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I'm not from the South, but I did grow up in southwestern Ohio close enough to Kentucky to have a bit of a southern accent, or so I was told by my college roommates when I came "way up north" to Kent State University many moons ago. Being the child of parents named Pickett, too, goes a long way to establishing my southern creds. So when I saw a new Liberty Township restaurant - Monteen's Southern Cuisine - I started hankering for some down-home cookin'.
And then one evening, we gathered up our eating-out buddies, Jerry and Barb from Niles, and paid a visit. I'll tell you two things up front: first, "home" here is quite a bit farther south than the place I remember; and two, we definitely plan on a return trip to try some of the things we simply couldn't get in the first time, like the secret-recipe dry rubbed, slow-smoked barbeque chicken or and ribs. A half chicken, with two sides and a choice of bread, is $13.99, and a half rack of ribs is $14.99.
Monteen's is in a building we've been to before - if we remember correctly, it once housed Armando's, a great Italian restaurant. The interior hasn't changed a lot as far as layout and colors go, but the Italian decorations on the walls are gone. Just inside the entrance is a dessert/checkout counter; the dining room is on the right. At the left is Club Amauri, which features a bar and dance floor and occasional live bands reminiscent of the speakeasies I've seen in old movies (food from Monteen's menu is available here as well).
Not wanting to push the fill-up envelope too early, we decided to share a single appetizer of six fried green tomatoes with horseradish sauce for dipping ($5.99). Breaded in cornmeal, the tomatoes were delicious, and we all loved the horseradish sauce. Next time, though, we may go for the sampler platter ($13.99) with two smoked beef slices, two smoked ribs and a chicken thigh, which would be plenty for the four of us when we're planning to add a meal.
The list of sandwiches is lengthy and appealing enough to make us stop and think; I'm a huge fan of fried balogna, for instance, and this one, with lettuce, tomato and raw onion, is only $3.99 and looked very tempting. Barbecue pulled pork always sounds good as well, and on a Kaiser bun for $7.99 (sandwiches here come with hand cut French fries and coleslaw), this one was hard to pass up.
But this was dinner, after all, so we agreed we'd each choose a different entree so we could sample more things. Jerry didn't take long making his decision - braised oxtails with sides of red beans and rice and candied yams for $15.99. My husband Jack chose grilled salmon with fried okra and macaroni and cheese for $14.99 (he could have had it blackened, but that's not his style). Barb loves grits, so it didn't take her long to settle on the shrimp and grips with fried okra and the chef's choice of greens for $14.99.
Since I was looking for something that reminded me of my childhood with a cook-everything-from-scratch mother, I seriously considered grilled liver and onions, one of the house specials. But that was before I spotted chicken livers; that's a dish my mother cooked often. I carried on that tradition with my own family, but then pizza and take-out took over and chicken livers became quite hard to find (still are). I could get them fried or sauteed (I chose the former) for $10.99, and my choices for sides were baked beans and sauteed squash - other options are dirty rice, succotash and cornbread dressing.
One thing I will emphasize here is that if you're not a fan of the somewhat gritty cornmeal, stay away from anything here that's fried; it seems to be the breading of choice on all dishes from those green tomatoes to my chicken livers to Jack's salmon. I like it, but in much smaller doses; had I known ahead of time, I'd have ordered my livers sauteed instead.
Barb was delighted with the fried okra in particular (yes, same breading), commenting that she'd return here just to have that again. It's different from most because the entire pod is cooked here. She also noted that the greens had a different and interesting flavor, perhaps some kind of meat broth.
Jerry was happy with his oxtails as well - there were three good-sized ones -- and the bowl of red beans and rice was so large he just couldn't finish it all. The candied yams were delicious, with a slightly different flavor we couldn't put our finger on, so we asked the owner and learned that it's nutmeg (that's her on the left, in a photo I "borrowed" from Monteen's website).
Barb's grits had lots of cheese and bacon bits and was very good, but here, too, it was just too much to finish. She had no such problem with the six shrimp, though, polishing off each and every one.
Except for the cornmeal breading, my chicken livers were wonderful too, although I'd have preferred a few more grilled onions. As an unusual touch, a small container of brown gravy was brought for dipping. The grilled squash and baked beans - welcome departures from all the cornmeal - were delicious too; I loved the flavor in the beans, and I made a note that if they're any indication, I'd probably love the barbecue here. Meanwhile, Jack enjoyed his salmon and the mac and cheese even more; since he couldn't polish off the large bowl, I was happy to help and agree it's good.
We all agreed this is a place we'd return, perhaps to try a few of the brunch items available on Sundays. The French toast special ($8.99) sounded especially good with three pieces of toast, three eggs and three pieces of bacon or sausage.
If you go:
Monteen's Southern Cuisine
3807 Belmont Ave.
Youngstown, Ohio 44505
(330) 759-3699
www.monteens.com
Open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Carryout available.
The threat of a late spring snow is hovering as I write this, but it's spring nonetheless. Now's the time my husband Jack and I start looking for interesting daytrips to carry us through till the snow starts to fall again -- daytrips that always include a few good places to eat.
