Appalachian Glass in Westover is such a neat place!



In addition to all the beautiful pieces of artwork, there are also daily demonstrations.



And, of course, lots of local candies, sauces and more!



Have you ever been?

Markets are one of my favorite things to visit in a town; I feel like it gives you a good glimpse into the community.



Mountain Roots Market in Weston has a little bit of everything - including ramps, coffee and other locally made products.



And, I believe they also served hot food, but I didn't get a chance to try it.



They did, however, have a few pastries and sweets in the cooler.



And, of course, ramparoni rolls!



Oh, and some quick photos from my Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum tour

The Ice Cream Barn stands out along the side of the road - and any time there is ice cream, it catches my eye.



They do not take cards, and I only had a few bucks on me so I looked over the ice cream menu: cones, milkshakes, "hurricanes."



We went simple with a small cone with twisted soft serve. Can never go wrong!

It's always fun to check out a new hot dog joint in West Virginia because there's such a culture surrounding them.



Flying Dogs in Weston has a few hot dogs, sides and breakfast. For the record, you can start ordering hot dogs at 10:30 a.m.



For my lunch, I first tried to order "pulled pork bbq" because I thought it was a fancy hot dog. Then I tried to order two of the specialty ones (but they're large enough for just one). So I ended on the Backyard Bratwurst, which is a big bratwurst in a hoagie bun topped with slaw, bbq sauce and bacon.



Have you been?

Thyme Bistro, a small Weston restaurant, caught my attention a couple months back after hearing the Cast Iron Chef Cook-Off earlier this year. I put it on my to-visit list, and when the opportunity arose recently to head to Weston, I already knew where my dinner plans would be.



The Thyme Bistro doesn't look like much from the outside. It looks like an average corner restaurant, but once you walk inside, it's a completely different story. Dark decor with candles and fresh flowers atop every table fill the small dining area. It's warm, comfortable yet sleek.



The menu is small with a few entrees like a potato parmesan encrusted salmon, shrimp judith, filet mignon, and pasta. To start, though, we wanted to try the "bistro fries," which are garlic and parmesan fries with a smokey aioli for dipping.

They were tasty! They were served standing up in a glass mug, and the tower of french fries were topped with garlic and parmesan. Wonderfully crispy, and the smoky aioli sauce was unexpected and tasty.

We also had some olive bread (!) delivered to our table prior to our entrees. It was warm and nuzzled in a cloth napkin to keep the heat in. It's the little touches like this that really stick out to me after visiting so many restaurants.

The thick cuts of bread went perfectly with a slather of butter. So tasty.

The next course was my house salad. And I really, really love a good house salad. Greens > iceberg. Flavorful tomatoes > watery bland ones. This salad had some delicious, fresh greens, tomatoes, cucumber, red onions and housemade croutons. All topped with a homemade blue cheese (in my case) dressing.




For main entrees, Vicki went with the filet mignon, which she loved. It was tender and flavorful.






My shrimp judith was not quite as bold with flavors, but the light and buttery flavor was perfect for my mood. Because I didn't feel super heavy from the main meal, I decided to order dessert.

To be honest, I cannot remember what they called this, but it was a lemon cake with these delicious like candied nuts and whipped cream and a candied lemon. It tasted like summer exploded in my mouth. In the best possible way.

If you find yourself in Weston, Thyme Bistro is really quite the treat.

Grade: A

Perched on a rolling hillside complete with brick walkways, Lamberts Vintage Wines hosts wine tastings. The picturesque stone building features large wooden doors, a fireplace and rocking chairs, and is surrounded by a vineyard.

The building is located at 190 Vineyard Drive in Weston, W.Va., (304) 269-4903. Hours are Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

My friend Vicki and I stopped here after our adventure in Ireland (W.Va.) to watch road bowling. The day had been drizzly, and it was a chilly. We made our way up the road back to the tasting building (passing a banquet hall and another gorgeous building along the way). And as soon as we opened that large wooden door, the inside of the tasting room was welcoming, cozy and warm.

Local pottery and products decorated the room. Vicki even ended up buying a stained glass pumpkin they had for sale.

Our tasting was so fun, as we just chose various wines to choose from this list. They increase in sugar level, so I stayed near the middle range. I ended up buying a bottle of the Symal (which is a blend). I've tried many of Lambert's wines before, as they are a mainstay at the WV Wine & Jazz Festival in Morgantown. But the symal was one I needed again in my life.

It's a perfect little day trip out to the area if you want to get out of Morgantown. It's a cute property, with tons of space to relax and drink wine.

Has anyone tasted the wines here at Lambert's? If so, which ones are your faves?