Koba Cafe in Vienna offers Vietnamese and Korean food, in addition to bubble tea.



They have a little bit of everything - from fish cakes and wings to pho and kalbi.



I started with pork belly bao buns. They were served with jalapenos, cilantro and house sauce. I will always order these when I see them on a menu, because I love the bun itself. it is what I imagine biting into a cloud would taste like. But these had a bright, punchy flavor.



My bubble tea was the brown sugar flavor with boba - my favorite. It was very creamy.



Finally, I'm always searching for the high of a homemade bulgogi I once enjoyed with a friend's family. Koba Cafe's version had a nice sweet and salty flavor, but it wasn't quite as tender as I would have liked. I enjoyed it with rice and kimchi, nonetheless.



Grade: B

The Grill on Third is a steakhouse in Huntington that opened in the last year or so.



They offer brunch, soups, salads, handhelds, pasta, chicken, seafood and, of course, steak.



I started with the "Cremini-Boursin Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms" basted in herb-garlic butter and topped with toasted panko breadcrumbs. Give me a juicy mushroom stuffed with cheese any day.



Next was Steak Diane - prime angus sirloin medallions with brandy cream reduction, cremini mushrooms, caramlized onions and served with brussel sprouts with bacon, caramelized onions and balsamic reduction. Plus a side of fresb herb creamy risotto with shaved parmesan. Because it was a to-go order, it's not the most beautiful presentation. But it was very flavorful.



Grade: A

Cosmo was a high-end lounge in Morgantown that I visited just before it closed.



It certainly catered more to the nightlife vibe, with dim lights and a giant colorful bar. But the food is what drew us in.



My friend Kayla and I visited for a very early dinner and split a few appetizers. There was a good selection - from nibbles and small plates to entrées and desserts.



We tried the crab artichoke toast, which was tasty but I wanted it even creamier. The truffle fries had a trio of yummy sauces: curry ketchup, salsa brava and roasted garlic aïoli.



The cheesesteak eggrolls were not bad. They came with shaved ribeye, caramelized onions, peppers, provolone cheese, and a horseradish sour cream.



But the undisputed winner of the evening was by far the General Tso's cauliflower. I had very little interest in this, but once I took a bite of the super crunchy cauliflower and that delicious sweet and sour sauce, I was sold. I realize the sauce is really what I love about this dish, and the chicken is more of a vehicle, and it's often not that great of a texture. The crunchy cauliflower texture is perfection.



Grade: B

Drive-in restaurants are a relic of a bygone era. West Virginia is home to several in southern West Virginia. Maria's Drive In in Delbarton has been around since 2017 and is known for their hotdogs.

So, I pulled up to the building, lightly tapped my horn, and a cheerful server popped out to take my order. I ordered a classic chili, slaw, mustard and onion hotdog. this was a good hotdog. I liked that the chili had a bit of substance to it, though mild. And the slaw was fairly fine so there was a good bit of everything in every bite. Grade: B

Sam's Hot Dog Stand is a hot dog franchise around the state known for its chili sauce. I have visited most of the locations close to me, but West Union was a new one to me. They are commonly located in gas stations, but this one actually had a separate entrance behind the gas station - plus gambling machines. I ordered one hot dog with chili, slaw, mustard and onions. It was a bit sloppy, but manageable. Decent chili, average slaw and not a bad dog overall. Nothing especially outstanding, but nothing fo knock it on either. Do you have a favorite location? Grade: B

In Weston, West Virginia, there is one restaurant serving up south Texas-style barbecue.



South Texas Barbecue Company offers "Authentic Texas barbecue in West Virginia. We serve smoked brisket, pulled pork, pork belly, and sausage by the pound, sandwiches, or taco."



Jessica Abrego and husband Celestino “Tino” Abrego founded the company in 2019, shortly after moving here from the Lone Star state (source).



They started as a food truck during the Lewis County Farmers Market and in 2021, moved to their current brick-and-mortar location.



South Texas BBQ is characterized by having some Mexican influences. You can see that here with menu items like brisket enchiladas and pork belly tacos.



While I was here, I ordered the taco sampler with smoked brisket, pulled pork and burnt ends - which came with pickles and pickled onions on the side. Plus, I got potato salad, Mexican street corn and mac and cheese.



