The Cove - San Antonio, TX

The Cove in San Antonio,  TX was kind of a cool tree hugger, healthy food restaurant with a really great tap beer selection both indoors and out.  It seemed more like an Austin restaurant than San Antonio to me.

It almost has a biergarten sense about it.  The counter where you order the food is kind of small but the outdoor area is really pretty big and the indoor bar area is a fair size as well.  They have an actual vegetable garden in the outdoor seating area as well as a playground for the kids.  Smoking is allowed in the "carcinogen corner."  Pets were welcome outside, too.

There were probably 40 Army soldiers here attending some kind of classroom training when I was here for lunch.

The menu consisted of salads and lots of other healthy choices.  I ordered the seafood sampler.  It had a fish taco, a shrimp taco, and a garden salad.  Hot sauce was provided on the side.  You can really tell that the vegetables and greens were super fresh because of the way that they snapped and were full of flavor.  Very nice!

Everything is locally sourced.  They have a couple of representations to explain to you where your food was coming from.  The map went no further than the borders of the state of Texas.

There was an outdoor stage set up. This would probably be a good place to come after work or on the weekend.  I liked it.  I would rate The Cove an 8.5; worth checking out.

Ange Netta's Cafe and Bakery - Canfield, OH

Ange Netta's restaurant is a nice, comfortable, family friendly Italian bakery and restaurant.  It is absolutely not a dive.

It is a little off of the beaten track on a local side street.  I had the address and still had to hunt down the restaurant.  I almost blew it off.  Something that the Food Network's Alton Brown often says resonated throughout my visit; "your patience will be rewarded." This was not a DDD restaurant.   It did get good reviews on yelp which was how I found it.

When you first walk in, the bakery case is right in front of you.  So,  you have desert on the mind even before ordering your meal.  I'm sure more than one person has elected to skip right to desert for this reason.

After you get inside, there are pictures of babies everywhere. The prints are huge: probably12 foot tall in their frames. No doubt a photographer is a family or business friend. The artwork is really well done and sets the mood of the place. You expect the food service also to be creative, comfortable and well executed.

I thought of the clientele as a suburban mix. The crowd included business people, a lady's club and moms with kids. Easter decorations were everywhere and done with care.

Unlike practically every DDD restaurant, they offered some healthy choices. I started off with a garden salad. The blue cheese dressing was really good. It must have been made here fresh.

Service was a little slow.  Again, the voice of Alton Brown "your patience will be rewarded" rang through my head. And it was.

My entrée was healthy kale and wheat pasta with broccoli, potato and collared greens. There was no sauce per se. It was covered with a light olive oil and pinto beans. I found it to be Just the right amount of crunchy and a little peppery. Very nice!

I couldn't pass up desert I tried the banana foster bites. They were little square donuts, bananas, whipped cream, vanilla ice cream and strawberries. The hot donuts made the ice cream into a syrup. Ooo boy, this is good. We'll be skipping diner tonight. So, it went from healthy to decadent in just a few bites.

Ange Netta's almost doesn't belong in a DDD ranking but, I would give it a 7.5. The food was really good but the service and atmosphere were just okay.

Ange Netta's Cafe and Bakery
64 Cardinal Dr
Canfield, OH 44406
(330) 533-6090
http://www.angenettas.com/

.