Hard to believe that the Mustard Seed in Montrose is heading toward its 30th year.
You’d never know it by looking at its newly gussied-up cafe, the second-floor spot that overlooks the bright food aisles of the natural and organic food store. “A considerable amount” was spent brightening up the bar and dining areas, giving the place a sleeker feel, said Mustard Seed marketing team leader Gabriel Riazi.
We also have news from downtown Wooster, where the hip boutique St. Paul Hotel has added to its big-city feel by attracting a wine bar. It’s the second location for H2 Huth & Harris Wine Merchants, which first opened in Medina in late 2014.
The small St. Paul Hotel is just 5 years old, but it’s in a late-1800s building. Last week, it opened four new rooms, and there’s an Akron connection to the venture.
Meanwhile, Valentine’s Day is coming, so that means lots of dinner specials (that’s your reminder to make reservations if you want to eat out that day).
Heart-shaped pizza
Once again, Rocco’s in Cuyahoga Falls and Stow is offering 12-inch heart-shaped pizzas on Tuesday, Valentine’s Day. The cost is $10 for a cheese pizza and $12 for pepperoni.
The local purveyor expects to bake up hundreds of the special pies. Co-owner Rocco Caponi told me last year that he now has more than 300 heart-shaped pans.
His brother Mario is the other co-owner, and their father Mario began the business in 1953 on West Thornton Street in Akron. The Falls Rocco’s is at 1053 Portage Trail (330-928-3344). The Stow shop is at 973 Graham Road (330-920-1111). Visit www.roccos-pizza.com.
New at Mustard Seed
Back to the revamped Mustard Seed cafe in the Montrose area of Bath Township.
It’s no secret that the cafe at the newer Mustard Seed in Highland Square, which opened in 2015, has proved to be a popular neighborhood gathering place.
Hoping to channel some of that cheery vibe, the Montrose cafe has been redone from top to bottom.
Gone is the dark carpeting, dark upholstery, dark walls and track lighting in the 120-seat restaurant which, like the Highland Square cafe, features all natural and organic ingredients.
Now there are light gray faux wood floors, white and orange walls, bar stools and chairs in cream-colored faux leather, a glossy cream-colored bar top and tables topped with white laminate. The banquet/meeting area that opens up for the Sunday brunch buffet, off the bar, also has been lightened up.
“We’ve definitely already seen an uptick in business,” since the remodeling was completed in January, said Charles Fortnoff, the cafe’s general manager.
Hours are 11 to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday (the brunch buffet runs 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.).
H2 opens in Wooster
The H2 Huth & Harris Wine Merchants in downtown Wooster opened last month in an old brick building adjacent to the original part of the St. Paul Hotel — the one that opened in 2011.
Above H2 are the hotel’s new four new guest rooms.
The wine bar/shop opened last month and offers a small-plates menu similar to that at the original H2 at 221 S. Court St., Medina. Both locations are owned by Patrick Huth, an engineer, and Whitney Harris, a commercial interior designer.
The Wooster H2’s hours are 4 to 9 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday and 4 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Call 330-592-8273. The menu is at www.h2winemerchants.com.
Hattie’s Food Hub
Supporters are showing Hattie’s Food Hub in West Akron some love with a “cash mob” from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.
Hattie’s Food Hub is trying to spread the word about its retail space featuring local produce, and the nonprofit Summit County Food Coalition organized the cash mob. (Cash mob events are designed to encourage folks to spend money at a local enterprise.)
The hub — in a new building off Cedar Street west of downtown — opened last spring on Douglas Street. It faces West Exchange Street, which has been the site of much construction over the past several months, perhaps making potential customers shy away.
It contains the small market and a commercial food processing kitchen. The facility is an offshoot of nonprofit Hattie Larlham’s Hattie’s Garden program, which includes hoop houses and greenhouses that allow crops to be grown in colder weather. Some of the produce is sold at the hub.
Like the three Hattie’s Gardens sites, the Food Hub serves as a work training program for adults with developmental disabilities.
Seasonal offerings
Giant Eagle is offering two seasonal events:
• A Valentine’s Day dinner will be at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Green Market District, 1700 Corporate Woods Parkway.
A menu wasn’t available at press time. Cost is $45. Call 330-896-4456 for reservations.
• A Red Carpet Wine Dinner, playing off the Oscars, will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Feb. 16 at the Portage Crossing Market District at 2687 State Road in Cuyahoga Falls.
