Merry Edwards Winery

RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY

Wine Dinner

Winemaker Merry Edwards will be here to share her story of producing some of the finest Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir in California.  Join us for an entertaining night of great food and wine!

Menu

1st Course

2nd Course

3rd Course

4th Course

5th Course

Euro USA

Wine Dinner

Wednesday, Nov. 14th

6:30 PM

Cost $85 per person (+tax & tip)

Join us in celebration of Bender’s 110th Anniversary for an exclusive Wine Dinner.  This will be a collaboration between Bender’s Chef Carl Falcone and Euro USA Fine Wine Director Jim Francisco.  Jim has hand selected some great wines and Chef Carl will once again take his culinary talents to the next level and delight us all.  Don’t miss this evening of great food and wine! More details to follow on five course dinner.  To RSVP please Bender’s 330-453-8424

Wines

Chatel Cava NV 89 Parker

2011 Reverdy Sancerre 2011 90 Parker

2010 White Oak Chardonnay 92 Wine Enthusiast

2008 Maysara Asha Pinot Noir 93 Parker

2006 Pietrosso Brunello di Montalcino 93 Wine Spectator

2007 Brion Cabernet Sauvignon (very limited unrated)

   

Brewery Dinner

Thursday, November 8th, 2012

6:30 PM Cost $55 per person +Tax/Tip

The beer line up:

Organic Lager

 Pale Ale

 Nut Brown Ale

 Taddy Porter

 Organic Chocolate Stout

Organic Raspberry Ale

Chef Carl Falcone will pair his gourmet culinary creations with amazing beers from the Samuel Smith Brewery.  This will be a five course dinner with six beers from the brewery.  Please make your reservations early, limited space is available.  For reservations call 330-453-8424 

About the Samuel Smith Brewery

The Old Brewery at Tadcaster was founded in 1758 and is Yorkshire’s oldest brewery. Samuel Smith is one of the few remaining independent breweries in England, and further is the last to utilize the classic Yorkshire Square system of fermentation solely in stone squares.

The rich Samuel Smith strain of yeast at The Old Brewery dates from the early 1900s. Hops are hand-weighed by the master hop blender, and the brewing water is drawn from a well sunk over 200 years ago.

First introduced to the U.S. market in 1978 by Merchant du Vin, Samuel Smith beers quickly became the benchmark ales for the emerging craft beer movement. To this day, they remain among the most awarded

By Saimi Rote Bergmann | Photos By Julie Botos

Dinner is Served: Carl Falcone, Executive Chef at Bender’s Tavern, shows the Roasted Halibut with Charmoula Hummus and green beans.

Seafood connoisseurs do not have to travel to Boston or San Francisco to enjoy top-quality fish that’s been harvested at peak season and prepared by a skillful hand. They only have to get to Bender’s Restaurant & Tavern in downtown Canton.

Despite a harsh economic climate, witnessed by the closing of several restaurants nearby, Bender’s continues to thrive. When I visited on a recent Tuesday evening, the dining area was full. And nearly every diner I saw ordered seafood.

The menu offers a steak or two, but mostly stays true to the maxim “Do what you do best.” The permanent menu and multiple special and seasonal menus offer an array of fish and shellfish you won’t find elsewhere in Stark County.

We started with a Bender’s mainstay–an appetizer of smoked mackerel coated in cracked pepper, accompanied by a cup of tangy horseradish sauce for dipping. The texture and smokiness were perfect. Smoked trout, a newer offering, is proving popular with diners who prefer a slightly less oily fish.

From the small plate menu, we chose the chargrilled asparagus, beautifully plated with a luscious blood-orange sauce and a sprinkling of mild feta. Small plates are relatively new at Bender’s, but have been well received, according to general manager Jon Jacob.

Take Your Pick: Popular small plate dishes at Bender’s include grilled asparagus with blood orange vinaigrette and feta (front) and Burrata cheese with roasted red peppers, olives and basil (back).

“We started small plates for the First Friday crowd,” Jacob said. “They’re good for people who might not want a whole, full dinner. They can come in, get a couple small plates to share.”

Another option for those who don’t want a whole meal is a bowl of the lobster bisque, which as earned executive chef Carl Falcone many kudos. The labor-intensive dish begins with the roasting of lobster shells in order to make a flavorful stock.

“We deglaze with brandy, use lots of fresh tarragon,” Falcone said. “The bisque is pretty amazing.”

The spinach salad is worth of note, an artfully arranged plate of greens topped with individual mounds of crumbled hard boiled egg, bean sprouts and fresh mushrooms. It pairs well with the sweet and sour dressing, but if you’re willing to pay extra, the hot bacon dressing hits that fine line between sweetness and vinegary tartness.

Bender’s most popular seafood entree for many years was the Lake Erie walleye, but Jacob says the halibut has moved to the No. 1 spot.

“By far, the fresh East Coast halibut served a la Foley style is the most popular. Also, Carl’s been doing a special (halibut) with the hummus and a fennel relish.” Jacob said.

Many entrees are only available seasonally, including swordfish, which migrates from Florida to New England in the early summer.

“We only serve swordfish when it’s swimming up around Rhode Island and Massachusetts. The fish are feeding better and the meat gets nice and fatty,” Jacob explained.

Sole is available year-round, and Falcone prepares it a myriad of ways.

