Sweet Tooth Treats by Jessica was set up at a recent event with all kinds of delicious temptations - from cupcakes and brownies to cookies and fudge. I opted for the Butterbeer fudge, which was dotted with little marshmallows. Talk about a sugar bomb! I only wish it was a bit more solid; I think the heat got to it and made it a bit too melty. But fun flavors and perfect treat.



Grade: B

Macarons have hit the Kanawha Valley, and folks can't get enough.



Bake My Day is a home baker who is specializing in French macarons and popping up at events all over.



Sure, there are some other bakeries in the area where you may find a flavor or two of macarons. But Bake My Day is all in on them: vanilla, strawberry, blueberry, tangerine, margarita, mimosa, mint, blue raspberry and more.



Those were just some of the summer flavors, but there are always different, creative ones added.



French macarons are notoriously difficult to make. They are technically challenging, but these are the right combo of soft and crisp. My favorites have been the fruity-boozy flavors.



Grade: A

You know the type of lemonade that is just pure sugar water? It's that saccharine goodness you got at fairs and festivals. That is Rocky's World. They also offer shaved ice and energy drinks but the lemonade is my go to whenever I see them out and about. It's one part nostalgia, but one part absolute summer perfection. All parts tasty.

Grade: A

Rakku is a pan-Asian restaurant that offere everything from sushi and hibachi to Orange Chicken and ramen - the latter of which is relatively uncommon to find in West Virginia.



I wasn't in the mood for ramen on this particular day so I went for a few other things. Starting with, of course, crab rangoons. Imitation crab, cream cheese all wrapped up and fried. These are such a guilty pleasure; I will get these everywhere. I did like the shape of these because there's that big pocket of cheese and I can discard the too-crunchy ends.



I also ordered two rolls: The West Virginia Roll and a shrimp tempura roll. The former is "Deep fried, crabmeat, avocado, cream cheese, Chef's sauce." This is usually my go-to combo (again, guilty pleasure) but the fried portion has been taking over my palate and the overwhelming flavor is oil.



The shrimp tempura roll is a more reliable go-to and doesn't make everything taste oily. A bit crunchy, a bit creamy. That's the balance I enjoy.



Grade: B

Bubbarino's Bites & Bubbles initially looked to me like a hotspot with the hat, sunglasses and moustache imagery. But, not to worry - it's a pub with interesting cocktails. 



They also plan on expanding into Barboursville this year, but for now, if you want to check them out, you gotta head to Hurricane. 



The menu features salads, pizzas, hamburgers, sandwiches, wings, chicken fingers and the like. We ordered a few different things for the table. 



But let's start with cocktails. They do have boozy milkshakes, which I was tempted by. But I also was intrigued by a glittery, color-changing cocktail - this one was cherry flavored. I think it was just a special for the weekend we were there, but I did enjoy it, even t hough it could have used a bit more balance. It erred on the cough syrup side, so some more citrus could've helped. 



I ordered a burger with a side of mac & cheese. But we divvied up things to sample everything. 



PIMENTO CHEESE BURGER...Hand-Pattied & Charbroiled Local Beef, Pimento Cheese, Mayo, Lettuce, Tomato, Onion - I liked this one, though I am not a fan of the "so tall, it's difficult to eat" burgers. I ended up cutting it into pieces, so some bites had lettuce, some had burger, etc. On the few bites I got of everything together, I enjoyed it. But, put pimento cheese on anything, and I'm happy. 



HAWAIIAN KICK...Hand-Pattied & Charbroiled Local Beef, Teriyaki Bacon, Pineapple, Provolone Cheese, Sriracha Mayo, Lettuce, Tomato, Onion - Aside from the above issues - This one was able to get the all over flavor in each bite a bite better. Maybe I smashed it more. But I do love a sweet moment on a burger. Pineapple belongs. 



The other bites I tried were all decent - the mac & cheese wasn't bad, pretzels weren't bad. But nothing too crazy. I do love the creative takes on burgers and cocktails and the variety in options. I'm curious to see how they continue to evolve and get better.

Grade: B

Yoyogi Market in Hurricane is an Asian market that has a little bit of everything!



It’s interesting to see the variety - with everything from quail eggs to pineapple-stuffed rambutan.



There are plenty of pantry goods, frozen foods, and even some fresh sushi from a local restaurant.



