A pepperoni roll bar is quite possibly the best idea for a restaurant ever. I kid, but I do think it's a clever concept, and I was excited to see it play out at a local establishment in Morgantown.



Almost Heaven Kettle Corn & The Pepperoni Roll Bar is a combination kettle corn and pepperoni roll bar all in one, plus ice cream and hot dogs. It's like one of those choose-your-own-adventure books in restaurant form.



On the kettle corn side, there are a half dozen or so different flavors, like sweet and salty, movie style butter, caramel, heavenly cheddar, and chocolate caramel.



On The Pepperoni Roll Bar, they serve three types of pepperoni rolls: plain, provolone cheese, and pepper jack.



Topping options include: OLIVERIO'S MILD PEPPERS, OLIVERIO'S MEDIUM HOT PEPPERS, OLIVERIO'S HOT PEPPERS, MILD CHILI, HOT CHILI, TOSTITOS QUESO CHEESE, MARINARA SAUCE, BANANA PEPPERS AND JALAPENO PEPPERS



I ordered a pepperoni roll with pepperjack, chili, nacho cheese - like a chili cheese pepperoni roll. Overall, this was a pretty solid pepperoni roll. I wish there were some creative toppings like pimento cheese or crispy garlic or hot honey or something a bit more over the top. But I think this is a good start.



Grade: B

Here is my latest column for the Charleston Gazette-Mail:

The quintessential Christmas cookie tray often includes peanut butter blossoms with the Hershey Kiss in the center, classic sugar cookies in the shape of trees and bells and maybe some peanut brittle for a mix of sweet and salty.

Peanut brittle is a smooth, flat candy broken into shards with peanuts embedded inside. It is buttery, crunchy, nutty – and will add some West Virginia folklore flare to your platter.

Much like how folk heroes Johnny Appleseed planted apple trees down the coast and John Henry raced a steam-powered drill, Tony Beaver – a giant lumberjack who lived in the mountains of West Virginia – brought us peanut brittle.

Tony Beaver’s adventures were created by the West Virginia “woodhicks,” a common term for loggers in the state from 1880 to 1920, according to e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia Online, when they would try to out-lie each other during evenings in the logging camps.

Known as a cousin to Paul Bunyan, Tony Beaver was said to have been born regular-size but grew to 18 feet tall and operated a lumbering camp up on the mountain on the mythical “Eel River.” He was friends with two giant oxen, Hannibal and Goliath, invented both clothespins and match sticks, and grew jumbo-sized watermelons and peanuts.

During one particularly rainy summer, the Eel River rose to alarming heights, and the village people begged Tony Beaver to save their town from flooding. He loaded his giant peanuts into wagons and instructed the townspeople to shell and toss them into the river, while his logging crew dumped barrels of molasses into the water to slow it down. As the river churned and toiled the peanuts and molasses, it created a thick, golden brown sludge that hardened, creating a dam and halting the rising river.

After the weather returned to normal, Tony Beaver took a giant ax to the dam, shattering it into shards and creating the world’s first peanut brittle candy that the villagers exclaimed was “dam good.”

Another common origin story is one of a southern cook who, while making taffy, accidentally added baking soda instead of cream of tartar, creating the hard, brittle structure instead of a stretchy taffy one.

Regardless of how the confection arrived in the region, peanut brittle rose to popularity in the 19th century and gained traction in the American south where peanuts helped make the dessert versatile and affordable.

Made from sugar, peanuts, and a touch of baking soda that is carefully boiled, stirred and poured onto a cool slab, peanut brittle helps tell a story of resourcefulness.

In Appalachia, where families rely on locally sourced ingredients and creative cooking methods, peanut brittle quickly found a home. The candy’s long shelf life made it ideal for preserving a sweet treat during leaner months, and its simple preparation ensured it could be made even in kitchens with modest resources. By the 20th century, peanut brittle had become a hallmark of Appalachian kitchens, with recipes passed down through generations.

Recipes are frequently handwritten on stained recipe cards or remembered by heart, ensuring that the candy remains a link to past generations. Each bite carries with it the flavors of tradition and the pride of preserving a regional favorite.

Peanut brittle embodies the region’s ingenuity, using simple ingredients to create something delightful. It connects people to their past, with each recipe telling a story of family, tradition, and community - perfect for the holidays.

The Schoolhouse Hotel is a very lovely boutique hotel and restaurant located in White Sulphur Springs.



The hotel is the former historic WSS High School and now features 30 guest rooms, plus some extras, including a rooftop bar - which I was fortunate to visit on a sunny, breezy day.



While the restaurant offers a full-service dining experience, the rooftop bar is more snacks, drinks and small plates.



The Rooftop menu consists of oysters, salads, sushi rolls, a burger, sandwich, and wrap.



It's not often that you find sushi outside of a dedicated Asian restaurant, so I figured that would be perfect for a rooftop dining on a warm day.



I just did the California roll, which had crab, cucumber, avocado, and a mayo cream sauce.



Very simple, but fresh and tasty. that's part of the beauty of sushi, but I would've loved a creative, flavorful punch here too.



Overall, a lovely view and a tasty meal.



Grade: B

Tipsy Teeze is a new bar & grill along Cheat Road, which has been the location of many previous bars & grills. The country music-themed restaurant has rustic decor and even offers line dancing every Wednesday. My friend Kayla and I met up for a snack. The menu has a long list of sandwiches, flatbreads and fried apps. I ordered the Crispy Pizza Roll, which has sliced pepperoni, pizza sauce, mozzarella & provolone in a crispy shell with marinara or garlic parm. What I got was a fried pepperoni eggroll. Not much cheese or sauce inside, so it was pretty greasy. It was served with ranch, but I did ask for marinara, so that helped with the pizza flavor. I did get a side of macaroni & cheese, which I really enjoyed. It reminded me of a Hamburger Helper mac, which is to say there was a good bit of concentrated flavor. In the best way possible. Grade: B

Carlo's Pizza & More is a new restaurant in Morgantown in the Chelsea Square area. This plaza - and specifically this restaurant location - was home to one of my favorite all-time restaurants at one point. So, I was excited to check out this new place and see if it holds a candle to a past favorite. The interior is fairly small – some older Italian-themed decor and placemats. The lightbulbs were flickering in the fixtures. Music played in the background. The menu features pizza and sandwiches, as well as some pasta and specialty dishes. We started with some fresh breadsticks and olive oil with balsamic. These were warm and in a fun little cylindrical shape. The oil mixture is simple, but flavorful. I then had a salad that had more onions on it than I've ever had on a salad before. The French dressing was very creamy, almost 1000 Island-esque. And for my entree, I went with the pasta carbonara. This is one of my favorite dishes, so I may have built it up in my head a bit too much. But this one didn't quite hit the spot for me. It had that scrambled egg flavor instead of a silky, velvety cream sauce. Grade: C