cleveland foodie

ClevelandFoodie.blogspot.com has now moved

noreply@blogger.com (michelle v) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 14:26:00 +0000

Please be sure to update all of your links to http://clevelandfoodie.com and our RSS feed is now http://clevelandfoodie.com/feed

bon appetit recognizes the greenhouse tavern as one of america's best

noreply@blogger.com (michelle v) — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 23:43:00 +0000

By now you've probably read plenty of local reviews on The Greenhouse Tavern from media and bloggers alike. And I'm going to assume you've talked to a few people who told you that the wings were ridiculously good, the burger best in town and the pasta unreal. And that's all true (okay, maybe not the burger - for me that goes to Lolita, but this one is a very close #2) and hopefully was enough to convince you to see for yourself. But just in case it hasn't, here's perhaps the most impressive recommendation and one all Clevelanders should be excited about because Cleveland is once again receiving national recognition for our outstanding culinary talent:

Bon Appetit named The Greenhouse Tavern one of the 10 Best New restaurants in America.

The issue isn't on stands yet, but you can read a sneak peak on GHT's distinction as well as the other nine here. Also making the list is San Francisco's Bar Jules, which I ate at this past spring and couldn't agree with its recognition more.

A big congratulations to chef Jonathon Sawyer, Amelia and the entire GHT team. We are so happy for you and can't think of a more deserving group.

a very good wednesday in cleveland (university circle and baricelli inn)

noreply@blogger.com (michelle v) — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 00:17:00 +0000

A few weeks ago I saw tweet offering a link to a recent study. I never bothered to click on the link because I was having a good day and didn't feel like being aggravated by said reporter's clear lack of research or obvious preconceived and incorrect perceptions of my city. The study in question was something along the lines of Cleveland being recognized as one of the more boring cities to live in.

Seriously? While I recognize I never actually read the article so I don't know all its contents or writer's point of view, but just the thought makes me scratch my head. There is so much to do, discover and experience in this town - well beyond the Rock Hall (amazes me how many people think this is all we have going for us). And what's even more surprising to me is how many people call Cleveland home and are still unaware of what's right in their backyard. Take a day and be a tourist in your own city. You'll be positively overwhelmed and impressed. But bored? No.

Case in point this past Wednesday night. We headed down to the Botanical Gardens for their wildly popular Gourmet in the Garden series (truly - these sell out fast and early). If you're not familiar, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., for $5 a group of 50 or so watch one of our local chefs demo a dish, then sample. On this night it was chef Paul Minnillo from Baricelli and his executive chef Chris, who was demoing a chilled peach soup with basil and strawberries (peaches from a Chardon farm by way of Fresh Fork Market - apparently all the snow in Chardon is good for snow days and making great peaches).

Minnillo, who reminds me of my Italian uncles with his mannerisms and storytelling, first chatted with the crowd about Cleveland, his future thoughts for the restaurant and Inn (perhaps a spa someday?), a brief education on cheese and his retail offering and his fellow local chefs. Chris then shared how to make this super simple soup at home and finally, we got to sample for ourselves - delicious. Did I mention this was just $5?

From there we walked around Wade Oval to enjoy Wade Oval Wednesdays, the free weekly concert series in the summer (Roberto Ocasio's Latin Jazz Project was performing). How great that we have something like this. One any given Wednesday in the summer, expect to find families, couples and people of all ages hanging out on the oval, enjoying a picnic, some cocktails and the atmosphere.

After listening to the band for awhile, and knowing a small sample of soup wasn't enough to call dinner, we decided to head to Baricelli for more.

During Minnillo's introduction earlier, he shared that he's been working hard for the past 10 years to get the restaurant out of that dining destination/special occasion category, but doesn't feel he's having much success. I admit that for years that was my perception of the restaurant, until I went there. And part of it is the mansion itself which houses the restaurant and Inn (it does scream special occasion) and the long history of high ticket items. But in recent years, he has lowered prices and even offers half orders of pasta (my 1/2 bucatini amatriciana was just $12 and is plenty of pasta for one person) as well as great/affordable dinners during Lent. To be honest, I've never sat in the dining room so I'm not sure what vibe that gives off, we much prefer the patio. And that does not feel pretentious or fine dining to me - more like casual, quaint and a must for al fresco dining.

