Review of China Garden in Galion Ohio

Galion's China Garden delivers charming ambiance, great service, and the food is pretty good, too. Read on for my review of recent visit where I tried their General Tso's Chicken, Fried Rice, Egg Roll, and Crab Rangoon.

General Tso's Chicken at Galion's China Garden

I might normally steer clear of General Tso's Chicken because it is a dish with a reputation for being fiery in the spice department. But, I love the General Tso's chicken at China Garden. It has been perfect every time I've ever ordered it.

The sauce on China Garden's chicken had just the right touch of spiciness. The spiciness was beautifully offset with the sweetness of the sauce and the texture of the chicken.

Even coated in sauce, the chicken bits retained their crunchiness throughout the meal. And, even the leftovers later in the evening were still crispy in spite of soaking in the sauce for about three hours. I have to say, the two little broccoli florets didn't add anything other than color, but eye appeal is an important part of the dining experience - so kudos to the chef on that addition.

China Garden's Fried Rice

The fried rice was also excellent. The peas, carrots and onions retained a crispy texture that nicely complemented the softness of the rice. There were bits of meat in it, I honestly couldn't tell if that was chicken or pork, and forgot to check the menu to see if it said.

Egg Roll and Crab Rangoon at China Garden

The Egg Roll was very good. The flavor was spot on. The texture of the shell was a touch soft, but it was nicely browned and thoroughly cooked.

The Crab Rangoon... I'm trying to find a word that's good enough to describe this little taste of heaven. I've tried Crab Rangoon a lot of places. It's just something I like.... and... the Crab Rangoon at China Garden is absolutely exquisite! 

The fortune cookie was stale... that's the only bad thing I have to say about this visit - and it wasn't the fault of the restaurant because it was wrapped in its little air tight pouch. But, who had room left to eat a fortune cookie anyway? I sure didn't.

If I were giving out star ratings, this trip to China Garden at 204 Portland Way North in Galion, Ohio (right there by the Mexican restaurant in Galion) would get all the stars. It was a great meal and the service was stellar.

China Garden review by: Ré

A Quick Stop at Tubby's Pizza in Galion

Pizza is one of those quick meals that's always popular with my family, and Tubby's Pizza is a great spot in Galion to pick up a pizza.

(To be fair, each pizza place in Galion has its own advantages - and we'll get to them later. We ate at Tubby's a few evenings ago and I forgot to post then, so tonight's review is on Tubby's Pizza.)

Review of Tubby's Pizza in Galion, Ohio

The pizza in the picture is fairly basic. It's a pepperoni and extra cheese pizza.

I love that it's cut in squares! 

I don't know why that makes it seem so special, but it's a nice touch.

The Pizza Sauce

The sauce on Tubby's Pizzas has a pleasing, tangy, mildly spicy flavor that isn't overpowering.

Even when the sauce is a little heavy, which has happened in the past but not on this masterpiece, it still tastes good.

The Crust at Tubby's

The crust on this, and every Tubby's pizza I've had, was thin and crispy with a touch of something extra.

It's just thick enough to have a soft inner layer that complements the crispy bottom with a nice touch of chewiness.

The Toppings

The cheese and pepperoni provided the perfect finishing touch for this pizza. It didn't need anything else to give it flavor because it was amazing.

The extra cheese provided a thick, chewy texture and the pepperoni added spice and , well, greasiness.

(You can kind of see that greasiness on the edge of box in the picture.)

And, greasiness might not sound like a good thing if you're a fitness buff or something, but on a pizza, it's a pretty delicious thing! 

The Ambiance at Tubby's

Tubby's doesn't have a dining area, so the ambiance consists of a place to sit while you wait on your food if you get there ahead of time, some golf photos on the wall and friendly, prompt customer service.

I don't have this blog/website set up to offer star rankings, but if I did, I would give Tubby's Pizza, located at 112 N East Street in Galion, Ohio all the stars. 

Tubby's Pizza review by: Ré

Did You Know Ohio's First Female Sheriff Was a Galionite?

To properly tell this story, I need you to take a trip back in time with me to the early 1920's. Not actual time travel, of course, just an imaginary trip to help you envision the way the amazing and sad story of Ohio's first female sheriff - a Galion native - unfolded.

Ohio's First Woman Sheriff Was a Galionite image courtesy of Pixabay

1924: Galion Woman Becomes Sheriff

The year was 1924, and it was in the early days of a typical Ohio winter when this story begins. It was as common to see a horse and buggy on the road at this point in time as it was to see a car.

(Vinton County claims to have had the first woman sheriff in Ohio, but Frankie Freese took office in Crawford County, Ohio a full year before Maude Collins became sheriff in Vinton County, Ohio.)

Calvin Coolidge was President, and women had just earned the right to vote a few years before Frankie Freese took over as Crawford County Sheriff.

(Frankie was born in Galion, Ohio in 1885, and that's why her story is being featured here on Galionite today.)

Thrown 100 Feet from the Impact of the Train

On the cold winter day of January 5, 1924, forty-five-year-old Sheriff Ira Freese - a man noted for his sense of humor - was killed when a train hit the car he was riding in at the railroad crossing on Poplar Street in Bucyrus.

(He put a sign over the jail door that announced vacancies were available when no one was incarcerated.) 

When the Best Man for the Job Wasn't a Man...

After some discussion and debate with only one man dissenting, Crawford County Commissioners decided that the best "man" to take over the job of sheriff was a woman - Sheriff Freese's wife, Frankie.

(It should be noted that the lone dissenter still wanted to deputize her - just not make her sheriff.)

Stepping Up as the County's First Woman Sheriff

A mere 19 days after the death of her husband, the still-grieving widow accepted the position of Crawford County, Ohio sheriff.

Frankie Freese was described as tall, "well built and able to cope with any person she may be called upon to arrest."

Her first actions as sheriff were to deputize her husband's deputy, Joshua Myers and name her daughter, Mildred, the jail's matron.

Widow-Sheriff Freese's First Arrest

Sheriff Frankie Freese's first arrest proved difficult but ended successfully.

She physically fought with a bootlegger named Ray Holloway, who escaped after physically dragging her across the street, according to witnesses.

After being captured again, Holloway then escaped from the car when a deputy serving under Sheriff Freese, not the above-mentioned deputy, was getting out of the other car door.

In the end, Holloway was caught again and sentenced to two years at a work camp to pay off his debt to society.

To finish this story, I just want to add that the Widow-Sheriff Frankie Freese successfully served out her husband's term.

Thanks to my researcher who brought me this story - and thanks to you for reading!

In addition to the archived newspaper clippings linked in the article, there's a book at the Crestline Library called History of Crawford County: Horizons '76 that was published by the Crawford County Historical Foundation, Inc that briefly details Mrs. Freese's time as Crawford County Sheriff. 

I hope you enjoyed this amazing bit of Galion and Crawford County, Ohio history. Be sure to check back because we've found some other great info to share with you in the coming months.

By: Ré