Trader Jacks Riverside Grill - Chagrin River Hangout

We went kayaking on the mouth of the Chagrin River (the livery website is here) and after a very enjoyable couple of hours paddling around exploring the marinas, the islands and the houses we headed over to Trader Jacks for some lunch. Located at 35901 Lake Shore Blvd, Willoughby (see map here), Trader Jacks sits just beneath Lake Shore Blvd as it heads over the Chagrin River and has a great view from its patios. For those familiar with most of the Chagrin River, you almost wouldn't recognize it at its mouth. The last mile or so this is a big river and it has marinas, large and small houses and just a whole different feel; sort of what you would expect from a South Florida area along the intercoastal. Trader Jacks kind of continues that feeling with a nice relaxed feel and attempts at upgrading the quality of its menu. Of the items we tried, everything seemed pretty good, the portions were large, the prices reasonable. The onion rings were good sized rings of onions with a breaded coating and deep fried. The Calamari was fresh cut and breaded before being fried as advertised. While all of this was just fine, there were not any exceptional flavors. I was a bit disappointed that the food, while well prepared, just didn't taste better. Don't get me wrong, nothing was bad, but by the same token nothing was exceptional. Especially with the amount of fried items, you just want that feeling of eating something that sends your taste buds into orbit. Service was interesting to say the least, while the food came out in a reasonable time, I had to request the mayo sauce to go with the Calamari, soup was sent out twice. Our server was a bit frazzled and seemed to have trouble understanding my question about what kind of broth was used to make the vegetable soup. The bottom line for Trader Jacks, really good location and they are obviously trying hard; giving big portions of pretty good food at reasonable prices. What I think they really need is someone with some culinary chops in the kitchen. If they could improve flavors, this could be a real gem. In any case I can highly recommend finding a nice day to paddle the Chagrin River.

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Paninis Grill - Overstuffed Sandwiches

So as I mentioned in my review of Primanti Brothers I wanted to get to Panini's to do a direct comparison of the two Overstuffed Sandwiches. So after a hike at Penitentiary Glen this weekend, we headed over to the Panini's in Willoughby. Panini's has clearly followed the model set by Primanti Brothers, the overstuffed sandwiches with fries and coleslaw inside, the sports bar like feel and the overall menu are very similar. And I do have to note here one of my real problems with Panini's; in trying to find a name similar to Primanti, they came up with an Italian sounding name that starts with a P, good enough, except for the fact that there are NO PANINI SANDWICHES ON THE MENU. For those who do not know, a Panini is an Italian sandwich which is cooked on a panini press that compresses and cooks the sandwich, usually leaving very distinctive grill lines in the bread. When done right they are delicious and my panini press is a favorite item in my kitchen. Unfortunately, instead of actually offering these gems, Panini's decided to use the name only and offer a copy of the Primanti's sandwich. I understand that we as Americans believe in taking every other food culture and bastardizing it to suit American tastes, but at least come somewhat close to what you are copying, don't just redefine the meaning of a term. Rant over for now. For those who haven't been to a Panini's Grill, it is a restaurant/ sports bar set up with pretty good food and a pretty good decor. I haven't been to the Willoughby location since the expansion and I have to say they did a really good job. They have added an outdoor Tiki bar out back and to link it to the original dining room, they have also added a new bar/seating area with high ceilings and lots of glass; very nice with an island theme and a good open feeling. The menu is striking similar to that offered by Primanti's, although they have fewer options in the overstuffed sandwhiches, they do offer the option of the regular sandwich or the regular sandwich for $5.99 or the jumbo for $7.99. Figuring the price at Primanti's was closer to the regular, I went with a regular Tuna overstuffed. When the sandwich came it had the now familiar overstuffed stack: two slices of thick Italian bread, tuna salad, french fries, tomato and cheese. Lets go through the sandwich layer by layer. The bread was a very good Italian, I'm guessing from Orlando and I think it was better than the Primanti bread, although not by that much. The main difference was that the Panini's bread was a bit denser, although it still ended up falling apart, it at least gave some resistance. The tuna salad was a bit too moist for my taste, it ended up being a bit soupy, a real liability in a sandwich like this where it kept falling out the sides. The fries were good, hand cut and fried to a nice crisp, compared to Primanti, the fries at Panini's were a bit crisper, but the Primanti fries had a bit more potato flavor. The coleslaw was a major disappointment at Panini's, there was none of the sweet and sour notes that made the Primanti slaw so good, instead it was a rather bland although crisp heap of cabbage. The tomato slice was there and I am not even sure if there was a slice of provolone on the sandwich or not. The portion sizes were good, although I think that Primanti's was more generous with the fries and slaw. My overall impression was that the Primanti Brothers sandwich was far superior, with more distinct and pronounced flavors; although the crisp fries and the bread at Panini's were very good, they were not enough to overcome the better tuna and the far superior slaw that Primanti offers. My recommendation is that while Panini offers a pretty good sandwich, and a very good value at the price, Primanti Brothers offers a much more flavorful and filling offering, of course you have to head down to Pittsburgh to get it so there is that downside. Of course your taste may differ and I just compared the tuna sandwiches, the quality of the meats used could make a huge difference in the other sandwiches, so give them a try and let me know what you think. My choice is that Primanti is the clear winner with Panini's a clear imitation.

