The Clove Club is a relaxed fine dining restaurant set in the historic rooms of the Grade II-listed Shoreditch Town Hall, London led by Chef-Patron Isaac McHale. "Our aim is to create dining experiences that both excite and surprise the senses, serving delicious food that lives long in our guests' memories," the website reads.



The Clove Club serves a seasonal tasting menu featuring modern, elegant dishes rooted in technique but stripped back to their essential elements. An emphasis is placed on sourcing the best produce the British Isles has to offer, showcased in dishes inspired by Chef-Patron Isaac McHale’s culinary memories and travels.



The Clove Club currently holds two Michelin Stars. It has won a raft of awards, including the highest new entry to the prestigious World’s 50 Best Restaurant List in 2016; No.1 Restaurant in the UK in the Sunday Times Top 100; winner of the Service Award and fifth place in the UK National Restaurant Awards; BMW Squaremeal London Restaurant of the Year; and London Restaurant Festival AMEX Restaurant of the Year.



My meal began with a green herb broth amuse bouche, which was herbaceous and bright.



Next was a cheddar gougere, which is like a savory cream puff.



Seasoned yogurt to go with…



Fried, battered fish.



Melon gazpacho granita, almond cream & ham jelly.



Chilled salad of charcoal grilled aubergine with brown crab, ginger and cinnamon oil



Bread service with housemaid sourdough and salty cultured butter.



Native Cornish lobster with Jamaican "jerk" yogurt and lychee



Dry aged middlewhite pork courgette, datterini tomato and mint



“Scottish taco” – blood pancake, haggis, carnitas & pico de gallo.



Grilled habanero granita with plum sorbet



Warm potato mousse with caramel ice cream and coffee meringue.



Petit four of chocolate and strawberry.

Grade: A

Shawarma Zone WV has entered the chat. I woke up today and saw this food truck all over my social feeds. It's almost like within the past 24 hours, everyone discovered it and they had a grand opening. I joined the crowd by placing an order on DoorDash for chicken shawarma and falafel, along with extra garlic sauce. Shawarma is a popular Middle Eastern dish made by stacking thin slices of marinated meat (commonly lamb, chicken, beef, or turkey) on a vertical rotisserie. As it cooks, the meat is shaved off in thin slices and typically served in pita or flatbread with toppings like tahini, garlic sauce, hummus, pickles, and vegetables.

This version was one of the tastier ones I've experienced. The bread was nicely toasted; there was a ton of the garlic sauce. And the pickled veggies added some nice relief. Same goes for the falafel – it was pretty moist, which is often hard to find. If you want some bold, satisfying flavors, look no further. Grade: A

The South Charleston Farmers Market features a variety of West Virginia produce and flower vendors. The Farmers Market is open Monday-Saturday from 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. and on Sunday from 1 -5 p.m.



🌿 Gritt’s Midway Greenhouse



🥕 DNS Farms & Produce



🍯 Honey Do Produce



🍓 Sunset Berry Farms





🍞 Sunrise Bakery



💐 Handmade Metal Flowers from Steel Blooming



☕️ Goldilocks Grazing





🍦 Cubs, Cups, and Cones Ice Cream - dirty soda called the Wiggle Butt







Plus, Gritt's Farm, Coffee from Ridge To Ridge Sips, Tacos from JoJo’s Tacos, Lemonade from Just Drinks, Mountain State Flower Farm.

Greenbrier Maccheroni Co. produces small-batch pasta in Greenbrier County, West Virginia. Everything is made using traditional methods and a bronze-die extruder — no additives, no gimmicks, just properly made pasta using high-quality flour and fresh ingredients.

"We offer both fresh frozen and dried pasta. Fresh frozen pasta is made to order and available for local pickup or delivery. Dried pasta (like Hill Cuts and Peperini) is shelf-stable and available for public sale. For consumers, we rotate a variety of shapes: spaghetti, creste di gallo, soba made with local buckwheat, egg pastas, and others depending on season and flour availability. For wholesale and food service clients, pasta can be produced on-site in your licensed kitchen or arranged through a local co-packing agreement. We offer flexible production quantities and consistent quality for restaurants that want to serve house-made pasta without handling the labor in-house."

