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!

DISHING ON DINING OUT

Over the course of the past 20 years or so, my husband Jack and I have taken restaurant dining seriously. In part, that's because at one time or another, one or both of us have been engaged (for money) in writing reviews of some of the places we chose to visit. Add to that a simple love of eating out (mixed with a spoonful of dislike of doing the cooking ourselves), and we've long since lost count of the number of restaurants we've had the pleasure of visiting.

Or, in some cases, the displeasure. Life in the restaurant world doesn't always come up roses, and we've had our share of miserable experiences along the way. So for this "review," we've compiled a list of likes, dislikes and frustrations that push our dining out buttons. If you agree - or don't - we'd love to hear about it. If you have pet peeves or advice on how to get the most from a dining-out experience, we'd love to hear that, too.

Meantime, for better or worse, here's our 11 cents!

#1: Water, water, everywhere. Except, that is, on restaurant tables. Some years back, a severe drought across the United States resulted in strict conservation measures. One of the casualties of war, so to speak, was that servers no longer would bring water to diners as they sat down as had been the custom. Good move, we said, betting that at least half of that water never got drunk anyway.

Problem is, water long since started flowing again everywhere except in restaurants. Let me emphasize that because much of it is wasted, I agree it shouldn't be delivered automatically. At the same time, I don't think diners should have to beg for it; after a server has taken drink orders shortly after the diners are seated, how much trouble would it be to ask if we'd like some?

And that brings me to my water pet peeve No. 2: I can't count the number of times I've had to remind our server once (and on at least one occasion, thrice) before I get the water I had to ask for to begin with. Do they really think I'll just forget I wanted it and save them the trouble of bringing me a glass? Not in this lifetime, bucko!

That's followed by water pet peeve No. 3: No refills. We've watched it happen so often at various restaurants that it's become a standing joke: Jack ordered soda and I opted for nothing to drink besides water. When both of our glasses are nearly empty, the server physically turns his or her back to me to ask Jack if he wants a refill -- as if I, and my empty glass, don't even exist. I know water is free, and extra trips to our table can translate into more work for less money for the servers. But c'mon, folks - this kind of behavior is just plain rude.

#2: Non-edible munchkins. Don't get me wrong; I like kids. But when I'm in a restaurant other than fast food and paying money to enjoy a meal, I expect them to be in their seats and not shrieking. I know from personal experience what a treat it is for parents to have a meal out, and often, that means with kids in tow. But we never failed to be cognizant of other diners who have a right to not be cognizant of our unruly children. At no time were they allowed to run around in a restaurant, and on the rare occasions they acted up too much, we snatched them up and took them home immediately.

#3: Portion spins. Let's face it: The restaurant industry is hurting. Profit margins are pretty slim on a good day; and as discretionary income takes a hit in today's economy, they're dangerously close to the breaking point. Understandably, owners are looking for ways to stay afloat. One way to do that seems to be cutting back slightly on portion size without cutting prices, a trend we've seen just about everywhere. Where we once counted on having at least one more meal apiece from our "doggie" bags, we now count ourselves lucky to fill up while we're there - never mind leftovers.

We can live with that, although it's one reason we, like many other formerly frequent diners, have cut back fairly substantially on how often we eat out. What we can't quite stomach, though, are the offers of smaller portions and even two-for-one entrees that are touted as "value" meals. In most cases, there's nothing good here. The two-for-one "deals" are noticeably less-than-regular portions, and while those smaller meals are appealing because there's less waste and/or over-stuffing ourselves, the prices are proportionately higher than we'd pay to get the full versions.

#4:Too much of a good thing. Customer service cuts two ways. Give too little, and you risk losing our business. But too much of it can be just as off-putting. Take, for instance, the time we sat in a pub waiting for our drinks to arrive. Granted, it took a wee bit longer than it should have for them to be delivered, but did we really need our server to stop three times to say they'd be "coming right out" and ask if we need anything? Um, yes there is, we wanted to respond -- we need the drinks.

