Archive for the restaurants Category

CHAMPPS AMERICANA – Dayton Ohio Restaurant Proves Its “Champion” Status!

Posted in dining, food, hotels, people, restaurants, travel with tags , , , , , , , on July 22, 2012 by Metal Odyssey

Every so often, I will write about a topic that is non-music related. This is one of those times. A couple of weekends ago, my wife and I had to travel on business to Dayton, Ohio. A very fine city is Dayton. The surrounding area and townships around Dayton are excellent to explore as well. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express in Centerville, which is located south of (and minutes from) Dayton.

Holiday Inn Express & Suites – Dayton, Ohio

Our stay at the Holiday Inn Express in Centerville was superb, from top-to-bottom. Angela Shockley, CHS, Director of Sales was a class-act. I have no problem with recommending anyone to stay at this Holiday Inn Express. Located in the same business park as this Holiday Inn Express (and within walking distance) is Champps Americana. Seeing this restaurant conveniently located, next to where we were staying, was instant comfort for us. Food… and cold beer for Stone. Whoa.

CHAMPPS AMERICANA – Dayton, Ohio

This was our first time dining at Champps Americana and needless to say, it won’t be our last. The service and staff were brilliant. Television screens were strategically located everywhere; each one showing a different live or vintage sports game. If you are a sports junkie and like to eat, this is the place! The bar is HUGE and the table seating throughout Champps is numerous. One aspect I really enjoyed about Champps is the spaciousness between tables. This is one vibrant Sports Bar and yes, the restrooms were clean too. Whoa.

Champps Americana (bar) – Dayton Ohio 

The menu at Champps is an All-American festival of food. The portions that were served to us were bountiful! My wife ordered the BBQ Chopped Salad and loved it. She stated: “this is one of the best salads I’ve had in a long time”. I ordered the Champps Cheeseburger with waffle fries and I thoroughly enjoyed every bite. What a juicy burger it was! Whoa.

BBQ Chopped Salad and Champps Cheeseburger

Upon our first trip to Champps (we went 3 times) the General Manager made his way over to our table. Adam Harkless is his name and taking care of Champps business is his game! Adam was professional, courteous, humorous and made my wife and I feel like we were home again. In essence, Adam Harkless became an instant Metal Buddy to Stone. We both wish Adam nothing short of the very best with his career at Champps; the corporate level should know they have a top-tier General Manager running this franchise in Dayton. Whoa.

Stone and General Manager Adam Harkless – Dayton, Ohio

Our stay in Dayton included my wife’s birthday. On Saturday, July 14th, we both returned to Champps for our third time! Adam was on top of his game that Saturday night. He stopped by our table once again for some chit-chat and was thrilled that it was my wife’s birthday. Being both a gentleman and a Champps asset, Adam ordered the Mile High Ice Cream Pie for us to enjoy! On the house baaabbbbyyyy! Can you say: birthday surprise? Trust me, this Mile High Ice Cream Pie can feed four or more people.

Whoa! That’s the Mile High Ice Cream Pie! Um, that’s me in the background with a cold one.

Both my wife and I agree, that Champps Americana in Dayton Ohio has some gooooood food and nice staff, coupled with a good-times and relaxing atmosphere. Thank you, Adam. Metal be thy name.

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Champps Americana – Dayton (Centerville), Ohio – address & info:

Phone: (937) 433 – 2333

7880 Washington Village Drive

Dayton, Ohio 45459

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Holiday Inn Express & Suites – Dayton (Centerville) Ohio – address & info:

Phone: (937) – 938 – 9550

7701 Washington Village Drive

Dayton, Ohio 45459

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* For more info on CHAMPPS AMERICANA, click on the link below!

http://www.champps.com

 LONG LIVE DAYTON CHAMPPS AMERICANA.

LONG LIVE DAYTON HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS.

The words “chit-chat” were used in this post.

Stone.

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WHERE I ATE THE WORLDS GREATEST CHEESE OMELETTE – LET ME SHOW AND TELL YOU!

