REVIVING THE REVIEWS

For I can't even remember how many years, one of the greatest delights for both me and my husband Jack was going out to eat; a week without at least three lunch or dinner trips to a restaurant or bar was unusual. And while we've always believed food doesn't get much better than in the Mahoning and Shenango valleys, we loved sampling local restaurants when we traveled.Largely because of our love of dining out, both of us, individually and collectively, became restaurant reviewers. Whether it was for regular columns in the Youngstown-based Business Journal or this Mahoning Valley Eats & Treats blog, which I started in 2009 with a review of Margherita's Grille in Girard, Ohio, we loved telling anyone within reading distance what they could expect at area eateries. 

And then the bottom fell out. A potentially deadly virus dubbed COVID-19 made its way to the region, causing panic, countless hospitalizations and deaths even before it was officially declared a pandemic. The day before celebrations were to take place for my favorite holiday of the year, St. Patrick's Day, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine ordered the closing of all bars and restaurants to in-house patrons. Restaurants that chose to remain open could offer take-out and delivery, but going inside was not a happenin' thing. Already geared up for the next day with my green beads and flashing shamrock ring at the ready, I was devastated to say the least.

It got worse. For more than a year, I estimate, we even avoided take-out for fear of possible contamination (as senior citizens with more than a few health concerns, we're particularly vulnerable to dire consequences of contracting the virus despite being fully vaccinated). Coupled with my distaste of reheated food - to me, it becomes leftovers any time after it leaves the restaurant – I was forced to hone cooking skills I'd previously hoped would remain dormant for the rest of my natural life. Finally, we began to chance take-out once every couple of weeks, limiting ourselves to restaurants not more than 15 minutes from home so the food would still be at least warm enough to be consumed when it got here with no microwave intervention.

Now 2024 is nearing the halfway point, and we've returned to occasional inside dining - but still, almost always at "off" hours when most booths and tables are empty and rarely more often than once a week. Like other once-frequent diners, we've mourned several of our once-favorite restaurants that were lost forever to the financial devastation rooted in the pandemic. As we've made cautious returns to a handful of old favorites, we've also made some observations - most of which, alas, are less than positive. Mind you, there are many reasons for the changes, many of them understandable under the circumstances, but here’s a run-down of what we’ve experienced:

1) Too often, the quality of the food overall isn’t the same. For whatever reason (and there can be many), more than a few of our former favorite dishes just don't taste the way they did pre-COVID. Of course, there are a few happy exceptions, including the above-mentioned Margherita’s, where we have yet to encounter a “bad” meal – just the other day, in fact, we brought our daughter-in-law and her brother here to celebrate Mother’s Day and delicious meals were had by all (hint: don’t miss the blackened Ahi tuna).

2) Menu options have shrunk. Items we used to love are nowhere to be found, and we've been told they're not likely to return.

3) Prices are noticeably higher than before the pandemic across the board. Prime rib or walleye, for instance, blows our dining out budget for an entire month. Getting an appetizer before a meal is a lost art now that they cost as much or more than the entrees. 

4) "Shrinkflation" is in full bloom. Some restaurants have kept prices close to pre-pandemic levels by reducing portions, which can be an effective option (on the surface, fine with us since our appetites have diminished with age as well, but at the same time, we no longer have the benefit of bringing home tomorrow's lunch). And a surprising number of eateries have both hiked prices and cut portion sizes.

5) Service is sketchy at best. Go anywhere near a peak time, and waiting in line is the norm. Often, it's not because there's a crowd; rather, patrons are sitting in the lobby looking at one or more sections of the restaurant that are shuttered because there aren't enough servers to handle all the available tables.

6) Schedules - even those posted online - are more limited now. Lunch, for instance, has totally disappeared at several restaurants we used to haunt around the noon hour. Ditto Sundays and Mondays, when many that used to be open on those days now are closed. It's not even unusual to find restaurants closing earlier than expected without warning, or for an entire day - again usually attributed to a lack of help. So if we have our heart set on a particular eatery, we try to remember to call ahead by an hour or so to make sure the doors are open.

The bottom line? Like many other people, we've had to make cutbacks, most notably the number of times we can afford to eat out. Even in the good old days, we tended to opt for a late lunch, when prices tended to be more reasonable; these days, we even have to think twice about that; dinners out are for special occasions only.

