Every so often -- more specifically, when our supply of wine starts to run low -- we'll make a run for the Michael Charles Premier Wine Shops on East Market Street (aka "Old Route 82) in Howland Township. There, after consulting with longtime friend and owner Mike Lapmardo and perhaps enjoying a sample of a wine or two that he recommends, we'll fill up a case, pack it in the trunk of our car and head back home.
Sometimes, we'll make another stop on our way back home to Niles, usually for lunch. Such was the case shortly before Christmas, when we were at the wine shop restocking our supply as well as picking up a handful of bottles for gifts. The restaurant we chose -- Salvatore's Italian Grill -- has been a favorite for many years; what's more, it's located in the same strip plaza as the wine shop. How's that for convenience?
I can't tell you how long we've enjoyed eating at Salvatore's -- basically from the time it first opened. Although we don't eat out as often as we used to, we still consider ourselves to be "regulars." Now, though, we sometimes head to Austintown, where Salvatore's has a second restaurant in the building that for years was home to The Lodge. For the record, Salvatore's also operates a pizzeria in Eastwood Mall in Niles.
Fact is, we've been to the Austintown location more often that the "old" place in Howland, so our first surprise was the wonderful job that's been done on remodeling. What once was a tiny bar area with a couple of chairs for diners waiting for a table has been transformed into a lovely, rather intimate lounge, complete with a fancy schmancy bar and several booths and tables. Had there been room for us, we'd have opted to eat here in a heartbeat; but we arrived not long after the noon lunch hour and only a tiny table remained empty. Oh well, we said -- guess we'll just have to come back.
The restaurant side has been revamped extensively as well, although the change isn't quite as dramatic. Still, if memory serves us well, we found new tables, booths and other decorations that are much more attractive than before. There was plenty of room here, and we were seated immediately. Since we'd been tasting wine at Charlie's, we figured we'd better stick with that, ordering the house cabernet (my husband Jack) and chardonnay (me). Neither was anything to write home about, but they were quite doable nonetheless. And, we were quite surprised and pleased to learn that a substantial sized glass (I'd guess close to double what most restaurants consider a glass of wine) costs just $3.95. Other wines are available, of course, for those who have more discerning palates and more discretionary income than we do.
Salvatore's has, in Jack's humble opinion, the best chicken cacciatore (whoops, excuse me: Pollo Alla Cacciatore), or boneless chicken breast sauteed in marinara sauce with mushrooms, green peppers and fresh tomatoes over spaghetti for $12.95. It's not listed on the lunch menu, but our server assured him anything he wanted could be prepared. My favorite, Penne All' Arrabiata ($12.95), isn't on the lunch menu either (for the record, it's penne paste with prosciutto in spicy marinara sauce for $12.95; and yes, they'll be happy to make it even spicier for the some who like it hot, like me).
In the end, I decided on another of my favorites, Penne Alla Vodka at $13.95 -- penne pasta in a delicious cream sauce with prosciutto, shallots and vodka. Jack, however, opted to try something new to him from the vegetarian specialties section: For $9.95, he got to pick one of several types of pasta (linguini, penne, spaghetti, cavatelli or, for $1 more, ghocchi) plus a vegetable (he picked grilled mushrooms but could have asked for asparagus, spinach, broccoli, sun-dried tomatoes or eggplant).
Entrees here come with soup or tossed salad plus fresh-baked garlic rolls and pizza bread. We both chose soup -- clam chowder for Jack and wedding for me. While we sipped our wine and waited for the soup, our server brought a basket overflowing with the breads. I must caution that it's easy to fill up on these items; even before the soup arrived, Jack polished off every single one of the pizza bread chunks and I'd mowed down the garlic rolls by one. Even though we both know we should restrain ourselves, we're always unable to resist.
Then came the soups -- and both were fairly substantial bowls (much more than the cup most restaurants serve up). The clam chowder was rather thick and a lovely shade of pinkish-orange (no, that doesn't seem to have anything to do with the taste, but it sure is pretty). Salvatore's wedding soup to me is among the best I can get anywhere, filled with those teeny-tiny round dots of pasta (the name always escapes me -- acini de pepe, perhaps?) plus finely chopped greens, carrots, onions, chicken and tiny round meatballs in a delicious chicken broth.
