The Chop House is arguably one of the nicest restaurants in Charleston - with competition from maybe Laury's. The restaurant had always been on my radar - and recently rose to the top with them being named to this list, but I needed an occasion to celebrate. This isn't your typical Tuesday evening dinner spot.



My recent visit to Charleston for the awards ceremony seemed like the perfect time. I recruited two of my closest friends, Tony and Maggie, to dress up and pretend to be fancy for the night.

The Chop House is located in the Charleston mall, which is a bit odd for a fancy steakhouse. It looked pretty similar to what you would expect from a steakhouse, but maybe with some corners cut. Our table was made of this cheap white tattered foam top, just covered up with a tablecloth. Regardless, the presentation was still very nice.

Our menus were via ipad, which I'm not totally a fan of. It's easier to have everything laid out right in front of you instead of having to flip between screens and only being able to see that one screen at a time. BUT, I know it's trendy and probably impressive.

Also, can anyone, um, explain their logo to me? I ... don't get it.

The waitress brought our first taste. The bread basket had a few different pieces of bread. Nothing especially of note, but nothing terrible, either.



For my main entree, I actually went with their special, which was a filet mignon, served with a whipped goat cheese, mashed potatoes, carrots and broccoli. My filet was cooked to a nice medium, and the potatoes were pretty flavorful with garlic and cream. But, the steak wasn't super flavorful to me. And with the goat cheese, it pretty much dominated the flavor. It was tender, yes, but I do wish I had more flavor from the meat itself instead of just the goat cheese.

Granted, I wouldn't be as picky if I didn't just pay $50 for a steak. Alas. It's a nice place, and the food is good. But great? Jury is still out on that one.

Grade: B

I was in Charleston for an award ceremony recently, and it just so happened to correspond with the reopening of Best of Crete.

Best of Crete was a beloved Greek restaurant in the mall when I had first moved to Charleston. It closed before I had a chance to try it, and many people were very upset at the news. Well, those same people are probably rejoicing, as it has reopened on the West Side.

The owner had used this location for catering for the last decade or so, but it hadn't been open to the public. It's right in the middle of a residential area - pretty unexpected. The inside has only three two-person tables, and not a ton of space otherwise.

Tony and I placed our orders for gyros and luckily snagged the last open table.

There are gyros, salads, meatball subs, pizza bread, pita pizza and hummus.

As we were waiting for our food, Kennie Bass (WCHS reporter) came in and decided the owner was going to give an interview on the spot. After the owner refused about a half-dozen times, it was a little awkward inside.

I was happy when my gyro came out - though they were still waiting on my side of spinach pie. These gyros are so good. The meat, the fluffy pita, the sauce, the fresh veggies. It's all very tasty. My side salad was also delicious - a nice helping of feta cheese is a quick way to make me happy.

WV Gazette - http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20150319/GZ01/150318929

                                                    I finished up my plate and went up to pay and get a to-go order of some baklava to take to the Daily Mail. I forgot all about my spinach pie, so I didn't get to taste it. Probably my fault. As we were leaving, I saw the Gazette photographer taking photos of the outside of the building. Who knew a restaurant reopening is such a hot topic? And guess who made the photo they ran? Yep.

A little bit of an odd experience - not due to the owners - but the food, at least, was great. As for the baklava, you'll have to ask the Daily Mail staff.


Grade: A

Cajun food in the middle of West Virginia? That's a first.



Gumbo's, in Fayetteville, claims to be West Virginia's only cajun restaurant. So, for dinner, Lisa and I stopped here after our day of skiing.

I've already talked about how much I love Fayetteville (I really do), and places like this confirm it. Cute, locally owned restaurants? Yes. Parking was right outside, and jazz music was playing from the speakers, which welcomed us into the restaurant.



The interior was home to what looked like reclaimed-wood tables, fresh flowers and mason jars.



