China House in Huntington is a bit nondescript, aside from the large letters outside the strip mall space. 



They offer a buffet, but I went ahead and placed a to-go order while passing through the area. 



I ordered a whole bunch of things to try - let's check them out. 



They were out of the "chicken balls," which I was excited to try. But, the other things were all pretty tasty. 



Thankfully, my boyfriend helped me finish off these items.



The eggroll was pretty average - a lot of filler, not a ton of flavor. Lots of cabbage.



The honey chicken - one of my favs - was a bit chewier than my preference, but the sauce was sweet and a bit tangy. 



The crab cheese rangoons were good - a bit lighter in color than typical. Not a deep rich, golden fried color. 



Finally, we had lobster fried rice. I really enjoy a fresh fried rice, but often when ordering it, it's fried in old oil and just permeates the entire dish. This was somewhere inbetween that. Not bad, but a bit heavy on the oil flavor. 

Grade: B

I will always have a soft spot for the Morgantown Farmers Market. I think the way in which they support local farmers and local food is so important.



Another market has popped up in Star City. I don't know that I would label it a farmers market, but there are various food products I wanted to be sure to check out.



Honeycomb Farms 
This is a small scale farm that raises pasture raised pork and poultry, harvests honey, and prepares locally sourced freeze-fried foods for long term storage and snacking.



I saw a strawberry shortcake ice cream bar, which was one of my favorites growing up. So it was fun to see it randomly dehydrated - along with a ton of other snacks. Why? I don't really know, but it's interesting.



Curbside Concoctions
This mobile food truck offers a variety of crepes - sweet or savory.



The one that caught my eye was s'mores. I love s'mores anything - so why not a crepe?



It was a bit messy, but topped with enough chocolate, anything can be tasty. It got a little soggy on me kinda fast, but it wasn't bad overall. 



Sinful Delights - Cheesecake on a Stick
Take a frozen piece of cheesecake. Top it in something sweet and sticky. Then roll it in some toppings. That's the concept here.



I went with a piece of cheesecake topped in caramel and rolled in cocoa krispies. 



There's really no way to go wrong with this. I do wish my cheesecake wasn't quite as cold as it was - it made it a little difficult to eat. And speaking of, the shape on a stick is a little awkward. 



Sonia's Best Ever Baklava
Who can really turn down baklava when it claims to be best? 



Sonia's Best Ever Baklava had really tasty looking baklava, so I definitely needed a container of those. 



She was also selling dolmades, which are stuffed grape leaves. The baklava was fantastic, though. Super soaked in delicious syrup. No dryness here.



Stray Cat Chimmi Shack
This spot has some delicious goodies.



They're cash only but have some of the most delicious chimmis! I went for a chicken one, which did take some time because they're made to order. A delicious crisp exterior, tender interior and acidic pickled radish and salsa to go with.



This was my favorite find of the day, by far. And, I've been stalking to them occasionally to see when they'll pop up again.



Here are some snaps of the other vendors available that day.

Leah Gore is one of the coolest people I know. Somewhere between the boundaries of art and food, Leah straddles that line with absolutely stunning and incredibly delicious edible art.



A few years ago, a mutual friend introduced us just before Leah was preparing to embark on a journey to the other side of the world. She had landed an internship at Noma 2.0, a two-star Michelin restaurant in Copenhagen, Denmark. It has been ranked as one of - if not the - best restaurant in the world.



Since then, I've kept up with her journey. She's a hustler. An inspiration. An Appalachian witch - a good one. And the most recent chapter in her story is the opening of "Jack," a cottage bakery in Milton. Named after her grandfather who had a bakery that burnt down, Jack is an homage. There are a number of sweets and breads that can be ordered and picked up over the weekend. I did just that - ordered one sweet and one bread and picked the first available time I could! 



After a quick trip to Milton, chatting with Leah and an impatient drive home, I dropped off my goodies on the countertop. This is the first time I've actually had the pleasure of enjoying Leah's food, so I couldn't wait. Above, you can see the gorgeous local fruit tart. I literally gasped aloud when I opened the box. It is absolutely stunning. And, it's uniquely custom: This one has pate sucree, almond frangipane, mutsu apple, caramelized apple butter and spruce fir glaze. It's one of the most beautiful things I've ever eaten. And it is absolutely delicious. The pate sucree is a slightly crisp, slightly crumbly crust that is sweet and serves as a perfect base for this bounty of paper-thin apple slices with just an ever-so-faint hint of herbal flavor. And the apple butter - goodness. A perfectly thick and sweet and refreshing glue to pull it all together.



And then there's the bread. The rosemary and onion focaccia is one of the best breads I've ever had. I had every intention of picking up a spread and enjoying this over the next couple days. Instead, picture me, taking a small taste. Then a handful. Then two handfuls. And just devouring most of this, standing over my kitchen counter. 



The focaccia had this beautiful sprinkling of crisp onions and rosemary. A beautifully open crumb with soft air pockets, drizzles of olive oil and flaky salt. Delicious flavor - a faint hint of sweetness from the onions and beautifully balanced. All throughout. My only regret is that I didn't order another. But, I plan to put another order in soon.



Grade: A

Thomas has a handful of really great eateries, so I was excited to add yet another to my list: Picnic in Thomas - a takeout taco shop with a big lawn. 



This spot is the last on the main stretch of town and shares a building with a lovely book store called Ghost Palace Books. 



After placing an order outside at the walk-up window, my friend Sam and I actually went inside to warm up and check out the books. Once our order was ready, they let us know in the book store and handed us our orders there.



I went with a carnitas taco, which was topped with avocado salsa, pickled slaw and queso fresco. Not only was it beautiful, but it was so tasty. It was creamy, funky, acidic and very flavorful. Refreshing but comforting - a difficult balance to strike. Next, I want to try the breakfast tacos! PS: Bring cash.



Grade: A

The Gino's location in Ripley looks a little different than most others - it more closely assembles a house with the siding and windows on top.



I placed an order for a calzone online and waited for a few minutes inside to pick up my order.  The interior, too, is fairly large with spaced out tables and chairs. And tons of wood - floors, paneling, tables - that make it feel warm and cozy inside.



The calzone at Gino's is one of my favorite options, but at this location, it unfortunately got a little soggy at the bottom. Whether that's because all the sauce was placed in one area or there was simply too much, the marinara sauce did not do this calzone any favors. The dough that still retained its shape was delish, though, and topped with some parmesan.

Grade: B