If you find yourself in northern Ohio you must check out Twin Oast Brewing in Port Clinton. As their website states, Twin Oast is above all things, an experience. The restaurant and brewery sit on a 60-acre farm. If you’ve ever been to Sierra Nevada’s location in Mills River, NC, it is similar in a lot of ways. The grounds are beautiful and there are a variety of places to sit and enjoy a meal or just a couple of drinks.

Oast

I enjoyed the Legitimate Swells IPA with a fruity hop flavor and light bitterness. They have nearly two dozen taps, so there is definitely something for everyone. Plus they have cider, mead, wines, seltzers, and canned cocktails.

Pulled Pork

For lunch, the pulled pork was just what I needed. Slow-roasted pork, kickin’ bourbon BBQ sauce, sweet & spicy pickle slaw, shredded white cheddar, and crunchy onions on an artisan hoagie roll ($16.50 with chips on the side). The slaw was really great and having crunchy onions on the sandwich put it over the top!

I recently tried Cincinnati’s latest brewery, Mellotone Beer Project, which occupies the old church that was previously Taft’s Ale House. After a nearby event, my wife and I popped in to meet up with a couple of friends. We only had time for a couple of drinks and a quick snack, but I was impressed by the slight renovations to the space. The seating options are a little better than they were before, and the acoustics seemed to have a nice refresh.

Inside

I enjoyed a Golden Hour West Coast IPA while others in the group loved seeing a cocktail menu in addition to the made-in-house beer selections. The taps seem to be changing pretty quickly as they try to determine what styles will stick.

Burrata & Roasted Grapes

The food menu was fresh and features their modern take on the American brewpub. Things like smash burgers and hotdogs are featured alongside grilled swordfish and and spaghetti squash. We only had time for a quick bite, and really enjoyed the burrata and roasted grapes, served with Blue Oven Bakery sourdough ($15). The grapes were sauced and gave a nice sweetness to the dish and the pistachios were a great touch. Highly recommend this one!

I’ve enjoyed beer from Third Eye Brewing Company for years but up until recently that was always just canned beer. With the recent addition of a couple of taprooms in the area, you can easily enjoy their offerings on tap, plus sample some pub food. Be sure to try the Third Eye P.A.

House Pickle Dip

For starters, I highly recommend the house pickle dip with saratoga chips ($9). This is a massive plate of food, enough for a family to share, and the pickle dip is really good! Boneless wings are another solid choice (10 for $14). The Chipotle BBQ is a little spicy but really flavorful.

Boneless Wings

As far as sandwiches go, the southwest grilled chicken sandwich was great ($14 with fries). It features flame-grilled chicken, chipotle mayonnaise, BBQ sauce, pepper jack cheese, lettuce, heirloom tomato, and guacamole. That’s a lot of really bold flavors mixing together to create a pretty unique and delicious sandwich.

Southwest Chicken Sandwich

The menu also features salads, pizzas, and burgers, plus a ton more to offer in the appetizer section. There is a lot to offer and I feel something for everyone. Plus with 20 taps, there is something for everyone to drink as well!

Tostados Grill is known locally for its evening karaoke sessions, but I have to admit the food was pretty good, too! My son and I recently joined some friends for dinner and karaoke and had a great time. They even have a kids’ menu. For dinner, I went with my typical Mexican restaurant dinner choice: chicken chimichanga ($13.99) with cheese sauce, rice, and beans. The portion size was huge and the chimichanga was perfectly fried. I’m glad the cheese sauce was served on the side, as there was a ton of it! I only used half of the bowl on the chimichanga, though mixing some into the otherwise plain rice gave it some flavor. I’m not sure I would head to Tostados just for the food, but if you are going for evening entertainment, definitely stop by early for some food beforehand.

Chimichanga

Captains Corner was one of our favorite places to eat during a recent visit to Kelleys Island. We had dinner on our first night and later returned for breakfast. The breakfast was solid, but I think I enjoyed the dinner more. I love a good buffalo chicken sandwich, and theirs was really good. A buttermilk fried chicken breast tossed in Buffalo sauce, topped with bleu cheese crumbles, lettuce, tomato, and onion served on a toasted bun ($12.99). The sauce was just spicy enough and I always enjoy having fresh bleu cheese crumbles on the sandwich!

Crispy Buffalo Chicken Sandwich

My wife enjoyed the cranberry pecan salad ($12.99 add chicken for $3). This combined fresh mixed greens, dried cranberries, crushed pecans, red onion, and feta cheese with a raspberry vinaigrette. The chicken was a nice addition, though probably not necessary for this tasty salad. Large chunks of feta added a nice creamy flavor to compliment the sweet flavors of the cranberry and raspberry dressing.

Cranberry Pecan Salad

Truthfully there aren’t a ton of options on Kelleys Island, but Captains Corner was among the best we experienced.

My wife and daughter have raved about VV The Italian Experience for quite some time. First, they loved the drinks, and now they love the food options, too. They finally brought me along with them on an early weekend morning. You can order things to-go from the counter, or there are some tables to sit and have table service. We lucked into one of the last available tables and were soon greeted with drinks and a quick breakfast.