Four courses of “party dishes,” designed to inspire award-season hosts, will be featured, along with wine pairings and cocktail-making lessons. Cost is $35. 330-849-2467 for reservations.
Crystal Room is open
The Crystal Room Bistro, operated by hospitality management students on the University of Akron campus, opened for the spring semester on Tuesday.
Lunch hours are 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday for dine-in or carryout. There are daily specials and an a la carte menu. The Talk of the Town dinner series at 5:30 p.m. Thursdays also has resumed. The last reservation is at 7:15 p.m. (The menu is different each week.)
The Crystal Room is on the ground floor of Gallucci Hall at 200 E. Exchange St. Gallucci faces Grant Street, just south of Exchange.
Jamal Feerasta, lead faculty member in UA’s hospitality management program, reminded me that carryout is available, there is free parking and that credit cards are accepted. It’s available for banquets and catering.
For the lunch menu or more information, visit www.uakron.edu/crystal or phone 330-972-6615.
Baking classes offered
Linda’s Kitchen Bakery, which makes some of the best cut-out cookies I have ever had, reports that it’s continuing its bevy of baking classes at its shop.
The bakery moved to 141 Northwest Ave. in Tallmadge in 2014. Classes for February and March are posted at www.lindaskitcheninc.com. The phone is 330-630-8117.
Order your pastries
The Akron area has a special way to enjoy the yummy little three-cornered filled pastries — part pie, part cookie — called hamantaschen.
Each year, the Women’s Chavurah group at Anshe Sfard (Revere Road Synagogue) in Bath Township has helped to celebrate Purim, which this year begins the evening of March 11, by making thousands of the traditional treats.
The pastries will be sold by the dozen, in prune, apricot, raspberry, poppy seed, cherry or chocolate, or an assortment.
Prepaid orders must be placed by Feb. 27, and can be picked up at Anshe Sfard, 646 N. Revere Road, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 5. An order form is available at www.akronshul.com. Orders also can be picked up by appointment. Call 330-867-7292.
Cheese, charcuterie
The Cheesemonger in Kent, the 2-year-old cheese (and other eats and wine) shop, will host Valentine’s Wine and Cheese from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Cheese and charcuterie (cured meats) will be paired with wines. Cost is $25. To reserve a spot go to www.kentcheesemonger.com and click on “Classes & Events.”
The Cheesemonger address is 155 E. Erie Ave., but the shop faces Depeyster Street. It’s in the Acorn Alley retail district in downtown Kent. The phone is 330-593-5619.
Mardis Gras at Ido
The Ido Bar & Grill in Akron is again offering eight days of “N’awlins cuisine” to celebrate Mardi Gras.
This year’s Mardi Gras menu runs Feb. 20 through Fat Tuesday, Feb. 28. (The restaurant is closed Sundays.) Hours for the dinner menu are 4 p.m. to close; the regular menu also will be available. Lunch Mardi Gras specials will be available from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 27 and 28. The Ido is at 1537 S. Main St., Akron, north of Firestone Boulevard. Visit www.idobar.com. The phone is 330-773-1724.
Blue Canyon feast
Blue Canyon, 8960 Wilcox Drive in Twinsburg, will host a five-course wine dinner at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 21.
Brandt Evans, executive chef/partner, created the menu, while executive chef Scott Coffman will oversee preparation. Jeff Hickenlooper with Revelry Vintners, Amy Arida of Cutting Edge Selections, and Amy Malachin of Blue Canyon will talk about the wines.
Cost is $60 plus tax and gratuity. Reservations required. Call 330-486-2583 and reference “wine dinner.”
Indoor markets
A friend asked and got me wondering: When are Countryside Conservancy’s indoor farmers markets at Old Trail School in Bath Township?
There are four left. They will run 9 a.m. to noon Feb. 18, March 4 and 18 and April 8.
The 2017 season of the outdoor market at Howe Meadow, 4040 Riverview Road, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, will run April 22 through Oct. 28. Go to www.cvcountryside.org for information.
Hours at market
The West Side Market in Cleveland is now open earlier on Sundays: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The market also is open 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday and Wednesday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday. It is closed on Tuesday and Thursday.
The landmark Cleveland city-owned market, with more than 100 vendors, is at 1979 W. 25th St. For more information, go to www.westsidemarket.org.
Send local food news to Katie Byard at 330-996-3781 or kbyard@thebeaconjournal.com. You can follow her @KatieByardABJ on Twitter or on Facebook at www.facebook.com and read the Akron Dish blog at www.ohio.com/food.