Food Guy: The Bucket, Kel's Tavern open; Sweet Charity, Taste of Appalachia take off

Known for a variety of bar-and-grill specialties — including award-winning chicken wings and gooey deep-fried pepperoni rolls — The Bucket is a locally-owned restaurant that opened back in October 2017. The new location promises the same casual fare and family vibe while also introducing a few new offerings.

“[The Bucket is] a place where neighbors can gather, share a laugh and feel at home," owners Chris and Jane Adkins said in a news release. "Opening a second location allows us to welcome not only our community here in West Virginia, but also new friends, travelers and passersby from elsewhere to come enjoy our Mountaineer hospitality."

Eagle View’s owners are happy about the addition as well.

“Their reputation for great food and genuine hospitality makes them the perfect addition," said Nathan Lutz, executive vice president of Mountain Creek Properties.

Those who haven’t been to The Bucket can look forward to a selection of traditional appetizers like nachos, tater tots, cheese sticks and “Burning Couch Bites� (bacon-wrapped jalapenos), along with a variety of salads, sandwiches, burgers, wraps and quesadillas.

And those deep-fried pepperoni rolls I mentioned? They’ve taken top prize at many a pepperoni roll contest around the region.

Renovations are in progress at Eagle View and the Adkinses hope to announce an opening date soon.

If you want to get a taste of what’s in store in the meantime, the original location in Dunbar is open from 11 a.m.-10 p.m. daily. The bar remains open until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Kel’s Tavern opens on West Side

After taking a few weeks to renovate the old Sergio’s Italian restaurant previously located there, Kel’s Tavern opened this week at 222 Washington St. W. on ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä’s West Side.

I always give restaurants a few weeks to work out the kinks before I pop in for a formal and objective review. I’ll do that in the upcoming weeks.

In the meantime, the restaurant’s current posted hours of operation are 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Tuesday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Friday-Saturday; and 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday.

Taste of Appalachia Thursday night

I hope to see many of you at Thursday’s Taste of Appalachia food showcase at J.Q. Dickinson Salt-Works in Malden.

The event will showcase Advantage Valley’s new Taste of Appalachia initiative, which is designed to support the growth and market expansion of local food producers. They’re doing so by promoting and selling eight specially curated gift sets featuring West Virginia-grown products from Boone, Cabell, Clay, Jackson, Kanawha, Lincoln, Mason, Putnam and Wayne counties.

In addition to encouraging the public to buy these sets as holiday gifts for friends and family, organizers also hope businesses, employers and other professional service organizations will consider purchasing them for more meaningful corporate gift-giving.

Gift sets range in price from $30-55 and can be purchased online at tasteofappalachia.com through Oct. 17. Attendees can sample products included in the sets and directly connect with the makers.

Chef Ke takes the cake at Sweet Charity

After a four-year absence, Sweet Charity dessert competition made a triumphant return to Capitol Market last week, with about 200 guests sampling desserts from nine different makers and bakers in the market’s outdoor pavilion.

The weather, music, treats and sips were all wonderful, but I want to give a special shout-out to the evening’s big winners.

Newcomer Rainy Day Bakes from Red House won “Best Presentation� with a vanilla honey cake layered with blackberry jam and topped with buttermilk frosting and fruit, with colorful flowers made from icing and edible dust.

Edgewood Country Club won “Most Creative� for a citrus cake dusted with crumbled honeycomb candy and served with a peach and pineapple compote.

And finally, Chef Ke from Miss Ruby’s Corner Market won “Best Taste� for a sticky toffee bread pudding with fruit compote that drew the same response from all three judges the moment we took our first bite: “Wow!�

The event raised more than $21,000 for Faith in Action of the Kanawha Valley, which provides transportation and support for the area’s elderly population.