Again this season, we're looking forward to soaking up some history at Zoar Village. Located between Canton and New Philadelphia in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, the village was founded in 1817 by the Society of Separatists of Zoar, a group of German religious dissenters. Eleven buildings have been restored and are open for public tours except in November and December, such as a tinshop, wagon shop, blacksmith and the very interesting Zoar Store. In season, costumed interpreters are on hand, and both guided and self-guided tours can be arranged.
One of my favorite places is the Historic Zoar Garden, a 2 1/2-acre mostly flower garden (we found some veggies in there as well) that's open all year with no admission charge. Go at the right time of the summer and you'll be dazzled by a vast array of hibiscus the size of dinner plates. Special events are held throughout the year including a biennial Civil War reenactment (the next will be Sept. 7 and 8, 2013), the Harvest Festival (Aug. 4 and 5) and Christmas in Zoar (Dec. 1 and 2).
Other structures are private residences, shops and restaurants. It is the latter, of course, that is sure to get our attention whenever we visit: The Firehouse Grille & Pub, a neat place that reminds me of a German pub (not that I've ever been in a real one, mind you). The decor is mostly weathered wood, from the floor to the walls to the tables and chairs. It's also said to be the "home of the $1 burger," although I admit we've never tried one of those.
Actually, on our most recent visit I did pick a burger, but with fresh cut fries my "Firestarter" burger cost $7.99. It was topped with mozzarella, crushed red peppers, jalapenos, Tabasco sauce shredded lettuce and tomato. I'm never a big fan of fries, but these are especially tasty; once I added some vinegar, I could have sworn they came from the old Idora Park in Youngstown.
The burger was great too - with all those peppers, it definitely had a kick. Truth is I've never met a jalapeno that I considered to be remotely hot, but these bit back a little, and the crushed reds and Tabasco jazzed it up even more. It wasn't so hot that Jack wouldn't have enjoyed a taste, but I guarantee he wouldn't have taken more than one.
Meanwhile, he ordered the Philly cheesesteak sandwich with homemade potato chips, also $7.99. Diners can choose chicken or beef (he picked the latter), chopped and blended with onions and mushrooms and topped with mozzarella cheese and cheddar cheese sauce on a fresh hoagie bun. For the record, he said the sandwich is one of the best he's had anywhere - and he orders Philly steak a lot. In a rare move with such a large sandwich, he ate the whole thing - usually, he takes half of it home, further proof of how delicious this one was.
The fresh chips were excellent, too - much like packaged kettle chips. As for beer, which is mandatory at a pub, it's quite inexpensive here and notably cold. Since both Sam Adams Oktoberfest and Labbatt's were on tap at the time of our visit, we were especially happy campers.
If you go:
Firehouse Grille & Pub
162 Main St.
Zoar, Ohio 44697
(330) 874-2170
Open from noon to 2 p.m., 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday; 11 a.m. to noon, 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday; 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday; and noon to 9 p.m. Friday through Sunday. There's no restaurant website, but information about historic Zoar Village can be found at http://ohiohistory.org/zoar (Ohio Historical Society) and http://historiczoarvillage.com (Zoar Community Association).
Over the course of the past 20 years or so, my husband Jack and I have taken restaurant dining seriously. In part, that's because at one time or another, one or both of us have been engaged (for money) in writing reviews of some of the places we chose to visit. Add to that a simple love of eating out (mixed with a spoonful of dislike of doing the cooking ourselves), and we've long since lost count of the number of restaurants we've had the 
pleasure of visiting.
Or, in some cases, the displeasure. Life in the restaurant world doesn't always come up roses, and we've had our share of miserable experiences along the way. So for this "review," we've compiled a list of likes, dislikes and frustrations that push our dining out buttons. If you agree - or don't - we'd love to hear about it. If you have pet peeves or advice on how to get the most from a dining-out experience, we'd love to hear that, too.
Meantime, for better or worse, here's our 11 cents!
#1: Water, water, everywhere. Except, that is, on restaurant tables. Some years back, a severe drought across the United States resulted in strict conservation measures. One of the casualties of war, so to speak, was that servers no longer would bring water to diners as they sat down as had been the custom. Good move, we said, betting that at least half of that water never got drunk anyway.
Problem is, water long since started flowing again everywhere except in restaurants. Let me emphasize that because much of it is wasted, I agree it shouldn't be delivered automatically. At the same time, I don't think diners should have to beg for it; after a server has taken drink orders shortly after the diners are seated, how much trouble would it be to ask if we'd like some?
And that brings me to my water pet peeve No. 2: I can't count the number of times I've had to remind our server once (and on at least one occasion, thrice) before I get the water I had to ask for to begin with. Do they really think I'll just forget I wanted it and save them the trouble of bringing me a glass? Not in this lifetime, bucko!
That's followed by water pet peeve No. 3: No refills. We've watched it happen so often at various restaurants that it's become a standing joke: Jack ordered soda and I opted for nothing to drink besides water. When both of our glasses are nearly empty, the server physically turns his or her back to me to ask Jack if he wants a refill -- as if I, and my empty glass, don't even exist. I know water is free, and extra trips to our table can translate into more work for less money for the servers. But c'mon, folks - this kind of behavior is just plain rude.
