The Strip Market at Pittsburgh International Airport is basically a mini grab-and-go version of Pittsburgh’s Strip District. It’s post-security in the terminal near Concourse D/Level 3 and is designed like a small market rather than a traditional airport restaurant. The concept incorporates Pittsburgh-area products and vendors, with the design itself inspired by the Strip District’s industrial character. They offer snacks, treats and specialty goods from regional favorites like Betsy Ann Chocolates, Pittsburgh Pickle Company, Enrico Biscotti and Blume Honey Water. They also have freshly prepared sandwiches, wraps, salads, bakery items and coffee. I picked up a few small candies and snacks for the flight -- nothing major. Is it like the Strip District? In a sense, that you get a variety of things. But less character. Have you been? Grade: B

Noble Cafe & Bakery is a cafe and bakery located at 918 Chestnut Ridge Road in Morgantown, serving coffee, pastries, baked goods and other food items. The cafe was opened by Vince Duong and Huy Lam, with the owners describing the concept as a combination of craft drinks and pastries influenced by Vietnamese flavors, Portuguese baking and their personal experiences and travels. The interior is described as cozy and modern, with a bright, warm design intended to accommodate customers studying, meeting or stopping in for a drink. The menu includes coffee, tea, coconut drinks, refreshers, pastries, muffins, cookies, croissants, savory baked goods and desserts. The cherry pastry was light and sweet. My only qualm with pastries like this is that I wish the topping went edge to edge. The sparkling strawberry refresher was a carbonated strawberry drink that added a lighter, fruit-forward option alongside the bakery items. The ham and cheese croissant paired a flaky, layered croissant with a savory ham and cheese filling, making it one of the more substantial items in the bakery selection. The Dubai chocolate slice was by far the most indulgent item. Super rich and indulgent. Have you been? Grade: B

Mountain State Cakes Bakery is a bakery in Dunmore, West Virginia, with a little bit of everything from cookies and cupcakes to pepperoni rolls and other savory items. The bakery serves Dunmore as well as the surrounding areas, including Snowshoe and Green Bank, and offers custom cakes and cupcakes for weddings and special occasions. The bakery has a small, straightforward setup with display cases filled with freshly baked goods, including cakes, cookies and breads. The sweet selection includes cakes, cupcakes, cheesecakes, cookies, pies, donuts, scones and other baked desserts, with options that vary depending on what is available. On the savory side, the bakery offers pepperoni rolls, pizza rolls, chicken pot pies and other rotating items alongside its selection of breads and rolls. I went with a serving of cherry cheesecake, which had a creamy cheesecake base topped with cherry filling for a combination of tangy cream cheese and sweet fruit. The cherry topping added a bright, fruity contrast to the richer cheesecake underneath, while the slice itself had the dense, smooth texture expected from a baked cheesecake. Have you been? Grade: B

Sweet Charity returned to Charleston, bringing an evening of desserts, competition and plenty of sugar to Capitol Market.



Hosted by Faith in Action of the Greater Kanawha Valley, the event brought together nine local bakers and dessert makers, each serving up a signature creation for guests to sample. OBSCURA BAKERY
Mountain Mama | Sticky Toffee Pudding - Rich, coffee soaked date sponge baked with apples and warm spices, drenched in butter toffee sauce. Layered with a bright, tart cranberry raspberry compote and finished with a blackstrap molasses oat pecan crunch
EDGEWOOD SUMMIT
Dark chocolate & strawberry petit four
CAFE APPALACHIA
Appalachian Grape Jubilee | A farm-to-table dessert made with grapes from our own garden, slowly simmered into a sweet Appalachian celebration DELIGHTS BY DAVIS
Brownie with nuts and caramel BURTON'S BAKERY
Maple Bourbon, Pumpkin Spice & Oreo Cheesecake COCO'S KITCHEN & CAFE
Banoffee tiramisu with white mocha bala baiana
THE STONE KITCHEN BAKERY
Butter pecan cake with a butter pecan frosting topped with a caramel drizzle and a spiced candied pecan
RAINY DAY BAKES
Lemon Blueberry Pavlova - vanilla meringue, lemon curd, fresh cream & bueberry coulis GIRL SCOUTS OF BLACK DIAMOND COUNCIL
Lemon Blueberry Crumble featuring LemonUps Girl Scout Cookies

Stoked Coffee is a local coffee shop with locations in Parkersburg and Marietta, the latter of which I visited recently. The original is at 302 Pike St. and is the smaller, longtime Marietta location. It has an enormous selection of flavor combinations. Their signature is the Stoked Mocha, which combines espresso, milk, white chocolate and caramel, which I ordered hot. It’s definitely on the sweeter side, with the white chocolate and caramel giving it more of a dessert-coffee feel than a traditional mocha. The espresso still comes through, though, keeping it from tasting like straight-up melted candy. I paired it with a bagel, which came simply with a packet of cream cheese on the side. I promptly made a mess of trying to open the packet, so the most memorable part of the experience may have been cleaning cream cheese off everything. Grade: B