Hill Cuts (Dried) $9.00
West Virginia’s own pasta shape — short, curved noodles cut by hand and shaped like the hills they’re made in. Hill Cuts are hearty, versatile, and built for real kitchens. Toss them into soup, stir them into skillet mac and cheese, or serve them cold in pasta salad. Rustic, springy, and ready in about 8 minutes. For every bag sold, one is donated to a local food pantry — because everyone deserves a warm meal in the Mountain State. Dried Pasta: Air-dried in small batches. Shelf-stable. $9 / 12 oz - Produced in a home residence in accordance to WV Cottage Food Law

Peperini (Dried) $6.00
Tiny cylinders cut from spaghetti, air-dried low and slow in Greenbrier County.Think of it like a better orzo — same size, more texture. Perfect for pasta salad, brothy soups, or as a base for something like Appalachian couscous. Cooks fast. Packs light. Built for pantries, not pretension.

I already made the peperini and I can't wait to try the others.

I hope you'll join me on Saturday, May 17, 2025 from 2–7:30PM at City Center at Slack Plaza in Charleston, WV for the 8th annual Charley West BBQ Fest, benefiting the Bob Burdette Center afterschool program!

About the Charley West BBQ Fest

The Charley West BBQ Fest is an annual event benefitting the Bob Burdette Center afterschool program.

The public is able to purchase tasting tickets to sample BBQ from competition and backyard BBQ cooks. Live entertainment features local musicians performing throughout the day on the main stage.

$10 will purchase 10 tasting tickets and the chance to vote for one’s favorite competition and backyard BBQ with winners being named “People’s Choice – Best BBQ.” In addition, a panel of judges will do a blind taste testing in the commercial vendor, competition, and backyard divisions.

Competition and Backyard BBQ entrants will compete in 4 categories that include best pulled pork BBQ, best ribs, best sauce, and wild card – anything you want to BBQ!

BBQ Competitions + Prizes 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in each event by blind judging will receive a trophy to brag about their wins while People’s Choice Best BBQ overall winners chosen by the public in each division will receive a Grand Trophy commemorating their wins.

Competition Division: People’s Choice Best BBQ – voting by public; Blind judging - Best ribs, best pulled pork, best sauce, wild card

Backyard Division: People’s Choice Best BBQ – voting by public; Blind judging - Best ribs, best pulled pork, best sauce, wild card

About the Bob Burdette Center

The Bob Burdette Center (BBC) is an out-of-school time academic enrichment center offering free after school and summer programming to West Side and North Charleston families grades K-5.

As a US Department of Education 21st Century Community Learning Center, we have high standards for our program and focus on the wellbeing and support of the whole family!

The mission of Bob Burdette Center, Inc. is to provide West Side youth and their families with opportunities for holistic development (mind, body, and spirit) for healthy futures. Certified school teachers provide tutoring and serve as academic enrichment leaders, providing one-on-one and group support at all sites.

The BBC’s afterschool enrichment leaders guide daily programming covering STEM, reading and the arts, college and career readiness, social emotional learning and life skills, and physical recreation.

Each day, the cook prepares a full supper meal served upon arrival and an evening snack, generously sponsored by the USDA child nutrition program.

Working together, the BBC strives to provide needed academic and family support, delivered in ways which have the most impact.

Visit www.bobburdettecenter.org for more information.

The Wolseley is a renowned café-restaurant in London that offers expertly executed brasserie-style dishes, making it a landmark for its historic setting and food.



The Wolseley’s architecture and interior feel like stepping into a slice of 1920s glamour, with its soaring ceilings, black-and-gold detailing, and marble columns that give the whole space a timeless, almost cinematic charm.



The Wolseley’s menu is all about timeless European classics, and it’s especially known for its elegant breakfasts, afternoon teas, and dishes like schnitzels, oysters, and steaks.



Bri and I stopped here for breakfast. She opted for their tea - which includes classic blends like Earl Grey and English Breakfast to more delicate options like Darjeeling and Jasmine Silver Needle, all served in elegant silver pots.



I, on the other hand, opted for a hot chocolate. Specifically, The Wolseley Hot Chocolate, which was a bit on the more bittersweet side but the whipped cream sweetened up a fair bit.



