Goat dinner this Thursday at Bar Cento (and a rant)

First, Cleveland content only:

A little advertised and potentially very good dinner will be held this Thursday at Bar Cento. $40 gets a goat tasting (including confit of goat shoulder), some great goat cheese, and plenty of quality wine. This will be sans Sawyer--groupies might pass on this one, but I think it will be in good hands, and it will help with the separation pains as Jonathon transitions into his new place.

Now, from the soapbox:

I think this dinner is particularly timely as Cleveland's food scene is coming into its own. And while there clearly are some Polish/Eastern European influences around here, there's no real Cleveland-style food (let's ignore the fried bologna sandwich). California has its "California Cuisine;" the Pacific Northwest has a clear identity (salmon, mushrooms, etc.); New England has its shellfish; the Southwest (Tex-Mex); Louisiana (X2 with Creole and Cajun); Kansas City, Texas, and North Carolina all have their own takes on bbq . . . the list goes on. And that's just the States. Cleveland doesn't have that--farm to table is a start, but it doesn't really distinguish us. Everywhere has (hopefully) "farm to table" (and "whole hog") food. That should be the given, not the ultimate label.

Cleveland's restaurants pay respect to the City's Eastern European immigrant roots (two nationally acclaimed restaurants, Lola and Melt, have pierogi based items on the menu), but while I trust that both places' dishes are great (I, sadly, haven't tried either), I'm not sure if using a pierogi cuts it. Lola does much more with great local ingredients (including hogs), and has turned the City on to some great things, but what is quintessentially Cleveland? Cured meats (And I love Lolita's charcuterie and wouldn't want to do without it, but I don't think it's really ours.)? Really good pizzas/flatbreads (Another thing made really well around in these parts--Ohio City\Tremont--that I'm glad is here.)?

San Francisco and Seattle have rich Italian roots, but they didn't stop with good bread and sausage. The people expanded on what they brought with them, incorporating the best of what was around and creating new things and adapting old recipes along the way. Good hops, make beer, great fish, what do the natives do with it? The ethnic roots are still evident, but the universe of ingredients and techniques evolved, creating a regionalized identity distinguishing their food from that in other places.

Tradition didn't fall by the wayside--there's no shortage of great Italian style wine, olive oil, and sausage coming out of California. But there was also expansion and adaptation, taking advantage of the best of what the area offered. Take the French style wine coming out of Oregon. I'm confident that was not the result of a large French community living in Dundee (at least not 20 years ago). Historic knowledge was applied to local environs.

While I love them (I really do), I'm not sure the pierogi should be the flagship for Cleveland-style food. Fried walleye and lake perch are a bit more indigenous (at least the fish are), but there's so much more here to choose from and utilize. For example, with all of Johnny Appleseed's adventures in the area, where's our Calvados? Instead we're coaxing grape wine out of our orchard areas.

It doesn't take Rachel Laudan to point out that cultural food identity is a murky thing (although I think she does it very well), often shaped more by ideals than reality, but it leads to some tasty stuff. Whether we need a consortium to tell us what's okay is another story (although it might not hurt for things like Philly Cheesesteaks), but it'd be nice to see us have our own style and regional food identity.

The stuff is here. In addition to the walleye, perch, and apples, we have a rich tomato history, ample morels and foragable greens, plenty of other fruit trees, and great beef, pork, and poultry--and goat. Our dairy is great too. And there's much more (including maple syrup)--our soil is as good as any out there and better than most.

Maybe my problem is that I'd like to see more of Western Europe represented here, but when some chefs in the area point out that we have the resources of a freshwater Normandy, it's hard to overlook the potential building blocks. Commingling from the other cultures in the area--African, Middle Eastern, various Asian, and American Southern to name a few--should not be discounted, but I'd like to see the focus be on what those cultures can do with what we have here rather than simply recreating their cuisine (which is great to have too--there's always room for ethnic eats--I haven't read the linked book though). I just think that having a strong regional food identity would lead to some more good food and do more to attract out-of-town eaters (while we have their attention), and there's still plenty of room for the pierogi .

Self Promotion Below:

Crooked River Smokers Hickory Smoked Bay Scallops w/ Chrysanthemum, Lime Pearls, and Sunchoke Puree (the pearls are hiding) (fire food & drink)

Crooked River Smokers Hot Smoked Salmon on a Cornmeal Blini w/ Mackenzie Creamery Goat Cheese & Citrus, Fennel, & Red Onion Salad (The Flying Fig)

Crooked River Smokers Cold Smoked Walleye Tartare, Creme Fraiche, Chives, and Capers (Where's a quail egg when you need it?)

Thanks to Stuart for the great photos (the first two are his), and of course Karen Small at The Fig and Doug Katz (and his sous chefs/co-Market shoppers) at fire. I know Karen makes our landscape taste good, and I'm looking forward to my first meal at fire tomorrow (It looks like it will be a very nice dinner.).

The Crooked Rivers Smokers (me) stuff, minus the cold smoked walleye, is generally available at North Union's Shaker Square Farmers Market. There's no better place to spend a Saturday morning in the Cleveland area.

Phoenix Coffee's downtown location . . .

. . . is open, finally. I'll even say it was worth the wait. Located on the ground floor of the building on the southwest corner of E. 9th and Superior (I think it used to be the Raymond James building, now it may be Key something--the way buildings change names around here it's best to just stick with addresses or directions--it's just south of the courtyard along E. 9th), this mini-chain runs what I think are some of the best coffeshops in the City. The competent, if sometimes quirky, baristas know what they're doing and are glad to fill the customer in on the details. There's even nice indoor and outdoor seating areas to enjoy their fine extractions. Currently they're running a happy hour where anyone can get a free shot of espresso between 2 and 3 pm. Really, no strings attached.

And if that's not enough, they also have a (somewhat out of date) website and a barista run blog. I stole the above picture from the website.

Between Phoenix and The Market Cafe this little "financial district" is really coming along.

All this plus the wonderful happenings on E. 4th . . . it's almost too much to bear. Now if some people would just move here . . . .

Can't be local all the time

A rainy day at the Shaker Market led to an impromptu trip to Gallucci's, an Italian import shop on the east side of Cleveland. The place is great with one of the most knowledgeable staffs out of any food place I've ever been to, even if they didn't know what bottarga (botargo) was. Don't let the Euclid construction put you off, just get on Carnegie and look for a small sign for the back entrance between E 69 and 65.

