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If you've read the introduction to my Mahoning Valley Eats & Treats blog, you know the reason I started it in the first place is that I truly believe the restaurants here are the best you'll find anywhere. With few exceptions (like crab cakes on the Maryland coast, shrimp at the North Carolina Banks), no matter how much you pay or what the restaurant's cache, the quality of the food won't be any better than you can get in this neck of the woods.
Right at the top of my list of reasons my husband Jack and I make that claim is Vernon's Cafe. Back in the day when we could afford to eat out more often than we can now that we're both retired, I'm guessing we had dinner there, on average, once a week - and never once were we disappointed. In between, we enjoyed greeting, meeting friends and eating in the banquet, often the site of special occasions like wedding receptions, office parties and such.
Up front, I'll say that while Vernon's is far from the most expensive place in the world - you'll find wonderful dinner entrees from $9 to $12 or so - but given our changed economic circumstances in recent years, it's enough that we simply don't go as often. That said, we got a hankering to go once again and decided to try lunch. In addition to banquet space, there's a relatively large dining room and a separate bar, where, because it's more casual and intimate, we always prefer to sit. We opted to get there around 1 p.m., thinking we'd miss the lunch crowd. That we did, but barely; quite a few folks were still there, although two of the four tables for four on the bar side were empty (happily for us).
Vernon's is known for a great wine selection, and although there's no on-tap beer, our server told us they've got just about everything from domestics to top shelf. And, we learned, they're delivered with tall, frosty glasses for those who want them.
There's a list of specials that changes daily, and while we looked those over our server brought a basket of thick, fresh Italian bread. Vernon's keeps bottles of herb-infused olive oil on each table - delicious for dipping that wonderful bread (we always add a few shakes of sprinkle cheese as well).
On the specials list, my first inclination was to try the linguine with bluefoot white shrimp and proscuitto ($10) or the sauteed chicken livers with mushrooms, onions, wine, rice and green beans ($7). Jack thought long and hard about the stuffed pepper with smashed Yukon gold potatoes ($8).
That's before I spotted the petite grilled salmon over angel hair pasta with tomatoes, scallions, asparagus and scampi butter sauce ($9.50) from the regular lunch menu - that one just called out my name. Jack, too, picked from the regular menu - his all-time favorite linguine with red clam sauce ($9), and you can get it with white sauce as well.
With our entrees come garden salads, with a choice of Italian or raspberry viniagrette dressings, both made in-house. Both are delicious - he picked one and I the other - and I said yes to our server's offer of topping it off with fresh ground pepper.
Both our entrees, as expected, were to die for; the portions were quite sizable for lunch, and both of us expected to take some home. Well, that didn't happen; paying no mind whatsoever to the possible consequences of overeating, we kept on shoveling it in until our bowls were completely empty - a testament to how fabulous both dishes were.
As we were lamenting our lack of self-control, though, Jack reminded me of the main reason we love Vernon's: The food here is creative. Almost all the entrees have some kind of unique touch - something we'd expect to find in big-city restaurants where, I hasten to add, we'd also expect to pay a lot more.
The majority of our restaurant forays happen in the company of good friends Jerry and Barb from Niles, and Vernon's is no exception. This time, though, we went for dinner, and since there was no room in the bar, we were seated in the dining room. I must say that one of the reasons we prefer the bar side is that the dining room always seems a bit too crowded, as one of our friends noted on this visit so I guess I'm not alone. But since we managed to get a table against one of the walls, it was less noticeable than if we'd been at one of the tables in the middle of the room.
To start, we dug in on that wonderful bread and olive oil dip; three of us had ordered salads, while I had the wonderful wedding soup, which I absolutely love. In part to save on the cost, all four of us ordered waster and nothing else to drink, and - wonder of wonders, our glasses were refilled without our having to ask.
Our entree selections were all over the map; Jerry ordered the Chicken Saltimbocca ($14), two chicken breasts smothered in cheese and asparagus, which came with those Yukon gold smashed potatoes. Jack chose his favorite chicken cacciatore ($14), also two chicken breasts but with peppers, onions and other vegetables in a flavorful sauce.
Barb loves lamb, so she was more than willing to spend a little more for the Colorado chops ($17.50). And when I saw the blackened swordfish with rice ($17.50), I was hooked.
Needless to say, we were extremely happy with our choices. Jack's had the cacciatore many times, and it was delicious once again; Jerry's saltimbocca was a very generous size with outstanding flavor.
Barb was thrilled; the lamb chops, which were beautifully presented, included asparagus and au jus - and the only time she stopped saying "Wow!" was when she was eating. My swordfish was a very large chunk, and the blackened seasoning was quite spicy (wonderful for me, but it was a little too much for the other three, who liked it very much but said they wouldn't want more than a bite or two). The rice had an excellent flavor as well and the grilled vegetables made a perfect complement.
If you go:
Vernon's Cafe
720 Youngstown-Warren Road
Niles, Ohio 44446
(330) 652-1381
http://www.vernonscafe.com
Open 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday; closed Sunday. Since 2011, Vernon's also operates the V2 Wine Bar Trattoria on Federal Street in downtown Youngstown (http://www.v2byvernon.com).
