Thompson Township’s food and dining scene has expanded significantly over the past 10 years, including the opening of Prima Dolce bakery, Masterpiece Pizza and Cellar Key Winery, among others.
Thompson Township’s food and dining scene has expanded significantly over the past 10 years, including the opening of Prima Dolce bakery, Masterpiece Pizza and Cellar Key Winery, among others.
Each offers a different taste of Thompson, from hearty comfort food at the square’s longheld institution Stockers by Anne to European bakery items and savory morsels at Prima Dolce, or crowd-pleasing favorites like Masterpiece Pizza.
You could pick something up at any of these establishments and venture south of the square to enjoy it with friends over wine at the newly-opened Cellar Key Winery. Regardless of where you go, be prepared to find owners happy to greet you, regulars ready to offer enthusiastic endorsements, and food and drink to fuel you as you explore Thompson.
Prima Dolce
Joe and Marie Cindric opened Prima Dolce in May to showcase family recipes passed down from their Slovenian and Italian grandparents.
Their daughter, Rachel, 19, is the shop’s primary baker, specializing in European-style bakery items, coffee drinks, breakfast and lunch sandwiches, gelato and more.
“We have lots of background in European baking,” Marie said. “(Joe is) from Slovenia and his mom does a lot of baking. My family, a lot of Italian (and) German baking and our daughter, Rachel, went to Auburn Career Center for baking in the culinary program and then (the International Culinary Arts and Science Institute in Chester Township) to be a pastry chef. She really loves baking, just absolutely loves it.”
That passion is evident as soon as you walk into Prima Dolce.
In addition to kolaches, cannoli and cookies, the family offers scones — both sweet and savory — muffins, cupcakes and specialty items such as tiramisu and strudel, often with a seasonal twist.
“A lot of it is older recipes. The tiramisu, I’ve been doing the same recipe for twenty-five years,” Joe said. “Lately, I’ve been tweaking it, trying different flavors.”
He recently tried pumpkin and salted caramel coffee tiramisu for an autumn variation on the Italian classic.
The Cindrics’ culinary creativity is a family endeavor.
“We all just do a little bit and bring it all together,” Marie said.
Their shop also sells frozen sausages and other meats from area producers, including GAR Horizons, of Hambden Township; Raddell’s Sausage Shop Inc., of North Collingwood; and Lou’s Sausage, of Cleveland.
“We’re doing a different kind of food, it’s more European,” Joe said.
Prima Dolce is open 6:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday through Friday; 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday.
Dinners are also served every Friday from 4-8 p.m., with a weekly special announced on the business’s Facebook page, the Cindrics said, adding local musicians have also begun hosting open mic nights on Fridays in the shop’s cozy, wood-paneled dining area.
The couple said they are thrilled with how welcoming the township has been and hope Prima Dolce becomes a community gathering place.
“It’s a very positive atmosphere in Thompson,” Marie added.
The shop’s upstairs room hosts a monthly book club and is available for group meetings or other events, the Cindrics said, adding they are also catering and preparing for the holiday season with cookie trays featuring their usual baked goods and specialty items such as potica (pronounced “patitsa”), a traditional Slovenian nut roll.
The couple emphasized all their items, including their homemade gelato, can be personalized and customized.
Prima Dolce is taking preorders for the holidays now, Marie said, adding the sooner people place them, the better. Follow Prima Dolce on Facebook for updates.
Thompson Masterpiece Pizza
Thompson Masterpiece Pizza offers classic pizzeria quality on Thompson Square at a crowd-pleasing value. Owner Jim Geisert is also a natural raconteur with a deep knowledge of the community’s history.
Outside the shop, a hand-painted Italian chef on a sandwich board advertises the daily special — two pizzas for $15.99 — inviting locals and visitors into a cozy storefront steeped in the aroma of freshly-baked pizza.
“It started out as a convenience store,” said Geisert. “We brought the pizza in when they (Thompson) brought the gas and the sewer. This (coming) April 1, we’ll have been here for ten years.”
The building, however, has stood at the top of the square far longer.
