There are those food experiences where the stars align and everything just seems perfect. It’s some spectacular combination of flavors, ambiance, and emotion that’s almost unexplainable. Well that is exactly what happened at Pistacia Vera in German Village. This must be what heaven looks like.
We had the great pleasure of experiencing Katzinger’s today, a famous deli at the mouth of German Village in Columbus. Katzinger’s is legendary, and for good reason. I’ll try to shut up and let the photos do the talking.
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It’s exciting to talk about another great place to eat healthy in Canton. The newest location of Pulp Juice and Smoothie Bar has opened at the strip. This is actually the third smoothie spot in Canton within a two-mile radius, (the other two being Robek’s and Smoothie King). Let’s face it, smoothies are the rage right now, even McDonalds is jumping on board. I’ve typically preferred Robek’s over Smoothie King, (although ultimately I would take Jamba Juice if I had the choice). Robek’s is good, but the hangup is often this: if you want a smoothie, but are also hungry, you’re limited to power bars, cookies, and other grab-and-go packaged snacks. But if you need “real food”, i.e. a meal, you have to go elsewhere. Well Pulp has recognized this problem and created a small but effective menu of freshly prepared wraps, salads, and soups to accompany their smoothie offerings. Genius!
Yet again I have to break my “no-chain” rule to talk about the newly-opened Five Guys Burgers and Fries in Canton at the Strip. As a dreamer, it’s my duty to get the word out to my local readers, who just might be contemplating a trip to Five Guys. All I can say is: Holy In-and-Out knock-off, Batman! Are you kidding me?! This obvious stealing of In-and-Out Burger’s look, feel, and menu is off-putting to say the least, but could the burgers be better?? I was skeptical.
In my old stomping grounds, a part of East Akron called Ellet, you’re definitely limited on worthwhile restaurants. But Ellet happens to be a great meeting place between Canton and Akron, wherein lies Lembo’s. Lembo’s is primarily an Italian restaurant that’s been around for years. Apart from the Italian dishes, another draw is their salad bar, which is much more than salad. I mean, who even has a salad bar anymore? Well if this is your bag, Lembo’s is worth checking out, because after all, who can make a better salad for you than you?!
A long-standing South Akron tradition is Ido on South Main Street. Sitting in an inconspicuous little building just down the block from Bridgestone America’s brand new (nearly complete) Akron Technical Center, Ido has been serving burgers in Firestone Park since 1943. Today, this neighborhood burger joint’s menu has expanded to salads, sandwiches, steaks, prime rib, a variety of “comfort food” favorites, and seafood.
For once our focus is not on food. This time we’re talking liquids at The Lockview in downtown Akron. Just across from Lock 3 on Main Street, Lockview is a beer-bar as much as a restaurant, but either way it’s becoming a destination.
If you think a typical menu in the midwest consists of meat-and-potatoes, fried foods, and homestyle cookin’, you’re sort of right. But luckily there are some exceptions like BAM Healthy Cuisine in North Canton. BAM is one of the only restaurants of its kind in this area – a locally owned, made-to-order, all things fresh, often organic, health food cafe. Continue reading
For the love of food and all things BBQ and ribs, we headed down to Rib White & Blue, Akron’s annual 4-day fourth of July Rib Festival. Boasting ten vendors from around the country this year, the rib festival shuts down Main Street around Lock 3, making for an enjoyable evening of BBQ favorites and live music. I was a bit surprised by the number of vendors. Only ten? Shouldn’t this be a local thing with hundreds of participants? I was envisioning an event more like Taste of Canton, with lots of local stands set up, charging a few dollars for a rib or two. That way you can hop from stand to stand and try them all! Instead, we have the rib “kings” from across the country, with their full-size traveling displays and practically commercial kitchen set-ups. Not exactly what I expected.
A long-standing establishment serving All-American bar food classics, for breakfast, lunch and dinner is John’s Grille on Cleveland Avenue, not too far from downtown Canton. While the interior of the restaurant appears that it hasn’t been updated since circa 1970, it still has that certain something. When you walk in, you feel comfortable, people are smiling, welcoming, friendly, and you want to stay. Not to mention the fact that on a Friday night, it’s wall-to-wall crowded, both bar and restaurant side. The bar kid of reminds me of the set of cheers – dark, heavy finishes and big wood furniture. But still, everyone is happy to be there. And so am I.
dreaming of the next bite. 