OLD FIREHOUSE WINERY

When temperatures are warm enough to be outside without an overcoat and the sunny sky is filled with big puffy clouds, our thoughts always turn to one thing: Wine. Yep, you read that right; for my husband Jack and me, not much is more relaxing than sitting in the great outdoors and sipping a glass or two of vino (generally speaking, red for him and white for me).

In the interests of full disclosure, though, I'm compelled to admit that neither of us makes any claim whatsoever of connoisseur status. For us, a $12 bottle of wine is a real splurge; you're far more likely to meet us scoping out the under $6 varieties at the local Giant Eagle than discussing the nuances of a 2002 Cabernet from Napa Valley at a wine shop.

Geography doesn't impress us much, either; we happen to think that wines from Lake Erie vineyards are every bit as good as those we've tried that came from California, France, Chile or Argentina. So, the minute the snow melts, it's likely we'll be on the road visiting some of the many wineries along the Lake Erie shores.

One of our favorites is a happy combination of winery and restaurant -- the Old Firehouse Winery in Geneva-on-the-Lake, Ohio. One of their sweet white wines -- Lighthouse Niagara -- is on my list of Top 5 all-time favorites. Throughout the off-season we drive up north two or three times to pick up a case two or three so I don't run out, but it's much more fun to go in the summer when the outdoor patio activity is in full swing.

This summer, the dining experience has been overhauled and improved significantly. The menu has far more to offer than the popular corn chips and salsa, there's much more and nicer seating that includes in a lovely, flower-filled gazebo. And did I mention the whole place sits right on the edge of Lake Erie?

Besides wine and food, the shop now sells an array of T-shirts and sweatshirts along with the wine and cordial glasses and other memorabilia they've been selling all along. Then too, in the summer you'll find "Old Betsy," a beautifully restored fire engine that once belonged to the town, and a fabulous Ferris wheel that was built in 1956 and operated at Erieview Park stands ready to take visitors up, up and away for even more spectacular views of the lake (it opens at noon, by the way).

Ah, but this blog is supposed to be about food, so let's get back to the nitty gritty: Old Firehouse is first and foremost a winery and entertainment venue, and I'd never suggest that anyone drive that far just for the food alone. That said, the food's not at all bad -- and this season the the menu has been expanded so there's something to please most tastes. Everything we've tried has been quite good, and Lord willin' and the creek don't rise, we'll be back up there at least a couple more times before there's much of a chill in the air.

At our most recent visit, for instance, Jack tried the quesadilla appetizer, which can be ordered filled with chicken, steak or veggies (he chose the former) at $7.49. The decision was a no-brainer for me -- a fried perch sandwich for $7.99 -- this is Lake Erie, after all. Most sandwiches come with the salsa and corn chips, but you can pay extra for something different; I picked French fries instead. Everything here is served in unbreakable containers, including the wine, so there's no worry about breakage if one of those wonderful lake breezes blows something off the table. It's possible to eat indoors, I should note, but there are only a handful of tables and chairs; this place is geared for outdoor action of all kinds.

The quesadilla was quite good, stuffed with green onions, olives and shredded Colby Jack with sour cream and salsa on the side. The perch was fried a little crunchier than I like, but Lake Erie perch is Lake Erie perch and I'm not complaining. We've also tried the corned beef and swiss sandwich ($7.99), the burgers are great, and Jack is quite fond of the wraps as well. The expanded menu now includes signature dinners like Firehouse BBQ ribs, with a whole slab going for $19.99.

Speaking of entertainment, it's live almost every night starting at 8 p.m. from Memorial Day to Labor Day; in September, it's mostly Friday through Sunday. Check the Web site for a schedule. Other special events are scheduled throughout the season, and these, too, are posted online.

If you've never tried the wines here, my suggestion is to buy a few samples at 50 cents each (Ohio law requires that wineries charge consumers even for tastings). If you're willing to rely on my opinion, I recommend the Lighthouse Niagara, a very sweet white (almost all wines are sold by the glass too, but it's much less expensive to order a bottle if you and your companions can agree on which one). Similarly, the Firehouse Red is semi-sweet and fruity. Two others I like quite well but aren't always in stock are the Lake Erie Riesling and Gewurztraminer; they're quite a bit pricier, but delicious. Still another that's wonderful warmed up for the holidays is the Spiced Apple -- it makes the house smell wonderful and tastes great as well.

When we go, I make it a point to bring home at least half a case (six bottles), for which I get a 5% discount; get 10% off if you take home a full case (and yes, you can mix and match). Another tip: Bottles purchased to consume on the premises cost a couple of dollars more than take-out, so we usually limit ourselves to one glass apiece while we eat and toast each other with our savings once we get back home.

If you're really serious about trying Ohio wines, here's still another tip: Consider doing all or part of the the drive-it-yourself Wine and Vine Trail, which includes 19 wineries (most in Ashtabula County), three covered bridges and a lift bridge, Amish country and the beautiful Geneva State Park Lodge that's just down the road from the Old Firehouse Winery.

