Over the weekend, I went to the WV Chocolate Wine & Shine Festival.



It was held in Morgantown at Mylan Park in a huge space that had tons of vendors.



MJCJ Farms - these folks had flavored pork rinds, and I tried the sour cream & onion flavor. It was tasty.



Sonny's Peppers - Award winning Sonny's Peppers began in 2015 and we sell hand packed with love specialty hot peppers. Whenever there's a mild version, I need these! 



Whiskey June Bakery - Cookies, Cakes, oh my! This bakery has the cutest instagram, so I was super pumped to get a little to-go box full of rice krispies, chocolate-covered oreos and chocolate-covered pretzels.



Holly Lane Chocolate - Did you know there's a chocolate maker in Morgantown? I had no idea. Just chocolate and sugar.  "Artisanal dark chocolate made from imported single origin cocoa beans, handcrafted in West Virginia."



So cool! Definitely on the dark side, but not too bitter.



Finally, Good Time Mixes is an interesting business - with everything from dip mixes to drink mixes and more.



They even have a line of coffees - and because I try to keep a running list of all the coffee roasters in WV - that might be a whole separate post. 

Frios Gourmet Pops is a popsicle chain sprinkled through the south, with a few spots also in Arizona, Texas, Detroit and Wisconsin. 



West Virginia's singular location is in Barboursville. 



There are a number of fruity flavors, like pink lemonade, blueberry cheesecake, pineapple mango, and more. Plus there are seasonal flavors like candy bar, chocolate-dipped cold brew and even pickle. Some are creamy, while others are more icy. 



Once you choose your base flavor, you can upgrade it in a few different ways - you can dip it, drizzle it or dust it. Maybe keep that in mind when you choose your base - whether you wanna go chocolate-y or fruity. 



For me, I went for a fruit punch. I really like fruit punch in general. Like, I'll pick fruit punch over a soda any day. But I also thought this could be a good base if I waned to build on it.



And build on it, I did. I added some of those little dehydrated marshmallows from Lucky Charms. I love marshmallows, but I also liked the added crunchy texture here. 



These are tasty and a good quality (not just all watery). It's a pretty simple, but kinda whimsical and I enjoy that. Something different, special and tasty for a summer treat.

Grade: A

A food court is not typically where you go for a delicious meal. Typically, it’s more of a matter of convenience and proximity - at least for me.



That’s not to say there isn’t good food court food; I’m just saying it’s important to manage expectations. Recently, I was at the mall in Bridgeport - arguably one of the best in the state - with a grumbling tummy, So, I stopped by Eastern Wok and ordered General Tso’s with lo mein. And it was right on par with my expectations. The chicken was a bit chewy, the sauce sticky sweet, and the lo mein a bit overcooked. As a whole, it was average. Catching a meal here earlier in the day may solve a few of those issues.



Grade: C

Pulp Juice and Smoothie Bar has locations across Ohio, one in South Carolina and a new one in Barboursville, West Virginia.



The restaurant features smoothies, bowls, shots, juices, wraps and salads. I'm not into the shots or juices, but I am into delicious things. 



So I ordered a tropical smoothie - "Elite Eight," which has strawberry juice, pineapple juice, strawberries, peaches, mangos and orange sherbet. Sweet, fruity, refreshing. 



I also ordered a Buffalo Chicken Wrap on tomato basil - tender chicken breast, shredded cheddar cheese, hot sauce, ranch dressing, shredded carrots, romaine lettuce. This was fine. A little watery and a bit flavorless, save for the hot sauce. Of course, it's a cleaner meal, so none of those extra calories that make things taste really good. 



Grade: B