Located in Hamlin, M&R Restaurant is a small, hometown restaurant that features home-cooking in a comfortable atmosphere.  



The restaurant has vinyl booths and well-loved country decorations. They have seasonal decorations and snacks at the counter for purchase.



The menu has daily specials and many local favorites: fried chicken, open-faced roast beef, shrimp dinner, etc. On this particular day,  I was so excited to try chicken and dumplings.



The fluffy biscuits are the base, topped with some pulled chicken and the little plump dumplings have that toothsome bite that just makes them so satisfying. This is a real, down-home comfort food. Adding the green beans and small potatoes rounded it out. 



What would've taken this over the top was maybe some fresh herbs on the dumplings to give it some freshness and color. Or even just a touch of lemon juice to wake up the green beans and cut through some of the heaviness.



Grade: B

I know that charcuterie is trendy right now, but truth be told, I've always love eating like this. I used to buy a bunch of different small blocks of fancy cheese, some salami, crackers and mustard and call it a day. Now that that concept is amplified to the nth degree with specialty cheeses, delicious condiment, all sorts of fruit, etc., I am so here for it.



Le Charcutier is located in Morgantown and offers a weekly charcuterie box that is available to purchase on Wednesday and pick up on Friday. I was really lucky they were willing to work with me on a pick-up date to accommodate when I would be coming through town.



This last week's box included truffle cheddar, brie, borgonzola, blueberry vanilla goat cheese, and aged cheddar, plus olives, cornichons, assorted cured meats, nuts, dried fruit, and other accoutrements. The cheeses in this box were the best I've had in a charcuterie box. And, I LOVED the cherries! I never can find cherries locally. All together, delicious.

Grade: A

I don't know about you, but my favorite kinds of salads are the ones with tons of toppings. I'm talking egg, tomato, cheese, something crunchy, maybe some beets, I don't know. Something delicious. But, of course, that comes at a hefty price. That's why - sometimes - it's nice to go to a place where they assemble it for you.



If you're like me, then Rubi's Salad Haus may be right up your alley. This counter-service restaurant allows you to build salads exactly to your specifications. You can choose as many or as few ingredients as you would like from a very long list of options.



And, if you're not feeling a salad, they do also have soup, flatbreads, avocado toast and more. 



Their variety of toppings numbers more than 60. Peppers, carrots, onions, egg, olives, peas, mushrooms, beets, broccoli, cabbage, chickpeas, corn, tomatoes, cheese, cucumbers, nuts, fruit and other proteins.



For my salad, I went with a base of spring greens topped with egg, tomato, cheese, mushrooms, olives and some other things I'm probably forgetting. 



And, to top it all off, I went with Rubi's Haus dressing, which is like a sweeter vinaigrette. 

It's so fresh; I felt totally safe, and. I was excited to get to try something new. To make a salad like this at home, I would've spent a fortune in ingredients and would have to eat nothing but salad for a week so the vegetables didn't go bad. 



So, this is a cool option when you're in the mood.



Have you tried it? 

Grade: A

Located in Weirton, Sweet Temptations offers specialty cakes and dessert items, as well as light lunch fare like sandwiches and soups. 



I had already had lunch, so I was in the market for some dessert. I did see that they were offering chicken salad, meatballs, hot dogs, chili and more.



On this particular day, they had cupcakes, some turnovers, cakes, and a handful of other sweet offerings. The little temptation that stuck out to me was a strawberry cheesecake. It looks like a little tiered cake. How adorable is that? 



The dessert was good - though the texture wasn't as creamy as I had hoped. And, overall, the process of ordering was a bit odd - no one was in there, and then when the woman arrived, she was curious how I knew about the place. After I ordered, I was blocked in trying to leave. But, they make a decent cheesecake.

Grade: B

Like I mentioned before, there are a handful of T&L Hot Dogs locations in the North Central WV area. And, I can't leave a list unfinished. So, I made my way to the location on Old Bridgeport /hill.



This space has a real diner feel with neon lights, checkerboard decor and vinyl booth seating. 



First, I went for a cookies & cream milkshake. It was really thick, but also pretty good once it loosened up a bit. 



I went for a hot dog, as one should, and it was pretty consistent with the other T&L versions I've had. The bun is soft, the chili was a bit dry, and the slaw has a more loose consistency - I tend to like a more cohesive, almost paste-like slaw. BUT, overall, a decent hot dog for lunch.



Grade: B

Morgantown always feels like home to me. Like, I spent my young adult years here and truly grew a lot. Part of that growth, I think, is trying new foods. So, whenever I get to come back "home," I'm always excited to try new places.



Zeke's Breakfast & Bakes is located on High Street and is slinging coffee, breakfast sandwiches and other goodies. Think breakfast cafe - from some of Charleston's best beverage folks (Apothecary Ale House owner & latte artist).



The space isn't huge - but it's airy. It's clean, and it's pretty quick. I ordered a bacon, egg and cheese bagel, as well as a latte. The sandwich was tasty - if not just a touch over for me - but the coffee was phenomenal. I'm glad to see a spot with a new twist in this college town. Check out this straight-forward shop to fill your belly and start your day off right.

Grade: A

Broadway Sandwich Shop, located in Parkersburg, takes you back to a simpler time. 



From the outside weathered awnings and simple sign to the letterboard menu and cash-only signs, Broadway Sandwich Shop puts on no facade. 



And, the service - like the space - is a little rough around the edges. They don't want to wait, they want you to know what you want and they want you to move on. 



When I got to the front of the line, I recited the order I had been repeating in my head - one cheeseburger.



