Groundhog Grindz Cafe is a coffee shop and bakery in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Punxsutawney is home to the famous weather-predicting groundhog, Phil. So, there are a lot of groundhog-related shops, art, restaurants and more in town. My friend Kayla and I traveled to town to experience Groundhog Day. It was a cold one, and after we finally made it down pff the hill, we stopped at this cafe to warm up and use the restroom. The cafe is small, so it was overrun with folks. But, it was cute inside and even had a specialty menu for Groundhog's Day that had fun drink names. I ordered a large hot chocolate with whipped cream and a ham & cheese croissant. The hot chocolate was a bit watered down, but I was happy with the ham and cheese croissant, which was flat and toasty rather than super airy and crumbly. That made the cheese melty and delicious. Grade: B

Rise & Grind Cafe is bakery cafe in Pinch, with indoor and outdoor seating and a drive through. I have been wanting to check this place out for a while, and now that they have weekend hours, the stars aligned and I was able to swing by for breakfast today. The shop is fairly small, and this place was hoppin'. I had to wait for someone to leave to find a parking spot, and the line to order was out the door. But not to worry - the line moved quickly and before I knew it, I was in front of a case full of treats. I selected a hot chocolate muffin, pumpkin cream muffin, raspberry white chocolate cookie and strawberry brownie. I also ordered a large hot chocolate - with whipped cream. All in all, the treats here were lovely. I think the brownie was my favorite, though it was a little soggy. The cookie and muffins were both nice, as was my hot chocolate - if not a touch watered down. Grade: B

Day 1
Restaurant: 1010 Bridge
Friend: Elena

Appetizer
Winter Burrata Caprese - Delicata Squash, Preserved Tomatoes & Honey Balsamic

Entree
Dijon & Dill Crusted Salmon - 1010 Potatoes, Winter Vegetables & Lemon Herb Cream

Dessert
Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake - Buttermilk Anglaise, Preserved Berries & Chantilly Day 2
Restaurant: Black Sheep Burrito and Brews
Friend: Kinsey

Appetizer
Scallion Pancake w/ sesame-soy dipping sauce & Gyoza Dumpling Soup w/ green onion and Napa cabbage

Entree
Sticky Gochujang Korean Meatballs with seared broccolini and sesame rice wine pickles on jasmine rice & Chicken Katsu Naanos w/ pickled red cabbage, rice wine pickles and kreamy kewpie sauce

Dessert
Dalgona (honey sponge cookie) & Purin (Japanese caramel custard) Day 3
Restaurant: Fernbank Public House
Friend: Erin & Beth

Appetizer
Fondu French Fry - A blend of Fontina and Gruyere cheese served over fresh fries in a cast iron skillet.

Entree
Tenderloin Steak Sandwich - Served with fire roasted red peppers, caramelized onions, provolone cheese and mayo on a Charleston Bread Co. brioche bun and your choice of french fries, house seasoned potato chips or side salad.

Dessert
Marbled Chocolate Cake with Caramelized Bananas Day 4
Restaurant: Sergio's Cucina Italiana & Pizza
Note: Takeout

Appetizer
Melon Proscuitto Skewers

Main Course
Seafood Risotto with Mushroom and Saffron

Dessert
Lemon Italian Cream Day 5
Restaurant: Soho's
Friend: Kayden, Stormie, Mason & Chris

Appetizer
Fried Calamari. Breaded and deep-fried, served with sweet chili sauce

Entree
Beef Short Rib Ragu. Slowly braised until fall-apart tender, with fresh herbs, in our homemade ragu sauce, tossed into Pappardelle Pasta

Dessert
Vanilla Crepe Cake. Eleven harmonized layers of delicate Crepes lightly frosted by a subtly flavored, lightly sweetened, velvety Whipped Cream stacked over a sponge-like base

J.Q. DICKINSON SALT-WORKS
Popcorn Salt
Solar evaporated and hand harvested salt in the mountains of WV in our finest grain to cling to popcorn well. Use for baking too!

BLUESTONE MOUNTAIN FARM
Popping Corn
This heirloom variety of popping corn is crisp and delicious. It is a white corn and is hull-less. Perfect with our popcorn salt.

DANIEL'S FARM
Maple Syrup
Winter is the perfect time for hot breakfasts. Maple syrup is the best accompaniment. Harvested here in WV.

SIMPLE PRODUCTS
Buckwheat Pancake Mix
There is nothing better than buckwheat pancakes with maple syrup. This mix is easy & yummy! Made from organic grains in OH.

WOODBERRY KITCHEN
Snake Oil Hot Sauce
This fermented hot sauce is made from fish peppers, vinegar and our salt in Maryland. It has some heat but excellent pepper lavor. Addicting

Allegheny Treenware
Jar Scraper
Made in WV from local cherry wood, this utensil will quickly become one of your favorites while cooking. It is useful in lots of applications.

Soaps & Beyond
Soap
Made in WV, paraben free, sulfate free, and cruelty free. Small batch without harsh chemicals. Wonderlul scent!

Islas Canarias is a Cuban restaurant in Miami that is known for its croquetas and more.



