Ripley has a couple Mexican restaurants, and Las Trancas seems to be just slightly more popular.

The menu features house specials, as well as standard items like quesadillas, burritos, fajitas, etc.

I was just here for a snack, so I ent with the fajita nachos which said they had chicken and cheese.

But first, MORE tortilla chips with salsa - which had a bit of a kick!

Considering it's me, I also had to get queso.

I wasn't expecting the nachos to come with actual fajita toppings for some reason. But I also wasn't disappointed. So many goodies - and that extra queso went to good use!

Edna & Pearl's Country Bistro is a cute little shop that also serves homestyle meals.


They sell locally made products and goodies, like JQ Dickinson and honey sticks.

And they have sandwiches and daily suppers.

It has a very homey vibe, with the family actually sitting at the table eating a meal of their own when I came in.

I ordered a "steakburger," which is a burger, and you can pick your bread & toppings. I went with bricohe, topped with havarti, sweet peppers and mayo. Plus a side of pasta salad and "Milky Way" cake.

The patty was thick and the toppings went perfectly with it!

The pasta salad was a light accompaniment - including kale!

And who can say no to cake?

Have you been?

I have a friend from Ripley who would sing the praises of Fratello's any time the city was brought up in conversation. So, Fratello's has been held as this high standard for Italian food years before I even visited.

Nestled in the hills of West Virginia half way between the capital, Charleston and the third largest city, Parkersburg, you will find Fratello’s Italian Family Steak House. We have been serving excellent food since 1999. Not only do we offer unique family recipes, originating from Calabrai, Italy; we also offer our National Award Winning Appetizer, Marco Polo Juniors. We still maintain true food preparation. We make our sauces, soups, lasagne, ribs, manicotti, and the list goes on. We use only fresh vegetables and we make our salads fresh to order. It has been our goal to provide best quality food possible along with a pleasant atmosphere to enjoy it in. Fratello’s offers a hand-picked selection of domestic and imported beers and wine along with a full bar to compliment your dining experience. You are invited to come in and relax in our comfortable surroundings, enhanced by a stone fireplace and a quaint gift shop. Enjoy our authentic Italian cuisine, or one of our mouth-watering Angus Steaks, decadent baby back ribs, specialty salads or seafood dishes, and of course a wide choice of pizzas and calzones. 

Fratello's has vinyl booths with the faux green granite tabletops or old-school wooden tables with chairs. Dark reds, some fake plants and you've got yourself the quintessential old-school mid-priced Italian restaurant that has some loving wear and tear from years of regulars.

First up was some bread and butter. Nothing particularly notable here, but standard for Italian fare.

Next, a pretty decent house salad. Fresh romaine, carrots, tomatoes, red onion and croutons made for something better than just iceberg and a single cherry tomato. Pretty good.

And, for my entree, I went with manicotti, which was stuffed with their cheese mixture and topped with marinara. Pretty standard. Nothing especially mindblowing here, but nothing bad, either. I would call it solid, average Italian fare. Considering the plethora of amazing Italian restaurants in North Central West Virginia, the bar is high. And this probably sits right in the middle.

Grade: C

Crabby Patti's is a seafood gem tucked inside landlocked West Virginia. This restaurant, which is only open Tuesday through Saturday from 5-9 p.m., is easily the best food I've had in Ripley (from the whole two restaurants I've been to there).

My friend RL arrived at the restaurant before me, Veronica and Courtney. And he had already ordered appetizers of fried pickles and calamari. The calamari was so, so good! The best calamari I've ever had; it wasn't these small rings. It was a breaded calamari steak (which is the body of the squid) served with marinara, and it wasn't chewy like so many others I've had. So good.

Next up was my salad, which was small and simple, but fresh. Key.

I ordered the Maryland lump crab cake with sides of rice and creamed spinach. OK, the creamed spinach was a mistake. For some reason, it sounded better than its reality. But the crab cake was sooo much better than what I had expected. Giant pieces of lump crab meat with the perfect amount of spices formed into this ball that was fried.

