Have you seen that small blue shack on University Avenue in Star City? You know - the one that looks like it seats maybe three people, has a sign that says "hotdogs," and you're not sure if it's even a real restaurant anymore?

It is.

It's called Star City Hotdogs, as evident by the makeshift sign plastered in front of what used to be a Hometown Hotdogs sign. Apparently they split ways at some point, and this was an easy solution.

This is one restaurant that I've known about for - years - now but most of my close friends scoffed at the idea of coming here. My friend Heaven is a risk-taker. I dig that.

We waked inside to one woman slinging dogs, while hungry onlookers awaited their meal. Meanwhile, orders were being called in. This place was kinda busy.


With only a handful of stools in front, it gets tight in here real fast. Off to the left, there is this strange blue concrete dungeon that has a few mismatched tables and booths.

I ordered a hot dog and a Frito pie. I only had this one other time - at the other hot dog joint across town - and loved it. I was quickly informed there was no sour cream. Meh. Oh well, tried it anyway.

My hotdog - with mustard, slaw, sauce and onions - was OK. Too much slaw kind of overpowered anything, really, and the onions were lost underneath the slaw - so those just blended in. The sauce wasn't bad. I got medium, and it had a big of a bite to it. But beyond an overwhelming cold, chunky texture - not a ton of flavor.

Frito pie suffered from the same lack of flavor - but I did dig the cheese. Cheese can make most things better. Sour cream can make all things better.

So, overall the food is nothing to write home about, and the actual building itself is... well, kind of scary. If you're really interested, I would suggest to-go.

Grade: C

Kayla took me to Choo Choo's back before I started blogging. It's one of a handful of local restaurants in Wetzel County, and I've been wanting to go back ever since so I could have some more Wetzel County places represented in my blog. 

After our trip to the Rogers Flea Market, Kayla's family insisted we go to Mary's Pizza. Apparently this place is so popular it has hourslong wait times. Her parents called in the order before we even left the flea market.

The shop opened in 1961 with fresh tomatoes, homemade thick crust, original sauce that has kept it as one of the most popular restaurants in the area. It was originally ran out of a home, and is still owned and run by the same family. It is located at 301 North Beaver Street (330-424-3559).

The storefront is somewhat hidden, and only a half dozen or so parking spots are out front. But once you see that giant pizza pie stained glass, you know you're in the right place.

Inside, there are a handful of tables, but most of their business is take-out. The phone is constantly ringing off the hook, and workers are slinging finished pizzas into a rack. Despite calling a good bit in advance, we still waited a bit for our pies.

Once they came out, it was so, so worth it.

They're not large diameter-wise, but as far as thickness goes - they're huge. It was reminiscent of Chicago deep-dish pizza with tons of layers of ingredients piled high with a thick, stringy layer of cheese on top.

We had ours decked out with everything. Huge chunks of peppers, sausage, onions and more melding with a slightly sweet sauce tons of cheese - all sitting atop a combination of a fluffy crust with a crisp bottom. It was pretty great.

Don't expect a thin slice here, but what you receive may even be better. Depending on your preference. I know this: I liked this. A lot. It will definitely be on my list to try when I head back to the area.

Grade: A

Rogers, Ohio, has the largest flea market I've ever seen. I swear it's miles long. Shelter after shelter after shelter of antique tools, collectibles, dolls, food, cuts of meat, batteries, jerseys, gadgets and anything you could really think of. Then there is the open air vendors who span the huge field up and down tons of rows. Oh, and there's the auction.

I went once or twice when I was a kid. I remember my parents getting some cookies from the Amish folks there. So good.

Then a few years ago, I went with Kayla to scope out the knock-off sunglasses and purses. 

Fast-forward four or five years, and this time, I was on the lookout for vinyl, another globe and anything else that caught my eye.

What I did end up getting was ice cream.

There are a ton of vendors serving up gyros, philly cheesesteaks, subs, pizza, Italian sausage, corndogs. You name it. They probably have it. There is even a restaurant on site - The Baer's Den.

 I gotta say, it was good ice cream. Heavy on the cream, less on the ice.