On the Way Home from Michigan

Dad's

Route 33 (near Indian Lake)

New Hampshire, Ohio

September 7, 2009

4:30ish pm

As mentioned before, we make the drive to Michigan and back quite often. Because of this the drive has become quite boring and tedious. This happened, say around the 350th time we've done it (not the 349th, that one was still okay :) ). Because of this we've tried many alternate routes in what we say is to try and find a quicker route, but in reality it helps break up the monotony.

Earlier this summer we attempted a route that takes us out Route 33 for a longer period of time and around the western part of Indian Lake rather that taking route 174 which took us around the eastern part of Indian Lake. While I truly doubt this little change saved us any time, it did allow us to stumble upon another piece of Americana called Dad's.

This is the classic roadside stop that Route 66 was invented for ;) Big classic sign outside, walk up window, family run, you sit outside on picnic tables, everyone knows your name (cue Cheers theme song) etc. etc. These are the kind of places I miss by living in a bigger city. These are the places you imagine your son's baseball team congregating at after a big win and stopping at to help prolong a successful first date. You can almost here John Mellencamp's Small Town or Jack and Diane playing as you walk up. This one is primarily an ice cream stand, but has ventured into some dinner fair such as hamburgers, funnel fries, french fries, fried cauliflower, fried jalapenos, fried broccoli etc. Just kidding with the fried broccoli, but I thought it'd help get the point across! Basically, you're not coming here for health food, but you are coming here for small town comfort, hospitality, and a brush with the past.

Earlier in the day we had filled up on an excellent Labor Day lunch, but we thought ice cream would hit the spot and sustain us for the rest of our drive home. We had a hard time deciding which flavor to try or to go with soft serve or hand dipped. There were lots of hand written suggestions from various high school workers (e.g. The Julie is chocolate ice cream with marshmallows on top. The Rocco is chocolate peanut butter with whipped cream and sprinkles). We both opted for hand dipped ice cream on a cone. The ice cream was Ruggle's and I had the Black Cherry while my husband had Raspberry Chocolate Chip Cheesecake. A cake cone was our only option. This slightly saddened us because we both prefer a sugar cone, but we've found more and more places only offer a cake cone or a choice between cake or waffle cone. To me the cake cone just doesn't have much flavor and a waffle cone is just to0 big for the one dip I usually strive for. But oh well, it's truly not that big of a deal.

My Black Cherry was great! Lovely flavor with tons of big chunks of cherry. However, I was not so fond of my husband's Raspberry Chocolate Chip Cheesecake. I think maybe there were too many flavors going on. The chocolate tasted of pretty poor quality and there was an artificial flavoring taste that I didn't care for. But that's just my opinion. My husband was happy enough with his selection, even though he did state next time he'd try something else. All in all it was ice cream at a place with more character than most. I was pretty happy with it.

Next time I'd love to try some of their regular food such as the fried cauliflower or really fried just about anything!

We may keep changing our route to Michigan in other ways, but I have a feeling we'll be headed into New Hampshire many more times.

Bill total: 2 ice cream cones, 1 dip each $4

Overall Rating: 3 buckeyes

The Buckeye Goes to Enemy Territory

Mexican Bar and Grill
9740 Cherry Valley Ave SE
Caledonia, Michigan 49316
September 6, 2009
8ish pm

Yep, I'm a part of a blended family. That is, part of us support and are alumni of OSU and the other (blech) support and are alumni of Michican. This also means that we have a family cottage on a very small lake in western Michigan to which we make frequent visits in the summer. So this venture into enemy territory is nothing new to me (and I hate to have to admit it, but I really rather enjoy it).

Since we make the trip so frequently I also attempt to find new places to try out there, but it is quite a bit harder there than it is in Columbus due to us being located very close to the middle of nowhere. However, on my last drive through Hastings I became interested in a cute little microbrewery named Walldorff Brew Pub and Bistro. I inquired about this place to our neighbors and everyone had good things to say. So Sunday evening during Labor Day weekend my husband and I decided we'd give it a try. Now those of you who are perceptive will have noticed that Walldorff's is not the restaurant tag line for this post and that is where the story comes from.