We were hungry, so appetizers were a must. The Black & Bleu Shrimp sounded good - jumbo shrimp blackened and finished with blue cheese crumble? That's different.



Well, it's exactly what you'd think it would be. It was about six large shrimp with blue cheese sprinkled on top. I can't say this was my favorite combo. The cheese was just pretty overpowering for the shrimp flavor. I thought maybe there would be some more blackening spices or something to balance it all out. It wasn't bad, just not super great, either.



Next was my house salad. They had a nice selection of homemade dressings, like a creole tomato basil (which I got) and summer berry vinaigrette (which Lisa got). And it was really, really good. The dressing was like a slightly spicier French dressing. Delicious. Plus I loved the carrots, fresh greens and crisp onions.

My main entree was shrimp and grits, because I'm on this never-ending quest to find the perfect dish. And these, well, they were pretty good. Its presentation is gorgeous, alone, with tons of fresh green and red peppers, onions, bacon, shrimp, sausage and grits. While it looks beautiful, there were definitely too many peppers. BUT once I got to the shrimp and grits, it was all good. It had this nice kind of smokey flavor, and the shrimp were plump. Pretty good.

Lisa got the gumbo, which is basically a mixture of all the seafood ever in a thick sauce with rice. It's not the most photogenic, but it's one of those comfort dishes. ALSO, the BEST PART: Lisa found a PEARL in her oyster.

How cool is that?

We both also got dessert. I went for a guinness cheesecake, while Lisa got an apple dumpling.

My dessert was not bad, but the chocolate was dark and pretty bitter. Meh. I mean, cheesecake can't be bad, I don't think. But this wasn't my favorite.

So, Gumbo's is good in my book. I could go for some more seasoning on the appetizer, a sauce or fruit that complements the cheesecake better - for my tastes, of course. Just a few little things I'd have done differently, but I liked my meal overall. I like the idea of this place, and I think it may be the only place in the state to get cajun food.

Grade: B

Daniel Vineyards, located in Crab Orchard, is a winery I first learned about while at one of the wine festivals in the state. When I saw the sign for the winery driving back from a day of skiing, it was a god-send. What could be better than a glass of wine to pair with sore muscles and a chilly day?



The property is beautiful. Winding up the hill are the vineyards, and the stone building looks as though it could be the perfect venue for parties. Just picturesque.



The main building is large, and it looked as though they just had a paint and sip recently, as canvases and easels were pushed off to the side.


We made quick use of our time tried all the wines they had available: 2010 Esprit, 2013 Esprit, 2012 White and 2012 Pink were what we started with. My favorite was the 2012 white - a semi-dry white blend of Seyval, Chardonel and Esprit grapes. The red 2008 St. Vincent was good - similar to a merlot. Plus there were two dessert wines: blackberry and 2008 port. The blackberry is a top seller, so I had to get one of those.

Daniel Vineyards is a beautiful place with a handful of very tasty wines. If you're in the area, definitely give 'em a try.

There aren't many drive-ins left in West Virginia. Maybe that's why I have a fascination with them. They're like these remaining artifacts from a different time, still preserved in areas.


On a recent trip to McDowell County, I drove through Pineville in Wyoming County. In addition to the area being known recently for a "documentary," Wyoming County is also home to the Pinnacle Drive-In.

While I discovered that you can remain in your car in the parking lot and a carhop will come out to you, I didn't realize that. So, we went inside. There are only a few tables inside, but a few cars had been waited on outside. That's clearly the preferred method here.

The menu has sandwiches - BBQ, grilled cheese, ham - as well as specialty sandwiches - pizza submarines, giant cheeseburgers, Italian submarines. Plus dinners, seafood dinners, soups, salads. It's pretty run of the mill. Their big-sellers are the hotdogs or the "submarine," which is turkey salad, bacon, lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise and cranberry sauce. That sandwich sounds a lot like another in the nearby area. Scott, my coworker, ordered that. But I went with the hotdogs.


