Food Guy: 3 delicious days in Eastern Panhandle feature wine, vegan fare, desserts

Charles Town

The morning after the conference, I set my sights on Charles Town, spending a few hours strolling its delightful downtown featuring storefronts peppered with coffee shops, cafés, restaurants, boutiques and more.

I first popped into Sibling Coffee Roasters, 109 W. Washington St., for a soul-soothing flat white and fell in love with the small shop’s cool vibe. A handful of tables were full of folks with creative drinks in one hand and fresh baked goods in the other.

Sufficiently caffeinated, my next stop was an amazing one despite its fun name. Pour Choices is a cute-as-a-button boutique wine shop at 130 W. Washington St. featuring wines from around the world and craft beer from the Mid-Atlantic region.

I enjoyed the small store’s cozy space, fun wine-related gifts and great service. I was impressed with its selection of unique wines that included some of my hard-to-find favorites. After shopping like a kid in a toy store, I walked away with two luscious wines from Uruguay and Stellenbosch in South Africa, my absolute favorite wine region.

Bolivar and Harpers Ferry

From Charles Town, I drove a few scenic miles through Bolivar and Harpers Ferry, making two tasty stops along the way. The first was at Yelp’s #1 “Top Places to Eat� in 2021 (yes, right here in West Virginia) and the second was at a bakery serving artisan breads and other creations, like the state’s beloved pepperoni roll but stuffed inside salty pretzel bread instead of plain white dough.

I had almost forgotten that Kelly Farm Kitchen was on my must-eat list until I stumbled upon the unassuming Yelp winner tucked inside an old cottage at 1112 W. Washington St. on the road to Harpers Ferry.

Known for serving vegan food that doesn’t look or taste like traditional vegan food, its menu is full of towering burgers, messy sandwiches, loaded nachos, stuffed tacos, savory ramens and colorful salads that look like works of art. My loaded Philly and creamy mac ‘n’ cheese were so decadent and satisfying that I still can’t believe there was no “real� meat or cheese in them.

Just a short drive down the road at 914 Washington St., the small-batch artisan treats at Bolivar Bread Bakery — including that aforementioned take on a classic pepperoni roll and some stunningly beautiful rustic loaves of bread — fueled me for the rest of the afternoon.

Shepherdstown

Well, actually, that’s not true. Because less than 30 minutes later I was drawn inside Mountaineer Popcorn Company, 102 E. German St. in downtown Shepherdstown, where the smell of fresh-popped kernels was intoxicating.

Despite more than a dozen off-the-wall flavors popped and mixed fresh throughout the day, I went old school and devoured a small bag of buttery, salty movie theater-style popcorn and made a good dent in a large bag of kettle corn, which was uncommonly good due to a subtle sweetness that didn’t overpower its sweet-salty balance.

During the previous two days in Shepherdstown, I also enjoyed a perfect dusty martini and a nice meal at longtime local favorite The Press Room, 129 W. German St. and a fantastic duck leg confit with haricot vert, brandied cherry gastrique and the most addictive frites ever at the now reopened Bistro 112 at 112 W. German St.

As good as that Bistro 112 dinner was, though, the chocolate cream profiterole and pistachio cream macaroon that ended the meal may very well have stolen the show.

After that, I headed back to my room at the picture-perfect Bavarian Inn, which had already been the site of some memorable bites throughout my stay, including an ooey-gooey giant house-made pretzel doused with crab dip and cheddar cheese, a soothing shepherd’s pie filled with ground lamb and root vegetables, a bounty of traditional German schnitzels and perfect pints from the onsite brewery.

But there would be no more snacks and drinks on this night. I had to rest up for the next day, when I ended up having one of the most remarkable dining experiences in recent memory at a gem of a place you really need to check out.

And I can’t wait to tell you all about it … next week. How’s that for a culinary cliffhanger?