Sage fettuccine drying before dinner at Poggio Amorelli Bed and Breakfast
Who doesn’t like a weekend full of culinary masterpieces, snuggly accomodations and laughter? The search for a new location to gather with friends for a nice weekend reunion landed us in North Canton, Ohio based in the luxury Poggio Amorelli bed and breakfast with Chefs Angela Perkins and Kenneth Swickard at the helm and guiding a culinary tour you will want to replicate.
Located in the heart of North Canton, this bed and breakfast is within six miles of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and a Classic Car Museum but it was a girls weekend so we headed off to tour the National First Ladies Museum and home of Ida and William McKinley. There’s an excellent display of First Lady’s dresses and White House china from across the centuries to explore on your own before a guided tour of the Victorian home lovingly restored to full turn-of-the-20th-century splendor.
National First Ladies Historic Site
The Downtown Canton Flea and Maker Market, held on the 3rd Saturdays of each month
If you’re smart you’ve already arranged for Angela and Ken to teach you how to make homemade pasta for the evening dinner so head over to the Downtown Canton Flea and Maker Market (on third Saturdays) or stroll around the arts district for fabulous arts, crafts, music, vintage and collectibles. The area has been reborn with fantastical murals and sculptures that bring a little whimsey to the historic downtown business district.
Pop Culture Inspired Plush toys and pillows by The Cuddle Cult at the Makers Market
Plan to have lunch at the historic Bender’s Tavern on Court Avenue for a fresh, seasonal and modern cuisine in a leading graceful dame in the City. Serving fine dining since 1902, the paneled oak walls mirror the same era as the McKinley home and it’s easy to imagine oneself a century ago enjoying the hospitality of the grand ladies of their early days, business men and judges on the weekdays or the early strategy sessions to create and locate the Football Hall of Fame in Canton.
Save a little room for an after-lunch visit to baker extraordinaire Latisha Culler at her dessert studio and cafe, JAA on Cleveland Ave. Latisha serves up secret family recipes to customers with a little encouraging word to have a great day and doesn’t mind a smile thrown in for free. A generous portion of her mother’s made-from-scratch moist pound cake or a small blackberry pie will practically throw themselves into your bag as part of the plan for afternoon tea or dinner.
Chef Latisha with blackberry pies at Jaa Dessert Studio and Cafe
After a little break at the bed and breakfast, Chef Angela and Sous Chef Ken will call you to the massive kitchen where stations for pasta making have been set up allowing everyone to participate in the action. These classes have become so popular it’s worth mentioning you should inquire well in advance to be sure there’s plenty of time and supplies on hand. Having been a Masterchef contestant (Season 8), Angela is prepared with recipe cards and aprons for your group which generally includes a glass of wine while you cook. Within an hour you’ll be laughing, snapping phone pics and salivating at the dinner to come while the pasta is drying on dowel rods around the kitchen.
Chefs Veronica Cili and Angela Perkins add ingredients to create the dough
