Warm up your taste buds at Hot Rocks Grill

By ELLEN KOLMAN - Staff Writer - ekolman@starbeacon.com
Star Beacon

January 19, 2009 10:35 pm

— ASHTABULA — Kathy Niemi is happiest when she is cooking up comfort food for her customers at Hot Rocks Grill, at 2057 Lake Ave.
“As long as people want to eat, I’ll cook for them,” Niemi said from behind the counter of the take-out and delivery business she co-owns with longtime friend Mike Wall.
Niemi and Wall opened Hot Rocks Grill in August 2007, and their fame has spread through word of mouth or, more aptly put, through happy taste buds.
“A lot of people still don’t know we exist, but once they try us, they are hooked,” Wall said. “Everyone is amazed at our menu, that we offer things like cabbage rolls, soups and roast beef dinners for take-out.”
In fact, the Hot Rocks Grill menu is extensive and includes charbroiled specialties, various appetizers, chicken wings, shrimp and chicken baskets, a variety of sandwiches and specialty burgers, homemade comfort meals, soups, salads and desserts. Comfort meals include boneless pork chops, grilled liver and onions, charbroiled chicken breast, chicken bruschetta, pasta and meatballs, homemade cabbage rolls, fish, chopped sirloin steak, pot roast, and open-face hot turkey or roast beef sandwiches.
“I make all the sauces and soups. Everything is my own recipe,” Niemi said.
If great food were not enough, Niemi also bakes homemade pies for customers to purchase, by the slice or a whole pie.
For more than 30 years, Niemi has cooked and managed several local eateries.
“This is something I have been doing all of my life. Now, I can make money for myself,” she said.
The name Hot Rocks Grill was born when Niemi and Wall traveled to Columbus to purchase a lava-rock charbroiler. A lava rock charbroiler transfers the heat from the burners to special charcoal or ceramic briquettes that then transfer the heat to the cooking grate.
“We needed to buy lava rocks for the charbroiler, and I thought: so we cook on hot rocks. It is a hot rock grill,” Niemi said.
Excellent food is only half the story at Hot Rocks Grill. Prompt courteous delivery in the Ashtabula area, is just as important to the success of this business.
“Customers need to understand that we are not a fast-food restaurant. We cook everything to order, fresh. We get the food as fast as we can to the customer without compromising taste and quality,” Niemi said.
John Barnes and Jason Blizzard are the friendly delivery team who take the food to the customers’ door.
“I treat people the way I want to be treated when someone comes to my door,” Barnes said.
“Kathy is the best cook I have ever worked for,” Blizzard said.
“What I want to know is, who is cooking tonight? Let us do the cooking for you,” Wall said.
Hot Rocks Grill is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Thursday, and 11 a.m. to midnight Friday – Saturday. Orders can be made by telephone (440 998-0577) or facsimile machine (440 998-0667).

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