Keep cozy with carbs… I mean pasta! The next few days are going to be chilly, unlike the past couple of AMAZING weeks. My suggestion for keeping warm? A dinner with your best friend and a cocktail or two to start the night off right.

D. and I enjoyed dinner at La Scola a couple weeks ago. While writing this post I asked him about his Veal Saltimbocca, and D. replied “I Looooooooooved it!”

I chose Butternut Squash Ravioli which was the perfect bit of warm and savory goodness needed on that brisk evening. A spinach salad — that wasn’t disgustingly sweet (sadly too common) — was a great way to begin dinner.

This locally-owned Toledo gem deserves your support… as does your tummy! Warm and delicious. Pro-tip: make a reservation on weekend nights.

La Scola | 5375 Airport Highway | (419) 381-2100

If you simply MUST eat in the Westfield Franklin Park Mall food court, do yourself a favor and get something healthy… that tastes great! On a recent shopping trip, D. and I found ourselves a bit peckish and in need of a bite. I ordered a veggie plate that involved a little of this and a little of that–all surrounding several perfect falafel. And all of it deeeeeeelicious. The best part? Locally-owned!

Kabob It | Franklin Park Mall Food Court | (419) 720-7899

I met up with A. for dinner and a drink last night. We had forgotten how often they host live music (mostly jazz & blues). Nice surprise!

Manhattan’s | 1516 Adam’s Street | (419) 243-6675

D. and I spent a great Friday night with new friends last week. Recent transplants from NYC, K. & C. accompanied us to dinner at The Frog Leg Inn (a short drive North of the Old West End) and an opening at The Toledo Museum of Art.

We shared some appetizers (escargot & roasted garlic with cheese), glasses of wine, and I particularly enjoyed the pasta special with cippolini onions and a brown butter sage sauce.

The TMA opening was great… all local artists, curated by Jerry Grey of Bozarts. The piece above, by Dan Hernandez, was one of my favorites. At first look it looks hardly modern…

Looking closer you realize the scene is peppered with figures from video games. Smart!

The paintings by Josh Byers were striking.

I loved his version of The Death of Marat.

The Community Gallery was jam-packed that night with Toledoans enjoying art, live music, and socializing. Take a stroll through the community gallery next time you are at the TMA! The show is up for a few more weeks.

Toledo Museum of Art | 2445 Monroe Street | (419) 255-8000
Frog Leg Inn | 2103 Manhattan Street | Erie, MI | (734) 848-8580

A new Asian grocery opened this month, in between Cricket West and Westgate. It’s large, clean, and full of delicious treats. We have been having a great time grabbing random things and bringing them home to dine. Like the above shrimp shumai/shu mai/shuumai — I guess it depends on the copywriter!

Everyone loves dumplings, right?

Here’s a suggestion: Host your very own dim sum brunch! Make a visit to Lai Lai, buy a smattering of everything, and invite your best foodie friends over. Make sure your guests bring healthy and adventurous appetites.

Lai Lai Asian Mart | 3205 W Central Ave. | (419) 725-3563

Once upon a time there was a Vietnamese restaurant on Airport Highway. It has been gone for a long time so when we heard about a new Vietnamese joint that opened on Upton we rushed to check it out.

Pho Viet Nam is fantastic! The story is they opened about a year ago as a soul food place. About a month ago they started adding Vietnamese dishes to the menu and have gotten rave reviews from friends and foodies in Toledo. On our first visit I asked if they served banh mi (a wonderful sandwich I used to enjoy when living in NYC). They didn’t have it then… but on our next visit BAM! There it was on the menu. YUM.

You should really check this little gem out for yourselves. I’m looking forward to this Summer when we can take advantage of the sweet deck they have out front with tables.

Pho Viet Nam | 3636 Upton Avenue | (419) 720-2952

So excited about this… Toledo-favorite Cake in a Cup gets invited to the Food Network’s Cupcake Wars. AND WINS! We were happy to join them in a viewing party where their lips remained sealed about the outcome until it was shown on the TVs. What a night. Congrats to Lori and Dana… well done girls. Well done!

Cake in a Cup | 6801 W Central Ave # 2 | (419) 491-1104

Well, this post was a long time coming! Monday afternoon we finally got a chance to check out the newly expanded San Marcos Grocery with a fully-functioning dining room.

I have a feeling several of you are San Marcos cult-members and will henceforth reminisce about a small counter in the dim lit corner of a little grocery store. San Marcos has gone through a growth spurt… simply walk all the way through the far back archway to enjoy the same, best tacos in NW Ohio.

It was after 5pm so a couple margaritas were tossed at us–with salt, please! The tables and booths are covered in colorful paintings and relief art.

Of course we ordered too much food (leftovers!) and D.’s dishes came out first. A beef tongue taco (which I find conceptually abhorrent), a pork taco, and a chili relleno. He loved it all.

While the dining situation has changed, the food has remained just as fresh and authentic as it ever was.

There are bottles of both green and red hot sauces on the tables and I suggest trying both. The green hot sauce is a little hotter than the red… the red has a bit of a smokey flavor to it. Both have little to no vinegar taste which is common in Mexican hot sauces.

