Page 14

EATING OUT

by Fred

As each year passes, it seems that restaurants for a variety of reasons, are becoming more and more automated and im-

personal. Many of the once independently run restaurants are being assimilated into large chain operations with the core management far removed from the individual establishment. In some cases this results in a far more efficiently run business, possibly with more financial backing, but it can also eliminate the old-fashioned "mom and pop" type situations that used to flourish on street corners everywhere or reduce the grand elegance of expensive restaurants to a thin, plasticized

veneer.

Here in Cleveland, the above has happened with mixed results to quite a few of our "pushier" eateries and the smaller neighborhood places continue to give way to fast-food outlets, self-serve gas stations and Open Pantry-type developments. An exception to the latter is The Marlo. Conveniently located right in the middle of Lakewood on the corner of Marlowe and Detroit Ave., it has just celebrated two years of an abundance of good food, friendly service, and a relaxing, cozy atmosphere. The owners are almost always on the premises, either helping behind the full service bar up front or assisting in the dining room. I've been to the Marlo on several occasions and not counting the times during their first few months of growing pains that all new restaurants experience, each one has been a very pleasant, satisfying visit.

favorite of the many gays living in the area. On weekends, as with most successful places, there is usually a short wait during which you're invited to sit at the bar for a cocktail with

mellow music by original artists of the past forty years playing in the background. Unfortunately, the music is sometimes too muffled to be heard clearly, and many "oldies" slip by unrecognized. The last time my friend and were there on a Friday, there was a fairly decent folk guitarist present which seems to be the entertainment direction The Marlo has been taking on recent weekend nights. If there are just two of you for dinner, try to get one of the more intimate back booths which will also afford a better Iview of the dining room.

The new menu (about one month old) offers the best selection The Marlo has ever had. No doubt, the first thing you may notice is the profusion of items that are under "Dinner Includes" immediately below the entree listings. However, don't just skip on the main course. The appetizers are wonderful! Gulf Shrimp Cocktail in Dublin Sauce ($2.75), Sherry Mushroom Bisque ($1.25 for a bowl) and Coquilles au Creme Fromage ($3.25). This last appetizer is a crock of scallops in cheese and mushroom cream sauce laced with Irish whiskey. Knowing from past experience that if we both had a separate appetizer and then dinner, there wouldn't be any room for dessert (and there still wasn't!), we split an order of the coquilles. All I can say is don't miss them. They were exceptional! Dinner offers four beef entrees ranging from On any given night, you're $6.25 for New York Strip Steak sure to notice quite a few to $7.75 for a beef filet (Filet of familiar faces which attests to De Boeuf) with mushrooms, arthe fact that The Marlo is a tichoke hearts, and Marchand

CASCADE

COMMUNITY

CHURCH

A Family Of Faith And Love

Services: 12 Noon Sundays

131 So. Main St., Akron, Ohio

For Information: (216) 434-6702

Gas Lite Inn

638 WEST MAIN STREET

SPRINGFIELD. OHIO OPEN 5:00 PM 'til 2:30 Daily except Sunday

HIGH GEAR/JUNE 1978

de Vin sauce. There is also Baked Red Snapper ($6.75), breast of chicken (Poulet Cordon Blu$7.25), and Russian Veal with Cherries and Brandy ($6.75). There are a couple other selections available and also a "special" that is different each evening and is written on an easel in the entrance to the

restaurant. Our choices that night were The Russian Veal and the Special (Crab Legs).

The latter came cracked open with butter to dip in on the side and included three of the options under "Dinner Includes" as do the other entrees. Those options are: Spinach Salad marinade, Fresh Artichoke, Greens, Steak Cut Fries, Wild Rice Marlo, Potato du Jour, Vegetable du Jour, and Breads with Sweet Whipped Butter. (The creamy cucumber dip that accompanies the artichokes equals my enthusiasm for the coquilles.) The crab meat was moist and very tender. The veal itself was great, but I was experimenting that night and I'm afraid the dish was slightly on the soupy side for my taste. Everything veal, cherries and puff pastry, was submerged in brandy sauce. To each his own. The desserts look absolutely rich and scrumptious and are brought out on a tray. So far, that's unfortunately where they've remained, since we're always so full that we've never dared to have any! And just in case you find yourself thinking after having dinner, that the food must be home-made ... you're right. In fact, one owner told me that many of the recipes were handed down by his mom.

Vital Statistics:

Food Generous portions of admirable cooking with some unexpected, pleasant surprises as well. Even the more adventuresome items retain a refreshing, personal quality about them.

Price Moderate Atmosphere/Decor-

Small and cozy bar area with hanging plants, dining

NEW

HAIRCUTTING WAVING

1846 Coventry 371-1627 17124 Detroit

521-2611

by appointment

room has an old-fashioned, early American charm with lots of seasoned, dark paintings and lighting fixtures.

Credit Mastercharge Reservations Good idea for

weekends.

Hours-

Weekdays... 4:30 p.m. till 10

p.m.

Weekends... 4:30 p.m. till 11:00 p.m.

CLOSED SUNDAYS

(If there are thirsty people, the bar stays open every night, excluding Sundays, until 2:30 a.m.)

Luncheons are served Monday thru Saturday from 11 a.m. till 4:30 p.m., and the menu looks reasonable in price and worthwhile in content!

On the side:

From Cleveland by car, it's less than seven hours to "hot" spots like Chicago, Toronto, and even closer to Detroit, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and Columbus. As varied as these places are from one another, they all offer new, interesting and fun eating establishments for the out-of-towner who is just passing through or spending some vacation time there.

Recently, while visiting friends in Niagara Falls, N.Y., my roommate and I stumbled onto a

rather unique restaurant called J.P. Morgan's (The Top Deck). Situated in an area of extensive renovation and construction, directly across the street from the front of the ultracontemporary, new convention center and minutes from the famous Falls, it is in what used to be a magnificent old turn-ofthe-century bank with all the grand appointments of that period still intact. Downstairs there is a bar with remodeling going on around it, while the dining room upstairs is composed of several individual seating arrangements each one a different size and "feel" from the other. We requested a table in a tiny room where there were only four other tables and had the evening sun pouring in through one of the large arched windows that outline two sides of the building. Being that it was a Sunday, before Memorial Day, at a place that has yet to establish a name for itself, there

was no trouble in getting the seating of our choice immediately. Our waiter was attentive and the large, attractive menu offered a substantial number of seafood dishes like Crab Stuffed Trout ($6.95), or Frog Legs Provencale ($11.95), and Shrimp De Jonghe ($6.35). An 18 oz. Prime Filet ($$11.95) was available among the shorter list of meat entrees, and a moderate row of wines ran down the middle including some vintage French, domestic, Italian and German. Appetizers were almost exclusively seafood while the dessert line-up contained a little of everything outside of plain old pie or cake. Both our dinners were enjoyable, although the food presentation needs more work before this restaurant achieves the level of sophistication they are decidedly striving for. Likewise, the Cannoli ($1.25) that we had for dessert was good but a touch dry.

Try J.P. Morgan's it you're in Niagara Falls. Call for detailed information on hours, reservations and so forth. If Toronto is your destination, eating here would break up the distance and give you an hour to digest the food before the heavy workout that night!

Very briefly, I want to put in a word or two about a couple of really "party-time" restaurants in Chicago. One is Melvins at 1116 N. State St. and the other is Monday's on the south side of Diversey St.just east of where N. Clark and N. Broadway cross each other at the beginning of the "Newtown" area. Both are very popular with the gay crowd and offer a wide variety of this and that at fairly inexpensive (for Chicago) prices, although Monday's seems to specialize in big, juicy, Heck's style burgers.

Melvin's biggest attribute is its outdoor cafe seating right up front under the shady trees on the street where the cruising can sometimes become just as obvious as in the bars. Have a few Bloody Mary's, slouch and enjoy!

When in Chicago, call for details on these two fun spots, or simply ask some of the locals about them... they'll probably be able to tell you all about it.

12200 EUCLID AVE. 421-4359 GENESIS 1:29 delicious vegetarian cooking

8. MON. TUES. THURS. 11:00am-10:00p.m.

FRI. SAT.

SUN.

11:00a.m.-11:00p.m. 4:00 pm-10:00pm.

Miss Ohio Female Impersonator

JULY 29th

Pageant 1978

FOR APPLICATIONS SEND

ENVELOPE TO: MA LEON BALL

$400 1st PRIZE SELF ADDRESSED

1212 OBY PLACE N.W. CANTON OHIO 44703