Poco Piatti

Went out celebrating last week at a spot called Poco Piatti. A few people recommended it on Chow.com as a nice place in Toledo. What really appealed to me was the name, which means small plates in Italian. Because with small plates you aren't tied down to one entree.

 

Their menu is very eclectic, jumping all over the globe from Greece, Italy, Southern U.S., Lebanon and Thailand. We ordered a handful of menu items — not including the 2 pitchers of Sangria, which alone is good enough for a visit. 

I wanted to go to the original location on Monroe Street, but opted the closer Levi's Commons location instead. It's a comfy place; not so quiet that you feel you have to whisper, and loud enough to keep private conversation private. 

The plates are appetizer size, and all dressed very well. My date and I would order a plate each time the server dropped one off. I recommend the Thai Shrimp "Lasagna" (see photo), Prosciutto Crepes, Vongole con Salsiccia (clams roasted w/ hot sausage), Saganaki Kasseri (flaming cheese ... the server will shout "OOPA!!!") and of course, the Sangria.

 So if you are looking for a fun place to take a date, I recommend Poco Piatti for a unique dining experience. I will be trying the owner's other restaurant on Monroe Street, The Beirut, soon. 

South Side Six

If you haven't heard about South Side 6, it's because it's hard to talk with a mouth full of food.

The small party store on South Main Street celebrates almost every day with an awesome special, but it's the gyros that really put the party in the store — and then your mouth.

It doesn't look like much from the outside, and that's OK, because once you set foot in the parking lot your nose will quickly dismiss your eyes.

And inside is a spectacular scene. Three giant roasts twirl elegantly on the vertical gyro grills like three bountiful ballerinas. The owner, So, shaves off caramelized strips of either chicken or beef and hands them off to his faithful gyro technician, Abod, who tightly wraps each gyro with lettuce, onion, tomato and plenty of cucumber sauce. And how much do I owe? It it's Thursday, only $1.99.

The owner, So, was born in the U.S. but raised in Lebanon where he learned all about authentic Lebanese cuisine — Fattush, Taboli, Kabobs, Hummus, Chicken Shawarma and Baklava. It's all there, even his American side.

The gigantic Route 25 Burger is almost as satisfying, but falls just short to the mighty South Side 6 gyro. And I think it's because the gyro stays with you all day long. Spicy little burps act as pleasant reminders of the delicious meal you made love to earlier. If you have a date later, make sure they eat one too. Because it's OK if you both have bad breath.

Tuna's Bloody Marys

_Click here to read about Tuna's Bloody Marys_

Feasting at the Festival

Black Swamp Arts Festival '08 — 

Didn't make it to the arts festival? Shame on you. You don't have to be into art to enjoy the festival. The food is equally as awesome as the art. 

If the music didn't draw you in the stage area, the aroma in the air certainly did. I was lifted off of my toes like in the old cartoons and floated into the parking lot. I didn't make it much further than Po Mo's — the giant smokers really turned me on and I love ribs — but every vendor was rock'n out to good tunes and serving up sloppy festival delicacies. 

All of the vendors had something special to offer. from basic fair food to fried gator bites, the 2008 Black Swamp Arts festival once again delivered a tasty celebration.  

Here's a slide show for the people who failed to take advantage of such a wonderful opportunity. Feast your eyes out. I hope you are kicking yourself. I'm still stuffed.

China Village

The sign in the window that brought me in praises a $3.25 lunch deal. Then I looked on the menu and saw that none of the items exceed $4 anyway, so everything's special! Located in Downtown Bowling Green right across from the police station on West Wooster Street, this tiny little asian bistro has been serving up affordable Chinese since 1988. The China Village is a family restaurant, run completely by one married couple, except on the weekends when it's especially busy. Having only about 10 tables in the whole place, the hostess/server/owner has hardly any trouble managing on her own. And her husband seems to be doing just fine in the kitchen. Each combo dish comes with a heap of fried rice, an egg roll, your entree and your choice of either Won Ton, Egg Drop or Sweet and Sour soup. And, of course, a fortune cookie. My fortune: "You're the baddest dude around." My lunch: Almond Chicken combo platter My bill: $3.25

The Cookie Jar's Cookie Eating Contest

Here are some photo's of the cookie eating contest at the Cookie Jar in Bowling Green, Ohio. The Cookie Jar is really unique, they deliver oven fresh cookies and milk. I've never seen anything like it, and I have never seen any competition quite so entertaining. The objective of the competition was to eat 6 chocoalte chip cookies and 6 half pints of milk as fast as possible, without ralfing. I ended up with 10min 7sec, which isn't entirely bad. The winner got 6min 33sec. It's not as easy as you might think, a lot of contestants coudn't even finish in the 15 minute time frame provided.

