In her ongoing quest to find a recipe that will please the palates of seventh-grade English students more versed in Harry Potter than adverbs, Lisa Oliver has mixed and measured a mouth-watering morsel.

Call it menu-mania.

Ms. Oliver's delectable delicacy started with a scenario: each of the 90 students have inherited a fat wad of cash and can use it to start restaurants.

Once a student had settled on a theme for his or her bistro, deli, cafe or five-star foodtastic fantasy, the next step was to draw up a menu. Or concoct it on a computer. Or cut and paste the old-fashioned way: with scissors and glue.

The exercise proved a fun way for her to measure how her students handle parts of speech, particularly adjectives, spelling and grammar.

"I wanted a creative thing that would capture their interests," explained Ms. Oliver, who used this assignment for the last few years. "I was impressed with their creativity this year. This one, they really liked."

Cristin Pollock of Farrell tuned in the Disney Channel Cafe with appetizers, entrees, salads, desserts and a children's menu based on Disney Channel shows.

You can start the meal with Rip Girls Cheese Sticks or Seventeen Again Cocktail Shrimp before launching into the Boy Meets World Buffalo Wings.

If you like your meal served with a heavy helping of attitude, head to Divas, the creation of Ashley McMillan of Farrell.

Before you sit down to your T-Boz Turkey Sub, Celine Dion Cappuccino, Tina Turner Turkey Dinner, Whitney Houston Waffle or Aretha Franklin Apple Pie, you better know that, if you wear the pants in the family, you're going to pay extra.

"All females are special, therefore, we are all divas," Ashley's menu states as the justification for charging females half of the meal price.

"Non-divas (men) pay for their own meals, plus the ladies'. If you don't like it, "THEN STAY OUT!!"

ChloéStewart of Farrell built a basketball court behind the NBA Fast Break Cafe, so patrons can wear off their Mike Bibby Blueberry Flapjacks, Shaq Attack Sourdough Grillers and Vince Carter Vinsanity Veal Cutlets with jumpers and drives to the hole.

For diners who remember the two-handed set shot, Chloé offers Bob Cousy Chicken Soup.

"The owner is thinking about building another one for the WNBA," Chloé added.

Patrick Viglio of Wheatland followed a similar line of thinking with the Skater's Bar and Grill for in-line skaters and skateboarders, who can work up appetites at the skate park out back.

Inside, Patrick serves 540 Tossed Salad and Awesome Back Flip Burgers.

Like many students, Erin Puko of Farrell asked her family to help with ideas. The Puko family stocked Erin's Roadside Diner with Semi-Truck Cheese Sticks, Road Kill Stew, Interstate 80 Ribs and Oliver's Onion Rings, which she described as "the best onion wings named after the best English teacher."

Laureen Niddel of Wheatland opened the Veteran's Restaurant to honor her grandfather, Milton Niddel of Hubbard, who served in World War II.

"This restaurant was formed because I think that people need to know more about this war than what they do know so they know it is a serious deal," she explained.

While waiting for the D-Day Salad, Sherman 35-Ton Burger, Guadalcanal Spaghetti or Battleship Pancakes, hungry patriots can tackle a World War II battle word find.

You can e-mail Herald Staff Writer Joe Pinchot at

jpinchot@sharonherald.com