Gloria Jeans Southern Park Mall

 

Location: Southern Park Mall  - Boardman, Ohio Food Court.

Gloria Jean's Coffees stands right outside of the food court. Yes, they sold coffee, snacks, small sandwiches and novelties. Seating for four as you can see the four chairs and small counter that is bellied up to the coffee stand. 

I just was at the mall several days ago and lo and behold, Gloria Jeans is now out of business. Even the sign has been removed, Yes, some will say they see a Christmas tree right below the American flag but I have an answer for that. I snapped this photo in late December. (So we have that) 

Anyway, all the machinery for the coffee and deserts has been removed, It is a completely empty shell sitting in what I believe to be prime real estate at the mall. 

I did ask people there at the food court if they ever did purchase coffee there, and several replied that they did, and it was good coffee so we have that. 

In saying, the Grassy Knoll rewards Gloria jeans 2.5 out of 5 shots for their coffee offering. 

And...... My understanding is that the Southern Park Mall, with roughly 16 real estate locations available, will be vacant as the mall will be closing before Christmas season. 

There, I said it. The mall will be gone. 

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Cheddars Restaurant - Chicken And Ribs

The first time I went to Cheddars Restaurant it was a pleasant experience. The food was good, the service great, and the place clean. The second time however, well....

BBQ Ribs And Chicken

Twenty minutes later my dinner arrived. It looked good. It smelled good. But....
In a nutshell, the chicken was under cooked, well, it was barely cooked. The breading was soggy and the inside chicken was cold and chewy. Not a good sign.

The ribs were supposed to be "Fall off the bone" tender. They were not. It was a challenge to get the meat off the bone.

The saving grace was the dessert, croissant rolls. They were tender, flaky, hot, and very good.

The Grassy Knoll Institute scores 2.5 out of 5 shots and recommends Cheddars for dinner just because of the previous experience.

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Eddies Grill - Geneva - Double Cheeseburger

Eddies Grill Counter Service

This was my first visit to Geneva for the 2013 Summer season and it began on a sad note. Coming into Geneva, I spotted the empty lot on the lake side of the road where an old little gray house once stood. It had lost its battle to erosion.

I needed some cheering up and Eddie's Grill was just the "Cow Bell" to do it. We luckily found a parking spot on the parkway and walked over to Eddie's. We bellied up to the counter and I ordered the usual. (A double cheeseburger, french fries, and a diet pop) The hot dog was my sons.

As soon as you sit down at the counter, you get the feeling of being magically transported back in time to the 1950′s. I always expect to see Fonzie smacking the jukebox to play his favorite song. Aeyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy.

As usual, the cheeseburger was almost heavenly, cooked to perfection, juicy, and fresh. The fries were good and plentiful. The atmosphere out of this world. Even though Eddie's is always crowded, the service is very fast.

The Boys Of Summer will be going back again next week.

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Steak N Shake - Double Cheeseburger

Double Cheeseburger

Is Steak N Shake a fast food joint or a restaurant?
From the outside it has the markings of a fast food setup with a drive through window. However, when walking inside, the decor is 50's style diner, black and white tiles, booths, and even a counter to eat at.

We sat down and a waitress took our order. Chalk one up for restaurant. I ordered a double cheeseburger and fries. It was brought to our table in less than ten minutes. (Another restaurant feature) The cheeseburger was excellent, in the top 10 list for sure. I watched them make the burgers on the grill before. They start with a fresh round ball of meat and using the spatula, smash into a thin patty. A few minutes of sizzling and the patty is flipped. Cheese is added and then placed on the bun.

The fries were thin cut, (We will call them Mini Fries) and were tasty especially with the dipping cheese sauce.

The cost was very cheap, (A fast food feature) $4.00 with fries. We paid and left a higher than usual tip for our waitress and walked out the door.

The Grassy Knoll Institute scores 4.75 out of 5 shots and recommends steak N Shake for dinner.

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The Peddler Steakhouse Filet Mignon - Gatlinburg

When in Gatlinburg, you must make time to eat at the The Peddler Steakhouse. Yes, it is always crowded, but the wait is worth it.

Tip #1: To avoid a potential long wait period, simply go into the bar / lounge area and take an open table. Usually there is a table or two open. From there, simply place your dinner order when the waitress comes by.