The tacos were pretty good for the most part. Smoked meat, flour tortillas and a few light toppings. I enjoyed each of the sides from the creamy potato salad and cheesy mac & cheese to the tangy street corn. I think they could each do with a touch more seasoning for my personal palate, but I enjoyed them nonetheless.



Have you been?



Grade: B

Maid-Rite is fast food chain based in Des Moines, Iowa, known for its "loose meat" sandwiches. This is a sandwich made with ground beef that is not formed into a patty - the texture is more like a sloppy jo, but without the tomato-based sauce.



"Butcher Fred Angell worked to get just the right combination of a special cut and grind of meat and a selected blend of spices. When a deliveryman tasted Fred's new creation, he said, 'This sandwich is made right.' With that, the Maid-Rite was born. Fred was quite a sandwich maker but not much of a speller," according to the website.



"Our select line of seasoned loose meat sandwiches are made from 100% USDA Midwestern fresh ground beef served on a fresh steamed white or wheat bun, with your choice of ketchup, mustard, onion and pickles."



I ordered one with cheese and all the toppings. The flavor is much of what you'd expect - but it's certainly a bit messier. The loose meat falls all over the place. But it is a fun, different version of the classic burger we all know and love. The side of tater tots were fairly crispy, so a solid meal all around.



Grade: B

"The Detroit-Style Pizza legacy began at Buddy’s Rendezvous Pizzeria ... in 1946 when Gus Guerra and team made their first square-shaped pizza. Baked in forged-steel pans borrowed from local automotive plants, they were able to produce a very light and crispy crust which is now known as Detroit-Style Pizza. This was the first known square pizza in the U.S. and now, more than 78 years later, the pizza style has become a national favorite," reads Buddy's website.



"The style flips traditional pizza on its head by beginning with double proofed dough perfectly fit to a square pan – a process that allows the dough to rise and be stretched twice – followed by the backwards layering of toppings. The pepperoni is placed directly on the dough allowing the rich flavors of the meat to be absorbed into the crust. Next, crumbled Wisconsin brick cheese – a proprietary blend created just for Buddy’s – is sprinkled across the pie before the other toppings. Finally, to finish off the unique look, three wide stripes of sauce are skimmed across the top of the pizza before being baked to perfection," continues the website.



Of course, when traveling through Detroit, my first stop was at this location to get a real taste of Detroit-style pizza. I placed my order online, parked at the restaurant and picked up my pizza with no problems.



Piping hot directly from the box, the pizza scorched my mouth on first bite. Worth it. I devoured my first piece. It is exactly what I wanted from a Detroit style pizza. There was a nice crisp but slightly thick crust. It wasn't as caramelized as I thought it may be. Nice sauce, plenty of cheese. A legendary experience.



Grade: A

Erbert & Gerbert's Sandwich Shop is a chain eatery that offers sandwiches and soups counter-service style in the midwest, usually near college campuses.



The store and sandwiches are named after characters in stories one of the owner's father used to tell him.

"Our blastoff began with a series of bedtime stories told by a father to his 10 grandchildren. The stories were known as, The Adventures of Erbert & Gerbert Herbert. He created these stories to teach his children about science, history, adventure, and the importance of being a good friend... All the names of the sandwiches on the original stores’ menu were named after the characters in those stories his father used to tell," according to the website.



Erbert and Gerbert has 16 sandwiches on the menu, with names like Girf, Tullius, Tappy, Narmer and more. But that may not be the most unique part of the sandwiches. When they prepare the sandwiches, they cut out the soft white dough inside so there is more room for the fillings. And they plop that little extra hunk of bread right on top of the sandwich.



I ordered a half "quatro," which is "a zesty sandwich crafted with sliced chicken breast, a tangy cranberry sauce, cherrywood smoked bacon and sharp cheddar cheese. It's finished with fresh cucumbers, lettuce, tomato and a layer of Hellman's mayo."





The sandwich was tasty; I'm always partial to a Thanksgiving-esque sandwich so this was an easy win for me. A nice balance of tangy and creamy and sweet. I'm on the fence about the hunk of bread being taken out - because then I just have a plain piece of bread to eat.



The mac & cheese was surprisingly a bit too sweet for me with the BBQ. Maybe because it was all concentrated right on top, so it was hard to get a bite of both the mac & the BBQ, which really concentrated all that sweetness.



On the other hand, the peanut butter bar was like a Rice Krispie and Reese cup had a baby, and that's where I was looking for the sweetness - and found it.

Grade: B