If you go: Old Firehouse Winery
5499 Lake Road
Geneva-on-the-Lake, Ohio 44401
(800) UNCORK-1
www.OldFirehouseWinery.com

From Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, the tasting room and patio are open from noon to 1 a.m. seven days a week (the kitchen closes at midnight). Check the Web site for other seasonal hours.

SPREAD EAGLE TAVERN & INN

As many of you know (or at least I hope you do), my restaurant blogs have been "teased" in the wonderful Byrd's Eye View newsletters written and published by filmmaker and journalist Art Byrd Jr. of Youngstown, Ohio. Since he's reached an important milestone - publication of his 100th newsletter - I decided to feature a restaurant that has historical significance as well: The Spread Eagle Tavern & Inn in Hanoverton.

Admittedly, my husband Jack and I reserve our visits for special occasions since it's at least an hour's drive from our home, but we've had the pleasure of dining there several times and not once have we been sorry we traveled that far.

Our most recent stop, though, was rather on a whim; we'd spent a wonderful few hours wandering around Zoar Village in Tuscarawas County - another terrific place for history-lovers to visit, by the way - and we realized it would be easy to go home by way of Hanoverton. And when I looked at the Entertainment Book coupons I always keep in my purse and found one that saved us a few bucks on lunch at the Spread Eagle, we looked at each other and said, why not?

Great food, I should add, isn't the only thing that makes this a special place. As the name suggests, it's also an inn, with five guest rooms on the second and third floors ranging in cost from $125 a night for the Van Buren Room to $225 for the Washington Room (I'm guessing the price difference is more because of amenities than the pecking order of the two presidents). While you'll need advance reservations if you want to spend the night here, the folks at the restaurant are quick to oblige visitors who want to take a look around.

The restaurant, originally built more than a century and a half ago, features seven dining rooms; the William McKinley room is more formal and private, while the "barn room" is more earthy and rugged. As an aside, McKinley is an Ohio boy who was born in Jack's hometown of Niles and grew up in Canton, not too far from Hanoverton, and memorials to the 25th president of our great country in both cities are other neat places to visit as well.

Back at the tavern, if you like you can have cocktails in the Patrick Henry Tavern Room or downstairs in Gaver's Rathskeller, with its 12-foot vaulted ceilings and stone walls. Even if you don't imbibe, be sure to check out the rathskeller - and don't miss the memorabilia hanging on the stairway walls.

All the rooms can be described as cozy, most with fireplaces that come to life with a roar when there's a chill in the air. White linen tablecloths offset an abundance of old brick and weathered dark wood. The fireplaces alone are masterpieces, well worth a look-see if only for the antique tools and cookware standing and hanging about.

On our most recent visit, I chose the Fire Roasted Pasta - grilled Hungarian peppers in a blue cheese cream sauce over linguine for $10.95. Meanwhile, Jack chose the Shrimp & Crab Casserole Au Gratin, served over penne pasta with Alfredo sauce and topped with bread crumbs ($13.99).

My linguine noodles had to be nearly half an inch wide; the chicken and onions were cut in large chunks. Although the peppers weren't really hot by my cast-iron stomach standards, they did add enough zip to keep it interesting. The blue cheese sauce was very creamy, rich and quite filling - I couldn't possibly eat it all.

The creamy sauce on Jack's penne was delicious as well, and he called the bread crumb topping "tasty." It, too, was too much to handle at one sitting, so in the end both of us walked out carrying takeout boxes.

As wonderful as these choices are, I'll note that you may not find them on the menu when you go. In fact, Spread Eagle doesn't even put menu items on its website; you're encouraged to call to see what's being featured (and if you'll be driving some distance for dinner, I also suggest calling ahead for reservations). I suppose that not publishing a menu is because the menu changes often depending on what's in season; finding wild game here, for instance, isn't unusual. But on the other hand, somehow I can't imagine they'd be willing to read the entire menu to folks who call. I know for certain, though, that it's always wonderful with plenty of choices to suit every taste.

If at all possible, time your visit so you'll have time to look around the area nearby. Hanover, as it was known at the time of its settlement in 1813 by Quaker abolitionist James Craig, was central to life around the Sandy & Beaver Canal. By the 1830s, the town boasted about 2,000 residents. It also became known as a stopping place for runaway slaves, and evidence of underground passages remain here along "Brick Row," where the Spread Eagle Tavern was built in 1837.

If you really want to make a trip out of it, allow sufficient time to tour Columbiana County's "Golden Triangle," from Hanoverton to Lisbon to Salem, all of which are 10 miles from one another. All three communities have plenty of historical places to visit (and, for photography buffs like us, fill up lots of media cards).

If you go: Spread Eagle Tavern & Inn
10150 Plymouth St.
Hanoverton, Ohio 44423
(330) 223-1583
http://www.spreadeagletavern.com

Open for lunch daily 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.; dinner Sunday through Thursday 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.; dinner Friday and Saturday 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

QUINLAN'S IRISH PUB & GRILL

Honestly, I don't think I have an Irish bone in my body; my ancestors came to this great country from parts of France and England just a couple of years after the Mayflower. But I had the good luck to marry a guy who's family came straight from the Old Sod; so when it serves my purpose, such as on St. Patrick's Day, I claim to be as Irish as they come.

