Another mainstay of Keyser is the Candlewyck Inn. Fred and Sharon Engle, along with their children, Cole and Anna, have made The Candlewyck a staple for 31 years with American fare and “Wyckedly” good cupcakes. Fred and Sharon know how to keep traditions going, but are always looking to innovate and bring new tastes and ideas to Keyser. They recently started “guest chef” evenings and host renowned chefs for fine dining on the weekends.The Engles are keeping the tradition of Warner’s Restaurant “Beesting” cake alive too. Warner’s Restaurant in nearby Cresaptown is long-closed, but at one time it was known for its Beesting Cake. President John F. Kennedy reportedly ordered dozens of the Beesting cakes from Warner’s to be served at the White House. Now Fred and Sharon serve Beesting cakes and cupcakes, which are just as good as the fabled Beestings of Warner’s (WV Living).

This house has long dining space that is a bit fancy - white or red tablecloths, old-school wallpaper, and some nice fixtures. It's homey - yet modern. Really a cool vibe.

"The Candlewyck Inn opened November 6, 1984 in a c. 1902 Victorian Home. The home had first been a private home until the 1940's when it was converted to two apartments, one upstairs and one downstairs. The building was converted back to a private home in the 1960's and then once again, apartments when we purchased it. The original renovation took about six months and we opened to great fanfare with a opening reception of 150 invited guests. This is where I met my wife Sharon (Carr).

Since then much has happened in these hollowed halls, we've served all of the recent Governors as well as Senator Robert Byrd. We've also been pleased to be honored by Joe Manchin, The State of West Virginia, the Mineral County Chamber of Commerce and the Mineral County Development Authority as well as the Allegany County Chamber of Commerce. We have met so many wonderful friends in the last 30 years, our family has been very blessed being able to raise our children in an atmosphere of friends and family. 

The "Wyck" is a true family business and every one has input! Small family run businesses are truly a driving force in Americas economy today! We are so pleased to be able to continue to do what we do everyday. Thank you for joining us today for lunch or dinner and please let us know if we can do anything for you while you are here with us."

Mmm! I ordered "Fred's Party Chicken," because how fun does that sound? It's a boneless chicken breast stuff with creamed cheese, chipped beef, and wrapped in bacon, grilled and baked, topped with a sour cream sauce. I learned this was the owner's favorite.

But, first, let's start with the salad. This was a solid salad - fresh greens, a few nice toppings. The dressing with thick and sweet. I like my French a bit on the tangier side, but all in all tasty.

The bread was tasty. I love a decent roll. I could go for a bite now.

And the main entree was different. It was a bit on the well-done side, but I appreciated how different it was. You won't see something like this on every menu. It's indulgent - with that creamy sauce and creamy filling. Tasty. I also loved the baked potato and veggie side - helped balance it all out.

And, I couldn't leave without one of their famous beesting cakes. I got this small one - Vanilla Beesting Cake: ​Two layers of vanilla rum cake with toasted caramel pecans and whipped cream filling and icing. These are super tasty! And, you can get them to go!

So, overall, definitely make a stop at this place if you find yourself in Keyser. It's a great little place for a bite to eat -- and a drink!

Have you been? What do you think?

Grade: A

Town Run Brewing Company is a restaurant with hopes of becoming a brewery.  Or, according to their Facebook - 

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.