#2: Non-edible munchkins. Don't get me wrong; I like kids. But when I'm in a restaurant other than fast food and paying money to enjoy a meal, I expect them to be in their seats and not shrieking. I know from personal experience what a treat it is for parents to have a meal out, and often, that means with kids in tow. But we never failed to be cognizant of other diners who have a right to not be cognizant of our unruly children. At no time were they allowed to run around in a restaurant, and on the rare occasions they acted up too much, we snatched them up and took them home immediately.
#3: Portion spins. Let's face it: The restaurant industry is hurting. Profit margins are pretty slim on a good day; and as discretionary income takes a hit in today's economy, they're dangerously close to the breaking point. Understandably, owners are looking for ways to stay afloat. One way to do that seems to be cutting back slightly on portion size without cutting prices, a trend we've seen just about everywhere. Where we once counted on having at least one more meal apiece from our "doggie" bags, we now count ourselves lucky to fill up while we're there - never mind leftovers.
We can live with that, although it's one reason we, like many other formerly frequent diners, have cut back fairly substantially on how often we eat out. What we can't quite stomach, though, are the offers of smaller portions and even two-for-one entrees that are touted as "value" meals. In most cases, there's nothing good here. The two-for-one "deals" are noticeably less-than-regular portions, and while those smaller meals are appealing because there's less waste and/or over-stuffing ourselves, the prices are proportionately higher than we'd pay to get the full versions.
#4:Too much of a good thing. Customer service cuts two ways. Give too little, and you risk losing our business. But too much of it can be just as off-putting. Take, for instance, the time we sat in a pub waiting for our drinks to arrive. Granted, it took a wee bit longer than it should have for them to be delivered, but did we really need our server to stop three times to say they'd be "coming right out" and ask if we need anything? Um, yes there is, we wanted to respond -- we need the drinks.
At still another casual restaurant, we stopped counting after our server stopped to ask how we were doing six times before we'd even finished our entrees - and during that time, the restaurant manager also planted himself at our table to ask the same question. Golly, we said as we made a hasty retreat - now we know where not to go if we want to have any kind of ongoing conversation!
So how much is too much? Well, if my glass is more than half full, it's a sure bet I don't even want to think about another beer yet. If we're busy eating, talking and smiling, we'd like to continue doing that without interruption. When most of our food is gone and/or we're starting to stack empty plates, it's a signal that we're probably ready for the check (or a suggestion for dessert). Bottom line? Keep your eyes open and you won't shut diners out.
#5: Squeaky cleaning. Seeing a couple of crumbs on the floor doesn't bother me much - but watching someone pick up dirt in and under my table while I'm in the middle of a meal does. Even worse is the pungent smell of the spray cleaners that are applied to the empty table next to me while I'm eating -- guaranteed to take away my appetite. I do understand - really I do - that it's necessary on occasion to haul out the sweeper to pick up the cracker crumbs, half-chewed hot dog bits and French fry tips that giggling two-year-old threw on the floor. But please, folks, surely you can find a cleaner that doesn't stink to high heaven!
#6: Familiarity breeds contempt. I'm one of the most informal people I know; it's fine if other people's kids call me by my first name and I'm not inclined to answer if somebody calls me "Mrs. Ryan." Still, it bothers me when a restaurant server bounces up to our table with the greeting, "How are you guys doin' today?" followed by "Do you guys need anything?" throughout the meal. Maybe it's because I'm not a "guy," but it's quite off-putting. "How are you two doing today?" is just as friendly and a lot less irritating.
#7: No separate checks. Try as I might, I can't for the life of me figure out why a restaurant would prohibit writing up two separate checks when two couples eat at the same table (and after talking with other folks who've run into the same stone wall, I'm not the only one ticked off about it). The most innovative response I've heard to the question of why not was this: "If I do two checks, the food for all of you may not come out at the same time." Well you guys, I'll bet it will if you tell someone the checks are for the same table. If you can't figure out a way to do that, we're willing to chance it if it means we don't have to figure out who owes what at the end of our meal. And if that doesn't work, well, we'll just take our business elsewhere next time.
#8. Waiting is the hardest part. With apologies to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, having to wait longer than 20 minutes or so to get a table isn't on my want-to-do list. That, however, isn't my big objection; it's when we're told the wait will be "about 10 minutes" and half an hour later we still haven't been seated. Of course, I understand it's impossible to pin down how long a party of five will dawdle over coffee; but all too often, it's pretty clear we're being given an estimate on the very low end simply to keep us from going somewhere else.
#9. No reservations. This one applies only to more upscale restaurants; with a Mickey D's, Wendy's or Burger King on just about every corner, it's not too hard to get to a fast food place where the line isn't out the door and around the building. I know that very popular establishments have such an overflow of business that they really don't need to accept reservations, but even they should know that all good things come to a slowdown, especially in the restaurant industry -- and meeting the needs and expectations of customers is important no matter how popular you are right now.
It's fine with me, BTW, if they require a credit card number to reserve a time (and charge a stated fee if I fail to show up). But when I'm heading out to a fancy place, perhaps to celebrate a special event, the only place I'll choose is one at which I can get some sort of guarantee that I won't have to fight the crowd.
#10. Put it online. Yes, Virginia, this is a good thing. Whether it's making one of the above-mentioned reservations, ordering take-out or buying a gift card, having the option of doing it online is a wonderful convenience. Similarly, I like being able to peruse a restaurant's menu online before I visit, especially if it's one I haven't been to before.