By the time the entrees came -- and they were timed perfectly for delivery just as we were polishing off our soups -- we knew we'd overstepped our capacity and (oh drat!) would end up with plenty to bring home. Jack's veggie pasta was quite tasty, and the Penne Alla Vodka was just as delicious as I'd remembered (I always add hot pepper seeds to spice it up a bit more). Hard as we tried, neither of us could finish much more than half, so the rest -- and a couple of leftover garlic rolls -- went straight into boxes and, as we expected, were just as yummy for lunch the next day.
Needless to say, there are plenty of other things to love about Salvatore's, especially if you love Italian food. For an appetizer, how about Vongole Al Vino Bianco, or clams sauteed in garlic and olive oil with either white wine or red sauce over garlic rolls ($8.95)? The oven-baked entrees are especially wonderful here -- Stuffed Shells Al Forno ($10.95), Lasagna Classico ($11.95), for instance -- and the Linguini Anacapri, or shrimp, calamari, mussels and clams sauteed in white wine or marinara sauce is outstanding ($15.95). For lunch, try hot or cold sub sandwiches, including Philly steaks, or even a burger. The kiddies aren't left out, either; Salvatore's takes a somewhat unique approach to the children's menu by offering any "adult" entree at half price.
If you go:
Salvatore's Italian Grill
8720 E. Market St.
Warren Ohio 44484
(330) 609-7777
www.salvatoresgrill.com
-or-
4831 Mahoning Ave.
Austintown, Ohio 44515
(330) 799-2285
Open Monday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sunday noon to 8 p.m.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Margherita's Grille
Margherita's: Quick, what comes to mind? Tacos and refried beans? Wide-mouth glasses with salt and a slice of lime on the rim? If you're at Margherita's Grille in Girard, you can order the latter if you want, but surprise: For the most part, the food here anything but Mexican. In fact, the name is a clue: Spelled this way, it's Italian, and also the name of the grandmother of the owner of this wonderful restaurant -- or so our server told us at our most recent visit.
Once the cold weather, snow and ice hit this neck of the woods, my husband Jack and I tend to hunker down and put the brakes on traveling any distance from which we couldn't walk home if need be. I say that partly to "warn" readers that the bulk of the restaurants and attractions I'll be mentioning here for a while won't be too far from where I'm sitting right now -- and partly to say how delighted we are to have Margherita's relatively close at hand. After a couple of our friends introduced us to the place a few months back (thanks, Jerry and Barb!), we've put this place right at the top of our favorites list. If you haven't been here yet, you're missing a real treat.
Although adding Margherita's to our list of favorites was a no-brainer, it's extremely difficult to pick favorites when it comes to the food. Of course, there are the requisite Italian dishes like meat or cheese ravioli and sauce ($7.99; add meat, Alfredo or vodka sauce for an additional $1.99) as well as temptations like linguine with clams or mussels in white wine sauce or spicy marinara ($10.99) and eggplant parmigiana, breaded and topped with mozzarella and marinara sauce accompanied by spaghetti marinara ($9.99). If your taste runs to the more exotic, try the Pasta Margherita, which consists of cauliflower, pine nuts and raisins sauteed in white wine sauce over penne pasta ($9.99). Like veal? You can't miss with Veal Marsala, Veal Parmigiana, Veal Salty Bocca or Veal Francais.
For smaller appetites or the lunch crowd, sandwiches and pizza are plentiful here as well. The pizza burger, an Angus steak burger squashed between two slices of sheet pizza and spashed with sauce ($7.99), is reminiscent of the pizza burgers we used to love at another area restaurant -- ditto the meatball splash. Several calzones are available, as is a variety of pizza including the Four Seasons, a thin-crust topped with artichokes, black olives, mushrooms and red peppers (a 12-inch is $6.99).
We've already sampled several of these mouth-watering goodies, and trust me, we'll be trying more. That said, our most recent visit was one of our most satisfying, starting with blackened prime rib with a baked potato and wedding soup for me and Filet Siciliano with French fries and lobster bisque for Jack -- both were on the specials board and in the $15 range.
I should mention that except for Friday and Saturday evenings, we've never needed a reservation if we arrived by 5:30 p.m.; and the "early bird" specials served up between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., ranging from $7.99 to $10.99, are yet another reason to beat the rush. Still, especially if your party includes four or more, I advise erring on the side of caution by calling ahead.
