The Vault Wine Bar: Eclectic Menu and Extensive Wine List

18 June 202122 September 2024

Running in from the rain, I entered The Vault Wine Bar and was pleasantly surprised by the beautiful interior that was formerly a bank. Located in the historic town of Shelby, this gorgeous wine establishment offers a wide range of wines, including those from Ohio, and an awesome menu.

The beautiful white marble with veins of black stopped halfway up the wall. Subdued colored hues of paint colored the drywall reaching up to the white-painted tin ceiling. A large bar ran halfway through the room leaving just enough space for a walkway and additional tables for seating to the right.

Away from the entrance at the far end of the bar, stood the beautiful blue vault that once stored thousands of dollars. Today it is the perfect place for storing wines.

Having looked over the wine menu, I thought I would order wine from Firelands, a well known Ohio winery, starting with the Gewurtztraminer and then the Dolceto (made with litchi and passion fruit) and their Ice Wine.

Ready to order dinner, the menu was extensive with so many delicious options. Did I want to order an appetizer like the Stuffed Jalapenos or the Stuffed Dates? Or should I select a larger meal like the BBQ, the Spareribs or The Vault Pizza with horseradish and caramelized onions? Seriously, this was the most difficult decision I had to make all week.

Michelle, the server behind the bar, was absolutely fabulous and helpful after telling her which options interested me. In the end, she recommended the stuffed dates and suggested that I save room for dessert.

The stuffed dates arrived and they looked decadent. These little bits were stuffed with bleu cheese, wrapped in bacon, baked and then drizzled with a balsamic reduction. Full of flavor, each succulent bite of goodness made me wish I would have placed an order for two.

My wine glass was empty and the lovely couple sitting diagonal from me suggested that I order the sangria to compliment the dates. The sweetness of the wine really brought out the tangy taste of the balsamic reduction and the combination was absolutely fabulous. I was happy for the recommendation and we quickly became fast friends, having the love of wine in common. They introduced themselves as Amy and Joe and said that The Vault Wine Bar was one of their favorite places to hang out in Shelby. Amy mentioned that they enjoy spending time here on Saturdays and Thursday nights because they have a band, usually country, rock or the 80s.

Amy and Joe finished their pizza and were meeting up with some friends, so we exchanged our personal information, accepted each other’s friend request on Facebook and promised to get together soon.

Finishing my wine and meal, I wanted to check out the upstairs area, which can be reserved for special occasions. The outside patio seats 70 and is also available, but with tonight’s rain, it was best to stay indoors. The view from the upper floor was lovely, looking down onto the primary restaurant space, the bar, tables and chairs and wall of wines. The spacious room upstairs was elegantly decorated with hardwood floors, leather sofas and chairs. The wooden paneling looked as though it was original and I imagined that there were office up here at one time. Looking out the window, I could see the main street and noticed that the sun was beginning to set. I needed to pay my bill and then make the drive back to Columbus, but not before sneaking a peak at the outdoor patio.

Have you visited the Vault Wine Bar or nearby wineries in Richland county? I would love to hear about your experience or any recommendations for a future visit. Many thanks for reading about my stop at The Vault and wishing you many Happy Travels! Cheers!

What to See and What to Do:

The Vault Wine Bar
29 West Main Street
Shelby, OH 44875
Telephone: 567 292 9081

The winery offers over 30 wines by the glass and I decided to support Ohio wines by ordering the Gewurtztraminer from Firelands, the Versailles Niagara and Cypress Hill’s blueberry wine.

Where to Stay:

Country Inn & Suites by Radisson
2069 Walker Lake Road
Mansfield, OH 44906
Telephone: 419 747 2227

Where to Eat:

The Vault Wine Bar
29 West Main Street
Shelby, OH 44875
Telephone: 567 292 9081

The Stuffed Dates I ordered were phenomenal and the menu changes regularly. Check out The Vault Wine Bar’s Bacon Ranch Deviled Eggs, Goat Cheese Stuffed Jalapenos, or the Pretzel Sticks with a white cheddar beer cheese! The pizzas are also fantastic and my favorite is the Caprese Pizza with basil pesto, tomato slices, fresh mozzarella and a balsamic reduction drizzle.

