Great food, scenic parks and plenty of fun things to see and do all four seasons of the year at reasonable prices make Ohio's Mahoning Valley a great place to live and visit. This blog is intended to showcase some of the possibilities in the hope that you'll join us soon -- and often!
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.
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
The Mahoning Valley region of Ohio is perhaps most often thought of as part of the so-called "Rust Belt" -- if it's thought of at all. Tucked up in the northeastern corner of the state about 15 miles from the Pennsylvania border, it's arguably best known for a former U.S. Representative who spent time in jail, the "Mob" and shuttered steel mills. I know that how? Because every single time we travel to another state -- any other state -- and tell folks we meet where we're from, it's guaranteed that we'll get a question about one or all of the above.
Add in a reputation for somewhat lousy weather, and it's enough to make a body wonder why anyone would want to visit, much less live here. But I don't see it that way. I've been in this part of Ohio for close to 50 years now, and while I'd love to see more sunny days, I firmly believe this is a great place to be. The cost of living is remarkably low compared with other parts of the country. It brings together the best of the city and country; cornfields and other amber waves of grain dot the landscape right along with interesting museums, shopping centers and parks.
Oh sure, the weather can be iffy -- if you don't like what you see, just wait 5 minutes, we're fond of saying. But on the other hand, it never gets boring, and not much compares to walking along a tree-lined path amid brilliantly colored foliage on a crisp fall day. Besides that, within an easy hour-or-so's drive we can be walking barefoot on a sandy beach, climbing an historic lighthouse or trolling for wildflowers in one of at least 15 state and national parks.
Then there's the food. My husband Jack and I travel as much as we can, and when we do, we love to eat. We've had dinner at some pretty well-known restaurants in quite a few states, and you know what? Every single time, we say to each other, "This is great, but there's nothing here that's better than what we can get back home every single day."
Of course, I can't discount the familiarity factor and learning to love what you're used to; there's a reason they call it Home Sweet Home. Still, we've always insisted that the Mahoning Valley's cuisine is pretty hard to beat. And just for the record, we include the Shenango Valley in that sweeping declaration; just over the Pennsylvania border are plenty of other fantastic restaurants and attractions just waiting to be discovered by me and you.
I do admit to one exception to my "home" rule, though: As seafood moves inland, it tends to lose ground. Not surprisingly, absolutely nothing compares to fresh-from-the-ocean "lobstah" at The Lobster Dock in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, the huge, almost no-filler-added crabcakes from The Crab Claw in St. Michaels, Maryland, or the steamed spiced shrimp at Awful Arthur's Oyster Bar on the North Carolina Outer Banks. That said, there seems to be a direct correlation between distance from water and how long fish is cooked; by the time you reach mid-Ohio, all too often it's barely recognizable. Sorry, Charlie, but the fish is dead. No need to kill it again (and again!) by leaving it on the grill or in the oven till it's tough and tasteless.
The reason for this blog is to showcase some of the eateries and other treasures our little part of the world has to offer. There's no set schedule for updates, but the plan is to add something new every couple of weeks. For the most part, what you'll see is what we get in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties in Ohio and Mercer and Lawrence counties in Pennsylvania. But once in a while -- especially since I'm an official "Ohio Ambassador" charged with promoting what the Buckeye State has to offer -- I'll stray into other parts of Ohio (and maybe even another state or two) to bring you a look at a special restaurant or attraction we've found.
If reading about these places entices you to come visit, that's wonderful -- y'all come on down (or up, or over as the case may be). And if you have questions about anything you see here or want to suggest a favorite restaurant of your own, zap me an e-mail. I'm always up for a new adventure!
Just for the record, I've had a bit of experience at not only eating and traveling, but writing about it as well. I wrote about local restaurants and travel for The Business Journal in Youngstown for several years (and Jack penned 100 "Dining Out" restaurant reviews for that newspaper over a period of four years). Besides that, I've posted similar "stuff" on a number of travel Web sites since then.
In the interests of full disclosure -- and the letter of the blog law -- I'll emphasize here that no one associated with any restaurant pays me, or gives me free meals, or in any way influences what I write here. As I mentioned before, I'm open to suggestions for places to visit -- but whether or not I go there or write about it is completely my choice. I'll also say, though, that while I don't mind pointing out a flaw or two here and there, my purpose is to showcase what's good about the region's restaurants and attractions. As such, I'll stick to what my mama always taught me: If you can't say something good about somebody, don't say anything at all.
I'll try to add something new here every couple of weeks, give or take, so check back often. If you want to be notified when a new entry is made, there's a place here to sign up for that as well. And finally, if you'd like to see some of my photos, you're invited to visit my galleries at Zenfolio. Enjoy!
gh.
that's open in good weather, and we hear there's live music out there now and again.
