4U Diner opens in Downtown Toledo
TOLEDO – A new Mediterranean restaurant has opened in downtown Toledo, so the Toledo Free Press team went to lunch at the 4U Diner – and left absolutely stuffed.
4U Diner is a restaurant that specializes in American and Mediterranean cuisine. On the American side, it offers classic dishes, like scrambled eggs with turkey bacon, fried egg bacon cheeseburgers and fish and chicken. As for the Mediterranean fare, there’s everything from Baba Ganouj and falafel to Arayes Kafta and Lebanese burgers.
Because the restaurant is owned by a Lebanese family, expect a Mediterranean flavor to every meal.
Hassan El Khechen is the owner of the new family-owned establishment. His dad, Mohammad, his wife, Maryam, and brother, Ali, play a big role in the diner.
Through the first few weeks they’ve been open, the cheese rolls made by Hassan’s wife, Maryam, have been one of the most popular items on the menu.
Hassan says he does most of the cooking, with contributions from his wife, who makes the cheese rolls and rice, but eventually they would like to add to the staff.
“Rice, salads, everything is homemade,” Hassan El Khechen said.
When talking about the future of 4U diner, Hassan says he would love to grow the business as it gets more popular.
“I would open another location,” El Khechen said. “I’d keep this restaurant and open another with the same name.”
I had never had Mediterranean food before this, so I tried my best to branch out of my comfort zone and not order American food.
In our experience at the diner, a small and old-school eatery on N. Erie St., we tried to sample as much as we could.
The TFP team ordered an array of food. We got the mixed platter, which included grape leaves, falafels, kibble, cheese pie, spinach pie, hummus and tabbouleh – all for $16.99.
I ordered the gyro omelet with tomato, onion and feta cheese and it was fantastic. I’m from Cincinnati, and there are not many Mediterranean restaurants like there are in Toledo, so this was my first time trying gyro meat. When I looked at it, I thought it would be a hard texture, like steak or chicken, but it was surprisingly softer than it looked, and the flavor was … unique. It was good. Personally, it was a new experience for me because I hadn’t tried anything like it.
I also liked the tabbouleh (a salad made with bulgur wheat, tomatoes, parsley, mint, green onion, dressed with lemon juice and olive oil), and was surprised by the mint. I also enjoyed the cheese pie and falafel.
Even though I was full, of course I found room for dessert. We ordered baklava, a Greek flaky, layered pastry dessert made of filo pastry, filled with chopped nuts, and sweetened with syrup or honey. As I was eating it, I described it as the greatest dessert ever.
“Everything is fresh, made in a professional way,” El Khechen said when asked what stands out about his restaurant compared to others. The meat is halal style (prepared in accordance with Islamic law); it is prayed over before they cut it and the meat is also considered ‘permissible or lawful.’
Sitting on a stool next to large windows that face an alley were two men on their lunch break.
“You never know it if you don’t try it,” said Chico Rodriguez, a new customer. “The prices are pretty good, food is definitely good … I’d come back again.”
4U Diner is located on N. Erie St in downtown Toledo.
BGSU gets revenge in Battle of I-75
Falcons beat Rockets for 1st time in 710 days
Story by Chas McNeil | Photos by Kyle Brown
BOWLING GREEN – Bowling Green vs. Toledo is a rivalry that flies under the radar in the sports world, but don’t be fooled; the teams get along as well as cats and dogs, Batman and the Joker and oil and vinegar.
What turns a rivalry into loathing is proximity and stakes, and the stakes could not have been higher at the Stroh Center in Bowling Green last night as the Falcons faced off against the Rockets.
In front of a screaming orange crowd that packed the stands, BGSU finally silenced UT 81-72, breaking their longtime losing streak, which they’ve been unable to do since March 4, 2023.
“When I first got here (Bowling Green), Toledo was the monster. I mean, they were just formidable,” said second-year head coach Fred Chmiel following the game.
“Tricia Cullop was just knocking it out year after year. They’re really good this year, but I told the players today it’s not about emotion but motion. You’ve gotta make feet move; you have to communicate; everything has to move forward. You can’t worry about the emotional piece.”
