A Decent Matzoh Ball At Eddy's Deli

I was recently in the Stow, Ohio area for some non-food-related business. As it was getting close to dinner time, I thought I would check out a restaurant that had been in the process of opening for the last several months. As I pulled into the half-full parking lot surrounding the restaurant, I had no idea that I was about to step into the newly opened second location of a Cuyahoga Falls' favorite of mine, Eddy's Deli and Restaurant. Eddy's has been on my list of places to return to so that I could write up a proper review, but I just hadn't gotten around to getting back to the original location.

This Eddy's was located at 4581 Kent Road, Stow, Ohio 44224 and can be reached at 330-346-0551. The website for both locations can be located here. Also note that the Urbanspoon link at the end of the article actually points to the original location in Cuyahoga Falls, not the Stow location (as there wasn't one available for that location).

Here was a shot of the outside of the Eddy's in Stow:


I think the primary reason why I didn't connect this new location with the original was that the building exteriors looked nothing like each other. The exterior and interior decor were nice enough, but they didn't have that unique feeling that the original location in Cuyahoga Falls has. The original location has that cool breakfast and lunch diner kind of vibe. This location felt more subdued and sanitized. Which was probably another reason why I didn't connect the two locations.

It wasn't until I sat down and looked through the menu that I realized that something might be up:







It was only after my server returned that I asked about the striking similarity of this menu to another place in Cuyahoga Falls, also called Eddy's.

"Yep," she replied, "one and the same."

I've had many good meals at the original Eddy's; I was excited to see how the new location stacked up. One thing I had never tried at the original was the matzoh ball soup. Apparently while there were always several soups du jour, the one soup that was always on the menu was matzoh ball soup. Having had two of the most tremendous versions of matzoh ball soup at my friend Nancy's house during both Passover and Rosh Hashanah, I knew what good matzoh ball soup was. Nancy had set my bar high and I somewhat nervously ordered a bowl to see if it could compare.

My server returned shortly with a bowl of Jewish penicillin with the largest matzoh ball I've ever been served:


Here was a side shot of the matzoh ball after I cut out a few spoonfuls:


First, let's talk about the broth. It was a nice broth with a good depth of flavor. It was seasoned properly and still had some of the residual onions and carrots, now nicely softened, in the bottom of the bowl. The broth itself could've been a little warmer as it was a little warmer than lukewarm when I received it. Second, let's talk about the matzoh ball. As far as matzoh balls go, Eddy's version was pretty good. It was fully cooked through and there were no raw spots. The texture was closer to Nancy's Passover matzoh balls which have no leavening, so it was a little dense. I checked with my friend Nancy and she said that most places that serve matzoh ball soup usually add leavening to their matzoh balls to help with the lightness, especially when they get to be the size of a tennis ball. While this version may have had leavening in it, it just didn't compare to the version Nancy made for Rosh Hoshanah. The only real gripe I had with this matzoh ball was that it really needed salt. Eating a spoonful of matzoh with the soup helped, but once I swallowed the soup and was left with chewing the matzoh, it quickly became apparent that it needed some serious help.

Oddly, the server also brought saltine crackers to the table for my soup:


Which, given the size of the matzoh ball and the fact that the soup was seasoned perfectly, was a curious addition to the soup service.

After I finished my soup, my sandwich platter arrived a few minutes later. I had decided to order the patty melt:


All sandwiches come with potato chips and a pickle spear, unless you want to pay extra for a different side item. I chose just to stick with the potato chips. The chips and pickle spear were pretty much run of the mill, so there aren't any surprises there. The patty melt, which I ordered medium, came out something more like this:


While the burger was cooked closer to somewhere between medium well and well, it was still juicy, which was most appreciated. The meat was seasoned properly, but ha an odd sort of "spongy" texture to it, like it had been compressed too much before cooking. The two cheeses, American and Provolone, were nicely melted and added a definite creaminess to each bite. Unfortunately, the onions weren't grilled quite long enough and had a sort of raw bite to them. The rye bread, however, was nicely buttered and grilled. Still, even with the shortcomings I mentioned, I managed to finish my sandwich and almost all of my potato chips. Overall, I'd say that this was about an average version of this burger classic.

There were a few misses today at Eddy's new location in Stow, but overall I had a positive experience. Having now experienced both Eddy's locations, if I had my choice, I still think I'd prefer the original in Cuyahoga Falls because of the ambiance. If you happen to be closer to the location in Stow, at least there isn't a reason to drive further to experience the food that Eddy's has to offer. The menu has lots of choice, the prices are reasonable, and the food for the most part is pretty good. Definitely check Eddy's out if you have a chance.

Passover Seder Part II

I think if I was ever in a position to have a last meal request, it would be one of Nancy and Bob's Seders.

In my previous post, I walked you through Nancy's Seder table, explaining little tidbits about what various items were. In the post you are reading right now, my intention is to talk about the food. After convening at the table, Nancy led us through the Haggadah, explaining the reason for Passover and for the Passover meal. During this process, you do eat small bites of symbolic foods (like the parsley dipped in salted water and the ceremonial matzoh spread with charosis and either onion or horseradish and eaten like a sandwich).

The ceremonial part of the Seder is as interesting to me as the wonderful food. Again, not being Jewish myself, I find it fascinating to share the heritage and traditions of others. Plus, invariably, Nancy always manages to assemble the greatest group of guests. Our conversations ranged from food to beer to technology to traveling in Europe. It really just ran the gamut.

