I made a day trip to Pittsburgh in anticipation of an upcoming flight and went in search of a quick dinner.

Papaya hit that spot - it has both Thai and sushi, and that was enough to sell me.

The menu has a mash-up of Asian dishes - lettuce wraps, crab rangoons, curry, general tso's, pad thai and more.


While this may point to inauthenticity, I like the variety and being able to pick and choose my favorites from many cuisine.

The crab angels - or crab rangoons - are a must-have for me. Who can resist creamy cheese in a fried wrapper? Not me, clearly.

And pad thai is always comforting.  I got this with shrimp, and it was quite tasty. It was heavier on the soy, but still a good flavor.

No, I’m not talking about Valentine’s Day.

I’m talking about Sweet Charity, the Kanawha Valley’s premier dessert competition that pits local bakers against one another for bragging rights all in the name of a good cause.

The fifth annual event will be held March 12 and features returning competitors Sugar Momma Sweets, Delights by Davis, Edgewood Summit, Ms. Groovy’s Kitchen and reigning “People’s Choice Award” winner Rock City Cake Company, among others.

Competitors will be serving up delicious bites for the public, as well as a panel of celebrity judges who will be scoring presentation, creativity and taste: Quincy Wilson, former West Virginia University football star and current West Virginia State University assistant coach; Chef Paul Smith, the corporate chef behind Buzz Food Service; Steven Keith, the Gazette-Mail’s Food Guy columnist; and Amanda Barren, WSAZ news anchor.

Adam Harris, executive producer of “Mountain Stage,” is returning to host, and local favorite Steve Himes will provide music.

Confectioners, judges and event-goers will gather next month all in the name of charity. Proceeds will benefit Faith in Action of the Greater Kanawha Valley. This nonprofit is dedicated to helping seniors in Kanawha and Putnam counties sustain their independence and remain in their own homes as long as possible by providing volunteer services, like transportation to medical appointments or the grocery store, running errands or making telephone reassurance calls or friendly visits.

Past years’ events have included delectable bread pudding with white chocolate and nuts, rice pudding in chocolate cups, macarons, giant cream-filled “unicorn horns” with edible glitter, napoleon cannoli, pineapple upside-down cake, pina colada brownies, sugar cookies and more.

If that scrumptious list of dessert sampling isn’t enough, there’s also great music, an amazing coffee bar and more. I don’t know about you, but that’s my ideal Tuesday evening.

Sweet Charity will be held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on March 12 at the TransCanada Auditorium at 1700 MacCorkle Avenue in Charleston. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 each, which include samples from all competitors, and are available at faithinactiongkv.com. All proceeds benefit Faith in Action of the Greater Kanawha Valley.

For more information, visit faithinactiongkv.com.

In full disclosure, I serve on the board for Faith in Action of the Greater Kanawha Valley. And, this fun, delicious event may have encouraged just that. I am honored to help promote it with my fellow sweet-tooth friends.

One of my absolute favorite finds in all of West Virginia is Good Mansion Wines.

This Wheeling gem offers luxury wines, pastas, chocolates, condiments, olive oil and more in a grand house.

As you wind your way back through this shop, you see more and more goodies available for purchase.

And once you get to the back of the building, it opens to this small, bright kitchen!

It's full of smoked meats, imported cheeses and fresh pastas.

And, there are house-made sandwiches available!

But these aren't your ordinary sandwiches.

They're full of incredible ingredients, like Prosciutto di Parma, Tallegio, black truggle, and Balsamico di Modena.




There were two sandwiches assembled when I went up to the counter, and I went with 5 - Il Tirolese: Speck, Taleggio, Acetomodena Balsamico di Modena, with greens.

And, I also picked up a small chocolate caramel tart.

There are just a handful of chairs inside, so I walked out to the front of the building.

As I opened my bag, I discovered breadsticks and olives to accompany my sandwich.

I unwrapped my sandwich, which was quite large.

The crusty bread gave way to a tangy cheese and the sweetness of the balsamic vinegar was great.

Which ones have you tried?

Mason Dixon Barbecue Co. is a new restaurant in Moundsville.

I'm really excited to see some new dining options in Moundsville, and I'm especially excited about the play on the name.



My dad actually works in Moundsville, and when I stopped here along my drive to Pittsburgh, I sent him a quick text to see if he may be available for lunch. To my surprise and delight, he was! So he met me here, and we tried a few things on the menu.

Nosh is a new restaurant on the East End that I happened to pass while driving by recently.

It is only open for lunch during the week currently, so plan a quick stop to check it out!

There are a few small tables on the inside, and it's like a sweet mix of elegant and fun inside.

The menu features soups, salads and sandwiches - plus some sweet treats.

I ordered the cranberry turkey croissant with a side of potato salad.

And, wow was that sandwich good! It was much larger than I anticipated, but all those flavors were perfect together.

And my side of potato salad was big, too, and flavorful.

Have you been? What's your favorite so far?