Rolls on the River is a fun pepperoni roll & beer festival held for a good cause: to support Charleston Montessori School. It's an incredible event that brings together tons of pepperoni roll makers around the state (and pepperoni roll-themed vendors!), who bring samples for festival-goers to sample and crown a champion. I've been fortunate enough to serve as a judge for several years, and I always have a blast.



There were 20 total pepperoni roll vendors this year, which is impressive! There were a few I had never heard of, so I was especially excited to see what those were all about. Both the judge's choice and the people's choice was The Bucket, who boasts a deep-fried pepperoni roll with cheese, parmesan and a marinara dipping sauce.



And, I also took home a few souvenirs; there was some great merch from my friends at Parties & Peonies. 



And I can't forget Cerealsly Delicious, which made a pepperoni roll mix with combos, cheez-its, croutons, chex and more.
1. Nellie's Cookie Jar - some good layers of cheese in this one



2. Rose's Rolls - I liked that the whole roll was bite sized. And the dough was slightly sweet



3. G&G Heritage Farms - this was a large roll that was like ripped in half; this is like a whole meal kinda roll



4. Sugar Pie Bakery - unique in that it had some strong herbs and spices



5. Oh My Greens - the addition of pesto here was great



6. The Bucket - my favorite of the day between the nice crunch, cheese and marinara



7. Simply Sweet - SO much pepperoni in this one! 



8. Cafe Appalachia - this bite-sized guy had a nice herb coating on the exterior



9. The Pitch - this one came with a side of packaged marinara and a crispy exterior



10. Boys & Girls Club - this was a tasty homemade version; I don't mind a flat version that gets rid of all the excess puff



11. St. Timothy Lutheran - this one was pretty unique with bits of banana pepper ground in



12. Saving Thyme - just like a nice little dinner roll with pepperoni inside



13. Fat Albert's Pizza - this one was a little extra golden brown



14. Mardi Gras Casino -  this was our honorable mention with a good hunk of pepperoni, cheese and good bread



15. Willow Creek Cottage - this was so spicy; I was not prepared! 



16. Sweet Mama's Bakery - this was wrapped like a cinnamon roll and also one of my favs



17. Zul's -  the little bits of ground pepperoni totally sold me. More cheese to pepp ratio







18. DP Dough - this one was a little extra done



19. Mama A's Peppi Rolls -  really good herbs on the outside of this one







20. Daily Dose - check out the one at t he top of the plate here - a little mini swirly guy that was tasty

I'm always excited about new restaurant concepts, especially ones that are engaging. Whether that's hibachi, fondue, Korean BBQ or a golf simulator.



McMulligan's is a new-ish golf simulator in South Hills that also serves a menu of items like burgers, sandwiches, nachos and salads.



"McMulligan's is a golf-themed sports bar. The name combines the owner's last name "McMullen" and the golf term "mulligan". A mulligan is a second chance to perform an action, usually after the first chance went wrong through bad luck or a blunder. It's best-known use is in golf, as a reference to a player being informally allowed to replay a stroke, though it is against the formal rules of golf. The bar is named the 19th Hole, which is a slang term for a pub, bar, or restaurant on or near an 18-hole golf course. The four-leaf clover in the logo is for "luck," all golfers thrive on luck, and luck comes with preparation. The "M" within the clover utilizes golf clubs to represent the focus on golf. If you do not play golf, no worries, all eight TV's will always have sports on. Drinks and food are a bonus. Please come hang out, have some laughs, and kick back and relax."



While I think the golf is the main draw, I was just in it for the food. I ordered "THE MONEY SHOT" - Tender smoked pork slow cooked in our signature BBQ sauce served with a side of our delicious Betty's slaw and sliced sweet pickle, served on a buttery brioche bun.



This was pretty average to me. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't very memorable either. My friend Hannah did enjoy her nachos, but I was left a little underwhelmed. I think if it had some spice or sweetness or even just more sauce, it would give it some more flavor. Or, maybe I just ended up with a bit that didn't have all of the seasoning. Either way, it was average for me.



Grade: C

Pacific International Market is a specialty foods store that has all sorts of Persian, Indian, Asian, Arabian, and African products. They also prepare some hot made-to-order food items, like kebabs, shawarmas and gyros. I ordered a chicken shawarma and hummus, which were both "Tastie" - get it? Hummus is pureed chickpeas, which can read a little bland to me unless it's super punched up with garlic. This could've gone with 10 more cloves for my liking. I liked the shawarma, which was like grilled in this case. And I'm really weird about like warm lettuce, so I would have preferred if it was fresh and raw. And again, if it was drenched in garlic sauce.


Grade: B

BootLeg Distilling is a distillery located in Martinsburg - all the way over in the Eastern Panhandle. I was fortunate to stop by to check out their offerings. But first, a little background:

"You can call us the 'farm-to-table' of distilling. We are a family owned and operated distillery created from a pole barn (essentially a steel barn with support poles). This handcrafted facility was constructed by the unique skills and devoted hands of owner/founder Brad Armel. Being nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains allows you to enjoy our spirits in an atmosphere with nature. We pride ourselves on manufacturing quality spirits. We use grains from local farmers, while also using limestone filtered water. This considerably increases the quality of our premium spirits – aged rum, bourbon, and corn whiskey, with moonshine coming soon. Creating a new-school taste for the old-school drink. This taste is developed through filtering and blending all-natural, locally sourced flavor profiles of smooth/sweet aromas. We can’t give it all away online, so come visit us to learn more. Our distinct process is not just a craft, but a passion. It is our pleasure to produce spirits from our distillery for you to enjoy with friends and family at your table or at ours. Brad and Lucia Armel welcome you to BootLeg Distilling. We’re a family business looking to put a smile on people’s faces by sharing our passion of distilling.



They offer rums in unique flavors - like strawberries & lemon and sweet cinnamon. They have corn whiskey and bourbon whiskey. I had to try the sweet cinnamon - because a local version of Fireball sounds delish. And it is! Smooth, spicy and a great base for cocktails.



It deserves a space on my bar cart and on your shelf, too. Have you been yet?

Hot Dog Hut in Philipi is a hometown restaurant that features, you guessed it, hot dogs.



But they do have more than just hot dogs; they also have meatball sandwiches, pepperoni rolls, sloppy joes, and more.



The space is actually quite large and has some cute decor of wiener dogs. I decided to try a few different things.



So, I went with pasta, salad, hot dogs, and the pepperoni roll, just for good measure.



Pasta salad was fine. I like mine a little bit more zesty. It was fairly mild – average.



The pepperoni roll was much of the same. Pretty standard, for what it was, which is better than being too dry. The grease made its way through the bread to give it all some decent flavor.



I know there are some folks who are very passionate about what you got on top of your hot dog. I decided to split the difference and go with my boring, ordinary order of ketchup and onions. But I also got a West Virginia style one with chili, slaw, mustard, and onions.



I liked mine, topped with ketchup and onion. It added sweetness and texture, and it just reminded me of a backyard dog.



The West Virginia style dog was also tasty; it's a totally different experience. This dog is more wet and has a totally different flavor combination. I liked that the slaw was really finely chopped, so it made a sort of paste. The chili was good and the onions and mustard were minimal so they didn't overtake the flavor. I was a fan.



Overall, a solid, local joint that has some decent food options with local charm.



Grade: B