America developed an obsession with cupcakes in the past couple of years. Small cupcake-only shops sprung up all over the country. I visited my first, Georgetown Cupcake, two years ago. That was before that shop had a television show. Cupcakes became the cute, trendy thing. They propelled into popularity because of their excellent portion controlled size. Even Morgantown has its own cupcake shop, The Cupcakerie.

Located right on Willey Street, this small shop is prime location for foot traffic. A shop dedicated to only cupcakes. It's a cute idea, and I love that it's something different. Yes, it might be trendy, and yes, it might be this whimsical kind of notion, but it's a nice addition to Morgantown because it's not the same burger joint or bar-trying-to-be-a-restaurant. I stopped in the other day to try it out. I had been awaiting its opening forever. I kept calling, and the opening date kept getting pushed back. But finally, it opened.


I walked in, and the shop is a long, somewhat narrow space. It is whimsical, with pink stripes everywhere and crystals and a chandelier. There's a small countertop with maybe a half-dozen varieties of cupcakes with small signs in front that name the flavor. A couple tables are inside to sit and enjoy your sweet treats.

I walked up to the counter and got entirely too exited. I had to think about this rationally. A regular cupcake was $2.50. But, the mini ones were $7 for 6. That didn't sound bad - all I needed was to taste each one. So I got one of nearly every one they had that day. I was really happy with the concept of these minis. I could get a bunch of different flavors, just a bite of each. I didn't need a whole cupcake. I just wanted to try a little of each. So this was perfect. I ended up getting 6 minis and one full-sized because they didn't have any of that flavor in a mini. My total came to $10. On a side note, they mix the minis and the regular size cupcakes on each of the cake stands, so it's really pretty and sweet.

I left with two small plastic containers, one with one full-sized cupcake and another with six mini ones. I took out the large, Rocky Road cupcake first. This chocolate cupcake was rich, smooth and definitely, decadently chocolately. It was topped with a creamy chocolate butter cream, sprinkled with mini chocolate chips, some mini marshmallows and some chopped nuts - pecans and walnuts. If you like chocolate, this is for you. Very rich.

Next, I tapped into my minis container. The first one I plucked was the Red Velvet. I don't know if I've ever had red velvet, but my goodness. It was so moist and delicious. The buttermilk and cocoa blended together seamlessly to create this delicious chocolate-vanilla blend. The cream cheese frosting made for a perfect combination, and the dark chocolate shavings added a new layer of flavor.

The pumpkin pie mini was next. You can imagine what it tasted like - a slice of fluffy pumpkin pie. Light nutmeg, spiced pumpkin pie cake, all topped with a fluffy whipped cinnamon brown sugar butter cream. Also sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. This is a slice of Thanksgiving in bite-sized form.

The chocolate mini was the same rich chocolate cake with a sweet vanilla icing with a few chocolate chips on top. Similar to rocky road - just with less components.

I chose the peanut butter cupcake next. It was a chocolate cake, with a hidden surprise! A small peanut butter cup was hidden inside. The frosting was a creamy peanut butter, and it was topped with some orange sprinkles. Yum.

Next was another peanut butter cupcake - I think the cookie monster. It was a vanilla cake - almost lemony - with some peanut butter chips inside. It was topped with a creamy vanilla butter cream and a few peanut butter chips. Right now, I felt like I was eating a jar of peanut butter. But in a good way. The flavors were vibrant.

Finally was a raspberry kissed cocoa mini. It was the chocolate cake, with raspberry butter cream icing and sprinkled with pink pearls. I wasn't sure if I could eat those, but I did. Just sugar. Not too bad either.

I really like the idea of this place. It's fun. It's different, and they make a damn good cupcake. I'm not sure how often I'll be in the market for just cupcakes? But maybe enough people around town will be to keep this place afloat. It's always good to have new places that add a new flair. Try it out sometime. They have so many different flavors, it's difficult to not find something to like.


Grade: A

I know nothing (very little) about craft beer. But I always want to learn more. And I especially want to learn more when it comes to how to pair beer with food. I came across this excellent chart that I think really helps. I'm sharing some basics that I've discovered in hopes of learning about how to pair some local craft beers, like Brew Pub's or Mountain State's, with the food in the best way possible.


I'm going to lay out some basics that I've learned with the help of some very helpful sites so that we can work together to figure out which beers pair well with which foods. So there are four main ingredients in beer:

• Malted Barley - medium roasted malt has caramel flavors; dark roasted malts have chocolate or coffee flavors. Other grains like wheat and rye can be used.
• Hops - provides bitterness as a counter to the sweet malted barley, and bring flavor such as citrus, pineapple, green grass, pepper and pine.
• Yeast - can lend a fruit, butterscotch and buttery flavor. Also clove and banana. Also earth, cheese, and hay.
• Water - makes up 90-95 percent of beer by mass.
• Other - like spices, fruit, chili, etc.