#11. Perks. So-called "loyalty" programs are another good thing -- signing up online or even punch cards that reward me for my business every so often (and if you do it by e-mail, so much the better). Even then, I'll issue a caveat: Make it meaningful. Offering me one free dessert when I buy two expensive entrees and two drinks just doesn't cut it. Buy one entree and get one free, and I'm all yours again (and again). And while you're at it, give me some time; sending me a discount coupon that expires the very next day virtually guarantees I won't be able to use it (and especially if it's a really good deal, I'll be quite upset that I wasn't able to take advantage of the offer).
When it comes to dining out, life is very, very good in northeastern Ohio. Within a drive of 20 minutes or less in any direction, my husband Jack and I can be chowing down on wonderful food, from burgers to lobster tail depending on what mood we're in.
Personal taste and a budget, though, mean we're more likely to gravitate toward the burgers; casual food generally costs less, and we much prefer a laid-back atmosphere to worrying about whether we're using the wrong fork. If we're heading south, one of our favorite stops is in Salem at B B Rooners Food & Spirits, a place that's popular just about any time of day or evening (and has been so for more than
22 years, although we didn't "discover" it until perhaps a dozen years ago). The atmosphere screams sports bar - TV sets tuned to football, basketball or whatever happens to be in season plus team trophies and even motorcycles parked on display inside. When the weather's decent, there's an outside bar and deck as well.
There are two main dining areas, one of which includes a good-sized b
ar; the other now hosts lunch buffet that costs just $6.99 for a goodly array of that usually includes pastas, pizzas, soup, salads, sandwiches and such (kids under 10 pay $4.99). On the other side of that is a long hall-like "room" with several booths that offer a bit more privacy than other parts of the restaurant.
That hallway is where we sat on one recent Sunday visit around lunchtime; in fact, we snagged the last available booth. I was especially hungry, so I asked for more time to ins
pect the menu, hoping to find a taste appetizer to take the edge off. The BB Spuds sounded good - potatoes with melted cheddar, bacon bits and sour cream for $7.20 - as did the battered fried zucchini sticks with marinara sauce ($5.15). In the end, I ordered eight wings with butter garlic sauce to share with Jack (also $5.15).
Choosing an entree took even longer; several specialty pizzas, including white with garlic and oil, hot peppers and five cheeses ($9.25) sounded wonderful. The pasta dinner for $10.30 comes with a salad, bread and butter, and diners can choose from cavatelli, spaghetti, linguine, penne, rigatoni or wheat (decisions, decisions, decisions)! On top of the "normal" sauces is an option for chili on top.
There are several salads and soups, and if you choose a sandwich, you can substitute one of these for the fries that come standard. Speaking of sandwiches, many have intriguing sports-related names: Triple Play Burger, World Series, Golf Club (as expected, a club sandwich) and Hook Line & Sinker, a breaded jumbo piece of fish on toasted bun for $7.20 (add 80 cents if you prefer broiled).
Our two children are well beyond the age to qualify for the children's menu (for that matter, so are our four grandchildren), but I couldn't help noticing that the "Little All Stars" menu here has quite a few choices that would appeal to munchkins, like two mini-burgers with fries and spaghetti and a meatball with applesauce. All are priced at a reasonable $3.99. When it comes to dessert (which we almost never have room to try), the options are limited, but the apple dumpling that's served warm with ice cream always sounds appealing.
After much deliberation, I chose the Pit Stop ($7.20), a DiRusso Italian sausage topped with peppers, onions and homemade sauce billed as "Just Like The Fair" (that's the storied Canfield Fair for those who don't know). Jack stayed on the lighter side with Post Time, a tuna salad sandwich on toast. He picked a side salad and I chose wedding soup instead of fries.
The wings were outstanding; the breading was crispy but not tooth-breakingly crunchy, and they were softened a bit by swimming in minced garlic and butter. They're also on the plump side, so we couldn't polish them all off before our server delivered other goodies. I admit that the strong spices in my first taste of the wedding soup gave me pause, but once I found (and removed) the whole bay leaf that was lurking in the cup the flavor grew on me. By the time I got to the bottom I was wishing for more. Jack's salad was simple with basic greens and a few veggies - pretty standard fare -- but he did say the raspberry vinaigrette dressing was exceptional.
Both sandwiches were very good. Jack said the tuna salad wasn't anything special, but then we're not exactly sure what could make tuna salad out of the ordinary (and he probably wouldn't like it if it were). My sausage link filled a large Italian hoagie roll, and there was so much sauce, peppers and onions on top that I literally couldn't get it to my mouth without spilling it. In the end, I just pulled it apart and ate it with a knife and fork, enjoying both the sausage and the delicious sauce.
Our next visit also came at lunch, but this time, we sat on the "restaurant" side, where there are a number of booths and tables. Once again, we got the last available booth, which happened to be near the wall board that listed the day's specials. I walked over to check out the buffet as well. I found a variety of pastas, pizzas, soup, salad and even small sandwiches, and everything looked appealing. Still, I'm not much of a buffet aficionado, so I decided to pass on this option (as did Jack).
