Coffee keeps friendships warm

This column originally appeared in the Charleston Daily Mail on January 2, 2015. I remember the day I became a coffee drinker. I stayed home from school with a blazing sore throat. That afternoon, as I laid on my grandmother’s couch in misery, I got an idea….

Appalachian Distillery makes moonshine, legally

  This story originally appeared in the Charleston Daily Mail on Wednesday, August 27, 2014. RIPLEY — Dwayne Freeman makes his moonshine almost the same way as the old-timers. He uses big sacks of corn and a kettle connected to shiny copper lines. There are a few minor differences,…

Sushi and exotic fish shop makes for odd but apt combo

This story originally appeared in the Charleston Daily Mail on Wednesday, May 28, 2014. It could be an uncomfortable experience, enjoying sushi in the middle of an aquarium shop. There are all those very-alive fish, just bubbling along while you enjoy a dish of very-recently-alive fish….

Swiftwater Cafe adds catering, general store

This story originally appeared in the Charleston Daily Mail on Wednesday, May 21, 2014. Last Friday morning, the folks at Swiftwater Cafe were already hard at work on lunch. The long metal prep table in the restaurant’s new catering kitchen was filled with fruit, sandwich…

He’s bringing a new flavor to town

This story originally appeared in the Charleston Daily Mail on Wednesday, February 19, 2014. In the last few weeks, chef Paco Aceves has auditioned for a new job, landed that job, packed up his wife and children and all their earthly possessions, moved everything across the…