We took the lounge option and and found a table upstairs. The view is nice, overlooking a small river running beside and under the restaurant.

Peddler Salad Bar

As on cue, the waitress asked if we were here for dinner or just drinks. We choose option dinner and drinks. After we ordered, we headed downstairs to the salad bar. And when I say salad bar, I mean amazing salad bar. As you can see by the pictures, I had of course lettuce as a base, several types of cheese, carrots, celery, hard boiled egg halves, green olives, real chopped bacon, (Not the cheap fake bacon bits from other salad bars) and about another half dozen items piled high on my salad plate. The salad was tremendous.

Peddler Filet Mignon

As if on cue, as soon as we finished our salads, our steaks were delivered. I order the Filet Mignon well done and butterflied and a baked potato. The steak was cooked perfectly and it tasted fantastic. No doubt the best steak in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. The baked potato was well cooked and smothered with butter which was perfect.

Peddler Cherry Cheesecake

For dessert, we shared a piece of cheesecake covered with strawberries. It was the perfect topper for a splendid meal.

The Grassy Knoll Institute scores 5 out of 5 shots and recommends The Peddler Steakhouse for dinner.

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Down On The Boulevard Tavern

Boulevard - Chicken Parmigiano

The Boulevard Tavern has been an icon in Youngstown, Ohio for a long time. Famous for their Friday fish dinner, the Boulevard also has some very good Italian selections. One of them is the Chicken Parmigiano with a side of spaghetti.

We were seated right away and we placed our orders. The waitress was very nice and we had our Cokes in just a few minutes. I ordered the chicken Parmigiano with spaghetti.

The portion was very generous, large chicken breast cooked perfectly, topped with cheese with a zesty sauce. It was very tasty, fresh, and the spaghetti completed a great meal.

The Grassy Knoll Institute scores 4 out of 5 shots and recommends The Boulevard Tavern for dinner.

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Cheddars Restaurant - Boardman Ohio

Cheddars - Boardman Ohio (CLOSED)

Patty and I decided to try Cheddar's Casual Cafe, the new restaurant in Boardman, Ohio. (It's in the Southern Park Mall parking lot next to Chilli's) The parking area was full so we thought we would be in for a wait. We were wrong. The restaurant is like Doctor Who's Police Call Box, it is much bigger on the inside.

We were seated right away and our waiter Eric took our drink order right away. Just a few minutes and our drinks, (Mine was a Coke Zero) were on our table.

Since it was our first time there, I opted for several simple things. I went with the Southern fried chicken tenders as an appetizer and the bacon cheeseburger as the main meal.

Cheddars Chicken Strips

The appetizer was delivered quickly to our table, within minutes. The chicken was good, crisp, and enough. The fries were an added bonus.

Cheddars Bacon Cheeseburger

On entre's were also delivered in good time. The bacon cheeseburger was big, a half pound of beef, well done, with 4 full slices of bacon, melted cheese, and a very fresh bun. Fries again completed the meal. The burger was very good. Very tasty, juicy, especially with the added fries to the top of the burger.

The cost was low, 15 bucks without tip.

The Grassy Knoll Institute scores 4.25 out of 5 shots and recommends Cheddar's for dinner.

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Scarsellas Restaurant Lasagna Dinner

Scarsella's Italian Restaurant is one of Patty's and mine favorite eating haunts. The service is almost always great, the food is always excellent, and prices are just right.

As usual, Patty and I stopped on the way home from work at Scarsella's. We were seated right away and the waitress took our drink order and our dinner order. (We knew what we wanted) In no time our diet pops were at our table along with fresh Italian bread and our salads. 

The salad was standard fare, fresh, and with the added grated cheese on the table, was very good.

Tonight I ordered the Lasagna and it was a good choice indeed. The portion was generous, the sauce zesty, the meat spicy enough, the noodles cooked well, and the taste was very good. All for around 13 dollars not including tip.

Scasella's Lasagna Dinner

The Grassy Knoll Institute scores 5 out of 5 shots and recommends Scarsella's for dinner.

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Caffe Capri - Filet Mignon

Caffe Capri, an Italian style restaurant is located in Boardman, Ohio. Patty and I have tried Caffe Capri several times before and found the restaurant and food very good. We were seated right away and our waitress came and took our drink orders.

