Posts by Candace Nelson
Morgantown Chef Makes High-End Flavors Available to Everyone
What do you get when you cross a classic New England-style lobster roll with a West Virginia-style hot dog? A lobster dog. Handcrafted by Chef Chris McDonald at Von Blaze, the lobster dog is made with fresh lobster and shrimp sausage, napa cabbage slaw, brown butter mayo, and fingerling potato chips on a toasted New…
Read MoreDon’t Call It a Comeback: WV Chef Nourishes Community with Homemade Food
Italian food plays a large role in West Virginia’s culinary makeup – with red sauce, meatballs and pasta making frequent appearances on menus across the state. But, Chef Tim Urbanic takes those flavors to a different level. Urbanic, who operates Bop & Nana’s Bakery and Catering with wife Melody, is known for embracing his Italian-Appalachian…
Read MoreWanderlust Chef Returns to Roots in Appalachia
vag·a·bond /ˈvaɡəˌbänd/ noun a person who wanders from place to place without a home or job. For Matt Welsch, the word “vagabond” helps define his wandering spirit. When he began traveling the country via motorcycle, eating his way through cities and documenting his experiences, he dubbed himself “The Vagabond Chef.” And while Welsch has since…
Read MoreSpill the Tea: Appalachian Tea Is One of West Virginia’s Only Tea Rooms
When you think of a tea room, you might think of well-to-do women in pearls and large floppy hats sipping from antique china. But, there is much more to them than that. Tea rooms became popular in the 1900s when middle class women opened up a room in their home or garden for patrons to…
Read MoreNancy Bruns : Salt of the Earth
For Nancy Bruns, salt is life. It’s in her veins. It’s in her history. It’s in her land. The J.Q. Dickinson Salt-Works co-founder has made it her livelihood — and her legacy. Located in Malden, West Virginia, J.Q. Dickinson Salt-Works harvests all-natural salt by hand from a 400-million-year-old ancient ocean trapped below the Appalachian Mountains. …
Read MoreMorgantown Chef Eschews Popular Food in Favor of ‘Real’ Food
You won’t find Chef Marion Ohlinger donning a toque blanche and playing top 40 music at his dinners. Instead, the Morgantown chef is more likely to be seen in a black chef’s coat with a red skull and crossbones on the chest. Punk rock music plays in the background. Stories about travel and culture and…
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