Kita Modern Japanese restaurant is a new, flashy restaurant in Charleston.

The restaurant replaces a number of failed Asian restaurants in the same space.

There has been a great deal of turnover - from Red Fire Asian Grill to others that displayed business names that never even opened.

The interior is not unlike its predecessors. It's modern with some flashy details and a pretty open layout.


It wasn't long after they first opened that I visited. So I couldn't find a menu anywhere. But I arrived, pull up a seat to the bar and picked a few options to take home.

One of the first things I ordered was "Octopus" - brasied soft and charred, yuzu butter and tonkatsu grits.

This had some fantastic flavor. I really like octopus in general, and I appreciated the unique flavors here.

They were out of a few things I wanted - like bao buns and candied bacon. So I went with some other options.

Fried wontons are always an easy go-to for me. These little purses had a little sweet chili sauce underneath. A nice sweet and creamy combo.

We also went with an order of Kalbi, which is Korean BBQ short ribs. These had a good flavor, though the texture could use some improvement. A bit fatty and more bone than meat at some points. But the flavor was good.

Moving onto sushi.

We ordered the "Mango Madness," which had smoked salmon, cream cheese, avocado, mango and covered in shoestring potatoes.

Definitely different - and tasty.

Grade: B

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