Located in Hamlin, M&R Restaurant is a small, hometown restaurant that features home-cooking in a comfortable atmosphere.  



The restaurant has vinyl booths and well-loved country decorations. They have seasonal decorations and snacks at the counter for purchase.



The menu has daily specials and many local favorites: fried chicken, open-faced roast beef, shrimp dinner, etc. On this particular day,  I was so excited to try chicken and dumplings.



The fluffy biscuits are the base, topped with some pulled chicken and the little plump dumplings have that toothsome bite that just makes them so satisfying. This is a real, down-home comfort food. Adding the green beans and small potatoes rounded it out. 



What would've taken this over the top was maybe some fresh herbs on the dumplings to give it some freshness and color. Or even just a touch of lemon juice to wake up the green beans and cut through some of the heaviness.



Grade: B

I know that charcuterie is trendy right now, but truth be told, I've always love eating like this. I used to buy a bunch of different small blocks of fancy cheese, some salami, crackers and mustard and call it a day. Now that that concept is amplified to the nth degree with specialty cheeses, delicious condiment, all sorts of fruit, etc., I am so here for it.



Le Charcutier is located in Morgantown and offers a weekly charcuterie box that is available to purchase on Wednesday and pick up on Friday. I was really lucky they were willing to work with me on a pick-up date to accommodate when I would be coming through town.



This last week's box included truffle cheddar, brie, borgonzola, blueberry vanilla goat cheese, and aged cheddar, plus olives, cornichons, assorted cured meats, nuts, dried fruit, and other accoutrements. The cheeses in this box were the best I've had in a charcuterie box. And, I LOVED the cherries! I never can find cherries locally. All together, delicious.

Grade: A

I don't know about you, but my favorite kinds of salads are the ones with tons of toppings. I'm talking egg, tomato, cheese, something crunchy, maybe some beets, I don't know. Something delicious. But, of course, that comes at a hefty price. That's why - sometimes - it's nice to go to a place where they assemble it for you.



If you're like me, then Rubi's Salad Haus may be right up your alley. This counter-service restaurant allows you to build salads exactly to your specifications. You can choose as many or as few ingredients as you would like from a very long list of options.



And, if you're not feeling a salad, they do also have soup, flatbreads, avocado toast and more. 



Their variety of toppings numbers more than 60. Peppers, carrots, onions, egg, olives, peas, mushrooms, beets, broccoli, cabbage, chickpeas, corn, tomatoes, cheese, cucumbers, nuts, fruit and other proteins.



For my salad, I went with a base of spring greens topped with egg, tomato, cheese, mushrooms, olives and some other things I'm probably forgetting. 



And, to top it all off, I went with Rubi's Haus dressing, which is like a sweeter vinaigrette. 

It's so fresh; I felt totally safe, and. I was excited to get to try something new. To make a salad like this at home, I would've spent a fortune in ingredients and would have to eat nothing but salad for a week so the vegetables didn't go bad. 



So, this is a cool option when you're in the mood.



Have you tried it? 

Grade: A

Located in Weirton, Sweet Temptations offers specialty cakes and dessert items, as well as light lunch fare like sandwiches and soups. 



I had already had lunch, so I was in the market for some dessert. I did see that they were offering chicken salad, meatballs, hot dogs, chili and more.



On this particular day, they had cupcakes, some turnovers, cakes, and a handful of other sweet offerings. The little temptation that stuck out to me was a strawberry cheesecake. It looks like a little tiered cake. How adorable is that? 



The dessert was good - though the texture wasn't as creamy as I had hoped. And, overall, the process of ordering was a bit odd - no one was in there, and then when the woman arrived, she was curious how I knew about the place. After I ordered, I was blocked in trying to leave. But, they make a decent cheesecake.

Grade: B

Like I mentioned before, there are a handful of T&L Hot Dogs locations in the North Central WV area. And, I can't leave a list unfinished. So, I made my way to the location on Old Bridgeport /hill.



This space has a real diner feel with neon lights, checkerboard decor and vinyl booth seating. 



First, I went for a cookies & cream milkshake. It was really thick, but also pretty good once it loosened up a bit. 



I went for a hot dog, as one should, and it was pretty consistent with the other T&L versions I've had. The bun is soft, the chili was a bit dry, and the slaw has a more loose consistency - I tend to like a more cohesive, almost paste-like slaw. BUT, overall, a decent hot dog for lunch.



Grade: B