What is it about old-fashioned diners that's so appealing? If you're my age and remember sitting at a soda fountain sipping a just-mixed chocolate malt and listening to tunes on a jukebox that played 45 RPM records, I suppose it's simple nostalgia for a time when things seemed, well, for want of a better description, less plugged in. Our fingers savored the icy cold of the aluminum container the malt was mixed in, not pushing buttons to send a text message. We were worried we might not make it to the library before it closed to do research for our science paper, not whether the storm would knock out the WiFi so we couldn't Google the information we needed.
Whatever the reason, diners do have something of universal appeal. While we don't actively seek them out -- most don't serve alcohol, and we like a glass of beer or wine with our meals -- when my husband Jack and I happen upon one that looks interesting, we try to stop. For several years when we drove to the southwestern part of the Buckeye State to visit my parents, for instance, we'd have lunch at the Rockin' Robin Diner in Urbana. Closer to home, we enjoy the occasional lunch or dinner at the Steel Trolley Diner in Lisbon or the Emerald Diner in Hubbard (the latter, it pains me to report, was gutted by a fire recently; hopefully, it will be rebuilt and reopened).
Happily, there's another terrific diner in Sharon, Pa. - Donna's Diner. Owned by Donna Winner, it's smack dab in the middle of town and open for breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week and, as the sign says, home of the "Winnerburger."
Not too long ago, we rounded up our usual foodie friends Jerry and Barb and headed over for lunch - the first time any of us had eaten here. The first thing we noticed - except perhaps for the '50s songs that can be heard from the sidewalk - is the size; this diner seems wider and longer than most we've been in. That said, the interior is quite typical, with lots of old-time decorations on the walls like Coca-Cola posters, a black-and-white diamond pattern floor, shiny chrome soda fountain stools with red sears and swirly-patterned Formica tops on the booth tables. There are no individual jukeboxes at the tables, but there's a very large one near the front entrance.
The menu here takes a while to digest, so we took our time; there are loads of burgers, for instance, but none of us was quite in the mood we vowed to return to try a couple. Pittsburgh Steelers fan Barb said she might try the Ben RoethlisBurger (which comes with Heinz catsup), but the rest of us -- Cleveland Browns fans all -- agreed we'd pass on that one.
Following my usual custom at diners, I ordered a chocolate milkshake ($4.99) from the "regular" shake list. There are specialty shakes and malts as well, like turtle and banana strawberry, priced a bit higher. Also on the fountain menu are brown cows - root beer and ice cream floats and a favorite of my late mother - as well as black cows (the same only with Coke).
Ever the fish lover, I finally decided on one of the Blue Plate Specials, the Sea Cruise (a half order of Yuengling battered haddock for $6.99) with Baby Twist (macaroni and cheese) and cottage cheese as my sides. Then, I couldn't resist adding an order of Roman Holiday, or sweet potato puffs with brown sugar dipping sauce ($2.99).
As you may have guessed, most of the foods here have names straight from the '50s, like the Rockin' Rueben, The Platters (roast beef), Blueberry Hill, Hopelessly Devoted (pancakes), Teardrops on My Pillow (an omelet, sausage patties and hash browns), Rock Around the Clock (cobb salad) and Nat King Cole Slaw.
Jack also went with fish of sorts, ordering the Charlie Tuna, a tuna melt sandwich with American cheese, lettuce and tomato and cole slaw as his side ($5.99). Barb settled on The Audrey, a turkey reuben with the usual fixings on marbled rye ($6.99). For sides, she picked grilled veggies and Coolsville Chips, which are homemade potato chips sprinkled with parmesan cheese.
Jerry started with Thunderbird, or chili topped with shredded cheddar, diced onion and a dollop of sour cream with tortilla chips on the side ($2.99) for a cup. His sandwich choice was the Sinatra, hot roast beef with provolone, grilled onions and horseradish sauce on grilled white bread and served au jus ($7.99).
The slaw was especially good; the pinkish cast, we concluded must be a result of having a bit of fresh horseradish in it. My milkshake was wonderful - on the thick side and topped with whipped cream and a cherry (as is the custom, I got part of it in a glass and the rest in the cold aluminum mixing container). It was so chocolatey and creamy it could have been a meal in and of itself.
The sweet potato puffs were outstanding and quite unique -- a little crispy on the outside and soft inside but cut in smallish cubes rather than fries. Served with a sugary dipping sauce, they were, we all decided, worth the trip. Another standout was the marble bread on Barb's sandwich, and my mac and cheese offered a "twist" in that it's made from spiral pasta and baked with bread cubes on top. Both Jerry and Jack loved their sandwiches, and my fish was delicious and a generous chunk given that it was a half order.
Our next visit was just the two of us, this time on our way back home from a photography outing at McConnell's Mill State Park and the historic village of Volant, Pa. Jack couldn't resist ordering that same Charlie Tuna and slaw -- it was that good -- while I settled on the Route 66 chicken salad. It's a special blend that includes grapes and pineapple ($4.99) and it sounded great. I upgraded the standard chips to a side of those sweet potato puffs I'd loved the first time around (for a slight extra charge). This time no dipping sauce was served, but it really didn't matter because the outside coating is very sweet. Once again, they were delicious.
