I am on a lifelong journey to help tell the stories of Appalachia through food. And there are a number of chefs doing incredible things to help elevate the reputation of Appalachian food. I stumbled upon one such chef recently: Travis Milton.



So, I made a day trip down to Bristol, Virginia, where he's currently cooking to get a taste of the food he's churning out. Nicewonder Farm & Vineyard is a beautiful property, with a tasting room, vineyard, yurts, and inn with Milton's restaurant, Hickory. 



"Hickory’s menu is inspired by Milton’s Appalachian heritage, culture, and traditions, and uses locally sourced produce to create the freshest and most unique flavors you have ever experienced. Food & Wine recently described it as “a culinary curriculum in the form of a menu and mission focused on one thing: honoring Appalachian food, and the diverse and dignified people who make it.” Hickory is showcasing the finest in Appalachian cuisine, in the most elegant of atmospheres. Whether seated in the main dining room, in the private dining room, or at the exclusive Chef’s Table you will be awed at the mastery of Chef Milton and his team. The vast bar offers the best in craft cocktails, local brews, and ciders, to enjoy before or after your meal, or treat yourself to a wine tasting in our 1700 bottle-capacity wine cellar boasting a curated wine collection, including Nicewonder Vineyards’ own award-winning wines," according to the website.



I made a reservation for the earliest dinner slot - 5 p.m. - so I would be able to drive back home at a reasonable hour. After parking, I descended the spiral staircase, which emptied me into the main dining area. 



It's a beautiful space - large, open dining space with exposed wood that gives way to a chef's table area. Not quite an open kitchen, but an open "finishing" area. The main bar also overlooks the pond and vineyards. 



After a little wait and back-and-forth, I was seated and presented with a menu. The online menu does not reflect the current offerings necessarily, but it gives an idea of what could be offered at any point in time. I'm not really sure the menu changes so often that they can't update it on the website, but many of the items were indeed the same.



First, I started off with a glass of wine; I'm at a winery after all. I went with the Viognier, because I don't think I've eve had that before: 2017 Nicewonder Vineyards Viognier - VA - Virginia - $35.00 / 750 mL Bottle. "There is a minerality to this wine, with flavors of white nectarine, honeysuckle, vanilla, and a hint of creamed asian pear. It is bold, light bodied and round with a long, clean, crisp floral finish. Pairs well with Ahi Tuna Niçoise, yellow curry coconut rice and Dover Sole Meunière. Alcohol 13.50%"



To me, it was a nice dry white that had a crispness to it that I enjoyed. Not sure it was the best pairing for what I went with, which was ... 



Whipped Spam - nori, miso pickles, yuzu hot sauce, fried saltines. I love how weird this is. Whipped spam is a weird texture for me - I prefer mine hard-fried. But, I appreciate the idea of trying to elevate this very humble food that has been a part of so many of our diets. 



It's kinda like an Appalachian pate. I liked the pickles for the acidic bite, with a touch of sweetness.



I also tried some cornbread and sorghum butter. The cornbread was a dark color, so I asked what the cornmeal was. The server said it depends and sometimes it's red or purple. It would have been great with a soup or stew.



I won't wade into the sugar or no sugar debate with cornbread, but I can definitely say this was more savory with giant flecks of salt.



For my main dish, I wen with a potato gnocchi with beech mushrooms and chanterelle mushrooms plus a ramp pesto.



This was so, so good. Those little supple gnocchi, earthy mushrooms, bright ramp sauce and fresh microgreens made this a delicious, well-rounded plate. 



Granted, this has a few of my favorite things all in one dish, so it was sort of made for me. I love these flavors and textures, and if anything, I just wish there was more.



So, after these courses, I was already pretty full. But when the server asked if I wanted to see a dessert menu, how could I say no? 



I ordered dessert to go. I opted for the Apple Stack Cake - vanilla chantilly, apple butter, oat streusel, apple syrup. 



I literally squealed when I got home and opened the container. It is the absolute cutest mini, personal apple stack cake. This is a traditional Appalachian dessert, and I've never had a mini one. Think of like a bunch of silver dollar pancakes layered with apple butter. It's dense and homey and filling and the perfect ending to an interesting and meaningful meal. 



Grade: A

My latest column for the Charleston Gazette-Mail:

Pickling is a favorite mountain culinary tradition because it seals up those bright flavors of summer to be enjoyed as sour snacks months later in the dead of winter.

Pickling is a method of preservation that works by anaerobic fermentation or immersion in vinegar. And everything from vegetables and fruits to meats and fish can be pickled.

