Author Archives: Yvette (@foodiedreamer)

Caffe Gelato | North Canton, Ohio UPDATE: CLOSED

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It’s not often that on a random Tuesday evening I discover a hidden gem like this one. Cafe Gelato sits on Main Street in North Canton and has a little downtown storefront kind of look, despite the fact that it’s located in what looks like a large old house.  The only reason I mention this is because I’ve literally driven by the place dozens, maybe hundreds of times, thinking ‘oh yeah, I need to stop there sometime’ – but it just never materialized.  Well, never judge a book by its cover, because if you did you would miss out on this adorable spot.   Continue reading →

Swenson’s | Akron, Ohio

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I wouldn’t be a true Akronite (or Cantonian) if I didn’t take a moment to sing the praises of Swenson’s.  If you grew up in Akron, have lived in Akron, or even visited a time or two, you know about Swenson’s.  It’s legendary, almost as much for the nostalgia as for the burgers and shakes.  Swenson’s has been around since the 1930’s, and in many ways it still feels like an “old school” drive-in, especially the West Market location in Akron (the original store).  Growing up I have the fondest memories of many fine high school boys running up to the car to take our order, literally seconds after we pulled in.  Luckily my dad is Swenson’s lover from way back (he’s been in Akron longer than Swenson’s), so he’s been taking me there for as long as I can remember.  By the way, the boys still run to your car, but there are some girls now too (sigh).

So onto the food.  First of all, it’s not hype, these really are the best (fast food/takeout) burgers.  (In-and-Out, take note.  You are forever second to Swenson’s, although I do love you, animal style.)  I personally order a regular cheeseburger because I always must have a shake and a side too, but most people go for the famous Galley Boy.  The Galley Boy has two beef patties, cheese, and two “special sauces.”  My belief is that there are two main ways that these burgers pull apart from the competition.  First: the meat.  It has been a love-standing unconfirmed rumor that they put sugar in their beef patties.  Is it true?  I would tend to say yes – they are a bit sweet and taste unlike any other burger I’ve ever had.  (Side note, my boyfriend bastes honey on his burgers as they’re finishing up on the grill, and that little bit of sweetness is killer.)  The second way that these burgers shine rests in the bun.  I do not know what they do to these wonderful buns, but they are flaky and crusty, but also soft, buttery, and perfect at holding all the flavors together and letting the ingredients “marinate”.

Apart from the burgers, the next big draw is in the milkshakes.  Hands down, best milkshakes around.  And they have just about any flavor you can imagine, including my two weaknesses: Chocolate peanut butter and banana.  I thought about asking them if they could marry the two, still haven’t done that – it might just be too much to handle.  My mom loves the malts because virtually nobody serves malts anymore.  Too good, too good I tell you.

On the side they have an awesome assortment of fried deliciousness as well.  In the picture above you see potato teezers, which are basically breaded and fried hash browns with cheese and jalapeno inside.  YUM!  Other favorites: fried zucchini, potato puffs, and onion rings.  C’est magnifique!  You’d be crazy not to check the website for one of the eight locations if you’re in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton area.

Swenson's (North Akron) on Urbanspoon

Penn Station | Anywhere, Ohio

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I have to break my “no chain” rule to talk about Canton Ohio’s greatest Philly cheesesteak sandwich.  After experiencing the real deal last year at Geno’s in Philadelphia, I was a bit disheartened to learn that “real” cheesesteaks typically contain grilled onions and “whiz” – cheese whiz, that is, instead of provolone.  They also frown upon mayonaise (are they insane?) but offer typical condiments you might find on a hot dog, like ketchup, mustard,  and peppers.  Don’t get me wrong, it was delicious – a real treat to finally partake in an authentic version of this awesome sandwich.  However, I would argue that we have (dare I say) a tastier version right here at Penn Station.

Penn Station seems to nail every single detail of the cheesesteak, from the meat, grilled mushrooms, onions, and banana peppers, to the gooey melted provolone on a toasty homemade roll.  And they don’t pass judgement if you want mayonaise (and frankly, who doesn’t?)  This sandwich is a piece of heaven, no joke.  It’s something about the way the ingredients meld together, then infuse their flavors directly into the bun.  It’s insanity.

