SALVATORE'S ITALIAN GRILL

For quite a few years, my husband Jack and I enjoyed occasional visits to Salvatore's Italian Grill in Howland Township, Ohio. We'd work in a visit for lunch or dinner and stop at the wine shop next door to replenish our supply. Once in a while, we'd head south from Niles to the Austintown restaurant, which is familiar to many as the former site of The Lodge.


Since we moved to Mineral Ridge, though, the Austintown location has become the place to head; most recently, we acquired a taste for flatbread-style pizza and discovered some real treats here. A late lunch of the Monte Cristo (white pizza with spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, mozzarella and ricotta cheeses, $8.50) for me and an Old World Brier Hill for Jack (sauteed green peppers, onions and marinara sauce sprinkled with Romano cheese to which he adds pepperoni, $6.50 plus a buck for the extra topping, became almost a habit during the hot months of last summer. 


Much of the ambience from The Lodge is still here - the dark wood interior and booths, exposed beams and a few things stuck up near the ceiling like an old clawfoot bathtub. There's a good-sized bar near the kitchen, and plenty of cold beer on tap.

Not long ago, armed with a $20 certificate for which we'd paid $10 at MyValleyDining.com, we headed back for lunch. This time, though, we weren't in the mood for pizza; instead, Jack ordered his always-favorite Philly steak sandwich ($9), substituting a salad for the fries for a $1.50 upcharge. The raspberry vinaigrette dressing, he said, is outstanding.

First came the usual basket of "regular" pizza squares and two crispy-on-the-outside warm Italian rolls. We tried hard not to fill up on them so we'd have no room for our entrees, but it was a struggle. 
Since I was on the hungry side (plus I figured I could bring anything left over home for later), my choice was the lunch special sausage and green peppers over penne pasta ($8.99). Instead of a salad, I picked wedding soup, which is always delicious here, filled with lots of goodies. The pasta was excellent, and as expected, I brought home more than half of what was in my very large bowl.

Those who prefer baked Italian specialties should love the Eggplant Parmigiana or Lasagna Classico ($12.50 each, dinner portion) or the Stuffed Eggplant Rollantini (eggplant stuffed with ricotta cheese and ham topped with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese with a side of angel hair pasta ($11.50). My all-time favorite is Linguini Fra Diavlo - crab meat, shrimp and clams in a spicy tomato sauce and served over linguini (I ask for it to be made extra-spicy). Since it blows $15 all to heck I save it for very special occasions, but it's absolutely wonderful. There are a couple of salmon choices on the seafood menu that are delicious as well.

As for Jack, he swears the chicken alla cacciatore is better here than anywhere else ($13.50). The mushrooms, green peppers and fresh tomatoes complement the boneless chicken breast, and the marinara sauce is outstanding. I've also sampled the Chicken Francaise, a boneless breast in lemon white wine sauce served with capellini ($14.50), and still other favorites are the Penne Alla Vodka (penne in cream sauce with prosciutto, shallots and vodka, $14.50) and Penne Alla Arrabiata, or penne with prosciutto in that terrific spicy marinara sauce ($13.50).

For those so inclined, there are several vegetarian specialties here as well, including Penne Primavera with broccoli, spinach, asparagus, mushrooms and tomatoes with either garlic and extra-virgin olive oil or marinara sauce for $13.95. Or, you can built your own, choosing one vegetable and one pasta for $10.50.

Not too long ago when a couple of friends were visiting here from Columbus, we took them to Salvatore's for dinner and discovered a really great deal: Two dinners and a whole bottle of wine for $29.99. The wines (we picked cabernets) were quite good - no $4.95 unknown brand here - and each of us got to choose the entree we wanted (for me, it was that Penne Alla Arrabiata). One of these days, we're going to go for dinner just the two of us and do it all over again.

If you go:

Salvatore's Italian Grill
4831 Mahoning Ave.
Austintown, Ohio 44515
(330) 799-2285

http://www.mysalvatores.com


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

PUFFERBELLY LTD.

