Plans have changed for Friday night dinner, check your e-mail

This place looks like it has a diverse menu and enough room for a routy :-) group.

 

http://www.phoenixfiregrill.com/

In my opinion, the Stonebridge Grille is the best place to dine in the immediate area (short distance from the Lionel Customer Service Center).

 

However, on a Friday evening it's apt to be very crowded.

 

Also, a traffic advisory:  Route 224 (Boardman-Canfield Road), which is always a traffic nightmare, is even more of a nightmare now if you are coming along that route from PA, or heading east on that route from the Lionel Customer Service Center.  Construction has begun at the 224/I-680 interchange in Boardman, and it WILL take you extra time to travel through that area.  Construction will be ongoing until October of next year (2014).

What is the date for Lionel Open House; thank you

Saturday, August 17.

I am driving in Friday also from NJ, so keep us posted for any pre-festivities! LOL

Roger,

 

Mercer is about 40 minutes from Lionel if you are looking for something to do.

 

Dave

 

Folks coming east to Ohio via I-80 should definitely take a side trip to Dave's Mercer Junction store.  His place is about 5 minutes north of I-80.  Take the Route 19 exit.  Address is 151 North Diamond St., Mercer, PA.

Hi Roger,

 

I'm not sure what my Friday night looks like yet, but if something firms up I will try to drop in. Looking forward to meeting you and others from the forum.

 

Derek

I am looking forward to meeting as many of you as possible.  Great idea Roger!  Hopefully as many of you as possible can join us and as Roger said, if you will let us know, we can perhaps find a place there, with the help of any of you that are local, which can accommodate a group.  As Allan said, Friday nights are probably busy so setting up some sort of reserved area might be in order.....any suggestions are appreciated..

 

Thanks!

Alan

I think I will do what Allan suggested above and call Ron at StoneBridge Grille in the morning to see if we can reserve the outside patio area for around 6:30 Friday the 16th. Will that work for you all that will be coming out of town and staying in the area ? Do we have any takers for this ??

I will try to make it.  No definite commitment at this point, but I certainly will try.

Thanks Allan. And thanks for suggesting StoneBridge Grille. I called Ron today but he was very busy, I will try again tomorrow. We are looking forward to this LIONEL event.

Even if I take off for work early, earliest I can be there is 7-730 as it's a 6 hour drive without traffic. So, either save me a spot or see y'all Saturday!

 

Dave's probably out banging on the drums somewhere, but here are the store hours posted on his website:

 

Open 12:00pm to 6:00pm 

• Tuesday
• Wednesday
• Thursday
•  Friday

Open 12:00pm to 4:00pm

•  Saturday

 

 Closed 

• Sunday
• Monday 

I'm about an hour NW of Canfield so count me in for Friday evening.

Kevin

Maybe Dave might be interested in opening up Mercer Junction on Friday night if there is enough interest????    

 

Mercer is just a short jaunt from Canfield and lots of good restaurants nearby.

I'm so doggone interested I'm going there tomorrow (45-minute drive from where I live, and about the same driving time from the Lionel Service Center).  

That sounds good to be too. Anywhere will be fine, but this sounds great. But we better OK it with Dave.

Would be easier for me to get there since I am coming from the East and will get there before Canfield. Now all we need is to hear from Dave...

 

Dave?

Good idea, Roger!

 

Judy and I will be arriving Friday evening and were planning to eat at Cheddar's Cafe Boardman, at 7327 Market St, Youngstown, OH, 44512 - but you know how partial we are to that restaurant. We will consider others as well.

 

Alex

Guys....this will be my first time in this part of Ohio and with road construction and such, Roger and I may have to beg a ride with someone that knows how to get around!!  I like the ideas so far and no matter where we go is just fine with us!

 

Can't wait!

Alan

In case it helps, here is Cheddar's Cafe location with respect to Lionel's: (2.9 miles, 6 minutes)

  

 

 

Alex

Cheddar's is an okay place, too.  Not quite as upscale as Stonebridge, but still quite good.  Again, the problem would be that it's a Friday evening, and I can tell you for a fact that these places are all hopping on most every Friday night.

 

I was at Mercer Junction today.  Don't know if Dave will be able to extend his hours on that particular Friday because I believe he already has other plans, but he'll likely check in here at some point.  Those traveling eastbound on I-80 that Friday afternoon may certainly want to stop by for a visit because Mercer Junction is just minutes off of I-80.

Allan.....I also like the idea about Mercer Junction.  How far is that from where Alex is talking about?

 

Thanks,

Alan

Mercer Junction, in Mercer, PA, is about a 40-45 minute drive from the areas Alex noted:  Lionel Service Center, Cheddar's, etc., which are in Canfield and Boardman, OH, suburbs of Youngstown.

 

Let me also add that folks coming to Canfield (or that area) via routes that take them near Akron should also consider stopping by Aaron's City Trains at 587 Grant St. in Akron.  Nice store and they stock an extensive inventory of both Lionel and MTH.

Sorry for the late reply guys....

 

I have some friends stopping by my home layout on Friday, so I will not be able to keep the store open late.

 

I still hope that some of you will be able to stop by the shop.

 

Dave

Thanks Dave for your reply....although I think a lot of us would like to make it a date with you. I think that Alan, OGR Ad man, and I might make it over your way on Thursday afternoon to see your shop. We will be 800 miles from home, so why not go another 35 to 40 miles to see your shop ??

 

On another note to the others that want to get together on Friday night, I will try to contact some restaurants in the area to see what I can put together say around 6:30 to 7 pm.

 

In the mean time how about a head count on the ones that think they might come with the numbers so that I can be honest with the restaurant on making room for us ???

 

Thanks Roger!

 

Dave....we will try to make it over to see you.  I will be at the OGR office in meetings, etc. Thursday and Friday so don't know exactly when we can come.

 

Thanks,

Alan

 

Hello again everyone,

I contacted StoneBridge Grille there in Canfield, OH and I have reserved a place for 10 of us to meet Friday night, the 16th of this month at 7 pm. Right now, there is only two of us meeting, Alan Arnold and me.

 

Please contact me if you want to join us on Friday night before the Lionel Customer Service Open House. I can add more folks as we get more reservations, but I just started with 10 to start with.

 

So please either contact me here or thru my e-mail that is listed in my profile. I will need a head count.

Put my name on the list.  I will plan to be there.

Thanks Allan for this info and all of your help with this.

Count me in for Dinner at 7pm!

Roger,

 

   Add me to the list also.  Looking forward to meeting you and Al.

 

Kevin Waldron

Sounds great to me...I hope as many of you as possible can come.  I would really like to meet lots of folks!

 

Thanks Roger!

 

Alan

 

 

 

Some of you suggested for me to change the title so more folks would know what we are doing. So as you can see, it has a new title.

Hi Roger,

 

Add Judy and me to the list.

 

I believe this is the venue, correct?

  

 

 

Alex

Hi Alex, looking forward to visiting again with you and Judy. And yep, that is the right location. See you all on the 16th at 7 pm.

 

Hey Roger...put me on the list too......

 

Alan