So, I had to. I gave in and tried the Starbucks Unicorn Frappuccino.

The new drink that came out yesterday and is only available through this weekend. It is capitalizing on the unicorn/rainbow craze that harkens back - for us former '90s kids - to the Lisa Frank era. Unicorns are everywhere now. There are unicorn noodles, lattes, toast, macarons, pancakes and Pop-Tarts.

And, I partially did this because I wanted to see what it was like (and literally do not care if it's ~ugh~ basic), partially for work, and partially because it's kind of an incredible case study. This is the first mass-marketed product literally made for Instagram. We've hit a new level, folks. We're creating food - on a massive scale - simply for Instagram. That's kind of incredible.

Yesterday was so busy for this drink that both standalone Starbucks in Morgantown sold out. On the first day. Luckily, I work next door to the Starbucks in the Waterfront, and they had ample supplies. The barista, however, was clearly over making them.

Either way, I actually thought it was good (though many others didn't). It was fruity, and mine only had a hint of sour.


Have you tried it yet? What did you think?

Having a shop that specializes in popcorn is a trendy, welcome addition to cities. It's fun and a little whimsical. Wheeling has its own, and Pittsburgh has one. And, Shepherdstown has one, too: Mountaineer Popcorn Company.

Located along German Street, Mountaineer Popcorn Company has a really adorable storefront with a simple, cool design and chalkboard out front. As soon as you walk in, you see tons of flavors of popcorn.


Flavors include birthday cake, buffalo cheddar, buffalo wing, caramel, caramel cashew, cheddar, chesapeake, chocolate drizzled caramel, cookies & cream, dill pickle, garlic parmesan, jalapeno white cheddar, kettle corn, peanut butter cup, salt & vinegar, sea salt & black pepper, s'mores, sriracha, theater butter, and white cheddar.

We are a small company with big ambitions. The two of us (Mike and Erin Valasek) decided in April of 2015 that we wanted to start up a locally-grown popcorn business in beautiful Shenandoah Valley.  Not only did we want to produce great-tasting popcorn, but as parents of four young children, we wanted to give them the opportunity to see how businesses are created, successfully-maintained and grown. We knew that this would be an invaluable experience and, as you can see, they love advertising Mountaineer Popcorn!  We hope you enjoy our popcorn as much as our family does! (ABOUT)

I got the sour cream & onion mixed with cookies & cream in just a mini bag. It's a unique mixture, and it was really good! They both had those signature tastes, and the combination of the two was different but I dug the sweet and savory.

Have you been? What's your favorite flavor?

The Mountainlair is home to a new sandwich shop. Which Wich, based out of Dallas, Texas, has opened its first location in West Virginia in WVU's Mountainlair.

The sandwich shop appeals to the introvert in all of us - little human interaction. You see, you pick up a sandwich sleeve from the counter - either a "FAVES" or "BYO" - and mark your selection right there on the bag. There are also cards if you choose to add a cookie or shake. Then, you pay and watch your sandwich make its way down the assembly line until they call your name and that sleeve is now filled with your sandwich.

Favorite sandwich options include the Cali Club, Philly Cheesesteak, Italian Club, Buffalo Chicken, Double Avocado, Tuna Melt, Black Bean Burgerwich and Wicked - "Our signature sandwich comes with turkey, ham, roast beef, pepperoni, and bacon, plus your choice of three cheeses and any additional toppings you want."


Or, you can handpick each and every component of your sandwich a la the "BYO" route. You choose the meats, bread, cheeses, sauces, veggies and all the toppings.

Well, I, of course, went with their signature sandwich and threw in an Oreo shake for good measure. Simply filled out my name, marked my selection on both the bag and the additional card, paid and then waited for them to call my name.

Because it is a a new addition - filling the former place of Quiznos - it has been a bit busy. But, I think it's a pretty good sandwich. One of my coworkers said it could easily pass for Firehouse Subs, which seems like pretty high praise.

I'm a weirdo who tends to prefer cold sub sandwiches, but the Wicked was pretty good. In a world full of Subways, Jimmy Johns, and Firehouse Subs, I think Which Wich stands up. Not bad.

And the shake was a solid addition. It was definitely a thicker shake. Not bad, not bad.

Pyles is the owner's last name, and, as you can guess, pasta is their specialty. Pasta? Out of food truck? That's right - and it's not a totally foreign concept elsewhere.

The truck has been spotted all around town, and most recently, at the CVS on 705, which is where I stopped to get a taste. You can catch them if you keep up with them on Facebook and Twitter to see where they are each day from about 10:30 a.m. until about 3 p.m. AND, they do take cards. Woo!

Standard locations

Mondays: University Town Center (new Medicine building near Walmart) 

Tuesdays: Open

Wednesdays: Open

Thursdays: Mountaineer Mall at Mylan

Fridays: CVS on 705 

So, I made my way here. The truck was already up and running by 11 a.m. or so (perfect because I'm all about an early lunch), and two very small tables were set up if you want to eat on-site.

The menu has a few appetizers (pretzel sticks, pepperoni rolls, cheese fries, mozzarella sticks), salads, sandwiches and, of course, pasta.

Pasta options include a red pepper penne, cajun alfredo pasta, bacon penne and cheese, whole wheat penne marinara and "Pyles" of pasta penne and meatballs. It was tough for me to not order the last one, since it has the namesake and classic red sauce, but I wanted to try something a little bit different so I went with the red pepper penne: sauteed broccoli and penne pasta tossed with creamy red pepper alfredo. I also got two meatballs on the side.

After only having waited just a few minutes, I was presented with a large box full of pasta. First things first - it's not mushy. It was perfectly al dente. A really lovely presentation - and you know, they say we eat with our eyes. The sauce was creamy, and I appreciated the broccoli for some texture. Breadstick was not an afterthought - it was one of my favorite parts! And the meatballs were very finely ground. Good.

So, I'm always happy to see additions to the food truck scene - and considering I'm a carb proponent, I see this is a solid addition. It's a good alternative for some other lunch options. Might be a tad bit pricier than typical offerings, but check it out and let me know what you think!

Grade: A

Potomac Highland Winery is a small winery located just outside of Keyser. I first heard about Potomac Highland Winery at the West Virginia Wine & Jazz Festival in Morgantown. And, I became a big fan of their wines, which aren't too dry and aren't too sweet - just right!

The relatively warm climate at the vineyard site near Keyser enables us to grow vinifera and French-American hybrids, allowing us to make wines very unique to West Virginia.  We offer tours, tastings and sales by appointment or take a chance.  We are open most days and non-festival weekends. Operating Schedule:  Most days and non-festival weekends Tours and Tastings Available by appointment

I reached out to the folks and told them a general timeframe when I expected to be coming through town. They were accommodating and told me to come on through. Their tasting area is located in their basement, and the magic happens in a garage space detached from the home.

Potomac Highland Winery was founded in 1992 by Dr. Charles Whitehill and is located in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. The region's terrain provides an idyllic setting as well as an advantageous micro-climate for grape growing. Known for producing fine table wines, Dr. Whitehill along with his wife Becky and son Rhoades still oversee every aspect of production— from the harvesting of the grapes to the final bottling of the wine. The result of their labors has been award winning wines of remarkable consistency that have won the praise of both the public and fellow winemakers.

Located in West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle, Potomac Highland Winery's vineyard consists of gently sloping hills. The abundance of shale in the soil gives this region a similar "terrior" to that of Germany although the climate is drier. A Late summer/early fall drought usually provides an advantageous stressing of the vines resulting in a concentration of the grape sugars.