There's still a good bit of construction happening, but Morgantown welcomes another Starbucks. I'm patiently awaiting the opening of Bourbon Prime Steakhouse, which will be replacing Regatta.

Boston's favorite burger joint is a no-frills, beer-serving, late-night piece of deliciousness. Tasty Burger has a few different locations throughout the city, and we made it a point to stop at one nearby before I headed out of town.

Born behind Fenway Park in Boston, Tasty Burger instantly became one of Boston’s favorite neighborhood Burger joints. Tasty Burger represents the fruition of our goal to create a Modern Fast Food Burger restaurant with the old school sensibilities of the great early places that created the genre. We took a look back in time to the late forties and fifties to study the process, energy and enthusiasm that made the humble hamburger America’s favorite food. We studied hard in our attempt to give this national sandwich a Boston relevance and vernacular. 

In the process we learned to love the burger world and the entrepreneurial spirit that drives it. Our Mission is to create a fresh flavorful flat patty burger, made from the finest all natural American beef. We have visited the pastures of family ranches where our cattle graze to get a first hand understanding of where great beef comes from. Our all natural beef meets HFAC third party review standards at all stages and is NEVER given any growth hormones or antibiotics. The steer are grass fed and finished on a 100% grass and grain diet, for an uniquely savory steak flavor. We apply this same level of care to our homemade Buns made in the old Sunbeam Bread factory, from scratch sauces, proprietary Hot Dogs made locally and all of our fresh daily ingredients. All this with the goal in mind of offering a complete menu with similar options and price point to the most familiar fast food places, but prepared with a more individual attention to quality ingredients. We wish to operate with professionalism, focus on details and quality at a fair price (Tasty Burger).

Tasty Burger has a few menu items - the 1/3 lb. certified all natural beef burgers, the "sack of 5 burgers," crispy chicken sandwiches, all beef dogs, salads and side items like nuggets, onion rings, french fries and tater tots.

The location we went to had an upstairs that looked like a retro diner, and then a darker downstairs that had games -- and served alcohol. Clearly, that's where we headed. The tables were stocked with Tasty Fry Seasoning and Spicy Tomato Ketchup - neither of which I was impressed with. The seasoning had some cinnamon and brown sugar, and the ketchup had a little zip.

I ordered "The Big Tasty," which came with cheese, lettuce, pickle, red onion, tomato, and Tasty sauce. I also got an order of the tater tots, which are "deep fried, grated potato." The burger was pretty good. I liked the toppings, and there was plenty of cheese. I wish the burger had a touch more seasoning; a bit more flavor. But, not bad.

The tots were good. Definitely on the greasier side, but a nice thick crunch to them was certainly satisfying. Overall, a pretty decent burger joint. Not the best I've ever had, but a solid contender.

Grade: B

If you found a place that had unlimited books, coffee and beer, you'd never leave, right? Well, look no further than Hurricane, West Virginia.

Books & Brews specializes in ... wait for it... books and brews, as in coffee AND beer. The used book store and cafe sits on Main Street in Hurricane. The walls are lined with gently used, brightly colored books, and the counter in the back lists tons of different coffees available - broken down by beans, brewing methods, espresso, tea and other drinks. The space has nice lighting with a very cool vibe.

They have a solid craft beer menu that features local breweries, Bell's Brewery, Flying Mouse, Great Lakes, Founders, Oskar Blues and more. 

So, I ordered one of their specialty lattes - s'mores, as it was one of their top sellers of the moment. I also went ahead and ordered a snack so I could get a feel for the place. Most of the menu items have classic novel names. I ordered the grilled cheese sliders made up of provolone, mozzarella, swiss, and smoked gouda served on sourdough with a side of marinara.


As I waited on my order, I found a spot on the long high table area. And, we busted out the game of "Guess Who." This game wasn't in my library as a child, so this may have been the first time playing it ever. I love that they have tons of games for children -- and adults -- to play in this cool space.

My latte was very good. They even gave me a little latte art. This ginormous cup was filled with a velvetty smooth, sweet latte that I had trouble finishing. It was super tasty, but I had had my fill of caffeine at that point. Delicious, though.

The sliders were also tasty. It's straight comfort food, so it's tough to mess up a grilled cheese and marinara. I think a little bit more buttery bread would put this into the "heaven" category. Still, good.

So, I'm super into this place. I think if I lived here, I would literally spend all my money on coffee and snacks. This is a great place to get some work done, have a beer, pick up a new book or even play a game with friends.

Man, I wish I had something similar to this locally, because I would never leave.

Have you been? What did you think?

Grade: A

Huntington's hipster burger joint, The Peddler, is back to flipping patties -- with extra cool ingredients.

The Peddler, along with Backyard Pizza, went up in flames a few years ago but has recently reopened -- much to the pleasure of locals. And me.

The Peddler is a cool place, with an arcade upstairs and game-themed decor. It's also supposed to be opening a brewery, Cootie Brown Brewing Company, in the near future.

After playing a few games, we went downstairs to browse a menu and order some burgers. The menu features some really tasty-sounding one like the "Big Texas" with beef patty, brisket, blueberry BBQ, cheddar, onion strings and candied jalapeno. Then, there's the "El Camino" with beef patty, housemade pimento cheese, tomato, field greens and aioli. I ultimately went with the "Brass Monkey," which has a beef patty, sliced banana, smoked applewood bacon, cream cheese and Thai peanut sauce. A friend got the duck fat fries, which I was more than happy to try.

This burger, as crazy as it sounds, was so flipping good. I had never had cream cheese on a burger, but I don't know if I ever want to have another burger without it. The banana and Thai peanut sauce were a perfect flavor combo -- plus the salty bacon gave a nice crisp bite.

