Marietta Brewing Company, Marietta OH

Marietta Brewing Company

by Jaclyn Boland

Walking around in downtown Marietta, the wood-rimmed vats sitting in the large front windows of the Marietta Brewing Company caught my eye. I walked inside and the high ceilings drew attention to the steel pipes above. The wooden bar sits right inside the door with locals sipping on their favorite brew. After the drive, I headed straight back for the bathroom and walked past a row of double stacked kegs of their homebrewed beer.

I picked up the menu and looked straight at the list of “handcrafted beers”. They have a master brewer, Kelly Sauber, who uses fresh ingredients to brew tasty and flavorful beers. I began salivating like Pavlov’s dog. The Raspberry Wheat caught my attention. I love raspberries and beer, what a perfect combination! The server quickly brought it over and with the first sip, my taste buds were instantly satisfied. The balance of the beer was overtaken by the fruity raspberry flavor. The microbrew wasn’t as crisp as I was expecting. It was smooth and felt more like I was drinking a juice than microbrew but that didn’t stop me from drinking the entire glass and contemplating a second.

My taste buds were satisfied, but my stomach wasn’t. The food on the menu sounded delicious. I could have eaten just about anything. The salads seemed to call to me, as I haven’t had a decent one in months. But to start I ordered a cup of the French onion soup. I am a big fan of French Onion soup mainly for the Provolone cheese. It was cheesy but I would have liked to see more.

Then came my salad. It had green beans, bib lettuce, blue cheese, almonds and a wine vinaigrette dressing. Delish. But I wasn’t fully satisfied as the waiter asked about dessert. My stomach was saying no but my taste buds egged me on. After the Chocolate Thunder arrived, I knew I was in cake heaven. It was a triple layer chocolate cake that I struggled to finish.

Overall, the Marietta Brewing Company not only offered handcrafted and tasty beers but a hearty meal. Evidence of their brewing machines act not only as decoration but demonstrate their prized skill: brewing beer.

Marietta Brewing Company, Marietta OH

by Jaclyn Boland

Walking around in downtown Marietta, the wood-rimmed vats sitting in the large front windows of the Marietta Brewing Company caught my eye. I walked inside and the high ceilings drew attention to the steel pipes above. The wooden bar sits right inside the door with locals sipping on their favorite brew. After the drive, I headed straight back for the bathroom and walked past a row of double stacked kegs of their homebrewed beer.

I picked up the menu and looked straight at the list of “handcrafted beers”. They have a master brewer, Kelly Sauber, who uses fresh ingredients to brew tasty and flavorful beers. I began salivating like Pavlov’s dog. The Raspberry Wheat caught my attention. I love raspberries and beer, what a perfect combination! The server quickly brought it over and with the first sip, my taste buds were instantly satisfied. The balance of the beer was overtaken by the fruity raspberry flavor. The microbrew wasn’t as crisp as I was expecting. It was smooth and felt more like I was drinking a juice than microbrew but that didn’t stop me from drinking the entire glass and contemplating a second.

My taste buds were satisfied, but my stomach wasn’t. The food on the menu sounded delicious. I could have eaten just about anything. The salads seemed to call to me, as I haven’t had a decent one in months. But to start I ordered a cup of the French onion soup. I am a big fan of French Onion soup mainly for the Provolone cheese. It was cheesy but I would have liked to see more.

Then came my salad. It had green beans, bib lettuce, blue cheese, almonds and a wine vinaigrette dressing. Delish. But I wasn’t fully satisfied as the waiter asked about dessert. My stomach was saying no but my taste buds egged me on. After the Chocolate Thunder arrived, I knew I was in cake heaven. It was a triple layer chocolate cake that I struggled to finish.

Overall, the Marietta Brewing Company not only offered handcrafted and tasty beers but a hearty meal. Evidence of their brewing machines act not only as decoration but demonstrate their prized skill: brewing beer.

A Night at Spagna's

by Allory Williams

Rain splashes angrily against the windshield as the little blue Cavalier winds its way in and out of the hills of Washington County. As the gray sky grows even darker with the coming nightfall, the gas light begins to flicker on. My stomach growls and I accelerate. According to the glowing GPS in front of me, which has been shouting directions for the last hour, I am minutes away from my destination. It’s not that I don’t sympathize with my car, but if I have to choose who gets to fill their tank first, I choose me.

“You have reached your destination!”

I pull into a gravel parking lot next to a small, brick building in a small town on the outskirts of Marietta. Through the rain and the night, it doesn’t look like this building would be worth an hour drive on an empty stomach, but a cultivated eye recognizes these holes-in-the-wall as potential diamonds in the rough.

That’s what I am hoping Spagna’s be as I run through the rain to the restaurant. It’s why I haven’t eaten all day –though I could find no website depicting a menu or description, what I have heard is that the only way to arrive at Spagna’s is to arrive hungry.

