B Spot - Strongsville

As you may or may not already know TBG and I really like Iron Chef Michael Symon.  B Spot is another one of Symon's awesome restaurants.  There are a few locations and this is the second one (not counting the Q) that we have been to.  I really liked the decor in this one, I am not really sure how to describe it but it was very hip and warm at the same time, lots of personality.  The bar is a pretty good size.  We were there early on a Sat so there were not many people around.  I was not that hungry so I only got a vanilla milkshake.  It was very good, very rich and flavorful.  I ended up eating most of TBGs fries so we ordered a second order.  The burgers do not come with fries but I recommend getting some.  They are so good, crispy with fluffy insides and well seasoned with rosemary and sea salt.  The burgers are really good even if it does not look like it from this picture.  This time TBG got a Philly Witt which is flipsteak, cheezewhiz and onions on a burger.  As always the burger was great and the ingredients complimented it.  Those pickles on the plate are from the pickle bar and are all different kinds.  TBG said they were really good.  The price is not bad for the quality of ingredients and care they are put together with.  The beer list is not large, but the beers listed are above average.  

Service____ 8 Chipps

Food____8 Chipps

Atmosphere____8 Chipps

Beer List____8 Chipps

Wine List____5 Chipps

Value____8 Chipps

The Blue Door Bakery and Cafe - Revisit

The Blue Door Bakery and Cafe used to be Golden Goose - original post here.  The outside still looks the same except for the blue front door.  The inside got a fresh coat of white paint, new bakery area, and new advertisement tables.  You can see parts of the table under these pics even though I cropped portions out.  I am not crazy about the tables, but it is better than the worn out tables cloths they had before. I am happy to say the bakery is still great.  There is a specials board in the front of the restaurant and I would recommend getting something from it if eating in.  I ordered the stuffed french toast and it was wonderful.  Creamy inside, fresh raspberries on top with slivered almonds throughout on nice thick pieces of fresh bread.  TBG ordered the western omelet.  It had ham, Chihuahua cheese, and peppers with a spicy sauce on top.  He also enjoyed his breakfast, said everything tasted fresh.  The omelet came with a fresh english muffin as well.  They serve wonderful Angel Falls Coffee.  The staff seemed a little confused with the reopen and the owner was seating people instead of in the kitchen.  The restaurant was full when we were there but not overly busy.  I would recommend coming here if you are looking for fresh local food or a good fresh bakery.  The homemade granola I have yet to try is beckoning me to come back soon!

Service____ 6 Chipps

Food____8 Chipps

Atmosphere____6 Chipps

Beer List____0 Chipps

Wine List____0 Chipps

Value____6 Chipps

Valley Cafe - Akron

Also known as V-Caf the Valley Cafe is located in the Merriman Valley in front of all the bars.  As soon as you walk in you feel like you are in your mothers kitchen.  Flowery wall paper and table cloths overwhelm, but are clean.  There is a coffee bar on the side that offers different kinds of coffee.  The staff was very friendly and timely.  The menu was average breakfast offerings and the prices were about the same.  I definately did not mind paying the prices but I would not say it was cheap.  The breakfast sandwich was good, you pick your cheese, bread, and meat.  The country fried steak was tender but tasted frozen, and the gravy was definitely not homemade.  The hash browns were good, would order crispy next time.  The eggs benedict was a last minute decision for us.  It was good but not the best.  The hollandaise was thin and needed more flavor.  The eggs were poached nicely though.

Service____ 8 Chipps

Food____6 Chipps

Atmosphere____7 Chipps

Beer List____0 Chipps

Wine List____0 Chipps

Value____7 Chipps

Tremont Tap House - Tremont

There are so many good resturants in Tremont and the Tap House is one of them.  It looks like a normal house on the outside but has a huge bar in the inside.  There is also an outside patio but it was too hot the day we were there to even think about it.  They live up to their name by having more beer on tap then I have seen in awhile.  There are not many tables so be prepared to sit at the bar or stand if they are busy.  We were actually not that hungry when we came in this day so we thought we would start by splitting a pizza.  There was a few that sounded good but we decided on one that had quail eggs, prosciutto, and fresh mozz.  It was great.  Each slice had it's own tiny fried egg and the prosciutto was thick sliced but still crispy.  The pic did not come out the best but there was plenty of creamy fresh mozzarella.  The crust was perfect, not too thin for all the great toppings, but not so thick as to take away from the taste of the quality ingredients.  The pizza wasn't actually all that big.  It was a good size to split as a starter, but not a meal.  It would have been too big for me to eat alone, but I would have eaten most of it if I was hungry.  Since we weren't done with our beers we decided to order one more thing.  We got the German Pretzel.  It was average but came with a delicious beer cheese sauce.  The prices were not bad.  The pretzel was a little much, but I thought the pizza was cheap for the quality of ingredients.  The beers were average to high priced, but you are paying for the selection and that is definatly worth it.  The service was good.  We got there a little before the dinner crowd came in so at first our server was not busy, but she still kept coming back and getting us things even after she was busy.  