“The most popular is the Oscar style, with grilled asparagus, lump crabmeat and Hollandaise sauce,” Falcone said. “It’s fabulous, like the traditional Oscar dish, just on fish instead of veal.”

Falcone’s sauces, side dishes and accompaniments are seasonal, creative and just plain fun. The sole we tried was paired with a mushroom bread pudding, a savory treat reminiscent of stuffing.

Whiel Bender’s Offers many desserts, from creme brulee to cheesecake, I can never resist the mini-sundae topped with its trademark glob of warm, peanut butter fudge sauce.

Bender’s was opened in 1902 by Ed and Anna Bender. Jon Jacob’s great-grandparents, John and Cora Jacob, took over the restaurant in 1932. Jon’s father, Jerry is the current owner. The restaurant is housed in the historic Belmont building at 137 Court Ave. SW.

By Denise Sautters | Photos By Scott Heckel

Grand Champion of The Taste of the NFL at the HOF Tuesday was Benders Tavern Inc. Shown are chief Carl Falcone, president Jon Jacob and president and CEO of the Akron Canton Regional Foodbank Dan Flowers.

Come Feb. 5, Carl Falcone, the chef at Bender’s Tavern in Canton, will be in Indianapolis celebrating his win Tuesday night at the 2011 Taste of the NFL fundraiser for the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank.

Jon Jacob, son of owner Jerry Jacob, said he and Falcone were “thrilled” with being named the Grand Champion of the event and were looking forward to being in the national spotlight during the 2012 Super Bowl’s national Taste of the NFL competition. On Tuesday night, they served sea scallops with a sun-dried tomato butter sauce and lobster bisque.

Bender’s was one of 19 restaurants and country clubs represented at the event. It was a first for Dennis Devies from Brookside Country Club, who said he was looking forward to competing with the other contenders.

“I love the competition,” he said while preparing his food.

Next to him was last year’s winner, Mark Pullin, who was hoping to pull out another win this year.

“It is a must,” he said of winning before the event. Win or lose, though, he said, “There are so many good chefs here. I am excited and I think I have a great chance of winning again this year. We will see.”

NFL great Jim Taylor was a favorite on the football field when he played for the Green Bay Packers, and he continues to be a favorite at the Taste of the NFL.

“I always look forward to coming back to Canton,” said the Hall of Famer who was enshrined in 1976. “This is such a great cause and as long as they will have me, I will be here to support the food bank.”

Fellow NFL great Leroy Kelly, enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1994, agreed with him.

“People don’t understand how great the need is for people,” he said. “It is rough out there for a lot of people and if it wasn’t for the food bank, many would go hungry. What they are doing here tonight, raising money to feed the hungry, is great. As long as they keep inviting me back, I will be here.”

Also on board Tuesday night was Molly Meeker, co-owner of Meeker Vineyard, a family-owned winery in Sonoma County, Calif. Meeker has been platinum sponsor of this event for the past five years.

“I’m from Youngstown,” she said, explaining this is one way she can give back to Northeast Ohio. “We are very supportive of food banks.”

She worked closely with David Esber of Esber Beverage, distributors for Meeker wines. The two mingled among the 450 or so attending the event, offering wine-tasting tips throughout the event.

Linda DeHoff and Lara S. Wilson were cochairwomen of the event at which the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank hoped to raise $135,000 to support hunger relief efforts in northeast Ohio.

By Jennifer Mastroianni

If you want to experience morel mushrooms but don’t want to head into the forest, find chefs who have already done foraging and are featuring the coveted fungus on their menus.

Bender’s Tavern in downtown Canton serves morels as a side dish.

“We just dust them with flour, add a little salt and pepper and pan sauté them in a little butter,” said Jon Jacob, general manager. “We don’t mess around with them. We let the mushroom do the work.”

Every spring for at least 20 years, the Jacob family has featured local morels on their menu. The family has several secret woodland spots, and hunting for mushrooms is a family tradition.

“My dad took me out when I was 7 or 8,” said Jon Jacob’s father, Jerry Jacob. Jerry took Jon, and now Jon takes his young son morel hunting.

“After the season is over here, we will start ordering them from Michigan,” Jon Jacob said. He recommends pairing the mushrooms with a Pinot Noir.

By Dan Kane and Jennifer Mastroianni | Photos By Bob Rossiter and Julie Botos

Shortage of stellar bites in Stark County? Hardly. But if you are looking to add a few more outstanding edibles to your list of favorites, look no further. Our foodies dish up their picks for must-eat foods in Stark County. Of the dozen delectables, their choices range from lobster tails to a snickerdoodle cookie to Thanksgiving dinner. Bon appétit!

Bender’s Tavern Lobster

When it comes to one coveted crustacean, bigger is not always better.

“In the world of lobster, the older they get, the less flavor they have,” explains Jon Jacob, general manager of Bender’s Tavern in downtown Canton.

That is why Bender’s lobster entree ($39.99) features two 4-oz. tails instead of one big one. Lobster locale also plays a part in sweeter meat. “Cold water tails tend to have a little more flavor than warm water tails,” Jacob said. “Which is why we offer South African cold water tails.”

The shellfish is cooked under a broiler, with the meat presented atop the shells for easy access. Lemon wedges and drawn butter are all you need for this sumptuous seafood experience, and the perfect accompaniments are a simple tossed salad and crispy golden Bender fries.