T-Mart in Elkins is a convenience store that also serves up some hot food.
The menu consists of options for all three meals in the day. From breakfast sandwiches and lunchtime specials, T-Mart has a little bit of everything.
That includes subs, sandwiches, salads, soups, hot dogs and more.
First, though, my eyes gravitated toward a basket of pepperoni rolls. The ones with a little red dot have hot pepper cheese, so I nabbed one of those.
And, the lunch special for the day was an Italian stromboli, so I got one of those too - plus an assortment of drinks, gummi lifesavers and Reeses. Hey, roadtrips call for snacks.
The stromboli was puffed up into a round ball of heaven. Buttery on the outside, the roll - once punctured - deflated a bit to reveal some some salami, cheese and peppers.
Not great for heartburn, but great for the tastebuds. I would love if this thing was filled to the brim. But tasty, nonetheless.
When there are really good restaurants in West Virginia, they usually make their way across my radar. The ones that I currently have left on my list are ones I've seen in passing but haven't necessarily heard rave reviews. Or those that are more "bar & grill" or just "bar" type spots.
That's not the case with Main Street on Central in Barboursville. I've only recently heard about the restaurant, but as soon as it popped up a few times, I knew I had to make a beeline there, ASAP.
The restaurant is dinner only, so it took a bit of maneuvering to be in this area around this time - since that's not typical. Fortunately, my friend Dawn and I made it in right as they were opening at 5 p.m. to check it out.
First of all, the building is lovely. The interior has a certain charm to it, and the ornate decor is beautiful. It is upscale with a touch of cozy. First, we were served warm bread.
Then, the menu featured a ton of seafood, and the one that let me try a few different types of seafood as the "seafood pasta," which included scallops, shrimp and crab in a lemon cream sauce. The seafood was cooked and seasoned well; the pasta was tender; and it was a lovely combination of flavors.
Sara and I decided if we were going to visit, we might as well try our hand at the gun range, too. So, we donned our ear protection and eye protection and headed inside to with a box full of ammo for a .380
We both had our own targets and did OK. I think if needed, we could hit our targets. We just probably don't want to be too far away.
After an hour or so, we were ready to get our grub on.
So, we headed next door and had a seat while we looked over the menu, which features BBQ, burgers, pizzas, salads, tacos and sandwiches.
Ultimately, I went with a "Juicy Lucy" burger and a side of corn fritters.
The burger was stuffed with Swiss cheese, topped with grilled mushrooms, lettuce, tomato and onion.
The corn fritters were closer to large cornbread triangles.
Both were decent. I wish there was actually some cheese in the center, rather than melting out. And more seasoning would've helped.
Sara ordered an antipasto salad, which was "A selection of fresh greens, onions, tomatoes, pepperoni, ham, black olives, banana peppers, shredded mozzarella cheese with a house vinaigrette dressing and topped with fresh hot pork rinds."
Overall, not bad. Definitely a different atmosphere and something different from the regular meal out.
One of my favorite events of the year is the Covenant House's Chef's Challenge.
The Covenant House, which was founded in in 1981 to help people with the fewest resources meet their basic needs: food, clothing and shelter, hosts the fundraising event to benefit people in the community.
The 10th Annual Chef's Challenge was a tapas-style dine-around prepared by local chefs, who prepared dishes made with food typically found in the Covenant House's food pantry.
There were some really fantastic options this year that I wanted to share so that you make sure to get your tickets EARLY next year if you missed out!
Chef Amanda Gartner - Bellaire at Devonshire: Seared leak wrapped scallops on a bed of purple pomme puree (vegetarian option: seared round halloumi cheese on a bed of purple pomme puree)
Chef Evan Wilson - Ichiban: Crab rangoon deviled eggs
Chef Elijah Urbanic & Chef Oscar Aguilar - Cafe Cimino: Focaccia and meatball
Chef John Macklin - Mardi Gras: Pan seared scallops with a blood orange gastrique micro basil salad
Chef Justin Steele - Bluegrass Kitchen: Organic tofu wings
Chef Danielle Mallory - Starlings Cafe: Blueberry buttermilk pies
Chef Jeni Burns Riser - Ms. Groovy's Kitchen: Deviled eggs
Berry Hills: Ahi tuna tacos with pineapple slaw and with twin infused dueling sauces (green goddess sauce and spicy yum yum sauce). Garnished with micro intensities.
Chef Tim Thorpe - Mi Cocina de Amor/Gonzoburger: Baby bones - pork shank, adobo, bbq, or kickin buffalo
Chef John Wright - Bridge Road Bistro: Black bean sliders and falafel sliders with guacamole, tzatziki, hummus, etc.
Chef Kayla Young - Eggs Will Roll: Egg roll tostada
Chef Dennis Harris - Edgewood Country Club: Traditional gazpacho soup with chile and lime
Chef Jeremiah Bowen & Chef Kevin Madison - Black Sheep Burritos & Brews: Vegetarian vindaloo curry samosas.
Venu Menon - Mea Cuppa: Craft Coffees
Chef Teri Blevins - Lil Bit of Heaven Cupcakes: Strawberry champagne cupcake
The Gino's in Huntington on 9th Avenue is magical. I had driven out this way to get a coffee (unfortunately the place was closed), but I saw "GELATO" plastered across the windows of this Gino's, and it caught my eye.
So, I stopped in and went immediately to the gelato case. I got two scoops: one raspberry and one butterfinger.
And dang yes! It is GOOD. I got my taste of fruity and my taste of chocolately. Both were delicious. And, while here, I looked over the menu.
These "Pepperoni Bites" caught my eye. So, I put in an order. I mean. Just look at how delicious these look. I can practically taste them now. Slices o pepperoni wrapped in dough and topped with garlic and romano butter. Yessssss.