Both my husband Jack and I are graduates of Kent State University - in fact, we met there back in 1959 toward the end of my freshman year (he was a sophomore; we got married after he graduated in 1962 and was about to start teaching English and competitive speech at Niles McKinley High School in his home town). If we were lucky back in our college days, we'd have four bucks between us on the weekends and would head to downtown Kent - walking, of course, since neither of us had a car. There, we'd have to choose how to best spend our precious money: Would it be on a movie (hopefully with enough left to share a cold drink and a small box of popcorn), or have a beer or two and maybe share a sandwich at one of the bars like The Deck or Ray's?


On the times the bar won, our journey often took us past the theater to Water Street, where we'd see - but not really see - the old brick train depot that served as the main railway depot in the area until 1970, when it was boarded up. Not long thereafter, research tells me, the Kent Historical Society was formed, mostly with an eye toward saving the station. Long story short, the Pufferbelly Ltd. Restaurant opened in 1981 and now is part of the Kent Industrial District, which in turn is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Outside, the building has retained it's train depot look - much like the B&O Station Restaurant building in downtown Youngstown, Ohio. It's much longer than it is wide with high ceilings, from which a variety of objects hang (including a full-size buggy). Some of the interior walls are the old brick, and railroad memorabilia is hung here, there and everywhere. If you sit on the railroad tracks side, you can hear trains pass by; the railroad itself is still active - the trains just don't stop here any more.

Although neither of us is much interested in returning to our alma mater for special events like homecoming, we do enjoy driving through the campus now and again just to see the latest changes. I was devastated, for instance, when "my" dormitory - Terrace Hall - was razed; lots and lots of wonderful memories came down with that building. And on several of those drive-through occasions, we've stopped for lunch at the Pufferbelly. And on at least two occasions, we've gone to Kent expressly for that purpose. We've lunched there with our son Scott and his wife, Lilla, as well as Lilla's wonderful Mum, Sheila - at the time, they all lived close by in the Cuyahoga Falls area. At any rate, we love the ambience and food here; one of these days, we'll get there for one of the special events (there's a clam bake each September, for instance). 

There's also a Sunday brunch buffet that's served from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and it includes several goodies like bacon and sausage, potatoes and vegetables, eggs Benedict, fish, chicken and pork, made-to-order omelets and waffles, rice and pasta and more.

If you go during the right season, we suggest trying the gazpacho as an appetizer. Quite some time ago we took the plunge - call us food-challenged, but we'd never even heard of cold tomato-based soup before. But tell you what - we left smacking our lips, and the first thing we did when we got back home was track down a recipe so we could make it ourselves.

The menu isn't what I'd call extensive, but there are always a few things that are a little on the unique side. Ever hear of Andouille Quesadilla? At $8.25, it's a flour tortilla stuffed with Andouille sausage, scallions, tomatoes and mozzarella cheese. For an entree, there's Veggie Aglio, or sauteed artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, black olives, sun-dried tomatoes, onions and spinach served over wheat linguine in a garlic, herb and olive oil sauce ($10.50).

Our most recent stop was on our way home from Cleveland; it was around lunch time, we were hungry, and it wasn't much out of our way to go through Kent. The day was sunny, so we took a few photos in the historic district while we were at it, as is our usual custom. We were seated almost immediately, and then realized it would take some time to decide what we wanted because everything sounded wonderful - even the daily specials.

I almost caved in and ordered the baked Brie appetizer once again - a whole mini-wheel of Brie cheese topped with roasted almonds and served warm with fresh fruit and French bread ($8.95). Oh mama, it's to die for. To this day, I don't know why I passed it by this time, but I did.

Both of us love reuben sandwiches, and past experience told me they're very good here. They're a combination of the usual lean corned beef, swiss cheese, sauerkraut and thousand island dressing, but here, they add a bit of turkey as well ($7.25). Jack went for it almost immediately (substituting cole slaw for the standard fries) and I considered it, but since I've had it before I wanted something different this time.

Finally, I settled on the cashew chicken salad croissant - chicken in a honey mayonnaise blend with toasted cashews served on a toasted croissant with fresh fruit ($6.95). I'd had it long ago and it was delicious - and by golly, it's still every bit as tasty. There's so much filling that it's hard to eat without everything spilling, but it's well worth the effort (besides, you can clean up the fallout with a fork).

