The Root Vegan & GF Cafe | Behind the Food
Faced with months of crippling road-closing construction outside her five-year-old bakery in downtown Massillon last year, Jamie Anania decided to take a big plunge.
Behind the Food
Camellone Italian American Cuisine | Behind the Food
Mike Cammel had plenty of experience with Italian-style food before he opened his own business, Camellone Italian American Cuisine, in December 2016.
Triple Nickel/Amvets 555 | Behind the Food
Joe Sigler has a lot of history with the building at 216 Fourth Street NW in downtown Canton. At age 20, he started working there at his uncle Sylvester Premier’s Italian restaurant called Premier’s. Later, he and his uncle remodeled the place and renamed it Primo’s. Setting out on his own in 2008, Sigler ran the AMVETS eatery nearby (in the space now occupied by Fronimo’s Downtown), then in 2012 returned to 216 Fourth Street, bought the building and opened Triple Nickel/Amvets 555 there.
Damascus Mediterranean Cuisine | Behind the Food
It’s no exaggeration to call Damascus Mediterranean Cuisine a family operation. Sanaa Aboulaban, a Syrian woman who’d been cooking professionally in Brooklyn, New York, had yearned to have her own restaurant for 30 years and found it at Damascus, which opened in July at 4469 Hills and Dales Road NW in Jackson Township.
Nothing Bundt Cakes | Behind the Food
Retired NFL defensive end Kenny Peterson enjoyed overnight success when he opened a Nothing Bundt Cakes in his hometown a year ago. “It was shocking. It makes me feel good the amount of support that the city has given us,” Peterson said about the instant popularity of his bakery at 4468 Belden Village Street NW in Jackson Township, which is a franchise of a Texas-based company and employs 20 people.
Eadies Fish House | Behind the Food
Rudy Diotale had a specific atmosphere in mind when he opened Eadies Fish House in Plain Township in 2006. “I had traveled to a lot of islands, the Caribbean and up and down the East Coast and been to a lot of these dives that always have good food,” he said. “I wanted to remind people of places they’ve been to when they’re on vacation. We have lots of tchotchkes hanging up everywhere. I think of it as my big man cave.”
Esso Coffee | Behind the Food
About 10 years ago, Andrew (Drew) Koehn bought a home espresso machine, and his future found a new direction. In November 2017, Andrew and his younger brother, Kirby, opened Esso Coffee in Alliance, a shop located at 1686 S Union Avenue, directly across from the University of Mount Union campus.
Aunt Alyee’s Berd-House Deli | Behind the Food
While it’s slightly off the beaten path, Aunt Alyee’s Berd-House Deli is a popular weekday destination for many, who flock like birds for its freshly made breakfast and lunch fare.
Lowry’s Family Restaurant | Behind the Food
In a small town like East Canton, a local restaurant can be a social hub as well as an eatery. Lowry’s Family Restaurant, open since October 2015 at 800 Nassau Street W, draws a lively crowd of locals. Here, manager Melissa White talks about its food and fans.
Sublime Smoke | Behind the Food
Zach Salapack was fully confident of his barbecue skills when he opened Sublime Smoke in his hometown of Bolivar in July 2014. He’d already had success with a BBQ food truck in Columbus, where he’d lived since graduating from Ohio State University. When his wife Aimee was offered a teaching job in the Canton area, Salapack began thinking seriously about opening a brick-and-mortar barbecue restaurant in the area. He found an old storefront at 110 Water Street SE in downtown Bolivar, whose previous tenants had included a general store and a speakeasy.