Speaking of St. Patrick's Day, our tradition is to visit at least three local celebrations throughout the day and evening. In our younger years when the holiday fell on a weekend, we'd start before noon at someplace like Clancy's in Warren, usually ending up for what could be a late evening at the Old Main Ale & Chowder House in Niles -- the latter of which was torn down a few years back to make way for a replica of former President William McKinley's birth home (which, historic though it may be, isn't nearly as much fun to visit).

Now that we qualify for senior citizen status, though, we've mellowed out quite a bit and usually don't head out till mid-afternoon and make our return trip not long after the sun goes down. And for the last couple of years, our celebration place of choice is Quinlan's Irish Pub & Grill on the U.S. Route 422 "Strip" in Niles.

For the record, the restaurant used to be O'Donold's Irish Pub & Grille, which still operates in Austintown. Before that it was a Pizza Hut, and I've long since forgotten what was there before that.

Although the annual St. Patrick's Day festivities are a good reason to visit -- there's a huge tent out back where musicians, food, beer and camaraderie make for a wonderful time -- the great food is the reason my husband Jack and I stop in at other times of the year. The interior is as you'd expect - heavily flavored with Irish, including colorful clan plaid textiles hanging from the ceiling. The dark wood and even a stone "wall" make for an atmosphere similar to what I'd expect to find in a traditional Irish pub.

Much of the food, too, has a distinctly Irish flavor; consider, for instance, the boxty -- a traditional Irish potato pancake that can be topped with corned beef and cabbage (my favorite), steak and swiss cheese or Finn McCool's fire-roasted veggies for $9.99 each. The portions are large enough that we always have enough left to take home.

Still another Irish tradition and a favorite of ours is the colcannon fritters appetizer; colcannon, for the record, consists of mashed potatoes, usually with kale or cabbage mashed in. At Quinlan's, it's the latter plus a bit of bacon mixed in. Then, they're deep fried and served with horseradish mayonnaise. At $5.99, they're a real treat.

In fact, we're quite fond of several of the appetizers; the Irish egg rolls ($6.99), are roll-ups like oriental egg rolls but stuffed with corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and Blasket Isle dressing, their take on Thousand Island. Our friend Barb is a fan of The Peat, which consists of assorted greens sauteed with bacon and hot peppers with toast points and Parmesan cheese ($6.99). Still another we often choose Sea Wings ($5.99), seven relatively large breaded and deep fried shrimp tossed in buffalo sauce with carrot and celery sticks on the side.

If these items sound good -- and I hope they do -- you should know that Happy Hour is from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; most appetizers are half price and you can wash them down with domestic draft beer for $2 each.

Neither of us is a big fan of salads as a meal, and as salad selections go, Quinlan's offers only three meal-sized varieties, ranging in price from $6.99 (a basic Caesar) to $9.99 (steak with tomatoes, red onion, cucumber, shredded cheddar cheese and croutons with field greens). And one of these days we've vowed to try the wings here -- regular or boneless -- if for no other reason than some of the sauce choices sound really intriguing with names like O'Danny Boy's, Banshee, Roscommon Ranch and Foggy Dew. They're priced at six for $5.29 and a dozen for $9.49; add $1 to either if you prefer yours boneless.

Sandwich choices are plentiful and delicious, at least the ones we've sampled. We both love the Reuben ($7.49), which comes with the traditional filling or Chicago style with turkey and coleslaw. The Guinness burger is great ($7.99), as is the fire roasted vegetable sandwich stuffed with a portobello mushroom, carrots, red onions, provolone cheese and chipotle mayo in a tomato wrap $7.49).

For dinner, we recommend visiting Quinlan's on Saturdays, when you can take advantage of the two entrees for $20 menu. In the interests of full disclosure, most of the entrees here don't cost much more than $10 anyway, so the savings isn't all that great. Still, a penny saved is a penny earned!

At our most recent visit, Jack tried the pan-seared scallops with garlic mashed potatoes, mushrooms, tomato chutney and truffle oil topped with a crab bisque ($12.99). Ever the fish-lover, I picked the fire roasted salmon with potatoes, bacon, asparagus, red onion and tarragon cream ($10.99). When it arrived, the salmon looked to have been on the grill way too long, but the taste told me otherwise; it was delicious. Needless to say, we both enjoyed our meals immensely.

On another occasion we went for the two-fer deal, this time both choosing the 6-ounce filet with asparagus, garlic champ and black peppercorn sauce, regularly priced at $13.99 -- making the $20 price tag an even bigger bargain. Better still, both were cooked to perfection -- not an easy task given that one of us wants medium rare and the other well done. Jack raved about his bowl of clam chowder as usual, and the asparagus was cooked to just the right amount of crispness.

