NW OH | Summer 2019 | Issue 17

Flavor for Everyday Life | Summer 2019 Northwest Ohio

Ohio beer buzz:

Brewery

guide

Award-winning

fruit pie

Plan on hitting the

Ice Cream Trail

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54

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2 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | Summer 2019

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• A Caregivers program for people hair cut appointments, etc.

• Home CHORE program such as acting as caregivers for family, grass mowing, gutter cleaning, loved ones, neighbors, etc.

Allen County Council on Aging, Inc. 700 N. Main St., Lima 419-228-5135

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staff & contributors Adrienne McGee Sterrett

Adrienne is editor of Salt magazine and lifestyle/special sections editor for The Lima News. She believes everyone has a life story worth sharing. Reach her at 567-242-0510 or amcgeesterrett@ aimmediamidwest.com.

Sarah Allen

Sarah is a writer for Salt magazine.

When she’s not writing, she can be found scrapbooking, reading or cooking.

Northwest Ohio Summer 2019

Publisher Doug Olsson dolsson@aimmediamidwest.com Editor Adrienne McGee Sterrett amcgeesterrett@aimmediamidwest.com Layout Design Catie South csouth@aimmediamidwest.com Sales Barb Staples bstaples@aimmediamidwest.com

Catie South

Catie is a designer of Salt magazine. She spends her free time painting, playing video games, and being with family and friends.

Amanda Wilson

Amanda is a photographer for The Lima News and Salt magazine. She can tackle any task handed to her as efficiently as she tackles being the mother of four boys. Amanda loves sports, wedding and portrait photography and, most importantly, photographing her boys.

Contact Salt: amcgeesterrett@aimmediamidwest.com 3515 Elida Road Lima, OH 45805 419-223-1010 Salt of Northwest Ohio is published periodically by AIM Media Midwest and is available through The Lima News. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any material from this issue, in whole or in part, is prohibited. Salt is free to subscribers of The Lima News.

It is also available for purchase at the office of The Lima News.

All rights reserved. Reproduction of any material from this issue in whole or in part is prohibited.

Salt is free to our subscribers and is also available at each of the newspaper offices.

Please buy locally and recycle.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest @TheSaltMagazine.

Hide & Shake Find the shaker in this issue and be entered to win a $10 grocery card.

Visit our website, thesaltmagazine.com, and click on the Shaker Contest link at the top and enter your contact information. Your name, street number, street name, city and zip code are required. Only your

name and city will be published.

All entries must be received by July 1. Only online entries will be accepted.

In the Holiday issue, the shaker was hidden on page 16, by the cut-out wise men.

Congratulations to our most recent winner, Marjorie Gable, of Delphos.

Summer 2019 2019 || Northwest Northwest Ohio Ohio || Salt Salt || 3 3 Summer

Contents

10

6 Features

16

Drink Local.......................................... 6

12

In the Kitchen With.......................... 10 Reader Recipes................................. 12 Travel, Scoop, Repeat...................... 16

On the Cover This photo taken at Lake Rat Brewing in Celina is by Amanda Wilson.

Recipes Apple Pie.......................................... 11 Almond Club Crackers..................... 12 Avocado Salsa.................................. 13 Cherry Blueberry Bars...................... 13

4 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | Summer 2019

- From the Editor -

Grumble, grumble, grumble.

It’s so easy to spiral into bad attitudes. It’s pretty easy to throw pity parties for yourself, for your town, for your country.

This isn’t what should be, we say, stomping our little feet

like toddlers.

But let’s press pause for a moment and focus on the good. There is an awful lot of it, once you look. From Ohio breweries popping up sometimes in the literal cornfields around here to the simple joy of Ohio being really, really good at making ice cream. So get a scoop, and enjoy it without feeling guilty about the calories. Take a road trip and support our neighbors making beer but, more than that, turning it into an experience. Support the good. Help it grow.

This issue of Salt magazine offers stories explaining the Ohio craft beer trend, an award-winning pie baker who learned at the elbow of her mother, and Ohio’s ice cream culture. And let’s not overlook that our readers shared some top-notch recipes for this issue.

Summer is looking like it’s going to taste pretty good.

Summer flavors are some of the best flavors. The fresh produce is what sends me over. Here’s a great recipe from the Pairings and Platings blog, via Bob’s Red Mill, that is delicious and flexible — flexible enough that it could be finished on the grill instead of the oven. Options abound, too: Consider skipping the beef and increasing the quinoa for a meatless dish. I usually end up with extra filling, which stuffs tortillas just as well as peppers.

Southwest Beef and Quinoa Stuffed Peppers 1 1/2

3/4

4

2

1

1

2 1 1/2 1 1/2

1/2

1/4

1

cups stock cup quinoa bell peppers tablespoons olive oil Salt and pepper pound ground beef onion, diced cloves garlic, minced teaspoons chili powder teaspoons cumin teaspoon paprika teaspoon cayenne 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes or fresh 1 cup cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bring stock to a boil in a pot that has a lid.

