Franklin Square Deli - Kent

The Enzo

Located near Kent State University this is a popular spot for college kids.  TBG wanted to take me here because he remembered it from his time at KSU.  We walked in to a small resturant with a large counter and a few tables.  TBG ordered the special, "Enzo".  This deli has a racing theme as shown by the checked paper in the pictures.  There are racing pictures for sale at the end of the counter.  The Enzo was spicy capocolla, muenster cheese, and Genoa hard salami, with lettuce, tomato, and onion topped with olive pepper mayo on a sour dough toast.  It also came with a caper berry and pickle.  TBG loved it.  He said the caper berry was interesting and the olive pepper mayo was great.  I looked at the big menu and the lady behind the counter was rushing me so I got a Reuben.  It tasted pretty good.  The corned beef had a strange sheen on it, but it was tender.  There wasn't enough sauerkraut or Swiss on the sandwich.  The pickle was good.  As I was waiting for my sandwich I noticed they had deli bagels, I would have liked to try that.  They did not have pastrami which I thought was weird for a deli.  They had limited side dishes and nothing stood out.  We were there during the summer for lunch so it was not busy, but if the place was busy it would be a long wait.  The prices were average for a deli.

Service____ 6 Chipps

Food____6 Chipps

Atmosphere____7 Chipps

Beer List____0 Chipps

Wine List____0 Chipps

Value____6 Chipps

Ferrante's Winery - Madison

You may have seen Ferrante's wine in a grocery store near you, or even tried some at the Vintage Ohio wine fest every fall.  If you have never been to Ferrante's winery in Madison you need to go.  The atmosphere is on the fancier side indoors and more relaxed and summery outside.  There is also a wine bar and a cute gift shop area.  The night we were there a band was playing outside and the place was packed (3 hour wait inside).  We did not want to wait, but wanted to listen to music so we meandered to the small outdoor bar.  The bar menu consisted of appetizers and pizzas.  I ordered the prosciutto pizza and artichoke dip for our party.  Oh, I also ordered a bottle of wine of course.  I will admit TBG and I do not really like Ohio wine.  I enjoy hanging out at vineyards so I usually choke some down while enjoying the view (and cheese!)  This night it was hot, we were outside so I ordered the driest rose they had because it was chilled.  I was pleasantly surprised.  It was perfect for that hot summer night and the 4 of us finished the bottle in no time.  I thought the food was ready pretty fast considering how many people were at the restaurant that night.  The outside has many tables, and a great number are under a cover of some sort.  We found a table in the corner in the open air and started to eat.  The view is nice, there is a pond and grapevines to look at while we listened to music.  The pizza was actually average.  It looked so good, but there were way too many shallots and the prosciutto was not crispy.  The crust was good, but not great.  I would probably recommend just getting the margharita pizza since it was cheaper and probably just as good.  I liked the bread that came with the dip, but the dip was average.  There was cheddar cheese which was different but I did not love.  Both things tasted freshly made and with fresh ingredients.  I wish we got a chance to try some of their entrees but we still had a good time.  The only wine available is Ferrante's of course so I have to give the wine list a score based on the quality of those wines.  I think they are the average Ohio wine.  The only beer I saw was typical domestic drafts. 

Service____ 6 Chipps

Food____7 Chipps

Atmosphere____8 Chipps

Beer List____0 Chipps

Wine List____6 Chipps

Value____7 Chipps

Recipe - Summer Grilled Veggie Sandwich

I am going to try including recipes on this blog. (I promise I will try to learn to take better pics!)  Let me know in the comments if this is something you would like to see more of.  I get tired of eating the same things on the grill all summer. So, this night I wanted to try something different while still taking advantage of the nice day and being able to cook outside.  I also like to create recipes that use mostly ingredients from my garden.  This year I have been having trouble and had to purchase most, but hopefully you are having better luck than me!  I bought a large crusty loaf of french bread, baby eggplant, small zucchini, large tomato, goat cheese, and spinach.  You can put whatever veggies you enjoy eating on this sandwich.  Red bell pepper and onion are good on the grill, as well as summer squash.  Cut the veggies long to make it easier to grill and to fit perfectly on the sandwich.  This makes for fewer cuts and a fast prep time.  The tomato needs to be cut thick to stay together on the grill.

