Rocky Tops Pizza is a Wayne-based restaurant with additional locations in Barboursville and Kenova.

"Rocky Tops Pizza was established by the Akers family in Kenova in 1991. The small take-out pizza joint would quickly become a favorite in Wayne County. Today there are four locations serving up pizza with a thin, chewy crust and cheese sticks with a sweet dipping sauce," according to the newspaper.



I ordered the pepperoni rolls, which come with a sweet marinara sauce. An order came with eight small ball-sized pepperoni rolls that were in the shape of a knot.



These were a bit on the too-dark side for me. It dried them out too much, and the herbs and spices of the pepperoni weren't able to shine through.



Grade: C

I've been woring my way through Chinese–American take out restaurants in the Northern Panhandle for some time now. Whenever I go to visit my parents, I will often stop and grab lunch for us. I try to pick the new place each time, and it can't be too far away from home so that it doesn't get cold. That means I usually end up in the Moundsville-Wheeling area.



Such is the case with China Wok in the Bethlehem neighborhood of Wheeling. they offer the standard fare, including fried rice, lo mein, specialty chicken, beef, and pork dishes, and more. It also has the added benefit of online ordering, which makes it easier for me. I usually order a few different entrées; this time included General Tso's chicken, crab rangoons, peanut butter chicken, sesame chicken, and steamed veggies.



I would say everything was as expected. I liked that the peanut butter chicken was an option because I don't see that often, but it was a bit dry for my taste. I did enjoy the lo mein, which had some more moisture. Both of sesame chicken and General Tso's were pretty similar save for the sesame seed topping. A little sweet, a little stringy. My favorite bites, though, were are those bites of white rice drenched in the General Tso sauce.



Grade: B

I had the pleasure of dining at Thai Kitchen in Lewisburg recently, and if you'd like to, too, you better stop in this week before they are closed for good.



The restaurant offers a variety of dishes including dumplings, soups, noodle dishes, fried rice dishes and curry. They have a small dining area. Minimal decor. But big flavor.



I ordered one of my all-time favs: pad thai. It's a sweet and sour dish of rice noodles, shrimp, chicken, or tofu, peanuts, a scrambled egg and bean sprouts. Everything was fresh and flavorful. I could use fewer bean sprouts, but I did like the texture it added. A tasty meal that won't be around much longer.



Grade: A

Rolls on the River is a fun pepperoni roll & beer festival held for a good cause: to support Charleston Montessori School. It's an incredible event that brings together tons of pepperoni roll makers around the state (and pepperoni roll-themed vendors!), who bring samples for festival-goers to sample and crown a champion. I've been fortunate enough to serve as a judge for several years, and I always have a blast.



There were 20 total pepperoni roll vendors this year, which is impressive! There were a few I had never heard of, so I was especially excited to see what those were all about. Both the judge's choice and the people's choice was The Bucket, who boasts a deep-fried pepperoni roll with cheese, parmesan and a marinara dipping sauce.



And, I also took home a few souvenirs; there was some great merch from my friends at Parties & Peonies. 



And I can't forget Cerealsly Delicious, which made a pepperoni roll mix with combos, cheez-its, croutons, chex and more.
1. Nellie's Cookie Jar - some good layers of cheese in this one



2. Rose's Rolls - I liked that the whole roll was bite sized. And the dough was slightly sweet



3. G&G Heritage Farms - this was a large roll that was like ripped in half; this is like a whole meal kinda roll



4. Sugar Pie Bakery - unique in that it had some strong herbs and spices



5. Oh My Greens - the addition of pesto here was great



6. The Bucket - my favorite of the day between the nice crunch, cheese and marinara



7. Simply Sweet - SO much pepperoni in this one! 



8. Cafe Appalachia - this bite-sized guy had a nice herb coating on the exterior



9. The Pitch - this one came with a side of packaged marinara and a crispy exterior



10. Boys & Girls Club - this was a tasty homemade version; I don't mind a flat version that gets rid of all the excess puff



11. St. Timothy Lutheran - this one was pretty unique with bits of banana pepper ground in



12. Saving Thyme - just like a nice little dinner roll with pepperoni inside



13. Fat Albert's Pizza - this one was a little extra golden brown



14. Mardi Gras Casino -  this was our honorable mention with a good hunk of pepperoni, cheese and good bread



15. Willow Creek Cottage - this was so spicy; I was not prepared! 



16. Sweet Mama's Bakery - this was wrapped like a cinnamon roll and also one of my favs



17. Zul's -  the little bits of ground pepperoni totally sold me. More cheese to pepp ratio







18. DP Dough - this one was a little extra done



19. Mama A's Peppi Rolls -  really good herbs on the outside of this one







20. Daily Dose - check out the one at t he top of the plate here - a little mini swirly guy that was tasty

I'm always excited about new restaurant concepts, especially ones that are engaging. Whether that's hibachi, fondue, Korean BBQ or a golf simulator.



McMulligan's is a new-ish golf simulator in South Hills that also serves a menu of items like burgers, sandwiches, nachos and salads.



"McMulligan's is a golf-themed sports bar. The name combines the owner's last name "McMullen" and the golf term "mulligan". A mulligan is a second chance to perform an action, usually after the first chance went wrong through bad luck or a blunder. It's best-known use is in golf, as a reference to a player being informally allowed to replay a stroke, though it is against the formal rules of golf. The bar is named the 19th Hole, which is a slang term for a pub, bar, or restaurant on or near an 18-hole golf course. The four-leaf clover in the logo is for "luck," all golfers thrive on luck, and luck comes with preparation. The "M" within the clover utilizes golf clubs to represent the focus on golf. If you do not play golf, no worries, all eight TV's will always have sports on. Drinks and food are a bonus. Please come hang out, have some laughs, and kick back and relax."



While I think the golf is the main draw, I was just in it for the food. I ordered "THE MONEY SHOT" - Tender smoked pork slow cooked in our signature BBQ sauce served with a side of our delicious Betty's slaw and sliced sweet pickle, served on a buttery brioche bun.



This was pretty average to me. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't very memorable either. My friend Hannah did enjoy her nachos, but I was left a little underwhelmed. I think if it had some spice or sweetness or even just more sauce, it would give it some more flavor. Or, maybe I just ended up with a bit that didn't have all of the seasoning. Either way, it was average for me.



Grade: C