Fresh Perspective At Louie's Bar and Grille

From one of my favorite foodie movies, Ratatouille:

Mustafa: Do you know what you'd like this evening, sir?
Anton Ego: Yes, I think I do. After reading a lot of overheated puffery about your new cook, you know what I'm craving? A little perspective. That's it. I'd like some fresh, clear, well seasoned perspective. Can you suggest a good wine to go with that?
Mustafa: With what, sir?
Anton Ego: Perspective. Fresh out, I take it?
Mustafa: I am, uh...
Anton Ego: Very well. Since you're all out of perspective and no one else seems to have it in this BLOODY TOWN, I'll make you a deal. You provide the food, I'll provide the perspective, which would go nicely with a bottle of Cheval Blanc 1947.

Fortunately, no bottles of Cheval Blanc, regardless of their vintage, were harmed in the writing of this blog post.

One of the surest ways to generate lots of comment and emails is to say that such - and - such - a - place has the best fill-in-the-blank sandwich. In this particular case, the fill-in-the-blank sandwich happens to be a hamburger. And I've discovered that people feel quite passionately about who has the best hamburger. Through suggestions from my readers as well as keeping track of the latest burger joint openings, I feel much more well-rounded now than before I started writing a food blog. This brings me to perspective: Now that I've eaten my way through some of the best burger places that Canton, Lodi, Orville, Akron, and Cleveland have to offer, I thought I'd revisit one of my hometown spots for some fresh perspective.

As I mentioned the last time I reviewed Louie's Bar and Grille, they won the Akron Beacon Journal's Best Burger contest back in 1993, having only been in operation for just one year. An impressive feat, no doubt. While the previous visit had a most impressive burger with rather less impressive fresh-cut fries, I decided to return to have another burger (and a different side) to compare not only against the last time I ate at Louie's, but also against some of the other burger contenders at which I have eaten since then.

Unlike the last time I went, I decided to return on a Monday night at 7 PM and was rewarded with a much less crowded restaurant. Here was a shot of the window and marquee outside the bar:


I sat down at one of the booths lining the wall and was immediately greeted by my server. She asked if I wanted a basket of freshly popped popcorn, but knowing the half-pound burger that awaited me, I declined. It didn't take me long to locate the page of the menu that was my focus tonight, the burger page:


Last time I had the bacon cheeseburger. After looking at my options tonight, I decided to go with the Ranchero Burger. Something about the bacon, gourmet onion rings, and tangy BBQ sauce just seemed to call out to me. While each of the burgers come with a side of the fresh cut fries, from my previous experience (and honestly from the experience of others who have also eaten at Louie's and told me about it), I decided to try a different side this time. For only an additional $0.79, I could substitute onion rings for the fries. When I asked my server if they were homemade onion rings, she looked at me kind of funny at first and then stated that they were actually a fried-from-frozen product from Moore's. Knowing that you can still get a decent ring if the fry cook was sufficiently skilled, I went ahead and decided to order the onion rings.

I settled in after placing my order and perused a few news websites on my G1 phone. After what only seemed to be a few minutes, my dinner arrived:


First up, a shot of my half-pound Ranchero burger:


And here was a shot of the burger with the crown removed:


As you can see, the gourmet onion rings that topped my burger were exactly the same Moore's fried-from-frozen onion rings that accompanied the burger as my side dish. Finally, here was a side shot of my burger after I cut it in half:


Okay, now it's time for the good, bad, and the ugly. Well, technically, there really was no ugly. I ordered the burger medium. While the burger was definitely juicy, it wasn't medium. It was closer to somewhere between medium well to well. While there was the obligatory warning on the menu about ordering hamburgers too rare, I decided to order my burger the exact same way I would at some of my favorite burger places. Since the hamburger was always fresh and never frozen at Louie's, I needed to compare apples to apples. Tasty? Yes. Juicy? Yes. Soul-satisfyingly good? Sadly, no. Having just had one of B Spot's Red Hot burgers only days prior, I can say with certainty that Louie's burger just didn't quite reach the bar that other places I have visited set for its patrons. Additionally, the tangy BBQ sauce that accompanied the burger was nice when I tasted it on its own, but it didn't really help to cut through the fattiness of the burger patty. It was definitely better than other places that have employed this sauce, but it didn't have enough presence to stand out when tasted as part of an entire bite of the sandwich. The bacon, however, was nicely cooked and added a very necessary porky and smoky element to the burger's flavor that I thought worked very well.

