Point Brugge Cafe - Pittsburgh

I get really excited when I come upon a new place that is absolutely terrific in every way. A friend of mine told me about these gem of a café a month or so ago…she was overly enthusiastic and I thought ya, ya, ya. She was right. I was wrong. Pittsburgh’s Point Brugge Café is a homerun.

Pittsburgh is my most favorite city in the world. Many people are intimidated by it, but it is actually much easier to get around than you think. Driving up Forbes Avenue from downtown just a couple of miles you reach Oakland and points northeast, including Shadyside and Squirrel Hill. These areas exude an ambience of capitalism at its best. This was America’s golden age, and I can't get enough of it.

Big old mansions, gothic architecture, museums, universities, shopping, restaurants…it doesn’t get any better than this. Switch from Forbes and continue along Fifth Avenue and you reach Penn Avenue, the outer border of this wonderful example of urban utopian vision and planning. Two main shopping areas, Squirrel Hill and Shadyside, dominate the area. The Squirrel Hill area has a heavy Jewish population. Stroll the neighborhood at noon on Saturday and you will see folks representing the different segments of the Jewish faith walking with their families after temple. Shadyside has two shopping areas…more traditional chains along Walnut…and more artsy stores along Ellsworth. Each has its own charms. From the Carnegie Museum and University of Pittsburgh to the Frick Museum and Park to Mellon Park to the Pittsburgh Arts Center Museum and Store…you cannot be bored here.

Sprinkled into the mix are an abundance of eating spots from those very chi chi to college hangouts. But I have come to the conclusion that Pittsburgh’s culinary strength is found in an abundance of smaller, independent café style restaurants. Along the south side’s Carson Street I have two favorites: the 17th Street Café and Dish Osteria. In the Oakland area I like the Café at the Frick. And to that list I am the adding Point Brugge Café.

This is the classic “boite”. It is a neighborhood restaurant that has raised casual food to an art form. It is located on Hastings Street at the bottom of a rather large hill in a charming Pittsburgh neighborhood that looks like it came from a Hollywood movie set. There are several of these cafes in this area, along with some minor commercial businesses, all of which are in converted houses or old, classic store fronts.

It takes a little bit of effort to find the place, but it is just a few blocks off the beaten path, which in this case is Fifth Avenue. I found it easily with a Google map, not even five minutes from either the Squirrel Hill or Shadyside shopping districts.

The café is busy all of the time. It has a no reservation policy so expect a wait at dinner. It is nothing spectacular on the inside, very plain with rustic bricks in the back dining area and booths along a bar in the front dining area. There is outdoor seating in good weather. The cafe claims Belgian overtones with Moules (mussels) served in classic Belgian sauces as its specialty. This is Hercule Poirot stuff…I am Belgian, madame, not French.

I don’t even know where to start. My wife and I enjoy a late lunch/early dinner meal on mid-Saturday afternoons as it beats the crush at either end. It was busy, but not overly so at 3:00. Let’s get to it. I had the best steak sandwich I ever had in my life, including the ones I make myself at home. I had a beer cheese soup that was out of this world…and I am BIG soup fan. My wife had a Cuban Panini sandwich which she said was unbelievably good. We shared an order of Frittes (Belgian French Fries), doubled fried with the potatoes actually melting in your mouth served unseasoned with a basil mayonnaise. We finished with a Sundae served with a Belgian chocolate sauce….oh Lordy.

These folks know what they are doing. I could have gone down the menu item by item and probably tried everything. Looking at the plates served to those to the left and right of us…tables are close….the food looked every bit as good.

Here’s the thing. You could actually taste all of the nuances of the ingredients. The beer cheese soup wasn’t thick and gooey like some of them can be. It was actually light…and you could taste the cheese AND the beer with a slight kick. It was a triumph. The steak sandwich actually had slices of cooked to perfection flank steak served with a brown ale au jus for dipping…not to mention the cheese and mayo on the sandwich which I thought when I ordered wouldn’t go with a dip. Wrong big Mark!! This ain’t your mama’s fajita.

Service was professional and prompt and helpful. It has a full service bar with a wide array of imported beers. It is not particularly kid friendly. Hurrah!!! Clientele seems to be the thirty something set which is fine with me…thirty something times 2!!!! Prices are reasonable with a lunch soup and sandwich combo in the $9.00 range. Dinners are in the upper teens and low twenties, but the dinner menu also offers sandwiches and appetizers which I suspect would be sufficient for most.