It gets even better. A piece of peanut butter pie is probably one of the best ways to end a night. This giant slice was the perfect sweet ending I wanted. Creamy, a nice peanut butter crust and little bits of chocolate on top. OMGah good.

On my first visit (ever!) to Ripley, I was determined to find a good lunch spot. A few local places were on my to-try list (like Crabby Patti's and The Downtowner), but considering it was a holiday weekend, most on my list were closed. Except one: Fairplain Yacht Club.

I was riding solo for this one, so I sidled up to the bar and asked for a menu. The interior is dark and looks just like a sports bar, with flags and beer signs and ball games on all the TVs. But families were dining here, so maybe it's dual purpose.

I asked the server what was best here. She mentioned the burgers are big sellers. I ordered the "Buoy Burger," because it is classic - lettuce, tomato, onion and mayo. I added cheddar cheese. And judging by the photo, it's more colby jack. I also got onion rings. And also judging by that photo, you probably didn't want to be anywhere near me after this meal.

And, you know what, this is a good burger. A really good burger. It was juicy, flavorful, and they weren't skimpy on the toppings. The bun was nice and buttered and grilled. The onion rings were huge and crispy. I mean, it's not good for your waistline. But it was sure as hell good for my tastebuds. Next, I'll have to try one of their fancier burgers. They definitely have the basics down.

Grade: A

Appalachian Distillery is a moonshine maker in Ripley opened by former coalminers. I went in while traveling through Ripley and had a quick tasting (At what point is it a problem to go to a moonshine tasting alone? Asking for a friend.)

They have 10 flavors: straight moon, paw-paw, apple pie, spit fire, peach, strawberry lemonade, orange stuff, caramel apple, strawberry and blackberry. I was pretty set on the paw-paw moonshine, because where else can you get that? It was delicious. The peach was also tasty.

They offer a sampler, which has all of these in it. That's kind of a no-brainer, right? I get to try a little of everything! So that's perfect. If you get a chance, definitely make a special stop for this place. And getchu some paw-paw moonshine.

 

The Mountain State Art & Craft Fair is a giant arts and crafts fair just outside of Ripley. Tons of artisans and vendors set up shop at the Cedar Lakes Conference Center selling wares, goodies and other treats.



Folks like Blue Smoke Salsa were there. I always go for mild versions of their salsas, but sweet peach and sweet onion are both stellar. Robin Hildebrand began the company more than 20 years ago by making salsa recipes from her garden. She had a commercial kitchen approved in the basement of her home, but grew out of it and moved to a facility in Ansted. In 2011, Blue Smoke's future was uncertain, but the West Virginia community gathered around the business via social media. Then in 2012, Blue Smoke Salsa partnered with White House Foods. If you haven't tried the salsa yet, get thee to a grocer and get some.



Thistledew Farm was also in attendance selling honey, beeswax and other bee products. They are a staple in West Virginia, and their honey can be found at various stores.



I hadn't heard of Plain Jane's Country Cookin' out of Clay before, but they had a lot of great products! They had dry seasoning mixes, various jellies and some old-fashioned candies.

There were also many wineries and local organizations selling snacks. The American Culinary Federation, West Virginia Chapter was selling pepperoni rolls that were absolutely delicious. It was like a garlic breadstick but filled with slices of pepperoni. Absolutely delicious.

Mountain Top Fudge was incredible. I had a pecan praline, which had the caramel in the center. So, soooo good.

Overall, such a nice time. And, as I was leaving, I realized there was covered bridge on the property. Not many of those left in the state.

Ripley is known to have West Virginia's biggest celebration for the Fourth of July. I made the trip to see what it is all about and discovered all the goodness of a small town celebration - parades, fireworks, local vendors and fair food.


They had everything from sandwiches to popcorn and everything in between. I didn't really dabble too much, because there was an arts and crafts fair just outside of town I wanted to attend, too. But I did scope out some restaurants to visit soon: The Downtowner, Crabby Patty's and Fratello's.