Food
Sergio’s: Blending background experience working in Mexican and Italian restaurants, Sergio Lugo-Mata has created two successful brands
Sergio Lugo-Mata may not have trained professionally as a chef, but growing up in restaurants, he gained all the experience he needed to open three successful culinary businesses of his own. A bit unruly in his school days, whenever he’d get in trouble, Lugo-Mata says his mom would pick him…
Read MoreThyme well spent: Wheeling restaurant preps seasonal fall menu
What you see is a crisp, white menu embossed with the restaurant’s logo and dozens of dishes listing mouth-watering combinations of ingredients. What you don’t see is the chef’s countless hours of careful curation, meticulous editing of elements and the hundreds of recipes weeded out along the way to get…
Read MoreGustard’s Bistro: A Chef Returns Home to White Sulphur Springs
Nestled in downtown White Sulphur Springs, Gustard’s Bistro stands as a testament to Chef Stephen Gustard’s remarkable culinary odyssey. From his roots in Virginia Beach to his influential roles across West Virginia, Chef Gustard and his partner Delphine Houssin have crafted a bistro that combines their rich culinary experiences with…
Read MoreOne Sip at a Time: Freefolk Brewery Continues to be a Fayetteville Hotspot
Along the edges of the New River Gorge National Park, Freefolk Brewery has dedicated itself to crafting exceptional beer here in the Mountain State. Founded by the dynamic husband-and-wife duo Jeff and Sarah Edwards, Freefolk Brewery is more than just a brewing haven—it’s a celebration of Appalachian culture across its…
Read MoreHart of the Kitchen: Clarksburg Chef Crosses Road with New Restaurant
Which came first: the chicken or the egg? At Hart Kitchen in Clarksburg, it’s the “Deviled Eggs of the Moment” first as an appetizer and then the “Oven Roasted Half Chicken with pan sauce, herbs, roasted vegetables and mashed potatoes” second as an entree. The deviled eggs, which are hard-boiled…
Read MoreBon App-alachia: French Food and Wine Find Home in WV
White linens drape the tables, and champagne-filled flutes line the bar. Soft classical music plays in the background. The featured menu item of the day is escargot – cocoa and chamomile cure, plum compote, chamomile sauternes jelly and toasted brioche. But this isn’t Paris. Or Marseille. Or Nice. It is…
Read MoreHot Tamale: Chef Brings Authentic Flavors to the Mountains
Authentic tamales in the capital city of West Virginia might seem like a far-off dream for many, but Amanda Ivy has brought them to reality. Some tamale variations Ivy has offered include: Salvadoran chicken; chicken mole; green chile pork; pork chile verde; ham, greens and black-eyed pea cornmeal; chorizo pastor;…
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…
Read MoreOf Coffee and Community : The Story of Coal River Coffee
Driving west along the banks of the Kanawha River, you can’t help but admire the scenery. No, this wasn’t your plan for the day…getting rerouted off the interstate on your trip west to an afternoon meeting in Kentucky…but the blue skies and shimmering green waters of the river make it…
Read MoreSergio’s: Blending background experience working in Mexican and Italian restaurants, Sergio Lugo-Mata has created two successful brands
Sergio Lugo-Mata may not have trained professionally as a chef, but growing up in restaurants, he gained all the experience he needed to open three successful culinary businesses of his own. A bit unruly in his school days, whenever he’d get in trouble, Lugo-Mata says his mom would pick him…
Read MoreThyme well spent: Wheeling restaurant preps seasonal fall menu
What you see is a crisp, white menu embossed with the restaurant’s logo and dozens of dishes listing mouth-watering combinations of ingredients. What you don’t see is the chef’s countless hours of careful curation, meticulous editing of elements and the hundreds of recipes weeded out along the way to get…
Read MoreGustard’s Bistro: A Chef Returns Home to White Sulphur Springs
Nestled in downtown White Sulphur Springs, Gustard’s Bistro stands as a testament to Chef Stephen Gustard’s remarkable culinary odyssey. From his roots in Virginia Beach to his influential roles across West Virginia, Chef Gustard and his partner Delphine Houssin have crafted a bistro that combines their rich culinary experiences with…
Read MoreOne Sip at a Time: Freefolk Brewery Continues to be a Fayetteville Hotspot
Along the edges of the New River Gorge National Park, Freefolk Brewery has dedicated itself to crafting exceptional beer here in the Mountain State. Founded by the dynamic husband-and-wife duo Jeff and Sarah Edwards, Freefolk Brewery is more than just a brewing haven—it’s a celebration of Appalachian culture across its…
Read MoreHart of the Kitchen: Clarksburg Chef Crosses Road with New Restaurant
Which came first: the chicken or the egg? At Hart Kitchen in Clarksburg, it’s the “Deviled Eggs of the Moment” first as an appetizer and then the “Oven Roasted Half Chicken with pan sauce, herbs, roasted vegetables and mashed potatoes” second as an entree. The deviled eggs, which are hard-boiled…
Read MoreBon App-alachia: French Food and Wine Find Home in WV
White linens drape the tables, and champagne-filled flutes line the bar. Soft classical music plays in the background. The featured menu item of the day is escargot – cocoa and chamomile cure, plum compote, chamomile sauternes jelly and toasted brioche. But this isn’t Paris. Or Marseille. Or Nice. It is…
Read MoreHot Tamale: Chef Brings Authentic Flavors to the Mountains
Authentic tamales in the capital city of West Virginia might seem like a far-off dream for many, but Amanda Ivy has brought them to reality. Some tamale variations Ivy has offered include: Salvadoran chicken; chicken mole; green chile pork; pork chile verde; ham, greens and black-eyed pea cornmeal; chorizo pastor;…
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…
Read MoreOf Coffee and Community : The Story of Coal River Coffee
Driving west along the banks of the Kanawha River, you can’t help but admire the scenery. No, this wasn’t your plan for the day…getting rerouted off the interstate on your trip west to an afternoon meeting in Kentucky…but the blue skies and shimmering green waters of the river make it…
Read More