Mountaineer Food Bank hosted a soup crawl downtown on Saturday. Fife Street Brewing served as the host business, where attendees purchased tickets (6 for $10), as well as tried their first samples. Fife pulled put all the stops with four different soups, as well as chili from the soon-to-be Ursus Brewery. Why It Matters: All proceeds support Mountaineer Food Bank’s mission to end hunger. By participating, you’re helping feed our neighbors and strengthen our community, one bowl at a time. Fife Street Brewing - tomato, gumbo with shrimp, jalapeno popper with chicken & beef stroganoff Ursus Brew Works (served at Fife) - chili Black Sheep Burrito - creamy pierogi with chicken Sam's Uptown Cafe & Bar - lobster bisque Pies & Pints - orzo wedding soup Ellen's Homemade Ice Cream - tomato bisque Taylor Books - broccoli & cheese

In my quest to visit all of the national parks, I took a cruise to Hawaii to knock off two parks. Why a cruise? 1) You can pay on it over time. This took me a while to save up for. And 2) we are able to visit several islands. There are 7 main inhabited islans, and we started at Maui. Maui is home to Haleakala National Park, as well as Iao Valley State Monument. Both were stunning.



We started in Kahului and we visited the Maui Tropical Plantation in Waikapu, which is a farm-centric destination that features a few different businesses.



We had lunch at Cafe O'lei at the Plantation, where we enjoyed "Huli Huli" Style chicken - bone-in chicken, sweet soy glaze, asian namasu fried rice and local farm vegetables. I think I could live on food like this.



It's the sweet and sticky and a little spicy that does it for me. The meat itself is tender and juicy, with a gentle umami depth from the soy and a hint of brightness from citrus. Overall, it’s rich, sticky, and perfectly balanced between sweet and savory with a touch of smoke.



Outside of the restaurant is The Country Market, which features tons of locally made goodies - including from Kumu Farms and Maui 'Oma Coffee Roasting Company.



I picked up some chocolate dipped pineapple from Kumu Farms.



And, I took home some macadamia nut brittle from Hawaiian Heritage Farms, as well.



The Country Market Coffee Shop serves baked goods, fruit, smoothies, etc.



I enjoyed the "Kumu Sunrise" with orange juice, apple, banana, sunrise papaya, mango and pineapple.



After the first leg of my adventure in Maui, I took an uber to Tin Roof. Tin Roof Maui is a casual lunch shop by Chef Sheldon Simeon in Kahalui, Maui. Dishes include mochiko chicken, poke bowl and pork belly.



Sheldon had two James Beard Award nominations in 2011: “Rising Star Chef of the Year” and “Best New Restaurant,” as well as Food & Wine's "People's Choice Best New Chef" and StarChefs's Hawaii Rising Star Concept Chef award in 2012. Sheldon competed in both the 10th and 14th seasons of Bravo’s “Top Chef,” winning Fan Favorite both times. In 2016, he opened Tin Roof.



It's a to-go only window, and I placed an order for the Mochiko Chicken. Mochiko Chicken: The #1 seller, featuring chicken marinated in ginger-sake-shoyu, fried, and topped with miso sauce, gochujang aioli, and furikake. All washed down with Waiakea Hawaiian Volcanic Water.



My final stop in Maui was Mama's Fish House, a world famous restaurant on Maui's North Shore, featuring Hawaiian fish brought in daily by fishermen.



The restaurant was founded in 1973 by the Christenson family after years sailing the South Pacific, bringing their love of Polynesian food and culture to the area. The restaurant’s name honors “Mama Doris,” and its early success came from serving fresh local fish at a time when tourists were unfamiliar with how delicious local seafood could be.



The menu focuses on today’s catch, with fish delivered daily by local fishermen who often have their name and catch location printed on the menu. Common fish include mahi-mahi, ono (wahoo), opakapaka (Hawaiian snapper), ʻahi (yellowfin tuna), papio (goatfish), and moi — all served within 24 hours of being caught.



