One of my favorite areas in Wheeling is the Centre Market. There are so many good shops here, and it's fun to just eat your way through and shop your way down the street.

We did jut that, and the first stop was Centre Cup Coffee.

We waited for a few minutes before the woman behind the counter took our order. There is a main menu that has coffee drinks, and then there are two smaller boards that list additional items. One thing, the peanut butter meltaway, sounded intriguing. I asked what was in it, and the woman said, annoyed, "....peanut butter and chocolate....." K. "and espresso?" I asked. "Yes... Those are espresso drinks." K. It doesn't say that. But OK. It wasn't the friendliest response, but I got it anyway.

Kaitlynn ordered a cafe au lait, and the woman asked if we knew what was in that... well, yes, that's an actual standard coffee.

Kaitlynn was talking to me about the farmers market, and then the woman piped in and asked if she forgot to change from the farmers market and laughed ... because Kaitlynn was wearing a cute overall outfit... which seemed out of place and a bit grating.

I was surprised that there wasn't a warm, friendly greeting here. It was more annoyance and sarcasm. Which, typically, I'm all for - if I'm in on the joke, too. Service here is lacking, but the coffee was good. I liked my espresso drink, and the space is simple but nice.

Grade: B

Franklin Barbecue? Well, it opens at 11 a.m. 

That's right, I got in line for this BBQ place more than four hours before it opened. FOUR. HOURS.

Wanna know the best part? There were about a dozen other people ahead of me already waiting in line.

So, what in god's name would possess me to line up four hours before a BBQ joint opened? The same one that sells out by 2 or 3 p.m.? Well, Franklin Barbecue is known for having some of the best BBQ of all time.

It is the best. It is the finest brisket I’ve ever had. - Anthony Bourdain

So, yeah, I got in line at 6:50 a.m., pulled a camping chair from the stack they have sitting for the early risers and settled in for a long morning. It was cold - like 40 degrees - and I didn't have a proper jacket, so I was freezing the entire time. It wasn't fun.

About halfway through the morning, they open up the restrooms for folks, which is super nice. And music begins playing. It started to get light out, and the folks who were hibernating in front of me slowly start to awaken. Folks come around to get an idea of what you want to order so they can estimate how much they'll have. If you are toward the back of the line, it's not likely there will be brisket left.

When it got to be around 10:30 a.m., I was damn near giddy. We put our chairs away, stood up, inched closer to the front of the door, and when they finally opened the door to allow people to stream in, it was such a good feeling to just be INSIDE of a warm building.

It was another few minutes before we got up to the front of the line to place our orders. They slice the brisket right there in front of you, and you order by the pound - or half, or quarter. I ended up getting some brisket, some pulled pork, a side of potato salad, and a mini pecan pie.



So, it's definitely the best brisket I've ever had. It's perfectly moist and flavorful with a delicious bark. The fatty and lean pieces both are delectable. It's definitely the star. But, of course, the pulled pork was delicious - I topped it with some of the spicier barbecue sauce to give it some kick. Onions, bread and pickles are all garnish. The potato salad was perfect for a bit creamier, cool down. And the pie was a great sweet finish.

So, you're asking if it was worth it. Yes. Because it was an experience to mark off my bucket list, and it was easily the best brisket I've ever had. Would I do it again? Not sure. Might go for the second best brisket and not have to wait for four hours :)



Grade: A

The time has finally come: I've finished this year's 101 Most Unique Places to Dine in WV list.

Smokey's on the Gorge, now rebranded at Smokey's Steakhouse, is a seasonal restaurant located at Adventures on the Gorge so I had to wait until the season opened to check it out.

Well, the whitewater rafting trip brought me to this area, so I finally had the opportunity to mark off that last restaurant. Smokey's is an absolutely breathtaking space. The wood panels are homey and have this indoor/outdoor vibe with large open spaces that open up to the beautiful mountains ahead. Tiny little twinkling lights are strung across the ceiling, white tablecloths, and it looks like a setting from a chic farmhouse wedding.

Eating at Smokey's is not an everyday dining experience. Our flagship restaurant, Smokey's is a showcase timber-frame pavilion perched right smack dab on the rim of the New River Gorge. The gourmet food combined with friendly service and casual atmosphere has to be experienced to be believed. Optional seating on our outdoor deck offers spectacular views of the New River Gorge and incredible Appalachian sunsets. 

Smokey's opened in 1986 with the moniker of Dana "Smokey" Morton, bus driver extraordinaire, who came to Class-VI River Runners in 1979 when the company purchased a 1954 GMC bus from Oak Hill City Lines. Smokey passed away in 1988, but his legend lives on. Some folks still remember Smokey and his long, handlebar mustache, warm smile, mischievous eyes and shaved head. 

If the setting is unique, then the cuisine is even more so. Our breakfast buffet is offers a wide variety of get-you-fueled-for-a-day-of-play options, including classics with a Smokey's flair—you'd be hard pressed to find somebody who doesn't think our bacon is the best on Earth. Enjoy a glass of wine from our diverse wine list, your favorite cocktail or a non-alcoholic beverage from our full bar. 

Smokey's is open May through October (although we do host some pretty amazing themed events in the Winter, such as murder-mystery dinners).

We sat outside, which had a beautiful view off into the gorge. It was shady, but warm and we had a gigantic table to ourselves to listen to the birds and cars off in the distance whoosh over the bridge.

The drink menu looked fabulous. If I wasn't driving for 2.5 hours directly after this meal, I would've indulged. Alas, I chose to stuff myself with food instead.

First off, they brought a small thing of bread for the table. This was decent - nothing especially noteworthy, but not bad.

