Phat Daddy’s on Da Track is back – and with a new breakfast menu, to boot!
After a short closure to move from an open-air barbecue joint to a brick-and-mortar building across town, Phat Daddy’s on Da Tracks has reopened in its new location along 6th Avenue on Charleston’s West Side.
In addition to the restaurant’s already popular barbecue ribs, brisket, pork and chicken – which you can get on sandwiches, bowls and platters, along with fried fish, salmon cakes, shrimp and steak with hearty sides – they’re also now open early Monday-Saturday offering an all-new breakfast menu.
You can dig into eggs, toast and grits or home fries, plus either bacon, sausage or shrimp. You can also try a breakfast bowl or sandwich with those toppings and more, including turkey bacon, beef or corned beef hash. Breakfast sides include oatmeal, grits, home fries, French toast, toast and fruit.
And if you’re feeling more lunchy than brunchy, you can even get fried chicken livers, salmon cakes or fried whiting or catfish. Yep, for breakfast!
During a ribbon-cutting ceremony last week, Charleston Mayor Amy Goodwin helped Owner/Operator Octavia Gordon and a small crowd of supporters celebrate the new venture.
“We appreciate everyone who was patient with our new staff in our new space,” Gordon posted after the event. “We were all under so much pressure, but we made it through. We appreciate all the compliments, complaints and constructive criticism. I promise you we will get better.”
A few days later, she was still soaking it all in.
“This is what a dream come true looks like. When the hard work pays off and you’re surrounded by your family, friends and community. When you’re doing something you know would make your creator proud. Thank you so much, Charleston! We can’t wait to serve you!”
Sounds like they’re already off to a great (new) start.
IF YOU GO: Phat Daddy’s on Da Tracks at 1634 6th Ave. in Charleston is open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Thursday and from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday-Saturday. For more information, call 304-982-5020, visit www.phatdaddyswv.com or check out the restaurant’s Facebook page.
WV Corner Kitchen closes to the public
In a surprise announcement on Facebook, Charleston’s popular hidden gem WV Corner Kitchen announced it was “closed until further notice” and thanked customers for their support, saying “it has been a pleasure cooking for you.”
While that certainly sounds pretty permanent, chatter stirred up immediately debating whether it was a temporary or long-term situation for the small spot on Bigley Avenue known for its home-cookin’ and keto-friendly options.
Rumors were plentiful, I’ll tell you, and I heard everything from they’re just taking a vacation to doing some planned remodeling to making repairs from storm damage to retiring from the restaurant business entirely.
So of course, I went straight to the source.
Owners Mike and Barb King told me that the closure is indeed temporary and that they just have other business interests that need their attention right now. They explained the restaurant is “very demanding” and they both just needed a break from it for a while.
They are, however, still accepting limited catering gigs for groups of 25 or more. They can be reached at 304-545-3573.
Chicken and dumpling cook-off in Clay
The Clay County High School Band Boosters are hosting a Chicken & Dumpling Cook-Off next Saturday, April 27, at a “Meet the Candidates” craft bazaar starting at 3 p.m. at Maysel Park in Clay.
Trophies will be awarded for Judges’ Choice, People’s Choice and Best Theme, and money raised will help benefit the school’s music programs.
The registration fee to enter is $25 and contestants must sign up by April 25. For more information on the rules and to register, call 304-993-3914 or email blueandgoldmusicboosters@gmail.com.
There’s a food frenzy on social media
There’s no question many of us are social media-ing in record numbers these days, and it’s no surprise (at least to me, anyway) what type of content is increasingly one of the most sought-after on those channels.
Food and recipes, baby. Food and recipes.
After surveying 1,000 Americans to collect their preferences on social media use, the language learning app Preply discovered that after health and wellness topics, cooking and baking make up the number two topic users search for most on various social platforms.
What’s more, a whopping 78% of those respondents said they actually learn how to cook through all that social searching.
Of those who are seeking culinary-related information, 90% are searching for easy recipes, 84% for cultural foods, 69% for budget-friendly recipes and 29% for bread making.
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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 culinary publications. Follow him online at www.wvfoodguy.com or on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. He can be reached at 304-380-6096 or at wvfoodguy@aol.com.