Crisppi's Chicken is a new restaurant in Huntington that was opened with the help of hometown-boy-turned-football-legend Randy Moss. Raised in Rand, West Virginia, Moss is a Pro Football Hall of Famer who played in the NFL for 14 seasons, most notably with the Minnesota Vikings. The chicken restaurant, originally known as Chick-a-Boom, started in Philadelphia and serves a menu full of chicken sandwiches, tenders and waffles. Within the past week, though, the restaurant has created a bit of stir when owner Kurt created a social media video to call out the Huntington community, claiming it has not been supportive of the restaurant and only spouts negativity.

“The entire community is filled with negativity. Being an African American company, this is what we deal with on a regular basis. We are not the other color, which is unfortunate to you guys, because if we were the other color, I’m sure there would be a lot more respect," Kurt says in the video.

That created some backlash on social and led to Kurt and co-owner Brittany going on the "Talk Huntington” podcast led by host David Williams, also known as "Alligator Jackson," where they doubled down on their stance - claiming Kurt was not calling Huntington racist but was instead saying his own African-American community isn't supporting the restaurant, defending their decision to not serve ketchup by calling it sugar and tomatoes, as well as their decision to not accept cash. Here's my quick, unsolicited two cents: Social media is tough. As someone who has been on the business side of social media for over a decade, you see a lot of negativity. Part of being a PR professional is growing a thick skin and being able to not take the heat personally. It takes a lot of practice and experience to know when to respond on social and when not to. There's also a time to stick to your guns and a time to give the customer what they want (like ketchup) if you want to stay in business (side note: My proximity to Pittsburgh growing up will always make me loyal to Heinz). I made a trip to Huntington today to check this place out. They have cute branding with bubbly letters, an adorable chicken, a countertop with a neat flame visual and some sleek black & white furniture inside. I placed an order on DoorDash and picked up my squared box bag to go. The bag is super sturdy with cloth handles, and the packaging has a foil interior to keep the food crispy. I'm legitimately impressed with the packaging. I ordered the Sweet Thai Combo - Served On A Brioche Bun, Crisppi's Sauce, Scallions, Sweet Pickle, American Cheese, Coleslaw, Sweet Thai Sauce. This in which was very good. The two tenders were super crisp, but moist inside, and the sauces, added some sweetness and tang. Crunchy slaw and a soft bun took it touchdown territory. It may be the best chicken sandwich in the region; I don't say that lightly.

The fries, however, were thick and soggy and had no seasoning. They may have benefited from that box had they not been sitting in the bag for too long, which kept the air still inside. I also had the Fruity Pebble waffles, which, too, ended up too soggy for me. But I did like the flavor of the waffle. Even without the syrup and cereal, the batter itself was slightly sweet.

So, there is a lot to digest here. And, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and how that affects where you do or do not dine. But if we are talking food alone, then I give it a ... Grade: B

Lee Street Lounge is primarily a bar and entertainment venue. It does, however, have a limited menu of fried apps and pizza. Occasionally, they will have other specials or additional items.



I went around the holidays when they had drag bingo. It was so entertaining and fun to be part of the lively atmosphere. I even won a round of bingo!



For food, they actually had just hot dogs and nuts available outside that I think was a separate sort of fundraiser.



Though I wasn't mad at a simple hot dog with ketchup! Even if that is sacrilegious in most parts of southern West Virginia.



I thought it was only appropriate to stop back to experience the food coming out of their own kitchen.



On a return visit, I had a trio of cheeseburger sliders and a side of fries. Pretty basic. A bit cold. But serviceable.



Environment and experience are great. Food could use a little work.



Grade: B

Adel's is an American-style restaurant my friends and I passed while roadtripping across California.



The restaurant has these large, curved windows that remind me of the 80s. The menu features hearty favorites for breakfast, lunch and dinner, including: omelettes, burgers, quesadillas, chicken fried steak and much more.



I ordered the teriyaki chicken rice bowl, which included white rice with peppers, onions, broccoli, carrots and chicken drizzled with teriyaki sauce. Plus a side of fresh fruit. This was all okay. It was a bit one-note in regards to texture. I also wanted some more seasoning, some more punch in the sauce, and maybe even just a fresh squeeze of lemon to add a bit of acid.



Kaitlynn and I split a "Brownie Obsession," which consisted of a brownie, vanilla ice cream, fudge, whipped cream and a cherry. we had a dessert like this on our minds for days, so it hit the spot when we ordered it. The contrast of warm, brownie and cold ice cream is one of the best there is when it comes to desserts.



Grade: B

Fruits of Labor has been expanding across southern West Virginia - from Rainelle and Alderson to Montgomery and now Beckley.



"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," reads the website.



This location is much like the others, offering soup, salads and sandwiches. It has several small tables inside and a bar area touting baked goods. It is also home to a separate spin off downstairs that offers pizza and coffee. I'll have to come back for that one.

For now, I ordered the Bacon & Blue Burger: Made with 1/3-pound Ground Beef, topped with crumbled Amish Blue Cheese, Smoked Bacon, and Baby Swiss Cheese served on our house made Café Bun. I do love some bleu cheese on a burger, but this one was pretty heavy on the funk so it overpowered the other flavors. I would love to see a bacon jam or candied bacon to bring the flavors into harmony. Overall, though, fairly tasty.



Grade: B

While driving through Ohio, I started to hear my stomach growl. At my next gas station stop, I did a quick search for drive-through food options in the next town and found Cristy's Pizza & Subs.



"Have you ever wondered why Cristy’s Pizza tastes so good? It’s simple, if you’re going to have the best pizza, you’ve gotta start with the best ingredients, like… Bold Sweet Sauce from Fresh, Vine-Ripened Tomatoes, Signature Dough Recipe, All-Natural Premium Cheese, Fresh Vegetables Old World Pepperoni, and of course, a team of Pizza Pros to make the best pizza every single time," reads the website.



While Cristy's is not necessarily a drive-through, it does have a pick up window. I placed an order online for "Nibblers": Single bites of pepperoni or cheese pizza all rolled up, slathered with creamy Parmesan garlic butter sauce. Served with sweet & tangy tomato or creamy Parmesan garlic butter. These are close to pepperoni rolls, and I like that they are bite-size, so that the proportions of meat and cheese and dough are equal.

I also ordered a cheese pizza with mushrooms. The pizza had a rustic feel with the crust forming a bubbly texture, and the sauce and cheese not fully uniform all the way around. Fairly mild in flavor - but generally crowd pleasing. I would love a crisper crust, a bolder sauce, more punchy flavors.



Grade: B