FIRE GRILL

Girard may not be the biggest town in Trumbull County, Ohio, but never let it be said there’s no place to eat. From the popular Jib Jab Hot Dog Shoppe at one end of State Street to Margherita’s on the other (not to mention several places on the side streets), this town’s got you covered breakfast, lunch and dinner.

A favorite haunt was Mikeee’s, somewhere around the middle of State Street; my husband Jack and I spent many a lazy summer afternoon on the upstairs outdoor deck and many more in the lower-level bar trying out everything we could on the extensive sandwich menu. When that ended, we were frequent visitors to the Big Family Restaurant; when that one closed, we almost cried.

But then, we got word that a new place was coming. And in early May 2014, the Fire Grill opened. Not too long afterward, we were there - hoping to find another great place – and we did. The inside is quite a change, although it remains fairly informal. It’s been redone in tones of gray, black and red with spacious booths, a fire grill at the back (hence the name) complete with a display case in front filled with tempting desserts and lots of really cool hanging lamps. It looks totally different, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

The full bar now includes a ton of specialty beers, and anyone interested in sampling can get flights on all the draughts. That’s really not our style, though, so we stuck with more traditional Yuengling at our first visit at lunchtime. Picking what we wanted to eat, though, took a bit of time. We weren’t looking for a huge meal, but we did want to sample a few things. The specialty here is barbecue - ribs, chicken, pork and beef - and on each table are bottles of special add-on sauces, mostly Carolina-style like East Carolina Vinegar, North Carolina Mustard and South Carolina Spicy Red (they’re sold by the bottle as well). As long-time vacationers at the North Carolina Outer Banks, we were happy to see those options - well, maybe not the vinegar sauce, definitely not a favorite of ours.

It took a while to decide what we wanted, even for lunch; I did consider the kielbasa-style Texas hot link sausage topped with sauteed red peppers, onions and tomato sauce on a toasted hoagie roll (plain or with jalapeno-cheddar sauce, $7.99). Finally - now on my second Yuengling - I settled on one of the daily specials, a half-order of Better-Than Maw-Maw’s Fried Green Tomatoes with soup or salad ($4.99 at the time of our visit). I chose chili as my soup, and then just for fun, I ordered an appetizer of smoked chipotle wings ($5.99). 

Jack, meanwhile, opted to try the Portabella Non-Burger, a fire-grilled whole portabella mushroom marinated in homemade balsamic vinegar and topped with charred romaine, grilled tomato and Asiago cheese ($6.99). With it he chose cole slaw, and got a surprise: our server asked whether he wanted mayonnaise or vinegar style (he picked the latter and said it was delicious).

The wings, the menu said, are put in the smoker first and then fried and tossed in Chipotle butter sauce. The flavor was excellent, and I enjoyed them despite not being a fan of getting thick red goo all over me. The chili, too, was outstanding and a bit different, with smoked beef brisket, ground beef, red kidney beans, plum tomatoes, onions and peppers. 

The tomatoes were coated with panko bread crumbs, topped with creamy bleu cheese sauce, sprinkled with scallions and finished with balsamic glaze reduction - definitely not like mother used to make. They were wonderful, although they were fried a bit too crispy for my liking - we old folks are always worried about breaking teeth. For the record, they’re also available as an appetizer.

Within a couple of weeks, we returned - this time with friends Jerry and Barb from Niles in tow. We arrived about 5:30 p.m. on a Friday and were seated immediately, but by the time we left, there had to be at least 20 people waiting for a table. We made a mental note to get here before 5 p.m. for dinner (though our usual plan when eating out is to have a late lunch somewhere between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m., typically a slower time for most restaurants).

But once we were seated, it seemed we sat there forever until one of us caught a server’s eye and she came fairly quickly. Because of the long wait, we’d had plenty of time to peruse the menu and make our choices, so we placed our drink and food orders at the same time. Shortly thereafter, we got a visit from the owner, who was checking up on us (I know at least one of our group had a scowl on her face at that point - me - which probably signaled that the natives at our table were a bit restless. He was very nice, and among other things told us that the outdoor balcony upstairs should be open soon. At this point, it’s winter, so we’ll check back when the weather improves.

Jack’s choice for dinner was the Caprese flatbread ($6.99) with a side of macaroni and cheese ($3.99). Jerry picked the Southern Pulled Pork sandwich, which comes with fries, for $7.99. Barb and I both went for the Braggin’ Rights Brisket sandwich -mine with fries and hers with the vinegar-based coleslaw (both $9.99).

Jack was delighted with the flatbread - six rather large squares topped with Roma tomatoes, red onions and roasted garlic topped with fresh basil, melted mozzarella cheese and drizzled with a sweet balsamic reduction. The mac and cheese is a bit different, with a crumb coating, and he deemed it outstanding.