There are even some notable brands like Momofuku and Cafe Du Monde.



I bought some banana ketchup and other snacks. 



Have you been? 

In my never-ending quest to try a new restaurant every time I dine out, I come across lots of little-known spots like bars & grills.



That's the case with Billy Sunday's in Hurricane. There are lots of great dining options in Hurricane, but been there, done that. So, when I learned of Billy Sunday's, I wanted to check it out. 



It is a bar & grill, so lots of TVs, some neon lighting and domestic specials. 



I went with two apps: cheese cubes and pepperoni rolls. Pepper jack cheese balls are one of my weaknesses. Why is a fried little bit of spicy cheese SO GOOD. It just is. So much better than mozzarella sticks or any other fried cheese. These particular ones were a little over done, so the cheese wasn't nice and melty - it kinda shrunk a bit into a hard casing. Still better that cheese sticks. 



The pepperoni rolls were a nice rendition. I liked that they had ample parmesan on top and had a side of marinara. I only would've stuffed a bit more cheese inside those swirls of pepperoni. I guess I was really on a cheese kick on this particular day. Still delicious; more cheese would take it to the next level.



Grade: B

Call's Meat Market in Hurricane offers a ton of local meat, cheese and more.



*Fresh Local Raised Beef *Fresh Local Raised Pork *Fresh Chicken *Lamb *Bison * Grass fed BeefOur Own Country Sausage *Italian Sausage * Hot Italian Sausage * Boar's Head Premium Deli Meats & Cheeses * Deli Meats * Heiner's Bread * Meat Trays * Cheese Trays * Farm Fresh Eggs * Large Selection of WV Products* Coca- Cola * Mister Bee Potato Chips* Package Deals *Custom Orders



In addition to those offerings, they also will make simple sandwiches with their Boar's Head deli meats and hot dogs. Make no mistake, their steaks, chicken breast, pork chops, etc., are the main draw here. The sandwiches, though, are convenient and a way to try some of the product without committing to a full pound or so.



Here are some of the offers: white or wheat bread; black forest ham, VA baked ham, cracked pepper turkey, mesquite smoked turkey, beef bologna, hard salami, pepperoni, ovengold turkey, ever roast chicken, londonport roast beef, chipotle chicken, bologna salad; Amerrican cheese, pepperjack, horseradish, muenster, smoked gouda, Vermont cheddar. 



I ordered a turkey sandwich with gouda, lettuce and tomato on white bread. And, ya know, it's a turkey sandwich. It's not bad. But, man, I really wish all those delicious sauces they offer in the store could have been an option.



That really would've taken the sandwich to the next level. As is, it's pretty straight-forward with a few good ingredients. So, if that's what you're going for, perfect. But if there was just a touch more, I'd be super happy.



Have you been?



What's your favorite sandwich?



Grade: B

Hiro Japanese Express is a new-ish restaurant in Hurricane that I visited some time ago and am just now getting around to talking about it!



The restaurant is pretty small and features ramen, sushi, and hibachi. I almost think you have to be all things to all people when you're one of the few games in town.



Speaking of, they had bao buns that I was really excited about. I can count on one hand where you can find them in West Virginia, and I love the texture of that bun. This one had a tasty sweet and spicy pork belly, kimchi and some crisp pickled cucumber.



I would wager that most folks would order some crab rangoons because they're a crowd favorite. These little purse shapes are one of my favorites. They were creamy and tasty.

Finally, I did a simple Philly roll for something light and refreshing. All things were tasty and just a bit more creative than other offerings in the area. I regret not getting ramen on this visit, because there aren't many places who did it - fewer who do it well. Next time.

Grade: A

There's a brand new Irish pub in downtown Hurricane, and it's making a splash in the Guinness already. 



Hurricane has a small, but strong, downtown with some really stellar restaurants, and Connolly's Irish Pub is the newest addition.



They're still in their soft opening phase and were just serving select parts of their menu when I went - but I just couldn't wait to get my hands on fish & chips.



I can't say enough good things about the service. I placed an order to go, they got me taken care of, paid for, and out the door in a number of minutes. The food was good, too. The fries are like those crispy batter-fried fries that have a nice seasoning on them - nice crunch. The fish also had a nice batter. I do wish it was just a bit thicker to get some real tooth-sinkable bites of white flaky fish. But, of course fillets vary, and I'm excited to try more.

Grade: A