Papa Joe's - Akron

There were 2 more, but we ate them first!

Papa Joe's is located in the merriman valley.  It is a large building with an adequate parking lot.  One side is the restaurant and the other side is a wine bar with take out food.  The decor is outdated, but not dirty or cluttered.  TBG said 1975 called and wants it's fabric back.  I was greeted as soon as I walked in the door by friendly hosts and was seated right away.  The waitress showed up about a minute later.  We ordered the recommended bottle of 90 pt wine, which was sold to us at retail price from the wine bar on the other side.  It was very good.  For starters we got the crab stuffed mushrooms.  Very good.  The bread and butter that came out was also good.  They were warm and soft little ciabatta breads.  Then came salad.  We both got their signature white french dressing.  It was good, more garlicky than regular french.  After a little while (because we asked her to wait, we were relaxing with the wine) our entrees came out.  I got the Salmon with a balsamic glace and the risotto and TBG got the 1lb T-bone with risotto.  A word about the risotto: it is not risotto, not creamy and not arborio rice.  It was a very tasty rice pilaf.  The rice was cooked perfect and tasted great, but should not be called risotto.  But moving on, the salmon and steak were cooked perfectly and were very tasty.  The skin on the salmon was nice and crispy.  We don't normally get dessert, but we still had some wine left and were enjoying ourselves so we ordered the tiramisu.  This was not your typical tiramisu.  It was round, and layered.  It was light and fluffy.  It tasted awesome.  I thoroughly enjoyed this new take on tiramisu.  One of my favorite desserts, I usually cannot eat it after a big meal.  Lady fingers soaked in espresso and covered in cheese is decadent and heavy.  This was definitely not heavy.  We both finished it very fast and could not believe how light it was.  It did not leave us feeling bloated and sleepy (that was the wine!) 

Service____ 8 Chipps
Food____8 Chipps
Atmosphere____7 Chipps
Beer List____6 Chipps
Wine List____8 Chipps
Value____8 Chipps

The Office Bistro & Lounge - Akron

Located on a busy street in North Akron there isn't much parking for The Office.  TBG dropped me off at the door and looked for a parking spot in the rain.  As I was waiting for him I stood at the bar.  There was no hostess stand and no one helped me or asked me what I needed.  As I waited noticed how clean the place was, also how terribly bright the lights were.  When TBG finally came in we wandered into the back of the restaurant where a passing server told us to sit at a table against the wall.  We did, and we waited.  At first we were looking at the menu, then we were talking about our day.  Finally TBG said, you know we have been sitting here for 7 minutes and no one has even came to the table?  The same server that seated us showed up and asked if we had been helped.  When we said we had not he took our drink orders and left to find our server.  10 minutes later our server returned with our drinks from the bar.  He seemed in a hurry and took our appetizer order.  We were there on a Friday night, but it was still early enough that they were not full.  20 minutes later we still did not have our appetizers and no one else had talked to us.  Our drinks had been long finished and we were definitely not happy.  At one point TBG stated  how he actually felt uncomfortable there.  The lights were too bright, the paintings were cheap, and no one seemed to care we were there.  He wanted to leave way before I did.  I wanted to give them a chance and see how the food was.  Eventually we just couldn't take it anymore.  TBG got up to find a manager.  He came back and informed me there was no manager on duty.  Apparently the manager is the owner and he did not feel the need to come to work on a Friday during happy hour. Finally the bartender came over and said that we did not need to pay for our drinks, it was on him and he was sorry.  TBG tipped him because he was the only one that talked to us and he did make our drinks.  We left and had a much nicer experience at Papa Joe's (review to follow).
Now here is the review of things we could review.  My martini was very good, I got the "White Out".  It was cookies and cream.  The menu all had "Office" type names like the executive and the office flirt.  I really wanted to try the food because it all sounded good.  The app we had ordered was risotto cruets, and I was eyeing the sweet potato gnocchi for dinner.  The restaurant was smaller than it looked from the outside.  Happy hour prices are good, but only apply on the bar side of the resturant.  A martini and beer cost $6 more on the other side of the wall.  My guess is if you only want martinis and sit at the bar then this place is for you. 

Service____ 1 Chipps
Food____?? Chipps
Atmosphere____5 Chipps
Beer List____4 Chipps
Wine List____3 Chipps
Value____4 Chipps

Golden Dragon - Cuyahoga Falls

Octopus Salad

Golden Dragon is a very large restaurant, but if you can, sit at the sushi bar.  The owners/sushi chefs are hilarious and always entertaining the guests.  The rest of the restaurant is reminiscence of older, tacky Chinese restaurants.  They do have pretty good food.  On this trip we got a little of everything.  Pork fried rice, a spicy crab roll, beef pho, octopus salad, and negi maki.  The rice is a very large portion and always good, lots of pork.  The spicy crab roll is made from real crab, and a lot of it.  The pho was pretty good, it did not come with all the toppings like at #1 pho, but still good.  This was a special for the day, it is not always on the menu.  The octopus salad and sushi is not for me but TBG liked it.

Service____ 8 Chipps
Food____7 Chipps
Atmosphere____5 Chipps
Beer List____6 Chipps
Wine List____3 Chipps
Value____6 Chipps

Sushi Bar

Negi Maki

beef pho

Samira - Cuyahoga Falls

View from our table

Mac & Cheese appetizer



The burger, those chips really were that big!