I picked up some bread, ridiculously good porchetta, and San Daniele prosciutto at Gallucci's. You can see alternating slices, starting with the porchetta on the left, pictured above. I dressed the bread with some Zinfandel/Thyme jelly from the Crocker Park Farmers Market and some French butter from The Cheese Shop, a place definitely worth stopping by when you're at the West Side Market.

That wine pictured above is courtesy of The Flying Fig, a restaurant discussed here all the time. and 55 Degrees, an Ohio wine distributor that, unfortunately, does not do retail sales. If you see a wine dinner that they're associated with I'd recommend going if you're a drinker. Last Wednesday they couldn't decide which of two wines to pair with the duck course at The Fig. Their answer, serve them both.

The sandwich was very good, although if I was doing it again I'd lay the slices out rolled thinly and going the long way, like sardines packed side by side. That way each bite would yield equal parts cooked and cured pork, both of which are delicious in their own right.

Tonight's Dinner

Courtesy of The Flying Fig. Pictures by Stuart here (it's the first six).

April 30th, 2008
Wine Dinner

•Course One•
Crooked River Smoked Salmon
On a Cornmeal Blini with Mackenzie Creamery
Goat Cheese & a Citrus, Fennel & Red Onion Salad

•Course Two•
Grilled Medallion of Lamb
With a Parsley, Garlic & Mint Salsa Verde

•Course Three•
Seared Duck Breast & Confit of Duck Leg
With Rhubarb and Local Honey, Duck Fat Roasted Fingerlings, and First of the Season Chard, Braised with Garlic & Chili

•Course Four•
Ohio Apple Crepes
Whipped Lemon Cream with Thyme

Wine Pairings TBA.

Starts at 6:30 pm
$60 per person, plus tax & gratuity.

I could think of worse. It's nice to know all the ingredients that can be local will be. This place, arguably the best bistro-style restaurant in Cleveland, has some serious food ethics.

Help me shut down The Flying Fig

To be fair, I'd be hard pressed to identify any restaurant serving less GM food than The Fig, but it's harder than I thought it would be to find a good food protest picture. I was hoping for some good foie gras pics with people up in arms, but no such luck. There was a good Korean dog eating protest picture, but it was a little too racy and open to interpretation for The CFT, which is, sometimes, a family blog.

Regardless, it should come as no surprise that this post is not really about shutting the place down for good, but instead is my effort to have the general restaurant shut down this Wednesday, April 30, 2008. Why? On Wednesday they are having a French themed wine dinner. It's $60 (I'm pretty sure), and I'm not sure what time it's starting. At this point they've got enough people to have a good wine dinner crowd, but they don't have quite enough people to justify closing the restaurant to the general public for the night.

Now the disclaimer. The food I sell at the Shaker Square Farmers Market, and which isn't a subject on this blog, will be a component of one of the dishes served that evening. That means I stand to benefit from an increased crowd. That being said, I have a day job, and I'm comfortable with the quantity of stuff I've been selling outside of this dinner. I just think the dinner will be that much more enjoyable if the restaurant only has one thing to focus on, not that the kitchen can't handle both the wine dinner and the rest of the place. I also think the dinner and drinks will be very good.

I'll leave it to you to call The Fig (linked above) and find out about the time and the menu, which has already been set and paired to the French wines being sampled. I haven't attended one of these dinners yet, but from what I've observed from the bar they look like a good time with a laid back, communal atmosphere. I know I'm biased, but I like the idea of about 80 people enjoying a great dinner in a place like this.

And here's where the above picture came from. Crazy Aussies.

Making the most of Michigan

The above picture doesn't do Bell's Eccentric Cafe justice, even though it's ripped from their website. Kalamazoo has become one of my favorite Midwestern towns. It's a college town located only two hours from Chicago with plenty of natural beauty, at least one great local brewery, a bohemian feel, and the potential for locals to enjoy a free college education. What else can anyone ask for?

The Cafe offers a very large selection of Bell's beers as well as some better-than-decent and interesting food choices. It's also great for vegetarians. The beer samplers are generous, and the bar and outside seating areas couldn't be more comfortable. There's music too, but I haven't had a chance to enjoy that yet.

Overall, a great bar/brewpub worth a long drive to visit. While it may not offer the best food in town, that's not really what the place is there for. Also, the store attached to the Cafe has plenty of high quality Bell's gear, beer, Michigan wines, picnic food, and a great selection of home brewing supplies. Both times I've been there I've wanted to pick up some funky brewer's yeast for some no-kneed bread. Maybe next time. There's also a nice little coffee shop across the street if you're more of the caffeine type.

After a day in Kalamazoo we (this was a work trip) were off to the Detroit/Ann Arbor area. I've been trying to make it to Zingerman's Roadhouse for a while, and the opportunity finally presented itself. It couldn't have been much better, with the only problem being how to choose just one entree from the menu. We shared an appetizer sampler that included some ribs, blue and yellow cornmeal hush puppies, onion rings, mini crab cakes, and some quesadilla (the only disappointing thing on the tray), all accompanied by some solid sauces. For a main I went with the server recommended Niman Ranch brisket. It came sliced, piled, and dressed with a house tomato based bbq sauce along with some quality greens and mashed potatoes. Simple and very good. We finished the meal with some lovingly cared for cheese and terrific dulce de leche gelato. Also, it's worth mentioning that the bread they put on the table was excellent, as was the service.

For me it doesn't get much better than sustainable barbecue. It really was a perfect meal with some great company. And the pic is from their website.

Montreal in a (food focused) Weekend

What a place, and what a long post. If this guy's tour isn't inspiring enough, I hope this post helps. Heavy food, light snacks, offal, and everything else. Reasonably priced food is everywhere, and the folks up there know how to enjoy it.

First, Frite Alors! Tintin at its finest--horse meat tartare, poutine with onions, mushrooms, and bacon, and the first of a few Boreale beers. A great introduction to Montreal. We went to the original location on Ave Du Park, walking all the way there from downtown. It was a decent length of a walk along a beautiful snow covered park, but if I did it again I think I'd go with the very efficient bus. This was our first meal in Montreal and we were hungry--it was the perfect spot. The tartare had a good heat and fresh taste (Admittedly, it is an odd location to eat raw meat, but they say horse is safer than beef.). It came with what was our first taste of Quebec-style fries, which were different from the Belgian style frites I was expecting, but very enjoyable. The poutine was great, as expected. Growing up eating here (The pictures do no justice--The Sunrise was my spot, Fat Koko my sandwich.) The CFT is no stranger to greasy and good regional cuisine. The poutine was gut warming goodness (Here's my previous post on the subject--by no means authentic or well researched.). Along with the blond Boreale, the trip was off to a great start.

