One of the more unique establishments in Charleston is The Peanut Shoppe. Not every city has a shop devoted to nuts and candy, but good ol' Charleston does. As an institution of sorts, my townie friends required my attendance here.

I usually skip by this place because I walk by the small exterior and it's usually closed by the time I make my way downtown. It had stayed open later on this particular night because of a parade, so we followed our noses to the roasted nut aroma.

I get the feeling of stepping back in time when I set foot in here. It's small and tons of containers and bins feature every sort of nut and popcorn and candy you can imagine. I imagine this is magical for children. I'm amazed at 24 years old.

While nuts are lovely, I couldn't get over the hand-pulled caramels. Hand. Pulled. Caramels. There's no contest.

I got a handful and went on my merry way. Little did I know what a fantastic decision this way. I ended up having a long day and every so often, I'd pop one of these. And each time I congratulated myself on what a brilliant decision this was.

They are a different level of soft. Like, you can't get these in a grocery store. Chewy but melty. And lovely. Go soak up a piece of Charleston and enjoy some treats.

Grade: A

In case you missed this: http://www.dailymail.com/foodandliving/201309100173

A new Japanese and Thai fusion restaurant aims to be a relaxing refuge for young professionals in Charleston.

Su-Tei, which will feature Asian Cuisine focusing on sushi, Thai food and Japanese cuisine, is set to open in Kanawha City by the end of September.

"There really isn't a fancy restaurant in this area," manager Andri Purwanto, 37, said. "There are lots of young professionals, and we wanted to give them a restaurant where they can hang out, relax and have great food."

Purwanto is originally from Indonesia and has managed five New York City restaurants. But he found the bustling city of more than 8 million people to be too busy and he had too much competition.

He slowed down and moved to the Beckley area, where he managed Kimono Japanese Restaurant. When he discovered that the largest city in West Virginia could use an upscale restaurant that targeted 20- to 30-year-olds, he wanted to make his mark on the town.

Dairy Creme Corner is definitely not new, but it's new to me. It's located in Fairmont - the next frontier for me.

They have a walk-up window, as well as some spaces inside, I believe. If you want hotdogs and the like, that's available. But, we were here for the ice cream.

Their version of a blizzard is the "avalanche," and they have a bazillion flavors: Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Peanut Butter and Jelly, Poptart, Cheesecake, Whatchamacallit, Peppermint patty. The Choco Taco was calling my name.

For only $3.54, you get a full styrofoam cup full of ice cream. Considering what a huge fan of ice cream I am, you would think I could put some away. Not so much the case. I just can't handle that amount.

It is a LOT.

And it's pretty good. There are giant chunks of waffle cone and chocolate and nuts all mixed into a vanilla base.  I was a fan. And it's a ridiculous amount of ice cream. Kudos to you if you can finish it.


Grade: A

I had previously reviewed Coach's as a mediocre sports bar. They've revamped and found a niche market in Morgantown: seafood.

Coach's is now Coach's Crab Shack, and if you're hesitant about a sports bar transforming into a seafood restaurant, you're not alone. I definitely had my reservations. But I'm always up for an adventure, so my friend Afton and I went out Collins Ferry Road to check it out.

Walking in, I could tell a good bit has changed. The theme is more nautical. A hostess seated us, and we looked over the menu.

They have "steamers," which are these huge combo plates of seafood. I went with the shack classic ($19), which has snow crabs, shrimp and kielbasa. Others have variations of this plus crawfish, clams, and other types of crab. All steamers come with corn on the cob, red potatoes and hushpuppies.

You get to choose which flavor you want your seafood cooked in, and I went with garlic herb butter. They also have spicy cajun, old bay, bbq, good old steam, and Signature J.O. - which is their special seafood seasoning.

After a bit, our waitress came back with two metal trays overflowing with food. We were so excited, we dived in. It wasn't until a solid 15 minutes later that the waitress realized she forgot our tools. Clearly we're resourceful because we had devoured about half the meal anyway.

What Coach's has going for it is there is literally no local competition. If you want food like this, you can go here or Red Lobster. This is the much better option. It's a ton of food. It's fresh and delicious. I have little qualms - like the potatoes and hushpuppies are basic and could use some spices, but overall - awesome.

I was completely surprised. I think you might be, too.






Grade: A

Remember Jackson's Bar & Grille? It didn't last long. In its spot is "Tropics Restaurant and Bar," a restaurant that has a Hawaiian theme.

This is the third restaurant I've known of in that location since I moved to Morgantown. I can only assume it doesn't do very well because of the location and how it's hidden all the way at the back - 2500 Cranberry Square. But my experience at this place was the best of the locations, yet, so hopefully it breaks the curse.

Walking in, it looks similar to the other places with some light-colored wood and nice fixtures. It's clean, classy and looks like the interior probably cost a pretty penny. Tropics has added some Hawaiian-themed photos and decorations, but the bones of this place are still gorgeous.