Beyond my pasta and a half order of basil fazzoletti for Jamie, I had the beet salad with walnut-crusted camembert, watercress, a hard boiled egg and vincotta (absolutely wonderful salad) and the chilled peach soup for Jamie. We also each had a glass of wine.

I will say this, while we thoroughly enjoyed our meal and sitting on the patio in the heart of Little Italy and ourselves don't view Baricelli as destination dining, if Minnillo truly wants to change people's perceptions, he needs to make a few more revisions to the menu beyond the pastas. One big area that did bother us was the wine list. If one were just to peruse the list, they'd assume this is a high-priced, high-occasion type of place. There is only one bottle under $60, a couple glass options in the $10/$12 range and the rest is priced in the hundreds. Personally, I would love to see a more approachable wine list with several bottle options under $5o - even $40, as well as more glass choices, too.

And that was our Wednesday. A demo, music and fab dinner in one of Cleveland's great neighborhoods. If that's boring, I give up.

recap - cleveland's first rock 'n roll bbq

noreply@blogger.com (michelle v) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 11:49:00 +0000

For just the second time in its seven year stretch, we missed the Taste of Tremont. And we were out of town for the spring North Union Farmer's Market event and will be on vacation next month for the fall fundraiser, Farm to Table. For a foodie that loves to support local happenings, I haven't been doing my part. So when I first heard about the Cleveland Food Rocks BBQ through Elain Cicora, director of communications for Crop, and saw who was participating, I quickly put it on our calendar.

As some one who regularly plans events for my day job, I'd say it was a success. And while I haven't talked to anyone at Cleveland Food Rocks to get their take, I've got to imagine they'd agree. Being the first time they did this, and given the infancy of the organization, it appeared to go off without a hitch. The turn out from chefs and restaurants was impressive: Momocho, Crop, of course, Boulevard Blue, Prosperity Social Club, Moxie, Beachland Ballroom (also played host & donated the space), Bar Cento, Lago, Brother's Lounge, Greenhouse Tavern, Luxe, Melange, Blue Canyon and Sky Larae Catering to name a few (25+ total restaurants).

There was also, as the name obviously dictates, music - lots of local music, with the likes of chefs Steve Schimoler and Brandt Evans - even Bootsy Collins. And of course, the food -- the reason why so many came out in the first place.

Just about everything we sampled was good. In fact, there was only one thing I didn't care for. Melange perhaps had the most impressive offering and set up with a tasty (full) clambake, including clam chowder (speaking of Melange, chef Michael Herschman is now the GM over there), Bar Cento's duck blini was rather enjoyable and the wasabi potato salad from Luxe was quite good. Our favorite? This nod easily goes to Momocho for the grilled corn on the cob with chipotle and lime butter. If no one was looking, we would have had thirds and fourths. Our second favorite was the melt-in-your-mouth brisket from Blue Canyon, served with an assortment of barbecue sauces, including a white barbecue sauce from Alabama, a mustard-based sauce and Blue Canyon's own, which I liked best.

As for what I didn't care for - the salmon from Blue Point. And to be fair, I didn't even realize it was Blue Point until after I tried it (between holding Nat and navigating the crowd, I missed the sign). But I will say this - I might just be alone in my thinking because surprisingly I spoke to quite a few people who felt otherwise.

Unfortunately, we didn't get to try everything. After an 1.5 hrs, Natalie, who proudly sported her Rolling Stones tee and flirted with lots of chefs, had her fill of the sun and music and was ready for a nap. I heard the grilled peaches from Lago with goat's milk ice cream and balsamic were wonderful as was the grilled veal from Johnny's.

I really do hope this becomes a regular event. It has all the makings of an annual tradition we'd proudly support. And I think with a few modifications, it can grow each year and become quite successful (for example - better and more seating, perhaps high tops, and a separate area for the music to avoid overcrowding and to control the volume). Yes - I said it, the volume. Does that mean I'm getting old? But at times it truly was super loud and that made it difficult to chat with others and fully enjoy that tent in particular.

