Mahoning Valley Eats & Treats: KRAVITZ'S GARDEN CAFE

Friday, December 16, 2016

KRAVITZ'S GARDEN CAFE

G'head, call me a pickle freak - but nothing in the world could keep me away from a lip-smacking good, fat kosher dill. In years past, I've been known to make a special trip to Corky & Lenny's restaurant and deli on Chagrin Boulevard in Woodmere, Ohio - mostly so I could chow down on the crispy chunks in ice-water filled bowls they put on the tables (these days, the bowls aren't delivered automatically; if you want them, you'll have to ask).

But driving that far isn't always an option, and I'm happy to say I've satisfied my kosher dill tooth closer to home at Kravitz Deli in Liberty Township. It's got a long history, founded in 1939 by Rose Kravitz on Youngstown's North Side and moved to Belmont Avenue in 1970. There, it grew into a restaurant and bakery - and besides those to-die-for pickles, the corned beef sandwiches are the bomb.

As an aside, I got a hearty chuckle when I mentioned a visit to Kravitz in a recent Facebook post. That name, one of my "old" friends said, reminded her of the "Bewitched" TV show starring the late Elizabeth Montgomery. The memories flooded back as I, too, recalled Samantha Stephens and her husband Darren, and their nosy next-door neighbors Gladys and Abner Kravitz.

But I digress; this Kravitz (owner Jack, Rose's son), also operates cafes inside the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County's Poland Library, and more recently, the Garden Cafe in the Davis Visitor Center in Mill Creek Park. We visit the latter often on our photography forays to the park, and needless to say, we've been thinking about popping in for lunch. That happened in mid-December when we gathered up friends Jerry and Barb from Niles and headed over. We timed our arrival after what we figured would be prime lunch time - it's not unusual to see the place packed around the noon hour. Even when we arrived a bit later, there were a few folks there, but plenty of other tables, including those by the expansive floor-to-ceiling windows, were empty and inviting.

In fact, I'd be hard-pressed to find a place for lunch in a much prettier setting - in addition to the views from all those windows in the circular room there's a skylight in the center of the ceiling with really cool hanging lamps scattered around it. The only thing that might make the whole thing more perfect would be a glass of wine, but hey, this is a municipal park, so alcohol isn't a happening thing.

The menu is fairly extensive for a small deli, with plenty of appetizers ranging from a hummus plate to potato pancakes with applesauce and sour cream to spanakopita. Hearty soups are there, too, with a daily special plus everyday clam chowder, paprikash or stew. Several full-size salads are offered (I've had the country club chicken salad, with dried cranberries in a honey mayo dressing with berries and topped with extra virgin olive oil, balsamic glaze and kosher salt and it's yummy). There's a Sunday brunch as well, another option we've been considering (and no doubt will do in the near future).

The four of us pretty much stuck with traditional deli sandwiches; Barb ordered a Reuben, corned beef with kraut and swiss on grilled rye with cole slaw ($9.99). Jack went for a half sandwich, also a Reuben (but on Italian bread), with a cup of chicken noodle soup ($8.99). Jerry tried the in-house roasted turkey breast sandwich on Italian bread with slaw ($8.99); I went for a bit of a zing with the "Kraut on Fire" sandwich of corned beef with kraut, hot peppers and hot pepper cheese on grilled rye with a side of potato salad ($10.99).

As expected, everything was delicious; I especially loved my "hot" kraut sandwich, although in all honesty I have to say it wasn't very hot (but keep in mind I have a cast-iron stomach). The corned beef was tender and juicy and stacked high, and Barb mentioned how much she liked the slaw. All of us polished off everything on our plates; I had a bit of a struggle and was tempted to call it quits and bring the other half of my sandwich home but in the end managed to get the whole thing down minus a couple of bites.

The verdict? The beautiful setting alone makes this place shine, but the food makes it perfect. Why not give it a try soon - who knows, we may see you there!

If you go:

Kravitz Garden Cafe
Fellows Riverside Gardens, Mill Creek Park
Youngstown, Ohio
(330) 779-8201
Open Tuesday through Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; closed Mondays

http://www.kravitzdeli.com

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Why This Blog?

