Roush's Family Restaurant

Most restaurants on Friday nights are pretty busy with a wait time and sometimes you don’t want to plan ahead to make reservations or wait for a seat so we decided we would try somewhere local and new to us.  We ended up trying Roush’s Family Restaurant in Fairborn.  Roush's has been in its currently location since the 1970s and definatley had a charm to it.  We didn’t have to wait long to be seated and although there were other customers it wasn’t very loud.  The décor is a little dated but the diner definitely had a quaint, peaceful family personality. 

Our server was very friendly and personable and provided great menu suggestions when asked.  The menu contained quite of variety of choices with a Americana home cooked bent and reasonable prices.  I ended up ordering the Hawaiian sub (grilled ham, pineapple, provolone cheese on a sub roll) with sweet potato fries.  It was delicious and was served pretty quickly after ordering.  The portion size was great- left me feeling full without feeling stuffed.

Although Roush’s is a little bit out of the way for me, if I’m in the area again it would definitely be worth visiting again.

Piada

My first visit to Piada was very positive.  Although at dinner time on a Saturday night parking can be a challenge in the shopping center, once inside the building, the line moved pretty quickly.  The décor has an industrial simple theme and the food line was set up very similar to Chipotle or Subway, where the customer personalizes their meal and watches the employees on the other side of the counter.  While customers were waiting in line, an employee walked around offering samples.

Piada is self-described as Italian street food.  Menu selections include piadas, salads, pasta bowls, soups, along with multiple side items. There were so many food choices and the line moved so quickly that it was almost overwhelming.  One thing that could have helped is if there would signs posting the different types of cheese and veggies to pick from rather than pointing at things or having to ask the employee what food items were.

I ordered a combo of a piada and salad. Both were very tasty and included meat, grilled, and fresh veggies.  The portion sizes were pretty generous and the prices were in line with similar type restaurants.

The location I visited is fairly new but apparently is part of a chain of other locations in the Columbus area.  I enjoyed Piada and definitely plan to return.

Scene 75

Recently, to celebrate one of my friend’s birthdays we went to Scene 75.   It was my first visit there and certainly won’t be my last.

Located right off Interstate 75, north of Dayton, the brand new facility will be great for the winter when outside activities are limited as well as providing a new location for celebrating birthday, team, and adult special occasions. Scene 75 entertainment includes laser tag, lazer frenzy , 4d movies, mini bowling, inflatable bouncing arena, go-carts, blacklight mini golf, spin bumper cars, chaos gamer room, arcade games, outdoor volleyball, and outdoor bocce courts. With a bar, sports bar, and snack stand on site, visitors have convenient access to refreshments .

Everything but the food and drink is paid for by a pre-paid rechargeable card, the size of a credit card. As visitors participate in different activities or play arcade games, all they have to do is swipe their card and “tickets” earned on the arcade games are stored on these cards until the customer wants to reimburse for prizes.

While we were there we played two games of laser tag, rode go-Karts, played some arcade games and ate at Radar’s sports bar. The Laser tag games were set up as team games with multiple floors and “bases”. The go-karts were fun although the track is flat and pretty simple. The arcade games included some of the classic arcade games, skee-ball and basketball but also some newer interactive ones as well. The service at Radar’s was reasonable although I wouldn’t go to Scene 75 just for the food. We were wanting to do the putt-putt golf but it was a 50 minute wait so we passed this time.

 

I was impressed with how clean the restrooms were considering it was a Saturday evening and how short the lines were when we first got there at 6:30. As the evening got later lines and wait times increased as did the crowds. One thing that got annoying after a while was how the attendants at the Laser Tag and Go-Karts yelled their scripted instructions and rules. It was so loud and so rushed that you couldn’t understand most of what they said and felt like you were being yelled at.

 

I would recommend visitors new to Scene 75 visit their website ahead of time and consider what activities they may want to do so they can plan on how much money they want to spend. (Cash or Credit Card) Then when they get to Scene 75 they should put that amount on the card and decide not to recharge during the night. Otherwise, you may end up spending a lot more money than you originally intended. Another thing that might be wise for a new Scene 75 visitor is to walk around Scene 75 when you first get there to know where things are and put your name on the list for any activities you want to do so you won’t have to wait.