We deliberated for a while, and finally I ordered the Reuben lunch special with fries ($6.99, down 30 cents or so from the usual price). . Jack decided to go healthier with a turkey burger ($6.70), choosing a side salad with that great raspberry vinaigrette dressing instead of fries or soup.
After I'd ordered my sandwich, our friendly server (for the record, we've never met a server here anything close to unfriendly) told me they have great Reubens. That's a fact I knew to be true since I've had them here before, but not very recently. When it arrived, it contained the requisite corned beef, sauerkraut and thousand island dressing on delicious grilled, buttery marble rye bread. The fries didn't look like the overwhelming amount some restaurants pile on these days, but even after sharing a few with Jack I had plenty left.
Jack was happy with his ground turkey burger, which was topped with tomato and grilled onion and tomato as requested and rather sizable. In fact, he polished it off with time enough to spare that he could help me finish my Reuben.
If you go:
BB Rooners Food & Spirits
256 E. State St.
Salem, Ohio 44460
(330) 337-0001
www.bbroonersfoodandspirits.com
Open at 11 a.m. for lunch and dinner seven days a week.
Especially this time of year, sometimes you just gotta get outta Dodge, even if it's just for a few hours. For my husband Jack and me, that usually means hitting the road to find interesting things to photograph, and more often than not, we'll head for a park. After we've filled up our camera media cards, it's virtually guaranteed that we'll stop somewhere to fill up our stomachs as well.
Winter months around northeastern Ohio aren't all that beautiful, but it's also a time when cabin fever is at its peak - so as long as road conditions aren't hazardous, we're quite willing to head out. One of our favorite haunts is the vast Cuyahoga Valley National Park, where the scenery can be beautiful any time of the year, especially at Hale Farm and Village and some of the visitor centers.
When we get hungry, a likely stop is in historic Peninsula, Ohio, because we typically pass through on our way back home. We've written here before about the wonderful Fisher's Cafe & Pub. But there's another terrific place right across the street that gets our vote as well: the Winking Lizard Tavern.
In fact, this isn't the only one; as of this writing, there are 14 Winking Lizard locations, two in Columbus and the rest in the Cleveland area. The original tavern opened in 1983 in Bedford Heights (or so the website says). For the record, neat "stuff" like T-shirts and logo drinking glasses are for sale at the online store.
Speaking of drinking glasses, the website also claims that the beer list here is "second to none," and we've found no reason to doubt that. In fact, it's a participant in the annual World Tour of Beers. This year-long "event" invites folks to sign up and sample as many as possible (this can be done at any participating bar or bars). There are something like 295 different brews at Winking Lizard - many of which we're pretty sure we couldn't quite stomach, like the sweet Left Hand Milk Stout (from the U.S. of A.), the extra special bitter Monty Python Holy Grail from England and any that have fruit in the title.
The Winking Lizard is a popular place, and it can get quite crowded at 
meal hours and in summer and fall when tourists and hikers are out in force. It's a true bar atmosphere - lots of wood, high tables and stools and laid-back servers. Just inside the door, we spotted a large lizard in a glass cage; how cute that they've got a stuffed animal on display, we said to each other - that is, until he really blinked! Yep, folks, the lizard is very real with a face only a mother could love.
Special events are frequent happenings at various Winking Lizard locations as well; March 24, for instance, is the 2012 Cask Conditioned Ale Festival at Bedford Heights. For $35 per person, you get a sandwich and appetizer buffet plus your choice of a glass from one of the participating breweries (check the website below for more information).
The website, by the way, is the best place to check out the menu as well. Don't miss the graphic "placemats" for each location to see the monthly specials specific to each location. You'll find a drink and dessert of the month (in March, the dessert is Bailey's Tiramisu, or layers of coffee-flavored ladyfingers and a mascarpone cream infused with Bailey's Irish Cream served with vanilla ice cream and lightly dusted with cocoa powder for $6.99). On Mondays and Tuesdays are 40-cent wings, ordered in multiples of 5 with a 5-wing minimum and a $4.99 small cheese pizza. W
ednesdays are 1/2 slab of St. Louis ribs w/fries and slaw for $7.49; Thursdays most burgers are $5.79.
Food, needless to say, is outstanding as well. I love Joe's All American Chili ($2.29 for a cup; add 80 cents more to load it up with cheddar cheese and onions). There are plenty of pizza, wings, ribs and salad options as well, but most often, we stick with sandwiches. One of my favorites is made with Black Forest ham, smoked turkey, melted Swiss cheese and hickory-apple bacon on a pretzel roll with potato pancakes, but last time I checked the online menu, I couldn't find it (boo hoo, because it sure was yummy). But I'll "settle" for the Bo-Man's Honey Club, with broiled chicken breast basted in honey mustard sauce and topped with mozzarella cheese, applewood bacon, lettuce and tomato ($6.49).
Jack loves the barbecue pulled pork here, and at our last visit he got the three minis that normally come with fries, substituting shells and cheese for the fries ($7.99). He's also a wrap fan, so the strip steak version with mozzarella cheese, grilled onions, mushrooms and lettuce always is a temptation ($8.49). I don't care much for wraps, but when I'm not in the mood for meat or a salad, the roasted veggie wrap stuffed with grilled portabello mushrooms, roasted zucchini, yellow squash, red onion, red peppers, spinach, cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese is a good choice ($8.79).