Like many Appalachian foodways, pickling may have started as a means to survival, but it expanded beyond a necessity to a preference and has helped define the cuisine in many ways, along with drying, canning, curing and fermenting.

You may have enjoyed pickled cucumbers, pickled eggs, pickled beets, pickled okra, pickled cabbage, pickled green tomatoes or even pickled pigs feet.

There’s chow chow, which is a pickled relish. And then there are dilly beans. Dilly beans are pickled green beans. Why they’re not just called pickled green beans, I have no idea. But green beans in general have always been part of a mountain meal — whether they’re fresh from growing as part of the three sisters method or dried and strung on a thread as “leather britches” or “shuck beans.”

Dilly beans — and pickles in general — add a punch of sweet, hot, spicy or dill flavor to meals that may otherwise be one note. According to Mark Sohn in “Appalachian Home Cooking: History, Culture and Recipes,” pickling continues to be popular today because it adds intriguing flavors and textures to meals.

Pickling spice tends to be a favorite ingredient in the vinegar mixture, but so are allspice, bay leaves, cardamom, ginger, mustard seeds and peppercorns. But you can choose a number of different seasonings to flavor pickles to your personal preference. While pickling may have initially started as a means of survival to preserve food during harsh Appalachian winters, it has continued on due to its ease and ability to spice up dishes.

It has even become a hallmark of Appalachian cuisine, with pickled vegetables adorning appetizer trays and heavy meals for flavor. What is your favorite pickled food?

I like to collect at least one beverage from each West Virginia brewery, winery and distillery. You can see some new additions to my collection above: VicBobs, BootLeg Distilling and Devil’s Due. More on those later. But let’s talk about Blackthorn Estates - Lavender Syrup. I love that there are more lavender farms popping up; this one is in Pendleton County. This syrup can make for a nice, local WV cocktail. Any suggestions on how to use this lavender syrup?

El Capataz is located in Marmet and translates to "boss" or "foreman."



The Mexican Restaurant is fairly new, and seems to offer familiar dishes: burritos, quesadillas, enchiladas, fajitas and list of specialty dinners.



The building has seen some wear and tear in its day and has scant decor. But I was only inside for several minutes before collecting my meal that I called in and heading home. 



First, let's start with some chips and salsa. Decent. Add in an order of queso? Amazing.



I ordered camarones al mojo de ajo, which is shrimp and mushrooms sauteed in wine, butter, lemon, spices and garlic sauce cooked to perfection and served with rice. If there was a buttery wine sauce, it got soaked up somewhere along the way. Nothing a dash of queso can't fix. It definitely made for a heartier dish, but tasty nonetheless.



I also ordered especial la casa - two burritos filled with beef or chicken topped with cheese sauce with rice. We opted for chicken and split these. I would not have hated a bit more filling within the burritos, but, again, covered in cheese - what's not to like?



We finished with cheesecake chimi that is just the definition of sinful: fried, sweet, covered in sprinkles and whipped cream.



It is just downright, straightforward indulgent and tasty. Much like most of the meal, you could feed me a piece of cheese, and I'll be happy. Does it make for a unique experience? No - but does it really need to? It was enjoyable and that was enough for me on this day.



Grade: B

Char House on the Boulevard is a Wheeling restaurant - well, just outside of Wheeling - that has a certain charm to it. It's a little removed from the hustle and bustle and there are some small touches that make it a bit unique.



For example, they have a lovely outdoor area dotted with string lights and trees wrapped in lights. It's like a high-end tree house that if it were warmer, I would have opted to sit outside.



Instead, my parents and I went inside to grab a bite to eat. And, as soon as you walk in, there's a little shop area that has products for sale - both from the restaurant and from other producers.



The restaurant itself has some modern touches with its lighting - but still comfy.



And look how cute that happy couple is. But let's get down to business. 



I started with a caprese salad with steak. Fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, and balsamic drizzle. This was delicious - I love a good caprese. And balsamic with steak? Love. 



I also had a bowl of soup that I enjoyed and a sandwich called The Smoky Peach.



The sandwich included Char House smoked sliced turkey, brie cheese, crispy onions, smothered with Peach jam on a brioche bun. 



A few things would have made this sandwich better for me - like 5x the amount of peach jam, crispier onions and hunks of turkey. It wasn't bad, but I do think there's room for improvement.



My parents tried the fish sandwiches, which they seemed to like OK enough. Next time, I'd like to try a steak, but gotta get there around dinner time for that one.



Grade: B