Jerry was happy with his pulled pork sandwich, and Barb and I absolutely loved the brisket, which is shredded to make the sandwich. It comes with some kind of mayonnaise-based sauce, but there wasn’t much of it and the flavor isn’t the least bit overwhelming. I opted to add a bit more flavor from the bottles of sauces on the table - this time choosing the delicious Kansas City Sweet.

My only beef? Nowhere - not on the website, the Facebook page, the menu or even the restaurant’s front door - have I been able to find when the place is open for the entire week. Finally, the hours I’ve added below turned up on an obscure restaurant review site, but I advise anyone wanting to make advance plans to visit to call to be sure they’re accurate.

If you go:

Fire Grill

30 N. State St.

Girard, Ohio 44420

(330) 545-4755

http://www.firegrillbbq.com

Open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Wednesday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday; closed Sunday.

BLUE WOLF TAVERN

In the good old days, it didn't take much to entice my husband Jack and I to go out for lunch or dinner. Sometimes, the spark came from watching a TV commercial; other times, we'd read about a restaurant in the newspaper. Most of the time, we didn't need any outside help - we were hungry, so we'd just look at each other and say, "Where to this time?"

Times have changed considerably, as everyone knows; these days, discretionary income is in short supply, and we're forced to pick and choose carefully before heading out the door. That also means we've become far less adventurous than we once were; we tend to stick with the tried and true rather than shell out the bucks at a new-to-us place for what turns out to be a disappointing culinary experience.

But we still enjoy the thrill of the chase, so when we get a recommendation from a friend who shares our love of eating out, we start salivating. The most recent heads-up took us to Boardman, Ohio, and the wonderful Blue Wolf Tavern.

It's such a neat place (and the food's so great) that we've returned more than once. Better still, we were excited to learn that by the time you read this, a second location will be almost ready to open much closer to us! Located just inside Creekside Golf Dome in Girard, Ohio, the new place - named the Wolves Den Bar and Grill, or so the company website says - is expected to open sometime this month. We popped in a couple of weeks ago, and looks as if renovations are coming along nicely. We promise to keep an eye on things, and you can be sure we'll be among the very first customers!

But for now, I'll tell you about the Boardman location, where there's a banquet facility that can accommodate 200 for brunch, lunch and dinner, a WiFi hotspot and lots of beautiful pictures of - you guessed it - wolves. On the website, executive chefs Joe Rzonsa and Brant Newton say the restaurant's name and ambience resulted from a postcard showing a wolf in front of burning woods, giving the animal a blueish hue. We say we love the decor; the place has the look and feel of a hunting lodge dining room, complete with a lovely fireplace.

Our first visit came during the Christmas holidays after we'd stopped at the visitor center in Mill Creek Park to check out the beautifully decorated trees and then at the Boardman Wild Birds Unlimited so Jack could look at the winter Tilley hats. He didn't find anything, but I bought a bar of Burt's Bees Garden Tomato Complexion Soap, which I absolutely love - it's like washing your face with cream.

At any rate, by the time we got to the Blue Wolf we would have happily eaten anything on the menu that they could bring quickly. Reason prevailed, though, and we decided we'd better try an appetizer to get things moving along (well, after ordering a couple of on-tap beers to take the edge off). It was a tough decision, but I finally settled on spicy marinated peppers ($5.99) while Jack opted for Zucchini Parmesan, also $5.99.

The decision on entrees took even longer; we eyeballed the daily specials first, but ended up picking from the regular menu. My choice was cheese-stuffed ravioli with red sauce and a meatball - other options were available at a slightly higher cost, like alfredo sauce. Instead of a salad, I picked a cup of wedding soup for a 69-cent upcharge.

Jack went for the heart-healthy bourbon chicken with a salad and one side ($8.99). In keeping with the heart-healthy thing, he went with a viniagrette dressing and pasta as the second side. On the latter, too, there were several choices, and he picked linguine with chunky marinara sauce.

The appetizers, which were delivered quickly (I suspect the server noticed we were close to desperation hunger-wise) and accompanied by a basket of fresh, warm crusty Italian rolls and butter. My peppers included hot banana, cubanelle, green bell and red roasted varieties marinated in homemade viniagrette and served with provolone wedges. I'm not going to claim they were particularly hot - but keep in mind that I have yet to find a hot pepper that's too much for me to handle. These are quite delicious with a slightly sweet edge, though, and I wouldn't hesitate to order them again. The chunks of cheese made a nice alternative to the usual bread or pita triangles.

Jack, who usually isn't much for vegetables beyond green beans and corn, really liked the lightly breaded zucchini that was topped with marinara, provolone and Romano cheeses - and I concur. Wonderful!

