Mahoning Valley Eats & Treats

HIGH POINTE RESTAURANT AND TAVERN

2012-01-13T06:26:00.000-08:00

When it comes to choosing a place for a business, "location, location, location" is what marketing gurus say it's all about. In fact, I can understand that concept. For several years, my husband Jack and I spent loads of quality time at one of our favorite restaurants - Nicolino's - at the corner of U.S. Route 422 and Niles-Cortland Road on the outskirts of Niles. When that disappeared, we were so "connected" to the location that we tried a couple of other restaurants that set up shop there.

They disappeared almost as fast as they opened - no big surprise to us, since they were disappointments to us as well. But every time we drove past that corner, we'd almost feel the pull of the car wheel turning in that direction since we'd done it so often.

When the restaurant reopened as High Pointe Restaurant and Tavern, though, we resisted the urge to stop. We'd loved Nicolino's - and disliked its immediate follow-ups - so much that we were hesitant to try it. Then one day, prompted by a discount coupon in our Entertainment Book, we decided to take the plunge.

Since then, I'm happy to report, we've returned several times. And although I admit I still haven't tried the linguine with clam sauce here (Nicolino's made the best on the planet, in my humble opinion), I've been quite satisfied with everything I've had. Once again, this location is a winner.

The decor remains much the same as it always was; a step-down area just inside the door filled with booths and a couple of large tables, a main level with more tables and a separate side that has a bar and, I'm told, quite a crowd on weekends. We've always liked the downstairs section, which boasts a couple of sunny windows and the booths we prefer.

There are a number of lunch specials here, ranging from around $5 to $7, that make good choices when 1) you're in money-saving mode and/or 2) you're in a hurry. A full bar complements the food as well, and we usually opt for on-tap Labbatt's Blue or Yuengling. On our first visit, I couldn't resist the $6 fried balogna sandwich that comes with roasted red peppers, Italian greens and provolone. The choices for sides include fries, cole slaw or applesauce, so I decided to try the fries. Jack took his time to decide but finally settled on the mushroom-Swiss burger (ordering it well done), also with fries - it was one of the $7 lunch specials.

Both of us left stuffed and happy. The balogna sandwich was delicious, and I'll note that it was the greens that sealed the deal on this one. Jack's burger was cooked perfectly and was quite tasty as well. As for the fries, well, they're quite good - but be prepared for a huge mound. In addition to a box to take the halves of our sandwiches we simply couldn't manage to get down, we took home another large box filled with nothing but fries.

When we discovered we had an Entertainment Book coupon good for a free entree with the purchase of another (up to $8) here, stopping once again was an easy decision. This time, since we had a good discount, we looked at the list of appetizers. The chicken tenders were appealing ($5.99), but then we saw the Italian nachos (homemade nachos with Alfredo sauce, black olives and roasted red peppers for $6.99) and decided that would hit the spot.

My initial experience with that fried balogna sandwich enticed me to try it again (yes, it was just as good this time), but Jack opted for an open-face roast beef sandwich with garlic mashed potatoes and gravy ($7.99). He asked to substitute cole slaw for the potatoes, and I picked applesauce instead of fries with my sandwich since I now knew there was no way I could get through all those fries.

The real standout on this visit was the appetizer; the nachos were square-ish "pillow" puffs of dough - nothing like the usual crispy chips - smothered in a mouthwatering Alfredo sauce. We cleaned off the entire plate in no time and agreed this could make a meal in and of itself.

More recently, we stopped for lunch with our friends Jerry and Barb from Niles, who, like us, are Entertainment Book users and had a coupon like the one we'd used at our last visit. We insisted on treating them to the Italian nachos appetizer - they loved it too - and Jerry wanted to try the hot peppers in oil appetizer. Nice guy that he is, he shared - and the flavor is delicious. The crispy peppers aren't terribly hot, especially if you watch out for the red pepper seeds, and the grilled pita triangles were tasty for those who needed to tone down the heat still another notch.

Our friends both wanted to try the Tuscan chicken sandwich with cole slaw ($7.99), while Jack and I went with something new: the pulled pork sandwich with slaw for $6 (him) and the pepper and egg sandwich with fries, also $6 (me). Our first delicious surprise was the slaw; the three who got it raved about it so much that I tried a bite - and agreed. It's got a real zing, which we concluded might come from at least a touch of horseradish sauce.

The grilled chicken breast in the Tuscan sandwiches were topped with Italian greens, roasted red peppers and mozzarella cheese and won kudos from our friends; in particular, Barb said the bun was exceptionally tasty. Jack said his pulled pork was tender and the flavor was delicious. And my pepper and egg sandwich, which was a good-sized layer of scrambled eggs and chopped red peppers between two large grilled slices of bread, was outstanding.

As for the fries, we had plenty to pass around. Cooked Idora-style, they're great sprinkled with salt and vinegar. Even with four of us sampling, I had close to half of them left when we'd polished off the rest of our meals.

If you go: High Pointe Restaurant and Tavern
754 Youngstown Warren Road
Niles, OH 44446
330-544-3300

TRAX RESTAURANT

2011-12-30T05:50:00.000-08:00

Restaurant food in the Mahoning and Shenango valleys is as good (or better) than I've found anywhere else in the country, in my humble opinion -- with one exception: Seafood. For the most part, that's not because we're basically landlocked in these parts; rather, it's because it's inevitably overcooked to the point of being relatively tasteless and tough.

And for a seafood lover like me, that's a big disappointment; I'm always a bit leery of ordering it, knowing it's likely to be less than "perfect." So when I noticed lemon pepper swordfish on the daily specials menu at Trax Restaurant in Austintown, I hesitated -- but since swordfish is hard to find and is my favorite fish to eat -- I decided to reel it in. As a special, it came with one side and a salad for just $10.95, so I figured I wouldn't lose all that much if it wasn't all that great.

Ah, I'm delighted to report it was wonderful! I chose spaghetti as my side - as you'll find out in a minute, I'd tasted the sauce here before and liked it. This time I'd say it could have used a bit more sauce, but quite honestly I was too full to care after devouring every mouth-watering bite of the sizable chunk of swordfish steak. Not only was it juicy, the lemon flavor was subtle but noticeable and the cracked pepper added just the right touch of zest. Yum!

We arrived here this time for an early dinner, just before 4 p.m.; our server brought a list of lunch specials even at this late hour, which was nice because there were loads of great things from which to choose, including cavatelli-stuffed and chili cheese stuffed breadbowls ($8.50). I also considered the Italian sausage hero at $8.99 before spotting that swordfish.

Jack had a bit more trouble deciding, finally settling on the Yankee pot roast ($10.50), described as beef and carrots with au jus and one side. He opted for slaw instead of salad and picked mashed potatoes and gravy as his side, which seemed a natural fit for the pot roast. When he placed the order, our server assured him it was delicious - in fact, she'd had a big mound of it for her lunch earlier in the day.

Turns out she was right on the money; the pot roast was yummy with a large amount of fork-tender meat. And even though he made a point of reminding me he doesn't like carrots, he scarfed down all of these chunks (noting that he was doing so because they didn't taste much like carrots after simmering in all that juice for what must have been a long time). At his request, the server brought a container of extra gravy, which was rich, thick and delicious.

As I mentioned before, this stop for dinner wasn't the first time we've been to Trax; on one occasion, we sat on the separate bar side for a couple of quick sandwiches and beers. The interior, by the way, is a darkish red and gray and features lots of old photos, most related to the B&O Railroad -- especially interesting to us because Jack's late uncle, Robert M. Semple, for many years was the local yardmaster. There's also a large outdoor patio that's open in good weather, and we hear there's live music out there now and again.

A couple of weeks before my encounter with the swordfish, we stopped for lunch mostly because we had a coupon for $5 off a $25 purchase, including alcohol. Speaking of alcohol, there's an extensive wine and beer list plus a few on tap including our favorite Yuengling. Some of the menu items are things I haven't seen in a while, like city chicken ($9.50 for the dinner portion). I also noticed Cincinnati chili ($9.50) -- another favorite of mine. Most dinners come with a potato or salad plus bread and butter.

Any time stuffed cabbage or peppers is on the menu, it's hard for Jack to resist. This time it was cabbage, which usually comes with mashed potatoes. He asked for slaw instead, plus a salad with balsamic viniagrette dressing, all for $9.50.

I was in the mood for plain old spaghetti, and when I asked our server about the difference between the marinara and "regular" red sauce, she explained that the marinara at Trax "isn't like others" and is filled with lots of vegetables whereas the red sauce has two meatballs. I opted for the red sauce over spaghetti (ziti was my other choice), salad with bleu cheese dressing and a cup of wedding soup for $8.29.

Jack liked that the stuffed cabbage was topped with an abundance of sauce, which all too often isn't the case. There were a couple of slices of kielbasi in it as well, which he passed on to me and they were delicious. Our server also brought a basket of good-sized rolls and butter, but we had so much else to eat that we brought them home.

The salads were your garden-variety head lettuce with some sliced black olives, one tomato slice and one of those yummy small hot peppers (the latter of which Jack gave to me since he's not into anything spicy hot). Dressings are served on the side, and both of our choices were very good. As is his custom, Jack asked for "extra" and got two containers, which was plenty to make him happy.

My wedding soup was quite tasty, filled with lots of greens, carrots and one of those teeny meatballs. My only complaint was that it was almost lukewarm (but keep in mind I like soup almost at the boiling point). The red sauce was delicious as well, and the meatballs were outstanding. The bowl was ample, giving me about half to take home for another day.

When we finished up, we noticed several desserts listed on a chalkboard - among them cocoanut creme and lemon merangue pie at ($3.50 a slice). They sounded wonderful, but we had absolutely no room left. For the record, they were still on the list the next time we visited, but the same thing happened: Our stomachs were so full with the main courses that we couldn't have downed another bite. Oh well, guess we've got a couple more reasons to go back!

If you go:

Trax Restaurant
4250 New Road
Austintown, Ohio 44515
(330) 799-2245

Open for lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday at 11 a.m.; Sunday 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.

DANNY BOYS ITALIAN EATERY

2011-12-01T12:47:00.000-08:00

Any time it takes more than 15 minutes to pick what you want to eat at a restaurant - and hear other diners around you asking their servers for more time to decide - you know you've hit the menu mother lode. That's exactly what happened the first time my husband Jack and I visited Danny Boys in Boardman.

Truth is, we found it by accident; exiting Mill Creek Park on state Route 224, we crossed to the south side of the road to take a peek in another restaurant we'd planned to review at some point. Then, Jack noticed Danny Boys, a place almost next door he'd never seen before. Since we also were trying to kill 15 minutes or so before the YM Camera store just up the road opened (it was a Sunday, and the store doesn't open till 12:30 p.m.), Jack drove over to Danny Boys for a closer look.

He liked what he saw; so after we stopped at the camera shop and he'd purchased a new neck strap for one of his cameras, he suggested having lunch at Danny Boys even though we'd intended to head straight back home. Never one to turn down an invitation to eat out, I quickly agreed.

As it turns out, there's a good reason we hadn't noticed the place before; as of mid-November, it had been open just four months, our friendly server responded to my question. And, it's a chain; based in Rocky River, Ohio, since 1991, there are other locations in Canton, Chesterland and Sandusky. Along the way have come a number of culinary kudos, the most recent of which (at this writing) are a "Top 10 Best Pizzas" award from Cleveland Magazine and "Best Pizza 2010" from WKYC Channel 3 and Metromix.

As the name implies, this place specializes in Italian food with emphasis on pizza. Catering is available as well, and Danny Boys says that depending on menu choices, the cost per person usually ranges from $6 to $9 and dinners and salads can feed two to three people per portion - not bad if you're hankering to host a party.

First, though, a bit about decor; just about everything here is related to Ol' Blue Eyes. Not only are the walls decorated with old photos, playbills and such; menu items are called "Chairman of the Board," "Lady is a Tramp" and even "Hammy Davis Jr." And most of the soft background music is by - you guessed it - Frank himself.

The number of choices in each category on the menu, from appetizers to sandwiches and calzones to pasta entrees, is impressive (we had a sample menu to peruse before our first visit and even then we had a tough time deciding). As I mentioned before, lmost everything here has an Italian flavor, but the primary emphasis is on that award-winning pizza.

You can, of course, build your own; in fact, that's what Jack did, ordering the basic one-item 10-inch pie for $9.99 and adding pepperoni, mushrooms and green peppers to bring the total cost to $13.99. Not in the mood for pizza, I finally decided on the Grilled Classic Club Croissant ($7.99) - sliced ham, turkey, bacon and melted pizza cheese with lettuce, tomato and pesto ranch dressing. It comes with mildly flavored kettle-style chips, but diners can substitute a variety of fries, like the Cajun flavored I tried, for just $1.

Jack really liked the pizza, which had the "regular" thickness of crust as opposed to a few thin-crusts on the menu and the Chicago-style deep dish (both of which we plan on trying sometime down the road). The pizza sauce is very tasty and definitely a cut above other places, so it's easy to see why it's garnered some awards along the way.

My sandwich was absolutely fantastic, and although I really wanted to scarf down the whole thing, the size prevented that from happening and I took nearly half of it home. Those Cajun fries, BTW, are well worth the extra buck.

I should mention that presentation is big here, too; the food is delivered on large red plates with the food in the center and the rims dusted with sprinkle cheese. Very nice! And for another interesting touch, there's a deck of cards on each table so you can play a few hands while you wait.

Needless to say, we shared our great find with a few other folks who promised to keep my upcoming review a secret till publication day, so it came as no surprise when our friends Jerry and Barb said they'd love to try it too. Although we'd warned them about that menu - and showed them a copy while we drove to the restaurant - once again we had to ask for extra time to decide.

This time, it was I who opted for pizza, but I strayed from the traditional and picked one of the new, and intriguing, thin crust pies - this one Cabo Shrimp and Taco, made with lime cilantro olive oil, three-cheese blend, cilantro, chopped red and yellow peppers, black olives, chipotle shrimp, chopped lettuce and cilantro ranch dressing ($9.99). Although our goal is to try four different things to share, the pizza I chose sounded so great that Barb decided to give it a try, too.

Both of us ordered appetizers to pass around as well; Barb's choice was a half-order of the Bada Bing Buffalo Chips ($3.99), those crunchy kettle chips drizzled with mild buffalo sauce and topped with crumbled bleu cheese and a little pizza cheese. I just couldn't pass up the Italian Pigs in a Blanket ($5.99). The chips were quite good, although the add-ins didn't seem to add a whole lot of additional flavor. But my pigs in a blanket? Oh my.

The appetizer consists of two Italian sausage links, each wrapped in a baked crescent roll; cutting each in half to share among the four of us gave us a good taste but also left us wanting more. The sausage, which tasted homemade, was absolutely mouth-watering. Next time, I promised myself, I'd look for something else made with that sausage. And looking at the menu back home, I think I've found it: The Abe Froman "Sausage King of Chicago" sub made with these links, sauteed onions and green peppers and warm pizza sauce covered with melted pizza cheese ($8.99).

Meanwhile, the guys simply rode our coattails on the appetizer thing, heading straight for the main course. Jack's choice was a New Jersey Chicken "Woogie" melt, with Ricotta cheese, grilled chicken, pepperoni, tomatoes, basil, romano and pizza cheese drizzled with house Italian dressing and marinara sauce on the side ($8.99). Jerry finally settled on a Steak & Cheese Ciabatta ($7.99), a grilled beef brisket, mushrooms, hot peppers and pizza cheese topped with tomatoes, onion and Italian pub cheese sauce.

Jack deemed his Woogie Melt delicious and said he wouldn't hesitate to order it again. Jerry was a bit less enthusiastic, noting that his ciabatta was quite good but not "exceptional." As for the thin-crust pizza, the jury's still out.

That's not because it wasn't delicious; it was, and the lime flavor came through loud and clear. But it was extremely rich, so neither of us could eat more than a couple of slices. We also noticed that the thin crust was starting to get soggy by the time we'd downed our two slices (most likely, the thin sauce was contributing to that phenomenon). At any rate, we spent some time trying to decide how best to reheat it back at home. Microwaving pizza is never a good option, and certainly not when the crust is already soggy.

Barb said she planned to scrape off all the topping and refrigerate it, then re-baking the crust in the oven till crispy again, nuking the good stuff and then adding it to the crust. I figured I'd leave mine intact but bake it at a fairly high temperature in the oven in the hopes of crisping up that crust.

In the end, we did neither; an e-mail from Barb told me she'd taken a bite right from the fridge and it was quite good; ironically, I'd been about to head to the kitchen and do exactly that - so I followed suit and agree it tasted almost as good cold as it did when it was hot.

If you go: Danny Boys Italian Eatery
1315 Boardman-Canfield Road
Youngstown, Ohio 44512
(330) 726-3726

www.dannyboyspizza.com

SPAGHETTI WAREHOUSE

2011-11-17T15:49:00.000-08:00

Visiting friends who live just north of Columbus, Ohio, has been a treat for my husband Jack and I for the past couple of decades. Those friends, in fact, introduced us to another treat: the Spaghetti Warehouse. The restaurant opened there in 1978, in the former Crystal Ice Manufacturing and Cold Storage Building (warehouse, get it)? That plant closed in 1965 and remained vacant until Spaghetti Warehouse Restaurants Inc. of Irving, Texas, decided to renovate the place and open up shop.

For years, we looked for a location not quite so far away; for a time, there was one in Cleveland, but even that was a bit too far to go unless we had another reason to visit the city, and by the time that happened, the place was closed. What we didn't realize - at least until our son and daughter-in-law, who invited us to join them for lunch one fine day, mentioned the place as a possibility - is that there's a Spaghetti Warehouse in Akron. Oh wow, we said - when did that happen?

A little research on the company's website told me it happened in 1993 - and now we're kicking ourselves for missing several years of opportunity to enjoy the wonderful Italian food lo these many years. This location is historic as well - the building once was the B.F. Goodrich Building #33 and was closed in the 1980s.

For the record, Spaghetti Warehouse now has restaurants in Akron Columbus, Dayton, Toledo and Pittsburgh plus a presence in New York, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Texas (where it all began in 1972) and Florida.

The decor at both the locations we've visited is interesting, fun and always incorporates artifacts from the original buildings - the Akron restaurant, for instance, features one of the few remaining Akron Railway cars that transported people up and down Main Street. There are lots of goodies hanging from the ceiling, and everywhere you look you'll find signs, memorabilia and intriguing items that demand a closer look.

But it's the food that stirs up our cravings to return. If you love Italian, we think you'll love it too.

I must say the traditional red sauce here seems to have changed a bit from our old-time visits to Columbus. I've said many times over that my favorite spaghetti sauce comes from Sunrise Inn in Warren. My second favorite was from Spaghetti Warehouse; it was thick, sweet, what I'd deem to be "Old World" style and absolutely mouth-watering.

What we got in Akron wasn't quite what I remembered (truth is, neither was it the same last time we were at the Columbus restaurant perhaps a couple of years ago). Today, it's thinner and much less distinctive, but that's certainly not to say I don't like it.

Our party of five -- the two of us, our son and daughter-in-law and her mother -- had reservations, but there was plenty of seating available so we wouldn't have needed one. Interestingly, we sat at a large cage-like table with booth seating that was situated directly under a huge mirror (that's it on the left); if we looked up, we could watch ourselves eat! Needless to say, it made for some neat photos.

The menu is quite extensive, starting with tempting appetizers like stuffed mushrooms, calamari, fried zucchini and garlic cheese bread. Soups and salads are available too; wedding soup is always a favorite of mine ($4.49), and the beer chili -- beef, chilies and beer simmered together served with cheddar cheese and onions -- sounded yummy too (also $4.49). But our appetites weren't exactly on high alert at lunch time, so we passed this time around and headed straight for the entrees.

And oh my, what a wealth of choices greeted us. Those who don't care for red sauce might consider Wild Mushrooms Chicken Pasta or Roasted Garlic Shrimp. Those who do might opt for the 15-Layer Lasagne, Chicken Florentine ($12.49) or Chicken Bowtie Milano (grilled chicken, spinach, mushrooms, artichokes and bowtie pasta in creamy marinara cream sauce, $11.99) - these prices reflect the dinner menu, by the way.

That 15-layer lasagne, I should note, is hand-made daily, and the stack includes meat sauce, Italian pork sausage, ground beef and Romano, ricotta and mozzarella cheeses topped with extra sauce ($11.49).

In the end, three of us stuck with fairly basic spaghetti dishes; our son picked the one with two meatballs and tomato sauce, asking for it on angel hair pasta ($9.99). My choice had no meatball, but the meat sauce was house-made with beef and pork, onions, garlic, Romano cheese, olive oil, tomatoes, beef stock and seasonings (also $9.99). I also asked for the "spicy" version.

Jack's choice was Spaghetti & Mushrooms, which consisted of tomato sauce topped with cremini and button mushrooms sauteed with onions, sherry and garlic butter ($8.29). The other two ladies in the group picked Chicken Tettrazini, or grilled chicken over spaghetti with sauteed mushrooms and Romano cheese in cream sauce ($9.99) and Grilled Chicken Alfredo, a breast served over fettuccini with creamy Alfredo sauce ($9.29).

Our son did point out that there's no pesto sauce of any kind on the menu, which came as a bit of a surprise at an Italian restaurant. No surprise, though, was that we were all delighted with our choices, passing our plates around so we could try everything. As far as I'm concerned, I'd be quite happy with any one of them - and I think the others came to the same conclusion. If I had a complaint, it was that their idea of spicy certainly doesn't match mine (either that or my request was overlooked totally). There wasn't even a hint of extra heat.

Since we'd passed on appetizers and weren't in any hurry to go anywhere else, all but one of us went wild and crazy with dessert. Here, too, our son noted the lack of espresso - something he loves after dinner and certainly expected to find here. Similarly, Jack loves spumonte but it's hardly ever available at other Italian restaurants. Happily, though, it's here; a sundae at $2.99 tasted like heaven. I decided on lemon cream cake ($4.99), white cake with a tangy lemon cream filling served with strawberry and mango puree (talk about heaven)!

Another favorite was the 12-layer chocolate cake for $6.29, which turned out to be an absolutely gigantic chuck with cake and chocolate mousse layers with vanilla ice cream and a drizzling of chocolate sauce and chopped pecans. Our son tried the Warehouse Tiramisu ($4.99), noting that it was more "elaborate" than he'd expected. It was quite good, but he said he still prefers the more traditional version. I'm not a Tiramisu fan, but I tried a bite and liked it a lot.

Back home, I signed up for the Spaghetti Warehouse e-mail club so I can get discount coupons, news and other good stuff. And yes, we're already planning another family get-together - in fact, it may have taken place by the time you read this!

If you go:
The Spaghetti Warehouse Restaurant
510 S. Main St.
Akron, OH 44311
(330) 374-0025
http://www.meatballs.com

Open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

DAS DUTCH HAUS RESTAURANT & BAKERY

2011-10-27T17:04:00.000-07:00

In years past when we didn't have to choose between buying a winter coat and filling up the gas tank, my husband Jack and I loved to venture south to Columbiana County to take in the beautiful countryside, perhaps stopping at a couple of antique shops in Columbiana or heading on down to get some photos in the scenic Beaver Creek State Park. On the way home, we enjoyed stopping for a meal, often at the wonderful Das Dutch Haus Restaurant & Bakery in Columbiana.

These days, I'm sad to say, forays that require gasing up the car have become few and far between, as have impromptu stops for shopping or a meal. But now and again, we still get the urge to hit the road, as we did recently when we traveled down State Route 11 all the way to East Liverpool, stopping at Broadway Wharf for photos along the Ohio River and at the Lou Holz Upper Ohio Valley Hall of Fame downtown.

And would you believe that on the way home, our old-but-still good Pontiac Vibe just seemed to nose into the parking lot at the Das Dutch Haus complex? This is, I should note, way more than just a restaurant; you can spend the night at Das Dutch Village Inn, where the 51 rooms and suites are furnished in a variety of styles such as Shaker, Colonial and Victorian. You can browse unique merchandise like cheese, books and hand-crafted items in the Das Dutch Village Shops as well.

But the main attraction here, at least for me, is the restaurant. The main dining area can accomodate 450, and even then the lines can be a bit long during peak dining hours. As soon as you open the door, the smell of fresh-baked bread, pies, cakes and other goodies tantalizes your senses. Then, you see why; to the right, rack after rack of these delights stand ready for take-out. Look left, and you'll see an expansive area filled with items that make wonderful gifts (a great place to explore after your stomach is full).

Since our visits tend to be at off hours - most recently, we got there around 2:30 p.m. - we're usually seated immediately. The decor is decidedly Dutch, with lots of wood, flowers and Old World wall hangings. Large tables can accommodate bigger groups, and dinners can be served family style (all you can eat chuck roast, chicken and all the trimmings including the salad bar for $14.75 per adult).

Specials - including pies of the day - are posted on boards in each section of the restaurant. Shortly after you're seated, a server asks for your drink order (no alcohol here, by the way) and then brings a basket of fresh-baked bread.

The down-home menu is extensive, and dinner entrees range from creamed chicken on a homemade biscuit to smoked sausage to Swiss steak (all $11.25) and a couple of fish dinners priced slightly higher. For lunch, hot sandwiches like beef, pork and turkey are especially tempting, as are old favorites like the Dutch Boy Ham & Swiss Cheese served with horseradish sauce on a homemade bun ($5.25).

On our "official" visit, we both opted for one of the daily specials; Jack ordered a sloppy joe with potato chips and cole slaw and I picked baked chicken, which came with two sides. I knew I wanted mashed potatoes and gravy, but I wasn't sure about the other one. Noticing the baked squash with brown sugar-walnut crumb topping, I asked our server, who told me it's delicious. So, squash it was.

There's not much to say about Jack's sloppy joe and slaw except that both disappeared in very short order, a clear indication that it was tasty (and that he was very hungry). Meanwhile, I took one look at the huge mound of squash and figured I'd be a while.

It was quite tasty, too, made special by that crumb topping (I liken the flavor to mashed sweet potatoes). The mashed potatoes somehow didn't quite taste like the real thing, but if they were fake, they were good. The two pieces of chicken weren't very large, but the meat was fall-off-the-bone tender and the flavor was wonderful. Next time, I told myself, I'll go for the same thing only the dinner-size entree.

Although our stomachs were full after polishing off our main meals, we made sure to leave room for dessert - and I urge you to do the same. The pies here are hard to beat - Jack tried the sugar-free apple - and I usually go for an apple dumpling ($3.45 for each). The dumpling comes warmed, and our server asked if Jack wanted his pie that way (he did). I decided to add vanilla ice cream, too, which costs $1.25 but really makes the dumpling special.

After we finished, we virtually waddled out of the restaurant section to browse the gift shop and bakery. The special-occasion cakes caught my eye - one very large cake was shaped and decorated like a fabulous castle. Other display cases contain the restaurant's homemade soups, potato salad, ham loaf and more as well as those wonderful whole pies, cakes, breads and doughnuts.

This time out, we resisted buying anything to take home (mostly, I suspect, because our stomachs were so full we figured we wouldn't want to eat anything else till at least the next day). That's a decision we'd come to regret once we got back home, though, so for sure next time we go we won't make that mistake again!

If you go: Das Dutch Haus Restaurant & Bakery
14895 South Ave. Extension
Columbiana, Ohio 44408
(330) 482-2236

www.dasdutchvillage.com

Open Monday through Thursday 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.; closed Sundays.

ELEPHANT & CASTLE PUB AND RESTAURANT

2011-10-14T09:06:00.000-07:00

If you think the name of this restaurant is intriguing, you're not alone. Every time my husband Jack and I go shopping at the Grove City Premium Outlets near Grove City, Pa., we drive by one of the 20-something locations, always saying, "That place looks really interesting. We've got to have lunch there someday!"

Not long ago, that someday arrived -- and we've added it to our list of favorite places to eat when we're over that way.

In the interests of full disclosure, though, I must tell you that the corporate owner, Elephant & Castle Group Inc., of Boston, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on July 5. That said, officials say no restaurant closings are expected, and you'll find locations across the United States and Canada from Toronto to Boston to Chicago to San Diego and San Francisco.

Of course, it's the name that's most intriguing about this place, so let me give you a condensed version from a company-provided brochure. As legend has it, there once was a fair maiden who lived in the French province of Castile. Her parents wanted to marry her off to a rich English prince. Because English nobles often spoke French as well as English, the daughter became known as L'Enfant de Castile (the child of Castile).

Then, a London innkeeper decided to name his place after her; but the Cockneys had a bit of trouble with pronunciation and the pub became known as Elephant and Castle. Even today, an inn of that name is located across the Thames from the Houses of Parliament.

I will note, however, that as soon as I posted the blog, I heard from someone who's a U.K. citizen informing me that this version is a common misconception but not the true story. Not wanting to get in the middle of an elephant tussle, I'll share the link I received and let readers draw their own conclusions: http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-ele1.htm

However the name came to be, fast-forward to 1977, when twin brothers Paul and Jeffery Barnett and their associate George Pitman opened the first Elephant & Castle in Vancouver. I have no idea where the Grove City pub stands on the development timeline, but I do know I'm glad we found it.

We stopped for lunch around 12:30 on a Tuesday afternoon after a relatively quick stop at the mall to check out our favorite Bass, Van Heusen and Izod stores as well as look for a new pair of walking shoes for me at the Nike store (no luck on the latter; the most I'm willing to spring for a pair is about 40 bucks, and among the less-than-a-handful I found on sale at that price, I found nothing I'd ever willingly put on my feet).

The restaurant has a look and feel similar to others of its ilk -- among them Applebee's, TGI Friday's and Ruby Tuesday -- but the abundant glass, dark wood, old books and ale tankards and the like do give it an atmosphere somewhat like I'd expect at a pub in Merry Olde England. There's an extensive beer list with plenty of specials; on this day, one of the best deals was $2 pints of Coors Light, of which we happily partook.

