In the Charleston-Huntington area, there really aren't a ton of places to find a macaron.

Macarons are s a confection made up of two round, flat, almond-flour-based cookies sandwiching a filling like cream, ganache or jam - not the shredded coconut mound cookies.

So when Abbey Shae Bakes burst onto the scene on four wheels dishing out unique flavored macarons, it shot up on my list of places to try. I recently was able to catch her in Huntington.

She had strawberry lemonade, salty caramel, orange creamsicle, cookies & cream and cotton candy flavors. I had to try one - or two - of each. Wow! She now has her fall flavors out, so be sure to catch her.

Marmet is home to a new ice cream shop: Kups & Kones.

They have a few different ice cream flavors that can be made into a milkshake, float, sundae, banana split and more.

I went for a "cookie dough extreme" sundae topped with caramel and a cherry.

Have you been?

Taste of Asia has a few locations in West Virginia: South Charleston, Huntington and Teays Valley.

The restaurant focuses on Chinese, sushi, hibachi, Thai and more, so it's kind of a one-stop-shop for everything Asian.

Because it was unique to this location, I tried the "Teays Valley Roll," which had shrimp tempura, mango, spicy crab salad, spicy mayo, eel sauce and masago - all things I love!

What's your favorite thing here?

Alfredo's Bistro has a few locations in West Virginia, and I'm slowly making my way to all of them!

The menus are pretty much the same with Italian and Greek fare, so I've been trying different things.

First, I started with a house salad, which comes with feta, olives and red onion.

Then, came the garlic bread to eat with my pasta.

And finally chicken parmesan! Any pasta topped with sauce and cheese has my name written all over it.

Have you been?

The Mid Valley Mart in Hurricane is like three businesses in one. It's a gas station and general convenience store. It's a coffee shop. And it's also a restaurant.

I was able to experience the first two, but the restaurant portion doesn't open til evening. That will have to wait for another day.

The shop has snack foods, like chips and candy, as well as a wine selection.

And the coffee bar has a number of specialty drinks, and the one that sounded most delicious on this day was the caramel frappuccino - but then again, when doesn't it sound delicious?

It's nice to have all these offerings in one place. Have you been to Beans 'N Cream Cafe?

Tom's is well-known in the Oak Hill area for having tasty hot dogs.

I had to go try my hand. I went for a Tom's Hot Dog on an English bun topped with slaw, mustard and onions - with the shugar chili.

Now that I've had this kind of chili, I don't think I could ever go back.

Some time ago, a friend told me that L&R BBQ is the best BBQ in the state. With that kind of ringing endorsement, it shot to the top of my "to try" list - which, is quite long.

I made the trek to Hurricane on a snowy weekend to check it out. Walking in, there were many folks enjoying their lunch, and I took a quick look over the short menu to figure out my order.

I settled on the Pork BBQ Sandwich with a side of macaroni & cheese. This is my go-to because it's usually delicious.

After just a few minutes, my order was ready and I was back on the road. The sandwich was not pulled pork like I'm used to, but more thick cuts that are slathered in a tangy sweet BBQ sauce. Yum!


The macaroni & cheese was a healthy portion that had just a slight bit of a kick to it!

What's your favorite BBQ in West Virginia?

There's a new coffee shop in Kanawha City.

Daily Dose Cafe is a cute shop offering coffees, pastries and more.

The interior has these cool-toned chairs, a fireplace and a few other little seating areas.

Looking over the menu, I couldn't decide, so I had to go with a few different items!

First, I went for a caramel frappuccino. Always. Do you sense a trend?

Then, I went with a coffee cake. I really love coffee cake.

Finally, the thing I was most excited about: a salmon bagel.

It wasn't quite a bagel & lox (no capers or red onion, either). But it hit the spot.

Have you been here?

West Virginia is now home to a ramen restaurant - the first of which I'm familiar with.

Suka Ramen, located in Hurricane, has more than just ramen on their menu, though. They also have sushi, poke bowls, curry and hibachi. 

But since ramen is the namesake, I decided to try that out. They have a handful of main kinds: miso ramen, tonshio ramen, shoyu ramen, shio ramen and more.

I'm not the best person to describe these different types, but here's a quick explainer:


I ultimately ended on the "miso" ramen because I read that it's a bit sweeter. And more familiar with those of us who have had miso soup at some point. Next time, I want to try the seafood with udon, because I like my noodles a bit thicker and denser.  Which is your favorite?