Kim at Hiraeth tagged me today in this fun meme! My five favorite local restaurants. . .Hmm, just five? Ok, my top five in the Cleveland/Akron/Medina area.
1. Dan’s Dogs. Come on. You all saw this coming! I LOVE Dan’s Dogs with a passion usually reserved for books and certain fuzzy grey kitties. It has the BEST onion rings in the whole world, and entire page in the menu devoted to different dogs, a smashingly wonderful sandwich called the Chicken LaScola, coloring contests, milkshakes topped with almonds, a giant hotdog-man cut-out, and a juke box. Remember, you may already be a wiener!
2. Main Street Cafe. Free burger Mondays! They also have other food–blackberry chicken with ginger rice; white balsamic vinaigrette; french onion soup ( my favorite! ) But the best really is the free burgers on Monday night with the purchase of any beverage. It’s always packed, always fun, always delicious. ANd we can WALK there.
3. The Post House. This one might surprise some of you, because it’s just a little truck stop in the middle of no-where in the Marshallville/Smithville area. But they do have the world’s best crinkle fries and their blackberry pie is to DIE FOR! One time, the aunties and I split a piece three ways, and when the waiter brought it to the table, we all had our forks ready. He was like, "I’m a little bit scared to put this on the table, I don’t want to be accidently stabbed!" I licked the plate clean. In public. I’m such a pig.
4. Sky Way. Our favorite drive-in. I love all drive-ins, though. I think it’s because when I was little, our family would get in the car at least once a week during the summer, and drive to Swensons or Sky Way and eat burgers and listen to the Tribe game on the radio. It’s fun, cheap, relaxing, tasty, and close. I recommend the burgers, the fried chicken sandwich, the fries (but ask for extra crispy) and the chocolate milk shakes.
5. Pad Thai. Look! A non-diner/burger place! Our girl has some class after all! This restaurant opened in Montrose a few years ago. YUMMY food–hot & sour soup, eggrolls, Spicy curry peanut Chicken (no calories, of course), Siam beef, tiramisu cheesecake. . .yes, tiramisu cheesecake!! It also has a glass floor in the foyer with fish swimming underneath. Tres chic, yes?
Oh. That’s five already. Ok, here are some honorable mentions.
6. Tulipan–Hungarian tea shop in Wooster
7. Heck’s cafe up in Cleveland
8. The Medina County Fair. I kid you not!
9. The Winking Lizard
10. Rizzi’s Other Place
11. Parassons
But my two absolute FAVORITE restaurants in the WORLD are not local.
Joe T. Garcia’s in Fort Worth (I want to cry it’s so good!) and Pars Cove in Chicago (Persian FOOD!!))
Whew. That made me hungry! I’m tagging: Jenn, Melissa, Luke Fodor (because i KNOW you are reading my blog! and you live in a good food town. . .) Liz, and Joe. You can post your answers in the comments if you want.
Yippee!! Dan’s Dogs made the top of the list! That was the one I was counting on you mentioning!
Even though we’ve lived in the same area, I’ve only ever been to the Main Street Cafe and the Medina County Fair. Didn’t eat at the fair.
I remember you blogging about licking the pie plate!
: D
So why did you go, then? Because animals are nice & all, and I enjoy seeing the crafts and artwork, but the FOOD has always been the main attraction for me! funnel cakes, twirly potatoes, cheese-on-a-stick, frozen cheesecake, gyros, yum, yum, yum !
Mmmmmm…Pad Thai. So glad to see it made the list. We’ll have to go when I come up in August, yes?
Faith: YES!
Just five, hmm? well, local for us includes Columbus, so…
1. Papa’s Gondola here in Mansfield. It looks like a dive. Well, it is a dive. We drove past it for months asking ouselves what could be served in such an unlikely looking building, and why were there always so many cars parked in front…?
They must use a 1-cup measure for their meatballs and we wept at the tomato sauce (as we chortled at the plastic flowers in a vase velcroed to the booth). Fabulous food.
2. Athens Greek Restaurant in Mansfield. Lots of inexpensive delicious Greek food, including a chicken gyro that is top notch.
3. M in Columbus. Joe and I have a thing for Cameron Mitchell restaurants, of which there are several in Columbus. M is probably our favorite. There is a tomato soup like none I’ve had (and I grew up on homemade tomato soup) and all dessert options are “samplers”–a bite or two of three or more different things.
4. City Barbecue. I believe this is a chain, but Dianne and Gabe introduced us to this place and we rarely leave Columbus without take-out from here. There is no barbecue sauce added to the meat (which I can eat alone) so you get a lot of food (important for our teenagers). Also, although I’ve tried, I cannot replicate their corn pudding.
5. Old Bag of Nails in the Columbus area. Dianne and Gabe brought us here, too. I had deep-fried pickles for the first time. Even though a minister in our church recently shamed everyone–from the pulpit–who had eaten deep-fried pickles (my hand was high in the front row after he asked) I believe that this particular delicacy may be on the table when Jesus says, “Come and dine!”
Thanks for asking, Allyson. I’m not hungry, but my mouth is watering.
OK, my 5 Rochester, NY favorites . . .
1. Dinosaur BBQ: the best barbecue around, and the closest thing to Texas bbq us western New Yorkers have ! My usual is the smothered brisket sandwich (w/ cheese, peppers, onions, and mushrooms) and the cajun corn . . . messy and delicious !
2. Bad to the Bone BBQ: this is where we go if we’re craving bbq and don’t want to make the 1/2 hour drive to Dinosaur ! It’s 5 minutes down the road and has awesome food !
3. Simply Crepes: any and everything you can imagine, rolled up into a crepe . . . so delicious !! Fun French cafe setting, too, in one of the upscale area villages . . . the total package ! Just had the Oreo and cream dessert crepe last weekend, and I couldn’t even finish it . . . and that’s a rarity !
4. The Old Toad: Jack and I recently discovered this neat British pub in the city . . . great food, British waiters, and pages upon pages of British beer !
5. Bill Gray’s: the best place to go for burgers, fries, and milkshakes !
Ok. I think we need a big blogger-road trip, and we can drive around the country and eat at everyone’s favorite restaurants! Who’s in?