Gasoline Alley

Gasoline Alley has to be one of my favorite "pig out" places. It is always difficult trying to decide between over stuffed sandwiches piled high with corned beef or pastrami, burgers, pizza or any of their daily specials. The sides of fries, saurkraut balls and onion rings, among others, are generous and delicious. Located in a former gas station on Cleveland Massillon Rd in Bath, it's a combination of deli/diner and bar. The decor is casual with an auto/service station motif and enough memorabilia to keep any car enthusiast happy. It's rather small so you might have to wait for a table sometimes, but you can get a drink at the bar which features a great selection of beers. If you order a sandwich and a side you will NOT leave hungry, but I'm getting hungry just thinking about it.

The New Era

When we think of "comfort food" restaurants in the Akron area, The New Era is an old favorite. Located at the intersection of E. Market St. and Massillon Rd. it has been serving Old World style meals for many years. On a recent lunch trip there with Grammie(Maralyn) we enjoyed Chicken Paprikash, spicy Serbian style sausage and sauteed chicken livers. The paprikash was tender pieces of chicken in a rich, but light sauce with dense,chewy dumplings. Grammie said she likes those better than the big, puffy dumplings and I have to agree. They were delicious. Their Serbian sausage reminded Dad of the Hungarian sausage Mabel used to make. They were well spiced with just a hint of heat. Dad had the chicken livers sauteed with onions and I even tried one. I'm glad he liked it. He said I may acquire a taste for them, but I have my doubts. The meal was finished with apple strudel which comes with the paprikash. They also feature a daily special some of which are duck and meatloaf. We also appreciated the bread basket served before the meal. The thick slices of crusty bread were chewy and flavorful. This definitely calls for a return trip because I will soon be hungry, again.

Rice Pilaf

One of the most requested recipes from the Yanko's menu has been rice pilaf. Our pilaf was not a traditional middle eastern style. Rather it was adapted to a taste and style that Nick and his customers liked. The original recipe makes about 9 gals. of base and contains 24 lbs of butter and margarine. This might be enough to scare anyone who is at all health conscious. So here is the way we make it at home. If you like it richer you can add more butter or margarine. Play with the recipe and do what Nick did. Make it the way you like it.
Mark (Dad)

1 med onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
6 cloves garlic, crushed
3 Tbsp olive or veg oil
1 stick butter
3 chicken bullion cubes or 2 Tbsp chicken base
1 tsp crushed red pepper seeds
2 cups water
1 cup long grain or basmati rice

in a med sauce pan heat the oil on med heat, add celery and onion, saute until tender, add the garlic, stir for 1 min then add pepper seeds and chicken base stirring for 1 more min, add the butter and stir until melted, add water and stir occasionally, when base comes to a boil add the rice and stir briefly, cover pan and reduce heat to low, when liquid has been absorbed (approx 20 min) stir the rice, recover the pan and allow to sit 5 min before serving

Sky Way vs Swensons

I have to reply to Steve Kelly's comment. Although we enjoy going to Swensons, the burger has been doing a disappearing act recently. It seems to be about the size of a McDonalds patty and maybe half the size of a Sky Way burger patty. In my opinion, the best meal deal in town is the Sky Way double cheeseburg combo which comes with a drink and fries. I like mine with a California and for a little extra you can get their homemade onion rings instead of fries. So, Steve, next time you're in town we'll do our own burger challenge. And may the best burger win!

Mark(Dad)

Larry's Main Entrance

Today brother Scott suggested breakfast at Larry's, generally referred to as: "The Main". It's a cozy local bar/restaurant that has been a Westside mainstay for many years. Seating is limited and we were able to get seven of us at the largest table, a round top at the end of the bar. Dad said they serve a good cup of coffee which is a must for him. Everything was tasty, cooked as ordered and delivered hot. The highlights were: the pancakes(light and fluffy), the greek omelet(delicious gyro meat/ feta combo) and the best sausage gravy I've had locally. Brother Craig's omelet was so hot he had to do the open mouth breathing with the first bite. You know what I'm talking about. We also loved what Dad calls the real potato hash browns. Service was friendly and brisk as you would expect on a Sunday morning. My only suggestion would be to replace the generic jelly packs with Smuckers jellies. So much better.
Happy, for now, but still hungry.
Nick

Why I'm hungry

Many people in the Akron area are familiar with the Yanko name. My great grandfather Nick, along with his wife Mabel, started a small lunch counter restaurant called the Buchtel Eat in the 1930's. Located across the street from the growing University of Akron, they developed a loyal following of students. Many of them would later recall that Nick would extend them credit when they were short on cash, which is often the case for students. Nick decided to move West in 1940 and bought The Bubble Bar in Highland Square. Nick and Mabel were later joined in the business by their daughter Mary and son Victor after he returned from the Pacific Theater in WWII. The business flourished and expanded throughout the 1950's and 60's until it was the largest entertainment spot in Akron with a lounge, two dining rooms, a supper club featuring live music and belly dancers and a banquet room. Tragically the restaurant was destroyed by fire in December 1969. Not being a family to remain idle, Nick moved West again. This time, with his grandchildren to help, he bought Mammy's Kitchen in the Fairlawn Plaza and named it Yanko's. While Nick Yanko's in Highland Square had featured fine dining with chateaubriand and flaming sword kebobs, Yanko's in Fairlawn was a casual dining spot with many of the soups, salads, sandwiches and entrees created by Nick and Vic over the years. Former patrons I meet will often mention how much they miss the Beachcomber sandwich, rice pilaf or Macedonian bean soup.
With this blog I hope to explore some of the great dining opportunities we have locally and give the readers a chance to comment on some of their favorite places.
Because I AM HUNGRY!
Nick