We ordered appetizers as well. We went with the fried mozzarella cheese with spaghetti sauce. The breading was perfect, just enough crunch to keep the hot melted cheese manageable.

Bread was brought to the table. It was fresh, warm, and tasted fantastic.

The salad was standard fare but with the added grated cheese it was good.

I ordered the filet mignon, and it was very tender, zero fat, and a generous enough portion. The taste was good, it was juicy, and cooked just right. The filet came with a side of pasta. I chooose penne pasta. It was very well cooked, zesty sauce, and complimented the filet. The cost was around $30 dollars for the meal without tip which is adequate here in town.

Caffe Capri - Filet Mignon

The Grassy Knoll Institute scores 4.25 out of 5 shots and recommends Caffe Capri for dinner.

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Apple Barn Chicken Plank Dinner - Gatlinburg

Apple Barn - Gatlinburg - Chicken Dinner
The Apple Barn, located in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, is one of my favorite restaurants. The reason are simple. Excellent home style cooking food. Reasonable prices. Good service. Cheerful and nice employee's. As you can see, I ordered the chicken planks dinner with mashed potatoes with gravy, mac and cheese, fresh rolls, plus a diet Coke.

The chicken was hot, crispy, and excellent tasting. The mashed potatoes were real, not the fake flakes from a box. The mac and cheese hot and good. And the roll, fresh, hot, and tasty. All for about 12 bucks.

The Grassy Knoll Institute scores 5 out of 5 shots and recommends Apple Barn for dinner.

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Wedgewood Pizza - Boardman Ohio

Wedgewood Pizza - Boardman

Wedgewood Pizza has branched out and has another pizza place in Boardman, Ohio. It's been there for several years and I have eaten there several times and decided to check in and critique the famous pizza.

Wedgewood 16 Inch with Chicken Topping

Ordering was standard fare, call your order in, (16 inch pizza with a topping of chicken on half the pizza) and was told 20 minutes and was given a pickup number.

In 20 minutes I pulled in, and you can see by my picture of the store front that it was raining. My pizza was ready and the cashier said that the pizza would be $13.50 total.

Now, the menu states that a large pizza is $10.50 plain. Chicken as a topping was $3 dollars. I assumed that since I only asked for chicken on half the pie that the topping charge would be $1.50 but I was wrong. (Other pizza joints only charge half when you only want the topping on half. Not Boardman Wedgewood.) I paid the $13.50 and left.

The pizza tasted great. Thick crust, nice sauce, cheese, and the chicken was well cooked. All in all a perfect five rating, except for the over charge for the topping.

The Grassy Knoll Institute scores 4 out of 5 shots and recommends Boardman Wedgewood Pizza for dinner.

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Hungry Howies Thin Crust Pizza

Hungry Howie's Pizza Shop - Boardman, Ohio
When deciding on a pizza for dinner, several factors come into play.

One: First and foremost, the pizza must be good tasting.
Two: The pizza Ohio has to have a very quick take out service.
Three: The pizza box must be sturdy to survive the ride home.
Four: The pizza must be affordable.
Five: The pizza shop must be close by.

Hungry Howie's meet these requirements. The thin crust is good tasting, not fantastic or exceptional, but good. The drive through pick up is pretty spot on. You pull up, they take your money and hand over the pizza. The box, yellow in color, is sturdy to handle rough roads and perhaps another box stacked on top and still the cheese will not be sticking to the top of the box. Howie's is fairly cheap, and check on their weekly specials for some good deals. And the shop is only five minutes away from us. 

BTW, the chicken nuggets, or strips, or tenders, whatever they call them, are not bad.

The Grassy Knoll Institute scores 4 out of 5 shots and recommends Hungry Howie's for dinner.

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Davidsons Restaurant Bacon Cheeseburger

Davidson's Restaurant - Austintown, Ohio
From the looks of the restaurant, it appears small on the outside but once you walk inside, there are plenty of rooms with many a tables. Don't be concerned if the parking lot is full, there will be a table for you inside.

This evening I was intrigued by one of the appetizers, the "Mini Corndogs." Yes, corndogs! There were 10 of them, dipped in batter and browned to a nice crunch. I was surprised at how good they were.

