CARROLLTON For my final Repository restaurant review yes, I m retiring from the newspaper I wanted to go someplace memorable and special.
And, boy, did I choose correctly when I ventured to the new Scratch Steakhouse, located in a historic 19th-century home in Bluebird Farm Park, a wooded setting only a few minutes from downtown Carrollton.
It s an easy drive, only half an hour or so from Canton, and the high quality of the cuisine at Scratch coupled with the lovely setting makes for a perfect spring roadtrip. Just be sure to make dinner reservations if visiting on the weekend.
Owner and chef Demond Germany, formerly a Cleveland-based caterer and restaurateur, opened the first Scratch Steakhouse in downtown Louisville in September 2019. It quickly found a loyal following, inspiring Germany to open a second Scratch in Carrollton on Feb. 7.
Here, in no particular order, are my favorite restaurant finds of 2020.
Vincent s Pastaria, 3102 Tuscarawas St. W. Since opening in January, Vince Cessna has been doing gangbusters business and rightly so with generous-sized entrees showcasing his housemade pastas, sauces, salad dressings and Italian bread, plus pizza and hoagies. Seating is very limited so it s mostly a carryout place. “My food is made with love, passion and dedication,” Cessna said. I live for this.”
Main Street Deli, 531 N. Main St., Navarre. Everything I ordered at this weekday lunch spot was freshly made, well-priced and pleasurable hearty homemade soups, an entree-sized salad loaded with toppings, stellar sandwiches and a slab of housemade pineapple-pecan cake.