I really love seeking out small mom & pop restaurants off the beaten path. That's often where you'll find some of the best food. With that in mind, my friend Bri and I made a little trip to Clendenin to check out Momma Payne's Diner. 



We parked outside and entered the building. It was a little awkward because there wasn't a sign saying to seat ourselves or wait for someone to seat us. So, I went the safest way I know, which is to sit at the counter.



The dining space is one open large space that has tables and chairs sprinkled about. There were some random odds and ends decorating the place with a car and retro theme. Photographs of the flood decorate the counter. It truly is devastating to see what this community went through just a few years ago. 



After some awkward "where are you from?" conversation and clearly being outsiders in this small community, we were able to place our orders.



I went for the "Mac-N-Bacon Burger," which, as you might guess, is topped with bacon and mac & cheese. 



After a hefty wait, my burger arrived. It was an average size with a helping of mac & cheese tumbling iver top and a couple slices of crisp bacon. 



Overall, I'd say it was fairly average. I would've loved some sort of sauce like an aioli or something to pull it all together. Without that, it's a bit dry.



They also have a mini shop where they have sauces, cheese, butter and more. Overall, an average meal that has a nice comeback story that might be worth a try if you're in the area. 



Grade: C

Scootin Noodles is a new food truck in the Huntington area that features bowls and burritos: glazed chicken; cheese, sausage and egg; breakfast; teriyaki chicken; and teriyaki beef.  The menu is fairly small, but I like the concept of noodles and burritos. What about combining them??



I went with the teriyaki chicken, and it was good. I thought maybe it would have this nice teriyaki glaze on top, but it was more like a melted cheese. A sauce would have really brought the dish together. Otherwise, I appreciated the different textures and colors with the peppers. 

Grade: B

There are two No. 1 Kitchens in the Huntington area serving Chinese food, which can make it a little confusing. I've been to the one along Route 60, so now we're trying the one along Washington Avenue. 



I had called in an order at this location and went to pick it up. I've been trying a lot of different Chinese restaurants during the pandemic because many were designed with takeout in mind, so it simplifies the whole process.  



They were really busy on this day, and I had to wait in line for a little while to make it to the counter. After a little bit of a wait, I took my order back to my car and made my way home. 



First up: I had a pint of sweet & sour chicken. It stood up fairly well for my drive, but it did get a touch soggy. Otherwise, standard breaded white chicken meat and a tub of red sweet and sour sauce. Does anyone local serve a different kind of sweet & sour sauce??



Next up was fried dumplings. I love these with a dumpling sauce, and I think mine was left out this visit, but they had a tasty, well-seasoned filling.



Shrimp fried rice can be hit or miss with me - and this was somewhere in the middle. It thankfully wasn't dry and overly saturated with oil... but it also didn't have much flavor at all? So, it was OK. 



And, one of my favorites: crab rangoons. I don't think I can order Chinese food without getting an order of crab cheese rangoons. Generously filled with a cream cheese mixture enveloped in a crispy wonton wrapper, it can't be bad. These were decent. A little too greasy, but thankful for a hefty amount of filling.


 
Grade: B

Rapid Fired Pizza is a chain restaurant featuring made-to-order pizzas with tons of topping options - and all made fast. Their Huntington location is the first in West Virginia, and I just so happened to be in town on one of their first days open. 



They make it easy to order online and either order one of their specialty pizzas or choose from all sorts of fun ingredients to top a pizza that they assemble right behind the counter for you. Here are the various options:

Sauce: Classic Red, Spicy Red, Sweet Red, Applewood Smoked Bacon BBQ, Buffalo, Garlic Sauce, Margarine, Olive Oil, Pesto, Ranch, Taco, White, Mac n Cheese

Cheese: Cheddar Jack Cheese, Feta Cheese Crumbles, Goat Cheese Crumbles, Mozzarella Provolone Mix, Fresh Mozzarella Slices, Parmesan Cheese, Ricotta Cheese, Vegan Cheese

Meat: Anchovy, Bacon, Beef Crumble, Chicken, Ham, Jalapeno Pepperoni, Pepperoni, Sausage, Sausage Crumble

Veggies: Artichoke Hearts, Arugula, Banana Peppers, Basil, Black or Green Olives, Cucumber, Green or Red Onions, Green or Red Pepper, Jalapeno, Lettuce, Mushrooms, Pineapple, Fresh Garlic, Spinach, Roasted Tomato, Tomato

Seasoning: Cinnamon Streusel, Crushed Red Pepper, Firecracker, Oregano, Parmesan Cheese, Sea Salt, Taco, The Bomb

Dipping Sauce: Classic Red, Spicy Red, Sweet Red, BBQ, Buffalo, Chipotle Ranch, Garlic Sauce, Pesto, Ranch, Rapid Fired, Sweet Habanero, Taco

Hot Sauces: Mean Green Ghost, Gusty Garlic Habanero, Hip Hot Habanero, Jumpin' Jalapeno, Kickin' Cayenne, Smokin' Chipotle



The pizza I created had sweet red sauce, ricotta, sliced mozzarella, garlic, artichoke, cooked mushrooms and parmesan. And it was soooo good, with the exception that the crust simply just didn't stand up to the weight of the ingredients. It became soggy and difficult to even pick up. I finished it with a fork. That could be my fault for choosing so many - or it could be my win because the flavors were perfection. It was umami heaven. Judging by the photo below, I think it's clear it was indeed enjoyed. 



Grade: B

Crepizza is an amalgamation of a couple restaurants rolled up in one. You may be familiar with the previous Creperie Cafe locations in Kanawha City and in South Charleston. OR maybe Pizza Barbarosa in South Ridge. The owners of those previous locations have combined those concepts into one new restaurant: Crepizza (get it?).



Crepizza features both crepes and pizza. Plus pastas, calzones, sandwiches and desserts. I wanted to try something from both aspects of the restaurant, so I went with two orders: a calzone and a crepe. 



The calzone was stuffed with carbonara flavors: ham, bacon, mushrooms and alfredo sauce. I was in love with this. Everyone knows I love a good carbonara pasta, and having it all wrapped up in a calzone was a new take on the dish that I enjoyed. You get the creamy, the smokey, the salty - all delicious.



Then, for dessert, I went with a strawberry and nutella crepe. With to-go orders, you definitely get that sort of sog factor that may not have been there otherwise, but that didn't affect the flavors of sweet, rich nutella with the fresh berries. Classic and delicious.



Grade: A