T&L is probably North Central West Virginia's favorite hot dog. With 7 locations in the area, T&L is often a go-to for hot dog enthusiasts. Their locations, including this one on Main Street in Bridgeport, have a retro theme with things like juke boxes, fun decor and neon lighting. 



This T&L may look like a house from the street, but they're even outfitted with a drive-through in the back parking lot area. In the time of COVID-19, this is perfect. I pulled up to take a look at the menu.



Of course, I had to try a traditional West Virginia slaw dog with chili, slaw, mustard and onions. These are slim dogs, so you could easily put away two or three if you're hungry. But, I added a side instead: fresh cut fries.



I'm not the biggest fry - or potato - fan really, but occasionally, I'll get a craving. These were nice and salty, but a little limp for my liking. Nonetheless, a cheap and easy lunch. 

Grade: B

Sabaidee Thai, located in Clarksburg, is a new addition to the dining scene, and while in the area, I wanted to check it out. They had a really simple online ordering process, so I placed my order via phone and walked inside to pick it up.



The interior was a bit dated, but decorated with some Asian-inspired art. They were a bit flustered when I walked in - not sure why - but after waiting a few minutes, they turned their attention toward me. My order was ready and waiting on me, so I received that and went on my way.



I ordered a few appetizers to snack on. First up were these "crab blankets," which were crab rangoons. They were standard - not a ton of flavor, aside from the oils from the wrapper. 



Then, I tried the pork dumplings, which I thought would come with more flavors of sauce. These kinda ended up being a little gummy - but the flavor was okay. 



Finally, I had a spring roll, and it was decent. Overall, I think I have super high standards for Thai food, because it's one of my favorites. This was average.

Grade: C

White Sulphur Springs is home to a new Filipino food store.



Pinoy Store is located along Main Street and offers a wide variety of goods, not limited to those from the Philippines.



But Filipino food is really what I was excited to find. My friend Sam pointed me in the direction of some goodies to try. 



So, one of the first things I picked up was cornick, this garlic-flavored corn snack. It was addictive.



Sam also introduced me to calamansi, which is like a Filipino lime flavor, and they instant noodles in this flavor. I haven't made this yet, but I am very excited to do so. 



My best friend Kaitlynn's husband Josh makes ensaymada, so it was really need to see some frozen! 



I also got some chocolate cream cracker things that were my own choosing - and not all that great. My bad. 



When it say cracker, I wasn't thinking like an actual saltine. So they're not super flavorful and just not as doused in sugar as I probably want. 



Finally, I also went for some dried mango and a mango drink, too.



Sam was tempted to get some frozen fish, but we weren't exactly equipped for frozen food on this day.



And I wanted halo halo topping, but I figured I can wait on that. 



Check out my haul.



What else should I get next time?



Do you have any favorites?

When it's frigid and icy in West Virginia, the demand for strawberries seems to go up. That's based on my observation waiting in line two different times for two women running strawberry businesses in the Charleston area. From my understanding, they ship strawberries directly from Florida and meet people in random parking lots, as noted on Facebook, and the people come. They line up. And they buy alllll the strawberries.

The Strawberry Lady



Arguably the more popular of the two strawberry vendors, The Strawberry Lady has a box truck full of strawberries that they deliver around to various points in the Metro Valley. The first time I tried to get some in Kanawha City, they actually sold out while I was still in line.



So, when they came back, I was an hour early to make sure I got my fix. You can purchase by the flat ($32) or half flat ($16), and jam is $4 -- which is so smart for those with $20 bills. They are cash or check only. I got a half flat and shared with some friends. One thing I noticed about these ones is that they are not quite as ripe as the other, but they are huge. 


M & C Strawberries



These folks seem to be more consistently set up at the India Center at Southridge. They are more expensive - a half flat here was $20 and a full flat here is $40.



These strawberries were perfectly ripe and beautiful. So, what's the verdict? They're both tasty. I think it depends if you want to go for size or flavor. Either way, they're both lovely fresh in the midst of winter.

Let's throw it back to a warmer summer day when my friend Brittany and I were visiting The Pink Pig in Fayetteville. I think this was technically during what would have been Bridge Day weekend, and this spot was slammed. 



The Pink Pig, which is the brick-and-mortar location for Fred's BBQ & Catering, looks like it's located in a former auto shop with two large garage door openings, which make it a perfect indoor-outdoor vibe. They also have cornhole outside with various tables and some heaters, too.



As one might imagine, BBQ is their specialty - and it was clear many folks were hungry for it. We waited in line for some time before making our way to the front. And, by that time, I wanted to order everything on the menu. 



I ordered the "sloppy mac," which is a pulled pork sandwich with mac & cheese on top of it. I think this is pretty much a standard menu item at so many BBQ places now, and I'm here for it. 



Plus, I got a side of Utz Helluva Good chips - I love this dip, so I figured the chips would be good. And, I was right. I kept munching on these while waiting for our food to come out. They kinda served as my appetizer.



Finally, our real appetizers came out: cheerwine jalapeno poppers and pimento cheese jalapeno poppers. 



The cheerwine ones were definitely on the sweeter side, but they were still balanced well with salty bacon and the heat of the jalapeno. 



It's hard for me to put anything about pimento cheese, though. I love me some pimento cheese. And the cheesiness with salty, crispy bacon and soft, spicy jalapeno = a recipe for perfection. 



Now, let's get to the sandwich. First and foremost, it does not come with sauce. There are some sauces at the table to use: a tangy golden, a regular and then some others. So, the sandwich was actually pretty dry - even with the mac & cheese - until I doused it in BBQ. 



With that, it was pretty tasty. I really like the tangy gold BBQ sauce. The pulled pork was tender but not super flavorful - same with the mac & cheese, so the BBQ is what really gave it that zing. 



Grade: B