Hook & Barrel is a noted seafood restaurant in Myrtle Beach that focuses on local food and  sustainability.



Chef Heidi Vukov started this restaurant and has won many awards, including the 2018 South Carolina Chef Ambassador. 



Hook & Barrel was one of the first places I knew I wanted to dine at when I decided to take a trip to Myrtle Beach because it had been recommended to me a few times. Vukov's other location, Croissants Bistro & Bakery, is also one we'll come back to later. 



The restaurant itself is beachy. Open, airy, light, a large wraparound porch - which is where I chose to have my meal. 



I started with the crackers and pimento cheese, which, wow, is quite the way to start a meal. Super crisp chips with a heavy scoop of cheese and mayo and pimento that is was just hitting all the right notes.



I ordered a crab cake before I knew of the delightful complimentary pimento cheese appetizer, but I always love a crab cake. These three mini ones were plump with a flavorful remoulade. The cakes had hunks of crab, perfect seasoning and just a delicious pairing with the creamy sauce. 



The menu spans from fresh oysters and she crab soup to smoked shrimp & grits and pan-seared scallops. The latter is the one I landed on, which came with celery root puree, sauteed kale and roasted mushrooms. A beautiful scallop is special thing. That nice sear gives way to a meaty scallop that is slightly sweet. Paired with the puree, kale and mushrooms - it really was a perfect dish.

Grade: A

Summersville is home to a restaurant called The Local.



With a name like that, I'm expecting local beer, local music and local food. 



The space gives more of a country bar and grill vibe, and it seems like it's more popular in the evening than during lunch time.



The menu features burgers, fried apps, hot dogs, a couple salads, and two chicken sandwiches. 



To start with, we decided to try some pretzel bites that were topped with salt and had a cheese dipping sauce. I liked that they were cut on the diagonal so it made it a lot easier to eat the individual pieces - which were almost toasted. Cheese was fine. 



Friends opted for a hot dog and different burger, which they both enjoyed. And I may have sampled. 



It's tough for me to ever pass up macaroni and cheese so when I saw macaroni and cheese placed on top of a burger, I knew I needed to try that. First - that bacon blue cheese. I love blue cheese on a burger - I just don't love floppy bacon. It was OK.



For the mac burger, I always appreciate the cheese, but it really needs something to make it pop so I can appreciate that creamy dairy. Like a sriracha or honey or something that helps punch it up. Overall, it was fine - a little cold... but I do enjoy a crispy fry with garlic.

Grade: C

OK, so we are finishing up our rounds at the local Gino's Pizza and Spaghetti restaurants. And that took us to Grantsville, West Virginia, which is not a place that I visit often. So, I made a special trip here just to check out their Gino's. At this point I have tried most of the menu items that I'm interested in, and I have gravitated toward a few favorites.



One of those is the boneless wings in their tangy mustard sauce. I've also noticed that a few locations so far make their own blue cheese dressing, which is really special. So these wings were a little bit on the dry side, as you can see from the photo. But they had the signature tangy mustard flavor, which I really enjoy. The main draw here, for me, was that homemade blue dressing. It really is quite tasty if you can find it. So, overall, much like many of the other locations but extra points for that blue cheese.

Grade: B

I came across this mini donut truck in Barboursville recently, and I was excited to check out what they had to offer.



O Goodness Mini Donuts offers teeny tiny donuts by the dozen with both classic and specialty flavors: cinnamon sugar, powdered sugar, glazed, peanut butter lovers, maple bacon and fruity pebbles. 



I threw caution to the wind and ordered a dozen. You can split the dozen into two flavors, so I went with peanut butter lovers and fruity pebbles. 



I actually really liked the texture of these little guys. They had an ever so slight chew that was really satisfying. And the toppings, of course, took them over the top. It's kind of a fun experience to eat a bowl of donuts with a fork - plus fruity cereal and peanut butter candies. It doesn't really get much better.

Grade: A

The Juice Box has opened a location in Kanawha City, in addition to its Hurricane location. 



They offer cold press juices, cleanses, "shots," smoothies and acai bowls.



When I visited he Hurricane location, I tried the Tropical Smoothie, and I enjoyed it.



So, this time, I had to go with something just a littttttle different. The kind gentleman working encouraged me to try the "Blue Breeze" acai bowl. 



It's actually pretty similar to the tropical smoothie with banana, pineapple, kiwi, raspberry, coconut, peanut butter, honey, blue spiralina and hemp seed. 



It was the last two that sorta threw me. Blue spirulina? Apparently it's a superfood algae that can be bitter - which is why it's mixed in with all those sweet fruits. Hemp seed? These don't seem to have much flavor but add some nutritional value.



And in the finished product? I couldn't taste anything ~different~. In fact, the bowl was really good. I loved the contrasting flavors with the fruits and oats. There was a perfect proportion of ingredients so it didn't feel like one big soupy mass or just a thick bunch of oats. It was a beautiful medium, and it's definitely something I'd try again. It was sweet, refreshing and satisfying.

Grade: A

There's a new restaurant in Nitro that is serving up some monster portions. 1st Place Cafe is a small spot at the corner of 1st and 2nd avenues with dark windows with a handful of parking spots out front.