Finally, you have to give credit to chef Steve Schimoler and his team. He started Cleveland Food Rocks and has really done his part to promote Cleveland and all of the restaurants - not just his endeavors. He's making an impact here and really trying to make a difference. And I think he's succeeding. And plenty of our local chefs have jumped in and are helping to make it even bigger and better. It's a great collaboration and it's nice to see them all working together. While I'm sure there is still competition among them - and there's nothing wrong with a little healthy competition to keep you on your toes - you can tell everyone truly loves this city and is happy to work together to promote all it has to offer, especially all things local.

(photos pulled from Cleveland Food Rocks Facebook page)

make sure you grab a seat at this traveling restaurant

noreply@blogger.com (michelle v) — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 16:28:00 +0000

Luckily, there are no shortages of wonderful places to eat in this city regardless of your location. But sometimes, you want something a little different, a little unexpected. At least I do. And if you agree, this might just appeal to you as much as it did to us.

Last month we found ourselves downtown, in an area that most would consider undesirable. But tucked away in an unassuming building was an artist's studio that housed an impressive gallery, a kitchen that would make anyone of us jealous and a simply beautiful courtyard. This was the setting for chef Ben Bebenroth's second Plated Landscape Dinner of this year, which I was reviewing on behalf of Metromix.

I was excited for this event for many reasons. One, I've heard from many people - chefs and foodies alike - that each dinner always promises to be a deliciously good time; and two, I would finally get to taste much more of the chef's offerings versus just a few samplings here and there.

I was not disappointed. From the second we walked and were greeted with firefly sweet tea vodka to the moment we left with wonderfully full bellies and a few new friends, I knew we'd back and would encourage others to do so as well.

Here is part of the review, or you can read it in full here.

When the weather’s right, there’s no shortage of restaurant patios vying for your business. And you’d be well-served at many of them. But why not take a night off from your favorite al fresco dinner spot and experience outdoor dining in Cleveland in a more unexpected way. An evening that’s part adventurous, borderline whimsical, naturally beautiful and of course, palate pleasing.

It’s called "Plated Landscape" dinners. This traveling restaurant concept, presented by chef Ben Bebenroth, a sustainable food pioneer, and his company, Spice of Life Catering, takes place among Mother Nature’s finest backdrops, including local farms and urban gardens. The dinner events are typically held outdoors and feature ingredients that guests may have gathered themselves just before the meal. The hope is that guests gain a fresh connection with the land in true “return to roots” form.

Patrons (approximately 20) included a good mix of foodies, a few local chefs and an all around enjoyable crowd (don’t be surprised if you leave with a few new friends). The evening’s menu, which is typically developed and tweaked right up to the day of depending on what’s fresh and in-season, consisted of:

*English pea soup with crème fraiche (paired with 2007 Domaine D’Arton, Des Cotes de Gascogne)
*Double bacon mizuna salad with fried egg and verjus vinaigrette (paired with 2007 Clos LaChance unoaked chardonnay)
*Grits with homemade andouille (paired with 2007 Lolonis Fume Blanc)
*Rhubarb-B-Q short ribs with a berry hot sauce (paired with a 2007 Clos LaChance meritage)
*Family-style shortbread cookies, strawberry ice cream, dolce de leche, smoked cheddar and strawberry jam (paired with Aris petite syrah port)

Each course, which features sustainable and organic ingredients from small family farms within a 100-mile radius of Cleveland, is served with a brief chef introduction that includes background on the dish and a few fun details. The dinner was exceptional, from start to finish. Standouts included the grits with sweet and slightly hot andouille sausage, tender and succulent short ribs and chilled pea soup. Each course was adequately spaced and appropriately sized; you weren't too full from what you just sampled but still look forward to the next dish.

The "Plated Landscape" dinners cost $100 per person, which includes all courses, drinks and gratuity and last approximately four hours. Now in its fourth year, the mini events continue to gain in popularity and are earning a reputation for must-attend summer and early fall dinners.

