'Bout that…we loaded our own trunk up at a few recommended spots driving through the area…the following places contributing to our vehicular cornucopia. The Ashery http://www.asherycountrystore.com: Stopped there once on the bike, its much bigger now. Bagged candies of every stripe, soup mixes, pastas, meats, and loads of spices, and on and on. We left with caramels, dried fruit, pickled mixed veg and sweet cauliflower, and on and on. Heini’s http://heinis.com: “Where the cheese is made.” And it is. You can tour to actually see it being made and take home whatever sets your curd. Nearly every one of the copious options has a Tupperware of samples so you can toothpick your way to classics or surprises. Candy, fudge, cured meats, mustards and jams are also found in wide varieties.
Crafts
and supplies galore at The Lone Star Quilt Shop for, well,
quilts...and boots...and ice skates...and guns; Wendell August’s
local mega-mart forge gift shop
https://www.wendellaugust.com/location/berlin_oh; and the
handiwork of Earnest Warther
http://www.warthers.com:
with intricate carvings (we didn’t do the tour) and kitchen cutlery.
We had a great and relaxing time. |
|||
Boyd & Wurthmann Easily the best meal we had in country was at Boyd and Wurthmann’s in Berlin. The main drag in Berlin reminded me a lot of our bike trip through the middle of Gatlinburg where rolling country hills turn into a short but packed stretch of random attractions blinking from every sign. Just wild.
Hunkered down in the middle of the hoopla is a long time local
eatery. I wouldn’t commit to authenticity in cooking etc., but the
servers do chatter away in Pennsylvania Dutch amongst themselves and
some of the customers. |
Our server was sweetly nice and efficient. We started with chicken
noodle soup and chili. The noodle soup was fine but nothing worth
writing about. The chili was maybe the simplest I can remember but
was simply excellent. Meat and beans suspended in a beautiful and
richly spiced tomato broth. Both soups came with a stick of cheese
(Swiss-like) and crackers. In Holmes county, cheese is EVERYWHERE.
The chili needed neither the cheese nor the crackers. |
Chicken Noodle Soup Was Fine But Was... |
...Nowhere As Near As Good As Simple Chili |
The soups were joined by thick slices of soft country bread and our server pointed out the requisite apple butter and another bottle. The apple butter was better than most, for me, I have had several I don’t care for but this had a nice cinnamony bite. The other bottle was something new for me. She said they make it in house and it’s a peanut butter spread. I think I definitively tasted honey, lots of honey, which put it somewhere between peanut butter and peanut butter fudge. Closer to the fudge. Fudge bread anyone? Yes please. |
|||
|
|||
Expected The Apple Butter |
The Peanut Spread Was Quite A Surprise |
||
There were two specials. Perch and Yummisetti. Our server was nice enough to bring us a monkey dish of the yummisetti, which I would call Protestant Potluck Casserole. Noodles, ground beef, a mix of every cream of something soup...and the omnipresent cheese. Talk about stick to your ribs comfort food.
Steph wisely ordered the hot roast beef with mash and gravy. Falling
apart roast, real mash and gravy. It all needed a little salt and
pepper but both are right there on the table. Enormous and
delicious. I was dumb. I ordered that Amish classic, perch. It was
prepared dreck compared to the beef. My bad. Country fried steak,
fried ham, chicken dinner, pork chops…I got frozen perch. It did
come with a delicious and balanced slaw, but still, what was I
thinking? |
|||
Yummisetti Anyone? |
Slaw Was Perfect |
||
I Have Nothing To Say |
Now That Looks Like Food From This Area |
||
Too full. Gonna burst. Three bites of yummisetti have settled in and don’t want company. Too bad. There is pie. We almost went without, we split a piece, two days away from sanity now we wish we had tried more. Intrigued by the black raspberry cream pie on the board of pies…many of which were being flipped backwards during our stay. I think we might be back to Berlin just for the pie. Thin crust with snap and a delicately balanced salt/sweet base for the filling. And then the filling. Thick and rich, loaded with sweet and tangy fruit, so good.
Blackberry filling, check. Crust, check. What’s this cream thing?
Usually I don’t like the loss of flavor from a tasteless custard or
some whipped cream mixed in. This just had a plop of lightly
sweetened whipped cream which infiltrated the sweet filling slowly,
allowing you first a fruity kick in the teeth, soothed by the rich
cream, making the next bite so much easier to take. We will
definitely be back for pie. That’s a big board. Don’t get the frozen
fish and I think you’ll be satisfied at Boyd and Wurthmanns. Too
full to walk to the car, or buggy, or bike…might as well sit and
have some pie. |
|||
Leaving Without Pie Is Worse Than |
Ordering Not Local Fish Special |
Ratings | |||||||
Food |
Service |
Ambiance |
What's Best |
What's Worst |
Overall |
||
B | B | B | A | D | B | ||
Pie! | Perch |