I first heard of Bloomery SweetShine earlier this year when they decided to close their doors in response to state regulations that they claim made the business unprofitable. Legislation was introduced to help minimize the problems they were experiencing, and they opened back up shortly thereafter.


Since I was in the area, I swung (is swung a word?) by for a tasting. We arrived as a party was finishing up, so we took a quick tour of the greenhouse beforehand and saw the lemons growing. Then, as it started to rain, we went inside to begin our tasting. One straggler stayed back from the crowd and, shall we say, she probably had a bit too much limoncello.



Bloomery Plantation Distillery produces Bloomery SweetShine, which is a line of fruit cordials. After the owners took a trip to Italy in October 2010, they were on the search for the best limoncello in America. That quickly translated into a mission to make their own. They bought land for the distillery, started growing lemons and raspberries from their own farm and produced limoncello, with more than 20 international awards. The SweetShines also include a chocolate raspberry, a peach shine, their proprietary raspberry lemon and a cremma lemma.

Our bartender - or "fun"tender as they say - was fun, he showed us some great drinks we could make with the various limoncellos, and I ended up leaving with a raspberry limoncello. They're all quite tasty, and they all mix well to make even better drinks. What's your favorite?

While on a trip to Shepherdstown, I stayed overnight at the Bavarian Inn. In addition to the European chalets being absolutely beautiful, comfortable and luxurious, the inn also offers some delicious German and American fare. Before heading out for a day full of adventure, I went to the dining room for breakfast.



The menu ranges from traditional eggs, bacon and potato breakfasts to a charcuterie plate of chilled meats and cheeses. There are West Virginia buckwheat flapjacks, corned beef hash and chipped beef in cream. But first, biscuits, butter and jelly - which were perfectly fluffy and crumbly. Yaaasss. This reminds me of my grandma's, when she would bake some biscuits and pull out a bunch of different jellies, and that was our snack. Delicious.








I ordered Nova Scotia Salmon served with a bagel, onion, cream cheese and capers. This quickly moved up beside French toast as my favorite breakfast of all time - right behind my dad's homemade French toast (nothing beats that, c'mon, it tastes like memories of childhood slumber parties and tons of maple syrup).

The smoked salmon was folded into a rosette, and it was a lovely presentation. For those who don't order bagel and lox often, this probably seems weird. But I swear it's so good (and this one was particularly very good). Slather a toasted bagel with the cream cheese, layer the smoked salmon, sprinkle some red onions and add just a few capers. I wouldn't have minded some tomato, but it didn't need it.

It's perfect. It's absolutely perfect. It's a nice savory and filling breakfast with protein. You have the crisp from the bagel, the creamy cheese, the silky smooth salmon, crunchy onions. The added fruit (plus an unpictured fruit cup (I didn't know it already cam with fruit)) added a touch of sweetness. All around, it is very well-rounded and tasty. Plus I loved staying at this location.

I've also heard their Sunday brunch is to die for. $33, but I would venture to guess it's worth it. That will have to wait for next time.

Grade: A

The history of Holl's begins with founder Fritz Holl's training as a Conditor in Switzerland. As a young man, Fritz was sent to Zurich to be an apprentice in his uncle's Conditorei. (A Conditorei is a combination pastry shop, chocolate shop and café.) By the end of his three year apprenticeship, Fritz could make all the sweet delights found in a Swiss Conditorei, from chocolates and pastries to cakes and ice cream. 

In 1958 Fritz immigrated to the United States. He made his way to Marietta, Ohio in response to an ad for a Swiss-trained chocolatier placed by Ohio dairy company Broughton's. The dairy's owner, Carl Broughton, wanted to offer fine European chocolates and pastries in his chain of ice cream shops. Although the plan to offer Swiss chocolates and pastries at the ice cream shops was not successful, Fritz would work for Broughton's for the next 25 years in various capacities. All the while he continued to make chocolates for friends and neighbors every Christmas and Easter. 

In 1986 Fritz retired from Broughton's, but he wasn't ready to slow down yet. Friends encouraged him to return to his original training, and in April of 1986, Holl's Chocolates was born in the founder's kitchen. 

A local wine shop was Fritz's first customer. Only eight months after the business started, the wine shop sold over 400 pounds of Holl's chocolates. As a result of this demand, the Holl family kitchen became a chocolate factory, much to the dismay of Fritz's wife Elisabeth. The Holls decided to make a go of the business and invest in a "real" location. 

