Smokin' Barnyard is a new restaurant in the food court at the Charleston mall. Serving up bbq staples, the restaurant features chicken, brisket, pulled pork and burgers.

While on my lunch break, I stopped by to check it out. It wasn't too busy, but it was clear they were still getting the hang of things. I ordered a pulled pork sandwich with slaw. I must have missed the BBQ sauce, so mine was a bit dry - save for the cole slaw.

Overall, the sandwich was fairly average with a mixture of fatty pieces and meat. Next time, I'll be sure to hunt down the BBQ.

Grade: C

Happy Belly Foods is a new lunch spot in Hurricane. They have a food truck and also a location in The Commons at Valley Park.



They focus on homestyle cooking and slow-smoked meats. You can find Mexican options, sandwiches, breakfast and sweets.

While here, I decided to go with a quesadilla with their housemade queso, sour cream and salsa. I wanted some of their pinwheels, but they didn't have them that day. Next time!

And, I also got a box of their homemade truffles.

The quesadilla was pretty tasty - including the smoked chicken. It had a nice kick of cheese in there. The truffles were a bit heavy-handed, but had some good flavors.

Have you been?

Grade: B

Rawabi is a brand-new restaurant on High Street in Morgantown. It replaced Jasmine Grill. It serves up Mediterranean food, including falafel, gyro, kebab, shawarma and hummus - or those just tend to be my favorites.

My friend Sam and I went to check it out right when they opened. They weren't open at the time I thought they would be, so we killed some time and came back to see all the lights on and folks dining inside.

So, we walked in to the large space. Lots of images of food on the walls and decorations. There's a large cooler in front that displays fresh fruits and other prepared items.

The menu is a good size, so I spent some time looking through it.

Main entrees include shish tawook and shawarma. Traditional plates included lamb shank and roasted chicken.
 
Then, there are sandwiches like falafel wrap, gyros, kebabs, and more. Plus, they have a ton of coffee - including Turkish coffee, which Sam enjoyed.

It's pretty strong - but take a look at that beautiful serving ware!

But wait, there's more! Hummus, kibbeh, fries, tabbouleh, grape leaves, and then fatayer - which looked beautiful and I don't think I've ever had before. I ordered the veggie platter 1, which had hummus, falafel, grape leaves and tabbouli and tahini sauce. Plus the cheese fatayer.

The veggie platter was great - I especially looove the garlic sauce and the grape leaves were great.

The fatayer is kinda like a cheesy bread, but even more herby and tasty. Then, we were even treated to little bites of baklava! Can't get enough of all the goodies here.

Grade: B

Valley Cakes & Cafe is a new bakery in Hurricane that serves up beautiful cupcakes, sweet treats and other lunch options. They're open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. so when I had a recent weekday off, I stopped in to check it out.

The space is absolutely adorable, with teal walls and a dozen steel table and chairs spread throughout the dining area. The bakery case was full of some lovely cupcakes: Boston creme pie, raspberry, cookies & creme, chocolate chip cookie dough, peanut butter, cinnamon roll and more.

Their lunch menu consists of sandwiches and other light fare. I couldn't decide on which cupcakes I wanted, so I picked three: raspberry, cookies & creme and chocolate chip cookie dough.

Each of these starts with a sweet vanilla base and topped with a healthy helping of icing with a small accent on top. So not only are they absolutely stunning, they are so, so tasty.

Which is your favorite?

Puglioni's has been one of my all-time favorite restaurants. From the bread to the housemade pasta and everything in between, it consistently delivers a delicious experience.

So, when I heard the restaurant had closed down a few months back, I was distraught. However, just recently, it reopened under the name "Pug's" - which is what it was affectionately called. And, many of the same recipes and staff have returned.

First, the space looks just the same to me as it did before. And the smells are the same. The dim lights and welcoming environment. The menu has a lot of similar options - including my absolute favorite: pasta carbonara.

First, that beautiful freshly baked loaf of bread. Absolutely saturated in butter and garlic, this bread is the best in town - maybe state. It was a touch darker than I'd like, but that didn't stop me from carb overload.

Then, my house salad. They easily have one of the best house salads around. No iceberg here. Fresh romaine, tomatoes, onions, croutons, olives - the works. I hope they add a French dressing option to the lineup in the future.

And, there it is. The pasta carbonara with handmade fettuccine, bacon, ham, and I added mushrooms. It's creamy, rich, and delicious. It's amazing. It can get a bit heavy, so it would be nice to have maybe a pop of fresh peas or a drizzle of balsamic glaze to cut through some of the fattiness. That being said, I will order this dish again and again and again because I love it.

Grade: A