THE VALLEY MARKETPLACE

Anyone who knows me knows I love to visit places that have a variety of merchandise, whether it be food (Middlefield Cheese and End of the Commons General Store in Mesopotamia) or just interesting "stuff" (Andrews General Store in Howland Township). If there's a chance to combine those visits with food, it's like frosting on the cake.

So when I learned about The Valley Marketplace on South Avenue in Boardman Township, Ohio, I couldn't wait for it to open so I could check it out. The official grand-opening was Sept. 19 to 21, and you bet, my husband and Jack and I were there front and center, shopping basket in hand.

This is part of a third-generation family business that started the original Farmers Market in 1932 about 20 miles south of Philadelphia, according to website information. Most of the 100 vendors are Amish from Lancaster County, Pa. The same market concept has been brought here, where the majority of vendors are from Middlefield (the heart of Geauga County's Amish settlement, reportedly the fourth largest in the world).


At last check, there are about 30 vendors at the local market, but the list is expected to grow (there's plenty of available space). Products, most of which are made onsite, range from fresh-baked goods like pies and breads as well as wicker items, candles, Amish-made furniture, cheeses, fresh fruit and even fresh-made ice cream, a butcher shop and a small Amish restaurant. Wide aisles allow for easy wandering up and down, and I'm here to tell you that the smells of the baked goods is almost impossible to resist (in particular, huge apple fritters that were a reasonable $2 each). Many of the sections offer samples; because we love cream cheese spreads and they were a grand-opening special at buy two, get one free, we brought three home (bacon horseradish, garlic-herb and bacon-cheddar. All were delicious - and disappeared in our happy stomachs within two days.


Breads are my downfall, but I stayed in control and bought a single loaf of garlic-cheddar for $5. As a special, anyone who spent $5 got a free mini-loaf of wheat bread - still warm - which I popped into the freezer at home to eat later (yes, it was yummy as well). I should note that here and there are small alcoves with benches (and sometimes tables and chairs), so you can eat comfortably and gather your strength to do more shopping.

In fact, our taste buds got nailed right at the entrance, where there's a place to get breakfast and other goodies. In the center is Our House Restaurant, which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner throughout the three days the marketplace is open (Thursday, Friday and Saturday only). The offerings even include a family style, all-you-can-eat Amish Wedding Banquet ($20 per adult), which includes oven-baked chicken and a meat of the day plus plenty of stick-to-your-ribs sides, dessert and beverage. If you prefer (as we did), create your own meal by purchasing a la carte items like a chicken drumstick for $2, mashed potatoes and gravy ($2.50) and a slice of pie ($2.50). If that's not your thing, check out the wonderful delicacies at Harley's Smokehouse, another vendor that offers seating.

The Killcreek Meats butcher shop is nothing short of awesome; the just-cut array of beef and poultry almost begged to jump into our shopping basket. We spent a bit of time looking through some of the crafts, gift and sign shops as well. Display cases and open racks let it all hang out, and prices are clearly marked. 

If there's a downside, some of the vendors don't accept credit cards, so if you plan on serious shopping, be sure to take some cash. 

If you go:

The Valley Marketplace
6121 South Ave.
Boardman, Ohio 44512
(330) 248-7034

http://www.thevalleymarketplace.com

Open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Closed Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.

MARY YODER'S AMISH KITCHEN

Flashback: It was a beautiful spring day - one of the first of the season when the sun was shining brightly, the temperatures were heading a bit north of 60 degrees and a few flowers were in bloom. Looking for somewhere to go for a drive, I happened to look first in our refrigerator and notice that our supply of cheese was dangerously low.


Ah yes, I said - what better day to head for Middlefield, Ohio, and replenish that drawer with some of that wonderful stuff from Middlefield Cheese? It's in the heart of Geauga County Amish country, so I knew the scenery would be great for viewing and photographing as well.

