Noisy Oyster - Great Akron Dive Bar

Back when I started this blog a couple of years ago, one of the first places I reviewed was the Noisy Oyster (see original review here), I was just out hiking and saw a place that seemed interesting and so I gave it a try.  This past Sunday, Mosaic (the Jewish Outdoor Club website here) was checking out the F.A. Seiberling Nature Realm, which is a really nice nature center and hiking trails, so I recommended that we give the Oyster a try for lunch.  The Oyster is located at the end of a small strip of stores at 1375 N Portage Path,

Akron (map is here) which is where the Cuyahoga Valley ends in Akron.

I was happy to get back to check out the Oyster and see how it was doing.  While the outside is nothing special, once inside you are greeted by a cozy bar with a vaulted ceiling and a small dining room with windows overlooking a small stream. 
The decor is nothing special, it feels like a local dive bar, but one that has been kept up well and one that actually allows natural light and a feeling of nature in.  The oyster is the kind of place you could settle in and relax for a while.

The menu is still an interesting mix of bar grub with more and better fish and seafood than you usually find (you can see the menu at the Oyster website here).  We ended up ordering 3 Persian chicken salads, 1 shrimp salad and I had an order of steamed clams and an order of calamari.  The salads were nice sized and had a nice mix of vegetables topped with Chicken or Peeled Shrimp with an interesting Persian dressing on the side.  The dressing was a thick vinaigrette with a nice herb taste.  The overall opinion was that the salads were good and a nice change.

The steamed clams were small, but flavorful, with the nice chewy texture and hint of the sea flavor you want.  Sided with some melted butter and a lemon wedge a very nice treat. 

The real surprise of the meal was the Calamari.  When it came out, I was afraid that the pieces were too big and would be tough.  Instead I found the squid to be wonderfully tender and perfectly cooked.  It was clear that this was being prepared fresh and with a really nice touch.  The sauce was a wonderful compromise between cocktail  and marinara sauces, with a good tomato flavor but a nice bite to compliment the slightly sweet squid.

The Noisy Oyster is a great local bar, with an owner/chef who actually cares what comes out of the kitchen.  The food is prepared fresh and with skill and care.  A real surprise to find good and affordable fish and seafood at a little joint in the Cuyahoga Valley.  If you are in the area and want a bite to eat or to just get a refreshing adult beverage and relax, check them out.

Debonne Winery - Lake County Getaway

Sunday a group of us from Mosaic (the Jewish Outdoor Club website is here) headed out to Lake County for a nice hike at Hogback Ridge Park and then headed to the nearby Debonné Vineyards for a light meal afterwards. Mosaic is a group of Jewish adults who enjoy the outdoors and we have events regularly, check it out. Hogback Ridge is one of the hidden gems of the Lake Metroparks, with a nice boardwalk through the woods and a long flight of stairs down to a very nice hike along Mill Creek which is very picturesque. After the hike we headed to Debonne, which is located at 7743 Doty Road, Madison, OH 44057 (map here). Set in the middle of its vineyards, the winery is set on a small rise, giving nice views and allowing a welcome breeze across the patio and lawn. The building has a rustic alpine feel and the inside of the bar area has the patina of age and care that comes over time. We sat outside and enjoyed food from the grill that is run during the summer. Food is simple, affordable, but well prepared and designed to compliment the wines. I had a nice pasta salad served in a bread bowl; the salad itself was nice with a slightly sweet, brightly flavored dressing and complimented by vegetables, including baby corn. While the salad was a bit overdressed, the bread bowl was excellent, having been warmed in a hot oven and for $5 it made a nice light lunch. The menu includes items off the grill, cheese items, including a very nice looking fondue and appetizers. You will not find complex layered flavors here, instead they seem to take the approach of using quality ingredients and preparing them well and selling them at prices that you can afford. Unfortunately, I was on my motorcycle, so I did not try the wines, although Mindy did like their Riesling. Wine is available by the glass, bottle or by the flights and it seemed like a lot of people were enjoying the wine. To provide a nice compliment to the setting, there was a trio playing jazzy rock music. In addition, I watched a biplane take off from Debonne's airstrip, another nice treat. Overall, this was an enjoyable and relaxing way to spend a summer afternoon.