The weenie wonks over at the West Virginia Hot Dog Blog have a more comprehensive look at the hotdogs, but I'll do my best here. I LOVED the buns - which are these buttered and grilled. They are definitely more bun for your hotdog, but they hold up well with all the toppings. I ordered chili, slaw, mustard and onions, but my slaw was nowhere to be found. I didn't realize this until later because I was super hungry (and late), so I didn't want to fuss.

I liked the flavor of the chili (not so much a sauce), and I liked their own little spin on the hotdog. It was more filling, and the bun had a little crisp, which I liked. Overall, I think it was pretty good. I think slaw could've taken this up a notch. Pinnacle is open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and closed Sundays.

Grade: B

Thyme Bistro, a small Weston restaurant, caught my attention a couple months back after hearing the Cast Iron Chef Cook-Off earlier this year. I put it on my to-visit list, and when the opportunity arose recently to head to Weston, I already knew where my dinner plans would be.



The Thyme Bistro doesn't look like much from the outside. It looks like an average corner restaurant, but once you walk inside, it's a completely different story. Dark decor with candles and fresh flowers atop every table fill the small dining area. It's warm, comfortable yet sleek.



The menu is small with a few entrees like a potato parmesan encrusted salmon, shrimp judith, filet mignon, and pasta. To start, though, we wanted to try the "bistro fries," which are garlic and parmesan fries with a smokey aioli for dipping.

They were tasty! They were served standing up in a glass mug, and the tower of french fries were topped with garlic and parmesan. Wonderfully crispy, and the smoky aioli sauce was unexpected and tasty.

We also had some olive bread (!) delivered to our table prior to our entrees. It was warm and nuzzled in a cloth napkin to keep the heat in. It's the little touches like this that really stick out to me after visiting so many restaurants.

The thick cuts of bread went perfectly with a slather of butter. So tasty.

The next course was my house salad. And I really, really love a good house salad. Greens > iceberg. Flavorful tomatoes > watery bland ones. This salad had some delicious, fresh greens, tomatoes, cucumber, red onions and housemade croutons. All topped with a homemade blue cheese (in my case) dressing.




For main entrees, Vicki went with the filet mignon, which she loved. It was tender and flavorful.






My shrimp judith was not quite as bold with flavors, but the light and buttery flavor was perfect for my mood. Because I didn't feel super heavy from the main meal, I decided to order dessert.

To be honest, I cannot remember what they called this, but it was a lemon cake with these delicious like candied nuts and whipped cream and a candied lemon. It tasted like summer exploded in my mouth. In the best possible way.

If you find yourself in Weston, Thyme Bistro is really quite the treat.

Grade: A

Perched on a rolling hillside complete with brick walkways, Lamberts Vintage Wines hosts wine tastings. The picturesque stone building features large wooden doors, a fireplace and rocking chairs, and is surrounded by a vineyard.

The building is located at 190 Vineyard Drive in Weston, W.Va., (304) 269-4903. Hours are Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

My friend Vicki and I stopped here after our adventure in Ireland (W.Va.) to watch road bowling. The day had been drizzly, and it was a chilly. We made our way up the road back to the tasting building (passing a banquet hall and another gorgeous building along the way). And as soon as we opened that large wooden door, the inside of the tasting room was welcoming, cozy and warm.

Local pottery and products decorated the room. Vicki even ended up buying a stained glass pumpkin they had for sale.

Our tasting was so fun, as we just chose various wines to choose from this list. They increase in sugar level, so I stayed near the middle range. I ended up buying a bottle of the Symal (which is a blend). I've tried many of Lambert's wines before, as they are a mainstay at the WV Wine & Jazz Festival in Morgantown. But the symal was one I needed again in my life.

It's a perfect little day trip out to the area if you want to get out of Morgantown. It's a cute property, with tons of space to relax and drink wine.

Has anyone tasted the wines here at Lambert's? If so, which ones are your faves?