The inside of the place is far from fancy -- in fact, the emphasis is on family atmosphere even during the Saturday evening entertainment. But there's a full bar, comfortable booths and tables and friendly, helpful servers, all of which help make for an enjoyable dining experience. The tables are close enough together that you can chat with friends and neighbors without shouting but far enough away that you won't feel cramped.
Ah, but I digress: Back to the reason we were here. We were hungry -- and hoped to have some leftovers from our entrees to enjoy another day -- so we chose a couple of appetizers. Actually, make that I chose; since I'm the one doing the post-eating write-up, I figured that gave me dibs on picking the starters. Since we'd already tried the delicious hand-cut, lightly breaded calamari with a side of marinara sauce ($6.99), I headed straight for the homemade hot peppers and oil ($2.99 for a small order), knowing full well the other half of our dinner party wouldn't touch them with a 10-foot pole. Then, I couldn't resist the Asparagus Bundle, or several stalks of the veggie wrapped in prosuitto and topped with melted fresh mozzarella ($7.99). That one raised the eyebrows of the guy sitting across from me, but he swallowed his concern, gave me a half-hearted smile and let me do my thing.
As it turned out, he was pleasantly surprised. He usually turns up his nose at any vegetable that isn't green beans, corn or potatoes, but even he had to admit the asparagus was quite tasty (I'll give it an absolutely delicious)! Those hot peppers, though, are to die for. The flavor is just wonderful -- hot pepper seeds are liberally sprinkled throughout -- and the peppers are crunchy without tasting raw. Even the small order was ample, and I polished off every single one even before the basket of warm, fresh-baked bread and herbed butter arrived at our table.
As for the soups, we encountered a bit of a glitch; our server forgot to deliver them (not that we cared a whit after chowing down on those wonderful appetizers). But without missing a beat, she offered to box up the soups for take-out if we preferred -- we did -- and we enjoyed them for lunch the next day. The lobster bisque is a particular treat, although I'm always partial to wedding soup (also delicious).
Then came the entrees, and there's nothing to say but wow! The slab of blackened prime rib was huge, and although I had my doubts as to whether it could be cooked to my specified medium rare without being a thicker slice, I soon discovered that yes, it was done to perfection. The seasoning was brimming with flavor, too. Meanwhile, Jack's filet was cooked to his liking -- he's a (gasp!) well-done kind of guy -- and it, too, was swimming in a wonderfully flavored sauce. The only problem, if you can call it that, is that I could finish only about a third of the prime rib and Jack was able to pack in just half of his butterflied filet. Oh well, our server to the rescue once again, adding our leftovers to take-home boxes (and fixing up a special package of all the bread that we weren't able to fit in our stomachs to boot).
Several desserts are on the menu, but one is special to Jack: Spumoni. Stuffed as he was, he couldn't resist. Piled high in a large martini glass and topped with a mound of whipped cream, it was tempting even to someone like me who isn't fond of spumoni. Anticipating what might happen, our server brought an extra spoon without even asking -- and I admit it was good (well, the few bites of the strawberry part that I picked out were; I'm not big on the pistachio and other flavors). As for me, I simply tried to wash down all my gluttony with a cup of coffee.
In the end, we waddled out fat and happy once again, knowing that once the dust settled overnight, we'd get a second go-around with the leftovers. Oh, almost forgot: Sweetheart that he is, Jack got me a take-home order of those super-good hot peppers. They were gone long before lunch the next day!
If you go:
Margherita's Grille
728 N. State St.
Girard, Ohio 44420
(330) 545-2424
www.margheritasgrille.com
Open for lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday
Once the cold weather, snow and ice hit this neck of the woods, my husband Jack and I tend to hunker down and put the brakes on traveling any distance from which we couldn't walk home if need be. I say that partly to "warn" readers that the bulk of the restaurants and attractions I'll be mentioning here for a while won't be too far from where I'm sitting right now -- and partly to say how delighted we are to have Margherita's relatively close at hand. After a couple of our friends introduced us to the place a few months back (thanks, Jerry and Barb!), we've put this place right at the top of our favorites list. If you haven't been here yet, you're missing a real treat.
