Great Harvest Bakery is a franchise bakery & cafe that has recently expanded to The Mountain State - in Bridgeport and Elkins.



"For over 30 years we have been using long, traditional methods of baking to create breads that are truly one-of-a-kind, simple, wholesome, and delicious. Bread. The way it ought to be ... We still fresh mill our 100% whole grain flour every day. Baking from scratch was the norm for our parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and so forth. Bread. The way it ought to be ... Our wholesome sandwiches are layered with premium, nutritious ingredients between fresh baked bread. Sandwiches where the outside is as good as the inside! Bread. The way it ought to be."



The fast-casual cafe features sandwiches and salads, as well as breads, muffins, rolls, scones and the like. It reminds me of a more country-style Panera Bread with the agriculture-focused decor and menu items.



I visited around lunchtime, so I perused items like the Cubano, Roasted Pepper Chipotle Cheesesteak and the Spicy Apple Bacon Grilled Cheese before ultimately deciding on the Italian with genoa salami, smoked ham, roasted red pepper, black olive tapenade, provolone cheese, red wine vinaigrette, lettuce, tomato and onion on Farmhouse White Bread.



I gotta say - I was pretty happy with this sandwich. It was piled high with those classic Italian deli meats that when paired with fresh veggies and a nice, acidic vinaigrette, it is *chef's kiss*. Fresh, but flavorful.



I also snuck a butterscotch and coconut blondie type situation that was dang good. Sweet, but not too sweet. A little crunch, a little bitter. I appreciated the well-roundedness.



Grade: A

Samurai Hibachi & Sushi in Ripley is a Japanese and Asian fusion restaurant that runs the gamut of offerings - from teriyaki and bento boxes to ramen and poke.



The space is one that has seen many restaurants come and go. But it's easy to find with plenty of parking. Inside, it is not unlike other similar restaurants in the area. Bar seating, high-tops and red/black hues dominate:



I ordered Cheese Wonton (5), Lava Drops, Chicken Teriyaki and Strawbery Thai Boba.



These lava drops were pretty tasty bites of deep-fried sushi with spicy mayo and eel sauce on top. A nice combo of salty/sweet.



The teriyaki left a bit to be desired. I think the sauce could be more viscous so it could adhere to the chicken. Plus, a few gristley pieces turned me off.



Wontons were decent (but could have used more filling), as was the strawberry boba. The ginger salad is always a no for me. What's your favorite item?



Grade: B

Captain Richard's, also known as Captain's Quarters, is a bar & grill in New Martinsville with a firefighter theme that extends from its logo to its decor.



The restaurant features specials frequently, but standard menu items include burgers, steaks and a number of other comfort food clasics.



I ordered the meatloaf, which was so dry that it seemed like it sat under a heat lamp for far too long. The potatoes were nice with the piped filling. They could have used more seasoning, though. The mac & cheese was OK. Overall, I think the offerings were fairly middle-of-the-road.

Grade: C

Sweet Cow is a small-batch ice cream shop in the Denver area; I visited the Stanley Marketplace location in Aurora to try out their locally sourced, handscooped ice cream.



"At Sweet Cow we churn small batch handcrafted ice cream that tastes simply moolicious! We focus on creating a neighborhood space where memories are made, lives are celebrated and humans connect with one another. We are Colorado proud, from the majestic flatirons of Boulder to the mirrored skyscrapers of Denver and beyond. Swing by and experience the best homemade ice cream in Colorado," reads the website.



With two dozen choices for flavors, I honed in on rich, luxurious options like butter pecan and caramel latte. I can't remember which I settled on, but I remember the velvety texture of the ice cream was dreamy. The consistency was thick, which made it feel very artisanal.



And next time, I definitely want to try the ice cream in a sandwich, as opposed to just a scoop. But that's not all - sundaes, milkshakes, root beer floats, ice cream cakes, and even pies.



Grade: A

I fell deeply in love with Mexican fruit cups while visiting Arizona. And, the place that introduced me to them was Realeza Michoacana. Side note: Many businesses in the area are named similarly; "Michoacana" means someone or something from the state of Michoacán in western Mexico.



"At what is arguably the ice palace of Phoenix, there are frozen treats available in enough varieties and flavors to ensure that every child and adult will find a tasty way to beat the heat. The homemade paletas are made with fresh fruit, like the coconut packed with shavings, lime-infused mango chili, cantaloupe, strawberry, and 'cocktail,' which tastes like a margarita. If you’d rather use a spoon to eat your icy snack, try a raspado full of shaved ice, fruit, and flavored syrups. The Diabilito is a spicy-sweet drink jazzed up with chile powder, saladitos (salted plums), lime juice, hot sauce, and a chile tamarind candy swizzle stick. If you want a more American-style dessert, Realeza Michoacana also has pastries, fruit cocktails, and fourteen flavors of ice cream. This family-owned sweet shop is located along 16th Street in Central Phoenix, a hub for great Mexican eateries. After lunch or dinner, don’t forget to stop here for dessert," reads the Phoenix New Times.



Mexican fruit cups are essentially spears of fresh tropical fruit that have been topped with lime juice, chamoy and Tajin (chili lime salt). The result is a sweet but spicy and tangy snack that is beyond craveable.



It is so well balanced between the sweetness and the spice that it makes the whole snack so satisfying. The juiciness, the sticky sweetness, but then there's a zing that tempers it a bit and adds a new layer. At least, that was my experience at this lovely shop in Phoenix. I've since tried to recreat the fruit cup at home in a similar manner with limited success.



What's your favorite summer dessert?



Grade: A