 

I’m already planning on going back to Scene 75 in a month or two with a group and am excited to try some of the other activities.

Edith Mae’s Tea Room

Located in an old Victorian home in Xenia, this Edith Mae’s Tea Room is a memorable experience.  The tea room itself is not run by the home owners but by a lady that rents out the space at the rear of the house as well as some side rooms for a Victoria gift shop.  Tea times are on a reservation basis Tuesday through Saturday and the gift shop is open those days as well.

There are plenty of antiques to admire while waiting to be seated and the room is surrounded by windows.  Plenty of Victorian hats for both men and women can be found along the walls and guests typically try them on and even wear them throughout the tea.

This was the most casual tea room experience I’ve had since there really wasn’t a big focus on tea.  We were offered hot tea or iced tea and the hot tea was an English afternoon tea that actually tasted kind of bland.  Instead of the traditional scones or biscuits we were served cinnamon rolls and a raspberry shortbread.  The tiered plate included cucumber sandwiches, ham and mustard bisquits, and chicken salad croissant on the bottom plate, fruit cups and watermelon slices on the middle plate, and pecan cone with cream filling, orange dreamcicle cake with a whipped topping and mini strawberry pies.  The food was delicious but not as “foo-foo” as other tea room food I’ve had.

Parking could be an issue as basically guests just find a spot along the residential street to parallel park.  We found it to be a little unclear where to enter the house due to lack of signage.

All in all we had a great experience and I would go back.  It was peaceful and fun. Some tea rooms have rules about a minimum age that guests have to be but Edith Mae’s tea room seems to be an environment that could be enjoyed by all ages.  I can imagine it would be a great spot for a little girl’s birthday party or bridal shower.

The Cakery

I had a craving for a cupcake over the last few days and thankfully so did a dear friend of mine so today we decided to try cupcakes at a bakery we've never been to before...The Cakery.
Inside the front door of the bakery are tables with picture books of all the different cakes the bakery has made over the years as well as a display counter. From an outside window you can see inside the bakery and watch cakes being decorated and iced. 

The Cakery has been in operation for 12 years and we got to meet one of the owners.  He was a lot of fun, joking with us, offering us an icing sample and telling us all about the different items in their bakery display.  I decided on a lemon cupcake with buttercream icing and key lime filling and their rainbow cake.  The rainbow cake is a creation unique to The Cakery, made up of multiple layers of cake scraps with icing on top.  Since they use pieces from whatever cakes they've recently been baking, each slice is unique. 
The cupcake I tried was moist and the icing was delicious and lighter than traditional buttercream icing.  The rainbow cake was very moist too and full of various flavors of cake.  I think my favorite part of the sweets I tried from the bakery was that although moist and sweet they weren't too rich or heavy. 
My only complaint about The Cakery was there weren't really seats anywhere to sit and eat.  The tables and chairs they did have were covered with Cake photo albums so we ended up eating our cupcake on a bench outside in front of another store.

An Urban Diner...

Olive, an Urban Dive was a pleasant surprise.  Located inside the old Wympee, the interior has been totally renovated.  They are continually making improvements but I thought it looked great especially for only being open a year.  From the outside the restaurant still looks like what used to be Wympee. Inside the diner though customers are welcomed into a warm, cozy setting filled with small tables and chairs. An outdoor patio with seating is also available but it was too warm the day we went to eat outside.

There’s not a whole lot of parking or seating at the diner so if you want a spot during a busy time you’d better call ahead for a reservation.
We arrived a little after 11 to make sure we didn’t have a problem getting a table.  We were seated quickly and by the time we finished our meal the restaurant was full.  The menu is full of delicious items that can satisfy vegetarian, vegan, and even gluten free diets.The food came out very quickly especially for a place with such a small kitchen and not only looked great but was also delicious!

