I had the honor of judging Taste of Bridge Day this year along with Brittany Furbee, Sher Yip, Steven Keith, Suzanne Wiseman, Kelsey Woods, Matt King, Bob Brunner and Joy Marr.

"For over 20 years, the Canyon Rim Rotary Club has organized the annual Taste of Bridge Day festival. This is a family-oriented event that showcases the area’s finest restaurants and caterers, who offer samples of their menu specialties. The event is held on the Friday evening before Official Bridge Day, which allows thousands of visitors to enjoy wonderful food, local artwork, and live music in the beautiful outdoor setting of Adventures on The Gorge. There is no fee for admission, and food sample prices range from $2.00 to $8.00. Funds raised from this event benefit the Canyon Rim Rotary Club in their extensive community service projects and numerous donations to charitable organizations, especially those that support children in our local community," according to the website.

We judged best snack, best appetizer, best entrée and best dessert. There is also peoples choice and youth choice. THE HISTORIC GLEN FERRIS INN

SNACKS: Pepperoni Rolls

ENTRÉES: Meatball • Italian Sausage w/ Peppers • Lasagna • Baked Steak

DESSERTS: Cream Horns (Choose Traditional or Pumpkin) • Mini Cupcakes

OTHER: Chicken Salad Sandwich

BLACK BEAR BAKERY

SNACKS: Traditional or Pepper Jack Pepperoni Rolls

ENTRÉES: x2 Smoked Pulled Pork BBQ Sliders

DESSERTS: Traditional or Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls • Pumpkin Roll Slices • Carrot Cake Cupcakes • Salted Caramel Apple Pie Bars • Banana Bread Slices • Banana Pudding • Cheesecake • Sugar-Free Whoopie Pies

OTHER: Hot Caramel Apple Cider

RHODODENDRON ICE CREAM

DESSERTS: Hand-Dipped Ice Cream - 8 Flavors Available (Choose Waffle Cone or Cup) S'more, vanilla, chocolate, cookie dough, chocolate peanut butter

BUMBLER BEE BAKER - THE CAKE BOX

SNACKS: Strawberry Crunch Cookie Sammy • Pepperoni Rolls

DESSERTS: Wedding Bell Cupcakes • Southern-Style Italian Cream Cake • Berry Sweet Cheesecake Cup • Root Beer & Orange Dreamsicle Floats

SMOKEY'S

APP: Whipped Goat Cheese w/ Honey served w/ Cranberry Walnut Toast Points & Blistered Tomato

ENTRÉES: Smoked Trout Étouffée w/ Dirty Rice & Steamed Crawfish

DESSERTS: Blackberry Cobbler w/ Lemon Ice Cream & Candied Herbs

SWIFTWATER GENERAL STORE - NEW RIVER

ENTRÉES: Hot Italian Sausage w/ Cabbage Soup • Swiftwater Chili • Grilled Cheese Bites

CHETTY'S

APP: Smoked Brisket Pretzel Bite Stuffed Poblano Pepper & Topped w/ Beer Cheese Queso

ENTREES: Mahi Mahi Fried Wonton Tacos w/ Kale Blend Slaw w/ Pickled Onion & Cilantro Lime Crema

DESSERTS: Peanut Butter & Chocoate Swirl cheesecake w/Mini Peanut Butter Cups & Whipped Cream

THE TABLE

SNACKS: White Cheddar Mac & Cheese

ENTRÉES: Smoked Pulled Pork Sliders

OTHER: Baked Beans w/ Jalapeno-Cheddar Sausage

THE GAINES ESTATE

APPS: Fried Green Tomato w/ Marinated Crab & Smoky Remoulade

ENTRÉES: Koji-Aged Beef Tenderloin w/ Smashed Gruyère Potato Medallion & Wasabi Cream Sauce

DESSERTS: Sally's Blue Ribbon Kentucky Chocolate Pie w/ Homemade Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

TWISTED SISTERZ BBQ

ENTREES: Dirty Shroom Bowl • Jambalaya Bowl • Soul Gumbo Bowl • Brisket Chili Bowl

UPLAND SOULFOOD

ENTRÉES: Meatloaf • Mac & Cheese • Cornbread

DESSERTS: Crack Cake

Plus this tasty eggroll and sweet potatoes that I'm not sure who cooked! BUT I think it was last-minute competitor DEEZ EATZ: jerk chicken, chicken wings, soul roll with sweet potatoes and pineapple chutney

Congratulations to the 2024 Taste of Bridge Day winners!