The game ultimately came down to “big-time” moments, and Bowling Green was able to answer the call early and often with the first evidence of that coming off a buzzer-beater three-point shot by fifth-year guard Lexi Fleming. The shot splashed through the net as time expired, giving BGSU a 25-14 lead.
Multiple Falcons showed up in one of the biggest games of their season, with fellow senior Amy Valasco scoring 30 points, which was just two points off her career high. Velasco became ninth all time on the BGSU scorers list with a layup that put BGSU up 20-12 in the first quarter.
Snapping their little winning streak is great! We went out there, we competed, but we’re focused on one game at a time and we’re trying to take our momentum with us and keep carrying it on.
BGSU senior Amy Valasco
Despite not coming out of enemy territory with a win, the Rockets have a lot to be excited about. The team produced 42 points from their bench, which towered against BGSU’s 10 bench points.
But where there is good there must also be bad, and there were plenty of negatives on both sides. The biggest, glaring flaw of the game was 18 UT turnovers compared to BGSU’s 12. UT opened the game with a turnover, and Bowling Green capitalized on many of the Rockets’ mistakes. The Falcons tallied 23 points from just turnovers.
“This was an incredible environment and everything I thought it would be,” Toledo’s first-year head coach Ginny Boggess said. “All the credit to BG and their staff. Porter and Velasco were playing like seniors that didn’t want to lose to Toledo at home the last time they got to play them.”
A big standout in the game for Toledo was graduate student guard Nan Garcia, who tallied a season high 18 points and eight field goals.
“I’ve only got five of these games left so I’m gonna give everything I have for this team, for this jersey and for Toledo. That’s what they deserve, and I’ve got to be better from the get go, not just the fourth quarter,” Garcia said.
Late in the game, Garcia did make her presence known, scoring a layup that led an eight-point run, setting BGSU fan’s hearts in their throats when UT got close at 69-66 with just over five minutes left in the game.
In the final moments of the game, it came back full circle to the rivalry and which team could be the loudest, so, with thousands of Falcons screeching at once, the Orange and Brown defense tightened, closing the contest with a nine-point gap.
Barring a MAC tournament matchup, both teams will have to wait nearly a full year to battle again, with BGSU holding the all-time lead since the series began in 1974 at 46-44.
“Man, what a game … Toledo’s a really good team. It was a dogfight back and forth,” Chmiel said.
“We took some big punches from them but we held tough, held the rope, and I think that’s the hardest we’ve ever played in terms of physical and mental toughness.”
BGSU stuns UT in last-second
Story by Max Alfonso | TFP Photos by Kyle Brown
TOLEDO – In a season loaded with injuries, Bowling Green pulled off an upset against Toledo behind a Javontae Campbell put-back layup in the final seconds to win 69-68 Friday night.
Bowling Green walked into Savage Arena 3-7 in their last 10 games not having won in Toledo since February 2021.
Before the game, Jon Rothstein, of CBS sports, announced Bowling Green starting guard Trey Thomas would miss the rest of the season with a broken leg, adding to a lengthy Bowling Green injury report with Sam Towns and Yousef Kahayat already out for the year.
“We practiced 3 on 3, with managers, coaches playing; it’s just a hard situation. Some guys are just games only,” he said.
Derrick Butler had 20 points for Bowling Green and played all 40 minutes. He moved into the starting lineup for Javontae Campbell, who is playing with a hand injury that has kept him out of practice since Jan. 6. They combined for 43 of Bowling Green’s 69 points.
“Derrick has been doing a great job for us, he’s given us a scoring punch off the bench,” BGSU head coach Todd Simon said. “We want to stagger some of these lineups, especially when you’re shorthanded, to make sure you have some scoring.”
Sam Lewis gave Toledo the lead with 15 seconds left when he went 1-2 from the free throw line to make it a 68-67 lead. Toledo only led for 5:02.
