I-80 East to New York

Mary's Diner
666 East Main Street
Geneva, OH 44041
(440) 466-6393

THIS MAKES TWO trips to Mary's Diner in my last two trips to Ohio. I'm quite happy with this trend. Mary's serves up classic diner fare in a classic diner setting. It's comfort food. I love it. In particular, I loved the pumpkin pancakes. Tis the season, after all.

In other news, I-80 East was not nearly as quick a drive as I-80 West. Adam and I spent at least an hour and a half sitting in traffic at various points along the way. Which sucked. At the the fall foliage was a pleasant backdrop? To make matters worse, this not-driving part of our drive ensured that we would arrive in New York well after the start of the Indians-Red Sox game. This put us in a bad mood.

Objects in mirror are closer than they appear

You know what made it worse? The part where, once finally back in the city, the Indians lost the third of three consecutive games to crash out of the playoffs and send Boston to the World Series. Blargh!

Speaking of blargh, we did stop for lunch/dinner somewhere halfway across Pennsylvania. Adam wanted Arby's. So, I got a milkshake. That was my dinner. I love roadtrips.

If You Lived Here, You'd Be Home Now

Piero's Pasta House
5367 Lake Road East
Geneva-On-The-Lake, OH 44041
(440) 466-2498

NO SOUND IS more comforting than the crashing of waves washing up on the shore of Lake Erie, and there is no better time to hear them than first thing in the morning as they wash you out of sleep. Of course, nothing makes their wake-up call more worth heading than the knowledge that a blue and white-striped box of Madsen's Donuts awaits you downstairs. Madsen's Donuts, as has been previously noted, sells the finest creme sticks, jelly sticks, cinnamon sticks, chocolate-glazed, cinnamon-sugared, and powder sugar-dusted doughnuts this side of anywhere (sorry, Peter Pan). The frosted and sprinkled varieties aren't half-bad either. Get 'em $8.20 a dozen, and just try to not eat more than one a day.

For dinner, aside from doughnuts (which, rest assured, is a side dish), we stopped by Piero's Pasta House. This place has been written up by several Cleveland-area newspapers (that a local paper would recommend its readers make an hour's drive is no small accomplishment) and alongside Alessandro's is one-half the dynamic Italian duo of Geneva-On-The-Lake. The pasta is suspiciously fresh, the sauces light but rich, and there always seems to be a crowd inside, even in the town's off-season when the Lake Road strip is eerily deserted.

Dessert, a peach bread pudding made by my mother, was so good I've asked for the recipe so I can make it and pass it along. It was the perfect way to cap off a day of delicious treats, even if the Indians couldn't cap it off with a trip to the World Series. There's always tomorrow?

BRUNCH!: Mary's Diner

Mary's Diner
666 Main Street (Rt. 20)
Geneva, OH 44041
(440) 466-6393

THIS MUST BE, without question, one of the finest trips I've ever made home, considering only food consumed, and excluding, of course, my grandmother and her homemade meatballs (may they both rest in peace). It's been a good trip for eating, and this fine Sunday afternoon we added Mary's Diner in Geneva to our growing list of good eats.

For a recent renovation, Mary's pulls of the period-appointed look better than most. The floor is checkered, ceiling as shiny as the exterior, coffee hot, service warm, and neon glowing all around. The food is cheap, too. My grandfather and I both ordered the banana nut pancakes ($3.99) and my ma chose an omelet ($5.99). I also ordered a side of mac n' cheese (um, because it was on the menu), which prompted our waitress to rightfully remark, "That's an odd combination." I agreed with her and promised to keep them separate on my plate.

Mixing these two is not necessarily a taste sensation

The mac n' cheese turned up glowing all sorts of orange. On seeing this I immediately suspected American cheese was involved, and on tasting this was confirmed. A bit abrasive, I'll admit, for mac n' cheese, but still enjoyable. The pancakes, on the contrary, were entirely supurb. Rather than mixing the banana-nut combo into the batter, a warm compote of crushed peanuts and walnuts was mixed with maple syrup, topped with bananas, and delivered on the side to be poured over our pancakes.

