Oh, DiCarlo's. Best dang pizza in the world.



I went to visit one of the newest locations - in the Northern Panhandle - on one of the last snows of the year and I've been avoiding writing about it because I miss it so much.



If you're new here, DiCarlo's is an Ohio Valley-style pizza that has a crunchy crust and a sweeter sauce that is baked, and when that comes out, provolone is gently melted on top. I've been to every DiCarlo's location now, and there are some very mild differences between the locations. You can look back through the reviews to check those out. But also - I just like to have an excuse to eat more DiCarlo's, so I travel.



This location is in a shopping area, so parking is plentiful, and it has a more modern vibe in a small space. The menu is short - pizza, pepperoni rolls and drinks. That's fine by me. I put in an order for six pieces (usually the amount that fits in a box) with mushrooms. 



Oh my god. Is your mouth watering, too? The parking, the space, it's all a distant memory when the pizza is in front of me. Sure, the experience was fine. But this PIZZA. It's perfectly crunchy - but not too thick. It has sauce all the way to the edges so you get a full bite every time. And that fresh cheese. All paired with the umami flavor of the mushrooms? Chef's kiss. Perfection.



Grade: A

Can a college town ever have enough pizza places? I'm not sure they can. Huntington added one more to its list with the addition of Pizza 314 on Camden Road. One major plus in the time of COVID-19 is having a pick-up window. So not only could I just swing through to pick up a pizza on my way back to Charleston - but I could do so with the least amount of human contact (tbh this would be my preference always).



I called in an order for a personal pizza with mushrooms and cheesesticks. The pizza was pretty standard. The sauce was a little on the sweeter side, and they got a nice golden brown on the crust. The same can't be said for the cheesesticks though - they could definitely use some more color to get that toasty flavor. 



Overall, not bad but nothing to write home about. But maybe another visit is in order.

Grade: C

Southside Sliders, a Huntington-based food truck that serves up delicious mini burgers and sandwiches, recently introduced a twin food truck serving up cold sandwiches and ice cream: Southside Scoops. 



If you know me, you know ice cream is like my one true love. It can solve most of the world's problems. As I was snooping around on their Facebook schedule, I saw that both trucks were scheduled to be outside St. Francis Hospital in Charleston, so I marked it down on my calendar to check it out. 



When I arrived, I saw that the Scoops truck was out of commission - I guess it must have had some issue. But the door was closed, and a sign said to order next door at the Sliders truck. Luckily, they were still offering some of the goodies from the Scoops truck. 



It must've been a difficult morning for the crew, as they were a bit frazzled to make food from the Scoops truck and had to ask the owner on how to make certain items (which, to be honest, made me a bit worried) - but the worries were for naught. I got the Huntington Ham ($7.50), which has honey ham topped with a cream cheese and pepper jelly spread and arugula salad. A former coworker introduced me to crackers with cream cheese and hot pepper jelly - I'm not sure why I never thought to put it on a sandwich before because it was delicious. It was sweet, creamy, tangy, perfection.



Plus, I got a scoop of chocolate-peanut butter ice cream and a scoop of cherry cordial ice cream. I'm not sure if these are made in-house, but I know they were a perfect refreshing bite on a hot date. The chocolate had these ribbons of peanut butter weaved throughout. And the cherry was fruity yet rich. All in all, a really delish meal.



Grade: A

The Juice Box just opened in Hurricane and is serving up juices, smoothies, acai bowls and more. 



I just so happened to stumble upon their grand opening weekend when I saw a sign on the interstate exit. It's something new for the area, so I was excited to check it out.



The space isn't huge, but there is a little seating, counter area and refrigerated juices. The juice cleanses and super healthy smoothies aren't necessarily my thing, but those smoothies were calling my name.




When I saw the tropical smoothie had banana, pineapple, mango and coconut milk, I knew it would be perfect for a warm day. 



And, I was right. It was cold and sweet - but not too sweet. It was refreshing and didn't make me feel too guilty - like a DQ blizzard might. 



Either way, whichever your preference, I'm sure you can find something here to enjoy.



Have you been?

Here is this month's J.Q. Dickinson Appalachian Mercantile subscription box! Let's see what goodies we got:



Epic Pickles - Sweetness Pickles: This pickle chip is sweet, not syrupy - with a touch of onion. And known to disappear before they get home. Nice! From York, Pennsylvania. Net wt 16 oz

Brownwood Farms - Bacon Ketchup with Bourbon: Made in Athens, Ohio this ketchup is made with real applewood-smoked bacon and a splash of bourbon. The bacon gives this ketchup a smoky flavor that makes a strong pairing with everything from fries to meatloaf. 14 fl oz

Base Camp Printing - Wild Strawberry Notebook: From Base Camp Printing Company in Charleston, WV. This wild strawberry notebook is perfect for journaling, sketching, or taking just daily notes. 40 pages 8"x 5"

Keep Well - Rosemary Soap: With many friends: cattle farmers, butcher shops, that have too much beef tallow! We like to close open loops, so we take their tallow and turn it into soap. Lightly scented with rosemary. Strong cleaning power from the tallow, moisturizing balance from the sunflower oil. The tallow used in all of our soap is from fully pastured, grass-fed, and local cows. The sunflower oil is from Susquehanna Mills. From York, Pennsylvania. 8 fl oz

Mud & Maker - Tiny Tumbler: Made in Pottsville, Pennsylvania with a cute bee. Great for a shot glass, qtips, toothpicks, tweezers, air plants and more.. there really isn't anything you can't use these little guys for. Also makes a great "mommy-pot" for all of the wildflowers and dandelions kids gather.

Lindera Farms - Tomato Salt: Tasting Notes: Smokey, savory, complex, it's BBQ in salt form! Notes of tomato, peppers, applewood and hickory all come through with this incredibly potent finishing salt. Usage: Anything where you'd like a touch of smoke and complexity is going to be a great fit for this salt; working exceptionally well with red meat, pork, and is a great add on for grilling and BBQ