Although adding Margherita's to our list of favorites was a no-brainer, it's extremely difficult to pick favorites when it comes to the food. Of course, there are the requisite Italian dishes like meat or cheese ravioli and sauce ($7.99; add meat, Alfredo or vodka sauce for an additional $1.99) as well as temptations like linguine with clams or mussels in white wine sauce or spicy marinara ($10.99) and eggplant parmigiana, breaded and topped with mozzarella and marinara sauce accompanied by spaghetti marinara ($9.99). If your taste runs to the more exotic, try the Pasta Margherita, which consists of cauliflower, pine nuts and raisins sauteed in white wine sauce over penne pasta ($9.99). Like veal? You can't miss with Veal Marsala, Veal Parmigiana, Veal Salty Bocca or Veal Francais.
For smaller appetites or the lunch crowd, sandwiches and pizza are plentiful here as well. The pizza burger, an Angus steak burger squashed between two slices of sheet pizza and spashed with sauce ($7.99), is reminiscent of the pizza burgers we used to love at another area restaurant -- ditto the meatball splash. Several calzones are available, as is a variety of pizza including the Four Seasons, a thin-crust topped with artichokes, black olives, mushrooms and red peppers (a 12-inch is $6.99).
We've already sampled several of these mouth-watering goodies, and trust me, we'll be trying more. That said, our most recent visit was one of our most satisfying, starting with blackened prime rib with a baked potato and wedding soup for me and Filet Siciliano with French fries and lobster bisque for Jack -- both were on the specials board and in the $15 range.
I should mention that except for Friday and Saturday evenings, we've never needed a reservation if we arrived by 5:30 p.m.; and the "early bird" specials served up between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., ranging from $7.99 to $10.99, are yet another reason to beat the rush. Still, especially if your party includes four or more, I advise erring on the side of caution by calling ahead.
The inside of the place is far from fancy -- in fact, the emphasis is on family atmosphere even during the Saturday evening entertainment. But there's a full bar, comfortable booths and tables and friendly, helpful servers, all of which help make for an enjoyable dining experience. The tables are close enough together that you can chat with friends and neighbors without shouting but far enough away that you won't feel cramped.
Ah, but I digress: Back to the reason we were here. We were hungry -- and hoped to have some leftovers from our entrees to enjoy another day -- so we chose a couple of appetizers. Actually, make that I chose; since I'm the one doing the post-eating write-up, I figured that gave me dibs on picking the starters. Since we'd already tried the delicious hand-cut, lightly breaded calamari with a side of marinara sauce ($6.99), I headed straight for the homemade hot peppers and oil ($2.99 for a small order), knowing full well the other half of our dinner party wouldn't touch them with a 10-foot pole. Then, I couldn't resist the Asparagus Bundle, or several stalks of the veggie wrapped in prosuitto and topped with melted fresh mozzarella ($7.99). That one raised the eyebrows of the guy sitting across from me, but he swallowed his concern, gave me a half-hearted smile and let me do my thing.
As it turned out, he was pleasantly surprised. He usually turns up his nose at any vegetable that isn't green beans, corn or potatoes, but even he had to admit the asparagus was quite tasty (I'll give it an absolutely delicious)! Those hot peppers, though, are to die for. The flavor is just wonderful -- hot pepper seeds are liberally sprinkled throughout -- and the peppers are crunchy without tasting raw. Even the small order was ample, and I polished off every single one even before the basket of warm, fresh-baked bread and herbed butter arrived at our table.
As for the soups, we encountered a bit of a glitch; our server forgot to deliver them (not that we cared a whit after chowing down on those wonderful appetizers). But without missing a beat, she offered to box up the soups for take-out if we preferred -- we did -- and we enjoyed them for lunch the next day. The lobster bisque is a particular treat, although I'm always partial to wedding soup (also delicious).
Then came the entrees, and there's nothing to say but wow! The slab of blackened prime rib was huge, and although I had my doubts as to whether it could be cooked to my specified medium rare without being a thicker slice, I soon discovered that yes, it was done to perfection. The seasoning was brimming with flavor, too. Meanwhile, Jack's filet was cooked to his liking -- he's a (gasp!) well-done kind of guy -- and it, too, was swimming in a wonderfully flavored sauce. The only problem, if you can call it that, is that I could finish only about a third of the prime rib and Jack was able to pack in just half of his butterflied filet. Oh well, our server to the rescue once again, adding our leftovers to take-home boxes (and fixing up a special package of all the bread that we weren't able to fit in our stomachs to boot).
