It’s practically inevitable: Every now and then, there comes a day when you just need a good burger. And with the renowned chefs and higher-end restaurants offering their takes on them these days, dedicated foodies have found new ways to enjoy the American favorite.

From The Twisted Paddy Facebook page

That’s definitely the case with The Twisted Paddy in Mentor, which opened in March. Owned by the same local group that operates Croagh Patrick’s Pub and The Wild Goose in Willoughby, it’s a burger place that goes well beyond your average burger.

Every wonder what peanut butter on a burger would be like? Want to try goat cheese guacamole? The build-your-own burger option gives you 50-some options to choose from, including your choice of bun, patty and even the seasoning rub. If you’re one of those people who stumbles indecisively when asked what kind of cheese you want on your burger, you might have trouble here – there are 10 to choose from.

Read all of Correspondent Mark Koestner's review: Dining Out: Twisted Paddy, a build-your-own-burger restaurant in Mentor, worth a visit.

It’s on the National Register of Historic Places, but the Sawyer Home in Mentor has a recent history of housing eateries with, well, short histories. In the last 15 or so years, it’s been home to at least four different restaurants.

Its latest occupant, Local Tavern, has a shot at making history. That’s to say it’s not hard to envision it sticking around for a while.

Locally owned by the same group that operates the flagship in Willoughby Hills, the Mentor location opened in June. Unlike its predecessor in the 170-year-old Sawyer home, the out-of-retirement version of Frank and Pauly’s that lasted only a year there, Local Tavern has figured out how to fit its style to the space. Four separate bars, an entertainment stage in the main room and strategically placed TVs work with the building’s cut-up layout better. The lively music and rock-themed décor make the whole place inviting and fun. You can watch sports there, but it’s not a sports bar.

Calling it a “tavern” is fitting. It’s more bar than restaurant, but Local Tavern is also a bar that foodies can get into. With a focus on fresh local ingredients, a tight menu and 30-some beers on tap — including a fair selection of micro-brews — it has a little bit of a higher-end feel to it, but without hitting your wallet on the high end.

Read more on Correspondent Mark Koestner's review: Dining Out: Mentor's Local Tavern does interesting bar food at historic spot.

Tony Sacco's at Great Lakes Mall in Mentor opened on Dec. 12, 2012, so to celebrate its first anniversary, the coal oven pizza restaurant has created the "Sacco's Philly Pizza."

The special pizza, available for all of December, includes "Sacco's thin crust dough topped with slices of sautéed beef, caramelized onions, roasted mushrooms and sweet peppers topped with a variety of specialty cheeses," according to a news release. Additionally, Tony Sacco's says it will donate $2 of every large Philly Pizza sold to Make-A-Wish America.

To look back on the year anniversary, check out the video Jean Bonchak produced when she wrote about the pizzeria's opening last December:

J's Pizza Market in Mentor has a couple of specials that are quite fitting for this week's holiday: The Gobbler and the Apple Pie Pizza.

Here's the email J's sent today with a description (and mouth-watering picture) of the pizza:

If you don't have a chance to get one before Thanksgiving, don't worry! J's said it will be available for a couple of weeks after Turkey Day. (Good news for those of us who continue to crave Thanksgiving dinner long after we've left Mom's house.)

There’s a lot going on at BurgerFi in Mentor — a pricey entrant into the world of higher-end fast food.

It’s important to handle it in stages. If you don’t, you could get overwhelmed.

Because it’s a new restaurant and it happens to be in Mentor, you should be prepared for crowds. We arrived at 5:30 on a Saturday night, and seating in the dining room and an expansive patio was already at a premium. We got into a line that stretched well into the aisle between the two parts of the indoor seating area. It moved quickly, and we were at the counter in just a matter of minutes.

I suggest studying the menu beforehand. You can find it at burgerfi.com or grab the take-home version near the registers.

As I said before, there’s a lot going on.

Read more from Managing Editor Laura Kessel's review "Dining Out: Mentor's BurgerFi location proves a bit pricey but has some pluses."

If you've ever lost your favorite bookstore, a mom-and-pop grocery store or a good local restaurant to a big chain taking over, you know how regrettable it feels.

But what happens when it's the other way around?

That's what my wife and I and a few friends set out to discover regarding the Happy Moose Bar & Grill in Mentor, which recently dropped its affiliation with the Cleats chain and re-opened this past winter as an independent.