My baked potato was on the small side compared to what I'm used to getting elsewhere, but then the economy is forcing most restaurants to slim down portion size in an effort to cut costs. In fact, we ended up finishing up every bite on our plates with nothing left to take home -- another trend we're experiencing more often these days and still another sign that portions are being reduced.

Still other entrees we've enjoyed here are the traditional corned beef and cabbage and Mike's Famous Meatloaf (both $9.99). Oh, and I almost forgot: If you have a choice of potato, do try the Irish Pub Crisps that come with French onion dip; they're absolutely yummy freshly made thinly sliced potato chips.

Something that delighted me most, though, probably wouldn't mean much to anyone else: Our very friendly servers bring water with lemon without our having to beg for it. How refreshing!

If you go: Quinlan's Irish Pub & Grill
5154 Youngstown Road
Niles, Ohio 44446
(330) 349-4500
www.quinlanspub.com

Open Tuesday through Friday 11 a.m. to midnight; Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.; Sundays for special events only; closed Monday.

MOJO'S PUB & GRILL

As my husband Jack was driving me and Niles friends Jerry and Barb on one of the rare occasions that we didn't know ahead of time where we wanted to have dinner, Barb and I started digging through our purses and flipping through the extra Entertainment Book I keep in the car for discount coupons, figuring that would help us decide. We started to laugh, but then reality hit as Barb asked, "When was the last time you ate out without using a coupon?"

Fact is, it's hard to remember. And to underscore the importance of coupons to the restaurant industry these days, I'll say that without this kind of incentive -- this time in the form of a gift card our "kids" Chris and Jerry gave us for Christmas -- we might never have tried a place that's since become a favorite: Mojo's Pub & Grill.

I mention this because I'm pretty sure most restaurants view coupons as a necessary evil -- emphasis on the evil part. On occasion, I suppose they are; I admit we've visited a few eateries only because they were offering some kind of discount; and when we were less than impressed with the quality of food and/or service, we never entered their doors again. But others -- and Mojo's is a great example -- we like so much that it's on our short list of places to stop any time we're in the area (as well as worth going a little bit out of the way for). If there's a moral here, it's that if you've got a great product or service and want to increase your customer base, coupons can be a great incentive and a great way to generate repeat business.

In this case, even with our gift certificate we almost missed the place. For whatever reason, we put off using the card till late March; and when we pulled up at the location behind Marino's Restaurant in Austintown, the lights were off and the doors were locked tighter than a drum. Uh, oh, we said -- we've waited too long.

But since we knew that Mojo's is owned by the same folks who own Marino's, we figured we'd pop in there and ask. If Mojo's were closed, after all, we could eat here -- we love the place. In fact, Marino's was one of the first restaurants I added to my blog.

Surprise! What we learned was that Mojo's had relocated a couple of weeks earlier further west on Mahoning Avenue not far from the Austintown Plaza. So, offering our apologies for not staying at Marino's and promising to return, we made our way there.

As it turns out, that was the first of many visits. For openers, we love the roomy black-and-gray main dining area that offers easy access to a semi-enclosed bar; upstairs, we were told, is a rock-and-roll bar, while the lower level is a sports bar.

Mostly, though, we love the food. For newbies, lunch is a good time to give the place a try, although it's really hard to choose from all the sandwich offerings, which come with a substantial portion of hand-cut fries. The Bleu hamburger with bleu cheese ($7.59) and Reuben ($7.29) sounded wonderful on our initial lunch outing, but in the end Jack settled on the Swiss and Mushroom burger ($7.29) and, since I wanted to try the pulled pork, I decided the Double-Decker, with the barbecue-sauced pork on top of a hamburger, would be a good way to see if I wanted a larger portion of the pork.

The fries are similar to those at the old Idora Park, though perhaps a bit thicker, and very good. Those who don't want fries may substitute onion rings for an extra $1.19; cole slaw can be added for 99 cents.

Everything was delicious, including the pulled pork, which is very tender with a wonderful barbecue flavor; I made a mental note to try a whole sandwich on one of our return trips. The sandwiches aren't small, I should add; we both brought half home for later. As we were finishing up, our server tried to tempt us with Mojo's new dessert cart -- something like four kinds of cheesecake (locally made), a yummy-looking chocolate cake and a brownie sundae. Already stuffed to the gills, we declined, but then she convinced us to take a piece of cheesecake home -- we chose raspberry topping -- and it sure was scrumptious.

Interestingly, Mojo's is a great place for seafood, even crab legs on occasion, and barbecue. The menu is loaded with fish entrees as well as barbecue ribs, chicken and the aforementioned pulled pork. Several varieties of wings are available as well. Largely because of the seafood choices, I'm particularly fond of eating here, and we've come here several times for dinner. The first time, I tried the haddock (broiled, not lightly breaded and fried) for $11.49; it comes with cole slaw and one side, and I chose a baked potato with butter and sour cream. Meanwhile, Jack ordered the Mojo Melt ($12.99), a charbroiled chicken breast topped with barbecue sauce, bacon and American and provolone cheese. For sides, he picked fries and slaw.