Because I love to eat breakfast just about any time -- you'll find us often at a late lunch at Bob Evans, for instance, where I always get the bowl of sausage gravy with two biscuits and home fries -- I should note that breakfast foods are served any time at Donna's. One of these days I'll have to try Donna's signature eggs, or fluffy scrambled eggs with cream cheese and chives with home fries and bacon, ham or sausage and toast for $6.99. Or, maybe it'll be the Bye Bye Birdie, two slices of bread with an egg nestled in the center of each slice grilled and served with bacon, ham or sausage and home fries ($5.99). Seeing that on the menu brought back [mostly] happy memories of high school home economics classes, where I first made egg-centered grilled toast -- just about the first thing I ever learned to cook!
If you go:
Donna's Diner
10 W. State St.
Sharon, PA 16146
(724) 346-7373
http://www.donnas-diner.com
Open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week.
As any fan of the TV classic "Cheers" can tell you, sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name; they're always glad you came, and so are you. For more years than I lived within the borders, there almost always was a place like that in Niles. Even before I married my husband Jack, we spent quality time on college breaks at Jerry's Inn on Mason Street. Once we'd settled in, we enjoyed some great breakfasts at The Spot restaurant downtown.
Later, our two kids tagged along to the Silver Nugget; and many an evening meal was washed down with a draught beer or two at the Old Main Ale and Chowder House deftly poured by 6-foot, 9-inch owner Hugh McGarrity (and later by his not-so-tall brother, Mark, an author who wrote many whodunits under the pen name Bartholomew Gill).
But that was then; and ever since the Old Main building was razed to make way for the William McKinley Birthplace Home, nothing really came along to take its place.
Until now, that is. After following the construction progress on Facebook, we were delighted to learn that the new Stoneyard Grill and Tavern opened Aug. 16 in downtown Niles almost directly across from the McKinley Home. The building, which formerly housed a pharmacy, has been renovated inside and out to provide more interior space as well as a small, walled-in outdoor patio.
Needless to say, we wasted little time getting there, although we gave it a few days for the big rush of traffic to fade a bit. Picking up friends Jerry and Barb who live in Niles, we hit the parking lot around 6:15 on Tuesday of the first full week of business. There are front and side entrances; the side, which we used because we'd parked closer to that one, opens into the bar. Keep walking down the hall and you'll come to a slightly larger dining room.
The decor is very clean and crisp, with stone on some of the walls, a fireplace in the bar and blonde booths and tables with black backs and legs. No fewer than seven flat-screen TV sets adorn the walls on the bar side, and another four are in the dining room.
The menu isn't what I'd call extensive, but at the same time, there are plenty of choices; while we looked at the possibilities, we ordered draught beers (16-ounce domestics are just $2, although for specialties like Sam Adams Oktoberfest, also on tap, the price jumps to $3.50). When we asked about drink specials, our server told us they're still trying to work out a schedule.
For starters, we picked beer battered onion rings ($5.99) and hot peppers in oil ($4.99 and served with bread) as appetizers to share. The onion rings, which come with a tasty but unidentifiable dipping sauce, were absolutely out of this world; one bite and we wished we'd have doubled up on the order. The peppers contain both jalapenos and Hungarian in a very flavorful oil. The jalapenos had a noticeable kick -- the other three liked the taste but deemed them a little too hot for their liking (so happily, I ended up eating most of them).
There are several burgers, pizzas and dinner salads on the menu as well as more expensive dinner entrees like the Flat Iron Sirloin (10-oz. Angus beef for $13.99) and "The Presidential," a 12-oz. certified Angus beef New York Strip steak with the restaurant's signature blend of seasoning named in honor of former President McKinley ($21.99). But we didn't want to spend quite that much, so I finally settled on the Stoneyard Fish Fry (haddock) for $8.99. Most dinner entrees come with a salad and one side, so I picked sweet potato fries and bleu cheese dressing on the salad. Seafood was Barb's choice too - Puff Shrimp, or Yuengling battered deep fried tiger shrimp for $8.99. She, too, wanted bleu cheese, and her other side was a baked potato with butter and sour cream.
The "boys" were chicken pickers, with Jack's choice being the marinated Italian chicken, or two breasts charbroiled in Italian marinade for $9.99. Cole slaw was an easy choice of side, and when the server suggested the homemade citrus viniagrette dressing, he quickly agreed.
Jerry's chicken was in the form of pasta - Chicken & Broccoli Aglio E Olio - for $10.99. It was described as a sauteed breast with broccoli and minced garlic tossed in olive oil over penne. Pasta dinners come with a salad only, and Caesar was his dressing choice.
I'll say straight out that the salads were among the best we've had anywhere; for openers, they consist of chopped mixed greens, tomatoes and onions and served in what looks like soup bowls with handles (really cool). The dressings, especially that citrus viniagrette, are outstanding.
