Taste of India is a grocery store in downtown Charleston.



I love local groceries, especially ones that cater to delicious cuisines.



The shelves had an assortment of different goods.



And there were some foods I recognized, though not sure I'd be able to pull off cooking them on my own!



Have you been?



Let me know in the comments below!

On a day off from work, I wanted to treat myself to Chinese but wanted to try a new location.

China Star is located just a few minutes away in Dunbar, and they offer a buffet as well as take-out orders.


I went for the "crispy chicken" combination dish, as well as an order of cheese wontons.

It also came with an eggroll!

Not too shabby. What's your favorite dish here?

Saucy Jo Hillbilly Hot Sauce is a local hot sauce that has "layers of flavor" with a unique twist.

James Kozak was culinary trained at the Culinary Institute of America, the World’s premier culinary college located in Hyde Park, NY. Jim has over 25 years of cooking experience including positions of head chef and sous chef at exquisite establishments such as Retro Bistro and Le Chantecler in Boulder, Colarado. Jim has done it all from baking, to sushi, to throwing pies at his own pizza shop.

Now Jim is the founder of SaucyJoLLC. A dedicated strongman and crossfit enthusisast, Jim plans to take his sauces and prepared foods to a new level to help everyone lead a healthy lifestyle (SOURCE).

Have you tried it?

I recently was able to get some "West Virginia Beef Jerky" in a gift box I ordered. I had never had this beef jerky before, so I was excited to look into this product made in West Virginia.

Wayne and Patti Burdette from Alderson, WV first launched WV Beef Jerky in the fall of 1996. After a year of juggling spices and utilizing friends and the Greenbrier Hotel Chefs as “taste testers”, the verdict was in… PERFECTION!! Chefs convinced Wayne that the taste was irresistible and that West Virginia Beef Jerky should go commercial.

Today, Wayne and Patti teamed up with Peerless Food Service to reintroduce this mouth-watering jerky. WV Beef Jerky has one goal, and that’s to make the best jerky on the market. Our beef is carefully selected from premium whole muscle meat, never chopped and formed. We produce small batches to guarantee freshness and quality, and our team carefully grades and hand packs each bag. Never made with nitrates, we feel it is important to provide a product with health in mind. So what are you waiting for? Come get some of West Virginia’s finest!

WV Beef Jerky can also be purchased from your Little General store, Tamarack: The Best of West Virginia in Beckley, WV, Kroger in Oak Hill, WV, Pasquales Restaurant in Beckley, WV, The Green Grocer in Alderson, WV, The Beef Jerky Outlet throughout WV and 2 locations in Myrtle Beach, SC, and at Glade Springs Resort in Daniels, WV.

Have you tried it?

Ordinary Evelyn's is a product line based out of Clay County, which makes jams, pickled items, and dip and cheesball mixes

How does an ordinary woman from an ordinary community turn a family tradition into a successful business? Sheer hard work and a true love for what she is doing. The ordinary woman is Evelyn McGlothlin and her business is Ordinary Evelyn’s “not so ordinary” homemade goodness. Evelyn makes many of her products, one batch at a time, on an ordinary kitchen stove in her home based business located in rural Clay County, West Virginia (SOURCE).

Evelyn started her business in 1996 by selling her products at fairs and festivals. The idea to start a business had been tossed around for several years. Evelyn’s family had continually witnessed neighbors and friends asking for her Hot Pepper Butter. Evelyn’s daughter’s who both live out of state, had many times given her mother’s products as gifts to friends. The recipients were thrilled and wanted to know how they could get more. Evelyn’s daughter, Christina Boggs, told her mother “you have to start selling your products". In the summer of 1996, Christina called the WV department of agriculture to gather information about home based canning businesses. After several phone calls and lots of support from the Department of Agriculture’s staff member Teresa Halloran, Evelyn launched her first showcase at the Clay County Golden Delicious Apple Festival. Complete with homemade computer labels on the jars and a hand drawn sign bearing the business name, she sold her products to the festival goers.

I tried this cheeseball mix, which was so yummy I just had to share it! Which products are your favorites?