Four Meatballs plus plus  ++

Pointe Brugge Café is on my short list…Thanks, Becky, for the tip.

Point Brugge Café

401 Hastings Street
Point Breeze, Pittsburgh PA
Phone: 412-441-3334 

Fleming's Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar- Cleveland (Woodmere)

I am a carnivore and a real sucker for steakhouses.  I love big slabs of meat cooked at high temperatures that influence the magnetic pull of the earth.  Many Americans agree with me resulting in a plethora of these temples dedicated to America’s love affair with a good New York strip steak.  My iron must have been low this week, so I made reservations at Fleming’s Steakhouse located in Eaton Square in Woodmere.

Fleming’s is one of several national steakhouse chains throughout the United States ala Morton’s of Chicago and Sean Hannity’s favorite Ruths Chris Steakhouse.  My wife and I spend a lot of time in the Woodmere/Pepper Pike/Beachwood part of Cleveland, and have watched people flood into this branch of the national chain for several years now.  Now it was time to give it a go.

I dutifully made my reservations for Saturday night at the beginning of the week.  Looked at the website and knew going in I would have to visit the bank to take out a mortgage on my house to pay for dinner; looked at the provided menus which conveniently left out the prices…always a warning a sign.   We got dressed appropriately to match the sophisticated aura that oozed from the website. 

Truth be told, I am intimidated by restaurants of this caliber because I am just a lowly, hack lawyer from Youngstown who usually is happy with my plate of spaghetti and wedding soup.  I complain about fish dinners costing over $9.00.  I should have stuck with the spaghetti and fish dinners.  I was a little disappointed tonight, and for what it cost me, so was my wallet.

Maybe it’s because we eat out so much.  Maybe it’s because I am older and it takes more to impress me.  Maybe it’s because I don’t buy the schtick anymore.  Maybe it’s because I like going to places where I feel comfortable.  It just wasn’t a good experience…not a bad experience…just not a good experience.

Let’s start by saying that there is no recession at Fleming’s in Cleveland.  In fact, try getting a Saturday reservation to any of the large Cleveland steakhouses and you will quickly find that the “R” word is non-existent.  At some of the independent trendier places like Reds it is near impossible.  The closest we could get to the 7 – 8 o’clock hour was 6:45…worked for me.

Eaton Square is a difficult place to go to in the first place.  Parking is at a premium.  Fleming’s offers free valet parking as does Bravo Cucina right next door, but it is a logistical nightmare maneuvering through the drive and parking lot with cars EVERYWHERE from the two restaurant facilities.  Notwithstanding, the valets were very friendly and polite once we got up to them…and we were whisked into the reception area of the restaurant with the traditional bevy of ta-da girls perplexed that you are there for dinner and have a reservation.  What to do? What to do?

After they figured it out, they brought my wife and I to our table, which was almost inside the restaurant.  It was a booth in a corner right behind the hostess station with a view of a wall, brown paneled.  I am claustrophobic, and politely asked to be moved to a table actually inside the restaurant where I could breathe.  They did oblige, and as always once inside the restaurant at least half the tables were vacant…and I was looking at a wall because….(I might add within 1/2 hour the place was totally packed with folks lined up outside the door trying to get in).

We quickly discovered we were over dressed.  Obviously price has nothing to do with what people wear out these days…or what they do with their kids.  Here’s the picture folks…this is an extremely expensive restaurant.  I know about casual chic.  I know about dress denim.  But please…the line from casual chic to jeans and a tee shirt is not very long.  Is it too much to ask to at least put on a pair of nice slacks and a button down shirt?  And for God sakes…if you want to go out in a grungy tee shirt with your partner dressed the same way hauling your crumb grinder behind you…go to Denny’s.  This is no place for 2 year olds on a Saturday night.

The noise level in the dining room is high. After we were seated it took almost 30 minutes for the server to take our drink order.  She was pleasant enough I guess, but looked harried and pre-occupied and barely interested.  We had to ask for bread.  The tables are close, and the table next to ours was a 6 top round table.  The waiter for that table for some reason felt compelled to bend over the round top, pushing his very large and round ass right between me and my wife as we were attempting to eat our dinner.  It was literally in our face.  The full moon was rising on my right shoulder.  I am traumatized for life.