Corky’s BBQ in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

8 October 202019 September 2024

It was a long morning of travel and we were all tired when we entered Pigeon Forge. Looking for a place to eat, we happened upon Corky’s BBQ, which claimed to offer original Memphis BBQ. A slab of meat sounded fabulous, so we made a U-Turn and stumbled in for a hearty meal.

Their specialty is the ribs that are “lean and tender, hickory-smoked and basted with either Corky’s Original BBQ sauce or a secret blend of dry spices.” We could choose the regular, large or full rack of ribs served with a choice of two sides. I decided on the regular sized order of dry ribs with corn and a side salad.

The salad was loaded with tomatoes, red onions, cheese, croutons and a couple strips of bacon. It was a hearty starter which was enhanced with a side of ranch dressing.

The restaurant offers “Killer Rib Combos” as well as BBQ dinners, starters, BBQ sandwiches and sandwich platters. The portion sizes were quite generous and we left the restaurant extremely satisfied. It was time to find our chalet and unload the van before turning in for the night.

Do you have a favorite restaurant to visit while in Pigeon Forge? What would you recommend? If you have eaten a Corky’s BBQ, I would be happy to hear about your experience if you would kindly leave a message in the comments section below. Many thanks for reading my post about Corky’s BBQ and wishing you many Happy Travels!

What to See and What to Do:

Corky’s BBQ
3584 Parkway
Pigeon Forge, TN 37863
Telephone: 865 453 7427

Where to Stay:

Firefly is conveniently located 2.6 miles to downtown Gatlinburg and 11 miles from Dollywood and Pigeon Forge. The property is located on Highway 321 North in Gatlinburg. For more information, visit the VRBO website to book your holiday at this spectacular chalet.

Where to Eat:

Corky’s BBQ
3584 Parkway
Pigeon Forge, TN 37863
Telephone: 865 453 7427

Rudy’s Smokehouse Barbecue in Springfield, Ohio

19 February 201716 September 2024

Growing up, one of my summer jobs was working at Perkins on Upper Valley Pike. It was a temporary position, but it was such a great opportunity to stay in touch with some of our great family friends and to meet new ones. I will never forget the day that I first met the owner, Rudy Mosketti and his family. They owned the three franchises in my hometown and were always so kind when they visited.

During a holiday visit to my hometown, I learned that the Perkins was no longer in business, but that the Mosketti family had opened up a barbecue place and I couldn’t wait to try their pulled pork. My friends had been raving about the restaurant and provided me with some suggestions on what I should order. It was fun listening to their advice and recommendations.

Entering the restaurant, I could hear the tunes of John Mellancamp on the radio and stood back from the counter to look at the menu. I had already made up my mind to order the barbecue sandwich, but there were so many sides available and I could select two. From baked beans, coleslaw, cornbread, homemade chips, hush puppies, potato salad, scalloped potatoes, French fries, mac n’ cheese, scalloped corn and sweet potato casserole, this was going to take some time. After a few moments, I placed my order, prepared my drink and sat down at a table until my food was ready.

Within a few minutes, I picked up my sandwich along with my sides of coleslaw and mac n’ cheese. Sitting down, I added some additional sweet barbecue sauce to my pork, which was provided at the table and added a little slaw to my sandwich.

I loved the cheesiness of the macaroni and creamy tanginess of the coleslaw. The portion sizes were quite generous and nearly halfway into my meal I was beginning to feel full. I knew I wouldn’t be able to finish the meal and I was happy to have some leftovers for the next day and besides, I was prepared to listen to the best advice that my friends had given me about Rudy’s….