I'll also alert you that it's a great place to go on your birthday; just show your ID and you'll get a percentage discount on your meal that's equal to your age. Next March, trust me, I plan to be there with bells on -- and clean house with my 71% off! We'll follow that up in June for Jack, who'll get an even bigger 72% discount.

Since this was our lunch, we zeroed in on somewhat lighter fare; sandwiches come with a house or Caesar salad, pub chips or soup. Jack chose a salad, asking for the homemade viniagrette. I opted for soup, with three choices: The cream of broccoli soup of the day, onion soup or chicken and leek (it was the latter for me).

The soup and salad were delivered almost immediately, and Jack said the dressing was very creamy and flavorful. He was less enthusiastic about the salad, since it was filled with all different kinds of greens he claims make him think he's eating the front yard. Never mind, I said, eager to polish off what he left.

The soup had a thin chicken-flavored broth with lots of celery, leeks, small chicken chunks and other greens. It tasted great, and I discovered that the delicious salad croutons (terrific flavor and not so crisp that they threaten to break your teeth) made an excellent addition to my soup as well.

For our entrees, Jack picked the Loaded Beef Dip ($8.99), with caramelized mushrooms, jack cheese and au jus for dipping. My choice was the bruschetta chicken sandwich ($8.69), a chicken breast topped with jack cheese and bruschetta tomatoes on a rosemary Focaccia bun with pesto mayonnaise.

Jack really loved his sandwich, although he did find it a bit hard to dip it into the small cup of au jus -- it was quite funny watching him bite it in very strange ways just to get it to fit. My sandwich was delicious as well, with finely chopped, flavored bruschetta tomatoes. The chicken breast didn't even come close to filling the bun, although it was fairly thick. If I'd been the cook, I'd have simply pounded it thinner to stretch it out (and it would cook faster as well). I do admit, though, the bun was quite large to begin with -- and that rosemary flavor came through loud and clear.

By the way, the website serves up a wealth of information, including current promotions, special features (see the link below). For fall, I've got my eye on the sausage sampler, a grilled bratwurst and British banger with a hot pretzel, beer mustard and braised red cabbage for $8. Or, the grilled bratwurst -- two char-grilled German-style sausages with wine braised red cabbage onion gravy and garlic mashed potatoes ($11.50) sounds like a wonderful alternative. For dessert? My mouth is watering at the thought of a Stout poached pear ($6.50), served with stout syrup and vanilla ice cream.

Much of the food, understandably, has a strong British flavor; the menu can vary slightly from location to location, though, so it's a good idea to check the website for the menu specific to the location you plan to visit. I should also note that in case you want to spend the evening sampling the beers and ales, you can spend the night as well; the Grove City location offers 12 air-conditioned rooms with cable and Internet connections, a continental breakfast and 10% off on restaurant meals for overnight guests.

If you go: The Elephant & Castle Pub and Restaurant
1923 Leesburg-Grove City Road
Grove City, Pa. 16127
(724) 748-1010
www.elephantcastle.com

Open 11 a.m. to midnight Monday, Wednesday, and Sunday; 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

DINO'S RESTAURANT

2011-09-29T14:53:00.000-07:00

Dino's Restaurant is celebrating 31 years in business this year, and that's quite an accomplishment for any eatery these days. But would you believe it took a dining-out disaster to get us here for the first - but definitely not last - time?

On a cool but beautiful Saturday afternoon in mid-September, our son Scott and his wife Lilla invited my husband Jack and me to join them at at a local winery near Berlin Center, which was hosting a clambake catered by a local restaurant. The occasion was to celebrate the birthday of our daughter-in-law's brother, who was visiting from London. Also along for the fun was their mother, Sheila, who's been living in South Africa but is here now. Told to arrive about an hour prior to our reserved time to get a good seat for the clambake, we cheerfully obeyed - and proceeded to drop more than $100 on tasting trays, glasses and pitchers of wine and bottles to take home as we waited for our appointed serving time.

To our dismay, the "reserved" time turned into "just 15 more minutes," then 15 more, and then another 15. The winery folks blamed the caterer, and the caterer blamed an equipment malfunction. The bottom line is that nearly an hour after the time we were to eat, we were so frustrated (not to mention starving since none of us had eaten lunch to save up for the big dinner) that we demanded a refund ($28 times six, by the way) and left.

Long story short, we still had our hunger to deal with and a birthday to finish celebrating. But since we live about an hour away from our son - us to the east and he to the west - we wanted to find someplace in the middle so neither of us had to backtrack very far. But where?

Suddenly, Jack remembered Dino's Restaurant in North Jackson at the corner of Mahoning Avenue and State Route 45. As soon as he mentioned it, I recalled that a friend -- I believe it was Mike Costarella, who, among other things, hosts "Another Valley View" on AM 1540 WYCL each week -- had recommended it to me. So, Dino's it was.

Admittedly, we had a few doubts. First, it's located in a small plaza, certainly isn't "fancy" and we figured we wouldn't be able to get a beer to wash down our food even if it was good. Well, I'm here to tell you, we were dead wrong. No, it's not fancy; but alcohol is served here, and the food -- well, let's just say it was so good that Jack and I returned for lunch the very next day (more on that later, of course)!

We arrived about a quarter to six on a Saturday night, and despite a decent crowd, we were seated immediately at a large round table. It took a while to settle on what we wanted to eat since the menu is fairly extensive - and our choices were all over the map. The first thing I noticed is that they have pierogies, both batter-fried as an appetizer and "regular" with butter and onions. Our son Scott ordered the fried version as his meal, and he definitely wasn't disappointed (quite a nice feeling after our clambake fiasco, I hasten to add).

Jack zeroed in on linguine with clam sauce ($7.99), ordering it with red sauce instead of white. As it turned out, he got the white sauce by accident, but he said it was absolutely delicious and, instead of complaining, downed the whole thing while vowing to try the white next time. Lilla's brother Iain chose the veal parmesan, her mother picked the seafood trio appetizer of shrimp, clams and a crabcake ($6.99) while my choice was baked haddock ($8.49). For my sides, I paid a bit extra to have wedding soup and pierogies (the ones with butter and onions).

The fish turned out to be one of the tastiest portions I've had inland, and both the soup and pierogies were delicious as well. Admittedly I was too busy chatting with everyone that I didn't do a lot of writing, including getting prices on several of the items -- but the fact that most of the chatting came to an abrupt halt when the food arrived and didn't start up again till dessert is a good indication that everyone was quite satisfied.

Speaking of dessert, Wow! says it best. Most of us were too full to even think about a slice of pie, an apple dumpling or even a sundae, but then we spotted the stuffed elephant ear ($4.99), filled with vanilla ice cream and either apples or cherries (our choice) and topped with whipped cream. We ordered just one with four spoons, and there was plenty to go around. The elephant ear was huge -- and delectably warm -- and the ice cream, cherries and whipped cream sort of melted into it (melting with it all the calories, of course). Oh my!

A couple of us had beer or wine and the rest soft drinks, but perhaps the biggest and best surprise came at the end of the meal: The total bill for the six of us was just over $77 -- quite a noticeable difference from the $168 we'd have paid for the clambake, and everything was wonderfully tasty and delivered as promised.

The next day, Jack and I had hoped to stop at White House Fruit Farm near Canfield for the annual fall craft fair. But when we discovered the traffic was creeping along just to get to the entrance and the parking lots looked to be overflowing, we kept right on going. It would have been fun, but fighting big crowds just isn't something we have any interest in doing these days. We headed down a bit to Salem, and after cruising through the downtown and a few of that city's beautiful streets, we found ourselves back on State Route 45 to head home again.

And as luck would have it, it was somewhere around lunch time. Since we were on the right road, it took Jack about two minutes to come up with the possibility of stopping at Dino's for lunch -- and about two seconds more for me to say that's a great idea! This time, we agreed, we'll try a few new things.

We also looked around a bit more; this isn't a really large place, but there are plenty of large and small tables and booths along the walls. The decor is mostly wood, with Italian-style wall hangings in recessed areas. There's a banquet room to accommodate larger crowds as well and a small outdoor patio when the weather is cooperative. Specials are available each day, and I was tempted by several varieties of fried chicken (three pieces with a side of slaw is just $5.99). For future reference, we also noted that domestic beers are $1 on Wednesdays.

The Sunday entrees included prime rib for $12.99, but I wasn't quite that hungry. Instead, I opted for cavatelli chicken and greens with garlic broccolini sauce for $10.99. Jack had a tough time choosing as well, but he finally settled on pot roast with mashed potatoes, gravy and slaw for $7.99.

For starters, our server brought a basket of four very large (and still warm) rolls with my salad and Jack's slaw. Better still, the rolls were accompanied by plenty of butter pats. One of my big pet peeves is that most restaurants aren't stingy with the bread and rolls, but they really skimp on the butter and/or margarine. Admittedly, I tend to use more than many people do, but one or two of those tiny packets don't even begin to cover half a dozen pieces of bread and it's not always easy to catch a server's attention when I want more.

My chicken dish was served in a large oval bowl, and the sauce tasted fabulous. The grilled chicken pieces perhaps could have been more tender - pieces that small tend to cook up fast and get tough even faster. But the flavor was wonderful -- absolutely loved the homemade greens -- and I had plenty left to take home.

No such luck for Jack, since he scarfed down every single bite of what he called delicious pot roast (I sampled a bit of the gravy and agree with his assessment). Once again, we left satisfied -- proving that our initial experience was no fluke. Already, we've added Dino's to our list of places we love and will return to any time we're in the neighborhood (ah, I'll rephrase that: It's one we're willing to go out of our way to visit)!

If you go:

Dino's Restaurant

9245 Mahoning Ave.

North Jackson, Ohio

(330) 538-2263

Open Monday through Saturday 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

CRANBERRY STATION RESTAURANT

2011-09-15T12:16:00.000-07:00

Warm summer days just beg for day trips -- at least as far as I'm concerned -- and one of the delights in hitting the road is finding interesting restaurants. On one of those awful 90 degree-plus days back in July, that's exactly what my husband Jack and I did.

At least once a year, we head to the Pymatuning State Park spillway near Linesville, Pa., to see those huge, hungry (and downright ugly) carp climb all over each other to get to bread chunks pitched over the railing by visitors who can't believe their eyes. They're so thick that here and there, equally hungry gulls walk on the fishes' backs, trying to steal the bread before it even gets to those gaping mouths.

The gulls, however, have a decided advantage: If you toss bread in the air, they'll fly over in droves and it's a sure bet one will catch the chunk in mid-flight. The whole thing is an awesome sight, so if you haven't been there yet, there's still plenty of good weather left before the snow flies.

On this day, we rounded up our friends Jerry and Barb from Niles, and the four of us spent a bit of time oggling the fish monsters just like the rest of the gawkers. But in short order, the blistering heat took its toll and we almost flew faster than those gulls to get back to the comfort of our air-conditioned car. Once we could breathe again, though, we decided we were hungry -- although we weren't sure whether to blame that on the time of day or watching those carp scarf down the bread.

So, we headed back toward home with an eye toward finding a place to satisfy our craving for food - preferably a place we hadn't tried before. Not long after we crossed back into Ohio, we reached Andover, and right on the town square, there it was: Cranberry Station Restaurant. The neat windows and red awning above the entrance were very inviting, and since it was early afternoon, we didn't really care that the place doesn't sell alcohol -- it was good food and something cold to drink that we were after.

Inside, it's a one-room affair but quite spacious, with several large tables and comfortable high-back wooden chairs. At 1:30 in the afternoon several folks were here finishing up, chatting with each and other and the servers, so we figured this is a popular place with the locals.

The walls are filled with country-style artwork and hand-made items, most of which are for sale. Right next to our table there was a table holding lip gloss and handmade soaps in a variety of tempting scents. Curious, we asked out server about them, and she absolutely raved about the lip gloss. Learning that it was just $1 a tube, Barb and I figured why not and bought several to take home -- and yes, they're wonderful.

Dinners here range from around $7.99 to $15.99, the latter for a strip steak. Croissant sandwiches are under $7, and they have several burgers and subs as well. I eyed the Cincinnati Chili ($6.49), a dish I've loved ever since I was a kid growing up not far from the Queen City. For the record, it's basically spaghetti topped with chili instead of spaghetti sauce; here, they add black olives and onion and the whole thing comes with a salad.

There are daily specials as well as plenty of "standards" on the menu such as a corned beef on rye sandwich with Swiss cheese for $5.49 - it can be served hot or cold. A grilled Swiss cheese sandwich with bacon and tomato on rye is just $3.99, beef liver and onions is $6.99 and roasted turkey breast with dressing and cranberry sauce is $8.99, to give you some idea of the range of offerings and prices. In short, I'd think there is sufficient variety here to please just about any palate.

Hungry as we were, we started with appetizers all around. Except for me -- I love corn nuggets so the choice was a no-brainer - it wasn't an easy decision, especially since we wanted to try four different things to share. Jack didn't take too long, choosing the breaded mushrooms. Barb followed with potato skins, and finally Jerry opted for a cup of chili. We all were quite pleased (especially my with the corn nuggets, which were much like corn fritters). The chili was a little harder to share so I can't offer a personal opinion, but Jerry said the chili had a too-strong tomato base and not much chili flavor. That didn't keep him from polishing it off, I hasten to add.

It took longer for us to pick entrees than it did for the appetizers - lots of delicious-sounding items here - but pick we did. It was lunch time and very hot outside, so I wanted something cool. The croissant sandwich with chicken salad filled that bill perfectly ($5.99, and I could have had tuna salad instead). It came with a side of either macaroni salad or potato salad, but since they were out of macaroni salad, that, too, so potato it was. To drink, I picked cranberry lemonade, which our server told us is a very popular drink that they serve at events Cranberry Station caters.

Jack, always a meat-and-potatoes kind of guy, went for the meatloaf dinner ($7.49). He had a choice of potato, salad or vegetable plus a roll and butter, and he picked fries and a salad with raspberry viniagrette dressing. Jerry finally settled on the fried fish sandwich.

Like me, Barb wanted something cool, so her pick was the deluxe tuna salad ($6.59). Our server then asked what kind of dressing she wanted -- I don't recall for sure, but I think she chose bleu cheese -- and after the server left we wondered why there was a choice of dressing. The tuna salad we're all used to comes pre-mixed, usually with mayonnaise. Oh well, we said - guess Barb's in for a surprise!

In fact, she did get a surprise - and a very pleasant one. The tuna salad here, it turns out, is a huge mound of tuna -- no filling whatsoever -- with the dressing served on the side to be added to the tuna as you like. Neat concept, we agreed - and quite delicious.

Jack happily shoveled down every single bite of his meatloaf, pronouncing it "very good." My chicken salad was delicious as well, although it, too, was a bit different. The typical mayo used to bind it together was totally absent, replaced by something that had a bit of a mustard taste to it. Jerry proclaimed his fish sandwich "good," but nothing to write home about.

When she noticed that we had cleaned off our plates, our observant server trotted out a fabulous dessert tray loaded with goodies from key lime/strawberry cake and fresh-based pies. We were stuffed, but these looked way too good for some of us to resist. Jack picked a slice of apple pie and Jerry couldn't resist a big slice of yummy-looking chocolate cake. Barb was the only holdout, saying she absolutely couldn't get another bite down.

Beverages here are served in Mason jars, and I couldn't help noticing when our server delivered a just-made milkshake to another table (also in a Mason jar). Another no-brainer for me: For dessert, I'll have what she's having, I told our server.

For the record, they use Edy's Ice Cream here, and it goes in the shakes as well. The "soda fountain" was just on the other side of our table, and I was surprised and thrilled to see not one, but three generous scoops of chocolate ice cream go in the jar (most chocolate shakes are made with vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup). Not a lot of milk was added so I figured it would take a while before I could get it through the straw without sucking my face inside out. Not so; it was kept on the mixer long enough to thin it down perfectly. It was, in fact, my very own little piece of Heaven.

Desserts here are kept on a chilled tray so they're fairly cold when they reach the table. So although Jerry said the cake was very good, he would have preferred it served at room temperature, if not slightly warmed.

If there's a real downside here, it's that there's only one single-stall restroom; that could, we imagine, be problematic when the place is full of folks drinking that delicious cranberry lemonade.

If you go: Cranberry Station Restaurant
68 Public Square
Andover, Ohio 44003
(440) 293-6651

Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Our server said the restaurant opens daily between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. and are open till 11 p.m. on weekdays except Mondays, when they close at 3 p.m. On weekends, closing is 11:30 p.m.

EMERALD DINER

2011-09-01T17:01:00.000-07:00

Back in the '50s when I was a kid growing up on a farm in southwestern Ohio, drive-in restaurants, soda fountains and diners were staples of everyday living. Nobody "ate out" very often -- our stay-at-home moms cooked up three squares a day, mostly from scratch. But once in a while, we'd get treated to a cold root beer and chili dog at the A&W or a "brown cow" at the new Dairy Queen in town.

Dairy Queen, by the way, was founded in 1940, so when one opened in our small town sometime in the mid-'50s, we all thought we'd died and gone to Heaven. That Dairy Queen also was the first real job I ever had; I spent two summers whipping up sundaes, milkshakes and putting those curls on cones trying to earn enough money to buy some neat back-to-school clothes that weren't on my mother's list of what I really needed. I'll never forget the thrill of discovering that as an employee, I was allowed eat all the ice cream treats I wanted -- followed by the realization maybe three days later that I wouldn't care if I never ate it again for the rest of my life.

Once I turned 16 and got my driver's license, I'd get behind the wheel of my dad's '57 Chevy Bel Air (metallic pink, dual exhaust and stick shift), pick up my best friend Marcia and head into the small town of Union City, Indiana, to the Sweet Shoppe for a freshly made chocolate malt and listening to the latest tunes on the juke box. Last time I was in town, the Sweet Shoppe was still open - a testament, I guess, to the ongoing popularity of this kind of place.

I left the farm for college in 1959 and never went back (except, of course, to visit my wonderful parents when they were still living, which happily was for many more years). But I've always had an affinity for any kind of eatery that brings back memories of the '50s. So even though my husband Jack and I prefer our meals accompanied by beer or wine, every once in a while we consider it a treat to have a meal in surroundings that remind us of days gone by.

And that's exactly what we did not long ago, when our friends Jerry and Barb suggested that we have dinner at the Emerald Diner in Hubbard, Ohio. Truth is, we enjoyed a meal or two here several years ago when Jack reviewed the place for his "Dining Out" column for The Business Journal. Since then, for some reason we were under the impression that it had closed. Not so -- in fact, it's very much alive and well and living in the 21st Century. The food and decor, though, are happily stuck in a previous generation.

The diner, according to a diner brochure, is a green-accented 1939 O'Mahony that was Burt's Diner in Norwich, Conn., for 40 years. Once it closed, it sat abandoned in a cornfield for 10 years. In 1994, James P. Marsh of J.P. Marsh & Co., a certified public accountant firm in Hubbard, purchased it and moved it here, where the first cup of coffee was served in April of the following year.

As you might expect, the railroad car-style diner has bar stools and a counter on one side and booths on the other. There's lots of chrome and replicas of LP records (remember those??) hanging around, and in each booth there's a juke box that simply begs for quarters -- each of which gets you two selections.

That, in fact, provided some entertainment for our outing -- but first we'll talk about the real reason for being here -- the food. There's plenty here from which to choose, by the way -- far more than I'd have expected at a so-called diner. We found lots that sounded wonderful from breakfast, lunch and dinner menus (all of which prompted us to agree we'd be making more visits here).

There are daily specials as well, although no matter how hard she tried, our friendly server just couldn't convince any of us to try the liver and haluska side that was featured on this day. Saturday's country fried steak ($6.95) and Sunday's meatloaf ($7.95), however, were very tempting. A hint: If you're on Facebook, add the Emerald Diner to your "like" list and you can check out the daily postings of special Facebook-only deals that can save you a bundle.

There are several appetizers on the menu, like spinach and artichoke dip with tortilla chips ($4.95) and Italian greens in olive oil and garlic with toasted Italian bread ($5.95). The sandwiches are too numerous to mention anywhere near all, but the open-faced turkey, meatloaf and roast beef with homemade mashed potatoes and gravy at $5.95 each caught my eye for a future visit. Dinner entrees range from pasta to stuffed cabbage to crispy fried chicken.

Another temptation was the "Wiener's Circle" of 100% all beef hotdogs, you get onions and relish on request. A quarter-pound dog is $2.45, and toppings (chili, coleslaw, sauerkraut, bacon and more) are an additional quarter each.

As for our final selections, mine was a Five Alarm burger, a one-third pound hunk of meat infused with hot spices and jalapenos. Then, just to make sure you don't miss the heat, it's topped with house marinated hot peppers, pepper jack cheese and jalapenos and priced at a reasonable $6.75 with one side. I nixed the veggie of the day -- stewed tomatoes and zucchini -- in favor of onion rings.

I can count on Jack for consistency when it comes to food, and this place was no exception; he picked the Philly Cheese Steak (you can get it with chicken instead of beef). It's topped by grilled onions, green peppers, mushrooms and provolone and served on a toasted hoagie roll for $6.75 -- he chose cole slaw as his side.

The Chicken and Greens sandwich was Jerry's pick of the litter: A 6-ounce chicken breast with homemade Italian greens, roasted red peppers and provolone on grilled Italian bread for $7.45. Barb opted for the Eggplant Parmesan sandwich with hand-sliced eggplant rolled in a blend of Panko and Italian seasoned bread crumbs and layered on a hoagie bun. Then it's topped with provolone, sauce and shredded mozzarella; with her choice of sweet potato fries for a side, the whole thing cost $6.75.

All of the sandwiches were wonderful, in part because of the bread (Barb called her bun "amazing," in fact). When we raved about it to our server, she told us it comes from the Orlando Baking Co. in Youngstown. Barb also loved the sweet potato fries, noting that they were thicker with "more potato" than most she's had. Along the same lines, she was delighted that Heinz ketchup is served here -- it's the only kind she likes (and yes, she really can tell the difference if blindfolded)!

The hot peppers on and in my burger were both plentiful and on the hot side, even for someone like me who has a cast-iron stomach. The homemade ones packed the most punch heat-wise, but the flavor was a bit too vinegary for me to want them as a full side dish. On the sandwich, though, they were delicious.

As I said before, we definitely plan to return here just because the food is great, the prices are reasonable and the decor is just plain fun. But there's another reason - to try one of the hand-dipped milkshakes that come in several flavors ($3.95). Milkshakes are a diner "must" and I absolutely love them, but I simply had no room to fit even part of one in my stomach on this visit.

On the fun side, too, is the music. After we'd placed our orders, we couldn't resist browsing through the golden oldies on the "pages" of the juke box at our table -- and that led to wondering if each of us chose two favorites to play for 25 cents, would there be any duplicates since the four of us are quite close in age? In fact, there was only one; both Jerry and I picked "All I Have to Do is Dream" by the Everly Brothers. So I switched one of my choices to Pat Benetar's "Hit Me With Your Best Shot."

Other picks were "Hang on Sloopy" by the McCoys and "Johnny B. Goode" by Chuck Berry (Jack), "Night Moves" by Bob Seger and "Temptation Eyes" by The Grass Roots (Barb). Jerry's second pick was "Sugar Shack" by Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs and mine was "Sweet Home Alabama" by Lynrd Skynyrd. For a quarter apiece, it was pretty cheap entertainment and great accompaniment to our meals.

After we'd finished, we walked outside to wander around the grounds and pop into a really neat antique shop in a former train depot (a whole train and related memorabilia stand nearby as well). The collection of old steamer trunks is worthwhile in and of itself, and we look forward to coming back to see what we missed the first time around (right after we sample those milkshakes at the diner)!

If you go:

EMERALD DINER
825 N. Main St.
Hubbard, Ohio 44425
(330) 534-7600

Open Monday through Thursday 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 7 a.m. to midnight; Sunday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

OLD FIREHOUSE WINERY

2011-08-18T10:33:00.000-07:00

When temperatures are warm enough to be outside without an overcoat and the sunny sky is filled with big puffy clouds, our thoughts always turn to one thing: Wine. Yep, you read that right; for my husband Jack and me, not much is more relaxing than sitting in the great outdoors and sipping a glass or two of vino (generally speaking, red for him and white for me).

In the interests of full disclosure, though, I'm compelled to admit that neither of us makes any claim whatsoever of connoisseur status. For us, a $12 bottle of wine is a real splurge; you're far more likely to meet us scoping out the under $6 varieties at the local Giant Eagle than discussing the nuances of a 2002 Cabernet from Napa Valley at a wine shop.

Geography doesn't impress us much, either; we happen to think that wines from Lake Erie vineyards are every bit as good as those we've tried that came from California, France, Chile or Argentina. So, the minute the snow melts, it's likely we'll be on the road visiting some of the many wineries along the Lake Erie shores.

One of our favorites is a happy combination of winery and restaurant -- the Old Firehouse Winery in Geneva-on-the-Lake, Ohio. One of their sweet white wines -- Lighthouse Niagara -- is on my list of Top 5 all-time favorites. Throughout the off-season we drive up north two or three times to pick up a case two or three so I don't run out, but it's much more fun to go in the summer when the outdoor patio activity is in full swing.

This summer, the dining experience has been overhauled and improved significantly. The menu has far more to offer than the popular corn chips and salsa, there's much more and nicer seating that includes in a lovely, flower-filled gazebo. And did I mention the whole place sits right on the edge of Lake Erie?

Besides wine and food, the shop now sells an array of T-shirts and sweatshirts along with the wine and cordial glasses and other memorabilia they've been selling all along. Then too, in the summer you'll find "Old Betsy," a beautifully restored fire engine that once belonged to the town, and a fabulous Ferris wheel that was built in 1956 and operated at Erieview Park stands ready to take visitors up, up and away for even more spectacular views of the lake (it opens at noon, by the way).

Ah, but this blog is supposed to be about food, so let's get back to the nitty gritty: Old Firehouse is first and foremost a winery and entertainment venue, and I'd never suggest that anyone drive that far just for the food alone. That said, the food's not at all bad -- and this season the the menu has been expanded so there's something to please most tastes. Everything we've tried has been quite good, and Lord willin' and the creek don't rise, we'll be back up there at least a couple more times before there's much of a chill in the air.

At our most recent visit, for instance, Jack tried the quesadilla appetizer, which can be ordered filled with chicken, steak or veggies (he chose the former) at $7.49. The decision was a no-brainer for me -- a fried perch sandwich for $7.99 -- this is Lake Erie, after all. Most sandwiches come with the salsa and corn chips, but you can pay extra for something different; I picked French fries instead. Everything here is served in unbreakable containers, including the wine, so there's no worry about breakage if one of those wonderful lake breezes blows something off the table. It's possible to eat indoors, I should note, but there are only a handful of tables and chairs; this place is geared for outdoor action of all kinds.

The quesadilla was quite good, stuffed with green onions, olives and shredded Colby Jack with sour cream and salsa on the side. The perch was fried a little crunchier than I like, but Lake Erie perch is Lake Erie perch and I'm not complaining. We've also tried the corned beef and swiss sandwich ($7.99), the burgers are great, and Jack is quite fond of the wraps as well. The expanded menu now includes signature dinners like Firehouse BBQ ribs, with a whole slab going for $19.99.

Speaking of entertainment, it's live almost every night starting at 8 p.m. from Memorial Day to Labor Day; in September, it's mostly Friday through Sunday. Check the Web site for a schedule. Other special events are scheduled throughout the season, and these, too, are posted online.

If you've never tried the wines here, my suggestion is to buy a few samples at 50 cents each (Ohio law requires that wineries charge consumers even for tastings). If you're willing to rely on my opinion, I recommend the Lighthouse Niagara, a very sweet white (almost all wines are sold by the glass too, but it's much less expensive to order a bottle if you and your companions can agree on which one). Similarly, the Firehouse Red is semi-sweet and fruity. Two others I like quite well but aren't always in stock are the Lake Erie Riesling and Gewurztraminer; they're quite a bit pricier, but delicious. Still another that's wonderful warmed up for the holidays is the Spiced Apple -- it makes the house smell wonderful and tastes great as well.

When we go, I make it a point to bring home at least half a case (six bottles), for which I get a 5% discount; get 10% off if you take home a full case (and yes, you can mix and match). Another tip: Bottles purchased to consume on the premises cost a couple of dollars more than take-out, so we usually limit ourselves to one glass apiece while we eat and toast each other with our savings once we get back home.

If you're really serious about trying Ohio wines, here's still another tip: Consider doing all or part of the the drive-it-yourself Wine and Vine Trail, which includes 19 wineries (most in Ashtabula County), three covered bridges and a lift bridge, Amish country and the beautiful Geneva State Park Lodge that's just down the road from the Old Firehouse Winery.

If you go: Old Firehouse Winery
5499 Lake Road
Geneva-on-the-Lake, Ohio 44401
(800) UNCORK-1
www.OldFirehouseWinery.com

From Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, the tasting room and patio are open from noon to 1 a.m. seven days a week (the kitchen closes at midnight). Check the Web site for other seasonal hours.

SPREAD EAGLE TAVERN & INN

2011-07-15T07:56:00.000-07:00

As many of you know (or at least I hope you do), my restaurant blogs have been "teased" in the wonderful Byrd's Eye View newsletters written and published by filmmaker and journalist Art Byrd Jr. of Youngstown, Ohio. Since he's reached an important milestone - publication of his 100th newsletter - I decided to feature a restaurant that has historical significance as well: The Spread Eagle Tavern & Inn in Hanoverton.

Admittedly, my husband Jack and I reserve our visits for special occasions since it's at least an hour's drive from our home, but we've had the pleasure of dining there several times and not once have we been sorry we traveled that far.

Our most recent stop, though, was rather on a whim; we'd spent a wonderful few hours wandering around Zoar Village in Tuscarawas County - another terrific place for history-lovers to visit, by the way - and we realized it would be easy to go home by way of Hanoverton. And when I looked at the Entertainment Book coupons I always keep in my purse and found one that saved us a few bucks on lunch at the Spread Eagle, we looked at each other and said, why not?

