My husband, Bobby, has been known to spoil me a time or two, especially on my birthday week. This year was no exception. We did a lot of great things, not the least of which, was enjoy Sunday Brunch at the 100th Bomb Group near Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. This turned out to be a delightful surprise, for both of us.
After church on June 4, Bobby said he wanted us to go away for the day. His original plan was to take me to a hamburger place in Delaware, Ohio. When he was checking online for directions and more information, he found out that there was a big golf tournament in the area. He changed his mind, because he didn’t want us to fight the crowds. (I’m sure we will make it there one day!)
Unthwarted and on a mission to make my week special, he looked for places to take me to a brunch buffet. The selling point for the 100th Bomb Group was the fact that they served prime rib on their buffet. We both enjoy prime rib and Bobby has even been known to make a really good one at home.
He didn’t tell me where we were going, but told me to head toward Cleveland. When we started getting off on roads near the airport, I wondered what the heck we were doing. When I finally saw the old planes outside, I got it. (I may not be the brightest crayon in the box, but even I can spot the obvious!) I was excited because we used to enjoy a really good meal at the Bomb Squad restaurant outside of the Akron Canton Airport. (It has since closed.)
Bobby had made a reservation for us, not realizing how many people the restaurant sat. My first impression is that the place is huge! It seemed we walked a mile to our table. O.K. maybe a slight exaggeration, but it was pretty far. In fact, after we had been to the buffet table once or twice, I almost went to the wrong table in the wrong room. That is until I saw someone was sitting where I thought we had been!
Our server was great. She took us to the buffet and explained where everything could be found. She said they would make eggs benedict for us if we wanted. They no longer just have it on the buffet because it doesn’t stand up well under the heat lamps. We could also have gotten a complimentary mimosa. Since neither Bobby, nor I, partake in alcoholic drinks, we declined. Still, if that is your kind of thing, they will do it for you.
After she let us loose to explore, I headed to the hot food area. There was a separate area for the hot breakfast food, but I wasn’t interested in breakfast just yet. Prime rib was on my mind. Along the way, I picked up roasted broccoli, macaroni and cheese, deep fried shrimp and lobster ravioli. Then it was an excellent piece of prime rib. I don’t know what the shrimp was battered in, but it wasn’t your regular tempura. It was also shaped differently than regular shrimp. Instead of curled it was long and straight. I finally had to ask how they did that. It involved using a meat tenderizer and hammering it out longways.
On Bobby’s first trip he found the bacon along with macaroni and cheese, beef tips and of course prime rib. He also had picked up some dinner rolls. If you don’t know Bobby, you might not realize that he will make a sandwich out of whatever meat he has on hand. He is Italian, so bread has always been a big part of his dining experience.
During later trips to the buffet, I sampled their shrimp cocktail, salad and meatballs. I also got a couple of more battered shrimp. Then I tried their french toast with syrup and whip cream.
Of course my trip to any buffet wouldn’t be complete with dessert and the Bomb Group did not disappoint. In fact, the dessert table is one of the first things you see when you are escorted by the buffet. There was plenty of variety and the presentation was appealing as well.
The food was very good. I had more than my fill — meaning I stuffed myself! Very unladylike, I’m sure, but hey, it was my birthday week! Little did I know that the Bomb Group would surprise me with a piece of cheesecake for my birthday. I shared most of it with Bobby, as I basically had room for two bites and that was it.
If you are looking for a way to celebrate something special, then the 100th Bomb Group would be a great way to do so. Not only was the food excellent, but all of the staff members were friendly and helpful, even answering our various questions about how they prepared the food. What had begun as a second choice for lunch, really became the best choice for a birthday brunch!