A bit of a surprise came in the form of a basket of "Mama" Marino's homemade bread (her huge fresh-baked dinner rolls at Marino's restaurant are known far and wide), and the bread was fabulous as well. As for the fish, it was perhaps boiled a bit longer than necessary, but it wasn't overdone and was nicely flavored. Jack loved his chicken, too, and the slaw, with two kinds of cabbage and carrots in a mayonnaise-based dressing, is exceptional.

On still another late-afternoon visit, I tried the haddock dinner, slightly different than the earlier version because it comes with a salad and one side ($12.99). I stuck with a baked potato and ranch dressing; and for the record, there's a nearly $2 upcharge if you want to substitute soup for the salad, which I decided against. Jack, tried something a bit different - Portabella Chicken, grilled and topped with portabella mushrooms, red peppers and provolone ($13.49).

Once again, the fish had a wonderful flavor but tasted as if it had been baked for a while and then put under the broiler; it was cooked too long to say I absolutely loved it, but I ate every bite just the same.

One other word of caution: If you want to get a seat here, come for lunch or before 6 p.m. We've driven past several times wanting to stop for dinner and found that the parking lot is spilling-over full. Mojo's has live entertainment in the evenings as well as a party-down crowd from after work till late in the evening, so it's best to get here early.

If you go: Mojo's Pub & Grill
6292 Mahoning Ave.
Austintown, Ohio 44515
(330) 773-6656
www.mojospubngrill.com (Note: the site was still in development at the time of this posting, so check back).

Opens at 11 a.m. daily.

EL JALAPENO

Most of the time, my husband Jack and I are agree on what we like, and don't, when it comes to food. Sure, we have special favorites the other won't touch - my beloved hot peppers shall never get within a fork's length of his plate, and he knows my nose turns up at anything that smells of anise or licorice. Even when it comes to ethnic food, we get along pretty well.

Except, perhaps, when it's Mexican. I love just about anything on the menu, but it's tough for him to find something that will go down without a fight, let alone get excited about.

So when a new Mexican restaurant came to the U.S. Route 422 "Strip" in Niles, let's just say we didn't hurry in even though I wanted to try it right away. But when our dining out-loving friends Jerry and Barb -- both of whom like Mexican fare as well or better than I do -- suggested we pay a visit, Jack agreed to go along for the ride. And since then, I'm happy to report, we've been back a couple of times, once just the two of us.

The restaurant is located in a building that's been home to several others that have disappeared over the years, including Hooters and P.J. Snappers (right across the road from Quinlan's). The interior now has a distinctive Mexican flavor - with artsy stuff on the walls and colorful bottles of soda on the room dividers. There are plenty of tables, and the dividers help conceal a separate bar. There's no beer on tap here, but they do have our favorite Dos Equis in bottles plus wine and other drinks and special Margaritas.

I should mention that if you're Googling the restaurant, you'll likely find a Cleveland restaurant with a similar name -- El Jalapenos (www.eljalapenos.com). Although there's no indication on either Web site that they're related, the logo, site colors, style and even the menus and daily specials are virtually identical, making me almost certain they're connected in some way. Next time we're heading up Cleveland way -- the restaurant is on 117th Street -- maybe we'll check it out.

At our first visit, we had a coupon giving us $5 off on a $30 purchase -- an amount easy for the four of us to spend collectively. At around 5 p.m. on a Friday night we were seated immediately, but half an hour later the place was packed.

First came one of the reasons I love Mexican restaurants: a basket of fresh corn chips and a bowl of salsa. I will issue one minor "complaint" here, though; we got only one bowl of salsa, albeit rather large, to share among the four of us. Why is that a problem, you ask? Well, even when the salsa has a kick to it -- and this certainly does -- I like to add quite a few shakes of the habanero sauces on the table. But since no one else would be able to take the heat, I had to make do with what was served. If we'd had two smaller bowls of salsa, I'd have been able to doctor one up to my liking. Besides that, it would make it easier to access - sharing by four people means at least two will have a long way from bowl to mouth, a pretty drippy process.

Choosing what we wanted to eat took a bit of time, especially since the intent was to try four different things. There are almost endless possibilities, making it even more difficult to decide. Jack, however, didn't have much of a problem; one things he does love at Mexican restaurants is fajitas; here, he picked the #45 Fajitos Combo for $11.99. It's steak and chicken stir fried with bell peppers, onions and tomatoes accompanied by Mexican rice, refried beans, sour cream, guacamole, lettuce and warm flour tortillas.

Since I love everything Mexican, it took me a while to decide; finally, I settled on the #58 Enchiladas Monterrey ($8.50). This is comprised of three enchiladas (one chicken, one beef tips and one spinach) all topped with shredded cheese with rice and beans. Meanwhile, Barb opted for the #35 Carnitas, or fried pork chunks with rice, beans, pico de gallo and flour tortillas ($8.50). Jerry's pick was #28, Quesadillos Mexicanas ($7.99), or two flour tortillas grilled and stuffed with cheese - one shredded beef and one chicken and beans -- served with lettuce, sour cream and tomato.

