Virtues Restaurant - Akron, Ohio

Located in the Critical Care wing of Akron City Hospital in Akron, Ohio, is a remarkable restaurant called Virtues. Considering the traditional reputation of hospital food, Virtues is not what you would expect.

Virtues is an upscale restaurant, with a menu created by Wolfgang Puck protege Tony Mosheninia, who is a corporate chef with Summa Health Systems. Chef Mosheninia has created an eclectic mixture of California style dishes with French, Italian, and Asian influences. The menu includes wonderful salads like the Roasted Pear and Arugula Salad that is topped with candied pecans, Pasta with Italian Sausage in a delicious Red Pepper Sauce, Wild Mushroom Ravioli, Herb Encrusted Salmon, and Rack of Lamb, to name just a few. They also offer a wide selection of sandwiches and gourmet pizzas. The house soup is a Roasted Eggplant soup that is great as a side, or as the main course. It's one of my favorite items on the menu.

No trip to Virtues would be complete without a trip to the dessert case to view the selections. Sweet rewards like Creme Brulee, French Lemon Tart, Banana Split Cheesecake, Chocolate Cake, and a variety of Pastries make for a difficult decision. Top that off with a hot Starbucks coffee,espresso or frozen drink.

For those with special diet restrictions, a dietitian is on hand to help with deciding what to order.

There are three seating areas in Virtues. For light, casual seating, you could choose to sit in the coffee bar area. They also have an open bistro-style kitchen where you can sit and watch as the chefs prepare the meals. For a more formal setting, choose the table area with subtle lighting for a more relaxed ambiance.

Menu prices at Virtues range from $5.50 to $23.

Virtues is open to the public, and is located at 525 E. Market Street, Akron Ohio, in the Ann and David Brennan Critical Care Center at Akron City Hospital. They are open from 11 AM to 10 PM Monday through Saturday. For more information, or to make reservations, call 330-375-7444. Valet parking is available.