After I recently wrote about my fondness for new restaurant Fusion Teriyaki Grille, a reader wrote in to share her love for another nearby establishment.
"I read your article in the paper about new Kanawha City food spots, but Kanawha City's best kept secret has got to be the M&M Mart and Deli on MacCorkle Avenue near Steak Escape," Michelle said. "It used to be the old Kwik Shop back in the day."
She said M&M features famous Boar's Head deli meats sliced by the pound for made-to-order sandwiches and salads.
"The sandwiches are amazing because they pile the meat on, and it's unlike any sandwich you will eat. It's like walking into a New York deli serving top-quality meats. If you haven't stopped in to try their sandwiches or even salads, it's a must!"
So of course, I did.
M&M is a nice, clean, friendly market with a pretty sweet deli counter featuring eight varieties of ham (like Virginia baked, maple glazed and pesto Parmesan), seven types of turkey (like Cajun roasted, smoked, jerked) and five flavors of chicken (like Buffalo, oven-baked, chipotle).
Plus there are four different Italian meats (Capicola, mortadella, Genoa and hard salami), four bolognas (beef, pork, garlic and liverwurst), three types of beef (roast, corned, pastrami) and 15 different cheeses. Then once you point out your meats and cheeses, you can select your own toppings and pick from eight different breads.
The choices are a little overwhelming at first, but I settled on a Black Forest smoked turkey and Havarti on 15-grain bread. The sandwich was good and I couldn't get over the abundance of meat, stacked a full inch thick.
I wouldn't call it a true New York-style deli (where's the Reuben?), but M&M offers fresh quality ingredients, simple choose-your-own combinations and service with a smile. Hard to beat that.
The deli at M&M Mart, located at 3626 MacCorkle Ave. in Kanawha City, is open 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Sundays. For more information, call 304-925-0112.
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More than two months after my reviews of Fusion and Kanawha City's nearby Plaza Maya, readers still keep sending in comments about their experiences at both. And as can happen from time to time, not everyone agreed with my assessment.
But I'm not offended. It's the price you pay for throwing your opinions out there.
"I read your column from mid-May and unfortunately had such a bad experience at Fusion that we probably won't return," says Conni Gratop Lewis, reporting that the vegetables in her dish weren't cooked enough and the noise level inside the restaurant was too high for her to carry on a conversation with her husband.
"This is an issue for many of us whose hearing isn't what it used to be. My husband and I don't enjoy eating somewhere conversation is impossible. So we avoid Black Sheep Burrito, Pies & Pints and numerous other restaurants."
Although I like the "energy" these places give off, I am sensitive to Conni's concerns. We face similar challenges when trying to pick appropriate restaurants for family gatherings that will please members ages 8 to 80.
On the other hand, a reader signing his message "D.M." agreed with my lukewarm assessment of Plaza Maya, suggesting Barboursville's new Tortilla Factory as a better option.
"It comes closer than anyplace else around here to what I would have liked to have seen in that spot. Probably worth the drive to check it out sometime, if you haven't already."
Actually, we met there for a family birthday celebration last month and were pleased as well. Menu-wise it's similar to the same-old Mexican restaurants you see just about everywhere, but the food we enjoyed was a notch above most.
It was pretty loud, though, so keep that in mind if noise is not your thing.
Tortilla Factory, located at 3419 U.S. 60 in Barboursville opposite Huntington Mall, is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and noon to 9:30 p.m. Sundays. For more information, call 304-948-7518.
Steven Keith writes a weekly food column for the Daily Mail. He can be reached at 304-348-1721 or by email at dailymailfoodguy@aol.com. You can also follow him on Facebook and Pinterest as "DailyMail FoodGuy," on Twitter as "DMFoodGuy" or read his blog at http://blogs.charlestondailymail.com/foodguy.