Several desserts are on the menu, but one is special to Jack: Spumoni. Stuffed as he was, he couldn't resist. Piled high in a large martini glass and topped with a mound of whipped cream, it was tempting even to someone like me who isn't fond of spumoni. Anticipating what might happen, our server brought an extra spoon without even asking -- and I admit it was good (well, the few bites of the strawberry part that I picked out were; I'm not big on the pistachio and other flavors). As for me, I simply tried to wash down all my gluttony with a cup of coffee.
In the end, we waddled out fat and happy once again, knowing that once the dust settled overnight, we'd get a second go-around with the leftovers. Oh, almost forgot: Sweetheart that he is, Jack got me a take-home order of those super-good hot peppers. They were gone long before lunch the next day!
If you go:
Margherita's Grille
728 N. State St.
Girard, Ohio 44420
(330) 545-2424
www.margheritasgrille.com
Open for lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday
Monday, December 14, 2009
Roby Lee's Restaurant and Banquet Center
It's always wonderful when you hope for bronze and end up with gold. Such is the case at Roby Lee's Restaurant and Banquet Center in Newton Falls, Ohio -- a place perhaps best known for its all-fours Zip Code and historic covered bridge almost smack dab in the middle of town.
To be honest, we've heard of Roby Lee's for several years; but in part because it's a bit of a drive from our home to Newton Falls, we've never bothered to check it out. All that changed when a couple of friends purchased a $25 gift certificate for the place at Restaurant.com. Since the requirement is to spend $35, they figured they might have trouble hitting that total and offered to share the wealth with us. One Friday evening, we hopped in the car and headed out.
The address and phone are printed on the Restaurant.com certificate (and a map can be viewed at that site as well). Even though we don't go there often, though, we're relatively familiar with the town and had no trouble at all finding the place. And what a find it was!
I'm not really sure exactly what we expected, but it was something along the lines of a rectangular, one-story building with parking for a dozen cars or so. When we pulled into the large parking lot, though, the consensus from the four of us was "Wow -- this sure isn't your father's family diner!" From the bright red awning over the entryway to the expansive interior that includes both a restaurant and a banquet facility that can provide seating for up to 450, we were both surprised and impressed.
Just in case, we'd made reservations; and although we wouldn't have needed them at the relatively early 5:30 p.m. hour, had we wanted to eat later, without reservations we'd have been standing in line. By the time we'd made it through the salad bar line (more on that later), the restaurant was starting to fill up. By the time our main course arrived, there wasn't an empty seat in the house.
Since we had $25 of our bill covered by the certificate, we decided to splurge on a couple of appetizers. My top choice was spiced hot Hungarian peppers in oil, so I was disappointed to learn they were out of them on this evening. Oh well, I reasoned -- guess I'll just have to come back. Instead, we ordered the Bruschetta (six pieces of Italian toast topped with diced tomatoes, chopped garlic, fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil and melted mozzarella cheese glazed with a Balsamic reduction) at $5.99 That's quite a mouthful to say, but trust me, it was easy to eat. One bite and we knew we should have ordered a second batch.
Our other appetizer was the Western Twizzlers, or five "Southwestern" egg rolls with a blend of spices, chicken and a side of salsa ($5.99). They were quite tasty, but nothing tasted better than the Bruschetta.
Nothing, that is, except the white pizza on the salad bar. As a standalone meal, the salad bar is $6.29, but it comes at no cost with most of the entrees here. One of our friends made two trips to get more of the pizza; the rest of us made do with salad with delicious dressing and soup -- two varieties are offered -- trying not to go so hog wild that we had no room for the rest of the meal.
It took quite a while to decide on entrees, simply because everything sounded wonderful. There are plenty of sandwiches, but the entree selections were even more tempting. In the end, we each ordered something different so we could sample. Doing that, we realized that we would have been quite satisfied with anything on our table.
One example: Chicken Roberto, chicken breast sauteed in extra virgin olive oil, garlic, roasted red peppers and greens in scampi butter sauce tossed in fettuchini ($12.99). Wow! Or, how about fresh grouper filet, fried or grilled with several options including my choice, Cajun ($11.99)? If those don't get your taste buds tingling, how about chicken sauteed in Marsala wine sauce with sliced mushrooms and garlic at $11.99 ($12.99 if you want veal instead of chicken)?
