Remember how excited I got when I had a calzone from Gino's in Clay County? I thought I found THE best thing at Gino's. I was just choosing the wrong thing! I gotta give all other Gino's a chance!

LOL.

I went to the Gino's on the East End of Charleston. I had called in my order previously and just went inside to pick it up. It's pretty close to home, so it's convenient.

When I walked in, the man was chit-chatting with a couple in front of me and failed to even acknowledge me until they finished their conversation. Then he asked me what I had ordered. I told him. During this process, there was some in-fighting amongst employees, and I actually felt bad for the guy working.

It could use a dose of professionalism.

When I got home, I was severely disappointed. My calzone had been cut haphazardl. It had been cooked too long on the bottom. Grease was puddling in the box. The edges were odd and puckered, leaving crunchy bits and odd openings.

Where was the beautiful work of art I had received in Clay? It had been replaced with this lifeless, overly greasy, slovenly assembled blech. No bueno.

Grade: C

One of the more unique establishments in Charleston is The Peanut Shoppe. Not every city has a shop devoted to nuts and candy, but good ol' Charleston does. As an institution of sorts, my townie friends required my attendance here.

I usually skip by this place because I walk by the small exterior and it's usually closed by the time I make my way downtown. It had stayed open later on this particular night because of a parade, so we followed our noses to the roasted nut aroma.

I get the feeling of stepping back in time when I set foot in here. It's small and tons of containers and bins feature every sort of nut and popcorn and candy you can imagine. I imagine this is magical for children. I'm amazed at 24 years old.

While nuts are lovely, I couldn't get over the hand-pulled caramels. Hand. Pulled. Caramels. There's no contest.

I got a handful and went on my merry way. Little did I know what a fantastic decision this way. I ended up having a long day and every so often, I'd pop one of these. And each time I congratulated myself on what a brilliant decision this was.

They are a different level of soft. Like, you can't get these in a grocery store. Chewy but melty. And lovely. Go soak up a piece of Charleston and enjoy some treats.

Grade: A

In case you missed this: http://www.dailymail.com/foodandliving/201309100173

A new Japanese and Thai fusion restaurant aims to be a relaxing refuge for young professionals in Charleston.

Su-Tei, which will feature Asian Cuisine focusing on sushi, Thai food and Japanese cuisine, is set to open in Kanawha City by the end of September.

"There really isn't a fancy restaurant in this area," manager Andri Purwanto, 37, said. "There are lots of young professionals, and we wanted to give them a restaurant where they can hang out, relax and have great food."

Purwanto is originally from Indonesia and has managed five New York City restaurants. But he found the bustling city of more than 8 million people to be too busy and he had too much competition.

He slowed down and moved to the Beckley area, where he managed Kimono Japanese Restaurant. When he discovered that the largest city in West Virginia could use an upscale restaurant that targeted 20- to 30-year-olds, he wanted to make his mark on the town.

Dairy Creme Corner is definitely not new, but it's new to me. It's located in Fairmont - the next frontier for me.

They have a walk-up window, as well as some spaces inside, I believe. If you want hotdogs and the like, that's available. But, we were here for the ice cream.

Their version of a blizzard is the "avalanche," and they have a bazillion flavors: Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Peanut Butter and Jelly, Poptart, Cheesecake, Whatchamacallit, Peppermint patty. The Choco Taco was calling my name.

For only $3.54, you get a full styrofoam cup full of ice cream. Considering what a huge fan of ice cream I am, you would think I could put some away. Not so much the case. I just can't handle that amount.

It is a LOT.

And it's pretty good. There are giant chunks of waffle cone and chocolate and nuts all mixed into a vanilla base.  I was a fan. And it's a ridiculous amount of ice cream. Kudos to you if you can finish it.


Grade: A