Then came my soup, and I'm delighted to report that it came piping hot (one of my big pet peeves with most restaurants is that soup is served tepid). Filled with veggies, chicken pieces, tiny meatballs and other "stuff" - but not so much that I couldn't find the broth - the flavor was fabulous. After one bite, I put this at the top of the best I've ever had - and I vowed to try a bowl next time out.

I got six good-sized ravioli for my entree, and while the red sauce was quite delicious, I wouldn't call it spectacular. Jack's chicken breast was ample, sitting on top of a mountain of rice. He said the flavor was a little on the "blah" side, but I've found that's often the case with so-called "heart-healthy" dishes. In the end, he added some zest with a few leftover hot peppers from that terrific appetizer - if you can believe that - and ended up cleaning off his plate.

Our next official visit also was at lunchtime, and I wanted to try the wings. Ordering the appetizer portion (12 wings for $8.99), I chose my favorite garlic sauce. Once again, Jack stuck with good-for-you options, this time a house salad with greens, olives, tomatoes, cucumber, onions, carrots, shredded cheese, hard-boiled eggs and croutons at $5.99. Surprisingly (since I can't recall the last time it happened), our server asked if he wanted her to "hold" anything, so he gratefully declined those croutons.

Knowing I'd be quite happy to fill up on those wings, I was feeling a bit more adventurous this time and chose the Chicken & Shrimp Jambalaya as my entree. At $9.69, it features bell peppers, garlic, onions and Andouile sausage in sherry wine and marinara sauce over seasoned rice. It comes with a side salad, and I picked Gorgonzola viniagrette.

We knew immediately that our wings were on the way since we could smell the garlic all the way from the kitchen (okay, in the interest of full disclosure, we were sitting fairly close to the kitchen, but I think you get the point). The wings also are gigantic - perhaps the largest I've seen at a restaurant. The breading is crispy and absolutely delicious, but something made it a bit different - made from breadcrumbs, perhaps? The appendages were resting amid lots of buttery chopped garlic, and the meat was juicy and tender. Had the meal ended here, I'd have been a happy camper. We saved four to bring home, but that was only because we wanted to save at least a little room for our entrees.

Jack's salad was quite large, and since he'd made his usual request for double the regular amount of dressing, his came in a bowl instead of the small plastic container that held mine. Both were quite good, though, and except for the hard-boiled egg (which he allowed me to eat), he finished off the whole thing.

When I ordered the Jambalaya, our server said it's one of her favorite dishes here. To Jack, I said, "Yeah, right; that's what they all say." That was before I'd taken a bite, though - once I'd done that, I said she's absolutely correct. A whole chicken breast plus two large shrimp and several chunks of Andouile sausage topped a substantial portion of rice, and all of that was smothered in an absolutely tantalizing sauce that had a bit of a kick. I managed to eat most of it even though the wings had filled me up, and once Jack tasted it, he willingly polished off the rest so we had nothing to bring home (that is, except for the leftover wings, which lasted all of a couple of hours before we devoured them as well)!

If you go:
BLUE WOLF TAVERN
1295 Boardman-Canfield Road
Boardman, Ohio 44512
(330) 726-1736
http://www.thebluewolftavern.com

Dining room 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 8 p.m. Lounge is open till 11 p.m. on Sunday, till 1 a.m. Monday through Thursday and till 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

BIG FAMIILY RESTAURANT

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.

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

Margherita's Grille

Margherita's: Quick, what comes to mind? Tacos and refried beans? Wide-mouth glasses with salt and a slice of lime on the rim? If you're at Margherita's Grille in Girard, you can order the latter if you want, but surprise: For the most part, the food here anything but Mexican. In fact, the name is a clue: Spelled this way, it's Italian, and also the name of the grandmother of the owner of this wonderful restaurant -- or so our server told us at our most recent visit.

Once the cold weather, snow and ice hit this neck of the woods, my husband Jack and I tend to hunker down and put the brakes on traveling any distance from which we couldn't walk home if need be. I say that partly to "warn" readers that the bulk of the restaurants and attractions I'll be mentioning here for a while won't be too far from where I'm sitting right now -- and partly to say how delighted we are to have Margherita's relatively close at hand. After a couple of our friends introduced us to the place a few months back (thanks, Jerry and Barb!), we've put this place right at the top of our favorites list. If you haven't been here yet, you're missing a real treat.

Although adding Margherita's to our list of favorites was a no-brainer, it's extremely difficult to pick favorites when it comes to the food. Of course, there are the requisite Italian dishes like meat or cheese ravioli and sauce ($7.99; add meat, Alfredo or vodka sauce for an additional $1.99) as well as temptations like linguine with clams or mussels in white wine sauce or spicy marinara ($10.99) and eggplant parmigiana, breaded and topped with mozzarella and marinara sauce accompanied by spaghetti marinara ($9.99). If your taste runs to the more exotic, try the Pasta Margherita, which consists of cauliflower, pine nuts and raisins sauteed in white wine sauce over penne pasta ($9.99). Like veal? You can't miss with Veal Marsala, Veal Parmigiana, Veal Salty Bocca or Veal Francais.

