Chef Dan & I had a lovely evening last night (Aug. 27, 2022) at the J.Q. Dickenson Saltworks in Malden, West Virginia (Charleston), at their “BBQ & Bluegrass” event.
There was live Bluegrass music by Kanawha Tradition, & a whole local hog was smoked by Chef Mike Moore of Uncle Butch BBQ/The Blind Pig Supper Club in Asheville, NC, and served with a variety of classic sides, including collard greens, tiny, yummy little hushpuppies, coleslaw, mac ‘n cheese, and a blackberry trifle for desert. They had an excellent appetizer table set up when we first arrived, with crackers, meats, cheeses, & baked brie with blackberries, a cash bar, and local beers by Fife Street Brewing Company. We also had an excellent tour of the Saltworks by Nancy Bruns, one of the two Founding Partners, who, together with her brother, revamped this extraordinary family business of making salt from the product of the ancient ocean beneath our West Virginia mountains!
And we also got to purchase some excellent local, artisan West Virginia products: Dickenson’s salts & spice mixes, pepper, chocolates, honey, sauces, lotions, etc.- at their shop, Appalachian Mercantile. All in all, it was a lovely, casual evening of great food and music, at a very beautiful and fascinating place that is truly unique to West Virginia! Check out their website: https://www.jqdsalt.com/ for more information on the Saltworks, & Appalachian Mercantile https://jqdappalachianmercantile.com/ , and their upcoming events!