The beef lover in our crowd was delighted with Roby's House Sirloin, an 8-ounce chunk seasoned, char-broiled and topped with two crispy onion rings ($12.99). Each meal came with a couple of sides and fresh-baked bread. And even after making complete pigs of ourselves, we left with enough to enjoy back at home the next day.
Although we weren't trying to watch our pennies this time out, I should note that you won't have to break into your kid's piggy bank to eat here. In the "Family" meals section, for instance, most entrees are in the $8 to $9 range, and the amount you get is quite substantial. Will we go back? You bet -- and next time we do, I'll tell you how hot those Hungarian peppers really are!
If you go:
Roby Lee's Restaurant and Banquet Center
425 Ridge Road
Newton Falls, Ohio 44444
Robert J. Lee, owner
(330) 872-0984
www.robylees.com
Open Monday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (no liquor sales)
To be honest, we've heard of Roby Lee's for several years; but in part because it's a bit of a drive from our home to Newton Falls, we've never bothered to check it out. All that changed when a couple of friends purchased a $25 gift certificate for the place at Restaurant.com. Since the requirement is to spend $35, they figured they might have trouble hitting that total and offered to share the wealth with us. One Friday evening, we hopped in the car and headed out.
The address and phone are printed on the Restaurant.com certificate (and a map can be viewed at that site as well). Even though we don't go there often, though, we're relatively familiar with the town and had no trouble at all finding the place. And what a find it was!
I'm not really sure exactly what we expected, but it was something along the lines of a rectangular, one-story building with parking for a dozen cars or so. When we pulled into the large parking lot, though, the consensus from the four of us was "Wow -- this sure isn't your father's family diner!" From the bright red awning over the entryway to the expansive interior that includes both a restaurant and a banquet facility that can provide seating for up to 450, we were both surprised and impressed.
Just in case, we'd made reservations; and although we wouldn't have needed them at the relatively early 5:30 p.m. hour, had we wanted to eat later, without reservations we'd have been standing in line. By the time we'd made it through the salad bar line (more on that later), the restaurant was starting to fill up. By the time our main course arrived, there wasn't an empty seat in the house.
Since we had $25 of our bill covered by the certificate, we decided to splurge on a couple of appetizers. My top choice was spiced hot Hungarian peppers in oil, so I was disappointed to learn they were out of them on this evening. Oh well, I reasoned -- guess I'll just have to come back. Instead, we ordered the Bruschetta (six pieces of Italian toast topped with diced tomatoes, chopped garlic, fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil and melted mozzarella cheese glazed with a Balsamic reduction) at $5.99 That's quite a mouthful to say, but trust me, it was easy to eat. One bite and we knew we should have ordered a second batch.
Our other appetizer was the Western Twizzlers, or five "Southwestern" egg rolls with a blend of spices, chicken and a side of salsa ($5.99). They were quite tasty, but nothing tasted better than the Bruschetta.
Nothing, that is, except the white pizza on the salad bar. As a standalone meal, the salad bar is $6.29, but it comes at no cost with most of the entrees here. One of our friends made two trips to get more of the pizza; the rest of us made do with salad with delicious dressing and soup -- two varieties are offered -- trying not to go so hog wild that we had no room for the rest of the meal.
It took quite a while to decide on entrees, simply because everything sounded wonderful. There are plenty of sandwiches, but the entree selections were even more tempting. In the end, we each ordered something different so we could sample. Doing that, we realized that we would have been quite satisfied with anything on our table.
One example: Chicken Roberto, chicken breast sauteed in extra virgin olive oil, garlic, roasted red peppers and greens in scampi butter sauce tossed in fettuchini ($12.99). Wow! Or, how about fresh grouper filet, fried or grilled with several options including my choice, Cajun ($11.99)? If those don't get your taste buds tingling, how about chicken sauteed in Marsala wine sauce with sliced mushrooms and garlic at $11.99 ($12.99 if you want veal instead of chicken)?
The beef lover in our crowd was delighted with Roby's House Sirloin, an 8-ounce chunk seasoned, char-broiled and topped with two crispy onion rings ($12.99). Each meal came with a couple of sides and fresh-baked bread. And even after making complete pigs of ourselves, we left with enough to enjoy back at home the next day.