Next was Au Pied de Cochon. Fried liquid foie gras starter (foie gras cromesquis), foie gras torchon appetizer (foie gras on a tart), duck in can and "foot of the pig" entrees, an incredibly enjoyable bread pudding (pudding chômeur), and a house beer. The starter, appetizers, and desserts were great--those plus the entrees may have been a bit over the top. The cromesquis could have been at a molecular gastronomy place. A food runner sets down perfectly fried cubes and tells you to eat them in one bite keeping your mouth closed. No truer words were ever spoken, and loose lips here could result in your tablemate receiving a liver shower. The foie gras inside the fried packet is completely liquid, and it's delicious. The tart consisted of a great tart shell filled with super rich garlic/poutine cheese mashed potatoes with a balsamic glaze and ample slices of torchon. It too was delicious.

Next came the duck in can--duck parts in a house sealed metal can opened up at the table. A little disappointing in that the duck was very average with clumps of fat not having rendered in the cooking process. It wasn't bad, but after the appetizers it fell a bit flat . . . as did the pied de cochon. That was braised pig pieces in a trotter package (see video below) covered with a gravy that was a little too close to cream of something soup for me. It also came with the amazing mashed potatoes and a perfectly fried (potato?) croquette. The braised pork was tender, but again, after those appetizers any texture seemed tough compared to the foie gras. The beer was served at around room temperature. It was a good beer. And the dessert was terrific. I would guess the dessert, which is kind of like a bread pudding, is more than ample for two and contained about 50 pounds (or 20 something kilos for them) of butter, and about seventy three gallons of maple syrup. Maybe a little hyperbole there, but it was rich and it was great. Overall a great meal at a fair price (and the staff was great too).

Not sure how the companion and me were the only folks at the restaurant in food comas. Everyone else was lively through the completion of their meal--we were out on our chairs. Either the rest of the folks knew how to order smart or they were just used to it. No picture as I could not get to my camera as I was rolling out the door. This video should suffice:[While we were waiting for our reservation time--we were early and the place packed, we watched the end of a Canadians game at a bar on, I believe, St. Hubert. We saw the Habs send a game against Buffalo to overtime by scoring two goals in the last five minutes of regulation. They love the Canadians up there. This time I tried the Cheval Blanc.]

Saturday morning was Duc De Lorraine. Great croissants and cafe au laits. It's a must go. Three sizes of cafe au laits, from small cup to good sized bowl. Decent espresso--not the thick crema we all know and love, but it works for an allonge (an Americano to me). There is a pleasant tea room to enjoy your snack, which can be well beyond the ridiculously good pastries (they have great cheeses and charcuterie). Some locals shared a table and we learned that Montrealers are generally rooting for Hillary and are not too sure what Ohio is.

Saturday afternoon was L'Express. Bone marrow app, frisee salad and calf liver with tarragon mains. A mixed gelato type dessert with pistachio was especially great, as was the bread and butter, red wine, and espresso after the meal. The place is marked with a street number and by black and white tiles extending onto the sidewalk. The food was very good, but likely not the best in town. It was my first marrow and calf liver experiences, and while both were very good, the marrow could have come with a few more crutons, and the liver--and I know I'm not an expert--could have been a little rarer (they said it'd be pink on the inside--it's wasn't). As for comments around the internet about them not being nice, that wasn't my experience. For a 1:00 lunch on a Saturday the companion and I were in jeans and sweaters with outdoor type jackets on. Hardly looking the jet set, I greeted our server with "Parlez vous Anglais ?" She said "Yes, thank you so much for asking," and I think she meant it. The service was very good from there, which was the start. One strange thing at L'Express, as at Au Pied de Cochon, was that there were no bread plates. Must be cultural. No picture of the place--that might have been pushing it.

Before and after L'Express we visited the Jean-Talon Market. Awesome place where we picked up some Toulouse sausage and cold smoked coho salmon. Also enjoyed some frozen maple syrup lollypops (that's what the guy is making below), and pined over some great looking grilled meat on a stick. The cheese shops there couldn't have been better. We visited two--one focusing mostly on Quebec cheeses (Qui Lait Cru), and the other cheeses in general (Hamel). The folks at Hamel were nicer and the cheese less expensive. Regardless of which we were at, it's pretty rough waiting for your number to be called (you take a numbered ticked to be served) when you don't speak the language. Luckily, there were visual displays, and our monger at Hamel was happy to spend time with us allowing us to try some of Quebec's raw milk cheeses.

Saturday night--Schwartz's (the picture was from the next day). I didn't think I was hungry when we were getting ready to go in, but after the meal there wasn't anything left of the sandwich or half sours, and just a few fries. All very good, and the only place I saw where English was the primary language. Also, coming from Cleveland I'm embarrassed to say that it was slightly refreshing to see appropriately sized smoked meat sandwiches. Everyone was nice and it was a great eating experience on an eclectic street.Sunday morning brought us to St. Viateur Bagel, the original shop. Great bagels from great people. Upon the bagel lady's suggestion, we made bagel sandwiches with some cream cheese we picked up there and the smoked salmon we had bought at Jean-Talon on an out of the way table in the bagel shop (that was there for people just like us) and enjoyed them with cafe au laits and espressos in an Italian cafe down the street. The people at the cafe didn't even blink when we brought the outside food in. Soccer was on the screen at the cafe, but they were talking about the Hab's previous night's loss to Toronto, switching seemingly randomly between English and French. One more thing regarding the bagels, as reported elsewhere on the internet, these are not New York style bagels. They are thinner with larger holes, and taste very different. They are sweeter and, at least the ones we had, seemingly contain very little (if any) salt. Here's the NY Times' take on it. As noted above, the bagels were great, but I'd take a good one from NY over the MTL version. I still like Montreal (the city, not the bagels) more.Sunday afternoon led us to Atwater Market. I picked up some horse meat to take home (prices sound scary when they are in kilos) and the companion picked up some marzipan for snacking. It was a great market. No Jean-Talon, but enjoyable nonetheless, if not just for their variety of meats and sausages and the friendly people at the import shop on the corner of the market. The market has tons of different meats, sausages, and terrines. After the market it was a nice walk to Crescent Street and St. Catherine for some crepes and window shopping.

