DAVIDSON'S RESTAURANT/TAVERN

Every time I read negative reviews of anything - from movies to music CDs to restaurants - I take them with a grain of salt. I know that, in general, far more people who had a bad experience will speak up than those who enjoyed themselves. For better or worse, that’s just the nature of the human beasts.

My husband Jack and I have driven past Davidson’s Restaurant/Tavern in Cornersburg, Ohio, countless times - almost every time saying we really should stop one of these days. When we mentioned it not too long ago to our friend Barb from Niles, she told us she’s a fairly frequent visitor and enjoys the food. But when I went online to see what other people think, it was a bit disheartening. Lousy service, one said. Long wait for mediocre food, said another.

So chalking it up to the fact that the squeaky wheel usually gets the most publicity, we said what the heck - let's go. Granted, we also needed to use up a couple of about-to-expire coupons from the 2014 Entertainment Book (basically BOGOs for lunch and/or dinner), so we knew if we didn’t like it the first time around, we could call it quits without much of a loss and no one would be the wiser. And if we did, we'd go back; it’s rare for me to visit any restaurant just once before writing a review - a single visit just isn't enough to provide a fair appraisal, IMHO.

But after one very favorable lunchtime visit, we promised ourselves we’d be using that second coupon for dinner - and we did, with equally happy results. And that means yes, we’ll be back for thirds, fourths and more, coupon or not.

For openers, the place is huge; there are at least three dining areas, and the bar isn’t exactly small and has its own entrance. We picked the bar when we made our first visit, in part because one reviewer said that’s the best place and in the other part because it’s our usual preference no matter where we go. We picked a high table at one wall; there are several TV sets and sports memorabilia on the walls, making us feel right at home.

So did our server, who was very friendly and helpful and managed to find us quickly even though we’d bypassed any kind of check-in process as we made our way to the bar. We ordered a couple of draughts while we perused the very extensive menu (and we both noticed that the beer here is colder than just about anywhere else we’ve been - a real plus for me in particular). I’d read that the chicken breast sandwich with Italian greens is a winner here, so I gave that some serious consideration right off the bat. But then there are several wraps and at least 25 “regular” sandwich possibilities, from a Black & Bleu Burger (yum!) to a Reuben to Pepper ‘n’ Egg - mostly in the $8 to $9 range, so choosing isn’t a walk in the park.

The dinner menu is even more extensive (I eyeballed it even though we were there for lunch). I made a mental note to check out the Linguine Diablo, in fact, if and when we came at dinnertime ($16.95).

Ultimately, though, I decided on a hot sausage sandwich (always a favorite of mine) topped with peppers and melted provolone, at $8.95. There’s a choice of peppers, so I happily went for the hot sport peppers and onions on top. As a side, I picked another favorite - wedding soup.

Meanwhile, Jack decided on the portabella sandwich, marinated and chargrilled with roasted red peppers and melted provolone cheese on a toasted garlic Kaiser roll for $8.25. All sandwiches come with “Fair” fries or a cup of soup. Other options are possible if you want to ante up $1.50 more, which we did not.

The wedding soup wasn’t the best I’ve ever had, but it was quite tasty and filled with several larger-than-usual meatballs, some chicken chunks and greens. It was also hot, which seems to be a rarity these days. Most of what I’ve been getting ranges from very warm to tepid - and one of these days, I swear I’m going to make them take it back and heat it up. No problem with that here, though.

My sandwich turned out to be two sausage patties rather than the link variety, and it was very tasty. There’s no marinara or other red sauce, but that’s the way I prefer it. The peppers weren’t what I’d call plentiful, but they sure were hot - just my style. Jack’s portabella sandwich was delicious as well, and he said those roasted red peppers really “put it over the top.”

As it turned out, we came back around 4 p.m. a week or so later, this time opting for a booth in one of the dining rooms instead of the bar. Once again, we ordered draughts while we looked over the menu (dinner items can be ordered just about any time, but the daily specials begin at 4 p.m., our server told us). We were using an about-to-expire coupon from the 2014 Entertainment Book, which doesn’t include the specials, but with so many items from which to choose that wasn’t an issue in the slightest. Our server brought a basket of warm, crusty rolls and butter - absolutely delicious, and yes, we took her up on the offer of a second basket. Although I’d had my eye on that Linguine Diablo - shrimp, scallops, clams and hot peppers sauteed in spicy marinara sauce - I wasn’t quite willing to ante up 17 bucks until I’d made sure I like the red sauce here. I actually considered liver and onions at $9.95 - an old favorite I rarely make at home any more. But truth is, only once in my life have I had it at a restaurant, mostly because (she says with no modesty whatsoever), I make the best darned liver and onions in the world and don’t want to chance getting something that doesn’t measure up.

Always a fish lover, I ended up picking the baked whitefish filet, and after discussing it with our server I went with the butter crust instead of lemon-pepper ($13.95). For a second I considered adding a buck to get it blackened, but then I backed down. It didn’t take Jack long to pick the beef tenderloin tips over noodles ($11.95); the beef is sauteed in olive oil and garlic and tossed with mushrooms, roasted peppers and onions.

