Frozen yogurt shops are like a dime a dozen anymore. But, it's not always easy to find one that isn't a chain.

The Green Kiwi Frozen Yogurt in Vienna is a local shop that has a little less than a dozen flavors of yogurt and a ton of toppings to choose from.

I went for Toasted Marshmallow and Sea Salt Caramel Pretzel. Neither tasted too different - just variations of chocolate or vanilla, really, but that doesn't mean they were bad. I wouldn't mind seeing some more options, but these were good. And there was a decent variety.

I got some gummy frogs on one side and mini buckeyes on the other. There are lots of options - both chocolatey and fruity. So many tasty things like Reese Cups, chocolate covered pretzels and cookie dough bites.

If you're into frozen yogurt, check out this place for a local option. Still a good number of products and even better that it's locally owned and operated!












Grade: B

Slowly but surely I will have eaten at every sushi restaurant in West Virginia.

And, I know what you're thinking: YES, there are sushi restaurants in West Virginia. And, YES, there are some pretty decent ones.

RL and I recently went to Shogun Asian Cuisine in Parkersburg. This isn't the first Asian restaurant I've been to that is named "Shogun."

Here's what Wikipedia says about that word:

A shogun was a hereditary military dictator in Japan during the period from 1185 to 1868 (with exceptions). In this period, the shoguns were the de facto rulers of the country; although nominally they were appointed by the Emperor as a ceremonial formality. The Shogun held almost absolute power over territories through military means, in contrast to the concept of a colonial governor in Western culture.

First up were salad and soup. Both of which were OK - not my thing. I don't love ginger dressing, but the soup was fine. Broth with a few mushrooms. NBD.

But, then came some of the most delicious crab cheese rangoons I've ever had. Seriously so good. The inside was super creamy, the outside was perfectly crisp, and the small dollops of chili sauce were delish. I love these damn things.

We ordered a spicy tuna roll, a philly roll and a Volcano Roll.

The spicy tuna and Philly roll were both fine. Neither were super flavorful; I think the fish wasn't super duper fresh.

And the Volcano Roll had crab meat, cucumber, avocado topped with seared scallops and drizzled with spicy mayo. We may have just chosen wrong. And we saw the specials afterward that sounded REALLY good, but this one was just OK. The scallops wasn't really seared; instead, it was just this sort of gummy exterior.

Great company, OK food. Decent atmosphere. Maybe a different choice next time will lead to better results.

Grade: C

Another Middle Eastern restaurant opened on High Street: Salam. It is in the longtime Mediterranean Market space (turned Dos Bros turned Zaytun turned now Salam). It joins a few other Middle Eastern restaurants on High Street: Beity and Jasmine Grill.

I'm not well versed enough in Middle Eastern or Mediterranean cuisine to tell you the differences or who does what better. If you know, help a sister out.

For a while, it was only open at night because of Ramadan. I actually think that's super cool. But now that it's opened back up for lunch, I went with Tony and Mike.

They spent some time to make this space quite lovely. It's a large space, so I can imagine it's pricy to outfit it. There's even a bar that offers three types of beverages: flavored water, a lemonade and an orange drink.

The menu features hummus, baba ganoush, tzatziki, stuffed grape leaves, falafel, tabbouleh, fattoush, kabobs, shish tawook, gyro, shawarma, a burger and chicken tenders. I went for the Chicken Shawarma sandwich: slow roasted, marinated chicken wrapped in pita bread with lettuce, tomato, onion, parsley, pickles and choice of sauce. I asked what the Salam Special Sauce is, but they didn't have any, so I went with garlic.

This was pretty good! I have really developed a love for shawarma. It's so simple, but that garlic sauce is heavenly. And all the ingredients are fresh, so it's just like a perfect, light, mostly healthy lunch that is satisfying.

Tony also ordered some hummus, which was fine. The pita was thin and hard to dip. I also wish it were warm. The hummus was good, but I would go for about 15,000x more garlic. That's just me. Pretty solid addition.

Grade: B

The Boston Beanery is no longer at the Pines Country Club. Rather, it moved to I-68 and is now called the Beanery American Grill, along with three other locations.

"The Boston Beanery has been a staple in north central West Virginia for more than 30 years. Now, the team that brought you The Boston Beanery is introducing several new dining experiences to the region. In early 2016, three former Boston Beanery locations became Beanery American Grill — a nostalgic blend of homecooking and all-American favorites. Or visit our former Tygart Lake Boston Beanery location which is now home to Apple Annie's, a favorite among locals."

I dunno, dude. Regardless, this is about the NEW restaurant that went in the previous location at the Pines: The Clubhouse Grill at the Pines.

You DO NOT need to be a member to have a meal here, and there's plenty of parking right outside the restaurant. So, don't let that dissuade you.

I ordered a club sandwich here because it just felt right, y'know? And, I can get down with a good club sandwich. This one wasn't bad. I really think it needed some sort of sauce with all those cold cuts. If there was mayo, I didn't taste it. Otherwise, it's just a bunch of meat and bread. The sauce is key.


The fries are thicker than the Beanery's, but they have the same seasoning, which I love. Dipped in ranch dressing is a favorite.

Overall - not bad. Good fries. Decent sandwich.

Grade: C

Personally, I think Huntington is one of the greatest food cities in the state - what, with Backyard Pizza, Black Sheep Burritos & Brews and a bevy of drive-in restaurants, how could you not think so?

Jewel City Seafood is one restaurant that consistently ranks fairly high amongst restaurant reviews in Huntington, and I finally had the chance to go while passing through on a trip south. I pulled up to the restaurant for an early lunch and walked inside. A few moments later, I was greeted and seated at a table.

The tables are a bit odd - these tablecloths are way oversized and they're like a heavy vinyl. A bit gross and grimy on bare legs. That point was furthered when my water glass came out looking a little less than clean. Anyone who knows me knows this is a sticking point with me. I'll try just about any weird, off-the-wall food - as long as it's clean. I don't want germs.

So, I ordered the 1/2 Whitefish Poboy with hushpuppies. I love a good fried fish sandwich. I have very fond memories of getting a large battered cod sandwich with my dad at Shop 'N Save (of all places) or the fire station on Fridays when I was young. Just give me a large piece of fried fish and all the tartar sauce (not relishy) on a soft bun, and I'm happy.

This was almost there. The fish was lightly fried, so the bits of batter kept flaking off, along with the too-toasted bread, every time I picked it up. The fish itself was fine, but thin and not huge chunks of white flaky fish like I like. The hushpuppies were fine - but no dipping sauce. Honey butter please?

I recognize this will not live up to the nostalgia placed in my brain, and I also realize there are a thousand other options on this menu that I need to pursue. For now, this was OK. I just wanted it to be so much. I think you may get better at a fish fry during Lent.

Grade: B