If you go:

Pufferbelly Ltd.
152 Franklin Ave.
Kent, Ohio 44240
(330) 673-1771

http://www.pufferbellyltd.com

Open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sunday (brunch); 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday (dinner). In winter months, closes at 8 p.m. Sunday and Monday.

THE FIFTH SEASON

When The Fifth Season restaurant was located on Mahoning Avenue in Austintown Township, Ohio, my husband Jack and I went there only for special occasions. We lived in Niles at the time so it was a tad out of the way, and it wasn't exactly an inexpensive meal. But even on our infrequent visits, we agreed the food was wonderful.

That said, we've spent a few happy occasions at their banquet facility on State Route 46 (just beyond the Trumbull County line in Austintown Township). The band in which our son-in-law Jerry plays bass entertained there on several occasions, our daughter Chris hosted her hubby's never-mind-which birthday party there, and it was the site for the wonderful 50th anniversary Chris, Jerry, our son Scott, his wife Lilla and Lilla's Mum, Sheila, planned for us.

Now, the restaurant that was on Mahoning Avenue for 10 years or so is no more and the building was for sale the last time we drove by; the restaurant has been moved to the same building as the banquet center. The new facility is slightly smaller, but the same chefs and staff remain. The move, owners said, was made in part to cash in on the new racino that will be opening just up the road.

We got the first taste of the new digs during a two-day open house, where hors d'ouvres and a cash bar were offered at $5 per person. That day, we were accompanied by Niles friends Jerry and Barb; and we loved it so much that we returned the following day (after asking if it was permissible to go back for seconds, of course). Both days, we were able to see the new restaurant and enjoy samples of wonderful foods like flatbreads, hot peppers in oil, mini-sandwiches and much more. Oh yes, we agreed - we'll definitely come back for lunch and/or dinner.

Our first return happened about 12:45 p.m. on a sunny late fall day, again accompanied by friends Jerry and Barb. That late in the day, we could choose where we wanted to sit; the tables in the bar area just inside the restaurant entrance are very high and the chairs have backs - our aging backs just can't handle stools any more - but we still opted for the more private dining room this time out. The decor is relaxing, with trees painted on the walls for a very relaxing atmosphere. It's not a large room, but the the decor gives it a much larger feel.


Specials vary by the day, and there's almost always something that sounds appealing. I started with a cup of the potato and roasted red pepper soup ($3), which was outstanding. I've had and enjoyed so-called stuffed pepper soup before, but this was quite different, with chunks of potato and red pepper bits - and absolutely, I accepted our server's offer of fresh ground black pepper.

The blackened chicken sandwich called my name at first - boneless breast Cajun-grilled topped with mozzarella, sauteed hot peppers, fried onion straws and roasted red pepper remoulade on a toasted brioche bun ($9). But then I spotted the corned beef reuben sandwich on that specials list - layered with sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and Thousand Island dressing on rye bread ($8). For my side, I picked bowtie pasta with marinara sauce. Both the 'wich and pasta were delicious, and the sandwich was large enough that I brought half of it home.


Jerry wanted to try the Cuban sandwich: pulled pork, salami, ham, melted cheese, pickles, garlic-yellow mustard mayonnaise and dill pickles on a 6-inch Cuban hoagie roll ($7). One bite and he decided he'd come back just to get it again. The fries here are quite good as well -- and this coming from four people who aren't big French fry lovers.

Jack, meanwhile, chose tuna salad on mini-croissants ($7) and the bowtie pasta. Good? Well, he ate every single crumb, noting that the minis were much easier to eat than trying to pick up an whole croissant. Barb, who loves lamg, got the Lamb Gyra flatbread with meat, Tzatziki sauce, diced tomatoes, red onion and feta cheese ($9). Even though it was cut into squares, the flatbread was very soft and hard to pick up without folding in on itself, but she deemed it delicious and said she'd definitely try it again.

Our second official visit was at lunch once again - dinner prices, generally speaking, are in the $15-and-up range, making this still a special-occasion-only place for us. We arrived a little before 1 p.m. a couple of weeks before Christmas and found several cars - turns out a group of elderly ladies were enjoying a holiday get-together. This time, Christmas music was playing in the background, and the "trees" on the walls were decked out in holiday finery. 


