The former Archie's in Sabraton has become Sabraton Station, but it still features the same type of fare with sandwiches, wings and plated dinners in a bar & grill space.



The building is actually quite big with a wraparound bar, a dozen or so high-tops and a stage/booth area, plus a whole upstairs. It's a lot.

For my order, I went with a buffalo chicken wrap. Nothing too crazy, but I was also trying not to eat something super fried. Except I then got a side of the brew french fries, which are like deep-fried because they're a house specialty.

The wrap wasn't bad - pretty average. Some of the distribution of items was a little off, so I'd get a full bite of tortilla or a full bite of lettuce. I also don't love the lettuce in the wrap because it gets hot and soggy. It's cut too thin to hold up and ends up getting mushy.

But the chicken was good, and the flavor was that of just a mild buffalo sauce - not too spicy.

The fries had a nice little battered crunch to them. They're thick and definitely pack more than enough calories.

I think on the next visit, I wanna try the wings!







Grade: C

Chef Ohlinger, the former chef/owner of Richwood Grill, hosted his second dinner in the 2015 Appalachian Global Dinner Series on Saturday. The goal of the Appalachian Global Dinner Series is to highlight the role of Appalachian cuisine in global culture, and to bring West Virginia recognition as a culinary destination, as per the website. Chef Ohlinger would combine dishes he's learned through his travels with an Appalachian twist during the inventive dinners at Richwood Grill and while he's searching for his next permanent location, he is completing this year's dinner series in a host of guest kitchens in the area.

Ramp Lollapalooza: Ramps 30 Ways ~ This Ain't Your Grandma's Ramp Dinner was hosted at Atomic Grill at 7 p.m. Saturday, May 2. It was $40 and by reservation only. Unlike the previous dinner, everyone was eating at the same time. And most of us were set up along a line table on the side of the restaurant. If you're ever been to a ramp feed, it's often similar - long rows of tables of people eating the pungent oniony-garlicky ramp in various forms.

Ramps are the traditional harbinger of Spring in Appalachia, and the Ramp Dinner is familiar to all. In many other temperate mountain regions around the world, wild spring onions are welcomed in the same way, according to the event Facebook page. The multi-course dinner featured traditional spring onion dishes and some very untraditional dishes from locally foraged ramps. It's funny, almost, to think that these usually very cheap dinners are used as fundraisers, but this dinner took the humble ramp and created global dishes from it - in a very cool way. I think we ended up getting to about 23 different ramp dishes, which is still a ton. I think time + not have your own kitchen + trying brand new dishes sometimes throws a wrench in plans. But, hell, I'm not complaining.



First Course: Ramp ricotta bruschetta + chilled ramp and pea soup
Delicious. It's not a crazy concept, right? A nice velvety soup with a crunchy bread. It combine cheesy, garlicky spread with a chilled soup. Really tasty. I haven't loved most pea soups I've had. This totally changed my mind.



Second Course (left upper corner clockwise): Ramp and roasted corn lemonade + ramp jalea + ramp kimchi + ramp and peach chutney + ramp sabzi khordan + ramp salsa naranja + ramp kachumbali + ramp hummus + ramp spearmint jelly + ramp cullen skink with ramp buerre blanc

I don't really understand the naming convention Lil'e Huskey's is following here, BUT we all know I'm never happier than when I have ice cream, so odd name aside, I was all in.

Lil'e Huskey's is located in Cross Lanes, but there is a Huskey's Dairy Bar located in Charleston. I don't definitively know the division here, but it seems as though the two were once under the same umbrella.

After parking, I went inside and noticed the, well, pro-Second Amendment rights. Getchu a little pro-gun propoganda with your ice cream. Whatever. Again, I do ridiculous things for ice cream.

I went for their version of a "swirl" soft-serve cone. It's really just a chocolate layer, then a vanilla layer, then chocolate, etc. The ice cream is thick and creamy. I hate when some ice creams are too icy or thin. This was delicious.

They also, of course, have some food items, like hot dogs. Solid dairy bar with good ice cream (though I'm not sure there is a place with not delicious ice cream). As long as you can overlook some political statements, check it out. Huge portions, quick food and one tasty cone as summer starts to heat up.




Grade: A

Rollin Smoke BBQ is located on Crede Drive along Route 119 between Mink Shoals and Big Chimney. The trailer has a wooden lattice built up around it and the smokers and truly looks like a shabby BBQ joint. Hand-painted signs with "pork ribs" or "hog roast" written across the front pair with quirky pig decorations.



