My visit to judge this weekend's 27th annual Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting was especially timely, given the recent big announcement that this tiny town, once called Bath, is still home to West Virginia's only James Beard-winning chef.
That's quite an accomplishment for a hamlet of only 624 people - and in a state with tons of talented chefs in cities much larger.
Not only that, but Lot 12 Public House's chef/owner Damian Heath has snagged this solo honor nine years running now.
Why him?
"I have no idea," he said with a laugh, when I sat down with him at the restaurant Friday night. "The James Beard folks just keep coming back here each year and keep liking what they see and taste."
Damian is selling himself short, of course. His food is fantastic, and his creative, upscale spin on traditional Appalachian and continental fare has been wowing regulars, newcomers and critics for years.
My dinner there that evening was no less stellar than expected.
I'd been agonizing over the menu for days. The toasted gnocchi or the sautéed calamari? The crispy duck or the local braised rabbit pot pie? I truly couldn't decide, so I simply said: "Bring me the specials!"
Special they were.
First up was Damian's signature buttermilk-fried quail atop a fluffy warm waffle, which was followed by a silky black-and-white sesame-crusted rockfish filet in a velvety ginger cream.
I couldn't decide between two desserts either so, of course, I ordered both. (Sure did.) The creme brulee and chocolate torte were both sublime as well.
But the highlight of the night for me was when the chef himself sat down with me afterward to enjoy a glass of wine and talk about good food, the restaurant business in general, the road that led him to Lot 12 and his plea for a great restaurant to try the next time he's in Charleston. On that last note, I shared several of my top picks, so I hope to see him down this way soon.
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My weekend in Berkeley Springs was filled with good sips and bites at a few other nice spots around town as well. Here's a tasty recap ...
Before dinner at Lot 12, I had popped into a little shop along the town's main street that ended up delivering another stellar experience.
The Naked Olive is an awesome little olive oil and vinegar tasting room and retail shop that just recently opened a new martini bar in the back. Featuring a cool urban vibe, fantastic cocktails and a mouthwatering tapas menu, this spot has quickly claimed its status as the new "it" place to be in town.
Wine, craft beer and signature cocktails (some infused with balsamic syrup made onsite) are popular, but they couldn't have touched my go-to dusty Ketel One martini with blue cheese olives.
So perfect. I did not want to leave this place.
The next morning I enjoyed a nice brunch at Tari's, an art gallery/café serving upscale bistro fare that has been one of the city's mainstay restaurants for years.
Our plated brunch selections included a nice "bacon and egg" black pepper fettuccine tossed with crispy pork belly, a fresh farm egg, smoked blue cheese and scallions, plus a smoked portabella hash made with caramelized potatoes, house-smoked mushrooms, onions and peppadew butter.
Alongside those was a tasty spoon of salmon tartar with ponzu, benne seeds and wonton crisps and small crock of blueberry French toast bread pudding with maple custard.
I also inhaled some delicious mid-rare, sesame-enrusted, pan-seared tuna with fried spinach and wasabi sauce at Ambrae House, a bed-and-breakfast with a bar-and-grill on site.
Sadly, I heard the next day that the struggling spot announced it was close its doors. Hated to hear that, but maybe that will just open a new door for another tasty place.
Speaking of accommodations, the town's longtime grand dame - the iconic Country Inn adjacent to Berkeley Springs State Park - is making a go at reclaiming its one-time glory with new owners that are spiffing up the place and putting more emphasis on the inn's on-site restaurant and tavern.
I was able to sample a few of the inn's offerings, most notably a deliciously rich and creamy cheese-filled and herb-topped tortellini, a nice sweet potato-kale soup that just needed a touch more salt to make those two earthy flavors sing, and a platter of delicious sweet confections.
Bringing my Berkeley Springs visit to a close Sunday morning, I stopped in Earth Dog Café to pick up breakfast-to-go before rolling out of town.
As its name might suggest, Earth Dog is a real chill, no-frills, hippin-lovin' joint that consists of a messy, greasy-spoon diner counter on one side and a casual bar/dining area on the other. A lunch and dinner menu straddles that diner-bar food line.
Breakfast options include made-to-order omelets, sandwiches and more, including my nice Taylor Pork Roll Sandwich with salty pork, a fried egg and cheese on a warm ciabatta roll.
I also ordered a side of sausage gravy - because I just can't not do that - but that actually provided my only disappointment of the weekend.
Either they mixed up my order or their interpretation of sausage gravy is seriously misguided, but the cup of greasy white sausage-less goo with what looked like dumplings in it was really bad. And actually made me a bit mad.
Gravygate aside, I enjoyed a delicious weekend tasting the waters - and flavors - of charming Berkeley Springs.
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Last week's shout-out to West Virginia pepperoni rolls drew some interest on Capitol Hill. As in, our nation's capital.
Mike Fulton, a Parkersburg native now working as a public affairs advocate in D.C., reached out to let me know our beloved pepperoni rolls were granted special permission to be served at an upcoming congressional reception he is co-chairing next week.
"The only item not on the U.S. Senate careering menu that we had multiple requests for were pepperoni rolls," he said. "We have served these delicious treats from Chico Bakery (courtesy of Gary Miller) at other events, but several members of Congress and their staff asked if we could serve them at the March 8 event."
To do so, Fulton said he had to request the help of Sen. Shelley Moore Capito to secure a special "waiver" to serve an off-menu item at the event.
"As a result, our 250-plus guests will be enjoying pepperoni rolls and we are likely to convert some non-West Virginia attendees to our state's special treat!"
How cool is that?
Steven Keith writes a weekly food column for the Charleston Gazette-Mail and an occasional food blog at blogs.wvgazettemail.com/foodguy. He can be reached at 304-380-6096 or by email at wvfoodguy@aol.com. You can also follow him on Facebook as "WV Food Guy" and on Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest as "WVFoodGuy."