Post crepe snack on Sunday was in Chinatown. It was very lively on Sunday, and we enjoyed some steamed buns, one with bbq pork and another with fantastic curried beef. The place we got the buns at was on a corner and was busy with a very mixed clientele. The business ensured that everything was fresh. While the buns are available on the weekends here in Cleveland, this shop in Montreal was cleaner and had better labels than any similar place I'd been to.

Sunday night = La Banquise for some more poutine. We enjoyed poutine with merguez sausage and various other accouterments. Washed down with a more Belgian style Canadian brew, it was quite good. While the cheese at La Banquise seemed extra fresh, to this poutine novice it was comparable with Frite Alors! Again the companion and I were the only two people in the place who were in obvious food comas, and it's not like the other diners at the packed place were just picking at their frites. The Montrealers know how to eat--I just wished they'd share their secret. Bring cash if you go if your plastic is from the States (local debit cards only I believe).

Sunday night night was Billy Kun. A nice bar with an ostrich theme and generous pours of house wine in carafes.

Monday morning was back to Duc De Lorraine. It was that good, especially with the cheese plate we got that second time. It was nice to sit in the tea room while the snow was falling and enjoy warm drinks with great French cheese. We also got a great piece of brioche and some cookies for the plane ride back (they did get a little stale during the long trip back).

Finally, on Monday afternoon we went to a Vietnamese place (Pho Do Thi) by UQAM. Great food with reasonably priced lunch specials, but similar to good places in the states. May have been the first crisp green vegetables we saw on the trip.

Other spots we checked out included their bread chains Au Pain Dore and Premiere Moisson. We had a servicable treat at Moisson, but what was really amazing was their selection of terrines and jarred provisions to go. From pickled pigs tongue (more on that below) to cassoulet, this place had some serious stuff. I can't comment on the quality, but the ingredients looked pure and the food good.

I can't wait to make it back. There are tons of ethnic food places and BYOB spots that were packed and looked great, but stomach space was at a premium and we felt like we had to go to the above spots. There will be another trip. I just hope it's soon.

And if you don't believe me that they're serious about poutine, look at this (We had to check out the menu--and while this very respectable blogger likes their fries, we did not partake.):

The Montreal fallout continued back in Cleveland. I brought the horse meat (which customs was very unconcerned about) to Bar Cento where Jonathon Sawyer seared some of it and ground the rest for tartare. Along with sides including pickled watermelon rind, chili mayo, fresh grated horseradish, Tabasco sauce, and due to some crazy coincidence, leftover pickled pig tongue from Chris Cosentino's visit to Cleveland last week, it made for the perfect happy hour meal. It was also kids pizza night at Cento. Luckily no one asked too many questions about what was going into Jonathon's grandmother's meat grinder.

Montreal Bound

In a mere seven days. One reservation has already been made. Au Pied de Cochon--check it out. The picture is from their website.

And Frite Alors, serious fast food.

With The CFT's unhealthy obsession with poutine and anything cheese curd, this trip was only a matter of time. Now to practice "Parlez vous Anglais?"

Any and all suggestions appreciated.

A Practical Guide for a Weekend of Eating in Cleveland

Or, how I make good when I tell out of town visitors that I could entertain them for four days before running out of places to eat. This post is prompted by yesterday's, where I noted that this is not a restaurant review blog. But I eat out a lot, and I host guests occasionally. Below are my thoughts on dining (and related activity) going from late Friday through mid-day Monday.

Friday evening (assuming a late arrival):

Option #1 - Lava Lounge. Open late and generally reliable for a good meal and music.

Option #2 - Lolita. Also in Tremont, a nice late happy hour menu (if you can find a seat in the bar area), and some seriously good charcuterie (if you can't).

Option #3 (a.ka. what to do if your friend is very hungry and patient, or got in pretty late) - Just Like Mom's. Usually open until around 5 am on weekends, it provides plentiful, if not slowly delivered, soul food.

Saturday Breakfast:

Option #1 - Presti's Bakery. For a light breakfast in Little Italy with some better than decent espresso.

Option #2 - Juniper Grille. Nice downtown location with enjoyable food and regrettable service. Really nice for a relaxed bite.

Saturday afternoon food fun:

Option #1 - West Side Market. No need for an explanation.

Option #2 - A North Union Farmer's Market. Comforting in the winter, and carnival-like in the summer, it highlights great local produce, meats, and crafts.

Option #3 - Gallucci's. Great Italian import store. Could be combined with a Chinatown market crawl.

Saturday Lunch:

Option #1 - Nate's Deli. Great for Middle Eastern and traditional deli fare. Also great service and a fair price. Right next to the West Side Market.

Option #2 - West Side Market. Falafel or sausage sandwiches that will buy some time before the real meal that's to come.

Saturday Dinner:

Option #1 - Moxie. Great, consistent food and impeccable service. It's almost too consistently great. (And half price bottles of wine under $100 on Monday nights--at least it used to be that way)

Option #2 - The Flying Fig. Great combination of being local where possible and using finely procured high quality ingredients where it's not. One of my favorite places in town, it pleases everyone.

Option #3 - Pacific East. If I could eat at just one restaurant this might be it. Truly fresh and creative sushi that shocks out-of-towners. As good as anywhere I've ever been and better than most.

Saturday Drinks:

Option #1 - Market Avenue Wine Bar. Nice wine selection and intimate (read: claustrophobic) environment right across the street from The Flying Fig.

Option #2 - La Cave Du Vin. White belt clad servers tell you how much cooler their music is than yours in a really nice place with good beers and wines. Usually able to find a table to be discreet, or be right in the mix. Here for East Side representation.

Option #3 - Great Lakes Brewing Company. For the beer minded. Also in Ohio City.

Sunday Brunch (the two extremes):

Option #1 - Pier W. $35 will get you all the standard brunch offerings along with some great oysters all with one of the best views of the City around, regardless of the season.

Option #2 - Bialy's Bagels. Some of the best bagels in town, usually still warm. To go only.

Sunday Dinner:

Option #1 - Bar Cento. Good, affordable, and creative bar food. Great beer list and friendly staff. Some of the best Neapolitan style pizzas in town.

