The Beckley area has lots of great gems that pop up now and then. I recently made a trip out here to check out a few bakeries, the first of which was Kenzie's Kakes. 



The location is a bit difficult to find - it's attached to a preschool/church, and there is a single pink sign and door denoting the entrance. There weren't any windows or anything, so we weren't sure what we may walk into once we opened the door.



What we found was a crowd of hungry patrons waiting to get their hands on the latest sweet treat. 



The space is small - just displays for the goodies and a checkout counter - but it's packed with desserts.

 
From cupcakes to cake balls, the bakery has a variety of treats. 



There are a ton of different varieties of cupcakes - like ones topped with peeps that I had to try since this was around Easter.



I also ordered a caramel vanilla, because I could eat caramel off of anything.



And then the one that I ended up really enjoying was a summery lemon blueberry that tasted like sunshine. 



I also ordered a few cake balls, because I just love these. Not the dry ones you sometimes find - but the ones that are super moist inside with icing and delivers the perfect bite of happiness. 



Just take a look at these photos - there is a nice variety here. Probably a dozen different flavors of cupcakes and more. 



But I haven't even gotten to my absolute favorite treat I picked up. 



Do you see it? Can you spot it?



It's that Snickers brownie. 



Woooo lord. Imagine this: A chewy, chocolatey brownie topped with layers of chocolate and caramel and then crunchy nut clusters on top. It was glorious. I just nibbled on it for days because it's enough sugar to satisfy any sweet tooth.



Grade: A

Have you heard of Anthrasyte Coffee?

If not, let me share with your their mission statement, so to speak:

"Born in the Appalachian Mountains, Anthrasyte Coffee is a social enterprise with a love of Coffee and a deep passion for the outdoors. Especially in our home state of West Virginia where world class offerings of hiking trails, rock climbing, white water rafting and skiing is often overshadowed by many of the social and economic challenges the state is encountering.

Ultimately, the Anthrasyte Coffee family is driven to create an outdoor brand that ignites the spark that becomes a wildfire of change and opportunities in the lives of West Virginians.

Each bag purchased of Anthrasyte Coffee will enable us to donate funds to key issue areas in West Virginia. This would include but not limited to: The Opioid Crisis, Economic Development, Mental Illness, Literacy, and Sustainable Drinking Water"

They're currently roasting in Pittsburgh, though that may change in the future. I have this "Lovely Day" blend, which smells so good and is sure to make your day a lovely one.

Have you tried them yet? Learn more here.

Gigi's Pepperoni Rolls is a new home-based pepperoni roll bakery in Huntington. I've seen them on social, and they recently won the Williamson's Pepperoni Roll Festival. So, I reached out on a day I knew I'd be in Huntington to see if I could pick up their pepperoni rolls anywhere. While they weren't out selling, they did agree to meet me to drop off an order (so nice!). 



The first thing to note is that these are small, two-bite size pepperoni rolls. So you're not going to order just one (like I mistakenly tried to do). Instead, you order a dozen. These small pockets are filled with a couple slices of pepperoni, some cheese and dusted with parmesan. I really like the bread, which is light enough but has just enough bite. Not too dry or too greasy. I wouldn't hate more cheese so you get to sink some tooth into it, rather than it just kinda coating the interior. But overall, solid pepperoni roll!

Grade: A

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