The menu is pretty expansive with a ton of different offerings. Poke, fish tacos, salads, burgers, Hawaiian-style plates, steak, pizza and more. It's really all over the board. Our waitress was pretty friendly, so I asked for her favorites. She told me the "Mochiko Chicken" is her go-to, so I ordered that.

For an appetizer, I ordered the pork spring rolls. I really don't know if these are homemade or what, but they are amazing. So good. So perfectly crisp on the inside with ribbons of cabbage, pork and veggies on the inside, and it was just pure bliss. Their soy-chili dipping sauce is a great sweet chili sauce that I got extra to use with my main dish.

I even ate some of the garnish. What can I say, I love cabbage.

When the Mochiko chicken came out, it certainly had a presence. Mochiko is a kind of flour used in Hawaii. And this dish is a classic.

The chicken is marinated in soy, garlic and ginger, then lightly breaded in Mochiko flour and fried. It was serve with rice and macaroni salad. And there's some dotted sauce around the edge.

The chicken is quite good. It's just lightly crisped on the outside and hot, white meat inside. It is good, but I really just wanted that balance of flavors (like pineapple would be awesome on this dish, I think), so I dipped a lot of it in that chili sauce that I had. As well as the sauce around the plate. But yes, tasty.

The rice warranted a tablespoon of soy sauce on it, and the macaroni salad was fairly mild, but had a slight hint of banana. Weird, I know. But I confirmed this with my friend.

So, it's good. It's a little different, and I got good vibes. Will go back.

Grade: A

Bartini is just about two months old and is one of a bunch of new businesses popping up at the Suncrest Towne Centre. It's marketing itself as a more high-end establishment focusing on martinis, of course, and higher end appetizers.

One thing it already has going for it is plenty of parking. And it's on a side of town that could use a bar. So, positives all around.

It seems as though its aiming for an older crowd: read "wealthier," but the volume at which they play music had me leaving almost instantly.

We walked through the inside and quickly discovered we wouldn't be able to talk to one another, so we made our way to the outside at one of the furthest points away from the band that was playing.

It is a classier atmosphere, free of sticky floors and other things you would see at many Morgantown bars, so that was good. I just wish I would've been able to talk loud enough over the band to express that sentiment to the two friends I was with.

I ordered a French martini, which was Titos vodka, raspberry liqueur and pineapple for $8. And it was fine. I think if it was colder and had more vodka, less raspberry, I would've been happier.

I also convinced my friends that we should order the grilled mac 'n cheese tomato soup shoots, which is grilled mac 'n cheese, Texas toast and shots of tomato soup. Could it get much more comfort food than that?

We were actually pretty full from dinner earlier, but I wasn't going to leave without trying some food. So,  when it came out, we just started at it for a second.

When I pulled a small triangular macaroni and cheese sandwiched between two buttered pieces of Texas toast, the soup nearly sucked half the sandwich back in. It was incredibly soggy. Either they had been sitting at the counter before they were delivered to us for a while, or the shelf life just isn't very long on those bad boys. If that's the case, they should really consider maybe placing the sandwiches in between the shot glasses or maybe lay the sandwiches on top. Something. Because the sog just wasn't cool.

But for the half of the sandwich that doesn't get soggy, it's not bad. This is something I could totally do at home and it's super marketable. Macaroni and cheese AND grilled cheese? Uh, duh. Who does this not sound good to?

I think it's better in theory than in practice. The macaroni and cheese itself is basic - if it were homemade, that could make this dish amazing. But otherwise it's Kraft on a sandwich, which is really more nostalgic and comforting than fantastic dining. Grilled cheese with some noodle.

So, while it is more of a novelty item, it's tasty, too. It could be kicked up a notch with some really good mac and cheese, though.

Bartini is open Tuesday through Thursday from 4 p.m. to midnight, and Friday and Saturday from 4 p.m. to 3 a.m. For more information on the Bartini, visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/bartini.







Grade: B

Atomic Grill has quickly gained some positive attention in Morgantown during the short time that it's been open - since June 17. I've been hearing a lot of great things about this bbq place, so when I made the trip up there recently, it was first on my list to try.

It's located in the former Hostess store on the intersection of Greenbag Road and Kingwood Pike.I had actually been to the old Hostess store and bought a few fruit pies. It reminds me of the bread store we used to have in Wellsburg.

It does have a parking lot, which is a luxury for many Morgantown restaurants. The inside is quite small. It's just one open room where they placed a bunch of tables, which is odd. I would think some sections or dividers would help break up that space a bit.

It has a very cool vibe, though. Dark colors, some alternative staff - tattoos and piercings galore, and some  locally sourced foods are throughout the menu. I love the locavore movement, just FYI. And the dishes are a little bit more upscale than many other restaurants in town.


A friend told me to start with the Appalachian Bruschetta. Sounds cool, right? It's cornbread crostini served with a variety of regionally influenced toppings. Those toppings ended up being a compound butter, smoke roma ragu, green tomato relish, boursin and collard green pesto.

