FUDDRUCKERS

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.

ROTELLI

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

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