Still, while I'm a pretty darned good cook - thanks to growing up on a farm with a mother whose fresh-from-our backyard-coop fried chicken and homemade pies were second to none - I do not enjoy cooking and am more than ready to head out as often as possible. Already, I've made a list of restaurants that opened over the last couple of years as well as several I want to revisit. Doing so, I decided, is a good-enough reason to revive my restaurant-review blog. I can't make promises for frequency, shooting at first for monthly installments.

If you have a favorite or two you'd like to see, let me know and I’ll add it to the list. My requirements are relatively simple; I prefer local, independent restaurants within Trumbull, Mahoning, Columbiana (Ohio) and Mercer (Pennsylvania) counties, but chains are not off the table. Wineries that offer food beyond snacks and appetizers not only are fair game, but welcome. Till then, happy eating!

PRIMANTI BROS.

A couple of years back, we spent a wonderful day visiting with friends who live in a suburb of Pittsburgh. Part of the fun included a guided tour of some of the city's sights, like Point State Park at the confluence of the Ohio, Monongahela and Allegheny rivers, the Duquesne Incline and the Strip District on 18th Street. The latter, a mile-long stretch between the Allegheny River and a huge hill, provided us lots of fun searching for goodies in the many shops that sell everything from fresh produce to cookware.

The area also is home to the original Primanti Bros. restaurant, and we were delighted to have lunch at this notable eatery. Since then, our thoughts have returned there but we haven't. Imagine our thrill, then, when our son-in-law told us he'd seen a Primanti Bros. restaurant right across from the outlet mall at Grove City, Pa. Needless to say, we wasted little time getting there. 

The original restaurant got its start in the 1930s, when Joe Primanti opened a cart in the Strip District to sell sandwiches to truckers (or so the website tells me). Since that venture was successful, he opened a small restaurant on 18th Street. When a man brought in a bunch of potatoes to see if they were frozen, the cook - John DePriter, Primanti's nephew - fried them. When customers asked for them, he put them on the sandwiches - marking the birth of the famous Primanti sandwich (more on that later). Along the way several other restaurants were opened, and the company now has 17, mostly around Pittsburgh, and three in Florida.


Most of the locations, including the one in Grove City, sport the rust exterior with hunter green trim. That famous Primanti sandwich, for the record, is an all-inclusive deal: Meat topped with fries, cole slaw and usually a tomato. Back in Pittsburgh, I tried the corned beef and cheese, and it was fabulous.

Here in Grove City, we arrived for lunch and found the place large enough that we could choose a seat either on the restaurant or bar side - as is our custom, we picked the bar. Good thing; it was fairly crowded, and if I recall correctly, ours was the last available table. The walls are covered in Pittsburgh Steelers memorabilia (Cleveland Browns fans that we are, we sucked it up, kept our mouths shut and didn't look up very often). The tables and chairs are wood, there are plenty of TV sets and it was clear this is a fun place - all the other diners seemed to be having a great time.


The menu basically is casual food - lots of sandwiches plus pizza, wings (regular and boneless with 12 sauce choices) and "really big" salads. The latter are a bit on the unique side, such as the Caribbean Chopped Salad, which includes marinated flat-iron grilled chicken breast tossed with roasted peppers, sweet corn, crisp cucumbers, croutons, applewood smoked bacon and farmhouse cheddar cheese with mango vinaigrette dressing for $8.29. There are a few Italian entrees as well - chicken spinach Alfredo and hot sausage al forno, for instance - 

Whatever else I decided on, I knew I'd have to try the Almost Famous Hot Chili Bowl, Pittsburgh style ($3.29). Add cheddar cheese and chopped onion for 49 cents each? Of course! I hesitated before deciding not to get one of those fabulous whole dill pickles for $1.99, but I figured the chili plus a sandwich would be too filling to allow for anything else.

Jack stuck with his favorite sandwich, Sicilian cheesesteak (from the Crostini list, which pretty much means it's served on a hoagie roll). Inside is sliced beef mixed with mushrooms, onion and green pepper, and it's topped with mozzarella cheese, lettuce, tomato and parmesan-horseradish mayonnaise ($7.99) He added a side of cole slaw to top off his meal.