Although we weren't trying to watch our pennies this time out, I should note that you won't have to break into your kid's piggy bank to eat here. In the "Family" meals section, for instance, most entrees are in the $8 to $9 range, and the amount you get is quite substantial. Will we go back? You bet -- and next time we do, I'll tell you how hot those Hungarian peppers really are!
If you go:
Roby Lee's Restaurant and Banquet Center
425 Ridge Road
Newton Falls, Ohio 44444
Robert J. Lee, owner
(330) 872-0984
www.robylees.com
Open Monday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (no liquor sales)
Barry Dyngles Restaurant & Pub
If I had to describe our favorite type of place to eat, there's little question it would be one with a casual atmosphere and a bar. We enjoy sipping a beer or two or perhaps a glass of wine with our meals, and we want to be able to put our elbows on the table or gnaw on that chicken leg without threat of glares from other diners. Throw in a few big-screen TVs and a bowl of popcorn on the table, and we're hooked.
So it is at Barry Dyngles Restaurant & Pub in Austintown. We stopped here for lunch one day after dropping off two of our grandchildren at a friend's birthday party; it was too far to go back home for the relatively short duration till we had to pick them up again and this was the perfect solution. It was our first visit to the place, but definitely not our last.
First off, we learned that the barbecue food here is done by Armadillo's, who's sauce has won a numb
er of awards. Then, we saw the extensive list of strange-sounding beers (think Arrogant Bastard Ale or Old Speckled Hen) followed by the football games beaming down to us from TVs on just about every wall. Oh yes, we said, this place will do just fine.
This is more or less a sports bar, but there's a restaurant side also. Most seats in the pub are around large tables, all within view of a number of big-screen TVs. The bar is sort of horseshoe-shaped and quite large; plenty of room to belly up and do some serious sipping while the big game is on. Some of the walls are brick, and all are covered with all sizes of framed photos, mostly sports-related.
The lunch menu is pretty extensive, but I stuck to Barry's pulled pork sandwich at $5.99 (gotta have that Armadillo's fare) while Jack tried the reuben ($7.49). Both came with fries, and we ordered cups of the loaded baked potato soup and clam chowder ($2.99 each). If you go, do not miss that potato soup; it really is loaded -- a bowl would be substantial enough for a meal. As expected, the sandwiches were large and tasty; the fries, though, are quite special. I'm not a fan of fries, but I couldn't get enough of these. Slightly spiced, they're a bit crunchy on the outside and soft and tender on the inside. Yum!
A few weeks later as we were on the way home from a visit to Mill Creek Park and hungry, we thought of Barry Dyngles and agreed that stopping would be a great idea -- especially since we had a coupon from the Entertainment Book that gave us $5 off a total order of $25 (not including alcohol). This time, I toyed with the Black & Bleu burger ($7.99) and the grilled chicken pasta with penne in a creamy Cajun Alfredo sauce ($11.99). Since we needed to spend $25 to get the discount -- and leftovers don't get wasted very often at our house -- I decided on the Triple Crown Combo of pulled pork, beef brisket and Carolina BBQ Chicken at $13.99 (said to be for those with "hearty appetites"). With it, I ordered rice pilaf and country green beans.
Jack decided on the smoked West Texas beef brisket at $10.99, choosing fries and cinammon apples as his two sides. To get us over the $25 mark, he added a cup of clam chowder; the potato soup sounded wonderful, but I knew it would be way too much for me so I passed.
Hearty appetite is an understatement. My Triple Crown was delivered with half a barbecued chicken, one large slice of brisket and a mound of pulled pork large enough to fill at least three sandwiches. Tubs of regular smokey sweet barbecue sauce and a thin, spicy hot sauce came with it. The rice pilaf was piled high as well, and although it was somewhat bland, it was a nice accompaniment to all that meat. The green beans weren't anything to write home about either, but they were quite good and I polished off every single one.
At still another visit (did I mention we really like this place?), I had a cup of that wonderful loaded potato soup ($2.99) and a barbecue chicken sandwich with baked beans ($5.99). Jack tried the Texas steak sandwich special, also $5.99. Both were delicious; the chicken was topped with thinly sliced ham, melted cheese, grilled onions and of course, barbecue sauce. The baked beans have a yummy barbecue flavor, two or three types of beans and lots of beef bits. The steak sandwich was much like a Philly steak, with mushrooms, onions, green peppers and cheese.