Almost as soon as I ordered, my burger was ready. It was small - maybe the size of my palm - and was wrapped in a cellophane paper. 



It didn't even really have time to melt the cheese, but I really enjoyed it. The experience was fun - though a bit intimidating - and the burger was a good pre-game to the bigger lunch I would have later in the day. It was just a few bites really - but it's also only a little over a buck - so well-worth it. Fresh flavors, no frills and a simple meal.



Grade: A

Here is my latest column for the Charleston Gazette-Mail:

You know how they say “as American as apple pie”?

Pie makes up a huge slice of American cuisine. Think apple pie during the Fourth of July. Pumpkin pie during Thanksgiving. Summer pies with fresh fruit.

In particular, a whole slate of pies became popular during times of hardship like the Great Depression and World War II.

“Depression pies” were made from what staple ingredients were available: butter, sugar, eggs, flour, etc. These pies were created from sheer practicality, a virtue ingrained in the Appalachian culture.

Because of those similarities, many of these pies have remained popular in our region. Let’s talk about five of the most popular ones:

Buttermilk Pie

Made with sugar, butter, eggs, buttermilk and wheat flour, buttermilk pie is associated with Southern cuisine. It often includes lemon juice and zest for a little extra zing. The creamy filling is often thickened with flour and it’s all housed in a buttery pastry crust. The now-shuttered Bluegrass Kitchen in Charleston served my favorite version of this pie: blueberry buttermilk pie. If you need to try it, you can still order it at Starlings Coffee & Provisions. You won’t regret it.

Chess Pie

Similar to buttermilk pie, chess pie makes use of sugar, butter and eggs. But it uses cornmeal, rather than flour. The creamy, pale yellow filling is gooey and sweet and dense. The origin of its name is unclear, but some say it’s because the pie used to be stored in a pie chest, or “chess,” while others say that the name is derived from it being simple — “it’s ches’ pie.”

Vinegar Pie

If you have sugar, butter, flour and vinegar, you can make this sweet and tangy pie. Vinegar was added to pies in lieu of elusive and expensive fresh apples or lemons. The vinegar creates a tart flavor that pairs perfectly with the sweet sugar base.

Sugar Cream Pie

Likely originating with Shaker communities in Indiana or Pennsylvania, Sugar Cream Pie usually consists of sugar, cream, vanilla and flour all set in a pie shell. And, it’s even Indiana’s official state pie.

Water Pie

Water, flour, sugar, vanilla and butter are combined in a pie crust to create a delicious dessert that can be made when fresh fruit is unavailable or too expensive.

There are many more “make-do” pies, including shoo fly, mock apple and mincemeat. The ingredients all differ slightly, but what connects them all together is that they were developed from available ingredients. Whether that’s a lack of refrigeration, seasonal fruits or cash, those ingredient shortcomings made way for ingenuity and creativity in the form of pie.

Eggs, flour, sugar, grains and dried fruits were more accessible than high commodity items and made their way into pies with the resourcefulness of housewives. And they’ve persevered throughout Appalachia due to those same qualities that made them popular in the first place.

So if you value resourcefulness, I think that’s as good an excuse as any to enjoy a slice of pie. Or five.

I was so excited about discovering Gino's pubwich, that I decided to go try it again at a different location. 



Setting my sights on Malden, I put in an order for another pubwich and a small order of the boneless wings.



The sandwich, which is made up of ham, mozzarella, provolone, mayo, tomato and sweet onion, kinda looked like it was made inside out. It didn't have the nice golden brown all over like my previous one. It was also messier, so I had pieces falling out as I was eating it. It wasn't bad, but I was not as excited as I was with the Hurricane location.



The wings are pretty similar - I enjoy this tangy gold flavor. But instead of a cup of homemade bleu cheese, I got a packet of dressing. Not nearly as tasty. 



Grade: B

"If you don't want to go out and buy cookies, worry no more! You can have high quality cookies shipped or delivered to your door. Classics and new creations that are as sweet as their name."



That is Cookie Crush Creations' motto. The Charleston-based business has some fun cookie flavors you can order - plus you can even do a subscription box full of cookies! 



These are the flavors available:
Classic:
Chocolate Chip
Peanut Butter
Sugar
Oatmeal ( chocolate chip, white chocolate chip, raisin)
White Chocolate Macadamia
Snickerdoodle
No bake Chocolate Peanut Butter
Chocolate Sugar Cookies
Specialty:
Chocolate Fudgy Peanut Butter
M&M Peanut Butter
Toffee Cookies
Kit Kat Cookies
Malt Ball Cookies
White Chocolate Citrus Oatmeal
Lemon Zest Sugar
Orange Creamsicle Delight
Butterfinger
S’more
Fruity Pebble
Reese Cup Cookies

I ordered a dozen with: Smores, fruity pebbles, reese, butterfinger, KitKat, and toffee. The toffee is my favorite - and they all come with this drizzle on top. Have you tried them yet?

If you've ever picked up a pepperoni roll that has colorful writing on the front denoting if it was regular, cheese or hot pepper cheese, you might have had a Home Industry pepperoni roll. 



The legendary bakery is featured in my book, and they're known for having their products in Sheetz throughout the area. Not only that, but I love the ones they make with sauce and peppers already inside. So tasty.



Not too long ago, they moved locations into a much larger warehouse on Mount Clare Road in Clarksburg. 



So, I wanted to check them out and try some of their other offerings - like their donuts. I tried one that was jelly-filled, and it was delish. 



But they have plenty more - powdered, sprinkled, etc. Plus, they have plenty of other goodies - like these pretzels I picked up. 



What's your favorite thing here?