I also used olive oil, fresh garlic and basil, cracked pepper and sea salt which I always have on hand.  I cut the basil, chopped the garlic, ground the pepper and salt and added all to the olive oil in a flat bowl.  Other fresh herbs could also be used in this oil but I like to keep it simple.  I used the oil mixture to soak the veggie so they do not burn on the grill.  I used to brush the oil on, but found this soaking to be a better method.  It was easier and we didn't have to add more oil while it was cooking.  Save the remaining oil for the sandwich.  I used about a half cup of oil for our 3 sandwiches.












I sent TBG out to grill the veggies.  You have to be careful with the tomato but when done it comes out beautiful.  In the house I cut the sandwiches from the large loaf, I like that I was able to cut the sandwiches to whichever size I wanted.  I made TBG's bigger than mine and got about 3 sandwiches out of the loaf.  Spread the olive oil mixture on the bread.  I tried to use a lot because the bread soaked it up, the more you use the messier the sandwhich is, but TBG and I have never been bothered by a messy sandwich!  Next spread on the goat cheese.  Sometimes this isn't easy to spread but try to get a good thick layer.  I used about 3/4 of the small log.

After TBG brought the veggies back I added them to the sandwiches and finally topped with the spinach.  The tomatoes fall apart easy, but as soon as they are on the sandwich they add a great flavor and some more moisture.  We both really enjoyed these sandwiches, TBG even went up for seconds.  I will definately make again, and they would be perfect for entertaining on a relaxing summer day.  I did not show a side dish for this, but it can be enjoyed with a side of chip(p)s of course :)

Red Hawk Grill - Painesville

I grew up near the Red Hawk and always remember the food being really good.  I am sure my standards have changed and maybe that is why this trip was so different.  We started off with a couple apps I forgot to take a picture of.  We got the fried provolone and the artichoke dip.  Both were really good.  This is probably a good time to mention the server was my brother's girlfriend so of course we had good service. The manager walked around and never did anything.  We had our server ask him to turn the lights up on the patio since it was 10 at night and we could not even see the menu.  He said ok and rolled his eyes but it was so dark the hostess could not see the seating chart they were using so he should have turned the lights on much earlier.  I did not like watching him just walk around while the servers and bartenders were running around busy.  But, back to the food... I ordered the cedar salmon with a mushroom risotto and broccoli.  The salmon was very over cooked and dry, the cedar plank was actually charred.  The risotto was pretty well cooked, it was a little dry but defiantly tasty and not mushy or crunchy.  The broccoli was steamed nicely, not over buttered or too hard.  My mom got the penne rustica which had bell peppers and sausage.  It was actually very spicy and she did not eat the whole thing.  The pasta was cooked well, and there was a good amount of sauce.  The other 3 people at the table got burgers.  They were all cooked med well.  We all know how TBG feels about med well, but in case you don't let me just say it puts him in a sour mood.  The guy who ran the food out was very nice and had the kitchen refire the order.  The firecracker burger was pretty hot as well.  The fries were really good, soft and with some batter like Arby's curly fries.  We sat out on the patio and the atmosphere is very nice.  There was a band (rather one guy with a guitar) that was entertaining.  The outside bar is big and there are cornhole pits.  The prices were average.  The bar was also average, there was only 1 kind of Sam Adams (Summer Ale) and no Jerimah Weed vodka.  I did not even look at a wine list, so I am not sure if that was good or not.  On a side note, I went back a week later with a group of girls.  The food was slightly better and service was still good (we had a server that I did not know).  A few of us got the mac & cheese, the sauce was tasty but the pasta was mushy.  Someone ordered the pasta diablo and it was almost tastless.  There were big pieces of shrimp in it, but the sauce just tasted like oil and chicken broth.  I would not reccommend this place unless you want to hang outside and listen to music.

Service____ 7 Chipps

Food____5 Chipps

Atmosphere____6 Chipps

Beer List____5 Chipps

Wine List____0 Chipps

Value____5 Chipps

Moe's Revist - Cuyahoga Falls

The first review for Moe's is here.  We decided to go back a few nights ago because we know a lot of the people that work there.  We both ordered off the seasonal menu.  We started with an order of oysters which I didn't take a pic of, but looked a lot like oysters.  They were good.  I got the Asian braised short ribs with ginger sweet potato mash and sesame bok choy.  The short rib was very good.  Nice and tender, juicy, and tasty.  The ginger sweet potato had way to much ginger for me, I didn't eat them.  The bok choy was tasty if you like cabbage like I do.  TBG got the duck with goat cheese mashed potatoes and beet root.  I do not like duck so I didn't like his either, but he said it was very good.  The mashed potatoes were good and were topped with a honey apricot which was really sweet, but went well.  The beet root tasted like beets, but was cooked well.  We also got creme brulee for dessert, but ate it before we got a picture.  They have different flavors at different times, this night it was a vanilla bean.  It was very good.  I think Moe's has the best creme brulee around.  Once again we ended up spending a lot, but we got a bottle of wine and upgraded our salads to the goat cheese salad I reviewed last time.  The service was great like always.   