Lisa got the "lump crab over spoonbread" appetizer: warm crab in herb butter and garlic cream sauce. She let me sneak a taste, and it was pretty good. The spoonbread was like a sweet grits - very tasty.

For my entree, I went with their filet mignon. Their steaks are certified angus beef, which is aged for 35 days and cut to order. They also season their steaks with J.Q. Dickinson salt and fresh cracked pepper, and finished with Maitre d'Butter. This was topped with some like balsamic onions, garlic and a small salad with these sweet Peruvian peppers. This steak was delicious - a bit over than medium, but not dry at all. The seasoning was great.

For a side, I got the pimento cheese macaroni & cheese. I was really excited because it meshed two of my favorite things together. I was expecting a bit more of a kick, but still, it's creamy and delicious, and you can't go wrong.

For dessert, I got the Bourbon Pecan Pie with Peach Ice Cream. I loved that peach ice cream, and you can definitely taste some of that bourbon. A nice finish to a delicious meal.

I'm not sure if there's a restaurant in this state with better view. They're also brand new, so go check out this new gem and fill your tummy. And, make sure to book a whitewater rafting trip. You will never forget it!

Grade: A

This is my last ice cream place in Austin, swear. BUT, you guys, locally made ice cream. Dreams do come true.

So, Lick is an ice cream shop with really unique flavors that is dedicated to "honest" ice creams.

To us, honest ice creams simply means we use only pure, wholesome ingredients in our artisanal ice creams. What doesn’t go into our ice creams is just as important as what does. We never use artificial colors or flavors, high fructose corn syrup or preservatives, ever! Ice cream shouldn’t just taste good — we believe it should also be good. 

As small local business owners, we have the pleasure of witnessing our milk and cream as it journeys from the cow to your scoop. All of the milk and cream used to make our ice creams comes from a local, family-owned dairy in Central Texas; and everything from the sauces, syrups, cakes and marshmallows is made by hand in our kitchen. We churn every batch, roll each waffle cone made from our homemade recipe in our shops, and pack each pint by hand in our kitchen to serve up the most honest ice creams we can. We are also committed to sustainability by using only compostable cups, spoons and napkins. 

Our Cilantro Lime, Dewberry Corn Cobbler and Sweet Persimmon and Sage ice creams are just some of the flavors inspired by and created with seasonal offerings from Texas. This provides us with variety throughout the year and guarantees a farm-to-table product that is always fresh and delicious! We work directly with local farmers and food artisans to source our fine ingredients to make the most honest ice creams we can.

There were a ton of really cool flavors - both everyday and seasonal.

All of our ice creams are made with 100% milk and cream from Mill-King Market & Creamery, located in McGregor, Texas, just outside of Waco. The Miller family has owned and operated this dairy for three generations. They are some of the hardest working people you will ever meet, and they truly care about the milk and cream their select herd of 100 cows produces. 

The herd consists of handpicked Jersey, Brown Swiss and Holstein cows that are never given hormones or antibiotics and are primarily grass-fed. When necessary, they supplement with grain that is non-GMO, corn and soy free. The delicious milk and cream produced is always non-homogenized and low temperature pasteurized.  This essentially means any harmful bacteria is eliminated while all of the beneficial enzymes stay in tact. All of these components make for very healthy and very delicious milk and cream. This is the stuff our grandparents drank and it’s the reason we can make ice creams as honest as the ones they enjoyed.

First step is picking the vessel - I went with a medium, compostable bowl. Then, the flavors: Caramel Salt Lick (salty & sweet make it official. Homemade caramel pairs perfectly with a hint of sea salt), Goat Cheese, Honey and Thyme (Fresh, local thyme and Good Flow honey pair perfectly with Austin's own creamy Pure Luck goat cheese) and a seasonal one that I cant remember. Whoops.

So, I remember the caramel one being a very deeply flavored caramel - like almost burnt sugar but just at the peak. The goat cheese did, indeed, taste a bit like goat cheese. A bit odd pairing of those two. But, I was definitely impressed by the unique flavors.





It's pretty cool to see an ice cream shop stepping outside the traditional boundaries and do some flavors that you don't see everywhere. Really neat.



Grade: A

Y'all know I love a good drive in restaurant, so imagine my surprise when there was one in Parkersburg I had no idea about.

Davis Drive In is a small building, housing just the cooks cranking out tasty treats. A few seats are located outside under a covered porch, and a large parking area extends beyond the building.


Drive-ins are so cool because they harken back to an era that just helps define "Americana." They were popular when dining out wasn't, and I feel like a large part of their existence is reliant upon the experience - enjoying a meal with your family or friends in your car, listening to your favorite songs.

Davis Drive In has standard drive-in fare: hotdogs, hamburgers (and a pizza burger!), BBQ pork, fries, and some other fried sides - like green beans and cauliflower. There are also a number of sweet treats: milkshakes, Coke floats, banana splits and sundaes.

The almighty hotdog is a good way to take the temperature of a drive-in. It's likely one of their top sellers, so it's a good judge. I pulled into the parking lot, backing in so I could see the menu from my car, and before I knew it, a young gentleman was at my car window ready to take my order. I got a dog with chili, slaw, mustard and onions. I handed over cash.

After just a few moments, a young girl delivered to my car a hotdog in a sleeve, my bottle of water and change from my order. The hotdog became nicely steamed in that sleeve, and everything just kind of blended together in this soft, savory snack. The bun soft, the hot dog was boiled, the slaw was mild but had a hint of sweetness, and the chili added some richness. This was a pretty good dog. Plus, it's a cool experience for something a little different in the Mid-Ohio Valley.

Grade: A