My friend and I both ordered the patio made sun tea to drink which was refreshing.  For sweetner for the tea they offered agave honey.  I ordered the chicken salad (mayoless and free range!) sandwich on a croissant with a side of sweet potato fries and it was DELICIOUS! I loved the added flavor from the havarti cheese and the light taste of the sandwich.  I am a lover of sweet potatoes in any form and was not disappointed with their fries which were soft rather than crunchy.
My friend ordered the summer in a bowl salad which looked delicious with roasted vegetables on top of a green salad.  A cup of the house spicy sweet potato soup came with her salad and she let me try a taste.  It started out sweet but then had a spicy kick to it.

As I was paying for my meal at the counter after lunch I realized that I would receive a 2% discount to my bill for paying in cash since they are such a small establishment and want to prevent having to pay the credit card fees.
The best way to summarize our wonderful experience is probably by retelling a quote from my friend who claims to be a food snob said, “I can’t wait to come back!”

A Father's Day Suprise

For Father’s day, I was looking for a unique experience to share with my dad.  He’s always had an interest in trains and I had wanted to check out Entertrainment Junction for a few years now.  Well when I saw a Groupon deal for a pack of four tickets to the establishment, I knew it was the right time to explore! 

We had a wonderful experience! We went the Saturday afternoon before Father’s Day and spent around 2-3 hours there.  Our experience started with the train display.  The detailed history and landscape was amazing. One could spend hours taking it all in.  There was also a playground and train ride for kids in this area.

After the train display we walked through the gift shop and hobby shop before venturing to the Amaze-n funhouse.  This was probably my favorite part! There were about 5 different interactive rooms.  The rooms included a mirror, black hole, optical illusions, slanted floors, maze, and more. There were so many details to see that I went through a couple rooms more than once to take it all in.

All in all we all had a great time and enjoyed exploring Entertrainment Junction.  I hear they decorate the place for Christmas and there were a few Thomas the Tank Engine themed birthday parties going on as well.  Before we left my dad was already thinking of other people he could bring to check out the train display.

Another Frozen Yogurt Place

Bad Frog Frozen Yogurt is another mix your own frozen yogurt place.  As the customer, you select a frozen yogurt flavor and pull the lever to fill your cup with your desired portion and then pick from tons of different toppings and syrups before weighing your creation on the scale.
Although this frozen yogurt place has a simliar concept as the chain Yogurt Mountain, I like this one better due to the fact that both times I've visited, it's been calm and peaceful.  I love the brightly colored spoons and walls.  I would prefer there be more seating but they have made the most of their small space.
If you're around Brown Street or any of their other locations, it's worth checking them out.

Fusian...sushi

I've wanted to try Fusian for months and finally got around to it tonight.  I loved the atmosphere and the food was great.
The eatery is very focused on the environment with eco-materials and recyclable materials .  The decor was modern and hip and fit perfectly on Brown Street.
The customer gets to customize their sushi at the counter, selecting the type of roll, mean, veggies, sauces, spices, etc.  Like the counter of your local sub or burrito place, the customer gets to watch the sushi artist create the roll and slice it.
I ordered a seaweed wrap, tuna (which had a little spice/seasoning), cucumber, avocado, cream cheese, sweet soy sauce, and sesame seeds.  I also ordered a side of edamame which was wonderfully warm and salted.  The water container even had sliced cucumbers in it!

I believe there are currently two locations but I could definately see this concept spreading into a national chain.  What a great place.  I'll definately be back!

Butter Cafe

Butter Cafe was another local restaurant I heard about through an offer on the Groupon website. 

The décor in Butter Café is fun.  The walls as you would expect, are painted the color of creamy butter, the menu is full of healthy, good sounding choices, and the drinks were served out of mason jars.  Parking was a little challenging and there was construction going on out front at the entrance which was a little bit difficult to navigate. 

The food was served reasonably quickly and the fresh strawberry lemonade I ordered was refreshing.  I ordered the skinny B**** frittata which had a wonderful sounding description in the menu.  It tasted rather bland though for all the ingredients it included.  My friend ordered blueberry pancakes.  She loved how the blueberries were big and fresh but said they tasted a little dry.

