restaurant review

Hocking Hills Comfort Food Cruise 2023

Mary
Family at Mams Rusted Skillet

Introduction

Although the Hocking Hills Comfort Food Cruise is now in its 8th year, this was the first year we drove it.  It was a lot of fun and we had many delicious eats along the way. The cruise will be available next weekend (March 11 and 12, 2023), so it’s not too late to join in the dining adventure. There are twelve stops in total. The cost is $20 and you have two full weekends to visit any of the 12 stops. For complete information, including links to the stops, please go to the Hocking Hills Tourism Association’s Comfort Food Cruise web page. I’m only going to write about the seven stops we were able to squeeze into our afternoon of driving and dining.

What you might want to know

But first, some tips/advice:

  • We left at least a $1 per person tip everywhere we visited.
  • Opening and closing times vary among stops, so plan your tour carefully.
  • Some stops run out of what they planned to serve.
  • Nature sometimes interferes with the best laid plans. The Hocking Hills experienced a pretty big storm on March 3 and power was out in the rural/park areas until mid Saturday morning. That meant the Inn at Cedar Falls sent their triple berry cobbler way over to the Urban Grill to serve, and the Rock House Restaurant was not available at all. I assume that on Sunday, everything was back to normal.
  • You can enjoy your comfort food at each stop or get it “to go.”

The beginning

Our first stop was at the Hocking Hills Tourism Association‘s Welcome Center in Logan. We purchased our Comfort Food Cruise cards, got our souvenir ice cream scoops and map. We had already planned our route so immediately left the Welcome Center and headed to Jack’s Steakhouse.

Our route

Jack’s is an institution in the Hocking Hills but we haven’t been there for a while. We were seated upon arrival and it wasn’t long before our beef noodles and gravy over mashed potatoes arrived in a styrofoam cup with a plastic spoon. Actually, disposables were common on this cruise. We also asked for water which arrived promptly. While there wasn’t much actual beef in the dish it was still delicious, I suspect the potatoes were not homemade. Might be wrong about that.

The next stop was at the Urban Grill, which is actually at the Hocking Hills Golf Course club house. It is a very nice facility. We had quite a wait for our ultimate grilled cheese but it was served on a real plate, with metal utensils. It wasn’t quite what we were expecting but it was still very, very good. There were two types of cheese (only one was melted), bacon, tomato, lettuce, pickle. This was a full size sandwich. Unfortunately, they had run out of the Inn at Cedar Fall’s triple berry cobbler, but we will go for that next weekend.

After much discussion, we decided that we did have time to stop at Hocking Hills Frozen Yogurt. We were all glad we did. Friendly service, lots of yogurt and a multitude of toppings.

The Home Tavern was a must stop for all of us: pulled pork sliders and white mac & cheese. Oh my goodness – the ultimate comfort food! Both were tasty even beyond our expectations. Very friendly and good service as well.

We had planned to stop at Tacie’s Sweet Treats, but they had run out of goodies an hour and half before they were supposed to close. I think this might be their first year participating in the Comfort Food Cruise. We’ll try them again next weekend. That broccoli cheddar soup just sounds too appealing to skip.

We were all getting pretty full by then but no one wanted to miss Treehouse Treats & Treasurers, which served a generous junior scoop of ice cream, in a cup or cone. I got the salted caramel. It was so good I had to eat it all of it. My companions did the same. Are you counting? We have now already had two good sized desserts and we were headed to Laurelville for our final two stops.

In Laurelville, we arrived at The Ridge Inn just in time for their meatloaf and mashed potatoes. We’ve had their meatloaf many times over the years so most of us ordered ours “to go.” We needed to save room for the final stop at Mam’s. Service at the Ridge Inn was wonderful as usual.

The final stop: Mam’s Rusted Skillet for their hamburger slider and fries. They serve local beef which is what makes their burgers so delicious. Crispy, hot fries – yum! Again, excellent service. The photo at the top of this post was taken at Mam’s. I don’t think we could have squeezed in any more food on this tour. There was napping when we returned home and no one needed dinner.

That leaves five more stops for us next weekend: Rock House Restaurant for evergreen garlic fries, Hocking Hills Coffee Emporium for Danish and coffee, Hocking Hills Diner for banana bread French toast, the Inn & Spa at Cedar Falls for triple berry cobbler and Tacie’s Sweet Treats for broccoli cheese soup.

In closing

For complete details on all of the locations mentioned in this post, please go to the Comfort Food Cruise web site.

The Tourism Association is now planning a September Comfort Food Trail, so stay tuned for more delicious food in the Hocking Hills.

Mary at Marsh Hollow

Fine dining at Glenlaurel Inn

Mary

Last Friday, Dave and I celebrated our wedding anniversary with an exquisite dinner at the Glenlaurel Inn, here in the Hocking Hills. Located about 20 minutes from Marsh Hollow, the Inn has been offering luxury accommodations (and luxury pricing) and fine dining since 1994, with a Scottish theme. We’ve never stayed there but have dined there a few times over the years. We’ve never been disappointed!