My main course was the half pound bacon cheeseburger with fair fries. The burger was well done as specified, the bun fresh, the cheese melted and thank goodness the bacon was cooked. (I hate when I order a bacon cheeseburger and there is soggy uncooked bacon on top) The burger was delicious.

The fries to my surprise, were fantastic. I am in search of the elusive "Idora Park" french fry taste and this night was the closest I came. On a Idora Park scale of 1 to 10, these fries were a 9. The texture, the taste, the look, feel, the presentation, all Idora Park like. Only thing missing was the white paper cone holder that Idora fries came in.

Completing the meal was a slice of cheesecake topped with strawberries. It was very good and ended the meal on a high note.

The reason for 4 stars and not 5, the service is a tad lacking. No offense to the wait staff, they are working hard, but they are spread to thin. Our waitress was covering an entire room, which was to much for one to handle. Management needs to add more help.

The Grassy Knoll Institute scores 4 out of 5 shots and recommends Davidson's for dinner.

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Bacon Hot Fudge Sundae From Burger King

Hell Yeah Bacon

Yes, I know it was out there, hanging out with the deep fried twinkies and deep fried cheeseburger and it was just a matter of time before it landed on the Blue Plate Special.

Let's break this down, ice cream, hot fudge, and bacon. Whip em all together and you have the Bacon Sundae. I will state, I was a skeptic, however, after the first bite, it's true, bacon makes everything taste better.

If you like bacon, and ice cream, make the drive to Burger King and score a bacon sundae today.

The Grassy Knoll Institute scores 4 out of 5 shots and recommends Burger King Bacon Sundae for dessert.

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OCharleys Restaurant - Steak And Chicken

Patty and I stopped at O'Charley's restaurant chain last week for a bite to eat. It was not crowded, but it was busy but we were seated immediately. Our waiter came right over and took our drink order and returned promptly with them.

Our waiter returned with our drinks and took our order. I had the potato soup and it tasted good. Plenty of chunks of potato, creamy sauce, and bacon scattered on top.

Renee brought out our dinner in a timely manner smiling and having a good time. I ordered the sirloin and chicken combo with a baked potato.

The chicken strips were lightly battered, well cooked, crispy, and surprisingly good.
The 6 ounce sirloin was cooked perfectly, juicy, no fat, and tasted great.
The baked potato topped off the meal. There was no room for dessert.

The service was fantastic all the way around, the experience was very pleasant, the prices reasonable, including diet pop but not tip under $20 dollars, and the food tasted great and was prepared perfectly.

The Grassy Knoll Institute scores 5 out of 5 shots and recommends O'Charley's Restaurant in Boardman, Ohio for dinner.

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San Francisco Chinese Pizza

Chinese Pizza In San Francisco

Walking the streets of San Francisco, I happened upon this pizza shop in an out-of-the-way corner. I was hungry and decided to enter. It did not have the appearance of a standard pizza shop, but hey, there was a picture of a slice of pizza on the sign outside so it had to be good, right! I ordered a slice of cheese pizza with sausage and pepperoni.

This is what I got. I will say, it mostly resembled a slice of pizza, it certainly was triangular, and flat. But I was looking for taste. And,... well,... it wasn't awful. It was warm, which was a plus, the crust wasn't stale, the sauce from a jar, the cheese from a bag, but all in all, it wasn't awful. The price, $3 dollars, which, in San Francisco and being hungry, wasn't awful.

To sum up. It wasn't awful.

The Grassy Knoll Institute scores 2 out of 5 shots and does not recommend Shawerma Chinese Pizza for dinner.

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Nathans Hot Dogs - MGM Grand Hotel Las Vegas

A month ago, I attended the ASD Las Vegas trade show. After a very long day of travelling and show set up, I was tired and returned to the MGM hotel. Not having a bite to eat all day, I found myself wandering the MGM food court. I spied Nathan's hot dogs and got in line. I ordered two hot dogs and french fries. I paid my $9 dollars and waited for my number to be called. A few minutes later I had my tray of Nathan's.

The hot dogs are unique. The casing is different than most hot dogs. It has an almost crunchy casing. I loaded them up with ketchup and went to town on them. Nathan's hot dogs taste good, the bun was fresh and warm, the hot dog itself fresh and not over cooked. The fries were standard fare but were good. For a quick bite to eat after a long day, Nathan's in the MGM Grand Hotel is a good choice.

