Jeremiah Bullfrogs Sports Bar & Grille

Jeremiah was a bullfrog. And after visiting his very laid-back restaurant several times, he's definitely a good friend of mine!

Truth is, my husband Jack and I had driven past Jeremiah Bullfrogs Sports Bar & Grille in Austintown many times -- it's located in the Westin Center Plaza -- usually on the way to stop at the Panera Bakery Cafe for some of those wonderful Danish pastries or to have lunch at the Rotelli restaurant. Some day, we always said, we'll peek inside and see what it's like. That day finally arrived not long ago, when I had to make a quick run to Panera for a loaf of bread, after which we'd planned to head elsewhere to have lunch at one of our old familiar eateries. While I was at Panera, though, Jack wandered a couple of doors down to check out Jeremiah's.

When we met up 10 minutes later, I was greeted by an enthusiastic, "Wait till you see this place -- you're gonna love it!"

As it turns out, truer words were never spoken. But if my words aren't enough to be convincing, consider this: be Within a week and a half of that first visit, we made two return trips.

For openers, this is our kind of atmosphere; the interior is quite large with plenty of uncrowded seating at booths and tables. There's a full bar for times we just want to pop in for a beer or perhaps a munchie or two during the Happy Hour that takes place from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. daily, and with more than 30 flat-screen TV sets, we're always within view of whatever we'd like to watch. All around the walls are cardboard cut-outs and ceramic bullfrogs -- and even a few of the lyrics to "Joy to the World," a song written by Hoyt Axton made wildly popular by Three Dog Night.

Other than liking what I saw inside, though, my first real clue that I'd be very happy here was looking at the menu and seeing Antone's salad listed there. For years, I've actually craved that salad -- chopped iceberg and romaine lettuce tossed with tune, salami, Romano and mozzarella cheeses. Wow, I wondered, what's up with that?

As it turns out, Jeremiah Bullfrogs is owned by the folks at Antone's -- there's a second location in Boardman -- so the pasta and other offerings here are familiar to Antone's regulars as well (Antone's, for the record, has been an area staple since 1961). We even noticed Antone's gift baskets filled with tempting goodies perched atop some of the partitions that delineate various seating sections.

The extensive list of appetizers and wings, the latter including a Jim Beam Bourbon sauce, got Jack's attention first. He ended up getting the Froggers' Sliders appetizer ($7.49) which consists of four miniature hamburgers with onions, pickles, American cheese and fries. To that, he added a cup of tomato basil soup ($3.99).

Needless to say, I wasted little time ordering the Antone's salad (with Antone's Italian dressing) as a side to my sausage penne marinara, one of the daily specials ($6.99). The pasta was loaded with green peppers, onions and plenty of sausage and marinara sauce and quite delicious. The salad, though, was a surprise. Yes, I'm very familiar with what I'd describe as my favorite-ever salad. What I didn't expect was the size; as a side, I figured it would be a relatively small portion.

Not so! In fact, it was so large -- and so mouth-watering -- that I scarfed up the entire thing and had no room for that wonderful pasta! Oh well, I reasoned, the pasta would be great for lunch the next day. It was, but I had to share it with Jack.

Jack's four sliders would have been about two too many for me, but he managed to eat all four. The fries were quite good as well, and there were plenty of them to share. The soup is an absolute standout; very very thick, full of finely chopped tomatoes and spices and, in short, just wonderful.

As we neared the end of our first meal here, I looked longingly at the list of "signature" hot chocolate drinks, all $4.95 and very "adult" beverages with tempting names like "Chocolate Cherries" (with Bailey's Irish Creme, grenadine and hot chocolate). Oooh, I signed -- no room left today. Maybe next time!

Next time we stopped in -- maybe a week later -- Jack simply had to have another cup of that great tomato basil soup. Our server pointed out that a cup is $3.99 and a bowl is just a dollar more, making the latter a much better deal (and yes, Jack agreed). To that he added a beef brisket sandwich with fries ($7.99) and one of the $5.99 pitchers of domestic draft beer. The brisket was delilcious, topped with hot peppers,mozzarella cheese and vinegar cole slaw on a grilled ciabatta hoagie. He did find a few hot pepper rings, which he fished out and gave to me.

Meantime, I decided to go big-time. For the month of February, Jeremiah's was offering half-slabs of their "Almost Famous" ribs accompanied by fries and slaw for $8.99, and that Jim Beam bourbon glaze sounded great. But then, I saw the chicken francaise and -- not being a huge ribs fan -- I went in that direction. For an extra 99 cents, I substituted that wonderful Antone's salad for the regular slaw, and chose pasta with red sauce for the second side. I could have had the pasta topped with the francaise sauce to "match" my chicken, but somehow that sounded like overkill.