Once again, I hit the "everything is on it" list, but this time I opted for hot sausage and cheese ($6.29 for the original, but for $7.79 you can get double meat). All these sandwiches are served on fresh Italian bread with the slaw, fries, tomatoes and provolone. Onions are added by request, so I asked for them as well.

The chili was excellent, though it had a few too many beans to suit me. There was lots of melted, gooey shredded cheddar on top, so even though it's not a large bowl, it's extremely filling; that and a small salad would be quite sufficient for me as a whole meal.

To be honest, Jack wasn't too fond of the vinegar-based slaw (he much prefers the kind made with mayo). It's shredded but not chopped, so it comes in long strings - no doubt making it stay on the top of a sandwich much more easily. They did not, however, skimp on the quantity - too bad he didn't like it all that well because it almost could have made a meal in and of itself. The sandwich itself, though, he absolutely loved, especially the horseradish sauce.

I'm not a big fan of that slaw either, so I ended up taking much of it off my sandwich. Besides that, I've got a really small mouth (just ask my dentist), so trying to get my teeth around a nearly 7-inch-high sandwich was virtually impossible until I removed a few things. Once some of the slaw was gone and I pulled out some fries to eat the regular way with ketchup, I was able, though barely, to get what was left in my mouth.

It was quite good, although I probably will choose double meat next time. The sausage patty was great, but all that other stuff on top was so overwhelming that I hardly could taste it. Both sandwiches were large enough to be cut in half, making it easy for both of us to bring half home (they're way too big for us to polish off in one meal, especially lunch). Next time, though, I'm planning to try that Caribbean salad - if I can get them to leave out those nasty cucumbers, that is.

If you go:

Primanti Bros. Restaurant & Bar
Leesburg-Grove City Road (PA 208 at I-79)
Grove City, PA 16127
(724) 748-9955

http://www.primantibros.com

Open from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Monday through Saturday; Sunday from 11 a.m. to midnight. 

DONNA'S DINER

What is it about old-fashioned diners that's so appealing? If you're my age and remember sitting at a soda fountain sipping a just-mixed chocolate malt and listening to tunes on a jukebox that played 45 RPM records, I suppose it's simple nostalgia for a time when things seemed, well, for want of a better description, less plugged in. Our fingers savored the icy cold of the aluminum container the malt was mixed in, not pushing buttons to send a text message. We were worried we might not make it to the library before it closed to do research for our science paper, not whether the storm would knock out the WiFi so we couldn't Google the information we needed.


Whatever the reason, diners do have something of universal appeal. While we don't actively seek them out -- most don't serve alcohol, and we like a glass of beer or wine with our meals -- when my husband Jack and I happen upon one that looks interesting, we try to stop. For several years when we drove to the southwestern part of the Buckeye State to visit my parents, for instance, we'd have lunch at the Rockin' Robin Diner in Urbana. Closer to home, we enjoy the occasional lunch or dinner at the Steel Trolley Diner in Lisbon or the Emerald Diner in Hubbard (the latter, it pains me to report, was gutted by a fire recently; hopefully, it will be rebuilt and reopened).

Happily, there's another terrific diner in Sharon, Pa. - Donna's Diner. Owned by Donna Winner, it's smack dab in the middle of town and open for breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week and, as the sign says, home of the "Winnerburger."

Not too long ago, we rounded up our usual foodie friends Jerry and Barb and headed over for lunch - the first time any of us had eaten here. The first thing we noticed - except perhaps for the '50s songs that can be heard from the sidewalk - is the size; this diner seems wider and longer than most we've been in. That said, the interior is quite typical, with lots of old-time decorations on the walls like Coca-Cola posters, a black-and-white diamond pattern floor, shiny chrome soda fountain stools with red sears and swirly-patterned Formica tops on the booth tables. There are no individual jukeboxes at the tables, but there's a very large one near the front entrance.


The menu here takes a while to digest, so we took our time; there are loads of burgers, for instance, but none of us was quite in the mood we vowed to return to try a couple. Pittsburgh Steelers fan Barb said she might try the Ben RoethlisBurger (which comes with Heinz catsup), but the rest of us -- Cleveland Browns fans all -- agreed we'd pass on that one. 