Great food, I should add, isn't the only thing that makes this a special place. As the name suggests, it's also an inn, with five guest rooms on the second and third floors ranging in cost from $125 a night for the Van Buren Room to $225 for the Washington Room (I'm guessing the price difference is more because of amenities than the pecking order of the two presidents). While you'll need advance reservations if you want to spend the night here, the folks at the restaurant are quick to oblige visitors who want to take a look around.

The restaurant, originally built more than a century and a half ago, features seven dining rooms; the William McKinley room is more formal and private, while the "barn room" is more earthy and rugged. As an aside, McKinley is an Ohio boy who was born in Jack's hometown of Niles and grew up in Canton, not too far from Hanoverton, and memorials to the 25th president of our great country in both cities are other neat places to visit as well.

Back at the tavern, if you like you can have cocktails in the Patrick Henry Tavern Room or downstairs in Gaver's Rathskeller, with its 12-foot vaulted ceilings and stone walls. Even if you don't imbibe, be sure to check out the rathskeller - and don't miss the memorabilia hanging on the stairway walls.

All the rooms can be described as cozy, most with fireplaces that come to life with a roar when there's a chill in the air. White linen tablecloths offset an abundance of old brick and weathered dark wood. The fireplaces alone are masterpieces, well worth a look-see if only for the antique tools and cookware standing and hanging about.

On our most recent visit, I chose the Fire Roasted Pasta - grilled Hungarian peppers in a blue cheese cream sauce over linguine for $10.95. Meanwhile, Jack chose the Shrimp & Crab Casserole Au Gratin, served over penne pasta with Alfredo sauce and topped with bread crumbs ($13.99).

My linguine noodles had to be nearly half an inch wide; the chicken and onions were cut in large chunks. Although the peppers weren't really hot by my cast-iron stomach standards, they did add enough zip to keep it interesting. The blue cheese sauce was very creamy, rich and quite filling - I couldn't possibly eat it all.

The creamy sauce on Jack's penne was delicious as well, and he called the bread crumb topping "tasty." It, too, was too much to handle at one sitting, so in the end both of us walked out carrying takeout boxes.

As wonderful as these choices are, I'll note that you may not find them on the menu when you go. In fact, Spread Eagle doesn't even put menu items on its website; you're encouraged to call to see what's being featured (and if you'll be driving some distance for dinner, I also suggest calling ahead for reservations). I suppose that not publishing a menu is because the menu changes often depending on what's in season; finding wild game here, for instance, isn't unusual. But on the other hand, somehow I can't imagine they'd be willing to read the entire menu to folks who call. I know for certain, though, that it's always wonderful with plenty of choices to suit every taste.

If at all possible, time your visit so you'll have time to look around the area nearby. Hanover, as it was known at the time of its settlement in 1813 by Quaker abolitionist James Craig, was central to life around the Sandy & Beaver Canal. By the 1830s, the town boasted about 2,000 residents. It also became known as a stopping place for runaway slaves, and evidence of underground passages remain here along "Brick Row," where the Spread Eagle Tavern was built in 1837.

If you really want to make a trip out of it, allow sufficient time to tour Columbiana County's "Golden Triangle," from Hanoverton to Lisbon to Salem, all of which are 10 miles from one another. All three communities have plenty of historical places to visit (and, for photography buffs like us, fill up lots of media cards).

If you go: Spread Eagle Tavern & Inn
10150 Plymouth St.
Hanoverton, Ohio 44423
(330) 223-1583
http://www.spreadeagletavern.com

Open for lunch daily 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.; dinner Sunday through Thursday 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.; dinner Friday and Saturday 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

QUINLAN'S IRISH PUB & GRILL

2011-06-16T18:39:00.000-07:00

Honestly, I don't think I have an Irish bone in my body; my ancestors came to this great country from parts of France and England just a couple of years after the Mayflower. But I had the good luck to marry a guy who's family came straight from the Old Sod; so when it serves my purpose, such as on St. Patrick's Day, I claim to be as Irish as they come.

Speaking of St. Patrick's Day, our tradition is to visit at least three local celebrations throughout the day and evening. In our younger years when the holiday fell on a weekend, we'd start before noon at someplace like Clancy's in Warren, usually ending up for what could be a late evening at the Old Main Ale & Chowder House in Niles -- the latter of which was torn down a few years back to make way for a replica of former President William McKinley's birth home (which, historic though it may be, isn't nearly as much fun to visit).

Now that we qualify for senior citizen status, though, we've mellowed out quite a bit and usually don't head out till mid-afternoon and make our return trip not long after the sun goes down. And for the last couple of years, our celebration place of choice is Quinlan's Irish Pub & Grill on the U.S. Route 422 "Strip" in Niles.

For the record, the restaurant used to be O'Donold's Irish Pub & Grille, which still operates in Austintown. Before that it was a Pizza Hut, and I've long since forgotten what was there before that.

Although the annual St. Patrick's Day festivities are a good reason to visit -- there's a huge tent out back where musicians, food, beer and camaraderie make for a wonderful time -- the great food is the reason my husband Jack and I stop in at other times of the year. The interior is as you'd expect - heavily flavored with Irish, including colorful clan plaid textiles hanging from the ceiling. The dark wood and even a stone "wall" make for an atmosphere similar to what I'd expect to find in a traditional Irish pub.

Much of the food, too, has a distinctly Irish flavor; consider, for instance, the boxty -- a traditional Irish potato pancake that can be topped with corned beef and cabbage (my favorite), steak and swiss cheese or Finn McCool's fire-roasted veggies for $9.99 each. The portions are large enough that we always have enough left to take home.

Still another Irish tradition and a favorite of ours is the colcannon fritters appetizer; colcannon, for the record, consists of mashed potatoes, usually with kale or cabbage mashed in. At Quinlan's, it's the latter plus a bit of bacon mixed in. Then, they're deep fried and served with horseradish mayonnaise. At $5.99, they're a real treat.

In fact, we're quite fond of several of the appetizers; the Irish egg rolls ($6.99), are roll-ups like oriental egg rolls but stuffed with corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and Blasket Isle dressing, their take on Thousand Island. Our friend Barb is a fan of The Peat, which consists of assorted greens sauteed with bacon and hot peppers with toast points and Parmesan cheese ($6.99). Still another we often choose Sea Wings ($5.99), seven relatively large breaded and deep fried shrimp tossed in buffalo sauce with carrot and celery sticks on the side.

If these items sound good -- and I hope they do -- you should know that Happy Hour is from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; most appetizers are half price and you can wash them down with domestic draft beer for $2 each.

Neither of us is a big fan of salads as a meal, and as salad selections go, Quinlan's offers only three meal-sized varieties, ranging in price from $6.99 (a basic Caesar) to $9.99 (steak with tomatoes, red onion, cucumber, shredded cheddar cheese and croutons with field greens). And one of these days we've vowed to try the wings here -- regular or boneless -- if for no other reason than some of the sauce choices sound really intriguing with names like O'Danny Boy's, Banshee, Roscommon Ranch and Foggy Dew. They're priced at six for $5.29 and a dozen for $9.49; add $1 to either if you prefer yours boneless.

Sandwich choices are plentiful and delicious, at least the ones we've sampled. We both love the Reuben ($7.49), which comes with the traditional filling or Chicago style with turkey and coleslaw. The Guinness burger is great ($7.99), as is the fire roasted vegetable sandwich stuffed with a portobello mushroom, carrots, red onions, provolone cheese and chipotle mayo in a tomato wrap $7.49).

For dinner, we recommend visiting Quinlan's on Saturdays, when you can take advantage of the two entrees for $20 menu. In the interests of full disclosure, most of the entrees here don't cost much more than $10 anyway, so the savings isn't all that great. Still, a penny saved is a penny earned!

At our most recent visit, Jack tried the pan-seared scallops with garlic mashed potatoes, mushrooms, tomato chutney and truffle oil topped with a crab bisque ($12.99). Ever the fish-lover, I picked the fire roasted salmon with potatoes, bacon, asparagus, red onion and tarragon cream ($10.99). When it arrived, the salmon looked to have been on the grill way too long, but the taste told me otherwise; it was delicious. Needless to say, we both enjoyed our meals immensely.

On another occasion we went for the two-fer deal, this time both choosing the 6-ounce filet with asparagus, garlic champ and black peppercorn sauce, regularly priced at $13.99 -- making the $20 price tag an even bigger bargain. Better still, both were cooked to perfection -- not an easy task given that one of us wants medium rare and the other well done. Jack raved about his bowl of clam chowder as usual, and the asparagus was cooked to just the right amount of crispness.

My baked potato was on the small side compared to what I'm used to getting elsewhere, but then the economy is forcing most restaurants to slim down portion size in an effort to cut costs. In fact, we ended up finishing up every bite on our plates with nothing left to take home -- another trend we're experiencing more often these days and still another sign that portions are being reduced.

Still other entrees we've enjoyed here are the traditional corned beef and cabbage and Mike's Famous Meatloaf (both $9.99). Oh, and I almost forgot: If you have a choice of potato, do try the Irish Pub Crisps that come with French onion dip; they're absolutely yummy freshly made thinly sliced potato chips.

Something that delighted me most, though, probably wouldn't mean much to anyone else: Our very friendly servers bring water with lemon without our having to beg for it. How refreshing!

If you go: Quinlan's Irish Pub & Grill
5154 Youngstown Road
Niles, Ohio 44446
(330) 349-4500
www.quinlanspub.com

Open Tuesday through Friday 11 a.m. to midnight; Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.; Sundays for special events only; closed Monday.

MOJO'S PUB & GRILL

2011-04-28T10:47:00.000-07:00

As my husband Jack was driving me and Niles friends Jerry and Barb on one of the rare occasions that we didn't know ahead of time where we wanted to have dinner, Barb and I started digging through our purses and flipping through the extra Entertainment Book I keep in the car for discount coupons, figuring that would help us decide. We started to laugh, but then reality hit as Barb asked, "When was the last time you ate out without using a coupon?"

Fact is, it's hard to remember. And to underscore the importance of coupons to the restaurant industry these days, I'll say that without this kind of incentive -- this time in the form of a gift card our "kids" Chris and Jerry gave us for Christmas -- we might never have tried a place that's since become a favorite: Mojo's Pub & Grill.

I mention this because I'm pretty sure most restaurants view coupons as a necessary evil -- emphasis on the evil part. On occasion, I suppose they are; I admit we've visited a few eateries only because they were offering some kind of discount; and when we were less than impressed with the quality of food and/or service, we never entered their doors again. But others -- and Mojo's is a great example -- we like so much that it's on our short list of places to stop any time we're in the area (as well as worth going a little bit out of the way for). If there's a moral here, it's that if you've got a great product or service and want to increase your customer base, coupons can be a great incentive and a great way to generate repeat business.

In this case, even with our gift certificate we almost missed the place. For whatever reason, we put off using the card till late March; and when we pulled up at the location behind Marino's Restaurant in Austintown, the lights were off and the doors were locked tighter than a drum. Uh, oh, we said -- we've waited too long.

But since we knew that Mojo's is owned by the same folks who own Marino's, we figured we'd pop in there and ask. If Mojo's were closed, after all, we could eat here -- we love the place. In fact, Marino's was one of the first restaurants I added to my blog.

Surprise! What we learned was that Mojo's had relocated a couple of weeks earlier further west on Mahoning Avenue not far from the Austintown Plaza. So, offering our apologies for not staying at Marino's and promising to return, we made our way there.

As it turns out, that was the first of many visits. For openers, we love the roomy black-and-gray main dining area that offers easy access to a semi-enclosed bar; upstairs, we were told, is a rock-and-roll bar, while the lower level is a sports bar.

Mostly, though, we love the food. For newbies, lunch is a good time to give the place a try, although it's really hard to choose from all the sandwich offerings, which come with a substantial portion of hand-cut fries. The Bleu hamburger with bleu cheese ($7.59) and Reuben ($7.29) sounded wonderful on our initial lunch outing, but in the end Jack settled on the Swiss and Mushroom burger ($7.29) and, since I wanted to try the pulled pork, I decided the Double-Decker, with the barbecue-sauced pork on top of a hamburger, would be a good way to see if I wanted a larger portion of the pork.

The fries are similar to those at the old Idora Park, though perhaps a bit thicker, and very good. Those who don't want fries may substitute onion rings for an extra $1.19; cole slaw can be added for 99 cents.

Everything was delicious, including the pulled pork, which is very tender with a wonderful barbecue flavor; I made a mental note to try a whole sandwich on one of our return trips. The sandwiches aren't small, I should add; we both brought half home for later. As we were finishing up, our server tried to tempt us with Mojo's new dessert cart -- something like four kinds of cheesecake (locally made), a yummy-looking chocolate cake and a brownie sundae. Already stuffed to the gills, we declined, but then she convinced us to take a piece of cheesecake home -- we chose raspberry topping -- and it sure was scrumptious.

Interestingly, Mojo's is a great place for seafood, even crab legs on occasion, and barbecue. The menu is loaded with fish entrees as well as barbecue ribs, chicken and the aforementioned pulled pork. Several varieties of wings are available as well. Largely because of the seafood choices, I'm particularly fond of eating here, and we've come here several times for dinner. The first time, I tried the haddock (broiled, not lightly breaded and fried) for $11.49; it comes with cole slaw and one side, and I chose a baked potato with butter and sour cream. Meanwhile, Jack ordered the Mojo Melt ($12.99), a charbroiled chicken breast topped with barbecue sauce, bacon and American and provolone cheese. For sides, he picked fries and slaw.

A bit of a surprise came in the form of a basket of "Mama" Marino's homemade bread (her huge fresh-baked dinner rolls at Marino's restaurant are known far and wide), and the bread was fabulous as well. As for the fish, it was perhaps boiled a bit longer than necessary, but it wasn't overdone and was nicely flavored. Jack loved his chicken, too, and the slaw, with two kinds of cabbage and carrots in a mayonnaise-based dressing, is exceptional.

On still another late-afternoon visit, I tried the haddock dinner, slightly different than the earlier version because it comes with a salad and one side ($12.99). I stuck with a baked potato and ranch dressing; and for the record, there's a nearly $2 upcharge if you want to substitute soup for the salad, which I decided against. Jack, tried something a bit different - Portabella Chicken, grilled and topped with portabella mushrooms, red peppers and provolone ($13.49).

Once again, the fish had a wonderful flavor but tasted as if it had been baked for a while and then put under the broiler; it was cooked too long to say I absolutely loved it, but I ate every bite just the same.

One other word of caution: If you want to get a seat here, come for lunch or before 6 p.m. We've driven past several times wanting to stop for dinner and found that the parking lot is spilling-over full. Mojo's has live entertainment in the evenings as well as a party-down crowd from after work till late in the evening, so it's best to get here early.

If you go: Mojo's Pub & Grill
6292 Mahoning Ave.
Austintown, Ohio 44515
(330) 773-6656
www.mojospubngrill.com (Note: the site was still in development at the time of this posting, so check back).

Opens at 11 a.m. daily.

EL JALAPENO

2011-04-08T06:05:00.000-07:00

Most of the time, my husband Jack and I are agree on what we like, and don't, when it comes to food. Sure, we have special favorites the other won't touch - my beloved hot peppers shall never get within a fork's length of his plate, and he knows my nose turns up at anything that smells of anise or licorice. Even when it comes to ethnic food, we get along pretty well.

Except, perhaps, when it's Mexican. I love just about anything on the menu, but it's tough for him to find something that will go down without a fight, let alone get excited about.

So when a new Mexican restaurant came to the U.S. Route 422 "Strip" in Niles, let's just say we didn't hurry in even though I wanted to try it right away. But when our dining out-loving friends Jerry and Barb -- both of whom like Mexican fare as well or better than I do -- suggested we pay a visit, Jack agreed to go along for the ride. And since then, I'm happy to report, we've been back a couple of times, once just the two of us.

The restaurant is located in a building that's been home to several others that have disappeared over the years, including Hooters and P.J. Snappers (right across the road from Quinlan's). The interior now has a distinctive Mexican flavor - with artsy stuff on the walls and colorful bottles of soda on the room dividers. There are plenty of tables, and the dividers help conceal a separate bar. There's no beer on tap here, but they do have our favorite Dos Equis in bottles plus wine and other drinks and special Margaritas.

I should mention that if you're Googling the restaurant, you'll likely find a Cleveland restaurant with a similar name -- El Jalapenos (www.eljalapenos.com). Although there's no indication on either Web site that they're related, the logo, site colors, style and even the menus and daily specials are virtually identical, making me almost certain they're connected in some way. Next time we're heading up Cleveland way -- the restaurant is on 117th Street -- maybe we'll check it out.

At our first visit, we had a coupon giving us $5 off on a $30 purchase -- an amount easy for the four of us to spend collectively. At around 5 p.m. on a Friday night we were seated immediately, but half an hour later the place was packed.

First came one of the reasons I love Mexican restaurants: a basket of fresh corn chips and a bowl of salsa. I will issue one minor "complaint" here, though; we got only one bowl of salsa, albeit rather large, to share among the four of us. Why is that a problem, you ask? Well, even when the salsa has a kick to it -- and this certainly does -- I like to add quite a few shakes of the habanero sauces on the table. But since no one else would be able to take the heat, I had to make do with what was served. If we'd had two smaller bowls of salsa, I'd have been able to doctor one up to my liking. Besides that, it would make it easier to access - sharing by four people means at least two will have a long way from bowl to mouth, a pretty drippy process.

Choosing what we wanted to eat took a bit of time, especially since the intent was to try four different things. There are almost endless possibilities, making it even more difficult to decide. Jack, however, didn't have much of a problem; one things he does love at Mexican restaurants is fajitas; here, he picked the #45 Fajitos Combo for $11.99. It's steak and chicken stir fried with bell peppers, onions and tomatoes accompanied by Mexican rice, refried beans, sour cream, guacamole, lettuce and warm flour tortillas.

Since I love everything Mexican, it took me a while to decide; finally, I settled on the #58 Enchiladas Monterrey ($8.50). This is comprised of three enchiladas (one chicken, one beef tips and one spinach) all topped with shredded cheese with rice and beans. Meanwhile, Barb opted for the #35 Carnitas, or fried pork chunks with rice, beans, pico de gallo and flour tortillas ($8.50). Jerry's pick was #28, Quesadillos Mexicanas ($7.99), or two flour tortillas grilled and stuffed with cheese - one shredded beef and one chicken and beans -- served with lettuce, sour cream and tomato.

All of our choices were good ones (yes, we sampled each other's). The guacamole was especially delicious, as was the fried pork. The rice and refried beans were typical of most Mexican restaurants. Most folks either love or hate the beans (I love them), and I always jazz up the rice by adding any of the salsa left over from the basket of chips and add more hot sauce.

I wasn't too crazy about the sauce on my enchiladas, which was vaguely reminiscent of chili flavor but had a rather strange (to me) taste. I'd have preferred it to be served on the side since there was no way to easily scrape it off. I'm also not overly fond of the shredded chicken here, but the meat and spinach fillings were yummy.

Jack also likes the fajitas quite well; the flavor is good (although not quite as well-seasoned as what we used to get at the long-gone Caballo Bayo restaurant in Howland Township).

Jerry and Barb accompanied us on our next visit as well, but this time for lunch. Now somewhat seasoned guests here, it didn't take us quite as long to decide. Ever the bargain-hunter, my choice was easy once I saw that the #7 Numero Siete (a ground beef burrito, a taco and Mexican rice) was the day's special at $5.25. As expected, Jack stuck with the fajitas, this time a lunch portion for $6.50.

Jerry first decided on the #3, Huevas con Chorizo (two scrambled eggs over easy with sauce, rice, beans and tortillas), but when he saw the #13, El Burro Grande ($5.99), he changed his mind. He picked chicken over beef, which is combined with rice and beans inside a burrito and topped with melted cheese.

Meantime, Barb went for the #5 El Matador: A chili relleno, a taco, refried beans and guacamole salad for $5.99. Everything was quite tasty once again, although Jerry's burrito was absolutely outstanding (not to mention huge). The relleno and taco had some sort of soft breading that was very tasty.

For our most recent visit, Jack surprised me by suggesting we go here for a late lunch, around 1:30 p.m. Granted, we'd just finished running errands nearby and he wasn't thrilled with the idea of driving a distance to eat, but I took it as a positive that he'd actually want to eat here. As always, we shared a bowl of salsa, so I wasn't able to make mine as hot as I'd like. Sure, I could ask for an empty bowl, but it's not all that important -- and besides, since he doesn't eat his rice, I get to collect both his and mine and add as much hot sauce as I want.

It goes without saying that he chose fajitas -- steak this time, and the $6.50 lunch portion. Thinking perhaps that wouldn't be enough, he ordered a quesadilla with cheese and chicken from the appetizer menu as well ($3.99). I picked the #34 Burritos Mexicanos ($8.25 and a dinner-size entree.

The fajitas were good as usual, and with four soft tortillas, there was plenty to satisfy him even without the quesadilla. The latter was more like a folded-over soft taco than a "sealed" quesadilla, but it was delicious; in fact, we brought it home since Jack filled up on the fajitas.

My double portion of rice (his and mine) was fabulous once I added the Chile Habanero sauce from the table. The minute I bit into the chicken burrito, though, I remembered I didn't care for the chicken here and should have picked all beef (that one, once again, was wonderful). The chicken didn't go to waste, however; I was plenty full after eating just the beef burrito and brought the chicken one home, where Jack polished it off later.

The verdict on El Jalapeno? Cuando estás en el estado de ánimo de comida mexicana, probar esta! (Or, when you're in the mood for Mexican fare, give this one a try)!

If you go:

El Jalapeno
5125 Youngstown-Warren Road
Niles, Ohio 44446
(330) 544-6500

www.eljalapenoniles.com

Open Monday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.; Saturday noon to 10:30 p.m.; and Sunday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

SELAH RESTAURANT

2011-03-24T07:02:00.000-07:00

Trying to pinpoint the type of cuisine at Selah Restaurant is like trying to lump animals in a zoo into a single category. The food at this Struthers, Ohio, eatery might best be described as eclectic -- perhaps reflecting, as least in part, the fact that one owner is Chinese and the other is Italian. But diners here will find many other ethnic influences here, from Mediterranean to French to plain old US of A.

Our first visit came some time ago, when we were delighted to receive a gift certificate -- this is a place we'd been wanting to visit, but since Struthers is a bit out of our usual shopping, errand-running and photography outing territories, we hadn't made a special trip. But now, we had a special reason, so we gathered a couple of friends who were more than willing to tag along. And as it turned out, it was a wonderful experience that would bear repeating.

I will say at the outset that Selah is not inexpensive, especially if you indulge in alcoholic beverages and appetizers; dinner entrees here run in the $9 to $18 range, and very few wines are available by the glass (beer and mixed drinks, though, are quite reasonable). But for those looking for a quiet, relaxing dining experience in interesting surroundings, this is a great place.

The surroundings begin with the building itself; an old bank that's been converted to house restaurant fixin's, the owners have kept brass teller cages, a walk-in vault (with seating) and original photography. There's an onsite bakery that emanates tempting aromas, and dark wood throughout adds a pleasant, comfortable feel to the overall ambience.

When we first visited, I didn't do much information gathering, but I do remember that we shared a couple of appetizers to start, one of which was stuffed grape leaves with feta cheese ($4.75), that were delicious. For entrees, three of us settled on one of the daily specials -- my choice was salmon -- and here, too, we smacked our lips over just about every bite and vowed to make a return trip.

That happened recently, and once again we saved some serious cash by taking advantage of a discount coupon from Groupon.com. If you haven't signed up at Groupon, by the way, it can pay off; the Youngstown area is now represented (although the folks at Groupon seem to think that Grove City and New Castle, Pa., qualify even though they're way too far away for us to consider going there with any regularity whatsoever).

That said, we decided to go to Selah on a Friday night, but we called ahead for a reservation. I doubt reservations would have been necessary; although there was a rather large party in the vault room, only a couple of tables were occupied in the main dining area when we arrived for our 6:30 p.m. "appointment." Still, this is a popular place, so I recommend making reservations if you don't like to wait.

Especially given our discount coupons, we decided to go whole hog, so to speak, ordering two appetizers to share. One was the stuffed grape leaves (now $5) and the other marinated shrimp and avocado with tomato-citrus drizzle for $6.50.

As is the custom when we dine with our friends Jerry and Barb, we each try to order something different so we can sample. Here, we had no problem, since each of us had a difficult time choosing which entree would satisfy most -- just too many tempting items on the menu. In the end, I chose Tilapia Francaise ($12.75), my husband Jack decided on Bourbon Beef Tips ($16.75), Jerry opted for Coq au Vin ($13.50) and Barb's choice was The Devonshire ($17.75). All entrees come with a house salad, one side dish and fresh-baked rolls.

Our salads arrived before the appetizers did, not that we cared a whit. We love the house balsamic dressing, which topped a nice combination of field greens, tomato, black olives and feta -- a very tasty way to start a meal. The appetizers were wonderful as well; we knew we loved the grape leaves from our first visit here, but we were exceptionally pleased with the plate of warm shrimp contrasted by cool slices of avocado (the drizzle, whatever it was, was delicious as well).

Side-dish choices include redskin potatoes with roasted red peppers, slow-cooked wild rice in chicken stock, garlic mashed potatoes with roasted garlic, sweet potato fries and a vegetable of the day. Two of us chose the wild rice, but when our entrees were delivered, our server told us that the rice wasn't fully cooked yet and so they'd given us a temporary substitute of the garlic mashed potatoes (with a promise of delivery of the rice when it was ready).

That was a nice gesture, although personally I'd have preferred to be told that the rice wasn't available up front so I could have canceled my rice order and picked the substitute I wanted to go with my meal (I'd have chosen the redskin potatoes, which I'd almost picked over the rice anyway). The garlic mashed potatoes were good and quite filling, which turned out to be a bit of a problem since the rice wasn't ready until we'd all finished our meals. By then, we had no room left for the rice except for a few bites. It was quite tasty, though, so we took most of it home and definitely will try it again next time we're here.

Still another slight frustration was that we didn't get the fresh rolls as indicated on the menu; however, once we inquired about them, a basket was delivered immediately (with a tub of butter and a wonderful olive tapenade consisting of, if my taste buds are correct, very finely chopped olives, capers, anchovies and olive oil). We polished off all four in short order, and a second basket appeared as if by magic.

The entrees were absolutely wonderful -- not a complaint among us. By way of description, Barb's Devonshire is a seared steak with portobello mushrooms, onions and spinach deglazed with fresh cream -- sounds tantalizing, doesn't it? Jerry's Coq au Vin was chicken with Potrobellos and roasted red peppers finished with a red wine reduction, and it was outstanding.

I'd waffled between the Citrus Pan-Roasted Salmon, seared wild Alaskan Sockeye with a citrus-garlic marinade and the Tilapia Francaise. I loved the tilapia, but I think next time we're here I'll try the salmon. Jack also loved the Bourbon Beef Tips, which are deglazed with Kentucky bourbon sauce. I tried them and agree the flavor is delightful, but since he ordered them in his usual well done style, they were way too overdone and tough for my medium rare taste.

Admittedly, we had no room left for dessert - a disappointment given the choices (I noticed what appeared to be creme brulee in the glass case near the entrance as we went in, a special favorite of mine). For the record, whole cheesecakes and other cakes, cupcakes and tortes are sold at the onsite bakery, as are bags of Selah's own whole bean and ground coffees.

Ah well, there's always next time!

If you go: Selah Restaurant
130 S. Bridge St.
Struthers, Ohio 44471
(330) 755-2759
www.selahrestaurant.com

Open Tuesday and Thursday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; closed Sunday and Monday

HARTVILLE KITCHEN

2011-03-03T12:48:00.000-08:00

Readers who follow this blog know by now that my early years -- from birth till I left for Kent State University in 1959 -- were spent on a small farm in southwestern Ohio. With a stay-at-home, but hard-working, mother who loved to cook mostly from scratch, the eating was delicious. And, the craving for "down-home" cooking never went away, even as the times changed and eating out became almost more common than spending time whipping up goodies in my own kitchen.

Once in a while, though, I'm able to have it both ways: Eat out and eat good ol' country fare. One of my favorite places to do that is the Hartville Kitchen in Hartville, Ohio -- ironically, not far from the city of Kent, where I spent the first two years of my college life (the rest of the years came after our kids were in school).

The restaurant started in 1966 as a small restaurant, but it's since grown to become a complex of businesses that include a gift shop, home decor gallery, Hartville MarketPlace and Flea Market, a hardware shop and a tool shop (in other words, if you visit, plan to stay awhile). Over all those years, though, the restaurant has remained family owned, and the original Mennonite heritage also remains a constant, as evidenced by the wonderful food.

As you might expect, the menu is quite extensive -- and the waiting lines to get in the dining room can be quite long as well. The restaurant is good-sized, though, so the line usually moves rather quickly; still, I recommend timing your visit at other than peak mealtime hours.

My husband Jack and friends Jerry and Barb did exactly that not long ago, arriving fashionably late for lunch (or early for dinner, take your pick). Even then, there were quite a few ahead of us -- and a tour bus arrived shortly after that. This complex is a popular destination, especially for senior citizens, so it's not unusual to see a bus or two in the parking lot.

In fact, we, too, decided to do a little poking around in the gift shop and looking at all the interesting and unique wall hangings (many of which are for sale) before we got in line. In the process, I found a couple of items I thought would be terrific gifts, so I filed these away to pick up after we ate. If you're interested in gifts as well, be sure to visit the upper level, which has many other possibilities including larger items such as framed paintings and furniture -- all in keeping with the country theme, of course.