The drinks were skimpy.  I ordered an Old Fashioned, and there was some booze in it, I think.  My wife ordered a glass of Riesling, and it was brought out in this iddy biddy container and poured into this humongous glass with maybe three sips of wine.  At $10.00 per…I should have given the twenty bucks to the valet.

Let’s talk about the food.  This is an ala carte menu, which means you pay for your napkin.  The server did her best to get us to order two of everything.  You don’t need to do that.  My wife and I split an appetizer of baked brie, which was outstanding…right down to the salad garnish on the plate with terrific vinegar and oil dressing.  We then split a caprese salad, also outstanding with ripe, flavorful cherry tomatoes and great fresh mozzarella cheese and a balsamic drizzle.  I love a good balsamic drizzle.  Along with our main course, we split an order of parmesan peppercorn mashed potatoes.  (Yawn).

For our tour de force, my wife ordered an absolutely perfect barbequed salmon with a little bit of heat served on marinated mushrooms.  I have to tell you, it had a major wow factor. I have never had salmon prepared this way…and if I ever go to Flemings again, it would be for this salmon.  It was that good….pricey….but that good.

Now for my Peppercorn Strip Steak at $42.00!  This is the second steakhouse I have been to that the steaks missed the mark (the first being the Capital Grill Steakhouse branch in Pittsburgh).  It’s not that the steaks are bad.  These are outstanding, quality cuts of prime meat…and maybe that’s the problem.  Meat is graded on the marbling of the fat content.  Prime is the best you can buy, and usually is limited to restaurants of this ilk.  When you eat a prime steak, the fat content is so high it actually melts in your mouth as opposed to have a texture which you could chew.  Look into the steak and you can actually see the globules of fat which makes the meat extremely tender…and in my opinion…flavorless, which was the case here. (The Capital Grill dry ages its meat which actually breaks down the texture of the meat, also making it extremely tender, but flavorless).   I suspect that the extremely high temperature these steaks are cooked at also makes a difference…these steakhouse broilers approach 1500 degrees.

Steaks like these are often served with a sauce to give them some flavor.  This was no exception.  Even with the peppercorns seared right into the meat, Flemings served its proprietary steak sauce in a container right on the plate.  And it was good steak sauce…but I would have preferred a flavorful steak. Add to that my personal preference for cuts of meat like flank steak, sirloin steak, flat iron steak, skirt steak and hanger steaks…you get my drift.  It's an issue of personal preference. 

The wine list is extensive, and arranged in an absolutely logical order from light to heavier wines.  At these prices your better of with a bottle than by the glass.  It has a bar menu, with the infamous small plates.  That being said, walking through the bar area some of those small plates looked damned good and that may be the way to go here. 

I really wanted to like Flemings, and although the food was good…the overall experience left something to be desired.  In this day and age, when going to the highest of the high end restaurants, you expect a near perfect experience.  Didn’t happen here!  On the other hand, from the crowd beating down the doors to drop $150.00 plus for dinner for two (had we ordered coffee and dessert plus another round of drinks…we would have been well over $200.00), they must be doing something right.

Now, after last night I would gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today. 

Fleming's Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar
28869 Chagrin Boulevard, 
Woodmere, OH 44122
216-896-9000

The Lemon Grove - Youngstown

This is in the category of teaching old dogs new tricks with me being the quintessential old dog. While you were sleeping, a funny thing happened. Downtown Youngstown became a hot commodity. Believe it or not most, if not all, useable space has been gobbled up. Those entering the food biz and wanting a liquor license, let’s just say good luck with that. It is interesting watching those that are succeeding and those that aren’t. Mostly those that have failed have been due to bad management. It’s hard enough to run a restaurant in a good economy; but downright scary when the economy is bad.

Nevertheless, a group of stalwart pioneers have blazed the trail in downtown Youngstown, including Imbibe, Overture’s, Café Cimmento’s, and Roberto’s to name a few. Even the Youngstown Club, that magnificent anachronism, is adjusting as it goes semi-private, encouraging concert and event goers to use the facility when dining downtown before the event. The Youngstown Club is still one of the most beautiful restaurants in northeast Ohio.