This time, it was just the two of us, and once again, I went for a lunch special. Remember that blackened chicken sandwich? Yep, this time it was mine, and once again I picked the bow-tie pasta with marinara for my side. Jack really likes the flatbreads, looking first at the chicken tzatziki with diced tomatoes, red onions and feta cheese. In the end, he stuck with his always favorite Philly cheesesteak with bell peppers, caramalized onions and garlic and Swiss-American cheese ($10). 

The pasta sauce is quite tasty, by the way - on the pinkish side and mild, but I jazzed it up with hot pepper seeds and sprinkle cheese. There was plenty of it (for a side), but I managed to get most of it down as well as my delicious sandwich and Jack polished off the rest. His flatbread was excellent as well, and it was large enough that he brought most of it home for later.

One day we plan to try the Sunday brunch here, served from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.  It's not a buffet, but rather half a dozen (at least) menu items like steak and eggs, chicken and waffles, a BLT wrap and an egg-and-hot-pepper sandwich ranging from around $6 to $16.50 for a full order of those chicken and waffles. Everything sounds great - and based on our experiences here, we're sure it will be.

If you go:

THE FIFTH SEASON RESTAURANT
1404 N. Canfield Niles Road
Mineral Ridge, Ohio 44440
(330) 799-3483

http://www.thefifthseasonrestaurant.com

Open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday; closed Monday.

HAPPY BUFFET

Oriental cuisine is always a treat, even though - mostly for sodium restrictions on my husband Jack's diet - we don't indulge all that often. When it's a buffet, though, it's easier to pick and choose; so when a brochure arrived in our mailbox announcing the Oct. 28 opening of the Happy Buffet in the Liberty Plaza, we wasted little time getting there (just a couple of days, in fact).

Our friends from Niles, Jerry and Barb, share our fondness for Oriental food, so they agreed to tag along on our first visit. The dinner buffet costs $9.55 (after 3:30 p.m.; before that, the lunch cost is $6.95, both not including beverages). Our preference generally is for the dinner simply because it's harder for us old folks to stuff ourselves at lunchtime and when it's a buffet, we want to make sure we get our money's worth.

It's not a large restaurant, although mirrors on the wall make it look bigger. There are some booths and quite a few tables with four chairs. The buffet itself is at the back, with three "tables" that contain everything from soup to main dishes and a side table with appetizers, sauces and desserts. 

Once we'd placed our beverage orders (Diet Pepsi for the two of us and hot tea for our friends), we made a beeline for the buffet. Scoping it out before diving in is always advisable, and I did notice that several of the items weren't labeled so choosing those items was based on a guess and whether or not it looked appetizing. As is my custom, I zeroed in on the hot and sour soup, an egg roll, what appeared to be crab Rangoon (labeled as fried cheese) and a couple of chicken wings to start. Barb chose similar items, with was won-won soup and a spring roll. We all passed on sushi; even though I love Wasabi sauce, those roll-ups are way too fishy for my liking.

My soup was quite good, although perhaps not quite as lip-smacking as what I get at the Sunshine Buffet on State Route 422 in Niles. Here, I polished off a good-sized cup, but I didn't go back for seconds as I usually do at Sunshine. Both the egg and spring rolls were excellent as well, but Barb said her won-ton soup lacked any real flavor.

The chicken wings, however, were to die for; on my return trip, I snagged a couple more (apparently, they're a favorite of other diners, too, since only two were left when I went back for seconds). I also restocked those fried cheese thingys - they taste like there's crab in there even though the sign doesn't reflect that. 

As for entrees, there's something to suit everyone's tastes, and the dishes marked as "hot" were mild enough for just about anybody we know. The sweet and sour chicken and shrimp, chicken with broccoli, General Tso's chicken and pepper steak with onions were outstanding - so much so that I didn't try any of the noodle or rice dishes on this visit - they're just too filling.

Two things were worthy of note here: On the positive side, we were impressed that we really liked just about everything we sampled; that's hard to say about other buffets, where at least one or two items just don't cut the mustard. On the other hand, the diet soft drinks have a bit of an odd taste, so I quickly learned to opt for plain ice water. The hot tea got excellent marks from our friends, so maybe we'll try that next time.