Best Snack ~ Bumbler Bee Baker - The Cake Box
Best Appetizer ~ Smokey's
Best Entree ~ The Gaines Estate
Best Dessert ~ Smokey's
Youth's Choice ~ The Table
People's Choice ~ The Table

"At Fish Frenzy, we have something for everyone when it comes to seafood! From shrimp to sea bass, we take pride in using only the freshest ingredients, all expertly prepared by our talented chefs. Whether you’re searching for a nearby shrimp spot or just craving some delicious fish, you’ve come to the right place!" reads the website. The menu is primarily composed of fried appetizers, sandwiches and seafood platter switch include shrimp, oysters, fish and crab cakes. Most come fried or grilled. I ordered fried shrimp, hush puppies, and a crab cake. The shrimp had a light batter, which was not super crisp. I ended up pushing some of the coating off and enjoying the shrimp by itself. The hush puppies were a bit sweet and had a nice golden brown exterior. The crab cake was okay. For a quick, fried seafood bite, this fits the bill. Grade: B

Bruno's Spotted Hare is a new restaurant in Barboursville that serves "internationally flavored Appalachian fare." The space is grand in a sense. Like a classic cigar lounge meets stained glass. Tin ceilings and wooden bar tops. It helps create an experience. The menu is interesting, as it features a number of rabbit dishes, which is fitting considering the restaurant's name, plus duck, venison, trout and catfish. I started with the "Deviled Eggs" - Pastured Eggs, Smoked Pimentón, Trout Roe, Benton's Country Ham. These are strong flavors and textures. I enjoyed the smokiness and the briny flavor. Certainly less sweet and mayo-y than those common at church picnics and family reunions. For my main entree, I went with the "Rabbit Loin Roulade" - Rabbit Loin, Prosciutto, Hernshaw Farms Mushrooms, Parsnip Purée, Field Peas, Mustard Cream Sauce. This dish was so well executed. The rabbit was moist, though it's such a lean meat. There was no hint of gaminess, and the prosciutto added a nice crispiness, while the mustard cream sauce added that rich crave-ability. I really enjoyed the Appalachian influenced menu, as well as the creative ingredients and balanced components. I appreciate the effort and technique to give me something new - but familiar all at the same time. Grade: A

Boulevard Grill is a new addition to the downtown bar scene - complete with food menu, pool, darts and gambling machines. It replaces the former Vino's Sports Bar & Grill located on Kanawha Boulevard. Think neon lights. Loud music. Giant TVs. A small, but interesting, menu includes wings, pork rinds, fish and chips, sliders, jalapeno cheddar bratwurst, monte cristo, "schoolhouse pizza" and dino bites. I enjoyed an Orange Oswald from The Freefolk Brewery, as well as mini chicken corndogs and yuca fries. The mini corndogs were crispy golden brown and honey battered. Poppable little sweet and savory bites. The yuca fries surprised me. While it tasted similar to fries, it's a bit more interesting.

"In South America, Cuba, and other Latin countries, yuca, the edible root of the cassava, is a popular root vegetable. In the same preparation as potatoes, you can mash, boil, or fry them. There are two things to keep in mind when making yuca fries: First, the yuca is always cut into thick wedges as opposed to thinner French fries, which makes them crispy on the outside," according to The Spruce Eats. Grade: B

"Scroll through any major food delivery app and you’re likely to come across restaurants that seem to only exist online. Chances are, they’re ghost kitchens — virtual brands that use delivery platforms like Grubhub [or DoorDash or Uber Eats] to reach hungry diners," according to GrubHub.

Often times, if you find a restaurant on a delivery app that you've never heard of, it is a restaurant with an already established brick-and-mortar location that has an additional "ghost" kitchen on the side that offers totally different food. But it's only available through delivery on the app. So, let's take a look at some ghost kitchens in the Charleston area and which restaurant they're actually operating out of.





