Showing posts with label youngstown restaurants. Show all posts
Showing posts with label youngstown restaurants. Show all posts

1/09/2011

Subway – Philly Cheese Steak Foot Long

Subway Philly Cheese Steak
Subway Philly Cheese Steak
Subway restaurant has plenty of sandwich selections. While I was waiting in line to place my order, I spied in the premium section the Big Philly Cheesesteak. When it was my turn, I ordered the foot long on Italian bread and asked for it to be toasted. It was built in just a few minutes.
The cost was $8 dollars for the foot long. The bread was fresh, and toasted, not burnt. The provolone cheese was fully melted, the chopped steak hot and juicy. A little pricey for 8 bucks, but if you don’t stick with the value menu, prices are high.
The taste was good as I noticed no fatty meat in the sandwich and had just the right texture. Mind you, this was no Geno’s or Pat’s Philly steaks, but for fast food, it was adequate.
The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 2.75 out of 5 shots and recommends Subway Big Philly Cheesesteak for lunch and dinner.

LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL

1/05/2011

Lemon Grove Cafe - Youngstown - Take Out Order

Lemon Grove Take Out Cheeseburger
Lemon Grove Take Out Cheeseburger
The Lemon Grove Cafe
122 W Federal Plaza
Youngstown, OH 44503
(330) 744-7683
A restaurant is only as good as its service. In Youngstown Ohio, the Lemon Grove Cafe is centrally located in downtown, perfect for local business employees to flock for lunch and take out. However, customers beware when you order take out.
Joe Pesci said it best, “They’ll fuck you at the drive through.”
Back in the middle of December, we decided to try a new place, the Lemon Grove Cafe. Being that we were busy for the Christmas holiday, we ordered take-out. I ordered the bacon cheeseburger, which came with one side, so I opted for the extreme chicken soup. I really had no choice, fries or chips were not an option.
We went and got our order and returned to work. I opened my white styrofoam container that held my lunch. As you can see, there was no cheese. A simple order and they cannot get that correct. Just imagine if I had ordered something special.
The cost of this feast was $7.50 including the side of soup. The price was adequate if the order would have been correct and packed right.
The burger was a half pound of beef, Catullo beef, a local meat supplier. It was adequate. It was well cooked. The taste was ok. The bun was a tad soggy, perhaps from the cup of soup that was leaking all over the container. The bacon was two strips, but alas, uncooked as you can see.
(Perhaps they could have wrapped the burger in foil knowing that a thin strip of saran wrap over the cup of soup would certainly spill on a car ride to avoid the burger from being soggy.)
The soup, called extreme chicken soup. Where to begin. First, the container needs help. Almost a quarter of the soup spilled out from under the saran wrap soaking the bun of the burger.
Second, the soup itself. No noodles, a few chunks of potato, carrots, celery, onions, and a couple slivers of chicken. Standard fare at best. Certainly not extreme. It may have been more, but alas the soup had spilled over the container and made a mess.
My first impression of Lemon Grove Cafe, well, the name says it all. Lemon. Even if they hadn’t made the mistake of an incorrect take out order, the meal was a little high priced for what you got. Seriously, no fries available with a burger, only soup or a salad? WTF!
The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 2.25 out of 5 shots and at this time does not recommend Lemon Grove Cafe for lunch or dinner.
Perhaps in the near future I will return and allow a second chance. Time will tell.

LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL

12/14/2010

Ruby Tuesdays - BBQ Chicken Dinner

Ruby Tuesday Menu
Ruby Tuesday Menu
Ruby Tuesday restaurant in Boardman. A restaurant that I drove by countless times until one day, we decided to stop in for dinner.  The interior was standard fare, and the hostess came over and seated up promptly. She handed us our menu's and informed us our waitress would be with us shortly.

She wasn't lying as she was right behind her. She took our order drinks and returned quickly and proceeded to take our dinner order.



Ruby Tuesday BBQ Chicken Combo
Ruby Tuesday BBQ Chicken Combo
Feeling a little saucy, I opted for the BBQ chicken with two sides which were baked macaroni and cheese and french fries. In less than 10 minutes, our dinners were delivered to us. Very good service.