I heard about the Butter Café through a Groupon coupon and enjoyed trying it out but I don’t think it will be on my list of favorite restaurants to visit.  I'd be willing to give them another try though.

Old Hickory BBQ

I was disappointed in my attempt at trying Old Hickory BBQ although I loved the “hole in the wall” local charm. 
I tried the Pulled Pork BBQ sandwich which came with French fries and a drink.  The price was very reasonable and the portion size was generous but the BBQ sauce on the meat tasted bland. 

With a name like Old Hickory I was expecting a hickory smoked taste but was disappointed.  My friend had the same conclusion.  With the other BBQ places around town, I don’t think I’ll be back to Old Hickory.

Saya's

I’m just getting into trying different kinds of sushi and was told about Saya’s from a friend.  Saya’s is a small hole in the wall location with great Japanese and Korean food. 

I met three friends for lunch and didn’t have to wait long to be seated.  The food came out pretty quickly and tasted great.  For the quality and amount of food the price was pretty reasonable.

It was a little difficult to understand the servers when I asked about some menu items and I ended up ordering something different than I was planning as a result.  My lobster roll came out delicious though so it was still a good experience.  I tried some items from the box lunch deals my friends ordered and found it very tasty as well.

After eating there I mentioned to several friends that I eaten there for lunch and they all raved about how much like it as well.  They even went as far as to say that it was the best sushi in the area and that they try to eat there at least once a month.

Next time I’m craving some sushi I know where to go!

Express...Boston Italian

This small cafeteria style Italian restaurant  in the “little Italy” area of Boston was perfect for our group. 

I split the lobster ravioli with a friend and it was soooo good.  (This picture was my 1/2 portion!) It was so tasty we wiped our plates clean with the bread that was included.  I also tried a few bites of the alfredo, mozzarella calzone, and chicken and broccoli fettucini from the plates of other people in our group.  Everything was delicious and pretty reasonably priced for the quality of food, service, size and location.

The location had a local, quant ambience and was packed tightly with tables and chairs and plenty of customers.  Because of the corner location and plenty of windows and lighting I never felt stuffy though.

Mike's Pastries

While in Boston recently I heard I must try Mike’s Pastries in the area of the city called “Little Italy.”  We were told that they were known for their cannolis and once you know what you wanted to had to push through the crowd (since there really isn’t a line) to the counter and place your order.  We had heard that the cannolis were very rich and had just eaten dinner so I decided to split one with a friend. 

WOW! The chocolate dipped canola was DELCIOUS and messy! I enjoyed every single bite!  If you get powdered sugar on top like we did I would recommend not blowing it in your friend’s face, although it does make for a fun memory and picture! The price of $3.50 was reasonable and once I pushed myself through the line to order I didn't have to wait long to get my order.  My only regret was that I didn’t order one or two more and get them packaged to go!

Next time I’m in Boston, I’ll definitely have to stop by and purchase some more.

Segway Adventure

A Groupon offer convinced me to try a segway tour for the first time and I loved it! In fact we didn’t want to end!  Although due to a flat tire our tour started 15-20 minutes late, we still had the same amount of time on the tour.  Departing from the Convention Center, we followed our guide all throughout the city on a 90 minute tour. 

The tour included Oregon District, UD, cemetery, Brown Street, Riverscape, and all along the river.

I was a little worried about balance, steering and speed prior to trying it but I was able to pick it up pretty quickly.  It felt like gliding most of the time.   Because all your pressure is in your feet, my feet did get tired after a little bit but we stopped and took a break for a few minutes.  As we rode around, our tour guide pointed out different city landmarks and commented on new things the city was planning.

I enjoyed seeing the city through a different view point and trying something new.  I can’t wait to do it again in another city.  Although it was a little pricy the experience was wonderful!

The company schedules tours on a weekly basis but reservations are needed to reserve a spot.

Chateau Laroche

Doesn't everyone want to visit a castle?!

I read about a castle in Ohio about a year ago and put it on my list to check out and explore.  The Loveland, Ohio Chateau Laroche isn't too far from us and as the weather started to warm up a few months ago I finally convinced some friends to join me on a little adventure. 