The bar

Service____ 9 Chipps

Food____8 Chipps

Atmosphere____8 Chipps

Beer List____9 Chipps

Wine List____8 Chipps

Value____6 Chipps

Raj Mahal - Cuyahoga Falls

I am happy to say I am no longer afraid of Indian food, in fact I am starting to love it.  I had an idea of what I wanted when I walked in the door, and I loved what I got.  I was not that hungry so we skipped the appetizer even though there were plenty of yummy looking options.  They do not serve beer, but you can bring your own.  The atmosphere is almost nonexistent.  White, dirty walls with vinyl covered tables.  I would recommend carry out for the skittish.  TBG got the spicy lamb vindaloo.  It was very good, too spicy for me but he loved it.  There was plenty to fill TBG up.  It comes with potatoes in the sauce with the lamb, but he asked for it with less than normal.  All the dishes come with basmati rice which was cooked well and there was plenty of it.  I got the chana marsala.  It was vegetarian with chick peas and no meat in a tomato based sauce.  I ordered it medium and it was perfect.  It was exactly what I wanted.  I love the warm Indian spices of cumin, cinnamon, and coriander.  We got two orders of naan which was exactly enough.  One order was garlic as you can see in the picture, and the other plain.  Both were awesome as any bread cooked perfectly is.  The prices were a little steep, but the food was really good so I would definitely go back (or have TBG go back and bring it home!)  I ate the rest of my chana masala the next day and it was still delicious.    

Service____ 9 Chipps

Food____8 Chipps

Atmosphere____2 Chipps

Beer List____0 Chipps

Wine List____0 Chipps

Value____6.5 Chipps

Flury's - Cuyahoga Falls

Located amongst houses on a side street in Cuyahoga Falls you have to know this place is there to find it. When we walked in I noticed it was a hole in the wall as was expected.  Now, when I say "hole in the wall" it's generally a good thing, usually greasy, but still good.  This place was different.  After we sat there for a couple minutes I felt like I was in my friends mother's kitchens.  ( I say friends mother's because MY mother's kitchen is much louder!)  TBG really liked the coffee mugs because they were short and squat, not the typical white boring cafe mug.  The menu is a typical breakfast menu.  I did notice they had specialty pancakes which I wish I tried, but that morning I was jonesing for some fattening benedict.  Also on the menu is the fact that they only take cash.  TBG got country fried steak with sausage gravy biscuits and 2 fried eggs.  The steak was very good.  TBG loved it, I normally don't eat that sort of thing, but the breading was flavorful and the steak tender.  Both meals came with hashbrowns which were perfectly cooked.  I like mine crispy, not soggy.  The buiscuits looked hommade and TBG enjoyed watching her make the sausage gravy when he ordered.  Later in the meal we watched her hand press sausage patties in a metal press.  My eggs benedict were actually dissapointing.  The hollendaise was bland and the eggs were overcooked.  I was looking forward to breaking into the eggs and having that gooey yolk spill out over the rest of the plate.  The yolks were more like a hard boiled egg.  The ham (not canadian bacon) was really well cooked.  I enjoyed it and the saltiness it added to the meal.  I do not normally like ham because it gets slimy.  This was not slimy, and perfectly seared.  The english muffins were a nice texture.  Even though I did not like my meal that much, I would go back and try some of the other things on the menu.  The service was great.  In the small area it was easy to see when we needed something but she also could have gotten caught up cleaning up the small space.  The picture below shows the entire kitchen. The prices were slightly more than other places, but I was happy to pay.  There is a room seperate from the kitchen if you do not wish to sit in the same room they are cooking.  It was not hot in there despite sitting near the griddle.  They are only open for breakfast and lunch Mon-Sat so get up and get there!

Not a lot of room, but they use it well





Service____ 8 Chipps

Food____7 Chipps

Atmosphere____7 Chipps

Beer List____0 Chipps

Wine List____0 Chipps

Value____6 Chipps