Sometimes, it's more about the experience at a restaurant as opposed to the actual food. Of course, ideally, both would be incredible. But when I selected Teharu, all I was excited about was trying conveyor belt sushi.



What does that mean? Well, there is a literal conveyor belt, running through the restaurant, where you can pluck plates of prepared food as you see them rolling by.



Each plate has a particular color, which indicates the price. If you think about it, it is more like a cafeteria style restaurant, as opposed to a made-to-order restaurant. Except, in this case, the variety of food comes to you.



To me, there's a level of excitement in seeing what options are passing by you next. And, you don't have to narrow down a menu to pick the one item that looks best. Instead, you can try a little bit of everything that the chef has prepared that day.



There was everything from nigiri and simple maki rolls to fried appetizers, and I tried a little of everything.



I enjoyed the philly roll - salmon and cream cheese - and a spicy crab and shrimp roll, which was topped with sriracha.



I also had inari here for the first time, which is sushi rice, which is seasoned with vinegar, inside a deep fry tofu pocket. I didn't get a ton of flavor from this other than a slight little vinegar flavor from the rice.



Takoyaki is a fried octopus ball, which I definitely enjoy. I wish this had some sauces or other accoutrements to spice it up, but I love octopus.



At the end of the meal, your total is calculated by the empty plates that you have at your station. Yellow plates are one price, blue plates, or another, green, yet another, etc. It is impressive yet embarrassing to see the stack that I was able to put away.



These experiences are one benefit to visiting a larger city. And, it was cool to experience. I don't know that the sushi itself was any better than other places I've enjoyed. I'm considering there's potential for the role to make its rounds on the conveyor belt several times, it's likely to not be quite as fresh as some other places.



Overall, a good time with a good friend and some good food. I can't really ask for more.



Grade: A

Here is my wrap-up of my trip to Hershey, Pennsylvania. I had bites and mostly drinks all over the property, and I wanted to share some odds and ends from the butterfly atrium and the vineyard.



While the butterfly atrium had a bar with a delicious fruity beer, the vineyards had a wide variety of wines, which, of course I opted for a sweet white.



you would probably think that most of the wines are sweet, considering we are at Hershey. But I definitely sampled some of the others and they do have some wines on the dry side, both white and red.



And, the lodge is not to be missed. Of course, it is where I stayed, but there are also a few different dining options.



At the lobby bar, I enjoyed this Hershey's chocolate caramel martini. Caramel vodka and chocolate liqueur combine to make this treat.



I don't think I'm a huge fan of dairy with booze in general. It's taking me some time to come around to boozy milkshakes, but I can't deny it is tasty.

Onefold is "a breakfast and lunch restaurant that serves family inspired recipes made from scratch." It has been noted for being one of the best breakfasts in Denver (and for the owner clapping back at negative Yelp reviews).



The menu is pretty cool; it has some global influences with dishes like Chinese sausage fried rice, crêpes, Loco Moco (white rice, topped with a hamburger, a fried egg, and brown gravy) and huevos rancheros (fried eggs on tortillas topped with a pico de gallo).



I ordered the congee: savory rice porridge with chicken & duck broth, duck confit, poached egg, scallions, salted ginger and chili oil. I was pretty excited to try congee, which they nature seems like it would be pretty mild in flavor as a rice porridge. I love that it is a unique offering, but it's simply didn't have much flavor for my palate. Maybe I needed to amp of the chili oil, but I do appreciate this mix of ingredients.



Grade: B

Craft milkshakes with handmade ice cream and dessert dishes - like ice cream nachos - are the name of the game at Gordon's Milkshake Bar.



They offer a number of gourmet milkshakes, like:

The Chocolatier
Chocolate shake with bromnies, hot fudge, and chocolate chips, topped with whipped cream and our signature chocolate flakes.

Birthday Cake
Cake shake with rainbow sprinkles, topped with whipped cream and our signature chocolate flakes.

Salted Caramel
Caramel shake with a hint of sea salt, topped with whipped cream and our salted caramel.

Peanut Butter Brownie
Peanut butter shake with brownies and hot fudge topped with whipped cream and caramel.

Chocolate Dipped Stramberry
Strawberry shake with hot fudge and chocolate chips topped with whipped cream and a fresh dipped strawberry.

Midnight Cookies & Cream
Chocolate shake with crushed cookies & cream and hot fudge, topped with whipped cream and our signature chocolate flakes.



Of course, I went for the salted caramel shake. Caramel and caramel and caramel. And, it's all so silky smooth. it almost made me wish for a little bit of a crunch texture so it wasn't all smooth. Though, that can present some challenges with a straw but, I think maybe some brittle or chips or toffee would make me appreciate the difference more.



Grade: B

Fund for the Arts hosts the "Capital Cocktail Classic" event where four local restaurants compete by serving signature cocktails and appetizers as participants sample and vote for their favorites. Participants vote to crown “Best Cocktail in Town”



My friend Erin and I took on the task to try these pairings and determine which we enjoyed the most.



Black Sheep

Food:
Apricot-braised shredded brisket sliders with sweet jalapeno slaw and chili-honey drizzle on a toasted Hawaiian roll

Drink:
Dragon’s Breath cocktail featuring Tito’s vodka, cucumber vodka, jalapeno simple syrup, dragon fruit and soda water with a tajin, jalapeno and cucumber garnish



DT Prime

Food:
Hernshaw Farms portabella mushroom wellington with fig glaze and a New York Strip shaved beef roll stuffed with cream cheese and jalapenos from Gritt’s Farm with a blackberry balsamic reduction.

Drink:
Blackberry Sangria with West Virginia blackberries marinated in Devil’s Due blackberry moonshine, then blended with housemade red sangria and lots of fresh fruit.



Bar 101/Ichiban

Food:
Crispy pork eggroll with a delicious roasted tomato curry sauce

Drink:
Appalachian Sour cocktail featuring Old Forrester bourbon, house-made fuji apple-ginger puree, a splash of sour mix and lemon juice with a cinnamon apple garnish.



Sam’s Uptown Cafe

Food:
“Land, Sea & Air” meatball trio – one made with a signature crabcake filling, one with duck sausage and one with wild boar in a rich heirloom tomato romesco sauce with caramelized onions and aged cheddar.

Drink:
Tropical Jungle Bird cocktail made with exclusive Venezuelan-made Diplomatico dark rum, Campari, lime juice, pineapple juice and simple syrup with a lime garnish.



My favorites included Black Sheep's cocktail because I loved the spice from the tijan with the sweet drink. And my favorite meal has to go to DT Prime for not only one delicious snack, but two.

"Fund for the Arts hosts events such as Capital Cocktail Classic and The Wine & Jazz Music Festival as a way to raise funds to support our 11 member art groups. Our mission is to provide "One Gift for All the Arts," and by donating to our cause and attending our events you support: Charleston Ballet, Charleston Chamber Music Society, Charleston Civic Chorus, Charleston Light Opera Guild, Children’s Theatre, Clay Center, Friends of Old Time Music and Dance, River City Youth Ballet, West Virginia Symphony Orchestra, West Virginia Youth Symphony Orchestra, and WomanSong."