Teppanyaki still strong in Toledo

Japanese steakhouse style in Perrysburgh, if you check the different sites looking for the best places to eat in the area, Nagoya is a common name you will find. The place is based on the traditional Japanese cuisine using the iron griddle to cook food (Teppanyaki) and skill chefs to give the patrons a show. Flaming onion volcano, quick use of the knife, juggling the cooking utensils, catching eggs in the chef hat, and flip flattened chicken pieces to the costumers between others tricks.

Teppanyaki trick

Flaming Volcano

Burning Hat

Soya

I went to the place a couple times so had the chance to try a vast selection of their menu, including sushi, hot and cold appetizers, and the hibachi dinner (teppanyaki). The food is excellent and the teppanyaki show is good.

Soup

Meat in the griddle

For the hibachi I got the seafood deluxe, which gives you swordfish, scallops, and shrimps. As a side fried rice, soup, salad, and fresh vegetables.

Seafood deluxe

Sushi we got the boat so it was a mix of most of their roles and sashimi.

Sashimi time

The Boat

More Sushi

Finally, some of the entrees we got that I remember were tuna tartar, yellow tail jalapeno, and crispy calamari.

Calamari

Edame

Yellow tail

Tuna tartar

The food is excellent, no doubts one of the best restaurants in the area.

Japan reminds me the Seinfeld episode “The Checks” where Kramer met a group of Japanese tourists.

Kramer: Uh, listen, uh, can I borrow some pillows?

Jerry: What for?

Kramer: Yeah, well, uh, my Japanese friends are gonna stay with me.

Jerry: I thought they all had suites at the Plaza?

Kramer: Well, I'm sorry, Jerry, we all don't have checks rolling in like you do.

Jerry: Well, what about all that money from the kimonos I wear?

Kramer: Well, they ran out of it. Manhattan can be quite pricey. Even with fifty thousand yen.

Elaine: Fifty thousand yen? Isn't that only a few hundred dollars?

Kramer: Evidently. Oh, by the way, tell Brett that his chest of drawers are a big hit. My guests are very comfortable in them.

Elaine: In them?

Jerry: You have them sleeping in drawers?

Kramer: Jerry, have you ever seen the business hotels in Tokyo? They sleep in tiny stacked cubicles all the time. They feel right at home.

Jerry: This has 'international incident' written all over it.

Kramer: Oh yeah, yeah.

My sympathy and support to all the people and families affected by the recent tragedy in Japan


Japan Tsunami Appeal British Red Cross

Mancy’s Italian

One of the restaurant chains more popular in Toledo is definitely Mancy’s with 4 restaurants. The third one I decided to visit was Mancy’s Italian. They offer contemporary rustic Italian dishes, as usual in open kitchen so you can smell the aromas.

The Place

The Menu

During my visits I tried the fried calamari fritti, which was regular, I don’t want to say that it was disappointing but almost. I got also a small Cesar salad, same experience as with the calamari. As main, I tried the cappelini pesto pollo, which is pasta with grilled chicken in artichokes, roasted red pepper, and pesto sauce; the pasta was bland, it was lacking a good punch. Also tried the ravioli 3 formaggi which was pretty decent. And in my last stop there I went for the wood oven crust baked homemade Italian sausage, red pepper, and provolone pizza which was ok again but not great.

Cesar Salad

Calamari

Service is good, the menu is provocative, but the food not convincing in my humble opinion. From the 4 Mancy’s restaurants this is the less appealing to me even thought Italian food is probably my favourite.

Pesto Chicken

Wood oven pizza

Pasta reminds me the Seinfeld episode “The Shoes” where Russell gets sick after eating pasta primavera.

Russell: Well, come in. Awfully sorry to make you come up here, but I really wasn't feeling well enough to go back to the office, and well, it's the only chance I have to meet with you this week.

Jerry: Are you alright?

Russell: Well, it's my stomach. I think there must have been something in the pasta primavera I had for lunch.

Jerry: Where did you eat?

Russell: Pfeiffer's.

Jerry: Ah. I know the chef there.

Russell: Yeah. The food's usually terrific.

George: My cousin worked for Bouchard's. They used to use the bouilla-base for a toilet.

Russell: What are you saying?

George: Well, you didn't hear it from me, but needless to say, if you go in there, stick with the consommé.

Midwest Bar B Que

Other of the Mancy’s family restaurant is a bbq place called Shorty’s. A true American roadhouse offering bbq meats, steaks, and burgers. The place has a peculiar decoration, and an open kitchen, so you can smell the bbq aromas.

Bar B Que

Clever Lamps

I tried the jumbo wings, bbq style, extra meaty, not bad, but to be honest I have had bigger ones so I think the extra meaty description is a little bit exagerated. Finally, I got the double deluxe, choosing brisket, angus beef smoked for over 15 hours, and St Louis style pork ribs slow smoked and finished on the grill. The platter was quite good, love the brisket and the ribs. As side mac and cheese, and East Texas potato stuffed with butter, cheddar, sour cream, and bacon.

