The Davis/Thomas area is one of my favorites, and when I went there recently to do some research for an upcoming column, I walked along East Street in Thomas (one of the coolest streets in the entire state) taking in all the amazing shops.

There are some great artist galleries like The White Room Art Gallery, Lamplight Gallery and Creature (which I have fallen in love with). I also gotta mention nearby Davis has the WV Highlands Artisans Gallery, which is also great. There's Three Castle Antique and the Christmas Shoppe & More. There are also a bunch of shops that cater to all your foodie needs.




Thomasyard is a florist, with garden and gifts, and also has lots of specialty food items - chocolates, fresh produce, wine, cheese, crackers, cookies, honey, apple cider, apple juice, apple butter, apple sauce. Plus, yummy samples and popcorn!









Riverfront Antiques has West Virginia wines - and tastings! - in addition to other local novelties.

And, then, I stopped by the smallest church in 48 states because why not! :)

A local bed and breakfast in Davis serves breakfast to the public. And when I saw Bright Morning Inn's menu, I knew that meant I was going to get to Davis early in the morning.

My day trip to the area started with a stop at Bright Morning Inn to get my fill of their French toast. I parked just across the street easily and walked inside. No one was readily available to seat me, so I found a little area with plenty of light (best for photos!) and made myself comfortable.

The interior is clean, a bit dated, but in a sort of charming way. It was decorated for the holidays, which made it feel honey. It also overlooks the main street in Davis, so it was fun to people-watch.

The menu features lots of tasty items - pancakes, veggie specials, country breakfasts and more.

Their French toast goes by the moniker "banana dream" and comes with potato bread coasted in cinnamon batter with a hint of banana liqueur and rolled in oats and topped with fresh, sliced banana. I also got an order of sausage - though they forgot that, and they came out halfway through my meal. Always gotta have the savory with the sweet.

The French toast is extra filling. There are a bunch of triangles, but then the oats on top of it make for a pretty dense bite. I loved the fresh bananas, which add a nice smooth, fruity note to the heavily sugared dish. Not sure it's my favorite rendition of French toast, but that's a dish that's near and dear to my heart so I'm a bit critical of it. It was a solid take on it, and definitely a good option if you're extra hungry.

I struggled a bit with the service, if only because the woman who brought out my food was talking to another table as she sat mine down -- and didn't bother to ask if it looked OK or if I needed anything, but continued her conversation past me to the next table and walked back to them. If I didn't need anything, it wouldn't have been a problem, but my missing sausage had to wait until another server came back around so I could flag her down and ask for it. I know this wasn't intentionally dismissive, but I sometimes find this common when dining alone. Whether it's because I won't have the largest bill or because I'm profiled as young & not a good tipper, it's just a tad frustrating. She seemed sweet, otherwise.

But my server was actually quite apologetic and very kind, and my meal was good. Just a minor blip in an otherwise lovely dining experience. If you happen to find yourself in the area between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m., I encourage you to check it out, get something warm in your belly and enjoy this local gem.

Grade: B

Flying Pigs Breakfast and Lunchery made a "unique place to dine in WV" list some years ago, and, thus, it's been on my to-go list for quite some time. While in the Davis/Thomas area for the day, I made this restaurant part of the itinerary to assure I wouldn't miss out.

Flying Pigs is only open until about 2 p.m., so if you want to check it out, make your plans early. It serves up mainly breakfast with lunch items, as well.

I walked up and down the main street in Thomas, peering in all the cute shops and stores until seeing the pink pig sign directing me where to go. When I walked in, the waitress told me to sit anywhere I'd like. So, I browsed the space before ultimately deciding on a small table near the window. Good lighting. And a beautiful carnation.

The space has an assortment of different chairs and tables. Very homey and a bit country. No real theme beyond "mish mash."

The menu is a binder with pages full of choices. It suddenly made sense to me why I hadn't been able to find one online. So, because of that, I took photos of literally every page of the menu. Just in case anyone else wants a head's up on what's available.



They have the standard eggs, bacon and ham, as well as biscuits & gravy, breakfast burritos, pancakes and breakfast sandwiches. Lunch options include soup, chili, salads, quesadillas, burritos, sandwiches, wraps and desserts.

I asked the waitress what the most popular item was, and she mentioned the burritos. But a regular sitting across the room from me called to the waitress and asserted, "the most popular is the Karlwich, right?" And she sort of nodded in agreement. And he went back to his book. This subtle recommendation was really kind, and left an impression on me.

I ordered the Karlwich, which is a "glorified Danwich ("A most unusual sandwich. A New England style grilled bagel topped with bacon and smoked cheese."). The Karlwich is a New England style grilled bagel with one egg cooked hard, bacon, smoked cheese, red onion and Flying Pigs chipotle sauce.

As I began snapping photos (my actual camera is never discreet - often why I like to use my iPhone), another couple in the dining area asked what lense I was using. I talked with them a moment about how they used to dabble in photography, which was a cool moment.

When my breakfast sandwich came out, I snapped a few photos of it before diving in. It's your pretty standard breakfast sandwich (more cheese would always make me happy) with just a touch of the chipotle sauce. More sauce also would've made me happy. Decent, filling lunch overall, though.

The atmosphere here is what sold me on this place. The service was average, and the food was average. But the Thomas community is stellar. As I sat there eating my sandwich, looking out at the bustling town where folks were shopping local businesses, I thought to myself that I could live there. I really love that area, and I love how they all support each other. Now, if I could get some more cheese on that sandwich, I might love it, too.



















Grade: B

I've spoken at length about how incredibly fun the small towns of Davis and Thomas are. Between cute shops, tasty beer and delicious restaurants, what's not to love?

In the tiny town of Thomas is TipTop, a coffee shop and bakery that has been named the best coffee shop in West Virginia. So, when in the area recently, I made it a point to stop by and check it out.

First of all, it's cute as can be. Dark woods with a wrap around counter than transforms into a bar. More tables and booths line the interior, making each a cozy little nook to relax. A sweet little bar area has to-go cups, lids, sugar and some water.

A board to the left listed a Friday burger special and some other meals, which would've been super cool. But, since it was Saturday, it was a much smaller menu. But, still, there was a NY bagel with smoked salmon, red onion, sprouts and lemon caper cream cheese.

I got that, as well as a latte.

First: the bagel. I hate sprouts so away they went, but beyond that, the sandwich was good. The bagel was bit more chewy than I would've liked, but that cream cheese and the salmon both were tasty.

The drink was good. A much bolder flavor than I was expecting. I kinda wish I would've gotten a shot of maple or flavoring to sooth my whiny tastebuds.

Overall - a very cute, endearing space with some good, robust coffee and some decent food options. All in one of my favorite small towns.



Grade: B