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Bombay Sitar | Canton, Ohio

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Being in land-locked Ohio as you might imagine does not always lend itself to authentic ethnic cuisine.  Admittedly this is one of the main things I miss about San Diego – the almost endless options if you’re craving anything Asian – Thai, Vietnamese, Korean, and of course Japanese.  Sushi bars are on every corner, literally, its crazy.  Also Indian is a west coast favorite, and having been to a number of great Indian restaurants, it is exciting to tell you that little ole Canton Ohio has an exquisite Indian restaurant: Bombay Sitar near Belden Village.

Photography is easy here because everything is beautiful and tastes even better than it looks.  These sauces are to die for, and while I don’t pretend to be an expert on Indian, they do serve dishes from several regions, and every dish is thoughtfully prepared with the freshest ingredients.  Let me tell you, this is a great place to experiment too, since every item on the menu is fabulous.  We are lucky enough to have a friendship with the beautiful Miss Summer Whitman, who does an amazing job running the front of the house, while her boyfriend, Ragu, owner and executive chef makes sure everything in the kitchen is running flawlessly.

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Sugar Fixe Patisserie | Oak Park, Illinois

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In the darling “downtown” of Oak Park lies an apparently new bakery called Sugar Fixe.  An inviting sign and storefront enticed me to come in for a quick dessert before I headed back to the airport.  And boy am I glad I stopped.  Inside was a case half full of eye candy: croissants, cupcakes and cookies mostly.  A cupcake seemed like it would really hit the spot, so I checked out the options, which at the time were only vanilla creme, chocolate, and coconut.  Of course I went for the coconut.  I got it packaged and headed back to Prairie Bread to have a sandwich and kill some time.

At first I was thinking okay, three bucks for a cupcake, this place might be a little pretentious and possibly a little full of themselves.  I also questioned the frosting – it looked like a bit much for the size of the cupcake.  Well if I had known what my tastebuds were about to experience, I would have bought the whole tray of cupcakes.  This was the most delicious, moist, not-too-sweet wonderful lightly coconut flavored cake I’ve ever tasted, and the frosting was light, fluffy, again not too sweet, and such a wondeful coconut undertone, I thought I had died and gone too cupcake heaven.  No joke.

I am a lover of cupcakes and made sure to visit Magnolia Bakery in our last visit to NYC. It was nothing short of amazing – we tried the carrot cupcake and devils food cupcake and they were both divine, as was enjoying them in the middle of Grand Central Station.  This coconut cupcake from Sugar Fixe could easily slide into the mix at Magnolia and fit right in.  What a treat!

Sugar Fixé Patisserie on Urbanspoon

n9ne Steakhouse | Chicago, Illinois

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Two new restaurants in Chicago today!  And shame on me for being such a bad blogger – I got pictures at one but can’t for the life of me remember the name of it, and the other one, n9ne, awesome food and decor, and not a single picture.  Frankly I didn’t know my company quite well enough to bust out the iPhone and start snapping, tourist-style.  Hmm, best to steal some photos from the website?  I’ll have to see what I can muster.

First up, lunch.  What a beautiful day to have lunch on the river, soaking up the sunshine, so that’s exactly what we did.  It was a great break from a crazy Monday at Neocon to depart momentarily from the hustle and bustle and sit in the sun with some great people.  But sadly, friends – and you’re not going to hear me say this often, but I think I ordered wrong!  So unlike me.  My sandwich sounded so appetizing on the menu, but it was not much more than turkey sandwich which some raddicio and a little poorly flavored condiment, on a toasted multi-grain bread that was far too hearty for the ingredients.  Major pet peeve of mine is when sandwiches are ruined with the wrong bread.  Half the bread would have been too much, and it was too crunchy (and large) to get your mouth around and enjoy.  The salad that accompanied was just okay for me also – the dressing was a tad too tart.  So in this case, we sacrificed a little on the food for some ambiance.  But even with the snafu in ordering, it was a gorgeous day, great atmosphere (i.e. outdoor patio), wonderful company, and a free lunch (thank you, Julie)…who am I to question this.  And I do give them high marks for presentation, plus, my friends appeared to be pleased with their lunches – luckily I got pics of all three.  If I had to do it again I would have gone for the grilled cheese with bacon and tomato jam – yes please.  Turkey? I’m dumb.

