I've been to the Shape Shop in a few different iterations - from their now shuttered Morgantown location to their food truck and, most recently, their Charleston location.



The Shape Shop is a healthy cafe that focuses on Weight-Watcher and diabetes-friendly foods, along with their own signature treats, like the Dippy Do.

"The Dippy Do is a lowfat frozen confection. In other words, it's a sweet, rich ice cream dipped in a chocolate coating on a stick without all the fat or guilt! Handmade in Charleston, West Virginia, Millie invented the Dippy Do in 1981. It's was originally called the 'Dip Stick.' The name was changed in 1985 and the rest is history."



"Millie Snyder is an award-winning author, inspirational speaker, and entrepreneur. She has been positively impacting people’s lives for nearly fifty years with her message of healthy living. With her message, she provides the tools for living a longer, healthier life, which produces growth along the way to become the best you possible. From September 23, 1969 to July 15, 2013, Millie was the president and CEO of Weight Watchers in West Virginia. Throughout her presidency, Weight Watchers expanded to 51 of 55 counties in West Virginia, ten counties in Northeastern Tennessee, five counties in Ohio, and two counties in Kentucky. In 1976 she opened up the Shape Shop Cafe, serving healthy, fresh, never-processed foods and treats, catering to all those in pursuit of nutritious fare," according to the website.



I tried their chicken tzatziki wrap, which included chicken, kalamata olives, feta, spinach and tzatziki sauce on a spinach tortilla. Served with a side of chips.



This is one of the better meals I've had from the Shape Shop. I would've liked a creamier sauce and salt. Of course, these are things that would make the wrap less healthy. So, it's a trade. Maybe dresding the spinach in a healthy fat oil would've added some more flavor.



Overall, though, not bad.



Grade: B

The Lunchbox Food Truck is located primarily in North-Central West Virginia, and I was lucky to catch them at one of the last farmers markets of the season in Bridgeport. They offer a small variety of options, like smashburgers, chicken tacos, Filipino eggrolls, hand-cut fries and more. I ordered their "Street Cart Chicken & Rice," which had marinated chicken, yellow rice, yogurt sauce, lettuce, tomato and butter garlic naan. This was so flavorful; it might sound plain - but the seasonings and different textures made this an A+ in my book. The eggrolls were not as crispy as I would have preferred. But, flavor was still there. Grade: A

For about 20 years, the Red Carpet has been hosting "Soup Day." Held on the first Sunday in December, Soup Day consists of 20+ soups made by local professional and amateur chefs. Each bowl is $4, and there's a wide variety to choose from - including some you might not find anywhere else! I walked in aboit 15 minutes before the event was set to start (noon) and found a seat at the bar that had a sheet of paper that listed every soup available. I ticked off several soups before turning it over to the man in charge. I paid cash to him, but you can add it to your tab at the bar, too. They do take-out orders first, so I waited a while before I realized they don't call your name - they just stack them in a certain area. Mine were probably done for 20 minutes before I realized, so they weren't piping hot. Oh well. Here's what I got: Irish Stew Yugoslavian Fish Stew Italian Wedding Soup Matzo Ball Soup Shrimp Corn Chowder Pizza Soup Stuffed Pepper Soup

I've been eating soup all day! Which ones would you have selected?

Angie's What's Poppin' Shoppe is a Ripley-based popcorn shop that I caught out at a festival. They had a number of popcorn flavors available - from dill and cheddar to skittles and toffee. The flavor list is long and wide, and they hope to expand in the future.



I tried the garlic parmesan flavor, which was addictive. It was difficult to choose because there were so many options that sounded delicious. I would love to try a sweet version next. That might have to be when I go visit the physical location in Ripley.



Grade: A

Blanch's Family Diner in Clendenin serves up homestyle food in a simple, country-esque atmosphere.



"Blanch’s was a well known spot years ago in town for locals, and now, years later, Blanch Jones’ family has opened Blanch’s Family Dinner to re-live some of those childhood memories. Daughters Lynn Taylor and Diana Chandler have made it their mission to bring back some of those memories to pass on to their families. These ladies have taken pride in this diner, and you can tell in the way they speak about their mother that this will be a place where you can definitely come and enjoy a meal and leave feeling like family. There is thought in even the smallest details inside the diner, such as the red checkered curtain tie backs, representing their mother," according to the Clay County Free Press.



I ordered a crispy chicken melt, which came with ham, breaded chicken breast, ham, and mozzarella cheese. This is a really good start for a sandwich, but I needed a sauce to bring it home. The side of macaroni salad was good, though, and added that bit of moisture to the dish.



Grade: B