The castle was built by a man after returning from fighting in the war overseas.  Never married, his life mission was to build the castle modeled after the ones in Britain and start an order of knights that would live their life by the golden rule.  Although the builder died, the knight order he established still exists and runs the operations of the castle. 

Admission costs $3 and we thoroughly enjoyed our walk through and around the castle.  The castle was constructed along the river and has a beautiful amphitheater and gardens.  It’s a great place to explore and take pictures but don’t expect a huge castle like the ones in Europe. It’s amazing to think the man built it by hand though and is definitely a cool place to check out.

Press Coffee Bar

I read an article about this local down town coffee shop, called Press, and then felt like I kept hearing about it from other people so I decided I must try it out.  Neither my friend nor I drink coffee and their menu was very simple and very coffee focused so we ended up choosing a chai tea.  The tea was good and strong.  The coffee bar was in an old brick building with walls decorated with abstract art. 

I felt like maybe the place was a little too hipster for me.  It just didn't seem to be as warm and inviting as the coffee shops I frequently visit.  My friend and I were laughing and catching up on life but I felt like we were being watched.  Maybe it was just the time of day we were there.  I definitely felt out of my element but still enjoyed the experience.  This coffee shop is out of the way for me so I don’t know that I will be a regular customer but I’m glad I got to see what all the buzz was about.

The Inside Scoop

I first heard about the Inside scoop from a group case project in one of my MBA classes.  Then when I saw a Groupon for it I knew it would be a good excuse to give a local business a visit. 

The place is brightly painted and clean.  The location isn’t the best as it is stuck inside an older shopping center and the sign isn’t very big.  Both times I’ve visited other customers were in there though so I guess somehow they are getting the word out. 

The Inside Scoop offers a large variety of Hershey ice cream flavors, sundaes as well as hot dogs and soft pretzels.  There is a large room towards the back with extra seating that we only found out about because no other seats were open.  The prices were good and flavor great.  But then again I love most any ice cream I’ve tried! J

Because of the location, I don't know how often I'll visit here. But I did have a good ice cream experience when I went.

Savannah Tea House

I’m not a huge coffee drinker but I do enjoy a nice cup of hot tea.  While we were in Nashville we went to the Savannah Tea House. This tea room was featured in Southern Living magazine and was such a treasure! The cozy tea room is in an old historic house with lots of charm.  Reservations are definitely a good idea especially if you plan on going on Saturday. 

We had a blast picking out a hat or hair band to wear as well as what patterned tea cup and saucer to use.  We were overwhelmed with all the different tea choices and LOVED all the food.  The traditional high tea included a soup, salad, scones, finger sandwiches, and desserts.  We were stuffed with all the delicious and beautiful looking food!  The whole experience was just delightful and was a great place to take the time to visit with friends and linger over the food.

The Angry Pepper

While in Nashville visiting some friends I went to dinner at the Solairo Mexican restaurant in the Gaylord Opryland Hotel. 

The homemade guacamole was AMAZING!!! The fajitas I ate for dinner were delicious as well and came as a very generous serving.  Our waiter provided excellent service throughout the night including warning us about the “angry peppers” that were on our plates.  He said they were really spicy.  Well initially only two people in our group tried them.  One person made faces, the other started crying uncontrollably and tried eating and drinking different things to make the burn go away. 

Well one of my friends convinced me to try it with her.  All I needed was to take one bite.  The pepper wasn’t too bad initially and then all of a sudden I felt a delayed burn actually it was more like pain on my tongue.  I tried eating more tortilla chips, drinking coke, and some water.  I even tried chewing gum.  After almost crying and feeling like my mouth was on fire my tongue felt back to normal maybe an hour later.  But I did it... and survived to tell about it! 

The lobbies of the hotel are beautiful.  Filled with flowers, trees, waterfalls, walking paths and benches it was fun to just walk around, take pictures, and enjoy it.  The hotel has several other restaurants in their lobbies so next time I’m in town I might just have to try out another.