Trotter's Brown Jug

Tuna's Bloody Marys

I was at BW3's the other day for a Bloody Mary—their Bloody Marys are really great, except they cost nearly $5—when some stranger told me I need to go Howard's Club H if I want the best Bloody Mary in town. So, being the foodie I am, I went the next day and this is what I found. 

Look at it! It's glorious! A bold Bloody Mary with a light meal clinging to the rim for only $3.75. A block of cheese pinned to a stalk of celery, 3 pieces of shrimp, a lime wedge and a pickle studded with 4 olives. I especially love the shrimp with their heads dunked in the drink for a big sip—even they can't resist. Who knew Howard's offers more than music and pool? Breakfast! But these generous cocktails aren't available all week, only Saturday through Monday (if supplies last). Kermit's and Bob Evans might be losing business if too many people read this. 

The only thing that rivals this cocktail is Tuna's hospitality. Tuna is the bartender/legend who makes these tomato based masterpieces. Great job my friend. So let him be proud and order a Bloody Mary at Howard's. I don't think I will be returning to BW3's very soon. 

Subway's New Southwest Turkey Rueben

So, Subway is thinking about adding a new sandwhich to it's menu, The Southwest Turkey Rueben. One of the advantages of living in Northwest Ohio is the test market products. Last year I was fortunate enough to try out Taco Bell's Breakfast menu, and it was good! But unfortunatly it didn't make it, and I feel it's safe to say that the Southwest Turkey Rueben wont either. The sandwhich is only featured in 16 stores nation wide so I couldn't pass up the opportunity to post my opinion, to let the rest of the country know what they are missing, or not missing. Overall, my Southwest Turkey Rueben experience was poor. The taste just wasn't there. Turkey doesn't have much of a taste and neither does the Sauerkraut they use. If they were hoping the Southwest sauce would make up for the lack of flavor, they were mistaken. All the sauce does is leave a slight burn on your pallate. I was expecting a much bolder and more "Southwest" of a taste than what I got. Subway.... next time you send something Southwest to Northwest Ohio, make sure it's got some peppers on it or something, not just two bland mediums for a boring sauce.

Buffets: Grazing humans

An inside peek to some of Bowling Green's finer buffets.

Welcome to Hunan Buffet. This guy likes it and I know why. Hunan has just about everything you could ask for from a Chinese buffet at a reasonable price. It says on the menu it features over 60 items daily. I didn't count but I wouldn't doubt it.

Hunan is great, and barely $6 for lunch.

Old Town Buffet has a few more options than Hunan, but not many. Old Town offers a Mongolian bar and a few more familiar American foods.

The atmoshphere may be Chinese but the options aren't limited. Featuring everything from Salt and Pepper Squid to Pepperoni Pizza, Crab Legs on Fridays and Saturdays, this place has it all.

You can rent out space for gatherings. Birthdays receive a dance, song and cake. Overall a real comfortable family environment.

Hunan and Old Town buffets looks great, but King buffet's price looks better...

A five dollar lunch and a six dollar lunch ain't nothin. Especially with a 10 percent discount for showing a BGSU student I.D.

King Buffet sure doesn't have as many options.

But does it really matter when it's all you can eat?

Easy Street, more like Meatball Avenue

Latley I have been on a mission which I recieved from a craving. A craving for a giant Meatball Sub. I had trouble finding one that satisfied my hunger last week, but tonight I believe I found exactly what I was looking for.