Sunday was a beautiful day and looked like it would be a perfect evening on the lake. For a little while we did debate about whether or not to just stay at the cottage and enjoy the weather, but the thought of a burger and trying a new beer lured us out. Around 5 I stopped throwing the stick for our dog Gracie, and started to get ready for dinner.

(I couldn't resist an opportunity to add a pic of my Gracie. She's jumping off the dock in a quest for her stick in this one!)

We got in the car and as the evening sun was beginning to set we drove through quintessential Midwestern farmland. We passed dairy cows, old barns, cornfields, and the occasional bonfire around rusted out cars by the trailer park (no joke, wish I had a picture of that one)! Ahhh....sweet Michigan. How similar you really are to OH-IO.

As we approached town I noted how peaceful the town seemed. So sleepy, so quiet. But then I realized this also meant my restaurant also seemed sleepy and quiet. No, no, no, no, no! Apparently we've lived with city conveniences for too long. It had completely slipped our minds that a part of small town life is still closing on Sundays. Personally, I really can't imagine this anymore, but I know it is how people lived for centuries. But seriously, what do these people do when they want a relaxing Sunday evening with no cooking? Obviously, they don't come into Hastings :) We sullenly pulled into the empty parking lot and discussed what to do about dinner.

It was getting too late for me to want to cook, but it seemed like the only option around was fast food. Then I happened to remember a funny Mexican place we had passed numerous times on our way to the grocery store. It had previously been a down home, log cabin inspired restaurant named Big-O-Fish. (Yes. Really, Big-O-Fish.) However, the fish fry didn't make it and a Mexican place had taken over...and from the looks of the outside they hadn't gotten around to changing the hunting/fishing decor yet. I was intrigued. Sometimes these places end up being great, almost as if they have such a need to get their awesome food out there they have no time to worry about silly things like decor. But we also knew it was just as likely to be a big fail. However, we (and our growling stomachs) decided we were up for the gamble. I'm not generally one to turn down the chance for Mexican and a margarita. However, I must admit it didn't have its usual draw due to me spending most of my day dreaming about a burger and beer, but I was willing to make the sacrifice.

We drove up to the previous Big-O-Fish (I just love typing that name) and were in luck; it was open! I was exactly right about them not changing the cabin decor. Big wood bar stools greeted us through the door and a back room still had murals of mountains, streams, and furry animals. However, the mural in the main dining room had been changed to a more typical Mexican scene. I'm sure changing the hunting scene is right up there on their to do list :)

We laugh about the decor as we take out seats. We see the drink special of the day is a Sangarita (a combination of sangria and a margarita) for $2 and figure we'll give it a shot. Unfortunately we figured dead wrong. The wine they used was obviously cheap and of very poor quality. I guess this is a case of you get what you pay for, but I wouldn't even bother putting this on the menu if this is the quality I had to use. Its metallic/minerally taste overshadowed everything and I couldn't appreciate the sour of the margarita in contrast to the sweetness of sangria that made trying a sangarita appealing. My husband decided to take one for the team and he finished both drinks while I ordered a regular margarita on the rocks. This was much better and exactly as expected. It was obviously from a mix rather than from a lime juice base, but at this type of restaurant that's what I would expect. It served its purpose and quenched my desire for a margarita, and rid the taste of the sangarita from my mouth!

Our server was very friendly and brought us chips and salsa immediately. The chips were good and the salsa was tolerable, but bland for my taste. The tomatoes were from a can, but they could have worked had they had some fresh ingredients added in such as cilantro to kick up the flavor. But without fresh herbs it ended up tasting similar to a prepared salsa you'd get at the store.

Our server promptly took our order and our food was served quickly. My husband ordered chiraquiries (sp??) Mexicano (pretty please ignore spelling, we forgot to write down entree names before the menus were taken) which were corn tortilla chips smothered in chicken, tomatillo salsa, and queso blanco. They were served with rice, lettuce, guacamole, and sour cream on the side. This was actually very good and definitely the highlight of our visit. The tomatillo salsa had a wonderful flavor and an additional kick of spice that was unexpected. The tortilla chips when mixed with the other ingredients had a stronger flavor than I had noted when eating them with salsa and actually reminded me a little of Fritos flavoring, but in a good way (as weird and unbelievable as that sounds). Here is a shot of this dish.

