When I visited home this summer, my parents and I went to check out Chiefs Smokin BBQ.



This downtown BBQ team operate out of a tent with the smoker nearby -- and a line at least a handful of people deep.



They serve brisket, pulled pork, ribs, chicken and sides like mac & cheese.



They even have their own merch for sale.



So, my dad ordered enough to feed a small army and we brought it back to the house to dig in. 



I'm not quite sure if I've ever actually had a brisket sandwich - usually I've had brisket on its own. But this was tender, melt-in-your mouth brisket. I love having a bit of bark, but I didn't see any here. Overall, though, not bad!



The macaroni & cheese was homemade, but lacked a bit of flavor. It needed something to punch it up. But, still a nice addition to town for something different. 

Grade: B

I don't know a lot about Hamlin, West Virginia. I know that Chuck Yeager grew up not far from there, and I know there's a Tudor's there from my state biscuit tour.



But I've recently learned about Carnivore BBQ, a popular Hamlin restaurant that folks from Charleston are traveling to check out. So once I saw this popping up all over the place with scrumptious-looking meals, I needed to go check it out. 



Carnivore BBQ started off as a competition-style BBQ team that has turned into a brick-and-mortar destination restaurant. My friend Dawn and I arrived 5 minutes before the restaurant opened on a Sunday, and there were folks already waiting to get in. 



The interior is a mixture of red paint, corrugated steel, wooden planks and the sweet, sweet smells of BBQ. 



Let's talk about the menu. I struggled to narrow down the options - from fried appetizers and pizza to BBQ and over-the-top burgers. I even enlisted our waiter for help - asking what is the most unique or over-the-top or tastiest. He was incredibly patient and helpful.



First, though, as first-time customers, we were treated to samples of pork, brisket and chicken. This gave me the perfect opportunity to also try their regular BBQ, kicker, vinegar and gold. Mmmm. 



My favorites were the regular and the gold - both of which were homemade! 



OK - now, for the first bite. We went with a shared appetizer of Jurassic Fries. This was a heaping portion of fries topped with melted cheese, pulled pork, pickled jalapenos, bacon and ranch on the side. I covered it in the regular bbq sauce for an indulgent, tangy, crispy delight.



For my entree, I had to go with the Caveman Kenny burger, based primarily on curb appeal. LOOK AT THIS THING. That is an entire fried disc of cheese combined with short rib patty, sauteed mushrooms and onions, lettuce, tomato and BBQ aioli. If you're a cheese-lover like me, go get it - now. 



And, if that's not enough cheese, opt for some mac & cheese as a side, like me. Very saucy with some fresh grated cheese on top.



Dessert. They have a revolving slate of desserts, but the one that caught my eye was the s'mores lava cake. Typically, lava cake is not my jam. It seems kinda generic, and chocolate cake isn't my favorite anyway. BUT, s'mores makes everything more appealing.



The cake was not as harsh as chocolate, but was a bit dry. The marshmallow was like a toasted meringue, and it was unreal. So, so good. Overall, quite a nice meal that was a bit different and provided a lovely little scenic drive, too.

Grade: A

Look how cute these products are! Appalachian Huntsman has created some chili mix, steak & brisket dust, and pork & rib rub. I haven't had a chance to try these yet, but I knew I needed to have them. Because of these adorable illustrations - from my fav cryptid artist Liz Pavlovic. 

Have you tried these yet?! I can't wait.

If I could afford it, my regular diet every day would be a charcuterie board. I love snacking, and cheese may be my favorite food group. Paired with fruit, pickles, and other fun nibbles, it's perfection on a plate - or board.



I just learned of KSBoards in Charleston and put in an order as soon as I could. I ordered a small munch box, which included meats, cheeses, spreads and fruit. There are a few different options - like brunch or other snack trays - but this one had me written all over it. And look how cute the little utensils are! 



Ordering was super easy - simply go to the Facebook page, open the Google form, select what you want, receive an invoice then pay! They even did free contactless delivery - which was perfect. 



The Bonne Maman preserves were delish, plus there were crackers, salamis, raspberries, blueberries, grapes, a creamy spread, these cute leaf cheeses and more cheese, olives, pickles, nuts and chocolates! It was so, sooo good. What's your favorite addition to a charcuterie board?

