I recently discovered a small, but mighty, group of Al's New York Pizza loyalists.



Located in a Barboursville plaza, this restaurant was hard to catch while open.



But once I did,  I knew I had to try a straight-forward pizza. With mushrooms, of course. 



I can see why folks enjoy this pizza. They're pretty thin slices, a nice sweet sauce and a generous coating of cheese. I don't love the crunchy, dry crust at the edges, but I get the appeal. Overall, a pretty decent pizza that is maybe not my top, but I wouldn't be mad at it.

Grade: A

Christy's Creative Confections, located in Mullens, is a cute bakery that also serves up creative confections and food, as well. 



The corner shop is pretty large - with a long dining table down the center of the space, cases of goodies around the perimeter and some farmhouse chic decor sprinkled throughout. 



So let's start with the food side. They have a variety of sandwiches, salads and dinners - mostly Italian-inspired meals. 



On this day, I was just on the prowl for some sweets. 



They had some really tasty-looking options, like pineapple upside down cake and vanilla cupcakes.



I went with a piece of fruit pizza - one of my all-time favorite desserts. It's a sugar cookie essentially with fruit, and I just love it. 



And, the grand finale was this strawberry cheesecake cone that had a homemade waffle one, fresh strawberries and creamy cheesecake. Talk about a sugar bomb in a delicious, delicious way. 

Grade: A

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?