“The building has been here since 1850. It was the first Ford dealership in the area,” said Geiser, who has worked in the pizzeria business for 25 years, first in Leroy Township and then at Mentor’s Master Pizza.
“It’s a special little square,” Geisert added, noting the changes in the community over the years.
“It was farming at one point. Now, it’s gentlemen farms,” he said. “Everybody wants a little bit of farming, or to have a horse or two and have that lifestyle. It’s a unique lifestyle.”
On a busy Tuesday night, regular customers were quick to praise the shop as they picked up their pies.
“It’s awesome. I come here a lot,” said Montville Township resident Rob Whitlow. “Love the daily special. It’s better quality for a good price. That’s what keeps me coming back.”
Nicholas Falcone stopped in after work at Hemly Tool Supply Inc. around the corner.
The passion put into each slice keeps him returning, he said, adding, “It’s good stuff, you can’t go wrong.”
In a world of corporate chains offering pre-cooked pizzas on the cheap, Masterpiece Pizza stands out for its focus on high-quality ingredients, Geisert said.
“You’re going to get fresh produce, nothing’s frozen, the cheese is superior,” he said. “The quality is far superior.”
Masterpiece highlights that quality on its menu, which boasts fresh veggie toppings, gooey cheese, snap-crisp crust and a sauce made with its own “pizza magic” blend.
Beyond its offerings and atmosphere, the shop is successful because of the people in front of and behind the counter, Geisert said.
“We’ve got a good crew here, but we have fabulous customers,” he said. “On a Tuesday night, we’re busy.”
Thompson’s history, small-town friendliness and dedication to its long-held institutions make it special, Geisert said.
“It’s unique. You don’t have to worry about them knocking down your building to put up a Sheetz or whatever,” he said, adding plans to expand the shop into a full restaurant are underway.
Masterpiece Pizza is open 4-8 p.m. every day and sometimes later on the weekend.
Stockers by Anne
Stockers by Anne has been a Thompson Square mainstay for more than 40 years. On a typical Friday, at least two generations of owners can be found serving customers and greeting regulars who have become like family.
Current owner Anne Pohto took over the restaurant in January, but has a long history at the family diner. She started working there when she was 14.
“I started as a dishwasher. I’ve been working here for 17 years,” Pohto said. “A couple of years ago, I was kind of joking, but not really joking, I said I would really love to own this one day. (Former owner Anita Stocker had) owned it for so long, her mother owned it, they’ve been invested in the restaurant for 40 years.”
Anita and her sister, Mimi — also a former owner — still help around the restaurant. Anita said she is thrilled to see someone like Pohto guide the culinary institution into its next era.
“It’s part of the town. We’ve lived here all our life,” said Anita, whose father, Earl Stocker, was a dairy farmer and township trustee for 33 years. “We were down on a dairy farm, next to the drag strip, that’s where we grew up. The town means a lot to us. We never looked at it like, ‘We own the restaurant,’ we looked at it like we were just camping here for a while because a lot of different people have owned it and it’s been a lot of different iterations. It was a saloon, it was a family restaurant, where everybody came after school in the ‘70s and after football games.”
That legacy of community is alive and well.
“It’s fun! You get to hear everything, gossip, whether it’s true or not,” Pohto said. “I have my regulars at the breakfast bar that just hang out every single morning.”
Stockers by Anne offers diner fare for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with its own Thompson flairs.
“We make homemade jam and homemade butter, and I feel like that’s a gamechanger for little diners. It’s more of a homey vibe,” Pohto said. “We try to make as much food as possible in the diner, in-shop and I think that gives it more of a ‘diner/family-orientated’ vibe than your traditional restaurant.”
Pohto said she’s proud to carry on the Stockers legacy.
“I think it’s the greatest thing ever to just be a big part of the community and something that’s been there so long, to just carry on the Stockers’ name,” she said. “I feel like it is the center of Thompson. We were the first ones there and I feel like Stockers is (always) going to be what it is. I’m trying to make little changes, but I just want the ‘homey’ vibe forever.”