First, the mac and cheese intrigued me. To my surprise, it was a very tasty side dish. Very good mac and cheese as mac and cheese goes.

The fries were hot, well cooked, and standard fare. They were good and past the mustard.

The BBQ Chicken on the other hand, well, it wasn't what I expected. As you can see, I was served a a piece of grilled chicken and topped with a few tablespoons of BBQ sauce. I was hoping the chicken would have been cooked in the BBQ sauce. It looked like the sauce was squeezed from the plastic bottle of BBQ sauce that was on all the tables.

However, the chicken was well cooked and the sauce was adequate at best. The mac and cheese saved this meal.

The cost was $13 dollars plus drink and tip which was reasonalbe, not pricey, but not in the wheel house either. This was an adequate meal all around.

The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 3 out of 5 shots and recommends Ruby Tuesday's BBQ Chicken for dinner.


LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL

12/01/2010

Belleria Restaurant - Chicken Parmesan Dinner

Belleria pizza and italian restaurant
Belleria Pizza
Belleria Italian Restaurant, located on Market Street in Boardman, Ohio, is much more than a pizza joint. And I found that out on my second visit. As usual, you seat yourselves in this restaurant. A table was open and we owned it.
Belleria Salad
Belleria Salad
Our waitress was over directly and took our drink order. Diet pop was my call. In a moment, she returned and took our dinner order. I started with the house salad. It was standard fare, it was good, fresh, and adequate.
Belleria Fried Cheese Sticks
Belleria Fried Cheese Sticks
As an alternate appetizer, we ordered the fried cheese sticks with marinaro sauce. They were surprisingly good. Well cooked, crunchy, hot, and the sauce was tangy but not to spicy.
Belleria Italian Bread
Belleria Italian Bread
Of course Italian bread and butter were on the table. It was very good, fresh, and fit the bill.
Belleria Small Pizza
Belleria Small Pizza
Just because we were at Belleria, I ordered a small 6 inch pizza topped with BBQ chicken. It wasn't as good as i expected. I was hoping the chicken would be cooked more, as well as the pizza. But that wasn't the main order.
Belleria Chicken Parmesan
Belleria Chicken Parmesan
To the main course, Chicken Parmesan and penne pasta. Again, the sauce was very good, zesty, and thick. The penne was well cooked and tasted good. The chicken was lightly breaded, well cooked, and the portion was adequate. The taste, good.

The costs: Small 6 inch pizza, $3.25
Fried Cheese sticks, $4.25
Chicken Parm, $9.50
$17.00 for the entire meal less tip.

The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 3.5 out of 5 shots and recommends Belleria Italian Restaurant for dinner.


LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL

11/21/2010

West Glen Restaurant - Haddock Dinner

West Glen Haddock Dinner
West Glen Haddock Dinner
Usually during Lent we order "Take out" from West Glen Italian Restaurant. The fish dinners are good and by take out we avoid the Friday rush from all the good Catholics. This time it was after lent and we decided to go inside.

We were greeted rather quickly and seated promptly. Our waitress asked for our drink orders and quickly returned with them.

West Glen is famous for their fish so of course i ordered the Haddock dinner. The service was very good as our dinners were at our table in less than 10 minutes piping hot.

The fish was fresh, very little bruising, and well cooked. The batter breading was crunchy and baked perfectly. The haddock was flaky and fresh. The french fries were hot and crisp and tasted good. The cost was $10.95 for the dinner that also included coleslaw.

Addendum: Sadly, just the other day, Patty and I returned to West Glen Restaurant and we found the doors locked and the restaurant closed. Hopefully it is only temporary but it appears another restaurant has bit the dust.

The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 4 out of 5 shots and recommends West Glen Haddock for dinner.
               


LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL

9/25/2010

Sandwich Factory French Fries

Idora Park French Fries
Idora Park French Fries
The Grassy Knoll Diner is in a constant search for french fries comparable to the iconic Idora Park fries. Some have come close, but so far, none have been spot on.

