© Katie Byard/Beacon Journal/Akron Beacon Journal/TNS Twisted Grill & Grind in Copley features grab-and-go baked goods. [Katie Byard/Beacon Journal]

You may know Julianna Trunko from her Southern Thangs food truck, a converted SWAT vehicle from which she serves eats ranging from alligator bites to deep-fried s'mores.

Now Trunko has opened a brick-and-mortar place, a family eatery called Twisted Grill & Grind — featuring everything from shrimp and grits to chicken and waffles to pizza to coffee — on Copley Circle.

It's in the building at 1442 S. Cleveland-Massillon Road that formerly housed a pizzeria — hence the structure's Old World Italy look, including a red tile roof and arched windows. The building sat vacant for about 10 years before being home briefly to a coffee shop, which opened in late 2018 and closed earlier this year.

© Beacon Journal file photo/Akron Beacon Journal/Akron Beacon Journal/TNS Julianna Trunko, above, has opened Twisted Grill & Grind on Copley Circle in Copley Township. [Beacon Journal file photo]

Trunko, who is a part-time police officer and a mother of three children ages 15 and younger, wasn't working toward opening a restaurant until the owner of the building contacted her.

"There are a lot of people who said to the owner, 'You've got to get Julianna in here,"' Trunko said.

The owner of the building near the intersection of Cleveland-Massillon and Copley roads had bought the property not long before the former coffee shop opened, and was looking for a new tenant.

"He said to me, 'Everybody knows you in Copley. You have the food truck,'" Trunko said.

For now, Twisted Grill & Grind, which celebrated its grand opening on Sunday, is open 4-9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 4-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Breakfast and lunch hours will start Jan. 6. Also in January, alligator bites, as well as some other Southern Thangs items, will join the menu.

The menu, with a Southern flair, isn't big, but it is eclectic — including entrees such as chicken and waffles ($14); salmon patties ($12); Spicy Shrimp and Cheesy Grits ($15) and steak dinner ($16), which all come with two sides and choice of slaw or salad and a roll. There are also burgers, pizza, wings and salads.

The most expensive menu item is the steak dinner at $16. That is, unless you get a large pizza with more than three toppings.

A variety of coffee drinks are available at Twisted, as well as baked goods and ice cream.

At Twisted, burgers include the Cowboy Burger — two quarter-pound patties with shredded pork, bacon, tomato, choice of cheese, onion ring and BBQ sauce ($12). All burgers are served with fries,

There are no house specialties when it comes to pizza. You get a cheese pizza and can add toppings. A large cheese pizza runs $10 and toppings are $2 each.

Salads include the Twisted Farmers Smash Salad with chicken (fried $10; grilled $11). It boasts tomatoes, onion, cheese, bacon, egg, goat cheese, sweet pecans and dry cranberries.

Grab-and-go baked goods also are available.

Trunko, who grew up in Florida and the Carolinas, will continue to operate her Southern Thangs food truck, which debuted in 2014. Earlier this year, she sold another food truck— which specializes in sweet treats — that she began in 2016.

She plans to launch a Twisted food truck in June.

Twisted's phone is 234-466-7477.

Just so there is no confusion, Twisted Grill and Grind, is not associated with the Twisted Olive, the Green restaurant that is a sister operation to Gervasi Vineyard in Canton, and Twiisted Burgers & Sushi, also a locally owned spot, in Medina.

A reminder here, Christopher Pappas, the owner of Twiisted in Medina, earlier this year decided to add breakfast in the wake of the closing of the nearby Eat'n Park. (Yeah, there are two i's in Twiisted.)

Pappas also hired a group of Eat'n Park staffers to cover the expanded hours. Twiisted is at 985 Boardman Alley in Medina.

Square Scullery open house

The Square Scullery, which has opened a tiny restaurant at its "ghost kitchen" spot in the back of the American Legion Post 19 in Akron's Highland Square neighborhood, will have a December open house at 5:30 p.m. Saturday.

Last year, Square Scullery, which has a food truck, opened a "ghost kitchen" at the post, where food for pick-up and delivery is prepared.

Now, the Square Scullery also offers dine-in seating for 13 to 14 people, and has plans to renovate the patio in the spring time. The owners say seating is generally first-come, first serve, but people can make reservations during business hours. Call 330-983-9387.

The Square Scullery is in the back of the American Legion post at Casterton Avenue and West Market Street. Look for the big brown doors.

The parking lot is reserved for members of the American Legion post, as well as Square Scullery delivery (through Doordash, Ubereats, GrubHub & Chownow) and pickup orders. The Square Scullery owners ask restaurant patrons to use street parking and nearby public parking.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday.

Reminders

The Countryside Old Trail School Winter Farmers Market runs from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at 2315 Ira Road, Bath.

The market will then close for the holidays, returning on select dates beginning Jan. 11. Go to www.cvcountryside.org for a schedule.

In Kent, the winter Haymaker Farmers Market, the granddaddy of markets in the area, runs from from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays through April. The church is at 1435 E. Main St. (state Route 59).

Coming up:

For your calendar, here are dates for a couple of popular foodcentric events coming up next year.

Wine, Cheese & Chocolate, Darling! will return to the Akron Civic Theatre at 7 p.m. Feb. 8.

The event will be in the 1929 theater's ornate lobby, and will feature 55 domestic and foreign wine — reds, whites, Champagne and port. Organic wines will be among those served.

Wine tastings will be paired with chocolates and 18 different cheeses from local producers and purveyors, including Ben Heggy's Candy Co., Canton; Lucky Penny Creamery, Kent; Yellow House Cheese, outside Seville; Mackenzie Creamery, Hiram Township; Mustard Seed Market &; Caf', Akron and Bath; and the Kent Cheesemonger shop.

Ticket prices $45. All attendees must be 21 or older.

Tickets are available at the Akron Civic Theatre box office, by calling 330-253-2488 or online at www.akroncivic.com.

This is the third year for the event, which sold out last year and the year prior.

The big Pizza Palooza party is returning to Stow-Munroe Falls High from noon to 3 p.m. Jan. 26.

This is the fourth year for Pizza Palooza, which attracts a big crowd. Pizza shops and restaurants participate to benefit student programs in the Stow-Munroe Falls school district. Attendees can cast votes for the People's Choice pizza.

Each food item or beverage will cost $1. Go to www.SMFcommunity.org for information.

Some 3,000 people crammed into the school for the event this past January.

Send local food news to Katie Byard at 330 996-3781 or kbyard@thebeaconjournal.com. You can follow her @ KatieByardABJ on Twitter or on Facebook.

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