CRANBERRY STATION RESTAURANT

Warm summer days just beg for day trips -- at least as far as I'm concerned -- and one of the delights in hitting the road is finding interesting restaurants. On one of those awful 90 degree-plus days back in July, that's exactly what my husband Jack and I did.

At least once a year, we head to the Pymatuning State Park spillway near Linesville, Pa., to see those huge, hungry (and downright ugly) carp climb all over each other to get to bread chunks pitched over the railing by visitors who can't believe their eyes. They're so thick that here and there, equally hungry gulls walk on the fishes' backs, trying to steal the bread before it even gets to those gaping mouths.

The gulls, however, have a decided advantage: If you toss bread in the air, they'll fly over in droves and it's a sure bet one will catch the chunk in mid-flight. The whole thing is an awesome sight, so if you haven't been there yet, there's still plenty of good weather left before the snow flies.

On this day, we rounded up our friends Jerry and Barb from Niles, and the four of us spent a bit of time oggling the fish monsters just like the rest of the gawkers. But in short order, the blistering heat took its toll and we almost flew faster than those gulls to get back to the comfort of our air-conditioned car. Once we could breathe again, though, we decided we were hungry -- although we weren't sure whether to blame that on the time of day or watching those carp scarf down the bread.

So, we headed back toward home with an eye toward finding a place to satisfy our craving for food - preferably a place we hadn't tried before. Not long after we crossed back into Ohio, we reached Andover, and right on the town square, there it was: Cranberry Station Restaurant. The neat windows and red awning above the entrance were very inviting, and since it was early afternoon, we didn't really care that the place doesn't sell alcohol -- it was good food and something cold to drink that we were after.

Inside, it's a one-room affair but quite spacious, with several large tables and comfortable high-back wooden chairs. At 1:30 in the afternoon several folks were here finishing up, chatting with each and other and the servers, so we figured this is a popular place with the locals.

The walls are filled with country-style artwork and hand-made items, most of which are for sale. Right next to our table there was a table holding lip gloss and handmade soaps in a variety of tempting scents. Curious, we asked out server about them, and she absolutely raved about the lip gloss. Learning that it was just $1 a tube, Barb and I figured why not and bought several to take home -- and yes, they're wonderful.

Dinners here range from around $7.99 to $15.99, the latter for a strip steak. Croissant sandwiches are under $7, and they have several burgers and subs as well. I eyed the Cincinnati Chili ($6.49), a dish I've loved ever since I was a kid growing up not far from the Queen City. For the record, it's basically spaghetti topped with chili instead of spaghetti sauce; here, they add black olives and onion and the whole thing comes with a salad.

There are daily specials as well as plenty of "standards" on the menu such as a corned beef on rye sandwich with Swiss cheese for $5.49 - it can be served hot or cold. A grilled Swiss cheese sandwich with bacon and tomato on rye is just $3.99, beef liver and onions is $6.99 and roasted turkey breast with dressing and cranberry sauce is $8.99, to give you some idea of the range of offerings and prices. In short, I'd think there is sufficient variety here to please just about any palate.

Hungry as we were, we started with appetizers all around. Except for me -- I love corn nuggets so the choice was a no-brainer - it wasn't an easy decision, especially since we wanted to try four different things to share. Jack didn't take too long, choosing the breaded mushrooms. Barb followed with potato skins, and finally Jerry opted for a cup of chili. We all were quite pleased (especially my with the corn nuggets, which were much like corn fritters). The chili was a little harder to share so I can't offer a personal opinion, but Jerry said the chili had a too-strong tomato base and not much chili flavor. That didn't keep him from polishing it off, I hasten to add.

It took longer for us to pick entrees than it did for the appetizers - lots of delicious-sounding items here - but pick we did. It was lunch time and very hot outside, so I wanted something cool. The croissant sandwich with chicken salad filled that bill perfectly ($5.99, and I could have had tuna salad instead). It came with a side of either macaroni salad or potato salad, but since they were out of macaroni salad, that, too, so potato it was. To drink, I picked cranberry lemonade, which our server told us is a very popular drink that they serve at events Cranberry Station caters.

Jack, always a meat-and-potatoes kind of guy, went for the meatloaf dinner ($7.49). He had a choice of potato, salad or vegetable plus a roll and butter, and he picked fries and a salad with raspberry viniagrette dressing. Jerry finally settled on the fried fish sandwich.

Like me, Barb wanted something cool, so her pick was the deluxe tuna salad ($6.59). Our server then asked what kind of dressing she wanted -- I don't recall for sure, but I think she chose bleu cheese -- and after the server left we wondered why there was a choice of dressing. The tuna salad we're all used to comes pre-mixed, usually with mayonnaise. Oh well, we said - guess Barb's in for a surprise!

In fact, she did get a surprise - and a very pleasant one. The tuna salad here, it turns out, is a huge mound of tuna -- no filling whatsoever -- with the dressing served on the side to be added to the tuna as you like. Neat concept, we agreed - and quite delicious.

