This past year has been the "year of the coffee shop" in Morgantown. There have been a handful that have popped up, and they're all lovely. The latest in that series for me is Annie's Coffee and Creamery. 



Located on Fort Pierpont Drive, this coffee shop comes from the same folks who brought us Apple Annie's, San Marzano Italian Market and more. 



The cofffee shop is located in the plaza on Fort Pierpont Drive along with a handful of other new (well, new to me) restaurants, shops and other businesses. There's plenty of parking, and the buildings are completely new.



The space has high ceilings with some cozy areas flanking the large counter space. Again, when circumstances change, I can see this being a lovely spot to have a coffee or ice cream, get some work done (or catch up on blogging in my case) and relax. 



I love that they support the community. Their coffee beans are roasted by Stone Tower Joe in Fairmont, loose-leaf teas come from The Tea Shoppe at The Seneca Center, and fresh-baked goods are rom Apple Annie’s.



They offer espresso and coffee drinks like lattes, flat whites and macchiatos, teas, and hot cocoa. You can have them hot or iced. Then there's ice cream - bowl, cone, sundae or try the Annie-Lanche, which is soft-serve blended with a mix-in. And, there's a variety of muffins, scones, cookies, cupcakes, cake, pies, pepperoni rolls. sandwiches and wraps.



On this day, I went with a red velvet cookie, a pepperoni roll and a latte to go. The cookie, dotted with white chocolate chips, was large, perfectly chewy and delish. The pepperoni roll is unique in that they use both slices and sticks. And, they're pretty fresh, which is crucial for fluffy dough. And the drink was great. It had a great balance of bitter and sweet and was all-around comforting.



Have you been?

Grade: A

Charleston's favorite donut shop is back open - in a brand new brick-and-mortar location.



Vandalia Donut Co., which had a food truck two years ago in the area, can now be found on Tennessee Avenue in the trendy Elk City neighborhood dishing out delicious donuts under a slightly different name - The Vandalia Co. 



Right now, they're still in a soft opening phase where there is no dine-in and they're open Thursday through Saturday 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Expanded hours and a new menu is coming this summer. 



When I visited, there were three donut flavors: The Number 42 - Scratch-made buttermilk donut rolled in cinnamon sugar. Why the name? It took 42 tries to get it right. 



Hummingbird Cake Donut - The Number 42 with pineapple, whipped cream cheese, toasted pecan, and coconut drizzled with salted caramel banana cream sauce.



Nutella Crunch - The Number 42 topped with whipped Nutella cream, drizzled with Nutella ganache and sprinkled with toasted hazelnuts. 

I think you can tell from the photos alone that these were dee-lish-ous. But the 42 is just a classic and it's the basis for all their specialty ones. The hummingbird just screamed spring to me. And the Nutella? *chef's kiss* - so good. I already can't wait for the next specialty flavors - and to just hang out here.



EDIT 11/06/21: I finally was able to enjoy some of the lunch items they have - like this greek salad grain bowl. It was SO good. It had couscous, kalamata olives, cucumbers, spring mix, hummus, taziki, pita, a delicious lemon vinaigrette, tomatoes and feta. It was full of texture and flavor and so, so good.



Grade: A

The Cardinal Market in the Grand Central Mall in Vienna hosts a variety of local artisans, crafters, and business owners who sell their wares in this space. 



There are a bunch of West Virginia-themed gifts, as well as some tasty goodies, too!



Now, you know I can't get enough of West Virginia goodies. Take a look at these cute notecards! 



I also purchased some woodsy-scented candles. Mmm.



And I feel like bar soaps are becoming so popular. I know they've become like an artisan good, but I didn't realize that many folks actually used bar soap! 



I digress. Let's talk about some of the tasty treats you can get here, like Tiff's Magical Cookie Creations.  My cookie from here was so cute and tasty! 



Then, there is also Granny's Kitchen fudge, which I've written about before. It's so good.



And, there are some other odds and ends from Ohio, like Mrs. Miller's and Jason & Mary's. What have you purchased from here?

Coffee roasters are few and far between in West Virginia, so I'm always very excited when a new one pops up - wherever it may be! 



Sibling Coffee Roasters is located in Charles Town, though I first ordered coffee beans from them when they were located in Summit Point before the official opening of the coffee shop. 



The shop is centrally located right downtown, and it is absolutely adorable. A chalkboard displays the large menu of flavors. The walls are exposed brick, and they even have a nice selection of breads, pastries and other goodies. 



When I visited, it was cool outside, so a hot English Toffee Caramel latte sounded like perfection to me. And, wow, what a good choice it was. Of course, it was on the sweeter side, which is just what I like. It was delicious.



They also had quiche available, which is one of my favorite. breakfast options. It was a chorizo and cheddar, and it was a bit sharp for my taste, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. 



Next time, I definitely want to try some of those hot chocolate bombs. Yum!



Or one of the muffins. Because everything I've had has been tasty.



Have you been here yet?



Grade: B

Here's my latest column for the Charleston Gazette-Mail.

West Virginia may not have an official state food, but we do have an official state insect: the honeybee.

In addition to pollinating many of the state’s important fruits, vegetables and grasses, the honeybee produces flavorful honey, which has played a role in many culinary communities — including in Appalachia.

Early European settlers would use honey as a sweetener before commercial sugar was easy to come by, and mountain farmers have continued the long-standing tradition of Appalachian apiculture, crafting delicious varietals like tulip poplar, clover and sourwood.

“Central Appalachia is an ideal location for natural beekeeping. The abundance of diverse forest and undeveloped land in our region helps keep our bees healthy. Our native Appalachian forests host an abundance of nectar-rich species such as tulip poplar, black locust, sourwood, and wildflowers,” according to the Appalachian Bee Collective, a project of the nonprofit Appalachian Headwaters. Headwaters’ primary focus is on ecological restoration and environmental education.

“Most agricultural land is devoted to livestock, meaning that much of the area is covered [in] excellent bee forage, like clover. We have minimal agricultural crops to contribute to the range [of] synthetic chemicals other bees often endure.”

The hospitable environment lends itself to an increasing number of folks keeping bees — many as a second career — to use honey at home, gift it to friends or even sell it locally. This honey can be substituted for sugar in many recipes and the shining star in others, like honey-glazed carrots, spoonbread or apple dumplings.

Though honey has been important in Appalachia for centuries, it’s not the only region where it has played an important role. Honey has been depicted in European cave drawings, appears in the Bible and was even used as currency for ancient Romans.

But, like many other aspects of life, Appalachia remains innovative in its use of ingredients and utilizing what’s available from the land. Or, in this case, what’s available from the hive.

One thing is for sure: It sure makes mountain life a little sweeter.