Offering a full menu of made-from-scratch dishes, Lemongrass has opened at 2805 E. State Blvd. in the former Ethiopian Restaurant.
Their menu includes a noodle bowl, macaroni and cheese, salads, soups, burgers (beef, chicken and vegetarian) and a variety of sandwiches, such as a turkey club, grilled cheese, tuna club, Creole chicken salad and seared tuna panini. Most prices range from $5.50 to $8.99.
If you’re hungry for breakfast, Lemongrass also has eggs and omelets, skillets, pancakes, French toast, waffles, biscuits and gravy and burritos. Most items cost between $3.50 to $6.50.
Hours are 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays. It’s closed Sundays.
For information, call 755-1482.
More restaurants on the horizon
•Higher Grounds, 101 W. Wayne St., will close Oct. 28, while the other locations will remain open. Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches will move into the downtown space in November.
•Zia’s Italian Café & Tea House, 300 E. Washington Blvd., is expected to open by Saturday, owner Anna Barile says. The menu will feature some of the same Café Fraiche items with new names. New ones are a grinder, chicken panini, chicken salad and pasta salad. Tiramisu, mocha brownies and other desserts will be available. Hours will be 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays.
•Dos Margaritas will open at 4230 N. Clinton St. in the former New York Buffet and Ryan’s steakhouse.
•Los Alamos will open at 1910 Bluffton Road in the former Coop’s Pub.
It’s beer vs. wine at JK O’Donnell’s
Vote for your favorite libation during JK O’Donnell’s “beer vs. wine” dinner at 6 p.m. Oct. 24.
Courses are butternut squash bisque, lamb pasty, roasted vegetable salad, chicken and dumplings and pumpkin ice cream.
Meat and produce will be provided by J.L. Hawkins Family Farm in North Manchester and Richert Ranch and Witmer Produce in New Haven. Jeff Hawkins will discuss life on the farm.
The dinner is $35, which doesn’t include tax or gratuity.
Reservations are required; call 420-5563.
Octoberfest at The Venice
The Venice restaurant, 2242 Goshen Road, will celebrate Octoberfest from 5 to 9 p.m. Oct. 21.
The buffet will feature beef rouladen, Wiener schnitzel, sauerbraten, cabbage rolls, potato pancakes, brats and sauerkraut, German potato salad, spaetzle and hot apples.
It’s $16.95, or $7.95 for children 10 and younger.
Enjoy black forest cake for $3.50. German beers and wines also will be available.
George Berger will play the accordion and lead the sing-along.
For reservations, call 482-1618.
Eddie Merlot’s celebrates 10 years
Eddie Merlot’s in Jefferson Pointe is celebrating its 10th anniversary with features that will be available through Nov. 27.
Enjoy jumbo shrimp cocktail ($10), surf and turf with filet mignon and a half lobster ($34.95), pan-roasted shrimp ($24.95) and dessert for two ($10).
Or get this entire dinner for two for $75, which includes one of each item.
For reservations, call 459-2222 or go to www.eddiemerlots.com.
New treats at Grabill Dairy Sweet
The Grabill Dairy Sweet, 13305 State St. in Grabill, has a new international sampler plate for $3.99.
It features homemade pizza rolls, crab rangoon, won ton tacos and spinach and mushroom cream-cheese puffs.
The store also makes three sizes of pumpkin swirls, which have vanilla ice cream, vanilla wafers and pumpkin pie filling. These desserts range from $3.19 to $4.69.
Hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays and noon to 9 p.m. Sundays.
Tidbits
•Blu City Tavern, 2787 Maplecrest Road, is now open only for private events.
•Moosewood BBQ in the Marketplace of Canterbury has some weekend specials in October; each includes the salad bar – Fridays: all-you-can-eat tilapia and catfish for $12.95; and Saturdays: all-you-can-eat ribs and chicken for $14.95. From noon to 8 p.m. Sundays, get any of those combinations for $12.95.
•Albright’s Meats & Deli, 4924 S. Calhoun St., is expanding its menu to include some fall favorites, such as chili, ham and beans, lasagna rolls and meatloaf. To order, call 456-9009.
•Dicky’s Wild Hare, 2910 Maplecrest Road, is selling $4 draft pints in October. It’s also planning a Halloween party for Oct. 29; I’ll have more details in a future column.
•Ceruti’s Café at Citizens Square, 200 E. Berry St., has daily specials of entrées, hot and cold sandwiches, soups, panini and boxed salads. Prices are $2.25 to $6.50. This week’s $5 entrées are barbecue ribs today; spaghetti with meatballs on Thursday; and nachos on Friday. For information, call 427-8577.
•Chef Mark Schatzman of Orchard Ridge Country Club won the People’s Choice Award at the March of Dimes Signature Chefs Auction last week. His “filet-a-tini” featured garlic mashed potatoes, mushrooms, a filet tip and a red wine demi-glaze served in a martini glass.
