Did you catch my post on a recent day trip we took to Geneva State Park? We, being my husband Bobby, my parents, Bud and Dolores and my niece and great nephew, Aya and Ameareka. We spent a good deal of time at the park, which is beautiful, clean and a lot of fun — though it was very hot that day. After exhausting ourselves at the beach and working up an appetite, we needed to find some kind of eatery. Geneva On The Lake, which is a short drive from the state park, has no shortage of options to choose from. The Strip is lined with places to grab a bite to eat. We had narrowed our search down via Yelp to either Eddie’s Grill or Mary’s Kitchen.
We had liked the idea of going to Eddie’s Grill because it was billed as a 50’s style restaurant. However, when we driving to find it, we discovered that it was an open-air diner — where you sit at tables outside of the restaurant. No offense to Eddie’s but on a hot day like that, we were in search of indoor seating with air conditioning blowing cold.
Mary’s Kitchen fit the bill. Not only was it inside with a/c, but it also served home style food, which is always a popular choice among the writers of this blog. It is a little hard to find, as it is off of the strip on a side road, but worth finding. When we got there, the small parking lot was almost full, but fortunately there was a one space open. I thought the full parking lot was a good sign of what was in store!
The restaurant appears to be a converted house. There are several tables, but unfortunately, when we got there, there wasn’t any in which we could all sit together. Mom and Dad sat at a table by themselves while Aya, Ameareka, Bobby and I sat at another nearby. There was so much to choose from on Mary’s simple menu. However, because I had been so hot all day, the idea of something hot to eat, didn’t appeal to me. The Steak Salad, on the other hand, sounded very appealing. It had sirloin steak, cheese, tomato, and hand cut fries (my favorite!) on a bed of lettuce. Talk about a salad that has my name written all over it! It was huge and very tasty.
My mom ordered the golden fried fish filet sandwich.
My dad ordered the Lake Erie Perch dinner.
Aya and Ameareka shared a grilled cheese sandwich and chicken fingers and fries.
Bobby was a little stumped on what to get. He heard the special was spaghetti and meatballs. The meatballs were made in house and sounded very good to Bobby. Now, Bobby has told me time and time again that an Italian does not go to a restaurant and order spaghetti. This day was no exception. Although it wasn’t on the menu, he asked if they could make him a meatball sub. Probably because he is so cute, the waitress said that she could make that happen. It turned out to be an excellent sandwich.
When we visit new a new area, we like to try places that aren’t chain restaurants, but instead local establishments. Mary’s Kitchen is one of those restaurants. The place has been around for nearly 75 years and based on the fact that the tables were full, just like the parking lot, I’m sure it will be around for many more.