Rinse and drain quinoa in a sieve. Add quinoa to stock once boiling. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 15-20 minutes.

Cut peppers in half and remove seeds. Place on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and bake until softened, about 8 minutes.

In a large skillet, brown beef and drain fat. Add onions, garlic, spices to taste and tomatoes. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Stir in cooked quinoa.

Fill peppers with beef mixture and top with cheese. Bake for 10 minutes.

Summer 2019 | Northwest Ohio | Salt | 5

Drink local

HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE “Before Prohibition, Ohio was one of the top barley growing states in the country and possibly one of the most productive barley growing regions in the world,” Hemminger said.

The demand died, and it never really recovered.

Until now, when demand has risen.

“You can’t have a boom in beer without having a boom in barley and hops. They’re necessary,” he said. “All these industries are related.”

Ohio farmers are starting to raise barley again and dabble in hops. Of course, wheat is also key to beer.

The brewery owners contacted for this story said farmers are inquiring about what they need for their operations. Currently, brewers have to source some of this from Michigan or the Pacific Northwest. It’s at the beginning stages, but we could see a beer made out of all-Ohioraised ingredients in the future.

Breweries offer summer sipping opportunities Story by Adrienne McGee Sterrett Craft beer is being made in our backyard — and summer is a great time to jump in the car and go check it out.

What follows is a guide to a few of the closer stops to get you started, but just know there are almost 300 craft breweries in the state of Ohio now. That’s up from about 60 five or six years ago, said Justin Hemminger, deputy director, Ohio Craft Brewers Association.

“A lot of the growth that we’ve seen in just the last couple years are breweries popping up in places that you wouldn’t necessarily expect it,” Hemminger said.

“Breweries generally tend to do well when they serve the communities in a way the classic pub used to, a meeting place, a gathering place. The reason why those breweries have popped up there and have been able to thrive there is they’re incorporating the community. They are a reflection of the communities where they’re based. … It’s bringing something new and something interesting to a place that, frankly, needs it.

“It’s part of a larger trend I think of people generally wanting to know more and caring more about where their food, beverages, clothing, anything is made and where it all comes from. There are a lot more people who want to support local businesses, people they know, people in their communities,” Hemminger said.

Photo by Amanda Wilson

6 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | Summer 2019

Moeller Brew Barn 8016 Marion Drive, Maria Stein 419-925-3005 moellerbrewbarn.com

BY THE NUMBERS Barrels of craft beer brewed in Ohio in 2018: 1,398,358 (up 3.2%) Rank among the states in craft beer production in 2018: 4 (2017: 5) Craft beer industry’s economic impact in Ohio in 2016: $2.675 billion Rank among states in economic impact: 7 Jobs supported by the craft brewing industry in Ohio: 15,000+ Number of craft breweries operating in Ohio: 299 Number of breweries opened in 2018: 50 Number of known breweries in planning: 65 Craft beer consumption per capita in Ohio: 4.9 gallons per adult Rank among states in craft beer consumption: 11 — Courtesy of Ohio Craft Brewers Association

Hours: 3 to 11:30 p.m.

Wednesdays through Fridays, noon to 11:30 p.m. Saturdays, 12:30 to 10 p.m. Sundays Sampling of beers made: Dirt Track Kolsch, Roasted Hazelnut Milk Porter, Biggby Coffee Salted Caramel Coffee Ale, Rooster Bock, Milk Truck Porter, Sawcreek Pale, Frogtown IPA, Moweizen, Wally Post Red, Ales for ALS Hazy May Ekuanot, 716 Route Beer (root beer), Honeywagon IPA, Marzen Oktoberfest, Dunkel Weizen, Burbank Blonde, Baked Oatmeal Stout, Sawcreek Pale Beers available for purchase: Cans available at some area stores; kegs distributed to area bars History: Owner Nick Moeller, a 1997 Marion Local graduate and Navy veteran, started homebrewing with friends in 2007. He lived in San Diego for about a dozen years, using his mechanical engineering

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degree by working on submarines and enjoying the craft beer scene in that city. When he and his wife started having children, they dreamed of returning to his home and decided to bring the craft beer scene with them. (After all, there are no subs in Ohio.) They moved here about five and a half years ago.

“And right away, I just started telling people about the Moeller Brew Barn concept,” Moeller said.

“I think for us, originally, it was to give people a choice. People said you’re not going to be able to do this in Bud Light, Busch Light country.”

He started in a 40-by-40-foot pole barn in May 2015 and has added onto it to now have about 12,000 square feet — kitchen, inside seating for 240, outside patio that seats about 200, tanks, canning operation.

“It’s neat. From a tourism standpoint, you can see everything,” Moeller said. “When people get to the Brew Barn, we want them to fall in love with the space.”

