishing out some super creative sandwiches, wings and fries. 



I happened to get lucky and found Von Blaze out and about while in town. You may recognize Chris McDonald as the former chef at Stefano's who has been recognized for the incredible food he put out. So, I had high standards.



The first thing on the menu that stuck out to be was the "lobster dog." This housemade lobster and shrimp "hot dog" has napa slaw, fingerling potato chips, brown butter mayo, on a toasted New England style bun. 



That sounds weird, which is right up my alley. First of all, take a look at this beautiful specimen. It's not a regular hot dog. The potato chips on top are like these beautiful waves of crunchy, salty goodness. 



And it really is like seafood in a hot dog, but it works. It's more like seafood with a hint of salt and crunch and cream with the mayo. It all works for a weird Appalachian twist on a lobster roll. 



Grade: A

Truckin' Cheesy has a concept that's close to my heart: Eat. All. The. Cheese.



They started out as a food truck, and I visited them a couple years ago. But, they recently opened a brick-and-mortar location in Huntington that I was excited to try.  



When I went, they were still observing some social distancing measures and doing mostly takeout. But the interior is cool with cheesy graphics making it look like cheese is dripping down the walls. I ordered the Super Cheesy Sampler, which comes with a cheese quesadilla, grilled cheese sandwich, cheese nachos and cheese fries. I mean, talk about a cheesy heaven. I should have stopped here, but I didn't.



I also ordered the Kujo Tacos, because I can't get over using the grilled cheese sandwiches as a vessel for more food, not just as a meal on its own. This has two grilled cheese sandwiches folder in half and loaded with taco beef, lettuce, tomato, onion and sour cream. This can get soggy and unwieldy - but undeniably tasty.

Grade: A

Southside Sliders, a Huntington-based food truck that serves up delicious mini burgers and sandwiches, recently introduced a twin food truck serving up cold sandwiches and ice cream: Southside Scoops. 



If you know me, you know ice cream is like my one true love. It can solve most of the world's problems. As I was snooping around on their Facebook schedule, I saw that both trucks were scheduled to be outside St. Francis Hospital in Charleston, so I marked it down on my calendar to check it out. 



When I arrived, I saw that the Scoops truck was out of commission - I guess it must have had some issue. But the door was closed, and a sign said to order next door at the Sliders truck. Luckily, they were still offering some of the goodies from the Scoops truck. 



It must've been a difficult morning for the crew, as they were a bit frazzled to make food from the Scoops truck and had to ask the owner on how to make certain items (which, to be honest, made me a bit worried) - but the worries were for naught. I got the Huntington Ham ($7.50), which has honey ham topped with a cream cheese and pepper jelly spread and arugula salad. A former coworker introduced me to crackers with cream cheese and hot pepper jelly - I'm not sure why I never thought to put it on a sandwich before because it was delicious. It was sweet, creamy, tangy, perfection.



Plus, I got a scoop of chocolate-peanut butter ice cream and a scoop of cherry cordial ice cream. I'm not sure if these are made in-house, but I know they were a perfect refreshing bite on a hot date. The chocolate had these ribbons of peanut butter weaved throughout. And the cherry was fruity yet rich. All in all, a really delish meal.



Grade: A

A wood-fired taco cart named "Polecat" has entered the Fayetteville food scene. Most recently, I was able to stop by Bridge Brew Works to check them out.



Their menu is fairly small: chicken, shrimp, cauliflower or sweet potato tacos. Plus spanish fried rice and elote. 



I went for a shrimp taco, which has fire-grilled shrimp, queso fresco, Alabama slaw, avocado crema and tajin, which is a spice blend of lime, salt and chili peppers. Plus spanish rice and elote. 



Let's start with the taco: It was bangin'. It was full of fresh, bold flavors, beautiful texture and some nice wood smoke. The spanish rice was a bit dry and not too notable, but the elote - good lord. A whole piece of delicious corn on the cob, covered in queso fresco, slathered in a mayo cream sauce and lots of cilantro. I'm glad no one saw me destroying this, because it was not a pretty sight - but it as delicious.

Grade: A

Scootin Noodles is a new food truck in the Huntington area that features bowls and burritos: glazed chicken; cheese, sausage and egg; breakfast; teriyaki chicken; and teriyaki beef.  The menu is fairly small, but I like the concept of noodles and burritos. What about combining them??



I went with the teriyaki chicken, and it was good. I thought maybe it would have this nice teriyaki glaze on top, but it was more like a melted cheese. A sauce would have really brought the dish together. Otherwise, I appreciated the different textures and colors with the peppers. 

Grade: B

Buster's Blazin' Grill was located nearby recently, so my friend Sara and I went to go check it out. They specialize in burgers, but also have hot dogs and BBQ, as well.



These aren't just regular burgers. They have themes - like the southwest burger with onion rings and BBQ sauce. OR the Buster's Blazin Burger with spicy cheese sauce, spicy pickles and jalapenos. 



I went with the "Moose," which had two patties, melted cheddar cheese, American cheese, grilled onions, lettuce, tomato, pickles, house sauce on a brioche bun. 



The first couple ingredients are to be expected and help make a good burger. That house sauce, though, made this a phenomenal burger. I don't even know what it was, but it brought a sweetness with some tang that was just perfect. 

Grade: A

That Donut Place, a Ripley-based donut food truck (!),  is something unique for the area. So when I saw the green truck out and about, I made it a priority to stop.



They specialize in mini donuts, frozen lemonade and coffee. And, it's more like a fork-and-knife experience. Think a dozen or half-dozen mini donuts in a bowl, topped with all kinds of goodies. I went with the Country Roads: Mini Donuts, Chocolate drizzle, Caramel drizzle, Pecan pieces, topped with Mini Marshmallows. This was tasty, but I kinda wished I was able to actually taste the donut itself. It seemed to fade into the background.



Plus, I had to get a strawberry lemonade. If I were smarter, I would've gone with a coffee or something rather than a sweet drink so it's not sweet on sweet. BUT, it was still delicious and refreshing and I loved it all the same.

Grade: B