Most of the time when we eat out, it's for a late lunch; first of all, lunch prices usually are lower, and second, if there's a bit of a drive to get back home, we can make it before dark (we concede the point that old folks tend to be homebodies once the sun goes down). Lunch specials at Winking Lizard are available from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., giving us quite a bit of flexibility, and although the list isn't long, there's at least one discounted item Monday through Friday (Wednesday's turkey Reuben with fries is our pick of the litter).
To be honest, we've never tried dessert here -- we're always way too stuffed by the time we finish whatever we've had for the main course. But one of these days I want to sample the funnel cake sticks, or light fried pastry sprinkled with powdered sugar and served with vanilla ice cream drizzled with caramel sauce (and yes, whatever the dessert of the month happens to be)!
If you go:
WINKING LIZARD TAVERN
1615 Main St.
Peninsula, Ohio 44264
(330) 467-1002
www.winkinglizard.com
Kitchen open 11 a.m. 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.
Finding a new restaurant at which the food is outstanding never fails to be exciting, and when the excitement remains on subsequent visits, it's even better. Such is the case at The Phoenix Fire Grill and Bar. My husband Jack and I noticed it on several occasions as we drove toward Canfield on State Route 46 (usually on our way to the White House Fruit Farm or the Mill Creek Metropark Farm), but we didn't work up the courage to ch
eck it out till recently.
And boy, we're glad we did! The food here is way more than a cut above the ordinary, and each time we've stopped since then we've found something new to love.
The decor has a Southwestern flavor - lots of dark wood and peachy colors - that complements the wonderful smells coming from the fire grill; and for the record, the interior is much larger than it appears from the outside (the restaurant is at the end of a small shopping plaza). There's a good-sized bar and an adjacent section with a few booths; on the other side is a much larger area with plenty of booths and tables. Still, it's small enough to be cozy (and be full of diners at peak meal hours, so plan 
your visit accordingly).
One of the reasons we hadn't stopped earlier, I must admit, is that it looked expensive; we're not frequent visitors at restaurants that cost an arm and a leg, so we figured we'd wait to come here for a special occasion. But on one of our trips, Jack stopped in to look around and picked up a sample menu, showing us we had no need to hold off. The prices here are quite reasonable, and several of the dinner entrees are available in "lunch" portions until 4 p.m. each day. There's also a Happy Hour from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, when draft beers are $1 off and domestic bottles are reduced by a buck and a half.
On our first visit, we asked to sit on the "bar" side. Although we were in a booth, I did notice that this place has avoided one of my big pet peeves about sitting o
n a barstool, even if it's just for drinks: There's no convenient place to stash my purse. It takes up too much space if I plunk it next to me on the bar top, and I really don't want to stash it on the floor (after all, who knows where that floor has been).Here, though, large cup hooks have been installed on the sides of the bar several inches from the top - a perfect solution, IMHO!
I'll also admit we probably made a mistake by asking the hostess to seat us in the bar section - after waiting for more than 10 minutes without seeing a server except on the restaurant side, we finally asked the bartender for help. After another 10 minutes, someone wandered over to check on us, apologizing and explaining they'd been "trying to figure out" who should be waiting on our table. Once they'd resolved that issue, though, the service was fine.
Deciding on what to try at a new restaurant, though, always presents a problem when it comes to the main reason we walked through the door. Do we go with something more tried and true, like a burger? Here, for instance, the Fireburger - an 8-ounce ground chuck patty with Buffalo sauce topped with marinated peppers and melted pepperjack cheese ($7) was almost too tempting. In the end, though, the black-n-bleu pizza proved irresistible; diced blackened chicken on seasoned white pizza with garlic, sliced plum tomatoes, bacon, three cheeses and crumbled bleu cheese (and fire grilled, of course) simply sounded out of this world.
Jack wasn't quite as hungry and settled for a barbecue chicken quesadilla from the appetizer menu ($7). A crispy tortilla shell filled with roasted peppers and three cheeses, it comes with smoked onion dip instead of the usual sour cream and/or guacamole.
Our first surprise was delivery of a basket of fresh-baked, still-warm rolls - not something we'd have expected with an order of a pizza and an appetizer. The rolls were excellent, and the herbed butter made them even more delectable.
Jack was exceptionally pleased with his quesadilla, which was stuffed with far more "insides" than we've ever seen in a quesadilla appetizer. It was delicious, and he said the smoked onion sauce added a special touch he loved (I tasted it, and it would be great on other things as well).
My pizza, though, was nothing short of wonderful. The crust is particularly flavorful, and the whole thing was oozing with so much melted cheese that it was hard to pick up without dripping. I don't recall seeing that amount of bleu cheese on anything that comes with bleu cheese before -- I love the stuff, and it was almost too much for me. The blackened chicken is cut in smallish chunks -- as well it should be on a pizza -- and the flavor is outstanding and blends perfectly with all that cheese.
Simply because we loved the place the first time around, our next visit came fairly soon thereafter and this time at lunchtime on a Sunday. We arrived around 12:20 p.m. in hopes of beating the after-church crowd, and at least on this day, it was perfect timing. We had almost the run of the place seating-wise (this time we opted for the regular dining room), but by the time we'd been served, the place was almost full.