The Grassy Knoll Institute scores 4 out of 5 shots and recommends Nathan's Hot Dogs inside the MGM Las Vegas Hotel for dinner.

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Marinos Italian Cafe - Austintown, Ohio

I have heard about a quaint little restaurant called Marino's located in Austintown, Ohio. During Lent, we decided to stop in and try it. On a Friday night we were a little stunned that it was not busy. In fact, there were only about 4 tables being used by customers.

Anyway, we were seated right away and I ordered the fish dinner and a fried cheese appetizer. In about five minutes the cheese was brought to our table. There were five small pieces and a small bowl of dipping sauce. The sauce was OK, standard fare. The cheese sticks the same way. Standard, nothing bad, nothing good, just average.

The rolls were good though. I suspect they were home-made, they were warm, fresh, and tasted good, especially with melted butter.

The salad was standard fare. Excuse me for the late snapshot of the salad. I ate more than half when I realized I forgot to snap the picture.

About 20 minutes went by and our fish dinners arrived. I ordered Mac and Cheese as a side dish. As you can see, the fish was thin, and skinny. The breading was adequate but a little soggy. It had a "Fishy" smell to it which to me means it was not as fresh as it could be. The taste was OK. Certainly not what I had expected as several people told me about the place. The Mac and Cheese was cold.

All this for a Friday special of $12 dollars plus coke and tip.

The Grassy Knoll Institute scores 2.25 out of 5 shots and does not recommend Marino's Italian Cafe for dinner.

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New Village Cafe Breakfast - San Francisco

The New Village Cafe located in San Francisco is a quaint little cafe that has a good breakfast at reasonable rates. I always ask the locals where the best places to eat are. Several nice folks directed me to this cafe.

We walked into the cafe and noticed it wasn't crowded and had the look and fell of an old 1950's diner making me wonder about the name, New Village Cafe. Anyway, reports were positive about the joint so we took a table and our waiter came over.

He was a Chinese man and apparently was the only waiter in the joint. He was hustling all over the cafe. he was very efficient. A few minutes passed and he was at our table to take our orders. 

The cafe breakfast was scrambled eggs, hash browns, and sausage links plus some white toast with butter and jelly. All for around $5 dollars. As we waited for our order, I noticed his wife was the cook and popped her head outside the kitchen from time to time. The cafe was a two person operation.

The eggs were good, standard fare, well cooked. The hash browns were well cooked, not greasy, and tasted good. The sausage again was well cooked, and was standard fair. All in all, excellent service, good food all at an affordable price. The locals were correct, The New Village Cafe was a good place for breakfast.

Oh yes, don't want to forget about the toast, well toasted, warm, not soggy, and plenty of butter and jelly.

The Grassy Knoll Institute scores 4.25 out of 5 shots and recommends New Village Cafe for breakfast.

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Burg Coffee - Gatlinburg

Burg Coffees Of Gatlinburg

Every year I return to Gatlinburg, Tennessee and even though it appears to not change, new businesses do spring up along the Parkway. Berg Coffee's is one of the new shops on the scene.

It was raining hard in Frisco,
I needed one more fare to make my night.....
Wait a minute, wrong city.
It was raining hard in Gatlinburg,
I ducked inside for shelter from the rain.
The sexy redhead Russian hostess asked me what I desired.
I said a large ice cream twist please.

My apologies to the late Harry Chapin for mangling his lyrics.

The red head whose name was Veronica struck up a conversation with us. Asking where we were from, if we were here for work or pleasure, (Yes, those were her words, spoken in a sexy Russian accent) and how long we planned on staying.

As I enjoyed the ice cream, which cost $3 dollars was on the average size for around these parts as was the cost. If I were in Geneva, the size of the cone and ice cream would be at least double this size for 50 cents less. Yes, that big.

But, this ice cream was served by a sexy 20 something red head in tight jeans and perky breasts with a killer accent. Now you can see the reason for the up-charge.

The taste was standard fare, the cone fresh and not soggy, and as ice cream cones go, it was adequate. The Burg dispenses ice cream as a side item. Specialized coffee was their forte as their menu had many types and variations of coffee.

Because of the sexy red head, The Grassy Knoll Institute scores 3.25 out of 5 shots and recommends Burg Coffees for an exquisite pause from inclement weather. And sunshine as well.

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