It's an address, which could fool you into thinking that it is ordinary, this is a warning that you do no such thing.

West of Cleveland, Ohio, about 30 minutes as the Mazda drives on Ohio Route 2, is a little town called Amherst. Amherst, Ohio is the sort of unsurprising wasteland of sprawl and retail that has sprouted up in the Midwest because Midwesterners are impatient and naive. That's a write up of its own. Down Cleveland Avenue in Amherst's little downtown in denial of the retail haven a mile to the east, just past the annoying 5-way multi-blind stop, making your way down Milan Ave. there is a place. If you take a right turn on the correct side-street on Milan, past the train overpass, the next turn past Lake street is a little dead end street called Jefferson.

At the end of that street there is a middle class house, on the large side, with a sizable deck built around a big Maple tree. And if you go there, park in the little gravel lot behind the house and walk up the deck, against all experience you may have had walking into middle class residences, you will be asked if you wish to sit inside or on the deck. If it's pleasant out, then I suggest you try the deck, you can look out on the garden where the chef grows tomatoes, watermelon, fresh salad greens, basil and other herbs. You will be told of the specials by a waiter and treated to a mix of Italian and Southern cooking. Fried green tomatoes topped with spiced watermelon cubes may whet your appetite and the fresh garden salad will delight your eager palate. The dishes are sandwiches and pastas, covered in fresh vegetables and well cooked and succulent meats.

If you leave enough time after this review, they may have their liquor license. If not, and I am not suggesting you wait, bring a good bottle of wine. You will be treated, there, to food deserving of four stars. The atmosphere is pleasant and quiet in the evenings, like any sleepy Midwestern town. Crickets will chirp while you drink mint lemonade and eat cannoli or caramelized banana. Wind will blow through the leafy green roof above and you dine on finely prepared noodles and tomatoes grown within 15 meters. And as you chew bread with delicious olive oil, a train will pass 75 feet away.

Go before 9PM, since that's apparently when they close. You will be treated. I think this may be the most said about this place on the internet so far, aside from a line on one website along with the wrong phone number.

Jefferson 150: 4 Stars.

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