Incredible. The abundance of peanuts gave a saltier, more savory flavor to the pancakes than the more commonly used (and sweeter) pecan-walnut pairing, and in mixing them with warm syrup inspired me to repeat this simple improvement at home. As long as you keep your pancakes apart from your mac n' cheese, you can't go wrong.

Please do try this at home

I should also mention here the dessert my mom and I assembled last night and finally stuck in the oven this afternoon: a pear-raspeberry tart that turns out more like a pie and is remarkably simple to assemble from scratch. Recipe forthcoming. For now, enjoy the pictures:


MIKE EATS NEXT TIME: Why not; he'll prolly make the tart some coming weekend, too.

Madsen Donuts, Since 1938

Madsen Donuts
5426 Lake Road East
Geneva-On-The-Lake, OH 44041
(440) 466-5884

MY DOUGHNUT LOVE runs deep and at Madsen is where it begins. I have few fonder childhood memories than waking up over July 4th weekend, wandering downstairs and out to the front porch to find family members gathered about boxes of doughnuts. Thinking about it now, there may have been twice the number of doughnuts sitting on the table than family sitting around it. Given the size of my family, that's a rather remarkable accomplishment.

There's always room for doughnuts

We've discussed my love for doughnuts before, specifically regarding a variety found here in Greenpoint. Nothing, however, competes with the creme sticks found at Madsen--the unbelievably chocolaty frosting, the light marshmallow filling, the spongy fried dough--for which hungry Madsen's customers line up daily, stretching out the screen door of the 70-year-old establishment. The jelly-filled, sugar-covered sticks are my personal favorite, with a jelly filling that tastes like jam rather than fake fruit; the almost-crispy cinnamon sticks get snapped up just as quick. And, all day, tray after tray, Madsen sets out a stready stream of freshly-made doughnuts to replenish those bought as quickly as patrons can carry them away. It's positively ritualistic.

Which is why here, in Geneva-On-The-Lake, doughnuts are served with every meal, and sometimes in-between. Eat up.

MIKE EATS NEXT TIME: He probably already did.

The Italian Re-Birth of a Dairy Queen

Alessandro's
6540 Lake Road West
Geneva-On-The-Lake, OH
(440) 964-5766

AS FAMILY LEGEND goes, my grandfather first came up (and kept coming) to Geneva-On-The-Lake when the little Lake Erie town was in its resort-town heyday. That was during the 1930s and 1940s. In the 1950s he bought the now-century-old lakeside house he still owns and the family, to this day, still frequents. He bought the house the same year my mother, the middle of seven children, was born, and with this small army waiting in the wings he decided to make another purchase: a Dairy Queen franchise.

The kids all had college tuition to earn and, besides, they needed something to keep them busy in the summer. So, this was the trade off--make ice cream now, go to college later. The stories from those Dairy Queen days are nearly endless in my family. Business was brisk through the 60s, died off with the town's waning, aging popularity during the 70s, and by the 80s the former hot spot was mostly abandoned save for a few buckets of marshmallow topping.

The 'old Dairy Queen' was re-imagined as an Italian restaurant in the mid-90s by my uncle, but the food never won over any of the locals. It was sold to another Italian man in 2001, Alessandro , a native Italian, who promised to try the same Italian trick. The town said it would never stick. They weren't expecting the food to be so damn good.

How good is the food at Alessandro's? Really, really good.

For the first time in 40 years the parking lot off Lake Road is packed just as it used to be, with lines of waiting customers spilling out the doors. The town may be run down a bit more than it used to be, like the old Dairy Queen's exterior, but the new life inside owes a debt to the fantastic food coming out of the kitchen (that folks in this town will line up to pay $12-plus for a plate of pasta should tell you just how good it is).

Alessandro's, in truth, is part of an slow but sudden revival in this once-thriving resort haven, by many accounts Ohio's very first. While fun, games, and dancing have all been parts of its heritage (my grandfather boasts of getting Cab Calloway's autograph after a 1930s dance), fine food has never been a fine point in any of the stories I've been told. Doughnut shops, ice cream parlors, a few pizza establishments--these are the vendors of Geneva-On-The-Lake's past. Alessandro's is one for its future.

