Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies sound strange at first, and people give me strange looks when I tell them there is bacon in the cookies, but trust me they are great.  Even if you do not particularly like dark chocolate, use it
anytime you want to combine chocolate and bacon, trust me on this one.

Makes 2 doz cookies
Ingredients: 1/2 c butter               1 tsp vanilla extract
            1/2 c sugar                1 1/8 c flour
            1 egg                      1/4 tsp salt
            1/2 tsp baking soda        8 oz dark chocolate chips
            1/2 lb bacon, crispy          1/2 c brown sugar

Melt butter in a small pan.  While it is hot add both sugars.  Stir, then let cool a bit.  If it's too hot it will melt the chocolate, but you don't want it to cool so much it turns solid again.

 

Mix the flour, soda, and salt in a mixing bowl.  In a small bowl lightly beat the egg and add vanilla.  Then add to the butter mixture.  Stir well then add to the flour mixture.  Stir well then add the chips and chopped bacon.  You may want to add more chips or more bacon depending on how you like it.  I like less chips and more bacon.  Put into the refriderator for about an hour. When ready, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  I use a small cookie scoop to put small balls on my parchment paper covered cookie sheet.  Bake for 7-12 minutes depending on your oven.  Take the cookies off the cookie sheet and cool completely, or eat warm. :)  Either way, Enjoy!

Brick House Tavern & Tap - Akron

The Brick House is conviently located on Howe Ave near Chapel Hill Mall.  I love the decor of the Brick House.  There is a fireplace outside and inside right when you walk in.  The bar is a decent size and there are plenty of TVs to watch sports.  There  are couches, booths, and tables whichever makes you the most comfertable.  There are fun sayings along the walls and the wait staff is all female.  The beer list is pretty good, not great but they have a variety of kinds, and sizes to choose from.  We started the meal with the calamari and pretzel sticks.  The pretzel sticks are awesome.  Soft and warm they are perfectly salted and come with 3 dipping sauces.  The mustard one is just mustard, but there is a pepper jelly dip, and pepper cheese dip that is pretty good.  The calamari was good, cooked nicely, not over breaded and the oil drizzeled on top was very good.  It came mixed with jalapenos but was not overly spicy.  For lunch, I got the fried chicken salad and TBG got the Gun Show burger.  The salad had candied walnuts, blue cheese, carrots, cheese, and fried chicken.  The menu says mixed greens, but I only saw iceburg.  It also says eggs, but I do not think I got any and I maybe got one small piece of bacon.  The creamy balsamic vinegrette dressing was very good.  The chicken was over cooked, I actually didn't eat most of it.  The Gun Show burger is a "brick" burger with a fried egg and dijon mayo.  The server did not ask how TBG wanted it cooked, but he tried to tell her med rare anyway.  It came out medium-well.  The egg was way overcooked, not runny at all.  He said the burger was still good, he missed the runny egg and ended up taking the egg off, but the burger was still juicy.  The fries were really good.  The server was nice, she came to check on us often.  We were there on a Sunday at 1:00 during football season and they were suprisingly not busy.  I would recommend coming here if you are watching a sporting event and just want to hang out, drink beer, and get apps.  The apps are really good and I come back time and time again for the pretzels, but have never been totally satisfied with my meal. 

Service____ 8 Chipps

Food____6 Chipps

Atmosphere____8 Chipps

Beer List____7 Chipps

Wine List____4 Chipps

Value____7 Chipps

French Coffee Shop - Cuyahoga Falls

To call the French Coffee Shop a "coffee shop" is a little misleading.  They offer little more than your normal cup of coffee and it is a weak cup at that.  It also does not open until 11.  Normally I want my coffee before 11:00.  The menu is not extensive, but does have a French flair to it.  Everyone I have talked to about this place says to get the French Onion Soup.  We both got a cup and it was very good.  There was lots of delicious melty cheese and a large piece of bread.  There weren't a lot of onions in it, but the broth was tasty.  I ordered the half sandwich with my cup of soup which I thought was a pretty good deal and filling enough for lunch.  I got the French dip and it was good.  The bread was very good, fresh but crusty.  The meat was tender and the homemade mayo was good.  TBG got the cheese burger.  He agreed about the bread, but the burger was way overcooked.  There was a selection of savory and sweet crepes that looked good, but we did not try.  The service was a little slow.  There was only one server when we arrived, but not too many tables either.  As the lunch hour went on there were more servers and plenty more tables.  The decor was french chef, not great but looked clean enough.  I would say if you live close this is a great place for lunch, I do not know if I will make the effort to go back.

Service____ 5 Chipps

Food____6 Chipps

Atmosphere____5 Chipps

Beer List____0 Chipps

Wine List____0 Chipps

Value____6 Chipps

Saffron Patch - Akron

So I have been unable to quench my craving for Indian since I first realized I like it.  Here is another Indian place in the Akron area.  This one is in the Merriman Valley with all the bars.  The decor is nice, clean and Indian feeling.  Some tables had curtains hanging in front of them.  The service was prompt and helpful.  We got some fried tortilla like things with two dips when we sat down.  The one dip was good, like a BBQ sauce, the other was a cilantro dip that I did not care for but TBG liked.  We ordered the mango yogurt drink (lassi) and it was delicious.  It went perfectly with the spicy entrees we ordered.  We ordered the chili pakodas with a mango chutney for a starter.  They were not too hot, but were good.  Very much like jalapeno poppers at American places.  TBG got the lamb vindaloo which was ok.  The sauce was good, but the meat was rather tough.  It had an acceptable spice level and was overall an average dish.  I got the lamb rogan josh.  It was also an acceptable spice level and a good taste, but the lamb again was fatty and tough.  The portions were large and came with saffron rice.  We also ordered 2 orders of naan, one regular and one garlic.  The prices were a little bit high for the quality of food.  All in all there are better places to get Indian in Akron.