My first “torta” would have been when I lived in San Francisco. This sandwich lived up to my high expectations–prepared with chicken, melted cheese, roasted peppers, tomato, lettuce, and avocado. The mayo-looking dressing was not mayo but more of a creme fraiche. It was a delicious dine (n.-yes I’m using it as a noun), huge (half went home in a box), and cheap.

Afterwards we spent a few minutes in the actual grocery store, which is always an adventure.

We not only left with satisfied and very full tummies but also brought home some perfectly mysterious patries.

Don’t be shy. Try this much loved authentic Mexican joint for yourself! I promise you… it’s a hidden gem that is more and more becoming less “hidden.”

San Marcos Super Marketo | 235 Broadway Street | (419) 244-2373

D. and I aren’t fans of chain restaurants and I struggled with whether to even try this new concoction by Taco Bell, but Toledo was the very first city in the WORLD to have this Doritos taco! After reading about it on practically every foodie blog in existence, we decided to give it a go for Toledo’s sake.

I can say it does taste pretty much like you would expect; run-of-the-mill Taco Bell taco within a large Doritos chip. It wasn’t at all “bad” but I’m certainly not advocating that everyone run out and get one. Why eat at a fast food chain when you can savor a real taco from critically-acclaimed San Marcos?

Last Friday the Original Sub Shop hosted a benefit for Toledo GROWs aptly named “Baghdad Cafe.” Toledo GROWs is the community gardening outreach program of Toledo Botanical Garden — and a really great cause!

The dinner I shared with D. started off with a bunch of darling little bowls (handcrafted by Lisa David from now on to be known as L.D.) that were filled with the yummy richness of roasted red peppers, hummus, vegetables in an incredibly fresh tasting pickle, and an unknown-until-that-day carrot dip. Have you ever had carrot dip?

We joined in at the 5pm seating (there was the 5pm and a 7pm). The windows were still fogged up… must have been all the great cooking that had been going on over the past day or two!

We indulged on a choice of two soups. D. chose the yogurt-based option but I went straight fot the one that mentioned meatballs. I was hoping to spare my tummy for the main courses so I only plated a couple of the meatballs. They were really fantastic.

And then came the motherload of deelish. I shot D.’s plate because it was much more filled with stuff than mine–look at it!!!–I don’t know enough about the names of the cuisine, but there was some little rolls of meat, chicken (shwarma?), grape leaves, pastries filled with meats and cheese, barley salads, rices… it was bonkers.

And what was really bonkers… ending with this…

Now, I don’t remember the name but it was a custard encased in filo, drizzled in honey and nuts and amazingness. No… it wasn’t baklava.

In my fantasy life I can host amazing cooks at my home to create important dinners whenever I like – and L.D. from the Original Sub Shop is at the top of my list. In my dreams… sigh. I am a huge fan of the Original Sub Shop and you should be as well!

Toledo Grows | Original Sub Shop

This Saturday was the Vertical “Mix”, an annual fundraising party for The Arts Commission held this year at the top of the O-I/Fifth Third Bank building. Each year this party gets better and better, with amazing food and cocktails, live entertainment, and the best art auction in the city. As we arrived we were given complimentary binoculars so we could enjoy the amazing view to the fullest which included a “super moon”! The party was packed all night long with Toledoans in fancy attire. A big congrats to all the event chairs, volunteers, and to The Arts Commission!

The Arts Commission of Greater Toledo | 1838 Parkwood Avenue | (419) 254-ARTS

I’m a big fan of  Glass City Cafe. I’m also a fan of Old West End Records providing some really great music during their “OWE’ver Easy with Jason Quick & Ben Langlois” brunches! Delicious food + fantastic live music + running into all of our Old West End friends = best brunch ever. In closing, my cheeseburger was perfect.

Glass City Cafe | 1107 Jackson Street | Uptown Toledo | (419) 241-4519

We had an out of town guest this weekend, and with all guests from other cities we try to make sure they have the most Toledo-centric time they can possibly have. We often take guests to Tony Packos, but this particular guest was vegetarian so the next best option? The Beirut!!! And as always it was a total hit. We ordered appetizer after appetizer and walked (or rather rolled) out of there stuffed to the gills.

“Toledo is amazing”, proclaimed our guest–a new fan of The Glass City.

The Beirut | 4082 Monroe Street | (419) 473-0885

We started out the night with dinner and drinks at Ice. It was our first visit to the “somewhat new” Downtown establishment. Next, drinks at our friend M.’s apartment. And the night ended at The Ottawa Tavern with shows by “Science of the Big Machines” and “The Dirty Damn Band”. Everything about the night was pleasant–except when they ran out of ice at the OT!

Hope you had a great night and 2011 treats you right!

The Ottawa Tavern | 1817 Adams Street | Uptown | (419) 725-5483

Ice Restaurant and Bar | 405 Madison Avenue | Downtown | (419) 246-3339

Last night started out with dinner at the original Tony Packo’s on Front Street and was finished off by some T-Town Hockey! D. and I were joined by his parents, his brother & wife (currently living in Denver), and our friends S. and A. from New York City.

What a fantastic night! Both Packo’s and the Huntington Arena were packed full of entirely pleasant people, out enjoying themselves. Dinner was great, watching hockey was fun, and we really enjoyed knowing our friends from out of town were having a great time in Toledo.