I'm not sure who Grumpy Gary is, but I do know he now has a restaurant in the Huntington area. Or, maybe someone just likes him enough to name a restaurant after him. 



Either way, I stopped here to check it out. The interior was closed due to COVID-19, but there were a few tables outside where we could enjoy our food. We placed our order, waited for some folks who were taking up the tables and were finally able to eat our dishes.



The menu here is heavy on biscuits - topped with everything from sausage and bacon to pinto beans and fried chicken breast. They have other breakfast items, burgers, appetizers, salads and pizza. On this particular day, they had just come out with their "Grumpwich," which has flaked ham on a pizza dough seasoned with garlic, basil and oregano, topped with onions, lettuce, tomatoes, provolone and mozzarella cheese. 

You may be familiar with pubwiches or wedgies, and this is similar. It's a pizza as the top crust of a sandwich. It was pretty good - though certainly messy. And definitely filling. The top was super cheesy and the crust itself was flavorful - like it had herbs in it. The experience of trying to eat while having folks smoking nearby or napping on tables was not great, but I would come back to try a biscuit. 

Grade: B

There's a new shop in Huntington that is home to fresh meat and seafood, gourmet food items and perfect gifts for just about anyone.



The Butcher Shop, located next to Christopher's Eats, is a small space with this really lovely wooden exterior that has carvings of a cow, pig and chicken. 



Inside, you'll find all sorts of goodies. There are charcuterie essentials like cheese knives and markers.



There are also some West Virginia glasses and a wide selection of pasta. 



There is cheese, crackers and make-your-own-cocktail kits.



Condiments like jams and jellies and pickled vegetables are available.



And, there are sweets too - caramels, marshmallows, truffles.



There are two small coolers - one with beef and another with seafood. 



I'm unclear if they butcher in the traditional sense - if they break down cuts of meat or if people can have them do so - it seemed like the items they had were packaged from different companies. 



But the one thing I saw that didn't have another company's label on it was the crab cakes, so I was sure to get a package of those. 



And, I also got some "cheese straws," some caramels, some marshmallows, a candy bar, a giant peanut butter cup, pimento cheese popcorn, truffle crackers and butter toffee peanuts.



If I had to describe this shop to someone, I would say they that they carry a lot of regional speciality foods (not many local ones) that could make up the ultimate charcuterie board. 



So far, everything I've tasted has been so good. After a quick fry, the crab cakes had a lovely golden brown crust and lots of shredded crab. 



The pimento popcorn, which is from Asheville, N.C., was like a cheddar popcorn with a little spice. A nice, fun little twist. 



Have you been here? Let me know what you got in the comments!

I'm always strategically planning when it comes to restaurants. Some are only open on weekdays. Some are only open on weekdays during lunch. That's the case with The Beak Cafe in Huntington, so I had to plan carefully to catch them when they were open.



The restaurant has a sort-of summery vibe with greenery, flamingos and bright pink accent decor. 



The menu is fairly small, featuring just salads, sandwiches. hot dogs and desserts regularly. They do also have daily specials that tend to sell out quickly. 



I ordered a turkey and cheese sandwich, with red onion, tomato and mayo to go. After a little bit of a wait, I was on my way with lunch in my bag. 



This sucker is piled high with turkey on white bread, so it reminded me of turkey sandwiches of my youth (maybe minus the onion). But creamy with the mayo, crunchy with the onions, the sort of unctuous fattiness of the cheese - all in a simple sandwich. It's a simple, standard combo that is common for a reason.



It's tasty, and it's a good, straightforward sandwich. Would I love some exciting toppings or even side dishes? Yes, but if a simple sandwich is what you're here for, you can't go wrong.



Grade: B

Soul Food Twist is one of Huntington's newest restaurants and has been pretty active on social media about all restaurant's ups and downs. So, it's been fun to watch their journey. 



They first entered my radar when I saw they were crowdfunding to open the restaurant. Soul food?! Caught my attention real fast - we need more of these in West Virginia - and specifically the Metro Valley area. After a series of false starts, the restaurant finally opened to customers lined up around the building. Constantly. Until they were sold out.



I had to make plans to arrive at the restaurant right around opening time to get in line to make sure I got a plate. On this particular day, I ended up here about 45 minutes after they opened, and they were already sold out of a lot of items. But, I ended up with southern string beans, mac attack, and bbq pork chop. Plus, I got a piece of a tasty cinnamon cake with buttercream icing. 



Now, I had asked for a double portion of mac, but they had just the one I received left. And, I wanted to go with meatballs - the other entree option - but they were out of that too. But, someone must've been looking out for me because this plate was bangin'. A Pork chop might be one of the last things I'd order on a menu. But this was so tender, topped with a sweet and tangy BBQ that I kept coming back to. The mac & cheese - or mac attack - was tasty, and I'm glad I got some greens on my plate. I can't wait to try another meal.