Both of our entrees came with a salad, and Jack got his usual Thousand Island (a double dose) and I stuck with plain old ranch. The salads were rather nondescript, with “okay” greens and shredded carrots that tasted a little stale. Only I, Jack was quick to point out, was lucky enough to get a cherry tomato (but he did get two containers of dressing as he’d requested - something that doesn’t always happen).

The bowl of beef tips, which were over bowtie pasta, was on the large side and the taste was satisfactory but nothing particularly special, Jack said. On the other hand, my fish was outstanding - two fairly large filets - and the butter crumb topping the server recommended was not only tasty, but very light and full of flavor; I usually avoid breaded fish because it can be crunchy enough to break a tooth, but this was wonderful. Better still, the fish was flaky and tender, and the filets were large enough that I brought one home. The rice pilaf was so-so, but although it was on the dry side, it had more flavor than I’ve had in many restaurants (one reason I don’t order it very often). Despite the large bowl, Jack wasted no time cleaning out - nothing left but a couple of bow ties.

Bottom line is we’ve found a great place - easy to stop on the way home from one of our frequent forays to Mill Creek Park. After all, I’ve still got my heart set on that Linguine Diablo!

If you go:

Davidson’s Restaurant/Tavern

3636 Canfield Road

Canfield (Cornersburg), Ohio 44406

(330) 793-0033

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Davidsons-RestaurantTavern/275970425801913

Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week.

BEEF O'BRADY'S

The first Beef O’Brady’s opened in Brandon, Florida, in 1985, so the chain isn’t all that new. And although I spent more time than I really wanted to trying to track down how many are in operation today, the best I could do is a report claims there were about 215 franchises in several states as of January 2011. On the downside, I also turned up a report naming the franchise to a list of 11 that posted the highest rates of failure of their federally guaranteed loans used to buy them in the first place. The financial issues may or may not have been resolved by now - and all I know

(or, for that matter, care much about) - is that there’s now one in Cortland. My husband Jack and I drove past a couple of times on our way home from photography outings at Ashtabula Harbor and/or Mosquito Lake State Park before it opened, saying each time that we’d have to stop in for a bite once the place got up and running. That finally happened this past Veterans’ Day, when the place was close to full when we arrived about 1 p.m. The parking lot is smallish and a bit tough to navigate (heaven help those driving vehicles with a wide turning radius), but we got lucky and found an open spot. Ditto with a booth; there might have been one other unoccupied table when we came through the doors.

Turns out there’s a small bar/pub at the back of the place, and it, as well as the main dining area, is nice although with a sort of nondescript decor. Sports memorabilia from the Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers and Lakeview Bulldogs and 12 big-screen TV sets line the walls - most of the latter tuned to sports shows. Once we’d settled in and ordered a couple of beers from what we call the “normal” list - there’s a large number on tap including lots of funky stuff - we began to peruse the menu. And boy, is there ever plenty to peruse, from burgers to flatbreads to ribs and wings and just about anything in between. I gave up and simply gravitated toward items marked as “signature” dishes, and in the end Jack did the same. He picked the fish ‘N’ Chips basket ($10.49), which includes four fried, beer-battered cod fillets with tartar sauce, fries and coleslaw. I was determined to sample the beef, so my choice was the Roast Beef Garlic Melt ($8.79), with sliced onions and provolone cheese pressed on garlic Cuban bread. Fries are standard, by the way, but there are several items, like onion rings and chili, that can be substituted for $1.99 more. We might make a switch on our next visit, but the fries were exceptionally good, so then again, maybe not. When the food arrived, Jack really liked the tasty fish and the coleslaw. Just one bite of my sandwich made my taste buds sing - the beef was exceptionally tender and full of flavor - and with the second bite I realized it’s also the saltiest beef I’ve ever had (this coming from someone who tends to salt restaurant food without even tasting it; thank goodness I hadn’t done it this time out). So although I smacked my lips as I happily ate the whole thing, I told Jack - who’s on a low-sodium diet - that the bite I allowed him to sample probably exceeded his sodium allowance for the week. As it turns out, that’s not too far off; a bit of online research on nutritional values confirmed that the sandwich alone (i.e., without the fries), contains 3,940 mg of sodium. Whew! But flavor? My sandwich definitely had that “wow” factor; just for that alone, I knew we’d be making a return visit; given the sodium content on much of the food, we won’t stop often, though - once every several months will have to do. But because I wanted to write a review, we relaxed our rule a bit and made another trip in early December. Jack stuck with the fish and chips - again with that tasty coleslaw, but I decided a burger might be a good choice. There are about nine on the menu, including a build-your-own version for $7.99, but when I spotted the Amarillo Firecracker at $9.99 - called a “new” item at the time of our visit - I knew it was the perfect choice for me. An Angus burger is topped with bacon, fried jalapenos, pepper jack cheese and sweet jalapeno mayo - be still my pepper-loving heart. All burgers, the menu says, are seasoned with a blend of kosher salt and black pepper (there goes that sodium raising its head again), and they can be ordered medium, medium well (my choice) or well done. Because we loved the fries, we didn’t bother trying a substitute (especially since they all cost an extra two bucks). But we got a big surprise this time out - and not a particularly good one; this time out, the fries were a big disappointment. They were thinner, didn’t seem to have much flavor and, simply put, just weren’t up to par. I, of course, was looking forward to a sandwich filled with the zing of hot peppers. Alas, as far as the firecracker was concerned, I didn’t feel the heat, but I sure felt the love - it was absolutely delicious and cooked perfectly to order. In fact, it was so good I ate the whole thing - very unusual for me. The only suggestion I have is that sandwiches should be served with a sharp knife; even the burgers are too big to pick up whole, and I’m here to tell you that trying to cut a bacon-topped burger in half with a table knife is darned near impossible.

