By Leslie Smithson | Categories: Food | 1 Comment on Coffee Anyone? Better Latte Than Never!
The first Starbucks may not have arrived in West Virginia’s capital city until 2004, but Charleston has made up for lost time.
Today, home-grown baristas at independent coffee shops scattered across the area grind out signature drinks that produce a buzz not only among local aficionados, but also from those visiting from cities much longer steeped in gourmet coffee traditions.
Mea Cuppa Coffeebar offers two locations – in Charleston’s Capitol Market and the West Side’s Elk City District. These self-described “friendly, independent coffee oases with a distinctly cosmopolitan vibe” draw a loyal crowd of early-morning and weekend regulars, plus offer a monthly list of imaginative seasonal drink selections to perk up interest.
It’s hard to identify the specialty of the house at Caffe Romeo, but Italian espresso in the Neapolitan tradition is certainly one of them. Located in a repurposed home in Charleston’s South Hills shopping district, Caffe Romeo is also well known for its wide variety of homemade gelatos and pastries imported from Italy.
Café Crema in Dunbar serves up everything from a plain ol’ cup o’ joe to espressos, frappes and fruit smoothies. Oatmeal, buttery grits and Liege waffles round out the breakfast menu, while a variety of sandwiches and salads complete your lunch and dinner options.
Locals flock to Starlings Coffee & Provisions on Charleston’s historic East End for a selection of organic coffees and teas. This funky, casual breakfast nook offers organic handmade bagels and pastries, including the locally famous and totally praise-worthy made-from-scratch English muffins. Starlings also serves lunch each weekday and brunch (with mimosas!) on the weekends.
By jdodd | Categories: Food, Things To Do | 4 Comments on Unknown Charleston
The inside track on where the locals go to experience the best sips and sounds in West Virginia
By Karisa Klee, FlirtingWithTheGlobe.com
“I love Charleston to a ridiculous degree,” Vas, a Charleston, West Virginia, local told me at Lola’s Pizza, where we met.
“Why?” I asked her as I shoveled another bite of delicious Thai chicken pizza into my mouth.
“If you have an idea here, you can make it happen.” Her smile widened as she explained the dynamics of Charleston’s culture to me. I left the restaurant with a sense of excitement for my weekend ahead. I felt inspired to experience the Charleston locals know and love.
I had only three days, so I hit the downtown streets, bar scene and weekend gatherings to get a realistic feel for the city’s historic/modern atmosphere. I made it my mission to experience “unknown” Charleston by exploring the local haunts, particularly the lesser-known places where Charlestonians regularly hang out to grab a beer or enjoy the best live music in town. The more I explored and the more people I met, it became clear to me that this West Virginia city has a vibe all of its own—one that couldn’t be captured in any guidebook or by simply sightseeing. And here’s what I found, after my daytime excursions to local attractions, after the sun went down and the neon signs buzzed to life.
The city has pretty epic dive bars
Friday afternoon, it was a short 10-minute drive from the airport to my hotel in the city center. My plan for the first night was to walk down Capitol Street—the pulsing center of the historic downtown district—hopping from bar to bar and chatting with whomever happened to be sitting on the stool next to me.
I started with happy hour at local favorite, Big Joe’s Bar & Grill. I travel solo pretty frequently and have found that places packed with regular customers can be a tough scene—not everyone is quick to welcome an out-of-towner. But, I didn’t have this problem in Charleston. It wasn’t long until I roused some curiosity from the patrons, who immediately pegged me as a tourist. (Perhaps my giant camera gave me away?) Word spread quickly down the bar and before I knew it, the bartender was pouring me a shot courtesy of one of the friendly regulars.
I figured I should fill my stomach with something other than whiskey. If I was going to make my way through downtown, I needed some sustenance. I placed my order with the bartender and prepared myself for typical bar food. It sure wasn’t average—my meal was elevated and delicious. The patrons assured me all the food at Joe’s was fantastic, but I can personally vouch for the sausage kale tortellini soup.
I paid my tab and began to put on my jacket when I heard, “Where you headed?” I turned around and saw a small group also making their way towards the door. “Sam’s,” I replied. “Awesome, we’re headed there now. You can hang with us if you’d like.” I couldn’t get over how darn nice everyone was.