Besides having the onion rings on my burger itself, I also ordered a side of them to accompany my dinner tonight:


The onion rings were decent. I suppose they are considered "gourmet" onion rings because the onion inside each ring is made from whole onions instead of minced. That being said, while the rings themselves were crispy on the outside, they were also a tad bit greasy. I know from past experience that some people like them this way and to those gentle readers out there, I think you will be very happy with this version. But I've also had some terrifically tasty fried-from-frozen rings, and these were definitely about two notches below what I've experienced at some other eateries. That being said, I'd still recommend the rings above the fresh cut fries. Of course, it should be perfectly obvious to any of my gentle readers out there who have been following along for a while now that I'd prefer most other sides over fresh cut fries.

Overall, I really did enjoy my dinner tonight at Louie's Bar and Grille. The burger was seasoned nicely and was definitely juicy, but had flavor components that just didn't quite work as well as I think they could've. The onion rings were decent enough, and quite superior to the fries, but still could've been executed just a little bit better. Is Louie's still the best burger in Akron? Honestly, I'd have to say that for me, the answer is still "yes." Is Louie's the best burger in northeast Ohio? Sorry, fellow Akronites, but that honor is still firmly held between the Greenhouse Tavern and B Spot in downtown Cleveland and Woodmere, respectively.

If you're in Akron and want to stay local, definitely check out Louie's Bar and Grille. The truth is, you won't get a bad burger. However, if you absolutely need to fill that void for a soul-satisfyingly good burger that makes you feel guilty from the first bite to the last, I'm going to suggest you continue to look further north to Jonathon Sawyer's Greenhouse Tavern or Michael Symon's B Spot.

Hello And Welcome Back

Welcome back, gentle reader.

It seems like forever and a day since I have posted anything to the blog. And, in fact, I didn't realize how much time and effort I had been spending posting to the blog until I went cold turkey for two weeks. Looking back now, it should be fairly obvious that experiencing, writing, and editing posts about food five to six times a week would've been a time-consuming task. And frankly, during that time period, it was okay because I have been out of work since mid-December and looking for a new job. Frankly, having my time pre-occupied with such a wonderful job as writing on this blog has been a life saver. I can understand how easy it is to fall into a funk when you fail time and again to find steady employment. Writing and pursuing this blog kept me thinking and focused on other topics. Sure, I occasionally felt depressed and despondent about not being able to do work which is something that I had never ever experienced in my life before, but writing and posting so consistently gave me little time to dwell over the bad things.

Fortunately, the last two weeks have given me the opportunity to pursue and accept a new job that will start on Monday, April 19th. After months of absolutely zilch, I was presented over the break with three opportunities from which I had to choose one. Had any one of them come along on their own, they would've been welcomed and appreciated. How odd that when things finally started to gain momentum that I was presented with three great jobs and had to agonize over which one to take. I suppose that is a great problem to have though and I certainly don't want to complain too loudly.

Just as a balanced work/life relationship is important to have with your job, I feel the same is also true with the blog. Don't expect the crazy posting schedule I attempted in February and March. My plan is to return to the Monday - Wednesday - Friday posting routine with an ever-so-occasional "Extra Helpings" thrown in just for good measure. Now that Lent, the Christian season of Friday fish fries and pierogi dinners, is behind me, there won't be the need to post so often.

A few other blog-related items to mention. First, I wanted to remind you, gentle reader, that I will be a guest judge for the sixth annual Cleveland chili cook-off benefit for autism that will be held next Wednesday, April 21st from 6 - 9 PM at the Terrace Club at Jacob's Field. The suggested donation is $20. There are going to be many fine chefs and home cooks representing the best chili that Cleveland has to offer and even better, the cause is outstanding. Read a more thorough discussion on my friend Nancy's blog (Nancy will also be one of the guest judges, too).

The following Wednesday, April 28th from 6 - 8 PM, another event is being held at Musketeers Bar in Richfield, Ohio to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. For a $20 donation, you get all you can eat bar foods such as salad, pizza, and chicken wings as well as beer and well drinks. While I am not a judge for that event, I definitely plan on attending the event and showing my support. More information about both events can be found on the right hand side of the blog on the Exploring Food My Way community calendar.