We returned a week or so later for lunch, mostly because I wanted to see if there were fewer buffet items. The answer, happily, is no; just about everything we'd found and enjoyed at the dinner hour was here for lunch as well. And yes, I chowed down four of those fried cheese goodies.

I will say that although it may have been a fluke, the chicken wings and egg rolls didn't taste quite as fresh as at dinner - more like they were leftovers or had been in the warming dishes too long. Jack loved the pineapple chicken, and this time I tried the Lo Mein, sesame chicken, black pepper chicken, chicken and chili and fried rice. The Lo Mein wasn't much better than passable and the rice didn't have much flavor on its own, but topped with one of the chicken dishes or add some soy sauce it works very well. All those chicken dishes, however, were outstanding.

Speaking of the soy sauce, go easy at first. It's extremely salty, and a little goes a long way. I also sampled the cold crab salad, which was quite good.

While the food itself gets a big plus overall, we did uncover a couple of negatives. First, we couldn't find any smallish containers to hold various dipping sauces; the only options were to grab a soup cup or ice cream dish, both of which are too large for that purpose. Also, the number of servers, busboys and buffet refillers seemed to overwhelm the number of customers - and they were always on the run, not walk, nearly colliding with customers in a couple of instances.

Then, too, we'd ask if perhaps at least one of them could manage a smile now and again? Every single face ranged from impassive to an outright scowl - constantly - even when we tried smiling first. Definitely not an incentive to keep customers coming back.

If you go:

Happy Buffet
3551 Belmont Ave., Suite 19A (Liberty Plaza)
Youngstown, Ohio 44505
(330) 759-8889

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

THE VALLEY MARKETPLACE

Anyone who knows me knows I love to visit places that have a variety of merchandise, whether it be food (Middlefield Cheese and End of the Commons General Store in Mesopotamia) or just interesting "stuff" (Andrews General Store in Howland Township). If there's a chance to combine those visits with food, it's like frosting on the cake.

So when I learned about The Valley Marketplace on South Avenue in Boardman Township, Ohio, I couldn't wait for it to open so I could check it out. The official grand-opening was Sept. 19 to 21, and you bet, my husband and Jack and I were there front and center, shopping basket in hand.

This is part of a third-generation family business that started the original Farmers Market in 1932 about 20 miles south of Philadelphia, according to website information. Most of the 100 vendors are Amish from Lancaster County, Pa. The same market concept has been brought here, where the majority of vendors are from Middlefield (the heart of Geauga County's Amish settlement, reportedly the fourth largest in the world).


At last check, there are about 30 vendors at the local market, but the list is expected to grow (there's plenty of available space). Products, most of which are made onsite, range from fresh-baked goods like pies and breads as well as wicker items, candles, Amish-made furniture, cheeses, fresh fruit and even fresh-made ice cream, a butcher shop and a small Amish restaurant. Wide aisles allow for easy wandering up and down, and I'm here to tell you that the smells of the baked goods is almost impossible to resist (in particular, huge apple fritters that were a reasonable $2 each). Many of the sections offer samples; because we love cream cheese spreads and they were a grand-opening special at buy two, get one free, we brought three home (bacon horseradish, garlic-herb and bacon-cheddar. All were delicious - and disappeared in our happy stomachs within two days.


Breads are my downfall, but I stayed in control and bought a single loaf of garlic-cheddar for $5. As a special, anyone who spent $5 got a free mini-loaf of wheat bread - still warm - which I popped into the freezer at home to eat later (yes, it was yummy as well). I should note that here and there are small alcoves with benches (and sometimes tables and chairs), so you can eat comfortably and gather your strength to do more shopping.

In fact, our taste buds got nailed right at the entrance, where there's a place to get breakfast and other goodies. In the center is Our House Restaurant, which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner throughout the three days the marketplace is open (Thursday, Friday and Saturday only). The offerings even include a family style, all-you-can-eat Amish Wedding Banquet ($20 per adult), which includes oven-baked chicken and a meat of the day plus plenty of stick-to-your-ribs sides, dessert and beverage. If you prefer (as we did), create your own meal by purchasing a la carte items like a chicken drumstick for $2, mashed potatoes and gravy ($2.50) and a slice of pie ($2.50). If that's not your thing, check out the wonderful delicacies at Harley's Smokehouse, another vendor that offers seating.

