I am always attracted to new experiences, new foods, new places to mark off my bucket list of life. So, when I stumbled upon "WV Russian Bakery" operated by a woman in Crab Orchard, I knew I wanted to try it as soon as possible.

Elizaveta Clay, a Russian native, is a baker of Russian (and other) cakes famous throughout the world. In the dessert shop you can order cakes, mini cakes, cupcakes, and other delicious desserts. I ordered a Medovik, which is a honey cake. It was tasty - and very natural tasting. It wasn't chocked full of sugary icing and artificial flavors. It was light - if not a bit sour - and good.

The McFarland House in Martinsburg has been a long time coming. I had to get the starts aligned just right - in the Eastern Panhandle, at the right time, and with a reservation. 



"The 1878 Historic McFarland House has been fully restored and modernized – the house and gardens beautifully reflect a bygone era known for its vintage charm and endless elegance."



As you can see from the photos, my visit was during the holiday season - which I highly recommend because the space is absolutely gorgeous - warm, elegant and thoughtful. 



I feel a little bad sometimes dining by myself because I know I'm not bringing in as much money as a couple or larger party would, and I hope I'm not a waste for a server. In this case, my server was perfect - made me feel welcome, visited when needed, but gave me space to enjoy the experience. 



They start off with one of my favorite things I've had anywhere: A grilled cheesy, garlickly bread served with an herby cottage cheese dip that I could. not. get. enough of. Literally. I got a few refills of it because I fell absolutely head over heels for it. It was so flavorful - nice cold, creamy texture spread on a crisp, crunchy bread. It had a beautiful balance of garlic and cheese with cream. I even chose to fill up on this, taking some of my entree home to eat later. And then, I tried to recreate this at home. But enough about this first taste.



I then went with the Nawlin's Shrimp N Grits for my entree, which included the holy trinity, andouille sausage, prudhomme's sassafras and green onion. Shrimp and grits is one of my "bingo" items - it's hard for me to resist it on a menu. Along with things with mushrooms, etc. 



This rendition of the dish was heavy on the rub on the shrimp, which were done. I tend to like this dish a bit more creamy with the girts, but this had more of a thick grit, with a saucy mixture on top. The colorful peppers helped add some texture and color to the dish. And I loved the andouille size in here. Overall, pretty tasty. But, I would go back just for the bread and dip.



Grade: A

Route 60 American Grill & Bar is definitely heavier on the bar side.



Located in downtown White Sulphur Springs, the bar has a more comprehensive drink list than a dining menu, though it's mostly made up of domestics.



Somehow, in half an effort to be obnoxious, I went with a Smirnoff Red, White and Blue and thought I was hilarious. 



For food, I ordered some mini corndogs, which were standard bar fare. 



For me, this seemed pretty standard, run-of-the-mill local watering hole. 

Grade: C

A few weeks ago, I went to check out the West Virginia State Folk Festival.



Not only had I not been to the festival, but they were also hosting a pepperoni roll championship as part of it, so I had to check it out.



They had professionals judging the competition, I believe.



But the most fun part was that you could purchase pepperoni rolls from a huge selection of entrants. 



For $10, I secured six different pepperoni rolls to try - from local grocery stores to homemade. 



There were some with cheese, no cheese, ramps, sweeter dough, more dry dough - and everything in between.



Have you checked it out?

I'm always excited to find out about a new winery in West Virginia. I recently came across Cold Run Valley Winery in Berkeley Springs.



This winery features 100% natural fruit aged for one year on the farm. They grow their own fruit and bottle it on the farm. 



When I visited, there were actually a few folks already there so they were passing out samples here and there. 



I was able to try a strawberry and a black raspberry - and they were both quite sweet. But, there's no doubting that they are delicious. They also have apple, strawberry, blueberry, peach and mixed fruit.



The owner said he had reached out to Lambert's, who has served as a mentor for the new winery. That's not the first time I've heard that, so kudos to the Weston winery for helping the industry as a whole.



Have you been?