Although it's great to buy goodies like whole pies, homemade noodles and breads to take back home, the stick-to-your-ribs food served in the restaurant arguably is the big draw here. Since there were four of us, we decided to make the most of our visit by trying four different things. Three of us opted for sandwiches but added tossed salads, which arrived first -- nicely chopped greens, which I love. In addition, equally finely chopped carrots, tomato and celery are in there, and the dressings -- raspberry sweet 'n' sour and blue cheese were our choices -- were outstanding.

Our friend Jerry also wanted to try some soup, choosing broccoli-cheese (vegetable beef and chicken noodle also are on the everyday menu), getting a cup for $2.35. It was very creamy and -- surprise -- includes noodles, making for a very satisfying meal starter.

Jack's pick was from the Hot Sandwiches list, the roast beef with mashed potatoes and gravy for $7.80. I almost went for the creamed chicken with mixed vegetables over biscuits and mashed potatoes, also $7.80; I've had it before and it's quite good. I should mention that these two, plus a roast pork with mashed potatoes and gravy, are available in half-order portions for $6.80. For that matter, all dinners are available a la carte, such as one piece of chicken, a side dish, etc.

Now for the rest of us: I tend to judge down-home cookin' by the quality of the fried chicken, so it was a no-brainer for me. I went big with three pieces of dark, my favorite -- a thigh, wing and drumstick for $10.50. White or wheat rolls come with all entrees, and I could choose three sides. One, of course, was a tossed salad; for the others, I picked mashed potatoes and gravy and cottage cheese. Other notable choices include macaroni and cheese, green beans, cole slaw, applesauce, Jell-O and sweet potato casserole.

The mashed potatoes are very real, and very good, and the fried chicken has a tasty breading that won't break your teeth. Jack's open-face roast beef sandwich was as delicious as he'd remembered from the last time we were here. Both Barb and Jerry looked at the sandwich list, choosing tuna salad ($5.90) and chicken salad ($4.50), respectively. Both were quite satisfied, especially when the salads and soup were factored in.

One of the don't-miss specialties here, though, are the homemade pies -- close to 20 varieties, plus no-sugar-added versions of cherry and apple. Keep in mind all four of us were stuffed to almost overflowing; that three of us ordered pie on top of all that is a testament to how good it is.

All of us did, that is, except Jack; he broke tradition by ordering a warm, gooey hot fudge brownie sundae ($3.49), making us almost sorry we'd picked the pie. For chocolate-lovers, though, this one is a must-try.

Those of us who did go with pie, which is $2.89 per generous slice, went with ice cream added, bumping the cost to $3.89. Not long after we placed our orders with our friendly server, she delivered a piece of coconut cream, black raspberry and vanilla peanut butter.

The crusts buttery and rather dense, but with a good flavor and consistency. The coconut flavor was quite evident but not overwhelming in my cream pie, and Jerry's raspberry filling wasn't overly sweet (yes, we all sampled each other's). Barb's vanilla peanut butter, though, was nothing like we'd expected, with the flavors blended together in a single cream filling. Instead, vanilla and peanut butter creams were layered, and the whole thing was topped with a soft meringue -- nothing short of totally decadent!

Needless to say, we stopped at the bakery to get a couple of whole pies to go -- the most expensive on the list, black raspberry (baked or cream) is $9.99, but most are a reasonable $8.50. And yes, I popped back into the gift shop to buy the treasures I'd found earlier (but until I pass them on to the recipients, exactly what I bought will remain my secret)!

If you go:
Hartville Kitchen
1015 Edison St.
Hartville, Ohio 44632
(330) 877-9353
www.hartvillekitchen.com

Open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Closed Wednesday and Sunday.

RICKY'S ENGLISH PUB

2011-02-10T12:41:00.000-08:00

Being a cheapskate has its benefits, and never is that more true than when my husband Jack and I are looking for a good place to eat. One day a year or so ago, we'd been on a late-morning photography expedition in Beaver Creek State Park near Lisbon, Ohio, and by the time we were making our way back home, it was way past the usual lunch hour and we were starving.

Nearing Salem, we considered stopping at one of our favorite places, BB Rooners, but on a whim I pulled out the envelope I keep in my purse that's filled with discount coupons for local eateries -- some from that year's Entertainment Book and others I snip from newspapers and advertising supplements. In it was a coupon good for $5 off a $25 purchase at a place we've seen often but never been in -- Ricky's English Pub.

With its latticework on the exterior, it really does remind me of what I'd think an English pub would look like. The reason we've not gone in, I suspect, is we figured it would be a fancy-schmancy (read: expensive), sit-down restaurant that's much more formal than we like, especially for lunch. Our coupon, though, gave us the confidence that even if the prices were a bit on the high side, we'd be able to fill up without emptying the piggy bank.

In fact, the interior is quite homey and comfortable -- and once again, the English pub influence is evident. The tables all have white linen cloths, and there's lots of dark wood and soft lighting. And surprise: The prices are quite reasonable, with several entrees in the $10.99 or less range.

Once we looked at the menu (and realized we wouldn't blow the budget here), Jack decided to sample a cup of lobster bisque ($3.50 at the time but now $4), and because this was our first time here and decision-making is tough, we ordered the appetizer sampler to share. At $7.50, it's loaded with onion rings, breaded mushrooms, mozzarella sticks and olives -- all of which, I hasten to add, are delicious. While we were waiting, we both enjoyed a glass of cold beer (that's Jack at the left).

There's an extensive, and very tempting, list of salads, ranging from simple mixed greens to grilled salmon Caesar to a grilled chicken and strawberry with candied walnuts and feta cheese (the latter is $9.99, but it's got my name written all over it for a later visit). Today, though, we settled on a couple of sandwiches.

The two we picked -- shaved-beef Philly steak with grilled onions, peppers and cheese ($6.95) and the batter-dipped cod "Prince of Whales" fish sandwich at $8.50 (which, trust me, lived up to the name in size) aren't on the latest menu. But I'm guessing the "regular" fish sandwich, also priced at $8.50, is much the same, though perhaps a bit smaller in a nod to the need of most restaurants to cut back a bit on portion side in light of the horrible economy.

Both sandwiches were accompanied by steak fries, which were wonderfully tender and tasty.

We didn't get back to the Salem area for several months, but when we did, the decision to visit Ricky's again was a no-brainer. At about 12:30 p.m. on a weekday it wasn't crowded, but there were several people in there since still lunchtime. The first thing we noticed on table this time is a two-page menu of martinis of all kinds and flavors. I've gone on record before by saying I don't consider anything except gin (or vodka), a touch of vermouth and a lime or onion garnish to be a martini, but all these fruity concoctions sure sounded wonderful whatever they're called.

There's a short list of daily specials, such as a shrimp basket and fries for $7. Once again, we had one of those spend $25, get $5 off coupons, so once again, we needed to get a couple of appetizers to make it past the $25. There are many from which to choose -- some on the more unusual side like breaded Asiago olives for $3.95 and breaded dill pickle spears for $4.25.

Our choices, though, were the jumbo crabmeat-stuffed mushrooms for Jack -- three for $6.95 -- and fried banana peppers with marinara sauce for $5.75 for me. For entrees, we wanted the English flavor, choosing from a list of five distinctly English pub-like specialties like Shepherd's pie ($8.99) and Guinness Fish & Chips ($10.99). Ultimately, I couldn't resist trying Bangers & Mash, or sausage and mashed potatoes, for $7.99. Jack wasn't too hungry (and figured his appetizer would fill him up anyway), so he ordered the Welsh Rarebit, or cheese sauce over toast ($6.95)

Both entrees came with salads, and we chose our favorite ranch and thousand island (me and him, respectively).

The appetizers arrived first, and the first thing we concluded was that Jack was right to stick with a smaller entree. The mushrooms can't be called anything but huge -- 4 to 5 inches in diameter -- and stuffed to overflowing with crabmeat and served with a side of melted butter. My banana peppers, though, were a bit of a surprise; the peppers are lightly breaded and fried, then topped with a huge mound of chunky, slightly sweet marinara sauce.

The peppers are quite delicious, and if I scraped off the sauce, I could taste the zing of heat from them. In a perfect world, I prefer the peppers with sauce on the side (or no sauce at all), but that didn't keep me from scarfing down every single one of these babies.

Our salad bowls were filled with crisp greens plus tomato, cucumber, onion and shredded carrots. Nothing out of the ordinary, mind you, but the dressings were quite tasty and we enjoyed them immensely.

Then came the entrees, which kept us both busy for a while. My bangers turned out to be two very large kielbasa-style sausages (very spicy, just as I like them), and the mashed redskins were served in a ramekin. Given the appetizer I'd consumed earlier, I had room for only one banger, bringing the other and some of the potatoes -- along with one of those huge stuffed mushrooms -- home to eat later.

Meantime, Jack really liked the Welsh Rarebit, making it a point to mention that it should be relatively easy to make back in our own kitchen (with a knowing wink at me, of course). He also made it a point to do his eating English-style, cutting with the fork in his left hand and not transferring it to the right to bring it to his mouth as we do here across the Pond.

If you go: Ricky's English Pub
151 E. State St.
Salem, Ohio 44460
(330) 332-2825

Open Monday 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m.; closed Sundays.

CLEATS CLUB SEAT GRILLE

2011-01-27T17:06:00.000-08:00

It's not all that hard to be a "sports bar" these days; just install a working tap with half a dozen beers, hang a few NFL and NHL posters on the walls, tune the TV sets to ESPN and add those words to the restaurant's name. Voila -- a home run!

Except not so fast; a name and a few half-hearted end runs at making the place look or smell like a gym do not a sports bar make. But if you started out as a place dedicated to [ahem] athletic supporters -- and your chicken parts have been designated as the "official chicken wing of the Cleveland Indians" -- I think it's safe to say you qualify.

Such is the case with Cleats Club Seat Grille on Elm Road in Warren, which moved into the building once occupied by another favorite of mine -- the Ground Round. The latter, much to my disappointment, not only left the building but the entire state (well, almost; the restaurant in Toledo was still operating at press time).

My husband Jack and I don't get over to the Cortland side of Warren very often, but when we do, it's most often nowhere lunch time -- and even when we were hungry, we always passed by Cleats to head for Enzo's on up the road or over to Up A Creek Tavern on "old" Route 82 in Howland Township. But we always said we'd have to try the sports bar sometime.

Then, we ran into an old friend at one of the events at the Eastwood Expo Center in Niles, and he -- like many other folks -- asked about our days as "official" restaurant reviewers at The Business Journal. No, we said, that's long gone, but now I'm writing a blog and always looking for good places to go. Turns out he and his wife are "regulars" at Cleats, where she insists the burgers are the best anywhere.

It doesn't take much to motivate us -- and besides, we both love burgers and a sports atmosphere -- so within a couple of weeks we decided to give it a try. First, though, we checked to see if the restaurant has a Web site -- and we got a surprise: Far from a single location, Cleats was founded in 1996 in North Royalton, Ohio, and at last check has 12 locations, all in Ohio and most in the northeast part of the Buckeye State.

Cleats is, the Web site spells out, a "full-service sports-bar/restaurant featuring a comprehensive menu complete with salads, wraps, burgers, sandwiches, ribs, quesadillas" -- and of course those wings (and, I hasten to add, 22 "signature" wing sauces). Inside, there's a fairly large bar section with those high tables; besides that, we spotted something like three other rooms with tables and booths, so this place can accommodate a fairly large crowd. The walls are decorated with sports-related photos and memorabilia, and of course, the requisite big-screen TVs hung in strategic spots.

Perhaps more important, signs told us we could get 23-ounce domestic draft beers for just $2, which we consider a real bargain. There are other beer specials during afternoon pro and college games, but that didn't include now -- those $2 puppies will do just fine almost anytime.

As we perused the menu, I spotted zucchini planks as an appetizer for $4.99 with marinara sauce for dipping. One of my favorites -- probably because they make me think I'm eating healthy even though they're deep fried -- I just had to sample them here. For my main course, I had to try that other special -- wings. For $8.99, I got 12 that we could share, choosing garlic parmesan sauce (which our server confirmed is butter-based -- I don't like buffalo or "red" sauces of any kind).

Ever the burger lover, Jack went for the Varsity Burger, choosing it with Swiss cheese, onion and mushrooms and well done. With it came a side of fries, and the whole wonderful mess cost $8.99.

The zucchini arrived first as it should have -- about six lightly breaded and fairly thick slabs cut lengthwise to make about slices perhaps 8 inches long and 2 inches thick. They weren't kept in the deep fryer long, and the dusting of parmesan cheese was a nice addition. I'd have preferred a different kind of sauce for dipping, perhaps horseradish based, but the marinara was quite tasty.

The wings weren't large as wings can go, but they were tender and that sauce is absolutely delicious. After fully expecting to take some home, we polished off the entire dozen in nothing flat.

Jack's burger was very large and good, although he said it was overcooked almost to the point of being burned. Unfortunately, I reminded him, that's a relatively common reality for those who prefer their meat well done (still, it shouldn't happen). The fries were quite good as well, but the order was huge and we couldn't eat all of them given everything else we'd consumed.

Quite satisfied with the results of our first visit, we ventured back in early afternoon on the Thursday before New Year's Eve day. There was no crowd, although we did see a few parents with young children and the bar side was packed. As soon as I sat down, I noticed the $7.99 Firecracker Burger, with pepper jack cheese, jalapenos and what's called "sweet heat" -- definitely a possibility, I thought, since the burgers are quite good here.

Once again, we decided to splurge on an appetizer, waffling back and forth to find one we'd both like. Finally, we settled on White Cheddar Pints -- deep-fried bite-size Wisconsin white cheddar cheese for $5.99. As we browsed, we noticed that several appetizer items are just $3 on Mondays, a factoid we filed away for later reference (and passing on to the readers of this blog).

Just as I'd almost decided on that spicy burger, I saw that Thursday is rib day; a full slab with cole slaw is just $10.99 (the rest of the time, a full slab goes for $16.99, so this is a really good deal. And for the record, it's available as dine-in or carryout). Perfect, I said -- I've been wanting to try the ribs here, and I'd be sure to have leftovers for another meal.

Not much of a rib lover, Jack chose a Hot Sicilian sandwich -- grilled ham, pepperoni, bacon, provolone, lettuce and tomato on a hoagie bun for $6.99 with one side (he picked fries once again).

I loved the cheese bites, which with the white cheddar taste a bit different than the usual mozzarella sticks. Even Jack, who isn't a big fan of melted cheese inside breading, ate several of them. The basket contained quite a few, and I discovered that they warm up better than back at home than do the mozzarella sticks.

The portions at Cleats are quite large, and Jack's sandwich came in two substantial halves, one of which came home with us (as did more than half that mountain of fries). It was delicious, he said, and proved it by polishing off the other half not too long after we got back home. I tasted the slaw that came with my ribs, which is mayonnaise-based and similar to what I make. It's very good, but since Jack is the real slaw-lover in our family, I gave him most of it, snitching a few of his fries in return.

As for the ribs, they aren't as meaty as some I've had, but they definitely rank among the most delicious -- and that Thursday price deal just can't be beat. The totally fork tender meat is smothered in a rich barbecue sauce that's literally finger lickin' good. We packed up more than half for later, and adding a few breaded deep-fried fantail shrimp gave us a fantastic New Year's Eve dinner for our own personal version of "surf and turf."

Our verdict? Yep, this is a sports bar. And yep, the burgers, ribs and inexpensive beer are almost guaranteed to turn us into regulars as well. Hey, maybe we'll see you there on Super Bowl Sunday!

If you go:

Cleats Club Seat Grille
3701 Elm Road
Warren, Ohio 44483
(330) 372-WNGS

http://www.cleatswings.com

Open seven days a week 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.

BIG FAMIILY RESTAURANT

2011-01-12T18:48:00.000-08:00

If you read my recent blog on the StoneBridge Grille and Tavern in Boardman Township, Ohio, you'll know that I discovered a fabulous sandwich that immediately landed near the top of my 10 all-time-favorite sandwich list (if you haven't, scroll down the blog to that entry and check it out). Color me amazed, then, to find another sandwich to add to the list just a few weeks thereafter!

Even more interesting is that I found it at the Big Family Restaurant in Girard, Ohio, where my husband Jack and I have had lunches and dinners countless times. But until our latest stop, I'd never given this sandwich a second look, much less a taste. That oversight, I assure you, has come to a screeching halt.

I'll skip over everything else and get right to the good stuff: Partly because we've eaten here so many times (and I wasn't particularly hungry at the time), I decided to try something new and different -- surprising myself by choosing a chicken and greens sandwich consisting of a chicken breast with roasted red peppers, Italian greens and provolone on a roasted ciabatta roll ($7.95). The biggest surprise, though, came when I sank my teeth into it.

At first bite, I rolled my eyes and savored a real "Aha!" moment of pure delight. A second bite followed quickly -- surely, I reasoned, it couldn't be that good -- and after that a third just to be positive before I declared it to be among the best sandwiches I've ever had the pleasure of eating.

With the ciabatta roll cut in half it's fairly substantial in size, I should add -- and especially at lunch time when I'm not ravenous, it's quite unusual for me not to take the second half home. Fat chance here; except for the small bite I allowed Jack to try (after which he agreed it's delicious), I ate every smidge.

I wish I could explain the appeal, but nothing in particular stands out. The grilled flavor is outstanding and the chicken is tender and juicy, but I think it's the melding of the red peppers, greens and cheese flavors that seals the deal here.

That out of the way, let me tell you a bit about the restaurant. It's located where Mikeee's used to be across from St. Rose Catholic Church (Mikeee's, which we used to frequent, now operates a restaurant within the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport). For a time, Big Family had a second location in the Eastwood Mall complex in Niles, but that's gone now (a server explained that the rent there was "too high" to make a go of the place).

I must also note that parking can be a bit of a problem. In past years, parking was available in the St. Rose lot across State Street, but that option has come to an end. There are a few spots at the side of the Big Family restaurant, but otherwise you'll need to try the lot behind the restaurant or a place along one of the streets and walk a block or two.

Not much has changed as for the layout in Girard since Big Family took over; one side has tables and chairs and is the main restaurant, while the other, also spacious, side has several booths and a bar that runs almost the length of the room (we usually prefer to eat here). The rows of booths are separated from the bar by a partition, and each of the bar-side booths that are on the exterior wall has its own small flat-screen TV set. Several other much larger TVs hang above the bar.

The interior color palette ranges from gray to black, but front windows let the sun in and keep it from being overly dark. There's an upstairs outdoor patio-style deck, which we've been told opens at 5 p.m. weather permitting (we fully intend to get up there as soon as the temperatures get warm again).

But back to the food: One of the reasons we've come here many times is that I love pierogies; early on, this place had numerous varieties on the menu, and we never met one we didn't like. More recently, the choices have been pared down to just four -- "regular" potato, potato and cheddar, crab and cream cheese and potato/jalapeno. The latter is a favorite of mine, and they're not so spicy hot that Jack can't eat one or two if I let him. They're priced at $8.95 for a dozen and $4.95 for six (which makes a great appetizer, by the way).

Sandwiches also are a specialty here, and we used to enjoy the lunch combos -- half a sandwich paired with your choice of one side like fries, soup, steamed broccoli and rice pilaf. My preferred side is the wedding soup, which is especially good -- a very tasty broth, plenty of greens, tiny meatballs and other "stuff." Jack, meanwhile, loves the clam chowder -- heavy on the clams and just a few potatoes, just the way he prefers it.

On a recent visit, we both picked a Philly steak half, and Jack had cole slaw as his side. With a vinegar base, celery seed and very finely chopped cabbage it's quite tasty -- Jack was happy -- but I prefer my slaw mayo-based like I make it at home.

As for the sandwich, we'd hate to see a whole one! The thinly sliced beef, melted cheese, mushrooms and onions were piled on a whole hamburger-sized round bun. I added some of the shredded lettuce that came on the side, but not so Jack -- lettuce is for rabbits, he insists!

Alas, like a lunch buffet that included several gourmet pizzas, the lunch combos seem to have vanished from the menu (although you can still get the pizzas, which are outstanding). That's too bad, because not only were they a good bargain, they were quite delicious. Since then, though, we've sampled a couple of specialties from the "Pittsburgh-style" sandwich section, all of which are priced at $6.99 (you can add an egg for 75 cents). My favorite from this list is the hot sausage with cheese (sweet sausage or corned beef are other choices). Everything on the list comes with cole slaw, fries, lettuce and tomato piled on top -- no other sides are necessary.

They really are huge -- two sandwich halves on thick white Italian-style bread. If you're one of those folks who like to keep all the foods on your plate separate (as I tend to be), these sandwiches probably aren't for you; we also noticed that the amount of meat, although delicious, seems way less in proportion to the other add-ins (in some cases, by a country mile). Had we pulled the meat out to eat separately, we wouldn't have had more than three or four bites.

Other excellent sandwiches we've enjoyed include the Buffalo chicken wrap, which has several options. Jack usually chooses grilled, garlic sauce for basting, a white (rather than wheat) wrap and bleu cheese for dipping instead of ranch. At $7.95, it's quite tasty. The grilled chicken club at $7.95 is great as well, with two chicken breasts topped with bacon and provolone on a toasted ciabatta roll with tomato and onion on the side.

One of my favorites is the pepper and egg sandwich, which I can get with hot peppers instead of sweet at no extra charge. It's full of scrambled eggs and peppers all mixed up together and served between two large slices of buttered, grilled Italian bread.

Big Family also offers build-your-own pasta and burgers; the pasta starts at $6.95, and you go from there. Similarly, Jack's burger started at $6.95, and he added cheddar cheese, grilled mushrooms and onions. For his side, he picked linguine marinara.

Several salads are on the menu, as are wings. The latter are excellent ($7.95 for 10), and you can choose from some rather unusual flavors like white ranch, Crazy Creamin' Cajun and Hot Tai. I'm a garlic fan, but not so much Buffalo sauce. Since some restaurants combine the two, I always ask. Here, even the "regular" garlic wings are slightly red, but not so much that I consider them to be "Buffalo" garlic. They also have lots of minced garlic and a bit of a zing, so they pass muster with me.

There are a few entrees that sound wonderful -- Sesame Tuna Steak with one side for $13.95 and Chicken Monterrey for $10.95, for instance. Add in that Ahi tuna wrap with red onions, mandarin oranges and oriental sesame dressing for $8.95, and it looks as if we'll be stopping here a few more times. Hope to see you there!

If you go:

Big Family Restaurant
30 N. State St.
Girard, Ohio 44420
(330) 545-4040

Open 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. daily.

RED LOBSTER

2010-12-30T08:51:00.000-08:00

So much do I love seafood that sometimes I suspect I was born with a few gills. Or, maybe it's because I was born on the cusp between Pisces and Aries and, although the fire sign that officially begins on March 21 wins out overall, I got a healthy dose of the fish as well. Whatever the reason, no matter when or where my husband Jack and I go out to eat, it's likely that my choice will be some kind of seafood. On at least one of our almost annual treks to the North Carolina Outer Banks, for instance, I vowed that every entree I ate on the way, while we were there and on the way home would be seafood -- and I stuck to my guns (we rarely eat breakfast, but I did learn that crab cakes taste pretty good even early in the morning)!

That's one reason we love going anywhere there's lots of water -- and that's where you'll find some of our all-time favorite restaurants: Mulligan's Raw Bar & Grille, Awful Arthur's Oyster Bar and Fisherman's Wharf on the North Carolina Outer Banks, the Crab Claw in St. Michaels, Maryland, The Wharf in Erie, Pa., and Pickle Bill's and Brennan's in Grand River, Ohio.

Of course, nothing beats the freshness that comes from dragging dinner straight from the water to the table; back inland, it's a bit more difficult to find anything that remotely compares (especially since most restaurants tend to cook fish way beyond the point at which it tastes best). One of our favorite places -- Red Lobster -- may come as somewhat of a surprise. Chain restaurants aren't typically our favorite places, but over the years we've found that the fish here tends to be properly cooked and consistently delicious.

Most of the time, we visit the restaurant on the U.S. Route 422 "strip" in Niles, although on occasion we've ventured in to other locations. Such was the case a couple of weeks ago, when Jack and I met up with our son Scott, his wife Lilla, and Lilla's mother Sheila at the Red Lobster in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio (that's Lilla and Scott in the photo at the left. The first thing we noticed is that the restaurant layout isn't exactly the same as the Niles location -- lots more dark wood and what appears to be a larger main dining room. Although it isn't listed as such on the Web site, we suspect it's been remodeled as part of the company's new "Bar Harbor" design project in which almost all existing restaurants will be getting a facelift by 2014.

Menus can vary from restaurant to restaurant as well; if you go online to check Red Lobster's Web site (see below), you'll be asked to enter a Zip Code to see what's available at the one you're interested in. Besides that, menu specials change relatively often, so always check what's new before you decide. One that's noteworthy at press time, for instance, is a choice of three "Surf & Turf" combinations for under $20 each -- chardonnay-grilled shrimp, grilled Maine lobster tail or snow crab legs paired with an 8-ounce peppercorn sirloin. Yum!

Red Lobster is, for the record, part of the Darden Restaurants stable that includes the Olive Garden and Bahama Breeze names. The first Red Lobster opened in Lakeland, Florida, in 1968, according to company reports, and today there are somewhere around 700 locations throughout the United States and Canada.

At our Cuyahoga Falls get together, we went whole hog (or more accurately, whole fish). Even though it was lunch time, one of us picked the Ultimate Feast that includes a split Maine lobster tail, steamed snow crab legs, garlic shrimp scampi and Walt's Favorite Shrimp ($24.99). Another picked the broiled seafood platter, with bay scallops, garlic shrimp scampi and stuffed flounder ($13.99).

I must emphasize, however, that one of the things I crave most from Red Lobster isn't seafood at all; it's those wonderful Cheddar Bay biscuits. So popular are these cheesy biscuits that Red Lobster reportedly bakes and serves more than 395 million every year -- making them from scratch and baking them every 15 minutes. The folks at Red Lobster won't divulge the recipe (nor do I blame them), but if you Google "Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits" you'll find some recipes that come pretty darned close to the real thing.

Our most recent visit was for a spur-of-the-moment late lunch on Christmas Eve Day. The stockings were hung, the gifts were wrapped, and we'd be alone for the rest of the evenings since our family get-togethers were on Christmas Day and the day after that -- so I guess we were feeling a little blue and decided a blast of fresh seafood (and a couple of beers) would cheer us up fast.

Here, we usually sit on the relatively small bar side of the restaurant; the tables border on tiny, but for just the two of us, we manage -- and hey, we're right next to the bar. We were armed with a $10 gift card I'd earned at MyPoints.com, a site at which you earn points by viewing (and possibly purchasing) offers that are sent by e-mail. I always cash in my points with restaurant gift cards (most often from Darden Restaurants), and over the past few years I estimate I've earned at least a dozen.

Besides that, earlier that morning we'd cashed a small dividend check from a local bank, and when Jack put on an Ohio State University winter jacket he hadn't worn for at least a year, he found $15 in one of the pockets! Put all that together, and we decided that for once, money was no object.

In mid-afternoon we were seated immediately, although we've never been to a Red Lobster that was devoid of customers at any hour. Happily for me, Blue Moon was one of the draft choices; Jack was less happy to learn they were out of all the Sam Adams brews on tap, but he settled for a Sam Adams Winter Lager in a bottle. I will warn that beer isn't cheap here; his bottle cost $3.99 and my glass (larger) was $4.50.

For starters, we decided to share a Seafood Sampler ($10.75); this large plate was filled with four lobster-crab-seafood stuffed mushrooms, a handful of fried clam strips and a skewer of four bacon-wrapped sea scallops. The scallops, in particular, are mouth-watering; although our initial plan was to divvy up everything equally, offering a sweet smile and batting my baby blues got me three of the scallops in exchange for that fourth stuffed mushroom, a favorite of Jack's.

As we munched, we noticed a number of customers who were picking up what appeared to be party trays -- this was Christmas Eve day, remember -- and we made a mental note that next time we needed to bring something to a party, this could be a great place to go.

For our entrees, Jack stuck with his usual baked stuffed flounder (the same as he'd had in Cuyahoga Falls) at $8.99; his sides of choice were cole slaw and fries with sea salt. It took me a little longer to decide -- I like the "create your own" entree, from which you can choose any two fish items (for lunch, it's $9.50) and the shrimp linguini Alfredo. In the end, though, I opted for the Sailor's Platter, made up of breaded fried shrimp, garlic shrimp scampi and an oven-broiled fish filet for $9.75. For sides, I picked a garden salad and rice pilaf.

I feel compelled to mention that I used to love the Caesar salad here (you have a choice between that and a garden salad as sides), but they've changed the dressing so it's now heavier and gloppy (my word) compared to what it used to be. The garden salad, though, is very good, as is the ranch dressing I picked. The rice pilaf, though, contains wild rice and plenty of flavor, unlike the rice pilaf I've had at other restaurants (to the point that I rarely order it because so much of it has been under-flavored, over-flavored and otherwise virtually inedible).

Only once in the many times we've eaten at a Red Lobster have we had room for dessert -- it was a piece of delicious key lime pie ($4.99) -- but if you can possibly stuff it in, there are plenty of delectables from which to choose. Jack's had his eye on the warm chocolate chip lava cookie for quite some time now -- a warm, thick cookie with a molten chocolate center topped with vanilla ice cream and drizzled with chocolate sauce ($5.99). Hopefully, he'll give me a bite or two!

If you go: Red Lobster
5701 Youngstown-Warren Road
Niles, Ohio 44446
(330) 544-1321
http://www.redlobster.com
Open Sunday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Check the Web site for hours at other Red Lobster locations.

CRACKER BARREL OLD COUNTRY STORE

2010-12-09T16:03:00.000-08:00

Trying a new chain restaurant can be a real crapshoot -- you never know how you'll like the atmosphere or, more important, the food, until you try it. If it does suit your style and palate, though, the plus is that you can be relatively certain that you'll get that same enjoyment whenever, and wherever, you go.

