There are a few well-known festivals around the state that I haven't had a chance to visit yet: Blues Brews and BBQ at Snowshoe, Brew Skies and, until this weekend, Kirkwood Winery's 25th Annual Grape Stomping Wine Festival.

So, I have been to Kirkwood Winery a few times now, but I've always wanted to see the Grape Stomping Wine Festival, because, I mean, how often do you get to see people stomping grapes?

Since the winery first opened in 1992, it has been host to the Kirkwood Grape Stomping Festival held each year on the third weekend in September. Kirkwood Winery strives to maintain a strong family atmosphere during the festival believing it to be the most conducive environment for the continuing preservation of Appalachian history and culture. The goal of the festival continues to be the selection and promotion of the very best of the multi-talented people of West Virginia, most of whom provide demonstrations of their artistic and musical gifts.

The festival had food vendors, artisans, wine-tasting and live music. All of this, plus your wine glass, for $12. Unfortunately, it was raining pretty consistently all day, so there wasn't a ton of dancing. And, our time there mostly consisted of running from tent to tent to try wines and check out the rest of the festival.

But, what I mostly wanted to see was the grape stomping. They have little contests of grape eating and grape stomping throughout the day. And, there is this large communal stomping pit that the kids kind of dominated.

So, I asked if we could stomp in our own buckets just for fun - not as part of a contest, because lord knows between the rain and balance, I would not be able to stay upright (aka this). The woman was so kind and filled our buckets up with extra grapes. Mine had mostly purple; Heather's had a nice mix of green and purple. But the purple gave off more juice, so if this WERE a competition... I think I would've won. Muahaha.

Stomping grapes is a weird sensation. It's, well, exactly how you think it would feel. Little cold, wet, orbs that pop when you exert pressure. But, I mean, how often do you get the chance to do something like this? Not often.

Have you been? What was your favorite part?

So, a small restaurant has opened up roadside in Cheat Lake. Rosa's Cuisine is located in a small blue building with a giant parking lot perfect for truckers to swoop in.

The restaurant, located along Fairchance Road, serves hot dogs, chili, fries, burgers, tacos, quesadillas, spaghetti, biscuits & gravy, breakfast biscuits and burritos from a small window.

Much of this is general fare, but I noticed a sort of Mexican theme, so I wanted to try something from that genre. I found out tacos are only on Tuesdays, but Rosa, I assume, was so kind as to make me a quesadilla.

They do accept credit cards, so we paid and waited for our meal over in the sheltered area. Many of the customers were truckers or workers who would eat in their car or get it to go. Eating outdoors was a bit warm this time of year, but we made do.

And, we were beckoned when our order was ready. The woman asked if I'd like sour cream or pico, and I said both please. So I waited back a few minutes before taking my delicious bounty over to the table to devour it.

The quesadilla is large and cut in half. Tons of cheddar cheese encased hunks of chicken - which is tasty. I don't think the chicken is the highest of quality, but it was fine. Lots of cheese can help with many things. The sour cream and pico paired with the quesadilla made for an overall decent meal.

This is probably a good option for folks on the go, and I'm not sure that I would specifically go seek it out with so many great options in the area. But I do think it fills a void for a particular audience.

Grade: B
 

One of the most popular restaurants in Pittsburgh is Gaucho Parrilla Argentina, a counter-service busy lunch place that draws patrons from all walks of life.

The line to get inside was nearly out of the door, but we were fortunate to sneak in at the tail end to stand inside. The owner (or manager? Someone in charge) was quite strict about not having people stand past a certain area and would routinely tell people they have to stand outside until the line dies down.

Inside, it was very warm and apparently the kitchen was put on hold for a solid 15 or 20 minutes due to a large order. So, we were crammed in this very warm space, shoulder to shoulder, without the line even moving for quite some time. They did start passing out waters, but we weren't part of the first 15 or so in line to receive the drinks.

Finally, the line started moving. And, we inched closer and closer to the counter. I wasn't starving, but I definitely wanted to try something. I noticed they had daily empanada specials. On this particular day, they had "Beefy," with carmelized onions, red pepper and egg, "Veggie," with potato, pepper, onion and tomato, and "Chicky," with corn and caramelized onions.

The woman behind the counter was quite pleasant and thoroughly explained the ordering process before I requested one of each of the empanadas. I paid, got my drink, and that owner/manager directed us to a place to sit. It was less than a minute before a server yelled me name out and delivered my warm empanadas.

I went up to the station to refill my glass and get one each of the sauces: chimichurri, ajo, pimenton and ceboula before diving in. I think, overall, all the empanadas are fine. They're kind of doughy, and, I admit, I don't know what an empanada SHOULD taste like ... but if it's like this, they're not my favorite. I think the texture is fine, but a bit more bite could really hold up and contrast with a mushy interior.

The beef was my most favorite, with a good bit of spices to enhance the flavor. The veggie was a bit flat for me, but the chicken was decent. Everything was made better by the ajo sauce, which had delicious notes of garlic. I really wanted to be blown away by these. I wanted my first real taste of empanadas to be life-changing. I can't say that these were.

I did, however, have a pretty good final bite in these Argentine cookies. This coffee and coconut cookie was light and crumbly but rich. Quite a nice finish to my snack, and I think if the rest of the menu was more reminiscent of this cookie rather than empanadas, I can see why there's a line out the door.

Grade: B 

With fall just beginning to settle in, there's no better time for cider. In between meals during our Pittsburgh adventures, Heather and I made a trip over to Arsenal Cider House.

Arsenal Cider House blends in amongst a row of homes, and the interior is just as cozy. Lots of wood in an old world style with lots and lots of hipsters.

They don't do a sampler; rather, they give you three free mini samples to try before ordering a drink. I tried the Fighting Elleck, their flagship, which is an off-dry apple cider. I also tasted the plum, a semi-sweet, which was good. And, their rhubarb, which was a semi-sweet.

The rhubarb ended up being my favorite. Not too dry, not too sweet - plus a different, interesting flavor. I got my small cup and headed to an open table.

It's a cute space. Very relaxed, very fun, and I really enjoyed my cider. It is well-balanced, but I think there is an option here for everyone. I could see myself spending an afternoon chatting with friends and sharing some cider here. Maybe during the next trip.

Grade: A

Woodburn Shanks, one of Morgantown's first BBQ restaurants before the sudden surge, recently moved locations. Previously, it was located in the Mountaineer Mall, but it is now in a standalone location in Sabraton along Earl L Core Road. When I've tried their food before, I was a fan.

They don't have much signage up yet, but there are big, empty spaces for them. A light stencil on the side of the white wall looks like it will bear their logo.

Well, we parked along the side and walked in through the front door. A short counter displayed four different sauces, menus and, at the end, the cash register to place your order. A few sandwiches, platters, sides and bulk meats are available.

So, I went with my standard unit of measurement for a BBQ restaurant: a pulled pork sandwich. I upgraded to the combo, which included a side (I went with jambalaya) and a drink. I got samples of each of the sauces to try. Paid my $10 and headed outside with my bounty to sit at one of the concrete tables.

The pulled pork is missing the "pulled" part, but it was moist and flavorful. I tried each of the sauces, ultimately settling on the original and the spicy. Despite the lack of "pulling," I actually quite liked this. The side of jambalaya was good, too, with lots of bits of tomato and chicken and veggies in there. There was a little piece of hair, but I'm not sure if it was mine or theirs.

I think Kansas City style is my favorite kind of BBQ, and I think Woodburn Shanks does a decent job. I think there is a lot more competition in the area, and I would love some mac & cheese as a side (pleaseeee). But overall, pretty good.

Grade: B