The Ruffner and select WV State Parks planning special Mother's Day meals
- Steven Keith
- Apr 29
- 4 min read
Plus, best brews at the Coffee Festival and Goldenrod Kitchen opens
Treating mom to a delicious meal on her special day? Smart move.
Doing so in a gorgeous historic home offering a picture-perfect ambiance. Clutch play.
Getting to enjoy that time with her and not having to clean up after? Favorite child status secured.
The Ruffner bed, breakfast and event venue at 1500 Kanawha Blvd. in downtown Charleston is hosting a catered Mother’s Day Brunch on May 9 and 10 that promises to be a meal to remember.
Hosted by The Ruffner’s owners with food prepared by Sam’s Uptown Cafe, that weekend’s brunch will include dill-crusted salmon, beef tenderloin, quiche, rosemary roasted potatoes, roasted veggies, Caesar salad, pasta salad, mac ‘n’ cheese, chicken tenders, mixed fruit, assorted breads, tiramisu and ice cream.
There will also be a full bar available, plus yard games to keep the kids entertained and an optional “build your own” flower bar to make your mom a bouquet to take home.
Tickets cost $55 for adults 13 and over, $25 for kids 5-12, with children under 5 eating free. Although Sunday’s seatings are almost sold out, more spots remain for Saturday, May 9.
Reservations are required by calling or texting Nikki at 304-704-4847 or Maria at 304-767-5101.
Mother’s Day at WV State Parks
Six West Virginia State Park restaurants will host special Mother’s Day lunches and buffets on May 10 as well, giving families a chance to mark the occasion with good food paired with outdoor views.
You’ll enjoy dishes like creamy chicken or steak and gravy with mashed potatoes and Chief Logan State Park in Logan; fried chicken and housemade meatloaf with scalloped potatoes and green beans at North Bend State Park in Cairo; and sauteed tenderloin with mushrooms and onions, bourbon-glazed chicken, lemon-pepper cod, and vegetable lasagna at Cacapon Resort State Park in Berkeley Springs.
Other options include roasted turkey with dressing, glazed ham and housemade meatloaf at Twin Falls State Park in Mullens; cheesy bacon ranch chicken, salmon picatta and roasted pork tenderloin with sides at Pipestem Resort State Park in Pipestem; and pineapple-glazed ham, chicken cordon bleu, veggie quiche and more at Tygart Lake State Park in Grafton.
Celebrating this holiday in West Virginia has historic roots, too, since Mother’s Day was first organized by Anna Jarvis in 1908 during a service at Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church in Grafton.
Thanks to her efforts, the day was recognized as a national holiday just six years later in 1914.
Prices range from $25 to $37.75 for adults, or between $12.50 and $19.65 for kids. Children under 3 eat free at some locations.
Tables are limited for the Chief Logan and North Bend Mother’s Day lunches, so guests are encouraged to make reservations in advance. For menus, pricing and reservations, visit www.wvstateparks.com/mothers-day-dinners.
For the love of (really) good coffee
Looks like many of you perk up over good coffee just as much as I do!
Nearly 1,700 people attended the second annual West Virginia Coffee Festival at the Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center this past Saturday, leading to big crowds and long lines to sample a variety of blends from 15 state and regional coffee roasters.
“We were pumped with the growth we had and have already opted to increase our space for next year,” organizer Alexander Durand told me after the event.
When the doors opened, I made a beeline to Cherry River Coffee Roasters from Lansing, makers of my favorite discontinued (but soon-to-be-resurrected!) “Hello Darkness, My Old Blend” roast. In the meantime, I enjoyed their signature “Bigfoot Blend,” balancing earthy Peru Cajamarca beans with smooth Colombia Excelso in a hearty sip with notes of chocolate, maple and wood.
Two other standouts for me were “The 1787” pistachio-infused cold brew from Sibling Coffee Roasters in Charles Town and a luxurious, silky oat milk latte from Aubade Coffee in Princeton.
Next year’s festival has already been announced for April 17, 2027.
Goldenrod Kitchen opens on West Side
Helloooooo, Goldenrod!
After operating as a successful pop-up, Goldenrod Kitchen held its soft opening to rave reviews last week as a new brick-and-mortar serving breakfast, lunch and small plates in the old Vandalia Cafe location at 611 Tennessee Ave. on Charleston’s West Side.
After taking a few days to regroup, the restaurant will reopen this Thursday for its new regular hours of 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, Thursday and Friday, plus 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
For more information, call 304-552-8290 or visit the restaurant’s Facebook page.
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.
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