Ember Smoked BBQ | Logan's Roadhouse

Available now for third-party delivery in 19 states, Ember Smoked BBQ operates out of Logan’s Roadhouse’s kitchens. The new virtual barbecue brand joins SPB Hospitality’s expanding portfolio of delivery-only concepts run out of its full-service dining restaurants. In the last six months, SPB Hospitality has introduced four other unique virtual brands: Twisted Tenders, Roadies, Logan’s on the Road and OC on the Go.



It's Just Wings | Chili's

"It's Just Wings is available for pickup, delivery and now dine-in at your local Chili's Grill & Bar. Now there is no excuse not to get wings for the big game. Our chefs took the best ways to cook wings and combined them with 10 (and counting!) sauces and rubs so you’ll never get bored of the same old choices. And we gave you the choice to pick them up or get them delivered. Top it all off with fries and ranch with every order. See, we promised you killer wings full of unmatched flavor."
Catfish Kitchen | Captain D's

A user on TikTok is calling out food delivery services after claiming that she placed an order from a restaurant called “Catfish Kitchen”—but when the order was delivered, it was food from the fast-casual restaurant chain Captain D’s. Pasqually's | Chuck E. Cheese

According to Food & Wine, a user named u/KendallNeff placed a Grubhub order from a place called Pasqually's Pizza & Wings, believing that she was doing her part to support a local business. But when she received her food, she was slightly suspicious about where it really came from. "Just curious," she texted her Grubhub driver. "Was this food from Chuck E. Cheese?" The driver, Richard, responded that when he picked the order up, the Chuck E. Cheese had the logo for the "wing restaurant" on the windows. KendallNeff's husband did a bit of investigoogling and learned that not only was Pasqually P. Pieplate the name of the fictional chef in the Chuck E. Cheese universe, the Pasqually's "restaurant" had the same street address as Chuck E. Cheese. NY Deli Co. | Pepperoni Grill

New York Deli is a little taste of Manhattan, locally in Charleston WV. New York Deli Co. was created by Pepperoni Grill to bring you a fresh new take on our Manhattan Style Subs & Sandwiches! Order online on DoorDash for delivery or Pick Up at Pepperoni Grills Kanawha City Location. Making a New York Style sub is all about the ingredients. There is nothing quite like unfolding a parchment-wrapped Italian hero from a NY deli.
Leo's Italian Kitchen | Logan's Roadhouse

Welcome to Leo’s Italian Kitchen, where we’re serving up big family-style flavor, and even bigger laughs. Leo’s is built around generations of pasta lovers, with recipes handed down from our great, great grandparents…all the way to Leo himself, the youngest in a long line of pasta-makers (and eaters!). In our family, dinner has always been a time to get together, laugh, and tell stories, and it’s our mission to deliver that same joy to you. So go ahead, slurp your spaghetti, try out your Italian phrases, poach all the garlic bread, and make your Dad jokes–it’s dinner time, and we’ve got the deliciousness covered, so you can focus on all the pastabilities for fun.



Conviction Chicken | TGIFridays

Home to criminally good chicken. Crafting dangerously addictive chicken into sinfully good sandwiches, wings, and crispy fingers is our vice. From our most wanted sandwich, “The Slammer” to criminally delicious wings and sauces that should be illegal. We’re not afraid to break the rules to lock you in!



Wow Bao | TGIFridays

Wow Bao offers fast Asian street food—bao, pan-seared potstickers, steamed dumplings, rice & noodle bowls, hearty soups, fresh salads, and specialty drinks such as our fresh ginger ale. We believe that life’s too short for uninspired food. We’re here to transform the fast-casual experience from everyday and expected to extraordinary and inventive. We promise to put a “wow” in our guests’ day with an incomparable food experience that engages, excites, and exceeds expectations.

Others:
Tender Shack | Outback Steakhouse
Burger Den, Melt Down | Denny's
Cosmic Wings, Neighborhood Wings | Applebee's
Dockside Charlie's, Coop & Run, Underground Chucks | O'Charley's
Maggiano's Italian Classics | Chili's
Libby's BBQ | Ruby Tuesday
Thrilled Cheese, Super Mega Dilla, Pardon My Cheesesteak, Tender Fix | IHOP
Wing Nut | Primanti Bros