Day trip to Akron

RE: Day trip to Akron (Nathan G)

Sat, 26 Mar 2011 13:17:08 GMT

I'd like to throw one more place into the ring if at all possible. My wife and her whole family are from Canal Fulton, which is a stone's throw from Barberton. Actually, it's a stone's throw only if it's a howitzer throwing the stone (11 miles), but you get the idea. Naturally, there's a great deal of familiarity with Barberton chicken and more recently with Al's Corner Restaurant, but I digress.

About five years ago, I was with my wife and mother-in-law on the south side of Lake Anna, which is a legitimate stone's throw from Al's. We walked around the lake, then my mother-in-law looked to the north and said, "That's where Angie's was. I wonder if it's still there." We got in the car and headed over that way, and not only was Angie's Italian Restaurant still open, but it had recently been remodeled.

The interior is pretty standard; sports bar on one side, larger dining room on the other with an additional dining room/large party gathering place. We had to switch sides, since I was stuck with a clear view of a TV that had CNN on while the other side could see ESPN. I ordered a pizza, my wife fettucini alfredo, and my mother-in-law lasagna. Everyone sampled each other's food, and it was extremely tasty. As my own mother is fullblood Italian, I appreciate legitimately good Italian food. Even the appetizer salad was excellent, and the Italian dressing is as good as anything not made in my own kitchen. (NOTE: The Italian dressing is a house recipe that is actually a bright pink in color. I don't know why, but it's good stuff.)

Angie's Italian Restaurant
343 4th Street Northwest,
Barberton, OH 44203-2211
(330) 745-6056‎

RE: Day trip to Akron (buffetbuster)

Mon, 03 Jan 2011 20:21:53 GMT

Chili Dog1-
Okay, now I will have to try Skyway the next time I am in the Akron area. If you think it is better than Swenson's, then I can't wait!

ladygodiva-
If you do make it down to the Barberton restaurants, please report back and tell us how it was.

RE: Day trip to Akron (Chili Dog1)

Mon, 03 Jan 2011 19:52:26 GMT

A confession from this Akron native...I love Swenson's burgers (and the memories of going there as a child), but I actually kind of prefer the burgers at Skyway. And the Akron Skyway location retains its 1950's charm (being a nostalgic type I think the old neon and ancient facility are as much fun as the food itself). But I have to lay low on this...all of my Akron relatives are Swenson's loyalists and I don't want any hard feelings...

Thanks everyone for these great tips and photos...I'll be eating well next time I visit my hometown.

RE: Day trip to Akron (ladygodiva)

Mon, 03 Jan 2011 19:18:36 GMT

I loved this, I have lived in Akron all my life and have never visited the Barberton places, but I will now, thank you for this lovely Akron stuff

RE: Day trip to Akron (tedlovesdogs)

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 21:05:54 GMT

Nice ongoing report, buffetbuster--thanks!

We got our dog from Save Ohio Strays last fall, and the morning of our (early) departure, I checked the site to see if I might find a lunch spot if the timing worked. After your report on Belgrade Gardens and their famous chicken, now I'm REALLY sorry I didn't make the timing work! (The dog has been a wonderful addition to our family though--that was good timing!)

RE: Day trip to Akron (45013)

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 02:27:38 GMT

marence

We recently found Taggert's in Magnolia, a new outpost in an old inn, and had planned a trip to Canton to get ice cream at the original Taggert's.

I actually ate at that Taggart's. I was roadtripping in northeastern Ohio three years ago. Specifically it was when OH 183 was closed between Minerva and Waynesburg--all the way out to OH 44, oh my! I remember coming into Waynesburg and seeing a restaurant on my left, only to find it not yet open for the season (it was March 25)--very irritating, and on top of the OH 183 detour! Then when I reached Magnolia I found Taggart's, a name I recognized from reading up on the Canton area, and that solved my lunch problem! (They had hot dogs, from what I recall.)

RE: Day trip to Akron (Nancypalooza)

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 16:26:48 GMT

Ohhhh, Mike is a *geek*. I wanted to turn my swingset into the Millennium Falcon, but I was 10 at the time. :)

RE: Day trip to Akron (buffetbuster)

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 16:00:25 GMT

marence-
Glad you enjoyed the report and that it brought back some memories. If you and your husband do make it to Kennedy's (and hopefully do a doubleheader with Taggert's), please report back and let us know how it was.

RE: Day trip to Akron (buffetbuster)

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 15:51:17 GMT

There is no way I could come to the Akron area without stopping in at Belgrade Gardens

in Barberton for some chicken paprikash, which I think is one of the great Roadfood meals. Three orders went home with me and it got shared with my brother and mother, who love it just as much as I do. Sorry, no photos.

Final stop before heading home was Mike's Place in Kent, Ohio. This place is just odd. The outside

looks like an architect's nightmare with the different styles and in the back by the flags, you can even see what looks like a castle. Also in front, is an X-Wing fighter.

I had to look it up when I got home, but it is apparently one of the spacecraft from Star Wars.

The inside looks like so many other places nowadays, with license plates and anything else imaginable hanging in every available space on the wall. The menu

has to be just about the biggest I have ever seen and it would take you an hour to look through it if you let it. Besides the food, the menu also has amusing lists of accepted forms of payment or the rules of eating at Mike's.

In the Jane & Michael Stern 500 Things to Eat book, they have sauerkraut balls listed for the Akron area. I have been keeping my eyes open for it and they had them here at Mike's.

They came heavy breaded with ten to an order and a side of the made here pink cocktail sauce. The sauerkraut itself was not too strong and was delicious.

For my entree, it was something called the major meltdown, which is a 10oz. burger on grilled rye toast.

From the side view,

you can see the American and Swiss cheese and the grilled onions. Not a bad burger, although the fries were really greasy.

Mike's Place is undoubtedly very popular, especially with the local students at Kent State. It just came across to me as someplace that was trying too hard and it just didn't grab me. But, I could definitely see where many others would love this it here. And I will be back for those sauerkraut balls!

Mike's Place
1700 S. Water Street
Kent, OH
330-673-6501

http://www.roadfood.com/Restaurant/Reviews/6838/mikes-place

From there it was straight home and I had the chicken paprikash for breakfast the next day.

RE: Day trip to Akron (marence)

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 15:22:18 GMT

Buffetbuster -
Wonderful! I worked in Akron in the 80s and you've stopped at some of my usual lunch spots - West Point Market (their dessert case supplied lunch for me on many a stressful day), Swenson's (introduced to me by older female co-workers, who went less for the Galley Boys and more for the college boys), and the nap-inducing Belgrade Gardens with the best fried chicken I've ever had in a restaurant.
We recently found Taggert's in Magnolia, a new outpost in an old inn, and had planned a trip to Canton to get ice cream at the original Taggert's. When I showed my husband the picture of the ham sandwich at Kennedy's, his first comment was "so we're going when?"
Thanks for instigating a trip to Canton soon! BBQ & ice cream - exactly what we were looking for over the 4th of July weekend and didn't find.

RE: Day trip to Akron (Greymo)

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 15:20:53 GMT

Well, I will let the kids walk to the top and then they can tell me all about it!

RE: Day trip to Akron (buffetbuster)

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 15:09:12 GMT

Greymo-
Excellent! The Hall of Fame is a very worthwhile stop. And make sure you stop in Taggart's Ice Cream, which was my next stop.

Located not even a mile away from Kennedy's, Taggert's

has been serving ice cream to Canton since 1926. They sure do have a lot of old restaurants in this area. They do have a fine roster of sandwiches on the menu, but I was here for the ice cream. The hot fudge sundae was my order and I was rewarded with a very large bowl of ice cream.

Everything was good, but the thick, not-too-sweet hot fudge was especially memorable.

The inside doesn't appear all that old, but it does have an attarctive blue and white pattern. What really caught my eye was the carved up tables at the booths.

Sight seeing time! The mounment to President William McKinley is nearby,

so I walked to the top of the steps and viewed the masoleum where the families were buried.

Very pretty place. At the bottom of the long stairs is a presidential library and Stark County History Museum. I easily killed almost two hours exploring the exhibits.

RE: Day trip to Akron (Greymo)

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 14:52:54 GMT

Thanks for the report. I will be sure to mark this down as we are doing a trip to Canton when we get a chance. A couple of the kids really want to see The Football Hall of Fame.

RE: Day trip to Akron (buffetbuster)

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 14:50:55 GMT

Nancy-
Yes, that is a good description, but it had some heat to it, too. You can buy jars of the relish to take home.

RE: Day trip to Akron (Nancypalooza)

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 14:46:33 GMT

So the relish is like pickled cole slaw? That sounds yummy.

RE: Day trip to Akron (buffetbuster)

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 14:31:32 GMT

Bringing back an oldie, but a goodie.....

My original plan for the weekend was a drive to Dayton to visit with several college buddies. But my car broke down Thursday night and I don't have enough confidence in my old beater car to take a long drive. So, I switched to plan B, which was an afternoon of eating hot dogs in northern West Virginia with my buddy Mike. Unfortunately, he woke up Saturday morning not feeling well and begged off. So, it was on to Plan C!

It is about 1 1/2 hours for me to get to Akron and I showed up at the recently reviewed New Era Cafe just a few minutes after noon. Located next to the interstate, this place has been serving Eastern European comfort food since 1937. As you can tell from the photo,

this is not their original building. This looks more like a jewelry store to me and lacks any kind of charm. While I was there, the waitress showed me photos of the old place, which was a stones throw away and it was easy to tell that it had lots of character.

From reading the Stern's review, there was no doubt that I was going to get the chicken paprikash, which the menu described as a 75 year old family recipe. But, I always check the menu out, just in case there is something else unusual. When the waitress came over, I asked her what Gibletsad Dumplings were.

Turns out, it was a printing error and it was simply giblets and dumplings. Not even five minutes later, I overheard the waitress being asked the same question by a nearby booth. They really need to get that fixed!

My chicken paprikash

arrived in a shockingly short amount of time. Like the review states, the juice is very thin and the dish is less hearty than what I am used to. But, the incredibly tender chicken meat fell right off the bone and the dumplings were wonderful. The one complaint was that I would have preferred more dumplings. You do get one side with the dish and I selected the creamy, sweet cole slaw.

Instead, I should have chosen the extra dumplings. I used the thick, soft bread to mop up the extra paprikash juice.

A slice of the homemade strudel comes with your meal and I took the apple

over the cheese. The powdered sugar, the sweet fruit filling and the flaky shell combined into an excellent dessert.

When I got up to pay and tried to take a photo of the long strudels in the case, the woman volunteered to bring it out for a better photo.

She then gave me a tour of the place and told some stories of the restaurant's history. They are really nice people here.

New Era Cafe
10 Massillon Road
Akron, OH
330-784-0087

http://www.roadfood.com/Restaurant/Reviews/7172/new-era-cafe

In a little less than a half hour, I was walking into my next stop, Kennedy's B.B.Q.

in Canton. This local institution has been around since 1922! The inside

is very small, but still has room for counter seats, tables and booths. Looking for natural light, I grabbed the first booth as you enter. They do have a menu board on the back wall, but there is also a little menu stand

on each table. I would have loved to have tried a couple of sandwiches, but knowing I only had room for one, went with the ham. When I hesitated after she asked me if I wanted the relish, she told me that was definitely the way to go. Here is the sandwich.

They really load you up on the meat, which was very juicy and flavorful. The relish was made of finely shredded cabbage and had a little bit of an extra zing to it.

The ham/relish combination made for a really good sandwich.

They do have signs

on the wall advertising the local Amish-made Troyer pies and although tempted by the elderberry, I passed. There were a couple of customers who came in just to order a pound or two of bbq meat to go.

A man came out of the kitchen and checked on each of the dining customers. When he got to my table, I told him I recognized him from an internet photo. His name is Ernie Schott

and he had just bought Kennedy's B.B.Q. about a year ago. Since he was the successful owner of Taggart's Ice Cream, a short distance away, he was approached about buying it after the previous owner of Kennedy's passed away and no one else stepped up to keep it going. The only thing he changed was they are now open longer hours. He also told me some great stories about all the pro football players and owners he has met, (Canton is the home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame) although I am still skeptical about the one where Al Davis comes across as a nice person! We spoke a good 20 mintues before duties pulled him away. Another really good guy!

Kennedy's B.B.Q.
1420 7th Street NW
Canton, OH
330-454-0193

http://www.roadfood.com/Restaurant/Reviews/7154/kennedys-bbq

RE: Day trip to Akron (buffetbuster)

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 08:13:12 GMT

joerogo-
I agree, that is a fine looking omelet. If the next time I go back it is during breakfast hours, that is what I am going to order. The very nice lady offered me a bite of it and her hashbrowns, but I passed. I had enough food in front of me.

RE: Day trip to Akron (joerogo)

Sun, 13 Apr 2008 19:06:21 GMT

Now thats an omelet! Nice and chunky, eggs beaten not whipped.

RE: Day trip to Akron (buffetbuster)

Sat, 12 Apr 2008 21:03:13 GMT

Since there are so many restaurants in the area I like, I have been looking for a chance to go back to Akron. I finally did today. After seeing that there is a place in the new Roadfood book that I haven't been to before, I made that my first stop.

In the book, it is called Flury's Sandwich Shop, but the name is now Flury's Cafe.

I'm so glad I didn't try and eat at PetSnips instead!

Located in a residential neighborhood in Cuyahoga Falls, this place may be the smallest Roadfood restaurant with interior seating, that I have been to. I think it is even smaller than Kitchen Little in CT.

Even though I got there just before noon, since the review recommended the pancakes, I went for that. You can order them in all kinds of different varieties and I settled for the pumpkin pancakes.

On the thin side with a strong pumpkin taste, I especially liked the crusty edges. Delicious! But even better was the sausage.

I saw on the menu they offered hand dipped milkshakes and I couldn't resist. Here is my banana milkshake:

Since I had the Roadfood book with me, the others at the counter wanted to know what I was reading and soon the book was getting passed around. The owner Kim had no idea they were in the book and was especially pleased. I had a very enjoyable time talking with everyone else sitting at the counter and the lady next to me even asked if I wanted to photograph her western omelet. I think we all know what the answer to that question is!

Everyone I talked to was a regular and it is obvious that this place has a devoted local following.

I will definitely go back, hopefully for lunch next time.

I also went food shopping at West Point Market and had dinner at Belgrade Gardens. Since I have talked about those places several times before, there is no need to rehash them. But I did like my close-up photo of the skin of my Barberton chicken at Belgrade Gardens, which shows off the crunchy red skin.

RE: Day trip to Akron (buffetbuster)

Tue, 01 Jan 2008 18:19:42 GMT

CajunKing-
Yeah, I know.....a rather odd combination. But, I love peppermint ice cream and you usually can only get it near the holidays, so I try and eat it as much as I can, when I can. And since I tried the hot fudge at Mary Coyle last time, I wanted to try a different topping. By the way, the young man who took our order gave me an odd look. I might have been the first with this combination.

I know you love banana desserts as much as I do. Does that extend to banana ice cream, too? I bought a half-gallon of their banana ice cream to bring home, but haven't tried it yet. I will let you know how it is.

RE: Day trip to Akron (CajunKing)

Tue, 01 Jan 2008 17:50:04 GMT

BB

WOW what a combo

butterscotch with peppermint ice cream - You have either had this before or wanted to experiment???

RE: Day trip to Akron (lleechef)

Mon, 31 Dec 2007 12:32:40 GMT

Great trip report and luscious photos! Awesome!

RE: Day trip to Akron (buffetbuster)

Mon, 31 Dec 2007 07:03:59 GMT

CTD-
I'm with you on the Cubans.....I love them and order them as often as I can. And La Teresita makes probably the best I have had.

For me, the pickles are usually an afterthought, but those hot Tony Packo pickles made the Beside the Point Cafe's Cuban exceptional.

Woo-
Thanks for the tip on Milichi's. And please report back on how you and your husband like the place in Wooster.

RE: Day trip to Akron (ellen4641)

Sun, 30 Dec 2007 22:41:22 GMT

Now we've got to take a Roadfood trip to Barberton , Ohio!!
What do you say, guys ?!?!!

p.s. Appreciate the close-up pic of the fried chicken.

RE: Day trip to Akron (ChiTownDiner)

Sun, 30 Dec 2007 11:25:28 GMT

Buffetbuster - BTW - the Cuban is among my top 5 sandwich picks. I am always trying them out and had one yesterday but it was no where near your photo. I had the Cuban at La Teresita near Tampa last April and it was the best in recent memory. To me, the bread is key followed by tender ingredients. If each bite ends up in a chewing contest or a tug of war, it sorta spoils the flavors.

RE: Day trip to Akron (ChiTownDiner)

Sun, 30 Dec 2007 11:13:49 GMT

Buffetbuster - I attended John Carroll from '73-'77. One of my good friends grew up in Akron and ocasionallly we would come down for some home cooking...and a few burgers. Sky-Way was the family favorite and we would stop by sometimes twice in one day and consume large quantities of burgers, rings, fries, shakes, etc.

RE: Day trip to Akron (Woo)

Sat, 29 Dec 2007 21:24:37 GMT

Well Buffetbuster, my husband says the Barberton chicken is basically the same at all the places, it is the hot sauce that makes the difference, and his preference for the hot sauce is Hopacan. One other place I can think of not mentioned is Milichi's, not his favorite either. There is a place here in Wooster advertising they are doing Barberton chicken now, he's going to try that real soon.

RE: Day trip to Akron (buffetbuster)

Sat, 29 Dec 2007 18:38:28 GMT

My mother's favorite department store is Dillard's and we don't have them in Pittsburgh. The closest one is in Akron. I gave her a gift card to Dillard's for Christmas and she asked me to take her today. So, I was off to Akron again this morning.

After shopping at the Summit Mall, I took her to Belgrade Gardens for lunch. Everything was excellent (I had the Barberton chicken and she had the chicken paprikash, which wasn't nearly as spicy today) and we had a great meal.

And we did visit Mary Coyle for dessert.

This is a nice old fashioned ice cream parlor with a big menu of different flavors and sundaes. She had a small marshmallow sundae with vanilla ice cream

and I had a butterscotch sundae with peppermint chip ice cream.

Yeah, I realize these sundaes don't look that impressive, but trust me.....this is excellent ice cream. I think I like this even better than Strickland's.

http://www.marycoyle.com/

RE: Day trip to Akron (buffetbuster)

Sat, 29 Dec 2007 17:44:56 GMT

ChiTownDiner-
Where did you go college that Akron was within reasonable driving distance?

The Sky-Way Drive in is still there. In fact, I drove past it again today and they were doing a brisk business. I haven't tried it yet, but after reading several on here rave about it, it will be a "must eat" the next time I am in the area.

http://www.skywaydrive-in.com/

RE: Day trip to Akron (ChiTownDiner)

Sat, 29 Dec 2007 11:30:36 GMT

BB - Great photos as always! In the old college days, we would roadtrip every so often to Akron and dine at Swenson's (good to see they are still at it) and Skyway. Is Skyway still around and if my memory is correct, they has a similar menu to Swenson's. Burgers, onion rings and cherry malts seem to stand out in my mind.