My linguine with zucchini and seafood was infinitely better than a similar dish I ate at New York landmark Patsy's just earlier this week; that pasta, zucchini, shrimp, and crab can all be cooked in one dish and not one wind up overcooked is remarkable to me. My mother's mushroom ravioli were light and rich, with tiny cherry tomatoes brightening up the dish, and my grandfather's meat lasanga, by all reports, wonderful. The antipasti platter of mushroom and tomato bruschetta (garlicky without overpowering) with tomato, mozzarella and basil on fresh focaccia was simple yet exciting.

It's a far cry from the days of toppings fights and "Rose and Tony's pepperonis" pizza, but it's new life in a place with seriously great heritage, Dilly Bars and all.

MIKE EATS NEXT TIME: Most certainly.

Back in 'The Heart of it All'

Coyoacan Mexican Grill
137 Lincoln Avenue
Youngstown, OH 44507

SOMEWHERE, I HAVE a construction paper poster of "fun Ohio facts" as assembled once upon a time by my friend Jane from photos and captions found in a 1970s informational brochure about my home state. It's a stunning portrait of Midwestern life well worth the money Jane spent on glue and postage. I'll dig it up and post it here the next time I'm headed to Ohio, even if it's a bit scathing (it was assembled, it should be noted, by someone from a state--Massachusetts--that never fails to pass the "what's the first thing you think of if I say..." test with a resounding "pilgrim"). But I digress.

I'm in Ohio. I flew in this morning with my DayQuil-muted cold and two suitcases of dirty laundry. Still fairly tired, I'll try to keep this on point: food. While this morning's airport coffee was actually quite good, and this evening's post-graduation gathering in honor of my cousin Joey certainly worth remarking upon, it's this afternoon's lunch at Coyoacan on which we'll focus.

We heard about next door neighbor University Pizza on my last Ohio trip, and while I did eat at Coyoacan on that same stint, I couldn't remember the name of the place to mention it. Bad omen? Maybe. Coyoacan is confusing. First, the layout is stupid. The glass-walled order/food assembly area and cashier's counter could not possibly be more awkwardly arranged; the cashier's spot comes first as you walk in, but you actually bypass it and order unceremoniously over a glass wall around the corner, retrace your steps towards the entrance to pay, then walk back past the wall and waiting customers to get to the dining room. Secondly, the food is made as mind-numbingly slow as it is painfully overwrought to order (the menu is listed on the wall behind the cashier... around the corner from where you actually order). But that's not the confusing part.

The confusing part is that the food is really good. You wouldn't suspect it from the seemingly mundane piles of beans and toppings, or from the perpetually confused way in which the staff goes about preparing your order. It's no four-star cuisine, but the soft flour tacos are appropriately chewy, the toppings and guacamole countering by being surprisingly fresh and crunchy, and when the salty beans and sweet cheese mix it up with the spicy salsas, you're quite happy you came. It's a quick lunch, if you don't mind spending 20 minutes figuring out how to order.

MIKE EATS NEXT TIME: He's got a hankering for Tex-Mex in Youngstown. And time. And patience.

Spring Break, Part VII: On The Road Again

Le Chatelaine
1550 W. Lane Avenue
Columbus, OH 43221
(614) 488-1911

A LONG DAY. After visiting Sara, Chris, and nine-month-old Jonathan last evening, and stopping by see Stella and Mandy one last time, today Mint flies back to Brooklyn and my mom and I are driving ten hours south to Wilmington, NC. Yes, that's a long drive.

For lunch, my uncle John invited us to meet him at Le Chatelaine, a french bistro just west of the city on Lane Avenue. I had never been to or heard of the place, so we had no idea what to expect. For anyone visiting Le Chatelaine for the first time, I can see why that might make for a confusing experience.