Oh yes, one other thing: I searched both the corporate website and the local restaurant's Facebook page, and while I found the address and phone number, nowhere could I find the hours the place is open (except for the day you happen to check on Facebook). C'mon, guys, it's not fair to force people to call ahead; the only reason I can think of for not posting hours is that they're subject to change with little notice. And that's definitely not a good sign!

If you go:

Beef O’Brady’s
3660 Niles-Cortland Road
Cortland, Ohio 44410
(330) 400-4815

Open for lunch and dinner


http://www.beefobradys.com

GIORGIO’S RISTORANTE

Any time a new locally owned restaurant opens, I cross my fingers that it will be a success. And when it opens in a building that holds many happy memories for me and my husband Jack, I’m even more hopeful.

So it was that we could hardly wait to try Giorgio’s Ristorante, which held a grand opening in mid-October on the U.S. Route 422 “strip” just outside Niles. Most recently, it was a Brown Derby - which had become a routine stop after we returned from any overnight vacation and I wasn’t in the mood to even think about cooking dinner. In a more meaningful incarnation, though, it housed a Bombay Bicycle Club, one of my all-time favorite restaurants. Never, I’m quite certain, will I find a Cobb salad that can hold a candle to the giant bowl served up there (the bloody Marys and Long Island iced teas were memorable as well).

At the outset, I’ll say Giorgio’s is likely to have a tough go at it; in the first place, this is Niles; there’s an authentic Italian restaurant on just about every corner (no, Olive Garden doesn’t count in my book, although I do enjoy the food there). In the second place, while the exterior has a great new look, the inside offers virtually no hint of an Italian heritage. It’s a pleasant atmosphere, with dark wood booths and tables and a small fireplace at the end of one of the two dining areas; but for the most part the interior hasn’t changed much from the last couple of occupants.

I’m okay with that, actually. But from a marketing standpoint - and I confess maybe I've watched one too many episodes of Bar Rescue on Spike TV - there’s nothing special to stand out in the minds of customers (i.e., brand identity). Besides that, after two visits, I must say the place would do well by making a few improvements in food and customer service as well (more on that later).

Our first visit came not long after the grand opening with friends Jerry and Barb, and we arrived shortly before 5:30 on a Friday evening. We figured we’d have to wait a bit, but we got lucky and snagged what may have been the only remaining table. Shortly thereafter, all heck broke loose customer-wise; the waiting line just kept expanding (perhaps I should note that it was the night before Sweetest Day, so that may have had something to do with the large crowd).

Even then, we didn’t have a long wait for a server to appear; busy as she obviously was, she was friendly to the point of bubbly. We decided to start with shared appetizers - hot peppers in oil ($3) and bruschetta ($6) and, of course, something to drink (Jack and I picked draught beers, albeit different kinds).

Just one swallow later, we learned that was a mistake. Jack’s beer was totally undrinkable (he sent it back and opted for a bottle instead); mine tasted watered down, but not so much that I wasn't willing to live with it. Thankfully, when we sampled the appetizers, the beer didn’t matter so much. The peppers were on the hot side with a wonderful flavor (great for me to eat straight from the dish but not so hot that the others weren't able to nibble on tiny bits on pieces of the rolls that arrived with our drinks). Fine with me, I said as I polished off almost the entire dish.

The bruschetta, which appeared to be two of the dinner rolls that were brought previously in a basket (much like ciabatta rolls) sliced in half, were topped with a very flavorful combination of cheese, tomatoes and basil. There are four on the place, but each is rather small; next time we’ll know to get a single order for every two of us there happens to be.

For entrees, Jack chose his usual Italian favorite linguine with red clam sauce ($12), while I finally settled on cheese ravioli, going with marinara instead of pink sauce ($12). Jerry and Barb picked chicken ($12) and shrimp Mediterranean ($14), respectively (same dish, different main ingredient). All except me ordered salads as their side; if wedding soup is on the menu - as it is here - I’ll always give that a try.