(photos courtesy of Michael Sawyer & Keith Berr)

150 free wines

noreply@blogger.com (michelle v) — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 13:30:00 +0000

While I'm not necessarily sure anyone would actually taste all 150 varietals available, you certainly can if you'd like - on us. The spirit of giving continues this week with two free tickets to the Vintage Ohio Wine Festival, courtesy of the Ohio Wine Association.

On Monday, I wrote about the special discounted rate for Cleveland Foodie readers ($17 tickets by calling 800 227 6972 or clicking and using reference code FOV2009). And while $17 really is a great deal for what's sure to be another great year of this fantastic event (truly - I've gone a few times now and have really had a good time!), I think we can agree that free is even better.

If you'd like the pair of tickets, leave a comment - with your e-mail address or you won't be included - and tell me your thoughts to this: If Cleveland were a wine, what wine would it be and why? The contest is open until August 3.

By the way, Doug Trattner wrote a great post on his blog yesterday about Ohio wines and wineries. It's a great read loaded with lots of new places to explore and more reasons why you should put this event on your calendar (I think a trip to Harpersfield Winery is in my future).

free tix to cleveland food rocks rock 'n' roll bbq

noreply@blogger.com (michelle v) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 16:08:00 +0000

As previously posted, Cleveland Food Rocks is throwing the first Rock 'n' Roll BBQ throwdown this Sunday at the Beachland Ballroom. An impressive list of our local chefs will be on-hand grilling and mingling from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are $25 or $30 day of, but chef Steve Schimoler of Crop, who is the brainchild behind this initiative, has generously offered up two free tickets to Cleveland Foodie.

Interested? One of the questions I always ask chefs during the q&a's is to tell me their top five songs on a dinner party playlist. If you want the tickets, tell me what your top five songs would be if you were hosting a summer cookout. To be qualified, you must also enter your e-mail and of course be able to attend this Sunday. Just comment with your songs and e-mail between now and Thursday. Best playlist wins. Note: To be fair, I won't pick and instead will ask a local musician.

Update: We have a winner. See comments. Thanks for sharing your playlists, lots of good selections!

a closer look into ohio wine (plus discounted vintage ohio tickets)

noreply@blogger.com (michelle v) — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 15:21:00 +0000

Did you know wine making in Ohio dates back to the early 1800’s? And while we may occasionally complain about our weather, it’s actually ideal for producing wine. Ohio in fact is home to many wonderful wineries. Wineries that are not only receiving local attention, but accolades from across the country. Yet another reason to love our great state

Personally, we’ve enjoyed many afternoons at several nearby wineries, including The Lakehouse Inn (they host a fantastic clambake in the fall), Debonne and Ferannte to name a few (and of course, the old Lonz Winery – which was more about just being there than the actual wine). And I know there are plenty more for us to discover. We’re also big fans of the Vintage Ohio Wine Festival at Lake Metroparks Farmpark in Kirtland. It’s a great way to sample a lot of wine, learn a thing or two, and explore a growing industry within our state. The event, now in its 15th year, will be held this year August 7th and 8th from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. Twenty-five wineries in all participate offering over 150 vintages to taste, plus cooking demos and local restaurants. USA Today has even named this one of America's top wine and food events.

Tickets are normally $22 or $25 day of per person -- but the Ohio Wine Assoc. is offering Cleveland Foodie readers a special discounted price of $17. Visit here or call 800 227 6972 and reference code FOV2009 for this special Cleveland Foodie rate.

To get you a little excited for the two-day event, Joel Sandrey, a sommelier who has been involved with Ohio wine since 1997 and is currently the sales/marketing director for Debonne Vineyards, shares with us his point of view on wine and why wine snobs should stay in their cellar.

As Joel puts it, his quest is to get as many people as he can to let down their guard, open up their minds and just drink wine.

