So, a brand new Thai restaurant has opened up above ZenClay along University Avenue, and it's already dishing out meals that will rival many other restaurants in town.

Ta-Khrai Thai Cafe has taken over what was most recently the Dancing Fig location and transformed it into this trendy, but beautifully cozy spot. The vibe isn't entirely different from the previous restaurant, but it's lovely all the same. Lovely dark wood floors, purple walls, bright white accents and beautiful art.

The location is great because 1) it's close to me 2) there is free parking right across the road and 3) the ultra cool pottery studio ZenClay is right underneath. Definitely a nice little gem.

Inside, we were seated near a window and handed these large books full of glossy menu pages. The menu is quite large, and I took a photo of nearly every page so you can check it out. There are a TON of options, so choose wisely.

As we were looking over our options, they brought us some waters full of lemons, limes and grapefruits. My friend Lisa loved it, but it was a touch too sour for my taste, and I asked for a regular water. Mmm I love regular water.

As far as ordering, this presented a challenge. There are just SO many options. I wanted something uniquely Thai, but there's just a lot to sift through. So, I put in an appetizer to buy some time: cheese rangoons. Obviously.

These were ... I think the best I've had in town. Super creamy, but also little hunks of onion all fried up with a sweet sauce on the side. You just can't go wrong. But what's perfect about these is the way they are wrapped makes it so there is cream cheese in every bite (so there aren't those pointy pieces that are just fried), and these are filled to the brim with cream cheese. Plus, I love the little extra texture of onion so it's not too creamy. Just fantastic.

We were presented with another appetizer - on the house. Crab puffs were essentially small fried pockets of crab. It was served with a sort of sweet relish. Not bad, but it's hard to go up against those crab rangoons.

OK, time to choose. I went with the pad thai because I feel like it can be a general measurement by which to gauge. Kind of like every Chinese restaurant needs to, at minimum, have a good General Tso's... I feel like pad thai is probably an easy entry dish for many folks unfamiliar with Thai cuisine, so they should have a good one. You can choose how spicy you want the dish, and she even asked if we'd like hot sauce on the side. No. Thank. You. Just regular, no spicy.

These noodles are a bit thicker than Chaang Thai's, and there's so many wonderful textures. Sometimes just a pile of noodles is a bit much; that texture variation is key. And there were scallions, peanuts, chicken, egg, bean sprouts and cilantro all in a tamarind sauce. The flavor - delicious. Definitely on the sweeter side, but I'm into that. It was very good. I love the slight chew of the noodles and that sweet and flavorful sauce.

It might be a bold claim - but I think I may have a new favorite restaurant in my arsenal. The service was incredible - very accommodating, very helpful and even gave us a 10% discount. One of the other diners knew the place was open from a post I put out and mentioned it to the waitress, who was super thankful. They did only take cash, but they should be online and taking cards by now. Cash might be safe juuuust in case. And, the food - there is a lot, which can be overwhelming, but everything I ate was super good. Give 'em a try. Tell me what you think.

Grade: A


Check out their full menu:

Popeyes



The much-awaited Popeyes has finally opened in town. Located along Earl L Core Road in Sabraton, Popeyes opened less than a week ago, and lines have been nonstop ever since.

It's "Louisiana-style" chicken, meaning it has a little bit of a kick to it. It's fine. I do like the Coke Freestyle machine.


Well, I think I liked the biscuit the best.


Denny's

Also, a new Denny's also opened up in town. Not necessarily up my alley. But it's a thing. It's located toward the southern end of town near the I-68 Walmart plaza area.

I ordered a salad, which may not be most representative of the kind of food they serve, but it was average. Nothing especially notable - though it did have potato stix, which I wasn't expecting.


Sheetz



I know you're shocked we have a new Sheetz in town, but this one is a little different. It has a drive-thru!


Also located near the I-68 Walmart, this Sheetz has the ability to order MTO from your car and pick it up from the window. I don't hate this idea when it's cold so you can keep warm in your car. I also learned the amazingness of their "boom boom sauce," which is a bit tangy and will now go atop everything I order from there.

Buffalo Wild Wings

There is also a new Buffalo Wild Wings that just opened in the new development near the Black Bears baseball stadium. I haven't been there - thus no photos. But, I'm sure you can imagine what it's like, too.

Whilst waiting for our dinner reservations, we popped into Toscanini's for a quick drink. I didn't know at the time that Toscanini's has some of the world's best ice cream, but I did learn that they have some of the best coffee I've ever had.

The menu featured quite a few options that sounded good, but the "hot Vietnamese" was different. Vietnamese coffee is known for the sweetened condensed milk, and it was glorious. It balances the dark-roasted Vietnamese coffee, and I instantly fell in love.

I regret that I didn't get a chance to try the ice cream, but the coffee was out of this world, so I'll definitely have to stop back.



Grade: A

Dubbed as having one of the best burgers in the country, Boston's Craigie on Main had high expectations.

There's something about the burger that makes it so quintessential American. It can be found in its most basic, homestyle form at backyard BBQs, or you can find it in a fine restaurant topped with foie gras. It's versatile and iconic. So, when I have the opportunity to try a new take on this classic, I'm all in.

