A few months ago, a smoker suddenly appeared in front of the building that has housed many a coffee shop and restaurant over the past few years.

I figured it was a summer thing, until a coworker arrived with a menu for Bear Creek Barbeque Grill on Vine Street in Willowick and told me it was a must-visit for someone like me, who proclaims herself a fan of that genre of food.

He kept after me for a few weeks until my husband and I and couple of friends ventured out on a rainy Saturday night for dinner.

When we got inside, I mentioned my friend had been after me to try it out, and that he’d told me that the owner had given him a tour of the place and showed off the fact that everything is homemade on site.

Read more from Managing Editor Laura Kessel's review Dining Out: Bear Creek in Willowick adds tasty barbecue to its offerings.

On our family’s annual fall pumpkin excursion out Route 20 toward Madison, we decided to stop for dinner on our way back home. We decided on Perry Family Restaurant, which is actually in Painesville Township.

“Family excursion, family restaurant,” we thought. Fitting.

My wife, son and I were among few guests on that late Saturday afternoon and were seated in the dining room brightly lit by the brass chandeliers hanging from a drop ceiling. The neutral walls were adorned with prints, and the floor was covered in a carpet you might expect to see on the floor of an old Vegas casino.

In other words, it was almost exactly what you’ve come to expect a family restaurant to look like.

Read more in correspondent Mark Koestner's review Dining Out: Perry Family Restaurant in Painesville Township offers predictable but solid meal.

There are several reasons people might not like the new Melt Bar and Grilled in Mentor.

When they remade the former Mexican restaurant into a cavernous single-room dining area with high ceilings, the place got really loud. Good luck conducting a conversation across the table, with the conversational din and Muzak playing overhead.

This fourth jewel in chef/owner Matt Fish’s crown definitely has the feel of a chain, with its on-table advertisements of specials and frequent diner card offering free food after purchases totalling $250.

Then there’s the legendary wait for a table. Make no mistake: You will be waiting to eat at Melt. How long depends on when you show up. They’re honest about it when you walk through the door. They’re also remarkably accurate. There’s plenty of space for you to sit down.

Read more in Managing Editor Laura Kessel's review Dining Out: Melt Bar and Grilled in Mentor worth the (long) waits.

The Cleveland-area restaurant scene has no shortage of quality steak houses. For those of us in Lake County, however, the true steak house experience has meant driving west.

But Cuyahoga County no longer holds exclusivity on at least one part of the top steak house formula. Vault Steak House and Wine Room, on the square in Madison, has brought high-end steaks to Lake County.

Read more in correspondent Mark Koestner's review Dining Out: Madison's Vault Steak House dry-ages, cooks steaks to perfection.