Here's my latest J.Q. Dickinson Appalachian Mercantile box. 

J.Q. Dickinson Salt-Works: Ramped Up Ranch - Our Salt-Works Spice Blends are the ideal kitchen helper and dish perfecter, created from our deep love of cooking. Available in 5 flavors Ramped Up Ranch, Appalachian Za'atar, Allegheny Herb & Citrus, Smoky Mountain Rub, Blue Ridge Bagel.

Bluestone Mountain Farm: Popping Corn - This is delicious popping corn grown by Bluestone Mountain Farm in Hinton, WV. It is an heirloom, hull-less, variety. Paired with our popcorn salt it makes a great snack!

Shagbark Mill: Organic Beans - Shagbark Seed & Mill is a cooperative that supports local organic grain and bean growers in eastern OH. These pinto and black beans are staples for the pantry. Grown in the Americas for more than 8000 years, Black Beans are at the heart of Indigenous Foodways in South America, Cuba, and Central America. They offer loads of protein, fiber, magnesium, and anti-oxidants to every meal. Ohio grown, certified organic, vegan.

Back Pocket Provisions: Bloody Mary Mix - Made by Back Pocket Provision from Virginia grown ingredients these Bloody Mary mixes will make your cocktails extra special. Available in two flavors. Bloody Brilliant is made with fresh pressed tomatoes, horseradish and Worcestershire. Bloody Blue Ridge made in partnership with our friends at The Shack and Catbird Sauce Co this mix is rich, spicy, and tangy with a ton of umami. Delicious!

ThomasWork: Cherry Spreader - This beautiful cherry spreader is the perfect match to our cherry butter dish but can also be used with cheeses. It will quickly become a favorite utensil in your kitchen. 7"

Creekside Farm: Goat Milk Soap - Krista Duval raises goats and chickens on her farm in eastern OH. She makes the goat milk soaps by a traditional cold press method with only the purest essential oils and botanicals. Four fragrances: Coriander Lime, Citrus Clove, Cedar Sage and Lavender Rosemary.

Stone Tower Brews is making waves.



From Buckhannon to Bridgeport and soon to Morgantown! They are expanding, and it's exciting to see. 



The Bridgeport location offers coffee, tea, breakfast, snacks, sandwiches, salads, tacos and specials. 



Their signature bright blue accent color was all over, and there was a ton of natural sunlight with those big windows. 



I ordered their crab cake sandwich special along with a Butter Beer Latte.



Both of these were great. The crab cake sandwich was on ciabatta with lettuce, tomato, and a mayo-based sauce that all just went together well. Plus, it was fresh and had lots of nice varied textures. It was just a solid meal.



The drink was also great. Sweet, light, but rich. And, of course, buttery. 



Grade: A

Pal's Sudden Service is fast food restaurant that does not operate in West Virginia, but there are some in the other Virginia. 



"Pal's Sudden Service is one of America's leading quick-service restaurant chains. Incredible food, lightning-fast drive thrus, and personalized service are what make a visit to a Pal's a one-of-a-kind experience.

The first restaurant chain in the country to earn the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, Pal’s and its 1,100 employees are solely dedicated to delighting you with every visit. Next time you’re hungry, try the Pal's experience."



This retro looking fast food joint has a bit of a cult following and serves breakfast, burgers, "frenchie fries," hot dogs, sandwiches and drinks. 



I started with a junior burger - an all-beef patty, mayo, lettuce, tomato and onion. Plus added cheese. There's also a SauceBurger, which has that patty but with Pal's signature sauce, which is like a little spicy ketchup, that I want to try next time. My junior burger was good - a better quality ground beef than I expected, which actually had some flavor.



Their "frenchie fries" come with a seasoning that is tasty. They also were a nice and pretty thin with a good bit of crisp. Maybe one of my favorite fast food fries. 



Finally, I had a Razzie Tea - raspberry + tea - to wash it all down. 

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