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Moeller and brewers Nathan Hart and Corey Everman work hard to keep the process consistent while being creative on flavors and styles.

“It’s not just the beermaking but the creative process,” Moeller said. “And as that grew from homebrewing to production brewery, a commercial brewery, then that creative process just got a lot bigger.”

Seasonal brews and recipes are being worked on all the time. First on the Moon Pale Ale is one of those special flavors, described as a hoppy, aromatic pale ale to commemorate Neil Armstrong’s moon walk. The beer uses apollo and galaxy hops varieties.

Moeller said some of the popular brews are Wally Post Red, Blackberry Prairie Wheat and Honeywagon IPA. Food service just kicked off this summer, featuring brick oven pizzas.

And fans should take note: A new location in Troy is planned to open this month.

A 1912 church is being converted into a brewery, with plans to connect it to a 1954 schoolhouse at 214 W. Main St. Moeller plans to use that location for new brews.

Check social media for musical performance schedules.

Tailspin Brewing Company 626 S. Second St., Coldwater 419-763-4222 tailspinbrewing.co

Hours: 3 to 10 p.m.

Thursdays, 3 to 11 p.m.

Fridays, noon to 11 p.m.

Saturdays, 1 to 8 p.m.

Sundays Sampling of beers made: Guernsey Gold Cream Ale, Whirling Wit, Berry Bomber Ale, Quent’s Irish Red Ale, Ohio Sky Ale, North 40 Lager, Uncle Gus Milk Stout,

3GZ Blonde Ale, 6GZ Pale Ale, 90GZ India Pale Ale, G-LOC Doppelbock (Blonde) Ale, Night Flight Vanilla Porter, Bullseye Rye Pale Ale Beers available for purchase: Kegs distributed to area bars History: Owner Jack Waite opened Tailspin in June 2016 in a renovated dairy barn that dates from 1933. He and his wife, Teresa, met in the Air Force, and they decided to move to her hometown after retiring from active duty after 23 years. He was a pilot, and they drew on that for the name of the business.

He had been homebrewing for about four years and had a lifelong goal of being a business owner.

“My wife promised me I could open a brewery. I wanted a new challenge,” Waite said. “I figured if I can’t sell a beer here (in German Catholic Mercer County), I’m really doing something wrong.”

The barn, formerly the Coldwater Dairy, came available, and he fell in love with the character.

“I think people’s tastes are evolving,” Waite said. “If I can get one Bud Light drinker in here to find something on the menu they like, that’s a victory. Then once you do that, it’s a slippery slope. I’ve seen it happen here … they go to the craftiest things we brewers make.”

He has noted a trend of late about regular craft beer drinkers curious not only about what he has on tap that day but what he’s working on and is to come.

“The art of making beer is so much fun because there’s so many ingredients to choose from, whether the malts that are available today, the hops and even the strains of yeast available. And each one of those has a part to play in making great beer,” Waite said.

Tailspin is content right

8 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | Summer 2019

Photo by Amanda Wilson

now, with Waite not very interested in canning or growing the business in a huge way.

“This is my retirement gig, and I want to keep it fun,” Waite said.

The tasting room does not have a full menu, but snacks like tortilla chips/dips and a cheeseball and crackers suited for sharing are available. A shop offers merchandise and yeast bread baked with spent grains from the brewery.

The loft space often has musicians performing.

Lake Rat Brewing/ Brew Nation 108-110 S. Main St., Celina 419-584-1705 lakeratbrewing.com

Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursdays, 8 a.m. to midnight Fridays and Saturdays Sampling of beers made: Beard!, Big Bob, Dirty Little Oar, Hoedag, Painted Horse, Rat-Trip, Reckless Rainbow, Sippin’ Berries Beers available for purchase: Cans available in Celina area mainly; kegs distributed to area bars History: Brew Nation and Lake Rat Brewing, owned

by Kim and Vance Nation, are literally side by side in downtown Celina and have

a large doorway that opens up the shared wall. The oneyear-old brewery is on one side, and Brew Nation serves as a tap room — in addition to serving coffeehouse style goods during earlier hours of the day.

Jacob Poeppelman, a Celina native, brews the beer and operates the store.

“I started drinking craft beer, and then I just started homebrewing a little bit and it took about five years before we actually got this fully up and running,” Poeppelman said. “I think there’s just like so much variety. People want to try new stuff all the time.

People are just sort of starting to get bored with your standard domestics — it’s more fun.”

Lake Rat has a few core beers but focuses heavily on doing a new beer almost every week or two, Poeppelman said.

“We did our first cans (this spring), so that was some big excitement,” he said. A portable canning line came in by trailer from Indianapolis, and they canned some beers that way. The plan is to release some cans once a month or so.

Brew Nation has about 20 beers on tap at a time, with about half of those taps dedicated to Lake Rat beers.

