Gritt’s Farm’s Low Country Boil is one of the farm’s signature summer dining events -- and my favorite. Chef Stevie Owens brings a seafood feast to Buffalo. The event is held outdoors and combines a chef-prepared meal with live music, goat visits and a relaxed evening on the farm. Guests reserve tables for two, four or six people. Each table received a shared menu that began with Low Country Poutine — Old Bay-seasoned fries topped with cheese curds, andouille sausage gravy and shrimp. That was followed by a classic seafood boil featuring shrimp, snow crab, mussels, Angelo’s sausage, Gritt’s sweet corn and red potatoes. Dessert was a Peach Pie Pail, made with vanilla soft-serve, baked peach crumble, cinnamon-sugar pie pieces and peach topping!

YUM!

The Fort Bar & Grill is a restaurant located at 100 Cantley Drive in Charleston's Fort Hill neighborhood.



The restaurant serves dinner Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., and lunch and dinner Friday through Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., while remaining closed on Tuesdays.



The dining room combines the feel of a neighborhood tavern with a steakhouse and includes a full bar featuring whiskey, wine and craft cocktails.



The menu includes appetizers, salads, hand-cut steaks, seafood, chicken, ribs, smash burgers, sandwiches, desserts, and a selection of classic and signature side dishes.



We started with the buffalo crispy chicken bao buns, which weren't super on the crispy side. But that's not too bad. We had another app and a side of brussels sprouts; neither of which were super impressive.



One of the restaurant's featured menu sections is its lineup of house-made smash burgers, which are served with fresh house-cut fries and include options such as the Black & Bleu, Whiskey Bourbon Smash, Backyard BBQ Smash, Mushroom Swiss Smash, and Firestarter Smash.



I went with the Hot Honey Pimento Smash, which has 2 wquality all-beef patties, deep fried pimento cheese bites, topped with hot honey, jalapeno peppers (or banana peppers), crispy onion ring, lettuce and tomato. This was a lot of fried flavor, so I was hoping to get some more of that honey. But still pretty tasty, regardless. The sticky date pudding for dessert was decent.



Grade: B

Emma's Boba & More in Ripley offers lemonade, tea, dirty sodas, hot dogs, hoagies and wraps. First, I looked over the drinks to see what piqued my interest. "Shark Bait" was the winner: blue raspberry, strawberry and strawberry boba. It reminded me of a bomb pop, with the blue and red. It tasted like one too! Sweet with a tiny bit of sour. Approved. For lunch, I ordered a hot dog: Cowgirl - homemade chili, nacho cheese and crushed Fritos. Not easy to eat, but the hot dog was like a version of a Frito pie. The chili, the cheese, the crunch - a pretty satisfying bite. Grade: B

Farmhouse Market Finds in Ripley has turned a historic building into a destination for shoppers looking for a little bit of everything. The expansive market brings together more than 60 vendors offering farmhouse décor, antiques, handmade goods, clothing, gifts, collectibles, and locally crafted items. Walking through the space feels like exploring a collection of small shops under one roof, with new finds around every corner. The market features a selection of locally made foods and specialty products, including jams, jellies, sauces, mixes, candies, baked goods, and other Appalachian-inspired favorites. Many of the food items come from small producers and vendors, giving visitors a chance to discover West Virginia-made products they may not find in traditional stores. I picked up a few things here to take home, like Appalachian Heritage Food's Bread & Butter Pickles. Plus I added some of Just About Heaven's homestyle raspberry jalapeno jam and J&K Freeze Dried Candies. Adding to the experience is the Farmhouse Bistro, where visitors can take a break from shopping and enjoy a casual lunch. The menu features comfort-food favorites like sandwiches, wraps, soups and salads. I ordered the Philly steak with peppers, onions and provolone cheese. I liked the peppers on here, but it needed some seasoning -- something to ramp up the flavor a bit more. For dessert, I enjoyed a Blondie Nobake Cookie from The Cat's Apron. Have you been? Grade: B

West Virginia 250 was a celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. While the national America250 initiative is taking place across the country, West Virginia has organized its own, combining history, tourism, entertainment, education and community events.



This year's signature event was a four-day Capital City Celebration held July 2–5 at the West Virginia State Capitol Complex. The free festival featured: The America250 Wheel, a 230-foot Ferris wheel with free rides; concerts, including Alabama and The Marshall Tucker Band; nightly projection mapping and light shows on the Capitol dome; fireworks and, of course, food:





Coal River Mercantile
I wanted a pepperoni roll here, but they were out! So I settled for a pig in a blanket.

Mayhem Nutrition
OBB (The Official Beverage Bar)
Sugar Shanty
Stephens Cotton Candy Lemonade
BG’Z Taco
Boat Bites
Just Drinks





Sip N Sodie
I did an Italian soda with watermelon here. So, light, refreshing and a tad sweet.

MR Poppins Kettle Corn
Kustom Kremes
Bee Refreshed
Oishii Hibachi





Caffeine and Chaos
This was my first stop, and I went with a Sprite and raspberry soda with cream on top. I think I just really like a fruity Sprite.

Cool Beans
Mystic Ice (Mountain Manna)
Quantum Loaded Tea/Lemonade
Lucky Lemon
Getting Piggy With It
Little Jimmy’s Italian Ice





Thai Town
Just a simple veggie eggroll here because it was so warm.

Zuls
Wicked Eats