The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Restaurant Week to highlight choices
Upcoming Chardon Restaurant Week illustrates how many dining choices exist in city
With the April 12-through-17 Chardon Restaurant Week, those looking to get out to eat can choose among a substantive 17 establishments, all with tempting deals.
It’s a good reminder there are a lot of places where you can grab a bite to eat in Chardon. And many of them are around the town square roughly bounded by Main, Center, South and Water streets.
Unlike with some other area restaurant weeks, the specials to be offered with Chardon’s vary with the restaurant, from half off for a dessert to $50 for a three-course dinner for two. Some eateries limit their Restaurant Week specials to dine-in only, while others extend them to carryout orders. Some are open only for dinner while others specialize in a lunchtime crowd.
But now that spring-like weather is in the air and many of us have been vaccinated against COVID-19, it’s a great opportunity to discover interesting dining options while checking out the outdoor patios for the months ahead.
Some places are not open on Mondays, and others have slightly different Restaurant Week days, so the best way to do your homework for a dining jaunt into Chardon is to click through on the icons for participating restaurants at ChardonRestaurantWeek.com.
Staying close to home for months on end results in the perception that distances are greater than they are. But it’s less than 10 miles from the center of Mentor to the middle of Chardon — a drive that takes fewer than 20 minutes for many of us. It’s close enough to give the feeling of a getaway without the investment of time. And with spring now in bloom, it’s a great chance to count daffodils and other splashes of spring color.
Those who would not have expected anything very exotic in Geauga County may be surprised to find a marinated Wakame Seaweed Salad with Sesame Mirin among the choices of starters for the meal offered at Square Bistro. Owners Jaret and Rebekah Havanchak are among the organizers of Chardon Restaurant Week.
Their restaurant, on the square at 205 Main St., has become noted for its sushi and other Asian creations, but as if to prove that there’s lots more to dining at Square, Chef Jaret has added a Mojo Criollo Marinated and Braised Beef Cheek with Achiote Crème and Elote Corn Puree to the choices for starters. And meat-and-potatoes aficionados will be delighted with entree choices such as the Grilled Flat Iron Steak with Hand Cut Truffle Asiago Fries, Herb Aioli and Smoked Bacon Ketchup.
A three-course a la carte dinner for two is $50 at Square during Restaurant Week, and reservations, at 440-796-1300, are a good idea.
Lighter offerings for Restaurant Week are found at Beans Coffee Shop & Bistro, 212 Main St., and Buckeye Chocolate Cafe, 510 Water St., while pizza and its pasta cousins are found at Congin’s Pizza, 104 South St.; Joey’s Italian Grille, 209 Center St.; and Capps Pizza, 109 N. Hambden St.
Or consider Noce Gourmet Pizzeria, 125 Main St., where a Date Night Pizza with Dates, Gorgonzola and a Balsamic Glaze is one of the fascinating Restaurant Week options.
And Bella Cucina Ristorante, 109 N. Hambden St., has a familypack pasta dinner feeding four to six ($39) and a date-night deal with two rib-eye steaks and a bottle of wine or dessert for $89 for dine-in or carryout.
Bass Lake Taverne & Inn, 426 South St., also permits both carryout and dine-in and includes a bottle of wine with its two-course Restaurant Week offering at $44 for two. Choose among six appetizers to share, including the soup of the day or a pair of salads, then move on to a choice of main-course dishes including a grilled chicken with goat cheese over garlic herb capellini and a little-plate tenderloin with Yukon Gold mashers and bourbon pepper demi glace.
At 197 Center St., 7 Ladies Tea Parlor offers a Restaurant Week three-course dinner with many choices for $23.
Element 41, 141 Main St., includes a bottle of wine, a generously sized appetizer to share and an entree each for its $45 fixed-price Restaurant Week offering for two.
Tempting choices at El Patron Mexican Grill & Cantina, 301 Center St., include shrimp Southwestern eggrolls or tacos with grilled lobster and mango salsa.
Those inclined toward hamburgers and other simple bar foods may wish to choose Cleats Club Seat Grille, 602 South St.; Brown Barn Tavern, 10700 Mayfield Road; or Hambden Country Inn, 13960 Rock Creek Road for their Restaurant Week dining.
But before finalizing your decisions, be sure to check out the bento box special at Hayashi Mayple, 540 Water St.
Haven’t yet been to Osso, 9145 Old State Road, with its farm restaurant located in the middle of the farm where everything is raised? Go there between April 14 and 21, mention Restaurant Week and get half off your dessert.