In-N-Out Burger 
You guys, there are TOTALLY DIFFERENT fast food restaurants in the western part of the U.S. than we have here. Recently, I was sent to Oklahoma via Dallas to give a presentation for work, and the first thing that popped in my head was: I gotta find an In-N-Out Burger.

So, I dunno if In-N-Out has always been super popular, or if it's a recent thing - or maybe I've only just noticed it recently. But, I have heard people declaring this the best burger in the world, and I knew I needed to get my hands on one of these as soon as I could. Texas provided me that opportunity.

So, I flew into Dallas and had to drive up to Sulphur, Oklahoma, for the conference (2.5 hour drive), so I mapped out some of those coveted places to dine during these travels. Grapevine has an In-N-Out, and it was the first stop after I got my rental car.

One of the big things with In-N-Out is their (not so) secret menu, and I definitely wanted to try that out. I ordered a Double Double (their most popular burger) "animal style," which means the burger of your with hand-leafed lettuce, tomato, a mustard-cooked beef patty; add pickle, extra spread with grilled onions. Their "spread" is a version of Thousand Island. I also got fries "well done," which means extra crispy. And I got a "Neapolitan" shake, which is all three flavors mixed together.

Yes, this is a good burger. The sauce is good, and I loved those grilled onions. The double double may be a bit too much meat for me. Still, flavor on point. I kind of thought of this as a cross between a Five Guys burger with the McDonald's Big Mac sauce. Truly a good fast food burger - maybe the best - but it's still a fast food burger and isn't going to be as good as one on your grill. The fries aren't killer here; they're just not. Even crispy, they don't have a ton of flavor. The milkshake was tasty!

"The Braum’s Dairy isn’t your “typical” dairy. As a matter of fact it’s one of the largest dairy operations in the world and a showplace in the industry. Each day, we’re milking thousands of cows an hour, providing enough fresh raw milk for over one million glasses! We’re the only major ice cream maker in the country to milk our own cows. This milk is used in our ice cream, bottled milk and other dairy products. And because Braum’s milk comes from our private dairy herd we know what goes into it and what doesn’t. We don’t use any growth hormones to stimulate milk production and we never add antibiotics to their feed. Braum’s dairy herd enjoys a 100% vegetarian diet including alfalfa hay, cottonseed and corn, with the majority of the feed grown right on our farm."

Well, I got a Turtle Sundae, which has vanilla ice cream covered in hot caramel, hot fudge, pecans, whipped cream and a cherry. There's no way this can't be good, right? Right. I mean, ice cream. Delish.

I have a friend from Ripley who would sing the praises of Fratello's any time the city was brought up in conversation. So, Fratello's has been held as this high standard for Italian food years before I even visited.

Nestled in the hills of West Virginia half way between the capital, Charleston and the third largest city, Parkersburg, you will find Fratello’s Italian Family Steak House. We have been serving excellent food since 1999. Not only do we offer unique family recipes, originating from Calabrai, Italy; we also offer our National Award Winning Appetizer, Marco Polo Juniors. We still maintain true food preparation. We make our sauces, soups, lasagne, ribs, manicotti, and the list goes on. We use only fresh vegetables and we make our salads fresh to order. It has been our goal to provide best quality food possible along with a pleasant atmosphere to enjoy it in. Fratello’s offers a hand-picked selection of domestic and imported beers and wine along with a full bar to compliment your dining experience. You are invited to come in and relax in our comfortable surroundings, enhanced by a stone fireplace and a quaint gift shop. Enjoy our authentic Italian cuisine, or one of our mouth-watering Angus Steaks, decadent baby back ribs, specialty salads or seafood dishes, and of course a wide choice of pizzas and calzones. 

Fratello's has vinyl booths with the faux green granite tabletops or old-school wooden tables with chairs. Dark reds, some fake plants and you've got yourself the quintessential old-school mid-priced Italian restaurant that has some loving wear and tear from years of regulars.

First up was some bread and butter. Nothing particularly notable here, but standard for Italian fare.

Next, a pretty decent house salad. Fresh romaine, carrots, tomatoes, red onion and croutons made for something better than just iceberg and a single cherry tomato. Pretty good.