The Killcreek Meats butcher shop is nothing short of awesome; the just-cut array of beef and poultry almost begged to jump into our shopping basket. We spent a bit of time looking through some of the crafts, gift and sign shops as well. Display cases and open racks let it all hang out, and prices are clearly marked. 

If there's a downside, some of the vendors don't accept credit cards, so if you plan on serious shopping, be sure to take some cash. 

If you go:

The Valley Marketplace
6121 South Ave.
Boardman, Ohio 44512
(330) 248-7034

http://www.thevalleymarketplace.com

Open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Closed Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.

STONEBRIDGE GRILLE & TAVERN

Just one bite was all it took. The minute I sank my teeth into "The Russo" at StoneBridge Grille & Tavern some three years ago, I added it to my Top 5 all-time sandwich favorites list - and that's where it's remained ever since. What's in it, you ask? Well, it goes something like this: Scrambled eggs, sweet and hot peppers, chopped pepperoni, melted provolone cheese and mayo on grilled Italian bread ($7.69). The bread is crunchy and buttery, and those hot peppers added just the right amount of pizzazz.


Admittedly, my husband Jack and I don't get to Boardman all that much, and when we do, it's usually because we've driven all the way through Mill Creek Park from the Velma and D.D. Davis Visitor Center to U.S. Route 224. More often than not, it's somewhere around lunchtime and we're hungry; our first stop here was when we turned toward Canfield to go to the White House Fruit Farm and noticed that StoneBridge had replaced an old favorite sandwich place, Rockne's, and decided to give it a go.

StoneBridge, for the record, is locally owned; everything is made from scratch, or so the Web site says (and based on our visits, we have no reason to doubt that claim). There's a banquet/conference room that can accommodate up to 45 complete with a gas log fireplace and large-screen TV, and the restaurant has free WiFi.


Inside, there's a restaurant side and a bar side, and we always choose the latter. The dark wood is offset by windows that let the sunshine in, and the booths are very comfortable and maintain a secluded feel. Several beers are on tap including some of our favorites, giving us something to sip while we check out the daily specials. 

Although we're here for lunch, we always look longingly at the entrees - in my case, that's always seafood like Haddock Francaise ($15.99), Sesame Seared Ahi Tuna with Jasmine rice, Asian slaw and an Aioli drizzle ($18.99) and grilled Wild Caught Mahi-Mahi that can be ordered blackened ($16.99). Veal lovers should be happy here too, with a couple of choices that sound good even though it's not my meat of choice. 

Several pasta entrees are on the menu as well, as are grilled beef delicacies including a center cut filet, ribeye and 14-ounce New York strip. Love salads? You'll find 10 here, so there's something for everyone (more on that later). If you can't decide on an appetizer, you might try the sampler ($13.99) with stuffed peppers, hand-breaded fried Provolone, Italian greens, hot peppers & oil, pita bread and homemade pomodoro sauce. Quite honestly, that would make more than enough to satisfy the two of us for lunch.

If for no other reason than to delay our decision, we ordered a chicken quesadilla appetizer ($8.99) with cheddar jack, tomatoes and scallions with salsa and sour cream the first time we came. It was quite tasty -- nice and hot with lots of melted chees and cut into six good-size wedges. Jack doesn't care much for salsa, and in this case it was a good thing he didn't take a taste; it was packed with enough hot pepper punch to knock him cold (I, of course, loved it).

On our most recent stop, we both went for the half-sandwich and soup, salad or side combo ($8.49) - something we've done before. All the sandwiches marked with the SB logo are included - six in all. My usual choice is the Reuben, and Jack's is the Philly steak. Once I ordered the shaved turkey, with roasted red pepper Aioli, roasted tomatoes, Provolone and argula on multigrain bread, and it's temped me ever since.