The soup broth was tasty, and the cup was loaded with lots of tiny meatballs. As is his custom, Jack asked for extra dressing on his salad (all three got the house Italian). As it turned out, he needn’t have asked; the iceberg lettuce - the only greens in the salads, BTW - was swimming in dressing (which was tasty, they agreed) so no extra was needed.

Then our entrees arrived, and we all tucked in. Jack really liked the red clam sauce. Sadly, it was only then (when, knowing my preference, Jack asked the server about it) that I learned it can be ordered with white sauce as well. I’d passed over the only other option I saw on the menu - seafood linguine in white sauce - which included shrimp, mussels and clams but at $17.99 is way out of my price range. Oh well, I said, maybe next time I’ll ask, although I questioned why it wasn't listed on the menu and thus no asking would be necessary. Meantime, I enjoyed the ravioli - and although the sauce didn’t have a to-die-for flavor, it was on the thick and very tomato-y side and quite good. 

While our friends weren’t unhappy with their choices, both said the sauce lacked flavor (in olive oil, fresh garlic, tomatoes and basil over fettuccine). The shrimp were tender and not chewy (although Barb said a couple more would have been an improvement); Jerry said he’d have preferred a whole chicken breast instead of chunks. Still, both of them cleaned off their plates, as did the two of us (well, I had one ravioli left when I ran out of room - not enough to bother taking home).

Our next visit came a couple of weeks later, when Jack and I stopped around 12:30 p.m. on a weekday for lunch. Although there were several cars in the parking lot, when we walked in the door, we almost gasped; the hostess table, located right at the entrance against a partition that separates the two dining areas, was completely dark (as was one side of the restaurant). Whoa, we said - is the place open for business?

Then we glanced to the right and saw the light: In that room, at least three tables were occupied. So, we stood our ground, waiting - and waiting some more - for someone to acknowledge us. After several minutes, we deliberately moved over to stand in the lit-up dining room. Even then, we waited a couple more minutes before anyone paid the slightest attention.

Okay, Macbeth took the words right out of my mouth: Hold enough! Walking into any restaurant and finding no one staffing the greeting station is an invitation for trouble; it’s unthinkable that the station would be totally in the dark, thus allowing customers to enter unnoticed. Clearly, other folks don't disagree; after we were seated, two couples came in, stood in the dark looking a bit confused for a few minutes - then turned around and walked right back out.

Although it was almost impossible to see it in the dark, a small chalkboard at the entrance listed one or two specials including $2 bottles of Corona. Sounds great, I said, and after we were seated and our server - another friendly one - came to take our drink order. But never one to trust signs (especially ones I can’t see very well), I asked her to confirm the beer deal. Another surprise: She had no clue what I was talking about. Finally, she agreed we were probably right, so Corona it was for both of us. But as we ordered, I made a mental note that when we got the bill and the charge exceeded the two bucks each, I would make my protest known all the way to the rooftops.

After a longer-than-should-be wait given the number of other diners, our server appeared once again - but to take our lunch order and apologize for not bringing the beers. “No one is behind the bar,” she explained. Say what? Even if that were true, all we wanted was bottled beer - the special of the day, no less. You can’t reach in and grab them for us?

For our entrees, chosen from the lunch menu, Jack decided on a meatball sub sandwich ($6), which comes with a choice of fries, soup or salad. He picked a salad once again, this time with thousand island dressing (again asking for double the usual amount). My choice was chicken piccata, a breast with fresh garlic, tomatoes, artichoke hearts, lemon and butter sauce ($8). Since I’d already tasted the wedding soup, I opted for the soup of the day, cheese tortellini.

It took several more minutes before our beers were delivered, along with a plate of rolls. Not long thereafter came the salad and soup, but wait: This time, the salad dressing was on the side in a small container, but no extra as Jack had ordered. And - yet another surprise - my cheese tortellini soup apparently had morphed into wedding soup.

Although I was relatively happy to eat the soup and say nothing, Jack - who needed to order more dressing anyway, insisted that I send it back and get what I’d ordered. That I did; but while he got his extra container right away, my soup didn’t make it to our table until the entrees did.

Still another shouldn’t-be happening thing; especially since my soup choice was tomato based (as was my entree), I really, really didn't want to eat them at the same time. More to the point, I'm not a happy camper when I'm trying to scarf down what was supposed to be a prelude to the main course while watching that main course get colder with every passing spoonful.

For the record, the soup was very good, as was my chicken piccata (why no capers in it I’m not sure - that’s a pretty standard ingredient in the dish). The chicken and artichoke hearts were fork tender and the sauce quite flavorful, so I gobbled up every single bite. Jack’s meatball sub, though, was so-so - to the point that he brought half of it home, where he ended up throwing it away.

Will we return? Maybe, but if we do it's only because we’re hopeful that the place will be a success; after our first two experiences neither of us is chomping at the bit to get back. And that's extremely disappointing, because this place has real potential (and I certainly like the location). Hopefully, the kinks we encountered stem from being new at the restaurant game and will get untangled before it’s too late. Stay tuned!