Such is definitely the case at the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, where the cookin' is the stick-to-your-ribs variety and dependably tasty. Headquartered in Lebanon, Tenn., the chain was founded in 1969 and now has 594 restaurants in 42 states, mostly located near interstate highways.

I don't recall the first time my husband and I ate at a Cracker Barrel -- it was many years ago -- but I do remember this: My meal of choice was chicken and dumplings, which came with two sides (my choices were mashed potatoes and gravy and sweet baby carrots). I loved it so much, in fact, that as many times as we've eaten at Cracker Barrel since then, the only time I've ever ordered anything else is if I'm in the mood for breakfast (more on that later).

Of course, along the way I've sampled some of the entrees Jack has ordered -- he's much more adventurous than I am when we eat here -- and everything has been delicious. If I had to guess, I'd say my love of the chicken and dumplings stems in part because I grew up on a farm in southwestern Ohio and had a mother who cooked everything from scratch -- even growing her own chickens. Granted, the large chunks of chicken in Cracker Barrel's meal can't hold a candle to the freshness of Mom's chickens, but they hold their own. The dumplings, if I may be so bold, just may be even better than Mom used to make.

I say that on good authority. Some years ago as my mother's health began to fail, she had a tough time eating much of anything and, at a diminutive 5 feet 2 inches with high heels on, probably weighed 95 pounds soaking wet. On one of our visits, we took her and my Dad for their first visit to a Cracker Barrel, and I recommended the chicken and dumplings. To this day -- several years after she passed away -- I still smile when I recall that she polished off the entire plate in short order -- the most I've ever seen her eat at one sitting.

These days, the dinner with two sides goes for $7.39; if you don't care for carrots (although I recommend them highly), you can choose from many other sides such as whole kernel corn, fried apples, macaroni 'n' cheese, cole slaw, breaded fried okra, turnip greens and more.

Before I ramble on about the great food, though, I should mention that each store is in itself a treat to visit. The walls are covered with old-time country "stuff" -- cooking pots and utensils, old photos and posters and even small tools. Outside, the open front porch is lined with rows of rocking chairs that invite diners to sit a spell if they need to wait for a table (which is quite likely if you go at a mealtime). The rocking chairs are available for sale ($129 each for the natural wood or white painted versions). They're so comfortable, in fact, that we've had one on our front porch for several years now and are thinking about springing for a white one or possibly the bright red one with the Ohio State University logo).

Once inside, guests must pass through an extensive gift shop to get to the restaurant desk (a very effective marketing ploy, by the way). All around, wonderfully scented candles, clothing like shawls, hats and hand-decorated shirts and jackets, "country" dinnerware and old-time brands like Watkins Products catch your eye and make you want to open your pocketbook even before you're had a bite of food.

Many items, like CDs, are exclusive to Cracker Barrel. Last month, for instance, the store began selling Smokey Robinson's new 12-song CD "Now and Then," the first release by an R&B artist in Cracker Barrel's music program that's best known for country and bluegrass. No, we didn't bite at our last visit, but I did find a beautiful embroidered faux suede shirt for me and something for our daughter Chris for Christmas (if you read this, honey, try to pretend you didn't know it was coming). Both were 50% off the sale price and a steal.

I mentioned that many Cracker Barrels are located close to interstate highways. One of the benefits of this decision is that food is served quite quickly, so as to cater to travelers who need to grab a bite and get on their way. On the other hand, the restaurants are popular stops for tour buses -- in fact, the company has a special program for tour groups. So although they typically schedule visits slightly outside peak meal hours, we always turn tail and run somewhere else if we spot more than one in the parking lot.

These high-traffic locations also have prompted something new: Installation of electric vehicle charging stations at several Tennessee locations with plans to roll them out elsewhere. Installation of the DC Fast Charging stations both accommodate and encourage use of the more environmentally friendly vehicles and are a tribute to Cracker Barrel's beginnings -- the first store sold gasoline. “Cracker Barrel was founded along the interstate highways with the traveler in mind and has always tried to anticipate what our guests might want and need as they stop in for some good country cookin’ and to experience genuine Southern hospitality,” Michael A. Woodhouse, chairman and CEO, said in a Nov. 30 news release.

Ultimately, he said, guests will be able to get an 80% charge -- the recommended charge -- in just under a half hour at the locations that will have the DC Fast Charging stations. In essence, guests essentially will be able to "fill ‘er up" in about the same amount of time it takes to order and eat a meal.

Cracker Barrel also has a "Books-on-Audio" program that's geared to travelers as well. If you buy a CD or cassette at any location, you can return it to any other location and get full credit less a per-item $3.49-per-week exchange fee.

It is the food, of course, that brings most folks back to Cracker Barrel. Since breakfast is served all day, as I mentioned earlier, we sometimes choose that option; my favorite, I suppose, is the Country Morning Breakfast: two eggs, grits, two buttermilk biscuits, a cup of sawmill gravy and smoked sausage patties (or bacon). Jack prefers the Old-Timers' Breakfast, two eggs (over easy), bacon and a side -- he loves the fried apples -- for $6.89. Meals come with a choice of fresh-baked biscuits or cornbread; I admit I'm not a big fan of the cornbread here, so we always go with the biscuits.

Describing the chicken and dumplings without using superlatives is hard, but the bottom line is this: three or four good-sized chunks of fork-tender white meat chicken (not breaded), topped with lots of tender dough dumplings swimming in thick white gravy. If you choose mashed potatoes as a side, as I always do, you can get more of the gravy, and the potatoes are real.

Another of Jack's favorites -- and one of only two other entrees I've had here besides breakfast -- is the meatloaf. On Tuesdays, in fact, it's a lunch special, served up with mashed potatoes and your choice of one vegetable. What was the second entree I've sampled, you ask? Another down-home favorite mamma used to make: fried chicken livers. Delicious!

These items are, as you might suspect, only the tip of the iceberg lettuce. The extensive menu lists several salads and sandwiches, "Country" dinner plates with enough food to satisfy Paul Bunyan, sandwiches and four luscious desserts including fruit cobblers (during holiday seasons, many restaurants sell whole pies as well).

Cracker Barrel has a kids' menu as well, and vegans can opt for an all-vegetable plate. Prefer to eat at home? Call ahead to pick up a complete meal for six -- two hours in advance is preferred -- and choose one entree, three sides and either corn muffins or a loaf of sourdough bread. If all that is more than you want, you can order anything off the breakfast, lunch and dinner menus to go.

By now, it should be clear that I love Cracker Barrel. But is there anything here I'm less than pleased with? For starters, the tables and chairs are packed a bit closer together than I prefer -- the servers even have a bit of a challenge navigating in between when their arms are filled with orders to deliver. I'll also warn about that inviting roaring fireplace -- a godsend in winter weather, of course, but hot enough that the devil himself probably wouldn't sit anywhere near it (and I advise you not to, either).

Lastly, I should note that this is just about the only place we've found where servers don't deliver breads (or biscuits or corn muffins) before the meal arrives -- always a bit of an annoyance even though the food arrives quickly enough that it's rarely a real inconvenience. Turns out this is company policy -- an effort to make sure the breads are served as warm as possible and to save money because, as officials claim, breads delivered automatically are often wasted because diners really don't want them. "As competitive as our business has become, every chance to reduce waste helps hold prices down," a company report says, adding that all servers have been instructed to bring bread before the rest of the meal on request.

From a customer service standpoint, I beg to disagree with that philosophy; particularly in this competitive day and age, I do not believe the burden of service, so to speak, should be placed on the shoulders of customers. No, I don't expect water or bread to be delivered automatically -- I agree that would be wasteful and require servers to make an extra trip to the table that isn't necessary.

But in fact, the Cracker Barrel servers always ask what kind of bread diners want when they take the food orders. Surely, if they can be "instructed" to bring bread beforehand on request, they can be taught to ask if diners at the same time if they'd like the bread brought before their meals.

At any rate, now that I -- and all the folks reading this blog -- know to ask, and ask I shall. Forewarned is forearmed!

If you go: Cracker Barrel Old Country Store
5600 Interstate Boulevard
Austintown, Ohio 44515-1100
www.crackerbarrel.com

Check the Web site for other area locations. All restaurants are open Sunday through Thursday from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.

STONEBRIDGE GRILLE & TAVERN

2010-11-25T11:21:00.000-08:00

Just one bite was all it took. The minute I sank my teeth into "The Russo" at StoneBridge Grille & Tavern in Boardman Township, Ohio, I added it to my Top 5 all-time favorite sandwiches list. Needless to say, I polished off every bite (well, almost -- it was too big for me to consume the entire thing at one sitting).

What's in it, you ask? Well, it goes something like this: Scrambled eggs, sweet and hot peppers, chopped pepperoni, melted provolone cheese and mayo on grilled Italian bread.

And to think it almost didn't happen. My husband Jack and I don't get to Boardman all that much, and when we do, it's usually because we've driven all the way through Mill Creek Park from the Velma and D.D. Davis Visitor Center to U.S. Route 224. Then, most often we hang a left and head back toward home by hopping on Interstate 80. Several months ago, though, we had reason to turn toward Canfield -- I believe we were heading out to the White House Fruit Farm to get some tart apples -- and we were surprised to see that the Rockne's restaurant near Tippecanoe Road was no more. In its place was something called StoneBridge Grille & Tavern. At that time we weren't hungry, but we filed it away in our "must check out" list for later.

Later came about a month later when, instead of heading for a late lunch at Smokey Bones or the Youngstown Sports Grille, we remembered StoneBridge. Who knows, we reasoned -- maybe we'll find a new treasure!

As it turned out, that's exactly what happened. StoneBridge, for the record, is locally owned; everything is made from scratch, or so the Web site says (and after our visits, we have no reason to doubt that claim). There's a banquet/conference room that can accommodate up to 45 complete with a gas log fireplace and large-screen TV, and the restaurant has free WiFi.

Inside, there's a restaurant side and a bar side, and we chose the latter. Lots of dark wood is offset by windows that let the sunshine in, and the booths are very comfortable and maintain a secluded feel. Several beers are on tap including some of our favorites -- Labbatts, Blue Moon and Dos Equis. Sipping one of those buyed us some time to browse through the extensive menu.

Checking out the daily specials always comes first for us -- often, these are items that are repeated often, which means, we assume at least till we've tasted them, they're popular with customers. At lunchtime here, the half-sandwich combos that come with fries, soup or salad for $7.99 got our attention right away. Still, we looked longingly at the grilled "stuff" like prime rib, with a 10-ounce portion going for $14.99. The smoked mozzarella raviolo ($11.99) with wilted spinach, Roma tomatoes and shallot butter sounded wonderful as well. We found at least 10 tempting salads ranging from $6.99 to $9.99, and an appetizer sampler for $10.99 includes ribs, wings, fried shrimp and bacon cheddar fries.

Among the "house specialties, which come with a side salad and choice of side, are other temptations like Island Shrimp & Chicken ($16.99) and Pan Seared Tilapia ($13.99). In the burgers and wraps section, I zeroed in on the Kobe Burger ($9.99), while Jack eyed the Southwestern Wrap, available in chicken or steak versions ($8.49 and $7.89, respectively).

For no other reason than to delay our decision, we ordered a chicken quesadilla appetizer ($7.99) with cheddar jack, tomatoes and scallions with salsa and sour cream. It was quite tasty -- nice and hot with lots of melted cheese and cut into six good-size wedges. Jack doesn't care much for salsa, and in this case it was a good thing; it was packed with enough hot pepper punch to knock him cold (I, of course, loved it).

Finally, we made our decisions, sticking with the half-sandwich combos. I chose the shaved turkey with roasted red peppers, Arioli, roasted tomatoes, provolone and argula on multi-grain bread while Jack stuck with a more classic Philly cheesesteak. Both of us decided on the soup option -- lobster bisque for him and wedding soup for me.

Both soups were to die for; Jack called the lobster bisque one of the best he's ever had. In a slightly reddish broth, it's got lots of bits of lobster plus something that adds a bit of zing -- wine, perhaps? The wedding soup was loaded with pieces of chicken, tiny meatballs and other wonderful things in a very tasty broth; both soups, we agreed, deserved to be tried at future visits.

As for the sandwiches, the halves probably aren't large enough to satisfy a medium-sized football player, but coupled with the soup, they filled us up just fine. The Philly steak was good, and my shaved turkey was piled high. The combos come with a very large, crisp dill spear as well -- also a plus considering the limp, almost tasteless spears we've encountered at countless other restaurants.

The next time we went on a photography expedition in the park, we made it a point to stop at StoneBridge. This time, Jack tried another daily special, the open-face roast beef sandwich, which is loaded with shaved beef and comes with mashed potatoes and pan gravy on toasted Italian bread ($8.99). And, he couldn't resist another cup of the lobster bisque -- it really is that good. The sandwich was delicious as well -- definitely one he'd be happy to order again.

I, however, was feeling a bit more adventurous; so when I saw The Russo -- that concoction I mentioned above that's built around scrambled eggs -- I just had to see what it was like ($7.29). At first bite, it was indescribably delicious -- and remained so with every bite thereafter. The bread is crunchy and buttery, and those hot peppers added just the right amount of pizazz. Ah, my taste buds are tingling at the mere thought of it as I write this. Methinks we'll have to take another drive through the park a little sooner than we'd planned!

If you go: StoneBridge Grille & Tavern
1497 Boardman-Canfield Road
Boardman, Ohio 44512 (330)
629-8040
www.stonebridgegrille.com

Kitchen open Sunday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.

FUDDRUCKERS

2010-11-11T15:29:00.000-08:00

Fuddruckers held grand-opening ceremonies for its first Ohio location on Nov. 8 in the Eastwood Mall, and a few hours later, my husband Jack and I popped in for lunch. The fast-food eatery, which specializes in burgers, is located at the food court entrance to the mall in the space once occupied by Ruby Tuesday. For those who aren't there for the mall, there's an outside door that opens directly in the restaurant (definitely a plus).

In fact, it's not the first time we've eaten at Fuddruckers, but that happened so many years ago that we've long since forgotten when and where. All I can say for sure it that it was after 1980, when restaurateur Phil Romano (think Romano's Macaroni Grill) opened the first one as Freddie Fuddruckers in San Antonio, Texas. The Fuddrucker, according to reports, was described as an "uncommonly fresh burger of grand proportion."

The transformation from then to now hasn't exactly been easy. Most recently, on April 21, Magic Brands LLC, parent of Fuddruckers, Austin, Texas, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, although that filing did not include any of the then-135 franchised Fuddruckers restaurants. Fuddruckers' assets were later purchased at a bankruptcy auction by Luby's Inc., also of Austin, and officials pledged to keep the menu as close to the original as possible.

Roughly two-thirds of the restaurants, according to corporate reports, are franchises owned by small business owners and multi-unit operators in some 32 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico -- and this includes the Niles location (the franchise owner also owns a Fuddruckers in Erie, Pa., we were told).

The Eastwood Mall location also has a feature you won't find elsewhere: A full-service bar. This came about, we were told, because the location sale included a liquor license, and the owner decided not to waste a good thing. That's just fine with us; for years, Jack and I have said what the restaurant industry could use most is something close to a fast-food place like McDonald's, KFC or Burger King that also served beer (and/or other alcoholic beverages). On many occasions, all we're looking for is a place to pop in and grab a quick burger and a beer without all the hassle of waiting for a table (and a server to find us). And we'll bet that's true of other folks as well.

For sure, having the beer option means we'll go back to Fudds, as it's known for short -- we did exactly that two days later, as a matter of fact -- but there's another good reason as well: The food is great.

First, though, let's clear the air about one thing; this is basically a fast-food joint. The atmosphere is quite casual, the decor is airy and cheerful but nothing to write home about, and you have to walk through a line to place your order at a counter (and then pick it up when the little jiggler thing they give you starts buzzing and flashing). A handful of TV sets hang high on the walls, none of which I'd call very large. If you want beer, you must order and pay for it separately at what I'd describe as a "beer island" in the middle of the restaurant. If you want, you can sit on stools at the bar, but generally speaking, that's not an option I'd choose simply because there's not as much room.

As I mentioned before, Fuddruckers is known for fresh, grilled-to-order hamburgers that are served on made-from-scratch buns that are baked daily. When Luby's purchased the company, news releases said they planned to add a "wild game" option that includes buffalo and elk burgers (more on that later).

When you place your order, you can buy add-ons like grilled mushrooms and onions for a couple of bucks or less, but there's really no need to do that unless you just want those items specifically. Instead, we prefer the "regular" style -- an open bun and bare-naked burger, to which we add "fixins" from the free market-fresh produce bar.

At our first visit, Jack chose a half-pound hamburger for $5.49 with cheddar cheese (50 cents more) and an order of "regular" fries for $1.99. Had we realized it earlier, he could have skipped the 50 cents and instead added melted cheddar from the free bar -- we filled up a couple of containers to dip the fries in. For my choice, I decided to throw caution to the wind and get an elk burger ($5.99) and share Jack's fries.

Diners are asked how they'd like the burgers cooked; well done is the only option Jack will consider. I, on the other hand, asked for medium well. But when the order-taker informed me that they recommend medium for elk burgers because elk meat has less fat (zero artificial trans fat, in fact) and therefore can get too dry when cooked well done, I immediately agreed (but, I'm quick to point out, I'm quite fine with red meat that's barely out of the still-mooing stage).

Sandwiches are sold as sandwich-only or as a meal, which includes "Fudd" fries and a refillable soft drink (the difference is roughly a couple of bucks). Hamburgers come in three sizes: one-third pound ($7.99 for the meal), one-half pound ($8.49) and a whopping two-thirds pound ($9.19). Smaller sliders are priced at three for $5.

The add-ins island is tricked out, to say the least; you can choose lettuce, sliced tomatoes, two or three kinds of peppers, sliced red onions and chopped "regular" ones and more -- including a delicious tomato-based salsa that is so delicious I asked Jack to go fill up an extra paper cup with it for me. Within minutes, a smiling employee wearing a Fuddruckers shirt brought more in a real bowl -- obviously having seen that I like it (that's when I learned it's made fresh each day). A very nice customer service touch, I hasten to add!

Still another area offers yellow mustard, catsup and mayonnaise in push-button vats, plus rows of other sauces like Tabasco in bottles. Quite honestly, I can't think of anything I'd ever want on a burger that can't be found here.

Oddly, what we never found were napkins; since we ordered beers from the island, we made do with the extra cocktail variety that came with our drinks. No doubt they're hiding somewhere, but a couple of trips around the build-it-yourself area didn't turn up a thing.

As for the burgers, they were delicious. Jack raved about his hamburger, even though it was a bit more tinged with pink inside than he's like (my suggestion for those who really want it well done, especially the larger sizes, is to emphasize that when placing the order -- clearly, Fuddruckers aims to please). I'm glad I listened to the order-taker and got my elk burger medium; it was wonderful, but I can see that with less fat, it could be too dry if cooked more toward the well-done end of the spectrum. It was also quite large; the patty was roughly 8 inches in diameter and close to an inch thick.

We loved the fries, which are small-size "Texas" type spears sprinkled with seasonings including what tasted like paprika. They're wonderfully tender inside, and dipped in that warm, melted cheese sauce, an absolute delight. Apparently, we're not alone; a friend we bumped into (not literally) while we were there told us they're a special favorite of hers as well.

A shortage of time and stomach space kept us from sampling more on this visit, so I was delighted to have another go-round a couple of days later. This time, Jack had another burger, down-sizing to the one-third pounder. I decided on the chicken sandwich -- choosing crispy instead of grilled -- plus a side of BBQ beans ($5.99 for the sandwich and $1.79 for the beans). Once again, we shared an order of those tasty fries, which we happily dipped in that wonderful warm cheese sauce.

This time, even though it was close to 1:30 p.m. and past the traditional lunch hour, the place was packed; nary an empty table could be found, so we ended up sitting at the bar (we were ordering beers anyway -- 12-ounce domestic drafts are $2.50, for the record). The stools were comfortable, the bartender was very friendly and we encountered no space problem, but I stand by my original premise that given a choice, it's more enjoyable for me to eat at a table or booth.

The burger was great as advertised, and the chicken sandwich was wonderful as well -- and much too large for me to finish it all. The beans had bits of pulled pork in them coupled with a very tasty barbecue flavor.

Once again, we simply ran out of room to try more, so trust me, there's plenty here we're looking forward to trying. Milkshakes made with Edy's ice cream in three flavors sound wonderful ($3.99 each), as does the "Dogzilla" hot dog ($3.49). There are tempting salads, ribeye steak and fish sandwiches, wings and tenders and more as well as cookies, brownies and "rice crispy" treats for dessert. Besides all that, my experience with the elk burger all but guarantees that I'll try the buffalo version soon.

And in case anybody cares, our search for those elusive napkins proved fruitless on this visit as well. But this time, there were stacks of dinner-size napkins on the bar, so we just snitched a couple. Also on the bar are baskets of those individually wrapped red-and-white peppermint candies for guests to help themselves. I don't care much for them, but I suppose they'd be great for camouflaging beer breath if I were heading back to work!

Several days after our second visit, we happened to be near the mall around lunchtime and decided to pop in again. This time, Jack tried the sliders (three miniature burgers for $5), while I sampled one of the regular one-third pounders. Once again, we couldn't resist those wonderful fries, dipped in the hot cheese sauce.

My allergies have been awful, so drinking beer wasn't an option, prompting me to choose the "meal" version of the burger that comes with fries and a refillable soft drink (several kinds are at the fountain, and I picked the "light" lemonade). Jack, however, went to the bar for a beer once again.

This time, the food was just as good as ever -- I discovered how good those burgers are -- but the wait for our orders to be ready seemed overly long compared with the other two visits. That's when we learned that waiting isn't on the company's list of things that should happen to customers. A wandering server stopped at our table to ask how long we'd been sitting there without food, and then told us if our jiggler didn't alert us within another minute, to please get her attention and tell her. We'd love to know how she would have resolved the problem, but as luck would have it, the minute she turned away from our table we were buzzed.

So once again, we enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. Oh yes -- also this time, we finally located those wayward napkins. They're hidden, quite literally, in a dispenser near the condiments and silverware. It appears we're not the only ones to have trouble finding them, too -- we noticed a server pointing them out to a couple of other diners while we were there. Hey, folks, how about either putting them in a different kind of dispenser or adding a big sign to show folks where they are?

If you go:

Fuddruckers
Eastwood Mall
5555 Youngstown-Warren Road
Niles, Ohio 44446 (330) 505-1400
http://www.fuddruckers.com

Open daily from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.

FISHER'S CAFE & PUB

2010-10-28T15:50:00.000-07:00

Autumn is my favorite time of the year -- even if my allergies don't agree -- so we've been running thither and yon of late to chase the reds, golds and browns of the changing leaves before they all fall off and we're faced with the vast photographic wasteland we call winter. Most often, that means visiting a park, and one of the biggies is Ohio's vast Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

Truth is, the park has plenty to offer most of the year, whether it be watching the great blue herons building nests at their rookery in May, cheering on our "side" during the lively Civil War reenactment at Hale Farm and Village in August or hitching a ride on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad in the fall.

Needless to say, we tend to get hungry along the way; and happily, we've found a wonderful place at which to satisfy our cravings each time we head in this direction: Fisher's Cafe & Pub in Peninsula. In summer, we might enjoy a cool salad or wrap sandwich on the outdoor patio in summer. When the weather heads toward nasty, we'll snuggle up inside with a hearty bowl of Canal Chili.

That chili, by the way, is the original recipe created by George Fisher Sr., who founded the restaurant back in 1958 (the year my husband Jack graduated from high school). A bowl will set you back just $3.99 unless you prefer to "deluxe" it up with cheddar cheese and sour cream toppings -- in which case you'll pay an extra buck.

The cafe, I should add, is now in its third generation, under the ownership of "Grandpa George's" son Dick Fisher. Grandson Rich Fisher is the manager (or so the Web site says).

On the downside, the view from the outdoor deck isn't all that wonderful despite Peninsula's location smack dab in the middle of the national park, but you can get a taste of Main Street activity in the historic village. And, the restaurant folks have added lots of plants and flowers as a buffer between the pub and parking lot.

When we're inside, we usually sit on the smaller bar side, where there's lots of dark wood complemented by dark green and mauve and windows to let the sunshine in. Fisher's isn't exceptionally large, so it can get pretty crowded during peak eating hours. This is a very casual place, so as a warning to those who might care, the sandwich and salad choices outnumber the dinner entrees.

There's nothing wimpy about the appetizer list, though -- there are at least a dozen to choose from, including my favorite, battered eggplant fries ($6.29). These tasty strips, topped with grated Parmesan cheese, are served with a delicious bistro sauce, making them almost a meal in and of themselves. More than once, in fact, I've ordered the eggplant fries and the spinach artichoke dip (filled with marinated artichokes and oodles of Parmesan cheese) instead of an entree.

You can, and we often do, substitute those eggplant fries for one of the "regular" sides for an extra $1.59 -- an option I always request when I'm ordering a sandwich or dinner entree.

Still another favorite appetizer is the grilled Caribbean shrimp ($7.49); the main seasonings are Jamaican spices and basting with a spicy sauce. These are so special, in fact, that we actually crave them -- even to the point of including them in a Business Journal article on appetizers that are worth driving out of the local area to get.

When it comes to sandwiches, you'll have a tough time deciding what you want (which, I suppose, is a good thing for the restaurant since you'll have to come back to try others). We do recommend the grilled yellow fin tuna sub, which is basted in teriyaki-honey glaze and topped with pineapple salsa ($8.99).

Jack's especially fond of the Philly Steak & Cheese sandwich, with thin slices of meat plus grilled onions, mushrooms and melted Swiss cheese ($8.29). The burgers here are outstanding as well, with a couple of more unusual offerings. There's the Raider Burger, in honor of the University of Mount Union (nee Mount Union College) Raiders -- half a pound of meat topped with bacon, cheddar cheese, fries, hot wing sauce, jalapeno peppers, onion tanglers and blackened with Cajun spices -- whew!

Or, there's the Spicy Black Bean Burger, a low-fat vegetarian treat topped with lettuce and tomato (which I admit I haven't tried, nor will I ever -- I dislike black beans almost as much as cucumbers)!

Don't like burgers? Choose from a long list of chicken sandwiches and wraps; most of the latter have grilled chicken as the meat and various fillings to make them different.

On our most recent visit, I enjoyed the Bourbon Street Chicken sandwich with lettuce, tomato and barbecue sauce ($8.29), while Jack couldn't pass up his favorite Philly Steak & Cheese. My chicken breast was exceptionally tender and juicy and the bourbon sauce had just the right amount of "kick." I substituted those eggplant fries, while Jack stuck with the regular kind.

At first glance, I thought perhaps I'd made a mistake by ordering them this time -- the outside looked dark and crispy as if they'd been deep-fried too long -- but I quickly learned that looks can be deceiving. Not only were they not over-cooked, they were tender and flavorful as usual. Best of all was the accompanying thousand island-type dip that seemed to be abundantly laced with horseradish, although it really wasn't hot at all. In fact, the heat-hating Jack loved it too, sneaking in dips with his "regular" fries when he thought he could get away without getting his hand smacked.

If you want a lighter meal, be sure to check out the dinner salads, simply because they're wonderful. My favorite is the Strawberry Mandarin Salad, with fresh strawberries, mandarin oranges, grapes, dried cranberries and walnuts with or without grilled chicken. I prefer the wild raspberry dressing, but there are plenty of other options.

As I mentioned earlier, the list of entrees is a bit less lengthy -- the menu at the Web site lists just seven. But that's certainly not a problem in my eyes given the choices. How about the 6-ounce Caribbean bourbon salmon filet ($16.99) or a half-slab of hickory smoked pork ribs with Fisher’s award-winning barbecue sauce ($11.99).

There are a couple of steaks, too -- New York strip and top sirloin. Fish-lovers have a couple of choices besides the salmon, such as beer battered cod and a catfish fillet. If you try either, let me know how you like it, though -- I avoid breading on fish whenever possible, and I simply don't care for catfish (or oysters, if anybody cares to know).

When you stop here for lunch, dinner or anything in between, do try to leave some extra time to roam the village streets. The village has been deemed a national historic district, and the reason is evident in the array of small shops, restaurants and galleries that line the streets. If you want, you can hop aboard the scenic railway at the Peninsula Depot as well.

If you go: Fisher's Cafe & Pub
1607 Main St.
Peninsula, Ohio
(330) 657-2651
http://www.fisherscafe.com

Fall 2010 hours: Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Check the Web site for seasonal events, hours and prices.

Buena Vista Cafe & Sports Bar

2010-10-14T10:56:00.000-07:00

The Buena Vista Cafe has been around longer than I've been living in northeast Ohio. The restaurant started in 1956, and back then I was starting my sophomore year -- together with my 27 other classmates -- at a very small country school in the southwestern part of the Buckeye State and the only "Niles" I'd ever heard of was in Michigan (still is). I landed in Ohio's version of the town in the summer of 1962, right before I married a Niles native who had just graduated from Kent State University and accepted a teaching job at his high-school alma mater (and where, for the record, he retired in 1995 after 33 years at that same school).

Truthfully, I don't recall when I first visited the Buena Vista, but I do know when I began eating there with some regularity. It was somewhere around late 1988, when I'd started working for an advertising agency in downtown Warren and a couple of us in my public relations department would make the short drive for lunch. I still recall the delicious "personal" size pizzas -- the veggie or Greek versions were my favorites -- and an equally yummy appetizer that consisted of three or four boneless barbecue ribs.

Other times, I'd round up my husband Jack and off we'd go for lunch, usually to have the Greek fried chicken the Buena Vista is perhaps best known for. Then, we'd order a pizza to take home (since Jack isn't a fan of my favorite pizza toppings, we'd get the Briar Hill, with green peppers, pepperoni, parmesan cheese and red sauce, which I love as well).

