Buster's Blazin' Grill was located nearby recently, so my friend Sara and I went to go check it out. They specialize in burgers, but also have hot dogs and BBQ, as well.



These aren't just regular burgers. They have themes - like the southwest burger with onion rings and BBQ sauce. OR the Buster's Blazin Burger with spicy cheese sauce, spicy pickles and jalapenos. 



I went with the "Moose," which had two patties, melted cheddar cheese, American cheese, grilled onions, lettuce, tomato, pickles, house sauce on a brioche bun. 



The first couple ingredients are to be expected and help make a good burger. That house sauce, though, made this a phenomenal burger. I don't even know what it was, but it brought a sweetness with some tang that was just perfect. 

Grade: A

Ansted's Tudor's Biscuit World is a tricky, tricky location. I tried to knock them off my list months ago, but they were closed - not sure if it was COVID-19 related or not. But, when I went to check them out most recently, they were open thankfully. 



So, as I take a leave of absence from biscuits, I looked over the lunch menu to see what piqued my interest. And, I see Tudor's version of a chicken strip basket. I've had this before, so I know it's bangin. But let's see how this location does.



And it was delish. Maybe a tad on the itty bitty side, but still fried goodness that hit that comfort food spot.

Grade: B

So many things have changed over the past year with the onset of the pandemic. One of which is dining out. It's a huge part of my life, and I've been consistently trying to find ways to support local businesses during this time while also keeping them and myself safe. 



So bear in mind that while visiting these restaurants recently, I may not be getting the most of the experience. But, it's likely similar to what you'd experience, too. While driving through Elkins, I called in an order to Sakura Japanese Steakhouse to go. 



Let's start with crab rangoons, of course. Crunch on the outside, creamy on the inside. With a side of sweet sauce.



I went with a simple California roll with crab, avocado and cucumber. I also ordered a Sakura Roll - shrimp tempura, spicy crab, seaweed salad, crunch, wrapped in soy paper, topped w masago, spicy mayo & eel sauce.



I gotta say - I know what I like. These were both solid, standard. They weren't mind-blowing or necessarily the most flavorful renditions I've had. But they were good and I wouldn't hesitate to try them again.

Grade: B

So, I didn't have a reason to drive to Akron recently. Except. There's a DiCarlo's Pizza there. So, that became my reason to visit Akron. And, it's the last DiCarlo's location I hadn't visited. 



This large, stand-alone location had a huge parking lot all on its own and kinda seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. But it was decorated with DiCarlos-themed art, so I was here for it.



In typical fashion, I ordered a couple pieces with mushrooms. 



After a bit of a wait, out came two beautiful squares topped with fresh cheese gently melting overtop. I appreciate the abundance of cheese on these two pieces; the sauce was standard and the crust was on the crunchier side. 10/10, as always.



Grade: A 

Markets are my happy place. My dream is going from stall to stall, getting a bite at each place to create a full meal. That's why, when Dawn and I heard about Center Street Market juuuust opening, we headed that way STAT.



Center Street Market, located in Hilliard, Ohio, is home to a handful of restaurants, as well as Crooked Can Brewery. 



Ready? Let's go check it out. 

The Cheesecake Girl 











The Cheesecake Girl has a bunch of different kinds of cheesecake, including little mini bites like cookie dough, buckeye and brie & fig. I loveee the mini option so I can try a few flavors - and they were all fantastic. The cookie dough had a brownie crust, the buckeye is Ohio's best dessert, and the brie & fig is a perfect flavor combo. Also while here, they had a little stand of Uncle Giant's Tokels, which apparently are Filipino in origin. They're like buttery shortbread cookies that are crumbly. 

Bakes By Lo







Bakes By Lo had these giant homemade cookies staring at me. There were really only a handful of flavors, but they all sounded so good. The dried cranberry and macadamia nut was speaking to me. Just slightly tart paired with sugary cookie and buttery nutty. So good. 

Dumplings of Fury







Dumplings! Dumplings of Fury has a location in Seattle and Hilliard... odd mashup? BUT, one of the stops I was most excited for. I ordered the "Shrimp and Chive" dumplings, which were perfectly pan-fried and plump and tasty. And, I also went for the pork belly bao, because there are so few places to get bao buns in West Virginia, and this included the pork belly, cucumber salad, peanuts and green onion. Mmmm. 

Rime Time







Are artisan popsicles the new trendy thing? If you're Rime Time, that answer is yes. They have a really cool list of flavors like blueberry lemonade, avocado, and my choice: peanut butter and jelly. I was shocked at how good this really was. I'm not a peanut butter superfan, but this creamy popsicle with pops of sweet fruity jelly was perfect. 

Coffee Connections







Apparently I'm really into lemonade lately, because even at Coffee Connections, I went with a blueberry pomegranate lemonade. So refreshing for a warm day. 

Al's Delicious Popcorn









OK I said earlier that popsicles might be trendy, but gourmet popcorn may be even more so. Al's Delicious Popcorn has over 65 flavors. I chose the s'mores, because of course. It was pretty sweet - I would've liked some more salt, but very tasty nonetheless. 

Meatball Mafia







W?HO? doesn't love a good meatball?! I could've taken the easy way out at Meatball Mafia and had just a single taste of a meatball. But, let's be real, I had to go with a full Uncle Junior, which is a meatball sub with provolone/mozzarella. This just hits the spot.



There are a couple places that I'll need to check out on the next visit, like the Crooked Can Brewery, Pita bilities and Two Step Tacos.