When we got to Sam’s Uptown Café, I ordered a drink, sat down on one of the mismatched couches and took in my surroundings. The crowd was lively, but the bar itself was cool in a genuine and relaxed way. There was a motorcycle adorned with twinkle lights hanging on one of the exposed brick walls, while another wall was crowded with brightly colored chalk drawings. I immediately decided that I liked Sam’s.
Charleston also has a serious live music scene.
Saturday, I got my introduction to Charleston’s food and music fare with the Hops & Heat festival, where I ate homemade chili and drank Appalachian craft beer while listening to two bands perform live. Afterwards, Charleston’s happening nightlife begged to be explored further.
I capped my second night at the city’s dive-y-est dive bar, the infamous Red Carpet Lounge on the city’s East Side. To say that the Red Carpet has character would be an understatement. Inside, you’ll find the walls lined with electronic poker games, TVs and a jukebox. The bar’s decor may be retro, but the eclectic crowd seemed to be ever changing. The patio was packed with young and seasoned professionals, sports fans, hipsters and everyone else in between. The city’s diversity continued to surprise me throughout the weekend.
By the time Sunday rolled around, I had still only seen a small part of Charleston’s local hot-spots, so I started my last day following a tip I got about another quirky, local favorite: Castaways Bar, just a short drive from downtown in Nitro. When I walked into the bar, I felt as though I’d been transported from West Virginia to Key West. The walls of the urban tiki bar were plastered with fishing nets and driftwood signs. Castaways may be miles from the sea, but beachy good vibes were easily found within this bizarrely wonderful off-the-beaten path watering hole.
I wanted to go out with a bang on my last night, so I looked in the mirror, applied a fresh coat of red lipstick and headed out the door. I was ready for what I had heard was a local staple: Mountain Stage, a state radio show produced at the Culture Center Theater and broadcast across the country by NPR. You can watch the musical acts perform live while they tape the show 26 Sundays per year. I was lucky enough to catch a handful of diverse artists including Grammy Award-winning Emily Saliers of the Indigo Girls, emotive singer-songwriter Seth Glier and a female folk-electronica duo Overcoats, who had created quite the buzz with their album, “Young.”
I had a great time at the radio broadcast, but the show wasn’t over. I had yet to experience the after-show at The Empty Glass. You can’t talk about the live music scene in Charleston without mentioning this venue. I was told that The Empty Glass is the place you want to be on a Sunday night after Mountain Stage, and I was lucky enough to see why for myself. The bar hosts world-class musical acts and entertains a colorful crowd of all types. I recognized several of the Mountain Stage performers tossing back cold ones, then watched as they hopped up on stage to perform with the band. My weekend was officially made.
It’s been real, Charleston.
I left feeling the same as I did when I left Lola’s Pizza—excited and inspired. I had seen the city and got to know its true personality. I fell for Charleston’s sights, sips and sounds, but the locals I met during my trip were what made the city truly stand out from the rest. Charlestonians are wildly passionate about their city and their enthusiasm is infectious. They mirror the atmosphere of the city itself. Parts of Charleston are plush with well-manicured lawns and immaculate historic buildings. And then there are parts of the city that are much different. They’re grittier and in transition. Aaron, a Charleston native I met along the way, summed it up perfectly for me: “Charleston is a big city hiding out within a small city.” I get it. Charleston has all the draws of a big city, but still maintains its small-town charm. The city was transforming right before my eyes.
Don’t just visit; vacation like a local in Charleston.
By jdodd | Categories: Food, Things To Do | 2 Comments on Charleston for Families
How our family spent a long weekend in West Virginia’s capital city
Story & Photos by Keryn Means, walkingtravels.com
Winding our way through the mountains of West Virginia, we hadn’t seen a major city in hours. Nothing but hills and mountains. Suddenly, the view opened up. My boys and I caught a glimpse of a golden dome. The city of Charleston, West Virginia, lay ahead of us and it was time to explore all that the state capital had to offer us.
Admittedly, I didn’t know much about Charleston—or even the state for that matter. I was traveling there from Washington, D.C., for a long weekend with my two boys, ages 5 and 7. As a travel writer and mother of rambunctious boys, I’m always looking for adventures and educational opportunities to recommend to families and entertain my kids. Charleston seemed to fit the bill.
As a family, we love to walk as much as possible to explore a new place. Walking gets us mingling with the locals and chances to find little alleyways, art exhibits and smaller shops that might not be on a map. And that’s exactly what happened in Charleston. We stayed at a centrally located hotel and walked almost everywhere during our stay, driving only outside of town to do some hiking in the local state park. From the very start of our weekend, we were ready to hit the town and we kicked it off with my favorite part of our family travels: the edible delights.
