"Situated smack-dab in the middle of 'downtown' Pioche’s Main Street, the family-run Historic Silver Café has been filling the bellies of locals and visitors alike with hearty breakfasts, lunches, and dinners for more than a century. And after a day exploring eastern Nevada parks and wandering through the Wild Western past of 'Nevada’s Liveliest Ghost Town,' that’s exactly what you’re going to deserve," reads the Travel Nevada website.



Classic diner fare fills the menu here: french toast, omelets, country fried steaks, breakfast burritos, burgers, pulled pork sandwiches, ribeye steaks, pizzas and fried sides.



I ordered the Meatball Sub - Homemade Meatballs and Marinara Sauce on a toasted French Roll topped with Mozzarella and Parmesan Cheese. AND a side of fried mushrooms.



This sub is a monster of a sandwich. The roll is toasted hard, and the hearty meatballs are in a chunky sauce. I typically like meatballs ground a bit smoother and same for the sauce. I'll take all that cheese, though, all day, every day.

The side of fried mushrooms were more rustic, with the frying a bit uneven and in need of some salt. Overall, a standard diner with homestyle favorites.



Grade: B

Ephen Tacos was a last-minute dinner decision while traveling through the area. It was getting late; it was dark, and I remember struggling to find a parking space to fit our RV. We parked in a nearby lot and walked over. From here on, the main thing I remember is the overwhelming stench of cat pee. It may have been from the lot and stuck to our shoes when we went inside the restaurant. But we carried it with us throughout the experience.



The dining area in the restaurant itself was fairly small and the menu a bit nebulous - "smoked fusion artistic gourmet, smoked meat tacos, housemade salsas and sauces."



I had a burrito with pulled pork and macaroni and cheese. I did enjoy it, though I wish there was a crunchy element to it. And I had a few concerns about the cleanliness inside, which dropped the overall experience score for me a bit.



Grade: C

Cambodia is a southeast Asian country that borders Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. If you're like me, you may not be familiar with Cambodian cuisine, so I took to Wikipedia for a briefing:



"The cuisine of Cambodia contains tropical fruits, soups and noodles. Key ingredients are kaffir lime, lemon grass, garlic, fish sauce, soy sauce, tamarind, ginger, oyster sauce, coconut milk and black pepper. Some delicacies are num banhchok, fish amok and aping. The country also boasts various distinct local street foods," the website reads.



While passing through Eureka, California, on a national parks road trip, my friends and I stopped at Annie's Cambodian Cuisine and were excited to try this new-to-us cuisine.



I started with a strawberry smoothie with tapioca boba. It was just like a strawberry milkshake and boba tea had a baby with all the best features of each. I also ordered Annie's Cheese Puffs, which are wonton wrappers filled with cream cheese and green onion, fried to a golden brown and served with housemade sweet and sour sauce. These were essentially like the crab rangoons that I order anywhere I can. And yes, the fried cream cheese is as delicious as ever.



I ordered pad thai with shrimp, which is rice noodles stir fried with egg, bean sprouts, lime and peanuts in a peanut sauce. This is one of my favorite dishes of all time, and this version is a great example. It was moist and flavorful and had some nice variation in texture.



Grade: A

Dan the Baker is a small toast bar in Columbus.



"Dan Riesenberger produces world-renowned sourdough breads using time-honored practices and honest ingredients with great integrity, right here in Columbus! His products are available in some of the best grocers and restaurants in the city," reads his Facebook.

His website continues: Dan the Baker's artisan breads are deftly created from 100% organic grains, using the ancient method of sourdough fermentation. For most of our breads, we use only our wild leaven to raise the dough. This time-honored technique imparts a beautiful complexity and savor to our bread, and yields easily digestible loaves.

Dan the Baker's breads are baked directly on our Italian oven's radiant stone hearth and develop a deep, flavorful crust. We are inspired to use many unique whole grain combinations, some of which are 100% whole grain pan loaves, (rye, whole spelt) and additions of sprouted whole grains (millet, quinoa, buckwheat and oats, to name a few.)

Dan has a passion to source as many locally cultivated ingredients from small purveyors whenever possible. We believe that in order to make the best, most nutritious food available, one must start with the best possible ingredients.

Dan the Baker's breads and pastries are a reflection of this philosophy: from the stone-ground Ohio whole wheat flour to seasonally gathered local fruits and vegetables, to locally grown herbs and mushrooms, each ingredient has been carefully chosen with this in mind.



I left with two pastries, which were simple yet tasty and artfully executed. Not overly sweet or out of the ordinary. But solidly good.

Grade: B

Booktenders is a funky bookshop in Barboursville that also boasts a coffee and drink counter. Cappuccinos, lattes, etc., are all available - though vanilla is the only flavor option.



I did a iced latte with vanilla, which was simple. I do love having a coffee option in the middle of a bookstore because it gives all the cozy ~vibes~. While more options would be nice, this was just fine.



Grade: B