If you go:

Giorgio’s Ristorante
1231 Youngstown-Warren Road
Niles, Ohio 44446
330-544-9280

https://www.facebook.com/giorgios.ristorante.niles

Open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday; closed Sunday. Find the menu under the “About” tab on Facebook.

LITTLE DAMASCUS RESTAURANT

Little Damascus Restaurant may be tucked away in a small strip plaza in Niles, Ohio, but there's nothing small about the food. If you love Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dishes (or follow a vegetarian/vegan diet), this place is a must-

visit; trust me, you won't go away hungry.

The interior isn't large, and there appears to be a lot of take-out business. But several tables are tucked inside and, when the weather's warm, there are a couple of tables outside for those who enjoy that kind of thing (which usually I don't. I hate to share my food with flying critters, and on hot days, I prefer to stay cool while I eat). We visited not long ago with friends Jerry and Barb from Niles, and our server immediately offered to put two tables together to make sure we had enough table space.

In fact, that was fortituous; once we saw the menu, we wanted to try just about everything. And although it took us a while to look over the menu and daily specials and decide, by golly, we came close to doing exactly that.

We started with what we considered to be appetizers: A small order of grape leaves ($3.99); a spinach pie ($2.99) and a vegetarian plate with hummus and tabboula ($5.99). Then came our choices for the main course, which included a lamb gyro with lettuce, tomatoes, parsley, pickles and sour cream for my husband Jack ($5.99). Barb is a lamb lover, so the lamb sandwich with grilled lamb, peppers, onions and shrooms with pepper sauce and garlic sauce on Syrian bread ($6.99) was the obvious choice. Jerry chose the kibbee platter (kibee with pepper sauce with bread and tossed salad ($6.99), while my pick was one of the daily specials -  collard greens roll-ups, which turned out to be much like grape leaves only stuffed with veggies and drizzled in olive oil ($6.49).


When the first batch of goodies arrived, we got a pleasant surprise: Food here is served on real plates with real silverware - none of that flimsy paper and plastic stuff we halfway expected because it's a small place that deals a lot in carryout.

The second surprise shouldn't have been one; the whatever-were-we-thinking awareness that we'd overdone it. Portions here are not small (my roll-ups, for instance, totaled six, and each was close to an inch thick and nearly a foot long. That said, we dug in and ended up with yet another surprise: Nothing left to take home except four of my collard greens. 

Needless to say, we all sampled a little of everything. The spinach pie turned out to be the least favorite for all of us - a little too much pie and a little too little spinach. The kibbe, which none of us had tasted before, was perhaps our favorite; good-sized oval breaded chopped meat that was very flavorful, especially with the garlic sauce. The gyro was gynormous - Jack couldn't even come close to finishing it - and Barb's lamb sandwich was quite large as well. Not only that, she said it was more flavorful than she'd expected. Three of us gave a thumbs-up to the grape leaves, although we all agreed that my collard greens roll-ups were even better. 

The hummus was delivered spread out on a plate rather than in a bowl, garnished with three hamburger pickles. Say what? We said, accompanied by skeptical looks all around. We all tried dipping using the rolls that came in a basket and loved the flavor, but no one made an effort to try those pickles. That is, until I finally caved in and said what the heck. I dipped one in the hummus to coat it well, then popped it in my mouth. And guess what? Another surprise. It was delicious, so I quickly polished off the other two as well. Yum!

As you might expect, we stuffed ourselves so full that we couldn't even think about dessert. But next time, I, at least, won't be so foolish. A chunk of baklava that was on display- one of my all-time to-die-for sweets - has my name on it. In fact, make that two!

If you go:

Little Damascus Restaurant
1112 Niles Cortland Road (State Route 46)
Niles, Ohio 44446
(330) 469-6623

https://www.facebook.com/littledamrest

Open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

VASILIOS RESTAURANT & PIZZERIA

Sometimes, my husband Jack and I are really slow on the uptake. Make that really slow; Vasilios Restaurant & Pizzeria is celebrating 30 years as we speak - but would you believe our visit in mid-June was our first time there? Sure, we've driven past the place countless times, usually - as was the case with our first visit - on our way home from poking around somewhere in Ashtabula County. 


On this occasion, we'd been to historic Ashtabula Harbor and Geneva-on-the-Lake, where we enjoyed a large appetizer platter at the Old Firehouse Winery. We weren't terribly hungry when we got to Vasilios, but we figured we could get something to nibble on and take the rest home for later.

There's a banquet room that can handle up to 60, and one of the big attractions here is pizza (the first thing diners encounter - pun intended - is the pizza stand right at the entrance). The restaurant is open and airy, and in good weather there are a couple of small cafe-type tables outside. Admittedly, the views of busy highways are less than
spectacular there, but hey, we didn't come for the scenery; it's food we're most interested in.


