I got a new camera!!! I promise I didn’t break the old one on purpose. To find a particular model in stock meant returning to both of our undergrad stomping grounds. The only difference is Taggarts was a part of my college stomping grounds…at least when we had a couple of bucks to step outside of the grind of the cafeteria. I have very specific and fond memories of Taggarts but it has been years since I have eaten there. I shouldn’t have worried…Taggarts has been churning since 1926. How much could it have changed in the past decade or so. The answer is…outside of a couple of faces…not a single bit. Thank God!!! It seems nothing has changed at Taggarts for the 85 years they have been serving Canton. |
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This includes the furniture and likely the kitchen equipment. The
service at Taggarts is essentially what you would expect in a place
staffed by college students. Friendly and straightforward. The menu
remains the same, lots of classic sandwich combinations, some
salads, etc. We split a bowl of cream of cauliflower soup. The soups
at Taggarts are the antithesis of modern. So it is with the
cauliflower. Thick and lumpy with vegetable it brings you back to
the good ole’ days with heavy but tasty results. Steph ordered a
roast beef and cheddar sandwich but we soon learned the roast beef
had petered out for the night. Instead she opted for the Reuben with
all of the classic fixins. She proclaimed she might prefer the
Taggarts variety better than Primo’s.
Wow! I wouldn’t take it quite that far but it was a very well made
Reuben with wonderfully balanced and strong flavors. The dark rye,
succulent corned brisket, acidic kraut, nutty cheese, and sharp
dressing were all fantastic. I ordered the burger I used to order
twenty years ago, the Wimpy. The Wimpy is a pretty standard burger,
ground beef, lettuce, pickles, cheese…the difference is the Wimpy
gets a furious dusting of an onion and garlic based seasoning. What
I really adore about the burgers here is the crunchy exterior they
get from the fire. Still moist inside the crunch really brings out
the Maillard reaction flavors that make grilled meat so popular. It
also gives the burger a more interesting texture. |
Excellent Reuben |
I Will Gladly Pay You Tuesday...The Wimpy |
Crazy But Delicious Olive Nut Sandwich |
Now there was a sandwich on the menu I had seen before but never tried. I wasn’t all that adventurous in college. Can anyone say Domino’s half priced delivery for Sunday football and Ramen noodles? Well, given my more risky exploits today was the day. I tried the Taggarts Original Olive Nut Sandwich instead of getting fries. The menu lays it all out for you, chopped green olives and pecans in a cream cheese dressing spread thick between two slices of rye bread with lettuce. Why? Who thought to themselves…this would make a good sandwich? Well, they were right. It’s odd, but it actually tastes really good. I did have trouble wrapping my head around what I was chewing while I was chewing but in the end I would absolutely order it again.
We finished with an absolute Taggarts tradition which they have been
serving since the 30’s. It was often the reason we ended up at
Taggarts so many years ago. The Bittner. It’s simple. Vanilla ice
cream mixed with chocolate syrup and liberally doused with salted
roasted pecans and a dollop of whipped cream. It should be just
another Sundae. Somehow when they plop all of this in a glass
something magic happens. The same magic of excellent and limited
ingredients that happens all over the world, just like the Reuben
and the burger we had earlier. In a world full of fancy and exotic
ingredients and preparations places like Taggarts are stupendously
more comforting than their nearly century old seats. Absolutely
worth a trip. Be sure to get the Bittner! |
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Ratings | |||||||
Food |
Service |
Ambiance |
What's Best |
What's Worst |
Overall |
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A- | B | B | A | N/A | B+ | ||
Bittner and Sammys | No Single Standout |