And last, but not least, is the Lemon Grove. It is a one of a kind Youngstown original that would probably be more at home on Carson Street on Pittsburgh’s bohemian South Side; nevertheless…here it is. With shades of 1950’s Greenwich Village and some 1960'a San Francisco Haight-Ashbury overtones, it is hip, it is eclectic, it makes me feel old, and it shows what hard work and entrepreneurship can do.

In many ways, it reminds of what the Cedars tried to be downtown several years ago. Its base appeal is to the creative liberal arts and academic types with a smattering of techno dudes from down the street and some politicos for some spice. I am in the latter category.  It certainly is reflective of the under 35 view of life, a restaurant/bar that is ungentrified coffeehouse chic. It is a fun place to go, with lots of interesting people, many of whom I will guarantee you will not agree with me politically…but for fun and food, what the hell.

I have been there several times, but have only eaten there once and had one of their fantastic burgers. Link to the website below so you can view its interesting and well thought out menu. Go there enough, you get to know the folks that run the place and they will soon be your best buds.

I have had the privilege of working with the owner of the Lemon Grove, Jacob Harver, on the Power of the Arts initiative here in the Mahoning Valley. He is a hard worker and promoter of the best kind. He is everywhere on the downtown scene. The restaurant is certainly reflective of his personal style which is a mix of left wing hubris and values, and a rock solid conservative business acumen that is needed to run this kind of enterprise. In this age of entitlement it is a pleasure to see someone use ingenuity and hard work to make something like this succeed.

Over the next several weeks, the Lemon Grove is moving to the space vacated by the Rosetta Stone. Jacob has great plans for the facility, including finishing the partially constructed club in the basement; opening a catering/banquet facility on the second floor; and in true left wing style…providing a place for musicians to crash on the third floor while doing gigs in the area.

The Lemon Grove proudly features food for the soul as well, offering a showcase for various area artists and musicians, including many from the university, and a full slate of events and entertainment that makes a place like this more than just another restaurant.

Kickstarter is an online tool for entrepreneurs to pitch their project to the public and look for unconventional financing that doesn’t involve “equity” in the enterprise. In true entrepreneurial spirit, the Lemon Grove is using this tool to help raise $10,000.00 to Lemon Grove-ize the new space. In return for your help, Harver and company are offering perks that are akin to what a non-profit would be offering in a fund raising effort; from tee shirts and mugs to naming the building after the donor. You can link here to participate and see how folks of the upcoming generation are doing things (Kickstarter). If you are of a mind…Jacob and crew would appreciate your consideration.

One of the privileges of age is doing what you like to do. Working with young folks like Jacob and others keeps me abreast of how things are done. Congrats to all of the folks at the Lemon Grove for their success, and best wishes and good luck in your new home.

Now….can someone show me to the right wing conservative section? Nuts!!!!

The Lemon Grove Cafe and Lounge
122 Federal Plaza W
Youngstown, OH   44503
330-744-7683

Dining in New Castle: Mary's Restaurant and Pagley's

New Castle, Pa., is one of those places that many people from Youngstown know exists…but just don’t go there. When I was the repo man for Sears back in the very late 1960’s, the New Castle Sears store was in my territory, so I made numerous trips to New Castle with repossessed television sets and refrigerators. What? Don’t feel too bad. While little Johnny was crying as we unplugged the Sears television on Saturday morning and taking it out the front door, Monkey Wards was usually bringing in a new one through the back door. What? You did what? Repo man?

At any rate, I think the last time I was in New Castle was in 1970 until I joined my community chorus a few years back. We had and have many members from New Castle in our chorus, and we perform each of our concerts in New Castle on Friday nights and Youngstown on Sunday afternoons. So over the past few years I have become reacquainted with this interesting western PA. town.

It has always had a reputation for good food. Like Youngstown, it has strong ethnic communities, and good food is sure to follow. I have seen several places close, including the Mill Street Grill which was a beautiful restaurant…almost too sophisticated for our area. And I don’t know what happened to Sghetti’s which supposedly moved from its really neat location under a bank building downtown to East Washington Street. It looked empty when I drove by the other night, and the telephone number I dialed was disconnected. Mmmmm.

