Nitro is home to the 24-hour Tudor's Biscuit World, so I had high hopes for its Gino's location. And, while it's not open 24 hours, it did not disappoint. 



On the menu for this day was a small pizza with mushrooms - which was great. The crust had some crisp on it - and not the soft, soggy bottom that often happens. 



And the wings! The golden BBQ with a homemade blue cheese was delicious. This was one of the best renditions I've had. A little tang, a little sweet, and then that zip with the blue cheese. Delish.

Grade: A

For me, Sutton is rarely a destination but rather a drive-through location. But when I found myself driving through and starving - but wanting to find a local restaurant - I made a stop at Luzaders 3 Girls Diner. 



This diner - named after the husband, wife and two daughters - is located right off the exit in a mixed-use building. Simply go to the last door on the right side of the building and you'll enter the ground-level restaurant.



Inside, it kind of looks like an old-school banquet hall. It's one large room with a bunch of tables, and there were three older couples eating silently. The entire restaurant was very, very quiet. 



I had found a menu online and put in a pick-up order to be ready by the time I arrived. The menu features breakfast all day and homestyle dishes. I ordered the hot turkey dinner with sides of potato salad and macaroni & cheese. 



The turkey was tender, with a few fatty pieces, but it was more dark meat and saturated in gravy. The mac & cheese was my favorite part of the meal - it had some extra ooey gooey cheese that kicked it up a notch. The potato salad had some good flavor, though it was bit more watery than I love. 



The mashed potatoes were homemade with a dark gravy - I would've loved a lighter gravy, but not bad nonetheless.



And, finally, the whole meal came with rolls and butter. Overall, it was a decent meal to fill your belly.

Grade: C

Grafton has the nation's longest running, continuous Memorial Day parade in the nation. This year marked the 154th annual parade, and I made a day trip up to check it out. While there, I had to get my grub on.



Olde Town Donuts, which operates out of Jerry's Restaurant, serves up standard and specialty donuts -- and they were open on Memorial Day. AND BONUS - they had both a tent set up outside and the drive-thru open. Win-win.



So, I put in an order for a half-dozen via Facebook messenger and made my way (very slowly) across town (maybe employing questionable traffic choices to get around parade traffic).



I went with strawberry, maple, s'mores, pb&j, cherry cheesecake and lemon pie. It could have been the combination of the spirit of the community event or these donuts being the first thing I ate all day - but these were really tasty. The donut itself tasted fresh with cinnamon and sugar. The toppings were plentiful - and reminded me of the mini donuts you might find from Peace, Love & Little Donuts. But, these are full sized with all the indulgent varieties. Which would you pick?



Grade: A

Some time ago, the Kanawha Valley was blessed with "yum yum balls." Yes, you read that correctly. A food truck-turned-restaurant called Island Teriyaki was a local favorite, and they dished out their signature meal - yum yum balls. They are these delicious fried rice balls covered in teriyaki and a yum yum sauce.



Good news, dear reader, they're back as Island Teriyaki 2. 



Island Teriyaki started off as a food truck that then turned into a brick-and-mortar location in Hurricane. They then switched locations again. And then, it seemed like they went off the radar for some time.  Now, they've reemerged in yet a different form - as the food component at a bar in Nitro called "Rebar." 



Let's get into it. First off, parking is a little strange and tight right outside the bar, but there is an open lot across the road. This bar seems like a local's joint with one bartender and a space that is well-worn. It's an odd match for the Island-themed food, but who am I to judge? My order took a good bit longer than the quoted wait time, but once it came out from behind the tiny curtain to the kitchen, I was ready to go. 



These yum yum balls are mostly like I remember. They have grilled teriyaki chicken, veggies, white rice, cheddar cheese all panko crusted, fried and served on a bed of rice. These ones are teriyaki, drizzled with yum yum and topped with green onions. I may have built them up in my mind a bit more as absence makes the heart grow fonder. They were a bit dry inside, which put me off just a bit. But, they're still very tasty. I also tried The Dude Dry, which had all kinds of delicious fry toppings - chicken, cheese, spicy pineapple sauce - and they were also great. Of course, you'll need to eat these fast to avoid the sog. Overall, though, good food.

Grade: B

Just wanted to do a fun, quick little blog post about the delicious food coming from The Wild Ramp! Did you know that in addition to all of the delicious market items they sell, they also have a kitchen? Harvest Kitchen! 



They've been partnering up with a food-themed book club at Cicada Books & Coffee, the Tasty Reads Book Club, to pair a themed dinner along with the monthly book. 



Buttermilk Graffiti was the book last month, and I really enjoy it. The menu featured a fried porkchop with pickle gravy and miso corn, spring salad with pickled watermelon, and cabbage rolls with labneh. It was all pretty tasty - but I especially was crazy about the vinaigrette on the salad. Have you tried it yet?