All of our choices were good ones (yes, we sampled each other's). The guacamole was especially delicious, as was the fried pork. The rice and refried beans were typical of most Mexican restaurants. Most folks either love or hate the beans (I love them), and I always jazz up the rice by adding any of the salsa left over from the basket of chips and add more hot sauce.

I wasn't too crazy about the sauce on my enchiladas, which was vaguely reminiscent of chili flavor but had a rather strange (to me) taste. I'd have preferred it to be served on the side since there was no way to easily scrape it off. I'm also not overly fond of the shredded chicken here, but the meat and spinach fillings were yummy.

Jack also likes the fajitas quite well; the flavor is good (although not quite as well-seasoned as what we used to get at the long-gone Caballo Bayo restaurant in Howland Township).

Jerry and Barb accompanied us on our next visit as well, but this time for lunch. Now somewhat seasoned guests here, it didn't take us quite as long to decide. Ever the bargain-hunter, my choice was easy once I saw that the #7 Numero Siete (a ground beef burrito, a taco and Mexican rice) was the day's special at $5.25. As expected, Jack stuck with the fajitas, this time a lunch portion for $6.50.

Jerry first decided on the #3, Huevas con Chorizo (two scrambled eggs over easy with sauce, rice, beans and tortillas), but when he saw the #13, El Burro Grande ($5.99), he changed his mind. He picked chicken over beef, which is combined with rice and beans inside a burrito and topped with melted cheese.

Meantime, Barb went for the #5 El Matador: A chili relleno, a taco, refried beans and guacamole salad for $5.99. Everything was quite tasty once again, although Jerry's burrito was absolutely outstanding (not to mention huge). The relleno and taco had some sort of soft breading that was very tasty.

For our most recent visit, Jack surprised me by suggesting we go here for a late lunch, around 1:30 p.m. Granted, we'd just finished running errands nearby and he wasn't thrilled with the idea of driving a distance to eat, but I took it as a positive that he'd actually want to eat here. As always, we shared a bowl of salsa, so I wasn't able to make mine as hot as I'd like. Sure, I could ask for an empty bowl, but it's not all that important -- and besides, since he doesn't eat his rice, I get to collect both his and mine and add as much hot sauce as I want.

It goes without saying that he chose fajitas -- steak this time, and the $6.50 lunch portion. Thinking perhaps that wouldn't be enough, he ordered a quesadilla with cheese and chicken from the appetizer menu as well ($3.99). I picked the #34 Burritos Mexicanos ($8.25 and a dinner-size entree.

The fajitas were good as usual, and with four soft tortillas, there was plenty to satisfy him even without the quesadilla. The latter was more like a folded-over soft taco than a "sealed" quesadilla, but it was delicious; in fact, we brought it home since Jack filled up on the fajitas.

My double portion of rice (his and mine) was fabulous once I added the Chile Habanero sauce from the table. The minute I bit into the chicken burrito, though, I remembered I didn't care for the chicken here and should have picked all beef (that one, once again, was wonderful). The chicken didn't go to waste, however; I was plenty full after eating just the beef burrito and brought the chicken one home, where Jack polished it off later.

The verdict on El Jalapeno? Cuando estás en el estado de ánimo de comida mexicana, probar esta! (Or, when you're in the mood for Mexican fare, give this one a try)!

If you go:

El Jalapeno
5125 Youngstown-Warren Road
Niles, Ohio 44446
(330) 544-6500

www.eljalapenoniles.com

Open Monday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.; Saturday noon to 10:30 p.m.; and Sunday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

SELAH RESTAURANT

Trying to pinpoint the type of cuisine at Selah Restaurant is like trying to lump animals in a zoo into a single category. The food at this Struthers, Ohio, eatery might best be described as eclectic -- perhaps reflecting, as least in part, the fact that one owner is Chinese and the other is Italian. But diners here will find many other ethnic influences here, from Mediterranean to French to plain old US of A.

Our first visit came some time ago, when we were delighted to receive a gift certificate -- this is a place we'd been wanting to visit, but since Struthers is a bit out of our usual shopping, errand-running and photography outing territories, we hadn't made a special trip. But now, we had a special reason, so we gathered a couple of friends who were more than willing to tag along. And as it turned out, it was a wonderful experience that would bear repeating.

I will say at the outset that Selah is not inexpensive, especially if you indulge in alcoholic beverages and appetizers; dinner entrees here run in the $9 to $18 range, and very few wines are available by the glass (beer and mixed drinks, though, are quite reasonable). But for those looking for a quiet, relaxing dining experience in interesting surroundings, this is a great place.

The surroundings begin with the building itself; an old bank that's been converted to house restaurant fixin's, the owners have kept brass teller cages, a walk-in vault (with seating) and original photography. There's an onsite bakery that emanates tempting aromas, and dark wood throughout adds a pleasant, comfortable feel to the overall ambience.

When we first visited, I didn't do much information gathering, but I do remember that we shared a couple of appetizers to start, one of which was stuffed grape leaves with feta cheese ($4.75), that were delicious. For entrees, three of us settled on one of the daily specials -- my choice was salmon -- and here, too, we smacked our lips over just about every bite and vowed to make a return trip.

