Apparently the Charleston area has decided we need to be VERY hydrated. 7 Brew is opening in South Charleston at Park Place, with another location also in the works in Cross Lanes. If coffee isn’t enough, the menu also has energy drinks, teas, lemonades, smoothies, shakes and all sorts of wildly customizable concoctions. I enjoyed a strawberry lemonade. Pulp Juice and Smoothie Bar has officially landed in Kanawha City, joining its Hurricane/Teays Valley and Huntington locations. Think smoothies, fresh juices, açaí bowls, wraps, salads and wellness shots. I enjoyed a "Raspberry Harmony" smoothie and an Asian chicken wrap. Have you been to either yet?

The 47th Annual Mound Arts & Crafts Festival was held this weekend, with dozens of vendors. Food trucks included Gettin Piggy With It 304, Wheelhouse - Dippin' Dots, Southridge Pacesetters Lions Club, Just Drinks, MAD Concessions and Simpson Memorial United Methodist Church. In addition to the food trucks, there were arts & crafts vendors, music and a petting zoo. A number of vendors around the Mound offered food items: Boy Scouts, Vanik's Coffee, Willie's Candy, Jen's Candy & Crafts, Howe Sweet It Is, DARN Good Candy. There were a few that were new to me. Dirty Pop is from the same folks at Cerealsly. I ordered the Frosted Blue, which is cream, blue raspberry and Sprite. YUM. Farmhouse Dips & Mixes has dozens of delicious dips that they encourage you to try. My favorites included any with garlic. Faith and Flour bakery was also new to me. I enjoyed these impossibly perfect little caramel delights. At the Mountain Charm booth, I purchased Sweet Amanda's Kettle Corn - Snickerdoodle. I also picked up Chubby Joe's Pork Rinds. And Lincoln County Coffee & Spice Co., which produces small-batch specialty coffees. They had New Orleans Roast, Jacked-O'Lantern, Arise, Dark Cherry, Mystic Blueberry and Salted Caramel coffees.

Summerfest is a four-day end-of-summer festival centered around the South Charleston Mound. The event is family-oriented with live music every night, local food vendors and a children’s zone. Food vendors they had available included: Off the Hook, Just Drinks, Charleston Police Auxilary, Holy O's, Zul's, SC Women's Club, Gettin Piggy With It and R&B Concessions. MAD Concessions was at the top of my list to check out. I went with one of their frozen mocktails because it was blazing hot this day, and that sounded super refreshing. I did the "Lava Flow," which was coconut and strawberry. I was thinking it would be lemonade, as I'm not the biggest coconut fan. But with the two flavors mixed together, it was just kinda like a whole new flavor that I enjoyed. Just around the corner was Wild 'N Wonderful Rolls. These pepperoni roll bosses make a mean pepperoni roll, amongst other rolls. And their most recent special caused quite the stir. The "Appalachian Aloha" has pineapple in it, and boy do people have opinions about that. I tried it, and I don't think it's bad. Would you try it?

TeaSpoons is a hidden gem in South Hills that offers bubble tea, acai bowls and other small bites. They also had a short run at the Tech Park where their specialty item was a smashburger -- so I had to try it. The smashburger cane with cheese, lettuce, tomato, crispy onions, mayo & ketchup. I also added a side of potato salad and a mango tea. The burger was pretty good. I liked the thin patties, and the veggies were fresh. I would've liked more seasoning - some simple salt & pepper. The drink was the star for me - sweet, refreshing and a great pairing with the burger for a summer meal. Grade: B

Nomi's Nibbles is a mobile charcuterie cart with cheeses, meats, fruits and even candy. They were set up recently where I could get a little mix and match of different items. You can get themed options, like one full of bubble gum, gummi worms and blow pops. I went a more traditional route with skewers of grapes, salami, cheddar, colby, tomatoes and more. Have you tried it? Grade: A

Kashiwa Hibachi Express is a food truck in South Charleston focusing on hibachi favorites like chicken, steak or shrimp, veggies and rice or noodles.



I went the route of shrimp & scallops over noodles. Plus the veggies - because zucchini is one of my favs. The food was all good, but my main detraction is that everything becomes one soft texture. If there was a bit more of a sear, I think it would give the variance needed.



Grade: B

Shake Your Boba is a bubble tea/boba shop located at 36 River Walk Mall in South Charleston.



They serve a variety of boba tea drinks — milk teas, fruit teas — and also some fun extras like bubble waffles.



I ordered a brown sugar boba milk tea, which was sweet and creamy with soft, chewy boba.



The bubble waffle is lightly golden and slightly soft, almost like a cross between a waffle and a soft pastry. The strawberries layer on a sweet-tart freshness that keeps every bite lively.



Grade: A