Have you seen a purple house in St. Albans that displays a "dinners to go" chalkboard sign? That would be The Violet Kitchen.



The St. Albans house has a Victorian-themed interior and serves takeout homestyle dinners Wednesday through Friday. 
 

When I saw this was one of the options this week, I messaged them an order on Facebook immediately: Meatloaf w/ Mashed Potatoes, Pan Fried Green Beans & a Roll.



My biggest concern was whether this was going to be a thin, brown-gravy-laden piece of meatloaf or whether it would be the sweet tomato thick hunk of meatloaf. To my delight, it was the latter. It was a very moist, flavorful hunk of meatloaf with a sweet tomato glaze on top. Chunks of onion and green pepper just made it delightful. Homemade green beans and mashed potatoes round it all out, with a soft roll on the side. 

Keep an eye on their Facebook to see their weekly specials. And if they offer the meatloaf again any time soon, get it in your belly.

Grade: A

Kozy Farm's Sweets is an adorable Beckley bakery serving up cupcakes, mini cakes, cookies and coffee. 



When I was visiting, the cupcakes are what caught my attention. They were bright and stacked and just calling my name.



Now, typically, I'm not a cupcake person. They're fine, but not the first thing I gravitate toward. But these ones were so visually delicious. 



The cherry one was easily my first choice. Cherry is a very underrated fruit, in my opinion. I also have a hard time finding it in grocery stores. Bring back the cherry! 



The cupcake was absolutely stacked with ribbons of icing. A drizzle of chocolate. A gummy cherry. It was fun and tasty.



I also went with a strawberry lemonade cupcake, which was topped with a candied wedge of lemon. How adorable is that? And let's be honest, when it comes to cupcakes, we are more so eating with our eyes than with our tastebuds.



And while they didn't have their "mini cakes" available, I did spy with my little eye some bread pudding. And, you know bread pudding is one of my guilty pleasures. 



They had a maple pecan that I knew I had to have. And, honestly, the bulk inside was fairly dry and would have benefited greatly from a giant scoop of vanilla ice cream. 



Still, this Beckley bakery is adorable and had some fun sweets. I'd like to try some others next time to make sure I'm really getting their flavor.



Grade: B

Casablanca Italian Restaurant in Beaver is a local favorite that hits all the hometown Italian restaurant marks: red, white and green theme; a variety of pasta shapes in marinara sauce; and diehard fans.



Italian is probably my most eaten cuisine. Pasta + sauce is easy, cheap and delicious. But it's always a job to enjoy it out at a restaurant, too, where it's often much more lovingly prepared than it is in my home kitchen.



Casablanca had checkerboard floors, booths and no people to speak of when I visited. During a pandemic, I'm not complaining. 



The menu is a bit all over the place. I was first greeted with hummus, kabobs and yogurt and cucumber dishes. I flipped forward to find the carbs. 



But, first, some pepperoni rolls. I really liked their version. They're rolled up, sliced and fried, plus topped with cheese and served with marinara. Traditional? No. Delicious? Absolutely. 



Next up, we have a small house salad that accompanies the entree. I was happy to have French dressing - my favorite. The rest was standard - some iceberg, shredded lettuce, green peppers and red onion. 



And then there was some garlic bread, which was not notable. But the entree was better.



The penne pasta with spicy chicken in a rose cream sauce dish was good. The herbs and cheese on top added some extra fresh flavor on top of the rich, creamy dish. I didn't love the chicken itself - a bit blah. But overall, a decent dish.



Grade: B

My latest J.Q. Dickinson Appalachian Mercantile Box is here - let's see what we got!



Appalachian Botanical Company - lavender stem bundle - Place in your fireplace, campfire, or firepit, then sit back and enjoy the relaxing fragrance of lavender. Or soak in water for two hours and then add it to your grill to infuse fish, meat, or veggies with a smoky lavender flavor.

MallyMoon Handmade - soap dish - handmade in this adorable neutral color

J&W Farm - spice cake mix - Take yourself back to when Grandma was making her famous spice cookies or cake with traditional Lemon Sauce. Now come to a time when diet choice & certain restrictions are common. They have developed a delicious Spice Cake Mix that not only tastes great but is Gluten Free & Vegan. They use naturally flavored ingredients, Grandma’s blend of spices & dry Molasses.

Scratch Pasta - spinach fusilli - These delicious pastas are made in Lynchburg, VA by Stephanie Fees of Scratch Pasta Co. The Spinach Fusilli is a amazing bright colored pasta that will brighten any meal.

ThomasWork - cherry chopsticks - These chopsticks are made of native walnut with a cherry holder/rest. Perfect for the Asian food lover. Hand wash. 9" long

Mountain Momma Organics - nut & berry trail mix - Nutty Berry Trail Mix is a refreshing mix of nuts, berries, and seeds. This mix is our own design and handmade by us. This trail mix with no preservatives just makes you feel great when you eat it.

I recently discovered a small, but mighty, group of Al's New York Pizza loyalists.



Located in a Barboursville plaza, this restaurant was hard to catch while open.



But once I did,  I knew I had to try a straight-forward pizza. With mushrooms, of course. 



I can see why folks enjoy this pizza. They're pretty thin slices, a nice sweet sauce and a generous coating of cheese. I don't love the crunchy, dry crust at the edges, but I get the appeal. Overall, a pretty decent pizza that is maybe not my top, but I wouldn't be mad at it.

Grade: A