It’s time to jump in the car and head to one of the places you heard about last winter but just weren’t in the mood to check out.
Wait no longer. Let the sunshine be the signal to enjoy Michigan and Ohio’s glorious springtime weather.
Even though statistics show it was a mild winter, somehow it seemed longer than usual and that the dose of sunshine we longed for would never come.
Gray days are sad days. Sunshine, for sure, is everybody’s medicine. Ever notice that people smile more on sunny days and that strangers are eager to say “hello, how are you?” Don’t worry about if you know them and from where. They are probably only smitten by the sunshine spirit.
You don’t have to drive far in this region of the country to see spring erupting all around and imagine how the landscape will change as the season progresses. The bonuses of the longest road trips recently were to see firsthand northwest Ohio’s abundant agriculture coming to life according to Mother Nature’s timetable. I am sure I appreciated the landscape more on recent excursions because I usually drive, but on these northwest Ohio adventures, I was a passenger. If someone offers to drive, say “OK, thank you.”
The shortest drive to get to the Mexican restaurant in Waterville that serves an entrée I hanker for a couple times a month means taking State Rt. 65, the popular scenic route that winds along the Maumee River between Grand Rapids and Waterville.
The menu at Cocina de Carlos at Smedlap’s features all of the usual Mexican appetizers and entrees that are familiar to the average Mexican restaurant, but it’s Carlos’ treatment of a fresh pineapple half that is not just different but creative and delicious. They say the pineapple entrée is also served at the other Carlos in Perrysburg.
It can be ordered with chicken and chorizo, but my choice is always with shrimp. Eight to 10 large shrimp (who’s counting?) are piled high in the pineapple shell in a delectable sauce with pineapple cubes and onion. The platter is served on a clay-colored platter that is large enough to also hold tortilla cups of refried beans and rice. Of course, warm tortillas are included but usually taken home.
If you have ever wondered what happened to the relish trays that were served in most restaurants back in the day, I have two answers: one is Sam’s Tavern in Blakeslee in Williams County; the other is the Steer Barn Restaurant, Upper Sandusky, south of Findlay in Wyandot County.
Maybe the salad bar replaced relish trays, as it seems one vanished about the same year the other came on the restaurant scene. If the relishes are served in a dish that revolves, it commonly is called a “lazy susan.”
Maybe it’s time to bring back the relish tray in this calorie-counting age. An appetizer of chilled vegetables to munch on while sipping a drink would be a welcome substitute for a loaf of bread or a basket of rolls.
At the Steer Barn, the lazy susan of chilled savories is anticipated as much as the prime rib and steaks for which the restaurant is known. Guests are given a choice of three relishes for the lazy susan containers. We chose pea salad, pickled beets, and slaw from the list that also included cottage cheese.
Because I am no fun at all in any steak house, I ordered and enjoyed the pickerel fillet, with a light crisp coating, while friends raved about the generous, tender prime rib portions.
The Barn is truly a barn that was built in 1897, when spacious barns were needed for the business of farming, including room for livestock, hay, and other needed grains.
Bright red with Mail Pouch Tobacco words stretching across the length, it is a handsome tribute to Ohio agriculture.
The interior is rustic as you hope for in a renovated barn, but the ambience is welcoming and comfortable. The Barn is closed Sunday and Monday.
Sam’s Tavern in Blakeslee, a village with a population of 150, was busy by 6 p.m. with fans from Toledo and nearby counties, but there were also Indiana license plates in the lot. Operated by the Mohre family since 1916, Sam’s is known for steaks. Syrian potatoes, which are first cousins to homemade potato chips but better, are a hallmark.
Before customers get settled in a booth, at a table, or the bar, a relish tray appears, like it or not. The Mohre family knows better than to ask. After all they have been serving a variety of iced pickles, peppers, carrots, beets, celery, cauliflower, and broccoli since Sam Mohre opened the tavern in 1926, and customers not only expect it but also eat it down to the last celery stick. The family has dropped the word relish and prefers to call it a vegetable plate. A square of complimentary cheesecake is also served without asking, and it too disappears.
Steaks were being devoured in all directions, but once again I opted for a fish and shrimp combo with the mouth-watering potato crisps.
That brings any evening at Sam’s to Mosehoppers, the after-dinner drink invented by the late Mose Mohre.
Years ago, Mose called to ask my advice on whether or not he should give Gourmet magazine the recipe for the mellow ice cream drink. “Absolutely not!” was my response.
Owner Randy Mohre continues to hold tight to his dad’s secret recipe, and I say good for him and good for those of us who have learned to sip it slowly and say, “thanks, Mose.”
Mary Alice Powell is a retired Blade food editor. Contact her at poseypowell@aol.com.
First Published April 24, 2016, 4:00 a.m.