As for the entrees, our verdicts were somewhat mixed. My haddock was an enormous plank - at least a foot long and probably 4 inches across at the widest point. Better still, it was coated with the same batter as those wonderful onion rings. The sweet potato fries were cut almost into julienne strips, but they tasted fine and the brown sugar dip was good as well. Barb's shrimp also had that tempura-style batter, and the shrimp were substantial in size so she was pleased as well.
The chicken dishes, however, didn't get such high marks - largely because flavor was noticeably lacking in both. If there was any garlic in the pasta, it was hiding, and the broccoli was crisp enough to suggest it hadn't been cooked at all. Jack's chicken breasts - while perfectly cooked and tender - were totally ho-hum with not the slightest hint of Italian influence.
Of course, any new restaurant is bound to experience some growing pains and, hopefully, will learn from both experience and customer feedback. Not long after the opening, in fact, a new list of weekday lunch specials debuted - 7 meals under $7 - a definite plus that will mean we're more likely to visit more often (there's a BBQ pork sandwich with Stoneyard chips for $6.99, for instance).
Chalk it up to getting your feet wet, we said - we'll definitely give this place another try, if only because we're rooting for it to be a big success. And go back we did, only this time it was for lunch and just the two of us. We asked to sit on the bar side, which, generally speaking, is our preference (yes, that's me in the photo). That fireplace, we decided, would be a big plus on cold winter days (we're assuming, of course, that it's a real wood-burning fireplace).
We looked long and hard at the appetizer list, but since many of them cost almost as much as a sandwich platter and we just weren't that hungry at lunchtime we decided to pass this time out. Some of the sandwiches sounded intriguing, like Cajun Steak & Pepper ($9.99) and "original" Italian sausage (1/2 lb. for $8.99). Finally, Jack settled on chicken salad on a croissant for $8.99 - which probably would have been my choice had he not beat me to it and we wanted to sample different items. The "Dachshund," a large hot dog with brown mustard the menu claims would "make Harry Stevens proud" caught my eye ($7.99), so that was my pick of the sandwich litter.
For those who don't know, the late Harry M. Stevens, who was from Niles, is credited as being the first person to wrap a frankfurter in a piece of bread, a treat that would later become known as the hot dog.
One of the side substitute options on the menu is soup (instead of the fries that come with sandwiches), but our server told us the soup recipies were "still being perfected" so there were none as yet. So, I decided to pay the additional buck for some of those fabulous onion rings once again (and I got a fairly substantial pile for my money, I hasten to add).
The chicken salad was absolutely to die for (since it was my first choice I just had to have a sample), and while I have no idea how proud good old Harry would be, the hot dog really was huge and quite delicious, with a flavor something of a cross between a hot dog and kielbasa. In fact, I'd love to see it on the menu sans bun with some sauerkraut - my mouth is watering just thinking about it.
The day after Labor Day, Jack and I popped in again for lunch, this time greeted by a server we "met" when we were sort of regulars at a casual eatery in Eastwood Mall who's now working here (see what I mean about where everybody knows you)? This time, we were interested in sampling something from that 7 Under $7 lunch menu. Jack had no problem, deciding on the two sliders with cole slaw for $6.99. From the three choices of pulled pork, hamburger and turkey burger, he went with the pulled pork - in the end, a good decision.
I considered the half-chicken salad sandwich option and inquired about the soup (they now serve French onion and chili), but I ended up ignoring the cheap lunch menu and ordered a burger instead: The Backyard Barbecue ($8.99), with a 1/2-pound Angus beef burger topped with pulled pork, grilled onions, cheddar cheese, house BBQ sauce and the hand-cut potato chips (the latter on the bottom) on a buttered, corn-dusted roll.
Jack brought one of the sliders home, and I admit I should have gone with the smaller portion menu. The burger was absolutely delicious - cooked to order - but it was so big I could barely finish half of it. The fries are good as well, so next time here I won't have any reservations about having them. I must say I could do without the chips on the bottom of the burger - I expected them to get soft, but they stayed fairly crisp despite the burger juices, and I'm not a big fan of crunchy stuff where I don't expect crunchy stuff to be (for instance, don't even think about offering me ice cream with nuts or or candy bits in it).
So: Will the Stoneyard Grill bring "Cheers" to Niles? Time will tell, of course, but we certainly plan on going back and doing our part to make it so. If you see us there, be sure to call out our name!
If you go:
Stoneyard Grill and Tavern
41 S. Main St.
Niles, Ohio 44446
(330) 544-9273
http://www.stoneyardgrill.com
Open at 11 a.m. seven days a week.
For a number of years, my husband Jack and I have enjoyed scenic rides in and around historic Garrettsville, Ohio, and we love to stop at the old Garrett's Mill grist mill at the falls of Eagle Creek in the heart of the downtown. The mill building itself has been transformed into a restaurant, in more recent years with a brew-pub. For the past six, it's been Main Street Grille and Brewing Co.
Not long ago we had occasion to visit nearby Hiram, Ohio, and the decision of where to have lunch was a virtual no-brainer. And I must say, we weren't disappointed.
