Because of some unfortunate circumstances, I had to make an unexpected trip home to Wellsburg. That trip turned into another unexpected trip to Cadiz, Ohio, to a cemetery. After burying a loved one, my family headed to leave Cadiz and return to some semblance of normality. We were trying to unwind, and get out of there when we saw Ice Cream Island.

If I could give better directions to this place, I would. I just know we passed it on our way leaving. We were all down in the dumps, and hey, when is ice cream better? It was kind of warm out, and this small little stand seemed to be right up our alley. We stopped off into the gravel parking lot and walked up to the window.

They had sundaes, cones and some fried food - like pickles! My parents both got chocolate shakes, and I opted for a Moosetracks cone. It did take a little while, but I think that's because people in front of us ordered food. I didn't notice them when I first came in, as they were sitting off to the side on some picnic tables.

We didn't stick around for long and instead left for home. I focused on that cone instead of the day's events. It was sweet, the peanut butter cups were like little hidden treasures, and it was packed to the very bottom of the cone - a difficult feat for non soft-serve ice cream. I know they didn't make the Moosetracks, but they did pack that cone the best way possible. Plus it was overflowing from the top, too. For only $6, they not only gave me an excellent cone, but they helped bring a little cheer to my day.

Grade: A

I've heard of Moxxee. Apparently it's a hip little coffee place in Charleston that is fairly new (and highly anticipated up until that point). I'm nowhere near an expert on coffee. If you want that, you check out this blog. However, I follow a few Charleston friends on Twitter who seem to enjoy this place, so we decided to make a pitstop and get some mid-afternoon work done.

The outside resembled a bar to me, with some shiny silver astrological-looking sign out front. It's actually two goats (I'm a Capricorn), and is supposed to represent the origin of coffee.

"According to legend, coffee was discovered by a friar who was herding goats. Some of the goats that were grazing in the same area became rambunctious. They were eating coffee beans and getting a shot of caffeine. The friar harvested the beans and the practice of roasting them evolved." (Charleston Gazette)

I couldn't find the name Moxxee anywhere on the building; I didn't even know that's where we were until my friend pointed it out. I guess Moxxee is Native American for "black water." There is some parking and some outside dining, which is cool. Apparently a few of the windows on the side open up to enhance that indoor/outdoor dining feeling. When we walked in, though, every table, except one, was taken up. And that one had just opened up as someone left. I noticed on the outside of the door that it said max 15 people inside.

It's very small inside, with a few individual tables, some booth-like setup, some more comfy chairs over by the side, and a circular bar area in the center. It's a concrete floor, with metal chairs and gives off a minimalist feel. There was a cool TV screen hanging up where we were sitting that looked interactive. Apparently this little coffee shop is a third-wave coffee shop:

"For the record, first wave coffee is something served at diners and restaurants that appeals to the masses. It's been around forever. Second wave is coffee served at places like Starbucks. Third wave is vaguely defined as coffee made from beans purchased in small batches from coffee farms and individually brewed for each customer." (Charleson Gazette)

I do like its focus on the culture: they make individual espressos and cappuccinos from coffee beans from around the world. The countries are listed on the beans. The process takes longer, as each cup is individual, and the types of coffees are always changing.

While some tasty-looking pastries dotted the counter, I only wanted something small. I didn't really need the extra caffeine boost, so I opted for their "100 calorie Milk & Honey Burst" under specialty and cold drinks. I made sure it said nothing about espresso or java or anything. I wanted something easy. $3 later, I tasted it, and it was strong as could be. I tasted the top foam and threw the rest away. Maybe that's a waste. But it wasn't what I was expecting, it was overpowering, and I felt an instant headache coming on after my first sip.

Maybe it's my fault for not clarifying. Maybe it's their fault for not mentioning any trace of java under that description. Whatever the case may be, I'm not sure I want to spend that much for something I didn't entirely enjoy in a cramped area with lots of young kids sitting there, as some sort of status symbol. Or maybe I'm not the coffee culturist. Either way, if you're young, like the appearance, don't mind being a little squished, but could maybe get a great cup of joe, if that's what you're into, this is your place.

Grade: C

As one of the few coffeehouses in Morgantown, Blue Moose Cafe is one-of-a-kind. It boasts itself as being a cyber cafe, with wifi, during the day, as well as a groovy hangout at night, with a stage for performances. This hipster joint offers imported beers, smoothies, bagels, breakfast and lunch entrees, and of course, coffee. They have a number of organic, all-natural and vegetarian dishes. They are one of the most vegetarian/vegan-friendly restaurants in town.

Breakfast is served Monday through Saturday all day, and a Sunday brunch is from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. Dishes include various omelets, french toast, and the breakfast burrito.


Lunch is served Monday through Friday 11:30 am. to 9 p.m. and Saturday 12:30 p.m. until 9 p.m. They have sandwiches, like tuna salad, roasted red pepper and spinach melt, and a reuben. Salads include a spinach salad and mediterranean salad. And for the less adventurous, they have staples like grilled cheese sandwiches, peanut butter and jelly and quesadillas.

The building is located on Walnut Street, at an intersection, which makes it a prime spot for people-watching. It's artsy and eclectic. The interior is more shabby-chic. You order at the counter. I quickly looked over the menu and decided to try their Southwestern Black Bean Burger, which was a homemade black bean patty topped with white sharp cheddar, lettuce, onion tomato and chipotle mayo (or nay) on a toasted Kaiser roll. The friendly lady behind the counter rang me up and handed me a peacock card holder to set at my table.