To start off the meal they served a complimentary small cup of tomato ginger bisque.



A small, poppy seeded loaf of wheat bread was also served to the table. It was soft, slightly sweet and served with butter.



I ordered the Hawaiian Kanpachi with Crab & Lobster in a Macadamia Nut Crust - sustainably caught off the coast of Kailua-Kona near Keahole Point.



Sweet, buttery crab and lobster are tucked inside tender Hawaiian kanpachi, whose clean, ocean-fresh flavor stays light and delicate. The macadamia nut crust adds a toasted, slightly sweet crunch that contrasts beautifully with the flaky fish and rich shellfish.



Grade: A

"At The Caboose, we embrace the spirit of community and exceptional dining. Nestled in Clarksburg, West Virginia, our story is rooted in delivering warm hospitality alongside a menu brimming with Italian-inspired flavors ... We take pride in offering a welcoming atmosphere, complete with outdoor seating and a full bar, making it perfect for family outings or group gatherings." The train-themed restaurant has changed ownership over the years -- and even locations. And currently, it features many recipes from the manager's mother. The menu features hoagies loaded with fillings, fresh salads, wings, pasta, pizza and more. Plus brunch, drinks and kids' meals. We started with some bread and butter. Warming it up would have made this 1,000 times more enticing. Or any blend of garlic and herbs. So, it was OK as is. The house salad consisted of red onion, tomato, mozzarella and chickpeas? Basic, but fresh. I ordered the cheese sacchetti - Pasta purses filled with a blend of 6 cheeses, topped with marinara sauce. I am always happy with pasta. I gladly gobbled this down. The level of acid in this marinara was fairly high, so I definitely felt it later. A touch of sweetness or creaminess would have put it into my personal favorites territory. Grade: B

Luigi’s is a family-friendly Italian restaurant in Milton, known for classic Italian fare at reasonable prices. It’s a casual dine-in or takeout spot where locals go for hearty pastas, pizzas, subs and more. This is the first Luigi's location I have visited, though there are now 2 additional ones in Huntington. There was a simple, but clean, dining area. I was just passing through, so I chose to place a takeout order. I started with a small house salad with French dressing - my favorite. it had a healthy base of lettuce, and was topped with green pepper, banana pepper, red onion, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, tons of mozzarella cheese and croutons. it was a really solid start to the meal. For my entrée, I chose stuffed shells with marinara sauce. This dish was good - it was baked so there was a layer of melted mozzarella cheese over everything. The stuffed shells did get a bit dried out, but they were swimming in a pool of sauce, which helped balance it a bit. Some more seasoning in the filling would've taken this over the top. Grade: B

Charleston Restaurant Week is one of my favorite times of year. Twenty-one restaurants this year served 3 courses ranging from $25 to $62. I couldn't help myself from trying a new place every night, so here are my adventures from the week. Where did you go? BRICKS & BARRELS
$45 | 1214 Smith St. | 681-265-9222 First Course
Lasagna noodle soup with a creamy marinara base, lasagna noodles, ground beef, Italian herbs, ricotta and mozzarella Main Course
CAB Prime filet medallions topped with cowboy butter and served with creamy four-cheese mashed potatoes and broccolini Dessert
Butter pecan cake featuring rich vanilla butter cake with toasted pecans, layered with silky buttercream frosting and finished with a rich caramel drip

Other options included: Appetizer - Jumbo jerk shrimp served with our housemade signature sauce; Entree - Chicken carbonara with Parmesan-encrusted chicken over angel hair pasta tossed in a house-made Parmesan cream sauce, finished with bacon crumbles; Dessert - Classic New York-style cheesecake topped with your choice of chocolate, caramel or strawberry drizzle PAULIE'S FINE ITALIAN
$40 | 915 Bridge Rd. | 681-205-2210 First Course
Meatballs with polenta and tomato gravy Main Course
Sunday Ribbons with beef gravy, pappardelle pasta and Parmesan Dessert
Cannoli chips and dip with sweet ricotta and chocolate chips

