Turnback Tuesday ... Foods of my Younger Days

There are few things in life that bring the same joy as the good old comfort food of my youth.  So I thought I'd take the opportunity to talk a little bit about the foods unique to Ohio that I miss the most.  First would be Inn Maid noodles.  They were a staple in my household growing up and three of my favorite dishes my mom made incorporated them.  Tuna noodle casserole was a go to dish for mom and we had it regularly.  We also grew up with having noodles and goulash, but the most special treat was a dish my mom called slumgullion.  I can't describe it adequately in words, but we'd only have it when there was leftover roast beef from a previous dinner.  She'd add vegetables, tomato juice, beef broth and God only knows what else, but the final step was adding the Inn Maid noodles which would soak up all the juice and it became this heavenly noodle stew.  I try to carry on the tradition using vegetable beef soup and whatever noodles the store has to offer but it's not and never will be the same thing.

Mid's spaghetti sauce was also a staple in mom's pantry.  Rarely a week went by without having spaghetti with Mid's on top, usually with a pound or so of ground beef added in to make it even more meaty.  For me, these meals were mom's way of showing her love and care for us.  We were lucky kids to have had such a loving home and a hot meal on the table every day.  But we had our take out loves as well in Millersburg.  We'd often get either burgers or broasted chicken from Bob's drive thru, later renamed the Bird's Nest.  I wonder if it's still there?  We also enjoyed Corner Bar pizza once in a while, right across the street from Bob's, and I have vivid memories of going in the back door to pick it up.  There was something special about their pizza; it was absolutely addictive!  Some of the other foods from Ohio I remember fondly include Trail bologna and baby swiss cheese, fresh produce like corn on the cob from Klinger's market south of town, and butterscotch sundaes from the Spot next to Klinger's.  For special occasions we'd sometimes go to the Lemmon (sp?) Lounge in the old Hotel Millersburg.  I remember I always had the red snapper and Junior Lemmon used to hover over everyone to make sure things were always perfect.  I couldn't talk about Millersburg without mentioning the awesome Amish food available everywhere; our favorite haunt for this was the Charm Restaurant in the little hamlet of Charm, Ohio. This was where we would partake in great food served family style. We'd always take out of town guests there and never missed the opportunity to take pictures in front of the little elementary Charm School just down the street as a kick. Boyd and Wurthmann in Berlin was another favorite place to have a great steak dinner.  It's so fun to reminisce about these things and vividly remember the smells and tastes of Holmes County Ohio.  On our trips to Wooster we'd often hit the Green Leaf drive in.  Mom always had the double burger basket and I routinely got the steak sandwich.  I'm glad to know they're still around and going strong!  Thinking about all this great food makes me realize just why I was the fat kid in school!  But as they say, never trust a skinny person when it comes to recommending good food!  I often wonder if any of these places have survived over the years since I left.  I'm sure at least some are mere distant memories.

In my Akron days one of my favorite haunts was Swensons drive in.  They have this sandwich called a Galley Boy that has two different sauces and an olive skewered on top.  I'm sure my Akron friends can relate to just how good this place is, but I have to admit that another reason I loved this place was because of their all male car hops that would run out to take your order and then run the food out when it was ready.  They employed the cutest college guys and it was especially rewarding in the summer when they wore shorts!  Nothing wrong with a little beefcake eye candy to go along with a Galley Boy and onion rings!  Needless to say I ate in the car there a lot!  I also have fond memories of the Golden Dragon restaurant in Cuyahoga Falls.  To this day I've never had better Chinese food anywhere else.  It never ceases to amaze me just how powerful memories of food are.  They connect me to great times and great people I've been so lucky to have in my life.  I hope that this romp down the culinary trail has been enjoyable and has maybe reminded you of some of these great foods and places, maybe even enjoyed with me over the years.  If you have the chance to check them out now, consider yourself lucky!  Bon Appetite!