The pan-fried chicken breasts were lightly breaded and topped with a delicious lemon wine sauce. The portions seemed a little small for the $11.99 price tag, but they were extremely tasty and satifying (besides, I'd filled up on that Antone's salad once again). This time, though, I didn't have any of the entree left to take home.

After a second great experience here, we returned once again -- and the third time was a charm as well, at least for me. This time, one of the daily specials was three bone-in ribs with four wings, fries and cole slaw for $6.99. Aha, I said, now I can try that Jim Beam bourbon sauce! Not being terribly hungry, Jack decided on the "Big Ol' Pepper and Egg sandwich $6.99; it was made with four eggs, hot, sweet or mixed peppers (he got the sweet), mozarella cheese and mayo on toasted Italian bread. Once again, he couldn't resist that tomato-basil soup -- he went straight for the bowl this time, asking for two spoons so I could help him finish it (as if he needed any).

The "regular" (non-vinegar) slaw is not finely shredded, but the sweet mayo dressing rivals my own -- which I consider to be the best in the world, for the record. The wings are on the small side and very, very crispy -- I chose the garlic sauce -- and at first, I thought they'd be too crunchy for me to eat (those of us who still have most of our teeth realize that the older they get, the more vulnerable they become). But they weren't too bad, and the garlic sauce was quite delicious and loaded with small pieces of garlic.

Turns out the Jim Beam sauce is delicious as well, and the the ribs were so fall-off-the-bone tender that it was impossible to pick one up -- I was "forced" to eat them with a fork. I should also note that the fries are quite tasty here as well, and I'm not a big fan of French fries. They are so plentiful, however, that we've never been able to come close to polishing off even a single side order.

As for Jack's egg sandwich, the best I can say is he was less than enthusiastic. To start, it was so large that it was virtually impossible to pick it up even though it was cut in half. The eggs were cooked rather like a pancake and almost brown on both sides -- more than a little overcooked and very lacking in flavor. That's one sandwich we won't try again, but there are plenty more on the extensive menu for us to try next time, and the next and the next!

Editor's Note: This update was added to the Jeremiah Bullfrogs review on March 5, 2010.

More recently, the sun decided to peek out (finally!) so Jack and I headed south through farm country to try out the replacement lens he just got for his Canon Digital Rebel XSi camera. On the way home, we were hungry and ended up at Jeremiah's, which has become an old standby. Once again, we weren't disappointed.

We had a coupon from the Entertainment Book that gave us a buy one, get one free lunch (up to $7 off), and when our server said it was good on anything from the list of entrees for the day, we stopped looking at the less expensive sandwiches and went straight to the good stuff. And boy, was it ever good!

For my entree, I chose the haddock at $9.99 -- broiled instead of fried -- which came with one side (mashed potatoes) and either fries or a tossed salad (the latter, with some of that wonderful Antone's House Italian dressing that's the same as on my favorite Antone's salad I mentioned earlier). Meanwhile, Jack couldn't resist the stuffed flounder at $11.99; knowing full well that I'm not a big fan of fries, he got those so we could share.

First came some of that wonderful fresh-baked bread, along with plenty of butter packets -- very unusual since at most restaurants you're lucky to get two or three. My salad was almost as good as the Antone's salad -- I've concluded that the dressing is close to half the appeal here. It's absolutely delicious.

Then the entrees were delivered, and oh my! My piece of haddock was quite substantial and swimming in a wonderful buttery sauce. Noticing that the mashed potatoes were plain, our server immediately asked if I'd like gravy (yes, ma'am). It arrived in short order -- a thick brown -- and it was excellent. And, it was plentiful enough that when I'd finished the mashed potatoes, I tried dipping a fry in the gravy bowl and discovered yet another treat.

My fish was quite tasty, and while it perhaps could have used 30 seconds less under the broiler, it was flaky, tender and nowhere near as overcooked as I find at most restaurants. Jack's flounder, though, was nothing short of outstanding. He raved ("This is the best meal I've had in a long, long time," he uttered when he came up for a breath between bites). It was wonderful; the stuffing was very flavorful, and whatever sauce was on top -- sort of a Hollandaise taste -- really made it outstanding. In short, it's a highly recommended dish and our complements went to the chef -- who for the record turned out to be the husband of our server (who said this is a favorite dish of hers as well).

