Meet The Editor

Amanda Gull

I'm 22 years old and currently finishing my BA in English with a minor in Business at the University of Toledo, where I"m further developing my editing and writing skills. I love to read almost anything and everything, ever since I was a young child. I love hiking, fishing, traveling, and spending time with friends and family. I hope to travel to Europe one day, especially Ireland and England. I'm from Sylvania, OH and still reside there with my family and three pets.

Back in Action

Sorry for the absence Average Guy Readers...  But vacation called and I answered. 
We will be back in the swing of things very soon. 

Until the next review I have something that you all should be made aware of:

Bar 145 is hosting a Culinary Treat

For only $50 per Ticket

The Evolution of American Whiskey

Sunday August 21st, 6:00pm to 9:00pm

Each ticket includes:

Five tastings of American Whiskey and Bourbon, paired with five food tastings to showcase each cocktail.

In order to tempt your taste buds here is a quick look at the planned five courses:

Sweet and Salty Caramel Cornets

Honey wheat cornet filled with bacon mousse

and topped with faux caramel caviar.

Paired with Old Forrester Bourbon served neat

Bourbon Glazed Short Rib Canapé

Slow braised Short Ribs on

crispy parsnip cakes with pickled onions.

Paired with "Southern Belle" Woodford Reserve

 infused with maple, ginger and soda water

Trio of Cheeses

Sampling of Artisan Cheeses from

Zingerman's in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Paired with "Tennessee peach."

Jack Daniels Single Barrel, Southern Comfort

with fresh peach nectar

Duck Confit Salad

Confit of Duck with early fall flavors over wilted greens.

Paired with "Citrus squeeze" Woodford Reserve,

with fresh lemon and orange juice,

ground cloves and simple syrup.

Beer and Brats

Homemade sausage on a fresh baked roll

Topped with cherry whiskey chutney

Paired with Kentucky Bourbon Ale

There will also be a raffle which includes: Woodford Reserve Gift basket and a Woodford Reserve Barrel.

All Proceeds from the Raffle will be DONATED to Toledo Area Children's Hospital

And wait that's not all - Everyone will go home with their very own Bar 145 Whiskey Glass.

Tickets are limited and must be purchased at Bar 145 prior to the event. My "wife to be" and I will definitely be there... So come join us for a wonderful evening.

And as always, remember to tell 'em... the "average guy" sent you!

Event:

Location: Bar 145, 5305 Monroe Street, Toledo, Ohio 43623

Phone: 419-593-0073

Website: www.bar145toledo.com

I have not been compensated in any way for this advertisement of this event.  Bar 145 has become one of my “wife to be” and my favorite places in Toledo to entertain our taste buds. We both believe that the event serves to benefit more than just the diners, but also, the community at large with the generosity of the donations to the Toledo Children’s Hospital. 

Bar 145°

Its Finally Here - Bar 145° critique

Holy Toledo - Bar 145°

Location: 5305 Monroe Street Toledo, Ohio.

Rating: 8.5

Background:

Hello again Average Guy Food Critic Readers!  Today we dined at an amazing new restaurant in Toledo, Ohio: Bar 145°. 

Bar 145° opened two months ago and has had mixed reviews. Of course, this is the type of place we needed to go check out, everything that we had heard was “it is not your typical burger place.” But that is only half the story.

Their slogan seems to be Burgers, Bands and Bourbon. They have a unique menu, offering many choices to entertain the palate. One such choice is the “Stack your own sandwich”, where you decide what type of sandwich you want. Anything from the cooking style, toppings, sauces and extras is all at your hands. Let your creativity flow!

Bar 145° is definitely not your average burger pub, instead they claim to be a Gastro pub.  This is a British term for a pub that specializes in high quality food a step above the traditional pub grub, as described on their website www.bar145toledo.com

Setting:

Bar 145° has a very modern feel to it. High rise tables surround an oval bar that encompasses the middle of the restaurant; and flat screen televisions are everywhere for your viewing pleasure. The bar, which starts inside, goes outside to a well-designed patio, also with a high rise. And might I add comfortable seating.  There is also a sound stage, with lighting for whichever band is set to be performing.

The Food:

Rating: 8.5

 I want to point out that this restaurant does not have any freezers.  What does that mean? It means the food is always fresh and bought locally. How many restaurants in Toledo can say that? Virtually none!

Bar 145° is progressive in this manner; buying local and supporting the local economy in more than just providing employment opportunities. For this I applaud them.

The Appetizers:

We ordered two appetizers, fried green beans and pretzel chips with a cheese sauce.

The green beans were lightly battered and covered in a sweet sauce that set your taste buds afloat.

The pretzel chips were amazing! I was expecting a clumpy cheese dip that would smother the bread; instead I was pleasantly surprised to have a sauce that was smooth and rather enjoyable. It complemented the bread perfectly.

The Main Course:

My “wife to be” chose the “Stack your own sandwich” option that Bar 145 offers. It was made with all natural beef, medium rare, and grilled to perfection. Her toppings consisted of local lettuces, carrot strips, baby sprouts, provolone cheese, and garlic aioli.  

I also had the “Stack your own sandwich,” but went with a chicken sandwich, with lettuce, sautéed red onions, bacon, sharp cheddar, mayonnaise, and honey mustard sauce. Wow!

 The presentation was simple just the sandwich on a plate; hot side on one half and cold on the other.  The chicken breast was just the right size and very juicy.

The Chef:

Chef Robby came from the Cleveland area to specifically work at Bar 145°. He used to be the chef for a 4 star restaurant there, but thankfully he has graced Toledo with his presence. Chef Robby came out to talk with us after our meal was finished.

He has big plans for the restaurant; such as having a local chef cookout, which would combine the tastes of Toledo Chefs in a BBQ setting.