Posted in breakfast food, dining out, everyday experiences, everyday people, everyday social experiences, family, feel good stories, food, funny stories, life, life stories, living, people, personal stories, restaurant experiences, restaurants, road trip stories, social encounters, travel america, travel stories, vacation stories with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 6, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

When I wake up each morning, the future is all a mystery. Sure, I know my daily routine and can predict the happenings that are all a part of my usual schedule. However… I never could have predicted that I would eat the greatest cheese omelette of my entire life today! This same cheese omelette I have now looked back upon as The Worlds Greatest Cheese Omelette. Yes, I have eaten and enjoyed many a cheese omelette, at many fine restaurants and diners during my life. Yes, many family members have made a cheese omelette for me over the years. I have consumed every style, shape and even store brand type of cheese omelette, from the half cooked to eye popping in taste. Still… this cheese omelette I ate today was something special. An omelette experience to behold… really.

How my cheese omelette experience came to pass today: My wife had a vacation day from work, therefore we embarked on our journey to find a diner/restaurant that was not filled to capacity with hungry breakfast zombies. Fate was in the works from the get-go… our first stab at finding a parking spot at the first diner, Hamilton Family Restaurant or Ham Fam as we locals call it, had no parking space available. Lately, Ham Fam has been very difficult to get into… maybe due to President Obama dining there for lunch, back in early December of 2009, has something to do with it’s excessive overflow of popularity? Nevertheless, Ham Fam, (located in the fantastic city of Allentown, Pa.), is as excellent a diner as one could ever eat at. Upon our realizing Ham Fam was out of the breakfast equation, we set forth for another fine, morning dining destination – The Willows Restaurant, located in East Texas, Pennsylvania.

Admittedly and not to sound too cheesy… this omelette I savored at The Willows Restaurant today, well, it ROCKED.

Upon arriving at The Willows Restaurant, (which has ample parking), my wife and I noticed quickly, there was quite a morning breakfast crowd already there. Not to be shunned away a second time this morning for lack of parking, there was a space for the car… and not too far from the building itself! Walking towards this aged, yet well kept and inviting restaurant, we were already semi-psyched knowing the breakfast vibe was good. Once inside, we noticed the staff was super friendly and professional. Being seated in micro seconds put me into an instant tailspin too. Laughter, chatter and the sounds of a baby crying made this breakfast theater come alive… a feeling of home away from home swept over us both.

Both the waiter and waitress catered to my wife and I like we were the Presidential Couple. Our coffee cups were filled without request! Both breakfast meals were served upon us with the upmost expediency. (Pinch me please, service like this only happens in Mayberry R.F.D.). Now, for the cheese omelette experience… relax and enjoy what I’m about to tell you.

I gazed upon this cheese omelette as if it was gazing back at me. The cheese was melting out from it’s delicate edges and the visual softness of the egg was like nothing I have witnessed before. This omelette was thick, not thin or semi-thick… a real home cooked omelette… and I was not even at home! Alas, we did feel at home, here at The Willows Restaurant. With service and food this unreal great, again, this is not a Happy Days episode either, this is supposed to be 2010. I needed to save this precious omelette for last, the home fries and wheat toast beckoned me to devour them first. I eyed, even flirted with this omelette while my fork gently, ever so deftly, began to part it’s layers. Delicious and satisfying was this cheese omelette. The cheese really was melted to perfection, flowing within the cavernous egg omelette, making for a taste so remarkable, I can only call it The Worlds Greatest Cheese Omelette.

There are those moments in my life I cherish the most, moments shared with my wife, on a Friday morning where normally our schedules dictate us to feel like we are worlds apart. Instead, we were able to enjoy the simplicity and joy of just going out to breakfast together. As a bonus, I discovered the greatest omelette I have ever tasted.

Besides the exceptional service, food, cleanliness and prices at The Willows Restaurant, this is also an establishment where you can laugh and/or cry at… as the above sign reads, from the happiest of occasions to funeral dinners.

– Stone

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