Patiently crafted Appalachian spirits in Greenbrier County. Smooth Ambler Spirits, founded in 2009, set out to produce just that. The craft distillery says it uses a combination of high-valley mountain air, natural waters, ideal temperature variations and friendly folks to produce their truly remarkable drink.

I had heard about this place because I picked up a bottle of their gin - and love it. We arrive too early in the day for a tasting, but I did still want to check out the retail area. T-shirts, bar accessories and some chocolates were all for sale. I ended up with a coffee mug, simply because I didn't feel like lugging a bottle of liquor around with me. Plus I know it's available here locally in Morgantown.

I love that Smooth Ambler Spirits set out to be a point of pride for West Virginia. I think they've succeeded with a delicious product, beautiful branding and local pride. Get yourself some of this liquor!

I was so excited to try DiCarlo's Pizza from the Weirton location that I didn't actually get a photo of the pizza. Blogger fail. But I guess that's a good thing, right? I was so excited to eat it, I didn't get a photo? In case you forget, you can see what DiCarlo's pizza looks like in general here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.

A few things: This DiCarlo's has a pick-up drive-thru. You have to call in, they'll tell you how long, and you can pick it up at the window. With cash. That's convenient for when I don't feel like walking inside and potentially running into people I may know.

When I got home, the cheese had fully melted, but it's clear they use a nice mix of shredded mozzarella provolone. The crust was nice and crisp, the sauce had a great flavor and I only wish there had been a bit more cheese on it. Still, it's DiCarlo's, and therefore, delicious. And don't worry, there's only one more DiCarlo's in West Virginia I haven't been to yet: Parkersburg.

EDIT 12/28/16: Went so I got a photo :)



Grade: A

I stumbled across Deskins Candies quite a long time ago, actually, but I hadn't had a chance to write about it until now. I saw this variety candy tray in Kroger and noticed it is from Bluefield. How cool is that? And the candies are delicious. I love the peanut butter fudge!

The Greene Turtle is a sports bar chain with an East Coast seafood vibe. Most of their locations are in Maryland, with a few in Delaware, Virginia, Washington DC, and New York. Morgantown's recently opened The Green Turtle is the first location in West Virginia.

The menu features crab dip, burgers, wraps, sandwiches, crab cakes, tacos, seafood mac & cheese, ribs, fish and chips, steak, salads, soups and more. I'm thinking Applebees sports bar with a seafood slant. Lots of menu items so there's something to please everyone in your family, plus TVs at every table to make dad happy. Seriously, TVs everywhere. They also have a "mug club" where you can get a discount on draft beer and some other stuff that I don't know.

I ordered a pick two ($7.99) with a soup and half pizza: crab flatbread and Maryland crab soup. My dear friend Maggie loves this crab flatbread, so I wanted to try it. It's essentially a very thin crust with their crab dip on top, with a layer of cheese over top. It's very rich and creamy, but the crust provides a nice crisp. Not bad. The soup was decent. There were a few nice chunks of crab, and I liked the broth, too. The combo was good.

Overall, it was pretty average, I think. Plus a ton of loud TVs. Service could've used some work. And the cups, which have a green tint, were weird housing my water. I felt like there was algae. Small complaints, but whatever. This place is fine. If you're going to watch a game, yes, do it. If you want to actually hear the person on the other end of the table, maybe not so much. Anyway, times and places for all things.

The Green Turtle is open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to midnight; Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. It is located at 7100 Willie G. Avenue, Morgantown, WV 26501.

Grade: C
 

Ah, after a long first day of tasting bourbon (tough work, I tell ya), it was time for dinner back in Lexington! Bourbon n' Toulouse kept coming up in ranking after ranking after ranking - and it got the Brittany stamp of approval - so we ventured to this cajun and creole joint.

It's an eclectic group of diners - from businessmen to college kids. We ordered at the counter; I went with a 1/2 and 1/2 of chicken etouffee and black beans & caramelized corn. The chicken etouffee is their top seller, with its spicy roux base. The black beans and caramelized corn features red bell peppers in a light cream sauce and is vegetarian.

After a short wait, they call our name at the counter and walk up to fetch our plastic plate overflowing with food. We took it back to a table that was surrounded with what looked like a mini version of the French Quarter - beads and artwork abound.

The chicken etouffee had a good, fairly mild flavor with a kick of heat. It is a different kind of cuisine than what I'm used to eating, but it was tasty. Not one I typically gravitate toward, but I appreciate it for what it is.The corn was a perfect balance because it was sightly sweet, so the two went together swimmingly.

I enjoyed my meal, and before we left, I even got an "Ale 8," because I was told I absolutely must have one while in Kentucky. I actually didn't get a chance to drink it until a few days later (I kept it in the hotel refrigerator), but it wasn't bad. I'm not sure what to think of it. A mellower Mountain Dew, maybe? Like a diet or flat gingerale? Not bad, but considering I don't drink pop often, not something I'd go crazy about.


Grade: A