Oberlin's The Feve

With the end of the year looming, it was time to hit another restaurant on the 2015 To Dine Challenge list. This time, we met another couple out in Oberlin at The Feve.

Since 1992, it has been a community favorite for college students, families, and anyone looking for craft beer and tasty bar grub. A lengthy craft beer list is not as easy to find outside of the Cleveland city limits, and The Feve has an impressive one. Instant "points" with me! Couple that with locally-sourced ingredients and fresh, homemade casual food, and you have yourself a winning restaurant concept. It reminded me of our beloved Tremont Tap House, in every sense of the way. Maybe slightly better service here, haha.

They've been voted "Ohio's Best Brunch," but they are truly know for their burgers and tater tots. Although, I could have made a meal from some of their Starters, like the Habanero Rangoon, Fried Pickle Spears, and Mac n' Cheese bites made from Ohio City Pasta.

A big section of the menu is dedicated to French Fries and Tater Tots. You can select from 6 dry seasonings, 4 styles, and 21 dipping sauces. Yes, 21 different sauces. It is so hard to choose!

For 50 cents each, or 3 for $1, I highly recommend trying several sauces. I decided to try the Garlic Mayo, Honey Sriracha, and Thai Peanut with my tater tots.

Each of the sandwiches and burgers come with a choice of side. You can pick between French Fries, Tater Tots, Side Salad, Hummus, Cup of Soup, Onion Rings, and Daily Bean. Just do yourself a favor and go right to the tater tots. Not enough restaurants serve them.

I had to go with the restaurant's namesake burger, The Feve Burger ($9).

It comes with grilled red onion, house-pickled jalapeno, bacon, and cheddar. The burger itself was decent, but the patty was a tad dry. Not my favorite gourmet burger that we've had in Greater Cleveland, but a solid choice and plenty of burger topping options here to choose from.

It was really an enjoyable evening, between the delicious craft beers, gourmet bar food, and the company. I can see why it's so popular in Oberlin. If you find yourself out that way, stop in for some tots! Just note- They do not accept reservations. There was a wait on Friday evening, but they send you a text message when your table is ready.

The Feve
30 S. Main Street
Oberlin, OH 44074
440-774-1978

Tooo Chinese in Oberlin

Last week, I visited Oberlin for the very first time. I popped out there to have lunch with a good friend to get some work advice, and I found a charming little town with a college vibe that immediately brought me back to my days at SU. Amanda from Clue Into Cleveland had a great post on Oberlin this week, so check that out too.

My friend had given me a couple of dining options to choose from, and I selected Tooo Chinoise.

The Chinese bistro is located on West College Street, right in the heart of shops, restaurants, and other town businesses. It wasn't much to look at from the outside, but inside it was very nicely done. This wasn't your average hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurant.

I was drawn to their list of specials, and I let our server pick for me between two options. Every main dish comes with an Egg Drop Soup to start.

I'm not a huge fan of egg drop soup, so I could have gone without. This version was only average at best, so I left about half behind.

But the Beef with Jalapeño ($14)--- beef stir-fried with jalapeno and Chinese dried chili was fantastic!

It packed a punch of heat from the fresh and dried peppers, and the beef was cut into manageable pieces and cooked well. With some white rice, and a side of steamed vegetables that I added for $1.50, this was a great lunch. I had about half to take home with me too!

Service is a little slow here, so just be aware before settling in for lunch or dinner. Free street parking was available, surrounding the park just across the street from the restaurant. Even for lunch, they had a relatively extensive menu and I think anyone could find something here.

What a charming town though! I can't believe that it took me that long to get there. I do have to say, driving there you feel like you are driving into no-man's-land. Even though it's the same distance that I drive east often enough, it felt so much longer because there's not much going on beside the highway out that way.

Any other restaurants in Oberlin that I should visit? I hear that The Feve is very popular, but that you have to get there before the lunch rush to get a table. Have you ever been to Oberlin?

Tooo Chinese
27 West College Street
Oberlin, OH 44074
440-774-2988