Blissful Bites is a bakery that sells goods at local markets and events. I was lucky enough to catch them recently in Charleston and had to nab some sweets. I devoured a vanilla flavored cake pop as I walked through holiday lights. I tend to like mine a bit more moist, in this one was more on the dryer cake side. Still fun and whimsical.

Grade: B

The 18th annual Heart & Soul Dip Dinner was held today at the East End Resource Center, and I attended for the first time ever. “A dip dinner is simply an event where attendees purchase tickets for $1 each. They use the tickets to purchase a ‘dip’ or serving-spoon portion of a side dish. Entrees and desserts range from two to four tickets, side dishes are one or two tickets and beverages are available for one ticket. It is very similar to the Taste of Charleston, only with good ol’ home-cooked soul foods made with lots of love," according to the Charleston Gazette-Mail. The dinner sees dishes from local churches, restaurants, sororities, and individuals who donate their specialty dishes in a competition to see who has the best bite. The money raised goes toward programming at the center. I bought $15 worth of tickets and got a to-go box to fill up with "dips" to take home. I do wish there was a menu available with the allotted tickets required so I could strategically plan. Instead, I started at one end and made my way around the room nabbing up whatever looked good at the moment. I started with chicken à la king with pastry from Carver Career Center. It's like an elevated pot pie and was a nice balance of homestyle taken up a notch. Next up for me was a potsticker with chili sauce and some curry over rice from Chow Thai. Both were just as good as you'd get in the restaurant, including a bit of heat from the curry. As I moved around the room, I saw some folks packing up as they ran out of items just 30 minutes into the event. I also saw some restaurants like Soho's and Johnnie's sharing some of their classic dishes. I ended up with a Mexican cornbread, which was OK, and kibbeh, which was unique, before finding the back table filled with different pastas. That's my happy place. Rigatoni, macaroni and cheese, and my favorite of the day, sausage and greens bowtie pasta, filled out the remainder of my plate. I had them piling scoops on top of other scoops. But that sausage pasta had a little bit of a kick and it was creamy and earthy, and I'm going to have to try to re-create it at home. Did you attend? If so, what were your favorite items?

"Top Chef" season 5 winner Hosea Rosenberg owns a Boulder-based restaurant that focuses on seasonal, local ingredients and pasture raised, sustainable animals.



Blackbelly offers its own selection of house-made cured meats, charcuterie and provisions, as well as daily breakfast and lunch. Blackbelly consists of the main restaurant, butcher counter, breakfast & lunch menus, catering, and events.



I ended up arriving at a weird time between lunch and dinner so I went with an adult snack: the house meat & cheese board, which consisted of nduja, coppa, saucisson leonora (goat), belford (cow), pickles, and mustard.



It is like a rainbow in a box. Vibrant and colorful with a range of flavors that spans the whole spectrum - salty, sour, sweet, fatty, spicy. I love picking and choosing flavors and textures at my own free will, and this menu option gave me the ability to do that with ease. My favorite? Some of that whole grain mustard slathered on a hunk of salty cheese and followed up with a grape. Bon appetit.



Grade: A

Rioja, a Mediterranean restaurant in downtown Denver, features a menu inspired by Mediterranean ingredients and influenced by local and seasonal products. Rioja's Jennifer Jasinski was the first Denver chef to win a James Beard Award for Best Chef Southwest.



The space is home to a copper-topped bar and exhibition kitchen with simple decor that allows the food to shine. They offer a lunch menu dubbed "the flavor dojo," which features a smaller menu of lighter fare.



I ordered the "artichoke tortelloni - artichoke mousse, white truffle brodo, queso de mano, chervil." It's a classic Rioja dish that is even featured on the James Beard website.



Fresh tortelloni pasta is paired with earthy artichokes and local, funky goat cheese mousse that is elevated even more with truffle essence in a delicate broth. It's a lovely balance of light freshness and rich decadence. It is silky and satisfying.



Add a refreshing and slightly sweet drink, and I was a happy camper.



Grade: A

"Jim ‘Biker Jim’ Pittenger is not your ordinary culinary chef. He is however, the undisputed Gourmet Dog King of Denver. With an appetite for grilling exotic game meat ... Pittenger has redefined an American icon in his own image in more ways than one ... Pittenger has generated local, regional, national, and international acclaim for his grilled gourmet dogs, cream cheese, sizzling caramelized onions ..."



I had to check out this quirky place. Their menu offers dogs made of ostrich, elk, boar, rattlesnake, rabbit, veal and more. I went with a slightly less adventurous option in the chicken peach chipotle - "fresh fruit, hot peppers and lean chicken make this a flighty delight."



There are also a bunch of different topping options with everythint from cactus to mustard cream sauce. I added "THE CONSPIRACY - Bleu cheese, bacon red onion marmalade, lemon aioli, and French-fried onions." That sweet and salty combo is my jam. It's a whole different hot dog experience with an unconventional dog and unconventional toppings. A whole new flavor profile that is unexpected - and delicious.



Grade: A