Easy Street Cafe's Meatball Sub comes with three giant meatballs that are bulging out of a toasted bun, covered with a classic marinara sauce and melted mozerella. It's a classic Meatball Sub and I ate every last bite. But the crux of the sub wasn't really how it was compiled, but how it was served. It comes served in a small casarole dish which my waitress, Lindsay, said it is baked in until the cheese melts and the edges of the bun get dark. I believe a great meatball sub will always be one that requires a fork and knife, and I would hate to see anybody try to pick up one these fat slobs. Lindsay said she has seen some terrible meatball fumbles. The sub was great although I can't say much for the fries that came at an extra charge. They where a bit saturated, comparable to Steak Escape's fries. So I tip my hat to Easy Street and their giant meatball sandwich. Meatball Sandwich - 6.99 Add Fries ----------- 0.95 16 oz Bass ---------- 4.25 Total ----------> $12.23

Reverend Chico's

I did an article on this place before it opened and the owners made it sound great. But who wouldn't talk up their own restaurant? So I decided to check this place out for myself to see if they are all they claimed to be. Based on four categories, Ambiance, Service, Drinks, and Meal, I rated the restaurant. I combined Plating and Taste into one category, Meal, because I wanted to make way for a new category which college students care a little more about than the way their food looks on the plate, booze. Five points can be awarded to each category Ambiance. 5 Reverend Chico's is in the old Cosmos coffee spot. If you remember what Cosmos looked inside, you will understand why I gave Chico's a perfect 5.

With six flat screens, street wall windows and tall tables, Chico's provides a comfortable dim lit atmosphere. This place really looks great. I think they really did a great job at incorporating a Latino theme without going over the top, like a ChiChi's or DonPablo's. It's an overall comfortable, classy environment.

Service. 3

Since all of the food is carefully prepared, such as the papaya is sliced and fried instead of dumped from a bag in the freezer, a little wait is tolerable. Chico's has two service options. You can either order at a window or give your order to a server. This is a good option for customers, but I think it will take a while untill all of the kinks are worked out. Advice; if you sit down at a table, definitely order from a server.

Drinks. 4

I had their house Margarita and a tall Amber Boch. The reason why I chose them is the same reason I scored Chico's drinks a 4 and not a 5, the price. Even though Chico's has great happy hour deals and late night specials, the drinks are a little pricey. So go during happy hour or after 9 for affordable drink specials that wont break your wallet. I heard the house Sangria and "Mo-chico" mojitos are wonderful. The house Margarita is made without sweet and sour mix, instead with a simple syrup and lime juice so that the drink isn't overwhelmingly sour. Word.

Meal. 5

I had the BBQ Pork Tacos and some Plantain Chips, and they where delicious. The pork was sweet and tender and the tortilla hugged them neatly. I have had plantain before but never plantain chips. I would compare them to potato skins but with a hint of something sweet. I was expecting more of a banana presence in the taste, put I was mistaken. I know it's unfair to rank a restaurant on one dish, but I really enjoyed my meal and so did everybody else I asked. Reverend Chico's provides a new exciting flavor to the area that larger Latino restaurant chains can't and is practically just as affordable.

My meal...

• Amber Boch $2.00 happy hour
• House Margarita $2.50 drink special
• Plantain Chips $2.00
• BBQ Pork Tacos (3) $6.00

Total - $12.50 and some change Reverend Chico's final score... 17/20

Gator Basket

Yesterday, after watching the Buckeyes beat on Akron, I went over to the Black Swamp Arts Festival to get some lunch from one of the many vendors. As soon as I got there I saw a friend of mine stumbling out of the festival. I told him I was getting some food and he strongly recomended the Gator Basket.

At first, I thought "Oh sweet, I've never had gator before, and how appropriate for the Black Swamp," and then I started having second thoughts, and thought of three solid reasons why I shouldn't get the fried gator bites.

1. I hate alligators. They are cold blooded, cold hearted reptiles that kill people all the time.

2. It probably tastes like a swamp or an aquarium.

3. I am still sour about the Gator's dual NCAA championship victories last year.

And then my good companion opened my eyes. All of the reasons I hade for not eating the gator are the real reasons why I should eat the gator.

I should eat the gator for all the alligator biten victims in the world. I should bite back and not let my prejudices stand in the way of exploring new tastes. So I ordered the Gator Basket.

Sure enough it didn't taste like the Everglades, it was really pretty good. Yeah, most things fried do taste good and I would hate to say it tastes like chicken, but alligator meat really does taste like chicken, chewy chicken.

So eating the gator didn't just taste good, it felt good too.