This is my last ice cream place in Austin, swear. BUT, you guys, locally made ice cream. Dreams do come true.

So, Lick is an ice cream shop with really unique flavors that is dedicated to "honest" ice creams.

To us, honest ice creams simply means we use only pure, wholesome ingredients in our artisanal ice creams. What doesn’t go into our ice creams is just as important as what does. We never use artificial colors or flavors, high fructose corn syrup or preservatives, ever! Ice cream shouldn’t just taste good — we believe it should also be good. 

As small local business owners, we have the pleasure of witnessing our milk and cream as it journeys from the cow to your scoop. All of the milk and cream used to make our ice creams comes from a local, family-owned dairy in Central Texas; and everything from the sauces, syrups, cakes and marshmallows is made by hand in our kitchen. We churn every batch, roll each waffle cone made from our homemade recipe in our shops, and pack each pint by hand in our kitchen to serve up the most honest ice creams we can. We are also committed to sustainability by using only compostable cups, spoons and napkins. 

Our Cilantro Lime, Dewberry Corn Cobbler and Sweet Persimmon and Sage ice creams are just some of the flavors inspired by and created with seasonal offerings from Texas. This provides us with variety throughout the year and guarantees a farm-to-table product that is always fresh and delicious! We work directly with local farmers and food artisans to source our fine ingredients to make the most honest ice creams we can.

There were a ton of really cool flavors - both everyday and seasonal.

All of our ice creams are made with 100% milk and cream from Mill-King Market & Creamery, located in McGregor, Texas, just outside of Waco. The Miller family has owned and operated this dairy for three generations. They are some of the hardest working people you will ever meet, and they truly care about the milk and cream their select herd of 100 cows produces. 

The herd consists of handpicked Jersey, Brown Swiss and Holstein cows that are never given hormones or antibiotics and are primarily grass-fed. When necessary, they supplement with grain that is non-GMO, corn and soy free. The delicious milk and cream produced is always non-homogenized and low temperature pasteurized.  This essentially means any harmful bacteria is eliminated while all of the beneficial enzymes stay in tact. All of these components make for very healthy and very delicious milk and cream. This is the stuff our grandparents drank and it’s the reason we can make ice creams as honest as the ones they enjoyed.

First step is picking the vessel - I went with a medium, compostable bowl. Then, the flavors: Caramel Salt Lick (salty & sweet make it official. Homemade caramel pairs perfectly with a hint of sea salt), Goat Cheese, Honey and Thyme (Fresh, local thyme and Good Flow honey pair perfectly with Austin's own creamy Pure Luck goat cheese) and a seasonal one that I cant remember. Whoops.

So, I remember the caramel one being a very deeply flavored caramel - like almost burnt sugar but just at the peak. The goat cheese did, indeed, taste a bit like goat cheese. A bit odd pairing of those two. But, I was definitely impressed by the unique flavors.





It's pretty cool to see an ice cream shop stepping outside the traditional boundaries and do some flavors that you don't see everywhere. Really neat.



Grade: A

Y'all know I love a good drive in restaurant, so imagine my surprise when there was one in Parkersburg I had no idea about.

Davis Drive In is a small building, housing just the cooks cranking out tasty treats. A few seats are located outside under a covered porch, and a large parking area extends beyond the building.


Drive-ins are so cool because they harken back to an era that just helps define "Americana." They were popular when dining out wasn't, and I feel like a large part of their existence is reliant upon the experience - enjoying a meal with your family or friends in your car, listening to your favorite songs.

Davis Drive In has standard drive-in fare: hotdogs, hamburgers (and a pizza burger!), BBQ pork, fries, and some other fried sides - like green beans and cauliflower. There are also a number of sweet treats: milkshakes, Coke floats, banana splits and sundaes.

The almighty hotdog is a good way to take the temperature of a drive-in. It's likely one of their top sellers, so it's a good judge. I pulled into the parking lot, backing in so I could see the menu from my car, and before I knew it, a young gentleman was at my car window ready to take my order. I got a dog with chili, slaw, mustard and onions. I handed over cash.

After just a few moments, a young girl delivered to my car a hotdog in a sleeve, my bottle of water and change from my order. The hotdog became nicely steamed in that sleeve, and everything just kind of blended together in this soft, savory snack. The bun soft, the hot dog was boiled, the slaw was mild but had a hint of sweetness, and the chili added some richness. This was a pretty good dog. Plus, it's a cool experience for something a little different in the Mid-Ohio Valley.