As my husband Jack and I neared downtown Middlefield, we passed Mary Yoder's Amish Kitchen. As if on cue, we said to each other, almost simultaneously, that it's a place we really need to visit. That's when Jack's "Aha!" moment hit; we'd be leaving the cheese shop right about the time we usually have lunch and we'd be hungry, so why don't we give it a try? Never one to turn down a meal, I quickly agreed and the deal was sealed.

This is quite a popular restaurant, I should add - reminiscent of Hartville Kitchen in Hartville, Ohio, and Das Dutch Haus in Columbiana, the food is hearty, down home stick-to-your ribs stuff. And that means it's best not to get there at peak meal hours. In our case, we didn't arrive till close to 1:30, but even then, we had plenty of company. 

Like those other restaurants I mentioned, Mary Yoder's has a nice gift shop and bakery for take-home treats. There seemed to be an abundance of doggie-related goodies - found a hanging sign I almost bought for our friends in Powell, Ohio, who are "parents" to two beautiful Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. The picture on it looked just like their sweet Lucy. 

Hungry as we were, though, we pressed on to the waiting line, which wasn't long at all. I imagine it would move fairly quickly, though, because there's plenty of room inside with at least four rather large dining rooms. The white woodwork and large windows make for a very light, airy look and feel, and the Amish quilts hanging on the walls (for sale, we assume) are absolutely gorgeous.

As luck would have it, we arrived on a day when the lunch buffet was a happening thing ($12.69 per person on Friday, Saturday and Monday). The price includes the salad bar but not beverages or dessert - unless you want fruit from the salad bar as your dessert as we usually do. Since this was our first visit here, we both decided on the buffet just so we could sample more different things. That turned out to be a smart decision, and if you're making a first visit, I encourage you to do the same. 


The servers here are noticeably friendly and attentive and are, in keeping with the decor, dressed mostly in white. Learning that we were first-timers, in fact, ours suggested the buffet. She then took our drink orders and brought dinner rolls (there's a choice between white and wheat and we chose the latter).

Then it was off to that buffet. First up was the salad bar, where I was delighted to find a container of my favorite pickled hard-boiled eggs as well as the basic greens and plenty of add-ins like chopped eggs, bacon bits and fresh radish slices. Another section had macaroni and potato salads, cottage cheese, Greek-style pasta salad and more. I especially enjoyed the pasta salad (besides those wonderful pickled eggs), and the bleu cheese dressing was excellent. Jack said the thousand island dressing was extra-good.


The entree section is very much a mother lode of down-home comfort foods, from green beans and corn (neither of which had that "canned" taste that's common on other buffets we've tried), and the mashed potatoes are the real thing. To top them, I passed over brown gravy and what appeared to be sausage gravy and opted instead for a sauce filled with healthy-size chunks of chicken I figured was to be put over biscuits (confirmed later by our server, who told me lots of folks do exactly what I did and use it to top mashed potatoes instead). It was so good, in fact, that it was the only thing I put on my plate when I went back for seconds.

Let's see, what else did we love? In short, everything we sampled, from fork-tender roast beef pot-roast style in juice, beef and noodles and stuffing (Jack's favorites) and to-die-for breaded roasted chicken that literally fell off the bone. The breading was quite flavorful but didn't overwhelm the meat - very much like my mama used to make.

We didn't have room for any dessert save some of that fruit from the salad bar for me, but I know the homemade pies are a real treat here ($3.69 per slice) as are the apple dumplings with sauce ($4.69, with a sugar-free version available as well).

Of course, just about any item on the buffet can be ordered as a standalone dinner, which includes those homemade rolls and two side dishes that range from home fries to mac-and-cheese to a tossed salad and more. The restaurant also serves family-style dinners, which are nice for larger groups. With one meat, the cost is $16.19 per person, and the other items included with it are too numerous to mention here. There's also a list of sandwiches and hot sandwiches, to which you can add the salad bar for $4.69 more.

If you go:

Mary Yoder's Amish Kitchen
14743 N. State St.
Middlefield, Ohio 44062
(440) 632-1939

http://www.maryyodersamishkitchen.com

Open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, Friday and Saturday; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.