Read more of correspondent Mark Koestner's review at Dining Out: Cleats is gone, but Mentor's Happy Moose has comfy feel.

For years, the words “food court” have been synonymous with fast and family-friendly but not necessarily healthy. 

One also rarely thinks fresh when they are considering the options at a nearby food court.

Well, it’s time to change a few of those thoughts.

New to Great Lakes Mall in Mentor is Chop It Salad Co., which features salads, wraps and “chopadillas” both made to order or off its menu.

Read more of Managing Editor Laura Kessel's review at Dining Out: Chop It Salad Co. mixes up fresh options at Great Lakes Mall.

Once Scooter’s opens, even if it is still snowing, it brings on the memory of long summer evenings dining on their unique and delicious hot dogs, hand cut French fries and creamy ice cream.

Scooter’s is on the corner of Blackbrook and Heisley Roads (Route 44) north of Route 2 in Mentor. It is a great place to stop on the way to Headlands Beach State Park or on the way home after a day in the sun and sand.

Read more from Sally Kennedy, via the Lake County Visitors Bureau blog, at Scooter’s Dawg House is OPEN.

The big news last summer was that Melt Bar and Grilled was coming to Mentor. Overshadowed a bit by the splashy headline was the rest of the story: Another popular eatery was changing locations to make room for Melt.

Jalapeno Loco, which had its ups and downs over the years at the corner of the Points East shopping plaza, packed up and moved down the street. With a new name — El Porton — the independent Mexican restaurant opened up shop in the old Davitinos location at 7501 Mentor Ave.

I visited Jalapeno Loco many times at its first location, but it wasn’t until about a month or so ago, when I learned that the new name was being ditched and the place would again be Jalapeno Loco, that I decided to check out the new location.

Read more of Correspondent Mark Koestner's review at Dining Out: Called Jalapeno Loco again, relocated Mentor Mexican eatery still enjoyable.

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.

Zoup! in Mentor officially opened for business today, but I got to try it yesterday during the soft opening.

4 Cheese Melt sandwich and Roasted Tomato Bisque

One thing I really liked about the restaurant is you can sample the soups — though that didn't exactly help me make my decision because I enjoyed every soup that I tried. I'm really looking forward to going back to get the Ginger Butternut Squash, which was fantastic. I love getting a good soup that isn't something I would make at home.

This place is going to be some competition for Panera, which is located at the other end of Points East Plaza. Both offer soup, sandwiches, salad and wi-fi. But, both have fairly different atmospheres. Zoup! is a place I will go for lunch and leave. Panera is a place I will go for lunch and hang out reading after I finish eating. Also, Panera has coffee and bakery treats. Zoup! will have the better soup selection (as it should). I don't think Zoup! will have much of an impact Panera's business, but it will give midday diners another option.

I'm looking forward to stopping at Zoup! when I take my lunch break at work.


-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

The Good Living in Mentor section that appears in Thursday's News-Herald (Sept. 20) offers plenty of information about new restaurants opening in Mentor. Check out all the stories by Jean Bonchak and Betsy Scott below:

• Influx of restaurants ramping up
• Caribbean fare served up in Mentor's Maracas
• Zoup!'s on in Points East Plaza
• Tony Sacco's set to change look, tastes of Great Lakes Mall
• Five Guys fans soon to find locale in city
• Looking forward to Scrambler Marie's
• Mmmm ... It's Melt in Mentor
• Jimmy's Backyard BBQ serves up barbecue at its best
• Frank & Pauly's eatery fills historic home
• Familiar Brown Derby back in town
• Red, Wine & Brew expands to city

Back in May, Staff Writer Betsy Scott wrote about a new restaurant/bar that would be opening in Mentor.

Now, Maracas is open at 7597 Mentor Ave. I haven't been there yet, but the signs out front advertise daily dinner specials and $5 lunch specials.

Check out Betsy's preview story and video.


-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

Panera locations across Northeast Ohio are selling Puzzle Piece Cookies, with 100 percent of proceeds going to the Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital Center for Autism. Cookies are available through April 22 (while supplies last). (And if these are the same cookies as last year, they are pretty tasty.) Locations in our readership area include Mayfield Heights, both Mentor stores, Highland Heights, Bainbridge Township and Willoughby.
Find a Panera location near you.

Read more on the Pieces of Hope for Autism campaign.



-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

Rainy, cool days like today put me in the mood for soup, and luckily Giant Eagle is doing all the work for me.

