Ridge View BBQ runs the circuit of fairs and festivals in the area, and I had a little sampling of a sandwich at one some time ago. But I hadn't had the chance to visit the actual Dunbar BBQ restaurant until recently.

The first good sign was that this place was PACKED. Nearly all the spots in the parking lot were taken up. And, once I walked inside, there was a hefty line awaiting me. That's OK - more time to check out the menu. Pulled pork sandwich? Brisket? Ribs?

I went with the pulled pork sandwich platter, with a corn muffin, potato salad and macaroni & cheese. Good lord do I love Southern food. Everything is just created to hit those comfort zone portions of my brain and make me happy. The pork was plentiful and perfect with a nice little tangy BBQ sauce. The mac? Super cheesy. And the potato salad was just beyond creamy.



Oh, and I may or may not have also ordered a brownie. I didn't realize it had chocolate chips in it (not my fav), but the brownie itself was pretty good. I think Charleston has quite a few BBQ places at this point that are doing some really good things, and I'd count Ridge View BBQ among them.



Grade: A

The Red Rooster Cafe is a sweet, country French-like restaurant in Gassaway that is so inviting upon entering that I started to rethink my to-go order. That recliner certainly looked like a comfy spot to eat my sandwich.

I had ordered a crab cake sandwich at the recommendation of the 101 Most Unique Places to Dine in WV list. And, the kind woman at the counter greeted me warmly and went to get my order immediately. Taking a look around, lots of country decor and mismatched chairs make up the dining space. In the sweetest way.

But that wasn't even the best part. The food was. Once I opened the takeout box to see my crab cake sandwich, I was excited. The crab cake had a nice crisp on the outside and giant hunks of lump crab meat were sticking out. Yaaas. While you can't see it here, there was a perfect remoulade sauce with just a bit of a kick. The crab cake was so moist, so flavorful, just perfect. I don't know what's with the middle of West Virginia having damn good crab cakes, but I'm all about it.

Grade: A

I mentioned Restaurant Week in Charleston, which was the greatest, in a previous blog post. Not only did I get to eat at a few restaurants at a good price, I also got to try a new one: Celsius.

Celsius was actually the first foray into Restaurant Week. For $30, I got an appetizer, entree and dessert. I went for the fried goat cheese served over roasted re pepper puree with a cinnamon honey drizzle first to start. These were tasty, but you really have to be good with a giant serving of goat cheese. I would've almost liked these to be smaller (and maybe more of them?) so that the proportion of the fried breading would equal the amount of goat cheese. Plus it would mix up the texture. But honey and the roasted red pepper were a lovely tangy/sweet addition.

The main entree I chose was the chicken curry served with a mango chutney and parmesan risotto. It definitely wasn't anything like a curry I was expecting - but it was tasty. The chicken had some nice flavor, and the risotto stood up well on its own. I do wish there was a bit more of the curry sauce to help bring it all together. But, considering the strange assembly of ingredients, I think it mostly worked.

Finally, a creme brulee cheesecake rounded out the meal. It's a good cheesecake - but no brittle sugar crust on top. But similar flavors, for sure.

Overall, I liked my meal, and I appreciate the creativity of the meal. I think it came up short in a few areas, and I think a lot of restaurants are doing equally as cool stuff in Charleston. Anyone else been here? Thoughts?

Grade: B

On one of my many adventures to the southern part of the state, I began to get hungry (hangry) at the midpoint: Braxton County. Luckily for me, PJ Berry's, located in Sutton, made its way onto the 101 Most Unique Places to Dine in WV list - making it a priority for me to try.

I called in an order of their crab cakes. The lunch portion is truly an appetizer, but the lady asked if I wanted a dinner-size portion, and I said ... well heck yes! I walked in to pick up my order, and the place is quite cute. I liked the low lighting and open feel.

The crab cakes were pretty good. After being spoiled with some good crab cakes lately, I was searching for that bit of golden brown crust on the outside to give it a crisp. Instead, the texture was a bit more mushy - but that didn't inhibit the big hunks of tender crab meat and the incredible flavor. Pretty good.

Grade: B

I make a habit of not reviewing hotel restaurants unless they are unique in some way. Brick Salt Bar+Kitchen in Charleston's Marriott participates in a number of area events, and it most recently held the Cast Iron Cook-Off.

Since I was there for the event, and Joel and Dawn were getting a bit hungry, we stopped down for a snack.

The menu had some fun items, like "Mountain Top Chili," crab poppers, shrimp roll sliders, Charleston nachos, WV apple & chicken salad, pizza, bacon-wrapped meatloaf and waffle bread pudding. Sounds pretty fun, right? I went for the zucchini and corn fitters, with boursin dip, as well as a cup of broccoli soup since I was trying to keep it light.

The fritters were fine, if not a little too well done. Nothing too exciting, but not bad. And for the soup, it wasn't much better. I generally think of broccoli & cheese soup in two categories: one that is creamy, cheesy and thick. The other is runny and tastes like it came from a Campbells soup can. So, yeah.

Overall, I got a pretty average vibe. I would like to try some of hte plated dishes to see if it's much of a difference. But, for now, average.

Grade: C