Wheeling Brewing Company is a relatively new addition to downtown's historic Centre Market district. It neighbors antique shops, great restaurants and other cute stores, plus there's a good bit of street parking right outside.

Wheeling Brewing Company offer a menu full of items like "hoppy hummus" made with their Moondog IPA; three cheese, reuben, and sweet and savory chicken sliders; and meatball or pulled pork hoagies. Specials on the board that caught my eye were a lobster ravioli and stuffed hot peppers. Everything sounded quite tasty, but because we just had dinner, we were only looking for beer.

We were in luck, because Wheeling Brewing Company featured seven of their own draft beers plus a guest beer. This night was Bridge Brew Works' Long Point Lager. You could get a half flight with four beers or their whole seven + guest. We went for the latter.

As we waited for our beer, we talked about the scenery. It's a super chill environment. Dark, but relaxed. An exposed brick wall, cool lighting and an open view into the brewing area set the tone. I would so, so hang out here just for fun.

Somehow, the photo of the flight didn't turn out. But some quick thoughts. I love, love the Panhandle Pale Ale 1 - because of the name and 2 - because it's tasty. Shoutout to the only Northern Panhandle Brewery. The McColloch's Wheat is light and crisp. And that raspberry wheat? Ohmygod. Came home with me in a growler, which I plan to enjoy over the next week.


Grade: A

West Virginia made an appearance on Thrillist's 33 Best Burgers in America list thanks to Avenue Eats' Diner burger. The Diner burger is made from fresh, daily ground, grass-fed beef and topped with sharp cheddar cheese, lettuce, onion, pickle, diner sauce on a kaiser roll. And, of course, I had to try it.



I met my parents at Avenue Eats for dinner. The restaurant is fairly small, with just four tables that can accommodate more than two people. There is an orange accent wall decorated with some old photos of the building. The menus come in cute brown display folders, and water is delivered in glass bottles at your table. A nice little environment.


I've heard great things about all of Avenue Eats' burgers - like the brie and grilled pear burger, the smoked gouda burger and the poutine burger. I'd love to stop by to try all of these burgers at some point. But we started with a grilled lamb chop appetizer.

The lamb chops were cooked well, though there were some pretty fatty pieces. The chimichurri was a nice addition and really brightened up (and freshened up) the plate.

My burger was pretty good. Ordered medium, so it was definitely a bit overcooked. But the flavor was on point. The bread was nicely grilled, sharp cheddar cheese blanketed the whole burger, and the diner sauce - which I had been curious about - was like a cheesier, tangy Big Mac sauce. The onions added a hint of sweet, and there were a whole lotta pickles - but it was nice to have a bit of crunch. The fries were homemade and heavily salted. Could have been a bit more crisp. Overall, though, a really good, tasty meal.

Grade: A

Wheeling has turned into this super hip little city. I don't remember that being the case when I lived in the Northern Panhandle, but then again, I never frequented Wheeling. I recently met up with my parents in Wheeling to have dinner. While waiting for them, I stopped in the Wheeling Coffee Shoppe.

The Wheeling Coffee Shoppe is located in a cute neighborhood and has outdoor seating where you could revel in the small-town feel. Unfortunately, it was raining, so I cozied up inside instead. Large jars filled with Enrico's biscotti lined the counter, Torani flavored syrups filled the back wall, and a white board off the the left listed the available menu.

Cafe au lait, espresso, latte, mocha, americano. What do I go with? Hot cocoa, because yum. I also got a white chocolate macadamia nut biscotti, mostly because I needed a $4 minimum to use my credit card.

I took a seat, looked over the local paper, drank my hot chocolate and ate my biscotti as the rain poured down outside. My hot chocolate was delicious, as was the biscotti. The atmosphere here was cool, calm. A perfect place to spend a rainy afternoon.




Grade: A

I wanted to shake the "blah" feeling that is associated with a cold, rainy day. Everything was gray, and it was a reminder that winter is just around the corner. But I knew the perfect solution: a delicious chili-slaw dog and ice cream.