The Mahoning Valley region of Ohio is perhaps most often thought of as part of the so-called "Rust Belt" -- if it's thought of at all. Tucked up in the northeastern corner of the state about 15 miles from the Pennsylvania border, it's arguably best known for a former U.S. Representative who spent time in jail, the "Mob" and shuttered steel mills. I know that how? Because every single time we travel to another state -- any other state -- and tell folks we meet where we're from, it's guaranteed that we'll get a question about one or all of the above.

Add in a reputation for somewhat lousy weather, and it's enough to make a body wonder why anyone would want to visit, much less live here. But I don't see it that way. I've been in this part of Ohio for close to 50 years now, and while I'd love to see more sunny days, I firmly believe this is a great place to be. The cost of living is remarkably low compared with other parts of the country. It brings together the best of the city and country; cornfields and other amber waves of grain dot the landscape right along with interesting museums, shopping centers and parks.

Oh sure, the weather can be iffy -- if you don't like what you see, just wait 5 minutes, we're fond of saying. But on the other hand, it never gets boring, and not much compares to walking along a tree-lined path amid brilliantly colored foliage on a crisp fall day. Besides that, within an easy hour-or-so's drive we can be walking barefoot on a sandy beach, climbing an historic lighthouse or trolling for wildflowers in one of at least 15 state and national parks.

Then there's the food. My husband Jack and I travel as much as we can, and when we do, we love to eat. We've had dinner at some pretty well-known restaurants in quite a few states, and you know what? Every single time, we say to each other, "This is great, but there's nothing here that's better than what we can get back home every single day."

Of course, I can't discount the familiarity factor and learning to love what you're used to; there's a reason they call it Home Sweet Home. Still, we've always insisted that the Mahoning Valley's cuisine is pretty hard to beat. And just for the record, we include the Shenango Valley in that sweeping declaration; just over the Pennsylvania border are plenty of other fantastic restaurants and attractions just waiting to be discovered by me and you.

I do admit to one exception to my "home" rule, though: As seafood moves inland, it tends to lose ground. Not surprisingly, absolutely nothing compares to fresh-from-the-ocean "lobstah" at The Lobster Dock in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, the huge, almost no-filler-added crabcakes from The Crab Claw in St. Michaels, Maryland, or the steamed spiced shrimp at Awful Arthur's Oyster Bar on the North Carolina Outer Banks. That said, there seems to be a direct correlation between distance from water and how long fish is cooked; by the time you reach mid-Ohio, all too often it's barely recognizable. Sorry, Charlie, but the fish is dead. No need to kill it again (and again!) by leaving it on the grill or in the oven till it's tough and tasteless.

The reason for this blog is to showcase some of the eateries and other treasures our little part of the world has to offer. There's no set schedule for updates, but the plan is to add something new every couple of weeks. For the most part, what you'll see is what we get in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties in Ohio and Mercer and Lawrence counties in Pennsylvania. But once in a while -- especially since I'm an official "Ohio Ambassador" charged with promoting what the Buckeye State has to offer -- I'll stray into other parts of Ohio (and maybe even another state or two) to bring you a look at a special restaurant or attraction we've found.

If reading about these places entices you to come visit, that's wonderful -- y'all come on down (or up, or over as the case may be). And if you have questions about anything you see here or want to suggest a favorite restaurant of your own, zap me an e-mail. I'm always up for a new adventure!

Just for the record, I've had a bit of experience at not only eating and traveling, but writing about it as well. I wrote about local restaurants and travel for The Business Journal in Youngstown for several years (and Jack penned 100 "Dining Out" restaurant reviews for that newspaper over a period of four years). Besides that, I've posted similar "stuff" on a number of travel Web sites since then.

In the interests of full disclosure -- and the letter of the blog law -- I'll emphasize here that no one associated with any restaurant pays me, or gives me free meals, or in any way influences what I write here. As I mentioned before, I'm open to suggestions for places to visit -- but whether or not I go there or write about it is completely my choice. I'll also say, though, that while I don't mind pointing out a flaw or two here and there, my purpose is to showcase what's good about the region's restaurants and attractions. As such, I'll stick to what my mama always taught me: If you can't say something good about somebody, don't say anything at all.

I'll try to add something new here every couple of weeks, give or take, so check back often. If you want to be notified when a new entry is made, there's a place here to sign up for that as well. And finally, if you'd like to see some of my photos, you're invited to visit my galleries at Zenfolio. Enjoy!

Monnie Ryan

Mahoning Valley Eats & Treats

Friday, December 16, 2016

KRAVITZ'S GARDEN CAFE

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