Edgar's
 Akron, Ohio      Date of Visit  02/09/12       http://www.edgarsrestaurant.com/ 

For the first meeting of the First Husbands Club which also initiated two new participants to our standard goofiness of taking pictures and passing plates; we decided on an Akron place called Edgar’s based on the menu. I was surprised to find it located at a public golf course, drove past it actually, and quickly adjusted my expectations downwards. Nothing against Edgars or golf, but I have eaten at a few courses and well, let’s just say they were set up to provide sustenance to folks without other options, especially in the off season.
 

Not Skimping on Butter Quality
 

Service was quick and pretty friendly. Our server and the front of the house manager made several visits to the table and while the manager could be kinda sneaky and appear out of nowhere; both seemed genuinely interested in our experience. We even got a quick visit from the chef to check on our table. Overall the service was better than I had anticipated.

Actually much nicer inside than expected we were quickly whisked to a table. I noticed a chafing dish by the door with small plates, tongs and a bottle of sriracha. It wasn’t till we were sitting that it dawned on me that it was probably a snack for any potential lines but I didn’t get a look. With sriracha? Wonder what it might have been. A few slices of bread were delivered with superior butter and I realized how hungry I was having been saving my calories for the occasion. A bottle of nice Syrah was opened table side just before two appetizers of gnocchi and banana peppers arrived.

The potato pasta pillows were filled with Asiago cheese and were wonderfully light. Garlic, basil, spinach, tomato and prosciutto tried to flavor the dish but fell short. Great texture but was underwhelming as far as the taste was concerned. The Spanish peppers went the other direction. Stuffed with risotto, chorizo, Kalamata olives and cheese the peppers were tremendously tasty with a serious flash of heat and worked well with the stuffing and marinara coating them.

As entrees we opted for a pork chop, tuna, cassoulet and perch. Far and away the best dish on the table was the not so traditional French stew/casserole referred to as cassoulet on the menu. Prepared with braised lamb, andouille sausage and duck confit, the bowl filled with white beans was thick and rich, just what you would be looking for. The luxurious meats and beans are standard in a cassoulet. The spice profile was much more Cajun/Creole with earthy and warm layers that were anything but subtle. It was an interesting and welcome deviation.

The perch didn’t do much for me overall. It was functional with a forgettable breading. The real mashed potatoes we fine but could have used a hit of something to make them interesting while the grilled asparagus was done just right and had a nice smoky layer that worked well with the greenness. The pork chop was better than the perch and benefited from a shrimp and crawfish stuffing. I remain somewhat confused by the starch on the plate which was described as a Creole Yukon gold potato salad. Potato salad with a pork chop…okay. First, there was nothing Creole about the bound salad, it tasted a great deal like the “Grandma’s” brand from the grocer. The combo didn’t do much for me but the friend who ordered it said he liked it more as he worked his way through dish.
 

Finally the tuna. The disappointment was with the cooking. It was ordered at mid rare and delivered just south of well done. Beside that the tuna turned out to be pretty good. A citrus and thyme crust added a nice flavor to the fish which was served atop fried zucchini and squash and topped with a mix of spinach, roasted peppers, capers, garlic and sautéed calamari, not a bad mix. We weren’t all that interested in dessert, then the tray arrived and we decided to split two, a chocolate chip chocolate lava cookie/cake and an almond crisp cheesecake. The lava cake was a slightly upscale version of an ice cream sandwich with warm chocolate chip cookies as the bread. Not a bad way to end a meal. The cheesecake (don’t know if it’s from a box or the kitchen, but there are some bakeries churning out some awesome boxed cheesecakes) was exceptional. Crust and crumble were similar to an almond based granola and the cheesy custard was perfectly tangy and sweet, right down the middle. While there wasn’t anything particularly outstanding at Edgar’s there were a number of solid dishes that were better than I would have expected at the location. I wouldn’t make a special trip to go back but I wouldn’t argue if someone wanted to go.