The Week's Counter: The Dophin II -- 16th Birthday & 60th Counter!

Part of our celebration of Cam's 16th birthday was a trip to a counter -- and it was our 60th!!  Ted's mom heard from a friend about a new place in Oakwood that had a counter, and after some research we determined it was the Dolphin II -- the new outpost of the original Dolphin in Northfield.  So we stopped in on Sunday morning, along with Tami.

The place definitely looks new, and seems to be very popular already -- there were lots of people waiting for tables, but the counter is fairly large and we quickly got seats.  It took a little while to get the attention of the staff, but once we did they were super friendly and efficient. We had drinks right away, and took some time to look over the extensive menu.

Everyone chose breakfast food -- waffle and bacon for Cam, omelette and bacon for Tami, and a ham scramble, potatoes and coffee for Ted. Our orders arrived amazingly fast.  Everyone enjoyed the food -- pretty good quality, OK for the price.  Definitely worth a visit -- particularly if you are into dolphins (the walls are covered with dolphin-related artwork).

                     

Cam says: "Service was good, as well as food being just above average. Atmosphere was kind of lacking for me. I'll give it 6 frying pans."

Ted says: "Nice, friendly place with a big counter and pretty diverse menu --- lots of good choices.  Service was great. It's worth 7 frying pans."

Tami says: "Enjoyed celebrating Cam's 16th birthday at a counter! Very clean, which is important to me. Friendly waitress, and food was good. 7 frying pans.for me too."

This Week's Counter: Cafe Michael

We've probably driven past this place a thousand times over the years, on the way to and from Aurora.  Looking it up on Yelp and Facebook several times, we could never verify that it had a counter, but somehow finally ran across some pics that seemed to prove it did.  So we made the trip over on a Saturday morning to check it out.

It was a nice day and the tables outside were full, and inside there were people waiting. Fortunately for us, the small counter had 2 seats free so we grabbed them.  Service was fast and friendly -- all the staff were decked out in Tribe gear since this was during the playoff run.  

Cam had a breakfast sandwich and fries, which he thought was pretty good.  Ted went with an omelet, potatoes and coffee -- decent, but nothing outstanding.  We were glad to have finally given it a try, but not sure we'd rush back -- nothing particularly memorable about this one.

                        

Cam says: "Good food, but nothing that made it stand out atmosphere or service-wise. I'll give it 6 frying pans."

Ted says: "Kind of chaotic, super busy on a weekend morning. Service was really great, food was kind of average. 6 frying pans.for me."

This Week's Counter: Sidewalk Cafe

Driving out to Painesville for a Friday night football game, we happened to pass the Sidewalk Cafe right in the center of town and noticed it had a counter.  So on a late Saturday morning we made the trek back out there to give it a try.  

This place is housed in what looks like it used to be an old pharmacy -- old medicine cabinets on the walls, an old soda fountain and old photos on the walls.  There's also a lot of Lake Erie College paraphernalia, and the place seems to attract a lot of the college students.  

There was plenty of space at the very large counter, and we quickly had our orders in. Since it was nearing lunchtime, Cam went for chicken and fries. Ted had his typical basic breakfast -- eggs, potatoes, toast and coffee.  

Food was kind of average, but the service was friendly the and the interesting atmosphere, like stepping back in time, made it a worthwhile trip.  Not that anyone has a reason to be in Painesville and it's pretty far out of the way, but definitely worth a try.

             

Cam says: "Liked the atmosphere and the service was great. I'll give it 7 frying pans."

Ted says: "Cool old-time diner atmosphere, with friendly service.  Food was just average, so can't give it more than 6 frying pans."