Friday
Our adventure began at First Watch, a local breakfast joint that everyone in the city pointed us toward. Egg specials, chocolate chip pancakes and specialty juices elevated the diner style decor. My youngest is a picky eater, but he devoured his breakfast. He gobbled up every meal he had on this trip. Once, when we needed a taco specially made (meaning no “melty” cheese), our waiter at Black Sheep Burritos & Brews didn’t blink an eye. Charleston’s restaurants know how to treat families right.
Enough about food, what about all of the fun in town? The Clay Center for Arts & Sciences was our next stop. This art and children’s museum/planetarium had a little something for each of us. My boys couldn’t get enough of the “My Town” section of the Avampato Discovery Museum. The kid-size mechanic’s shop, fire station, theater and climbing wall were the highlights. While we were there, a massive expansion was under way to add exhibits for children slightly older than my grade-school boys, including “Water Works,” “Music Studio” and “Healthy Me”!
I loved watching my boys play in the mini town. It was next to impossible to tear them away, but we had tickets to the planetarium show and the stars awaited. The planetarium presentation included a fun cartoon that told the story of Perseus and Andromeda, and how constellation names were born from Greek mythology. We wrapped up the afternoon with a stop at the Ashton Climbing Sculpture, a three-story tower within the Clay Center that kids can wind up and down for hours while parents sit and watch from below at the café.
We could have spent the entire weekend at the Clay Center, but it was Friday night in Charleston, which meant “Live on the Levee”! If you’ve never heard of it, “Live on the Levee” is a weekly free concert down in Haddad Riverfront Park. Food trucks pulled up along Kanawha Boulevard, which was temporarily closed to road traffic. A small sandbox and play area was just to the left of the stage along the river, so kids could play while their parents enjoyed the music. My boys kicked beach balls around and we danced the night away to Motown favorites and R&B tunes sung by Priscilla Price. During one of the songs, a few of the kids danced together, including one of my boys.
Saturday
Our second day started out at Capitol Market, specifically Mea Cuppa, where I savored one of the best cappuccinos I’ve ever had while the boys played at the Lego station set up across the way. The market, held year-round in an old rail yard, has permanent stalls inside that sell everything from handmade chocolate truffles and wine to fried fish and sandwiches. Ellen’s Homemade Ice Cream stall really hit the spot when we needed a little sugar boost before lunch.
Fresh vegetables from the Capitol Market
Our afternoon wrapped up with a tour around the Capitol Complex. If you really want to learn about West Virginia, make sure you pop into the free West Virginia Culture Center and State Museum. The boys and I enjoyed walking through West Virginia’s history, from the early days of settlers meeting the American Indians and the role slaves played in agriculture to the economic importance and dangers of coal mining in the region.
Sunday
On Sunday, most of the public buildings and museums shut down around the city. It was the perfect day to get out into nature. We drove past massive, old houses into the mountains to Kanawha State Park. We walked along the Spotted Salamander Trail, a wheelchair-accessible nature trail with signs pointing out various creatures and plants. We also tackled Hemlock Falls Trail. The hike up to the falls was packed with fun obstacles like a two-inch deep creek, fallen branches and winding paths. The waterfall was dried up due to the summer heat, but no matter. The trail kept the journey interesting.
As we made our way back home the next morning, I asked the boys what their favorite part of the trip was. They interrupted each other as they started to list their top moments, trying to put them in order, but never quite making up their minds. The tiny mechanic garage at The Clay Center, mint Oreo ice cream at Ellen’s, dancing at “Live on the Levee”… The list didn’t seem to end.
Needless to say, Charleston is no longer a foreign land to us. Together, we enjoyed new tastes and sounds, met colorful characters and trekked through the wilderness, making memories as a family. One of the best things about family travel is that you can let your kids be the guide and see the world at their level. I saw so much more of Charleston because I let my boys show me the city through their eyes (with a little direction from Mom, of course). Charleston reminded us that you don’t have to travel far to experience and learn something together.
Please be aware that not all businesses in the Charleston area have reopened. Those that have opened may have adjusted hours or may be offering appointments for in-store shopping. If you have questions about a specific business, please call ahead to that business or check the business’s social media accounts for the most up-to-date info. And don’t forget your PPE!