Taking home a pizza is a treat we enjoy to this day, but the Buena Vista also serves up a wonderful variety of sandwiches and entrees that rival more "upscale" restaurants. And these days, we're not limited to Warren; the Buena Vista now operates "BV-II-GO" sites in Niles and Howland and an Uncle Nick's Chicken in Austintown -- all primarily take-out with a more limited menu that includes that terrific chicken, pizza, salads and a couple of desserts. Just the other day, in fact, our entire family enjoyed a huge bucket of mixed chicken pieces from the BV at a get-together.

At the restaurant, we most often sit on the bar side just because we prefer a very relaxed atmosphere that's close to the beer (there's a spacious dining room at the back where we've enjoyed great meals with friends on a couple of occasions). The bar side, though, is a bit more interesting, with several TV sets and an upside-down replica of a football field hanging from the ceiling as well as football jerseys and helmets from local and professional teams hung on the walls and stashed on shelves.

The restaurant prices are quite reasonable, too -- especially the daily lunch specials. On a recent visit, I chose the "mile high" meatloaf with mashed potatoes and a vegetable for $6.99, although for several minutes it was a toss-up between that and the creamed chicken and biscuits, also with mashed potatoes and a veggie for $5.99. For good measure, I added an appetizer of hot peppers in oil for $2.59, fully expecting to eat the entire batch myself. Then too, I always look to see if they have my favorite kielbasa and baked beans (which comes with mashed potatoes) -- but on this day, it was not to be.

As for Jack, he simply couldn't resist the linguini with red clam sauce for $10.99. Learning that they had Blue Moon and Sam Adams Winter Lager on tap, we went for them -- but after ordering two each and discovering they cost $4 apiece, we'll stick to plain old domestics next time out.

Jack chose a salad with his meal, and for some silly reason he got sweet and sour dressing. They accommodated his request for "double" by bringing two containers. His unusual (for him) choice of dressing turned out to be a blessing -- it was absolutely delicious and he devoured almost all of it-- except for the shredded carrots and any greens that didn't look like iceberg lettuce, which happily he passed on to me to finish.

I always have a concern that when we order meals that require a substantially different amount of time to prepare -- like the linguini and my meatloaf, which no doubt is made early in the day and simply reheated -- that one entree will arrive lukewarm because it sat and waited for the other to be finished so they could be delivered at the same time. Not so here; I watched as the kitchen folks poured the red clam sauce over Jack's just-cooked linguini; and then our server, who was there to pick up the plates for delivery, waited a few seconds while my meatloaf meal -- also straight from the pot -- was put on the plate. Both were the perfect temperature.

For the record, the meatloaf chunk was gigantic -- close to three inches thick and close to three times that long. It was accompanied by oodles of tasty beef gravy and the mashed potatoes, which were topped by tiny, crispy onion straws. The vegetable was fresh green beans, cooked tender as I prefer them and quite tasty.

The peppers actually weren't very hot, but they sure were good (the seeds had a bit of a zing, but the fact that Jack was able to eat at least three of the sliced rings with bread is a clear indication that to me, they were on the mild side. The flavor and crunch was wonderful, and I think I detected a slightly sweet tinge that might have come from a titch of sugar. The herbs permeated the oil, and when the peppers were gone, it made a great dipping sauce for the fresh sliced bread that came with our meals.

Partly because Jack isn't fond of many vegetables and I don't get to eat many at home, I tend to go crazy when we eat out. As a result, I used up much of my appetite on the peppers in oil and green beans, leaving plenty of that huge meatloaf to take home (it made enough for dinner for both of us the next evening). Jack had plenty of his linguine to take home as well, but he ended up polishing it off later that same evening.

On another recent visit, I looked long and hard at the BV Club sandwich ($7.99); it's filled with turkey, ham, bacon, Swiss cheese, onion, tomato and spicy mustard on Italian bread, and it sounded wonderful. Another favorite is the Reuben sandwich, which is filled with the "stuff" you'd expect, for $7.99. Of course, it's always hard to pass up Uncle Nick's Greek Fried Chicken -- dinners range from about $6.50 to $8, and you can get all white or all dark pieces. Although the menu says to allow 30 minutes for all chicken dinners, we've never had to wait anywhere near that long.

For the record, Uncle Nick's original breaded house wings are great as well, tossed with your choice of several sauces (we prefer the buttery garlic). This time out, though, we had something a bit more substantial in mind.

As is our custom, we ordered a 12-inch Brier Hill pizza to go when we placed our eat-in order ($8.99). If you want to try the pizza, by the way, you can order a slice of bar pizza for just $1.

I couldn't resist those hot peppers and oil once again, and although it was lunchtime, I considered getting Chicken Franchaise, in a delicious lemon sauce with a choice of potato or rice for $11.99. That creamed chicken over biscuits was tempting as well, as were the several half-sandwich/soup combos at great prices (a sloppy joe combo, for instance, was $4.99). In fact, in the end I decided on on one of those combos -- half a meatball sub smothered in melted cheese and sauce. Stuffed full with two huge meatballs, it was more than enough for me and I took half of it home (it was, I'll add, way too sloppy to pick up, so I ate it with a knife and fork).

Jack went for the mile-high meatloaf I'd had on my earlier visit, substituting cole slaw for the green beans. We both love the slaw; it's finely shredded and mayonnaise-based. His meatloaf chunk was a good 4 inches high and delicious with the crunchy onion straws on top, and he got a basket of fresh Italian bread as well.

I chose wedding soup to go with my half-sandwich -- always one of my favorite soups. It was piping hot and filled with lots of greens, tiny meatballs, chicken chunks in a very tasty broth. I sensed a hint of ginger, reminiscent of some Greek dishes I've enjoyed.

The Buena Vista also has a banquet menu; per-person costs for a buffet range from $11.99 to $15.99, and there are plenty of delicious choices available. Also offered are full-course, sit-down dinners that would be wonderful for wedding rehearsal or anniversary parties.

I just learned from the BV's Web site that it's almost time for the Clam Bake -- and since it's a couple of weeks away, I'll bring it to your attention here. From noon to 7 p.m. on Oct. 31 (that's a Sunday), guests can choose "Surf & Turf," consisting of clam chowder, a mixed green salad, a 1-1/2 pound whole Maine lobster, filet of sirloin, red roasted potatoes, mixed vegetables and dessert for $49.99. Or, those who want to go the whole nine yards can pay $79.99 for a traditional clam bake, which includes the same items as the Surf & Turf but adds all-you-can-eat clams. Reservations are required, so I advise calling right away if you're interested.

If you go: Buena Vista Cafe & Sports Bar
1305 Buena Vista Ave.
Warren, Ohio
(330) 372-4493
http://www.buenavistacafe.biz

Open Monday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Tuesday through Thursday, 11 am. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday drive-through open only 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

THE LAKE TAVERN

2010-09-30T12:45:00.000-07:00

I admit to coming to the party late. For quite some time, my husband Jack and a few of his retired teacher colleagues from Niles McKinley High School have made The Lake Tavern in Mecca a gathering spot for their "catching up" lunches. The two of us have passed by on occasion too, usually on our way home from covered bridge and/or wine forays to Ashtabula County.

And every time, he'd tell me we really should have a meal here, to which I'd heartily agree. But every time, we'd just had lunch or dinner somewhere else, so a stop just wasn't prudent at that juncture.

Finally, we made it -- and I'm happy to say we've been back several times and have put this place on our list of favorite restaurants. Most recently, we stopped after a fall photography outing to Mosquito Lake, which is just around the corner.

The food here is great -- but more on that in a bit. The first thing I noticed is the old wood building and the interior, which reminds me of a rustic home in the woods. Turns out there's a good reason for that: It was built in 1837 as a home by David and Polly Lake (surprise -- the Tavern is named for a family, not because of its proximity to Mosquito Lake, which wasn't even there when the house was built). Many of the home's original features have been incorporated in the decor; the bar top, for instance, is chestnut and was cut from one of the home's basement beams, and upright posts are from the original building.

The dining area, which includes the bar, has a number of tables and chairs, and walls are decorated with nostalgic signs, neon lights and even a jukebox. It's comfortable, not fancy, and clearly popular with the folks who live nearby. An outdoor deck offers a wonderful alternative in good weather, and it's closed-in and accessible only through the restaurant since alcohol isn't allowed outside the premises. Sports and other special events are common here as well; the tavern has both indoor pool and dart leagues a well as two horseshoe pits and corn hole boards outdoors.

Speaking of alcohol, I'll mention that the goodly number of wines and beers here are quite reasonably priced; Jacobs Creek Chardonnay, for instance, is just $3 a glass. On-tap beers go for $1.25 for a 12-ounce glass, and $2 will get you 23 ounces (our usual choice).

As for the food, be sure to check out the daily specials first. On one recent Thursday afternoon visit, I noticed a dozen wings for $4.95 and decided to give them a try. There are about two dozen sauce choices including at least three that are somehow connected with garlic -- a "must-have" on my wings. The one that sounded best was garlic pepper, but I checked with our server first to make sure it's a butter-based sauce and not the dry kind I've had -- and been quite disappointed with -- elsewhere.

Assured that indeed, there was butter, I made my choice, adding to that an order of the macaroni and cheese bites appetizer ($3.95). These are, for the record, the best I've had anywhere; the breading isn't too heavy, and the flat triangle shapes are filled with ooey-gooey and delicious melted cheese. No dipping sauce is needed -- nor does any come with them -- but we both found that the buttery garlic pepper wing sauce makes a tasty dip if that's your style.

Meanwhile, Jack ordered The Lake Tavern Reuben ($5.95), with corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and Thousand Island dressing on rye toast. Don't like all the extras? Try the plain extra-lean corned beef sandwich, also $5.95.
The wings are quite large as wings go these days, and the sauce is reminiscent of the buttery parmesan pepper wings at Quaker Steak & Lube before somebody got the bright idea to change it to a thick goop that to me is awful. These wings are back to swimming in butter, parmesan and black pepper, and after the first bite, my craving for more kicked in.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that the seafood entrees here are great, too. I've tried the broiled white fish (two pieces seasoned with lemon pepper, Cajun or plain for $9.95) and the grilled Norwegian Atlantic salmon filet, served either plain, with teriyaki or Caribbean seasonings for $12.95. Also on the menu are a couple of seafood pastas, ribs and steak, so there's plenty left for us to try later.
Sandwiches, though, seem to be the most plentiful option, ranging from egg, tuna and chicken salad to a hot sausage hoagie to a variety of wraps. On our most recent visit, Jack tried the Buffalo shrimp wrap, stuffed with spicy fried shrimp, lettuce, tomato and onion with a choice of cheese and dressing (he picked provolone and bleu cheese, for the record). Priced at $6.95, he deemed it the best wrap sandwich he's ever had. Half of it came back home with us, and he repeated that best-ever opinion as he polished it off.

The appetizer list is quite impressive as well, with at least two dozen from which to choose (giving us lots of possibilities to try on future visits). In addition to those mac-and-cheese bites, the onion rings are quite good, and we just found a new gem: Pepperoni pizza balls served with marinara sauce. For $4.95 you get about a dozen with a diameter about the size of a 50-cent piece, and they're wonderful. Somewhat crispy on the outside, they're filled with melted mozzarella and pepperoni bits. The marinara sauce is delicious too, although the pizza balls are good enough to stand on their own.

It is perhaps the burgers, though, that really shine here. The variety seems almost endless, and in addition to dozens of flavor and add-on varieties (like sour cream and onion, horseradish, salsa, grilled onion and brown sugar), diners can choose chicken or bison for a buck more. Never having tasted bison before, I decided to give it a try at our most recent visit, picking the one with Cajun spices, pepper Jack cheese and sliced jalapenos ($5.25 for beef, $6.25 for the bison). Since they're cooked to order, I asked for medium well just in case -- I love my steaks just shy of still mooing, but ground meat is another story altogether.

All the sandwiches here come with chips, but you can switch to fries for $1 more and add mushrooms or bacon for another buck. Since we'd just polished off most of two appetizers, we stuck with the chips. For the record, they were very fresh, as was the crispy dill pickle spear.

As for the bison, it was delicious -- and nearly indistinguishable from beef except it was noticeably leaner (guess I'd liken it to eating upscale cow). After polishing off the whole thing, though, I felt both self-righteous and sad. The self-righteous part no doubt stemmed from knowing that bison meat is an excellent choice in terms of health benefits -- reportedly it's lower in calories than grilled chicken breast and very low in saturated fat.

The gloomy feeling I'm sure was an offshoot of my sudden flashback to the times we've stopped at that bison ranch north of Salem to see if the giants are out so we can snap a few photos. Good grief, I reasoned, it's possible I just ate one of the guys who posed for me!

If you go:

THE LAKE TAVERN
6071 State Route 46 NE
Mecca, Ohio 44410
(330) 637-1971
www.laketavern.net

The kitchen is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Saturday 11 am. to 1 a.m.; Sunday noon to 9 p.m.

ROTELLI

2010-09-07T12:40:00.000-07:00

Editor's note: When my husband and I stopped for lunch at the Rotelli restaurant in Austintown, Ohio, on Aug. 25, we found a sign on the door saying this location is closed. No word yet on whether the locations in Liberty Township or Boardman have closed as well, so stay tuned!

Some might think that the last thing the Mahoning Valley needs is another Italian restaurant, but when one of the newer kids on the block is Rotelli, I think it's a welcome addition. Headquartered in Boca Raton, Fla., parent company Rotelli Pizza and Pasta Inc. has stores in six states including Ohio and Pennsylvania. Locally, there are restaurants in Austintown, Liberty and Boardman townships.

My husband Jack and I noticed the place some time ago when we'd stopped at the corner of State Route 46 and Mahoning Avenue for a treat at the Cold Stone Creamery in the shopping plaza there. Making a mental note that we should check it out sometime, I then discovered a couple of coupons in that year's Entertainment Book -- and that was all it took to get us inside the doors.

Having a discount coupon is a good incentive to get us to try a restaurant, but we certainly won't return if the food isn't great. That's certainly not the case at Rotelli; we've eaten here many times since that first stop -- with and without coupons -- and we really love the food.

The restaurant is fairly small and not what I'd describe as fancy, but there's a very Italian flavor that shows up in paintings and other decor (not to mention the wonderful smells coming from the kitchen at the back). There's a small bar near the kitchen, too, as well as comfortable booths and tables. We've never come here at peak mealtime hours, and so far, we've never had a problem being seated immediately.

One of our measures of a good restaurant may not be something anyone else cares about, but for folks like us who enjoy beer or wine with our meals, it's important that they don't cost more than the meals do. Most of the time, there's a special deal going (recently, for instance, it was Sam Adams Summer Ale at two bottles for $5). Nothing is on tap here, by the way, but neither is anything outrageously priced.

Alcohol isn't the only thing that's on special here, either; Rotelli is known for its "World Famous Lunch Special," which consists of one slice of pizza, soup or a salad and half of a submarine sandwich -- a very good deal for just $5.99. Sandwich choices include chicken, eggplant or meatball parmigiana, grilled spa chicken, Italian combo or ham and cheese. And, at most locations, Tuesday night is "Pizza Night," when a 16-inch hand-tossed cheese pizza goes for under $7 at most locations. Still other specials are posted on a board just inside the entrance.

Also a nice (and delicious) touch is the basket of hot rolls; you don't get butter, but it's really not needed, either. The tops are nicely browned, buttery and sprinkled with garlicky cheese sprinkles; we've fallen into the trap of eating them all before our entrees arrived, ending up with not much room left for the main part of our meals.

The first time we ate here, my entree of choice was Penne Chicken and Broccoli, and I'm happy to say I've ordered it most of the times we've come here -- yes, it's that good. You get a substantial bowl of grilled chicken, sauteed broccoli, garlic and fresh tomatoes in a "light" white wine sauce over penne; even the lunch portion is large enough that I always bring some home. The broccoli is tender but not mushy, and the grilled chicken flavor is distinctive. It is that wine sauce, though, that really makes this dish a standout.

Once in a while, though, I feel more adventurous -- and I'm happy to report that I've yet to be disappointed. One entree that's become a favorite is Angel Hair Alla Rotelli; this one is loaded with mushrooms, artichokes, peas and sun-dried tomatoes in basil garlic white wine sauce. Here's another: Ziti Diavolo, in which garlic, onions, green peppers, sauteed sausage and chicken breast chunks are covered with hot Sicilian sauce (this one packs a zing).

Just recently, I discovered four new pastas on the menu for $9.99 each; the one with red and green roasted peppeers, roasted garlic and onions with nothing more than olive oil sounded great -- and it was. The flavor was very mild and I added some salt and red pepper seeds for zest, but I'd get it again in a heartbeat. As with most entrees, you can choose the type of pasta you want -- I picked plain old spaghetti. The bowl was large enough that I brought about half of it home.

Lunchtime options include fresh pizza -- traditional or gourmet -- that are excellent, as well as a number of calzones, stromboli and those aforementioned subs. Lunch and dinner entrees, by the way, come with either soup or a salad. We both love the wedding soup here; the broth is extremely flavorful and it's filled with chunks of chicken, tiny meatballs, loads of greens and a few carrots. Most times, though, Jack opts for clam chowder, which he says is quite delicious.

On one of my adventurous outings recently, I decided to try pasta fagioli. I've never been particularly fond of it, but this one I wouldn't hesitate to try again. The broth was light red and slightly creamy -- nowhere near heavy -- and swimming inside were finely chopped carrots, tomatoes and teensy sewer pipe-style pasta. Yum!

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention a couple of Jack's favorites; topping the list is linguine with spicy red clam sauce -- and no, it's not too spicy for him (I, on the other hand, am a firm believer that tomato sauce and fish don't play well together and prefer the white clam sauce, which is delicious as well). Jack also loves the eggplant parmigiana, which includes a layer of ricotta cheese and is baked with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese. It includes a side of pasta. The lunch portion, which is quite substantial, costs just $6.99.

Most recently, as we returned home from photographing the gorgeous dahlias in the garden at Mill Creek Park, I noticed several tilapia entrees on the specials board, all priced at $10.99. Fish-lover that I am, I couldn't resist trying the version that was almond encrusted with a light balsamic glaze in a Tuscan cream sauce of garlic shallots, artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes and pepperoncini. It arrived in a huge bowl and was loaded with tender artichoke slices, and a few hot banana peppers cut thin added a bit of zing. There were two good-sized filets of breaded tilapia, and the sauce was exceptionally thick and rich (almost too rich -- I could barely eat half, but then I'd also pigged out on those rolls). It came with a side of pasta, and my choice was plain old spaghetti. The sauce is relatively sweet and chunky with chopped tomatoes rather than a heavy marinara or meat sauce. It's quite tasty, although for me, it only works as a side dish; I don't like it quite well enough to make it an entree.

A newer addition to Rotelli is a lunch buffet, which offers nine items for $5.99 and is available from 11 a.m. till 2 p.m. In the interest of full disclosure, we haven't tried it yet -- it's that new -- but next time we're out here at lunchtime, we'll make it a point to make it our choice.

If you go:

ROTELLI
5553 Mahoning Ave.
Youngstown, Ohio 44515 (Austintown)
(330) 270-8349
www.rotellipizzapasta.com

AMEN CORNER SPORTS BAR & GRILL

2010-08-26T17:59:00.000-07:00

My husband Jack and I are always on the lookout for casual pubs, and admittedly we're a bit picky about the ones we choose as "regular" hang-outs. At least three or four of our favorite beers must be available (preferably on tap), the seats must be comfortable (meaning whatever we sit on must have a back), the interior must have enough light that we can see the beer level in our glasses and -- last but hardly least -- the food must be delicious.

For all of these reasons, we're singing the praises of the Amen Corner Sports Bar & Grill in Girard, Ohio. No matter how often we stop here, each time I say to myself, "Self, you absolutely must come here more often."

Let me be a bit more specific. First, the atmosphere is very casual; the front door opens into the bar "room," where there are a few booths and tables, a few TV sets and, of course, the bar. Walk toward the back to find a large dining room for those who prefer that option. The decor for the most part is golf-related; golf course flags hang from the walls, and there's lots of dark wood and complementary dark green all around the rooms. Even the menu has a golf theme; appetizers are listed under "Teeing Off," and salads have the heading "Greens."

It's also a popular place; we usually go at off-peak hours just for this reason. Parking can be a bit bothersome as well -- it's really hard to find a spot on the street, but there's a lot behind the pub that has additional space.

As for the food, I could make a meal out of the appetizers with no problem at all. You'll find a few somewhat unique options like fried zucchini planks that come with a very tasty, and little bit zingy, Bistro sauce ($4.99), fried pickle spears ($5.99) and fried pretzel bites ($2.99). Other possibilities include a pound of steamed little neck clams for $7.99 and my favorite, hot banana peppers marinated in herbs, garlic and oil served with Italian bread ($3.99).

The hot peppers come in a relatively small bowl and are rather thinly sliced with lots of pepper seeds. At first bite, I declared them to be on the hot side; Jack tried a minuscule piece, quickly agreed and wouldn't touch another bite. Oh darn, I said, all the more for me! The flavor is wonderful -- and did I mention they're hot?

Another of our favorite appetizers is the Bruschetta, topped with chopped tomatoes, black olives and a variety of cheeses. There are four pizza-type wedges absolutely loaded with the "stuff" on grilled garlic bread -- very delicious and very filling.

If you're not sure what you want, try the appetizer sampler; you'll get onion rings, jalapeno poppers, mozzarella sticks, butterfly shrimp and zucchini planks -- all breaded and fried -- with that spicy Bistro, cocktail and marinara sauces for $9.99.

The wedding soup is quite good here, absolutely overflowing with veggies, greens, shredded chicken and meatballs in a delicious broth -- quite possible the best wedding soup Jack's ever had, he said -- and I tend to agree. But if you want a really terrific soup, try the house specialty sausage chili ($2.50 a cup). It's much like regular chili, but it has a real kick to it. It's packed full of sausage plus chili beans, onions, green peppers -- and it's wonderful!

There are plenty of choices when it comes to sandwiches and entrees, though I do feel compelled to pitch what amounts to a hissy fit over one item I love but, we were told at our most recent visit, no longer is available: Chicken Jambalaya, or chicken and Andouille sausage with green peppers and onions over rice. It is (or should I say was) so good that I rarely ordered anything else; a tasty red sauce peppered with small bits of the sausage and other goodies. It was a real treat for anyone who likes Creole-style foods -- and now it's gone. Please guys, consider bringing this delicacy back!

One of Jack's favorites is the hot roast beef open-face sandwich, with lots of relatively thick beef slices on Italian bread with mashed potatoes and lots of very tasty beef gravy ($5.95). Still another is linguine with clams -- oil, garlic and Italian herbs that comes with a tossed salad or soup for $11.99. The whole thing is topped with at least double the number of in-shell clams he's ever seen on an entree, although there were no discernible clams in the sauce itself. But the sauce is delicious and garlicky. Normally, he eats all the clams and has pasta left over -- but here, it was vice versa: He ate all the pasta and had clams left (of course, I was happy to get "rid" of them for him).

At one visit, I tried one of the daily specials, a 6-ounce char-grilled sirloin with my choice of fried shrimp or shrimp scampi, one side and soup or salad. For my soup, I chose that sausage chili once again; for my side, I picked spaghetti. The main course arrived on a large oval platter with the steak on one end, a bowl of four relatively large scampi in a tasty buttery sauce in the center and the spaghetti -- about the size of two fists -- at the other end, all nicely separated so nothing got mixed in with anything else. The steak was well tenderized and cooked fairly close to my order of medium rare (most restaurants, including this one, tend to err toward the side of medium). Although the spaghetti isn't the best I've had, it was very good, with a thick sauce of finely chopped tomatoes and peppers.

One of these days, I'm going to try the Bourbon Glazed Salmon and the Zing Chicken ($12.99 each); the latter features a chicken breast sauteed with minced hot peppers, onions and shallots in the three-cheese Alfredo sauce over penne and topped with roasted red peppers and minced hot peppers. My mouth is watering just writing about it!

On the sandwich side, there's plenty to choose from as well, including a build-your-own burger section (starting at $5.99 for the basic). There's a pepper and egg sandwich on a Kaiser roll, which also sounds great, as do the lunch specials of chicken or tuna salad on a croissant. When I noticed a fried balogna sandwich on deli marble rye with fries or hot chips, though, I just had to have it. The fries here are not spectacular, but they're good; the balogna had to be close to half an inch thick and the toasted bread was wonderful ($4.99). I will point out, though, that it comes barefoot -- and the only condiments on the table are mustard and catsup. So next time I get this sandwich, and there will be a next time, I'll order it topped with green peppers and ask for mayo on the side.

On that same occasion, Jack tried the Philly steak stromboli, which comes with marinara sauce on the side for $6.95. It had to be close to a foot long, with a soft, pizza-dough-like crust wrapped around a ton of shredded Philly steak, onions, peppers, mushrooms and melted cheese. He was able to finish only about half; the rest we brought home, wrapped and stashed in the freezer, and a couple of days later (thawed and reheated) it tasted as good as it did in the restaurant.

Several varieties of pizza are served here as well, including a Monte Cristo; at $7.99 for a 12-inch, this one is a "white" with spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, mozzarella and ricotta cheeses that sounds delicious. So far, though, the only one we've tried the Brier Hill, with a thin crust (we always add pepperoni), and it's quite good.

Dessert? Quite honestly, we've always been so full after appetizers and/or entrees that we can't even think about it. But for those who crave something sweet to end the meal, check out "Ellie's Homemade Desserts" for $3.75 each (the cherry or strawberry cheesecake and peanut butter pie caught our eye, but our stomachs insisted there was no room.

If you go: Amen Corner Sports Bar & Grill
20 W. Main St.
Girard, Ohio 44420
(330) 545-5694

Iron Bridge Inn

2010-08-12T12:12:00.000-07:00

Several times a year, my husband Jack and I take a leisurely drive over the border into Pennsylvania. Sometimes, it's to pick up a case of our favorite Yuengling Ale at the drive-through in Hermitage (the ale, made at America's oldest brewery, isn't sold in Ohio). Other times, it's to get photos in McConnell's Mill State Park or check out the bargains at the outlet mall in Grove City. Even more likely, it's to visit historic Volant and pick up a few bottles of those wonderful wines -- cherry in particular -- at the Volant Mill Winery.

Unless we're in a big hurry, which is unlikely in these semi-retirement days, we'll have a meal somewhere along the way, and often it's at the Iron Bridge Inn on State Route 19 not too far from Mercer. The Inn is without doubt our favorite eatery in the Springfield Restaurant Group stable that includes the Springfield Grille (Mercer, Boardman and Mars), Hickory Bar & Grille Grille (Hermitage), Rachel’s Roadhouse (outside Mercer not far from Rachel's and Springfield Grille) and the Log Cabin Inn (Harmony). We love the others too, mind you, but the casual, sort of "hunting cabin" atmosphere at the Iron Bridge Inn makes it particularly appealing to us. The Inn is within a few yards of an old green iron bridge, which, I suppose, is how it got its name.

The outside is "decorated" with lots of interesting old signs; a pretty rock garden with flowers greets visitors at the front entrance. Inside, there's plenty of dark wood, old photographs and yes, stuffed whole critters and critter heads on the walls as well as hanging plants and cozy fireplaces that roar when there's a chill in the outside air. Wood booths make dining a private affair for the most part, and real cloth napkins add a touch of elegance that also helps set this place apart. There are a couple of large dining rooms and a very nice bar, the latter toward the back as you enter the restaurant). One of the on-tap beers is Yuengling (now you really know why we love this place), served up in no-handle glass canning jars like the ones I'm familiar with that used to come from the Ball Corp. in Muncie, Ind., maybe 30 miles from my home town of Union City, Ind.

I must admit we're not strangers to the Iron Bridge Inn in an "official" capacity, either; we've made special trips for no less than three articles Jack or I wrote for The Business Journal of Youngstown, Ohio. As a restaurant reviewer for the newspaper many years ago, Jack wrote about our experience there; more recently, I included special Iron Bridge offerings in articles on salads and exotic appetizers. Not a subscriber to The Business Journal? Click here to check out the online version.

Our latest official visit, though, was for to collect information for this blog (oh heck, who's kidding who? We stopped there simply because we were in the area and love the place)! I'd be remiss if I didn't warn you that this place is almost always crowded, even during non-peak hours; typically, we time our travel to arrive somewhere between 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m., and so far, we haven't had to wait for a table.

That's a bit more difficult on Sundays, though; there's an absolutely fabulous brunch -- actually their words, not mine, although I heartily concur -- that's served from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Priced at a reasonable $14.99 per adult, it's almost standing room only. Seniors like us, I should add, pay a buck less, and kids 10 and under are $6.99 and there's plenty on the tables to keep their tummies filled. As with just about all brunches, you can eat your fill of delicacies like hand-carved roast beef and smoked ham, numerous "breakfast" treats like eggs Benedict and much, much more. If you can't get to the Iron Bridge for any other meal, this is the one to pick. Just don't eat much for at least two days before you visit -- it's far and away one of the most extensive Sunday brunch spreads I've seen in many moons!

If you go for a regular meal, or just pop in for drinks and a couple of appetizers, you'll find quite a few possibilities that make choosing a bit complicated. I won't go into the more exotic appetizers I wrote about in the newspaper article other than to say we heartily recommend the Tri-Muchroom Bourdelaise ($6.99) and the BBQ Prime Rib Quesadilla ($7.99). And, since I'm not a fan of hummus, I won't dwell on that one, either, although I have a friend who swears it's the best around (served with rosemary flatbread, it's $5.99). Sometimes, we'll share a platter of Sharon's Favorites, a compilation of potato skins, riblets, stuffed mushrooms and boneless wings for $10.99. Still another of my faves is the Jalapeno Stuffed Shrimp, or deep-bried shrimp stuffed with japapeno cream cheese with sweet & sour sauce ($6.99), but unless we're really, really hungry I don't get it because Jack isn't a hot peppers fan.

