Holiday Village at Capitol Market was a lot of fun this year and featured themed foods each weekend. Not only were market vendors selling food, but Nellita's Cocina also served up her empanada specialties in alignment with the theme. Here are some of my tasty finds:

Latin Weekend

Cuban Nachos - Nachos topped with queso, chipotle mayo, salsa, ham and garnished with cilantro and dill pickles from Johnnies Fresh Meat Market.



Street Tacos - Complete with cilantro, onion, lime from Mea Cuppa



Sliders from Nellita's Cocina



German Weekend

Bratwurst - German bratwurst served with sauerkraut and potato salad from Johnnies Fresh Meat Market.



Empanada with kraut from Nellita's Cocina



More goodies from Nellita's Cocina



French Weekend

Croque Monsieur Bake - Hot sandwich made with ham and cheese and served with chips from Johnnies.



Ham & Cheese Croissant - With mixed green salad and lemon vinaigrette from Johnnies



Crepe Suzette from Mea Cuppa



Crepe with Strawberries & Cream from Mea Cuppa



Apple Pie Empanada from Nellita's Cocina



Raclette - Boiled potatoes, cornichons and melted cheese with toast.



Yum

Roasted Ice Cafe opened in the Bridgeport mall in 2022 before moving locations this past February. After just a month in the new location it closed permanently. Before they shuttered, I stopped by their mall location.



They had a large menu, which included everything from espresso and matcha to frappes and Italian soda. The ladder is not something I have seen very often in West Virginia, so it piqued my curiosity.



So, I ordered an Italian soda with strawberry and peach. They added whipped cream and a cherry on top, which made it feel extra special. but, I was handed a bit of a sticky mess. though, it was still pretty tasty. It's kinda like a soda, but it definitely feels lighter and fruitier. It was smooth and sweet.



Grade: B

Huntington is very good at confusing me with its Tex-Mex restaurants. There is El Ranchito, which I've never been to. And there is also Ranchito Bar & Grill, which I recently visited.



This particular restaurant has a bright, fun interior and quite a few interesting menu items - like taco de lengua, or steamed beef tongue. While I didn't go in that direction, I did order a few different things to sample.



I was excited to see Elote Mexicano - A traditional Mexican street food: A corn on the cob smothered in mayonnaise, grated cheese and chili powder. If you add mayo to anything, it's usually better.



But I also got the Esquites - Smoky, sweet, spicy and tangy esquites are the off-the cob version of elotes with mayonnaise, grated cheese, chili powder and a dash of lime. All the flavor, none of the mess.



I tried a single taco al pastor - grilled pork with pineapple & homemade marinated salsa. The salty/sweet combo is always a win for me.



Finally, we split some TAQUITOS MEXICANOS - Two beef and two chicken taquitos deep fried and topped with cheese dip. These ended up not being as crisp as I had hoped, but I'm always down to dip something in cheese dip.



I liked the variety here and some of the more unique offerings. I would like some even more punched up flavor. But, solid meal.



Grade: B

I recently stopped at the Great Chinese Buffet in Moundsville - but not for the buffet. Rather, I ordered takeout. Buffets are hard for me to swallow in a post-Covid world. But, I do love the variety you can get out of buffet.



I tried the General Tso's Shrimp, which is not something you see everywhere. I really like the idea of this because I'm not a huge fan of the quality of chicken in this particular dish, but the breading on the shrimp was just overwhelming. It was mostly soft breading covered in sauce, which made it soggy. There was virtually no actual shrimp.



Chicken with peanut sauce was interesting. It ate a little dry and slightly bland, but if the flavors were punched up, this would have been great.



The wontons may have been my favorite part of dinner; they are reliably crunchy and creamy at the same time. Plus, this is one of my favorite shapes because you get a ton of filling.



Grade: B

My quest to try all of the different Sam's Hot Dogs locations takes me to some interesting places – namely gas stations. To be fair, there are some gas stations that indeed have great food. So, off to Cross lanes, I ventured.



I ordered a hotdog with mild chili, mustard, onions and slaw on an English-style bun. A traditional West Virginia-style hotdog is not on an English style bun, but I find them to be one of life's little delights. how did this one stack up? I like onions, but this one had way too much. The chili and slaw are both fine, and the English bun may have been a bit too toasted. But all in all, a decent dog.



Grade: B