Akron Ohio

I have two recommendations after spending a week in downtown Akron.

The first is Bricco. A straight up Italian place with an impressive wine list. I believe there is one in Cleveland as well. I sampled the veggie ravioli, the linguine with shrimp (with spicy marinara instead of alfredo), and the cajun and brown sugar crusted salmon as well as the heirloom tomato caprese salad. I'm not convinced the tomatoes were heirloom, but everything else I tried was excellent. The linguine with shrimp was probably the best I have had in a long time - big, succulent, perfectly cooked shrimp, perfectly cooked pasta, caramelized onions, and a great tomato sauce. The salmon was equally delicious. I never would have thought a cajun and brown sugar crust would work well, but again - a large piece of perfectly cooked salmon. Maybe the chef is a tad heavy with the butter/oil, but only a tad. Just thinking about these dishes makes me miss Akron just a little bit.

http://www.briccoakron.com/

The second is Crave. I'd call the food eclectic American. Their menu ranges from sandwiches for $8 to steak for $35 or so. The calamari and goat cheese apps, sangria poached pear/blue cheese/walnut salad, duck breast and leg confit, tuna entree, and gumbo stuffed chicken are all quite good. Atmosphere is on the casual side of trendy, and they have some really cool artsy blown glass light fixtures (think Chihuly), and overall a fun room. There was a good selection of wine and beer, and a big martini list. Not as good as Bricco (I wasn't sorely tempted to clean my plate at Crave as I was at Bricco), but solid.

http://www.eatdrinkcrave.com/flash/index.htm