Tokyo Teriyaki Chicken is a Japanese themed fast casual restaurant in the food court at Meadowbrook Mall in Bridgeport. I didn't come here with the highest expectations, but I love Asian food of all sorts, so I can usually find some redeeming qualities. But, my teriyaki shrimp was a plate of cold and hard lo mein noodles with a few pieces of overcooked shrimp. No sauce, no veggies. No flavor.



Grade: D

I recently traveled out to the small town of Arnoldsburg, and found a few hidden foodie gems along the way.



Faith Filled Donuts is a small, locally owned sweets shop located in Arnoldsburg.



While donuts are clearly their specialty, they also offer breakfast items, lunch items and desserts like rock candy, cupcakes, chocolate-covered strawberries, cookies, fudge and more.



I tried a jelly-filled one, one topped with sprinkles and cream-filled ones. they each seem like they had maybe sat out for a little while, which I understand when you're in a small town, it's not going to be busy constantly. So, the texture was a little lacking but there were some nice flavors there.

Grade: B

Georges' Taps & Italian Grill in Beaver suddenly closed earlier this year, but I had a chance to snag a meal before their doors closed for the last time.



The restaurant focuses on Italian fare, as the name implies, but they also offered sandwiches, wings, tacos, hotdogs, you name it. But, when I was visiting, I wanted to try some of their signature dishes.



I started with the bruschetta, which I was really happy with. A delicious pile of tomato and vinegar and herbs anchored the appetizer while lightly grilled toast fanned around it. The mixture was a delicious blend of sweet and acidic, and the freshness of the tomatoes with the crunch of the bread made for a really satisfying bite.



I had a small house salad, which included pickled red onion, cucumber and mushroom with a balsamic dressing. The base here was OK, but I did enjoy the balsamic, which again had a nice hit of acid.



Georges' piccata was made with capers, white wine, and chicken stock with butter and lemon juice. It was fab. Just the right amount of sour plus creaminess that made for a really rich dish.



Grade: A

Sakura Mankai Café (which means cherry blossoms in full bloom) is a Japanese inspired limited restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch, desserts, tea, coffee, and bubble tea.



I stopped here for a quick bite and started with a strawberry boba tea. Actually, instead of a smooth tea, this was more like an icy one. Like a step toward frothy, but not quite to milkshake level. The flavor was nice, but the texture I am not sure on.



I ordered a chicken teriyaki bowl with noodles, onions, and sesame seeds. I'm guessing they don't have a hot cooktop in the back, because the texture of this dish seem to suggest it had been reheated.



It was a bit rubbery and didn't have a depth of flavor that I was hoping for.



Grade: C

Midtown Grocery & Deli was a locally owned grocery store in Whitesville that featured a deli and hand-dipped milkshakes.



Unfortunately, it shuttered earlier this year.



However, I wanted to document this nice little shop in Whitesville.



The grocery shelves were dotted with pantry staples.



And, there would also be some locally made products, like fudge.



On the other side of the space was booth seating, and made-to-order food.



The menu includes an assortment of sandwiches named after coal mining terms.



They did also serve pizza.



I ordered the "Box Crib Club," which included ham, turkey, bacon, pickles, lettuce, tomato, cheese and mayo on toast.



I love a good club sandwich, and this was no exception.



It was like a standard cold cut sandwich, but kicked up a notch when you toast the bread and add all of those fresh veggies in there.



The toast was maybe a touch over for me, but the mayo help disguise some of that.



Overall, though, it was a tasty sandwich with some equally as tasty homemade treats



Grade: B