A relatively new brewmaster has signed on, we were told, and the list of eight ales brewed on the premises (diners can see the equipment, vats and such on the restaurant's upper level) range from Garrett's Gold (a traditional German Kolsch-style ale that's closest to "regular" brand-name beer) to Three Scots Ale, a very malty concoction brewed with English hops and a hint of smoke from traditional Scottish peated malt. Prices vary, but the Garrett's Gold goes for just $3 for a 16-ounce glass (and you can buy, as we did, pint-size ale glasses with the Main Street Grille logo for $3).
If you're extremely thirsty, try a growler fill (64 oz.), ranging from $12 to $20 for the Three Scots Ale. And with the exception of a few seasonals like Strawberry Fields and Three Scots, growler fills are half price on Tuesdays (Happy Hour takes place from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, by the way).
As you might expect, the exterior of the building is rustic old wood (it was a mill, for goodness sake). The interior has been updated, but the tables (high ones with barstools on the bar side) are a beautifully polished dark wood, and there's medium-brown knotty wood on the walls. Pretty lanterns dot the walls with TV sets interspersed in between.
There's a dining room as well, although we prefer the bar side; if weather permits, it's nice to sit outdoors on one of the two levels of decks that overlook the water and mill wheel.
Do start with an ale while you peruse the menu (unless, of course, you're not a fan of ale at all). Not sure which to order? Samples (5 ounces) are $1.25 each, or try six for $7.50 or all eight for $10.
If you're like us, you may need a second round of ale before you settle on what you want to eat. There are quite a number of appetizers that sound wonderful, from Won Ton Jalapeno Poppers with sweet and sour dipping sauce ($4.95) to Hawg Wings (lightly fried pork shanks with Caribbean spices and a side of ranch for $7.39) to the one I really wanted to try, Ahi Tuna coated with sesame seeds served with seaweed salad, soy reduction, mango relish, wasabi aioli and crispy won ton. But alas, it goes for $12.59, and I didn't want to blow my entire lunch budget on a single item so I passed this time around.
As of our visit, there were three flatbreads on the menu, and one - lobster meat, spinach and sun dried tomato with a garlic and herb cream for $11.99 - stopped Jack dead in his tracks. This one's for me, he announced, barely looking at the rest of the menu.
I, however, took a bit more time, although I quickly scanned the delicious-sounding list of dinner-size salads because I wanted something more substantial. That said, the spinach salad with strawberries, avocado, walnuts and bacon bits with whole grain mustard and honey dressing sure was tempting ($12.59).
Similarly, I eyeballed the entrees rather quickly, since they're a bit pricier (around $13.99 to $21.99) and, more important for the moment, way too much food for lunch. But hey, there was Butternut Squash Ravioli tossed with walnuts, spinach, carmelized onion and herbs with browned butter ($15.99), Seared Salmon with pineapple, jasmine rice, alfalfa sprouts and a strawberry honey puree ($15.99) and - be still my heart - Creole Chicken Cordon Bleu, or airline chicken breast stuffed with capicola and swiss cheese with mashed potatoes, baby carrots and a Cajun remoulade ($14.99). Next time, for sure!
The list of sandwiches, all of which come with a dill pickle spear and the restaurant's hand-cut kettle chips, is a bit less daunting. I admit to waffling a bit, considering the Main Street Dip, which is crisp fried chicken, mushrooms, scallions, cheddar and Swiss cheese on a hoagie roll with light chicken gravy at $6.99 before settling on the Caribbean Spiced Mahi. It comes with mango relish, shaved lettuce and mayonnaise on an onion roll for $8.99.
Since Jack chose the chips to go with his flatbread, I spent $2 more to upgrade to the hand-cut fries (I'm not big on chips, and even if I were, we didn't need two orders of them). As it turned out, the chips were quite tasty - Jack loved them - but I wouldn't have eaten more than two or three.
The fries were good as well, although when I see "hand-cut" fries in such a uniform size, I always wonder if a hand isn't being used to operate one of those Veg-O-Matic devices as seen on TV - remember those? Truth is, I'm on my second one; with two kids and a husband who loved fries back in the day, the original wore out in a couple of years and I finally gave in and got a replacement.
Jack was very pleased with the flatbread, which was cut in six triangles and arranged neatly on the plate. I took a taste and liked it too, but the sauce was quite rich and I know I'd never have been able to eat more than a triangle or two.
My mahi sandwich was wonderful as well; it was a decent-sized chunk of fish and the Caribbean spices didn't overwhelm. Although I do love onion buns, though, I should have done what I usually do when I order fresh fish sandwiches - ask that they bring the fish to me minus the bun simply because it gets in the way of the fish flavor and texture. In this case, the bun got soggy from the fish coating rather quickly, so I ended up ditching it almost from the start.
Needless to say, we'll be returning here soon - if only so I can try that ahi tuna!
If you go:
Main Street Grille and Brewing Co.
8148 Main St.
Garrettsville, Ohio 44231
(330) 527-3663
http://www.msg-brew.com
Open 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday; 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; noon to 8 p.m. Sunday; closed Monday.