We part company with the side, though; I'm a fan of wedding soup, and he absolutely loves the fabulous strawberry vinaigrette dressing here so he picks a salad. I agree that dressing is the best I've ever had; deep pink in color and an amazing fresh strawberry flavor. He's also had the lobster bisque and deemed it outstanding, but that's more appealing in cold winter months.

The wedding soup is quite good, although I've had better elsewhere (I pined for the wedding soup we used to get at the old Niki'z in Niles for years after it closed. Now that it's reopened on Mason Street, I've been nagging owner Nick Logan to bring it back). Here, the generous size cup includes lots of shredded chicken, meatballs, assorted veggies and greens, but the broth flavor is a bit lackluster. 

As for the sandwiches, the half versions probably aren't large enough to satisfy a medium-sized football player, but coupled with the soup, they always fill us up just fine. The Philly steak was good, and my shaved turkey was piled high. But the whole versions - like my favorite Russo and another of Jack's favorites that was a daily special, an open-face roast beef with mashed potatoes and pan gravy on toasted Italian bread ($8.99 at the time) - are guaranteed to satisfy even the biggest appetite.

Ah, now I've gone and done it; my taste buds are tingling at the mere thought of that Russo as I write this. Methinks we'll have to take another drive through the park a little sooner than we'd planned!

If you go:

StoneBridge Grille & Tavern
1497 Boardman-Canfield Road
Boardman, Ohio 44512
(330) 629-8040

www.stonebridgegrille.com

Kitchen open Sunday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Reservations accepted.

JACK PERRY'S GASTROPUB

Alert: This restaurant has closed.

It's not often that I review a restaurant after just one visit. Sure, I know how much first impressions count, but especially when it comes to food, seconds and thirds can be deal-breakers. And as I update this after our second visit, I'm even more certain that once isn't enough (but more on that later).

My husband Jack and I have been watching for Jack Perry's Gastropub to open ever since Jeremiah Bullfrog's closed and we got the word on its replacement. The opening happened July 17, in fact, and we didn't waste much time trying it out. Although we couldn't sample much on a single visit, there's absolutely no doubt we'll be back soon - and since it's brand new, I wanted to help get the word out as quickly as possible.

According to a brochure we picked up at the front desk, owners Dan Perry and Randy Spencer named the new bar in honor of Perry's father, Jack, who they say was a "sports fanatic." The gastropub concept, they say, originated in the United Kingdom, a name coined in 1991 by the owners of The Eagle Pub in London. 

Inside, the decor is quite different from the predecessor - nary a frog anywhere to be seen - and perhaps, with black, chrome and silver everywhere, could even be called minimalistic (and leading Jack to quip that it's a great place for Oakland Raiders fans). There's still a bar side and a restaurant side, the former highlighted by several large flat-screen TV sets, all tuned to sporting events the day of our visit.

The menu isn't terribly extensive, but the offerings have a bit of a unique flair and there's plenty to suit us. Prices are reasonable, although if you're looking for cheap munchies or a hot dog while you watch a game, you might want to go elsewhere. If you want something to drink while you watch, however, you've come to the right place.

That's because in addition to a full bar and a number of specialty drinks, there are 25 beers and ales on tap here, ranging from IPAs, strong ales, fruit beers, wheat beers/dortmunders/blonde ales and stouts - most in the $3.50 to $5 range. Yuengling, in fact, was about the most "standard" on-tap brew I noticed.

But if you aren't sure what you'd like, you can sample. I'm not a big fan of IPAs and funky ale, but the Fathead's Bumble Berry from Fathead's Brewery in North Olmsted sounded good (it's brewed with fresh spring honey with sweet malt flavors and a blueberry finish). I tried a sample and yes, it was delicious, so I ordered a whole glass at $4.50.

As we perused the menu, we noticed several interesting appetizers, including a hummus of the day with baked pita bread ($6.99) and blackened yellow fin Ahi tuna bites with sweet and spicy Szechuan ($11.99). Ah, we said, another time; we'd come for lunch and wanted something more than an appetizer and less than a dinner entree.

Since we're not big salad fans, that left the sandwich list, and our very friendly server said the burgers are great here. Actually, there are four what I'd call "real" burgers on the menu, the most appealing of which to me is the Perry Pepper Burger, with Tri-Pepper Sirachi Salsa, fried Anaheim pepper and American cheese ($8.99).