Grade: A

There are many Mexican restaurants in the Metro Valley area of West Virginia, but most carry pretty much the same menu with small changes here and there. So, they're not typically high on my list of "to-visit" places. But I had heard good things about West Tenampa Mexican Restaurant. 



While I didn't get a chance to dine in, I did get a carryout order. And, I started with the chips and salsa, as is standard. Nothing too out of the ordinary here. The salsa was fairly mild, very thin, but tasty. 



For my meal, I ordered the "Seafood Chimichanga" - Grande Chimichanga filled with Grilled Shrimp, Scallops, Crabmeat, cooked with Sauteed Onion, Tomatoes & Green Pepper, served with Rice, Beans & topped with Guacamole Salad & Sour Cream. Seriously, drown anything in queso and I think I'll eat it. This is no exception. It was so tasty - if not a bit too mushy (which may be my fault since I got it to go). But I appreciated a different filling. Overall, not bad. 

Grade: B

We're back on that Tudor's Biscuit World groove. This time, we're in Huntington.



This location on 20th Street has "Where It All Began" on their front windows, leading many folks to believe it's the first one. But this was a hot conversation on Twitter a few years ago, where I learned the original Tudor's location was on the West Side - but not the one that's currently there.



Now that the signature biscuits are out of the way, I'm trying the remainder of the biscuits - like this egg melt. I mean. it's probably a good option for vegetarians? But since eggs are not my most favorite things, this is not my most favorite biscuit. I like that it exists. But I do not want it again.

Grade: C

Fuji Express, a new restaurant located on Hal Greer in Huntington, opened during the COVID-19 pandemic. While that presents a number of challenges, it also presented some opportunities - like adapting to this "new normal." For instance, they have a pick up window. And that made me feel comfortable trying them, as I've been trying to limit my indoor dining.



Their menu features hibachi entrees, Japanese udon noodles, sushi, teriyaki and Chinese dishes. So, a little bit of everything. But first, no matter what, start with crab rangoons. These weren't super memorable, but by the looks of the blurry photo, I wasted no time scarfing them down.



For my entree, I went with chicken teriyaki. I learned it's an art, of sorts, in Seattle. I was hoping to experience some of that same flavor. It wasn't exactly the same - but it was like a lighter version. The sauce could've been a bit bolder with more flavor instead of lightly brushed on some grilled pieces.



Overall, it was decent. But next time, I might try some of the udon or sushi.

Grade: B

Guess who's back... back again... Tudor's is back... Tell a friend. This is the deal: We're visiting every Tudor's in West Virginia and trying all the biscuits - let's go!



First of all, have I mentioned that Tudor's has approximately one million locations in Huntington? It's true. This one, located on Hal Greer, was next on my list.



And for the biscuit of the day: It's the potato melt! Or, affectionately called the tater melt. Carby? Yes. Filling? Yes. Having a crispy hash brown is super key here. But, I can't be mad at biscuit, potato and cheese.

Grade: A

Huntington has the most Tudor's Biscuit World locations of any town that I know. There are a handful in the city, plus some in the outlying areas.



The location on US 60 looks like it's one of the older locations, with a more muted color palette. Nonetheless, the line was wrapped around the building and onto the road.



The Mountaineer is country ham, egg, hash brown and cheese. I wasn't quite sure what country ham is - and I know they have classic and shaved - but I went for it. Country ham is apparently more like a slab of ham, with which you get the fatty pieces around the edge. I did love how crispy this hashbrown was, though. It makes the sandwich.



Not a bad biscuit, but I think it would be better with their shaved ham.

Grade: B

No. 1 Kitchen Chinese Restaurant in Huntington along US 60 is one of the few traditionally Chinese restaurants open in the Kanawha Valley area during quarantine.



And as one that I've never tried before, I thought it was a great time to get out of the house for a minute, support a local business and do so while socially distant. Their system was one of the most interesting - I called in an order, when I got to the restaurant, I wrote down my phone number on a piece of paper and put it in a box outside the restaurant. Occasionally, they would fish the papers out of the box to see who was waiting and would then call a name out and bring the food.



So, my haul was honey chicken - sweet, white meat chicken. This is a classic for that sweet and tangy flavor. Then the garlic shrimp with veggies gives me a bit of heat plus some fresh veggies that I love.



Then steamed dumplings. I think these were my favorite part because there is something comforting about a dumpling - whatever form it may be in.



Plus shrimp rolls and crab rangoons. Both were OK




One thing I really did like about this restaurant is that the portions were small (and cheap), so getting a few different things was no problem - which is exactly how I love to order!



Grade: B