Ladies and gentlemen, I have eaten at many restaurants in my 38 years, and I can honestly say that this is one of the best burger houses I have ever had the pleasure to dine in.

Go to Bar 145°!  Let your taste buds enjoy the creations of Chef Robby and his staff; and remember to tell them that Average Guy sent you!

Editing by:

Jane Bradley and Amanda Gall

Bad Start... Ski's Polish American Restaurant

Well Today was a bad start to the Blog idea - actually it could be considered a fantastic start.. in fact it was the main reason for the creation of this web site - A dinner experience that will not be forgotten for many years to come!

Today my bride to be and I went out on our weekly dinner date - and decided to go to: Ski's Polish - American Restaurant in Sylvania, Ohio -  On the verge of the Polish American Festival we thought this would be a great way to get in the festival mood.  Polish food has always been one of our favorite.

My wife to be had received an email coupon for a buy one dinner - get one free.. so we decided to give it a go!

First, let me point out that this restaurant is quaint - Red and white decorations throughout and photos of celebs that are Polish or that claim Polish ancestry.  In the background they play Polish music, so you can get the Polish atmospheric feel! They have a very small area in which they sell novelties and even a bakery stand (which was empty) for the potential to sell baked goods.

Now to the service and dinning experience - we walked in to an empty house - many tables only 2 others were taken, the waitress allowed us to sit where ever we wanted and promptly came over to get drink orders.

The Start of the Bad Experience - Ordering

We looked over the menus and decided on Stuffed Cabbage Roll Dinner and The Meat Loaf Dinner normal sides - Green Beans, Mashed Potato's and one choice side - she wanted Cottage Cheese - but was told they were out of it - so she ordered a salad instead.  I had ordered Cole Slaw.

When the waitress returned - she had brought my Slaw and my wife to be's Cottage Cheese - stating "she didn't realize they had bought some more!" Huh? she was the only waitress - in the place and she didn't know what they had or were out of ... OK.. 

Literally within minutes the dinners arrived - literally MINUTES! I'm not exaggerating - it was within seconds of finishing our slaw and cottage cheese - that our dinners were produced. My immediate statement was WOW that's one fast Chef!

The Food - On a 1 - 10 scale - I would give it a (-2)

The Food was depressing horrible - the Cabbage Rolls - considered by many Polish People to be comfort food - reminds them of their grandparents home cooking - reminded me of SLIME - with a luke warm center at best! the cabbage was barely warm and the meaty center was cold.  The Mashed Potato's - NASTY  and Cold - in fact I'm almost positive that they were INSTANT - right from a box! So much for home made.  The Green Beans - well lets say they were lacking freshness - as with everything else they were definitely PRE-MADE - Or Canned!

I had mentioned to the waitress the meal was cold - she asked me if I would like something else or have the cook heat it up in the microwave - as if I wanted to pay $12.99 for a microwaved dinner.  I decided to give the Cabbage rolls one more shot - so I ordered just the Cabbage Rolls - No beans - No Instant potato's.
This time I received two Blazing Hot Cabbage Rolls - Again within literally one minute - The waitress came up and said the cook said they are very hot! They were Microwaved to perfection!
I could barely stomach them - but was hungry enough to eat them as I had to pay for them anyways!

The Meatloaf Dinner was lacking as well -Potato's were Cold and Probably INSTANT! the Beans were less than Green, and the Meatloaf was smothered in gravy - But my wife to be actually enjoyed the flavor of the meat - so Not all was horrible - although she did not touch the potatoes after noticing they were cold!

Desert - NONE!

The waitress came up to ask us if we wanted desert - Only she did it in a way to make light of our unfortunate dinning experience - At first she made an excuse that the steam table was not up to temperature and thanked me for letting her know - the cook has made the adjustment to the temperature.  I wonder how many other things were sitting out not staying warm. Honestly it was almost like she was throwing the cook "under the bus" to take all the blame. 

Anyways - to end our dinning experience desert was offered - Only and I quote "Would you like something Cold that is supposed to be Cold?" With that - we asked for our bill - paid and left.

My dinner didn't sit well with me for about an hour or so after we left - it could have been knowing that it was sitting out in an under temperature steamer - or that it was all canned or instant.  Or maybe it was just that I paid for a meal that was micro-waved.  Not really sure!

What I am sure about is that this experience gave me a BAD TASTE for this Restaurant, even though my wife to be, actually enjoyed her meatloaf - the rest of her dinner was less than desirable!

So here it is everyone - EAT There at your own Risk - Their Slogan is: "You Don't Have to be Polish to Eat Polish".  If that is Polish Food - Canned, Instant and Cold - I would rather be anything but Polish!

Welcome!

Hello everyone - Its The Average Guy Food Critic!

I wanted to start off by welcoming you to my Average Guy Food Critic Blog.

Just to give you a brief summary of what I am here to talk about, in case you haven't figured it out yet.... Its Food! Good Food, Bad Food, all kinds of Food! 

I'm not what you would call an expert by any means - what I am though is a consumer! My "Wife to be" and I spend at least once a week going out to restaurants and sometimes we have a fantastic dinner and sometimes we have an awful experience.  But that's not anything new to most of you - I'm sure that you all have the same experience as we do - But imagine how great it would have been if someone warned you not to go somewhere or not to order a certain item that they had.

We do this all the time - to the people we know and love - but what about everyone else? do they just have to fend for themselves? I know I have had a few experiences where I wish someone would have warned me!

On the flip side - I love to hear about places that are fantastic - so my family and I will be able to enjoy an awesome dinner as well.

Well that about sums it up for what I will attempt to do here - I hope you all enjoy reading and hopefully we can all experience some wonderful food here in Northwest Ohio!