Review: Tozzi’s Restaurant of Magnolia serves up tasty specials at great prices

Bev Shaffer, Canton Repository
·4 min read

MAGNOLIA − Tozzi’s Restaurant of Magnolia is off the beaten path, which made the place all the more intriguing to me. I’d heard so much about this restaurant I decided to meet a friend there for dinner.

With a population of just a few over 1,000 in the Village of Magnolia, Tozzi’s relies not only on the locals but those from towns nearby in Stark and Carroll counties. The restaurant has been a fixture since 1914.

Generously sized and perfectly cooked breaded shrimp were part of my surf n' turf special at Tozzi's Restaurant of Magnolia.
Generously sized and perfectly cooked breaded shrimp were part of my surf n' turf special at Tozzi's Restaurant of Magnolia.

Nostalgia highlighted the décor, including laminated family photos on the tables. The service and food made up for any thoughts about the spot being dated. After all, I wasn’t there to judge the décor. It was clean and well kept.

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April, our server, was a delight. She had several tables as the restaurant became crowded, but was very attentive. April has worked at Tozzi’s for one year and really enjoys the convenience, as she lives a short distance away. The days and hours fit her schedule, allowing her time to sell her crafts on Etsy. We ordered drinks and listened to the list of evening’s specials. My friend Nicole and I decided to split the crab cake ($18), two generous portions. They did not disappoint.

Before a photo was snapped, one of the generously sized and stuffed-with-crab cakes was devoured.
Before a photo was snapped, one of the generously sized and stuffed-with-crab cakes was devoured.

Although I love them, crab cakes often are mostly breading with just a smidge of crab. Served two to an order, these had a crispy breading outside and moist, flavorful and ample amounts of crab inside. They were a delicious way to begin our meal.

I’m one of those people who shamefully orders my beef on the medium-well side, so I usually shy away from ordering a steak. I know, I know. But if it’s cooked properly, and not overdone, I enjoy it. April assured me that the chef knew how to cook a flavorful steak.

Available as part of a surf n' turf special, this 8-ounce filet was both delicious and a bargain.
Available as part of a surf n' turf special, this 8-ounce filet was both delicious and a bargain.

Nicole, who loves hush puppies, ordered the breaded boneless chicken thighs basket with barbecue sauce special ($20) with hush puppies and coleslaw or a house salad. I decided on the surf and turf ($51) – an 8-ounce filet (medium to medium-well) with breaded shrimp, mashed potatoes and a small Caesar salad.

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The chicken special was enjoyable. A basket of moist, breaded chicken pieces with crispy hush puppies. Nicole enjoyed the house salad as well, especially since it contained one of her favorite items – olives.

Tender breaded chicken thighs with hush puppies and barbecue sauce is another special served with coleslaw or a house salad at Tozzi's Restaurant of Magnolia.
Tender breaded chicken thighs with hush puppies and barbecue sauce is another special served with coleslaw or a house salad at Tozzi's Restaurant of Magnolia.

I found my Caesar salad boring. The dressing was nondescript, and although I love parmesan cheese, there was a too much, with a lot lingering at the bottom of the bowl. A basket of warm slices of garlic bread was included with our meal.

When my dinner arrived, I buttered the mashed potatoes that were served just the way I enjoy them − lightly seasoned and with little potato pieces, a good indication that they were scratch made. My 8-ounce filet, cooked perfectly, was delicious. The breaded shrimp were just lightly sautéed and tender, but I didn’t enjoy the sauce, a kind of a sweet-sour mixture with a little heat. A wedge of lemon would have been good enough, or perhaps the sauce served on the side for dipping.

Tozzi’s menu offers a variety of steak options, seafood and pasta dishes. The cocktail and wine lists also are extensive. A few items (sea scallops, bone-in ribeye, porterhouse) are listed as market price, but otherwise the menu options are reasonably priced. We both thought our specials were a bargain.

Nicole purchased a jar of Tozzi’s Seasoning to take home. For $4, the seasoning offers the chance to replicate some of the flavors found in several of the dishes.

Jars of Tozzi's Seasoning blend, consisting of salt, paprika, garlic, onion, celery and other spices, are available for purchase.
Jars of Tozzi's Seasoning blend, consisting of salt, paprika, garlic, onion, celery and other spices, are available for purchase.

We each had a mini cannoli ($2) for dessert. They arrived with some fresh blueberries on the side and decorative dollops of whipped cream. A light and perfectly portioned ending to a good meal.

A mini cannoli finishes off the meal at Tozzi's Restaurant of Magnolia.
A mini cannoli finishes off the meal at Tozzi's Restaurant of Magnolia.

Take a ride to Tozzi’s Restaurant of Magnolia. Relax and enjoy a cocktail and order one of the day’s specials or grab a bite off the regular menu. Good food is worth the drive.

Reach Bev at bshaffer@gannett.com or 330-580-8318.

If you go

WHAT – Tozzi’s Restaurant of Magnolia

WHERE – 144 N. Main St., Magnolia

PHONE − 330-694-1018

HOURS – Open 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday; 4:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday; closed Sunday through Tuesday.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Tozzi’s Restaurant of Magnolia specials equal good food, great prices