Less than a handful of years ago, my husband Jack and I discovered the wonder Military Aviation Preservation Society Air Museum in North Canton, Ohio. Run by an all-volunteer nonprofit organization, the intent is to educate people about the history of military aviation. Since the topic here is dining out I won't include details, but it's a wonderful place to visit.
When we first stopped at the museum a couple of years back, we wanted to have lunch at the nearby 356th Fighter Group restaurant. Everything we'd heard about it was positive, and we wanted to see for ourselves. But alas, we had no time to spare then; but one day, we vowed, we'd get there.
The day finally happened when we purchased a half-price admission for four to the MAPS Museum from Groupon.com, with the intent of taking our friends Jerry and Barb from Niles, who'd never been there. Since we'll be in the neighborhood, we said, why not plan to eat at the 356th?
Indeed we did - and long before we were back in the car to head home we'd unanimously decided to go back soon.
Even without the food, this is an impressive place. Located on the south runways of the Akron-Canton Airport, the exterior is reminiscent of a beautiful old castle. Inside, the surprisingly spacious interior boasts several rooms with windows overlooking the airport runways and grounds. Brick walls are everywhere, and here and there are large stacks of real sandbags plus weathered wood, fireplaces and many more artifacts, all designed to reflect the World War II era.
We arrived for a late lunch, so there were plenty of places to sit. Our very friendly server brought menus that included a list of daily specials and took our drink orders - there's a full bar here, of course. After a quick look, we decided to share two appetizers: the crab-stuffed mushrooms ($9.99) and stuffed cubanelle peppers with mild Italian sausage and homemade marinara plus provolone and mozzarella cheeses ($8.99).
It took a while, though, to decide on our entrees; the menu is both lengthy and impressive, and for our first time here, we wanted to make the best-possible choices. Not easy, we learned; from pecan crusted tilapia to asiago pretzel crusted chicken to "healthy choice" items lilke a marinated pork chop and vegetarian stir fry and oodles of tempting sandwiches and salads, everything sounded wonderful.
Finally, I zeroed in on one of the daily specials - prime rib bordelaise for $12.99. It comes with sauteed mushrooms and house-made bordelaise and rice pilaf, and for my side, I chose the chicken corn chowder - also a soup of the day. The prime rib was cooked medium and above for the day's special, so I asked that they come as close to medium as they could (as those who have read my reviews before know, I prefer my prime rib to be just shy of still mooing).
Jerry liked the idea of prime rib, but in the sandwich version ($10.99). It's shaved thin with jack cheese, mushrooms and sauteed onions and served open face with au jus and fries. But when the server described the homemade chips here, he swapped out the fries to go with the chips.
Both Jack and Barb were in a fishy mood, I guess, so they finally settled on the stuffed sole filet with scallops and crabmeat stuffing, Hollandaise sauce and rice pilaf for $11.99. Both chose a tossed salad as their side.
Especially at lunchtime, we could (and probably should) have stopped at the appetizers. The stuffed mushrooms were especially mouth-watering, filled with lots of crabmeat bits and almost none of the usual bread crumb mixture as they are at most other places. The peppers were wonderful as well, with delicious marinara sauce and peppers that really had a kick (but not so much that even Jack, who loves the flavor but not the heat, couldn't eat a few bites).
The salads were good, although nothing out of the ordinary; but when our server delivered a round loaf of fresh whole-grain bread, we devoured it almost immediately. I loved my corn chowder, too; the broth was on the thin side, but exceptionally flavorful - and there was no shortage of shredded chicken, chopped red peppers, and, of course, corn.
The entrees couldn't have been much better, confirming that we'd done well in our choices. The sole was well cooked with a tasty stuffing; my prime rib wasn't think, but it was a piece bigger than my two hands held side by side with my fingers extended - and this was a lunch portion, for goodness sake. They did well in giving me a portion close to medium, and the flavor and texture reminded me more of ribeye than prime rib. The sauce was absolutely delicious as well and made the rice pilaf extra good when I added in a bit of the sauce. In the end, I had to take home more than half of my meat and sauce.
Jerry loved his sandwich, although it was so large and stuffed full that he finally gave up trying to get it to his mouth intact and cut it up in more manageable pieces (which he mostly ate with a fork).
If you go:
The 356th Fighter Group
4919 Mount Pleasant Road
North Canton, Ohio 44720
(330) 494-3500
http://www.356fg.com
Open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for Sunday brunch; Sunday dinner 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The chances that my husband Jack and I will drive all the way to anywhere in Columbiana County just to have a meal are somewhere between slim and none. Oh sure, we love to have lunch at Das Dutch Haus in Columbiana and BB Rooners and Ricky's English Pub in Salem -- all of which I've told you about in previous blogs (http://mahoningvalleyeats.blogspot.com/2011/10/das-dutch-haus-restaurant-bakery.html, http://mahoningvalleyeats.blogspot.com/2012/03/b-b-rooners-food-spirits.html and http://mahoningvalleyeats.blogspot.com/2011/02/rickys-english-pub.html). But I don't recall ever once making a special trip just for the purpose of eating.