I should mention that Barry Dyngles also has a large carry-out menu great for parties or large families, and they have mobile units that cater parties of any size anywhere you need them.
If you go:
Barry Dyngles Restaurant & Pub
1601 S. Raccoon Road
Austintown, Ohio
(330) 259-4788
www.barrydyngles.com
Open Monday through Friday at 11 a.m.; Noon on Saturday and Sunday
So it is at Barry Dyngles Restaurant & Pub in Austintown. We stopped here for lunch one day after dropping off two of our grandchildren at a friend's birthday party; it was too far to go back home for the relatively short duration till we had to pick them up again and this was the perfect solution. It was our first visit to the place, but definitely not our last.
First off, we learned that the barbecue food here is done by Armadillo's, who's sauce has won a numb
er of awards. Then, we saw the extensive list of strange-sounding beers (think Arrogant Bastard Ale or Old Speckled Hen) followed by the football games beaming down to us from TVs on just about every wall. Oh yes, we said, this place will do just fine.This is more or less a sports bar, but there's a restaurant side also. Most seats in the pub are around large tables, all within view of a number of big-screen TVs. The bar is sort of horseshoe-shaped and quite large; plenty of room to belly up and do some serious sipping while the big game is on. Some of the walls are brick, and all are covered with all sizes of framed photos, mostly sports-related.
The lunch menu is pretty extensive, but I stuck to Barry's pulled pork sandwich at $5.99 (gotta have that Armadillo's fare) while Jack tried the reuben ($7.49). Both came with fries, and we ordered cups of the loaded baked potato soup and clam chowder ($2.99 each). If you go, do not miss that potato soup; it really is loaded -- a bowl would be substantial enough for a meal. As expected, the sandwiches were large and tasty; the fries, though, are quite special. I'm not a fan of fries, but I couldn't get enough of these. Slightly spiced, they're a bit crunchy on the outside and soft and tender on the inside. Yum!
A few weeks later as we were on the way home from a visit to Mill Creek Park and hungry, we thought of Barry Dyngles and agreed that stopping would be a great idea -- especially since we had a coupon from the Entertainment Book that gave us $5 off a total order of $25 (not including alcohol). This time, I toyed with the Black & Bleu burger ($7.99) and the grilled chicken pasta with penne in a creamy Cajun Alfredo sauce ($11.99). Since we needed to spend $25 to get the discount -- and leftovers don't get wasted very often at our house -- I decided on the Triple Crown Combo of pulled pork, beef brisket and Carolina BBQ Chicken at $13.99 (said to be for those with "hearty appetites"). With it, I ordered rice pilaf and country green beans.
Jack decided on the smoked West Texas beef brisket at $10.99, choosing fries and cinammon apples as his two sides. To get us over the $25 mark, he added a cup of clam chowder; the potato soup sounded wonderful, but I knew it would be way too much for me so I passed.
Hearty appetite is an understatement. My Triple Crown was delivered with half a barbecued chicken, one large slice of brisket and a mound of pulled pork large enough to fill at least three sandwiches. Tubs of regular smokey sweet barbecue sauce and a thin, spicy hot sauce came with it. The rice pilaf was piled high as well, and although it was somewhat bland, it was a nice accompaniment to all that meat. The green beans weren't anything to write home about either, but they were quite good and I polished off every single one.
At still another visit (did I mention we really like this place?), I had a cup of that wonderful loaded potato soup ($2.99) and a barbecue chicken sandwich with baked beans ($5.99). Jack tried the Texas steak sandwich special, also $5.99. Both were delicious; the chicken was topped with thinly sliced ham, melted cheese, grilled onions and of course, barbecue sauce. The baked beans have a yummy barbecue flavor, two or three types of beans and lots of beef bits. The steak sandwich was much like a Philly steak, with mushrooms, onions, green peppers and cheese.
I should mention that Barry Dyngles also has a large carry-out menu great for parties or large families, and they have mobile units that cater parties of any size anywhere you need them.
If you go:
Barry Dyngles Restaurant & Pub
1601 S. Raccoon Road
Austintown, Ohio
(330) 259-4788
www.barrydyngles.com
Open Monday through Friday at 11 a.m.; Noon on Saturday and Sunday
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