That happened recently, and once again we saved some serious cash by taking advantage of a discount coupon from Groupon.com. If you haven't signed up at Groupon, by the way, it can pay off; the Youngstown area is now represented (although the folks at Groupon seem to think that Grove City and New Castle, Pa., qualify even though they're way too far away for us to consider going there with any regularity whatsoever).

That said, we decided to go to Selah on a Friday night, but we called ahead for a reservation. I doubt reservations would have been necessary; although there was a rather large party in the vault room, only a couple of tables were occupied in the main dining area when we arrived for our 6:30 p.m. "appointment." Still, this is a popular place, so I recommend making reservations if you don't like to wait.

Especially given our discount coupons, we decided to go whole hog, so to speak, ordering two appetizers to share. One was the stuffed grape leaves (now $5) and the other marinated shrimp and avocado with tomato-citrus drizzle for $6.50.

As is the custom when we dine with our friends Jerry and Barb, we each try to order something different so we can sample. Here, we had no problem, since each of us had a difficult time choosing which entree would satisfy most -- just too many tempting items on the menu. In the end, I chose Tilapia Francaise ($12.75), my husband Jack decided on Bourbon Beef Tips ($16.75), Jerry opted for Coq au Vin ($13.50) and Barb's choice was The Devonshire ($17.75). All entrees come with a house salad, one side dish and fresh-baked rolls.

Our salads arrived before the appetizers did, not that we cared a whit. We love the house balsamic dressing, which topped a nice combination of field greens, tomato, black olives and feta -- a very tasty way to start a meal. The appetizers were wonderful as well; we knew we loved the grape leaves from our first visit here, but we were exceptionally pleased with the plate of warm shrimp contrasted by cool slices of avocado (the drizzle, whatever it was, was delicious as well).

Side-dish choices include redskin potatoes with roasted red peppers, slow-cooked wild rice in chicken stock, garlic mashed potatoes with roasted garlic, sweet potato fries and a vegetable of the day. Two of us chose the wild rice, but when our entrees were delivered, our server told us that the rice wasn't fully cooked yet and so they'd given us a temporary substitute of the garlic mashed potatoes (with a promise of delivery of the rice when it was ready).

That was a nice gesture, although personally I'd have preferred to be told that the rice wasn't available up front so I could have canceled my rice order and picked the substitute I wanted to go with my meal (I'd have chosen the redskin potatoes, which I'd almost picked over the rice anyway). The garlic mashed potatoes were good and quite filling, which turned out to be a bit of a problem since the rice wasn't ready until we'd all finished our meals. By then, we had no room left for the rice except for a few bites. It was quite tasty, though, so we took most of it home and definitely will try it again next time we're here.

Still another slight frustration was that we didn't get the fresh rolls as indicated on the menu; however, once we inquired about them, a basket was delivered immediately (with a tub of butter and a wonderful olive tapenade consisting of, if my taste buds are correct, very finely chopped olives, capers, anchovies and olive oil). We polished off all four in short order, and a second basket appeared as if by magic.

The entrees were absolutely wonderful -- not a complaint among us. By way of description, Barb's Devonshire is a seared steak with portobello mushrooms, onions and spinach deglazed with fresh cream -- sounds tantalizing, doesn't it? Jerry's Coq au Vin was chicken with Potrobellos and roasted red peppers finished with a red wine reduction, and it was outstanding.

I'd waffled between the Citrus Pan-Roasted Salmon, seared wild Alaskan Sockeye with a citrus-garlic marinade and the Tilapia Francaise. I loved the tilapia, but I think next time we're here I'll try the salmon. Jack also loved the Bourbon Beef Tips, which are deglazed with Kentucky bourbon sauce. I tried them and agree the flavor is delightful, but since he ordered them in his usual well done style, they were way too overdone and tough for my medium rare taste.

Admittedly, we had no room left for dessert - a disappointment given the choices (I noticed what appeared to be creme brulee in the glass case near the entrance as we went in, a special favorite of mine). For the record, whole cheesecakes and other cakes, cupcakes and tortes are sold at the onsite bakery, as are bags of Selah's own whole bean and ground coffees.

Ah well, there's always next time!

If you go: Selah Restaurant
130 S. Bridge St.
Struthers, Ohio 44471
(330) 755-2759
www.selahrestaurant.com

Open Tuesday and Thursday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; closed Sunday and Monday

HARTVILLE KITCHEN

Readers who follow this blog know by now that my early years -- from birth till I left for Kent State University in 1959 -- were spent on a small farm in southwestern Ohio. With a stay-at-home, but hard-working, mother who loved to cook mostly from scratch, the eating was delicious. And, the craving for "down-home" cooking never went away, even as the times changed and eating out became almost more common than spending time whipping up goodies in my own kitchen.

Once in a while, though, I'm able to have it both ways: Eat out and eat good ol' country fare. One of my favorite places to do that is the Hartville Kitchen in Hartville, Ohio -- ironically, not far from the city of Kent, where I spent the first two years of my college life (the rest of the years came after our kids were in school).