However, surprisingly, the Boardman, Ohio Sandwich Factory on Market Street comes close. (I know, I was just as surprised as you) On a whim, I ordered a standard order of fries along with my sandwich. The cost was $2.50 for the fries.

When I got the fries home, I opened them and spilled them out. For $2.50, the order was adequate. They were hot and just crunchy enough, lightly salted and they smelled good. (Sometimes when fries are cooked in old grease, they have a bad odor to them. Not these fries) The taste was very good. Not Idora Park quality, but good nonetheless.

The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 4 out of 5 shots and recommends Sandwich Factory Fries for lunch and dinner.

LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL

9/23/2010

White House Fruit Farm Donuts

White House Fruit Farms
 White House Fruit Farm is about 20 minutes from home and my wife visits there several times a year to pick up assorted delights featuring apples, grapes, strawberries, peaches, and assorted cashews and nuts. And don't forget about the donuts.
White House Fruit Farms Assorted Dozens
White House Fruit Farms Assorted Dozens
Patty came home with bags of wonderful goodies and she surprised me with a dozen assorted donuts from White House. The ones you see above are chocolate covered cake donuts with colored sprinkles. These donuts were fresh. They tasted like they were just made. The chocolate frosting was creamy and and very tasty. The donut itself was fresh and tasted good.

The cost was a little pricey, so deduct some points for that.

The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 3.75 out of 5 shots and recommends White House Fruit Farm Donuts for breakfast and snacking.


LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL

9/02/2010

Antone’s Restaurant - Deep Dish Pasta Bake

Antone’s Italian Restaurant, located on the corner of Market Street and Western Reserve Road in Boardman, Ohio. On a whim, Patty and I decided to stop here for some of Antone’s famous “Fried Cheese” and sauce.


The restaurant itself was quaint, and small, but it was not crowded so we got right in and seated.

Our waitress brought out our menu’s in a timely fashion and asked for our drink orders. Diet pops for everyone tonight.

Of course I ordered the fried cheese with sauce. It was the reason we pulled in the parking lot. The cost was $5.99 which is a little steep, but it one of the best fried cheese in the business. As you can see, there was plenty of zesty spaghetti sauce, a generous portion of cheese, and it was baked in a golden brown batter. It was delicious.

No visit to an Italian restaurant is complete without the bread. Antone’s offered a lightly seasoned garlic bread. Lightly toasted and warm, the bread was a perfect complement to the meal.

Our waitress took our orders and in less than ten minutes, our fried cheese and main course meals were delivered to our table. I ordered the Deep Dish Pasta Bake special. This was something I haven’t encountered before. It was baked penne smothered in melted provolone cheese in a spaghetti sauce with pieces of breaded chicken. Plus two good-sized meatballs completed the ensemble. The cost was $6.49 which for the portion given was an excellent value. BTW, it tasted delicious.

The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 4 out of 5 shots and recommends Antone’s Italian Restaurant for dinner.


LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL

8/11/2010

Subway - $5 Dollar Meatball Sandwich

Subway Foot Long Meatball Sub
Subway Foot Long Meatball Sub
Five... Five dollar.... Five dollar foot long... At Subway. The Boardman and Youngstown, Ohio area has several Subway restaurants. I stopped at the one on Market Street in Boardman on the way home from work.

I walked up to the counter, the counter girl was pleasant and asked me what I wanted. I ordered the $5 dollar meatball sandwich with cheese on Italian bread. She asked if I wanted my sandwich toasted and I said yes.

I watched the small assembly line as she made my sandwich and then popped it into the over for approximately 30 seconds. She wrapped it and as the commercial stated, the cost was $5 dollars.

First, there were eight small sized meatballs, enough sauce, and adequate cheese. The meatballs were hot, the cheese melted, and the bun toasted. The taste surprised me. It was pretty good. I was expecting bland meatballs but these were just spicy enough. As with all meatball sandwich's, it was a bit messy to eat but I was able to handle it.

The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 3.5 out of 5 shots and recommends Subway Meatball Sandwich's for dinner.


LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL

7/17/2010

Elephant Ear Restaurant – Revisited (Fair Type Food)

Elephant Ear Restaurant Closed
Elephant Ear Restaurant Closed
As promised, I stopped back at the Elephant Ear restaurant in Boardman, Ohio to give Shannon and her restaurant another chance at redemption. If you recall, my first experience there left me with cold, wet, uncooked fries, very slow service, no take out menu, and average food at best.

Last week, I pulled into the parking lot and saw the restaurant was closed. In fact, it was empty. The tables, chairs, and equipment were all gone. A note taped to the door indicated the restaurant was closed and all the equipment was being sold at auction in the near future.
Elephant Ear Boardman Ohio
Elephant Ear Boardman Ohio
And look, you can see my reflection in the window. Handsome devil ain't I....

 Since the restaurant was closed preventing me from critiquing Elephant Ear on their progress, The Grassy Knoll Diner has no other recourse other than to score 0 out of 5 shots and does not recommend Elephant Ear Restaurant of Youngstown, Ohio for lunch or dinner.


LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL

7/05/2010

Red, White, Blue, And Chocolate Donut

Dunkin Donuts Patriotic Donut
Dunkin Donuts Patriotic Donut
Yesterday morning I awoke and was greeted to a tasty treat. A chocolate frosted cake donut from Dunkin Donuts. For the Fourth Of July, red, white, and blue sprinkles and stars were added for the festive day it was about to become. It would be the start of a great day.

The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 5 out of 5 shots and recommends Patriotic donuts from Dunkin Donuts for breakfast.


LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL

5/10/2010

Dairy Queen Thin Mint Blizzard

Dairy Queen Thin Mint Blizzard
Dairy Queen Thin Mint Blizzard
The Blue Plate Special is not always about lunch and dinner. Occasionally it is about dessert. And the Dairy Queen store in North Lima Ohio fills the bill. Don't get me wrong, Dairy Queen Brazier offers much more than ice creams treats. they have cheeseburgers, chilli dogs, chicken, and french fries. But tonight is all about the treats.

The treat on the left is a limited offer Blizzard by Dairy Queen. Basically it is a combination of Dairy Queens special blend vanilla custard and Girl Scout Cookie Thin Mints. Using a special blizzard machine, the custard and cookies are mixed together to form this cool dessert.

I ordered the medium size, which cost $1.99 and I have to say was a perfect portion. If you like ice cream, you will love this treat. The combination of the thin mint cookies and ice cream mix was delightful.

The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 4 out of 5 shots and recommends North Lima Dairy Queen Girl Scout Mint Cookie Blizzards for dessert.



LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL

4/11/2010

Gia’s Pizzeria – Fried Haddock Dinner

Friday night Patty and I on a whim decided to try the new restaurant in town, Gia's Pizzeria, located at 708 Boardman Canfield Road, Youngstown, OH 44512. Its where the old Pizza Hut used to be. There were a good amount of cars in the lot but it wasn't crowded. We walked in and were greeted and seated quite quickly.
Gia's Pizzeria Fried Cheese
Gia's Pizzeria Fried Cheese
 Before we sat down our waitress asked us what we wanted to drink. I asked if she had Coke Zero which she said yes and would be right back with them. So far so good.

In a minute or two, our waitress returned with our Cokes and asked what we wanted for dinner. I started with a fried cheese appetizer in marinara sauce. Like the Cokes delivery, the fried cheese was brought out right away.

As you can see, the fried cheese looked good, but upon tasting, it was bland. The sauce tasted store bought and the breading and the cheese had almost no taste. Perhaps the main course would be better.
Gia's Fried Haddock Special
Gia's Fried Haddock Special
I ordered the beer batter haddock dinner with macaroni and cheese. Again, the fish looked good but it tasted horrendous. The only way I can describe this plate is, Shit On A Shingle! It was the worst piece of fish I ever had. The previous winner of "Worst Fish" was Galaxy Seafood but Gia's is the new king. Patty couldn't believe the fish tasted so bad and took a piece for herself and tasted it. Patty confirmed the Shit On A Shingle comparison. Within a minute, she told me she was going to throw up.

I called for the check and we left promptly. (Never to return again!) Luckily, Patty didn't spew chunks but for the entire next day she got sick just thinking about the haddock.