Save some room for their no-bake chocolate cookie! And of course, they were right…

Have you been to Rudy’s Smokehouse or have a favorite barbecue spot? I would love to hear about it if you would kindly leave a message in the comments section below. Many thanks for reading about my visit to Rudy’s Smokehouse and wishing you many Happy Travels!

I love supporting Christian organizations who are generously giving back to their communities, so if you are ever in town, please visit Rudy’s Smokehouse as he financially supports the amazing community of Springfield.

Where to Eat:

Rudy’s Smokehouse
2222 South Limestone Street
Springfield, OH 45505
Telephone: 937 324 0884

Rudy’s Boxed Lunch includes:

a sandwich (Pulled Pork, Pulled Chicken, Bourbon Chicken and Beef Brisket for an additional $1;

two sides: Potato Salad, Fresh Potato Chips, Cornbread, Hush Puppies, Scalloped Cornm Baked Beans, Coleslaw, Green Beans with Bacon, Scalloped Potatoes, Mac N’ Cheese

and a cookie!

From Ordinary to Extraordinary: The Food at The Merchant House

17 November 201616 September 2024

Recommended by Louisa at Kennedy Vineyards, I was eager to dine at The Merchant House in nearby Greenville, Ohio. There was hardly a seat in the house, so I took a place at the bar, which was just as busy. The bartender, Joanne, recommended a great wine and took my order for Pig Candy as a starter. Enjoying my glass of bold red, I took my time admiring the rustic, contemporary architecture and looked over the menu. The exposed brick and hardwood beams added to the charm of this popular new restaurant.

As my appetizer arrived, I could smell the smokiness of the spices along with the sweetness of the brown sugar. My first bite was the perfect blend of nutmeg, allspice and cinnamon and I could have honestly placed another order, it was that extraordinary.

The Merchant House has a gift for taking ordinary food items and turning them into delectable gourmet dishes, The combinations are unique such as fried chicken & mac n’ cheese waffles.

Butter burgers, seafood jambalaya and BBQ are some of the restaurant’s most popular dishes, but I had my eye on the Monte Cristo sandwich. All I could think about was a crispy, deep fried sandwich to dip into homemade strawberry preserves. This “thick cut ham, turkey and Swiss cheese sandwich between two pieces of Texas toast” is “dipped in egg batter, breaded, then deep fried golden brown.” The sweet potatoes fries were billowy with a lovely light texture and seasoned perfectly.

The Head Chef of the restaurant, Eric, was taking a break and took a seat next to me at the bar. Joanne, who is married to Eric, explained that they had recently moved to the area from Detroit to help start the restaurant. Since the age of fifteen, they have both been working in restaurants which is where they met Chris and Cassie Campbell, co-owners of The Merchant House. Joanne is also a talented baker opening up her own business, the Delightfully Decadent Bakery while Eric enjoys creating new recipes exploring unique flavor combinations. Many of his creations are listed on the menu.

I had the opportunity to take some photographs of the restaurant, pay my bill and exchanged contact information with Eric and Joanne. Eric was kind enough to introduce me to Cassie and her family and I thanked them for their hospitality, wishing them great success. I know that I will be making a return visit and can’t wait to try the restaurant’s Chicago-style pizza, which will be added to the menu next month.

Have you had the opportunity to visit The Merchant House in Greenville? What menu item did you choose? I would love to hear from you if you would kindly leave your comments below. Many thanks for reading about my delightful dining experience at The Merchant House and wishing you many Happy Travels!

I would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to Eric and Joanne for their generous hospitality and time during my visit at the Merchant House. Please note that all comments and opinions are my own.

Disclosure: Please refer to our blog disclaimer tab for more information.

Where to Eat:

The Merchant House
406 South Broadway
Greenville, OH 45331
Telephone: 937 459 4405

Where to Drink:

Kennedy Vineyard
3911 State Route 722
New Madison, OH 45346
Telephone: 937 273 8381

Where to Stay:

The Inn at Versailles
21 West Main Street
Versailles, OH 45380
Telephone: 937 526 3020