At any rate, I have spent some time in New Castle the last couple of weeks, and have eaten at two interesting places.

The first is Mary’s Restaurant on Long Street about block down from the New Castle Playhouse. I have some friends who LOVE Mary’s Restaurant, and have mentioned it to me on more than one occasion. He said he would take us there, but I was looking for a new place to go so I beat him to the punch. And my wife and I found out why he and his family like it so much. This is a mid-eastern restaurant, primarily Syrian looking at their restaurant info sheets. I am not generally a mid-east food fan, but I have to tell you. This place is the bomb.

Mary's is not fancy. It is basically two dining areas. Parking is in the back so you enter through the back door. There is an assortment of tables and chairs scattered through the establishment. This is a family friendly restaurant. In fact, we were there on a Saturday night, and one large table was apparently occupied by the owner and owner’s family sitting around it doing what families do. Special platters of fruit and veggies were brought out to them along with what could described as a mid-eastern antipasto.

The prices here are more than fair. In fact, they are downright inexpensive. My wife ordered a gyro. I ordered grilled lamb with peppers and onions served with tabbouli (a salad made with fresh parsley) and rice. Everything was just delicious. As a bonus, we were out of there for under $22.00. It didn’t appear to have a full liquor license although it was serving beer.  I am no expert on this type of food...but everything that was coming out of the kitchen looked wonderful.

A little bird told me that the same family that owns Mary’s also owns Zenobia in Canfield. I wouldn’t be surprised because the grilled lamb with tabbouli was just as good here as there…although the prices in Canfield are a little higher than New Castle…but you miss the fun of the drive down 422 or 224!!!

Mary’s is great. Please give it a try. Extremely casual and go hungry.

Mary's Restaurant Middle East Food

131 East Long Avenue

New Castle, Pennsylvania 16101

(724) 652-2447

This past weekend my chorus sang at Christ Lutheran Church on E. Washington. Right across the street is a restaurant called Pagley’s. It is an Italian joint that my wife’s nail tech told her about last week. As my wife was out of town, I was “batching” it. Fully intending to eat something back in Youngstown, I saw Pagley’s as I drove out of the church entry way and recognized the name as the one my wife was telling me about, so I stopped in by myself for dinner to see what the fuss was all about.

Well…what can I say? This apparently is a New Castle landmark type place. Pagley’s has an extensive and ambitious menu with everything from steaks to pizza. It is obviously family run. The people who worked there were a cross between extremely friendly and helpful and how did you get this job. It was somewhat disorganized. You get the picture.

My dinner, on the other hand, was very, very good. I had the Chicken Saltimbocca with a side of pasta. Although I prefer veal to chicken in the recipe, it was about as good as I have had anywhere, if not better. And the portion was generous. The salads are nondescript so I had wedding soup instead, and it was also extremely well prepared. The sauce and wedding soup resembled my own family recipes so the flavors were comfort food to me.

Here’s the thing. The menu is not cheap with prices pretty much up there with places like Café Capri here in Youngstown or Two Tomatoes in New Castle…and the restaurant space at Pagley’s is, and I am being polite, uninviting. With food this quality, a couple of grand could fix up the dining room so it doesn’t look like a warehouse with a bunch of tables randomly thrown into it. When you price a steak over $21.00, you put the restaurant into a different class above neighborhood tavern status. So…while I appreciate the reputation Pagley’s rightly enjoys for its wonderful food, given the prices there are any number of other places where I can eat in an inviting atmosphere with the same quality meal. I can name at least twenty…maybe thirty.

I’m not saying don’t go there…just know what you are getting.   On the other hand, if you just want good food and don't give a rip about where you get it, this fills the bill.