This post will pick up after most of the ceremonial portion of the Seder has already concluded.

Unfortunately, Kathy Breychek, Nancy's source for farm fresh eggs is no longer in the egg-selling business. Fortunately, Nancy was able to source her eggs from another local farm (which I will post when I get it from her). Eggs are an important part of the meal as we eat them both hard-cooked and as an ingredient in many of the other dishes.

First up, a shot of the hard-steamed eggs with a bit of the salted water from the ceremony:


This was rich and creamy and tender; everything you'd want out of a good, farm-fresh egg. Nancy actually steams these instead of boiling them, a trick she learned from Alton Brown on the Food Network show Good Eats!

After the egg (which is eaten towards the end of the ceremony), it is generally open season on everything else on the table. On my plate I have gathered one of Nancy's gefilte fish balls (more oblong than round) towards the back left of the plate, some of the carrot that was cooked in the fish fumet, a bit of freshly grated and prepared horseradish (thanks to Bob and his garden) right in the front and center, and some matzoh with charosis on it on the plate to the back right.


The horseradish is generally eaten with the chilled gefilte fish. It is an amazing symbiotic relationship, each on its own delicious, but eaten together it takes you to a higher culinary destination. Because Nancy uses all fresh fish to make her gefilte fish, it has none of the sliminess or fishy odor or taste that you would think. It's actually very mild. Which makes the pairing of the fish with the horseradish seem like rather an odd combination, but it works magically.

As I said in my previous post, I could eat the charosis on matzoh all the time and be completely happy. It is a nicely sweetened (but not too sweet) blend of nuts, apples, wine, honey and spices and works well to offset the spicyness of the horseradish. Nancy grinds hers more finely than others do, so it does have sort of a spackle or mortar-like quality to it. I'd even go so far as to call it a "spread" in its consistency.

One thing you quickly learn about surviving a Seder meal is the concept of moderation. With food this good, your initial reaction is to fill up on gefilte fish, horseradish, matzoh and charosis. Pacing yourself is key as there are still three more courses to come.

Next up? The ever popular Jewish penicillin, also known as matzoh ball soup. Nancy's soup base is unique in that it is a cross between a soup (which has less gelatin/collagen in it) and a stock. Besides the chicken carcasses for her soup base, she also uses chicken feet. This is what gives the resulting soup base it's silky and unctuous quality to it.


Not to be outdone, the matzoh balls were smooth and silky and light. She was worried they weren't quite right, but I thought they were marvellous. Of course, there were more matzoh balls and soup for anyone who wanted it, but we were about to embark onto the third and most substantial course, so no one went beyond one bowl.

First up, the sweet kugel with apricots. It is baked in a casserole dish and contains matzoh meal, eggs, apricots, and the secret ingredient: Vietnames cinnamon from Heather's Heat & Flavor. The Vietnamese cinnamon gives it this amazing heady spicy quality that you just can't get with the cinnamon you find at the grocery store. Here is a shot of the entire casserole:


Honestly, this was probably enough kugel to feed about 15-20 people. We only managed to finish about 1/4 of it.

Next up is the savory potato kugel. Bob prefers to grate his potatoes very finely so that the resulting kugel has a more pudding-like texture. Other preparations I've seen grate the potato more coarsely, but this gives you more of a "hashed browns" effect. Bob also adds a bit of fresh chili pepper (again from his garden) to give the kugel a nice capricious spice.


And while I forgot to get a shot of the plate of brisket, here is a shot of my plate all loaded up:


Tender and sweet asparagus to the left sauteed in some olive oil and dressed with basic salt and pepper, potato kugel at the top, sweet kugel at the right, and the brisket and onions at the bottom of the plate.

Let's talk about the brisket for a moment. Prepared by Bob, this was so tender and moist that a knife wasn't even required to cut it. It simply melted in your mouth. Adding interest to the flavor, Bob used some more of his chili peppers from his garden. Not so much that it came across as "spicy", but more as an interesting back note. The onions were tender from hours of cooking as well. Truly an outstanding plate of food.

And if that wasn't enough food, there was one last course, a dessert course. Now traditionally there are various sweets that would normally show up on a Seder table such as macaroons and honey cake. This year one the guests prepared what is called a "sham torte". It is a baked meringue based dish that is most closely related to the ubiquitous pavlova from Down Under. The sweetened meringue base is covered with whipped cream, fresh berries, and a basil infused syrup.


And my individually sized portion:


It was lovely, a nice mix of sweet, fruit, crispy and creamy. And the best part of all? It was EXTREMELY light. Not so much in the sense of calories, but in the sense you could eat a piece at the end of a heavy meal without too much difficultly. Kind of that whole "There's always room for Jell-O" mantra.

Just as spontaneously as we had all come together, we dispersed just as quickly. Hugs and handshakes and many "Thank you's" were to be had and only a moment after that I was back out in the cold evening air under a full moon ready to relive the past 3 1/2 hours on my drive home.

I'm hoping Nancy updates her blog with posts about this years prep-work after she takes a much deserved rest. It truly is fascinating to see how at the same time this food can be so simple and yet the flavors be so complex. If you'd like to see what went into last year's Seder meal, here are some of her posts from last year.

A huge thank you to both Nancy and Bob for their generosity and hospitality. I very much look forward to repeating the experience again.