Something like six big salads are on the menu as well as several "build your own" varieties that on their own aren't very expensive ($4.99 and $6.99, depending). To these, you can add grilled chicken breast, the house prime sirloin, grilled shrimp or seared tuna for a few bucks more. My choice is from the "as-is" menu -- the Asian Ahi Tuna Salad with seared tuna, Szechuan-marinated noodles, cashews, broccoli and Thai peanut vinaigrette over field greens ($11.99).

Of course, there are plenty of sandwiches, including a variety of paninis and burgers (try the Pittsburger, topped with coleslaw, fries, provolone cheese, lettuce and tomato on a ciabatta roll, $7.99). I'm nowhere near a vegetarian, but I don't eat lots of red meat, either; so the Portobello Wrap, with those delicious mushrooms rolled up in a tortilla shell with red onions, field greens, feta cheese and tomatoes with a side of balsamic dressing makes a great meat substitute for $6.99. The meat-and-potatoes guy who usually accompanies me, though, much prefers the Reuben, made with house-cooked corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and Thousand Island dressing on grilled marbled rye bread for $7.49 (according to the restaurant's online menu, you can get it Panini style if you like, but that's not an option we've tried yet.

When it comes to entrees, the decision starts getting really tough -- except for me. The Iron Bridge boasts about serving the "best" prime rib in the world since 1979. I can't vouch for that claim since there are a handful of prime rib joints in a couple of other countries at which I haven't tried it yet (yes, that's a feeble attempt at humor), but I will proclaim, quite loudly, that this is the best I've had in many, many moons. A 10-ounce portion that's more than enough for me is $15.99, and you can pair it with soup or a salad and one side (among them apple sauce, fries, cole slaw, a baked potato) Fresh-baked bread comes with the territory as well.

If you like chicken, try the Iron Bridge Wellington, a chicken breast wrapped in a homemade pastry crust together with broccoli, cauliflower and Monterrey Jack cheese. It's topped with a delicious hollandaise sauce. Or, another favorite of mine is the Stacked Chicken Cordon Bleu, or chargrilled chicken breasts stuffed with ham and Swiss cheese, this time with a dijon hollandaise sauce on top.

Seafood lovers that we are, we don't go hungry here. The Scallops & Risotto are outstanding (it's a vegetable risotto with sun-dried tomato pesto, as is the Herb & Garlic Crusted Salmon perched on balsamic sauteed mushrooms and fresh spinach. One of these days I'm going to try the Fire Cracker Ahi Tuna, seared with sesame and accompanied with soy vegetable rice and "fire cracker" Asian hot sauce -- I mention it because it sounds wonderful, but I have to admit I haven't tasted it yet (although based on how good everything else is here, I'm certainly not worried).

If all this isn't enough, you'll find plenty of beef, ranging from a 6-ounce filet mignon to a humongous 24-ounce slice of that glorious prime rib. The chops and ribs are excellent as well, and I'm told by someone who likes lamb that the New Zealand Rack of Lamb is outstanding, too. For good old stick-to-your ribs fare, don't pass up Aunt Sandy's Meatloaf, served over garlic mashed potatoes with a mushroom demi-glace and fried onions.

I've never had a centimeter of room for dessert here, but the offerings are plentiful (all priced at a quite reasonable $1.79). Jack is always up for an ice cream sundae, which can be ordered with either chocolate or caramel topping.

If you go: Iron Bridge Inn
1438 Perry Highway
Mercer, PA 16137
(724) 748-3626
www.springfields.com/ibi_files/ironbridge.html
Open Monday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar

2010-07-29T08:34:00.000-07:00

Way back when I was growing up on a southwestern Ohio farm, there were three constants when it came to food: One, most of it would be made from scratch by my hard-working, but stay-at-home, mother. Two, potato skins always went into the garbage can or on top of the compost heap. And three, whoever got stuck with the chicken wings was the big loser.

My how things change! Oh sure, I made my fair share of "scratch" meals back when our two kids were youngsters; but well before they left elementary school, they were much more enthusiastic about a burger from Mickey D's or a burger at the long-since gone Silver Nugget in Niles than anything Mom could conjure up. And inexplicably, somewhere along the way, potato skins and chicken wings became delicacies for which just about everyone is willing to pay -- and a pretty penny at that.

We adults, of course, learned to adapt as well (and I admit it I never really missed all that kitchen duty very much). But while I've never quite warmed up to potato skins unless they're covered with so much "stuff" that the skins are well camouflaged, I have learned to love chicken wings. So it was that when Buffalo Wild Wings hit downtown Youngstown within easy walking distance of the building in which I worked, I was delighted. And when we got "our own" in the Great East Plaza in Niles, both my husband Jack and I did the Chicken Dance.

Over all these many years, the name has changed at least three times; once it was Buffalo Wild Wings and Weck (the "Weck" being a type of bun, if I recall correctly). All that got truncated to a more reasonable BW-3 for a while, and today the 600 company owned and franchised restaurants in 41 states are known as Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar (or B-Dubs, as many of the regulars call it). We've hit quite a few, from Toledo to Erie, Pa., to Columbus, Ohio.

Service has changed as well. Originally, customers placed their orders at a counter, then grabbed a seat until their names were called and they returned to the counter to pick up the goodies. Much later, a few locations did sort of a half-and-half maneuver, with servers on call to help out here and there and take orders for people who preferred that option. These days, a hostess or server will lead you to a table, take your order and deliver it, just like in any other sit-down restaurant. As in most bar-restaurants, there's a side close to the bar that's well stocked with high tables and chairs and another section or two with very large booths and tables for those who prefer to dine less out in the open.

The whole thing got started, by the way, by two men who moved from Buffalo, N.Y., to Kent, Ohio. They loved and missed their New York-style Buffalo wings when they couldn't find them around here. So, they started their own place, and the rest, as they say, is history. Buffalo Wild Wings, now headquartered in Minneapolis, is one of the 10 fastest growing restaurant chains in the country, according to corporate reports.

As the number of locations increases, though some things haven't changed much at all. Buffalo Wild Wings started as a fun and very casual eatery with a large bar, lots of beer, big-screen TV sets tuned to various sports events and interactive trivia games that pitted local players with players at other locations throughout the country. That's true to this day. And from the beginning, the focus was on chicken wings -- and although the menu has plenty of other goodies to offer, those wings are still flying high.

The choice of sauces, too, has grown -- to 14 at last count. They range from very mild (Sweet BBQ) to very hot (Blazin'); somewhere in between is the big reason I've loved B-Dubs right from the start -- Spicy Garlic. This thick, bright orange delicacy with a definite kick of heat is absolutely delicious; except for sampling a few other sauces when someone else offers me a taste, I've never ordered anything else. Many of the sauces are for sale in bottles, too, and I'll testify that they make terrific gifts.

Somewhat surprisingly, though, I rarely get that sauce on the regular wings (when I do, I ask for it on the side). As I said, it's very thick and spicy, and a little goes a very long way. Rather, my chicken of choice is the chicken tenders -- fairly heavily breaded and crispy, but juicy and tender white meat on the inside (there's a non-breaded "naked" version as well). You can get four for $7.59 and eight for $8.99, and the latter always seems like a better deal (besides, then I have some left over to bring home). At one time, everything purchased here was a la carte, which I always thought made eating here a rather expensive proposition unless all you wanted was wings. But now they've "packaged" baskets together so the tenders come in a basket with a choice of potato -- either the Buffalo chips or potato wedges. My preference is the former, and I love to dip them in that Spicy Garlic sauce.

Jack, who eschews anything that bites him back even a little bit, prefers the Teriyaki sauce; it's dark and rich and a bit tangy but packs minimal heat. He loves it with the breaded peppercorn-garlic popcorn shrimp -- half a pound for $7.79 with the same choice of potatoes. You can, by the way, swap out the potato side for a salad or onion rings for an additional 99 cents; last time we ordered our favorites -- in Oregon, Ohio, where we were staying while we attended the Toledo Harbor Lighthouse Festival at nearby Maumee Bay State Park -- that's exactly what we did. He chose his favorite thousand island dressing and I had bleu cheese, and I'm here to tell you those salads aren't exactly small. We also noticed, by the way, that the chicken tenders at this location were substantially larger than those served up at the back-home restaurants. I'm not sure what to make of that, but I figure it's worth mentioning. It's not worth driving three hours to get fatter tenders, of course, but knowing there's a difference means we might be willing to stray a bit farther from home to get more bang for our bucks.

Wings may be top dog at B-Dubs, but diners have plenty of other choices as well. On a recent visit to Austintown, Jack ordered another of his favorites, the chicken quesadilla. These grilled four tortillas stuffed with Cajun-flavored grilled chicken, pico de gallo and assorted cheeses makes a great, if a bit lighter, meal ($6.99). Besides that, the burgers here are terrific; my pick of the litter is the Black & Bleu, seasoned with Cajun spices and topped with (what else??) bleu cheese dressing.

Much newer to the menu are the Wild Flatbreads, sort of pizza-like concoctions ranging from a steak-and-potato flip (steak and mozzarella cheese topped with French fries, Southwestern Ranch dressing and Honey BBQ sauce sandwiched between the flatbread crust ($8.79). I admit I haven't tried this one yet, but I plan to do it soon: The Buffalo Chicken, which is topped with a blend of my favorite Spicy Garlic sauce and bleu cheese dressing with chicken, celery bits and mozzarella cheese ($7.99).

If you like wraps, you'll find several here as well. I'm not a big fan, but Jack has tried and liked a couple, including the Grilled Chicken, which wraps up the chicken plus several cheeses, lettuce and tomato with his favorite sauce ($7.49). We've also sampled some sandwiches -- I'm partial to the hickory-smoked pulled pork, which is tossed in the sauce of your choice (in this instance, I prefer the Honey or Sweet BBQ). If you're very hungry, you might try one of the "combo" meals, such as ribs with chicken tenders, popcorn shrimp or wings.

As I mentioned back in the beginning, the "Bar" part of the B-Dubs name isn't for nothing; you'll find a vast array of both draft and on-tap beer here. Sometimes, you get really lucky; at the Oregon location, for instance, we learned that 16-ounce drafts of Dos Equis -- definitely high on both our Top 5 beer lists -- were going for $3, so of course we took advantage of that opportunity several times over. Since you asked, we share the No. 1 preference as well, Yuengling, which (alas!) isn't sold in Ohio. Thank goodness we live within 15 minutes or so from a Pennsylvania drive-thru (and not all that far from that B-Dubs in Erie)!

If you go: Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar
950 Great East Plaza
Niles, Ohio 44446
330-505-2999
Open for lunch and dinner seven days a week
http://www.buffalowildwings.com
Open for lunch and dinner seven days a week; check the Web site for other locations including Youngstown, Austintown and Boardman.

TONY PACKO'S

2010-07-15T17:28:00.000-07:00

Blogger's note: In the introduction to this blog at the left, I warned readers I'd stray from the local region from time to time. This is one of those times -- and if you're ever anywhere near Toledo, Ohio, I hope you won't miss this place.

“I think I’ve died and gone to Heaven” probably isn’t the best way to describe an outstanding culinary experience. But if you ever get the chance to eat at Tony Packo’s, I think you'll understand.

If the name sounds a bit familiar, it should. Jamie Farr, who played Corporal Max Klinger on the popular show “M*A*S*H,” is a native of Toledo, Ohio. In one of the episodes, Klinger told a newspaper reporter that Tony Packo’s had the “greatest Hungarian hot dogs” – and the reference subsequently was written into five more shows plus the final episode in 1983.

About four years ago, my husband Jack and I had reason to visit Toledo, and since we were familiar with the “M*A*S*H” reference, the restaurant was at the top of our list of places to have a meal. Since then, we’ve been back several times -- twice accompanied by new-to-Packo's friends -- and we've placed a couple of orders for non-perishable goodies online to enjoy back at home as well.

In fact, Packo’s has been a staple in Toledo since Tony Packo, the son of Hungarian immigrants, opened a sandwich and ice cream shop in 1932 with his wife, Rose. In 1935, they needed more space and purchased a distinctive wedge-shaped building at the intersection of Front and Consaul streets. Today, there are five locations in the Toledo area, but if you're a first-timer, this is the only way to go.

Dining here is quite an experience; the restaurant retains an authentic ethnic flavor, complete with red-and-white checked oilcloth on the tables. You can’t miss what has become a Tony Packo’s tradition; when celebrities visit here, they “autograph” a hot dog bun, which is then hermetically sealed in plastic and hung on the wall (for the record, a server let us in on a secret -- the buns aren't real). Plenty of big names have been “hot doggers” here over the years, from Alice Cooper to Bill and Hillary Clinton to Jerry Seinfeld to The Donald (for the full story on how this came about, visit Packo's Web site).

Since what we eat here hasn't varied much over the years, I'll reference our most recent visit earlier this month, when we traveled to Maumee Bay State Park in Oregon, Ohio (just outside Toledo) to attend the Toledo Harbor Lighthouse Waterfront Festival. Since we couldn't check into our motel till mid-afternoon, once we'd made our initial tour of the festival grounds, we headed into town for a much-anticipated lunch at Packo's. And I must say, we certainly weren't disappointed -- not that for one second we expected to be. The menu isn't what I'd call expansive in terms of the number of choices, but there's more than enough here to satisfy any family member of any age. Hey, lives there a kid out there who refuses to eat hot dogs?

If you want, you can start with an appetizer; for something a bit different, try the fried pickles (Packo's original pickles and peppers breaded and deep fried and served with a choice of dipping sauces. Or, how about a "Chili Sundae?" No ice cream, but the restaurant's delicious chili layered with sour cream and shredded lettuce in a sundae glass with warm taco chips on the side.

The chili, in fact, is a huge part of my "to-die-for" reasoning; it's survived more than seven decades after its introduction, and it's absolutely delicious (with awards to prove it). Filled with finely chopped meat, chili beans and oodles of flavor, it packs a decent, but not off-putting, "heat" wallop.

The best way to get the full flavor of the Packo's experience, in my humble opinion, is to stick with one of the simple classics. On our most recent visit, for instance, we both ordered Tony Packo's Hot Dog Combo #1 (how's that for name originality)? No matter; what you get, for $8.49, is a famous hot dog with mustard, diced onions and "secret" sauce, a bowl or the chili (which now comes in regular, chicken or vegetarian) and your choice of one side dish. Not a chili lover, Jack substituted a bowl of chicken-and-dumpling soup, which was quite good. For sides, he picked the sauerkraut simmered in tomato sauce, while I insisted on the paprika dumplings with gravy -- for me, nothing else will do.

For the record, there are several varieties of hot dogs, including plain, so don't hesitate to ask for something different if you don't want the works. And if you love chili, you might try the Chili Mac, with the chili spread over dumplings and topped with shredded cheddar and onions. This delicacy comes with either cole slaw or creamy cucumber salad and bread and butter.

Another item of note: Those wonderful pickles. There are several varieties, all of which can be purchased in the gift shop or online. With each meal, though, you get my favorite -- the delectable Sweet Hot Pickles & Peppers. It's hard to describe the sensation of sweet pickle slices combined with hot, thick-sliced banana peppers on your tongue, but it's just wonderful.

It's rare that either of us has room for dessert after chowing down on all these goodies (plus a couple of beers), but if you do, there are a couple of don't miss items. Our favorite is the warm apple dumpling -- succulent apple slices in pastry flavored with cinnamon and other spices with the must-do option of adding ice cream (for $3.69), although the apple, cherry or "special fruit strudels are a quite acceptable alternative.

Once you're finished, be sure to stop in the gift shop. If you loved those pickles, I guarantee some of your friends will as well, and jars make great gifts. Plenty of other "stuff" awaits your perusal as well, from the requisite tourist T-shirts (I own two) to newer barbecue aprons. In the event you just can't bring yourself to waddle into the shop, though, be comforted by the fact that a few products, most notably the pickles, can be purchased back home in Giant Eagle supermarkets and Patton's IGA in Hubbard. Or, visit Packo's Web site and order online; just be aware that shipping costs are high for heavy, breakable items like pickles.

Finally, if you really want to be in the "with it" crowd, you can follow Tony Packo's (as I do) on Facebook and Twitter.

If you go:

Tony Packo’s
1902 Front St.
Toledo, OH 43605
(419) 691-1953
www.tonypackos.com
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 9 p.m.

SUNRISE INN

2010-07-01T18:38:00.000-07:00

I'm not a native of northeastern Ohio -- I was born in Indiana and grew up on a small farm on the southwest side of the Buckeye State -- but I've lived in this neck of the woods ever since I left home to start college at Kent State University way back in 1959. A few years later, I married a guy from Niles, and that's been my home ever since.

One of the disadvantages of living in rural Ohio way back when (although of course I didn't realize it at the time) was an almost total lack of ethnic food. For the most part, we grew what we ate, all lovingly cooked from scratch by a hard-working Mom who was proud to call herself a "housewife." To this day, I clearly remember my first taste of what was called "pizza pie" -- an oven-warmed triangle of red sauce topped by too-hot melted cheese that was sold to the kids at the public swimming pool in Union City, Indiana, for the first time when I was in junior high. It was totally new, totally delicious, and my introduction to the wonderful world of Italian food.

Then when I hit the city of Niles, with its large Italian population, I thought I'd died and gone to Heaven. I lost count of the times we went to the long-gone Jerry's Inn or still popular Alberini's Restaurant for what my husband Jack and I still call the best-ever pizza. Spaghetti and meatballs? Speaking as someone who grew up on cans of Chef Boyardee, I couldn't get enough of the "real" thing.

All this brings me to the subject of this blog, Sunrise Inn in Warren, Ohio -- because for years, it's been my absolute favorite place for spaghetti. To me, the sauce is absolutely wonderful, and the best I've had anywhere; relatively thick and slightly sweet, it has a flavor beyond compare. We've gone there with regularity for many years, and I've never been disappointed.

That's not to say, though, that we haven't tried -- and loved -- other things, not the least of which is the Sunrise Inn pizza. On many occasions, we've stopped in just to sit at the bar for a couple of beers and a couple of slices of bar pizza -- most often the old-fashioned Old World (sometimes known as Brier Hill), topped with a wonderful red sauce, slightly spicy pepperoni and sprinkle cheese. Once in a while I'll try a slice of deep-dish, spinach or veggie pizza -- all delicious -- but in the end the hands-down favorite is the Old World.

We're also quite fond of several other entrees, some Italian, some not; one of my favorites, for instance, is tortellini -- cheese or spinach, your choice, both delicious -- for $8.99. Jack regularly opts for lasagna, which stands at least 4 inches high and covers most of a plate counting the spillover sauce. And Chef Boyardee be darned, the ravioli here is absolutely wonderful. Still another hard-to-go-wrong items are eggplant parmesan and seafood linguine with either red or white sauce -- although lately the latter has become a Friday-only option.

Sunrise Inn is also the go-to place for garlic chicken; that and pizza are popular take-out items. Every time we eat here, we watch quite a number of folks come in to pick up orders they've called in. My preference is the four-piece all dark (Jack prefers the same but all-white) for $7.65; both come with a large Texas potato slice and cole slaw.

Recent years also have brought the addition of roasted prime rib, available for $9.99 on Thursdays and Sundays. It's wonderfully flavored and cooked to perfection -- and at least for me, there's always plenty left for lunch or dinner the next day.

Also more recently is the addition of "Eleven for Eleven" on the menu; as you might expect, there are 11 entrees priced at, well...On a recent visit with friends Jerry and Barb (and a $25 certificate we snagged from Restaurant.com), it was this menu that got our full attention. Consider the following:

Tuna Lorenz, yellowfin tuna suteed with capers, mushrooms, carrots and broccoli in lemon-sherry-butter sauce (for me); Seafood Marinara, Blue Island mussels, black tiger shrimp, tilapia and chopped clams sauteed with garlic in marinara sauce over linguine (Jack); Chicken Monterrey, two breasts with green peppers, artichoke hearts, diced tomatoeas and green onions in garlic butter sauce with Monterrey Jack cheese over rice pilaf (Jerry); and Blackened Pork Chops Au Blu, center-cut chops with blackened seasoning, blue cheese, bacon and caramelized onions over crispy potatoes (Barb).

Needless to say, we sampled each others' entrees, and every one of us said we'd have been quite satisfied with any of the others' choices. The chicken was especially tasty (I love artichoke hearts), and the chops were juicy and tender -- what's not to love about blue cheese?

It goes without saying that we all came back for more; this time, Barb's choice was the "Po Boy" crabcake with remoulade, lettuce, tomato, red onion and cole slaw on a boule for $8.69, while Jerry opted for chicken parmesan, or strips of chicken with onion, peppers, pineapple chunks for $9.39. I stuck with my favorite meat-filled ravioli with toasted garlic bread ($8.99), while Jack, who wasn't quite as hungry, decided on a small order of spaghetti for $7.49 but added mushrooms for an additional 99 cents plus a cup of the delicious tomato bisque.

Everything was absolutely delicious as usual, but Barb was astounded at the size of the crab cake (for the record, it was the biggest one I've ever seen, even on the Atlantic Coast). It tasted even better, although she was able to eat only about half and took the rest home. Noticing that the same crab cake is on the dinner menu, we asked about it -- and our server told us the dinner has not one, but two, of the same huge crab cakes (you'll find it on the Eleven Under Eleven menu).

On still another visit, this time with a coupon for up to $8 off on two dinner entrees from the Entertainment Book, I couldn't resist that "Under Eleven" menu and just had to try the linguine-tuna primavera, with mushrooms, onions, broccoli, carrots and peas in light cream sauce topped with toasted almonds. It was, in three words, to die for. Jack, however, decided on the more classic lasagna, adding a salad for 99 cents.

I feel compelled to add that entrees come with fresh-baked Italian bread; it's hard to resist, but be careful. It's quite dense, and consuming a slice or two can fill you up before your meals arrive. We've learned to pace ourselves, taking the leftover bread home for later.

If you go:

Sunrise Inn
510 E. Market St.
Warren, Ohio 44481
(330) 392-5176

GASOLINE ALLEY

2010-06-03T06:35:00.000-07:00

Wouldn't you like to get away where everybody knows your name? How about a place where everybody knows what you like to drink as well? Both are hallmarks of Gasoline Alley in Niles, where you're a "regular" if you've been there a couple of times. All we have to do is grab a booth, and almost before we're settled in our seats, a smiling server -- who most likely is the bartender as well -- is on the way with a Sam Adams, a Michelob Ultra and one glass (the latter two for me).

Of course, that's a small problem if you've decided on something else that day -- once in a Blue Moon I prefer one of those, and occasionally a Bud Lite Lime sounds appealing. When that's the case, be forewarned that you need to yell out your change in drinking habits early on!

Gasoline Alley basically is a fun neighborhood pub and a popular gathering place for friends; a bar takes up most of one side of the place, with booths on the other side and a row of small round tables in the center aisle (and yes, it can get a bit crowded and noisy, especially in the evenings). There's nothing on tap here, by the way; for beer, it's bottles only, but there's a full bar. A couple of TV sets are always going, menus are on each table and a big whiteboard on the wall lists daily specials. The decor is decidedly, well, gasoline -- old license plates cover the walls and old-time gasoline company neon signs hang from the ceiling like Polly Gas and Johnson Gasolene. At the back, there are a few additional booths and a couple of full-size, though presumably nonworking, gas pumps.

Neighborhood bar notwithstanding, Gasoline Alley has a reputation for great food -- definitely the primary reason my husband Jack and I stop here at least once a week (well, that and the fact that it's very close to home). The Alley is best known for burgers, chili and wings; the latter two have won awards. Those items also are among our "standards," although we've been known to venture away from those to try one of the daily specials, like a delicious green pepper and egg sandwich on a sub-style bun ($3.75). Another favorite that's offered occasionally is sloppy joes -- they're quite delicious, so if you see them on the specials board, don't hesitate to dive in.

My usual burger is the Hot Rod, a bacon cheeseburger with hot pepper cheese, lettuce, tomato and mayo. The full platter, with a side of those wonderful Idora Park-style fries that are best when sprinkled with vinegar, is $6.50. Jack's burger of choice is the Alley Platter, 1/4-lb. burger with grilled onions and melted cheddar cheese (the platter, with fries, also is $6.50). The chili dogs are delicious too -- topped with New Castle dog sauce -- and at just $1.75 we can pig out on two or three. If we're really hungry, we'll add an order of those Idora-style fries, which are topped with crumbled bacon, green onions and melted cheddar cheese -- it's so big we've never been able to finish it.

The clam chowder ($2.75) is quite good here as well, but I'm partial to that award-winning chili. A 12-oz. bowl is $3.35 and so thick and meaty that it makes a meal in and of itself -- absolutely perfect on a cold winter day. I had a big bowl, in fact, on the way home from the movies to see "Sherlock Holmes" back on Dec. 13 (it was about 3:30 on a Wednesday afternoon and the place was almost completely filled -- yes, this is a popular place). Still another favorite of mine is the Cincinnati chili, or spaghetti topped with chili just like I used to love when I was growing up in southwestern Ohio not far from Cincy ($7.75 gets you a huge plate of the stuff plus a large slice of yummy toasted, buttered garlic bread).

Still another of Jack's favorite sandwiches is the plain old BLT -- a very basic sandwich but one they do well here. He always asks for, and gets, the bacon crisp, very little lettuce and lots of mayo. One of my picks that was on the specials-of-the-day board is a bourbon chicken sandwich with fries; the bourbon sauce was especially delicious, so I hope to see that one back on the board soon.

The wings here are truly special; large, plump and juicy with plenty of great-tasting sauce choices. Our favorites are, in rank order, garlic butter, Louisiana garlic butter and teriyaki. Usually, we get two different flavors, 10 of each for $6.25. Buckets of 50 go for $25, and I should note that there's always someone at the counter picking up a take-out order. My guess is that wings are by far the most popular item on the menu, but plenty of other choices -- including a substantial list of appetizers like deep fried veggies and mac-and-cheese bites and tasty sandwiches -- are yours for the asking as well. You won't need to raid your kids' piggy banks to eat here, either; the prices are among the most reasonable you'll find anywhere.

If you're going for the first time, you won't go wrong by ordering chili, wings or burgers -- always on the menu and always delicious. But when you go back, don't hesitate to be a bit more adventurous and try a different kind of sandwich -- say the hot sausage or a couple of those chili dogs with New Castle sauce -- or one of the daily specials. You'll be glad you came!

If you go: Gasoline Alley
500 Vienna Ave.
Niles, Ohio 44446
(330) 652-0555

Korner Restaurant

2010-05-13T13:08:00.000-07:00

On the outside, the Korner Restaurant isn't likely to be called an architectural marvel. But don't be fooled; the number of cars and trucks in the parking lot -- and number of tables filled with obviously satisfied diners inside -- tell the real tale here. In fact, it's hard to beat for good, stick-to-your-ribs food served up in a pleasant, family-friendly atmosphere.

In the interest of full disclosure, this place was recommended by friend and host of "The Valley View," Mike Costarella. But the fact is, we'd eaten there more than once before he spoke up. Not long before the first of our two "official" visits, for instance, we stopped with friends on our way home from sipping (and buying) some wine at the Mastropietro Winery in Berlin Center. Although at that time we weren't thinking about tracking what we had to eat, I do recall that the four of us agreed that whatever it was we ate was delicious.

We paid attention to the details on our first official visit, noting the colorful Fiesta dinnerware, including coffee mugs ready for filling already on our table. Fiesta, for those who might not know, is made by the Homer Laughlin China Co. of Newell, West Virginia, across the Ohio River not far from East Liverpool. The silverware at the restaurant is "packaged" in little paper bags -- a very neat and tidy idea. The red brick building exterior is carried over to some of the interior walls, and the wood trim is painted in complementary turquoise, blue and maroon. Immediately, we felt we were in a "home-town" kind of place; diners were conversing with other diners -- even those who sat at other tables -- and the atmosphere was low-key and comfortable.

In addition to a diner-style service counter, there are a couple of rooms with tables and booths plus a back room that has a long table to accommodate groups; in fact, it was in use at our lunch visit by, we were told, some local government officials. Specials are listed on boards; one that caught my eye on this occasion was a chicken salad sandwich with lettuce and tomato with French fries or soup for $4 and the beef barley and chicken rice soups of the day.

Immediately, I zeroed in on one section of the menu: The "7 Under 7" -- dinners priced at $6.99 each. Still another menu insert lists meals for those who need or want to be nutrition-conscious; called "Delicious and Nutritious," the foods listed include information on protein, carbs, fat and calories. We saw a bevvy of sandwiches and wraps, ranging in price from $2.49 for grilled cheese to $4.99 each for a couple of fancied-up hamburgers. Several varieties of pasta and salads are offered as well, also at good prices.

My husband Jack first considered a tuna salad wrap at $4.99 and the open-face roast beef with potatoes and vegetables from the $6.99 menu, but after much deliberation, he ended up ordering an open-face hot roast beef sandwich with mashed potatoes and gravy for $5.99. My decision was made far more quickly; once I saw the grilled ham and pierogies with a veggie on the $6.99 menu, that was all she wrote. For the record, it was the pierogies, not the ham, that turned the tide; I'll follow those wonderful stuffed goodies anywhere.

Immediately, our server brought a basket of bread and crackers and our drinks -- diet Coke and unsweetened iced tea, respectively, at $1.29 each. Jack's open-face sandwich arrived on a very large oval platter not much later; although it seemed to him there was plenty of gravy to go around, our server asked him if it was enough to suit him (it was). His vegetable of choice was corn, and there was plenty of that as well. The beef, he said, was exceptionally tender and flavorful, and the potatoes tasted "real."

My plate also was large, filled with three large pierogies topped with grilled onions; before bringing it, our server asked if I wanted sour cream, and since I answered in the affirmative, she brought that as well. Also on the plate were three ample-sized triangles of grilled ham, unexpectedly topped with a few mandarin oranges. The ham was wonderfully grilled and had a great flavor. For a side, I ordered the mixed veggies -- broccoli, carrots, cauliflower and zucchini. The entire meal including soft drinks totaled $18.10, and for that amount we left with very full stomachs.

