Crab House closes

The Chesapeake Crab House, the seafood and steak restaurant, has closed.

One of the restaurant's pluses was a view of the Kanawha River from its location on the 12th floor of the Holiday Inn on Kanawha Boulevard East.

A woman who answered the Holiday Inn phone said the restaurant was being closed indefinitely for renovations and there was a possibility that it would reopen.

Capitol Market on national radio

A reporter from Martha Stewart Living Channel on Sirius Radio who interviewed Capitol Market Executive Director Tammy Borstnar on Friday was impressed with the market's hours and services. Her team turned up a reference to Capitol Market while researching a segment on local harvest organizations.

"She was really interested to hear about some things that make us really unique like a seven-day-a-week schedule and indoor vendors that stay open year-round," Borstnar said.

Compared to similar markets in larger cities such as Columbus, Capitol Market offers fresh local produce outdoors as the season permits as well as a sophisticated gathering place indoors for business lunches and nice dinners. Wine, food, books, fine chocolate and coffees aren't typical farmer market wares, apparently.

Crab House closes

The Chesapeake Crab House, the seafood and steak restaurant, has closed.

One of the restaurant's pluses was a view of the Kanawha River from its location on the 12th floor of the Holiday Inn on Kanawha Boulevard East.

A woman who answered the Holiday Inn phone said the restaurant was being closed indefinitely for renovations and there was a possibility that it would reopen.

Capitol Market on national radio

A reporter from Martha Stewart Living Channel on Sirius Radio who interviewed Capitol Market Executive Director Tammy Borstnar on Friday was impressed with the market's hours and services. Her team turned up a reference to Capitol Market while researching a segment on local harvest organizations.

"She was really interested to hear about some things that make us really unique like a seven-day-a-week schedule and indoor vendors that stay open year-round," Borstnar said.

Compared to similar markets in larger cities such as Columbus, Capitol Market offers fresh local produce outdoors as the season permits as well as a sophisticated gathering place indoors for business lunches and nice dinners. Wine, food, books, fine chocolate and coffees aren't typical farmer market wares, apparently.

"She was quite amazed, especially when I told her some folks take advantage of the wi fi available," she said. "She said, 'Wi fi at a market, really?'"

Wine guide's the best

Former Charleston lawyer Monty Preiser sent word that the "Preiser Key to Napa," was named the Napa Valley's best guide to wineries and restaurants by wine writer Jancis Robinson in her July 13 column in the U.S. edition of Financial Times. Preiser and his wife, Sara, and son, Justin, have published four issues in a little more than a year.

Graham House dinner

The Graham House in Lowell, Summers County, will have a dinner and bluegrass music from 4 to 7 p.m. Sept. 20 to raise money to preserve the Graham House. The menu will be ham, brown beans, potatoes, salads and dessert. Adults $10, children under 12 years $5, under 5 free.  N2Blue will perform bluegrass music. For information, call (304) 466-2117.

Desperately seeking a chili recipe

Jeanann Leone of Dunbar wrote to ask if other readers might have the recipe for the hot dog chili the A&W root beer stand used during the 1960s on their hot dogs.  She wondered if the former owners, or perhaps their descendents, might be willing to share it. 

She has searched for this recipe through various cooking newsletters and received recipes that are supposed to be "the one," but they always call for sugar and are sweeter than Jeanann remembers. She would love to be able to recapture this childhood memory of her family root beer stand visits. Anyone?