The service was good and this critique should not reflect badly on the waitress.

The cost of this nightmare was $9.99 for the Friday special plus $4.99 for the fried cheese plus $2 dollars for the Coke Zero. $17 dollars without tip. If the food were edible, this meal would be a good deal. However...

The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 0 out of 5 shots and DOES NOT recommend Gia's Pizzeria for dinner.


LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL

3/19/2010

Blue Wolf Tavern - Chicken Parmesan

Blue Wolf Tavern Boardman Sign
Blue Wolf Tavern Boardman Sign
Believe it or not but the Youngstown suburbs have many restaurants to choose for dining. Patty and I drive by the Blue Wolf often in our travels and decided to stop for dinner. Was it a wise choice?
Blue Wolf Salad
Blue Wolf Salad
We entered and I was amused with the sign on the door (More on that later) and we were seated right away. The waitress took our drink order and returned promptly with them and asked if we were ready to order. We were.

The salad came with my meal and as you can see, it is a standard salad. No frills attached. Just lettuce, a few onions, cabbage, cucumber, a few grated carrots, and mini tomatoes. No cheese, olives, hard-boiled eggs, celery! It was adequate, the lettuce crisp and fresh, the rest, in a word, adequate.
Blue Wolf Hot Fresh Rolls
Blue Wolf Hot Fresh Rolls
However, the rolls were more than adequate. They looked and tasted home-baked. Not mass-produced from some roll company. They were hot out of the over, very fresh, and very good. Things were looking up after the salad.
Blue Wolf Chicken Parmigiano
Blue Wolf Chicken Parmigiano
The main entrée was Chicken Parmigiano with Penne and meatballs and of course a diet Coke. Crazy combination but it looked appetizing. And it was. The chicken was a sizable portion, cooked well, juicy and tender. The breading was golden brown, the cheese plenty and the sauce, a zesty taste. It was delicious. The Penne was well-cooked, plentiful with the same tomato sauce. The meatballs were an added bonus and tasted very good. Usually, restaurant meatballs are not made on premises, but shipped by a mass producing meat company. I think these were home-made.
Jo Jo Fries Blue Wolf Style
Jo Jo Fries Blue Wolf Style
A quirky oddity was the Jo Jo fries. My meal came with an additional side. Not wanting mashed or baked potatoes, I opted for the Jo Jo fries. They were good. Crisp. Well cooked. Seasoned just right.
Cherry Cheesecake Blue Wolf Dessert
Cherry Cheesecake Blue Wolf Dessert
Usually we do not order dessert but we were feeling a little saucy that evening and went for it. I ordered a slice of New York style cherry cheesecake. It was excellent. Not the biggest slice in the world, but adequate. The taste more than made up for the slight offering.
No Guns Allowed Inside The Blue Wolf
No Guns Allowed Inside The Blue Wolf
Getting back to the sign in the window. Not only were we on surveillance but a sign clearly stated that no guns were permitted on the premises.

The service was very good, the waitress friendly and fast, the order was accurate and the food arrived in a timely manner and was good. The cost was $26.00 without tip including dessert.

The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 4 out of 5 shots and recommends the Blue Wolf Tavern for lunch and dinner. Just keep your firearms at home.



LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL

2/14/2010

Caffe Capri Restaurant – Valentines Day Dinner

caffe capri italian restaurant
Caffe Capri 
Happy St. Valentine's Day!
Patty and I decided to have our St. Valentine's Day dinner at Caffe' Capri in Boardman, (A suburb of Youngstown) Ohio. Luckily we arrived early enough before the crowd set in. We were greeted nicely and seated right away, in a very comfortable and intimate booth. We ordered our drinks, diet Cokes, and they were brought out in a timely manner.
Caffe Capri Fried Cheese And Sauce
Caffe Capri Fried Cheese And Sauce
I ordered the fried cheese with tomato sauce as my appetizer. As you can see, the appetizer was a generous portion. The taste was excellent, the cheese a good blend, the crust cooked to a golden brown, and the sauce, very thick with a zesty taste.
Caffe Capri Salad
Caffe Capri Salad
I had one problem with Caffe Capri. The service was slower than what I had expected. Upon further observation, our waitress was busy servicing at least three other tables. She did apologize for the slow service for which we said we understood and everything was just fine.

The salads arrived and they were standard fare as salads went. The lettuce was fresh and crisp, very little carrots, one black olive, one slice of cucumber, one small cherry tomato. It lacked cheese and croutons.
Chicken Parmigiana Caffe Capri Style
Chicken Parmigiana Caffe Capri Style
The main course was chicken parmigiana with a side of Penne pasta. The portion was very generous, consisting of two large pieces of chicken that was well cooked, juicy, tender, and baked to a golden brown. Melted cheese and a hearty tomato sauce smothered the chicken. It was delicious. The penne pasta and sauce was equally surprising. Classic Italian bread completed the meal.
Pattys Meal
Patty's meal consisted of shrimp cocktail for an appetizer, salad, and haddock francaise in a tangy wine sauce with a side order of spaghetti. Patty said the meal was delicious and that we would be returning to Caffe Capri in the near future for another fine dining experience.

The cost for both meals was $53 dollars excluding tip which was very reasonable with the quality and amount of food received. The service was very good even with the excessive burden on her.

The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 4 out of 5 shots and recommends Caffe Capri for dinner.



LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL

1/09/2010

Bob Evans - Bacon Cheeseburger Takeout

Bacon Cheeseburger Take Out Bob Evans
Bacon Cheeseburger Take Out Bob Evans
Bob Evans restaurant located in Youngstown, Ohio, is our next stop on the Blue Plate Special tour. However, this time, we ordered to go to test their take out service. I placed the call, ordered a bacon cheeseburger with french fries and the waitress said my order would be ready in about 20 minutes.

I arrived at Bob Evans in twenty minutes and went to the take out counter. A waitress asked if she could help me. I told her, "Pick up for the Grassy Knoll Institute!" She smiled and went into the back. She walked out with my order and packed it up in a plastic bag. She told me to pay at the check out.

As you can see, they did not skimp on the bacon. Two thick strips were on top and when I broke both pieces in half, they covered the burger completely. The cheese was plentiful, fully melted and hot. The bun was fresh, hot, and toasted just right. The one third pound burger patty was well cooked, juicy, and hot. The fries were golden brown, crunchy, not soggy, and hot. The container, a standard styrofoam container held up for well.

The burger was very good tasting. You could really taste the crisp thick bacon unlike other burgers where the bacon is undercooked and as thin as paper. The fries were very tasty as well.

Don't worry, I didn't forget about the cost which at $8 dollars was a fair price. All in all, the take out experience was worked well.

The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 3.75 out of 5 shots and recommends Bob Evans Cheeseburger take out for dinner.



LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL

9/30/2009

Elephant Ear Restaurant - Cheeseburger - Fries

Elephant Ear Restaurant Fair food
Elephant Ear Restaurant 

It's the end of September and the local and state fairs are now just a recent memory. Some wishing they would have bought that giant Elephant Ear or hot sausage sandwich smothered in peppers and onions.

As if my prayers had a direct hot line to the big guy, a new restaurant popped up in my old town called the Elephant Ear. The menu was simple and ingenious. All your fair food favorites.

We pulled in and the place was packed. There was one parking spot left out of about 25 in the lot. It must be good if the place is packed right?
Elephant Ear Corn Dog
Elephant Ear Corn Dog
The layout was simple. A small sit down area with a few booths and tables, maybe seating for 25-30 people. An order and pickup counter on the left side. We waited in line for our turn. We waited about 5 minutes to place our order. After we placed our order, it took almost 20 minutes for our order to come up. That is why the place was packed. The food preparation was very slow. We noticed that everyone sitting at the tables and booths were waiting for orders.

Finally, our number was called and I retrieved our order. Of course I had to order a corn dog. It was standard fare, (Fair) and standard size. It was cooked well and tasted good. I have to say, it tasted just like the Canfield Fair corn dogs. And at $2.75 it better.
Elephant Ear Cheeseburger And Fries
Elephant Ear Cheeseburger And Fries
The second part of my artery clogging dinner was a cheeseburger and original "Fair" french fries. The cheeseburger was nothing special, no outstanding qualities. The bun was a little beat up, and it looked like it was just tossed in the container. It was well cooked, the cheese melted, the beef adequate quality.