If we do stop anywhere, it's because we're on the way home from a photography outing at Beaver Creek State Park, Broadway Wharf in East Liverpool or maybe The Bison Ranch just outside Ellsworth to see if any of those big hairy guys are out in the fields.
But those odds are much improved now that we've been to Shellabella's on Main in Columbiana. We "discovered" it, in fact, as a result of an offer by MyValleyDining.com, from which I purchased a $25 gift certificate for something like $10. Uh-oh, I worried - would it be worth the trip?
The short answer is a resounding yes. To begin with, when was the last time you found a cozy cafe-type eatery that has a full bar? That alone was enough to seal the deal for us. Once we'd tried the food, though, we knew we'd be back.
The place has two main dining areas, one of which includes the bar (guess which side we picked)? The bar itself is decorated with sports memorabilia, including a sign with a really old-time Cleveland Browns mascot that we haven't seen for many years. Interesting antique-looking "stuff" is on the walls and tucked neatly away on shelves and shadow boxes as well.
The big surprise, though, is the menu; not only is it fairly extensive, it features quite a few things that are unique, at least to us. For openers, we considered deep fried Asiago olives with bistro sauce ($6.29), breaded fried pickles with dill sauce ($6.29) and a "Yummy Roll" ($6.99). The latter, described as a deep-fried egg roll wrapper with cream cheese and a southwest cheesy chicken mixture covered with garlic ranch sauce, was just too tempting to pass up.
Plenty of salads and low-carb wraps are available, all of which sounded delicious (well, except for anything that has cucumbers in it - IMHO, the only good cucumber is one that's been turned into a pickle). Dinner entrees are all over the map, from steaks to chicken and fish to Italian dishes - most are in the $10.99 to $15.99 range. Our visit was at lunchtime, though, and those aren't on the lunch menu (and in any event, we wouldn't have been that hungry). But we did vow to return if only to try the sesame crusted tuna with sweet teriyaki glaze ($15.95) and chicken spindellinni, or sauteed chicken breast with roasted red peppers and spinacn in garlic cream sauce on a bed of cheese tortellini ($14.95).
First, we perused the daily lunch specials, and until the last minute I had my eye on the bacon garlic ranch avocado burger with garlic ranch dressing ($9.50). Just before our server came to write everything down, though, I switched to the hot spinach, garlic and chicken croissant with gourmet cheese, chopped chicken, garlic mushrooms, feta, mozzarella and fresh spinach on a grilled croissant roll ($8.79). The devil might have made me do it, but more likely it's because if you put it on a croissant, I'll eat it (well, as long as you leave out those cucumbers). I chose fries instead of cole slaw, although for a buck more I could have upgraded to other sides like sweet potato fries.
Jack's pick - Jim's portabella and chicken melt with balsamic dressing at $8.49) - was from the regular lunch menu. For his side, he went with the Vidalia onion viniagrette slaw.
At the outset, we learned that the Yummy Roll couldn't have a better name, except perhaps "out of this world" roll. It's a little too small to share as we did (that's why it's an appetizer, I suppose), but having a whole one to yourself would be so filling you wouldn't be able to eat a whole lot else. It's crispy on the outside and ooey-gooey on the inside, sort of reminiscent of crab rangoon except with chicken flavor. Positively decadent!
Both our sandwiches were unusually good, a tribute, I suppose, to the slightly outside-the-box ingredients in many of the dishes here. I'm not a big cole slaw fan, but I loved the Vidalia slaw here - but Jack, more of a slaw traditionalist, wasn't quite as enthusiastic about it. And departing from our usual practice of taking half of our sandwiches home for later, we both managed to stuff down both halves even on top of that Yummy Roll. That's not because the sandwiches are smaller than most, but rather a testament to their wonderful taste.
Admittedly, we ran into a couple of minor glitches early on, including being "forced" to switch to a different beer because the Yuengling tap wasn't working properly. On the plus side, though, the short beers are served in exceptionally frosty mugs - another thing that will get my attention every time.
It also became evident that only one server was on duty, and understandably she was having a tough time dealing with at least three full tables on the bar side and one or two in the other room. As I watched, I couldn't help but think of "The hurrier I go, the behinder I get" from Alice in Wonderland. But in addition to working hard, she had a delightful sense of humor - and our longer-than-customary wait came only at the beginning. Once we'd placed our order, it arrived very quickly and was served with a friendly smile.
If you go:
Shellabella's On Main
108 S. Main St.
Columbiana, Ohio
(330) 482-1700
Open 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Closed Sunday.
I'm not from the South, but I did grow up in southwestern Ohio close enough to Kentucky to have a bit of a southern accent, or so I was told by my college roommates when I came "way up north" to Kent State University many moons ago. Being the child of parents named Pickett, too, goes a long way to establishing my southern creds. So when I saw a new Liberty Township restaurant - Monteen's Southern Cuisine - I started hankering for some down-home cookin'.
