Harts is a small town in southern West Virginia that recently found some news coverage for one of its restaurants. Creeker's Diner and Dana's Sweet Selections Bakery are a two-for-one deal. On either side of the space, there are counters. One is for the diner side, and the other is for the bakery side.



Creeker's has a diner feel with checkered floors, bright red vinyl seating and old-school car decorations. They serve up burgers, loaded fries, sandwiches and fried appetizers.



But I've heard their burgers are where it's at, so I ordered a classic with American cheese, onion, tomato, ketchup, and mayo. Plus a side of tater tots. And maybe an order of hot pepper cheese balls (I love hot pepper cheese balls!).



The burger was clearly hand-pattied and homemade. There was a great blend of spices that made it flavorful. Tater tots were good, and the hot pepper cheeseballs are always a favorite.



Then I ventured to the other side of the space to check out all the sweets.



The case was full of pastries, donuts, cream horns, cookies and small cakes. I got some cake balls that were strawberry cake AND fondant, and they were delicious.



There are even some tasty desserts from another bakery - Tammy's Custom Cookies - there. And, I tried a chocolate dipped rice krispie treat.



Grade: A

I've never been to Harts, West Virginia - that I can recall. But two restaurants prompted a recent visit: Creekers and Sam's Hot Dog Stand. I'll talk about the former later, but let's chat about the latter.



Sam's Hot Dog Stand has just a few more locations I need to visit. A friend recently asked me if there's really much difference between the locations. And, there's not really. Sometimes they have a local favorite. But, mostly, I have a list and I want to complete it.



The Harts location is located in a gas station, along with a Subway, too. This Sam's Hot Dog Stand is a mash-up of hot dogs and pizza from Godfather's. They have a little bit of everything - which I imagine is necessary in small towns that don't have a ton of other options.



The hot dog I ordered was a regular steamed bun, mild chili, slaw and onion. It's a standard Sam's hot dog, though I did like how the chili was a bit thicker here. What's your favorite Sam's hot dog?

Roadrunners Grill is a small restaurant in Nitro that specializes in American food, like soups, salads, sandwiches and burgers.



Dawn and I went to check it out, after I had heard some good reviews of the food. The restaurant is attached to an antique store and has a similar feel itself - lots of old decor on the walls and a random collection of Nascar, religious symbols and tools.



The menu is pretty straightforward. Dawn went with a burger, fries and mozzarella sticks.



And I went with soup and a sandwich.



Sweet beefy cabbage soup is not a combination of words I typically see together, but it piqued my interest. And, it tasted like a cabbage roll in soup form - with just a hint of sweetness, which really just tapered down the acidic nature of the tomato.



The sub had ham, pepperoni, provolone, tomato, onion, lettuce and served with a side of what seemed to me to be a mix of ranch and Italian. Definitely interesting.

Grade: B

Just a quick ode to everything ramps. I love when local places make dishes with ramps during this time of year. And, I scooped up this ramp bagel at Starlings Coffee & Provisions last week. Yum.

During MOV Restaurant Week - Mid-Ohio Valley Restaurant Week - I wanted to make sure I knocked at least one restaurant off my list here.



This restaurant week encompasses restaurants from Ohio to Parkersburg down to Ripley. I wanted to find a West Virginia restaurant, of course, and the only one on the list that I hadn't tried yet was Bogey's BBQ & Grille.



Located on a golf course, this restaurant focuses on BBQ and other homestyle favorites. But for restaurant week, they showed off a few other options.



Appetizers were either fried green tomatoes or pepperoni rolls - of course I went with the latter. They were rolled up like an eggroll and very crisp on the outside with grill marks. They had a ton of oozing cheese, which I love, and a side of marinara.



For my entree, I went with the prime rib. It was served as one thick piece in its own au jus. It was pretty fatty, but when I got bites of meat, it was great.



The two sides I chose were macaroni & cheese and potato salad. Both decent.



And for dessert, I went with fried cheesecake - which was wrapped up and crispy just like the pepperoni rolls. Topped with caramel and whipped cream, you can't really go wrong with this dessert. Creamy cheesecake in a fried exterior. And sweet on sweet on sweet.



Grade: B

There's a brand new winery right in Morgantown called Findley Martin, which is named after the owners' two favorite lake vacations growing up.



"Looking out at her Concord grape vine, Amy asked Murray, "How hard could it be to make wine?" After recalling the hilarity of Lucille Ball and her friend, Ethel stomping grapes, Amy and Murray set-out to learn how to turn fruit into wine. As it turns out, winemaking isn't so easy. We did a lot of research, met some incredibly helpful winemakers, and fermented numerous batches of wine in our kitchens before "going pro."



Proudly made in West Virginia, the business name Findley Martin was inspired by our favorite places...Findley Lake, New York and Lake Martin, Alabama. We hope our award-winning wines remind you of spending good times with friends by your favorite body of water!"



Sam and I stopped here and had a great conversation with the owners while sampling each of the wines: cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir, sauvignon blanc and muscat canelli. They were each tasty and well-balanced.