Jack happily shoveled down every single bite of his meatloaf, pronouncing it "very good." My chicken salad was delicious as well, although it, too, was a bit different. The typical mayo used to bind it together was totally absent, replaced by something that had a bit of a mustard taste to it. Jerry proclaimed his fish sandwich "good," but nothing to write home about.

When she noticed that we had cleaned off our plates, our observant server trotted out a fabulous dessert tray loaded with goodies from key lime/strawberry cake and fresh-based pies. We were stuffed, but these looked way too good for some of us to resist. Jack picked a slice of apple pie and Jerry couldn't resist a big slice of yummy-looking chocolate cake. Barb was the only holdout, saying she absolutely couldn't get another bite down.

Beverages here are served in Mason jars, and I couldn't help noticing when our server delivered a just-made milkshake to another table (also in a Mason jar). Another no-brainer for me: For dessert, I'll have what she's having, I told our server.

For the record, they use Edy's Ice Cream here, and it goes in the shakes as well. The "soda fountain" was just on the other side of our table, and I was surprised and thrilled to see not one, but three generous scoops of chocolate ice cream go in the jar (most chocolate shakes are made with vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup). Not a lot of milk was added so I figured it would take a while before I could get it through the straw without sucking my face inside out. Not so; it was kept on the mixer long enough to thin it down perfectly. It was, in fact, my very own little piece of Heaven.

Desserts here are kept on a chilled tray so they're fairly cold when they reach the table. So although Jerry said the cake was very good, he would have preferred it served at room temperature, if not slightly warmed.

If there's a real downside here, it's that there's only one single-stall restroom; that could, we imagine, be problematic when the place is full of folks drinking that delicious cranberry lemonade.

If you go: Cranberry Station Restaurant
68 Public Square
Andover, Ohio 44003
(440) 293-6651

Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Our server said the restaurant opens daily between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. and are open till 11 p.m. on weekdays except Mondays, when they close at 3 p.m. On weekends, closing is 11:30 p.m.

EMERALD DINER

Editor's note on 9/7/12: Bad new update on the Emerald Diner - the diner recently was gutted by a fire. No word on when (or whether) it will be rebuilt, but I'll keep you posted.

Back in the '50s when I was a kid growing up on a farm in southwestern Ohio, drive-in restaurants, soda fountains and diners were staples of everyday living. Nobody "ate out" very often -- our stay-at-home moms cooked up three squares a day, mostly from scratch. But once in a while, we'd get treated to a cold root beer and chili dog at the A&W or a "brown cow" at the new Dairy Queen in town.
Dairy Queen, by the way, was founded in 1940, so when one opened in our small town sometime in the mid-'50s, we all thought we'd died and gone to Heaven. That Dairy Queen also was the first real job I ever had; I spent two summers whipping up sundaes, milkshakes and putting those curls on cones trying to earn enough money to buy some neat back-to-school clothes that weren't on my mother's list of what I really needed. I'll never forget the thrill of discovering that as an employee, I was allowed eat all the ice cream treats I wanted -- followed by the realization maybe three days later that I wouldn't care if I never ate it again for the rest of my life.

Once I turned 16 and got my driver's license, I'd get behind the wheel of my dad's '57 Chevy Bel Air (metallic pink, dual exhaust and stick shift), pick up my best friend Marcia and head into the small town of Union City, Indiana, to the Sweet Shoppe for a freshly made chocolate malt and listening to the latest tunes on the juke box. Last time I was in town, the Sweet Shoppe was still open - a testament, I guess, to the ongoing popularity of this kind of place.

I left the farm for college in 1959 and never went back (except, of course, to visit my wonderful parents when they were still living, which happily was for many more years). But I've always had an affinity for any kind of eatery that brings back memories of the '50s. So even though my husband Jack and I prefer our meals accompanied by beer or wine, every once in a while we consider it a treat to have a meal in surroundings that remind us of days gone by.
And that's exactly what we did not long ago, when our friends Jerry and Barb suggested that we have dinner at the Emerald Diner in Hubbard, Ohio. Truth is, we enjoyed a meal or two here several years ago when Jack reviewed the place for his "Dining Out" column for The Business Journal. Since then, for some reason we were under the impression that it had closed. Not so -- in fact, it's very much alive and well and living in the 21st Century. The food and decor, though, are happily stuck in a previous generation.

The diner, according to a diner brochure, is a green-accented 1939 O'Mahony that was Burt's Diner in Norwich, Conn., for 40 years. Once it closed, it sat abandoned in a cornfield for 10 years. In 1994, James P. Marsh of J.P. Marsh & Co., a certified public accountant firm in Hubbard, purchased it and moved it here, where the first cup of coffee was served in April of the following year.
As you might expect, the railroad car-style diner has bar stools and a counter on one side and booths on the other. There's lots of chrome and replicas of LP records (remember those??) hanging around, and in each booth there's a juke box that simply begs for quarters -- each of which gets you two selections.

