While I don't get to the mall in Charleston often, I did make a special trip there recently to try out the new "Mexican Grill." 



The counter-service restaurant is located in the food court and has photos of the popular dishes you can order. That's probably helpful for those who aren't familiar with the options - or even for those who don't read well or have another communication issue. More places should do this.



I ordered the Arroz Con Pollo - it's likely one of the items most commonly ordered, so it's a good benchmark. 



First, though, were some fresh chips and salsa. I could tell the chips had just been pulled from the oil - you could see and hear from the kitchen. The salsa was average.



The chicken was plentiful, but the only cheese was mixed in with the rice, and I could've gone for a lot more. Not bad, but not the best version I've had. Next time, I'll ask for more queso on the side.

Grade: B

Our favorite cyptid - the Mothman - hails from Point Pleasant, which I will take any excuse to visit. I firmly believe they are ripe for some really great restaurants.



When Ichiban 2 opened, I took the opportunity to check it out. The pan-Asian restaurant has everything from sushi rolls and hibachi dinners to yaki udon and Chinese food. You can order right online and have everything ready when you arrive.



I ordered some of the crispy crab wontons and the Ichiban roll - their namesake: shrimp tempura, spicy kani, seaweed salad, crunch w. soy paper, topped w. spicy mayo eel sauce.



The wontons were standard. I think I'm in the minority here when I say I'm not crazy about the crispy ends and just want the filling. So I tend to gravitate toward a different shape that limits the crispy edges - but, this had substantial filling and it was good.



The sushi roll was a bit different - with the pink paper and seaweed salad inside. I enjoyed that it was a little bit of a twist on something familiar; the texture became a bit soft and I like when there's variation. It was good, and I'd eat again - just nothing totally out of the box. But a decent option for town. 

Grade: B

Sometimes when I visit Weirton, it looks like a whole different world. When I was growing up, there was a Walmart where there is now a whole shopping plaza, which includes Crazy Mexican Restaurant & Grill.



This restaurant describes itself this way: "Authentic Mexican fair, margaritas, beers, main dining, mezzanine seating, patios and party room." 



I placed a big order for a bunch of different things to take back to my family. While I waited inside, I took in how large this place really is. There are colorful decorations criss-crossing the dining room, which drew my attention to the second level of dining. I don't know that I've seen a Mexican restaurant this big! 



I had to wait for quite some time for my order, but once it was finally ready, I was excited to take it home and chow down. First up: These hard tacos with steak. Hard tacos are not my favorite, but my mom enjoyed this slightly elevated take on the classic ground beef taco. 



One of my favorites was the arroz con pollo. Chicken + rice + queso = always tasty. I can only imagine how much better this dish could be if it was peppered with plump, juicy hunks of chicken breast rather than the slivers of chicken that are usually a bit dry.



We also had a burrito California, which is a giant burrito with all the fixins: steak, avocado, onion, rice, beans, etc. Dad was a fan of this with all of the variety. And the barbacoa street tacos - cilantro and white onion on corn tortilla - were tasty, but also a bit dry. 



Chicken chimichangas were topped with lettuce and tomato, and it. all kinda became a bit soggy, but it wasn't bad. I mostly moved those off to the side, because they don't add much flavor, and enjoy the simple chicken chimichanga.



Finally, a taco salad with ground beef. I didn't try this one, but mom enjoyed it. Overall, this place was fairly average - but I did enjoy the extra fanfare.

Grade: B

I love DiCarlo's. If you've been here for a while, you probably know that I've visited every DiCarlo's location - most of which are centered around the Ohio Valley.



One of their newest locations, though, is located in Columbus - a bit further out from its dedicated following. And, it shows.



In the infamous Pizza Connoisseurs of Columbus Facebook group, people have slaughtered the "cold cheese" pizza - because apparently they haven't grasped the concept of freshly melted cheese.  



The thing about DiCarlo's is that it focuses on few really quality ingredients and treats them with care. That's not always the case at other pizza shops. They're slinging pizzas, throwing ingredients on, baking it all together and moving it out the door. 



At DiCarlo's, it's a beautiful dance. The crunchy crust is topped with hot sauce. At the end, fresh provolone lightly melts on top. It's not a greasy, congealed mess hastily slopped together.



Some people poo-poo it because they like to "yuck" other people's "yum." Or they just like to be contrary and can't stand the idea of challenging their perception of how pizza should be prepared. Hint: Not all pizza has to be cooked like Pizza Hut. 



The Columbus location is brand new, fresh, clean. It's modern, but has throwback touches. They serve pepperoni rolls in addition to the pizza. I went with 6 pieces with pepperoni. Crunchy crust, freshly melted provolone and a perfectly balance tomato sauce made for an absolutely delicious bite.

Grade: A

The Coffeehouse in Weston was quite the pleasant surprise.



When I was coming to town, I wasn't searching for coffee. But I stumbled upon this shop and had to check it out.



The building houses more than just the coffee shop, I think. So, when walking inside, veer to the right to see a wide open space with some sweet country-chic decor.



They serve specialty coffees, cold coffees, drip coffee, cider, hot cocoa and tea. 



They even have chocolate-covered espresso beans and whole bean coffee for sale. 



While I'm a sucker for hot cocoa, and the peach cider sounded really good, I went for a caramel latte instead. 



For me, it was a perfect amount of sweetness and bitter. It was soothing and gave me a little extra pep in my step.



Have you been?



Grade: A