"Indulge in the flavors of Modern Appalachian Kitchen with our handcrafted confections. A modern twist on Appalachian nostalgia."

If there is a more enticing phrase, I haven't heard it.

As soon as I stumbled upon Modern Appalachian Kitchen, I went to their website to see how I can get my hands on some of their goodies.



This Morgantown-based home business specializes in marshmallows -- and specifically their couch marshmallow has gained some popularity. Think about it. Burning marshmallows, burning a marshmallow couch. It makes sense for Morgantown. I did purchase one of these, and the novelty is something to behold. Maybe slightly less practical for s'mores, but entertaining nonetheless.



The vanilla couch marshmallow was good, but the Neapolitan and s'mores were even better. They are a bitch softer and stickier, almost, which really reminds me of more of a meringue.



I enjoyed a few other treats, too. The chocolate with candy toppings, known as mountain tops, were lovely, and the chocolate, caramel and nut Freddy is a classic combination that is done just right here.

All of a sudden, there are 1 billion chicken tender restaurants in Morgantown. I may be exaggerating a little bit, but I may as well check them out. Layne's Chicken Fingers is the first one on my list to visit.



"Hatched in 1994 Layne's is Famous for our Hand Breaded Chicken Tenders, Golden Crinkle-Cut Fries, Texas Toast, Gourmet Milk Shakes and Layne's Sauce," reads the website.



I tried the standard chicken fingers, fries and special sauce. The chicken fingers are good quality white meat with a thick fried breading. they do come in a spicy version, which probably would've had more flavor. The special flavor is relegated to the sauce, which the signature is a standard ketchup-mayo blend. The fries are thick and very potato-y. I like mine thin and super crispy. But they were fine. There was also a slice of Texas toast - I would love if this came with a really cool butter. This whole meal was fine. It wasn't super exciting or different, but it was solid and probably is ideal for families with kids who don't want big bold flavors, but instead want mild reliability.



Grade: B

Chief's Roadhouse reminds me of a Logan's Roadhouse, but instead of Chief's being a chain, it is local to Logan. Kind of ironic, right? It would make sense to have a Logan's IN Logan, but alas. We have Chief's.



Clad in wooden decor and serving up hearty steak and potatoes, Chief's is a family-friendly restaurant with homestyle favorites.



My meal-to-go began with bread and butter. It was not especially remarkable, but I do enjoy the complimentary items to round out the meal.



For my sides, I had macaroni & cheese and green beans. The mac & cheese lost its cheese at some point. The sauce must have been thin because it did not cling to the noodles. Just not a ton of flavor without it. The green beans were bathed in a nice salty fat that all southern dishes need.



The meatloaf was the main entree, and it had a good blend of spices. I could always use a thicker slathering of tomato sauce, especially when the meat itself is thick. Maybe they could layer meat and sauce like a cake so there is always a perfect ratio.



Grade: B

"Loveberry" may sound like a Bath & Body Works scent. But in Weston, it's a bake shop.



This bake shop carries a variety of sweets in a case at the front, some savory baked goods to the side, and there is even some seating in the middle if you would like to dine in.



The space is a decent size for the amount of product they have available. The design is a bit country chic with primitive decor.



Sweet options included cupcakes, cookies and a few other delights. But, admittedly, I arrived later in the day, so I imagine there were more goodies earlier on.



I ended up with a cookies & cream cookie. That meant there was a cookie that was topped with cookies & cream icing and even a little mini Oreo. it was definitely a sugar bomb, but I think you know that going into it. The icing was a bit thick and I could've done without the extra chocolate drizzle. You can't really go wrong with the flavors, though.



The shop also made pepperoni rolls, much to my delight. I selected a pepperoni roll with jalapeño and habanero cheese.



I was concerned because I'm not a huge fan of spice, but I really didn't taste much of that in this roll. I actually could have done with more of that flavor and more cheese overall.



Grade: B

Donatos is a Columbus-based pizza chain that boats a thin, crispy crust, with edge-to-edge toppings.

"When Jim Grote was 13, he took a job at a Columbus pizza shop. By his sophomore year at The Ohio State University, the pizza business had him hooked for life. Jim bought the shop in 1963 for $1,300. He kept the name, derived from the Latin for "to give a good thing"-the perfect way to describe the Donatos' promise: "To serve the best pizza and make your day a little better."



The chain has over 375 locations in 22 states, including Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Virginia, South Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Florida and now West Virginia with a location in Parkersburg. I placed an order online and went to the pick up window to retrieve my pizza and meatball sub.



The mini pizza was made with the works: green peppers, onions, pepperoni, mushroom, sausage, smoked romano and provolone. There may have been too many ingredients for this small size, but that's on me. I do wish some of the ingredients, like the peppers, were cut a bit smaller so the flavors of the other ingredients had a chance to shine. The meatball sub was fairly average - a healthy dose of some bold marinara would be my request.



Grade: B