On to dinner.  n9ne Steakhouse is apparently owned by a restaurant group, one of which is in Vegas, and the interiors of this Chicago steakhouse were somewhat reminiscent of Vegas styling in a lot of ways.  Lots of sparkle and flash, oversized lighting, and a few snooty wait staff all supported the Vegas vibe.  Really our server wasn’t all bad, just playing the part I suppose.  As for the food, we had a true feast, starting with a fresh seafood platter which included lobster, jumbo shrimp, clams, muscles, and oysters.  For the main event, I opted for the 8 oz. filet with bernaise sauce which was cooked to perfection, tender and juicy, melted in your mouth.  Perfectly seasoned too.  On the side we had an assortment of dishes to share, including lobster mashed potatoes, grilled asparagus, and the table favorite, duck fat fries – yes I said it.  Absolutely sinful, with a wonderful sauce to accompany.  Like I said, a feast!  I love Chicago!

Of course there was dessert as well – a wonderful creme brulee (although have you ever had a bad one?) and a warm chocolate filled cake topped with a chocolate sorbet.  Chocolate on chocolate is not usually my first choice but this one was pretty divine.  The only negative comment I can find about the whole n9ne experience – and this is more funny than negative – one of the women at our table ordered ice cream, which came in a ramekin and was quite literally one spoon full!  She had to order two in order to taste it – looked more like a palate cleanser than an actual dessert.  But all in all, I would go again, that is if it’s being expensed.  On my own I would have stopped at the appetizer!  Thanks to my wonderful friends (and their expense accounts) for spoiling my palate today.

(Photo compliments of the n9ne Group)

Metropolis Popcorn | Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio

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You always know summer has officially arrived when the outdoor festivals begin.  Tonight we were faced with the decision of Blues Festival in downtown Canton or the Irish Festival at the Riverfront in C-Falls.  We ended up choosing the Irish festival, partially because the kids don’t dig sitting in one place all night watching blues bands, and partially because Irish fest was bound to have some delicious eats!  We were right, but not the Irish fare that we expected.  For the most part, it was a collection of typical fair food carts, which don’t get me wrong, I love it all – stromboli, corn dogs, cotton candy, etc. but I was hoping for something at least a little Irish-authentic.  Is that too much to ask?

We ended up settling on a german cart (ironic) but were pretty pleased with the result, which included potato pancakes, pirogies, and a polish sausage smothered in sauerkraut and mustard.  Pretty tasty.

The highlight however was a trip to one of my favorite stops in the Riverfront “strip”, Metropolis Popcorn.  This little place is small and funky, but offers an unbelievable forty-two varieties of popcorn in three “categories” (seasoned, candied, and deluxe) with flavors including Loaded Baked Potato, Caramel Apple, Cookies-n-Cream, and Peanut Butter Cup, to name a few.  The kids opted for Rice Krispy Treat, very buttery and marshmallowy, a hit with all of us.  The adults went for the Super 3 Cheese (a mix of cheddar, white cheddar, and nacho cheese) because I can’t resist cheese-corn and this seemed to cover all the bases.  The standout was definitely the nacho, with just a hint of jalapeno-ish spice.

We also went for a sweet bag (of course) and chose a combo (not mixed) of Smores and Caramel Cashew.   The Caramel Cashew was very buttery, with a plentiful supply of whole cashews.  But the star of the night, and possibly my week, was the Smores……..Oh.  My.  This popcorn has just the right mix of chocolate (not too much), marshmallow, and crumbled graham crackers.  Oooooohhhhhhhh.  This one in a must try, and get the big bag because you’ll want to share the love.  Bottom line, you’ve GOT to get up to Metropolis Popcorn and try some of these…and just a tip, they are very generous with the pre-purchase samples.  Now, back to my popcorn.  Be gone, scavengers!

Samantha’s | North Canton, Ohio

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You have to start somewhere, and I’m starting two miles from home at local favorite, Samantha’s.  Yesterday, I started off my birthday there with a delicious breakfast, which I have to say is my favorite meal of the day at this spot.  Lunch is good too (I can’t get enough of the lobster bisque and chicken enchilada soup), but their breakfast offers a delicious and reasonably priced alternative to this area’s popular chain restaurants like Cracker Barrel, IHOP, and midwest classic, Bob Evans.

I opted for trying something new and went all in (it was my birthday after all) for the bacon waffle.  And yes, as the name implies, they add the bacon right into the batter (and probably a little grease too), and man is it tasty!  I probably would have tried this already (had I noticed in the menu)…reminds me of Hash House in San Diego, probably my all-time favorite breakfast joint, period.  They also serve up a bacon waffle and it is do die for.  You can’t go wrong there, and I got mine loaded up with fresh blackberries on top.  Sounds a little odd, but the mix of savory and sweet is pretty cool.  And again, since it was my birthday, I wasn’t shy with some extra butter, maple syrup, and some more bacon on the side!  Bon appetite!

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