Shrimp Po Boy

Located on Riverfront this building is perfect for a successful restaurant.  Overlooking the falls completely on one side and a patio on another, this is where I would want to take someone visiting Cuyahoga Falls.  For some reason there has been a string of unsuccessful restaurants in this building, but Samira is here to change that.  We went on a Saturday afternoon in the winter time.  The view of the falls from our table was outstanding.  The decor is clean, with old pictures around.  One drawback is they have plastered their name everywhere, even on the paper covering the table.  I don't blame them really, they are trying to distinguish themselves from the other failed tries at that location, but it does come off as tacky.  The food was delightful.  We started the meal with the Mac & Cheese appetizer.  It was great, the blu cheese really added to it and the sausage just gave it some depth.  We also got the spinach dip.  This was not as good.  I would say average, but it did have fresh spinach and was definitely made there.  The flatbread that came with it tasted good, but didn't hold up well to dipping.  I got a pizza with portebella mushrooms, spinach, feta cheese, chipotle oil, and red pepper flakes.  It was good, and even better leftover.  Our wine guy got a shrimp po boy and said it was good.  It had fried green tomatoes on it, a special sauce, and came with seasoned fries.  They call the fries "Jazzed".  TBG got a burger with samira sauce and homemade chips.  He said the burger was messy but tasted high quality and the sauce was very good.  We all agreed everything tasted fresh and homemade.  Definately a place we will be going back to. 

Service____ 9 Chipps

Food____8 Chipps

Atmosphere____9 Chipps

Beer List____7 Chipps

Wine List____7 Chipps

Value____7 Chipps

Spinach dip

Decor

Pub Bricco - Akron

Located in the valley surrounded by plenty of other bars, Pub Bricco stands out in decor.  With a comfortable irish feel with plenty of wood and a decent size, I do enjoy the atmosphere.  The service is usually slow and the food cannot be compared to the original Bricco in downtown Akron.  We have been here a few times and this last time was definitely the best experience.  We waited about a half hour, on a Saturday night this is to be expected.  The thing I do not like about waiting here is there is no place to wait.  We had to stand in front of the door with our party of 5 and always felt in the way.  The food has always been slightly disappointing.  This time TBG got a burger and liked it.  It was cooked properly and was tasty, although everything with a fried egg and bacon is tasty!  I got the buffalo chicken wontons and they were way overcooked.  They were a dark brown and dry on the inside.  The sauce was good, but overall I did not enjoy.  The drinks we ordered took a little while to come, but it was a busy Saturday night and the waitress apologized for the wait.  The food did not take long.  If you live in the valley and aren't looking for much but a good beer this may be the place to go. 

Service____ 7 Chipps
Food____5 Chipps
Atmosphere____9 Chipps
Beer List____7 Chipps
Wine List____4 Chipps
Value____5 Chipps

Moe's - Cuyahoga Falls

Goat cheese, dried cherries, and sugared walnut salad

Tenderloin monthly special

This is one of our favorite places to go and relax with a drink.  Its is located by the car dealers on front street.  Within walking distance from Falls River Square it is tucked away, but still close.  There is a bar side and a fine dining side.  Both sides can get the food, but one is more quiet and intimate and the other is a loud bar.  They have a stocked bar with seasonal beers and a great wine list.  The bartenders are great and know how to make great martinis.  The espresso martini is a great way to start the night after a long day.  I always go in and tell the guys I want some wine; they bring me one or two they think I will like and let me try them before I buy a glass.  They have nice big wine glasses :)  The food is also good.  They have monthly seasonal menus that are always unique and well made.  This month they had a salmon and a tenderloin dish.  Usually it is things that are unique and tasty.

Salmon monthly special with polenta

The Moe Betta Burger is one of my favorite burgers.  The salad with goat cheese, dried cherries, and sugared walnuts is great.  The creme brulee is my favorite, some months they have different flavors which are also good.  I have never gotten anything here I didn't like.  The food and wine is somewhat pricey, but the atmosphere is good too.  The employees are very friendly and have many regulars. They also have a catering company, and the food is just as good.  So, whatever you are looking for they have it at Moe's.

Moe Betta Burger

Service____ 10 Chipps
Food____9 Chipps
Atmosphere____9 Chipps
Beer List____7 Chipps
Wine List____9 Chipps
Value____7 Chipps

**See the Revist here!

North End - Hudson

North End is a nondescript building a few miles north of downtown Hudson on Darrow Rd.  When you first enter you notice the coolers of exotic beers and the bar.  When you continue on into the restaurant you walk into a wine haven.  Shelves of wine lines the walls and a wine bar is in the middle of the room.  The rest of the room is filled with intimate tables to eat and enjoy wine.  

I got the short rib with gnocchi and brussel spouts.  The red sauce was a wine reduction.  It was delicious.  The meat was tender and moist, the gnocchi were pan fried and salty, and the sprouts were tender and fresh.  Higher quality than I expected at a wine bar with a good beer selection.  TBG got the kobe, salami, bologna and cheese burger.  He liked it a lot, said it was a great combination of meats.  It doesn't look like much in the picture, but the coleslaw was good too, very fresh tasting.  The fries were parmesan garlic, tasty!  What we really went there for was the wine, so when everyone else that was meeting us there arrived we got wine!  TBG and the other guys got beer, but us girls got wine.  Then the table turned into a middle school dance with the guys talking about sports and beer on one side and the girls talking about clothes and wine on the other.  

Later in the night we had to get something else to eat.  We got the fondue.  It had strawberries, marshmallow, and pound cake.  Perfect for a wine night!  The price of the food was reasonable because the quality was so good.  The wine was a little overpriced, but the retail bottles seem average priced.  The retail selection was good.  The beer in the bottles was reasonably priced, the selection was great.  The draft beers were a little pricey, but high quality.  

Service____ 8 Chipps               

Food____8 Chipps

Atmosphere____8 Chipps

Beer/Wine List____9 Chipps

Value____8 Chipps