They moved to a small storefront about 10 miles away in Parkersburg, West Virginia. The entire space, which housed both the production and the selling areas, was about 600 square feet. The store was located on a steep hill just off of a fairly busy street and had only enough parking for four cars. Despite these obstacles, people went out of their way to visit the little chocolate shop just to try Fritz's chocolates. 

It was in the shop that Elisabeth's skills were put to use. As a young woman, she had worked at one of the finest florist shops in Zurich. The shop's elite clientele expected an exceptional level of personal service. Clerks were expected to greet their customers by name and to know their favorite flowers and their spouse's favorite flowers. 

When a customer entered the chocolate shop, Elisabeth would greet them by name and have a sample of their favorite chocolate ready. This special attention, and the superior taste of Fritz's chocolates, made a trip to Holl's Chocolates an experience people were eager to tell their friends about. 

As word of mouth brought more business, Fritz's retirement hobby became a full-time job that required more room and more staff. In 1990, Holl's Chocolates moved to its current location in Vienna, West Virginia. 

As the store grew busier, Fritz's son Dominique joined the family business and learned the craft of chocolate making just the way his father had 50 years earlier. Under the younger generation's guidance, Holl's began to adapt their processes to blend the best of the old ways with the best new methods in order to keep up with growing demand. 

Today, Dominique and his wife Michelle continue to adhere to the quality standards set by Fritz and the service standards set by Elisabeth. The elder Holls are no longer active in the business, but can occasionally be found chatting with customers in the retail store. 

I ended up being able to try the chocolate-covered strawberries (to die for!), some of the milk chocolate almond bark (amazing!) and some individual chocolates (so, so good). Of course, some of my favorites were the ones with caramel. If you've never been, it's certainly an awesome experience. Each chocolate is lovingly made, and the elegance of the shop is incredible. If you're in the Parkersburg area, this is a must-stop.

Mister Bee Potato Chips are the only potato chips made in West Virginia, so naturally, I love them. While in Parkersburg, I wanted to go see the factory because I'm crazy. They don't have much of a retail space, but you can purchase potato chips there.

I walked into someone's office, essentially, and asked if I can buy chips here. She replied yes. I asked where. She pointed behind me, where there was a rack of "sample" bags. So I looked over to the sample bags to figure out which one I wanted to take home with me. They have 16 oz., 9 oz., 2 oz., and 1.25 oz. bags in original, barbeque, sour cream and onion, dip style and honey bbq. I picked a bag of the sour cream and onion chips and went with it. Yum!

Mostly, I'm happy they're still around. They were created in 1951, and are available all around West Virginia. In 2011, they filed for bankruptcy protection and stopped production. The next year, they were back running and back in stores and seem to be focused on expanding a bit and capitalizing on the made in West Virginia aspect - even having a logo of the state on the bag now.

I don't even buy chips ever, really, because I go for sweet over salty. But I'll make an exception for Mister Bee. Have you tried? And what's your favorite flavor?

Check out Mister Bee on Facebook.

Ye Olde Alpha is an landmark bar and restaurant in Wheeling that dons deer, moose and other wildlife on the walls and has done so for more than 80 years. The tradition apparently dates back to 1932 when the owner and his hunting friends wanted to adorn the walls with their prized trophies.




The building is half bar, half dining room and was filled with a regular crowd - noticeable by the fact that few needed to look at the menu. Meanwhile, I pored over the menu, eliminating options I could get elsewhere. They dish out fried appetizers like cheese sticks and zucchini planks. Sandwiches, steaks, burgers, pasta, fajitas, wings - there's a little bit of everything here. But one thing folks kept commenting on was the greek wings.



I ordered one pound of greek wings - wings that they claim are the best in the Ohio Valley. But before our entrees, we were presented with a basket of tortilla chips and homemade salsa. Odd. BUT, I surprisingly liked the salsa. Not loved, but I liked it.



The wings were not bad. They were friend with hunks of feta cheese on top. I think maybe if there was a buffalo sauce or something a bit more cohesive, the flavor profile would've been better for me. But, ya know, can't really go wrong with fried chicken wings topped with cheese. Just a sauce of some sort would've worked, too.
Ye Olde Alpha is open Monday through Saturday at 11 a.m. and on Sunday at 10 a.m. Ye Olde Alpha 50 Carmel Road, Wheeling, WV 26003; 304-242-1090; yeoldealpha.com