My food came out not too long afterward. A beautiful presentation, the sandwich looked like it was going to be a hit. I mashed it all together, spread some of the mayo on it, and took a bite. It was … bland, dry, heavy. I put some more mayo on it, hoping to balance out the flavors. To no avail. I took a bite of a tortilla chip with some salsa. Even that had no depth of flavor. I went back at the burger - it looked too good to not be delicious. Chunks of corn were spread throughout. Even the chipotle mayo wasn't doing it for me - it, too, tasted like it was lacking.

Something here needed to balance out these flavors. Something light, sweet even. My tastebuds were craving it. So, we got some smoothies after our meal. You can choose your fruits, and I got strawberry with pineapple juice. It was tasty, and added that nice, cool, sweet, light flavor I was desperately seeking. I don't think this is a total loss, because I really enjoyed the smoothie. And, I've eaten here before, so I'm looking forward to trying it again.

Grade: C

For dinner in Charleston, we decided to end my trip with a bang! Up until this point, I hadn't spent a ton of money on a meal, but I was willing to do so on the last night. After reading some reviews, I knew Bridge Road Bistro wasn't exactly college student-budget friendly, so that was our choice for our farewell dinner.

We parked across the street, at Cornucopia, because the parking near the restaurant was full. As soon as we walked in, we were greeted by a young, friendly woman. She was trying to deal with a complaint from another customer about the noise but all the while keeping her composure with us.

She seated us next to this awesome sculpture of the New River Gorge bridge. I looked around and quickly noticed this was not my demographic. All around us were old, white, rich people. People who look like they just finished a round of 18 at the local country club. We got a few stares for our blue-jean-clad legs. But that's okay.

The booth we were in was rounded, so you could fit a handful more people in. It was kind of awkward for only two people, but we made it work. We looked through the menu - I wasn't hellbent on paying a ton of money on something that only looked average to me. But what did look outstanding was the appetizers. Two especially: jumbo lump crab and artichoke gratin (toasted foccacia) and roast butternut squash and grilled red pepper won tons (napa cabbage kim chee, honey soy gastrique). Yum! We placed those orders, and then something unexpected happened.

Our waitress had a seizure. Not in front of us. But we heard lots of commotion coming from the back, followed by loud sobs, and then another waiter came to us and said he's taking over. It wasn't until we were finished with our meal that he gave us a few details I won't repeat here. It was unfortunate, and she was escorted out via police to an ambulance. My focus on the dining experience suddenly became far more lax, as I was concerned about her health.

But our replacement waiter brought out our dishes, with no real pause in service at all. I tasted the dip first - I didn't get crab or artichoke. Instead, I tasted cream cheese. In fact, the whole dip kind of just tasted like a cream cheese. That flavor overwhelmed any hint of crab or artichoke. It sounds delicious, and I really wanted to like it, but it was just okay. If the name on the menu matched the flavors, it'd be amazing.

Next, I tried the wontons. I truly was expecting some hint of cheese here, but nothing. The squash was tasty, and this dish was creative. I still think it could have benefited from maybe a sharp cheese flavor. But I can appreciate something different - but the cabbage was barely around. It was simply a couple shreds under each wonton to essentially help it stay in place on the plate.

After giving their dessert menu a quick glance, I couldn't really pass up their creme brulee. French custard and caramelized sugar seemed like a perfect fit for my meal's endcap. The dessert was light and airy and delicious. The top was a perfect thickness and the beautiful small shards of sugar dissolved in my mouth. The fresh strawberry garnish was cool and sweet. I scraped the bowl. I just wish those darn things were deeper. Oh well.

I spent about $40 total, which is hefty. But I did enjoy my meal overall. I appreciated the creativity, though the execution wasn't completely there. The dessert was phenomenal, and considering all the circumstances, the service was impeccable.

Grade: B

I was out of options for a Sunday lunch, so I turned to Twitter for suggestions. I received a few responses, many of which I hope to try on my return trip, but one place in particular was named by three separate individuals: Thelma Fay's.

I hadn't heard of Thelma Fay's. But if three people whose opinions value, I thought I'd go ahead with it. Besides, these home-cooked, hole-in-a-wall places sometimes have the best food.


This pink building doesn't have a devoted parking lot, so we circled the block for awhile trying to figure out where to park. We finally got a space and walked inside. I noticed some mismatched framed art on the walls, as well as some records. A few long tables decorated the wall on the left, and a couple single-person booths lined the right wall. We walked back toward the counter. I noticed the wall to the left had "Thelma Fay" herself, along with tons of signatures. At the counter were a few menus. We took them to a booth and looked over them.

The man behind the counter asked us what we'd like to drink, and he filled us up some styrofoam cups and handed them to us. I said thank you, but he just walked away. Their Sunday brunch menu looked fabulous - eggs benedict, eggs Thelma Fay (with smoked salmon), bagel & lox, and Captain Crunch french toast.

I had a hard time narrowing down between the Captain Crunch french toast and eggs benedict. I decided to try to be an adult and order the eggs benedict. After a little wait, our food was served. Two English muffins, topped with poached eggs and hollandaise sauce. I bit down to only taste some bland, mediocre soft food. I tried again, sopping up more hollandaise to get some more flavor. Nothing. Where's the rich, buttery flavor? That mild tang? Absent.

I finished one muffin/poached egg combo and sent the rest away. This fabulous brunch item was reduced to a mediocre dish that I didn't want to associate with. It was simply … there. The service was questionable, at best. And the food was nothing to be desired.

You know, I love when I can find a great little diner that has an outstanding dish that you could find in a 5-star restaurant. But this wasn't my experience here. 

Maybe I ordered the wrong dish? It's hard to say. But I hold those who suggested the place in high regard, so I must just need to try a different dish. Captain Crunch french toast it is!

I did, however, try one fried cheesecake bite from a friend who ordered them. They were quite tasty. Fried desserts hit this odd comfort food in all of us - they're so good, but so bad to love them.

Grade: C