Simon called timeout with 15 seconds left and down 1. He drew up a play getting Campbell to the basket. He missed the layup; Wilguens Exacte missed a putback; Marcus Johnson missed a put-back; it was deflected to Exacte who passed to Campbell who made the layup to give Bowling Green the lead.
“I wanted to get a quick shot just so if I did miss, we could get the rebound,” Campbell said.
Simon wins his second game in the battle of I-75 and his first at Savage Arena in front of a crowd of 6,837.
“With the transfer portal and all the changes that happened, rivalries still matter,” Simon said. “At least it does in our community, and it does to our guys.”
Toledo has now lost 3 of 4 and falls to 9-5 in the MAC. This is the first time Toledo has lost at least five conference games since the 2019-20 season.
“Disappointing loss. I never thought we got our typical Toledo run. We never got that 10 nothing run,” Toledo Head Coach Tod Kowalcyk lamented.
Sonny Wilson had 13 points for Toledo, his third straight game under 15 points. Before that he had eight straight games with at least 15 points.
Toledo is back in action on Tuesday at Kent State. Last time they played each other, the Rockets lost 83-64. It was their largest defeat in conference play this season.
Bowling Green travels to Eastern Michigan on Tuesday for another must-win game. The Falcons currently sit 9th in the MAC. The top eight teams make the MAC tournament in Cleveland. Eastern Michigan is currently 8th.
Battle of I-75 roundup
On this episode of The Flyby, co-hosts and school rivals Chas McNeil and Max Alfonso dive deep into the longtime rivalry between the Falcons and Rockets in all sports, including stats, scores and predictions. They also recap last week’s sports news and update you on the play schedule for this upcoming week.
Both students are spring journalism interns at the Toledo Free Press.
New episodes of the The Flyby Sports Podcast drop every Saturday.
WHAT’S UP? Restaurant Week
Leadership Toledo’s Anna Toney touts 15th annual charity event
TOLEDO – It’s time for the 15th Annual Restaurant Week! As Toledo eateries prepare their specialty menus for a deluge of curious, thrifty and adventurous palates, customers are busy figuring out which of the 40 restaurants they want to sample.
Organized by Leadership Toledo, the week-long event, which begins Monday and ends March 2, benefits the program’s fundraising efforts for youth involvement in our city. To get a grasp of the growth of the event and its financial contribution to charity, the Toledo Free Press caught up with Anna Toney, executive director of Leadership Toledo, who gave us insight in the event’s overall contribution.
Ian Hubbard: What has been the impact of Restaurant Week since its inception?
For us, it’s one of our largest fundraisers to support our tuition-free youth programming. Since 2010, this fundraiser has raised over $1 million. Many restaurants tell us it’s one of their busiest weeks of the year. What began with a dozen restaurants has grown to over 40! I’ve been with the organization since 2012 and it’s been incredible to see how it has evolved. We’re excited for another fantastic week!
Is there a metric you use to trace the event’s impact? Is it feedback from the community?
We measure the impact primarily by the dollars raised. The feedback we receive from community members and local restaurants is incredibly heartwarming. It reinforces how much our community values coming together to support locally owned businesses.
Is Leadership Toledo primarily a youth program?
Youth Leadership Toledo is a nine-month experiential program that brings together nearly 60 high school sophomores from over 30 area high schools. The program is designed to inspire community involvement and help students recognize their vital role in shaping the future of our communities.
Do you have any personal favorite participating restaurants or dishes?
Hard to choose! Local Roots offers really fun and tropical dishes during the event. I’m excited to try some new partners this year, like Regalo and Bluewater Grille. I do a lot of coffee meetings, so all of the coffee shops will be high on my list!
What is a misconception locals should get over when dining at these establishments?
The colder months are often the slowest for the restaurant industry, so supporting them makes a big impact. We always say it’s a win-win-win – for the restaurants, for customers enjoying great deals and creative menus, and for Leadership Toledo. Additionally, it’s important to know that you can order off the Restaurant Week menu or the regular menu, and it still benefits the fundraiser.
