February 25, 2010 - Frog Leg Inn Executive Chef Tad Cousino has joined up with Walden Media's Examiner.com to write on the organization's web site as Toledo French Food Examiner. "Having a history of specializing in French foods, I feel rather well-qualified to write in this area", said Chef Tad. "We're constantly developing classic and authentic-style dishes for the rustic French country setting of the Frog Leg Inn. From creating similar dishes for the home, and looking at the necessary French sauces that are handmade but are also of a consistently high quality, I'm looking forward to sharing a wealth of techniques, recipes, history and culture with my readers."

In 2010 the Frog Leg Inn in Erie, Michigan, will be celebrating the 100th anniversary of maintaining the name "Frog Leg Inn" as a number of various types of restaurant. The building was constructed in 1853 and is the oldest business in Erie. Over time the building has been a bawdy house, a speak-easy, a school, and a meat market, and was a regular stopping point for patrons such as the Licavoli gang. The Frog Leg Inn restaurant has received two five-star reviews in The Toledo Blade, as well as reviews in The Detroit News and the Detroit Free Press. His wife Catherine, a native of France, is also a valuable resource in French cuisine as a culinary graduate of Ecole Hotelliere D’Orchies.

A serving of Scallops in Lobster Sauce, one of the specials for February 2010. Click here for more information.

While a lot of old favorites are still available, there are some new additions. Click on any of these photos for a larger version.

Shrimp ala Greque
Incredible grilled prawns pair with zucchini, fennel and dill that is sautéed over a roasted garlic polenta cake.

Baked Brie (appetizer)
A small round brie stuffed with cranberry grape compote and wrapped in puff pastry and fired in our oven.

Seasonal Flatbread (appetizer)
Homemade grilled dough that is hand rolled and garnished with seasonal ingredients. Ask your server for details.

Magret de Canard
Tender duck breast pan seared and served in port wine demiglace and pan drippings. Garnished with sautéed spinach and parsnip-infused mashed potatoes.

Chef Tad has started a food blog titled "A Chef's Journal, hosted right here at the restaurant's web site. In his first couple posts he discusses "The Economy and Restaurants" and updating the wine menu at the Frog Leg Inn. A sample reads as follows: "I met with one of my wine distributors today. It’s one of the pleasures we have in the restaurant business. This particular wine house sells what we consider ‘boutique wines’, which are out of the mainstream market. My wife and I have always tried to stay out of the mainstream. We offer that which others usually don’t offer. Today I sampled some very appealing wines, both in terms of taste as well as value. ... A traditional Riesling, called Wurzburger Stein Spatlese Troken, was unbelievable. It brought me back to a trip I took to Europe when I was sixteen ..."

Click the image, or the link on the left side of this page, to dig right in!

'Monroe's Biggest Idols': Tim Cartwright, Chef Tad Cousino, and Al Budzios.

Come hear Monroe's Biggest Idols play, every Thursday from 6 to 9 p.m. Enjoy the sounds of the likes of Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, Roger Miller and Michael Buble as performed by "Monroe's Biggest Idols". There's entertainment for guests of every age! Click the above photo for a printable poster.