Option #2 - Udupi Cafe. Both the best vegetarian and best Indian place I've been too. Worth the trip out to Parma, it's good stuff. East Coast Custard is across the street for dessert.

Option #3 - Cook some of that food you should have picked up on Saturday.

Monday Breakfast:

Option #1 - Irv's Sandwich Shop. Great East Side greasy spoon.

Option #2 - Nick's Diner. Kind of like the West Side's interpretation of Irv's.

Monday Lunch:

Option #1 - Slyman's Restaurant. Best corned beef in Cleveland, and an institution. Can't miss going here.

Option #2 - The Town Fryer. Open for lunch. Best red beans and rice and gumbo outside of the Crescent City. Fried Oreos too.

That's what I've got. I left out some great places, including, but not even close to limited to, #1 Pho and Sokolowski's University Inn, both places that visitors tend to enjoy, but there's only so much I can do here. I tried not to stray too far from the City and stick with neighborhoods that I enjoy (Sorry Melt and Three Birds, and 2182.). And I've have good luck with the aforementioned places, with the prices varying enough to keep it interesting. Plus, it's a short four days.

Indian Chinese Food

Is Chindian politically incorrect? Pictured above is some takeout from Cuisine of India, located at 6857 West 130th in Parma Heights, OH. Along with a pint of Flying Horse Lager while I was waiting, it made for a tasty, albeit not inexpensive, takeout meal.

This isn't a restaurant review blog, so I'll limit my comments to this: 8 on a 1 through 10 heat scale was just about right for me. I imagine a 7 or 9 would have worked too. Also, the food was good and I hope to make it out there again.

Yes we can . . .

make leftover sauce taste new, and do a whole lot of other stuff depending on who you ask (One of whose commercials are finally going to come to an end, at least for a short bit.). Pictured above is last week's tomato and sausage sauce, this time on pasta, refreshed with some sauteed sliced onions, diced carrots and celery, and dried hot pepper flakes. I also added a touch of cream and some pasta water. It was a whole new sauce.

After a very good dinner at one of my favorite Columbus (Ohio) restaurants, The Burgundy Room, last night, and with another coming up tomorrow at Bar Cento (check this out if you're curious--in collaboration with Slow Food Northern Ohio), a simple comforting meal seemed appropriate. As for The Burgundy Room, Monday night was retail wine night, with some really enjoyable bottles available for under $30. As for the food, the hits included a Snapper Special, a very solid Mixed Greens Salad (with some of the best onions I've ever tasted), a Beet Dip, a Rabbit Confit (served like a rillette), Shrimp and Grits, and awesome Caramel with very good Honey Vanilla Ice Creams. Misses, in the opinion of a co-diner and me, included the Green Apple and Celery Salad, and, in the same co-diner's opinion, Duck Spring Rolls (which I didn't try). Overall a great eating experience.

Does Cleveland's 2182 Bistro and Wine Bar stack up to The Burgundy Room? It's a totally different feel, but it may be the area's closest answer for small plates of pristine food and great wine priced reasonably. Can't say I'm a fan of the location though.

Breakfast and Disclosures

First, breakfast. Plum Creek Poultry eggs (cooked in a bit of duck fat from one of their ducks--the black specks are pepper, the eggs are pristine) and Nitrate free Organic Berkshire bacon, both picked up at the Shaker Square Indoor Winter Market. Nothing special about the OJ, bread, or butter.

Now, on to the disclosures, and I'll add something to the "About" section in the near future. As of late I've developed some food related economic relationships around Cleveland. For example, I'm a vendor at the aforementioned Winter Market, which I unabashedly recommend all the time. I do that because it's a great market, and in my opinion it's a cornerstone for good food in Cleveland. I don't discuss my stand at the Market. Additionally, discussions have been had and small relationships established with some of the restaurants mentioned here. As far as that goes, every place I've been in touch with regarding business has been a place whose food I enjoy (pre-relationship or non-relationship) and whose philosophy I agree with or can live with. Also, we're not talking about big dollars here.

This disclosure is particularly timely after the Wine Supper referenced in the previous post. The Supper was great. Not flawless, but very, very good and a real treat. I'm hesitant to give a full review because I don't trust my own neutrality, but it's fair to say that the pizza, fish, cheese, and dessert courses were all right on. The suckling pig in the baby animal course, however, could benefit from being tweaked a bit. I also would've killed for a cup of coffee at the end, but it was kind of late so that may have just been me. Also, my table had a great server, but there were times where it would have been nice to have a few questions answered, and one staffer who was pouring wine, who knows why, blatantly poured a wine from a previous course rather than from the current course's selection. That was strange, particularly since he realized what he was doing, and it was a wine supper. After we mentioned that we noticed what had happened, the situation was remedied at our table--the less observant folks one table over were not so lucky. All in all, a great dinner that is sure to be even better as the Bar Cento staff gets used to hosting these things. After all, this was the first such dinner they've done there. I can't wait till the next.

I guess I couldn't help myself with the review. At least there was a disclosure.

EDIT - After rereading this post I realize it may seem like I didn't enjoy the wine dinner all that much. That's not the case at all, I just got rambling on the few things that bugged me, which is to say that just about everything else couldn't have been much better. It was certainly one of the most enjoyable dinners I've had in Cleveland, or just about anywhere else. And as for my gripe about no coffee, they were giving the stuff away after I took off.

Tonight's dinner

At Bar Cento, made by this man and his crew. All for $45. Sounds too good to be true, but I'm pretty hopeful. I could think of worse ways to spend a Thursday evening.

Sawyer's Wine Supper

Featuring the Guest Sommelier Tracey English

Thursday January 31 2008

Antipasto
Prosciutto Bianco Pizza
Acorn fed pork lardo, bird chili's, myer lemon, marjoram

Wine Pairing
06 Di Lenardo “TOH” Tocai Friulano (Friuli) or Toffoli Prosecco di Conegliano, Extra-Dry (Veneto) (wound up being the latter)

Primi
Vitello Tonno
Crispy veal sweetbreads, sicilian tuna aoli, salt packed capers

Wine Pairing
06 Maggio Vini Rosato (Sicilia)

Insalata
Grilled Scamorza and Dandelion greens
Olio sancto, anchovy, mint

Wine Pairing
04 Fatalone Primitivo (Puglia)

Pesca
Fluke Macinare (wound up being striped bass)
The Millers Fish, roasted floured fluke, herb salad, myer lemon

Wine Pairing
06 Vigneti di Marchi Erbaluce di Caluso (Piemonte)

Secondi
Spring Abbondanza Roasted kid goat, Milk poached Calf, Suckling pig, Salsa Verde (not sure about the salsa verde, but there were potatoes)

Wine Pairing
05 Podere San Matteo Morellino di Scansano “Sammetteo” (Toscano)

Formaggio
Veneto e'stats Cows Milk
Sheepsmilk from Lombardia
Cow from Piedmont

Wine Pairing
04 Vaono Valpolicella Classico (Veneto)

Dolce
Tenuta Il Corno olive oil gelato, blood orange candy, Myer lemon Candy

Wine Pairing
95 Tenua Il Corno Vin Santo (Toscano)

Grazie
Chocolate Salumi style, Grandma's cookies

Can we get something like this in Cleveland?