Pagley’s Pasta and More

1235 E Washington St

New Castle, PA 16101

(724) 658-3066

Adding Stonebridge Grille and Tavern to My "Go To Restaurant" List / Marbella Restaurant - Pepper Pike

Please allow me to make an addition to my “Go To Restaurant” list that I published a few weeks ago.  Sometimes you take a place for granted to the point it doesn't occur to you that you passed over it in your comments.  STONEBRIDGE GRILLE AND TAVERN is one of those places.  It is just around the corner from I live, so we go there a lot.  I don’t even consider it “going out.”  The food here is consistently good.  The service is always good.  It is extremely well run and management is ALWAYS walking around periodically to make sure the customers are happy.  I still say Stonebridge’s sirloin steaks are the best you can to get for the money anywhere; always done the way you order, and the wonderful Stonebridge Potatoes are a welcome bonus. Make sure to ask for them as a side.  Three lashes with Ann Landers' wet noodle for me leaving them off a list they deserve to be on. 
_____________________________________________

MARBELLA is a Portuguese/Spanish restaurant located on Chagrin Boulevard in Pepper Pike.  We have driven past over and over again for years.  Friday night we were looking for some place different to go that wasn’t a major drive.  Visions of Castanets and Flamingo Dancers appeared in my head along with an ear worm version of Granada…so we decided to give this place a go.

Marbella is one of three restaurants operated in the Cleveland area by its owners, the other two being Mallorca and Brasa (Brazilian) Steakhouse, both downtown.  I had heard good things about both of those establishments.  So we read the reviews on Open Table, made our reservations through Open Table, and off we went to Pepper Pike.

Marbella has a good reputation.  When I go to a new restaurant, I research it on several websites, including Urban Spoon, Open Table, and Trip Advisor.  The reports for Marbella were all pretty good save for a few, and even those were mild issues. So I don’t know what I was expecting when I got there.

This is step-back restaurant.  I am not sure when they opened it, but this type of eatery is very rare these days.  It is located in an attractive office building.  It is quiet.  It is white table cloth.  The service is adept.  The folks that work here were all very nice.  It was spacious and airy decorated all around with Picasso-esqe paintings.  The bar was in an adjoining room and good sized with booths if you wished to eat in the bar.  There is a beautiful patio out front of the restaurant which I am looking forward to enjoying when the weather gets better. 

On the down side…all of the above!!!  The facility looked and felt a little dated, like me!!!  The overall atmosphere and a physical plant that probable could stand a bit of redo.  I think in 21^st century America we have gotten used to loud, brassy and over stylized restaurants to the point that where we go into one where you can actually sit quietly and enjoy conversation and a great meal, we are not sure what to do.  So I have a conundrum.  At a place like this, I actually have to talk to my wife!!! What am I going to do?

The food was curious.  For being an Iberian peninsula type place…where was the Iberian peninsula style food?  Pittsburgh has a Spanish restaurant (also called Mallorca), and when you go there, you know you are in a Spanish restaurant with many regional Spanish dishes on the menu to taste and like or dislike.  Outside of a luscious looking Paella, this was strictly an American version of fairly standard continental cuisine with Spanish names printed underneath and maybe some seasoning or preparation overtones.

That being said, the food was good.  I had Veal Marsala well prepared but a little different than I am used to.  You know, the Spanish overtones. It was served with a garnish of mashed potatoes. My wife had a simply prepared salmon.  The dinners are served with a type of Spanish rice and steamed veggies. Portions of everything are large. Dinners also come with a non-memorable salad.  I declined the salad and ordered “fish soup”.  It was okay.  I am not sure what it was, but I doubt I would order it again.  Dinners are in the $18.00 - $30.00 range plus to accommodate several different lobster dishes on the menu.     

On the major plus side, Marbella’s pours a nice glass of wine…all reasonably priced.  It has several delicious looking homemade desserts.  We opted for Bananas Foster prepared tableside by one of the very entertaining servers.  Flames flamed more than once as he added numerous different spirits, and for a twist, strawberries in addition to bananas.  This was different than the brown sugar/rum/butter concoction one usually gets with Bananas Foster.   On the other hand…if you WANTED the usual brown sugar/rum/butter concoction, you would be out of luck.  Nevertheless, it was uber delicious.

I want to like Marbella’s, but it really needs a kick up.   We will certainly go there again, especially if we are in a mood for a back-step place where we can enjoy adult surroundings and quiet conversation.  I am definitely looking forward to going in the summer to take advantage of the patio.

But they should take the advice of another famous Portuguese chef: Emeril Lagasse, and do some “bam” to kick the entire operation up a notch or two.  These are good folks and I know they can do it. 

No meatballs under my “first visit no meatballs” policy.

