Oh. My. Word. I'm sure you remember when all of our recent chatter about the area's best burgers generated a flood of recommendations from readers swearing their favorite places served up the cream of the crop.
One of Huntington's newest restaurants, The Peddler, received several of those votes - a fact I was reminded of again this past week.
"As always, I enjoy reading your Wednesday column - truth be told, highlight of my week," said Charleston reader Will Moore. "Getting back to your burger story, have you been to The Peddler in Huntington yet?"
He went on to say that he and his family stopped by after attending Marshall University's graduation earlier this month.
"I had a great burger there - homemade buns, great toppings, duck fat fries with flavored ketchup. We all had something different and everyone was happy."
Of course, I hopped in the car for a trip to Huntington the next day. After a little relaxing two-days-before-Christmas shopping (HA!) at the Huntington Mall, I met my dad at the new spot downtown to see what all the fuss was about.
Owned by the same folks who run Backyard Pizza next door, The Peddler is a very cool place. It's a brewpub and craft burger adult "arcade bar" (games and all) that's earning rave reviews far beyond the city's borders. The vibe is urban and lively. The fries are crispy perfection and can be accompanied by a variety of housemade ketchups and sauces. (Sriracha Curry, Raspberry Teriyaki, Harissa Aioli and Beer Queso!)
And the burgers? Pretty righteous - and oh-so-gloriously messy.
I destroyed the Californication (beef patty, sunny-side-up egg, smoked gouda, ranch, avocado, black bean corn pico) and can't wait to go back to sample burger options featuring chorizo, pepper jack cheese, smashed avocado and cilantro lime sour cream; brisket with cheddar, onion strings, candied jalapenos and blueberry BBQ; lamb with feta, olive relish and pickled red onions; even one with plantain chips, smoked Applewood bacon, chevre and spicy Thai peanut sauce. (Yep, that's pretty much banana, bacon and peanut sauce. On a burger.) All on pillowy-soft housemade buns.
There are a host of other burgers and sammies, plus apps, soups and salads, as well.
IF YOU GO: The Peddler, 835 3rd Ave. in Huntington, is open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday-Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Closed Monday. For more information, call (304) 691-0415 or look them up on Facebook.
nnn
We skipped dessert at The Peddler that day, but walked a few doors down to Huntington's new Peace, Love & Little Donuts, a Pittsburgh-based, hippie-riffic, '70s retro-style donut shop that also has taken Huntington by storm.
The concept is super simple - they only make one donut, and it's a small, plain cake variety at that. But they make hundreds, if not thousands, every day, each one quickly custom-topped and decorated right when you place your order.
And we're not talking about a simple sugar glaze or chocolate frosting.
I savored a funkadelic donut topped with maple frosting and crisp bacon crumbles, another with coffee-infused cream and a third covered with toasted coconut and chocolate to mimic the Samoa Girl Scout cookie.
Totally groovy.
IF YOU GO: Peace, Love & Little Donuts, 801 3rd Ave. in Huntington, is open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week. For more information, call (681) 204-5669 or visit www.peaceloveandlittledonuts.com.
Steven Keith writes a weekly food column for the Charleston Gazette-Mail and an occasional food blog at http://blogs.wvgazettemail.com/foodguy/. He can be reached at 304-380-6096 or by e-mail at wvfoodguy@aol.com. You can also follow him on Facebook as "WV Food Guy" and on Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest as "WVFoodGuy".