One of the cool things about this winery is how collaborative they are with other businesses, including Presque Isle Candy Co., which I had to try - butter pecan brittle and pretzel brittle.



Have you been here yet? Which is your favorite wine?



Let me know in the comments!

The owners of Bridge Road Bistro in Charleston have begun a new venture in Huntington: Sunset Grill. The restaurant sources a lot of its ingredients locally. And, they also serve as a live music venue.



Dawn and I made our way here to try it out, and it just so happened to be on Valentine's Day. Don't worry, we split the check.



We started with some bread, which looked pretty good. I think it would be even better warm.



For my main dish, I went with the Bay Scallops, with roasted garlic butter, lemon parsley and red onion, heirloom carrots and I subbed in creamy parmesan polenta (which sounded more exciting to me than almond rice pilaf).



These were little guys, but they were tasty. There was a nice crisp and bits of crunchy garlic so it had some nice texture variation to go with the soft scallops. The polenta was tasty too. All in all, a good meal.

Grade: B

I was finally able to dig some of my own ramps!



This is something I've wanted to do for years, but folks tend to guard their ramp patches. Luckily, a friend shared hers with me. So I dug just a few, cleaned them up and added them to some of my meals. They're great for anything that may call for scallions or garlic.



Like a green bean and sweet pepper stir fry.



And a creamy, cheesy corn dip with bacon.



And a lemon gnocchi with basil, radishes, artichokes and goat cheese.

MonValley Vineyards is a new winery in Fairmont that truly looks like a wine cellar just off a countryside. Walking in, we saw the beautiful build-outs that house the wine, and I couldn't wait to dig in.



Sam and I shared samples so we were able to try a little bit of everything. They have dry to sweet, with my favorites being somewhere in the middle.



Rapsberry, blackberry, syrah and shiraz were all tasty. But the sweet mango was different and so much fun to try.



Have you been here yet? Which is your favorite?

Dream Day Cafe is a new restaurant in Nitro, which also specializes in catering and events. They serve lunch during weekdays, so during a free day, I made my way over there.



The interior is cute, with a slightly industrial meets country vibe. There are just about a dozen or so tables inside, and they were all full on the day I visited.



But I was able to snag one and take a look at the menu. They serve up breakfast options like eggs and French toast. For lunch, there are Philly cheesesteaks, burgers and wraps.



One of the more unique menu options was the "monte cristo" - not something you find on every menu. That with a side of macaroni & cheese was calling my name.



The sandwich had a lot, a lot of breading which made it a bit soggy. The flavors were all there, but I think it could use about half the amount of breading. But I love the ooey cheese, ham and sweet preserves.



The macaroni & cheese was solid and freshly made. And, it came with a generous amount of bacon. I think there are probably a few kinks to work out - with service, too - but this was good, as is.



Grade: B

It's my favorite time of month - Appalachian Mercantile Box day!

This month includes Route 11 potato chips: Route 11 Potato Chips came knocking because they needed just the right salt for their newest flavored chip. Our salt was the perfect answer and a partnership was made. You won't want to eat any other potato chip after tasting this salty and spicy combo. Only 4 ingredients: potatoes, sunflower oil, JQD salt and cracked black pepper.

In a Jam Heirloom Tomato Jam: Andrea Duke, of Parkersburg, WV makes these delicious jams and jellies from local fruits and vegetables. The heirlom tomato jam is excellent on a hamburger or grilled salmon. Try the salted watermelon jelly on a cheese board with your favorite blue cheese. Paw paws are a local Appalachian fruit that taste like a combination of mango and banana, which makes this fruit butter perfect for toast. The wild ramp jelly is delicious on sandwiches, or poured over cream cheese as an appetizer. The mission fig jam is a great accompaniment to hard cheese such as Manchego and aged Gouda.

J.Q. Dickinson Spicy Dark Chocolate Caramel Sauce: J.Q. Dickinson's organic caramel sauces are a necessity in the pantry for a quick, delicious dessert. Heat gently in the microwave then pour over ice cream, pie, pound cake, or fresh fruit. Made with organic sugar, cream and butter. The bourbon caramel has the addition of Black Draft Distillery bourbon. The dark chocolate and spicy dark chocolate are made with Appalachian Chocolate Company's organic bean to bar dark Peruvian chocolate. The spicy dark chocolate caramel has the addition of a hint of ghost pepper.

Snake Oil Hot Sauce: Once you taste this hot sauce, made by Woodberry Pantry in Baltimore, it will become the only hot sauce you will use. Made from heirloom fish peppers, cider vinegar and JQD salt, it has the perfect heat level and rich flavor to compliment and enhance almost any dish.

Stone House Lavender Lip Balm: Stone House Lavender started growing lavender in central WV in 2017. This lip balm is soothing and refreshing. Great to always have on hand.

Durham Woodworking Cutting Board: This cutting board is made from WV oak and walnut. It is great in the kitchen for smaller projects or use to serve cheeses. 9" x 6". A great gift or addition to your own kitchen. Rub with mineral oil or beeswax to keep it seasoned.