Service____ 7 Chipps

Food____7 Chipps

Atmosphere____8 Chipps

Beer List____10 Chipps

Wine List____5 Chipps

Value____7 Chipps

Market Garden Brewery & Distillery - Ohio City

I had low expectations and high standards for a new brewery in Ohio City since we love going to the Great Lakes Brewing Company.  On this trip we wanted to see what the buzz was about and see who had the gall to open a brewery a block away from this Cleveland icon.  Well, I was pleasantly surprised.  We started with the 6 beer sampler.  While the beers weren't bad I really only liked one and TBG wasn't impressed with the IPAs.  I think they just need time to figure out what works and what doesn't.  The stout was boring and over roasted.  The bourbon ale was good, not complex but good enough to drink on a hot day with lots of food.  We were both impressed they offered beers other than house made ones, good beers too.  The wine list was OK, but who goes to a brewery for wine anyway?  The menu is small but has a lot of impact.  TBG chose the Cuban and I chose pork tacos.  The Cuban looked small but had tons of meat and slices of fresh pickles.  TBG enjoyed.  The fresh fries were really good.  Just enough salt and thin enough to be crispy.  My tacos were also very good.  The tortillas were homemade and moist.  The pork was moist and tender on both dishes.  I thought the fresh salsa verde really made the dish, but TBG loved the house made queso.  I liked the atmosphere, it is a pretty big place with a nice, heated outside patio.  You can chose to drink your beer out of a mason jar.  The prices for beer were a little high, but you are getting a micobrew so that can be ignored.  The food prices were good.  The food was so fresh with quality ingredients (being next to the West Side Market there is no excuse not too) but still affordable.  The service was decent.  Our waiter was able to answer any questions we had and came over to us at appropriate times.

Service____ 7 Chipps

Food____7 Chipps

Atmosphere____8 Chipps

Beer List____8 Chipps

Wine List____5 Chipps

Value____8 Chipps

National Hamburger Fest - Akron

I know this post is a little late but better late then never right?  This year TBG and I decided to go to the National Hamburger Fest in Akron, even though it threatened to rain.  After a short drive to Akron we found a decent place to park for $2.  The entrance to the Fest was $10 for the 2 of us.  We had to buy food tickets as soon as we walked in the gate.  I hate trying to judge how many we need so we bought $20 worth.  That was a good amount for the two of us although we definately could have used more if we had stayed longer.  The first thing we came to was the Hodge Podge food truck from Cleveland that has been on Food Network.  Of course I wanted to try that.  The wait was actually pretty fast, but the line wasn't long to begin with.  We ordered a burger with pickled jalapenos, mixed greens, brisket, and BBQ sauce.  It was really good with quality ingredients.  I do wish it had a little bit better quality bun.  After that burger we took a walk around the whole place, which didn't take that long.  There were a lot less stands than I was expecting.  The only "National" things I could see were White Castle and Max & Erma's, neither of which I was interested in.  The nice thing about WC was the burgers were only 1 ticket, so if you had one left over that is all you could get.  We did that since I had never had one, but I can say I will never have another!  Next we went to Inferno and got 2 sample sized burgers.  Sample size was just a half a burger for more than half the tickets.  We ordered the Memphis which was pulled pork on a burger and the New Orleans which was grilled shrimp, cheese, and creole seasoning on a burger.  Both were good.  Not great, but good.  The New Orleans was unique and I liked that.  The buns were a little heavier so they did not get soggy.  After that there wasn't much else to do so we kinda stood around wondering if our night was now over after an hour, then we left.  In recap we got 2 burgers (1 whole + 2 halves) 1 beer and 1 WC slider for $32, didn't really seem like a good deal.  I would rather have sat down at a restaurant like Louies, got good burgers and spent less.  There wasn't a burger there made with a meat other than beef.  Nothing extreamly original except the fried buckeye which didn't even sound good. 

One Red Door - Hudson

One Red Door is located in Hudson in the beautiful First and Main area.  Flip Side (which we liked) is attached.  I made reservations for 4 people since we were meeting another couple up there.  We were meeting at 8 so I was expecting it to be really busy.  It actually was not too busy with TBG and I got there (20 min early).  They have a small patio on the side and the inside is not too small but not real big.  The bar is a good size and there is an open kitchen with bar also.  The atmosphere is the same as Flip Side which is wood and leather.  We both really liked the feel of the place.  We were seated right away even though we were early.  We were planning on having a cocktail before the rest of our party arrived.  We waited 15 min and no one even approached our table.  TBG went to the bar to get us some drinks himself and magically our waitress appeared.  I told her my date went to the bar to get drinks himself and she ran over there to see if he already ordered (he had).  Shortly after someone else brought us water.  When the rest of our party arrived she waited on us in a more timely fashion, but still was not friendly.  Halfway through the meal we all finished our water and didn't get refills until the end of the meal.  She did bring us one more round of cocktails though.  I thought with all the help they had working that the service would have been better.  My espresso martini when I did get it was very good.  The menu had a lot of interesting choices for starters.  We probably should have just gotten a bunch of those.  We picked the Clam Pizza to start with.  It was different but good.  I do not think our company liked it as much as we did.  The clams were a little chewy, but the crust was good and the sauce was light.  For our entrees TBG got the hanger steak with short rib ravioli.  I got the ribeye.  It was huge so I made TBG switch with me.  I was disappointed there was only one ravioli.  The pasta part was undercooked and tasteless, but the filling was great.  The hanger steak was good, nothing special, but cooked nicely.  The ribeye was fatty and not quite as good as the hanger steak.  It was covered (ruined as TBG said) by a super sweet glaze.  Someone else in our party ordered the chicken with veggies.  The portion was rather small and she said it was average tasting.  We felt the prices were high for the portion size.  The pizza and other apps seemed reasonably priced.  I would recommend coming here if you plan on sitting at the bar and only ordering apps with your drinks.

Service____ 3 Chipps

Food____6 Chipps

Atmosphere____8 Chipps

Beer List____8 Chipps

Wine List____8 Chipps

Value____5 Chipps