We both thought the lunch portions of entrees would be a good way to go this time. My choice was the Shrimp & Scallops Jambalaya $9 for lunch, $16 for dinner), and Jack picked Chicken Marsala Portobello ($8/$14). But then, my eyes spotted something else -- and I threw caution to the wind and insisted I had to have it.
"It" was the Tuna Carpaccio appetizer, or Sashimi-style Ahi tuna marinated, rolled in spices, pan se
ared rare, sliced and served on assorted greens with ginger soy sauce. I'd become totally enamored with rare Ahi tuna on previous trips to the North Carolina Outer Banks (I found what I consider to be the best in the world at Basnight's Lone Cedar Cafe in Nags Head), so even though this was a relatively pricey $9, I wasn't about to let the catch get away even if it is inland.
Delicious? Oh my. The coating on the tuna is a titch crusty, and the sauce is rather salty and ever so slightly less tasty than at Nags Head. That said, I didn't want to eat anything else; and the slices were so numerous that the appetizer would have been sufficient for an entire lunch for me. Even Jack, who wants nothing to do with anything "rare," tasted a piece and agreed it's superb. If nothing else, I'll make a beeline for this place often just so I can have more of this!
Our entrees came with salads, and interestingly, mine was mostly head lettuce that Jack prefers while his was mostly my favorite assorted greens ("rabbit food," as he calls the stuff). Since we poured on different dressings before we noticed, we weren't able to switch, but next time we'll know to look before we dress and adjust accordingly.
His grilled chicken breast and portobello 'shrooms were served over rice pilaf and topped with fire roasted veggies and a lemon with a white wine and garlic butter sauce. The breast was a little on the skimpy side, he noted, but it was quite good (the sauce was outstanding) and the portobello slices were plentiful. Meanwhile, I was oblivious to what he was eating once I stuck my fork in the Jambalaya. It was a bowl of rice pilaf topped with two very large tiger shrimp, two equally large scallops, a few slices of Andouille sausage, all sauteed with bell peppers and onions and simmered in sherry wine sauce with a touch of marinara.
The flavor was outstanding (and properly cooked seafood is a deal-breaker for me any day of the week). The lunch portion isn't huge, but it would have been plenty for a dinner entree for me, especially with the salad (even without the appetizer, which next time out will be my main course for sure).
Except it wasn't. On our next visit, I decided to sample another dish that sounded wonderful - Mediterranean Pasta with Shrimp & Scallops ($10 for the lunch portion). Jack had liked the Jambalaya I got on the other trip so well that he ordered it for himself this time -- and except for a few slices of that Andouille sausage that he gave to me (he's not a sausage fan), he polished off the entire bowl.
My choice came in a bowl as well; the shrimp and scallops sauteed with artichokes, roasted red peppers, red onion, kalamata olives and feta cheese in butter, garlic and lemon sauce tossed with linguine and Parmesan cheese made for a very different taste sensation, but a sensation it was. I'm still partial to that Jambalaya (and of course the Ahi tuna appetizer) though, so looks as if we'll be coming here fairly regularly. If you see us there, stop and say hello!
If you go:
The Phoenix Fire Grill and Bar
5231 S. Canfield-Niles Road
Canfield, Ohio
(330) 533-9999
www.phoenixfiregrill.com
Open 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday.
In the good old days, it didn't take much to entice my husband Jack and I to go out for lunch or dinner. Sometimes, the spark came from watching a TV commercial; other times, we'd read about a restaurant in the newspaper. Most of the time, we didn't need any outside help - we were hungry, so we'd just look at each other and say, "Where to this time?"
Times have changed considerably, as everyone knows; these days, discretionary income is in short supply, and we're forced to pick and choose carefully before heading out the door. That also means we've become far less adventurous than we once were; we tend to stick with the tried and true rather than shell out the bucks at a new-to-us place for what turns out to be a disappointing culinary experience.
But we still enjoy the thrill of the chase, so when we get a recommendation from a friend wh
o shares our love of eating out, we start salivating. The most recent heads-up took us to Boardman, Ohio, and the wonderful Blue Wolf Tavern.
It's such a neat place (and the food's so great) that we've returned more than once. Better still, we were excited to learn that by the time you read this, a second location will be almost ready to open much closer to us! Located just inside Creekside Golf Dome in Girard, Ohio, the new place - named the Wolves Den Bar and Grill, or so the company website says - is expected to open sometime this month. We popped in a couple of weeks ago, and looks as if renovations are coming along nicely. We promise to keep an eye on things, and you can be sure we'll be among the very first customers!
But for now, I'll tell you about the Boardman location, where there's a banquet facility that can accommodate 200 for brunch, lunch and dinner, a WiFi hotspot and lots of beautiful pictures of - you guessed it - wolves. On the website, executive chefs Joe Rzonsa and Brant Newton say the restaurant's name and ambience resulted from a postcard showing a wolf in front of burning woods, giving the animal a blueish hue. We say we love the decor; the place has the look and feel of a hunting lodge dining room, complete with a lovely fireplace.