I ordered 2 chicken enchiladas and a beef tamale. The tamale was excellent. It had a very thick corn mix outside and a ground beef filling with lots of flavor. Everything was covered in a red sauce that I just wasn't a fan of. It was too bitter. Probably there was too much cinnamon added for my taste, but on a positive note the heat of the sauce was just right. The filling in the enchiladas was good with shredded chicken, green peppers, and black pepper flavors shining through. However, the tortillas were a little too soggy. Here is a pic of my dish (with that lovely Sangarita).

I ordered my food a la carte, so that's why there isn't rice, beans, guacamole, etc.

Overall, this restaurant had some spots of brightness with their service, tamales, and chiraquries (sp???). However, there is lots more that could be improved. The decor would definitely be forgivable and maybe even kitschy if the food was fantastic. But with off decor and more misses that hits with the food I wouldn't suggest stopping here if you're driving through western Michigan. Instead, just make sure you pass through Monday through Saturday and try out Walldorff's for me. I know that will be my next plan! Or you can continue into Grand Rapids and try Rose's on Reeds Lake, my personal western Michigan favorite.

Bill total: 2 sangaritas, 1 margarita, 1 tamale, 2 chicken enchiladas, and 1 chiraqueries Mexicano entree, plus tip= $35

Overall Rating: 2 buckeyes

Skyline Fix

Skyline
September 2, 2009
6ish pm

I was weak.

I try to be healthy and fit throughout the week. I really do. I try to splurge only on the weekends. But alas, this becomes exceedingly more difficult as the school year marches on.

However, it's probably not a good sign that this is only the second week of school and it's happening already.

All through the summer I worked out out at the gym, swam at the pool, and made fabulously healthy (and yummy) dinners. I was the epitome of health conscious. I had will power. I had stamina.

Eight days into the new school year and it's gone. Today the health deck was stacked against me. I left work later than usual and checking up on emails at home resulted in me missing my favorite Zumba class. I reasoned with myself that I would just take a later spin class and then run home and fix a quick salad for myself for dinner. I knew I was on my own for the evening due to the husband's fantasy football draft. I knew there were already 2 strikes against me (1 being missing my preferred class, 2 being I knew the husband would not be around to cook or eat dinner with), but that was okay. Health would prevail because I had a plan!

So, dutifully, on I went to the gym. I checked in and ran up to my class. I was on my way! But, "Nooo!" Stopped in my tracks by the teacher. Now I admit I am quite picky about my spin classes. I desperately need a peppy teacher with rockin' music to get me through, or after about 10 minutes into things I feel like the bike is moving in mud and I'm about to fall over the handlebars flat on my face. I want to stop hearing the sappy music and give up with every peddle I push and deep, haggard breath I take. Unfortunately, from past experience I knew this class, with this teacher, was not going to be worth it for me. Double drat! I turned on my heal and convinced myself that it was okay, I would just get some lifting in instead. However, when I lift, I record my weights and exercises in a book that I had left in the car. No problemo, I'd just run right out, get my book and my workout would begin.

But then I got to my car, and all of a sudden I felt so tired. I didn't really want to lift and I was HUNGRY. Gosh darn it, I had had a hard day! Before I knew it there was a flash of yellow and blue checks in my mind and the old commercial tag line, "Whenever you're feeling good and hungry.....", starts playing in my head. At this point I was powerless and my mind was turning. It thought all on its own, "That's right, Skyline is just a few minutes from my gym." Strike 3 and I was out of the workout game. Why oh why do so many restuarants have to be within a mile radius of my gym?

Before I knew it my car was in the takeout line and my order of a classic 3-way was placed. As I waited I did have a moment of doubt. I still had time to make a healthy decision..... But then that spicy smell that can only mean Skyline wafted into my car as the cashier opened the window to the car before me and, Mmmmm. I knew I was right where I was supposed to be.

