Taste This: Crab stuffed mushrooms ($12.99 as of Nov. 20) at Papa Joe’s Iacomini’s Italian Restaurant, Market, and Wine Shop , located at 1561 Akron Peninsula Road in Akron’s Merriman Valley neighborhood.

Creator: Joe Alvis, executive chef

Eye test: Five Silver Dollar mushrooms are filled with the restaurant’s homemade stuffed crab meat and sprinkled with parmesan cheese create the iconic starter for a hungry patron. A lemon wedge rests on the rim of the plate, offering a citrusy complexity to the starter.

What makes this item special: Lori Burroughs, a longtime admirer of the restaurant, said this dish — a constant for years on the menu — continues to be an appetizer star. “Lucious, fragrant, enticing balls of pure satisfaction. A feast for the senses,” Burroughs added.

Angelina Lofreso, the restaurant’s sous chef for two years, said the dish is “savory, mouthwatering and comforting.” Lofreso added that the dish can be enjoyed all four seasons due to daily fresh seafood selections at the restaurant.

Process: Lofreso described the process of assembling this appetizer as artful, made with care and patience. To create this dish, silver dollar mushrooms are cleaned and prepared for the crabmeat stuffing, which is made from fresh crabmeat, enough garlic to illicit a bit of love, creamy cheese breading and a sprinkling of parmesan cheese on top of each of the five mushrooms with the bravado of a squeezed lemon slice.

From the reporter: My first taste was impressive. I found the complexity of flavors satisfying. The fresh ingredients are very appealing. I would order this appetizer again.

Papa Joe's Iacomini's Italian Restaurant, Market, and Wine Shop offers Southern Italian dishes, as well as steaks and seafood, in a casual setting. Augusto Iacomini and his wife, Aletta, opened the first of the Iacomini restaurants in their home in 1932. Fast forward to 1986: Joe Iacomini, one of Augusto’s three sons, opened “The Lodge” which later became Papa Joe’s in Merriman Valley
Papa Joe’s Iacomini’s Italian Restaurant, Market, and Wine Shop offers Southern Italian dishes, as well as steaks and seafood, in a casual setting. Augusto Iacomini and his wife, Aletta, opened the first of the Iacomini restaurants in their home in 1932. Fast forward to 1986: Joe Iacomini, one of Augusto’s three sons, opened “The Lodge” which later became Papa Joe’s in Merriman Valley.

Pairs with: There was consensus regarding which red wines would hold up better — Altos Malbec and Quilt Cabernet met the challenge. The Malbec works because it compliments the earthiness of the mushrooms, adding depth without bitterness or acidity, and the Quilt Cabernet because of its deep complexity, which accentuates the dish’s garlic flavors.

Creator’s backstory: Alvis, the executive chef, has been with Papa Joe’s for 34 years. He is the creator behind the scenes and develops the flavor profile of every dish on the menu to ensure they complement and dance with one another. This Johnson & Wales graduate enjoys a culinary passion for seafood as evidence in the crab stuffed mushroom appetizer.

About the company: This family-run restaurant offers Southern Italian dishes, as well as steaks and seafood, in a casual setting. Augusto Iacomini and his wife, Aletta, opened the first of the Iacomini restaurants in their home in 1932. Fast forward to 1986: Joe Iacomini, one of Augusto’s three sons, opened “The Lodge,” which later became Papa Joe’s in Merriman Valley.  

Taste This

“Taste This” is our glimpse of the Akron area’s tastiest, distinctive and popular (or soon-to-be-famous) food, drinks and desserts — and the local culinary talents behind them. Tough job, we know. Know any menu items we should consider? Tell us here. 

Today, it is lovingly cared for by Joe’s daughter, Judy Amato, and his grandchildren, Kim and Jeff Bruno. The restaurant includes an Italian market, wine shop, private and semiprivate dining rooms and a main dining room with fireplace and bar. The atmosphere is cozy, comforting, engaging and welcoming.  

How to buy: Papa Joe’s Iacomini’s Italian Restaurant, Market, and Wine Shop is open

Thursday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

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Patricia Sheahan is a professor, student teacher supervisor, installation artist, educational consultant for the integration of the arts across all disciplines and a freelance writer. Sheahan enjoys more than four decades of education experience at K-12 schools in New York and Pennsylvania and higher education at Seton Hill University, the University of Pittsburgh, Duquesne University, Penn State and most recently the University of Akron. Her favorite courses to teach are Social Justice Through the Arts, Ethics, Introduction to Critical Education, Classroom Management and Integrating the Arts K-12. Interests include visiting the Akron Art Museum, Akron Library, Civic Theatre, walking downtown to view murals and window light installations plus the stunning flower and plant arrangements, antiquing, especially from her own vendor space at The Brothers North Antiques in Medina. She also frequents Akron restaurants and local boutiques, travels and spends time with her family; a daughter and her newly blended family in North Canton, a son and his family in San Diego and a son in Dallas.