And then one evening, we gathered up our eating-out buddies, Jerry and Barb from Niles, and paid a visit. I'll tell you two things up front: first, "home" here is quite a bit farther south than the place I remember; and two, we definitely plan on a return trip to try some of the things we simply couldn't get in the first time, like the secret-recipe dry rubbed, slow-smoked barbeque chicken or and ribs. A half chicken, with two sides and a choice of bread, is $13.99, and a half rack of ribs is $14.99.
Monteen's is in a building we've been to before - if we remember correctly, it once housed Armando's, a great Italian restaurant. The interior hasn't changed a lot as far as layout and colors go, but the Italian decorations on the walls are gone. Just inside the entrance is a dessert/checkout counter; the dining room is on the right. At the left is Club Amauri, which features a bar and dance floor and occasional live bands reminiscent of the speakeasies I've seen in old movies (food from Monteen's menu is available here as well).
Not wanting to push the fill-up envelope too early, we decided to share a single appetizer of six fried green tomatoes with horseradish sauce for dipping ($5.99). Breaded in cornmeal, the tomatoes were delicious, and we all loved the horseradish sauce. Next time, though, we may go for the sampler platter ($13.99) with two smoked beef slices, two smoked ribs and a chicken thigh, which would be plenty for the four of us when we're planning to add a meal.
The list of sandwiches is lengthy and appealing enough to make us stop and think; I'm a huge fan of fried balogna, for instance, and this one, with lettuce, tomato and raw onion, is only $3.99 and looked very tempting. Barbecue pulled pork always sounds good as well, and on a Kaiser bun for $7.99 (sandwiches here come with hand cut French fries and coleslaw), this one was hard to pass up.
But this was dinner, after all, so we agreed we'd each choose a different entree so we could sample more things. Jerry didn't take long making his decision - braised oxtails with sides of red beans and rice and candied yams for $15.99. My husband Jack chose grilled salmon with fried okra and macaroni and cheese for $14.99 (he could have had it blackened, but that's not his style). Barb loves grits, so it didn't take her long to settle on the shrimp and grips with fried okra and the chef's choice of greens for $14.99.
Since I was looking for something that reminded me of my childhood with a cook-everything-from-scratch mother, I seriously considered grilled liver and onions, one of the house specials. But that was before I spotted chicken livers; that's a dish my mother cooked often. I carried on that tradition with my own family, but then pizza and take-out took over and chicken livers became quite hard to find (still are). I could get them fried or sauteed (I chose the former) for $10.99, and my choices for sides were baked beans and sauteed squash - other options are dirty rice, succotash and cornbread dressing.
One thing I will emphasize here is that if you're not a fan of the somewhat gritty cornmeal, stay away from anything here that's fried; it seems to be the breading of choice on all dishes from those green tomatoes to my chicken livers to Jack's salmon. I like it, but in much smaller doses; had I known ahead of time, I'd have ordered my livers sauteed instead.
Barb was delighted with the fried okra in particular (yes, same breading), commenting that she'd return here just to have that again. It's different from most because the entire pod is cooked here. She also noted that the greens had a different and interesting flavor, perhaps some kind of meat broth.
Jerry was happy with his oxtails as well - there were three good-sized ones -- and the bowl of red beans and rice was so large he just couldn't finish it all. The candied yams were delicious, with a slightly different flavor we couldn't put our finger on, so we asked the owner and learned that it's nutmeg (that's her on the left, in a photo I "borrowed" from Monteen's website).
Barb's grits had lots of cheese and bacon bits and was very good, but here, too, it was just too much to finish. She had no such problem with the six shrimp, though, polishing off each and every one.
Except for the cornmeal breading, my chicken livers were wonderful too, although I'd have preferred a few more grilled onions. As an unusual touch, a small container of brown gravy was brought for dipping. The grilled squash and baked beans - welcome departures from all the cornmeal - were delicious too; I loved the flavor in the beans, and I made a note that if they're any indication, I'd probably love the barbecue here. Meanwhile, Jack enjoyed his salmon and the mac and cheese even more; since he couldn't polish off the large bowl, I was happy to help and agree it's good.
We all agreed this is a place we'd return, perhaps to try a few of the brunch items available on Sundays. The French toast special ($8.99) sounded especially good with three pieces of toast, three eggs and three pieces of bacon or sausage.
If you go:
Monteen's Southern Cuisine
3807 Belmont Ave.
Youngstown, Ohio 44505
(330) 759-3699
www.monteens.com
Open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Carryout available.
Up front, I'll say that while Vernon's is far from the most expensive place in the world - you'll find wonderful dinner entrees from $9 to $12 or so - but given our changed economic circumstances in recent years, it's enough that we simply don't go as often. That said, we got a hankering to go once again and decided to try lunch. In addition to banquet space, there's a relatively large dining room and a separate bar, where, because it's more casual and intimate, we always prefer to sit. We opted to get there around 1 p.m., thinking we'd miss the lunch crowd. That we did, but barely; quite a few folks were still there, although two of the four tables for four on the bar side were empty (happily for us).
Barb loves lamb, so she was more than willing to spend a little more for the Colorado chops ($17.50). And when I saw the blackened swordfish with rice ($17.50), I was hooked.