For smaller appetites or the lunch crowd, sandwiches and pizza are plentiful here as well. The pizza burger, an Angus steak burger squashed between two slices of sheet pizza and spashed with sauce ($7.99), is reminiscent of the pizza burgers we used to love at another area restaurant -- ditto the meatball splash. Several calzones are available, as is a variety of pizza including the Four Seasons, a thin-crust topped with artichokes, black olives, mushrooms and red peppers (a 12-inch is $6.99).

We've already sampled several of these mouth-watering goodies, and trust me, we'll be trying more. That said, our most recent visit was one of our most satisfying, starting with blackened prime rib with a baked potato and wedding soup for me and Filet Siciliano with French fries and lobster bisque for Jack -- both were on the specials board and in the $15 range.

I should mention that except for Friday and Saturday evenings, we've never needed a reservation if we arrived by 5:30 p.m.; and the "early bird" specials served up between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., ranging from $7.99 to $10.99, are yet another reason to beat the rush. Still, especially if your party includes four or more, I advise erring on the side of caution by calling ahead.

The inside of the place is far from fancy -- in fact, the emphasis is on family atmosphere even during the Saturday evening entertainment. But there's a full bar, comfortable booths and tables and friendly, helpful servers, all of which help make for an enjoyable dining experience. The tables are close enough together that you can chat with friends and neighbors without shouting but far enough away that you won't feel cramped.

Ah, but I digress: Back to the reason we were here. We were hungry -- and hoped to have some leftovers from our entrees to enjoy another day -- so we chose a couple of appetizers. Actually, make that I chose; since I'm the one doing the post-eating write-up, I figured that gave me dibs on picking the starters. Since we'd already tried the delicious hand-cut, lightly breaded calamari with a side of marinara sauce ($6.99), I headed straight for the homemade hot peppers and oil ($2.99 for a small order), knowing full well the other half of our dinner party wouldn't touch them with a 10-foot pole. Then, I couldn't resist the Asparagus Bundle, or several stalks of the veggie wrapped in prosuitto and topped with melted fresh mozzarella ($7.99). That one raised the eyebrows of the guy sitting across from me, but he swallowed his concern, gave me a half-hearted smile and let me do my thing.

As it turned out, he was pleasantly surprised. He usually turns up his nose at any vegetable that isn't green beans, corn or potatoes, but even he had to admit the asparagus was quite tasty (I'll give it an absolutely delicious)! Those hot peppers, though, are to die for. The flavor is just wonderful -- hot pepper seeds are liberally sprinkled throughout -- and the peppers are crunchy without tasting raw. Even the small order was ample, and I polished off every single one even before the basket of warm, fresh-baked bread and herbed butter arrived at our table.

As for the soups, we encountered a bit of a glitch; our server forgot to deliver them (not that we cared a whit after chowing down on those wonderful appetizers). But without missing a beat, she offered to box up the soups for take-out if we preferred -- we did -- and we enjoyed them for lunch the next day. The lobster bisque is a particular treat, although I'm always partial to wedding soup (also delicious).

Then came the entrees, and there's nothing to say but wow! The slab of blackened prime rib was huge, and although I had my doubts as to whether it could be cooked to my specified medium rare without being a thicker slice, I soon discovered that yes, it was done to perfection. The seasoning was brimming with flavor, too. Meanwhile, Jack's filet was cooked to his liking -- he's a (gasp!) well-done kind of guy -- and it, too, was swimming in a wonderfully flavored sauce. The only problem, if you can call it that, is that I could finish only about a third of the prime rib and Jack was able to pack in just half of his butterflied filet. Oh well, our server to the rescue once again, adding our leftovers to take-home boxes (and fixing up a special package of all the bread that we weren't able to fit in our stomachs to boot).

Several desserts are on the menu, but one is special to Jack: Spumoni. Stuffed as he was, he couldn't resist. Piled high in a large martini glass and topped with a mound of whipped cream, it was tempting even to someone like me who isn't fond of spumoni. Anticipating what might happen, our server brought an extra spoon without even asking -- and I admit it was good (well, the few bites of the strawberry part that I picked out were; I'm not big on the pistachio and other flavors). As for me, I simply tried to wash down all my gluttony with a cup of coffee.

In the end, we waddled out fat and happy once again, knowing that once the dust settled overnight, we'd get a second go-around with the leftovers. Oh, almost forgot: Sweetheart that he is, Jack got me a take-home order of those super-good hot peppers. They were gone long before lunch the next day!

If you go:

Margherita's Grille
728 N. State St.
Girard, Ohio 44420
(330) 545-2424
www.margheritasgrille.com

Open for lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday