Last Night’s Bagels

No, I did not leave bagels out over night and choose to eat them this morning.  Gross.

I actually stopped at Bruegger’s, a bagel shop, in Fairlawn and grabbed a half-dozen of yesterday’s bagels for a whopping $2.99 — and don’t forget the container of the delicious cream cheese, either.  Hey – that ain’t so bad for day old, never frozen bagels.  Not to mention, Breugger’s is one of my all-time favorite places to grab a bagel.  Dunkin’ Donuts doesn’t even stand a chance.

Bruegger’s is one of the first bagel franchises to ever extend beyond the North East region of the country.  Until that expansion in 1983, only 1/3 of the American population had ever tried a bagel – hence their status as an ethnic food during the early 80s.  Before the expansion, it was rare to see a bagel sold outside of New York State.

Although I have long realized that bagels exist throughout the United States, I was certain that Bruegger’s was still New York’s best kept secret…  I was so wrong – but being wrong tasted oh so good 😉

I recommend stopping in for a genuine New York Style bagel with a nice portion of cream cheese swiped across the surface of a lightly toasted sesame seed variety.  Your taste buds will thank you.

The World’s Most Serious Burrito

I’m currently eating one of the most massive burritos I have ever come in contact with.  I am sure you’ve all guessed it – I stopped at Chipotle.  But, seriously, this thing is HUGE.

Many, if not all of us, know and love a Chipotle burrito.  Whether we prefer the burrito tortilla style or in a bowl, the distinct flavors of the Mexican Grill are always there.  And, as if the flavors are not enough to keep customers coming back for more, Chipotle uses sustainable and animal-friendly products – meats that have not been treated with antibiotics and organic, locally grown food whenever possible.  “Food with Integrity” they call it.

However, as you can well imagine if you’ve ever had a Chipotle burrito, I am too involved with eating to provide any more feedback and information regarding the restaurant.  Between this post and the next, though, you can enjoy the mouth-watering image of what I am eating… (Still, I can assure you, the picture does not do it justice.)

Seriously Delicious

Little Coco is one nervous dog

Image courtesy of nervousdog.com

It just might have been little Coco who drew me in to this coffee shop, or it could haven been the interesting name, Nervous Dog.  Either way, I walked in and never wanted to walk out.

The thing I love most about coffee shops is the warm environment and the soothing music.  Whether I need to escape my regular. monotonous atmosphere to get some work done or I want to relax with a hot chai and a good book, Nervous Dog is the place to go.

Since 2006, Nervous Dog has been located on West Market street, near Hawkins.  The shelves are full of local publications to read and the lure of fresh, locally baked is hard to resist… not to mention the organic and locally roasted coffee beans.  Every ounce of my being feels go about coming here – any opportunity I have to support local farmers or businesses, I’ll take it.

Usually, I visit the Nervous Dog to get my homework done.  Doing homework hardly feels like homework when I am enjoying the atmosphere and persona of the place.  (Indeed, I am even doing this blog post on location.)  But, there was one time when I happened to visit on a night when a palm reader was set up in the back corner.  Though I am far from superstisious, I had to have my palm read — and I’ll tell you what, it was a relief to be told that I needed more Vitamin B in my diet (I was wondering why I felt off at the time…).  On occasion, there is live music here, too.

My point?  This place isn’t just for the bookworms or the homework geeks.  The coffee bar offers a variety of entertainment throughout the year – just check out the events page on their site to see what suits your fancy.

“Come.  Sit.  Stay.”  And grab a Harvest Spice Latte (my favorite this fall), a fresh scone, and enjoy the beginning of fall.

Mr. G’s Please!

As I noted in my previous post, I am from New York State, meaning that I grew up on NY Style food.  Yes, that includes NY Style pizza.  A delicious thin crust, light on the sauce, and cheese everywhere… man, my taste buds are mad at me for just typing this sentence!  I love pizza – it’s my favorite food group.

Now, when I came to Akron, I was on a mission to find a good starch disk (Coneheads, anyone?).  For a short while, I was obsessed with my findings at Hungry Howie’s, but then they disappeared over night — almost caused me to transfer schools.  Anyway, I then had to see what other pizza could meet my needs while I finished school here.

Just imagine – I came across a pizza shop offering a blend of authentic Italian food and genuine NY pizza – Mr. G’s, a pizza shop located at 2955 West Market Street in Fairlawn.  Mr. G’s “You’ve had the rest, now try the best” slogan was intriguing, so I ordered myself a pie.  Plain cheese, nothing too crazy.  I took a bite and was in love.  Though the crust was not as thin as I normally prefer, the light sauce had a sweet bite to it that made this za to die for.  Then I found out they also carry typical Italian cuisine — gnocchi, spaghetti…  Yumm.  I am a carb freak, so you can imagine my amazement at the selection here.

Mr. G’s recently expanded its Market Street location.  The dining room has almost doubled in size.  It’s popularity is catching on, apparently.  I’m not surprised, because the food is out of this world.  However, I was surprised to learn that Mr. G’s family runs two more of these stores – one in NY, New York and the other in Miami, Florida.  With homemade ingredients and massive portion sizes, Mr. G’s has got it going on.

We’re just lucky that the Fairlawn/Akron area gets a taste of their family tradition.

I recommend the gnocchi and basic NY Style za.

Fromage de… Cake?

Lou and Hy’s.  A name many Akron natives are familiar with.  Over a decade ago, this West Akron restaurant was well-known for its cheesecake.  This cheesecake was so divine that its recipe is patented.  Tage Hojfeldt was the man behind this beloved cheesecake.  Unfortuantely, he passed in 2005, but his cheesecake carries with it a legacy never to be forgotten.

Though a CVS stands in place of the old Lou and Hy’s Deli, the cheesecake lives on.  Behind this CVS stands a plaza, which is home to The Sandwich Board – a hole in the wall cafe serving salads, sandwichs, soups and desserts.  The owner of The Sandwich Board purchased rights to the cheesecake recipe and now sells the delicious slices daily.

On occasion, I grab a slice of this cheesecake.  Being from New York State, I grew up loving the stuff (NY Style cheesecake, anyone?).  But, this cheesecake far exceeds most cheesecakes I have eaten.  With a light, fluffy texture and a bold flavor, this cheesecake offers my tastebuds the perfect mixture of sweet and cheesy tastes.  This cheesecake is made from all natural ingredients, which I am sure adds to the pure, yet distinguished flavors of this dessert.

Because I am a ‘Plain Jane,’ I often order a plain slice of cheesecake – no fruit toppings, no chocolate shavings or nuts.  A simple fromage de cake to please my tastebuds.