Our first visit came during the Christmas holidays after we'd stopped at the visitor center in Mill Creek Park to check out the beautifully decorated trees and then at the Boardman Wild Birds Unlimited so Jack could look at the winter Tilley hats. He didn't find anything, but I bought a bar of Burt's Bees Garden Tomato Complexion Soap, which I absolutely love - it's like washing your face with cream.
At any rate, by the time we got to the Blue Wolf we would have happily eaten anything on the menu that they could bring quickly. Reason prevailed, though, and we decided we'd better 
try an appetizer to get things moving along (well, after ordering a couple of on-tap beers to take the edge off). It was a tough decision, but I finally settled on spicy marinated peppers ($5.99) while Jack opted for Zucchini Parmesan, also $5.99.
The decision on entrees took even longer; we eyeballed the daily specials first, but ended up picking from the regular menu. My choice was cheese-stuffed ravioli with red sauce and a meatball - other options were available at a slightly higher cost, like alfredo sauce. Instead of a salad, I picked a cup of wedding soup for a 69-cent upcharge.
Jack went for the heart-healthy bourbon chicken with a salad and one side ($8.99). In keeping with the heart-healthy thing, he went with a viniagrette dressing and pasta as the second side. On the latter, too, there were several choices, and he picked linguine with chunky marinara sauce.
The appetizers, which were delivered quickly (I suspect the server noticed we were close to desperation hunger-wise) and acco
mpanied by a basket of fresh, warm crusty Italian rolls and butter. My peppers included hot banana, cubanelle, green bell and red roasted varieties marinated in homemade viniagrette and served with provolone wedges. I'm not going to claim they were particularly hot - but keep in mind that I have yet to find a hot pepper that's too much for me to handle. These are quite delicious with a slightly sweet edge, though, and I wouldn't hesitate to order them again. The chunks of cheese made a nice alternative to the usual bread or pita triangles.
Jack, who usually isn't much for vegetables beyond green beans and corn, really liked the lightly breaded zucchini that was topped with marinara, provolone and Romano cheeses - and I concur. Wonderful!
Then came my soup, and I'm delighted to report that it came piping hot (one of my big pet peeves with most restaurants is that soup is served tepid). Filled with veggies, chicken pieces, tiny meatballs and other "stuff" - but not so much that I couldn't find the broth - the flavor was fabulous. After one bite, I put this at the top of the best I've ever had - and I vowed to try a bowl next time out.
I got six good-sized ravioli for my entree, and while the red sauce was quite delicious, I wouldn't call it spectacular. Jack's chicken breast was ample, sitting on top of a mountain of rice. He said the flavor was a little on the "blah" side, but I've found that's often the case with so-called "heart-healthy" dishes. In the end, he added some zest with a few leftover hot peppers from that terrific appetizer - if you can believe that - and ended up cleaning off his plate.
Our next official visit also was at lunchtime, and I wanted to try the wings. Ordering the appetizer portion (12 wings for $8.99), I chose my favorite garlic sauce. Once again, Jack stuck with good-for-you options, this time a house salad with greens, olives, tomatoes, cucumber, onions, carrots, shredded cheese, hard-boiled eggs and croutons at $5.99. Surprisingly (since I can't recall the last time it happened), our server asked if he wanted her to "hold" anything, so he gratefully declined those croutons.
Knowing I'd be quite happy to fill up on those wings, I was feeling a bit more adventurous this time and chose the Chicken & Shrimp Jambalaya as my entree. At $9.69, it features bell peppers, garlic, onions and Andouile sausage in sherry wine and marinara sauce over seasoned rice. It comes with a side salad, and I picked Gorgonzola viniagrette.
We knew immediately that our wings were on the way since we could smell the garlic all the way from the kitchen (okay, in the interest of full disclosure, we were sitting fairly close to the kitchen, but I think you get the point). The wings also are gigantic - perhaps the largest I've seen at a restaurant. The breading is crispy and absolutely delicious, but something made it a bit different - made from breadcrumbs, perhaps? The appendages were resting amid lots of buttery chopped garlic, and the meat was juicy and tender. Had the meal ended here, I'd have been a happy camper. We saved four to bring home, but that was only because we wanted to save at least a little room for our entrees.
Jack's salad was quite large, and since he'd made his usual request for double the regular amount of dressing, his came in a bowl instead of the small plastic container that held mine. Both were quite good, though, and except for the hard-boiled egg (which he allowed me to eat), he finished off the whole thing.
When I ordered the Jambalaya, our server said it's one of her favorite dishes here. To Jack, I said, "Yeah, right; that's what they all say." That was before I'd taken a bite, though - once I'd done that, I said she's absolutely correct. A whole chicken breast plus two large shrimp and several chunks of Andouile sausage topped a substantial portion of rice, and all of that was smothered in an absolutely tantalizing sauce that had a bit of a kick. I managed to eat most of it even though the wings had filled me up, and once Jack tasted it, he willingly polished off the rest so we had nothing to bring home (that is, except for the leftover wings, which lasted all of a couple of hours before we devoured them as well)!
If you go:
BLUE WOLF TAVERN
1295 Boardman-Canfield Road
Boardman, Ohio 44512
(330) 726-1736
http://www.thebluewolftavern.com
Dining room open Monday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; and Sunday noon to 8 p.m. Lounge is open till 11 p.m. on Sunday, till 1 a.m. Monday through Thursday and till 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
