Starlings Coffee & Provisions is the new Frutcake - just new and improved. The East End bakery expanded its offerings to include sandwiches, pizzas and soups.



Matt and I went for breakfast. I ordered a sausage, egg and cheese bagel with lettuce and tomato. Matt got a bacon version. While our orders were being prepared, we snacked on some of the samples out front.





Lots of delicious baked goods here. They have all sorts of bars and pies and scones and just beautiful looking temptations. I may have snagged a sample or two - any they're incredible.

Matt's sandwich

My sandwich

Once our food was ready, we went outside. I began eating my sandwich - decent bagel, fresh toppings ... I took another bite ... I realized there was no sausage on it. But at that point, I was halfway through. Am I supposed to take a half eaten bagel back and ask for a whole new one? That seems rude. So I just ate my egg, tomato, lettuce and provolone bagel. And you know what? It was alright. My bagel was fine. I think next time, though, I'll hit up one of those sweets!


Grade: B

Somehow, while living in Charleston's East End, I never made it to Joe's Fish Market. Don't ask me how. I'm an idiot. BUT, I decided to rectify this situation on a recent visit.

Joe's Fish Market is the place for fresh seafood in Charleston. Salmon? Scallops? Shrimp? Yes, please. They also have soup, specifically their Yugoslavian fish stew.



Despite it being, oh, I don't know, close to 90 degrees on this day and having just eating breakfast, I was determined to try this fish stew. I ordered a pint of the stuff. Owners say customers order about 20 quarts a day of the spicy, tomato-based soup - but has sold as many of 70 quarts in a day.



The soup is made with scrap pieces of fish. That means when customers like fish fillets to be the exact same size, there are leftover pieces of tuna, salmon and other fish - good quality fish. Now, this doesn't mean it's not fresh. Everything is fresh and is in the store no longer than two days. The store doesn't even have a freezer. It simply means it is the "extra." Owners adapted a recipe and a legend was born in the Yugoslavian fish stew.



The stew contains onions, celery, garlic, basil, parsley, pepper, oregano, cayenne, white pepper, chicken stock, some sugar, cans of tomatoes, red hot, tabasco and worcestershire sauce - plus all the good stuff like shrimp, scallops, salmon and tuna.

And it's delicious. It's a bit spicy, but it's incredibly flavorful. I kept fishing for giant scallops and shrimp. There's a ton in here! They're super moist and not overcooked. Have you tried this stew? And can you bring some to Morgantown for me? :) A-mazing.

Grade: A

Bricks & Barrels is a new upscale restaurant located behind the Appalachian Power Park in Charleston. I've heard not super great things about the restaurant - mostly due to price - but I wanted to check it out for myself.



The inside of this restaurant is nice - a nice mixture of blacks and warm browns, with lots of natural light. Barrels make up many of the tables with glass affixed to the top. It's contemporary, yet cozy.



It's true; the menu is pricey. Entrees range from $20-$45, with vegetarian options at the bottom range and steaks toward the top. But that's on par with other fine dining establishments in the area. Albeit, those fine dining places (a la Laury's or The Chophouse) have been around a while. Appetizers get pricey with some nearly hitting $20, and a soup reaches $11. And sides, while large and ample enough to share, are in double-digit territory.


They offer mostly steaks and fish. None of the entrees struck me, so Maggie and I decided to make up our own dinner: a side of the five-cheese macaroni, an order of the smoked salmon rolls and an order of the lobster and crab cakes.



The five-cheese macaroni is really quite good. It's a good-sized portion, enough for Maggie and I to share and still feel as though we had enough. It's very creamy with a nice golden breadcrumb top. I kept sneaking bites of this because it just hits every single "yum" point in my brain. The gooey, the cheesy, the smokey flavor, the crunch on top. So good.



The smoked salmon rolls were filled with cream cheese and herbs. While tasty, I think there was a bit too much cream cheese - also a crisp baguette would add a texture variation. Otherwise it can get all mush very fast.

The crab and lobster cakes were tasty, though I think they were heavier on the filler side than the crab side. I love the idea of one lobster cake and one crab cake. The lemon aioli was more like just lemon juice - very acidic. A creamier aspect would have been more welcoming.

As far as the service, our server was great. She was kind, personable and helpful. While others have complained about the service, I didn't experience those issues.

Price is hard to combat, but adding in items that could cater to lower-budget crowds would be nice. And it's not quite along a main stretch where people would visit often. But if the food continues to improve and little tweaks are made, I can see it doing well.

Bricks & Barrels is located at 1214 Smith St., Charleston, WV. They are open Tuesday-Thursday 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday-Saturday 4 p.m. to midnight.

Grade: B

Vicki's family, who live in Pennsylvania, read about Eighty Acres Kitchen & Bar in the local paper. They were intrigued and interested in checking it out. When Vicki was thinking about driving up to meet them for a dinner at the restaurant, located in the Plum area of Pittsburgh, I was happy to join.

The family-owned restaurant focuses on contemporary, seasonally based dishes. The name is an homage to the owner's father, who bought an 80-acre farm and raised goats in Missouri.

Owner and head chef Don Winkie has worked in kitchens for more than 30 years and found himself commuting into Pittsburgh on his days off to dine with his wife. That's when he decided to open a "destination" restaurant for folks both from the suburbs and city. And, it is. The interior has some rustic features juxtaposed with sleek black chairs. Chalkboards display specials for the day, and tables are adorned with fresh flowers. It's a modern rustic feel.



Dining with four people meant there were more bites I could sneak of all the different menu options. Let's start with the "snacks" and "starters." Snacks are slightly smaller, while starters are a big easier to share. I ordered the house-made ricotta gnocchi with aged cheddar bechemal. It is a simple, fluffy dish that has a mild cheesy sauce. No flavors are super prominent here, and I wish the gnocchi had a bit more of a substantial texture, but not a bad starter.

Next was the shrimp corn dogs, which come with a tobasco roasted red pepper aioli. A little odd, right? It's a nice sized shrimp on a skewer that is fried in a cornbread batter. The professionals are split on the matter (here and here), but I think I am leaning toward the "yay!" side. I do think the batter is a bit overwhelming for the more delicate shrimp flavor, but I also think it ends up balancing out and is just a fun carnival food with a modern flair.



The Coyote Queso is next and has melted fontina, chorizo, roasted poblano with brick oven flatbread. This was a very satisfying, comforting starter. The melty cheese paired with a crunchy piece of flatbread is mm mmm mmmm.



The last starter we tried was the crispy pork belly with a mole amarillo and pineapple salsa. While the flavor was good, especially with the mixture on top, the texture needed some work. It was more chewy than crispy.

For the entree options, they enlist a ton of protein, from steak and crab cakes to duck, salmon, burger, pork and chicken.

I ordered the duck breast with a celery root puree, lentils, wild arugula and a ginger carrot gastrique. This was cooked very well, with a beautiful dark crisp crust around each sliver. The celery root puree added an earthy, umami flavor, and the sweetness of the gastrique was the sweet note the dish needed. It's pretty well balanced.

For dessert, because of course, I ordered the strawberry shortbread. Dear god, was this delicious. It wasn't super rich and overwhelming, but it was light with a buttery, crumbly biscuit. It was topped with a ton of fresh sweet strawberries and freshly whipped cream. This was definitely my favorite part of a dessert. A nice sweet finish but without sugar overload? Perfection.

I love a local fair. The big rides are all lit up, games have giant stuffed animals hanging around and everything is fried. The Mon County Fair was held at the end of July/beginning of August. And I, of course, had a pepperoni roll. I think it's the first time I've had one split with chili and cheese. Pretty good!