Take me home, country roads The historic site is about 35 miles east of Cleveland.

How far are you willing to travel for really good comfort food? Is that distance likely to increase knowing that the restaurant is set in a historic country inn, with ties to the Civil War and Underground Railroad? By investing a considerable amount of money into the Welshfield Inn, a picturesque tavern in rural Burton, the folks at Gamekeeper's Hospitality are betting that the answers to those questions are "A long, long way" and "Yes."

You know you've strayed far from home when Amish buggy signs start popping up. That was the scene as we headed east on Rt. 422, where the divided highway dissolves into a two-lane country road. Located about 35 miles east of Cleveland, past Chagrin Falls and Bainbridge, Welshfield Inn really is in the middle of nowhere. Dating back to the 1840s, the colonial building was a stopping-off point for stagecoaches traveling between Youngstown and Cleveland.

The Gamekeeper's folks, who run Gamekeeper's Tavern, 87 West, Bass Lake Taverne and other operations, are the latest in a long line of property caretakers. Initially a hotel, the building has seen use as a school, barber shop and post office. The historic structure, which harbored runaway slaves en route to Canada, has suffered numerous additions, renovations and resurrections. It has been a restaurant since the mid-1940s.

After a considerable journey, the grand old dame is a sight for sore eyes. Guests are greeted by a sweeping circular drive, towering pines and a generous front porch. Inside, low-slung ceilings and exposed timbers retain the old-timey feel of the place, as do the weighty stone hearth and antique-style furniture.

Keeping in perfect harmony with the setting, the menu features hearty portions of home-style comfort foods like chicken pot pie, meatloaf, roast turkey and roast beef. Gamekeeper's also imported a number of the popular fish, pasta and steak dishes it features at other restaurants.

Meals start with a basket of warm, fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth yeast rolls and cinnamon buns, baked fresh and served with whipped sweet butter. Less inspired is the appetizer selection, an Applebee's-worthy line-up of calamari, warm artichoke dip, quesadillas and stuffed potato skins. A shrimp cocktail starter ($9.29) is fine but forgettable, with six medium shrimp teetering over the edge of a lettuce-filled martini glass.

When shared, Welshfield's tasty pizzas make an appealing starter. Served on a pizza peel, the Margherita ($9.49) combines the classic Italian trio of basil, tomato and mozzarella, but kicks things up with a considerable measure of fresh garlic. A thin, unseasoned broth washes out an otherwise pleasant chicken dumpling soup ($4.99/bowl), loaded with large chunks of chicken and small chewy dumplings.

The perfume of the cedar-plank salmon ($19.99) arrives before the plate does. A Gamekeeper's Tavern staple, the dish is the genuine article, with the fish presented atop the charred flank of cedar wood on which it was grilled. Imbued with a seductive campfire scent, the thick-cut salmon steak is moist, meaty and delicious. Extending from rim to rim, the sizeable chicken cutlet in the chicken Marsala ($17.99) is thin, tender and dressed with a light cream sauce. Coupled with a mountain of fluffy wild rice, the Marsala is a meal and a half.

The heart and soul of Welshfield's menu are the comfort foods, made from scratch with good, wholesome ingredients. As all-American as food can get, the meatloaf dinner ($14.49) is a square meal of thin-sliced meatloaf, mashed potatoes and buttered green beans. Unlike Mom's, the meatloaf is well-seasoned and the beans retain their natural green hue and snap. Hot, creamy and chockful of straight-off-the-bone chicken, the chicken pot pie ($14.99) is the epitome of comfort food. The dish's only fault: the "pie" part is replaced by mere garnishes of puff pastry. Knowing that the restaurant employs its own baker, the source of its highly regarded apple, cherry and pecan pies, the shortcut is disheartening.

Not that you'll need any extra food, but I'd tack on a side dish of the corn souffl� ($3.99). Straddling the line between sweet and savory, the souffl� is cakey, corny and gilded with deliciousness. Other sides include butternut squash (nice flavor, creamy texture, but cut way too thick), mac and cheese, and Romano-crusted tomatoes with b�arnaise.

Welshfield Inn has a decent selection of beers, martinis and wines by the glass and bottle. On Tuesdays, most bottles are available at half price. And on Wednesdays, martinis are only $5. But considering that the drive home will be frightfully long and possibly impeded by slow-moving buggies, that last deal likely is one few drivers will take advantage of.

Welshfield Inn
14001 Main Market St., Burton
440.834.0190
welshfielddining.com
Hours: 5 p.m.-2:30 a.m. seven days.

With luck, Jonathon Sawyer may break ground on his new restaurant, The Greenhouse Tavern, as early as next month. Located on East Fourth Street, the restaurant will build upon the chef's work at Bar Cento, where he features recipes built around sustainable, local, indigenous ingredients. A rooftop greenhouse and garden will provide the restaurant with supplemental produce. "This project is much more personal than Bar Cento," explained Sawyer. "I've been working on it for almost two years." The long, narrow space in the Cort's building will seat approximately 120 guests on a main floor, open mezzanine and lower-level open kitchen. Additional rooftop seating will bump capacity up to 200 in warm weather. Featuring a wealth of reclaimed materials, from barn siding to porcelain sinks, the proposed design is described as "farmhouse-edgy." Diners can expect true gastropub fare like house-cured pickles, poutine, crispy fried variety meats, cod in parchment and Ohio-beef burgers. With luck, the Greenhouse will be up and running sometime this fall. For more information visit thegreenhousetavern.com.

Said Ouaddaadaa, owner of Uptown (11312 Euclid Ave., 216.229.9711), is predicting a late-April opening for his new martini, wine and tapas bar on Coventry. Housed in the lower-level mall space formerly occupied by Utrecht Art Supplies, Bodega (1854 Coventry Rd.) will feature small plates from Spain, France and Morocco. Items such as blackened scallops, smoked salmon, lamb kebobs and Spanish paella will be dished up in a swank lounge setting. The 3,500-square-foot space will accommodate approximately 200 guests at couches, tables and a long bar. An impressive waterfall will command attention from its perch at one end of the room. "It's a beautiful place," Ouaddaadaa said. Imbibers will have their choice of 150 martinis and 200 wines from around the globe. Bodega will present live jazz most nights.

Starting April 16, Prosperity Social Club (1109 Starkweather, 216.937.1938) is launching "Recession Relief Wednesdays," when all entrees will be reduced in price from $12.50 to $9.50. The deal is available from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. every Wednesday. A sampling of the offerings include beer-battered fish, parmesan-crusted catfish, rosemary roasted chicken, and bangers and mash. "We will be running the special through the summer for sure, longer if it takes off," says owner Bonnie Flinner.

Joe Foodie's Tavern, the upscale pub that replaced Tannour (which replaced Lion & Lamb) at Landerwood Plaza, has closed.