The restaurant started in 1966 as a small restaurant, but it's since grown to become a complex of businesses that include a gift shop, home decor gallery, Hartville MarketPlace and Flea Market, a hardware shop and a tool shop (in other words, if you visit, plan to stay awhile). Over all those years, though, the restaurant has remained family owned, and the original Mennonite heritage also remains a constant, as evidenced by the wonderful food.

As you might expect, the menu is quite extensive -- and the waiting lines to get in the dining room can be quite long as well. The restaurant is good-sized, though, so the line usually moves rather quickly; still, I recommend timing your visit at other than peak mealtime hours.

My husband Jack and friends Jerry and Barb did exactly that not long ago, arriving fashionably late for lunch (or early for dinner, take your pick). Even then, there were quite a few ahead of us -- and a tour bus arrived shortly after that. This complex is a popular destination, especially for senior citizens, so it's not unusual to see a bus or two in the parking lot.

In fact, we, too, decided to do a little poking around in the gift shop and looking at all the interesting and unique wall hangings (many of which are for sale) before we got in line. In the process, I found a couple of items I thought would be terrific gifts, so I filed these away to pick up after we ate. If you're interested in gifts as well, be sure to visit the upper level, which has many other possibilities including larger items such as framed paintings and furniture -- all in keeping with the country theme, of course.

Although it's great to buy goodies like whole pies, homemade noodles and breads to take back home, the stick-to-your-ribs food served in the restaurant arguably is the big draw here. Since there were four of us, we decided to make the most of our visit by trying four different things. Three of us opted for sandwiches but added tossed salads, which arrived first -- nicely chopped greens, which I love. In addition, equally finely chopped carrots, tomato and celery are in there, and the dressings -- raspberry sweet 'n' sour and blue cheese were our choices -- were outstanding.

Our friend Jerry also wanted to try some soup, choosing broccoli-cheese (vegetable beef and chicken noodle also are on the everyday menu), getting a cup for $2.35. It was very creamy and -- surprise -- includes noodles, making for a very satisfying meal starter.

Jack's pick was from the Hot Sandwiches list, the roast beef with mashed potatoes and gravy for $7.80. I almost went for the creamed chicken with mixed vegetables over biscuits and mashed potatoes, also $7.80; I've had it before and it's quite good. I should mention that these two, plus a roast pork with mashed potatoes and gravy, are available in half-order portions for $6.80. For that matter, all dinners are available a la carte, such as one piece of chicken, a side dish, etc.

Now for the rest of us: I tend to judge down-home cookin' by the quality of the fried chicken, so it was a no-brainer for me. I went big with three pieces of dark, my favorite -- a thigh, wing and drumstick for $10.50. White or wheat rolls come with all entrees, and I could choose three sides. One, of course, was a tossed salad; for the others, I picked mashed potatoes and gravy and cottage cheese. Other notable choices include macaroni and cheese, green beans, cole slaw, applesauce, Jell-O and sweet potato casserole.

The mashed potatoes are very real, and very good, and the fried chicken has a tasty breading that won't break your teeth. Jack's open-face roast beef sandwich was as delicious as he'd remembered from the last time we were here. Both Barb and Jerry looked at the sandwich list, choosing tuna salad ($5.90) and chicken salad ($4.50), respectively. Both were quite satisfied, especially when the salads and soup were factored in.

One of the don't-miss specialties here, though, are the homemade pies -- close to 20 varieties, plus no-sugar-added versions of cherry and apple. Keep in mind all four of us were stuffed to almost overflowing; that three of us ordered pie on top of all that is a testament to how good it is.

All of us did, that is, except Jack; he broke tradition by ordering a warm, gooey hot fudge brownie sundae ($3.49), making us almost sorry we'd picked the pie. For chocolate-lovers, though, this one is a must-try.

Those of us who did go with pie, which is $2.89 per generous slice, went with ice cream added, bumping the cost to $3.89. Not long after we placed our orders with our friendly server, she delivered a piece of coconut cream, black raspberry and vanilla peanut butter.

The crusts buttery and rather dense, but with a good flavor and consistency. The coconut flavor was quite evident but not overwhelming in my cream pie, and Jerry's raspberry filling wasn't overly sweet (yes, we all sampled each other's). Barb's vanilla peanut butter, though, was nothing like we'd expected, with the flavors blended together in a single cream filling. Instead, vanilla and peanut butter creams were layered, and the whole thing was topped with a soft meringue -- nothing short of totally decadent!

Needless to say, we stopped at the bakery to get a couple of whole pies to go -- the most expensive on the list, black raspberry (baked or cream) is $9.99, but most are a reasonable $8.50. And yes, I popped back into the gift shop to buy the treasures I'd found earlier (but until I pass them on to the recipients, exactly what I bought will remain my secret)!

If you go:
Hartville Kitchen
1015 Edison St.
Hartville, Ohio 44632
(330) 877-9353
www.hartvillekitchen.com

Open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Closed Wednesday and Sunday.