[Plenty of great pictures in the link below]

I mean really, it's been several years since it hit the coasts. That should be long enough.

The San Francisco Chronicle

Crudo catches on
Chefs of all stripes are showcasing raw fish
Carol Ness, Chronicle Staff Writer
Wednesday, November 9, 2005

Crudo, ceviche, sashimi, tartare, poke, sushi -- it's all raw fish. And we are swimming in it.

Open just about any menu, from hipster bars to four-star restaurants, and raw fish will be right at the top. What once was the exclusive province of Japanese restaurants and sushi bars is now everywhere.

Rest of article here.

minibar by Jose Andres, A Review

You may have to mess with your monitor to see the lighter printed items on the menu pictured above, or you can not bother and read the review below. Printed on acetate, I think, the menu was presented as a souvenir after the meal.

Spoiler warning, I kind of wish I didn't do so much research before going to minibar so that I would have been surprised a little more. It you want to be surprised, and are going anytime soon, you may not want to read this post.

I looked forward to the meal for a long time and I really enjoyed it. While it wasn't flawless, the food was generally really good, and both the co-eater and I felt like we got our money's worth. Here's the review:

Intro:
We arrived a few minutes late, and the restaurant was considerate enough to wait for us (it's a seating for six). Plus, they didn't make us feel bad by having the other four minibarers seated and waiting for us. When we walked in we were directed upstairs where all six of us were seated and introduced to the two chefs that evening, Jack and John (fake names). Jack presented as something of a mad scientist, where John, with his ponytail and easy smile, would have looked equally at home at an organic food co-op. Jack was in front of the co-eater and me, and John was in front of the other four people (a couple and and the girl's parents). It was pretty clear that the foursome was not looking to add two people to their group, so although we were seated at a bar together, it was basically the co-eater and me with Jack for conversation, and the foursome with John. The foursome got the better deal.

After being seated and made comfortable by Pablo (real name), a great server who helped out with the numerous plate clearings and drink refills, we were asked whether we would prefer sparkling or still water (there was no charge for either)--we chose sparkling, and a glass of a South American Pinot Gris. A wine pairing was available, a new glass every five dishes, but after watching the foursome partake, I don't regret passing on the pairing.

Otherwise, it was set up pretty much like a sushi bar with some neat equipment in the back. Lots of the prep was taken care of ahead of time, and there was a little cooking and much assembling that took place behind the bar. While John seemed to be enjoying himself, I was getting an odd vibe from Jack, and was thinking of George Costanza and his use of the term "delicate genius."

Food:
Caipirinha "Nitro" - Envision a Caipirinha, and a strong one at that, in a martini glass topped with Caipirinha sorbet. What I call a sorbet wasn't a sorbet, but it was reminiscent of one. The cocktail was nice, but was a little tough to drink without getting the sorbet-like stuff on your nose, at least for me--I have a big nose. A straw may have been helpful.

Parmesan "Pringle" - Lots of quotes, they continue. This was great. Chips that tasted like really good Pringles with the parm taste not being lost. They were served with a dip that I don't exactly recall, but it was very good.

"Carrot" - What looked like an isosceles triangle wafer of carrot puree (Carrot shaped, get it?) with a very little piece of dill to represent the carrot top. Here is where I began to feel Jack's ire--I asked if the green was carrot green (He wasn't big on explaining on what the dish really was, i.e. without quotes, so I asked questions nicely like we had been invited to. Usually on Jack's dishes, and some of John's, we'd be presented with a plate and provided with its name and the number bites we should eat it in, nothing more before or after.), that's when he informed that it was dill. Oh.

Olive Oil Bon-Bon - Something like a quarter tsp. of olive oil encapsulated in clear, fragile coating. It was good, but it was really just like eating 1/4 tsp. of olive oil.

"Mojito" - A carbonated dose of mojito encapsulated in what kind of resembled an olive. Another pleasant dose of alcohol.

"Bagels & Lox" - Looked to me to be salmon roe in a mini wafer cone. There may have been a small dose of some sort of cheese in there too, but the taste was all salmon, in a good way.

"Cornbread" - Enter Fritos. Whatever was in this, it tasted like a Fritos puff, which isn't so bad. Fritos would appear often in the meal. The explanation for their use was their simple ingredients of Corn, Corn Oil, and Salt, and that the chefs liked Fritos.

Cotton Candy Foie Gras - May have been the best thing of the night. Like a blow pop, but instead of candy covered gum, it was cotton candy covered Foie. The cotton candy was regular cotton candy. The combination was great.

Curried Chicken Wing - It was what it sounds like, sans bone. Honestly, it was good, but I've had better wings. Kind of reminded me of this, but not really.

Steamed Bun with Caviar - Another highlight. A steamed little ball of focaccia, I think, topped with caviar and I believe watermelon air. I didn't think it so much featured the caviar as much as the caviar salted the bun. Very enjoyable nonetheless.

Salmon-Pineapple "Ravioli" with Crispy Quinoa - To start with, I think it was poached Atlantic Salmon. I liked the Quinoa and the sauce that came with the the dish, but could have passed on this one.

"Sun Dried" Tomato Salad - A great, if not very seasonal, dish (I guess sun dried tomatoes are always "in season."). This seemed like a pretty technical dish, and the flavors were great.

Zucchini in Textures - One of the nicest presentations of the evening. It was like a gelled clear zucchini broth with lots of little zucchini seeds suspended in the gel. Beneath the gel was a zucchini puree, which eerily tasted a little bit like peanut butter. This was the first of several dishes where the seasoning seemed a bit off--here there were little salt pockets that weren't too pleasant.