Immediately after walking through the door, the atmosphere changes. I am no longer in a small town, inside a nondescript brick building. I am in a chic Italian restaurant, possibly just outside of New York City or maybe even Italy itself. Jazzy music floats around the high ceiling and in and out of the arched doorways as the bartender makes his way around to seat my friend, Emma, and I. Within minutes a waitress glides up, all smiles, to ask what we shall be drinking. Why not wine? When in Rome…

As often happens in an aromatic restaurant, my eyes grow larger than what my stomach is capable of holding. Eagerly, Emma and I order an appetizer of fried ravioli and help ourselves to the loaf of bread dipped in olive oil the waitress places on the table. When the ravioli arrives it is floating in a steaming half alfredo, half marinara bath beside a large meatball and an Italian sausage. We devour the appetizer before the waitress can return to take our order.

After much contemplation from a menu boasting classic Italian pastas and raviolis as well as grilled salmon, tuna and veal dishes, I decide on the special of the day – baked spaghetti. Emma decides on the baked ziti. Our meals come with a basic house salad: mixed greens, red onions, olives and multiple dressing choices. While it sounds pretty basic, this light dish amidst its heavier counterparts is a light enjoyment.

About twenty minutes later, our waitress dances from the kitchen balancing two impossibly large, steaming plates like a comparative scale. She sets them on the table, checking to make sure all is well before returning to the kitchen. I look up at Emma then down at my unconquerable dish, still bubbling from the oven. “We should have shared,” I say as we lift our forks to the challenge before us.

Perhaps Emma and I should have shared, but sympathy is completely unnecessary. After all, who would sympathize with ‘poor’ me, for indulging in a relative cake pan full of hot spaghetti al dente, swaddled in melted mozzarella cheese and savory Italian meats. Or ‘poor’ Emma, for foraging her way through large ziti noodles bundled in marinara and mozzarella like a winter coat.

After eating our fill, it doesn’t look as though we’ve even started. Our waitress makes her way back to the table and smiles knowingly – I feel safe in assuming that this has happened before. “Boxes?” she asks rhetorically. I can only nod.

While waiting for our check and boxes, we sink into the plush booth in a euphoric mood comprised of wine and the heavy Italian cuisine. Our bills arrive; after ordering a glass of wine, an entrée and splitting an appetizer, my bill comes out to be about $25 with tip. Emma’s is about the same. A couple could easily eat here for about $50, maybe $30-$40 depending on wine or appetizer orders. Not a bad price for an evening trip to “New York” or “Italy.”

Brighter Day Restaurant & Natural Foods Market

BY Kelly Vormelker

Historic Marietta’s streets are lined with fast food pit stops. Fine dining eateries and pubs are peppered in between. One spot unique among its neighbors is Brighter Day Restaurant & Natural Foods Store. This, the region’s only natural foods market and restaurant brings granola munchers and meat lovers together in a new and unexpected way.

Located in a small brick building, a shared space with a tiny bowling alley, Brighter Day is modest from the exterior. Upon entering, the warm orange walls and dark wooden features envelope you. Aromas of herbs, sizzling meat and various spices intermingle in the air. You are quickly overwhelmed by the extensive menu featuring items like Portabello wraps, Marsala pasta, baby back ribs and hummus. “Dinner is very relaxed. We lower the lights and have white table cloths,” owner Don Murray says.

Because of the diverse menu, some patrons might be surprised to learn that the restaurant uses all natural ingredients. When available, Don uses organic ingredients too, and vegan items also grace the menu.

The first sign of Brighter Day’s bountiful portions is that after ordering a table receives a basket of warm, over-sized rolls.

To compliment your meal the drink menu boasts organic and imported beers, wines, and fresh made sidecars.

Boasting the region’s most extensive vegetarian menu, Brighter Day cooks with all natural ingredients and uses fresh herbs and spices. The kitchen even makes every meal from scratch. “We do a little bit of everything,” Don says. To find such a comparable healthy haven one would have to travel as far as Athens or Columbus.

Often, the words organic, vegetarian and vegan bring up images of tofu and bean sprouts, but Brighter Day will shatter these images. A billboard advertising the cozy restaurant displays a rack-of-ribs and mashed potatoes.

Brighter Day is striving to break the stereotypes people hold about the natural foods trend. Don is confident that every curious customer will leave having found something to his or her taste. Brighter Day allows vegetarians and carnivorous-cravers to share a table, bonded by a menu they can both embrace.

If the food fails to create the right atmosphere, allow live music to do the job. Two-to-three Fridays of every month Brighter Day employs a live band. Bulgarian guitarist Dimitar Zarev takes the corner stage the first Friday of each month. His place is taken by other acoustic acts on the alternating weekends.

Soft strumming and thoughtful lyrics fill the restaurant, while still allowing conversation among tables.

During the day, Brighter Day joins the business bustle and flips itself into a deli. Hurried workers order at the counter and take a fresh deli sandwich or salad back to the office, drawing the inquisitive eye of the fast food addict in the next cubicle.

Have a little more time to linger during the day? Wander over into the market side of Brighter Day. Spices, vitamins, soup, pancake mix, and various grocery items line the metal shelves. You can find almost anything that you set your organic mind to.

Brighter Day strives to make every visit an experience. The warm and neighborly vibe in the space lays the groundwork. As the extensive menu, unlike any other in the town, greets patrons, they realize that dinner is sure to top last nights frozen food. Live music then fills in any gaps in conversation. Leave with leftovers or groceries and return for another fresh take on natural.