This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
Tip: Ask for a room facing the river like I did.


As I register at the desk, throngs of Garth fans line up behind me. I’ll meet scores of them on this trip while relax- ing at the Recovery Sports Bar - the hotel’s lobby bar, which becomes ground zero for concert-goers and roadies alike. That first night the bar keeps filling up long into the wee hours (Shh - don’t tell anyone, but Garth and Trisha are staying at my hotel!).


I dine that evening at Lola’s, a quaint art-laden cottage serving artisan pizzas, salads along with craft beers and interesting wines. The co-owner, Will, comes to the table and says hello as he expounds upon his city’s culinary cul- ture. No, Charleston is not yet Portland, Oregon or even Charleston, SC when it comes to its raging food and bev- erage scene - but it is certainly on its way.


In fact, I begin to discover “The Hip” part, while “Historic” and “Almost Heaven” is emanating, in part, from the youth- ful restaurant, food truck, independent brewing and hard cider business operators who are all buzzing with business here. Charleston, WV, like its counterpart south in SC, is fast-becoming a foodie mecca.


Mark my words: Appalachian cuisine is about to have a national moment. Hearty stews and chili’s, onion-y ramps, cornbread; braised game meats - they’re coming to your city (by way of central and southern WV) soon!


The next morning I’m at Taylor Books, an independent bookstore teeming with business, and so centrally located


Dish from the Bluegrass Kitchen in Charleston


it’s considered the unofficial hub of the city (yes, a success- ful independent bookstore - remember those?).


I meet Alisa Bailey from Visit Charleston (the CVB) and we grab a couple cups of hot Joe and peruse the aisles. Along with sharing her passion for her small city’s many offerings, Alisa also expounds upon its plethora of outdoor attrac- tions, such as white water rafting, rock climbing, hunting, fishing and hiking.


“You’re really in for a treat” she shares with me. “Do you like salt?”


Nancy Bruns can say that she and her brother, Lewis Payne, have salt in their blood. As seventh-generation salt miners and co-operators of J.Q. Dickinson Salt Works, the duo hand cultivate top-quality artisanal salts from their ancestors’ natural sourcing salt works just outside the city in a scenic valley along the Kanawha River. We sample the purest white salt imaginable along with the gourmet saline delights of Applewood smoked salt.


This is the finest quality product being sold anywhere, and it’s served at some of the best restaurants in the country, including Talula’s Table in Kennett Square, PA - one of my own state’s top dining experiences.


At J.Q. Dickinson I learn two important lessons: 1. The story of West Virginia coal mining history is derived from the search for salt (while digging for the latter, the moun- taineers first discovered the former, unexpectedly); and 2. Salt mines are, in reality, salt beds. Water is pumped into these beds and then extracted out of the earth. Salt crystals form as the water dissolves.


Lunch Time!


Alisa takes me to Tricky Fish, a boxy green urban beach shack serving yummy tacos, cold beers and frozen cocktails. Surfboards and colorfully- slangy signs line the walls at this casu- al outpost from local restaurateurs Jonathan and Keeley Steele.


The duo, who are considered to be at the vanguard of the city’s foodie scene, also run Bluegrass Kitchen, which is just across the street from Tricky Fish. The latter, with its funky art lined red brick walls, is a hipster-y warren; a solo guitarist folks-out in one dining room as I enjoy the tastiest shrimp and grits I’ve had since, well - since my last trip down south to Charleston, SC.


68 January  February 2017


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76