Types:

• Ales - use top fermenting yeast, usually a darker & fruitier.
• Pale Ale
• India Pale Ale (IPA)
• Extra Special Bitter (ESB)
• Porters
• Stouts
• Barley Wine
• Abbey Ales (Dubbels, Trippels, Quads)
• Lagers - use bottom fermenting yeast, usually clearer, lighter & crisper. Bud, Miller, Coors.
• Pilsner
• Lager 

 Terms:

• Body - the sense of fullness or viscosity of the beer on your palate. Beer is usually described as being thin-, light-, medium-, or full-bodied.
• Complex - beer that involves multiple flavors and sensations on your palate.
• Crisp - effervescent and bubbly.
• Hoppy - having a bitter flavor of hops and a spicy aroma.
• Malty - sweet caramel-like flavors.
• Mouthfeel - sensations of warmth, carbonation, dryness, etc on your palate.
• Roasty/toasty - roasted grain (not burnt) flavors.

There's also some information out there about how to best serve the beer - what kind of glass, etc. So, I want to know your best beer/meal pairing in town. Which dish goes best with Brew Pub's Alpha Blonde? Their menu says chicken alfredo, chicken penne, BLT wrap, fried calamari, beer bread, the club and spinach artichoke dip are the best. 

Better yet, what's the best locally produced craft beer in town? So far, I'm fond of the Alpha Blonde and the Eighty Shilling Scotch Ale at Brew Pub. Any tips or info you have would be fantastic!

I recently took a trip to Garcia's Latin Market. Typically, "Latin America" refers to areas where Spanish or Portugese languages are prevalent: Mexico, most of Central and South American, the Caribbean, Cuba, Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico. So, for Americans, it's usually anything south of the U.S. Hispanic/Latin Americans make up 2 percent of WVU's student population. While that's not much, it is the most of any minority group.



Garcia's Latin Market is located downtown at 117 Pleasant Street. They sell food, spices, pottery, jewelry, coffee and some housewares. Coming up on its one-year anniversary, this unique family-owned business is a great place for those hard-to-find foods or a special gift for a friend. You can check out some of their merchandise and specials on their Facebook page.  And they're open Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I first walked in, but I was pleasantly surprised. One room full of trinkets, candy, food and spices were on display. A sweet woman was behind the counter and was more than helpful. After circling the room a few times, I finally picked up a handful of assorted goods - mostly candy and a coke.

Why a coke? 1 - Because it was a cool glass bottle and 2 - Because it is made out of real sugar, not high-fructose corn syrup. So, that's cool. The only difference I could really tell with the Coke is that it seemed really carbonated, like so carbonated that I let it sit out a few hours so that I could drink it. The candies were yummy; I had a really fabulous caramel one.

But what I really want to get into is checking out the spices! Does anybody know of any super easy Latin dishes? With maybe some spices that Garcia's sells? It seems like they have a good bit of spices and authentic ingredients to prepare some dishes with, but I want to hear your favorites!

 As soon as you walk in, there are some green, leafy plants and small lights in the entryway. The dessert case is to the left, and a set of stairs lead you back to a few different dining areas. On this particular night, they set us out on the covered patio. Inside, the tables are gorgeous and seats comfy. Outside, we were sitting on plastic chairs, and our table rocked a bit. I wasn't super impressed, considering the inside diners have a nicer experience than the outside. There was also some miscellaneous chairs and tables laying about, so it didn't give off that high-end vibe I want to feel at Oliverio's. It was very chilly out that night, but luckily they keep it heated.

Some restaurants in the area pride themselves on offering food right here from the hills of West Virginia. Whether it's the meat from grass-fed cattle or fish from the local aquaculture farm, there's not much doubt that fresher is better. Check out some of the local restaurants that serve up food West Virginia style:

• Black Bear Burritos - "We support local and WV grown/produced products when possible, including Spring Creek tofu, from Spencer, WV, our Black Bear Stout, brewed by Mountain State Brewing in Thomas, WV, and Conquering Lion hot sauces made in Fairmont, WV." As well as the local food, Black Bear celebrates local art on their walls and local music.
• Terra Cafe - "We take advantage of locally sourced produce, meat and dairy product availability. This gives us a direct and intimate knowledge of the ingredients we use and allows us to build a more personal relationship with our local farmers. You will notice our menu changing from time to time to adapt to the Appalachian seasons."
• Richwood Grill - "Selected by the West Virginia Department of Tourism as one of the 101 Most Unique Destinations in West Virginia and the winner of several culinary awards, Solera Cafe evolved into Richwood Grill in the summer of 2009 to better utilize the variety of ingredients available locally in West Virginia. Richwood Grill is dedicated to the essential concept of sustainable agriculture and we believe that natural ingredients are healthier and simply taste better."
• Madeleine's Restaurant - "Madeleine's Restaurant Supports Local Husbandry by using locally-sourced ingredients to produce our signature Fresh, Creative, Modern Cuisine. Madeleine's proudly supports: Hawthorne Valley Farms located in Clarksburg, West Virginia [Beef] Gardner Farms located in Waverley, West Virginia [Lamb] WVU Aquaculture located in Morgantown, West Virginia [Seafood]"

What other restaurants in town serve up locally produced grub? Any favorites? I know I've had fish at Richwood Grill before that is so fresh, it's almost surprising it's not still alive. That's kind of weird. But, let me know your thoughts!