Ballantine - Willoughby Gastropub

We took a group out to Willoughby to check out Ballantine. Willoughby has become a center for good dining on the far East side with a nice mix of upscale and dive restaurants in a charming downtown. I have heard quite a few good things about Ballantine and the food, but that there has been a lot of turnover and changes since it first opened. It seems that they have finally settled on a directions, since since it was originally billed as a gastropub, but the current menu describes it as a Pizzeria and Bier Bar. In addition the couple of website links I can find for it are dead. What we found was very good food and an appealing upscale atmosphere. You get a feel for the place even before walking in as the front wall of windows shows an inviting upscale atmosphere with lots of dark wood and pools of light. As you walk in you see seating at a counter by the kitchen/pizza oven, also a long well stocked bar and a number of tables in a dark room. Seated at one of the high tables along the wall we had a view of several flat screens showing sports (in our case a Cavs game). Oil lamps on the tables add atmosphere if not illumination. The menu features a number of good sounding Neapolitan (thin crust) pizzas ranging from $8 to $12. The starters have some real winners and I decided to go with splitting the Lobster Mac and Cheese and an order of the Calamari. The Mac and Cheese was excellent with pasta shells in a wonderful cheesy becarmel sauce with a good portion of Lobster meat. The portion was good if not huge, but the flavors were wonderful, I would probably have the Mac and Cheese without the Lobster next time as it didn't add that much to the flavor. The Calamari was also good, sauted in a light crust with a bit of heat and some nice contrast from the onions and capers. Prices were ok with the Mac and Cheese going for $8 plus $4 for the Lobster, the Calamari was $9. Others at the table had the entrees $15 - $20, which were nice portions and included your choice of 2 sides. Beyond the Mac and Cheese, I did hear that the Rissoto and the spinach were both good. Food comes presented in large white modern plates and bowls and the look is very nice. Ballantine also features an extensive beer menu, including several beer flights, which allow you to sample several different draft beers. Overall, Ballantine seems to have found its niche, well prepared and presented food and drink presented in a warm upscale atmospere. If you are heading for an evening out, give them a try. The dinners

Burgers -N-Beer Breakfast - Willoughby Delicious Dive

A place called Burgers N Beer would seem to be problematic for me; after all I haven't eaten meat in over 30 years, so the Burgers are out, and as tempting as a good draft might be I do not drink when I am out on the motorcycle; but thankfully they did tack on Breakfast at the end of the sign. I am always looking for good breakfast places, you know the kind of place that gives a good sized breakfast at a reasonable price. Especially for Sunday mornings; I don't know why I will usually not eat breakfast all week and then come Sunday, time for a full breakfast. Located at 4027 Erie St. Willoughby, Ohio 44094, right near the intersection with Route 20, BNBB is housed in an old building, with the front of the building underwhelming, almost uninviting. Once inside however you are presented with a nice two room restauraunt/bar done up in vintage European posters, and other knick nacks. The theme even goes to the tables, with posters laminated onto them. The place has a cozy, dive like atmosphere, partially coming from the dark ceiling. The menu is the usual collection of eggs, pancakes, French Toast and the usual go alongs. You will notice that the prices are very reasonable and that they actually offer a good number of different combinations. I did a couple of pancakes with 2 eggs over medium and added a side of homefries. The pancakes were outstanding, with 2 very large and pretty thick pancakes well cooked and very flavorful. The eggs were cooked just right and not at all greasy and the homefries were also very good, with thin slices of potato cooked until crispy on the grill. I have heard that their burgers are very good and having had the fish sandwich, I can say the portion sizes are large, with sandwiches served on large slices of garlic bread. Burgers N Beer Breakfast may not have the most original or catchy name, but it is a cool place to hang out and get some good grub at a very reasonable price, so if you are over Willoughby way, check them out.

Great Bar Food - Kirtland City Tavern

On Friday went to the Kirtland City Tavern for their all you can eat fish special. I've been there a couple of times before and the food is always good. KCT is located at 10015 Chillicothe Road (Rt. 306) in Willoughby, near the back entrance to Chapin Forest. From the outside it is a fairly nondescript bar, but the inside has a classic and authentic road house feel to it. Nothing fancy and plenty of beer signs, but it has the feel that these were collected over the years, not bought by some consultant. The menu is fairly extensive with the usual hamburgers, sandwiches, salads and some good Italian items (I have tried the Eggplant Parmigana and it is good). But where they really pack them in is for the daily specials. Friday is all you can eat fish. For $9.99 you get coleslaw, freshcut fries and fried fish with tarter sauce. The coleslaw is fresh and mild with a crisp bite. The fries are a bit limp but very tasty, but the fish is where this deal shines. Large filets of whitefish is coated in a medium batter and then fried to perfection. The fish was perfectly cooked with a very crisp, slightly sweet shell. Although the 3 fillets that came in the original portion should have filled me up, I had to get another since they were so good. I would call the Kirtland City Tavern a hidden gem, but they appear to be well known in their area with the place filled and a short wait up front for tables to clear. The service was good considering the crowd. Give them a try.