In the very near future we may have a traveling correspondent bringing you restaurant reviews from around the world (mostly just North Dakota though), but I thought until then I would tide you over with some review for a couple joints I ate at while traveling over the last few weeks.
Tony Packo’s – Toledo, Ohio: I’m sure a lot of people reading this have ties to Toledo, but you’re feelings mean nothing to me, so I’m gonna just say it: Toldeo is a freakin’ dump. Hell, even John Denver though the place sucked. That being said, Tony Packo’s restaurant is worth the visit. They specialize in hot dogs (they are actually more like sausages), chili and stuffed cabbage. The place was made popular on M.A.S.H. by Toledo native Jamie Farr and just about every celebrity and politician since then has stopped in for a dog.
Campus Polleyes – Bowling Green, Ohio: Normally the food you enjoyed in college lacks distinction years later when all of the alcohol has left your system, but this is not true for Campus Polleyes. They have a unique offering that I honestly can not believe isn’t on every pizzeria menu across the country: stuffed breadsticks. These huge breadsticks are stuffed with the pizza toppings of your choosing, brushed with garlic butter and served with your choice of dipping sauces. So simple, yet so delicious. My favorite combo: chicken, mushroom and cheese with ranch dipping sauce.
Myles Pizza – Bowling Green, Ohio: Their pizza crust is horrific, just maybe a step above actual cardboard. Just maybe. Yet, I would easily place their pizza in my all time top 5. How is that possible you ask? A spicy tomato sauce that absolutely blows away any that I’ve ever had and it doesn’t hurt that they put about 3 pounds of cheese on a small pizza. A nice feature they have is that if you want to pick one up, they can partially bake it for you, so you can finish it at home.
Rusty Bucket – Northville, Michigan: Neat little sports bar/pub atmosphere, a whole mess of beer and some seriously tasty food. They have this sandwich called the “Italian Torpedo” that is out of this world. It consists of a slab of Italian sausage topped with cappicola, salami, provolone, lettuce, tomato, onion, peppers and Italian dressing. Go figure, I try the place in Michigan to find out it’s a chain from Columbus. Oh, and look, they have a location in Solon.
Zingerman’s Deli – Ann Arbor, Michigan: While exploring Ann Arbor a local vendor told us that we must visit Zingerman’s before we leave, I could kiss that woman. This place is unbelievable. It’s a deli, bread bakery, cheese shop, coffee shop, pastry bakery and chocolatier all rolled into one store. We were there on a Saturday and the place was jam packed with people looking to get a sandwich from the deli and I can vouch that their Reuben is worth every minute you have to wait for it. If it’s food or related to food there is a good place these guys sell it. I would have loved to have had a whole day there, but luckily they have an online catalog where you can order a number of their products.