Breakfast is served here all day, for the record, and for me, that's a Martha Stewart good thing. That's the main reason I like Bob Evans, to be honest (that plus the fact that they're extremely generous with the buy one, get one free breakfast coupons). Neither of us enjoys eating breakfast at the "regular" time, but put that incomparable sausage gravy and biscuits in front of me any other time and get out of the way!

Here, though, we stuck with non-breakfast foods; in part, that's because we figure it's pretty hard to totally ruin bacon and eggs so that's not a good choice for review, and partly because we were in the mood for something a bit more substantial. And unlike Bob Evans, this place has a liquor license (I don't know about you, but eggs and beer just don't mesh). There's no beer on tap, but that's fine with us; it always tastes better in a bottle (and the beer and super-frosty mugs are just the way I love it). Several wines are available as well, including Canyon Road, one of our favorites.


Because pizza is a specialty here, we ordered an Old World to take with us when were done (a medium 12-inch for $8.50 plus $1.50 to add pepperoni). We both ended up getting linguine with clam sauce ($9.50) - red for him and white for me. 

I got wedding soup, always a favorite, to start - and the broth was delicious. There wasn't much of those tiny round things (orzo??), but the chunks of chicken, meatballs, greens, onions and carrots were generous. Jack ordered shrimp gumbo, which I normally don't care much for, but it was quite good and had a noticeable kick. Italian dishes are a specialty here, by the way - everything from veal, chicken and eggplant parmesan to ravioli to stuffed shells to gnocchi.

The linguine entrees were totally non-standard, topped with chunks of celery, black olives, onions, mushrooms and clams. My white sauce didn't have much of a distinct flavor, but it was good - and Jack liked his quite well. The bowls were huge, and we each brought home more than half of our orders and even had enough to share with our daughter Chris and her husband Jerry next door. As for the pizza, it smells and tastes very much like our favorite Brier Hill-style at Sunrise Inn in Warren, but with a thicker crust. Outstanding!

We didn't waste much time going back, and once again it was for a very late lunch after taking photos at several of Ashtabula County's 18 covered bridges. Several other folks were here as well - always a good sign when a place is busy other than at peak dining hours. 

This time, I settled for broiled whitefish, choosing my favorite soup in the world, wedding, instead of a salad. Jack picked the seafood platter with fries (salad instead of soup). The platter, a reasonable $9.95, contains four scallops, three jumbo shrimp and whitefish.

The soup was quite tasty (truth is, I don't recall ever eating a wedding soup I didn't like), but the fish was a bit of a disappointment. It was described as having a "light" red sauce, which I interpreted to mean not thick and heavy like pasta or marinara (I'm not a fan of red sauce and fish; both of us absolutely love linguine with clam sauce, but we disagree on what kind. I'm a white, he's a red, and never the twain shall meet.

As it turns out, the sauce here was very tomato-flavored and bright red - and the whole thing was covered with chunks of zucchini, onion and green peppers (all good) plus those funny olives that I think start with a K (not so good; give me a green olive by itself or in anything, but that's as far as my olive-loving goes). Actually, the sauce was very flavorful - but for me, just not on fish, please. Once I scraped most of that off, though, the fish itself was quite good. There were three substantial-sized filets, and I took quite a bit home to be consumed happily by Jack the next day.

All was good with the fish platter, except turns out one of the items on it was smelts, which is not one of his favorites. The breading was relatively heavy and crispy, so I threw caution to the wind and tried one - not bad at all, although I won't say they'll ever be a favorite seafood dish.

Vasilios does have a posted list of daily specials: Monday, it's a combo eggplant and chicken parmesan; Tuesday, chicken marsala; Wednesday and Friday, all-you-can-eat fish; Thursday, eggplant rotellini; Friday, Greek spaghetti; and Saturday, Italian platter. I expect the specials change occasionally, though, so if you want to make sure your favorite is on the menu, give them a call before you go.

If you go:

Vasilios Restaurant & Pizza
500 Trumbull Ave.
Cortland, Ohio 44410
(330) 638-3718

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Vasilios-Restaurant-Pizzeria/119898652449

Open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday

TEXAS ROADHOUSE

For many years, my husband Jack and I - often accompanied by our son Scott and daughter Chris - made an annual trek to the North Carolina Outer Banks, usually in early June before rental prices headed sky high in peak season. Almost always, we stopped in Winchester, Virginia, for a night on the way just to break up the nearly 11-hour trip into manageable drive times. We'd arrive in plenty of time for dinner and head straight for the Texas Roadhouse there. It was our first experience with the chain, which started in 1993 in Clarksville, Indiana.

The food was wonderful - no way to beat those steaks and filets. But I love peanuts, so I had a great time diving into the tin bucket on the table, cracking them open and pitching the shells on the floor. The decor was fun - lots of western "stuff" on the walls, a large jukebox and such - but it was the taste that was as big as all outdoors.

So the announcement that a Texas Roadhouse would open in the Eastwood Mall Complex here brought a Texas-sized cheer from our house, and we couldn't wait for it to open. Unfortunately when it did, we waited, and waited and waited some more before we could manage to get in.