Through Wednesday, with your Giant Eagle Advantage Card, you can pick up a 24 oz. container of soup, a 10 oz. container of salad, an Old World French baguette and a 1.5 liter of Pepsi for just $6.49 -- the price of the soup alone.

This deal is a TOTAL steal, and very tasty. I've had the chili and chicken noodle soup, and today I'm trying out the chicken tortilla soup, which I have heard is delicious.

I'm not sure if the deal is good at all Giant Eagle locations, but it is on at the Mentor and Willoughby stores.


-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

I got a recommendation via e-mail to check out Aladdin's Eatery, and when my boyfriend and I were shopping Saturday night in Mayfield Heights we got another recommendation from our cashier at Bed Bath & Beyond. I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about the Lebanese/American cuisine, but I was in the mood for something healthier than burgers and fries and thought it could be a good alternative.

We went to the Mayfield Village location, at the corner of SOM Center and Wilson Mills. I was instantly impressed with the friendly staff, beautiful decor and extensive menu. Any uncertainty I had about the food was squashed when I saw the restaurant had salads and what were essentially wraps made with pitas.

I ordered hummus off the appetizer menu and Taza Chicken Salad, while my boyfriend got some sort of dinner plate that included lamb and rice seasoned lightly with cinnamon. It was pretty difficult to narrow down what I wanted once I paged through the menu a few times, but I'm soooo happy with what I got. The food was so fresh and delicious, and it was filling enough that I took some of the salad home with me. We didn't finish the hummus, either, and our server boxed it up to take home -- with extra pita. (While not as good the second night, the leftovers really made me want to return to the restaurant.)

I've been raving about Aladdin's since eating there. Most people have said, "Oh, Middle Eastern? I don't think I'd like that." But there's really no need to be worried about what you would eat. The large menu has a variety of choices -- some more ethnic than others -- so if you like veggies or chicken or pita bread, you are sure to find something you'd like. Click here to view the menu.

Aladdin's has locations in Mayfield Village, Mentor, Bainbridge Township, Cleveland Heights and elsewhere throughout Ohio. In April, Janet Podolak mentioned the Mentor location in her weekly food column, which included the video below:



--Cheryl Sadler
CSadler@News-Herald.com

This weekend my boyfriend and I enjoyed breakfast at New Town Grill & Tavern on Lake Shore Boulevard in Mentor (near the Willoughby border). We sat on the patio under giant umbrellas, enjoying coffee, eggs, french toast, bacon, sausage, rye toast and hash browns.

The food was delicious and the service, excellent. The meal was served quickly, and our server was around often to top off coffee and ask how we were doing. I will return to have breakfast there again.

My only complaint about the experience was the noise of the traffic from Lake Shore. Fortunately there wasn't a constant stream of vehicles on Saturday morning, and being able to sit in the nice weather to have such a good meal definitely outweighed the infrequent noise.

New Town serves breakfast Saturday and Sunday only. The prices are incredibly reasonable -- with most meals hovering around the $5 mark -- and items can be ordered a la carte if they are not included in your meal.

New Town Grill & Tavern
7079 Lake Shore Blvd.
Mentor, OH 44060-2960
440-946-1552‎

-- Cheryl Sadler
CSadler@News-Herald.com

I am picky about my ice cream.

I worked in an ice cream store for five years during high school and college. I can tell about how many ounces of ice cream are in a dish just by looking at it. I can tell if ice cream was made with expensive or cheap cream. I can come up with any flavor/topping combination to suit you.

So I won't eat ice cream just anywhere. I'm an ice cream snob.

I actually can't believe I'm going to give a recommendation to the place I'm about to recommend because this franchise is my franchise's competition. But I haven't worked in ice cream for three years, and the store where I worked has since closed and isn't even in Northeast Ohio anyway.

I stopped at Cold Stone Creamery the other night to pick up a pint for my boyfriend and I for dessert. I knew immediately what I wanted when I walked in because, after all, I had worked in a similar place for five years and knew exactly how to mix together a flavor both he and I would enjoy.

If you haven't been to Cold Stone, I'll give you the scoop for how it works:
The ice cream is all flavored plain, without any nuts, cookies, candies or fruit. The people at Cold Stone will mix it in fresh in front of you on a cold stone slab. So you can make any flavor you like -- such as cookies 'n' cream in chocolate ice cream, or strawberry with chocolate chips. (Need any more recommendations? e-mail me your interests and I'll see what I can come up with.)