If you go:

Jeremiah Bullfrogs Sports Bar & Grille
5229 Mahoning Ave. (Westin Center)
Austintown, Ohio 44515
(330) 259-3402

--OR--

1315 Boardman-Canfield Road, Boardman 44512
(330) 965-0800
www.jbullfrogs.com

Teaming Up!

This just in: Thanks to Mike Costarella, host of The Valley View, we'll be bringing some of this blog's restaurant reviews to listeners now and again. If you haven't tuned in to this interesting and informative talk radio broadcast that features interviews with "happening" people, now's the time to get in on the action. If you're a Facebook member (and if you're not, sign up -- it's free), enter The Valley View in the search box and add it to your list of friends! Mike will issue a notice each time a new show airs. For the record, Mike says the cute logo was drawn by his daughter.

Similarly, many thanks to Art Byrd and editor/writer Michele Ristich Gatts for promoting this blog in the "A Byrd's Eye View" free e-newsletter! Want to know what's going on in the Mahoning Valley's entertainment scene? Read well-thought-out reviews of movies, TV shows and such? Sign up to get this must-read e-newsletter (did I mention it's free?) by sending an e-mail to artbyrdagain@yahoo.com -- just add "SUBSCRIBE" to the subject line (minus the quotes, of course)! If you'd like to learn more about Art, check out the profile article on the YSU graduate in the Winter 2010 issue of the Youngstown State University Magazine.

But wait, there's more! As I write this (on Feb. 18, 2010), I just finished reading Art's new blog, "A Byrd's Eye View." You won't want to miss this, either -- and while you're there, sign up to follow Art on Twitter!

Smokey Bones Bar & Fire Grill

No bones about it: Smokey Bones has a new owner, but the food and atmosphere remain top-notch -- at least for now. Quite honestly, I was almost heartbroken back in 2007 when the former owner of Smokey Bones Barbecue & Grill, Darden Restaurants, sold the franchise. Darden, you may know, also owns the popular Olive Garden and Red Lobster restaurants, which are favorites of mine among the chain gang. Perhaps a year earlier, my husband and I discovered the Smokey Bones on South Avenue in Boardman, taking great pleasure in having a late lunch there when we made the trip from Niles to the Southern Park Mall or The Shops at Boardman Park (or both). The ribs here were absolutely the best anywhere -- even beating out our old favorite, Damon's -- and we were afraid that if the new owner of Smokey Bones, an affiliate of Sun Capital Partners, didn't shut the whole thing down, everything would change for the worse.

So far, so good. Oh, I admit there are a few changes I wish hadn't been made, most notably that wonderful hot sauce that packed a real kick when added to ribs or the delicious pulled pork seems to have gone by the boards. As for what could happen next, the jury's still out: We're waiting to see if the Boardman restaurant -- one of 68 locations in 17 states -- gets revamped as several others have been. The redesign, company officials say, replaces the "log cabin" decor with a "More contemporary restaurant setting, high-definition flat-screen TVs, new employee uniforms" and more.

I'm okay with the latter two, but quite honestly, I love the mountain lodge-like atmosphere. "Contemporary" I can find anywhere -- just go to any Applebee's, Chili's, Ruby Tuesday or TGI Friday's, all of which are practically interchangeable as far as I'm concerned. If that kind of change comes to Boardman -- and I sure hope it doesn't -- I'll clue you in. Meantime, I'll still recommend the place for both the relaxed, friendly atmosphere and the great food.

My husband Jack and I are fairly regular visitors to Mill Creek Park -- one of the Mahoning Valley's greatest treasures, in my opinion -- but we don't always drive all the way through to the U.S. Route 224 side in Boardman. Recently, we did -- and since it was past lunchtime, our thoughts turned to Smokey Bones. So, we headed in that direction, looking forward to some of that wonderful pulled pork (me) and smoked beef brisket (Jack). Looking at the menu for the first time in a few months, we encountered another change, this time something called "value-priced" meals. Immediately, my shackles went up: Certainly not a concept new in the industry -- everybody from McDonald's to hoity-toity restaurants are advertising these so-called deals -- but I'm definitely not a fan, so I'm going to digress for a minute.

This concept is a good deal for the restaurants, which are scrambling to stay afloat in a terrible economy, but for customers, not so much. What seems to be happening is that restaurants are serving up entrees that cost less than their "regular" fare in the hope that price-conscious customers will continue to eat out. Here's an example: A restaurant sells a dinner entree of meat loaf, potatoes and a side for $10.95. Now, there's a "value-priced" option -- same entree -- for $8.50. And now comes the problem. First, they typically raise the price of the "old" entree by a buck or two; what used to cost $10.95 now is $11.95 or $12.95.