I quickly drove home with eager anticipation of my dinner. I got out a refreshing Coke (Side note: It was a Mexican Coke, thus explaining the glass bottle). Regardless of the debate of whether or not high fructose corn syrup is any better or worse for you than cane sugar, Coke made with cane sugar just tastes better. Seriously. Try it. It's a revelation and the taste you've been missing for years. I especially enjoy it with dinners like this that remind me of home and my childhood. I grew up near Cincinnati where Skyline and Coke were family traditions, especially on busy activity filled nights after school. Similar, in many ways, to the night I just had. What a comforting thought....

Anyway back to the food. Part of enjoying Skyline is prepping it just how you like it. Of course, there's debate between the 3, 4, and 5-way (a debate about adding onions, beans, or both to the mix). Oyster crackers mixed in or on the side. Hot sauce in the mix, on the crackers as an oyster bomb, or left out completely. But that's just the beauty of the food. Everyone has their way. Ha Ha, get it? 3-way, 4-way, their way :) I'm sure you're amazed by my sophisticated humor.

I like mine with 3/4 of the cheese piled on the spaghetti/meat mixture and 1/4 of my cheese left over for snacking plain. There's just something special about the texture of the finely grated Skyline cheese that I love to taste all on its own, in a big handful. On top of the spaghetti, meat, and cheese mix I use 2-3 packets of hot sauce. Just enough to feel it in your sinuses, but not enough to burn. Then the oyster crackers are left, by themselves, for a last finishing crunch after everything else is done.

Ahhh....."Whenever you're feeling good and hungry, at last...it's Skyline time."

Bill total: Regular 3-way $4.99

Overall Rating: 5 buckeyes (based on value and how much I want to return someday)

Tapas at Barrio

Barrio
Spanish Tapas
August 29, 2009
10 ish pm

After watching an amazing movie, Julie & Julia, I have been inspired to do what already 99.9% of the American population has already done…….wait for it……..start a blog.

Ahhh, yes I think I can actually hear people clicking this page closed and internally groaning “not another one”. Yet, that does not stop me nor 99.8% of other bloggers. We have something to say, and who cares if only my husband is reading it (thanks honey!), we’re going to write it.

But unfortunately Julie & Julia did not inspire me to do something amazing like work through a cookbook, blog about 100 restaurants in 100 days, or travel to 30 destinations in 30 days (and yes, my heart did soar when hearing about the Jet Blue pass for about one nanosecond before I remembered that I have a full time job that I do depend on for sustenance. The curse of not being independently wealthy forever follows me).

What I’ve decided to do is chronicle my rare evenings out to dinner. Not much brings me more joy than getting to dress up, driving around town, and trying out a new place to eat. However, I’m also pretty health and money conscious so I attempt to limit my habit to one time per week and if I happen to go to an event or house gathering with friends that often counts as my “night out”. This results in my habit being fed just a few times a month. But I almost think this makes it better. This makes me prioritize the dozens of restaurants I’ve yet to try and dream about what the experience will be like. This makes the picking of the restaurant become almost as fun as the actual experience. On the other hand this also makes the heartbreak of a bad dinner out all the more painful, but luckily I don’t have a ton of those experiences.

But enough about what this is all about, let’s get on to the food!

My husband and I arrived at Bario around 10 pm. I was immediately impressed with the airy feeling the open windows gave the place as we drove around the block to park. It is definitely reminiscent of a Mediteranean style bar. The parking was close and the attendant nicely asked if we were going to Bario and then gave us a 10% off coupon when we said yes. However, we promptly forgot to use the coupon when paying our bill and thus my love/hate relationship with the coupon continues, but that story is for another time (and I hear you hoping it’s not going to be a blog story). Regardless, it was a nice gesture on the part of the parking attendant.

The place is busy, but not overly crowded and we are promptly seated with no reservation. It is a mostly 20 to 30 something aged crowd, which probably has something to do with being out to dinner at 10 pm more than anything else. There are groups of friends enjoying food and drinks and quiet couples enjoying each other. The restaurant is on the darker side, which seemed to encourage intimacy. There is an evening chill in the restaurant due to the open windows, but I have a jacket and I wouldn’t want to give up the fresh, airy feeling in place of a few degrees of warmth. There are too many months in Ohio when the windows HAVE to be closed, I’m not for giving up any time when they don’t.

