Taylor Books is an institution in Charleston. I knew about Taylor Books before even moving to Charleston. In fact, I had written about it when I was freelancing for the Charleston Daily Mail. I met Ann, the owner, for the story, and she was just amazing. She is the most sincere, wittiest woman in Charleston, I'm sure. I hope to be half the woman she is some day.

And I spoke with her again recently for another story about her raising chickens on the top of Taylor Books. I mean, does it get much better? So, yes, I'm totally biased. I love this place. I love absolutely everything about it. It's situated in the heart of downtown Charleston, so walking there was always lovely. It is a locally owned book store that also has an cafe, gallery and more. It's a hub for culture in Charleston, and it is truly a home away from home.

It is the perfect place to relax with a book, to meet up with friends for coffee, to do an interview, check out local art, whatever. It's a perfect blend of everything I want in my free time. They even have wine.

The cafe is stocked with scones or muffins that Ann wakes up early to make. They're all delicious - you can't really go wrong. What's pictured to the left here is a pumpkin cheesecake latte. I mean, c'mon. What more could you ask for in life?

It's the best coffee shop in West Virginia. I think I can say that confidently. It's well-liked, and if you haven't been here, you're doing yourself a huge disservice.

Buy a book. Stroll through the gallery. Get some coffee and a scone. Scope out the passers-by. Revel in one of the best establishments Charleston has to offer.

Grade: A

It was only proper that I round out the food court at the Charleston Town Center, right? I've reviewed both China Max and Sakkio Japan. Next on my list was Hawaiian Grille.

Their sign says burgers, hot dogs and chicken. It definitely has items influenced with what I think of as  Asian flavors - the eggrolls, noodles and sweet/sour chicken. When I went up to the counter, I received samples of the pineapple chicken and Hawaiian chicken. They're barely discernible, but both sweet and tangy. I got half and half with noodles and an egg roll.

So it's food court food, made in large batches which means things probably aren't totally measured out and are made to feed large amounts of people quickly. But, it's good. It's tasty, that is.

The chicken is clobbered in a thick, sweet, tangy sauce that could probably make anything taste decent. But I enjoy that sweet and sour combo, so I'm happy. Noodles were not bad. They were a little cooler by the time I got them, but flavor was decent. The egg roll was full of mushy celery and other things I didn't know, so I'd stay away from that one. That was bad. But the main meat entrees and noodles, I'd definitely try again.

Grade: B

Am I the only one who thought the Bear's Den was a gay bar? Yes? Just me? Okay then.

The Bear's Den is not a gay bar, just for the record.

It's located near the opposite end of Capitol Street - near the Capitol Market. The only giveaway that it was a restaurant was that there was a chef statue outside donning the day's meals,and since it was close, it became the day's lunch.

The menu is not huge, but it has some typical sandwiches like burgers, chicken, grilled cheese, club. I went for the "Bear's Burger," which has fresh ground beef, onions, mushrooms, peppers and provolone cheese. I got that with a small side of pasta salad in lieu of fries.

Let's start from the outside in - the bun was lovely because it was toasted and buttered. Lovely. The burger was thick and juicey. Could've used some more seasoning. Toppings - fine. I really like some tomato and lettuce with my burger, but the peppers were fine. I think some fresh veggies - not just sauteed ones - would kick it up a notch. But it was still an overall solid burger.

The pasta salad had seen better days. Devoid of much flavor and just kind of a cold, mushy mess.

Grade: B

Just when I thought I was running out of the more popular restaurants in town, I saw this Kaifu Japanese Cuisine restaurant was rated fairly high on Urbanspoon. That led me to ask my friend Jessica her opinion of it. She was quite fond of this little place I hadn't heard of, so I knew I had to try it.

It could probably be in a nicer area of town, but there is a parking lot just behind there, so parking isn't crazy. It's just near the transit mall, so luckily we were there during the day time. It truly is tucked away, so it'd be pretty easy to miss.


When we walked in, there was only one other gentleman eating. That was good, though, because we got the immediate attention of the waitress who took our drink orders. They have special rolls on a board, and an avocado/shrimp one caught my eye. That, and I got a Philadelphia roll, which has typical salmon, cream cheese and cucumber. AND I got gyoza for an appetizer.

Gyoza is just a dumpling filled with a pork mixture and fried. Delicious with a side of sauce made of soy and vinegar.

Both of the rolls were good, too. They were fresh and sturdy. Full of flavor. And better quality than what you get at most West Virginia restaurants.

Jessica got a lunch box full of all kinds of goodies. So, that's an option, too.

Grade: A

There's a different kind of "hot dog" in the Spring Hill area of Charleston. It's not one topped with chili, slaw, mustard and onions. Instead, it's a bakery version of a hot dog - found at Spring Hill Pastry Shop.

It swaps the bun for an eclair that is split and filled with fluffy cream and has chocolate icing atop. It borrows the name "hot dog" because of its appearance, but it doesn't actually contain any of the same elements.

It's an iconic part of Charleston, I was told many times, as it remained on my bucket list when my deadline to move was quickly approaching. I made it my goal to get the much coveted hot dog before I left.

When I walked into the pastry shop, I was overwhelmed with amazing smells and beautiful displays. All of this at around 8 a.m. I can't imagine how early they wake up to prepare this spread. But they basically have every kind of pastry and sweet delight you could imagine. My friend told the woman behind the counter I had never had the famed hot dog and want to try it before I leave.

She gave me one. On the house.

In addition to being a sweet treat with a soft bun, creamy center and decadent drizzle of chocolate - the service is phenomenal. Great hometown place. Get the hot dog. Revel in its delight. Contribute to a great group of people.


Grade: A