That, in fact, provided some entertainment for our outing -- but first we'll talk about the real reason for being here -- the food. There's plenty here from which to choose, by the way -- far more than I'd have expected at a so-called diner. We found lots that sounded wonderful from breakfast, lunch and dinner menus (all of which prompted us to agree we'd be making more visits here).

There are daily specials as well, although no matter how hard she tried, our friendly server just couldn't convince any of us to try the liver and haluska side that was featured on this day. Saturday's country fried steak ($6.95) and Sunday's meatloaf ($7.95), however, were very tempting. A hint: If you're on Facebook, add the Emerald Diner to your "like" list and you can check out the daily postings of special Facebook-only deals that can save you a bundle.

There are several appetizers on the menu, like spinach and artichoke dip with tortilla chips ($4.95) and Italian greens in olive oil and garlic with toasted Italian bread ($5.95). The sandwiches are too numerous to mention anywhere near all, but the open-faced turkey, meatloaf and roast beef with homemade mashed potatoes and gravy at $5.95 each caught my eye for a future visit. Dinner entrees range from pasta to stuffed cabbage to crispy fried chicken.
Another temptation was the "Wiener's Circle" of 100% all beef hotdogs, you get onions and relish on request. A quarter-pound dog is $2.45, and toppings (chili, coleslaw, sauerkraut, bacon and more) are an additional quarter each.
As for our final selections, mine was a Five Alarm burger, a one-third pound hunk of meat infused with hot spices and jalapenos. Then, just to make sure you don't miss the heat, it's topped with house marinated hot peppers, pepper jack cheese and jalapenos and priced at a reasonable $6.75 with one side. I nixed the veggie of the day -- stewed tomatoes and zucchini -- in favor of onion rings.

I can count on Jack for consistency when it comes to food, and this place was no exception; he picked the Philly Cheese Steak (you can get it with chicken instead of beef). It's topped by grilled onions, green peppers, mushrooms and provolone and served on a toasted hoagie roll for $6.75 -- he chose cole slaw as his side.

The Chicken and Greens sandwich was Jerry's pick of the litter: A 6-ounce chicken breast with homemade Italian greens, roasted red peppers and provolone on grilled Italian bread for $7.45. Barb opted for the Eggplant Parmesan sandwich with hand-sliced eggplant rolled in a blend of Panko and Italian seasoned bread crumbs and layered on a hoagie bun. Then it's topped with provolone, sauce and shredded mozzarella; with her choice of sweet potato fries for a side, the whole thing cost $6.75.

All of the sandwiches were wonderful, in part because of the bread (Barb called her bun "amazing," in fact). When we raved about it to our server, she told us it comes from the Orlando Baking Co. in Youngstown. Barb also loved the sweet potato fries, noting that they were thicker with "more potato" than most she's had. Along the same lines, she was delighted that Heinz ketchup is served here -- it's the only kind she likes (and yes, she really can tell the difference if blindfolded)!

The hot peppers on and in my burger were both plentiful and on the hot side, even for someone like me who has a cast-iron stomach. The homemade ones packed the most punch heat-wise, but the flavor was a bit too vinegary for me to want them as a full side dish. On the sandwich, though, they were delicious.

As I said before, we definitely plan to return here just because the food is great, the prices are reasonable and the decor is just plain fun. But there's another reason - to try one of the hand-dipped milkshakes that come in several flavors ($3.95). Milkshakes are a diner "must" and I absolutely love them, but I simply had no room to fit even part of one in my stomach on this visit.
On the fun side, too, is the music. After we'd placed our orders, we couldn't resist browsing through the golden oldies on the "pages" of the juke box at our table -- and that led to wondering if each of us chose two favorites to play for 25 cents, would there be any duplicates since the four of us are quite close in age? In fact, there was only one; both Jerry and I picked "All I Have to Do is Dream" by the Everly Brothers. So I switched one of my choices to Pat Benetar's "Hit Me With Your Best Shot."

Other picks were "Hang on Sloopy" by the McCoys and "Johnny B. Goode" by Chuck Berry (Jack), "Night Moves" by Bob Seger and "Temptation Eyes" by The Grass Roots (Barb). Jerry's second pick was "Sugar Shack" by Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs and mine was "Sweet Home Alabama" by Lynrd Skynyrd. For a quarter apiece, it was pretty cheap entertainment and great accompaniment to our meals.

After we'd finished, we walked outside to wander around the grounds and pop into a really neat antique shop in a former train depot (a whole train and related memorabilia stand nearby as well). The collection of old steamer trunks is worthwhile in and of itself, and we look forward to coming back to see what we missed the first time around (right after we sample those milkshakes at the diner)!


If you go:

EMERALD DINER
825 N. Main St.
Hubbard, Ohio 44425
(330) 534-7600

Open Monday through Thursday 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 7 a.m. to midnight; Sunday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

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.