Char House on the Boulevard is a Wheeling restaurant - well, just outside of Wheeling - that has a certain charm to it. It's a little removed from the hustle and bustle and there are some small touches that make it a bit unique.



For example, they have a lovely outdoor area dotted with string lights and trees wrapped in lights. It's like a high-end tree house that if it were warmer, I would have opted to sit outside.



Instead, my parents and I went inside to grab a bite to eat. And, as soon as you walk in, there's a little shop area that has products for sale - both from the restaurant and from other producers.



The restaurant itself has some modern touches with its lighting - but still comfy.



And look how cute that happy couple is. But let's get down to business. 



I started with a caprese salad with steak. Fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, and balsamic drizzle. This was delicious - I love a good caprese. And balsamic with steak? Love. 



I also had a bowl of soup that I enjoyed and a sandwich called The Smoky Peach.



The sandwich included Char House smoked sliced turkey, brie cheese, crispy onions, smothered with Peach jam on a brioche bun. 



A few things would have made this sandwich better for me - like 5x the amount of peach jam, crispier onions and hunks of turkey. It wasn't bad, but I do think there's room for improvement.



My parents tried the fish sandwiches, which they seemed to like OK enough. Next time, I'd like to try a steak, but gotta get there around dinner time for that one.



Grade: B

I was passing through Williamstown around breakfast time, so I googled "breakfast restaurants" and up popped Tonya's Country Kitchen.



It's homestyle diner restaurant that serves breakfast all day: eggs, biscuits & sausage gravy, pancakes, cornbeef hash - none of those were resonating. 



But then I saw the breakfast burrito: two scrambled eggs, onions, peppers and choice of meat (sausage for me). I have a soft spot for McDonald's sausage burritos (at least when they were $1). 



And, this burrito was definitely better. It was much larger, full of fresher veggies and had some real girth to it. It would have been perfection if there was salsa and sour cream with it. And the ends weren't really tucked well, so it became a bit unwieldy. 



Homefries were so much better than I thought. A real nice crisp on one side. What have I been eating all my life? I just wish I had some ketchup or sauce with them. 



Next time, I'm saving room for pie, because it looked sooo good.



Have you been? Or been to their Marietta, Ohio, location?



Grade: B

The Human Bean is a drive-thru chain coffee shop that has a new location in Barboursville. I get the idea behind the name, but for some reason, it's unsettling to me. 



For my first time, I went with a frozen caramel hazelnut mocha. It was great - and comes with a little chocolate-covered espresso bean. I mean, how adorable is that little perk?



I also tried a Canadian bacon, egg, and provolone cheese croissant that was just... a hard pass. As much as I enjoyed the drink, I equally but opposite did not enjoy the sandwich. It was mushy and I don't think fully cooked. 



That averages out to a...



Grade: B

Napoli's is a local chain in the Mid-Ohio Valley area serving up pizza, pasta, sandwiches, subs and salads. 



I've visited most of these locations - except the South Parkersburg one. It's a fairly large space with wooden floors, tables, chairs. Traditional, but not old-fashioned.



Pasta was on my mind on this particular day - but when is it not. First, though, more carbs. Basic breadsticks. Not real flavoring here, but even boring bread is still bread. 



Six-cheese lasagna was calling to me. I have a soft spot for lasagna because it's one of my favorite dishes that my mom makes. As I get older, lasagna isn't as friendly to my tummy. But, sometimes I decide to brave it. Today was the day. I think it was oversauced, overcooked and still, satisfying. There are a lot of little things I would've liked to make this better, but I'm still always going to enjoy sauce, noodles, and cheese. So, was it unique or really delicious? No. Was it still kinda comforting and scratch that itch? Yes.



Grade: B

Bubbarino's Bites & Bubbles initially looked to me like a hotspot with the hat, sunglasses and moustache imagery. But, not to worry - it's a pub with interesting cocktails. 



They also plan on expanding into Barboursville this year, but for now, if you want to check them out, you gotta head to Hurricane. 



The menu features salads, pizzas, hamburgers, sandwiches, wings, chicken fingers and the like. We ordered a few different things for the table. 



But let's start with cocktails. They do have boozy milkshakes, which I was tempted by. But I also was intrigued by a glittery, color-changing cocktail - this one was cherry flavored. I think it was just a special for the weekend we were there, but I did enjoy it, even t hough it could have used a bit more balance. It erred on the cough syrup side, so some more citrus could've helped. 



I ordered a burger with a side of mac & cheese. But we divvied up things to sample everything. 



PIMENTO CHEESE BURGER...Hand-Pattied & Charbroiled Local Beef, Pimento Cheese, Mayo, Lettuce, Tomato, Onion - I liked this one, though I am not a fan of the "so tall, it's difficult to eat" burgers. I ended up cutting it into pieces, so some bites had lettuce, some had burger, etc. On the few bites I got of everything together, I enjoyed it. But, put pimento cheese on anything, and I'm happy. 



HAWAIIAN KICK...Hand-Pattied & Charbroiled Local Beef, Teriyaki Bacon, Pineapple, Provolone Cheese, Sriracha Mayo, Lettuce, Tomato, Onion - Aside from the above issues - This one was able to get the all over flavor in each bite a bite better. Maybe I smashed it more. But I do love a sweet moment on a burger. Pineapple belongs. 



The other bites I tried were all decent - the mac & cheese wasn't bad, pretzels weren't bad. But nothing too crazy. I do love the creative takes on burgers and cocktails and the variety in options. I'm curious to see how they continue to evolve and get better.

Grade: B