Service____ 7 Chipps

Food____5 Chipps

Atmosphere____8 Chipps

Beer List____5 Chipps
Wine List____5 Chipps

Value____5 Chipps

Easy Tuna Pasta Salad - Recipe

I like to have a staple of weeknight meals to always have the ingredients on hand and whip it up after work.  This is one of those meals.  Almost all of my staple meals have pasta, but TBG like to eat a protein so I added tuna to this pasta salad.  Albacore tuna really is the best for this and makes great leftovers.  I use canola mayonaise and wheat pasta because it is healthier.  This time I put cucumbers because they were in season and growing in our garden, but most of the time I use peas.  First I drained two cans of tuna (and gave my cats their share) then put it into a large bowl.  Then I mixed in the mayo, sriracha, and balsamic vinegar.  I use enough mayo to cover the pasta, but not so much that it's like a sauce, about 3/4 cup for a box of pasta.  You don't want it really heavy on the mayo so sometimes I use italian dressing to cut it down instead of balsamic vinegar, whatever you have on hand.  Use as much sriracha as you are comfortable with.  TBG likes a lot so I put about a tablespoon.  When the pasta is cooked al dente rinse with cold water.  Add cold pasta to the tuna mixture and toss well.  I topped with parmasan cheese to add a little saltiness.  I tend to make a lot so I can take for lunch the next day too.  Enjoy this easy weeknight recipe!

Eddies Famous Cheesesteaks and Grille - Akron

*UPDATE:  I am sorry to say Eddies is now closed*  Eddies is a new sandwich joint in the Merriman Valley.  We decided to try it, but TBG got carry out and brought it home.  The menu isn't large offering varieties on the classic cheesesteak and a few salads and sides.  We got the full original cheesesteak and the full Gotcha.  The full is 1lb of meat on a foot long bun.  I split the original with my mom and we both loved it.  The size was perfect for the two of us, which is probably why they also offer a half sized sandwich.  The sandwich was juicy, and the bun was not soggy even after being brought home.  The Gotcha is the original with banana pepppers and jalapenos.  TBG liked it as well.  He ate the entire full, but that is normal for him.  We also got a side of the fresh cut fries.  They were ok, I like my fries crispy and these were more soggy, but they were fresh cut.  When you walk in there is also a "fry bar" with a selection of salts and different vinegars.  The atmosphere is more like a fast food resturant, but it is a sandwich place after all.  The service seemed ok since our order did not take an overly long time but it was relatively small too.  The value was pretty good because it comes with a lot of quality food.  I will definately be going back when I get the hankering for a good cheesesteak. 

Service____ 8 Chipps

Food____7 Chipps

Atmosphere____6 Chipps

Beer List____0 Chipps
Wine List____0 Chipps

Value____7 Chipps

The Rail - Fairlawn

The Rail is the new burger place at Summit Mall.  I really like the decor they chose.  There is a cow with meat cut lines and the names of counties in Ohio instead of cuts of meat.  They advertise that all their meat is local and they have a good variety of local beers.  The beer list is short but packs a big punch.  The bar is pretty big and there is lots of bar type seating.  There are also some booths in the back which is where we sat.  They were not busy when we were there and our server was great.  We actually had a complaint about the fried jalapenos on our fries and he took it right back to the kitchen and they made us fresh ones.  He even recommended beers even though TBG didn't take his recommendations.  There is a decent happy hour and seasonal specials.  We started the meal with the Bon Fire fries which are nice thin crispy fries with creamy melted pepper jack cheese and sriracha and fried jalapenos on top.  It was very good and plenty big enough for 2 people.  I liked the fries so much I ordered more with my burger.  TBG got the Crouching Burger, Hidden Bacon burger.  It has bacon, pork shoulder, and a crispy wonton on it.  He also added pepper jack cheese.  It was good, the burger was cooked exactly as he ordered it.  The pork shoulder was average, not much of a taste.  TBG mentioned that the crispy wonton got lost in everything else and he couldn't even tell it was there.  I ordered the Mr. Mariola which is fresh mozzarella, pesto, and tomato.  It was good, but the pesto really took over the flavor of everything else.  It was a good pesto, but there was too much on the burger.  It was dripping down my hand with every bite I took.  I did not care of the buns they used.  The bottom bun was so thin it was disintegrated by the time I was halfway through my burger.  The prices were about the same as every other gourmet burger place, but there are a few other I would rather go to eat.  If you are at the mall anyway and looking for some good food, or better yet good beer, this is the place to go.

Service____ 8 Chipps

Food____6 Chipps

Atmosphere____8 Chipps

Beer List____7 Chipps
Wine List____5 Chipps

Value____6 Chipps