Food is available, with a woodfired oven and a smoker turning out pizzas and smoked items like brisket and wings.

Findlay Brewing Company 213 E. Crawford St., Findlay 419-419-2739 findlaybrewing.com

Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Tuesdays to Thursdays, 11 a.m. to midnight Fridays and Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Sundays Examples of beers made: Brilliant Blonde, Floodwater Stout, American Bitter, Hancocked, Ohio Weather, Natural Bridges, Carrot Cake Ale, LaMarr’s Molasses Porter, Hopster Prynne, Mango Razz, Workin Class, Sweet Amber, Whoa, Collective Unconscious, Rough Day IPA, Imperial March, Houlihan’s Irish Red, Sunken Booty Beers available for purchase: Kegs distributed to area bars and restaurants; Great Scot in Findlay offers growlers History: This business opened in 2013 in a very small location, said one of the five co-owners, Aaron Osborne. Only 10 gallons of beer could be brewed at a time.

“After we did that for several years, we decided it was

Courtesy of Tailspin Brewing Company

time to upgrade our building, our brew equipment,” Osborne said.

Three of the owners went to elementary school together and are Van Buren grads. The other two are one person’s parents. The friends started homebrewing in 2007.

“I really love the hands-on nature, kind of creating your own thing,” Osborne said.

“People love to cook. I don’t cook so much, but I call it cooking beer, in a way.”

Osborne explained that his hobby led him to investigate what other cities are doing in this arena.

“Whenever I go to a town, I check out whatever the local brewery is. Different breweries offer different experiences,” Osborne said. “People in Findlay really love their food.

So we knew that we wanted to go the route of making sure we’re offering really, really good food to people.”

The full-service restaurant, which welcomes children, features huge hamburgers.

“When you come into our tap room … there’s always something new popping up almost weekly,” Osborne said, describing a new kettle sour with chili and key lime they were making for Cinco de Mayo. “I have a lot of fun.”

The brewery often has special events.

“I think people’s tastes are evolving. If I can get one Bud Light drinker in here to find something on the menu they like, that’s a victory. Then once you do that, it’s a slippery slope. I’ve seen it happen here … they go to the craftiest things we brewers make.”

— Jack Waite, Tailspin Brewing Company

OH-70125129

Photo by Amanda Wilson

Summer 2019 | Northwest Ohio | Salt | 9

In the Kitchen With: tephenie uerstenau

F

S

Story and photos by Adrienne McGee Sterrett

“My favorite part is doing the edges of the crust. When you’re pinching it together, it’s your fingerprints.

Every pie is different because of your fingers.”

Stephenie Fuerstenau’s husband, Charles, likes to joke.

“I always like to say that there’s only two kinds of pie I like: Hot and cold,” he said, grinning as he eyed the pies his wife had baked earlier that day.

Their two daughters — Evelyn and Lois — inched a little closer, too. Third daughter Margaret is too young to know what she’s missing, for now.

Fuerstenau has been baking pies from a young age, learning at her mother’s side. She remembers being fascinated by the process — the big bowl coming out of the cupboard, her mother’s “secret pie crust recipe,” the tradition.

“It’s kind of just like a thing in our family. My

— Stephenie Fuerstenau

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10 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | Summer 2019

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Apple Pie Crust:

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup chilled Crisco

4-8 tablespoons cold water

Filling:

3 cups apples, peeled, cored, sliced

3 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup sugar

3 tablespoons milk

Topping:

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup flour

1 cup brown sugar

For the crust: Blend flour and salt and then cut in shortening. Stir in just enough water to form the dough.

Chill at least 30 minutes and then roll out dough for pie.

For the filling: Mix apples, flour, sugar, milk and spices together and place in unbaked pie shell.

For the topping: Cut the butter into the flour and sugar with a pastry blender until crumbles form. Place on top of the pie filling. Bake at 375 for 40-50 minutes.

Tip: Use the left over pie crust scraps to make cinnamon rolls and place these on top of the pie as well. Roll out the remainder of the dough, sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. Roll into a log and slice thinly to make cinnamon rolls.

mom always made pie,” she explained.

Her mother, Carolyn Culp, gave her a recipe card with that “secret” recipe on it when she married.

“It meant a lot to my mom to pass that off,” she said.

“She always used to say her pie crust recipe was our dowry when we got married. … We got a lot of girls to marry off, and that’ll be their dowry, too.”

Fuerstenau took first place in the Johnny Appleseed Metropolitan Park District’s Apple Pie Baking Contest last fall. Ahead of time, she made an agreement with her mother

that she wouldn’t enter the “secret” family crust recipe.

“We were pretty surprised when our pie won. It was pretty exciting,” she said.

Even if daughter Evelyn, who helped make it, was disappointed they couldn’t eat it as soon as it came out of the oven.

Fuerstenau is from Delphos, and she and her husband met and dated in high school. He is from Nome, Alaska, and is now a pastor with the United Methodist Church. That finds them in Harrod these days.

While they both work full time, Fuerstenau still makes time to bake on the regular.

She and her mother have friendly competitions, and her workplace and the church reap the reward.

“My thing, really, is peach pie. So when it’s that season, when peaches are ripe, I just make peach pie constantly,” she said.

And it’s always fruit pies for her. She doesn’t care for cream pies.

“Pie is so simple,” she said.

“The ingredients are so simple.

So just taking peaches and making something so wonderful and so beautiful is exciting.

“I think it really is an art.

It’s not like you’re just whipping a cake together,” she said.

“My favorite part is doing the edges of the crust. When you’re pinching it together, it’s your fingerprints. Every pie is different because of your fingers.”

Fuerstenau encourages others to make what they love to eat, starting with a basic recipe and making tweaks over time.

She has done as much with pie crust over the years but has returned to her family recipe.

“I always tell people it’s just flour and sugar. You can do it,” she said. “Pie doesn’t have to be perfect. Just try it.”

BAKING TIPS

• Use cold ingredients. Store the shortening in the refrigerator. When the dough is together, put it back in the refrigerator at least six hours or overnight. She thinks this makes the crust flaky.

• When baking apple pie, use three or four varieties of apples for flavor contrast. Slice them thin so you get a good bite of everything.

• Slow down. Take time to enjoy the process. Bring the bowl up to your nose to smell the cinnamon and sugar once you’ve mixed it.

• Taste the fruit first to see how much sugar it needs.

• Try to source homegrown fruit instead of buying at the grocery store. Homegrown or farmers market fruit is ripe and flavorful.

Summer 2019 | Northwest Ohio | Salt | 11

Reader Recipes

Almond Club Crackers

— From Diana Johnson, Lima

1 stick butter 1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 package club crackers

1/2 cup to 3/4 cup sliced almonds Boil the butter, sugar and vanilla for 1 minute. Place the crackers on parchment paper on a cookie sheet and sprinkle the almonds on top of each cracker. Gently pour the syrup over the crackers. Place in a 250 degree oven and bake for 1 hour, checking every 10 minutes. They are done when they are nicely golden brown.

Quickly take off parchment paper and cool on rack.

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Avocado Salsa — From Teresa Maag, Leipsic

1 16-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

Cherry Blueberry Bars — From Teresa Maag, Leipsic

1/2 cups butter

1/2 cup shortening

1 1/4 cups sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups flour

1 21-ounce can cherry pie filling

1 21-ounce can blueberry pie filling

Powdered Sugar Icing

1 cup powdered sugar 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Water Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat butter and shortening for 30 seconds. Add sugar, baking powder and salt. Beat. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix in flour.

Reserve 1 1/2 cups of dough. Spread remaining dough in ungreased 15-by-10-inch pan. Bake for 12 minutes.

Remove from oven. Spoon on pie filling and drop remaining dough in small balls over filling. Bake 30-40 minutes or until top is light brown.

Make icing: Stir together powdered sugar, almond extract and water. Add more water, a little at a time, as needed.

Cool 10 minutes and drizzle with icing. Cut into bars when completely cool.

1 16-ounce can corn, drained 1/3 cup red onions, chopped

1 yellow or green pepper, chopped

2 medium tomatoes, diced

2 avocados, diced

1 package dry Italian dressing mix

1/2 cup oil

1/4 cup white vinegar

In a medium bowl, combine the beans, corn, onions, peppers, tomatoes and avocados. Combine dressing mix, oil and vinegar in a shaker and mix well. Pour over avocado mixture and stir. Refrigerate a few hours before serving.

Serve with tortilla chips or scoop chips.

Salt Scoop

Send us your favorite recipe. We may feature it in an upcoming issue.

Visit our website, thesaltmagazine.com, and click on the Recipe Submission link at the top to be entered. Include a photo of your dish, too, if you’ve got one. All entries must be received by July 1.

Every submitted recipe will be entered in a drawing for a $25 grocery card.

Congratulations to Teresa Maag, of Leipsic, who won for her Avocado Salsa recipe submitted for this issue of Salt.

Summer 2019 | Northwest Ohio | Salt | 13

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Visit www.dadstoyshop.com” for a full list of products and services.

419-649-9337 912 S. Blackhoof St. Wapakoneta, OH Annette Cotterman, LMT Find us on Facebook

Macky’s

Health Food Market

You never know what you’ll find!

OH-70124016

CHECK OUT OUR NEW STOCK! Radio Controlled Cars - Boat - Planes Parts & Accessories Trains - Plastic Models - Slot Car Sets Repair parts available for all RC cars.

Photo Puzzles & Caps - and More!

123 W. Auglaize St., Wapakoneta, Ohio 45895 Phone 419-738-2007 Fax 419-739-4702 E-mail dts@bright.net www.dadstoyshop.com

Stop in and Shop!

OH-70125103

D’S TOY S H O DA ...we’re a Toy Shop and more P

124 W. Augliaze St - Wapak 419-739-9060 Wed-Fri 10-5; Sat 10-2

CLOUD NINE CAFE & CATERING

brings big city flavor to small town Wapakoneta, Ohio with delicious food that is always fresh and unique. Located in

Got an event coming up?

Fresh from the field to your fork.

OH-70124017

Cloud Nine Catering is perfect for any occasion from corporate luncheons to family reunions. We offer an at-home feel to your events without all the hassle or clean-up.

With such a wide variety of menu choices, Cloud Nine Cafe is your solution to all your party planning needs.

– HOURS – Mon-Fri 7a.m.-3p.m.

102 W Auglaize St. Sat Wapakoneta, Ohio 8a.m.-3p.m.

(419) 738-6757 Closed Sunday cloudninecafeusa.com

OH-70124020

downtown Wapakoneta, we invite you to join us at Cloud Nine Cafe for a delicious meal, and we look forward to serving you.

Hours: Fri & Sat 11am-10pm Sun 11am-8pm Summer 2019 | Northwest Ohio | Salt | 15

Travel, scoop, r e p e at Ohio Ice Cream trail features 20 unique shops

“A Real Gardener’s Garden Center” We carry everything you need for your lawn and garden… * Perennials & Herbs * Trees & Shrubs * Bagged & Bulk Mulch and Soils * Fairy Garden Items * Sanygen Pool Products & LOTS MORE! VISIT OUR TWO LOCATIONS

OH-70124927

Ada Kenton 0395 St. Rt. 235 927 E. Columbus 2½ Miles N. of Ada Street 419-634-0351 419-675-2718

Or find us @ www.newleafgardencenter.com Like us on Facebook @ New Leaf

16 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | Summer 2019

A gift from Collins is always in good taste!

Over 200 beers Domestic, Craft and Imports Over 500 wines Domestic and Imported

Wine accessories

• Deli meat sandwiches • Soup mixes • Pretzels • Peanuts • Chocolates • Specialty Coffees • Gourmet Cheeses • Specialty foods • Cigars OH-70124930

New Leaf Garden Center

Courtesy of Graeter’s

Gift Baskets

Est. 1890

223 N. Washington St. Van Wert Mon. - Fri. 9-6 Sat. 9-3 Closed Sunday

419-238-0079

the store in 2012, and he is nearly ready to open a second store in Kenton.

The Creamery is located at 252 N. Canal St., Delphos, and a second location is coming soon at 836 E. Franklin St., Kenton. To learn more, follow on Facebook.

Courtesy of Young’s Jersey Dairy

“We create fun for our customers.”

— Dan Young, Chief Ice Cream Dipper (or CEO), Young’s Jersey Dairy

Courtesy of Tom’s Ice Cream Bowl

By Sarah Allen Many foods are synonymous with Ohio: buckeyes, chili and … ice cream?

Yes, Ohio has become a destination when it comes to any “screaming” for ice cream.

In fact, OhioTourism has outlined an Ice Cream Trail with 20 stops throughout the state.

And with each stop comes not only a variety of flavors, but also a variety of experiences.

The Creamery Dating to 1982, this ice cream stand in little Delphos, Ohio, has earned a following in the area for its vast menu of hard dip, soft serve, fat free and sugar free ice creams as

well as homemade novelties and simple sandwiches.

“The thing is, we serve the best quality at the best price possible,” said owner Dan Warnement.

One scoop really means two scoops, the young women working the windows warn customers — many times, to no avail.

“You kind of get what you’re paying for,” Warnement said with a laugh.

The most popular is butter pecan, he said, with close runners-up being chocolate peanut butter, moose tracks and chocolate chip cookie dough.

There are plenty of fruit-filled choices on the menu as well as regional specialties like Superman. Picnic tables on neat patios encourage lingering to eat. The drive-thru lane is often long, as is the walk-up service line, but don’t let that deter you.

The store has been in Warnement’s family since 1995, with several family members involved in running it since then. He purchased

Young’s Jersey Dairy Young’s Jersey Dairy, in Yellow Springs, offers not only ice cream, but a “fun, family, memory-making … experience,” according to Chief Ice Cream Dipper (or CEO) Dan Young.

“We create fun for our customers,” he added.

The ice cream found at the dairy is all made on site.

“We’re a working farm,” Young said, adding that the dairy also makes cheese.

Along with many traditional ice cream flavors, Young said, the dairy also has seasonal flavors, such as pumpkin, cinnamon, peppermint stick and eggnog.

Young described Farm Sunrise — a flavor that is brand new this year.

The ice cream is cake batterflavored, with blue and red cookie dough pieces.

Young also described flavors the dairy creates for special events, such as the annual Wool Gathering.

He added that the dairy will also be celebrating the 50th anniversary of Ohio native Neil Armstrong’s walk on the moon.

Moon Rocks, he said, will be a caramel-flavored ice cream with chocolate covered malted milk balls and marshmallow. The dairy will also feature an Over the Moon sundae, which will have chocolate ice cream, marshmallow and a mini Moon Pie (as well as the usual sundae toppings).

However, Young said, the flavor that the dairy is most famous for is Cow Patty, an extreme chocolate item.

In addition to ice cream, the dairy also has miniature golf, batting cages, a giant slide, a driving range, plus a farm animal petting area and barn.

Young’s Jersey Dairy is located at 6880 Springfield Xenia Road, in Yellow Springs. To learn more, visit www.youngsdairy.com.

Tom’s Ice Cream Bowl In 1998, Tom’s Ice Cream Bowl was featured in USA Today as the No. 1 ice cream shop in the country. Then, just two years ago, the shop was highlighted on the Food Network show “Ice Cream Nation.”

Owner Bill Sullivan said it feels “unique” that a store in a “little place like Zanesville” is known nationally.

Sullivan has been the owner of Tom’s since 1984, when Tom Mirgon retired and sold it to him. Mirgon, along with Jack Hemmer, were cousins who first opened the restaurant in 1948. Back then, it was called Jack Hemmer Ice Cream and was located on Linden Avenue. In 1950, the restaurant outgrew that location and moved to McIntire Avenue, where it still stands today.

In 1957, it became Tom’s Ice Cream Bowl — and has been a must-stop for ice cream lovers ever since. The restaurant has stayed true to its history, Sullivan added, saying, “When you walk in the door, it’s like walking back in time (to the 1950s).”

“We use the best ingredients we can find,” Sullivan said, adding that the recipes are the same ones that have been used for about 70 years. “The consistency of the quality of our ice cream,” Sullivan said, plays a role in setting it a part, as does the restaurant’s “very large portions.”

In addition to ice cream, the Bowl also serves homemade soups and sandwiches.

Summer 2019 | Northwest Ohio | Salt | 17

Tom’s Ice Cream Bowl is located at 532 McIntire Ave., in Zanesville. To learn more about the restaurant, visit www.tomsicecreambowl.com.

Hyde Park Graeter’s From Zanesville to the Queen City, another stop on the Ice Cream Trail is the Hyde Park Graeter’s.

“It’s our oldest continuously operated store,” said district manager Brian Packert.

“We’ve been there for a really, really long time.”

Graeter’s produces about 30-40 flavors a year, Packert said. However, their most popular flavor is black raspberry ice cream.

“We make more of that than anything,” he added.

Packert also described how Graeter’s ice cream is made, saying, “We use what is called a French pot process.”

Graeter’s ice cream, he said, is about 10% air, whereas

The Creamery, by Adrienne McGee Sterrett

most of its contemporaries are about 50%. He added the butterfat content is higher with Graeter’s, at 18% (as compared to a typical 12%).

Overall, Packert said, making the ice cream is a “very crafty process.”

The Graeter’s factory,

Packert added, has about 32 machines that make ice cream for 56 stores, as well as stock freezers in over 4,000 groceries. He also said that the ice cream is made in small batches — about two gallons at a time.

Graeter’s Hyde Park loca-

MAX’S TRADERS DAYS & WATER DOG RACES LABOR DAY WEEKEND FRIDAY, SATURDAY & SUNDAY August 30, 31 & Sept. 1

Allen Co. Fairgrounds: 2750 Harding Highway, Lima

143 ACRE OF VENDORS! Call 419-225-8545 or 419-230-7405 6 Gates Open

GENERAL ADMISSION

One Day Band: $10

3 Day Pass: $20 Early Bird Pass: $30

VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR MORE INFO:

maxstraderdays.com

Lots of land to cover, so you can bring a golf cart or rent one!

National Carts: 1-800-940-8068 Van Wert Carts: 419-238-2732 WAREHOUSE ON WHEELS: 419-203-6136 or 419-238-2732

• NIGHT TIME WATER DOG RACES • GREAT FOOD • Come & Join Us...You Don’t Want To Miss This!

ONE OF OHIO’S LARGEST GUN SHOWS!

18 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | Summer 2019

OH-70124937

OH-70122588

OVER 1000 VENDORS & TRADERS

SWEET SUMMER To learn more, visit http://trails.ohio.org/ ice-cream/

tion is at 2704 Erie Ave. in Cincinnati. To learn more, visit www.graeters.com.

PLACES TO GO AND

THINGS TO SEE!

Sycamore Lake Wine Company Relax and enjoy a glass or bottle of wine in our comfortable tasting room, on our patio or while stolling through out 3-acre vineyard, surrounded by a 17-acre lake with an authentic covered bridge.

OH-70124955

Hours: Th, Fri, Sat 12-8pm 9660 Mayberry Road • Columbus Grove, OH 45830 419-233-1581 www.sycamorelakewineco.com

OH-70125132

Free Admission Sunday | 1 - 4 p.m.

Wed. - Fri. | Noon - 5 p.m.

Mazzamuseum.org

Explore the art within the story.

Rafael Lopez, Book Fiesta

OH-70124918

Voted No.1

OH-70124962

Beer Bar in Ohio

•

DOWN TOWN BELLEFON TAINE

•

Summer 2019 | Northwest Ohio | Salt | 19

Buckeye l ve Carol Staley, Lima cstaley007@ woh.rr.com Fifteeninch wreath. $35. Variety of designs available.

Yolanda A. Phillips, Lima Facebook: JustPeachyJewelry Twitter: JPeachyJewelry Instagram: JustPeachyJewelry JustPeachyJewelry@ gmail.com 419-230-9612 Bracelets. $25 each.

Variety of items available.

James Hile, Lima Double Ought Leather & Mercantile Etsy: 00Leathermerc Leather coasters, ornaments and key fobs. Sets and kits available. $27.50 and down.

Barb Sandy, Elida bsandy@woh.rr.com 419-303-7386 Handmade cards $3.50-$4. Ornaments $5.

Custom designs and painting available.

Alice “Ali” Merricle, Lima Facebook: Copper Alley Creations Etsy: Copper Alley Creations copperalley-creations. com copperalleycreations@ gmail.com 419-371-3898 Grapevine wreath. $70.87. Variety of wreaths and hangers available.

20 20| Salt | Salt| Northwest | NorthwestOhio Ohio| Summer | Summer2019 2019

Meena Gupta, Lima Meena-Kari 419-516-2664 designbymeena28@ gmail.com Necklaces not above $50. Custom designed necklaces and bracelets available.

Are you a maker?

Show us what you’re up to!

We’re interested in learning about what our Ohio neighbors are making in their free time. There’s so much creativity happening outside of the 8 to 5, a way for folks to help with the household budget or just express themselves in a way their jobs don’t ask of them.

Send a photo of a finished item, cost, social media info and your contact info to amcgeesterrett@ aimmediamidwest.com.

Front Porch Profile Offering a personal glimpse into the lives of notable people in our communities

Greg Brown

Experience Coordinator, Armstrong Air & Space Museum, Wapakoneta

By Adrienne McGee Sterrett What’s your favorite exhibit at the museum?

My favorite exhibit is the Gemini VIII reentry module. Gemini had to teach us the critical skills, methodology to go to the moon using Apollo. Neil Armstrong was the commander of that mission. It was his first trip into space.

And also, it was the first docking exercise. That had to be done in order for Apollo to reach the moon. These were all very pioneering efforts at that time.

get the money, I like to sightsee. I just like sightseeing and going to historical sites and beautiful outdoor areas.

What do you find fascinating about space?

I think probably one of the most popular reasons that it holds such an attraction is that it’s largely unknown.

It’s so vast, it’s so mysterious. The other part of it is it’s so hostile, it’s so alien to us. It’s just extremes. I’m not so much an astronaut wannabe. What I really enjoy is studying and understanding the engineering.

Rollercoasters?

No. At my age — I’m 60 — I don’t know that I’m going to be doing that anymore.

Favorite summer activity?

I like to travel. When I get time and I

Favorite cookout food?

Love porkchops, ribs. My wife, who’s Filipina, loves cooking when she can and she has some marvelous foods that she likes to make. The company that you keep, where you happen to be and who you’re with, is equally enjoyable to what kind of food you have.

What do you love most about your community?

What I love about my community, it’s nice to live here in Wapak — it’s small, yeah, we don’t have all the options for shopping and restaurants, but our community is filled with great people. They’re just really helpful good, solid folks.

Alan Davis Insurance Agency

Since 1984

“your solutions provider” AUTO * HOME * LIFE * BUSINESS * FARM * CROPS RETIREMENT TRUCKING & TRANSPORTATION Local, Knowledgeable Insurance Professionals that offer you personalized services that include 24/7 Claims Service and Multi-Policy Savings.

1-800-686-2148 OH-70125127

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127 WEST AUGLAIZE STREET WAPAKONETA, OHIO (419) 738-7447 Summer 2019 | Northwest Ohio | Salt | 21

One more thought ...

Cultivators of the earth are the most valuable citizens.

They are the most vigorous, the most independent, the most virtuous, and they are tied to their country and wedded to its liberty and interests by the most lasting bonds.

— Thomas Jefferson

22 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | Summer 2019

Photo by Adrienne McGee Sterrett Corn soaks up the summer sun in Van Wert County.

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24 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | Summer 2019

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