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

The best gifts don’t come wrapped in bows or bright gift bags. They don’t come from Amazon or Target. They don’t come with batteries or an extended life warranty.

They come enveloped in wax paper. Or a tupperware container. Or, in my case, a green tin with an illustration of a moose on the top.

Inside that tin were 10 thick squares of peanut butter fudge lovingly crafted by my sweet neighbor, Veda. Peanut butter fudge, to me, is a true gift in Appalachia because it takes hard work to create and happily fills your tummy - as well as your soul.

It’s sweet and comforting and everything good that makes you feel cozy. That may be why it is a common present for holidays or birthdays (mine is in just a few days - hello fellow Capricorns!) in the mountains.

According to Mark F. Sohn in “Appalachian Home Cooking: History, Culture, & Recipes,” peanut butter fudge is one of many defining foods of Appalachia.

In his list of 100 food items that are popular, have historic roots or elicit strong emotions in Appalachia, peanut butter fudge is in the top 25.

“These foods are of Appalachia not only because the region embraces them, but, more importantly, because Appalachians prepare them and recall them with joy. Of the foods listed below, some are symbolic while others are daily fare. Although food preparations have changed dramatically over the last 50 years, some elements of taste, styles of cooking, and cooking utensils persist causing traditional mountain foods to endure,” he writes.

Here is the top of Sohn’s list, with peanut butter fudge rounding out the first quarter.

First 10: bacon, biscuits and breakfast gravy, chicken ‘n’ dumplings, cornbread, coffee, fried potatoes, green beans, soup beans, stack cakes, vegetable soup.

Next 15: apple butter, chili, coleslaw, corn on the cob, deviled eggs, dumplings, fried apples, fried chicken, gingerbread, kraut and weiners, moonshine, peanut butter fudge, pork chops, sausage gravy, sweet potatoes.

While other areas of the world certainly make and enjoy fudge of all sorts, I think the tie is strong to our region because fudge requires few ingredients and can last for quite some time - even well past the holidays.

That’s why it is special. Each time I get a craving for a sweet treat, I can dip into my moose tin stash of peanut butter fudge and think of my sweet friend who spent an evening crafting this delight just for me. Thanks, Veda.

If I see an ice cream shop, there's a 110% chance I'm going to stop. That was the case when I drove by Coke & Float in Weston. 



When I walked up to the window, I had to take a minute to look over the two dozen laminated pieces of paper hung up displaying the menu.



So, they have some food - steak hoagies, french fries, onion rings, mozzarella sticks - but the majority are frozen treats. They have their "cyclones," which is soft serve with mix-ins. 



Typically, I'd go for that delish-sounding s'more sundae or turtle sundae, but the "Fruit Cup" stuck out to me with its three layers of pineapple, strawberry, blueberry, banana and whipped cream with ice cream. 



It was such a delicious, refreshing treat. And almost, almost could pretend it's healthy with all the fruit in there. But delicious, nonetheless.

Grade: A

Big Sandy Brewing Co. is a small brewpub in Bruceton Mills that I was just able to visit fairly recently. 



The local beer blog, Brilliant Stream, reported that they may be pausing brewing their own beer and instead shifting focus to a craft beer pub.



So, I am really thankful I was able to check out some of their own beers before the hiatus.



They had 8 taps, with one as a lemonade and one as a rootbeer when I visited. The remainder were the Big Sandy Brown Ale, the Semi-Serious IPA, the Tegerty Session IPA, the Pear-A-Lell Brew-Naverse, and the Pineapple Milkshake IPA, and a traditional lager. 



The pear beer won me over with its silly name and fun flavors. It was just a little sweet but refreshing. So good. That lemonade? Also so good. They also have a small food menu with some hoagies and fried apps. 



Apparently they sometimes have food trucks too, and live music. Have you checked out this brewpub?

Have you ever been to a Taco John's? If you haven't spent much time in the Midwest, there's a chance that you haven't. 



While traveling through Ohio, I found a Taco John's location. The Mexican-inspired fast food chain offers tacos, burritos, bowls, nachos and more - standard fare.



I ordered Mexican donut bites, which are little fried bits of dough with sugar - you can't really go wrong, right?



I also tried out a breakfast burrito. Pretty standard, run of the mill burrito with scrambled egg, cheese, potatoes, peppers and sausage. Warm, slightly mushy and pretty average. But, it does the job. 

Hangover BBQ has brought delicious BBQ to Wheeling.



"We are all about BBQ smoking all of our meats low and slow on our 500 gallon smoker. Offering southern cuisine, daily specials and some damn good BBQ. Dry rub only on the meats and homemade sauces on the side. We also have the best craft ice cream sandwiches in town thanks to Leona's. Plus Wheeling’s first Kombucha Bar provided by Neighborhood Kombuchery!" 



I was able to visit this great BBQ spot some time ago and was so excited to finally check it out. 



The restaurant was located upstairs, so I climbed up and looked over the menu once I got inside. They make homemade rubs and Texas-style BBQ.



I wanted to try something different, so I opted for bratwurst with macaroni & cheese and macaroni salad (give me all the macaroni!). 



I had the jalapeno cheddar bratwurst, which had some slight heat, but was not overpoweringly so. It was flavorful, and I tried it with all the different sauces they have.



Atomic 79 (spicy mustard), Appalachian (creamy horseradish), Pioneer (traditional BBQ), Apple Butter (sweet). I enjoyed all of these for different reasons - depending on the vessel. But I went for the pioneer primarily for this one.



The mac & cheese was pretty good, as was the macaroni salad. Love that slightly crisp browned edges of the macaroni that has been baked beautifully.



Something you don't see often: homemade noodles! Is there anything better than a thick, chewy noodle? I don't think so. These came with cabbage and potatoes, and it was glorious. It's hard to find good, homemade noodles, and these were just as good as the BBQ.



And, there was even dessert.



Leona's ice cream sandwiches, based in Pittsburgh, are stacked in a cooler off to the side.  They have quite a selection of artisan flavors. And s'mores are one of my favorite things of all time - so the "chocolate marshmallow/graham" was calling my name.



These are not tiny little desserts. It's a giant sandwich with a perfectly crumbly top and thick ice cream sandwiched between the two layers. It is so, so good. And just topped off the whole experience.

Grade: A