The mission has been completed. The goal of visiting every single Gino's location in West Virginia has been achieved after my recent dining experience at the Man location. Yes, if you weren't aware, there is a town named Man in West Virginia.
This location was a bit odd, because they were actually preparing to move spaces. So the menu was limited, but there were some options that I hadn't seen elsewhere. Like burgers, for example. So I decided to try just that.
My cheeseburger was on grilled toast, and I had it topped with mayo, ketchup, and onions. It was a bit underwhelming, but not necessarily bad. The burger was OK; the bread was a bit larger than the patty itself; and I may add more toppings next time to kind of fill it out. Not bad, not great. Not too memorable.
Grade: B
Wild & Wonderful BBQ is a food truck that doles out pulled pork, smoked bologna & sausage, and brisket sandwiches in addition to a bevy of sides.
Based in Huntington, the truck can be found at events locally. I visited them to get my hands on some grub. First things first, I ordered the Mountaineer Cheesesteak with pork, sautéed peppers, and cheese on a hoagie roll. I liked this well enough, but I wish the cheese was cheesing more. I think the cheese sauce was a bit too thin, so it didn't lightly melt. It kinda got soaked up. I did enjoy the twist with the pork though; it added a nice flavor.
And while it might not be the most appealing visually, the smoked scalloped potatoes were pretty good. Scalloped potatoes are one of my preferred mediums of potato and, to have them cheesy and smoked, that took it up a notch.
Because the nature of the restaurant, the menu can change bit by bit. What have you had here? What's been your favorite?
Grade: B
Grindstone Coffeeology is a Huntington-based coffee shop that takes its craft seriously. This mall location is its second spot, with the first being on 8th Street in Huntington.
The coffee shop offers specialty coffee drinks, iced teas, fruit protein smoothies & frappes.
Snacks of both the sweet and savory variety are available: donuts, muffins, oatmeal slices, bagels, breakfast burritos, etc.
I went with a veggie quiche, which wasn't bad! I think they're maybe baked earlier or off-site and reheated, which made it a bit rubbery. But that's a bit nitpicky; it was tasty enough that I hoovered the whole thing.
I also ordered a caramel frappe, which is a blended coffee milkshake essentually. It's smothered with caramel, so it was sweet with just a touch of roasty flavor.
Also, I love their cool, modern cafe vibe. Despite being in a busy mall, it is like a little chill oasis.
Grade: A
Peking Restaurant in Danville is a standard American-Chinese restaurant. What do I mean by that? I mean that it is a cuisine in and unto itself. It is a cuisine with inspiration from regions of China that has been edited toward an American palate.
These folks are adapting their business for the target audience to make a living - and creating something really delicious at the same time. In small towns all across America.
I think we often get wrapped up in what is "authentic" - and I do this too - but these cuisines are authentic to what they are. And, I absolutely love it.
For this Danville restaurant, I ordered: shrimp roll, honey chicken, coconut shrimp, corn nuggets, crab rangoon, and fried rice for a feast.
Both the honey chicken and coconut shrimp were OK. Stringy chicken and too much breading on the shrimp. Sweet sauces, which is a pro for me.
The eggroll was just OK; I am on the hunt for a good one in West Virginia ever since Chin's shuttered. Corn nuggets had too much moisture in the container so they ended up soggy.
Fried rice was OK - I have not found great takeout fried rice, but I'm obsessed with homemade versions. One of these days, I'll find one that isn't just laden with old oil.
Last but not least here are the crab rangoons. A decent version but a bit extra done on the edges. I usually toss that part anyway.
Overall, an average showing. Not bad, not great. Still will scratch that itch.
Grade: C
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