And, for my entree, I went with manicotti, which was stuffed with their cheese mixture and topped with marinara. Pretty standard. Nothing especially mindblowing here, but nothing bad, either. I would call it solid, average Italian fare. Considering the plethora of amazing Italian restaurants in North Central West Virginia, the bar is high. And this probably sits right in the middle.

Grade: C

It's no secret I'm on board the Pizza Place bandwagon. Exhibit A and Exhibit B. But, there's a third contender in the mix now, The ORIGINAL Pizza Place, which is located at the mall in Vienna. What's the deal here?

The Original Pizza Place was founded in the Grand Central Mall in 1976 by our current owner, Michael Ruscitto and his Uncle, Franco Scotto-Rinaldi. After expanding their ownership to 5 partners, they opened four more stores in a period of 15 years- two in Parkersburg, WV (across from Parkersburg High School and across from Parkersburg South High School), in Bridgeport, WV, and in Myrtle Beach, SC. In the late 1990’s, the partnership disbanded and each took their own stores. Mike currently owns and manages The Original Pizza Place in the Grand Central Mall, and has recently opened the newest location, in downtown Marietta, Ohio. The Original Pizza Place was voted Readers' Choice "BEST PIZZA" in Marietta, Ohio's Marietta Times and Parkersburg, WV's News and Sentinel in 2013, 2014, and 2015.

I see. So, there was a split. Regardless, it's the same kind of pizza, with thick Sicilian slabs that Im into. I ordered two slices, and I think it may be a touch greasier than the previous two locations. and, it still has the stack-a-zillion-pepperonis-on-top-of-each-other problem. BUT IT'S STILL GOOD. A nice little spice to the sauce and mozzarella just draped over a crisp crust. I need more Sicilian pizza in my life, STAT.

Grade: A

Frozen yogurt shops are like a dime a dozen anymore. But, it's not always easy to find one that isn't a chain.

The Green Kiwi Frozen Yogurt in Vienna is a local shop that has a little less than a dozen flavors of yogurt and a ton of toppings to choose from.

I went for Toasted Marshmallow and Sea Salt Caramel Pretzel. Neither tasted too different - just variations of chocolate or vanilla, really, but that doesn't mean they were bad. I wouldn't mind seeing some more options, but these were good. And there was a decent variety.

I got some gummy frogs on one side and mini buckeyes on the other. There are lots of options - both chocolatey and fruity. So many tasty things like Reese Cups, chocolate covered pretzels and cookie dough bites.

If you're into frozen yogurt, check out this place for a local option. Still a good number of products and even better that it's locally owned and operated!












Grade: B

Slowly but surely I will have eaten at every sushi restaurant in West Virginia.

And, I know what you're thinking: YES, there are sushi restaurants in West Virginia. And, YES, there are some pretty decent ones.

RL and I recently went to Shogun Asian Cuisine in Parkersburg. This isn't the first Asian restaurant I've been to that is named "Shogun."

Here's what Wikipedia says about that word:

A shogun was a hereditary military dictator in Japan during the period from 1185 to 1868 (with exceptions). In this period, the shoguns were the de facto rulers of the country; although nominally they were appointed by the Emperor as a ceremonial formality. The Shogun held almost absolute power over territories through military means, in contrast to the concept of a colonial governor in Western culture.

First up were salad and soup. Both of which were OK - not my thing. I don't love ginger dressing, but the soup was fine. Broth with a few mushrooms. NBD.

But, then came some of the most delicious crab cheese rangoons I've ever had. Seriously so good. The inside was super creamy, the outside was perfectly crisp, and the small dollops of chili sauce were delish. I love these damn things.

We ordered a spicy tuna roll, a philly roll and a Volcano Roll.

The spicy tuna and Philly roll were both fine. Neither were super flavorful; I think the fish wasn't super duper fresh.

And the Volcano Roll had crab meat, cucumber, avocado topped with seared scallops and drizzled with spicy mayo. We may have just chosen wrong. And we saw the specials afterward that sounded REALLY good, but this one was just OK. The scallops wasn't really seared; instead, it was just this sort of gummy exterior.

Great company, OK food. Decent atmosphere. Maybe a different choice next time will lead to better results.

Grade: C