The fries, on the other hand, were not "Fair" quality. In fact, they were pretty horrendous. Perhaps if they were cooked properly, they would have tasted better. They had the texture of fat spaghetti strings. They were soggy, wet, greasy, and well, terrible. The cost was $6 dollars for the combo which was reasonable if the fries were edible.

So, the service was terrible, the food below average, and the price adequate. However, I have to commend the owners for the unique idea of Fair food without all the stinky animals and smelly pumpkins and rotting hay. Since the restaurant was still new, I have decided to give them one more chance to redeem themselves. With that.....

The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 2.5 out of 5 shots and is on the fence about recommending Elephant Ear Restaurant for dinner.


LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL

9/29/2009

KFC - Chicken Strip Dinner

KFC Chicken Strip Dinner
KFC Chicken Strip Dinner
This is what Kentucky Fried Chicken considers a dinner! Pictured left, the three piece chicken strip meal. The meal consisted of three strips of breaded chicken, one biscuit, and one side which I selected mashed potatoes with gravy. It was all tossed packed in this handy box.

I will say that the chicken, although not healthy or good for you, did taste good. (600 plus calories, 27 fat grams, 80 gram of cholesterol, 54 carbs) As well as the biscuit and mashed potatoes. You can see by the photo how the food was packaged. Not the best as the grease from the chicken was beginning to ooze through the cardboard. The cost was $5 dollars, which is respectable I suppose.

The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 2.75 out of 5 shots and recommends KFC chicken strip meal for dinner.


LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL

9/20/2009

Belleria Italian Restaurant – Pizza

Belleria Signage
Continuing our tour of restaurants in the Youngstown, Ohio vicinity, we landed at Belleria's Italian Restaurant. I have heard they had good pizza and of course good Italian cuisine. We pulled in and at first thought the place was closed until we saw the neon sign glowing "OPEN"
Belleria Sampler Platter
Belleria Sampler Platter
The hostess was very pleasant and seated us at a table right away. It was not crowded at all, but there were patrons there eating. She took our drink orders and when she returned, we ordered the appetizer platter.

As you can see, everything was battered and deep fried. The platter consisted of onion rings, chicken wings, and chicken tenders plus a collection of sauces for dipping. All were cooked well and tasted good. So far so good.
Belleria Pizza
Belleria Pizza
My main course was a cheese pizza. I know, plenty of other choices but I was rather fancying a slice of pizza at that time. I made sure to make the waitress aware that I did not want green peppers on my pizza.

In about 20 minutes, after the waitress cleared our table of our appetizer, my pizza arrived. Pretty impressive isn't it? Well, as I was cutting a slice, I noticed small green peppers scattered on the pizza. WTF!!! I distinctively ordered the pizza sans the peppers. Knowing that it would take 20-25 minutes to cook another pizza the way I ordered, I decided to buck up and endure. I delicately (As best one can with a knife and fork) picked the peppers off from each slice and pressed on. I only had several slices for the taste of the green peppers was embedded in the god damn pizza.

How did it taste you ask? It sucked! Plain and simple.
ravioli dinner belleria
Ravioli Dinner
Ahh, but here's the conundrum. My darling wife Patty ordered the ravioli and meatballs. Patty states that her meal was not terrible, and it did not suck, but was rather good. The meatballs were average, the ravioli's were good, and the sauce above average. This throws a curve ball into my ranking for Belleria and if I would recommend them or not.

So I fall back on my ranking format.
How was the service? Since my order was incorrect, I would have to say terrible.
How was the food? Again, with my order being incorrect and the pizza tasting like peppers, it was terrible.
How was the presentation? It was nice, adequate, plenty of room at the table, extra napkins, a pizza knife, plates.
How was the price? The appetizer and pizza and coke was around $15 dollars. Not to steep, not to low.

The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 2 out of 5 shots and DOES NOT recommends Belleria Italian Restaurant for dinner.



LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL