The Tasting Room
 Wadsworth, Ohio        Date of Visit: 08/13/15       http://thetastingroomwadsworth.com

It’s not often we know nothing about a restaurant in town…had no clue at all. Of course, if the sign is any indication, they may be trying to keep it a secret. Next to the long defunct bowling alley it’s nicer inside than I had expected. We ended up outside on the little patio, just a nice day. Our server was about average but I think she was essentially bartending and covering every table in the place.
 

Wasn't A Fan Of The Brown Derby
 

I tried The Brown Derby, at nearly half price during happy hour. Makers Mark bourbon, grapefruit juice, and a honey garnish. Likely, wouldn’t do that again. The bitterness of the grapefruit suppressed most of what I enjoy about bourbon and the honey didn’t help. We ordered a couple of appetizers, pasta and a burger. Overall, they did fairly well. The first appetizer was a Jalapeño gnocchi, which arrived with a cup of sour cream salsa. Soft, pillowy nugs were fried dark brown and stubbornly unapologetic about their peppery spice. You could give them a dip in the tangy cream with little bits of tomato and onion to reduce the heat to your liking. Unique and well produced.

The second offering was coined Not Your Normal SMores. Related to s’mores in just a little less than absolutely no way at all, they are constructed with ingredients that you know are going to work well together. Grilled crostini is smeared with fig jelly, then topped with goat cheese and sliced prosciutto. A little decoration of reduced balsamic and you have tasty.
 

I ended up being childishly disappointed in my “All grown up mac and cheese” with Monterey jack and Gouda cheeses, peppers and onions and finally Andouille sausage. The sausage was fine, but as with many macs…it had cheese…just doesn’t taste much like it.

Steph went with the Blue Cow burgers, which was so much better than the mac. So much. What really made the sandwich was the abundance of crunchy texures. Half pound of well seasoned patty was seared til a brown delicious crust formed. The Kaiser roll was toasted til a ridiculous crunch came from each bite. Bacon…yeah, crispy. Add enough bleu cheese stink to balance the bacon and caramelized onions, a little pepper from the arugala and you have a burger worth trying again. Seasoned fries competed the package in ways the mac wouldn’t begin to approach. From a single visit I would say they are more focused on the beverage service than the food but they are clearly looking to offer some unique options. We’ll be back, I hope the burger is always as good.

Good Fries With A...