At still another casual restaurant, we stopped counting after our server stopped to ask how we were doing six times before we'd even finished our entrees - and during that time, the restaurant manager also planted himself at our table to ask the same question. Golly, we said as we made a hasty retreat - now we know where not to go if we want to have any kind of ongoing conversation!

So how much is too much? Well, if my glass is more than half full, it's a sure bet I don't even want to think about another beer yet. If we're busy eating, talking and smiling, we'd like to continue doing that without interruption. When most of our food is gone and/or we're starting to stack empty plates, it's a signal that we're probably ready for the check (or a suggestion for dessert). Bottom line? Keep your eyes open and you won't shut diners out.

#5: Squeaky cleaning. Seeing a couple of crumbs on the floor doesn't bother me much - but watching someone pick up dirt in and under my table while I'm in the middle of a meal does. Even worse is the pungent smell of the spray cleaners that are applied to the empty table next to me while I'm eating -- guaranteed to take away my appetite. I do understand - really I do - that it's necessary on occasion to haul out the sweeper to pick up the cracker crumbs, half-chewed hot dog bits and French fry tips that giggling two-year-old threw on the floor. But please, folks, surely you can find a cleaner that doesn't stink to high heaven!

#6: Familiarity breeds contempt. I'm one of the most informal people I know; it's fine if other people's kids call me by my first name and I'm not inclined to answer if somebody calls me "Mrs. Ryan." Still, it bothers me when a restaurant server bounces up to our table with the greeting, "How are you guys doin' today?" followed by "Do you guys need anything?" throughout the meal. Maybe it's because I'm not a "guy," but it's quite off-putting. "How are you two doing today?" is just as friendly and a lot less irritating.

#7: No separate checks. Try as I might, I can't for the life of me figure out why a restaurant would prohibit writing up two separate checks when two couples eat at the same table (and after talking with other folks who've run into the same stone wall, I'm not the only one ticked off about it). The most innovative response I've heard to the question of why not was this: "If I do two checks, the food for all of you may not come out at the same time." Well you guys, I'll bet it will if you tell someone the checks are for the same table. If you can't figure out a way to do that, we're willing to chance it if it means we don't have to figure out who owes what at the end of our meal. And if that doesn't work, well, we'll just take our business elsewhere next time.

#8. Waiting is the hardest part. With apologies to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, having to wait longer than 20 minutes or so to get a table isn't on my want-to-do list. That, however, isn't my big objection; it's when we're told the wait will be "about 10 minutes" and half an hour later we still haven't been seated. Of course, I understand it's impossible to pin down how long a party of five will dawdle over coffee; but all too often, it's pretty clear we're being given an estimate on the very low end simply to keep us from going somewhere else.

#9. No reservations. This one applies only to more upscale restaurants; with a Mickey D's, Wendy's or Burger King on just about every corner, it's not too hard to get to a fast food place where the line isn't out the door and around the building. I know that very popular establishments have such an overflow of business that they really don't need to accept reservations, but even they should know that all good things come to a slowdown, especially in the restaurant industry -- and meeting the needs and expectations of customers is important no matter how popular you are right now.

It's fine with me, BTW, if they require a credit card number to reserve a time (and charge a stated fee if I fail to show up). But when I'm heading out to a fancy place, perhaps to celebrate a special event, the only place I'll choose is one at which I can get some sort of guarantee that I won't have to fight the crowd.

#10. Put it online. Yes, Virginia, this is a good thing. Whether it's making one of the above-mentioned reservations, ordering take-out or buying a gift card, having the option of doing it online is a wonderful convenience. Similarly, I like being able to peruse a restaurant's menu online before I visit, especially if it's one I haven't been to before.

#11. Perks. So-called "loyalty" programs are another good thing -- signing up online or even punch cards that reward me for my business every so often (and if you do it by e-mail, so much the better). Even then, I'll issue a caveat: Make it meaningful. Offering me one free dessert when I buy two expensive entrees and two drinks just doesn't cut it. Buy one entree and get one free, and I'm all yours again (and again). And while you're at it, give me some time; sending me a discount coupon that expires the very next day virtually guarantees I won't be able to use it (and especially if it's a really good deal, I'll be quite upset that I wasn't able to take advantage of the offer).