"Caesar Salad" - An organized Caesar Salad. Two little spring rolls of romaine, one topped with with grated cheese, the other with a quail egg yolk, over an anchovy puree kind of thing, and with two croutons that looked like little Chiclets or mints. Here is where I knew Jack was not a CFT fan. I asked whether the yolk on the spring roll was a quail egg. Jack promptly informed me that I was incorrect--he stated that it was in fact a quail egg yolk. This lack of precision in my language would rear its ugly head again later.

"Parmesan" Egg - Very cool dish. Like a raw egg yolk ravioli with the parm being the pasta. It reminded me of grits with an egg over easy, but without the grits.

Sea Urchin "Ceviche" with Hibiscus - This may have been my favorite. It was sea urchin covered with hibiscus air. The hibiscus really complimented the briny urchin.

Corn on the Cob - This was kind of a disappointment. A piece of baby corn on a puree of something. It was almost funny, but I would have liked it better if it was something like "American Barbecue" with a funky mini burger, hotdog, or fried chicken type thing with the corn on the cob on the side. By itself I thought it lacked.

"Guacamole" - Both a great dish and confirmation that I was on Jack's shit list. This looked like a caterpillar sushi roll with the avocado slices on the outside surrounding a filling. Here the filling was tomato and tomato sorbet with some other fixings. Very refreshing, but again a bit out of season I think. Here five of the rolls were rolled moderately well, not sure if they would have passed at a decent sushi bar, but adequate considering. One was slightly messed up, and that's the one that Jack, after trying to fix it for a minute, sent my way. Still, this was very enjoyable, even including the crushed Fritos garnish.

Oyster and Apples - Another highlight for me. Perfectly smoked but not overly cooked oyster with a little dice of apple that was refreshing and added a great clean contrast to the smoke on the oyster.

New England Clam Chowder - Described as New New England Clam Chowder, this was not one of my favorites, but wasn't bad either. Similar concept to the Cesar Salad, but with foams.

Breaded Cigala with Sea Salad - Great if for no other reason than I was pleased to be introduced to the Cigala. What's a Cigala? The folks behind the counter said it was something like a little lobster. Here's another blog's take on it. (After witnessing a slightly suspect morel mushroom conversation, I think it's worth fact checking a few things.) Whatever it is, it was great. The Sea Salad was like a seaweed salad at a sushi place. The Cigala was a little tough to eat with the provided utensils, but it was very good.

"Philly Cheesesteak" - This dish showcased some great meat, and another reason why I wanted to sit at John's side of the bar for a while. I commented that it looked like they were presenting a mini Beef Wellington--I saw a pastry shell, truffles, and beef (and missed the cheese). I asked "Hey, are those mushrooms?" I was told "No," and offered no further explanation. After we were told "Cheesesteak, one bite" I peaked at the truffle slices, which would have benefited from being cut on some type of mandolin, and asked "What are these?" "Truffles" I was told. "No shit" I thought. Maybe I have to learn more about fungus. But more likely Jack was either just being obnoxious or he needed the shroom lesson. I think both the former and latter apply. Either way, the cheesesteak, a take on one of my all time favorite foods, was great. And a mini Wellington would be fun too.

Frozen Yogurt and Honey - Think Baklava without the pastry. First bite was rough, but it improved.

Thai Dessert - Neat dessert with some type of ice cream or sorbet and a thinly rolled rectangle of chunky peanut butter. I thought the peanut butter was like peanut brittle not brittled. It was great with the chile powder that was on the side.

Matcha Ball - Chocolate that looked like a honeycomb powdered with gold. Somewhat extravagant and very good. I've had better pieces of chocolate, but this was more than acceptable.

White Chocolate Black Olive Mango Box - Paper thin crispy mango holding the filling inside. Very cool presentation and pleasant taste.

Saffron Gumdrop in Edible Wrapper - Nice dessert. The wrapper, which I think was gelatin, was neat, but I used to eat the wrapper on Trident gum, so an edible wrapper wasn't too new for me. This was better than Trident though.

Passionfruit Marshmallow - Like a squishy meringue filled with passion fruit. Very good and my favorite dessert.

Carrot Cake Macaroon - Like a macaroon sandwich with a little (carrot based?) filling. The co-eater's favorite dessert.

Conclusion:
That's it, finally. I was pleasantly full and left wanting more. Go here if you'd like to see an egulleter's pictures, and here for another blog's, but note that there have been some changes.

I'd love to go back some time in the future, but am also looking forward to getting back to some less avant garde cuisine.

As for "Jack," he seemed more interested in responding to the foursome's questions regarding which famous chefs had eaten at the bar, and how it's nice because the chef's "get it," than talking to the co-eater and me about what we were were actually eating. Luckily, popular newspapers (like the NYT article linked a few posts ago) and websites like this one, these ones, and this one (to name a few), allow pedestrian eaters to better see what's going on with this food movement. And since everyone else was so friendly, as has always been the case in the Jose Andres establishments that I've visited, it's easy to give the one character a pass.

In a nutshell, if you enjoy ordering omakase style in a sushi restaurant and you're curious about molecular gastronomy/food 2.0 (or if you just love food), you'll love minibar.

Tomorrow, minibar

At long last, tomorrow a friend and I will be dining here. I've managed to avoid burning my mouth or suffering any other palate impairing injury for the past week, so I think I'm good to go.

As for what I expect, I think DonRocks at egullet summed it up best with his response to an Al_Dente comment. Mr. Dente stated: "In all seriousness, another thing I liked about the meal was the pace and serving sizes. I didn't walk out of there feeling like I had too much to eat-- I was perfectly satisfied. "

To which Mr. Rocks replied: "I can honestly say this was the first 34-course meal I've ever had that was followed by two Wendy's spicy chicken filet [sic] sandwiches on the way home. (Seriously.)"

I'm hoping for a good version of that. Also, please note that Messrs. Dente and Rocks were both "serious," and query how many 34-course meals Mr. Rocks has had.

Hope all the domestic readers enjoyed some turkey yesterday. I will likely report on minibar soon. And please forgive the temporary Coffee War cease fire. It is rather tentative and fighting will resume soon.

"The man in the black pajamas, Dude."

Worthy fuckin' adversary." Sorry for the profanity, and the possible racial offensiveness, but it's a quote, and who doesn't love The Big Lebowski?

