West Virginia’s 2nd Annual Juneteenth Farm to Table Dinner was a powerful celebration of freedom, heritage, and Appalachian pride. It featured:

Exclusive gift bags featuring products from West Virginia Black-owned businesses

Table games and community fellowship

Meet the farmers and makers, including:
Donnie Hairston
Dural Miller with KYFC
Linesha Frith
Micah Colbert with Shroom Traders
James Jones with The Saucepot
Chamear Triggs Davis with Mear Mae Meadows
Browntown Farms
Jackie Snowden with My Greens are Bomb

Live performance by West Virginia’s First Lady of Soul, Doris “Lady D” Fields

Cash bar provided by The Wine Shop Menu:
1st course
Fried Chicken Sandwich
Plantain Focaccia * Lions Mane Chicken Fried Mushroom * Jerk Slaw * House Pickles
served family style West Virginia Lavender Lemonade 2nd course
Melon Salad
Watermelon * Cucumber * Feta Crumble * Cherry Tomatoes* Pistachios * Mixed Greens * Lime Mint Vinaigrette 3rd course
Suya Grilled Lamb *Sweet Potato Mash * Stewed Collard Greens * Pepper Sauce 4th course Peach Cobbler Ice Cream Biscoff Cookie Crumble * Bourbon Infused Peaches * Toasted Pecans * Toasted Coconut Plus a little gift to go from The Stockpot, which makes hot sauces and seasonings.

ABDO Market is a grocery store in Morgantown featuring halal meat, products & even a restaurant in the back, Mountain Halal. Mountain Halal is open during the evenings and features gyros, grape leaves, falafel and shawarma. I just wanted a quick snack, so I opted for a four-piece vegetable samboosa and strawberry juice. Samboosa is a crispy, triangular pastry filled with spiced vegetables (or meat or cheese) and is either fried or baked. These were a little flaky and fairly flavorful. I would have loved a dipping sauce to bring some punchy flavor. The drink was lovely – fresh and just a bit sweet. Grade: B

Playa Bowls is a beach-themed restaurant chain known for its colorful and fruit-focused menu, featuring a variety of açai, pitaya, coconut, and green bowls topped with fresh fruits, granola, nut butters, and superfoods. Founded by surfers in New Jersey, the fast-casual restaurant channels a laid-back coastal vibe, offering smoothies, juices, and cold brew in addition to its signature bowls. It focuses on fresh ingredients that make up nutritious meals. While there are more than 300 locations, West Virginia just opened its first in Morgantown. And I, somehow, ended up there on opening day. I joined the long line, which gave me ample time to peruse the menu. There are a bunch of different options depending on what fruits you like, how healthy you wanna be and how much energy you're looking for. I ordered the Goldie Mango Bowl topped with blueberry flax granola, strawberry, banana and Nutella. This was delicious. I've never had puréed mango as the basis for a bowl before. There was enough texture, though, to make it not like a soup texture. Plus all of the fruit on top made it seem like I was eating a fruit salad. and the granola added much needed texture. I couldn't afford to make these a regular habit, but I sure would love to. Grade: A

Second Street Restaurant is a modern American bistro with rich and vibrant decor, al fresco dining on the patio with a fire pit and Koi pond. It gives upscale yet casual vibes.



Kayla and I were ready to chow down after a busy day. So, up first: an appetizer, followed by an entree. I was more excited by the descriptions, as the execution was more middling.



Fried Duck Rangoons: Duck Bacon, Cream Cheese & Corn inside a Crispy Wonton with Sweet Chili Sauce




Crab Piles: Duo of Jumbo Lump Blue Crab Piles/Smoked Gouda Grit Cake, Vegetable du Jour/Remoulade

Grade: B

The 2nd Annual Grafton Monster Festival was held this weekend to celebrate all things Grafton Monster, featuring movies, music, speakers, vendors, and more. I spent some time perusing trinkets and knickknacks before finding some tasty bites. Buds Freeze Dried Candy has "Candy, Snacks, Vegetable and Proteins for every customers needs." I took home some freeze-dried gummy bears, but I was intrigued by the vegetables, and they even have meat on their website. Sugar Wave Bakery brought some cookies, and I opted for a lemon one. Did anyone else attend? What did you think?