Sunday, October 31, 2010

Sweet Granville

Victoria's Parlour
134 Broadway E
Granville, Ohio 43023
June 12, 2010
2ish pm

On a fresh and warm Saturday in June we decided to go for a drive and explore a little outside our familiar city.  I had read an article not too long ago in Ohio Magazine about Granville and we decided to check it out.  As we drove through town we were struck by the quaintness of the houses in the village and the great shops and restaurants along the main street.  We went a little farther and loved the rolling green hills and beauty of Denison's campus.  It was the picture of a great small American town. 

We spent a bit meandering down and around East Broadway enjoying the shops, admiring the houses, and trying to decide where we wanted to stop for a bite to eat.  There were many great choices, but finally we picked a cute old-fashioned ice cream parlor.  When you walk in you feel like you're walking back in time, complete with servers dressed in Victorian era garb!  We loved the classic black and white checkered floor and heart shaped, white iron soda fountain chairs.  We could just imagine a high school couple from long ago sitting, talking, and sharing a Coke with 2 straws!  There could not be a better picture of Americana. 

As we looked over the menu we saw classic soda fountain drinks with the flavor added in store.  I decided I had to try a blackberry Coke.  Alas, it was a bit too sweet for my preference; but Erik's cherry Coke was great! 

For lunch Erik went with a grilled cheese with roasted red pepper.  The bread was nicely grilled and had a great butter flavor.  The cheese and red pepper were a great combination!  This was a great sandwich. 


I went with a classic Caesar chicken salad.  It was exactly what you would expect with  expertly grilled chicken, fresh romaine, a sprinkling of cheese, and a good flavored Caesar dressing. 

After lunch we were stuffed, but figured we couldn't leave without actually trying the ice cream.  We decided to share a pistachio gelato and walk a little more around Granville (in a vain attempt to walk off some of those extra calories)!  The ice cream had a great flavor with nice chunks of pistachio in it, but it definitely had the texture of an ice cream rather than a gelato.  However, we're not complaining. 

What a sweet ending to a quaint village stroll and a sweet time!

Bill total:  2 flavored Cokes, a grilled cheese, a chicken Caesar salad, gelato, and a tip = $21

Overall Rating:  3 1/2 buckeyes

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Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Giorgio's for Mother's Day

Giorgio Italian Restaurant
Clintonville
May 8, 2010
7ish pm

We had heard a few murmurrings of a good Italian restaurant in Clintonville and decided to give it a shot for our small family combination celebration dinner of Mother's Day and my birthday.  Italian was sounding like it would hit the spot! 

We arrived to a softly lit and intimately quiet restaurant.  The owner, I presume, warmly greated us and insisted we take the only open table (large enough for 6 or more, even though there were only 3 of us) rather than saving it for a potentially larger group.  We were thankful we didn't have to wait. 

The decor of the restaurant was Tuscan simplicity and I loved the solid wood furniture pieces used for service.

For an appetizer we decided to share the caprese salad which was standardly prepared with fresh tomatoes, fresh mozarella, a drizzle of sweet balsamic vinegar, and a chiffonade of fresh basil.  I was surprised with how high the quality the tomatoes were with it being so early in the spring.  It made me look forward to what my garden would have to offer later in the summer. 


Bread was brought out that had a crusty and flaky outside, but light and warm in the center.  This was served with a great herbed butter. 

Service was quick and just as we finished our salad our entrees were ready.  Erik went with the chicken parmesan.  Overall, this was a very good dish.  The breading was not too heavy, but not too light.  It was well browned and nicely coated with cheese.  The red sauce was light and not overpowering or sweet, but gave just enough bite to temper the heaviness of the chicken. 


My mother ordered the baked penne, which was a very good dish.  There were chunks of mushroom that added meaty flavor and chunks of fennel that gave the dish a different, but very good spin.  And of course you can never go wrong with an ooey, gooey cheese topping of mozarella, provolone, and romano. 


I ordered the pesto penne and I wish I would have gone with a more traditional baked pasta dish.  I ordered the penne without chicken (trying to save a few calories), but it came out with chicken anyway.  Our waitress quickly caught the mistake and brought me another penne fairly quickly.  The penne was cooked to a wonderful al dente and overall the sauce and pasta toss was nice.  I really enjoyed the roasted red peppers and spinach leaves in with the pasta, but the pesto was heavy on the olive oil and light on the basil.  I would have preferred the opposite for a lighter and more herby flavor.


Overall, we loved the atmosphere and friendliness of the staff.  The majority of our dishes were wonderful.

Total Price:  1 martini, 1 glass of wine, 1 Coke, 3 entrees, and tip = $60

Overall Rating:  3 1/2 buckeyes

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