Our son Scott and daughter-in-law Lilla recently moved into a new house in Cuyahoga Falls, inviting us and a few other family members and guests to a very informal housewarming party shortly thereafter. On the way home, we decided to stop at the Korner Restaurant for dinner. Although we weren't very hungry -- we'd been well fed at the party, after all -- we figured we'd get something that would reheat well for lunch the next day.

This time, we were more familiar with the menu, so decisions came more quickly. Jack immediately zeroed in on the bourbon beef tips with caramelized onions, mushrooms and a bourbon glaze ($10.99). For sides, he chose a garden salad with Thousand Island dressing plus macaroni and cheese. Ever the seafood fanatic, I settled on baked Norwegian cod -- a baked filet "lightly seasoned" for $9.99. I, too, picked a garden salad (but with Italian dressing) plus a cup of the chicken-rice soup that was a special that day.

Our salads featured crisp greens plus some tomato, chopped onions, carrots and celery; the chicken-rice soup was on the creamy side with onions, carrots and rice, none of which overwhelmed the tasty broth. As expected, Jack was able to bring home plenty of the delicious beef tips as well as more than half the mac-and-cheese (which I in particular enjoyed devouring once we got back home). For the record, it was made not with the expected elbow macaroni, but rather with small-size rigatoni, and the sauce was creamy and delicious.

The Norwegian cod was a good-size plank that was almost too lightly seasoned to have much flavor, but the lemon and tartar sauce compensated. I always find that once you get more than half an hour from the ocean, you can expect that fish will be cooked far longer than necessary, so I wasn't at all surprised that it happened here as well. That said, it was quite good. Better still, I was able to eat only about half of what was on my plate, and I'm happy to report that the rest ended up chopped and added to the linguine with white clam sauce I made for dinner the following day.

As we were eating, I noticed that a couple of the servers' t-shirts proclaimed, "Small Place, Big Taste" -- apparently the restaurant's motto. On our way out, I noticed some ground and whole-bean coffee sold by the bag (16 oz. ground for $6.95), a house blend "Gourmet European Roast Coffee" with the motto on the bag as well. Coffee-lover that I am, I bought one, and it's quite good. It's an all-purpose down-home morning coffee as opposed to French roast and stronger blends like I buy at Starbucks, but it seemed to me to be a cut above the basic grocery-story Maxwell House variety and well worth buying again next time we head for the Korner -- which will be soon. Hope to see you there!

If you go: Korner Restaurant
9177 Mahoning Ave.
North Jackson, Ohio
(330) 538-9963

Open Wednesday through Saturday 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sunday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. ; closed Monday and Tuesday.

Enzo's Restaurant & Lounge

2010-04-26T11:32:00.000-07:00

My love of Enzo's Restaurant & Lounge goes way back -- never mind how many years -- but I was working in downtown Warren at the time I first discovered it. My business colleagues and I loved to go there for lunch when our workloads permitted us a real lunch hour. Once my job moved to Youngstown, my visits necessarily were far less frequent, but now that my husband Jack and I are at least somewhat retired, we've rediscovered the place and fallen in love all over again.

In addition to enjoying a wonderful, leisurely lunch or dinner, though, I must note that Enzo's was the site of an even more joyous occasion: Our daughter's wedding reception more than a dozen years ago. At that time, Enzo's had just opened a banquet room, and she was looking for a place to hold the big event. All the huge well-known banquet halls were booked up a year or more in advance, and besides, her reception, with something like 125 guests, didn't require such a big facility. The minute she learned about Enzo's, she paid them a visit -- and went on to become the first wedding reception to be held there. Needless to say, everything was perfect, not the least of which was the food. To this day, we remember the wonderful time we all had there, and every once in a while one of the guests from all those years ago mentions the great surroundings and food as well.

Our "official" visit was in early April for a late lunch, and once again, we left with full stomachs, smiles on our faces and a pledge to not wait so long to eat here next time around. The decor is quite lovely with a decided Italian flavor -- Enzo's is owned by the Cantalamessa family, after all -- and there's a definite upscale ambience that's felt the minute you enter the lobby. To the right is the banquet facility; to the left is a small bar where you can wait for a table (or just pop in for a glass of wine, mixed drink or a cold beer). Almost straight ahead is the restaurant, which has a couple of dozen booths and a dozen or so tables. We also noticed a small outdoor patio that will be nice in warmer weather -- we'll definitely give it a try this summer!

Given the surroundings, you might expect to find outrageous prices -- but not so. We spent just under $9 apiece for our entrees (not including a couple of beers); we've spent far more than that at many "family casual" restaurants like Applebee's and Ruby Tuesday, all amid the banter of overly friendly servers who seem bent on becoming our best friends, the clatter of dishes and intrusive music and chatter from a half-dozen TV sets pointed at us from every direction.

At Enzo's, there's none of that -- the servers here are very friendly, courteous and helpful (they even bring ice water as soon as you sit down with no need to beg for it). Although business people clearly eat here often and you'll see lots of suits, sport coats and even an occasional necktie, you won't feel out of place if you wander in, as we did, in jeans. We also learned from our server that the restaurant's "regulars" haven't slacked off a bit despite the economy -- which also tells me something about how good, and reasonably priced, the food is here.

Two things we almost always get here -- wedding soup and linguine with red clam sauce -- we've always said are as good as you'll find anywhere. The wedding soup (I'm the one who loves it) is filled with all the usual greens, shredded chicken and those teeny meatballs, all swimming in an absolutely delicious broth. As for the linguine, it's Jack who claims that as his all-time favorite (I don't like red sauce on seafood). He love it so much, though, that he orders it at just about every Italian restaurant we've ever been to. So when he says this is the best, I'm inclined to believe him.

For him, then, the choice of entree was a no-brainer, especially since the cost is a reasonable $8.95 on the lunch menu. He chose the daily special soup of vegetable beef, which he pronounced delicious as he ate that and a slice of fresh Italian bread from the basket our server delivered with our soup.

The choice of entree for me, however, was a bit more difficult. I've always loved Chicken Francaise, for instance, and it's wonderful here, sauteed with lemon, wine and butter and also $8.95. Then there's the Fettuccini Prima Vera -- homemade noodles tossed with fresh vegetables and Alfredo sauce at $8.95. Most lunch entrees, I should add, come with either a tossed salad or a cup of soup (sandwiches generally include fries or onion rings). If you're there for dinner, expect to add three or four bucks to the lunch cost, but the portions are substantially larger and non-pasta entrees include either tossed salad or soup and a choice of potatoes, pasta, rice or vegetables. We've never had dinner here without bringing home at least half to enjoy another day.

Needless to say, there are plenty of salads and sandwiches here as well; when was the last time you had a real pizzaburger -- a choice of hamburger, sausage or a meatball served between two slices of pizza? The lunch version costs $5.95, by the way, and it's a real treat.

For this lunch, I finally settled on a new-to-me entree: Angel Hair Giardiniera, or angel hair spaghetti tossed in olive oil with snow peas, sundried tomatoes, red, yellow and green bell peppers, onions, mushrooms and romano cheese ($8.95). It sounded absolutely marvelous, and I was absolutely right. Light but spilling over with flavor, especially in the sauce, it's surpassed the Fettuccini Prima Vera as my favorite pasta dish. Although I struggled to make room, it was so delicious that I finished the entire bowl.

I digress a bit, but I must stop to share a little tip. Those who know me know I love anything hot and spicy -- I'll know I'm old when I can no longer wolf down a bowl of hot peppers in oil without suffering for days afterward. But in all my years of enjoying the spices of life, never once did I ever consider adding hot pepper flakes to pasta cooked in a white sauce. That was until I found a special linguine with white clam sauce at another local Italian restaurant -- the "secret" ingredient is (you guessed it), red pepper flakes. They add just the right amount of zing without changing the flavor of the dish.

So trust me: Although Enzo's Angel Hair Giardiniera is as close to perfect as you can get all on its own, try adding a couple of shakes of those pepper flakes. Bellissimo!

If you go: Enzo's Restaurant & Lounge
2918 Elm Road N.E.
Warren, Ohio
(330) 372-3314
http://www.enzosofwarren.com

Open Tuesday through Friday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday noon to 9 p.m.; closed Sunday and Monday.

CONGRATULATIONS, ART!

2010-04-16T18:57:00.000-07:00

Big congratulations to Art Byrd for the publication of his 50th "A Byrd's Eye View" newsletter! As he notes in the latest edition, he started the newsletter because, "I got tired of people telling me that there is nothing to do in the Youngstown area. With each edition, we prove them wrong."

That's much the same reason I started this Mahoning Valley Eats & Treats blog -- there's no shortage of great places to eat right here in the Mahoning and Shenango valleys. Keep up the good work, Art, and here's a special thanks for "plugging" my blog in your terrific newsletter! If you'd like to read excerpts from the newsletters, visit Art's blog!

Up A Creek Tavern

2010-04-08T11:26:00.000-07:00

Spring is here -- finally -- bringing with it the opening of the outdoor patio at Up A Creek Tavern and a great place to soak up rays, chow down on a juicy burger and quaff a beer or two. Yes, it's a great neighborhood pub! But did you know you can have great private parties here? Or that the pasta at this Howland Township eatery is good enough to make Italian restaurant chefs cry? Or that on Saturdays, the wood-fired roasted Texas brisket, lamb and prime rib are melt-in-your-mouth wonderful?

My husband Jack and I consider ourselves regulars here -- in fact, when the weather's warm and we're not on the road, we're likely to be here for a late lunch a couple of days a week at least.

One of the best things going is that there's almost always something special -- meaning great food and drink at a special price. There are $1 drafts here every day, but there's also Happy Hour (3 p.m. to closing), drinks of the month (for April, it's Riesling from one of our favorite Ohio wineries, Chalet Debonne) and some kind of food deal. The April wing flavors are Mango Rum and Citrus Herb; the Burger of the Month is the Tavern Burger at $6.99, which is a delicious half-pound Black Angus burger topped with sauteed sweet peppers and onions, a piece of fried bologna, Swiss cheese, lettuce and tomato on a grilled kaiser roll. If you like, add a fried egg for another buck (oh yes, it comes with fries).

Then there are daily specials, which we often try because the price is right and we're introduced to what's likely to become a new favorite -- like the recent Tuscany sausage sandwich for $5.99 -- which is one of the thickest, juiciest and spiciest hot I've ever had, topped with and red bell peppers and melted cheese. Jack had one of his all-time favorites, the Reuben sandwich (he swears the corned beef is better here than anywhere else), and I added a cup of chicken and wild rice soup. The soup was filled with plenty of tender rice, chicken chunks, celery and carrots -- oh yeah, I'd order both the sandwich and soup again, no question!

I've already mentioned that we eat on the outdoor patio when possible; there are several booths and tables in the main room where the bar is when the weather isn't so good. There's a porch with a fireplace and screens on the windows that is used year-round as well. Plenty of flat-screen TVs assure you won't miss a big game for those who are interested in that stuff. The tables have boxes filled with condiments and a rack of paper towels in the old Hooters tradition -- definitely a low-key kind of place!

Surprisingly, the pastas here are among our favorites; they range in price from $7.99 to $9.99, and you can add chicken, shrimp and/or sausage to any dish for a couple of dollars extra. My special favorite is the Pasta Diavlo ($7.99), a very spicy concoction of pasta with garlic, herbs, olive oil, fresh plum tomatoes, hot peppers and basil in red sauce.

Speaking of hot peppers, at one of our visits we overheard one of the chefs talking about hot peppers in oil in a jar that were being sold at the restaurant and as far away as Arizona and Florida. Needless to say, we asked about them and ended up buying a jar for $7.99. They're called Papa Canzonetta's Medium Hot Peppers Italian Style, which means, I guess, that they're packed with a red sauce). They're not eye-watering hot -- even Jack had a taste without passing out -- but they sure are delicious! Next time you're at the tavern, ask about getting a jar.

At another visit, Jack ordered linguine with red clam sauce (white sauce is on the menu as well) for $9.99. When I noticed the menu statement, "You've gotta try this one!" on the daily special crabmeat in tequila lime cream sauce pasta (11.99), I just had to try it. The sauce is pink -- so when it was set down in front of me, I thought oh no -- red sauce and seafood are not a good combination in my book. One bite, though, and that concern went right out the window. There was plenty of sauce, and the whole thing was topped with pieces of crabmeat (not the fake kind). It's substantial enough that I could eat only about half, and the half I brought home was enough to make a meal for the two of us. In short, it was to die for -- so good that I suggested to the server that it be placed on the permanent menu.

For the record, like other foods here, pastas, can be yours at a special price if you watch what day you go; currently, for instance, on Wednesdays you can buy one, get one free -- a can't-be-beat deal.

Still another favorite I found on the "winter" menu -- a four-piece fried chicken dinner that comes either spicy hot or "regular" Southern spiced for $7.49. I tried it on a day it was on special, which offered a $2 discount, and it was wonderful (I got the regular version because the spicy one had a sauce on it and I don't like chicken that drips or is excessively messy). The chicken came with cheddar mashed potatoes and cole slaw (I could have substituted fries or onion straws but didn't). Meanwhile, Jack tried a parmesan pepper shrimp wrap accompanied by onion straws -- also delicious -- and a cup of the tavern's excellent French onion soup. and washed it all down with a couple of those $1 drafts (Coors Light is our choice).

When the chicken first arrived, though, I was afraid it might be too crispy for my taste (more to the point, for my aging teeth to handle without cracking off), but I was pleasantly surprised. The pieces were quite large and included a leg, a wing, a thigh and a breast. In the end, we took home two pieces of the chicken and half of Jack's wrap -- the portions are quite substantial here, by the way, and we leave with boxes in hand virtually every time we visit.

The sandwiches and wings here are outstanding too; our favorite wing flavors are Butter Garlic and Parmesan & Black Pepper. The regular price is six wings for $4.49 (eight boneless for $5.29), but they're often on special as well. In addition to Jack's favorite Reuben, I love the fried bologna sandwich, packed full of thick-sliced balogna topped with grilled onions and provolone for $4.99. To that, I add hot peppers for another $1. Talk about comfort food!

Finally, I'll mention a couple of other great deals: If it's your birthday, you eat here free (up to $12). And if you want to party down with a relatively small crowd, you can reserve that screened-in porch for $50, which is then applied to the cost of the food assuming you show up. Not long ago, we booked the place on a Sunday afternoon to entertain about 30 friends and family members who came to meet our son Scott's wife Lilla, who came here from South Africa (she has dual citizenship there and in Great Britain). We could have ordered individual meals or chosen a buffet with as many items as we wanted. Since this was a mid-afternoon bash, we went with the latter, picking two kinds of pizza (with pepperoni and veggie), two kinds of wings (honey barbecue and butter garlic) and a large antipasto tray -- choose a size of each that would feed from 30 to 35. Everyone had plenty (and loved the butter garlic wings in particular), and we still had plenty left to share take-home boxes with several of our guests.

If you go:

Up a Creek Tavern
4793 E. Market St.
Warren, OH 44484
(330) 856-5135
http://upacreektavern.com

Open daily from 11:30 a.m. top 2:30 a.m.

O'Charley's is A-O'K

2010-03-25T11:20:00.000-07:00

Count my husband Jack and I among those who suffered hunger withdrawal pains back when the Chi-Chi's restaurants bit the dust. Often, we'd pop in the Niles location near Eastwood Mall for a margarita or pitcher of sangria; almost as often, we'd end up in the restaurant, where the seafood enchiladas were to die for. Alas, amigos, it was not to be forever.

Sometime thereafter, we learned that a new restaurant called O'Charley's would be opening at that location. Owned and operated by Covelli Enterprises of Warren -- one of a 50-store franchise agreement signed in 2005 between Covelli and O'Charley's Inc. of Nashville, Tenn. -- it would join the local casual dining family restaurant category. O'Phoo, we said -- not that we don't like these places, but do we really need another of the Applebee's, Chili's and Ruby Tuesday eat-alikes? No, we said to each other, it was doubtful we'd ever be regular customers.

And by golly, we had to eat our words. From the very first visit, we felt right at home here. For openers, the atmosphere is far more pleasant than those other casual dining places. I love the dark, rich wood, old photos from the Niles area on the walls and booths that are arranged for optimal privacy. Greeters and servers are friendly and pleasant -- not the overly exuberant, excessively perky types who act as though they're your best friend the second you walk in the door. Another plus: A lack of the usual restaurant noise. There's no loud music to drown out conversation, no banging and clattering of dishes, no servers shouting out orders. In short, it's a comfortable place to enjoy a great meal in relative peace and quiet.

And then, of course, there's the most important part: The wonderful food.

Early on, we learned that salads here are not to be missed. At one lunch adventure, we made a halfhearted attempt at eating healthy, ordering soup and salads. Our server's suggestion swayed both of us toward the Chicken Harvest soup, which she described as "like chicken potpie in a bowl" (it's a menu regular). It was both one of the thickest and most delicious soups I've ever had -- I swear I could have turned the cup upside down without spilling any of those tasty noodles, vegetable bits and chicken -- and at $2.99 a cup, it was hearty enough to make a meal all by itself.

The salads aren't inexpensive -- the Pecan Chicken Tender (my choice) was $9.49 and the Cajun Chicken Jack picked was $8.99 -- but they were so large there was plenty left over to take home. Mine was Romaine lettuce topped with pecan-encrusted chicken "O'tenders" (what else?) plus mandarin oranges, crumbled bleu cheese, dried cranberries and honey roasted pecans. Add a tasty balsamic vinaigrette dressing -- all are served on the side here, by the way -- and I was in salad Heaven. Our conversation slowed to a crawl as I dived into my salad and Jack discovered the spicy blackened chicken, shredded cheeses and tomatoes on fresh greens, all spiced up with O'Charley's signature ranch dressing. Oh yes, the chicken on both salads was cut into manageable chunks and quite tasty as well.

These days, many restaurants are offering "twofer" deals, and O'Charley's is no exception. Not long ago, we were hungry and stopped in to take advantage of a two-meals-for-$14.99 offer. Needless to say, the first problem was deciding what to choose. We were tempted by several possibilities, including a Wild West Burger topped with melted Monterrey Jack cheese, crispy bacon, fried onion tanglers and "zesty" Cajun-horseradish sauce and the Cajun Shrimp & Grits (jumbo New Orleans-style shrimp sauteed and served with onions, peppers, tomatoes and chopped bacon over cheddar cheese grits). In the end, though -- recalling that yummy Chicken Harvest soup -- I decided on the Chicken Harvest Pot Pie, while Jack opted for the Prime Rib Philly sandwich with seasoned fries.

Neither of us was disappointed, and neither did we go home hungry. The sandwich consisted of thinly sliced prime rib on a toasted hoagy roll topped with sauteed mushrooms, onions, peppers and melted Monterrey Jack cheese. The pot pie, which I highly recommend, was a down-home mixture of pulled chicken, carrots, celery, peas and mushrooms in a creamy "harvest" sauce, all piled on top of smashed potatoes and topped with puff pastry. And the taste? To die for; and because the pot pie is so large, I was able to enjoy the other half back at home the next day.

We also noticed that O'Charley's is serving prime rib every day after 4 p.m., so since that's a favorite (and Jack's prime rib sandwich was so delicious), we definitely plan a return trip to try the whole enchilada (with all due respect and a tip of the sombrero to Chi-Chi's).

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the wonderful fresh-baked rolls with honey butter that accompany the entrees. They're a signature item and quite delicious. In fact, if you stop by O'Charley's Web site (see the address below), do check out the video titled "The Story of Our Rolls." It's hokey as all get-out, but very well done and brings home the point in an interesting, unique way.

O'Charley's also serves up a mean Sunday brunch, although not with the typical buffet. Instead, there are off-the-menu items ranging from a wonderful open-face spinach and mushroom omelette ($7.99) to a hefty hunk of that slow-roasted, prime rib rubbed with herbs and spices (10-ounce portion, $14.99). Sandwiches here are especially tasty; my favorite is the Mushroom Swiss Bacon Burger topped with just what you'd expect to find given the name ($8.49). And appetizers? Plentiful and delicious as well; here, I'm particularly fond of the Authentic Spinach & Artichoke Dip that comes with warm, crisp tortilla chips ($6.99).

While I'm on the subject of appetizers, I'll let you in on a little secret: If you find a restaurant you especially love, go to the Web site and, if possible, sign up to get periodic e-mails alerting you to special deals, happenings, and such. When I did just that at O'Charley's, I received a printable coupon within minutes giving me a free appetizer with the purchase of an entree. You don't have to use the coupons if you don't want to, but why miss out on the opportunity? I recommend creating a special "throw-away" e-mail address to use for this purpose so you don't clog up your primary e-mailbox (and then be sure to check it regularly, since most of the special deals and freebies come with expiration dates).

Also as I mentioned before, O'Charley's has a very nice full bar -- and some absolutely wonderful drinks to go with it. We stop in every once in a while for Happy Hour (at the moment, it's from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., when select appetizers are half price, domestic draft beer is $2 and "basic" margaritas are $4. Well drinks are inexpensive, too, and last time I was there the bartender made a mean gin and tonic with lime. If you'd like something a bit fancier, you might try a tangerine pomegranate margarita, a glass of sangria, or perhaps a special Raspberry Limoncello, which is made with Chambord black raspberry, Caravella Limoncello, lemon and lime juice and a splash of cherry and served in a martini glass ($6.49). Yum!

If you go: O'Charley's
5789 Mines Road
Niles, OH 44446
(330) 288-0066

930 Windham Court
Boardman, Ohio 44512
(330) 259-0207
http://www.ocharleys.com

Open Monday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sunday 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. (brunch served from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.)

Quaker Steak & Lube

2010-03-11T12:18:00.000-08:00

If any restaurant has earned the right to be dubbed the "granddaddy" of casual sit-down eateries in the local region, it just might be Quaker Steak & Lube. Somewhere around a 25 years ago, it was, among other things, a popular gathering place for students and faculty members from the Penn State Shenango Campus in Sharon, Pa. (in the interest of full disclosure, I had the privilege of joining the fun with them on several occasions). The wings were delicious -- even if the joke was that they were plucked from notoriously teeny chickens -- and the beer was icy cold. If we wanted something more substantial, the burgers, steaks and seafood filled the bill nicely.

What a difference a quarter of a century makes! Not only have the wings thankfully grown to larger proportions, the number of restaurants has grown as well; today, there are 37 in about 12 states. Last year, Quaker Steak opened six new units, and another six (at least) are on tap for this year, according to company reports.

In fact, the origins of the motorsports-themed restaurant are reminiscent of what's happening today. This country's first gas crisis happened in 1974, sending prices sky high and resulting in the closing of gas stations. Two local "boys," George Warren III and Gary Meszaros, wanted a way to keep the memory of those old gas stations and gas-guzzling (and fast disappearing) muscle cars alive. They found it by opening Quaker Steak & Lube, where old cars were displayed. That theme has been carried out in all the restaurants; today, old cars and trucks, vintage motorcycles and more catch diners' attention -- generally hanging directly above patrons' heads from the ceiling. The food, too, is consistent throughout the chain; when we're on the road, my husband and I often will head to a Quaker Steak for lunch or dinner, whether we're in Columbus, Erie, Pa., or Newport News, Va., always knowing we're not in for an unpleasant surprise.

As might be expected, the menu reflects the motorsports theme as well. The huge onion rings that are wonderfully crunchy on the outside and juicy tender on the inside are delivered on an "antenna"; signature sandwiches have names like Mustang Chicken, and kids chow down on Kids Lube Cruiser meals, served in a custom Lube Cruiser racing car they can take home.

The main attraction, of course, is the wings; more than 70 million reportedly are served up each year. That "Supercharged" sauce -- which back in the day was called "Atomic" -- is so hot that diners are asked to sign a release form before taking a taste. This, of course, means a die-hard heat-seeking freak like me would make a beeline to try them, right? In truth, no -- but it's not because I'm afraid of burnout. In fact, I'm not a big fan of barbecue-flavored wings at all; I'd much rather stick to flavors like Asian Sesame, Golden Garlic and Parmesan Pepper, which has the distinction of being my all-time favorite.

That is, until recently. Back when it was introduced, I fell in love with the flavor of the buttery sauce swimming with shredded parmesan cheese and cracked pepper. In fact, I actually craved it; more than once, I'd get a hankering for an order and beg my "driver" hubby to get me to The Lube as fast as he could -- there's a relatively new one closer to us in Austintown now. But then, everything went South as the sauce suddenly became a heavy, thick, clingy concoction that was so overpoweringly rich I could barely stand to eat a single wing, let alone a whole order -- even though the flavor remained close to the original. So if you're reading this, guys, please gimme back that original, and irresistible, parmesan pepper sauce -- this new version will never pass my lips again!

Of course, there's much more to enjoy at The Lube than the wings -- the burgers, steaks and seafood are just as good today as they were back in the days when I hung out with the college crowd. My hubby enjoys the newer grilled boneless wings -- usually in the ranch flavor ($7.99 for a single order) -- and one of my favorites, especially since the transformation of that parmesan pepper sauce, is the "Biker Chick" chopped salad ($8.99). It's romaine lettuce with dried cranberries, grilled boneless chicken and strawberries with Wildberry Poppyseed dressing -- and it's wonderful! When we're in the mood for sandwiches, our favorites include the corned beef reuben ($8.29) and turkey bacon club ($8.59).

Another very new menu addition is the The flatbread pizza, called "Flatbed Flatbreads" in keeping with the automotive theme. They're available in Philly Cheese Steak, Southwest BBQ Chicken and California Veggie Ranch versions, and they're excellent.

The menu of course has evolved over the years, and it's quite possible more changes are in the works as evidenced by last month's hiring of Dudley McMahon in the newly created position of vice president of culinary development and purchasing. McMahon, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America who's accumulated considerable experience at chains similar in style to Quaker Steak & Lube, worked with Quaker Steak President and CEO Ken Cole for six years at the California-based Sizzler restaurants and for three at Damon's International in Columbus.

“Chef Dudley’s research and development, purchasing and operations experience will help us build on that heritage as The Lube continues to expand into new U.S. and international markets," Cole stated in a February news release, noting that Quaker Steak & Lube opened six units last year, and with at least that many scheduled for this year, the 37-unit chain’s growth is in high gear.

Exactly what Dudley will add to the organization isn't known yet, but we'll certainly keep our fingers crossed (hey, maybe he won't like that new parmesan garlic sauce either)!

So popular are the Quaker Steak restaurants that if you go at a "regular" lunch or dinner hour, it's likely you'll have a wait. A favorite "trick" of ours is arriving somewhere around 1:30 p.m. -- a bit late for lunch, but still in time to enjoy Quaker Steak's wonderful lunch buffet (which ends around 2:30). I'm not quoting prices for much here since they can vary depending on the restaurant location, but the lunch buffet goes for somewhere around $7.99 and is, in my opinion, a real bargain. Do be aware, though, that there's no buffet on Saturdays.

At our most recent visit, we filled up on meatloaf, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, at least one flatbread pizza, clam chowder and cream of carrot soups, salads and a variety of desserts. Oh yes, and one flavor of boneless wings (Golden Garlic) and two of the regular wings (Ranch and Buffalo). The salad bar had a bowl of chopped lettuce as well as regular pulled-apart kind -- always a plus for me -- and the tomatoes are finely chopped as well (also a plus). Toppings included red raisins, hot banana peppers and jalapenos, and the several dressings including Hidden Valley Ranch (which I chose). I also tried some of the three-bean salad and a couple of the Tai-flavored chicken bites that weren't on the published buffet menu.

The green beans had a tasty seasoning and were deliciously interspersed with sliced red peppers. The meatloaf was tender and juicy, the gravy tasty. I got two ranch wings -- not necessarily my favorite, but good -- before our server told us if we wanted a flavor that wasn't on the buffet that day, they'd be happy to make up special orders of five or six of any flavor I wanted (we declined on this day, but the fact that it's an option sure is a great idea and one we filed away in our heads for the next time).

Among the several desserts were banana custard and fresh-fried dough that resembled a cross between elephant ears and curly waffles, the latter of which could be topped with a variety of temptations like cherries and chocolate sauce. The chocolate dipped pretzel sticks were tempting, but I forced myself to "settle" for a few chocolate-covered strawberries. At the end of our meal, our server delivered, as is customary, warm wetnaps to clean our sticky fingers and a couple of those yummy red Twizzler sticks.

If your appetite is bigger still, don't miss the buffet on Sundays. It, too, ends at 2:30 p.m., and it's all you can eat for $11.99. This is an especially great deal; if you order straight off the menu and get a wings-and-rings combo, for instance, it will set you back close to $11; so why not spend another buck and eat your heart out?

Buffet items the day we were there included fresh chef-cooked scrambled eggs with red peppers, onions and cheese, bacon strips and sausage links, buttermilk biscuits and thick white gravy, a waffle station with toppings like chocolate sauce, whipped cream and syrup and more -- and that's just the "breakfast" items. Ham slices, sausage and peppers, peel-and-eat shrimp, macaroni and cheese, hash browns and a salad table (the Caesar is especially good) and two kinds of wings were among the heartier fare (and yes, you can order other flavors of wings at this buffet as well).

It's always fun to eat inside the restaurants, but when the weather permits, it's even more fun -- for us, at least -- to sit outdoors. Both the Sharon and Austintown locations have open patios of sorts; while the views are less than spectacular, those yummy wings always seem to taste even better when they're mixed with fresh air and sunshine.

If you go:

Quaker Steak & Lube
101 Chestnut St.
Sharon, PA 16146
(800) HOT-WING
www.quakersteakandlube.com

Open Sunday through Thursday 11 a.m. to Midnight; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.

Note: The site listed is the original Quaker Steak & Lube. There are a number of other locations, so check the Web site to find the one closest to where you are (or going to be). The full menu is available online as well.