Locally owned recommendations
If you want to spend a day during Restaurant Week playing the role of “townie,” here are a few selections to get you from breakfast to dinner:
Maddie & Bella: Start the day off right with a slice of in-house coffee cake and a Cup of Joe (or tea, if you prefer less of a jolt). I’m fairly basic when it comes to caffeine – a hot coffee with a touch of cream always does the trick. If you want to be fancy, try their homemade scone, smeared in jam, and a hot matcha latte.
Balance Pan-Asian Grille: If you’re looking to change it up, the Mongo and Korean BBQ tacos are light fare for your money. Ask for two of the red dipping sauces. The mix of savory between the proteins and spiral-cut vegetables and the heat of the sauce is a tip-top combination. Grab an order of their Eye of the Tiger butterfly tea. The sweetness of the passion fruit, pomegranate and lemonade mix will cleanse the palate.
Home Slice Pizza: If you don’t want to venture away from downtown and crave a classic combination, there’s this St. Clair staple. I’ve had many pies there, and they’ve always hit the spot. Restaurant Week will see Home Slice offer two for $25 combos (large pizza and appetizer/dessert), as well as a Nashville Hot Chicken Pizza and a Spicy Meatball Pizza to benefit the event.
Souk Mediterranean: You’ll have to stop home for a nap and change into your Saturday night attire before heading to Souk’s fine dining atmosphere. They’ll offer a three-course dinner (or a two-course lunch) in benefit of Leadership Toledo. In case that doesn’t fit your bill, I recommend the Roman Mussels to start, followed by either the Lamb Ragu or Garlic Roasted Duck Breast for your entrée.
For a full list of the participating restaurants and their specialty menus, go to restaurantweektoledo.com.
Toledo Golf Show opens in Sylvania Friday – Sunday
SYLVANIA – The Masters Tournament historically signals the start of the golf season, but for Toledo-area golfers, there is one more important sign that spring is not too far away — the Toledo Golf Show.
Every year, the Toledo Golf Show provides area golf fans a chance to purchase new clubs, apparel, and book golf trips to their favorite resorts at discounted pricing. In addition, golf experts will be on hand to answer questions and give tips to improve your game.
This year the show will kick off at 3 p.m. on Friday at the Tam-O-Shanter Sports & Exhibition Center in Sylvania.
Friday Events
To get the show started, John Ambrose, director of instruction at Hemlock Springs Golf Club, will speak about Pendulum Putting on the big stage at 4 p.m. At 5 p.m., Tony Walters, head teaching professional and Callaway professional club fitter, will talk about the benefits of proper club fitting.
Local golf professional Dan Sutton will offer tips to lower everyone’s score. And to round out the evening, the Girl Scout Cookie Eating Contest, sponsored by The Legacy, will begin at 7 p.m., with the doors to close at 8 p.m.
In addition, Tony Packo’s, Inside the Five and Treu House of Munch will be on hand with all their favorites, plus adult beverages can be purchased on the show floor.
Saturday Events
The fun continues on Saturday as the doors open 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Zoom Broom’s Randy Kuckuck, professionals Janet Rychnovsky and Andrew Headman will give golf tips to help increase your enjoyment. At 2 p.m., former PGA Tour winner and Toledoan Pat Lindsey, the keynote speaker, and will regale golf fans with stories from the tour. Other local pros will take the stage to talk golf, and the day will close with the Nothing Bundt Cake Blindfolded Cake Tasting Contest.
Sunday Events
On Sunday, Rychnovsky, Dale Perne, Ambrose and Sutton will offer more golf tips from the stage. At 3 p.m., Tony Packo’s will host their popular Pickle Eating Contest.
Every year, Andrew Brown, owner of the Toledo Golf Show, awards a check to a local charity from proceeds of the event. That will take place at 3:30 p.m. just before the doors close at 4 p.m.
Word to the wise: get there early for the best prices and widest selection of equipment and apparel. Get a jump on your buddies this year. Look good and play better, but remember — the early bird gets the best deals.
Tickets are available at the entrance for $7, but patrons can save $1 by purchasing from one of eight area locations, or online at ToledoGolfShow.com. Children under the age of 12 and parking are free.
