Visitors to the Canton area for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival will be busy with a variety of pigskin-related activities. They'll also need to eat. We've culled our lists of favorite dining spots and offer suggestions for places you don't want to miss while you're in Stark County.
Whether you're a foodie or just looking for a good meal, check out these culinary gems to fuel up.
Heritage Bistro
425 Tuscarawas St. E in Canton; 234-521-5701; on Facebook at Heritage Bistro.
At this newly opened bistro at street level in the same building as H2 Huth & Harris Wine Merchants, Chef Gina Vizzo-Bratu offers meals with a contemporary American focus on Mediterranean cuisine. Salads and sandwiches are on the menu for lunch as well as a weekday happy hour menu, dinner options and Sunday brunch.
Mike’s Pizza
328 Walnut Ave. NE in Canton; 330-453-7777; on Facebook at Mike's Pizza Canton.
Located inside Deli Ohio at the Fourth Street Collective, Mike’s Pizza serves up exceptional New York-style pizza with its perfectly thin crust from house-made fermented doughs, rich sauce and creative toppings.
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Jerzee’s Sports Grille
2531 Fulton Drive NW in Canton, 330-456-9977; 1019 E. Turkeyfoot Lake Road in Green, 330-896-9464; 5260 Dressler Road NW in Jackson Township, 330-497-4100; 330 Court Ave. NW at Centennial Plaza in Canton; 330-366-9800. Online at JerzeesGrille.com.
Serving food, fun and sports, each location cooks up everything from wings (with an award-winning Erie island rub), sandwiches, salads, pizza and more. Weekday food specials and happy hour, craft beers and co*cktails. High-def TVs allow you to catch all the games or enjoy live music and DJs on their outdoor patios.
Francisco’s Cantina Restaurant
6041 Whipple Ave. NW in Jackson Township; 330-526-8740; on Facebook at Francisco's Cantina Restaurant.
Authentic Mexican cuisine with a casual atmosphere, great margaritas and specials on nachos and tacos. Don’t miss their steak or chicken fajitas. Locally owned and open for lunch or dinner.
Deli Ohio
328 Walnut Ave. NE in Canton; 330-453-7777; online at DeliOhio.com.
Canton’s local, community-focused and family-owned sandwich shop sourcing fresh, high-quality local ingredients. A great spot for a quick bite that you can be proud of.
Burrata Italian Kitchen
3102 Tuscarawas St. W in Canton; 330-754-6100; online at go4burrata.com.
Executive Chef Frank Hill offers a variety of dishes from fresh pies with burrata cheese to homemade lasagna and meatballs.
Angello’s 2 Go
5081 Fulton Drive NW in Jackson Township; 330-956-5860; online at Angello's2Go.com.
Generous salads, homemade bread, specialty sandwiches and pasta. The sandwiches made on Jim Angello’s bread are worth the trip.
The Blazing Pig
6817 Wales Ave. NW in Jackson Township; 330-495-1881; on Facebook at TheBlazingPigOH.
Featuring fusion bowls or sandwiches with brisket, pulled pork, pulled chicken, pork belly, a Sloppy Joe brisket. Housemade sides like macaroni and cheese, or coleslaw complete a meal.
Bender’s Tavern
137 Court Ave. SW in Canton; 330-453-8424; online at BendersCanton.com.
You can’t go wrong with seafood (fresh from Foley’s Fish in Boston), a steak or the famous turtle soup from Bender’s Tavern in downtown Canton. This classic, historic establishment is now open for Saturday lunch and features a brunch menu.
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Sprinkle City Bakery & Café
1430 W. Maple St. in North Canton; 330-933-0767; online at SprinkleCitySweets.com.
Satisfying the need for a great lunch and a sweet treat. Also served up are weekly soup selections, daily scratch-made pretzels that house all-beef hot dogs and paninis, and croissant sandwiches made on croissants crafted in-house. Food is also available from The Pink Box, a vending maching accessible 24/7 inside the front door.
Samantha's on Portage
4954 Portage St. NW in Jackson Township; 330-499-9700; Online at samanthas-restaurant.com.
No matter the meal, you'll find a satisfying dining experience in this eatery in a popular shopping area. The breakfast, lunch and dinner menus are loaded with options, and specials will entice even the most finicky eaters.
Taggarts Ice Cream
1401 Fulton Road NW in Canton; 330-452-6844; online at taggartsicecream.com.
It's always time for ice cream! This venerable Canton classic serves up cake and ice cream parfaits, sundaes and the most important item of all, the Bittner. There's also a giant menu of standard diner food such as sandwiches, salads and items cooked on the grill. Under the Taggarts umbrella also is the classic barbecue spot, Kennedy's Bar-B-Que, located nearby at 1420 7th St. NW in Canton. You'll find yummy barbecue sandwiches, and don't miss simply sublime ham and bean soup or chili.
Maisano’s Little Italian Kitchen
7831 Cleveland Ave. NW in Plain Township; 330-409-7200; Find Maisano's on Facebook.
Open for lunch or dinner, the menu features longtime customer favorites. Antipasto, panzanella salad or a chicken Caesar, pepperoni rolls, or honey ricotta served on charred Italian bread, along with signature pasta bakes and specialty pastas top the list. A rotating selection of homemade gelato is available by the cup, pint or quart.
Basil Asian Bistro
585 Market Ave. N in Canton; 330-601-0885; online at BasilAsianRestaurant.com.
The menu items are inspired by Pacific and Southeast Asian cuisine, chef specialties, exceptional sushi, and stir fry options such as General Tso’s chicken. But, don't miss the pad Thai. It'll make you come back.
Bombay Sitar
5111 Fulton Drive NW in Jackson Township; 330-305-0671; online at BombaySitar.com.
Flavorful and aromatic Indian cuisine with everything from yogurt to curries scratch made. Offers a variety of dishes with degrees of spice levels – from mild to hot. Butter chicken and warm naan are not to be missed.
Reach Bev at bshaffer@gannett.com or 330-580-8318.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Canton's 'must-visit' eateries for HOF enshrinement visitors