The value-priced option is smaller portions -- understandably. But at almost every restaurant where we've encountered these new "deals," the portions have been cut by close to half. The price, however, certainly isn't cut by half -- making the so-called value pricing actually cost more on a per-bite basis than the higher-priced version. That's particularly upsetting for customers like us, who expect that any entree we buy that costs more than $5 will render enough leftovers to take home for another meal. Now, if we want leftovers, it will cost us a couple of bucks more than usual; and if we spring for the "value-price" meal that's half the size but more than half the price, we'll have nothing left at all.

Instead of encouraging us to visit more often, it's a real turn-off. Here's an example from Smokey Bones: My hubby's favorite smoked beef brisket. If he wants what I assume is the same size he used to get, he'll pay $11.49 (which includes two sides), more costly than it used to be, but he had more than enough left so we could enjoy a couple of sandwiches back home the next day. At our most recent visit, he chose the same entree from the "more bones for your buck" section -- at a cost of $8.79. Needless to say, he was able to polish off every single bite with some room left over -- and nary a crumb to take home for later. I experienced the same thing with my choice of that wonderful hand-pulled pork; with two sides, the "value-priced" portion is $8.29 compared with $10.29 for the larger size. I, too, scarfed down every bite and went home empty-handed. Next time we're here, we'll go for the bigger enchilada, which is by far the better deal.

That aside, the food at Smokey Bones is delicious -- although I do wish they'd put the bottles of barbecue sauce back on the tables as they used to be. Both the brisket and pulled pork arrived scantily basted with sauce and we needed more; fortunately, just as we were about to trip our server, she stopped to ask if we wanted some extra sauce. How fast can you get it here? was our reply. I'm also fond of the so-called St. Louis sauce, which remains available on the ribs but wasn't among the sauces our server delivered.

What did come, though, was something I overheard another server call "new Carolina Gold" sauce -- so I poured a little on my plate to sample. In fact, it's quite good (although I wouldn't want it on ribs or pulled pork). Golden yellow and a little on the sweet side with a kick, it's great for dipping French fries. Speaking of the sides, the fries are quite good -- and I'm not a big fan of fries. Jack got those and the tasty cinnamon apples, which he saves for "dessert," as his two sides.

I'm also happy to report that my favorite steamed broccoli is still perfectly cooked to my liking -- still bright green but tender yet well short of mushy. My second side was baked beans, which are cooked in a wonderful smokey barbecue sauce with bits of pork and absolutely yummy.

As I said before, I like the atmosphere here; there's a large bar plopped in the middle of everything, with a circle of TV sets tuned to various sports events right in the center in full view of everyone who bellies up and quite a few of those who prefer tables or booths. Tall beers were going for $2.50 the day of our last visit -- a good deal that convinced us to go for it instead of settling for soda or plain water. We sat at one of the booths that offers a personal TV tuner -- nice to be able to get sound with whichever event we want.

Smokey Bones also has a Happy Hour from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. to closing on weekdays, when appetizers are half price and Mini Porkies -- three pulled pork sliders in a choice of hickory smoked, sweet BBQ or mustard BBQ sauce (or any combination or even one of each) are just 99 cents (they're regularly three for $6.99). Barbecue is perhaps the main attraction, but the salads sound wonderful too. A special favorite is the Nutty Chicken Salad ($9.49), with chicken fingers warm over field greens with goat cheese, candied pecans, dried cranberries, red onions and fresh strawberries with honey Dijon dressing and more pecans.

For the record, Smokey Bones emphasizes take-out as well; party packs and barbecue by the pound can be called in and picked up on the fly to feed four or 400 (or more). Side dishes, like my favorite baked beans, can be purchased in pints and quarts; a dozen of the restaurant's signature Hot Bag O' Donuts, with chocolate and strawberry dipping sauces, go out the door with you for $7.49.

At our recent visit, we also learned about a new feature we like a lot: the Smokey Bones loyalty card, which our server pitched to us as we were paying the bill. To be honest, now that retailers on every corner hand these out like candy, trying to keep track of them (much less find room for all of them in a wallet or purse) is getting to be quite a hassle. But this one offers some dandy rewards that put it a cut above most of the others; one point for every $1 you spend, and once you rack up 200 points, you get $20 to spend any way you want. When you register the card online, you get 100 points and the promise of a free appetizer. When I registered ours, the 100 points -- plus just under 23 more to account for what we spent for lunch the day the card was issued -- were dutifully posted as promised.