During the week, the place doesn't open until 4 p.m.; and every single time we drove past shortly before that time for at least a month and a half, the parking lot was overflowing into other store lots. The first time we tried, in fact, was on a weekday perhaps a week after the opening; it was so crowded that we turned tail and headed across the way to Lone Star Steakhouse. It, too, was fairly crowded - and we learned we weren't the only ones to pass on a wait of an hour or more at the new place.

In fairness, Texas Roadhouse does offer call-ahead seating, but all that means is your name will be on the waiting list when you arrive so you don't need to push through a throng to get to the reservation desk, but that doesn't quite do it for us. There's also a restaurant in Boardman, but restaurants there usually are even more crowded than in the Niles and Howland area so we didn't want to chance driving that far and having an even longer wait. In the end, we held off for a few months till, we hoped, some of the newness had a chance to wear off - finally picking a Saturday when the place is open for lunch. We timed our arrival  at about 3:15 p.m. - after lunch but before most folks are thinking about dinner - which would give us the best chance of getting right in, we figured.


We figured right. We had no wait at all this time, but by the time we left an hour or so later, the place was nearly filled to capacity and a few people were waiting. 

As for those peanuts, it appears the option of tossing the shells on the floor is here; but when we were seated, we noticed that the bucket on the table was empty - apparently you ask for peanuts if you want them. We're not sure whether that's an attempt to save money on peanuts by giving them away to people who really want them or trying to cut down on the mess on the floor. Since the floor didn't exactly crunch under our feet, it could have been either one.

As often happens, we dragged our friends Jerry and Barb along (or maybe it was the other way around; they'd been wanting to try this place as well). We were seated almost immediately, walking past a glass display case of various cuts of beef. There are many booths and tables in several sectioned-off areas, all surrounded by lots and lots of wood.

We placed our order for drinks and appetizers right away: a Cactus Blossom (a Texas-sized onion deep fried and served with Cajun horseradish sauce for $4.99) and Rattlesnake Bites (diced jalapenos and jack cheese battered and fried with that same sauce (also $4.99). By the time our drinks arrived, we'd decided on entrees - but not without some difficulty. For openers, there are several special entrees for $8.99 available Monday through Thursday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., including a 6-ounce sirloin and a pulled pork dinner.

There are plenty of steak choices here as well, plus burgers and other tasty-sounding sandwiches, "country" dinners like pork chops and beef tips over rice or mashed potatoes, several big salads and more. If I have a complaint, it's that seafood options are very limited (three items were on the menu at the time of our visit, one of them fried catfish, one of few fish species for which I don't care much).

As a huge fan of ribeye, Barb's choice was a no-brainer; the 12-ounce bon-in at $11.99, with a salad and veggie - broccoli and carrots on this afternoon. I went for steak as well, but an 8-ounce choice sirlous ($11.99) with a Caesar salad and cup of chili.


Jerry and Jack took different paths, with Jerry choosing the pulled pork dinner with a Caesar salad and baked sweet potato ($9.99). The slow-cooked pork is covered in the restaurant's signature barbecue sauce and comes with toasted bread. If beef tips are on a menu, it's a pretty good bet Jack will go for them - and he did ($11.49). They're served over seasoned rice (or mashed potatoes if you prefer them) with sauteed mushrooms, onions, brown gravy and sour cream. For his side, he chose fries with cheddar and bacon.

The appetizers both were delicious - especially the rattlesnake bites. The onion was a little on the overly browned side, but it was quite good, as was the sauce. A ranch-type sauce came with the rattlesnake bites, and it was exceptionally good with what we figured was a hint of horseradish.

Jerry  I enjoyed the Caesar salads; the dressing was quite mild with no strong anchovy flavor, and the greens were cut into manageable bites. I'm not a huge fan of croutons so was happy that the salad wasn't covered with them, although they were exceptionally good as croutons go. Barb said the broccoli was done as she likes it - still slightly crispy - which means I won't order it (I like mine very tender). Meantime, Jerry raved about his baked sweet potato.

My steak was outstanding - relatively thick and cooked perfectly to medium rare. Barb raved about hers as well - also done to medium rare perfection.  Jerry loved the pulled pork, saying he wouldn't hesitate to order it again, and Jack was happy with his beef tips. The gravy was very rich and the rice had a great flavor - and there was plenty left to bring home. 

As we finished up and were waiting for the checks, we all agreed we'd be back here any time we're in the mood for a great steak. We'll definitely try to get here for at least one of our birthdays; the special person gets to sit on a rolling "steer" saddle while servers sing to you and yell "Yee-haw!"

If you go:

Texas Road House
2260 Niles-Cortland Road S.E.
Warren, Ohio 44484
(330) 349-9488

http://www.texasroadhouse.com

Open 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday.

