Each year, Habitat for Humanity of Kanawha & Putnam brings one of West Virginia’s most talked-about restaurants to Charleston, giving the community a chance to dine on some of our state’s finest food. This year, they hosted Hill & Hollow of Morgantown for the annual fundraising dinner.

 

Hill & Hollow served unique dishes using Appalachian-sourced ingredients fused with modern cooking techniques. Each item on the menu was sourced from local farms.

 

This event was brand new to me. I hadn't had the chance to go in past years, but I had it circled on my calendar since the date was announced this year.



And I was excited to be able to contribute some ideas for restaurants for the fundraiser. Hill & Hollow is always at the top of my recommendation list because the food is so unique, and you can't find it anywhere else.



So, I was excited to see that one of my suggestions was chosen for the event. And, I was excited to participate in the event, too. I spent the first hour-ish taking tickets and then I found myself at the buffet.



So, if some of the options look a little enjoyed, that is why.



Appetizers included trout fondue, confit beef poutine, roasted pumpkin soup, salt-rising bread, charcuterie, preserves and pickles, warm spinach salad, ramp hummus and local Appalachian cheeses.



And, each one of those - the charcuterie, the preserves - had a billion components.



Entrees included Appalachian cioppino, brown sugar pork tenderloin, roasted chicken with alfalfa, braised lamb, rabbit fricassee, duck shank, spaghetti squash lasagna, wild boar cobbler, and more.



Desserts included pawpaw bread pudding, rhubarb crisp, mincemeat pie, and buttermilk pie.



The evening was full of delicious food, fun music and it was all for a good cause. The appetizer section had all sorts of pickled veggies - even okra.

Plus lots of fresh breads - like a salt-rising, which was my favorite. The ramp hummus was also to-die for. And the warm spinach salad even had its own light to keep it warm.

And local cheeses! I could've spent my entire evening at the cheese station. From soft and strong to hard and aged, cheeses here were delicious.

Trout fondue.

Appalachian cioppino.

Pumpkin soup.

Brown sugar pork tenderloin.

Roasted chicken with alfalfa.

Rabbit fricassee.

Spaghetti squash lasagna.

Wild boar cobbler.


Duck shanks.

Confit beef poutine.



Stew.



Paw paw bread pudding.


Rhubarb crisp.

Buttermilk pie.

Mincemeat pie.



Just look at that - Mmm mmmm.

T-Mart in Elkins is a convenience store that also serves up some hot food.

The menu consists of options for all three meals in the day. From breakfast sandwiches and lunchtime specials, T-Mart has a little bit of everything.

That includes subs, sandwiches, salads, soups, hot dogs and more.

First, though, my eyes gravitated toward a basket of pepperoni rolls. The ones with a little red dot have hot pepper cheese, so I nabbed one of those.

And, the lunch special for the day was an Italian stromboli, so I got one of those too - plus an assortment of drinks, gummi lifesavers and Reeses. Hey, roadtrips call for snacks.

The stromboli was puffed up into a round ball of heaven. Buttery on the outside, the roll - once punctured - deflated a bit to reveal some some salami, cheese and peppers.

Not great for heartburn, but great for the tastebuds. I would love if this thing was filled to the brim. But tasty, nonetheless.

Grade: B

When there are really good restaurants in West Virginia, they usually make their way across my radar. The ones that I currently have left on my list are ones I've seen in passing but haven't necessarily heard rave reviews. Or those that are more "bar & grill" or just "bar" type spots.

That's not the case with Main Street on Central in Barboursville. I've only recently heard about the restaurant, but as soon as it popped up a few times, I knew I had to make a beeline there, ASAP.

The restaurant is dinner only, so it took a bit of maneuvering to be in this area around this time - since that's not typical. Fortunately, my friend Dawn and I made it in right as they were opening at 5 p.m. to check it out.

First of all, the building is lovely. The interior has a certain charm to it, and the ornate decor is beautiful. It is upscale with a touch of cozy. First, we were served warm bread.

Then, the menu featured a ton of seafood, and the one that let me try a few different types of seafood as the "seafood pasta," which included scallops, shrimp and crab in a lemon cream sauce. The seafood was cooked and seasoned well; the pasta was tender; and it was a lovely combination of flavors.

Grade: A

Have you heard of the indoor gun range/restaurant combo in Huntington? It's called Bare Arms Indoor Range, and the accompanying restaurant is Bombshell Burgers & BBQ.

Sara and I decided if we were going to visit, we might as well try our hand at the gun range, too. So, we donned our ear protection and eye protection and headed inside to with a box full of ammo for a .380

We both had our own targets and did OK. I think if needed, we could hit our targets. We just probably don't want to be too far away.

After an hour or so, we were ready to get our grub on.

So, we headed next door and had a seat while we looked over the menu, which features BBQ, burgers, pizzas, salads, tacos and sandwiches.

Ultimately, I went with a "Juicy Lucy" burger and a side of corn fritters.

The burger was stuffed with Swiss cheese, topped with grilled mushrooms, lettuce, tomato and onion.

The corn fritters were closer to large cornbread triangles.

Both were decent. I wish there was actually some cheese in the center, rather than melting out. And more seasoning would've helped.

Sara ordered an antipasto salad, which was "A selection of fresh greens, onions, tomatoes, pepperoni, ham, black olives, banana peppers, shredded mozzarella cheese with a house vinaigrette dressing and topped with fresh hot pork rinds."



Overall, not bad. Definitely a different atmosphere and something different from the regular meal out.

Grade: C