Needless to say, this is Vietnam's entry into the Coffee Wars. Here a link for brewing directions. As for supplies, if you're in the Cleveland area the filter set (around $4), two choices of coffee (Cafe Du Monde and Trung Nguyen), and a few options for sweetened condensed milk (but surprisingly not the Eagle Brand that the aficionados seem to prefer) can be found at the market located next door to Minh Anh (5428 Detroit Ave, Cleveland, OH). If you're curious about why Cafe Du Monde is considered by some to be authentic, I invite you to visit Cafe Du Monde at the French Market in New Orleans, or just consider which immigrant populations would be most attracted to Louisiana's shrimping industry. Minh Anh makes a good Vietnamese coffee, but I think #1 Pho (3120 Superior Ave, Cleveland) makes an even better one.

It's an easy drink to make at home. Regarding taste, think of it as the best frappuccino ever, and it gets you, or at least me, wired. This was a strong entry, not shocking taking into account the French influences in Vietnamese food and culture. In fact, as I'm drinking the coffee and typing this entry, I'm munching on a crusty baguette (from Vera's Bakery at the West Side Market) with brie and watching In Julia's [Child's] Kitchen with Master Chefs (the name of show on the website is different--who needs the Food Network?).

This is going to be a tough one to top. Up next, Italy.

From Columbus to Carbonara in 24 Hours

Less than 24 hours ago I was enjoying a great meal with great company at Dragonfly in Columbus, Ohio. For a city touted as being comprised of citizens of such average taste that major chain restaurants use them as a test market, the meal was a marvel, and it would have held its own anywhere I've been. On a side note, while I've only had about half a dozen dinners in Columbus, they've all been very good, including one here, and another here.

The vegan, but more upscale new agey than hippie, restaurant was recommended to be me by a friend who has compared the pictures on this blog to unattractive women. With such honesty, he is someone who I'll readily take suggestions from.

As for the food itself, the amuse buche was standard enough--very solid (good) bread with a simple but incredibly light and enjoyable butternut squash puree. We then shared an appetizer of vegan pates, one based on the perhaps overutilized butternut squash (the place is big on seasonal, and it is the season), and the other on French lentils--that is correct, it was a French lentil pate; no Frenchmen were around to be offended. The pates tasted great, plus they were garnished with marinated mushrooms, huckleberries, and two sauces, but the name pate was one of several loose usages of culinary terms. The pates were made of the respective item pureed and congealed to make a very even color and consistency, similar to that of the filling of a well chilled pumpkin pie, but a bit firmer. Picture a rich and heavy jello and you're close. The taste was great, but it was bit too Food 2.0 for the setting.

The main courses all looked great and we each enjoyed our dishes, an olive and pesto pizza, a mini burger made with black truffle, and my choice, trumpet mushroom confit. The simple titled trumpet mushroom confit (I think the formal name was different, but not much so) had confited trumpet mushrooms (not actually cooked in fat), perfectly fried mushrooms (likely indeed cooked in fat), dumplings with some more of the ubiquitous butternut, and a clean and slightly spicy tasty green curry. A great mix of flavors, and there was no sense of anything lacking, as can often be the case with vegetarian, and especially vegan, dishes.

The dessert also was very good--three tarts and a scoop of green apple sorbet. The sorbet was incredible, like the best sour apple blow pop ever (without the gum). The tarts were good too, but is it really a custard without eggs? Here they were missed.

The meal was accompanied by a very drinkable and very reasonably priced Rioja. Overall the meal was great. Rereading what I wrote maybe I was a bit too critical--the meal had a great flow, the space was great, and the food was presented impeccably. I'd certainly go again and recommend it to anyone who likes good food, vegan, vegetarian, or otherwise. Still, with the folks who joined me it would have been hard to find a place where we wouldn't have enjoyed dinner.

As for the picture above, the only thing vegan in there is the pasta, obtained by way of the food buying group from the usual purveyor. I forgot where the parmesan cheese came from, but likely the same place as the pancetta--my favorite import shop in town (the website doesn't do them justice). Despite it being an import shop, the pancetta is from here (I could take their web tour over and over). Parsley is from a little windowbox that is still producing, and garlic from the farmer's market. And eggs, as always, from here--the best poultry and related products in the area bar none, and now available at the Shaker and Crocker farmers' markets. Here's the recipe, a not too loose adaptation from The Silver Spoon:

Ingredients:
- Pasta
- Eggs (1 or two per serving)
- Pancetta, relatively big dice (Lardons work very well too. Regardless of how the linked English gentleman complicates things, starting with thick sliced bacon works great.)
- Hard cheese, grated (I used all parmesan.)
- Garlic, halved
- Parsley, chopped
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper

Method:
- Cook pasta in boiling salted water
- Add olive oil to a heated saute pan (Just enough to get the pancetta to start rendering--the pork will produce quite a bit of liquefied fat.)
- Add pancetta and garlic
- While that's cooking beat together eggs and half of the cheese
- Stir pancetta and garlic occasionally
- When garlic turns brown remove it and discard
- When pancetta is how you like it turn off heat (don't drain)
- Add drained pasta to pancetta and fat, still in the warm/hot pan and mix well
- Add egg/cheese mixture to pasta (You don't want the eggs to scramble, but they should cook slightly--adding a drop of cream to the egg/cheese mixture provides a bit of a safety net.)
- Once it's all mixed well add the rest of the cheese and mix again
- Season appropriately (The pancetta and cheese are salty, so there's no need for too much salt, but a good dose of pepper is a nice addition.)
- Plate and top with parsley
- Serve immediately

That's it. The pork fat, eggs, and cheese were a welcome treat when I returned to Cleveland and it's awaiting showers of hail.

Live (almost) from Lolita

The last time the country descended upon Cleveland Bush won the election. This time Symon became an Iron Chef.

It's good for the City, and was entertaining to watch. It was crowded, but not too bad. We won, and that's nice. And the crowd at Lolita, in the presence of the man of the hour himself, went nuts. What more can you ask for?

Note, this is the one time I was willing to break my own rule and take pictures in a restaurant. It's the exception that makes the rule. It's my own idiosyncrasy.

Since it was crowded a table for dinner was not an option. So, after the results came a friend and I headed to see what Just Like Mom's had to offer. No question that the food at Lolita is great, but the rib tips, greens, and mac and cheese at Mom's could hold its own against just about anything in town.