The interior has maybe a dozen tables sprinkled throughout the space, a couple TVs and the singular neon menu board that lists the options for the day. 



As soon as I walked in, the kinda gentleman running the show that day came out to explain each individual menu item to me - and he did so for each group that walked in. The menu boiled down to burgers, a chicken sandwich and a hot dog that all came with a heaping pile of fries. Drinks are extra.



I went with a cheeseburger, which he had explained is not just ground chuck - but sirloin. I also added a side of the blue cheese sauce he mentioned was developed as part of the chicken sandwich. But, I thought it could be a great dipping sauce for those fries. 



After a short wait, my order was up, and I whisked it away to the car to hurriedly unwrap my meal. The burger was wrapped in paper with a pick in the center to keep it all together. I'm not joking when I say I think this is the largest burger I've ever had in my life. Initially, I thought I could eat it while driving to my next errand. But upon seeing the size, there was no physical way that was going to happen.



Let me try to break it down - the burger is very wide. It's a two-handed experience at best, a fork-and-knife experience more likely. It has a large fluffy bun and a salad's worth of lettuce, tomato, onion and fresh pickle atop a hefty burger patty. There's cheese and mayo and mustard and ketchup and they are not skimpy on any of those ingredients. They combine to make a tangy sauce that just dripped with every bite. It was fresh and flavorful and like a tasty backyard BBQ burger on steroids. 



The fries are softer with a ton of seasonings - including a cajun spice that gives it a little kick. I wouldn't hate mine being more crisp, but the flavor is still good. I enjoyed dipping mine in the blue cheese dressing. This could easily be two meals - but I'm not judging if it's one.



Grade: A

My subscription box just came in this week - let's look and see what we got:

Mud & Maker - Flower Frog
Turn any vase into a jar! Ceramic discs are punched out to allow for fresh floral ((or dried, either would work)) stems to be arranged over any jar or vessel.

Tait Farm Foods - Thumbprint Cookie Mix
Thumbprint Cookies are a timeless holiday cookie and our Thumbprint Cookie Mix makes whipping up a batch something that happens in no time at all! The name 'thumbprint' comes from the fact that you use your "thumb" to make an indentation into each ball of shortbread-like dough. The indentation is then filled with your favorite Tait Farm Foods jam, preserve or conserve. This is one cookie that the entire family can create together at holiday time or any time! 1 lb. ​

Southern City Flavors - Strawberry Jam
This delicious jam is bursting with flavor of homegrown strawberries.

Charleston Bee Works - Hare Candle
Made with beeswax from Parsons, West Virginia’s mountain honey bees. These gorgeous candles are hand poured in Charleston, West Virginia. Available in Hare, Wood Grain, and Taper Pair.

Scamps - Milk Chocolate Toffee
Warm, rich, buttery toffee hand broken and enveloped in a traditional Swiss milk chocolate. Located in the idyllic village of Ligonier, Pennsylvania. Each bite is a marriage made in sweet heaven.

Mama Geraldine's - Pimento Cheese Fries  
Savory Classic Cheese Straws with Smoked Paprika and a hint of Olive.

Breathe Wine & Culture Co. is a cute beer, wine and specialty store in Cross Lanes.



The store has a great selection of local beer, unique wines and so much more that falls under that "culture" label.



They serve lunch Monday through Wednesday from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. with sandwiches, salads and sides.



They also have a cooler full of grab-and-go options like salads, charcuterie trays, hummus plates, chicken salads croissants and more.



And, they have flavored coffee and tea for purchase.



I took a few laps around, collecting goodies to purchase before taking a look at the lunch options. 



I ended up purchasing an assortment of items so I could try a few different things (my motto). 



I started with a pepperoni roll, which were packaged on the counter. I asked if they were made in house, but the person working wasn't quite sure. 



They were OK - a lot of bread, so a bit dry.



But, I also ordered a strawberry tea. I think I'm the only person south of the Mason-Dixon Line who doesn't enjoy sweet tea (though I do like Brisk), so I wasn't sure what to expect.



I ordered a strawberry tea, and it was pretty refreshing. It still has the bitterness of tea that I don't love, but the flavor of the strawberry helped.



The star of the show, however, was the charcuterie plate I bought that came with spinach dip, cheese, chicken, pita, grapes, chocolate, salami, olives and strawberries.



This is really my preferred meal, any time of day. I like snacking, and I love the creamy and the sweet and the bitter all together. 



Have you visited this place yet? If not, what are you waiting for?

Grade: A

I have seen Scragglepop Kettlecorn in shops or events in the area, but I had no idea they had their own space in the mall in Barboursville.



"A lifetime of being unhappy with the popcorn that was found in holiday tins and local events, owner Dale Scragg sought to change that with his own kettlecorn creation, Scragglepop. After 13 years, Dale found the recipe to cure his popcorn unhappiness by creating a kettlecorn that is gluten-free, has zero trans-fat and uses no peanut oil. He created a snack that is better for you, more flavorful, and will never be stale, unlike the popcorn that you normally find in holiday tins and in the chip aisle at the store."



The kettle corn comes in a few different varieties, like chocolate, caramel apple, blueberry vanilla and more.  I tend to like the original flavor because it still has the integrity of the popcorn flavor - just ab it sweeter. Which is your favorite?