Wings

Ribs and Brisket

Brisket reminds me the Seinfeld episode “The Fatigues”.

Jerry: What the hell is going on here? What are you doing?

Kramer: I got three kitchens going. I got brisket going at Newman's, I got kugel working at Mrs. Zamfino's, this is kreplach. Here, try some of this.

Jerry: No, I don't want to.

Kramer: Eat, eat! You're skin and bones. Hah?

Jerry: Oh, this is awful.

Kramer: Jerry, it's kreplach. It's an acquired taste, yeah.

Jerry: Did you follow the recipe?

Kramer: The recipe was for four to six people; I had to multiply for a hundred and eighty-three people. I guess I got confused.

Jerry: It tastes like dirt.

Kramer: Well I also dropped it on the way over. Look I'm in trouble, I got no skills. I can't peel, I can't chop, I can't grate. I can't mince! I got no sense of flavor, obviously. You know, I gotta talk to Frank.

Jerry: Kramer, you can't talk to Frank.

Kramer: No I gotta talk to him, I know that he can help me, Jerry.

Abby: I think there's a dead animal in the elevator.

Kramer: My stuffed cabbage!

Steakhouse Adventures: Longhorn

I’ve been a few times in Longhorn Stakehouse, when you arrive to the place is like being transported back in the wild west. They are proud to serve only fresh food, never frozen, and to have a passion for grilling

The Place

Menu

If you have the chance to go to any steakhouse in the US you will notice that all of them have in the menu a surf and turf combination. That’s not typical back home, and in my case I prefer not to mix them in the same meal, but just for curiosity I went for it, the guilty pleasure was a 7oz hand season Flo’s filet paired with garlic and herb crusted jumbo shrimp fired grilled in cedar plank. Interesting combination, and quite tasty, but still prefer to keep both separate.

Flo Filet with Grilled Shrimps

I have also had the18oz bone in Outlaw Ribeye, excellent choice, one of my favourite of the place. And in my last opportunity I went for the Longhorn Porterhouse, 22oz bone in porterhouse, best of both worlds a NY strip and filed all in one.

Outlaw Ribeye

Longhorn Porterhouse

If you think the steaks is not enough, they serve a wide selection of starters, I particularly tried the onion soup, which was ok, the authentic ranch house chili, not bad but I prefer to stick with the steaks.

Onion Soup

Chili

The huge porterhouse reminds me the Seinfeld episode “The Maid” where George is trying to get a new nickname.

Kruger: Let's order lunch.

Kruger: Mary, I will have a chef's.

Male worker: Turkey sandwich.

George: T-bone steak.

Kruger: For lunch?

George: Well, I am just a T-bone kinda guy. Love that T-bone. In fact, you might as well call me…

Watkins: That sounds good. I'll have one, too.

Kruger: Watkins, you're havin' a T-bone?

Watkins: I love 'em.

Kruger: Well, then we should call you T-bone.

George: Uh, no. No, we shouldn't.

Kruger: T-bone!

All: T-bone! T-bone! T-bone! T-bone! T-bone! T-bone! T-bone! T-bone!

Carrabba’s Italian Grill

A few weeks back I visited Carrabba’s Italian Grill with a couple of colleagues. Their promise is to serve handmade recipes, passed down by generations, giving a warm Italian hospitality, authentic aromas coming from an open kitchen, in a place owned by two Sicilian boys from Texas.

Mozzarella Marinara

So to start the journey we went for the Mozzarella Marinara, hand breaded and lightly fried Mozzarella cheese, quite good, but to be honest is quite difficult to mess with a good mozzarella cheese, then we tried the fried Zucchini, again lightly battered and fried with a dip of garlic alioli, an odd selection, not bad at all, and to end the starters the calamari, once again lightly battered but not one of my favourites.

Fried Zucchini

Calamari

To continue the feast a tomato and basil soup, which it was in my option a little bit acid, so not the best one I have had. Then, I went for the Johnny wich is a combination of a sirloin Marsala topped with mushrooms, prosciutto and Lombardo Marsala wine sauce, and a chicken with goat cheese, sundried tomatoes, and basil lemon butter. Good flavours, specially the chicken.

Tomato Soup

The Johnny

My colleague went for the house specialty wich is seafood canneloni. Lobster, shrimp, and scallops, blended with roasted garlic and chives, grated in a shrimp and tomato cream sauce, just excellent.

Seafood Canneloni the saviour of the night

Also, we tasted their oven brick pepperoni pizza, once again not bad but is like they’re doing just enough and keep it into the comfort zone. Good place, excellent service, decent but not great food, and vast selection covering pizzas, antipasti, pastas.

Pepperoni Pizza

Is amazing that the best dish is a seafood canneloni is like in the Seinfeld episode "The Opposite".

Jerry: Speaking of having it all ... Where were you?

George: I went to the beach.

Jerry: Oh, the beach.

George: It's not working, Jerry. It's just not working.

Jerry: What is it that isn't working?

George: Why did it all turn out like this for me? I had so much promise. I was personable, I was bright. Oh, maybe not academically speaking, but ... I was perceptive. I always know when someone's uncomfortable at a party. It became very clear to me sitting out there today, that every decision I've ever made, in my entire life, has been wrong. My life is the opposite of everything I want it to be. Every instinct I have, in every of life, be it something to wear, something to eat ... It's all been wrong.

Steakhouse Adventures: The Monster of Lake Erie

Back in Toledo again, and I decided to go for a steak. So one of the best steakhouses here is Mancy’s Steakhouse. The group has 3 succesful restaurants, their stakehouse has been operating since 1921, and considered one of the top 40 in the US. Their promise is simple, family tradition, best quality meats, and cook to perfection.

Mancy's 

I looked the menu and inmediately I knew what to ask, the big ribeye on the bone, or as I prefer to call it “the monster of lake Erie”, 30oz thick handcut ribeye, aged for 28 days and leave the bone for more flavour and terdeness.

Satellite view of "The Monster"

I guess I don’t need to tell you how big is the ribeye, but is as good as big, the steak was cooked to perfection, juicy, smokey, and with an amazing flavour. Highly recommended.

30oz full of flavour

Steaks remind me the Seinfeld episode “The Cadillac part 2” where Jerry’s parents wants to go have dinner early to get a discount.

Morty: Alright, are you ready to eat?

Helen: Oh, right, let's go. Jerry, let's go, it's time to eat. We're going to dinner.

Jerry: Dinner? What time is it?

Helen: It's four-thirty.

Jerry: Four-thirty? Who eats dinner at four-thirty?

Morty: By the time we sit down, it'll be quarter to five.

Jerry: I don't understand why we have to eat now.

Helen: We gotta catch the early-bird. It's only between four-thirty and six.

Morty: Yeah. They give you a tenderloin, a salad and a baked potato, for four-ninety-five. You know what that cost you after six?

Jerry: Can't we eat at a decent hour? I'll treat, okay?

Helen: You're not buying us dinner.

Jerry: I'm not force-feeding myself a steak at four-thirty to save a couple bucks, I'll tell you that!

Michael’s Café... No Soup Nazi Around

When you’re travelling is always nice to find the small/hidden place in town. Well thanks to a colleague, I found one of the small hidden gems in Toledo. Michael’s Café, a simple menu for lunch, serving sandwich, salads, and soups. They have been around since 1980, with a made from scratch philosophy, and no mass production or shortcuts.

The Cafe

My recommendations, the soups, just awesome! Best part you don’t have to deal with the Soup Nazi form Seinfeld, instead 4 lovely ladies help you to take your order, I have had so far Chicken Dumpling, Mushrooms and Tomato soup, "Legen", wait for it "Dary". After that you can go for a hot sandwich, so far I’ve tried the Cajun Chicken and the Texan, both excellent options, there are in total 8 different selections, and usually it takes me at least a couple minutes to make my mind and decide the sandwich I’m going for.

Chicken Dumpling Soup

Chicken Dumpling Soup

Finally, if you want to go to the Sweeter Side of The Moon, you can find a good selection of cakes and pastires, I don’t have a sweet tooth but I tried the carrot cake and it was extremely good.

Cajun Chicken

Texan

Also cold deli sandwiches and salads. So if you’re around the historic Weber building in Toledo, 101 Main St, and want to grab a qucik quality bite, Michael’s is the place to go, comfort food can't get better than this.

Carrot Cake

Every time I see a soup place that reminds me the Seinfeld episode “The Soup Nazi”.

Elaine: Boy, I'm in the mood for a cheeseburger.

Jerry: No. We gotta go to the soup place.

Elaine: What soup place?

George: Oh, there's a soup stand, Kramer's been going there.

Jerry: He's always raving. I finally got a chance to go there the other day, and I tell you this, you will be stunned.

Elaine: Stunned by soup?

Jerry: You can't eat this soup standing up, your knees buckle.

Elaine: Huh. All right. Come on.

Jerry: There's only one caveat -- the guy who runs the place is a little temperamental, especially about the ordering procedure. He's secretly referred to as the Soup Nazi.

Elaine: Why? What happens if you don't order right?

Jerry: He yells and you don't get your soup.

Elaine: What?

Jerry: Just follow the ordering procedure and you will be fine.

George: All right. All right. Let's - let's go over that again.

Jerry: All right. As you walk in the place move immediately to your right.

Elaine: What?

Jerry: The main thing is to keep the line moving.

George: All right. So, you hold out your money, speak your soup in a loud, clear voice, step to the left and receive.

Jerry: Right. It's very important not to embellish on your order. No extraneous comments. No questions. No compliments.