Other options included: Appetizer - Paulie’s Caesar with parmesan, tomato and pangrattato; Entree - Lobster and bowties pasta with sherry cream, tarragon and breadcrumbs; Dessert - Tiramisu cheesecake with espresso, mascarpone and ladyfingers FAZIO'S
$45 | 1008 Bullitt St. | 304-344-3071 First Course
Lasagna bites featuring signature lasagna, breaded and deep-fried and served with homemade marinara Main Course
Combination of baked manicotti and cannelloni topped with fresh meat sauce and mozzarella cheese, served with Italian house salad Dessert
Traditional Italian tiramisu topped with housemade berry compote

Other options included: Appetizer - Italian sausage-stuffed banana peppers smothered in fresh meat sauce and mozzarella cheese; Entree - Cheese-stuffed tortellini with choice of meat sauce, marinara or cream sauce, served with Italian house salad; Dessert - Cannolis made fresh in house with traditional Italian ingredients THE BUCKET AT EAGLE VIEW
$30 | 530 Silver Maple Ridge | 304-935-5717 First Course
Classic WV-style pepperoni roll, halved and served warm with marinara for dipping Main Course
The Bucket Burger, featuring a juicy house-ground beef patty topped with your choice of fixings, served with chips Dessert
Sweet Bucket Balls, featuring deep-fried dough balls coated in powdered sugar

Other options included: Appetizer - Burning couch bites, featuring stuffed, crispy, fiery bite-sized stuffed jalapenos; Entree - 12 crispy wings tossed in your choice of sauce; Dessert - Sweet Gauley Fries, featuring crispy sweet potato fries dusted with cinnamon sugar and served with a side of warm caramel dipping sauce RISTORANTE ABRUZZI
$45 | 601 Morris St. | 681-265-3756 First Course
Braised short rib raviolo with Hernshaw Farms mushroom demi-glace and salt-cured egg yolk Main Course
Veal Milanese with olive oil potatoes, broccolini and San Marzano tomatoes Dessert
Blood orange panna cotta with almond and candied blood orange

Other options included: Appetizer - Cesare Sulla Neve with kale, Caesar dressing, Pecorino Romano and pangrattato; Entree - Rainbow trout with lemon dill linguine and asparagus; Dessert - Chocolate olive oil cake with espresso and Chantilly SOHO'S AT CAPITOL MARKET
$49 | 800 Smith St. | 304-720-7646 First Course
Gnocchi stuffed with creamy truffle Main Course
Airline chicken breast stuffed with spinach, sundried tomatoes and Boursin cheese, topped with a chicken demi and served with green beans, tomatoes and whipped potatoes Dessert
Limoncello Tartufo, a frozen dessert with a heart of limoncello covered with lemon meringue cream

Other options included: Appetizer - Cucumber salad in an edible bowl made of sliced cucumbers served with fresh tender greens, toasted almonds, watermelon, goat cheese and tomatoes; Entree - Seared rack of lamb served with mushroom risotto, green beans and tomatoes; Dessert - Chocolate mousse cake on top of a buttery Oreo cookie crumb crust SAM'S UPTOWN CAFE
$45 | 28 Capitol St. | 304-346-6222 First Course
- Crab salad nachos with pineapple-papaya pico, avocado crema, frisee slaw and smoked butter snow
- Duck sausage on bone marrow crostini with brie, caramelized onion and balsamic glaze Main Course
- Chicken thigh and corn cake with shitake spinach beurre blanc, whipped rutabega, honey-glazed baby carrots and corn brittle
- Surf and turf with a proprietary blend of elk meatball, Kobe beef and Berkshire pork cheek served with a potato cake, fried oyster and eggplant croutons, all on a bed of rich vodka sauce
Dessert
- Maple crème brulee with stewed apples, candied pecan granola and cinnamon Chantilly
- Milk chocolate terrine with Grand Marnier sauce, buttercream, shortbread crumble and toasted coconut flakes