The bread and pastry counter that dominates the entrance is certainly inviting, but the cafeteria-style food counter would certainly throw a few for a loop. Don't be put off, though--the bread, the food, everything at Le Chatelaine is incredible. The entire restaurant was literally built arond its bread oven, which should give you an idea how seriously they take their food here.

With no pretense of fanfare, just file through and order what you like. The tomato basil soup was fantastic, and all of our sandwiches, on house-baked baguettes, were delicious and made with fresh-cut veggies and meats. Le Chatelaine serves up authentic, hommade French meals just as you find them in France.

From there, Mint and I met my mom back at my aunt and uncle's house, where we packed up and drove to the airport, dropped Mint off, and headed south on Rt. 33. We took I-77 through West Virginia to I-74 and, several hours later, finally turned east onto I-40 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It was about 3 a.m. when I-40 dumped us out into Wilmington. And for the record: my mom got a speeding ticket.

MIKE EATS NEXT TIME: Yes, even if it's only for the bread and sweet stuff.

Spring Break, Part VI: Skully's Music vs. Diner

Skully's Music Diner
1151 N. High Street
Columbus, Ohio 43201
(614) 291-8856
www.skullys.org

SKULLY'S MUSIC DINER is one of those places that wasn't around until after I left Columbus some seven years ago. Sitting on High Street between downtown and the campus of Ohio State University, I've passed it by on several visits but never stopped in. I knew it was a club by night, but, discovering they also served breakfast after noon, we figured we'd give it a try this morning.

This brings up a pretty good rule that is appropriately mentioned right now: eating food at any music venue should be done with great caution. Alcoholic, grumbling, dirty road-bound rockers and food preparation really don't mix (though, The Cake Shop on New York's Lower East Side, however, immediately strikes me as an exception to this rule.) Fortunately, or not, we were hungry enough to not care.

We immediately ruined our breakfast plans by ordering fried mac n' cheese bites as an appetizer. They were, of course, disgusting, but amazing in their orange, gooey grossness. Had we been hungover, they would have been the stuff of legends. They were followed by a rather bland breakfast burrito for me and an order of steak and eggs for Mint that showed up looking remarkably classy--a huge cut of good-looking beef with two over-easy eggs (the dish comes with an absolutely unnecessary three, and she wisely requested one less.)

In the end, we would have had a more all-around satisfactory meal at any hole-in-the-wall diner, but then again Mint certainly isn't complaining about her steak and eggs. So, I'll leave this one up to someone else.

MIKE EATS NEXT TIME: Porbably not, unless Mint tells him to.

Spring Break, Part V: Onward! Columbus!

Katzinger's Deli
475 S. 3rd Street
Columbus, Ohio
(614) 228-3354
www.katzingers.com

I LEFT WARREN early enough to make the three hour drive to Columbus before Mint's flight arrived. After two days on the road and four days with my ma, it was time for my five or sixth city and phase two of my "Spring Break" trip: babies.

Specifically, friends' babies. We met up, first, with Mandy and almost five-month-old Stella at Katzinger's Deli in Columbus. Which is sort of an odd place to see your friend's baby for the first time, but we were all really hungry and Kyle, father of said baby, was still at work. That, and Mark, another friend, works at said deli.

How I managed to grow up in Columbus and never visit Katzinger's sort of surprises me. Yes, it's just a deli, but it's pretty flipping fantastic. I mean, just click on that link and read the menu. And Mark recommended some sandwich that wasn't even on it (you order by number, and numbers do come and go from the menu), which turned out to be piles of melted goat cheese with fresh spinach and olive spread. Mint's matzoh ball soup was reportedly great, and Mandy's sandwich was, as is often the case, enough for two meals.

Next, as if that wasn't enough for one day, we headed for dinner at my aunt and uncle's house (whose kids, Evan and Ellie, I have known since they were babies, if that counts towards my theme), where both Gloria and John are better cooks than I'll ever hope to be. My uncle's recipe for homemade gnocchi (NOTE: which is included in a later post) left us both wondering why we ever bother ordering the stuff when we're out to eat. Along with the fresh bread and Explorateur cheese Mark sold us from Katzinger's--more than enough for one day.