Dinner reservations are required and can’t be made until Inn management knows there will be enough dining space to accommodate outsiders. Their own guests come first of course. We made our reservations three days ahead, the earliest we could. However there were still a few empty tables at our Friday meal.

Check out the menu:

Glenlaurel Inn menu

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is only one seating at 7 pm, but you may enjoy cocktails, beer and wine in the pub, 5-7 pm. When it’s time for dinner, you’re told which dining room is yours. After seating you at your table, with lovely place cards, the server reads a short poem. Then the six course meal begins. Friday is seafood night which is why we decided to go then even though it was not exactly our anniversary. Saturday nights are extra special with a bagpiper in full regalia piping guests into dinner.

We were so glad to learn that Glenlaurel Inn is still offering the most elegant dining in the Hocking Hills. For more information, visit their web site at https://www.glenlaurel.com.

Mary at Marsh Hollow

 

 

Breakfast at the Village Cafe

Mary

Yesterday,  our little Bobo had an appointment at the groomers in Laurelville (with the clever Natalie at Love on a Leash). It’s not worth it to drive home so I usually have breakfast while I’m waiting. I decided to have a relatively healthy breakfast so went to the Village Cafe for their BIG bowl of oatmeal,  served with brown sugar and milk. I always get a well buttered English muffin to top things off. The healthy part comes in using only a teaspoon of the sugar.

There’s a full breakfast, lunch and dinner menu at the Village Cafe. I particularly like their chicken salad sandwich,  and the daily specials are pretty good. Service is prompt and friendly.  Always. Hours are generally 6 am to 9 pm, but it’s always a good idea to call ahead: 740-332-6415.

Located on State Route 56 in the village, but official address is 16039 Water St., Laurelville.

Hocking Hills Roasters: Coffee in the Hills!

Mary

Hocking Hills Roasters is just one more reason to visit Hocking County, and it’s a particularly wonderful place to go when you want some indoor things to do (or when you’re worn out from all of the outdoor things). It’s located in the Hocking Hills Market on U.S. 33, south of Rockbridge. In two words: fabulous coffee.

Dave and I, and our friends Sherwin & Diane, made a stop there recently, to pick up some Ethiopian Limu coffee, roasted on site, and accidentally learned how to make a really good cup of coffee using a French press. The owner, Roger Varner, mans the shop on the weekends and he knows his stuff. He is very gentle about “adjusting” your ideas about how to make coffee. We have now learned from the master!

Hocking Hills Roasters also offers roasted nuts, fudge, Get Well teas and the largest, tastiest turtle (candy) I’ve ever had. Seriously, go there for coffee, but get a turtle too.

Mary from Marsh Hollow

The Ridge Inn: New Restaurant in Laurelville!

Mary

There is a GREAT new addition to dining in Laurelville: The Ridge Inn. My friends Beth, Beth, Kathy and new friend Pat met there for lunch today. I had the cusabi chicken salad and crab chowder. Crab chowder in Laurelville?! Both were wonderful. The salad included diced chicken, pecan pieces and dried cranberries tossed in cusabi dressing, a light cucumber flavor, and was served over mixed greens. The crab chowder was so good I ordered some for take-out – my Dave is sure to love it tonight for dinner.

Everyone enjoyed their lunch, including really, really good coffee. Kathy & Pat ordered hot tea and got to pick from a selection of very fine teas from Harney & Sons. Beth and I had biscotti for dessert, and Beth had a muffin.

So far, the Ridge Inn is only open for breakfast and lunch, Tuesday through Sunday. But they are planning their grand opening for next week and then will start serving dinner.

The lunch menu includes hamburgers, cusabi chicken sandwich, grilled cheese sandwich, chicken salad sandwich, the Ridge salad and the cusabi chicken salad. They also usually have 2 soups and 2 specials.

The building is brand new and the ambience is very fresh and modern. Since very few new buildings and businesses are ever added to the Laurelville village proper, this is a bit of a shock. But the design fits in.Almost all of the tables are near windows. Plus the second floor has a meeting room that can be reserved.

My friends and I HIGHLY recommend the Ridge Inn.

Mary at Marsh Hollow

P.S. I need to ask the owner why she named it “The Ridge Inn” when it is most definitely NOT on a ridge!

Yet another lunch at the Inn & Spa at Cedar Falls

Mary

My girls (Beth, Kathy & Julie) and I had our monthly lunch at the Inn & Spa at Cedar Falls on Monday. They offer yummie soups, salads & sandwiches, plus desserts on their lunch menu. I had the 1/2 a sandwich/bowl of soup combo for $8.00 (excellent chicken salad), then shared an incredible brownie & oatmeal-raisin cookies with Beth.

It’s a little pricey but the high quality and rustic/cozy ambience make it all worthwhile. Plus you’re only moments away from Cedar Falls, if you’d like to take a little hike before or after lunch.

If you are staying at Marsh Hollow, the Inn & Spa is a 25 minute drive. Or if you’d prefer in-cabin massage therapy and spa services, we recommend Blue Valley Massage.

Mary at Marsh Hollow