In downtown Parkersburg, Maka Mia replaced my beloved DiCarlo's. I won't hold it against the pizza restaurant; instead, I'll go in with an open mind - and stomach.



I didn't realize they have more than a handful of restaurants, though I have been to the Ripley location. Some background:

"In 2006, an independent grocery store owner in Kentucky had an idea. He was looking to attract new customers and increase sales to current ones, while staying ahead of the larger supermarket chains. The plan was to use existing deli facilities and staff to create a unique food destination. The concept didn’t come together overnight. It took months of experimenting, baking dough, creating the best tasting sauce, and never settling for anything but the highest quality ingredients. This was important to the concept, because everyone wants a great tasting product and fresh ingredients, with the option to customize it. The next step included branding and marketing, which took more than five years of work, research and design. Today, Máka Mia is a fully registered, trademarked company. From full color counter fronts and outdoor signage to professionally designed digital menus and online ordering, the Máka Mia Team created a package ready to deliver big results in a few short set-up days. The final product is a signature pizza and hoagie concept with over 40 stores in five states, proving the Máka Mia concept a success. Check it out for yourself and see if you don’t agree that Máka Mia is the best tasting pizza you’ve ever had!?"



So, it's a franchise and by looking at the locations, it seems the product is available in grocery stores, food marts and grocery stores - plus a few restaurants dedicated to the name. 

The space has limited indoor dining - whether that's by design or due to COVID19 - but I had placed an order online so I was just picking up anyway. The space has some wood panel flooring, corrugated steel and basic decor. 



The pizza is above average. I like that the pizza sauce was a little bit sweet, and the dough was toothsome - not cracker thin but could actually get some bite from it. 



I also order pretzel bites with cheese, and these were decent, too. I don't see these on menus as often as I'd like, so it was nice little treat. Overall, decent flavors - nothing too different - but still a reliably good slice.

Grade: B

One family-inspired cafe in Berkeley Springs is offering breakfast and lunch, along with fresh pastries and specialty desserts.



Charlotte's Cafe is a midsize cafe offering a standard selection of breakfast items like pancakes and eggs, as well as lunch items like soup, salad and sandwiches. It's a lovely collection of offerings, but I was most excited about the house-made sweets.



The case at the counter was full of croissants, cinnamon rolls, and one of my personal favorites: bread pudding.



This giant hunk of bread pudding was not lacking in heft. And there was a lovely caramel drizzled over top, but the actual bread itself didn't quite come together as much as I would love. I want it to be one giant moist conglomeration. I do have years of bread pudding-eating under my belt, so I have a specific idea in mind when it comes to the dessert. But, this is a solid take on it.



Grade: B

Pressed Coffee House is a new-ish coffee shop in St. Marys that offers everything from create-your-own cold brew and smoothies to chai and lattes.



On this particular day, they had a little pop up with Rollin' In The Dough, so I was excited to try two local businesses all in one place. 



The shop is small, but cute. The counter has beautiful subway tile and a wooden top. Green plants dot the space. The menu isn't huge, but it's fairly customizable. I went with a s'mores latte, because of course I did. Chocolate, Toasted Marshmallows, and a hint of Cinnamon - classic flavors. I also ordered a banana nut muffin so I could try one of their own baked goods. All in all, it was a lovely little breakfast. And helps fulfill a need in this area.



The pop-up shop for cookies was also nice. I ordered a cookie there, and it was decorated beautifully and typical of the harder sugar cookies that are presented beautifully.



Finally, I took my goodies will me on a slow drive to Middle Island to take in the sights and see what animals I could spot!



Have you been to any of these places?



Grade: A 

I really love the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, and when I'm able to make a trip out that way, I try to make the most of it. And, that often means cramming in as many restaurant visits as possible. One that I knew I wanted to make room for was Kelley Farm Kitchen.



This Harpers Ferry restaurant has been receiving a good bit of attention for its all-vegan menu - like Yelp Community's top 100 places to eat in 2021. They came in at #1. That's a pretty big honor! And, I can see why it received the honor. I called the restaurant just as soon as it opened, and it already had about an hour wait for lunch. That's OK. I put in an order at the window, left, and came back when it was ready to be picked up. 



The menu has items like ramen bowls, soups, chili, salads, subs, hoagies, brats, tacos, sandwiches, burgers, breakfast - and it's all vegan. I'm not a carnivore, by a long shot. But I do love me some cheese and butter and cream, etc. 



I ordered the "Creamy coconut ramen bowl" with zero spice, and it has a house-made broth paired with coconut milk, sliced baby portabellos and served with fresh organic greens, purple cabbage, carrot and green onion. This was different, but I can appreciate it. It's not the rich flavor I come to enjoy when dining out, but it's more light, fresh and still filling. I respect that it's filling a need - and the customer service was beyond top-notch, and the outdoor dining provide the perfect backdrop. Check it out for something different.



Grade: A

'Tis the season for all things ramps. The garlicky, wild onion makes an appearance in early spring and fades out in May. Local restaurants often take advantage of the wild leek by incorporating it into dishes.



Ridge View BBQ has made a name for itself with its ramp burger. But there is another burger nearby making waves: The Mountain Mama. This special from The Burger Carte in Smithers features a steakhosue burger with ramp aioli, smoked gouda, bacon, fried green tomato, lettuce and onion. Unfortunately, they were out of fried green tomatoes when I ordered mine, but it was still quite tasty. The ramp aioli is pretty mild, but the raw onion helps drive that flavor home. All in all, some great flavors here. 



And, I can't forget the ramperoni rolls from Books and Brews. I made a pilgrimage to Buckhannon to get some ramperoni rolls from The Donut Shop - especially ones with hot pepper cheese. But this pepperoni roll from Books and Brews brings the flavor locally. They infuse a ramp aioli - not raw ramps - into their famous pepperoni rolls, and even add it on the side as a dipping sauce. Definitely punches it up a bit!

Have you had either?