For over 25 years, City Brew has been brewing up the best for the Mountain West! From dark to light, intense to bright, there's always a new cup awaiting. Savor the finest, globally sourced coffee beans roasted to perfection, reads the website. City Brew was my first stop in North Dakota, so I was ready for a drink and snack. I opted for a Mountain Morning Latte - our signature Cool River espresso and milk combined with Ghirardelli White Chocolate and caramel pecan create a rich, nutty, and sweet latte. I also ordered a bagel with cream cheese. The coffee was very tasty. Just the right amount of sweet for me. The bagel was lackluster - not a ton of flavor and maybe a bit too toasted that made it crumbly. Grade: B

Seaman Cafe is a general cafe in Miami near the cruise port. I stopped here for a quick bite before it was my time to board the ship.



At this time of day, they featured some breakfast pastries and lunch specials. I wasn't feeling breakfast or sweets on this particular day, so I went with the spaghetti and meatballs.



It was a plentiful dish, but nothing extraordinary. The noodles were way past done, and the sauce was pretty plain. But, it was almost nostalgic for me in a way for college days, where sometimes a meal was a box of pasta and a jar of tomato sauce.



Grade: C

It's my favorite time of year. My quarterly JQ Dickinson Appalachian Mercantile box arrived! here's what we have on tap for spring 2025: J.Q. DICKINSON SALT-WORKS
Finishing Salt
Solar evaporated and hand harvested salt in the mountains of WV in our medium size grain. Use for topping for a flavorful crunch.

CLARA'S GOURMET
Assorted Jelly
Top your toast, cheese board, scones, and more with this tasty WV made jelly made using local fruit.

MARISA MADE
Blue Ridge Mtn Card
WV made! This card is perfect for any occasion, featuring a blank inside and a beautiful watercolor print from the artist on the front.

MIMI'S MOUNTAIN MIXES
Italian Herb Beer Bread Mix
Savory oregano, garlic, onion and herbs wrapped in a moist yummy bread. Vegan, contain no soy, aluminum or artificial preservatives, colors, or flavor

J.Q. DICKINSON SALT-WORKS
Salted Peanuts
In partnership with Belmont Peanuts of out VA, these hand-cooked peanuts are topped with our salt for an amazing flavor.

ALLEGHENY TREENWARE
Mini Salt Cellar
Made in WV from local hard wood, this cellar is perfect for keeping your salt closeby for easy sprinkling!

Miss Ruby's Corner Market in Charleston provides fresh, healthy, and locally sourced food at discounted prices to support low-income families. "Miss Ruby’s Corner Market was born out of a vision to make fresh, healthy, and local food accessible to everyone, especially those in Charleston’s lower-income communities. It started with a simple idea—growing food in urban spaces to help provide fresh produce to families who often struggle to find affordable, nutritious options. Over time, this vision blossomed into a storefront designed to serve as both a grocery market and a community hub." "Our founders, Dural Miller, Alecia Allen, and the KYFC team, are passionate about supporting local farmers, promoting health, and giving back to the Charleston community. With the grand opening just around the corner, we’re excited to bring this important resource to the neighborhood—offering not only fresh produce but a variety of healthy, locally sourced products at discounted rates to ensure that everyone has access to what they need to live healthy lives." Chef Ke is at the helm of the kitchen and is offering sandwiches, salads and other specials. On this particular day, Chef Ke was offering walking tacos with choice of chips and toppings, which included: buffalo chicken, pulled chicken, lettuce, tomato, sour cream, chipotle ranch, ground turkey, cheddar, jalapeños, black beans, ranch and taco sauce. I got a Doritos walking taco with buffalo chicken. Tasty! And my coworker got one with lettuce, tomato, cheese and ranch; it looked delish. While I was there, they had fresh strawberries, plums, blueberries, peppers, avocados, and more. Plus, they have a variety of frozen goods, bakery items and general convenience items. They are also offering occasional dinners, like spaghetti or chicken alfredo with sides of garlic bread and salad. I can't wait to come back to try some of those. Grade: A

Thai Fusion in Barboursville offers "delicious, authentic Asian cuisine created by master chefs and served with a smile."



The menu is wide and varied, so I picked a few of my favorite dishes listed across the various categories: appetizer, entree & sushi.



Crab Rangoon (5) - Crispy wonton wrappers filled with cream cheese and crab mixture, served with sweet and sour sauce. These were a great version - a lighter fry, which saved the roof of my mouth and the integrity of the mixture inside.



Sweet and Sour Chicken - Stir fry with bell pepper, onion, pineapple and carrot. The Thai version of this dish has a thin sweet-and-sour sauce and usually a sort of shredded chicken. It is so craveable.



Lobster Tail Roll - tempura, avocado, cream cheese, eel sauce. this was quite the presentation. It was built with lobster tails, but the flavor profile was a familiar favorite. Creamy, a little sweet, crunchy. All fresh.



Grade: A