A day later, though, I'd heard nothing about the free appetizer. Because joining these programs is guaranteed to bring an almost-instant "Welcome" e-mail from the issuing company -- and because half of the links at Smokey Bones' Web site don't work well, at least with the Firefox browser -- I was a bit concerned when I didn't hear a thing about the free appetizer by the end of the following day. I needn't have worried; the next morning, the welcome e-mail arrived, together with a coupon for that free appetizer. Granted, the expiration date was less than a month away, but there were no other strings attached except a limit of $9.

So, as long as we can find time to head back to Boardman before the end of February, we'll cash it in, perhaps pitching in the extra 29 cents to get the great-sounding Blazin' Shrimp -- fried saltwater shrimp tossed in a "fiery" sauce, served on a bed of crispy onions and drizzled with sweet rib glaze. My mouth is watering already!

It's also worth mentioning that when you sign up for a Smokey Bones loyalty card (as is the case at most restaurant Web sites), you'll get occasional e-mails with special offers and other news of interest. I always advise folks to get a "throw-away" e-mail address -- perhaps from AOL, Hotmail or Yahoo! -- to use when you buy online and register at various sites so you won't clog up your regular e-mailbox. That only works, though, if you remember to check your inbox regularly!

If you go: Smokey Bones Bar & Fire Grill
6651 South Ave.
Boardman OH 44512
(330) 965-1554
www.smokeybones.com

Marino's Italian Cafe

Long before the economic crunch hit, my husband Jack and I have been big proponents of eating-out discount programs like the Entertainment Book and Restaurant.com. Although having to shell out meals at less than regular price probably makes them far less popular with the restaurants than with consumers, I speak from experience when I say they do help bring in customers who otherwise might not come. For us, such was the case at Marino's Italian Cafe in Austintown.

Yes, we've noticed the sign before -- the restaurant is across Mahoning Avenue from the Skate Zone, where we've taken our grandkids to roll around every once in a while -- but for whatever reason, we've never stopped in. All that changed about a year ago, when we were returning from one of our photo-seeking forays in Mill Creek Park and decided we were hungry but didn't want to spend a fortune. Oh wait, I said -- let me flip through the Entertainment Book coupons I keep at the ready in my purse. Spotting one that would give us $5 off if we spent $20 at Marino's, we said what the heck, let's give it a try -- it's right on our way home. That visit, I hasten to add, may have been our first but certainly was not our last.

At first glance, the restaurant doesn't look very imposing, and even with the big sign, it's easy to miss tucked away in a small plaza amid huge gas stations and big-chain eateries that crowd the corner of Mahoning Avenue and State Route 46. Inside, though, the atmosphere is very cozy, decorated with what I'd call "typical" Italian decor -- wine bottles, paintings of beautiful scenes from Italy and such. It's the food, though, that keeps us coming back.

I should mention for those like us who enjoy a glass of wine, beer or other libation with their meals, Marino's has a full bar. Also, carry-out is available in small quantities or to feed a crowd; how about a two-foot pepperoni, sausage or spinach roll for $14.95 or a quart of wedding soup for $7.99? Or a full spectrum of penne pasta, meatballs, chicken, potatoes and green beans for $6.99 per person? In addition, there's an on-site banquet room and hall for both formal, fixed-menu and buffet-style dinners, and if you want, they'll come catering at your place as well.

Ah, but back to that eat-in food. On our most recent visit, we weren't in the mood for pizza, although the six listed on the menu, especially the Brier Hill topped with tomato sauce, green peppers and Romano cheese, were tempting (they're priced from $5.99 to $7.99 for the small size). We did, however, pay special attention to the appetizers (in no small part because we needed to spend $20 to get that $5 off). Several were appealing, including sauteed greens -- spinach with olive oil, garlic and white wine for $1.99 (add hot peppers for another buck). Another one I plan to try next time we're here is the roasted red peppers and fresh mozzarella dressed in Italian vinaigrette at $5.99.

This time, though, it was no contest: I admit to going bananas over hot peppers in oil, the hotter the better. Here, they were going for $3.99 as an appetizer; yes, our server assured me, they really are hot. Then, it was time to choose our entrees. This was a late lunch for us, so it would serve as our "big" meal of the day. As such, we ignored the tasty-sounding sandwiches (perhaps an Italian sausage link with green peppers and Mozzarella cheese for $6.49) and went straight to the meat of the matter.