Cornetti

As we were in a little bit of a hurry I was glad to see some savory options in the display cases. I went with a ham and cheese cornetti, which is essentially the Italian version of a croissant. I loved that there was some extra cheese on top, as it was very tasty and the layers of dough were crispy, light, and flaky. It was very good and I look forward to trying other items at VV!

I have no idea why it took me so long to give Forno Osteria & Bar a try. I guess I don’t get down to East Hyde Park very often, even though it’s only barely over a mile from home. It will definitely not be long before a return visit. Be sure to book an online reservation before going. We did and were treated to an outdoor table of our choice.

Arugula Salad

To start my wife and I split the arugula salad with golden raisins, capers, shaved cauliflower, pistachios, citronette dressing, and parmigiano reggiano ($13). The serving was very generous and the salad was full of flavor. I loved the crunch of the pistachios and cauliflower.

Basil and Ricotta Tortelloni

I ordered the basil and ricotta tortelloni served with pomodoro sauce, parigiano reggiano, and basil oil ($25). The freshly made pasta is stuffed full and cooked perfectly. The sauce was rich to complement the subtle flavor of ricotta.

Asparagus Gnudi “Cacio e Pepe”

My wife ordered the asparagus gnudi “Cacio e Pepe” ($21). Gnudi is similar to gnocchi, but the dumplings are made of ricotta cheese and semolina instead of potato flour. These were very light and served in a Vermont butter sauce with asparagus. It was a very flavorful dish, despite the simple presentation. I think I enjoyed the tortelloni better, but both are worthy of ordering again on a future visit.

My wife and I recently stopped at Tequila Modern Mexican for dinner. This is a newer restaurant over in DeSales Corner of East Walnut Hills. It’s a bit upscale for a Mexican restaurant, a trend that seems to be pretty popular these days.

Inside

I ordered the enchiladas fridas which is three fresh tortillas stuffed with chicken, smothered in green tomatillo sauce, garnished with sour cream, onion, and queso fresco, and served with a side of rice and beans ($17).  This was a lot of food and it all was pretty tasty. The sauce was very good and there was a lot of cheese on top to give some balance to the meal.

Enchiladas Fridas

The enchiladas filled an entire plate, so the beans and rice are served separately, which is actually kind of nice, though I would be fine without the side dishes at all. The real star of the meal were the enchiladas.

Rice & Beans

My wife ordered the spinach chicken, served as a bed of vegetables with a chicken breast, spinach, and melted mozzarella on top ($19). She got some tortillas on the side to eat it sort of like you would with fajitas. Again it was a lot of food and the flavor combinations were good.

Spinach Chicken

We also tried their spicy margaritas ($12) which had a spicy rim and fresh jalapeno included. A pretty spicy combination but delicious as well.

My family and I love checking out breweries during our travels. Country Boy Brewing started out of Lexington, Kentucky in 2012. They opened a production brewery in Georgetown, Kentucky in 2017 and added a kitchen to the large space in 2018, called The Kitchen at Country Boy Brewing.

Pretzel Bites

We (2 adults and 2 kids) split a variety of food items. The pretzel bites with beer cheese, along with celery, carrots, and mustard ($8.99). I must say the addition of celery and carrots to this dish is a little strange, but the pretzel bites were flash-fried and delicious with the dipping sauces.

Cheese Flatbread

There isn’t a cheese flatbread on the menu, so we just ordered the pepperoni without the pepperoni ($9.99). This is a large serving of relatively thick crust flatbread pizza. Pretty plain, but that’s the way the kids like it.

Hot Brown Flatbread

For a not so boring choice try the hot brown flatbread ($10.99) with oven-roasted turkey, cheddar, bacon, Roma tomato, and cheese sauce. This was pretty good. Not nearly as great as a traditional hot brown, but a pretty creative take on the dish.

Chicken Philly

We also ordered a chicken philly, which doesn’t appear on the online menu currently. Not sure if it is no longer an option, but it was actually one of my favorites of the meal, served with crispy tater tots. We definitely way overordered and had a ton of food left over. The prices are fantastic, the service was quick, and there are a ton of different beers on tap. It’s hard to go wrong!

Food halls have become quite popular and there are three within a short drive of my house. The newest is Gatherall at Factory 52. This location has over a dozen food stalls plus multiple bar options. The first food stall I tried was Phat Bánh Mì.

Food Hall Stall

The staff working was very friendly and helped explain the menu as needed. I watched from a nearby table as orders were quickly prepared and text messages sent to hungry patrons.

Lemongrass Chicken Bánh Mì

I tried the Lemongrass Chicken Bánh Mì with lemongrass chicken on a toasted baguette with pickled daikon, pickled carrots, cucumber, cilantro, jalapenos, and Vietnamese mayo served with potato or shrimp chips ($13). This was a good sandwich and very filling. I’m not an expert on Bánh Mì but I really enjoyed the flavor combinations, especially the pickled vegetables and the mayo was a nice touch.