Marbella Restaurant

29425 Chagrin Boulevard

PepperPike, Ohio 

216.464.9939

Bogey's Bar and Grill - Lowellville

I get lots of restaurant recommendations from my readers.  Some are spot on.  Others…well, get the Stouffers.  One of these recommendations was a place called Bogey’s.  It’s one of those places you can’t there from here.  It is located on Route 616.  Where?  If you cross the Bridge Street Bridge from downtown Struthers and drive straight up the hill…that is Route 616.  Where?  Well…if you are driving towards Pennsylvania down Route 422...it’s the intersection just as 422 widens to four lanes.  You know, turn left to Hubbard and turn right to go towards Villa Marie and wind around and eventually you will get to the far side of the Bridge Street Bridge coming out of Struthers.  Got it?  Bogey’s is ½ way between the two. 

The first time I saw Bogey’s was a few years ago driving home from my Uncle’s funeral who was buried in a cemetery I never knew was there and you can’t there from here either.  I thought what a strange place for a restaurant.  It didn’t look like anything special, just another roadside joint.  But I like to try new places, so when Bogey’s popped up on my list that folks want me to visit, I thought why not.   A few weeks ago my wife was in Akron doing her quilting thing so I called up my son and said “Let’s go!!!”    

I wasn’t expecting much.  Like I said, it’s not much to look at on the outside.  It was a Saturday night.  The parking lot was packed.  The restaurant was packed.  And was I ever wrong.  This is a great place.  It is operated by the folks who used to run the old Bobby D’s on Midlothian Boulevard.  This is another of these neighborhood tavern places that have decided to kick it up a few notches and offer some serious food.  They have succeeded.

The inside is pleasant enough, but nothing spectacular.  Humphrey Bogart memorabilia hangs on the walls.  A large bar is located right inside the front door.  The place is much bigger on the inside than it looks on the outside.  It is a large space with lots of seating.

Let’s talk about the food.  The menu is ambitious with the typical Veal and Chicken Parm, marsala, greens and wedding soup…all that stuff that every restaurant in Mahoning County must serve to stay in business.  But there are lots of other offerings with ambitious fish specials on Friday nights and Prime Rib on Saturday nights.  There is a wide selection of appetizers from which to choose.   My son and I had the fried soft pretzels with a spicy cheese dipping sauce.  Leave the cholesterol counting at home!!!

All of the food coming out of the kitchen looked spectacular.  With great hesitation, I ordered the prime rib.  OMG, it was outstanding, probably the best I have had outside of the Iron Bridge in Mercer which is the gold standard for prime rib.  My son ordered chicken parm, portions are large, the food is good.  What else do you need?  How about professional service across the board!!  The bartenders were professional and friendly and dressed in shirts and ties.  These guys were good.  And the owner is on site, walking around talking to the customers making sure everything is jake.  That is a sign of a good restaurant operator.    

And here is the thing.  He must have the priced the menu items 5 years ago.  That outstanding Prime Rib, and I know good meat when I taste it, was $14.99 for a 14 oz. portion.  Are they nuts?  You would pay $20.00 plus anywhere else, if not more.

On the down side, I didn’t care for their sauce.  That’s just me, but saucy Italian dishes aren’t the centerpiece of their menu anyway.   The other problem is the overall atmosphere, which is belies just how good Bogey’s is.  Notwithstanding, the people that were there were all having a good time, and my son and I made several friends sitting at the bar. 

One visit does not a meatball make, so I am going to withhold meatball excellence awards until I make another visit or two, which I hope will be soon…and on a Saturday night to get the Prime Rib.  I want to make sure it’s not a fluke…isn’t that the name of the babe who needs the government to pay for her birth control?

The bartender advised me Bogey’s takes reservations.  It needs a website. But that doesn’t deter what I suspect to be a loyal following from the Struthers, Campbell, Hubbard and Lowellville areas.  They are lucky to be there.  As for the rest of us, we’ll always have Paris.  Play it again, Sam.

Bogey’s Bar and Grill

3535 Upland Ave.
Lowellville, Ohio 44436

330-750-6062

Walking Out of Restaurants or How We Ended Up at Corky and Lenny's and Cafe 422!!

My wife and I are both extremely busy in lots and lots of activities. Given that we both still work, that means we eat out a lot. Eating home usually involves throwing together a peanut butter or grilled cheese sandwich, something with little or no cleanup. Full meals we leave to the cook or chef…depending on the establishment.