Walking around back, I discovered a window with a large menu situated underneath. Pulled pork sandwiches, Texas smoked brisket sandwiches, smokey spicy link sausage, pulled chicken BBQ, smoked ribs, wings, smoked cornish hens, and sides of BBQ baked beans, cole slaw, red potato salad, macaroni salad, cheesy hashbrown casserole and green bean casserole. They also have a selection of desserts and offer catering.



I ordered a pulled pork sandwich with a side of macaroni and cheese and potato salad at the window. After a few minutes, my order was called from the other window, I picked it up ... and then realized there's no seating here. There are some seating areas, but it's not for eating. It's for waiting. Carry out only. So, good friend and #gradschoolproblems buddy Matt Murphy and I went back to his place to chow down.



I understand why Rollin Smoke BBQ has such a great ratings (and here). The applewood-smoked pork has a smokey sweet flavor with a tangy tomato-based sauce. This heaping BBQ sandwich was filled with tender pork with a perfect flavor.

The sides were just as good. The macaroni and cheese had a thick sauce and didn't get mushy, which often happens. The potato salad was fresh, not too muddle with mayo flavor. The herbs and skin from the potatoes gave it a ton of flavor. One of my favorite places in Charleston in recent memory. Now that the temperatures are warming up, what's better than a little roadtrip and BBQ? Not much.

Rollin Smoke is open Monday through Saturday 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. They accept cash and credit cards. Rollin Smoke BBQ also has a mobile pit in downtown Charleston at the corner of Quarrier and Laidley, but they encourage folks to check out their Facebook for specifics.

Grade: A

Huntington, you beautiful food town, you. There's so much to explore. I'm slowly making my way through the town, hitting the best food spots along the way.



Savannah's Restaurant is upscale dining in a beautiful, old white house. There is also a bistro portion and a catering space. It gives off a kind of southern charm feeling. It is one of the finest restaurants (read: pricey) in town, so when a friend tipped me off to Savannah's participating in Huntington's Restaurant Week, I was excited to check it out.



As part of the Restaurant Week special, Savannah's offered a prix fixe menu of $35 per person, including a soup or salad, choice of entree and dessert.



First, we had a small amuse-bouche of a crunchy baguette, blue cheese, cream cheese, dried cranberries and nuts. This was fine. Familiar flavors but on what tasted like toast, so ... it was OK.



Then, we had a basket with an assortment of bread and a side of whipped butter. I liked the variety, as well as the light butter. Nice start.



Then, I started with Savannah's Classic Cream of Crab Soup. The consistency was thinner than I imagined, but the flavor was light and buttery. There were some good pieces of lump crab meat.

The entree I chose was the chicken cordon bleu, which was a chicken breast stuffed with prosciutto and Point Reyes blue cheese, served with mushroom sherry cream sauce, saffron butternut risotto, snow peas and julienne carrots. It's chicken cordon bleu kicked up a few fancy notches.

This was really quite tasty. The chicken was breaded and crispy and juicy. The cream sauce was light but a beautiful touch. And the risotto underneath was a flavor I was not expecting but certainly welcomed. It was really tasty. It's rich in flavor and has a wonderful combination of crunch with fresh snow peas and silky smooth sauce with a flavorful chicken and umami flavors. All around super good. Love this dish - a little unexpected but with classically delicious flavors.

I must say, our server was not the most confident. You could tell she was new or nervous, but she never seemed sure of her answers about the food, and she was timid when approaching us. I'm thinking it'll only take a little time before she's a veteran.

For dessert, I went with the bread pudding du jour. Bread pudding is one of my favorite desserts. This one featured chocolate and peanut butter. Those are some heavy flavors, as opposed to something like cinnamon or white chocolate that accent the flavors.

So, to me, it seemed like the dessert was desperately trying to be something it's not. It was just covered in this chocolate and peanut butter that smothered any of the real flavor. It was bread pudding, but all flavors of it were masked and this forced chocolate/peanut butter combo didn't do it for me. Too overpowering. That said, it wasn't bad, but it was more of a chocolate cake with peanut butter, really.

Despite some small misteps, I actually really liked Savannah's. The entree was very well-thought out and delicious. The crab soup was also tasty. The amuse bouche and dessert were more experimental, but at least they were different. Overall, a very good experience and some tasty, interesting food.

Savannah's is open Tuesday through Saturday for dinner. The bistro opens at 5 p.m., and the restaurant opens at 5:30 p.m.

Grade: A