Ray's Rub is a new seasoning blend located in Morgantown that I've been wanting to try. Why this one? Well, it's an all-purpose seasoning blend - meaning it works on beef, pork, turkey, chicken... and the list goes on.



I got lucky and won some on an Instagram contest - 6 to be exact! So, they made perfect little presents for my boyfriend, friends and parents. So, we could all try a little bit.



And - so far, so good! I've used it to season ground beef - and it added some nice flavor! And, maybe, just maybe, it might make an appearance on my Thanksgiving turkey. We shall see. But if you, like me, appreciate an all-in-one, versatile spice that punches up the flavor of everything just a bit - give it a try. 

Taste-of-All looked a little different this year, but I wanted to share some of the delish meals the Generation Charleston group enjoyed!



It was more like a progressive dinner where we stopped at a bunch of different restaurants and had bits and bites at each. 



Our group started at Mea Cuppa at the Capitol Market. Here, I enjoyed a WV Salt + Maple coffee, which was delicious. Love the little bit of salt to bring out the sweetness of the maple.



Next, we made our way to The Block for an appetizer. I went with the Skillet Blue Crab Dip, served with fried pita triangles. 



This was such a huge portion that we had to get extra pita. But it was really tasty. I know some people "yuck" seafood and cheese ... but there's a time and place. And, it's right now. With wine.



Finally, we made a last minute reservation at 1010 Bridge to chow down on our entree.



1010 Bridge is one of the town's most exciting new restaurants, with delicious meals left and right. On this night, they had the bucatini on special. 



It was phenomenal, and topped off with a lavender cocktail? Delish. Where did you go for this year's Taste-of-All? 

When there is ice cream, I will, in fact, travel. And, a while back, I headed over to St. Albans to check out the Crafts of the Coal ice cream truck. While they're currently done for the season, they are doing pints to order! I wanted to be sure to share a little about them before I forgot (and as I'm slowly making my way through my blog backlog).



They had been sitting up next to Crawford Field in St. Albans, dishing out cold treats on warm days. The menu had fairly standard ice cream options like vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry. But the "WV Pothole" seemed to be their specialty with chocolate ice cream, black-tar fudge and chunks of chocolate asphalt. Sara had this and seemed to enjoy it. 



That might be a bit of chocolate overload for me, so I went with cookie dough and added Butterfinger pieces on top of it! Why not? Combining cookies and peanut butter and crunchies made for a unique, but delicious, combo. 



What would your concoction be?

Grade: A 

There is just ONE more Tudor's location to visit after this one in Bluewell. Bluewell is not a place I travel to often, so it took me some time to work this into my schedule.



After some time away from the biscuits, I decided to return to my new favorite: The Politician. This biscuit was a bit different with a half a slab of bologna and an unmelted slice of American cheese. 



So, maybe not the best version. But the biscuit here was delish! Fresh, fluffy and cooked perfectly. 

Grade: B

This location in Elkins has been a few different restaurants, but most recently, it's King's New York Pizza & Restaurant. 



I was first drawn here because I saw on their menu that they offer Chicago-style pizza. I've only seen that a couple times in all of West Virginia, so I wanted to try it out. 



Unfortunately, they weren't serving the Chicago-style during the pandemic with their limited menu. But they still offered their signature New York-style crust. So, I went with a small pizza with mushrooms.



The sauce was a bit sweet, and the crust was soft and chewy - in the best way. I enjoyed this pizza for what it is. I can appreciate the crispy to the soft and everything in between. This had a nice chew to the crust and flavorful toppings.



Grade: A

Have you seen these trendy "Hot Cocoa Bombs"? The first ones I saw were on Facebook from Kelly's Cupcakes and Confections. As soon as I saw these, I thought they looked fun and delicious and I needed them.



After a little planning, I placed my order for six hot cocoa bombs: cookies & cream, white chocolate and salted caramel. Look how beautiful they are! 



While the concept is to drop them into warm milk, and they burst open and reveal marshmallows that then float to the top... I didn't have that experience with any of them. Probably due to user error. But, they were delicious and fun, nonetheless.