"Islas Canarias Restaurant is a family owned and operated restaurant, established in 1977 by the late Raul and Amelia Garcia and currently ran by their daughter Nancy Andrade along with her children Eileen and Jonathan Andrade. Raul’s family recipes have been preserved throughout the years under the careful watch of his children and grandchildren. The family has served generations of locals and tourists alike with the same quality service and attention to detail as its founders. Using the finest ingredients, Islas Canarias Restaurant aims to prepare quality, traditional plates from the family’s original recipes from Cuba. With a casually elegant atmosphere inspired by the European architecture of 1950s Cuba and the friendly ambiance of personnel that always recognizes a familiar face, every experience is pleasant when complimented by deliciously authentic Cuban & Spanish cuisine."



I ordered a strawberry shake to begin with. It was refreshing, which was so nice in the warm Miami sun. Kaitee went for a Cuban coffee.



Complimentary Cuban bread was served - nice crisp texture gives way to a soft interior.



Croquetas are a popular Cuban appetizer made of ground ham mixed with a creamy bechamel sauce that is shaped into an oval, coated with breadcrumbs, and deep-fried until golden brown. Islas Canarias offers ham, chicken, and fish varieties. I tried the ham and fish ones; what stood out to me is how almost creamy the interior was.



I also tried a Cuban sandwich with potato sticks. The Cuban sandwich has pork, Swiss cheese, mustard and pickles, and it is pressed. this version had potato sticks on top, which gave a little extra saltines and crunch.



Grade: A

Located in Miami, Stiltsville Fish Bar is a relaxed and casual neighborhood restaurant serving up quality seafood & Key West inspired drinks.



Executive Chef Jeff McInis is a Top Chef alum, so that was a fun little aside that made me interested to check out this place.



I ordered the 1/4 lb. crab cake, which has local blue lump crab, crunchy slaw & horseradish remoulade. I love a good crab cake. The sauce took away a bit of the sear, but there was tons of crab meat.



I also ordered a cocktail: Purdy Lil' Thing - Vodka, Chinola passion fruit liqueur, St. Germain, vanilla syrup, lemon, East Imperial soda, pineapple, bitters. Strong! But still fruity.



Grade: B

1-800-Lucky is Miami's first Asian food hall, spanning 10,000 square feet in Wynwood and featuring a vibrant mix of pan-Asian cuisine from six restaurants, including Taiyaki, which has fish-shaped ice cream cones.



"What is Taiyaki? The most literal translation of taiyaki is fried fish! Tai (sea bream) is a type of fish often considered king among fish in Japan, and yaki can mean fried, baked, or grilled. In our case, we bake our taiyaki

Taiyaki and its origins can be traced back hundreds of years ago to the Edo Period (1600s to 1800s). Before taiyaki took its shape, taiyaki was first imagawayaki, a round-shaped cake similarly served warm and filled with azuki sweet red bean paste.

During this era, under the shogun rule founded by Tokugawa Ieyasu, tai was some of the most highly prized seafood and was presented as a gift to the shogun himself. To this very day, tai is still incorporated into Japan's food culture and way of life. It is customary to hang a picture of tai at the entrance to a home or shrine, and tai-shaped pastries are often given as thank-you gifts to guests at wedding parties as a common gesture of celebration and luck.

In addition to good luck, the Japanese word tai is similar and closely associated with the Japanese word medetai, meaning auspicious, prosperous, or happy. Medetai fish is can be referred to as taiyaki.

During the springtime, red-tinted tai, also known as madai (true tai), can be found throughout Japanese waters. Similar to colors of sakura (cherry blossoms), their symbolic meanings are closely knit and hold special significance in Japanese culture and traditions."



I tried a vanilla ice cream with custard taiyaki cone, cotton candy sprinkles, unicorn ears & horn plus rainbow mochi.

This was like an even better ice cream cone because it had a variety of textures. And, it was unique.

Grade: A

Here's my latest column for the WV Gazette-Mail:

Creamed, chipped beef on toast, often referred to by the military nickname “S.O.S.” — a shorthand for “Stuff on a Shingle,” with more colorful interpretations in less formal settings — is both a nostalgic comfort food for some and a chided necessity for others.

This humble dish is made of thinly sliced dried beef served in a creamy white sauce over toasted or plain bread.

As a quick aside: What IS dried beef? Just like it sounds. It’s a form of salted and dried beef that is sliced into small, thin pieces and sold in jars or small packets. It is also a common ingredient used to coat a cheeseball.

The dish has roots in military mess halls. The dish’s affordability, ease of preparation and long shelf life made it ideal for feeding large numbers of soldiers.

The recipe appeared in Army cookbooks as early as World War I, but it became particularly associated with the lean years of the Great Depression and World War II. When soldiers returned home, they brought the recipe with them, embedding it into the culinary traditions of their communities.

For Appalachia, a region often shaped by economic challenges and a culture of making do with what was available, creamed, chipped beef on toast fits perfectly into the local food culture.

The dish can be made from pantry staples like dried beef, flour, butter, and milk, ingredients that were often on hand and not dependent upon seasonal produce.

In Appalachia, S.O.S. found a home as a hearty breakfast or dinner. The region’s labor-intensive industries, from coal mining to farming, demanded meals that were filling, affordable, and quick to prepare.

Families embraced the meal for its ability to stretch a small amount of meat into a meal that could feed everyone around the table. It remains a memory — for better or for worse — for those who grew up with it.

It’s a dish that tells the story of perseverance through tough times, creativity in the face of scarcity, and the deep connection people have to food.