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When it comes to desserts, everyone has their favorites. From lemon meringue pie to ice cream to fudge, desserts create a sensation unlike any other: relaxation, satisfaction, and overindulgence. Although few will agree on the absolute ultimate dessert, you can still get your fix in and around Columbiana, Ohio. Here are some of the best places to find a sugary masterpiece. Annabell's Restaurant Located 20 minutes west of Columbiana, Annabell's Restaurant in Salem is the place to go when you want quality food at an affordable price. With everything from steaks and seafood to soup and salad on the menu, Annabell's is popular for both lunch and more dinner. However, you shouldn't leave without checking out the dessert menu. Turtle ice cream pie is the specialty here, loaded with caramel, chocolate, whipped topping, pecans, and ice cream on top of a chocolate crumb crust. If you're not feeling the turtle, Annabell's also has a rotating menu of delicious pies and cakes, as well as seasonal items such as the mint ice cream brownie delight. After seeing these desserts, you might just want to skip the meal altogether. Rita's Italian Ice Fifteen minutes north of Columbiana, you're in for a real treat. That's where you'll find Rita's Italian Ice. This establishment has a seemingly endless amount of desserts including their famous Italian ice and award-winning frozen custard. If you can't choose between the two, go with the cream ice, Blendini, or Misto shake, which each combine the two into a sweet beverage that's perfect with a spoon or a straw. On a hot summer's day, you won't get any better than this. The Bistro Officially called The Bistro at Mahoning County Career and Technical Center, The Bistro as it's known by locals is a surprising addition to the best desserts near Columbiana. What makes this a special dining and dessert experience is that all the food is entirely prepared by adult students looking to fine-tune their culinary craft. Open from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., you can get an affordable meal for steep discounts while also trying cakes, pies, pastries, and other desserts crafted by the students. The dessert changes daily, but sometimes it's the surprise that makes it all worthwhile. One Hot Cookie There's nothing like a freshly baked cookie straight out of the oven. With an appetizing mix of textures and tastes, cookies are the baked goods that are so good, you can't just stop with one. At One Hot Cookie in Youngstown, you can sample some cookie favorites such as sugar or chocolate, or go all-out with experimental choices like cinnamon toast crunch with bacon. If you want to make the cookies at home or you just love the taste of pre-baked cookies, One Hot Cookie sells dough as well. The icing on the cake (or cookie) is that One Hot Cookie stays open until 2:30 a.m. on Friday and Saturday giving you more than enough time to get your fill. Treating yourself to a dessert is one of the best things you can do to live life to the fullest. After all, what kind of life is worth living if there are no desserts? Photo by Sam Howzit | Licensed under cc BY 2.0

Ricky's English Pub When you're interested in a fine dining experience with a classic English touch in Salem, Ricky's English Pub is the place to go. Arrive for dinner and you can start your meal with the crabcake with rémoulade or mushrooms stuffed with crabmeat. For your main course, you'll find a variety of options. You can choose the pub steak, which is an 8-ounce sirloin steak, or you can go for the pecan-crusted grouper with a key lime sauce. You'll also find traditional English favorites, such as fish and chips, bangers and mash, Scotch eggs, and shepherd's pie. more BoneShakers Located in the Timberlanes Complex, BoneShakers offers a menu with a fresh take on your American favorites. If you arrive feeling extra hungry, start your meal with the loaded tots, which are tater tots covered in cheese sauce and topped with green onions, chopped bacon, and sour cream. The Sriracha chicken and jalapeño dip is another good choice. For your main course, one of the popular entrees is the crab mac and cheese, which includes a blend of four kinds of cheese, diced plum tomatoes, sautéed asparagus, and lump blue crab. Ezio's Italian Restaurant If you're in the mood for Italian, you can't beat a meal at Ezio's Italian Restaurant. The appetizers here are big enough to share and include Caprese salad, shrimp skillet, and a fried cheese block. For dinner, the Tuscan steak and mushroom risotto is grilled steak tips simmered with mushrooms, roasted garlic, and risotto. With its Roma tomatoes, parsley, chili flakes, and white wine beurre blanc all simmered together, the lobster pappardelle is another popular dish. Make sure you save room for dessert so you can savor the bananas Foster, lava cake, or tiramisu. Mike's Penn Grille When you're searching for a delicious steak in Salem, Mike's Penn Grille is the place to go. If you want to start your meal with an appetizer, consider the Mike's Sampler. This dish gives you the beer-battered onion rings, mini tacos, cheese triangles, and fries served with marinara sauce. Your steak options include a rib-eye, sirloin, filet mignon, and New York strip. Prime rib is also available on Friday and Saturday. Annabell's Restaurant Annabell's Restaurant serves home-style food in a welcoming atmosphere. Along with the regular menu items and daily specials, you can also enjoy the daily dinner feature. House favorites include the fried chicken dinner, roast sirloin, and grilled beef liver. The menu also offers pork chops, steaks, seafood, pastas, and sandwiches. For dessert, don't miss your chance to try the turtle ice cream pie, root beer float, or one of the seasonal cakes and pies. Whether you're craving Italian or American, you can find a great meal in Salem when you drive past the chains and check out these delicious options instead. Image via Pixabay | CC 0