Regulars and newcomers alike can enjoy favorites such as the daily breakfast special — two eggs, potatoes, toast and meat — the Swiss cheeseburger with grilled onions and grilled mushrooms, and the meatloaf still made by Mimi, now the kitchen manager.
The meatloaf is so popular, it has its own special night on Wednesdays, Pohto said.
She continues to offer Friday fish fries, a longtime Stockers tradition that keeps the Lenten-season favorite going year-round.
Anita can still be found behind the counter, reflecting on her life as a Thompson resident and former business owner, and feeling proud to see Pohto’s leadership.
“Like any businessperson, usually in a small town, you’re not in it for the big bucks, you’re in it to continue things,” Anita said. “It’s a great family business.”
Over the years, she added, the restaurant has become woven into the community and into diners’ lives.
“The kids come in as infants and then next thing you know, they’re washing dishes in the back, then they’re off to college and then they’re owning a business. It’s the best fun ever,” she said with a chuckle. “It’s the best feeling. You don’t want things to change but then again, it’s fun to watch it change.”
Cellars Key Winery
Michael Shaffer has made his own wine for years, and his wife, Carissa, judges wine competitions throughout the country.
In October, the high school sweethearts opened Cellars Key Winery on state Route 528, their first public winery.
“I started making wine about 20 years ago, just for ourselves and our friends,” said Michael.
“After a while, they loved my wine, so I entered it into competitions and I started winning awards.”
His blueberry wine has won best in show at The Great Geauga County Fair and the amateur winemaker gained enough recognition through regular contests to feel confident going pro.
With a roaring wood fire and views of the surrounding countryside, Cellars Key offers an intimate place to gather.
“We just wanted a warm, relaxing atmosphere where people can come enjoy wine,” Carissa said.
Michael is the primary winemaker, working with juices sourced locally and from other parts of the country. He highlighted his reds — such as merlot, malbec and zinfandel — as standouts.
“We’re dry-wine people in general, but we like to have a variety for everybody,” Carissa said. “With me judging over the years, I’ve gotten to try sweets and dry, reds and whites. So, I don’t have a favorite, I just want a good quality wine. So it depends what my mood is, depends on food.”
Carissa’s experience has strengthened her appreciation for winemaking fundamentals. She believes Cellars Key offers wines of consistently high caliber.
“We know what to look for to have a quality product,” she said. “I don’t know if (what we offer) is so unique, as we offer wines that others don’t have. The zins, the fruit wines, (of which) we have two, most people don’t have any.”
The couple also supports local businesses by including county-sourced produce on their menu.
“I like supporting Geauga County,” Michael said. “The pretzels, chocolates and cheese all come from Geauga County.”
The Shaffers chose their Route 528 location south of Thompson Square because it serves as a gateway to Northeast Ohio’s wine country.
“We figure we’re sort of the last stop and the first stop on 528,” Carissa said. “We all come this way to go to the wineries.”
The couple grew up in Lake County but have lived in Geauga County for 35 years.
Both worked in the medical field and started planning Cellars Key about four years ago, hoping to turn their shared passion into their retirement business.
It took a year to build the winery and the couple said its warm reception surprised them.
“The first weekend we had a ‘soft’ opening, but it was not a ‘soft’ opening,” Michael joked.
“It’s been a run from the get-go, but in a good way. We’re very blessed that way,” added Carissa.
Saturdays have been especially busy. The Shaffers continue to work to ensure everyone feels welcome.
“We’re pet friendly,” Carissa noted. “We have soft drinks, non-alcoholic beer, seltzers and people can bring their own food.”
“People can bring a pizza,” Michael added. “Last weekend, a lot of people ordered pizzas from up on the square.”
They have also hosted food trucks and live music.
“I just want people to feel welcome,” Michael said. “Get together with friends, family, listen to some music and have some wine.”
The Shaffers plan to continue expanding their offerings.
“We will rent the building any day of the week, for small weddings, showers, whatever, work functions through the holidays,” Carissa said. “Next is to try to get a Sunday license, so we can be open on Sunday.”
They appreciate being part of what the region offers locals and visitors.
“This is part of getting people to come into Thompson, gather, go to the parks, stop at the shops in town,” Michael said.