INNER CIRCLE PIZZA

My first experience with Inner Circle Pizza happened quite a number of years ago, when my husband Jack was teaching freshman English classes at Youngstown State University. The final “class,” at which students turned in the research papers on which they’d been working during the quarter, usually took place at the Inner Circle that at the time was on Lincoln Avenue across from the YSU campus. Some students sat and chatted a while, some had to run in, drop off their papers and run to another final exam, and one or two stayed long enough to enjoy pizza or a burger.


When Jack stopped classroom teaching and switched to supervising student teachers in the English Department, those quarterly outings at Inner Circle came to a halt as well. From then on, I doubt we went there more than once or twice. More recently, we enjoyed visits to the Inner Circle that was open for a while in the Eastwood Mall complex (where Wing Warehouse is now), and after we moved from Niles to Mineral Ridge, we made it a couple of times to the Inner Circle on Mahoning Avenue in Austintown.

Needless to say, it’s a place we’ve enjoyed over the years, but one location we hadn’t visited is the Inner Circle in Canfield. That omission came to an end a few weeks ago - and we found that this one is noticeably different from the others. First and foremost, the wide variety of pizzas has been pared down considerably. My all-time favorite, the IC Hot, wasn’t on the menu - although happily, my second favorite, spinach and tomato (spinach, fresh-cut tomatoes topped with cheese, spices and garlic is still there.


The interior is quite spacious - the familiar brick is here as at other locations - and there’s a large bar in the center of the main dining area. Lots of windows let light in, and there are several large-screen plasma TV sets here and there (eight, the website says, but we didn’t count). 

We’d come because we bought one of those dining coupons - spend $10 up front for a $20 certificate - and, of course, because we wanted to see this location. We got there about 1:30 on a Thursday, and the place was fairly crowded, although we had no trouble being seated right away. Much of the crowd was gone by the time our food arrived - more on that later - so we figured folks in Canfield tend to eat lunch a bit later than elsewhere.
We did have a bit of a wait after being seated, but once our server appeared, we ordered drinks (ignoring the extensive list of martinis and specialty drinks and sticking with beers). Then we took some time to look over the menu, although we both had a pretty good idea what we wanted when we went in. We peeked at the list of daily specials (on Thursdays, it’s penne with meatballs, chicken parmesan  and baked Tuscan pasta with sausage, peppers, mushrooms, onions and cheese. The penne was tempting, but the others just seemed to be too much for lunch.

There are quite a number of salads, including one called the Youngstown Chicken Salad that sounded especially good: Grilled chicken breast with greens, tomato, carrots, black olives with French fries and cheese. Calzones and stromboli are specialties here as well, with several options from which to choose. From the appetizer list, I want to try the hot peppers in oil with breadsticks sometime soon - this time out, my stomach just wasn’t ready to take the heat for some reason.

Of course, I was disappointed that “my” hot-pepper pizza wasn’t available, but judging from past experience, I was confident that the spinach and tomato one would work just fine. I went with the small 6-inch version ($4.75) so I could add a cup of wedding soup to start ($3.95). Remembering how great the burgers used to be, Jack ordered the Circle burger for $7.75. Sandwiches here don’t come with fries, but you can add them for $2.49; because he wasn’t all that hungry, he declined. 

Once we’d placed our order, we really had a wait until my soup was delivered. It was quite tasty with lots of broth, fresh greens, celery, chicken and those tiny meatballs in a generous-sized cup. I would have preferred it much hotter - it was just a cut above lukewarm - but since it was delicious I made short work of it anyway. 

Next up was my pizza, neatly cut in four pieces. Our server told Jack his burger would take “a few more minutes,” and I finished half of my pizza (and gave Jack about a third of my soup when it was apparent his burger wasn’t going to be forthcoming) before the sandwich arrived with an apology from the server, who told us the cook didn’t see the burger on the original ticket and had to play catch-up. It was, however, worth at least some of the wait, loaded with mushrooms, onions, peppers and melted cheese.

 


As for the pizza, it was as yummy as ever - the flavored dough is especially wonderful. There’s enough spinach to taste but not turn the whole thing green, and it’s topped with very thin whole slices of tomato, plenty of cheese and enough garlic to add zest but not overwhelm.

When my pizza arrived, I told our server I also wanted an order of cinnamon dippers - fried warm breadsticks about an inch wide loaded with cinnamon sugar and a container of ooey-gooey white frosting to dip them in ($3.99). They’re a treat I enjoyed back in those YSU days, and I was delighted that they hadn’t gone by the boards. In fact, I waited to place the order because I was afraid they’d be delivered too early and cool down by the time I was ready to eat them.

Once we’d finished up, our server stopped to ask if we wanted anything else, and I reminded her about the dippers. Oh yes, she said, scurrying to put in the order. In five minutes or less, we were happily scarfing them down as fast as we could. Yum!

If you go:

Inner Circle Pizza
6579 Ironwood Blvd.
Canfield, Ohio 44410
(330) 533-7575

http://innercirclepizzacanfield.com

Open 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday; closed Sunday.