Definite points for creativity, right?

I didn't blow me away, but I appreciated the thought that went into this dish. They were all fine dipping sauces. I'm not sure cornbread's flavor profile fits perfectly with any of them, but there were a few that I appreciated more than others - the pesto was pretty good, and the soft cheese is good.

Next time I want to try the fried green tomatoes, though.

For the main entree, I went with the ribs because our waitress said they were the best she'd tasted. I thought, well, this could change my entire outlook on ribs. So I did it. I just got the smallest rack I could because it's definitely on the pricey side.

You get to choose which sauce you want, so I asked for a sampler. They essentially have a West Virginia sauce, a hot sauce, a Hawaiian sauce, a horseradish sauce and a vinegar sauce. The West Virginia is the closest to a traditional BBQ, so I went with that.

The ribs came out with a giant portion of fries and also baked beans. I am not a baked beans fan, so those went to my friend Tony.

The ribs were good. They could have been more tender. But if they're locally sourced, I understand that a bit more. The fries were flimsy and not crisp. Not my favorite way to cook fries. I want some crunch going on.

We rounded out the meal with dessert. They pay homage to the roots of the building by offering some pastry-influenced desserts. The one that caught my eye was the Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding. I am, indeed, a bread pudding connoisseur. I've eaten it for many, many years. My family reunion has bread pudding contests.

That's usually a bad sign when I'm trying a restaurant's, because it's tough to live up to that nostalgia and level of expectation. This bread pudding was okay. Essentially, it became this giant cup of soft bread. And I think having some different textures is key to bread pudding. If it's all just this oddly soft goopy mixture, it's not a pleasant thing to eat. It did not taste bad - in fact, the spices used were lovely. But I think having a little crunch would do this dish wonders.

Better than many restaurants in town, but not as great as all the hype I've heard.


Grade: B

For the past couple years, I have posted a ton of restaurant reviews. Some good, some bad, many indifferent. When my blog began to pick up some momentum, some restaurants that I've graded low, or maybe not so low, have contacted me in various ways. Some are angry, and some want to know how they can improve my experience.

Restaurant Redemption is a small series I've created that will allow me to give those restaurants who are keeping up with their social media (notably, my blog) and have made an attempt to rectify a poor or mediocre dining experience. For the restaurants that have contacted me, I'm giving it another dining go. For the most part, I will try a different dish and make note of the previous observations about the experience as a whole.

"Hi Candace, I'm the owner of Ichiban in Charleston. When I read your review I was so disappointed with the experience you had! Warm sushi is not the way it should be served! Please accept my apology for your bad experience. I would love for you to give us another try so we could hopefully change your mind? I think you write really nice reviews and I hope some day we could receive an A from you! Please ask for me if you come back. Thank you for your time and passion about great food!" Laura Lea Miller - August 14, 2011


So, it's been a while. But I wanted to try it again. I've gone to Ichiban for lunch, which I feel is a much better option because it always ends up being cheaper for me.

But on this day, I decided to try something I hadn't had before. I went with a firecracker roll for my new one and lobster maki roll. And a glass of wine. Because wine.

The firecracker is smart. It's a simple, but smart roll because all it's doing is adding some chili powder and chili oil to an otherwise crab, crunch and spicy mayo roll. But it adds a different kind of kick. Albeit the kick was a little much for me, so I tapped off some of the topping. Tasty, simple but unique.

The lobster roll was pretty good. It's the same as many other rolls that are just basically indulgent - cream cheese, avocado, lobster and topped with a sweet sauce - eel sauce. Quite tasty.

The problem with getting these more specialty rolls is that it is so much more expensive. I definitely left spending more than I had hoped to, but the quality of the sushi is better than my previous experience.

It's clear this is marketed as a more upscale sushi experience. And that's totally cool. I just wish I had the extra pocket change to dish out on it more often.

Breaking news sent us to Clay a week or two ago. After hours upon hours on the road, we needed a break for nourishment. We couldn't find a nearby mom and pop place, but Gino's was available. In we went.

I've only been to one other Gino's, and it was in Princeton - or Athens, technically. I wasn't super impressed, but this time around was definitely better.

For some reason, when I saw "calzone," I lit up. I knew immediately that's what I wanted. So, I ordered at the register, also picked up a WV county puzzle, and went into the dining room. The ambiance is much more attractive here. There's actual space, it was clean, and it didn't look like it had seen some tough days. It was nice.

When my calzone came out, it was a large portion, but not embarrassingly large, which I've done before.

I went to town. That fork got a workout. But it was really quite good. Lots of sauce and cheese, and I was really a happy camper. It wasn't dry, it wasn't overdone, it wasn't soggy, the crust was the perfect light crisp on the outside but softer on the inside. It was kind of perfect, actually. I was also starving, so that probably plays into my review here.

I'm sure there are some more local restaurants, and I'd love to try them. But this was quick, easy, and really quite good.

Grade: A