Akron’s Merriman Valley is getting another new eatery, and this one will feature “seafood dumps,” among other Cajun and Creole treats.
Called da Bayou, the new place is set to open in late February or early March in the space that previously housed Max McQ’s, which closed abruptly in June.
Owners are Tony and Michelle Banks of the Akron area who told the uninitiated me that dumps are seafood boils where the contents are dumped on tables. It’s a thing in Louisiana.
Included in the significant renovations to the space is a “boil area,” an enclosed space where cooks will prepare the boils. It has windows, allowing nearby customers to view the action. (You can sit at a regular table and enjoy a boil without the dump ritual.)
The boils will include choice of crawfish, shrimp, crab legs, scallops or lobster, prepared and served “New Orleans style,” by the pound, accompanied by sides of andouille sausage, red potatoes and corn on the cob.
“We were trying to open by Mardi Gras,” Feb. 28, Tony said, but they are waiting on permits from the health department and liquor control. (Mardi Gras trivia: French settlers brought the tradition to the Louisiana bayous.)
Cajun and Creole food captivated Tony and Michelle when they lived on the West Bank of New Orleans years ago. Neighbors from a small town outside Baton Rouge shared the Cajun and Creole dishes and cooking techniques. Tony is from Pennsylvania; Michelle is from Florida and grew up in Detroit.
While the Bankses are new to the restaurant scene, they previously operated a spa/salon outside the area, and have hosted Cajun-themed fundraisers for charitable groups, including the Akron Urban League.
Tony said now that he is retired from his executive job, he was able to convince Michelle to go after their dream and open the restaurant. He most recently was with Star Energy Partners, a company he founded in 2012. Prior to that he was with FirstEnergy Solutions.
The couple hired Troy Harris as head chef. He previously was head chef at the Game Grill + Bar at Canal Park stadium in downtown Akron.
Go to www.da-bayou.com to check out the menu, which includes fish and steak entrees, po’boy sandwiches and salads. The address is 1562 Akron-Peninsula Road.
La Loma still on the way
Speaking of Valley eats, La Loma’s second location is still on the way.
Owners of the popular Mexican place in Ellet had hoped to have their new second location open last week at 1682 Merriman Road in the Valley, the former Monica’s.
Co-owner Blanca Saucedo told me this week that new equipment is awaiting an approval from the city’s water department. She hopes to open later this month.
Bourbon and beer
High St. Hop House, a new bourbon-and-Ohio-beer joint in downtown Akron, is set to welcome its first customers Friday.
The doors at 20 S. High St., next to Rubber City Clothing and near the Akron Art Museum, will open at 5 p.m., with the bar featuring 18 taps and more than 30 bourbons and whiskeys.
It boasts a large wood and stained-glass back bar from the former Old Heidelberg on Main Street. It’s a small place, with seating for about 30. But customers can spill into the Uncorked Wine Bar.
Operators of High St. Hop House are Will Murphy and Michael Troppe, the son of the owner of Uncorked, Jill Troppe, and Tony Troppe, who has redeveloped several downtown properties.
Downtown holdings of Tony Troppe and partners include the early 1900s brick building that houses the Hop House, the gallery and Uncorked, as well as the Musica performance space behind the new bar. These properties are all in an area that Troppe promotes as downtown’s arts and cultural district.
Michael Troppe and Murphy are longtime friends. Both went to Revere High School in Bath Township. After graduating from the University of Akron, Troppe most recently worked at the nearby Blu Jazz+, another Tony Troppe project.
Murphy, who also graduated from UA, has worked as a bartender at the Mustard Seed Cafe in Akron’s Highland Square neighborhood.
Hop House is roughly a block north of where Akronym Brewing Co. hopes to open a production brewery and tasting room this fall. (Read more about Akronym in the Community section.)
A limited menu is planned for Hop House, with munchies such as beer-battered cheese sticks, mesquite-grilled chicken sandwich and chili made with a “smoky porter,” said Jill Troppe, who is developing the menu. Food probably won’t be available until March, she said.
High St. Hop House, in the former We Gallery, has an old-timey look, thanks largely to the Old Heidelberg back bar, which most recently was in use at a bar in the Portage Lakes.
High St. Hop House will be open Tuesday through Saturday. On Friday, live music will begin at 7 p.m. Acts lined up include guitarist/vocalist Jack Emmerich and the 20/20 Lenz Brass Band.
Firestone Soup Fest
Here’s a warming fundraiser: The Firestone High School Soup Fest runs from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Feb. 23.
In its 21st year, the fest will be in the cafeteria of the high school, 333 Rampart Ave. in Akron. It raises money for the Firestone High School Instrumental Music Association.
Donating soup are local restaurants Frank’s Place, Rockne’s, Beau’s Grille, Caston and Main Brew Yard, and Diamond Grill, as well as chains TGI Fridays, Cracker Barrel, Olive Garden and Bob Evans.
Patrons get unlimited portions, a dessert and beverage. Tickets are $8 for adults and $4.50 for children under 10, available at the door. Bring a mug, or bowls will be available.
Spring brunch at UA
University of Akron students studying hospitality management will host their annual spring brunch from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. March 5 at the Crystal Room Bistro, 360 Grant St. (Gallucci Hall). They’ll serve up breakfast items and a lot more.
Cost is $19.95; $15.95 for ages 60 and older; and free for children 3 and younger. Phone 330-972-6615 for reservations. Proceeds help pay for students’ field trips.
Italian wine dinners
The menu is now available for Papa Joe’s first of two Italian wine dinners.
The first dinner is at 6 p.m. Feb. 27 with Giorgio Pelissero, the owner of Pelissero, with vineyards in the Barbaresco zone of Piedmont in northwest Italy, known for red wines.
The menu will include chicken liver pate served with Soligo Prosecco Brut; beef tongue carpaccio with pickled vegetables and a fried egg served with Barbera D’Alba Piani; black truffle sacchetti with pistachio and fontina fonduta, served with Langhe Nebbiolo; and porcini-crusted beef tenderloin with vegetable puree served with Nubiola Barbaresco.
The second dinner is 6 p.m. March 15 with Franco Pasetti. Cost for each is $85; call 330-923-7999 to reserve. The restaurant is at 1561 Akron-Peninsula Road in Cuyahoga Falls.
Mardi Gras specials
The Ido Bar & Grill in Akron begins its Mardi Gras specials Monday. The menu runs 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.
Champion bagger
Brady Long of Buehler’s Fresh Foods, with headquarters in Wooster, defeated 22 competitors from across the nation to claim a grand prize of $10,000 at the National Grocers Association (NGA) Best Bagger Champion in Las Vegas.
The association has organized the nationwide competition since 1987. Contestants are judged by speed, “proper bag-building technique,” weight distribution, as well as “style, attitude and appearance,” Buehler’s said.
The competition was held Monday during the NGA Show at the Mirage Hotel and Casino.
Long, 23, who won the 2016 Ohio Best Bagger Contest, works at the Medina Forest Meadows store. He is studying accounting at the University of Akron. Buehler’s has 13 supermarkets, including stores in Wooster, Orrville, Wadsworth, Medina, Jackson Township, Green and Massillon.
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.