As expected, there are several pasta dishes here, from spaghetti to manicotti to tortellini to ravioli, all with sauces that sounded quite delicious. Neither my husband nor I are big on veal, so we ignored that section -- and we can get steaks and chops just about anywhere. No, we said, we're here to satisfy our taste buds, which at that moment were demanding Italian. For Jack, the choice was a no-brainer; one of his favorite dishes is linguini with red clam sauce (more correctly Linguini con Vongola). With red or white sauce, it's priced at $11.99. It took me longer to make up my mind, but in the end I zeroed in on Spinach Ravioli, or ravioli filled with spinach and Italian cheeses with marinara sauce ($10.99). Both of us ordered a cup of wedding soup with our entrees as well.

Soon after we ordered, though, came a real treat: A basket of two fresh-baked, delicious warm rolls. They're a bit on the large side, so we figured one would be plenty. In fact, they were so delicious (butter is baked in) that we gobbled them up in very short order and yes, we told our server when she asked, please bring us two more! According to the Web site (the URL is at the end of this article), they're baked each morning by "Mama Marino." Well, Mama, you do yourself proud with these babies!

As we devoured the rolls, I found another good use for them -- dipping small chunks in the light but very garlicky oil of my dish of hot peppers. Now I'm here to say that no, as hot peppers go, these aren't what I call hot; that's substantiated by the fact that Jack was able to put a tiny piece of one on a bread chunk and eat it without grabbing for a glass of water. Still, they pack a fair amount of zing; they're slightly crisp without tasting raw. The flavor, though, is to die for (hence sopping up every last drop with the bread once I'd polished off all the peppers).

The wedding soup is filled with greens, shredded chicken and lots of other good stuff in a very flavorful broth. I didn't run across any of those tiny meatballs, and I don't think Jack did either -- but we sure didn't miss them when it came to taste or filling us up. On our list of favorite wedding soups, this would be close to the top.

Then came our entrees; Jack's linguini with red clam sauce arrived on a lovely oval plate with a raised rim -- I'm told by a friend who knows about such things that the raised rim eliminates the need for twirling pasta on a spoon; instead, he says, "real" Italians use a fork to push it up against the rim and twirl it there. Nice theory, but neither of us is a "twirler" -- in our view, way too much of that good sauce is lost that way -- so it's a moot issue.

But I digress. The linguini was punctuated with a few tiny clams still in their shells, and there were lots more swimming in the tasty sauce. I, however, was both surprised and impressed with my Spinach Ravioli. Instead of the expected eight or 10 small rounds, there were just four, each at least 5 inches in diameter -- the biggest I've ever seen. They were smothered in tomato sauce filled with diced tomatoes and wonderful Italian spices. The filling, too, was delicious -- melted cheeses that oozed out with every bite (mostly Ricotta, I'd guess) -- and chopped spinach. Thanks to all those rolls, hot peppers and soup, I managed to finish only one before I had to call it quits. Jack finished a little more than half of his linguine, so in the end we had plenty to bring home and enjoy later!

If you go:

Marino's Italian Cafe
5423 Mahoning Ave.
Austintown, Ohio
(330) 799-8326
www.marinoscafe.com

Margherita's Grille

Margherita's: Quick, what comes to mind? Tacos and refried beans? Wide-mouth glasses with salt and a slice of lime on the rim? If you're at Margherita's Grille in Girard, you can order the latter if you want, but surprise: For the most part, the food here anything but Mexican. In fact, the name is a clue: Spelled this way, it's Italian, and also the name of the grandmother of the owner of this wonderful restaurant -- or so our server told us at our most recent visit.

Once the cold weather, snow and ice hit this neck of the woods, my husband Jack and I tend to hunker down and put the brakes on traveling any distance from which we couldn't walk home if need be. I say that partly to "warn" readers that the bulk of the restaurants and attractions I'll be mentioning here for a while won't be too far from where I'm sitting right now -- and partly to say how delighted we are to have Margherita's relatively close at hand. After a couple of our friends introduced us to the place a few months back (thanks, Jerry and Barb!), we've put this place right at the top of our favorites list. If you haven't been here yet, you're missing a real treat.

Although adding Margherita's to our list of favorites was a no-brainer, it's extremely difficult to pick favorites when it comes to the food. Of course, there are the requisite Italian dishes like meat or cheese ravioli and sauce ($7.99; add meat, Alfredo or vodka sauce for an additional $1.99) as well as temptations like linguine with clams or mussels in white wine sauce or spicy marinara ($10.99) and eggplant parmigiana, breaded and topped with mozzarella and marinara sauce accompanied by spaghetti marinara ($9.99). If your taste runs to the more exotic, try the Pasta Margherita, which consists of cauliflower, pine nuts and raisins sauteed in white wine sauce over penne pasta ($9.99). Like veal? You can't miss with Veal Marsala, Veal Parmigiana, Veal Salty Bocca or Veal Francais.

