There's a brand-new restaurant on the West Side that would be Leslie Knope's dream come true: The S'waffle Shack. You're thinking, "A whole restaurant dedicated to just waffles?" Yes, but also - craft sodas.

 
Located directly beside Dem 2 Brothers And a Grill, The S'waffle Shack is painted in the same light turqouise color as its neighbor. The interior has a large counter directly ahead, a menu on tv screens and a small space where they may add a table or two in the future. 



The menu is large - with the craft sodas actually taking up the majority of the space. I don't know if "craft soda" is a term, but it's what I've been dubbing it. The restaurant takes a base: Sprite, Cola, Tea, Mr. Pibb, Fanta Orange, Root Beer, Ginger Ale, Lemonaide, Mello Yello and more. But then there's a bajillion combinations of those with toppings like pineapple, peach, strawberries, ice cream, cotton candy, lavender, coconut, english toffee, raspberry puree, almond, passionfruit, mango puree, blue curacao, green apple - and so. much. more. I did not study up beforehand, so I randomly picked the "Myrtle Beach" based mostly on its name: Mello Yello with strawberry, pineapple and I added cherry. Honestly, I had no idea what to expect, but it was delicious. It's like a virgin cocktail. It's like a pop but with natural flavors added. It was good - but of course very sweet. 



There are also a good bit of combinations when it comes to the waffles. First of all, you can get one, two, or three. I wasn't sure how big they were, so I went with two. Heed my warning: They are big. I ordered a "Berry Cheesecake S'waffle," which has cheesecake filling, whipped cream and choice of berry - I went with raspberry. 



These are large, homemade waffles that are nice and crisp. Of course, once you enclose them in a takeout box or drench them in tons of delicious whipped cream (which is also homemade!), the clock is ticking down to sog town. So, be mindful. AKA, eat them immediately for best satisfaction (duh). Mine was indulgent and delicious. Lots and lots of sweetness with just a hint of the tart berry. And my waffle held up just fine for a while that added a nice textural base. I would love to see them add some savory waffles - maybe a scallion and potato or topped with pulled pork. But otherwise, I love the creativity, the massive amount of combinations and just the fun novelty of this unique place.

Grade: A

The Market Cafe in Wheeling is located downtown in the Centre Market area.



The building is cute, and the interior has some homey vibes with comfy chairs and chalkboard menus. 



The menu features breakfast, soups, salads, sandwiches and coffee drinks. 



On this day, I was looking for a little caffeine fix so I ordered a frappe. 



The one on the menu that captured my attention was the "cotton candy" frappe because while, yes, it does sound super sweet ... I don't think I have ever seen it on a drink menu before? So I wanted to try it. 



It was very cute - but indeed very sweet. And, not sure I got my caffeine fix because the drink was cream-based and I don't know that it actually had any espresso in it. It was more like a milkshake.



Overall, it definitely gave me a bit of a sugar rush, and I applaud the cafe for some unique offerings.

Grade: B

Heiner's Bakery is a Huntington favorite.



The commercial bakery distributes baked goods within about 200 miles of Huntington.



As per Wikipedia, "the bakery was privately owned by the Heiner family, and marketed exclusively under the "Heiner's" label until it was acquired by the Earthgrains division of Anheuser-Busch in 1994. Six months later, A-B spun off its bread business as the stand-alone Earthgrains Corporation. In 2000, Earthgrains merged with the Sara Lee Corporation. In 2011, Sara Lee sold its bread business, including the trademark Sara Lee, to the worldwide Grupo Bimbo, which is based in Mexico City. Today the bakery markets under the "Heiner's", "Earthgrains", "Sara Lee" and "Bimbo" brands."



They have a surplus store, where you can get some products for half or more off, so I wanted to check it out. I remember going to a "bread store" growing up. I think it was likely an outlet store - and I know of others that exist around the state. Outlet bakery stores are kind of their own little category of the market.



"A bakery outlet is a shop where regional bakeries (the ones bake the name-brand goods for grocery stores, not the mom-and-pop spots) take their nearly-expired foods and offer them at a greatly reduced price. There's not a lot of information about these stores and how they work available online; most are truly bare bones operations with wire shelving, a cash register, and a sign on the door.

Bakery outlets, or bakery thrift stores, are the last stop for baked goods before they hit the dumpster. Employees that stock shelves at the grocery stores will remove items that are nearing their best-by code, and they'll bring them to these stores.

The markdowns range by company and by product, but average savings fall between 25 and 50 percent of retail price. Serious markdowns can be 75 percent or more. (SOURCE)"



The Heiner's surplus store had tons of bread, some muffin packages and even some chips. What do you like to get here?

The Brownstone Mill looks almost as if it's been plucked from an earlier time and plopped right down outside of Summersville.



This general store is painted a beautiful antique blue and has picnic tables spread around the area near a small pond. 



Inside, there's a small room with an upstairs. It's filled with products - some modern, some older. 



Downstairs, they also have a small deli where you can order sandwiches. 



I made my own sandwich with kettle fried chicken, cheddar cheese, tomato, onion, banana peppers and mayo. 



It's a pretty basic sandwich, but the simplicity of it is what I enjoy. It's like a sandwich on white bread I would eat growing up - but maybe kicked up just a notch.



I perused all the goodies downstairs and upstairs, as well. 



There were jams, candies, mixes and crackers.



I also picked up a small package of mini buckeyes, which are chocolate and peanut butter morsels if you're not familiar. 



I was also excited to see a Yoo-hoo bar? I had no clue they made candy bars, but I remember getting these drinks as a child and loved them. 



Also, they even had pepperoni rolls! Not bad.



Overall, a sweet little shop with a small deli. There are some fun things here like old-timey candies and drinks, but also plenty of more modern things like Jelly Belly jellybeans. It's a fun assortment of different products that is fun to get lost in for a few.



Grade: A 

There are many different kinds of bakeries - some that focus on homemade breads, some that offer donuts until they sell out, and then there are some over-the-top experiences that bringing out the sweet tooth in everyone. 



Sugar Bar in Morgantown is the latter. Located in the Suncrest Towne Centre, the shop focusing on sweets and coffee has dozens of different sweet options that change up by the day and offer something for everyone.



First of all, the space is absolutely lovely. It's trendy with a living wall and neon sign.



They have lots of green plants, gold accents and chandeliers. 



Let's start with the coffee: They have a full espresso bar, plus specialty drinks and teas. 



And then for food - they have things like savory scones, croissants and more.



And then the desserts - oh my goodness. There's everything from macarons and cake to cannolis and cupcakes.



I wanted to try a little bit of everything, so let's get to it.



First, I had a quick bite of a birthday cake macaron. I have had quite a few macarons in my day from some very talented bakers. I wouldn't say this is the best, but it wasn't bad. And, I'm happy to see Morgantown have some options for them.



Then, there was a mini key lime pie. I just love anything in mini form. I'm not a big key lime pie person - the sour sweets have their place, but it's not what I would typically gravitate toward. this had a beautiful, flavorful crust and a dollop of meringue that was a perfect balance to the sour filling.



Cupcakes are prevalent throughout ... the country ... but the strawberry cream cheese cupcake just looked like it would hit different so I ordered one of those, as well.



I saved my absolute favorites for last. This tres leches cake is ... beyond. It's so moist and creamy and sweet and just like the equivalent of being all snuggled up in a cozy blanket - but for your tastebuds.



And this scone - rosemary, thyme, parmesan. I could eat this for breakfast every day. It is savory but slightly sweet and just perfectly balanced.



I did not get a quiche, though that's another favorite. I love a savory pastry. But if you get one, let me know how it goes.



Grade: A