I have been to a few Fruits of Labor Café locations; there are five total currently. The most recent one I have visited is in Alderson.

"You'll be greeted warmly at all five of our locations which are nestled in four different river valleys across West Virginia. Sometimes by a core staff member, other times by a neighbor in recovery or young person in an addiction prevention program. Both groups of students participate in our Nationally Certified American Culinary Federation Quality Training Program & Farm-to-Table Café and Bakery. Each time you visit Fruits of Labor, your purchase invests in our students and allows us to offer this training and certification free of charge."



At this location, you'll find sandwiches, salads and some specialty coffee drinks. I wanted to give the ham salad another go - "Southern Style Ham Salad Croissant: Featuring Ham, Onions, Bell Peppers, Sweet Pickle Relish, Mustard and Mayonnaise served on a Croissant."

I think the croissant was fresh, and I appreciated the fine consistency of the ham salad. I do think I like mine a tad sweeter? Without some sort of bold flavor, it falls a little flat. The pasta salad, on the other hand, was maybe a tad too sweet for my liking. But, it is all served in one of the coolest little buildings in the area and couldn't go toward a better cause.



Grade: B

The Pizza Place is a delicious Parkersburg-area pizza joint that has spread a bit outside its region - like to Bridgeport. They serve up their Neopolitan and Sicilian-style pizza at the mall.



The Neopolitan is a more traditional New York slice, whereas the Sicilian is a thick crust. I actually really enjoy them both - they're two different things to me. But, I do feel like I can get New York style just about anywhere, but very few places have the thicker Sicilian style. So, I ordered two of those pieces.



The crust is thick, but crunchy, so it creates a solid base for that puffy layer of cheese and turned-up little pepperonis cooked to a crisp. I'm sure there are some minute differences between the locations, but to me, it tastes as good as any other.



Grade: A

Holiday Village at Capitol Market was a lot of fun this year and featured themed foods each weekend. Not only were market vendors selling food, but Nellita's Cocina also served up her empanada specialties in alignment with the theme. Here are some of my tasty finds:

Latin Weekend

Cuban Nachos - Nachos topped with queso, chipotle mayo, salsa, ham and garnished with cilantro and dill pickles from Johnnies Fresh Meat Market.



Street Tacos - Complete with cilantro, onion, lime from Mea Cuppa



Sliders from Nellita's Cocina



German Weekend

Bratwurst - German bratwurst served with sauerkraut and potato salad from Johnnies Fresh Meat Market.



Empanada with kraut from Nellita's Cocina



More goodies from Nellita's Cocina



French Weekend

Croque Monsieur Bake - Hot sandwich made with ham and cheese and served with chips from Johnnies.



Ham & Cheese Croissant - With mixed green salad and lemon vinaigrette from Johnnies



Crepe Suzette from Mea Cuppa



Crepe with Strawberries & Cream from Mea Cuppa



Apple Pie Empanada from Nellita's Cocina



Raclette - Boiled potatoes, cornichons and melted cheese with toast.



Yum

Roasted Ice Cafe opened in the Bridgeport mall in 2022 before moving locations this past February. After just a month in the new location it closed permanently. Before they shuttered, I stopped by their mall location.



They had a large menu, which included everything from espresso and matcha to frappes and Italian soda. The ladder is not something I have seen very often in West Virginia, so it piqued my curiosity.



So, I ordered an Italian soda with strawberry and peach. They added whipped cream and a cherry on top, which made it feel extra special. but, I was handed a bit of a sticky mess. though, it was still pretty tasty. It's kinda like a soda, but it definitely feels lighter and fruitier. It was smooth and sweet.



Grade: B

Huntington is very good at confusing me with its Tex-Mex restaurants. There is El Ranchito, which I've never been to. And there is also Ranchito Bar & Grill, which I recently visited.



This particular restaurant has a bright, fun interior and quite a few interesting menu items - like taco de lengua, or steamed beef tongue. While I didn't go in that direction, I did order a few different things to sample.



I was excited to see Elote Mexicano - A traditional Mexican street food: A corn on the cob smothered in mayonnaise, grated cheese and chili powder. If you add mayo to anything, it's usually better.



But I also got the Esquites - Smoky, sweet, spicy and tangy esquites are the off-the cob version of elotes with mayonnaise, grated cheese, chili powder and a dash of lime. All the flavor, none of the mess.



I tried a single taco al pastor - grilled pork with pineapple & homemade marinated salsa. The salty/sweet combo is always a win for me.



Finally, we split some TAQUITOS MEXICANOS - Two beef and two chicken taquitos deep fried and topped with cheese dip. These ended up not being as crisp as I had hoped, but I'm always down to dip something in cheese dip.



I liked the variety here and some of the more unique offerings. I would like some even more punched up flavor. But, solid meal.



Grade: B