But that was not to be once I spotted the Kase Melt, made with Rust Belt beef, sliced mushrooms, caramelized onions and horseradish cheese ($8.99). Meanwhile, Jack settled on the Portobello sandwich, a marinated portobello with spinach pesto and roasted red pepper (also $8.99). Sandwiches come with fries - or you can substitute one of the other sides including baked potato, mashed potatoes, broccoli or the vegetable of the day.

As it turns out, I made the right choice; the Kase Melt was to die for. After I gave him a bite, I ended up giving nearly half of it to Jack, who announced that this may be his all-time favorite Philly cheesesteak-type sandwich (surpassing the one he loves best at Mojo's up the road). The shredded beef is delicious, and the horseradish cheese really adds flavor, gives it just a hint of a kick and makes it unique.

Jack's portobello was delicious as well - that spinach pesto is especially good. We both opted for fries, which have a light coating and are quite tasty as well.

Just as notable as what we ate, though, is what we didn't eat - and we saw way more than enough reasons to come back here soon. Our server said he's particularly fond of the Chicken Diane ($9.99), sauteed garlic chicken with romano cheese and red pepper, and the Shepherd's Pie with Rust Belt Beer bruised beef, Jack Perry's Mirepoix and caramelized mashed potato ($8.99). Also of interest to me is the Bangers and Mash (which, for who-knows-what reason, are called Bangers and Mashed here) - sausages, mashed potato - singular, so we guess that means you get just one - and onion demi ($9.99). Jack has his eye on the Chorizo Meatloaf with brown sauce, that singular mashed potato and vegetable ($8.99).

But none of those compare to the treat that will get me here in a flash - the Ahi Tuna Fillet, or poppy seed encrusted Ahi tuna served with 2 sides ($13.99). Served rare, it's a delicacy I'd be willing to travel to the ends of the earth to enjoy. Locally, I've found it only as a generous-size to-die-for appetizer at The Phoenix Fire Grill and Bar near Canfield, so trust me, I can't wait to try it a little closer to home.

Now for the rest of the story: A couple of weeks later as we were leaving Mill Creek Park after a photography session with the starting-to-bloom dahlias, Jack told me he really, really wanted one of those Kase Melt sandwiches - this time all for himself. Fine, I said - I'll try a different sandwich this time. We arrived on a Saturday afternoon about 1:15 p.m.; just one other couple was there at the time, although a third came in while we were eating.

Not in the mood for fancy beer, we both ordered draught Yuenglings. And after one sip, we sent it back; it was so weak it might as well have been copper colored water (an experience we haven't had in many years, I hasten to add). The Coors Lights we asked for as a replacement were just fine, though.

Jack, of course, had his mind made up on what to eat before we got there; my sandwich choice took a little longer. I considered the Smoked Monte Cristo ($8.99 with fries), but when I saw it's mostly cheeses, tomato and some bacon, I decided against it - the Monte Cristo I love is made with ham and turkey, fried in an egg batter and served with a fruity sauce, usually red currant jelly. Then I spotted the Pepper Burger, and that's all she wrote. A cooked-to-order burger topped with tri-pepper sirachi salsa, a fried Anaheim pepper and American cheese, it had my name on it from the git-go (also $8.99 with fries).

If you can't stand the heat, though, this burger isn't for you. The pepper and salsa are quite spicy to say the least, but absolutely delicious and nowhere near too hot to suit me. I also love the seasoned fries here, and after I ate several of those I wasn't able to finish my burger and brought half of it home.

But alas, Jack was supremely disappointed with the sandwich he'd had his heart set on. The beef was tasty as before, but he kept waiting for the kick from the horseradish cheese (that's what makes this one three cuts above other Philly steak-type sandwiches). About halfway through, he was still waiting; finally, he opened up the other half of the sandwich to find there was no cheese or sauce of any kind on it at all.

So, live and learn. We'll give it another try for dinner sometime, though - I've still got my heart set on that Ahi tuna!

If you go:

Jack Perry's Gastropub
5529 Mahoning Ave.
Austintown, Ohio 44515
(330) 953-3224

http://www.jackperrys.com