Bears Den closing, but maybe not for good

That famous club sandwich from The Bears Den in Charleston, WV

Plus pepperoni roll winners, ribbon cuttings, more seating at Paulie's

After 26 years in business, The Bears Den at 405 Capitol St. in downtown Charleston closed its doors Tuesday night. And while that marks the end of an era for this popular spot inside the old Daniel Boone Hotel, it may not be the end of its story.

“Our final day of operations will be Tuesday, June 23, marking the end of an incredible chapter,” the restaurant posted on its Facebook page over the weekend. But then they added: “This isn’t goodbye forever, it’s just a new beginning. See you later!”

The restaurant serving mostly bar-and-grill grub (and widely known for having one of the region’s best club sandwiches) has changed ownership over the years and will now undergo “an exciting rebrand,” the post said, with plans to reopen in some form in 2027.

“We are deeply grateful to every person who walked through our doors and become more than just guests – you became friends, family and part of our story.”

Your Rolls on the River winners

Due to previous commitments, I sadly had to decline judging this year’s Rolls on the River pepperoni foll festival down at Hadaad Riverfront Park this past Friday, but I understand a deliciously doughy time was had by all.

Pepperoni roll roses from Brandie Gore

I’m especially crushed to have missed tasting this year’s most-honored entry, a smashed pepperoni roll grilled cheese sandwich made by Triple B Eatery that not only won Judges’ Choice in the “Pepperoni Roll with a Twist” category, but also won a sponsored award from The Empty Roll local food app as “Best Overall” among some 20 or so contenders.

Other winners from this year’s event supporting Charleston Montessori School included The Bucket’s deep-fried pepperoni roll (People’s Choice for “Pepperoni Roll with a Twist” and overall Kids’ Choice), plus Hagy’s Irish Pie Pub and the Salvation Army for People’s Choice and Judges’ Choice in the “Classic Pepperoni Roll” division.

Goldenrod, Elk City Popcorn host ribbon cuttings

Two adjacent new food-related businesses on Charleston’s West Side kept it all in the family by hosting joint ribbon-cutting ceremonies at 10 a.m. this past Saturday morning.

Breakfast sandwich from Goldenrod Kitchen

Founded and owned by Charleston native Nola Todd, Goldenrod Kitchen at 611 Tennessee Ave. is a new breakfast and lunch spot inside the old Vandalia Company restaurant serving scratch-made, Appalachian-inspired baked goods, breakfast and lunch items served in a cheery cafe.

Goldenrod is currently open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, Thursday and Friday, and from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Right next door at 609 Tennessee Ave., Nola’s parents Daniel and Tracey Todd have built out and opened Elk City Popcorn Company, a gourmet popcorn shop offering more than 40 handcrafted popcorn flavors, plus other kitchsy gifts and fun souvenirs.

Its hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

“The opening of Goldenrod Kitchen and Elk City Popcorn Company represents

continued momentum in the Elk City District, bringing new locally owned businesses,

family entrepreneurship, and additional food and retail offerings to Charleston’s West

Side,” Charleston Urban Works said in a press release announcing the celebration. 

I've heard both businesses are already crushing it, so I gotta get down there!

Paulie’s opens additional seating

After sharing the news about the one-year anniversary of Paulie’s Fine Italian earlier this month, several readers reached out to tell me how much they love the place and wished it were easier to get into. Great news, I told them! 

Pepperoni roll from Hagy's Irish Pie Pub

Although the restaurant did operate on a reservation-only system when it first opened, that is not the case now, with new seating options for those who just want to pop in for dinner or drinks on a whim. 

The restaurant has reconfigured the bar area to accommodate more than 40 seats, plus there are another 60 seats in the dining room, 44 on the outdoor patio, and 20 in a private room off the side of the main dining area. (All told, that’s a capacity of more than 160 now.) 

“Tables do fill up quickly during peak times, but all seats in the bar area are first-come, first-serve and there’s usually space in the main dining area earlier or later in the evening,” Chef-owner Paul Smith told me. “We have a lot more space than people realize, even if our reservation system shows we’re full during the dinner rush hour.”

Steven Keith is a food writer and restaurant critic known as “The Food Guy” who writes a weekly column for the Charleston Gazette-Mail and has appeared in several state, regional and national publications. Follow him online at www.wvfoodguy.com or on Facebook, X, Instagram and Pinterest as “WV Food Guy.” He can be reached at wvfoodguy@aol.com.