Grade: A

We've crossed BBQ, ramen, and burgers off the list so far in Austin. Another key cuisine in a new city for me has to be sushi.

And, Uchi is one of the best. According to Eater, Conde Nast Traveler picked out 207 of the world's very best restaurants. The lone Austin representative is Uchi, which writer Peter Jon Lindberg called "one of the great Japanese restaurants in the country."

Combining local seasonal ingredients with an infinite spectrum of seafood from around the globe is the basis for Uchi's culinary philosophy. We invite our diners to explore their gastronomic boundaries by pairing traditional Japanese offerings with new and refreshing flavors and textures. 

At Uchi, we serve the freshest product we can procure every day. We maintain close relationships with local farmers and we fly in seafood every day from both Fukuoka and Tsukiji markets in Japan. The essence of Japanese cuisine is the ingredients; at Uchi we prepare our dishes using innovative food combinations for the most unique dining experience in Austin. 

Uchi maintains the following policy about the fish that we procure: That we will use seafood products that are sustainable and responsibly fished when possible. That we will work with our suppliers on sourcing fish products that are traceable and to obtain that information whenever possible. Our goal at Uchi is to maintain the quality, creativity and freshness of the food we serve while striving to maintain a responsible policy towards sustainability, not just with our fish, but with the entire menu.

We happened to be there during a happy hour, so I tried a little bit of a few things.

The "machi cure" is smoked yellowtail, marcona almond, yucca crisp. Quite the presentation - but also quite tasty.

For sushi, I got some salmon sashimi and tuna maki. Both were delicious - fresh, paired with interesting ingredients. Just good.

What's unique about this place is that they put a little bit of a spin on some of the traditional rolls. That makes for a different experience. I enjoy seeing the chef's creativity merged with the traditional cuisine.

Everything here was fresh and light, which I wasn't sure what to expect in Texas. Of course, it's a big city and they have access to great fish - it's just not directly on the ocean. Not that that's necessarily a problem these days, but it was nice to see such a nice representation of this cuisine here.

Definitely try to hit this place up during happy hour because we got so many of the dishes for far cheaper than regular dinner prices.

Do you have any favorites here?



Grade: A

It's always cool to discover new little groceries in West Virginia.

Mother Earth Foods is a grocery in the Mid-Ohio Valley that prioritizes healthy living.

The shop has a little bit of everything - olive bars to supplements to clothing items and herbs.

Mother Earth Foods is an independent, natural health food store located in Parkersburg, West Virginia.  Offering a wide variety of vitamins, supplements, foods, beauty items, pet supplies, cleaning products, and more, Mother Earth Foods has been a favorite place to shop for the people of the Mid-Ohio Valley for 40 years. We are dedicated to the total well-being of our customers, employees, and our community through education and informed choices, providing them with excellent service and quality healthful products (ABOUT US).

Mother Earth Foods is dedicated to the total well-being of our customers, employees, and our community through education and informed choices, providing them with excellent service and quality healthful products. 

Owner David Hawkins, aka “the Herb Doc” or “Healthy Dave”, is a Master Herbalist and Certified Nutritional Counselor who believes in providing the surrounding area with more than just a unique place to shop.  Under his direction, the store offers many educational resources to the community including a weekly talk radio show and monthly Healthy Living events.

They have essential oils, herbs, natural foods, products, vitamins and more. Oh, and beer.

Have you been? What's the best thing to get here?

Amy's Ice Creams is a quirky little ice cream shop that had folks standing outside waiting in line for it, so I knew it had to be good.

Established in 1984, Amy's handcrafts artisan super premium ice creams, dairy-free fruit ices and frozen yogurt! Home of the world famous Mexican Vanilla Ice Cream. With over 350 flavors in rotation your every visit will be a new flavor adventure! We've grown up in Austin, Texas and now have shops in Houston and San Antonio! Explore your favorite flavors and the fun of Amy's Ice Creams.

The menu has all sorts of flavors, including their famous Mexican Vanilla. But, in addition to that, they have "creations," too.

So, it was a pretty easy decision for me when I saw their seasonal menu had the "all time fave" as the Turtle - Mexican Vanilla topped wit hot fudge and pecan praline sauce. SOLD.

Wow, this was good. The photo doesn't do it justice. But imagine a nice, creamy vanilla base swirling in ribbons of chocolate and caramel. Yes, you're welcome.

Grade: A