The Purple Fiddle

Appalachia has been pigeonholed as a place out of time—but Tucker County, West Virginia really does exist in its own dimension. The county frequently records the coldest temperatures on the East Coast with its own microclimate. The area is home to the bathtub-shaped Canaan Valley, the Canada-like bogs and heath barrens of Dolly Sods Wilderness, and the rugged Blackwater Canyon—all of which give it an unearthly aura.

Amid these wild wonders are the twin towns of Davis and Thomas. Davis, population 595, feels oriented more toward outdoor adventurers while Thomas is a proper city, population 623. Both communities feel informed by a frontier mentality largely shaped by the county's outdoor and tourist economies, yet thoroughly grounded in the locals who run the businesses here.

Look no further than the Purple Fiddle, a Thomas restaurant and live music venue that's become a community gathering place for locals as well as visitors. At its core, the Purple Fiddle is a solid place to get drinks and a meal while in town. The restaurant serves a basic but solid menu and particularly prides itself on its homemade salsas, hummus and ice cream, and ability to meet dietary demands that include gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan items. During the day you can get coffee there, and the bar stocks dozens of local and regional beers.

But the Purple Fiddle shines in its ability to book mostly acoustic up-and-coming musical acts. The Avett Brothers, Sierra Ferrell and S.G. Goodman cut their teeth at the Purple Fiddle before going big. The venue is an incubator for the West Virginia music scene, but it's also booked bigger acts like Afroman Keller Williams. In fact, the Purple Fiddle books so many bands that it's almost difficult not to catch the next big thing on the stage there.