Speaking of Exploring Food My Way, I have set up an official Facebook fan page for the blog so that you will be notified whenever I post a new blog entry (assuming that you have a Facebook account). Click on the link to be taken directly to the page where you can "fan" the blog. The link has been placed in the "Five Ways To Follow My Blog" section on the right hand side of the screen along with my personal Twitter account. I often tweet on topics other than my blog, but I always post links on both Facebook and Twitter.

Finally, I have an upcoming article about a mushroom dinner I recently had at AMP 150 and tying into that blog post I have graciously received three $25 gift certificates that I intend to give away to some very lucky readers. I will post the details of the giveaway soon and you'll be able to access the blog entry during the course of the giveaway through a link at the very top right side of the blog. Chef Ellis Cooley is really doing some fantastic dishes with local farmers markets and purveyors and I am only too happy to help share the love (and the gift certificates) with those of you out there who are looking for a great place to eat.

Once again, welcome back and I look forward to continuing to take you to some fantastic new places all over the northeast Ohio area. While today's double-posting will be more the rarity than the norm, don't forget to come back in order to read the article that will post later this morning on a return trip to Louie's Bar and Grille where I apply some new perspective to one of Akron's best burgers.

Sometimes You Just Need A Vacation

In case you didn't figure out the bit of fun I was having at your expense in yesterday's post, check the date at the top of the post and read it again. You might even want to click on the Yahoo link I provided. I was going to try and subtly get part of the corporate logo on the sandwich wrapper in one of my photos, but ironically, the burger in question no longer comes in a wrapper. Royale with cheese, anyone?

As you can probably tell by looking at the archives for February and March on the right hand side of your screen, I have been a blogging fool as of late ... twenty articles during February and twenty-four during March. I can attribute this copious amount of work to two things: being snowed in during the month of February and my unhealthy love of fried fish and pierogi during the month of March. Now that I can see a color on the ground other than white and The Lenten Project has officially concluded, it was only within this past week that I am suddenly feeling like I need a bit of a break on the blog. Nothing long. And certainly nothing permanent. I have far too many future restaurants from which to be banned before I am willing to hang up acerbic wit and global palate.

I will continue to monitor comments and respond to emails, just like always. I might even occasionally glance at my blog statistics every now and again, just for curiosity's sake. But I definitely think a two-week downtime will do me some good. I suppose that whatever you endeavor to do in life, everyone needs to recharge their batteries periodically. I notice that on other blogs I follow, sometimes they, too, have long gaps between posts. Since I have been posting SO frequently these last two months, I didn't want any of my regular readers to get alarmed and start flooding me with concerned emails.

When I return, I definitely have some exciting events to tell you about. First and foremost will be me not only attending the 6th annual Autism Chili Cook-off in Cleveland on April 21st (see calendar item), but attending as a judge! I would encourage you to come and check it out as there will be some really fine chili and of course, the event is for a great cause. In addition, I have come across several gift cards for a local Cleveland restaurant that I will be giving away to lucky readers. And finally, there will be a return to the down-to-earth blog posts you've gotten used to seeing on everything from donuts to dim sum.

Thanks for reading and I look forward to seeing you when I get back.

A Killer Burger At Donnie's Burger Cafe

I don't think I've been this excited about a major food find since stumbling across the Taqueria La Loma taco truck late last year. And I'm happy to be sharing this find with you, gentle reader, because I know that once you discover the magic of the food being served at this local Tallmadge gem, you just won't be able to get enough. Well, at least until your cardiologist tells you it's time to stop. This was the kind of place that I consider "destination" dining: A place with food so amazing that it'd be worth a day trip just to try it out. While my hope was that by publishing this, I haven't cursed myself by never being able to get a table again the next time I craved this undeniably American but universally popular cuisine, I knew that eventually the secret would get out.

But, I suppose I am ahead of myself. Let's start at the beginning, shall we?