For smaller appetites or the lunch crowd, sandwiches and pizza are plentiful here as well. The pizza burger, an Angus steak burger squashed between two slices of sheet pizza and spashed with sauce ($7.99), is reminiscent of the pizza burgers we used to love at another area restaurant -- ditto the meatball splash. Several calzones are available, as is a variety of pizza including the Four Seasons, a thin-crust topped with artichokes, black olives, mushrooms and red peppers (a 12-inch is $6.99).

We've already sampled several of these mouth-watering goodies, and trust me, we'll be trying more. That said, our most recent visit was one of our most satisfying, starting with blackened prime rib with a baked potato and wedding soup for me and Filet Siciliano with French fries and lobster bisque for Jack -- both were on the specials board and in the $15 range.

I should mention that except for Friday and Saturday evenings, we've never needed a reservation if we arrived by 5:30 p.m.; and the "early bird" specials served up between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., ranging from $7.99 to $10.99, are yet another reason to beat the rush. Still, especially if your party includes four or more, I advise erring on the side of caution by calling ahead.

The inside of the place is far from fancy -- in fact, the emphasis is on family atmosphere even during the Saturday evening entertainment. But there's a full bar, comfortable booths and tables and friendly, helpful servers, all of which help make for an enjoyable dining experience. The tables are close enough together that you can chat with friends and neighbors without shouting but far enough away that you won't feel cramped.

Ah, but I digress: Back to the reason we were here. We were hungry -- and hoped to have some leftovers from our entrees to enjoy another day -- so we chose a couple of appetizers. Actually, make that I chose; since I'm the one doing the post-eating write-up, I figured that gave me dibs on picking the starters. Since we'd already tried the delicious hand-cut, lightly breaded calamari with a side of marinara sauce ($6.99), I headed straight for the homemade hot peppers and oil ($2.99 for a small order), knowing full well the other half of our dinner party wouldn't touch them with a 10-foot pole. Then, I couldn't resist the Asparagus Bundle, or several stalks of the veggie wrapped in prosuitto and topped with melted fresh mozzarella ($7.99). That one raised the eyebrows of the guy sitting across from me, but he swallowed his concern, gave me a half-hearted smile and let me do my thing.

As it turned out, he was pleasantly surprised. He usually turns up his nose at any vegetable that isn't green beans, corn or potatoes, but even he had to admit the asparagus was quite tasty (I'll give it an absolutely delicious)! Those hot peppers, though, are to die for. The flavor is just wonderful -- hot pepper seeds are liberally sprinkled throughout -- and the peppers are crunchy without tasting raw. Even the small order was ample, and I polished off every single one even before the basket of warm, fresh-baked bread and herbed butter arrived at our table.

As for the soups, we encountered a bit of a glitch; our server forgot to deliver them (not that we cared a whit after chowing down on those wonderful appetizers). But without missing a beat, she offered to box up the soups for take-out if we preferred -- we did -- and we enjoyed them for lunch the next day. The lobster bisque is a particular treat, although I'm always partial to wedding soup (also delicious).

Then came the entrees, and there's nothing to say but wow! The slab of blackened prime rib was huge, and although I had my doubts as to whether it could be cooked to my specified medium rare without being a thicker slice, I soon discovered that yes, it was done to perfection. The seasoning was brimming with flavor, too. Meanwhile, Jack's filet was cooked to his liking -- he's a (gasp!) well-done kind of guy -- and it, too, was swimming in a wonderfully flavored sauce. The only problem, if you can call it that, is that I could finish only about a third of the prime rib and Jack was able to pack in just half of his butterflied filet. Oh well, our server to the rescue once again, adding our leftovers to take-home boxes (and fixing up a special package of all the bread that we weren't able to fit in our stomachs to boot).

Several desserts are on the menu, but one is special to Jack: Spumoni. Stuffed as he was, he couldn't resist. Piled high in a large martini glass and topped with a mound of whipped cream, it was tempting even to someone like me who isn't fond of spumoni. Anticipating what might happen, our server brought an extra spoon without even asking -- and I admit it was good (well, the few bites of the strawberry part that I picked out were; I'm not big on the pistachio and other flavors). As for me, I simply tried to wash down all my gluttony with a cup of coffee.