The duck fat fries didn't do a ton for me; they tasted kinda like regular fries? But, they're not bad. Fries are fries.

I really liked this burger place. I love the creative burgers, especially the one I ordered, and the idea of an arcade + brewery is great. I could see myself spending an evening there -- if it were just a bit closer.

Grade: A

Well, I have been waiting for years, literally, to try Backyard Pizza and Raw Bar. Backyard Pizza, the creative pizza joint, is essentially Huntington's version Pies & Pints. 

For a long time, I had heard rave reviews of this pizza/oyster bar, but before I had a chance to make it down there, it tragically went up in flames. While they were rebuilding, I got a small taste of Backyard while at Rails & Ales, and I immediately fell in love.

I'll never forget it: It was the Woo-Tang, with hickory grilled chicken, bleu cheese crumbles, fresh shredded mozzarella, roasted red peppers, diced jalapenos, and red onion with cilantro, honey, Sriracha and lime schwing sauce.

So, when they finally reopened, I started making plans to check it out -- the real deal this time. Walking inside, I was already tickled to see a giant West Virginia flag hanging on the wall. The space is large with some almost celestial or cosmic themes - astronauts on the wall with some orb lighting. Pair that with some brick and wooden accents.

We were seated near the kitchen, so we could see all the pizzas coming out of the giant, wood-fired oven. I passed on the oysters this round and opted for the "Truffle Shuffle," which has baby portabello mushrooms tossed in white truffle oil and rosemary. Roasted garlic cream sauce, caramelized onion, sauteed spinach, smoked applewood bacon with mozzarella and parmesan.


Ayyeee, this one is super good too. That flavor combo is right up my alley - so I love the rich, creamy based, the umami truffle, and the earthy mushrooms. It was pretty good. I have to say, I think the Woo-Tang is my favorite. But this one - very good, especially if you're in the mood for creamy, smoky, cheesy goodness.

Grade: A

Toro is an award-winning Spanish tapas restaurant in Boston. It's rustic, it's chic and it's busy. And it feels like you've been transported to beautiful Barcelona.

Toro is a Barcelona-style tapas restaurant located in Boston’s South End. We serve traditional and modern Spanish-style small plates made with locally sourced and sustainable ingredients.

Hailed as Boston's best kept secret, Toro is a Spanish tapas restaurant and bar that has been serving the South End since 2005. Created by James Beard Award-winning Chefs Ken Oringer and Jamie Bissonnette, the menu features Barcelona-inspired hot and cold small plates, designed to be served and enjoyed tapas-style. The beverage program features classic-inspired cocktails and an eclectic, carefully curated wine list. Toro is open seven days a week for dinner, serves lunch on the weekdays and features a special brunch on Sunday. Due to our small size we are unable to accommodate dinner reservations and seat all parties on a first-come, first serve basis. We do accept lunch reservations of any size and take brunch reservations for parties of 6 or more.

We were seated on this awkward little corner at the end of the booth seating and beginning of window seating. We were right behind this one, elderly gentleman eating alone who seemed to come here often, as he knew the servers by name. This is Jack Truslow.

Kaitlynn and I were having a bit of a heart-to-heart, as it was our last day together for probably months. We talked about our respective futures and where we see things going, and we talked about changes ahead. I lamented how I feel such a strong connection to West Virginia, and how I don't want to be "one of the ones who leave." Even though I totally understand why people do. I told her how I love the bustling city and how full of life it is, but there are things about home that you just can't get elsewhere.

In the midst of this deep conversation, we put in some orders from the menu. Tapas necessitates ordering a few different bites and sharing them amongst the table. We ordered a handful and soon enough, fresh baked bread was delivered to our table. It was yeasty, porous and divine.

Kaitlynn's "Pan con Tomate" came out, which is toasted bread, tomato, garlic, Spanish olive oil, sea salt and anchovies. Next, my "Maíz Asado con Alioli y Queso Cotija" was grilled corn with aioli, lime, espelette pepper and aged cheese. I don't say this often - but this was life-changing. I didn't know that corn could taste this good. IT's hidden under this mound of cheesy creamy deliciousness. The corn is perfectly grilled, the little lime just enhances the flavors. Like, you must get this. Please get this so we can talk about it. There's nothing else like this. Amazing.

OK, I also got the "Uni Bocadillo," which is a pressed uni (sea urchin) sandwich with miso butter and pickled mustard seeds. Also, quite good. Small, light, flavorful.

We took bites of everything, exclaiming how incredible each of these small plates were, while carrying on our conversation about real-world adult shit. It was then that Jack Truslow apologized and interrupted our conversation. He was from North Carolina, but fell in love with Boston. He loved the city and overheard it was my last day (and heard me saying city folk are not super nice), so he wanted to prove Boston is lovely. He ordered us one more small plate - "pimientos del Padron," which are spicy green peppers and sea salt.

It's a very simple, but beautiful dish full of vibrant flavors - like each of these plates. I was overwhelmed with his generosity. We continued to talk, and he knew of all the great places in town and asked how I was liking things. He caught my name and then mentioned Candice Bergen (who my mother got inspiration from in naming me), and he was delighted to hear that fact. Jack Truslow became the unintended, but very welcomed third party at our table.

If I felt before that Boston wasn't overly friendly, he completely changed my mind. That was exactly what he intended to do - to show Boston could be friendly. He carried on a long conversation with us about food once he found out I was a blogger, and we talked about the incredible meal we all had just had.

Toro really is an incredible place. Flavors I haven't had before - all prepared fresh and full of vibrancy. And the customers, well, they are pretty great, too.

Grade: A