The Custard Stand has a few locations around West Virginia: Webster Springs, Elkins, Oak Hill, Danville, Flatwoods and Mannington. I've been to a few, and I want to check the remaining locations off my list. Mannington is home to the closest Custard Stand near Morgantown. While only about 45 minutes away from me, I've never spent much time in Mannington. What better reason to go than for a hotdog and ice cream?

I made my way down through Fairmont and westward until I hit Mannington. The Custard Stand is located in a stand-alone building in the Rainbow Plaza. There is a walk-up window outside where customers can order. Inside is a huge dining area with long running tables. A menu above a bar area lists items like hot dogs, ice cream, pizza and burgers.

I ordered a hotdog with chili, slaw, mustard and onions, as well as a small chocolate cone. The woman behind the counter made my ice cream cone immediately. And THAT is a Custard Stand small! Smooth, creamy and delicious. I love this ice cream!

A few minutes later, my hot dog was ready. It came in a white paper to-go bag. Once I finished up my ice cream, I unwrapped the hot dog. A little messy, but it was wrapped well enough to not get everywhere. Custard Stand chili is quite good. Perfect texture, good flavor. The slaw had a bit of a sweet flavor, so the combo together was delicious.

The Custard Stand in Mannington is located at 12 Rainbow Plaza, Mannington, WV 26582. 304.986.1068. It is open Sunday through Thursday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday-Saturday 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Grade: A
 

While large cities have boasted numerous food trucks - ones with grilled cheeses, banh mi, or artisan ice cream - for quite some time, Morgantown is just making headway into the food truck scene. Of course, local government in Morgantown isn't making it easy for them. But, now, Morgantown has small fleet of food trucks serving up everything from artisan jalapeno macaroni and cheese to a walking taco.



Hash Browns and New Grounds is the only true food truck in Morgantown. Cody Thrasher can be found Wednesday afternoons at the WVU Hospital Farmers Market (11 a.m. to 2 p.m.) and Wednesday evenings (10 p.m. to 1 a.m.) at Brew Pub. He's also at the Bridgeport Farmers Market (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) on Sundays. In the middle, he's usually doing catering events or other festivals that pop up. His menu is ever-evolving, incorporating local, seasonal foods in super creative dishes. He's known for some of his signature items like the H20 Melon Salad - cubed watermelon, feta, mint, balsamic reduction, mint oil and salt. And the jalapeno gnocchi is one of my all-time favorites: jalapeno gnocchi mac & cheese with grilled pepperoni, a panko topping and drizzle of Sriracha. If you see this on his menu while he's out, stop what you're doing and comment here so I can go get some. And then get some for yourself!



Street Meatz is a food truck, but they stay stationary in Ace Hardware's parking lot. Featuring local, grass-fed organic beef, Street Meatz specializes in their burgers, which change each week. Street Meatz is open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. The menu changes weekly, but some favorites include fish tacos on Tuesdays, s'mores bites, fried green tomatoes and beef burritos.


Woodburn Shanks originally started out as just aiming to be a food truck. They evolved into a physical location at the Mountaineer Mall, and the food truck portion isn't out and about often. Woodburn Shanks is open Monday through Friday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. selling some of the town's tastiest pit-style bbq.



Morgantown Tacos should probably be credited with the first-ever food truck, though it doesn't seem to be in commission often any longer. It previously used to hang out on High Street late at night serving up tacos and other late-night munchies. The latest news from the taco truck has been their Twitter feed noting they are trying to find a new kitchen for commissary.



Jerseys Subs has a physical location as well as their food truck, though the food truck only really comes out at festivals. They have frequented the Wine & Jazz Festival in Morgantown and other similar events.

Let's Taco Bout It  is a newcomer to the food truck scene. Featuring basic types of tacos, the truck is often seen at festivals or other events.

Martin's Bar-B-Que has their physical location at Suncrest Towne Centre, though they have portable smoker available for catering. I've seen it on display at their restaurant but not out in the wild yet.

Hot dog guys - these guys aren't food trucks. They're more like food carts. But they're closest to the real OGs.



Pyles of Pasta is carb heaven with a handful of pasta options, as well as sandwiches, salads and appetizers!


Heavenly Hoagies makes the trip up to Morgantown every so often and has a hoagie no matter what mood you're in.

Am I missing anyone? Let me know!