Jump In Jack’s Chicken Shack

Jump In Jacks Chicken Shack

Patty and I decided to dine at Jump In Jacks, a local restaurant here in Boardman, Ohio. They have really tasty fried chicken. Sadly, this would be the last supper as the the Chicken Shack closed just the other day. Something about the liquor license and the lease. I was a little leary (Not the Denis type) seeing that there were only about a half dozen patrons in the restaurant, but we were there, and we were hungry.

Jump In Salad Minus Cheese

The waitress came out right away and sat us down and took our drink order. I had a diet Coke. A few minutes later we ordered. My salad arrived in mere minutes, and it was adequate, but there was no cheese. No worry. But no cheese.

Jojo Fries Loaded Bacon And Cheese

Our appetizer was loaded potato wedges. This is what we got instead. Jojo wedges with cheese melted on top with a sliver of bacon. Seriously, jojo fries with cheese.

Jump In Jacks Chicken Parm

The main course was chicken parmigiana and a side of penne pasta in tomato sauce. The penne was adequate, the sauce was good, the chicken part, not so much. The breaded chicken was rubbery, and fatty, a combination not desired for your food. I will say it was edible, just barely, (I was hungry mind you) and the penne saved the meal.

The service was OK, not good, just OK. The waitress never came to check on us, (Not like she was busy with six people in the whole joint) never refilled my diet Coke, never brought any bread or rolls to our table. Perhaps she knew she was getting canned the next week.

The cost was reasonable, $7.50 for the entree, $6.00 for the wedges, $1.50 for the diet coke. The salad came with the entree. Total was $15 not including tip.

The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 2 out of 5 shots and DOES NOT recommend Jumpin Jack's Chicken shack for dinner. Not that it matters anymore, the joint is closed.

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Steamers Stonewall Tavern - Chicken Parmesan

Steamers Stonewall Tavern Sign

Steamers was never on my radar screen until my brother-in-law Jim tipped us off on it's excellent cuisine. The restaurant is not far from our house and we ventured out one fine Friday evening. A good sign, the parking lot was almost full but we found a spot and made our way inside.

Steamers Fresh Rolls

We were cheerfully greeted and seated in a matter of minutes. All the tables were full. The waitress brought out some hot rolls which were delicious. She took our drink order and said she would be right back.

Steamers Salad

Our waitress returned with our drinks, (Diet Pepsi) and took our dinner order. I selected the chicken parmigiana with a side of spaghetti. our salads came right out. It was tasty, (No salad dressing for me) So far, service and food were excellent.

Steamers Chicken Parm

A few minutes after we finished our salads, our dinners arrived. Wow, what a portion it was. The chicken dominated the large plate with the spaghetti off to the side. It was baked golden brown, tender, juicy, and tasted fantastic. The cheese was plentiful, melted completely, with a nice taste. The sauce was zesty, hearty, and hot.

The cost was only $12 dollars not including tip and drinks. The service was excellent, even on a crowded evening. My diet Pepsi was refilled without asking and the waitress inquired if we needed anything else several times in the evening.

BTW, it would be a great place to watch sporting events. TV's were all over the restaurant with the games of choice playing.

The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 4.5 out of 5 shots and recommends Steamers Stonewall Tavern for dinner.

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Carrabba’s Italian Restaurant – Chicken Parmesan

Carrabba's Italian Grill

Youngstown, Ohio and the surrounding area's have many fine restaurants. Unfortunately Carrabba's is not one of them. It's not the worst either. The service was adequate, the seating OK, the cost affordable, but there was nothing outstanding about the place. Nothing that snapped, popped, or sizzled.

House Salad

We were seated quickly and our waiter brought us water and our menu's. A few minutes later, she took our dinner orders. This salad is the standard house salad. A little cheese, a tomato, a cucumber, a few croutons, and some lettuce. The salad tasted good, not great, but good.

Carrabba's Chicken Parmigiana

I ordered chicken parmigiana with a side order of rigatoni pasta. The proportion was generous, the chicken tender enough, the cheese plenty, but the sauce, well, again, it was adequate. Nothing outstanding about the meal including the price. What you see is about $23 dollars before tip.

The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 2.5 out of 5 shots and barely recommends Carrabba's Italian Restaurant for dinner.

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Piero's Italian Restaurant - Penne' Pasta

Piero's Penne Pasta

Piero's Italian Restaurant is a short walk from the Las Vegas Convention Center. The actual address is 355 Convention Center Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89109. Piero's is "Old School" Las Vegas class where the Rat Pack hung out in their hey day.

Piero's inside decor is very elegant, and almost intimate in seating. The lighting is perfect for dining.

Being at a famous Italian restaurant, of course I ordered their house pasta which was penna in a tangy tomato sauce. As you can see from the photo above, the portion was generous, well cooked, and piping hot. The waiters and servers were very attentive and efficient.

The waiter took our order after informing us of the house specials for the evening and returned with bread and rolls for the table along with our drinks. (Water for me) Roughly 15 minutes later, our dinners arrived at our table.

The pasta was delicious, and although it is hard to see from the photo, the plate was deep and the penna plentiful. The sauce was fantastic, and the penna cooked perfectly.

The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 4 out of 5 shots and recommends Piero's for dinner when visiting Las Vegas.

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1. 
   

   Gumby said

   November 7, 2008 at 12:24 pm e
   Doesn’t look that good to be honest.
   Reply
2. 
   

   Bitzky said

   November 12, 2008 at 7:21 pm e
   I’d seriously hurt somebody for a plate of this right now O.O
   Reply
3. 
   

Cafe Chloe - Las Vegas

While in Las Vegas several days ago, we ventured upon an Italian restaurant called Cafe Chloe that came highly recommended. The menu was simple yet plentiful, concise yet enticing. And as you can see, the prices were downright reasonable, especially for Las Vegas, the city of excess.

I ordered the Chicken Parmigiana with a side of Penne in a tomato sauce. Appetizers were fried buffalo cheese with tomatoes. They were delicious. Of course the rolls and butter were excellent.

In minutes the main course came and it was steaming hot and perfectly prepared. As you can see, the portion was hearty to say the least. The chicken was tender and juicy, the sauce just spicy enough, and the cheese was melted perfectly. The Penne was also quite delicious. A Coke completed the meal. The Grassy Knoll Institute awards 5 out of 5 shots and highly recommends Cafe Chloe for dinner.

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