Craigie on Main is a high-end French restaurant serving duck rillettes, sweetbreads and the like. But Chef Tony Maws - a James Beard award winning chef known for his snout-to-tail approach to cooking - decided to begrudgingly add a burger to his bar menu because it's a crowd favorite. But he wanted to make something tasty and inspired by his own burger preferences - since everyone has their own opinion on what makes a good burger.

He spent six months perfecting this burger. Each component is made with care. The bun is a housemade milk-style bun - soft, but also firm to support the weight of the burger - buttered and griddled on plancha. The 8 oz. grass-fed beef patty is ground with shoulder, short rib, sirloin tips, bone marrow and suet. It's not a super finely ground - he says sausage is compact. Hamburger shouldn't be totally smooth. It's cooked in a CVap oven and finished on the plancha to get a good crust. The cheese is Shelburne Farm cheddar which has been aged for two years. It's topped with a mace ketchup - because a bottle of Heinz wouldn't be keeping with the spirit of the restaurant. And, the burger is topped with lettuce and onion and "burger vinaigrette," which is basically the burger juices. When they're in season, he adds sliced tomato. On the side are some extra ketchup, red wine vinegar pickles and celery root slaw.

Did I mention this burger has also made it on Eater's list of 12 Most Elusive Burgers?



They only make 18 of these burgers a night - because that's the amount of the beef blend that they can get at a high quality per day. And, they are really, really popular. Even overhyped, Maws says. It's clear Maws has a bit of an ego and doesn't see why this burger became so popular. It's just a burger, afterall. But, that only adds to its intrigue.

I made reservations for 5:30 p.m. in the bar area (the only place it's sold), and we lined up at about 5 p.m. outside. There was already a line before the restaurant opened. But the last thing I wanted was 18 other people to have reservations right at opening and order the burger. So, there were about six people in front of us when we got inside. The burger is not on the menu, but the servers pretty much know what people racing to get in the door at 5:30 p.m. want.

We were served small gifts from the chef to begin with - liver & celery and pickled herring on a cracker. The herring was better than the liver, but both were decent.

Then, we had some rolls which I wasn't super excited about. They weren't warm, and neither was the butter. So, those two together don't mesh. But, I was ready for the burger. After what seemed like forever, we were finally rewarded.

The burger was really quite good. It is a substantial burger - moist, flavorful, not too greasy, perfectly spiced. I know that some may say I ruined it by using the extra ketchup, but I loved it and used every last bit. I think it needed that extra sauce. But you won't find a better quality burger. The meat itself is just beyond. There's definitely a hint of umami flavor there that I couldn't get enough of.

So, yes, it's a pretty damn burger. Definitely within the top 5. If you're in the area, be sure to get your hands on one just for the pure fact of knowing what a burger patty should taste like. Hint: it's this.

It also came with house-cut steak fries that are baked and fried and seasoned. These were thicker cut, but delicious. If you need me, I'll be over here re-living this moment and letting my mouth water in anticipation of getting a taste of this again.

Grade: A

The fourth annual Charleston Restaurant Week is coming up, and I couldn't be more excited - especially after getting a sneak peek.

For the past two years, organizers have created "First Course," which is meant for ambassadors, influencers and members of the media to come out, celebrate this week and get a quick glimpse into what's to come.


Last year, the first event, was held at JQ Dickinson Salt-Works in Malden. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't great, so I couldn't make the trip from Morgantown. However, this year, the unseasonably warm temperatures allowed me to easily travel down to Charleston - to Yoga Power on Morris Street - to partake in the festivities.



First of all, this new yoga studio is absolutely gorgeous. And, the colorful ribbons they use to practice were suspended from the ceiling, almost creating decoration for the event. The room was bustling with the who's-who of Charleston -- media, local celebrities, dignitaries -- and I finally got to meet some folks in person that I've only corresponded with online (Hi Maria! Hi Steven!).

Oh, and of course, the restaurants! A handful of local restaurants chose to participate and dole out samples of their Restaurant Week menus. It's a fun look to see what is in store for the week!

These are just a few of the goodies I got to sample:

Bricks & Barrels - bbq short ribs, berry shooters
Mi Cocina de Amor - guacamole
Adelphia - grape leaves, Mediterranean mahi, smelt, garlic and cheese lamb,
Paterno's at the Park - sausage and pea pasta
Ichicban - Almost Heaven maki
The Block - halibut
B&D Gastropub - mac & cheese

In addition, there was beer and wine available - and good stuff, too! I got a Bell's Oberon Ale. The Almost Heaven maki is always one of my favorites. That pasta from Paterno's was out of this world, as was the macaroni & cheese from B&D. Everyone had great items, which makes me even more excited for this week.

The Buzz Food Service team -- Dickinson Gould and Kayla Young in particular -- are so instrumental in coordinating this beautiful piece of culinary culture in our Mountain State.

If you're unfamiliar with the concept, you get to go to one of the participating restaurants and get a three-course-meal for $30.

I already have reservations to try the new restaurant, Adventures Bar & Grill. Where are you going?

#CWVRestWeek