We quickly get started looking over the menu and try to decide on a drink. I’ve been craving a sultry red wine and begin to look over the list. Now, I have drunk my fair share of wine, but I am by no means an aficionado. I try to learn more with each bottle I buy and glass I order, but pairing food with wine is something I am a novice at. So at this point, I pick what sounds good and then evaluate my choice with my meal later.

The wine list was not extensive, but seemed to have a great sampling of Spanish and South American wines. I tried a glass of the Veleta Nolados from Spain. It is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Tempranillo. I must say this is now one of my favorite wines. When the glass was placed in front of me you could already smell the bouquet. The smell was heady and luscious and I couldn’t wait to taste it. The taste did not disappoint! Smooth and velvety texture, but not too thick. Fruit flavors, but not overwhelmingly fruity. Elegant, with a touch of acid in the finish that slightly cleansed the mouth. Pure heaven for me and everything I look for in a red wine. Now I just have to figure out who sells this locally! I am already imagining myself popping open a bottle as I start to braise meet for a stew.

We immediately order the Spanish olives to start. We were truly trying to relive the bar scene in Italy, where we spent 10 days this past summer. I imagine Spain has a similar style, but so far it's still on my travel to do list. There were a good number of olives with a mix of green and brown, large and small. They were topped with some shaved queso fresco. Overall, they did their job. I felt I was back in Italy enjoying a drink after a long and blissful day of sightseeing. I will say the olives didn’t taste quite as fresh as they do when you get them in Italy, but I don’t think there is any way to help that given the length they need to travel!

Next up, we tried small plates of the beef tacos, crab and goat cheese empanadas, and papas fritas (French fries).

The beef tacos were wonderful. Three soft tortillas served with chopped beef and a pickled cabbage and jalepeno slaw. Yum, yum, yum! You assemble the tacos yourself and there is enough beef to make 3 very generous tacos. I must say I was impressed with the quality of the beef. I had expected something ground, and the chopped texture was a nice surprise. The pickled cabbage added a hint of sweetness and the jalapeno added a bit of flavor pop, but not too much heat. Just excellent, overall.

The crab and goat cheese empanadas were also good (3 to an order), but I wouldn’t call them excellent. The pastry dough was done to perfection. Light, flaky layers with just the right amount of chew and fried just right. However, it was the filling that didn’t make me jump up and down. You could definitely taste the crab in the filling and the goat cheese made the texture wonderfully creamy, but I couldn’t pick out any more flavors and overall I felt it tasted a little bland. Some extra flavor in the mix would have bumped it up a notch.

Our third plate was papas fritas, explained as fried potatoes on the menu. Now technically they are fried potatoes. However, when I think of fried potatoes I think of potatoes cubed and fried with various seasonings. When I think of long strips of potatoes fried, I call them French fries. Now maybe I’m being nitpicky, but I was expecting fried cubes of potatoes with Spanish seasonings. What I got was a big plate of French fries. Had I known I was ordering French fries, I think I would have tried something else. I’ve eaten a lot of French fries, I haven’t eaten a lot of traditional Spanish food.

That being said, none of this stopped us from eating every single fry they gave us. The fries were fabulous. Skin on and slender, they reminded me of a less thickly cut fair fry, but not nearly as greasy as most fair fries. The outside had a nice crunch, while the inside was creamier. The fries were served with a sherry vinegar aioli and topped with chopped garlic and herbs. The garlic added a nice bite of flavor to the fries and I was so impressed by the taste of the aioli. The sherry added an unexpected sweetness and the consistency was so light and airy. I would love this on a turkey sandwich or various other foods. I may want to drink it straight! However, I did not love it on my fries. I tried it on a few fries, but it did not make me want to go back for more. The aioli was so delicate and light that I felt the garlicky fries overpowered it too much. I needed a sauce with a little more acid to cut through the strong taste of the fries. I know serious chefs everywhere will be cursing me, but I would have preferred ketchup.

Bill total (2 glasses of wine, husband’s gimlet, olives, 3 tacos, 3 empanadas, and fries, including tip): $65

And that’s it for Barrio. Would I go back? Definitely. Will it be soon? Probably not, unless some friends invite me. I have a long list of restaurants to try out and precious little time for dinners out.
Overall Rating: 4 Buckeyes