On our only “adventure day” during this trip to Ohio, we drove with Mom and Dad up to Ashland to meet my Aunt Anne and Uncle Paul.  Mom and Dad had a new restaurant they were eager to show us.  So we all met on a Wednesday at 12:30 at Bella Bleu at Water’s Edge in Ashland.

Bella Bleu is a newer restaurant and event center in Ashland.  It is on the edge of a trailer park and an industrial park with bordering farmland.  Getting there involved some convoluted twists and turns.  Every so often there was a sign that said “Bella Bleu” told us where to turn.  But the signs were not well placed and two of them seemed to signify we needed to turn at the wrong places.

When we finally arrived at Bella Bleu, there wasn’t a sign on the building to signify we reached our destination.  Mom and Dad assured us that it was the right building.  We admired the lake and the Canadian Geese on the lawn and tried not to step in goose poop.  (I was unsuccessful).  When Anne and Paul arrived, we were quickly seated at a table by the large windows overlooking the lake.

Bella Bleu says that it is “fine dining at the water’s edge.”  The lunch menu was salads and sandwiches.  Three of us got the chicken salad.  Mom and Aunt Anne got theirs as stated on the menu, served on a croissant.  I got mine on wheat bread.  All the men ordered burgers.  The food was good enough, with very fresh and pretty sides.  But my bread had some kind of sugar spread on it which made the sandwich much too sweet.  I like sweets just fine, but I don’t expect my chicken salad to be sugar-laden.  Everyone else enjoyed their sandwich more than I did.

Desserts, however, are where Bella Bleu really shines.  They have a master baker who makes all their desserts fresh every day.  Our waitress brought over a tray with desserts so we could look at them.  They also had a variety of cakes that were not on the tray.  Tom and I decided to split a carrot cake cupcake.  Mom and Dad shared a piece of carrot cake.  Anne and Paul shared a salted caramel chocolate chip cookie.  The cupcake was delicious and the perfect size.  Mom and Dad were a little overwhelmed by the size of their piece of cake.  Tom didn’t eat much, but I polished off the cupcake without any problem.

Bella Bleu has odd hours, so if you want to go there, be sure to check the website for the hours.  They cater and do box lunches, so might be a good place to get box lunches if you are in the Ashland area.  Currently their hours are:  closed on Mondays, open for lunch Tuesday and Wednesday, open for lunch and dinner on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and Sunday Brunch.

Bella Bleu is an event center, and I could see having a party there.  It seemed a little small for a wedding reception, but would work for a smaller wedding.

We enjoyed our visit to Bella Bleu.  The desserts alone are worth visiting the restaurant.  Of course, the best part of our meal was the company.