In the end, we waddled out fat and happy once again, knowing that once the dust settled overnight, we'd get a second go-around with the leftovers. Oh, almost forgot: Sweetheart that he is, Jack got me a take-home order of those super-good hot peppers. They were gone long before lunch the next day!

If you go:

Margherita's Grille
728 N. State St.
Girard, Ohio 44420
(330) 545-2424
www.margheritasgrille.com

Open for lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday

Roby Lee's Restaurant and Banquet Center

It's always wonderful when you hope for bronze and end up with gold. Such is the case at Roby Lee's Restaurant and Banquet Center in Newton Falls, Ohio -- a place perhaps best known for its all-fours Zip Code and historic covered bridge almost smack dab in the middle of town.

To be honest, we've heard of Roby Lee's for several years; but in part because it's a bit of a drive from our home to Newton Falls, we've never bothered to check it out. All that changed when a couple of friends purchased a $25 gift certificate for the place at Restaurant.com. Since the requirement is to spend $35, they figured they might have trouble hitting that total and offered to share the wealth with us. One Friday evening, we hopped in the car and headed out.

The address and phone are printed on the Restaurant.com certificate (and a map can be viewed at that site as well). Even though we don't go there often, though, we're relatively familiar with the town and had no trouble at all finding the place. And what a find it was!

I'm not really sure exactly what we expected, but it was something along the lines of a rectangular, one-story building with parking for a dozen cars or so. When we pulled into the large parking lot, though, the consensus from the four of us was "Wow -- this sure isn't your father's family diner!" From the bright red awning over the entryway to the expansive interior that includes both a restaurant and a banquet facility that can provide seating for up to 450, we were both surprised and impressed.

Just in case, we'd made reservations; and although we wouldn't have needed them at the relatively early 5:30 p.m. hour, had we wanted to eat later, without reservations we'd have been standing in line. By the time we'd made it through the salad bar line (more on that later), the restaurant was starting to fill up. By the time our main course arrived, there wasn't an empty seat in the house.

Since we had $25 of our bill covered by the certificate, we decided to splurge on a couple of appetizers. My top choice was spiced hot Hungarian peppers in oil, so I was disappointed to learn they were out of them on this evening. Oh well, I reasoned -- guess I'll just have to come back. Instead, we ordered the Bruschetta (six pieces of Italian toast topped with diced tomatoes, chopped garlic, fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil and melted mozzarella cheese glazed with a Balsamic reduction) at $5.99 That's quite a mouthful to say, but trust me, it was easy to eat. One bite and we knew we should have ordered a second batch.

Our other appetizer was the Western Twizzlers, or five "Southwestern" egg rolls with a blend of spices, chicken and a side of salsa ($5.99). They were quite tasty, but nothing tasted better than the Bruschetta.

Nothing, that is, except the white pizza on the salad bar. As a standalone meal, the salad bar is $6.29, but it comes at no cost with most of the entrees here. One of our friends made two trips to get more of the pizza; the rest of us made do with salad with delicious dressing and soup -- two varieties are offered -- trying not to go so hog wild that we had no room for the rest of the meal.

It took quite a while to decide on entrees, simply because everything sounded wonderful. There are plenty of sandwiches, but the entree selections were even more tempting. In the end, we each ordered something different so we could sample. Doing that, we realized that we would have been quite satisfied with anything on our table.

One example: Chicken Roberto, chicken breast sauteed in extra virgin olive oil, garlic, roasted red peppers and greens in scampi butter sauce tossed in fettuchini ($12.99). Wow! Or, how about fresh grouper filet, fried or grilled with several options including my choice, Cajun ($11.99)? If those don't get your taste buds tingling, how about chicken sauteed in Marsala wine sauce with sliced mushrooms and garlic at $11.99 ($12.99 if you want veal instead of chicken)?

The beef lover in our crowd was delighted with Roby's House Sirloin, an 8-ounce chunk seasoned, char-broiled and topped with two crispy onion rings ($12.99). Each meal came with a couple of sides and fresh-baked bread. And even after making complete pigs of ourselves, we left with enough to enjoy back at home the next day.

Although we weren't trying to watch our pennies this time out, I should note that you won't have to break into your kid's piggy bank to eat here. In the "Family" meals section, for instance, most entrees are in the $8 to $9 range, and the amount you get is quite substantial. Will we go back? You bet -- and next time we do, I'll tell you how hot those Hungarian peppers really are!

If you go:

Roby Lee's Restaurant and Banquet Center
425 Ridge Road
Newton Falls, Ohio 44444
Robert J. Lee, owner
(330) 872-0984
www.robylees.com

Open Monday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (no liquor sales)