MIKE EATS NEXT TIME: And hopefully soon.

Spring Break, Part IV: Italian, Again?

Winslow's Cafe,
at The Butler Institute of American Art
524 Wick Avenue
Youngstown, OH 44502
(330) 746-8600

Alberini's
1201 Youngstown-Warren Road
Niles, OH 44446
(330) 652-5895
www.alberinis.com

I UNDERSTAND YOUNGSTOWN might not be at the top of everyone's travel list. I know that Warren and Niles certainly aren't, unless you've got family there, in which case, why have we not met, or, are we related?

That said, chances are you've passed though Pittsburgh or Cleveland or will sometime in your future. If you do, and you've got a car, and you've got a day to spare, perhaps you'll make the trip. At least that's your justification for reading this.

Winslow's Cafe at The Butler Institute of American Art is nowhere near as pretentious as it sounds, I promise. You do not need a monocle, a cane, and a fur coat to enter, though, that would be hilarious. Winslow's, simply, is a food counter of sorts that serves the museum, albeit deliciously. It's quick, it's cheap, and it has an awesome black bean burger with soft chipolte cheese that goes well with their sweet, spicy corn relish.

The museum itself is pretty great too. My mom, who teaches Physical Therapy at YSU, and I always wind up passing through both Winslow's and the museum each trip I make home, probably because both are so thoroughly enjoyable. The Butler, for a small museum, has a sprawling collection of American art worth seeing.

For dinner, Alberini's actually sits in nearby Niles, about halfway between Youngstown and Warren on the appropriately named Youngstown-Warren Road. To say that Alberini's is the best Italian restaurant in the area is an understatement. To then note that the area is full of first and second generation Italian immigrants makes the prior statement a high compliment.

For me, I will admit, the family connection is strong--my grandfather sold Richard Alberini the land to build his restaurant decades ago. Since then, it has thrived; the two good friends remained so for many years. Richard passed away recently, though, and our dinner was my grandfather's first visit to the restaurant without his friend roaming its dining rooms.

To sum it up, the menu at Alberini's is Italian food at its most perfect. Everything you should expect--the sauces, the recipes, and gnocchi handmade and cooked like should be. In fact, it may be the only place I've ever eaten Italian food in this country that tastes like it does in Italy. High compliment, certainly. Of course, I'm entirely biased. But, if you make the drive and don't agree... well, the ghost of Richard will ruin your meatballs for eternity. I promise.

MIKE EATS NEXT TIME: I always seem to, yes.

Spring Break, Part III: Pizza in the Heart of It All

University Pizzeria & Italian Eatery
133 Lincoln Avenue
Youngstown, OH 44503
(330) 743-9244
www.universitypizzeria.com

FINDING GOOD PIZZA in Ohio is nearly impossible. Everywhere you go is seemingly overrun with chain after chain serving up cheep, terrible pies. And most small Italian joints don't even bother making the attempt or they just pass off the same, sad imitation that's become standard. There are few exceptions to this rule.

Which doesn't mean that you can't find incredible Italian food in Ohio or the occasional bastion off great pizza hope, you just have to look really, really hard. It's a a bit easier here, up in the northeast corner of the state, where many Italian immigrants settled at the turn of the last century, and where their families are still to be found.

I have to admit, still, I didn't even believe my own brother when he started working at University Pizza (or U-Pie to locals) a few years back, claiming they made a great pie. But they do. It might not quite live up to expectations in New York or Chicago, but sitting right on the edge of Youngstown State University's campus it's far and away the most solid option you've got in Youngstown.

Everything is fresh and creative. We had the spinach and tomato pie with garlic, Romano cheese and olive oil, and Brooklyn Brewery lagers from the bar (Brooklyn beers at any bar outside of NY state is always a good sign). But I should also recommend the Spinchoni pizza too--garlicky, spicy hot and everything you want in life. When you're looking for pizza in Youngstown.

MIKE EATS NEXT TIME: Of course.