Eating out is expensive, and prices are on the rise. That $5.00 lunch from two years ago now costs $8.50 plus…and in some places burgers are surpassing the $10.00 mark. So it would seem to me that restaurant owners would be anxious to provide friendly service and comfortable surroundings to help make that spoonful of inflation medicine go down a tad easier. Over the past two weeks, I have walked out of two restaurants. It takes a lot to make me do that, but Dudes, you’ve got to get your act together.

Last week we enjoyed the beautiful weather by driving up to Chagrin Falls. After an afternoon of shopping and antiquing, we felt like some Italian and drove a few miles down Chagrin Boulevard to Bravo Cucina in Woodmere. It was St. Patrick’s Day, but it was 4:15 in the afternoon. We walked into the establishment WHICH WAS COMPLETELY EMPTY except for some folks sitting at the bar and at a few tables on the outside patio.

There were several folks standing in front of us at the hostess station, and it was obvious there was a problem. It was just plain nasty. There had to be at least three ta-da girls standing arguing with an elderly lady and her son about where they were going to sit. The ta-da girl insisted that these folks sit outside…and the sun was out…and it was hot…and the patio offered no shade. They preferred to sit inside. Finally some guy came over, and they said they would accommodate these folks inside. The next folks in line were quickly shuffled outside.

Now it was my turn, and I said I would prefer to sit inside, what was the problem? The place was empty. The ta-da girl told me…and this is almost a quote. We want all parties of four or under to sit outside. They had reconfigured the inside so all tables inside could only handle parties of six or larger. Nobody knows who is supposed to be taking care of what table, and it is a big mess because we don’t know what to do. All I could think of is that if this were a normal St. Patrick’s Day, there would be no outside seating because we would more than likely have snow up to our ass, or minimally a cold drizzle or rain. I said I preferred to sit inside, and they promptly showed my wife and myself to a table in a side room literally in the kitchen door. We put down the menus and left and went to Corky and Lenny’s where it was busy, but sane.

Last night I needed a new place to review so we decided to try to Vernon’s Café in Niles. We had been there years ago, and for some reason never went back. I was impressed with their new operation in downtown Youngstown, and they have a great web site, so off we went to give it a go at 6:30. OMG. We got there and you could barely find a place to park. When we finally did, you couldn’t figure out what doors to go into, which BTW, need some maintenance.

When we finally found the door, we couldn’t tell where the banquet hall ended and the dining rooms began. The place was PACKED. The restaurant itself is all broken up. There is a bar and off to the left what looked like a party room down several steps. To the right there was an ugly hallway which came out into what looked like a banquet room but was really the dining room, we think. There were long tables filled with people everywhere. It looked like one massive party. No décor to speak of…just a huge room, and another room on the other side of a wall, also filled to the gills with people.

It was not attractive, and I am being polite. The very UNFRIENDLY ta-da girl(s) finally seated us in the bar right by the entrance door. People were coming in and out of the door which almost slammed into my chair carrying all sorts of stuff going down into that party room I mentioned earlier. But worse than that…the air conditioning was on big time!! It was just plain frigid in there, and each time the door opened and closed, that very cold air was blown right over my wife and me. We asked the poor flustered waitress if they could give us a break and turn down the air conditioning, but that apparently wasn’t going to happen. We drank our wine, paid the bill and left for Café 422, equally busy but substantially more civilized and friendly.

In each of the above cases, the first folks seen by the public are the host or hostess. This isn’t New York City and no need for uppity in either situation. In Bravo Cucina, a major nationwide chain, what was the management thinking, especially since under normal circumstances the patio would have been closed. Normal summer configuration would have been just fine for the inside. Unless there were massive parties coming in that night, I don’t think an Italian restaurant would be a St. Patrick’s Day party hub. And never insult folks by seating them at table that should never have been put there in the first place.  They should know better.

Vernon’s is a tougher call because obviously what they are doing works for them. People were crawling all over the place. On the other hand, the web site belies what the real interior situation is, and I’m sorry, for that kind of money I don’t want to eat in what looks to be a glorified banquet hall. I am sure the food is fine. Vernon’s has a good reputation. On the other hand…and maybe it’s my age…I need a bit more civility and class when I eat out.  After all, it’s my money I am spending.