Bri went for a small eggs benedict - which was just one, but expertly crafted.



I, on the other hand, had to try the Bubble & Squeak. Bubble and squeak is a traditional British dish made by frying leftover vegetables—most commonly potatoes and cabbage—until they’re browned and crispy, often served as part of a hearty breakfast or brunch. The name comes from the sound it makes while cooking in the pan. This version came with Wild Mushrooms and a Fried Duck Egg. So tasty!



Finally, I had some Banana Bread with vanilla butter and fruit compote. So simple but so pleasant.



Grade: A

North Branch Brewing Co. is a small batch brewery and craft beer pub with food. There are 14 rotating craft beers on tap, and here are some that they have produced:

Strawberry Festiv-Ale - Blonde / Golden Ale

Paddytown Red - Red Ale

Potomac Sunrise - Blonde / Golden Ale

Old Man Pumpkin (spiced) - Pumpkin / Yam Beer

Appalachian Kentucky Commoner - Historical Beer - Kentucky Common

Mother's Milk Stout - Stout

Appalachian Amber Ale - Lager - Amber / Red

Squatch Watcher - Brown Ale/A smooth brown ale with notes of toffee

Peach Summer Wheat - Wheat Beer/Subtle peach flavor in our summer wheat ale

Hardly Knew Her - Blonde Ale

Wheat Ale - Wheat Beer/American Pale Wheat

Kolsch - Light grain & grass flavors with an unfiltered golden hue. Introduced for the 150th anniversary celebration for Keyser, West Virginia.

Paddytown Dark Lager - Lager - Dark
Shut the Hell Up - Rye Beer

St. John is an English restaurant on St. John Street in Smithfield, London. It was opened in October 1994 at a former bacon smokehouse location. St. John specializes in "nose to tail eating," which includes offal and other cuts of meat that help reclaim traditional British recipes. Typical dishes include pigs' ears, ducks' hearts, trotters, pigs' tails, bone marrow and squirrel. As a result, St. John has developed a following amongst gastronomic circles: "chefs, foodies, food writers and cooks on sabbatical."



St. John has won numerous awards and accolades, including Best British and Best Overall London Restaurant at the 2001 Moet & Chandon Restaurant Awards. It has also been listed as one of the top 50 restaurants in the world. In 2011, it placed 41st. It was awarded a Michelin star in 2009.



The interior made me feel like I was in a hipster tavern. The menu changes daily and begins with small bites and descends into larger portions.



We started with the complimentary crusty bread and perfectly softened butter.



Roast bone marrow & parsley salad



Halibut, leeks & tartare sauce



Grilled jerusalem artichoke, red onion, olive - this was revelatory. It stands out in my mind because I did not know an artichoke could taste like this. I had never had anything like this before and never have I since it had this perfectly soft and firm texture and a wonderfully savory flavor.



Deep-fried plaice, little gem & aioli



Eccles cake & Lancashire cheese



Ginger loaf, butterscotch sauce, and malt ice cream



One for the books.

Grade: A

Nando's is a South African fast casual restaurant chain that specializes in Portuguese flame-grilled, peri-peri style chicken.

"Many centuries ago Portuguese explorers added a squeeze of lemon and a kick of garlic to Mozambique’s African Bird’s Eye Chilli to create a legendary spice: PERi-PERi! Along with a hint of paprika there, a dash of onion here, PERi-PERi is most popularly used to baste tasty, tender (if it’s from Nando’s) chicken. Handed down generations, fiery family recipes for PERi-PERi eventually made their way across to the braai grills of South Africa where Nando’s story began," reads the website.



I ordered the Boneless Butterflied Chicken Breast - Flame-grilled, skin-on, basted in your choice of PERi-PERi sauce. I did plain so it wasn't super spicy, but I was able to try lots of different flavors for dipping sauces. Also, I had sides of macho peas & spiced grains with feta.



This meal was really tasty. There was a good bit of spice, but not necessarily spicy. The chicken was moist and full of flavor, and the sides weren't bad. I enjoyed the garlic Peri Peri sauce, which definitely added some heat.



Grade: A