At first I was disappointed in the service. It was a busy Friday night, and it seemed like not enough employees were working. I grew slightly impatient remembering how I handled busy Friday nights in my ice cream scoopin' days.

But when it was finally my turn, I couldn't have had a nicer person helping me. She asked how I was doing, and we had a nice conversation about my hometown and college. After she finished mixing together my combination (coffee ice cream with Oreos, Snickers and brownie), she scooped it into the pint container -- then offered me the remainder of what wouldn't fit. I told her I would save it for later, so she stuck it in a dish with a lid. That in and of itself was a full serving of ice cream, which makes sense because she added about 6 ounces of mix-ins to the pint she had scooped.

The cost of the concoction? A pint with three mix-ins is $5.99. While that might seem like a lot for just ice cream, it's only about $2 a serving (at least, I got three servings out of mine). And if you haven't noticed, dairy and ice cream have gotten pretty expensive in the past few years, so that's not a bad deal.

Oh, and the ice cream tasted fantastic. Coffee with Oreos, Snickers and brownies might be my new favorite flavor (and I think it could be my boyfriend's new favorite, too).

I'll definitely be making my way back this summer when it's unbearably hot. I would recommend you do the same. But if you're in the South, check out Marble Slab Creamery (the franchise that had the mix-in-your-toppings-on-a-cold-slab idea 10 years before Cold Stone).

Cold Stone Creamery
36175 Euclid Ave.
Willoughby, OH 44094
440-975-1780

9560 Diamond Centre Drive
Mentor, OH 44060
440-352-0550


-- Cheryl Sadler
CSadler@News-Herald.com

Sure, Max & Erma's is a great place to go to get a juicy burger, but don't count out the restaurant if you're in the mood for lighter fare.

This weekend I tried their Hula Bowl salad, which the menu calls "No Guilt." The description states the dish is "Mixed greens, pineapple-soy chicken, Mandarin oranges, fresh chunks of pineapple, tomatoes, carrots & crunchy noodles, with a fat-free honey mustard dressing."

I know what you're thinking: Fruit on a salad? With honey mustard dressing? I was thinking the same thing, but something about it appealed to me -- and boy, am I glad it did. In no time I was scraping the bottom of my bowl and wishing I had gotten the dinner size instead of the lunch portion.

Max & Erma's also has one of my most favorite foods, chicken tortilla soup. One bowl of the spicy, cheesy special recipe is hardly enough and always leaves me wanting more. In fact, I would love to have some right now.

Max & Erma's Restaurant Mentor
7890 Mentor Ave. (near Great Lakes Mall)
Mentor, OH 44060
440-205-9994

A coupon for Max & Erma's can be found in the "Our Town and All-Around Dining Directory." If you're interested in your own "Our Town and All-Around Dining Directory" coupon book, you can get one when your News-Herald subscription is set up for EZ Pay, which is the automatic deduction from your credit card every month. You can also order one online at Mwww.ourtownandallaround.com.

-- Cheryl Sadler
CSadler@News-Herald.com

This weekend I tried Branding Iron Cookhouse for the first time. I immediately liked the Southwest atmosphere of the bar and grill, with cowboy paraphernalia and photographs covering the walls from floor to ceiling.

The staff was nothing short of friendly, and the manager even spent some time talking with my party and ensuring we were enjoying ourselves. I don't remember the last time I had such good service -- especially from our server, who remembered each of our drink orders and exactly how much ice we wanted in them when she got our refills.

My group ordered chicken wings, pulled pork and a chicken sandwich, and we all got onion rings. The food came out a little slower than I would have wanted (our server explained it was because the wings took a little longer to cook), but it was hot and tasty when it reached our table. The chicken on my sandwich was cooked perfectly, and I really enjoyed the side of honey mustard dipping sauce that came with the onion rings.

The thing I might remember most about my experience there was the special touch that came with our meals: The sandwich buns were branded.

And if you go there for your birthday, you can sit on a horse, wear a cowboy hat and have a picture taken. Those pictures fill the walls in the front of the restaurant.

Branding Iron Cookhouse
8450 Market St. (Route 615)
Mentor, OH 44060
440-266-0000
Open at 11 a.m. Tuesday through Sunday (closed Mondays)
Happy Hour 3 to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday

-- Cheryl Sadler