Cassie Fait writes about hole-in-the-wall restaurants
Unfortunately, restaurants with little to no media attention that are located in poor locations receive less attention than their more outspoken counterparts, and it’s a shame because sometimes the lesser-known places are hidden gems. The star-studded restaurants with notable chefs and trendy cuisine tend to receive more recognition. Often the less recognizable restaurants are mom-and-pop diners or hole-in-the-walls that would appear on “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.”
When my friend and I were running errands last week, my energy was quickly depleting, causing my blood sugar to plummet. There were minimal choices to eat in middle-of-nowhere Athens County, so he suggested a small convenience store that also serves food. As a rule of thumb, I typically don’t trust a place that sells shampoo and also has a full menu, but my hunger was heading toward ravenous.
I’ll admit that I’ll obviously choose restaurants with rave reviews over the out-of-the-way café. When picking a dining destination, the risk can be too high for an unknown restaurant. But my hunger won, and we headed towards Shade for the Lodi General Store.
Established in 1995, Lodi General Store boasted cleanliness and an intimate vibe. Being a Pennsylvania native, the Steelers memorabilia hanging from the walls made me feel right at home. The owner, Pam Bond, remembered my friend from past visits and welcomed us with open arms. Her menu was short and inexpensive with sandwiches, pizzas and brunch items.
My order of an Italian sandwich absolutely hit the spot — I couldn’t have made a better sandwich myself. It sent me back to my grade school days of homemade toasted subs. It was clear that Pam knew how to run a kitchen well and how to please her customers’ taste buds. Needless to say, I would certainly take a break from campus life and pay another visit. Her pizza has received rave reviews for its flavor and extraordinary amount of cheese.
Experiences like those remind me to never judge a book (or in this case, a restaurant) by its cover. Becoming wrapped up in the glitzy culinary world creates an aura of food snobbery. Home-cooking is nothing to wag a finger at, especially since that is where it all started.
Experimenting with food opens a lot of avenues for future exploration. The unknown can be a rush for a food enthusiast and it’s worth taking a chance. Those who don’t take food risks are the ones still eating like a child with chicken fingers and fries.
Cassie Fait is a senior studying journalism and women’s, gender and sexuality studies. Email her at cf301411@ohio.edu.