Following my usual custom at diners, I ordered a chocolate milkshake ($4.99) from the "regular" shake list. There are specialty shakes and malts as well, like turtle and banana strawberry, priced a bit higher. Also on the fountain menu are brown cows - root beer and ice cream floats and a favorite of my late mother - as well as black cows (the same only with Coke).

Ever the fish lover, I finally decided on one of the Blue Plate Specials, the Sea Cruise (a half order of Yuengling battered haddock for $6.99) with Baby Twist (macaroni and cheese) and cottage cheese as my sides. Then, I couldn't resist adding an order of Roman Holiday, or sweet potato puffs with brown sugar dipping sauce ($2.99).

As you may have guessed, most of the foods here have names straight from the '50s, like the Rockin' Rueben, The Platters (roast beef), Blueberry Hill, Hopelessly Devoted (pancakes), Teardrops on My Pillow (an omelet, sausage patties and hash browns), Rock Around the Clock (cobb salad) and Nat King Cole Slaw.

Jack also went with fish of sorts, ordering the Charlie Tuna, a tuna melt sandwich with American cheese, lettuce and tomato and cole slaw as his side ($5.99). Barb settled on The Audrey, a turkey reuben with the usual fixings on marbled rye ($6.99). For sides, she picked grilled veggies and Coolsville Chips, which are homemade potato chips sprinkled with parmesan cheese.


Jerry started with Thunderbird, or chili topped with shredded cheddar, diced onion and a dollop of sour cream with tortilla chips on the side ($2.99) for a cup. His sandwich choice was the Sinatra, hot roast beef with provolone, grilled onions and horseradish sauce on grilled white bread and served au jus ($7.99).

The slaw was especially good; the pinkish cast, we concluded must be a result of having a bit of fresh horseradish in it. My milkshake was wonderful - on the thick side and topped with whipped cream and a cherry (as is the custom, I got part of it in a glass and the rest in the cold aluminum mixing container). It was so chocolatey and creamy it could have been a meal in and of itself.

The sweet potato puffs were outstanding and quite unique -- a little crispy on the outside and soft inside but cut in smallish cubes rather than fries. Served with a sugary dipping sauce, they were, we all decided, worth the trip. Another standout was the marble bread on Barb's sandwich, and my mac and cheese offered a "twist" in that it's made from spiral pasta and baked with bread cubes on top. Both Jerry and Jack loved their sandwiches, and my fish was delicious and a generous chunk given that it was a half order.

Our next visit was just the two of us, this time on our way back home from a photography outing at McConnell's Mill State Park and the historic village of Volant, Pa. Jack couldn't resist ordering that same Charlie Tuna and slaw -- it was that good -- while I settled on the Route 66 chicken salad. It's a special blend that includes grapes and pineapple ($4.99) and it sounded great. I upgraded the standard chips to a side of those sweet potato puffs I'd loved the first time around (for a slight extra charge). This time no dipping sauce was served, but it really didn't matter because the outside coating is very sweet. Once again, they were delicious.

Because I love to eat breakfast just about any time -- you'll find us often at a late lunch at Bob Evans, for instance, where I always get the bowl of sausage gravy with two biscuits and home fries -- I should note that breakfast foods are served any time at Donna's. One of these days I'll have to try Donna's signature eggs, or fluffy scrambled eggs with cream cheese and chives with home fries and bacon, ham or sausage and toast for $6.99. Or, maybe it'll be the Bye Bye Birdie, two slices of bread with an egg nestled in the center of each slice grilled and served with bacon, ham or sausage and home fries ($5.99). Seeing that on the menu brought back [mostly] happy memories of high school home economics classes, where I first made egg-centered grilled toast -- just about the first thing I ever learned to cook!

If you go:

Donna's Diner
10 W. State St.
Sharon, PA 16146
(724) 346-7373

http://www.donnas-diner.com

Open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week.

ELEPHANT & CASTLE PUB AND RESTAURANT

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

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

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

Update March 1, 2012: The Elephant & Castle Group Inc. has sold substantially all of its assets (19 locations) to Original Joe’s Acquisition Corp. for $22.75 million. All locations and "substantially all" employees will be retained, officials said.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Iron Bridge Inn

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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