There is so much good food in Asheville, but I made room for one more meal.


12 Bones is a BBQ restaurant that features ribs, as well as other smoked meats.


We put our orders in at the counter and found a sweat in the dining space.


While waiting for our food to be delivered, I helped myself to samples of the different sauces.


My ribs were unbelievably good.


Smothered in sauce, then dipped in a sauce of my choosing, the ribs were tender and fall-off-the-bone.


With sides of cornbread, cornbread pudding, and mac & cheese, this plate was top notch.


Sweet sauce, savory smoked meats, creamy mac & Cheese, spicy corn pudding. It just doesn't get any better.

Y'all. I have died and gone to heaven. Two of the most beautiful words in the English language have combined to form more than the sum of their parts: DiCarlo's. Buffet.

If you've been with me for a while, you're familiar with my love for DiCarlo's Pizza - an Ohio Valley specialty that bakes the pizza and then puts the cheese on after it's come out of the oven.

There are a number of locations throughout the Northern Panhandle, and I've checked just about all of them off my list. But recently a new specialty caught my eye.

The Vienna DiCarlo's location began offering a pizza, pasta, salad and more buffet on Sunday (11 a.m. to 2 p.m.) and Monday (5 p.m to 8 p.m.). Did I make a special trip to Vienna just to try this buffet?

Abso-frickin-lutely.

When I walked in, I immediately took a look at the buffet. First, they have an entire salad bar (that was untouched for me), then penne in marinara or alfredo. There were cheesesticks, breadsticks, steak hoagies, and pepperoni rolls. There was event a cinnamon stick dessert thingy.

The pizzas included cheese, pepperoni, and two various veggie pizzas. They all had melted cheese - which makes sense since they're on a buffet - so I grabbed a few slices to try them out.

After my first plate, a server asked if I'd like to see anything specific on the buffet. I asked if they could maybe do one that is "DiCarlo's" style (aka with the unmelted cheese, since this place serves it both ways). She said they can't really because of the hot bar. Makes sense, I thought.

So I got a few more pieces, and then a server comes out with TWO pieces of "DiCarlo's" style pizza for me!! I was SO excited (but also very full). Folks, it just doesn't get much better than this. You gotta try it while you can!

The newest brewery in West Virginia is open, and I had a chance to check it out within the first month.


Old Spruce Brewing, located at Snowshoe, is serving up their own porter, blonde, ESB, hazy IPA and red IPA.


While here, I went with a classic blonde, which was so tasty.

 
And they had snacks, like trout dip, spicy bacon, and more.


Have you been here yet?

Tupelo Honey is a well-known restaurant with a few locations that I was told is a must-visit while in the area.


Since I had pretty much been eating all day, I was only in the mood for a snack.


We started with some biscuits and jam. I love that biscuits come with every meal in the south.


And I ordered some fried green tomatoes - panko-crusted fried green tomatoes, basil, roasted red pepper sauce, served over stone-ground goat cheese grits.

Sometimes just homemade, comfort food is what hits the spot. And Kathrine's Cafe in Nitro does just that.


The pub has a gambling area, but the front seems mostly dedicated to diners. So, Dawn and I looked over the menu before making a decision.


She went wit ha burger, which they claim is the best in town. I went with a chicken and cheese quesadilla... and pasta salad! 


It was made with love, and you can taste it!