I first noticed Donnie's Burger Cafe after moving into my current residence in Akron a while ago. Since my home shared a border with Tallmadge, it wasn't too long after moving in that I had headed up to Tallmadge Circle, mostly to explore this new part of Akron. As I drove around the circle that first time, I noticed a building on the east side of the circle, but didn't give it much thought. In retrospect, I should've. Located at 23 Southeast Avenue, Tallmadge, OH 44278, Donnie's can be reached at 330-630-3296. At the time of this writing, there was no website available specific to this location; however, this Yahoo Maps entry has three testimonials of others' visits to the restaurant. I tend to take what I read on Yahoo Maps with a grain of salt, so I didn't pay them much attention. There was ample parking surrounding the restaurant.

Once inside, I was taken aback by the cuteness of my surroundings. I know I don't normally talk about a restaurant's "cuteness" factor, but by all accounts, Donnie's had a certain something that seemed unique all unto itself but also vaguely familiar. Unfamiliar with the ordering process, I took a seat at an empty table and waited for a server to come over. Almost immediately, I realized that Donnie's was not a full-service restaurant but one where the customer placed their order at the counter and then retired to an empty table with their food once it was plated. One of the first items I noticed was the quite large wall menu (of which I took a picture, but sadly turned out completely blurry and unusable) by the ordering counter. As customers approached the ordering counter, they would lazily gaze up, make their choices and pay for their meal. Once customers picked up their completed orders of food, they would seek out an additional station at the side of the restaurant for condiments, napkins, straws and other meal-related amenities before finding a table to enjoy their spoils.

Having now watched the ordering ritual thoroughly enough to understand it, I tentatively approached the woman operating the cash register. I asked her if the restaurant had any specialties ... menu items for which the restaurant was known. She described several of their burgers and a fried fish sandwich that she told me involved some type of Australian-sourced fish which was breaded and fried. She also added that they were particularly well known for their French fries. Knowing that I have had bad experiences in the past with poorly fried frites, I was hesitant about ordering their version. In the end, however, her positive attitude and the lack of any other appropriate side dish finally convinced me to give the French fries a try.

I placed my order for one of their infamous quarter pound cheeseburgers topped with a standard quotient of onions, pickles, mustard and ketchup. To complete my meal today, I went ahead and ordered the fries, too. After getting to my table, I managed to take a photo of my entire lunch:


And a close-up of the burger by itself:


And a shot with the crown removed:


And finally, a shot of the French fries that my helpful counter worker had talked me into:


As I sank my teeth into that first bite of burger, I was rewarded not only with an amazing beefy flavor, but also a complexity that I had not experienced since my last burger at Michael Symon's B Spot restaurant in Woodmere, Ohio. It was clear that this burger had been tested and refined many times by the kitchen staff as it was seasoned to the point where it would appeal to the masses, without need for anything else. I suspected Wagyu beef was involved somewhere in this burger blend, but since the menu said nothing about this opulent ingredient, I had to assume 100% grass-fed beef was the reason for this amazing taste. The toppings, perfectly dispensed between the top of the cheese and the crown of the bun, added a nice sweetness and piquancy that further enhanced just how incredibly tasty my burger was today. The combination of the bun, the burger, the cheese, and the toppings put this sandwich at the top of my very short list of favorite burgers.

Not to be outdone, I moved to my French fries next. I thought that the ketchup was a bit on the sweet side; in fact, I don't know that I've ever tasted ketchup that had such a unique flavor profile that was so specific to a restaurant. Then again, the kitchen staff at Michael Symon's restaurants make the "Lola" ketchup, so I suppose there are places out there doing it. That said, the fries by themselves were complete perfection. Crispy, creamy, salty, and fatty, these fried potato sticks would've made Escoffier weep with tears of joy. Clearly, Donnie's has thoroughly studied the art of frying potatoes as there wasn't a bad one among the bunch. I've been told in the past that fries of this nature MUST be eaten within seven minutes of coming out of the fryer. One minute too long and they needed to be tossed because the quality degraded too much. Fortunately, today's French fries had plenty of time left on their clock as they were sublime.

As I finished my meal today, I was struck at how accessible and truly tasty my meal was. In a perfect world, this was the kind of food to which every American should have access. In fact, should the restaurant decide to open other locations, I would be quite surprised if they weren't a huge success. I urge you, gentle reader, to try out this appealing and painstakingly perfected food as soon as you can. You certainly won't be surprised to find that you might be whisked away to your childhood, where the halcyon memories of great food still live.