The Loopy Leaf is a vegan restaurant in downtown Charleston - and one of only a couple in the entire state. 



Let me first say that that alone is fantastic. It's great to have these options, and I'm all about variety. Of course, I'm not necessarily the target demographic. I am not a vegan, but I have nothing against vegan food and always willing to try something new. 



The menu is far from what you might expect from vegan food: cheesesteaks, bratwurst, burgers, crab cakes - of course with plant-based alternatives.



I ordered some mac & "cheese" and teriyaki sesame with purple cabbage, green onion, shredded carrot and greens. The mac & cheese wasn't the Kraft that I'm used to, but it was good as its own thing. It was hot and had a fluffy texture, which kind of reminded me of stuffing. That sounds strange, but I liked it.



The ramen was less of my jam. I should really try a different dish because the last time I had vegan ramen I also wasn't a huge fan. It just does not have the same flavors that I am used to. So, it's a little bit different for me to compare. But I have heard such good things about the burgers that I definitely need to try those. 



Give me your favorite dish here so I can try it out and add it in here. 



Grade: B

The Cocktail Bar in Parkersburg is a bit of an odd bird. At one point, this spot was a coffee bar, then they migrated to TCB, and now they're also The Cocktail Bar. 



There are neon signs, it's dark inside and a little loud too. It is kind of this weird combination of high-end and low-end. 



We started with buffalo chicken dip as an appetizer, which was decent but I wouldn't have minded more flavor and more punch.



For my main meal, I went with a steak, asparagus, and sweet potatoes on the side. That's actually not bad. It had much more flavor than the appetizer, and it was a nice portion. My only qualm was that it was a little over for my personal preference. But it was still pretty good.



I had to also try one of their cocktails, which was fun and certainly on the sweet side but I like them like that.



Grade: B

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

Locally grown and produced food is sometimes referred to as “slow food” — the very antithesis of fast food.

And, it doesn’t get much slower than molasses. Get it?

Molasses is a thick, dark, sweet syrup that is made from the leftovers of the sugar-making process. Juice is extracted from sugar cane and then boiled down until sugar crystals form, which are then removed to be used as sugar. The leftover syrup is liquid gold.

Until the late 19th century, molasses had been the most popular sweetener in cooking and baking in the United States due to its being far cheaper than sugar. But after World War l, refined sugar prices dropped drastically and resulted in a swift migration in consumer spending toward white sugar. Appalachia, though, oft remote and dedicated to traditions, likely held onto molasses making for far longer because it was more accessible and inexpensive.

“For hundreds of years, molasses was considered a poor substitute for sugar, and its pungent flavor was not thought to be suitable for the finer tables and more developed palates in the land,” writes Sidney Saylor Farr in “More Than Moonshine: Appalachian Recipes & Recollections.”

“The expense of sugar was not a deterrent to wealthy people, but people less affluent had to rely on other means of sweetening their food, such as using honey and molasses.” Sorghum has also historically been a popular sweetener in the region, and has a similar manufacturing process to molasses. It’s made from the sorghum plant, and while it is sometimes referred to as “sorghum molasses,” the origin plant (sugar cane vs. sorghum) is what differentiates the two syrups.

Molasses typically has a deeper, richer flavor with notes of sweet, burnt caramel. It gives gingerbread its characteristic flavor and color. It is also what takes white granulated sugar to brown sugar. That flavor lends itself to old-fashioned recipes, especially in baked goods that are popular around the holidays — spice cake, ginger cookies, fruit cake and more.

In cooking, molasses often plays a role in baked beans, pork dishes and more. So if you have any molasses left over after making those gingerbread houses and baked hams over the holidays, consider making use of it like our ancestors did when you find the need for a sweetener.

Riverside Cafe is a bar and grill in Winfield that I think most. would consider a dive. Kinda dark, kinda loud, filled with locals. 



I went with my friends Liz and Dwight; we pulled up these like Adirondack chairs that were more fun to lounge in than try to sit and eat. We were off in the newer section of the building, which was nicer, but loud and hard to get the attention of someone to serve us.



But when we did, I ordered the Riverside Sampler with hot pepper cheeseballs, pretzels with beer cheese, and bang bang shrimp - which were really just breaded cocktail shrimp.



I typically enjoy all these things individually, but they were pretty average individually. The shrimp were a bummer, and I typically like the cheese balls with a bit more heat. And the pretzels were fine - the beer cheese was average too. In general, I think the flavor could've been bumped up on all of these. But, not bad.
  
Grade: C

Coal River Coffee Company in St. Albans is more than a coffee shop; they're a community partner who is active, expansive and inclusive.



And beyond their main shop in St. Albans, they have a satellite location in South Charleston at the Tech Park, as well as a roving truck. I went to the Tech Park location a while ago to check it out.



I went with a campfire frappe, which had a coffee base with toasted marshmallow syrup, chocolate sauce, milk, and ice.



I also ordered an apple and gouda grilled cheese. I always love a really good grilled cheese; a good one is the ultimate comfort food. I had a grilled cheese - not this elevated - for breakfast many times.



Let's go with the drink - I think Coal River always has a more robust, strong flavor for their coffees, which I'm growing to enjoy. Of course, the frappuccino is going to be on the sweeter side, but this was actually pretty balanced for me.



The grilled cheese was great. Some tart sweetness, some creamy unctuousness from the cheese and the little texture bite from the apple made for a really solid lunch.



Have you been?



What's your favorite?



Grade: A