“In the last few years I have developed, what I think, is a unique view of the wine world. As so many things in our lives get more and more complicated and stress-filled, isn’t it wonderful that there exists a nearly perfect beverage? One that tastes fantastic, goes great with food, is relatively inexpensive, and makes you smile more and more the more you drink it. And still we insist on wasting time debating, and boasting, and pounding our chests about how wine savvy we are, instead of just cracking open a bottle and enjoying it for what it is....without apology or worrying about what others think of your choice.”

1. Why does Ohio weather make this such a great state for producing wine? The weather in Northern Ohio changes almost from hour to hour. Over the course of a growing season, all of those temp spikes/drops and rain/droughts will create this years’ Vintage, which in all likelihood, will be pretty different from last years’ Vintage. So because of our constantly changing weather, we get true, unique, vintages every year.

2. What are the biggest misconceptions about Ohio wine? That all we can produce is big sugar bombs. Ohio wineries have been winning medals in international competitions for years in traditional European vinifera. We produce world class Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Cabernet, Riesling, and so on. We also make big ass sugar bombs.

3. If Cleveland were a wine, which one would it be? As a lifelong Clevelander, I think Cleveland is a Zinfandel. One big, unapologetic, Zin. We are what we are, perhaps to bold for our own good sometimes, but that is what makes us unique.

4. What's the highest honor an Ohio wine has received? I am not sure about everyone else but Debonné has won Platinum and Double Gold this year on our Pinot Gris, Riesling, and Reserve Riesling. Every year we win dozens of medals in international blind competition.

5. Cork or screw top? Cork is more romantic for table side presentation, but a screw cap means wine will not be flawed. If you are at all concerned about the means by which your favorite wine is sealed, perhaps it is time to reevaluate things in your life :)

6. What can Ohio deliver that Sonoma and Napa can't? Ice wine, baby. They can fake it, but they can’t make it. Throwing grapes in a freezer is not the same as letting them over ripen and then freeze on the vine. There are not too many places on the planet that can produce this jewel of the wine world, Northern Ohio just happen to have the perfect climate.

7. What would a wine snob be surprised to learn about Ohio wine? Nothing. Wine snobs have a preconceived notion that is unbending. If you encounter one of these self important jackasses, it is best to walk away slowly as to not arouse their heightened instinct to blather on with their never ending opinions. You could get trapped in a many hour diatribe about their last trip to “real wine country” where we stayed at blah blah blah. Lucky for everyone, the “wine snob” is a dying breed. In their place is growing a population of wine adventurers, who are willing to experience, with an open mind, anything that is thrown at them. A wine adventurer is just as likely on any given night to grab an old world white, as a big, new world, fruit bomb, red. Thank God for the new wine adventurer! As for you wine snobs, please stay in your cellars.

8. What are 3 must-try wines at the wine festival? I would not want to insult one by not mentioning it, so I will only say, Vintage Ohio is a monster!

9. What is the proper way to taste a wine? Pour it in a glass, swirl it around to let the wine open a little and free all of the subtle characteristics, and then enjoy It. Really it doesn’t have to be any more complicated than that.

10. What wine do you always keep in your house? Bottle of red, bottle of white – you never know what I will be in the mood for.

11. Perfect Ohio wine to take to a backyard BBQ? I like to bring a Pinot Noir and a Pinot Gris; both are light and fun and will be nice enough to go with almost any dish.

henry's at the barn

noreply@blogger.com (michelle v) — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 21:12:00 +0000

Up until last weekend, all I knew about Henry's at the Barn in Avon was that it's dog-friendly (did a story on pet-friendly eateries for Metromix last summer; actually named after the owner's dog) and that my sister and brother-in-law are big fans.

We found ourselves there last Saturday to celebrate my sister's birthday. I didn't know what to expect and to be frank, I'm not necessarily a huge fan of southern food. When we walked in, we were greeted by an incredibly warm and friendly staff. Since we were the first to arrive, they encouraged us to explore the space, which is actually an 1800's era barn. The lodge-esque bar area is really quite cozy and warm with a lot of character. I instantly liked it. We then walked upstairs to the loft which would be a great place to enjoy drinks in the fall or winter with its giant couches, rich wood and again, overall coziness (check out the pictures of dogs on the wall, you can even hang your own). The main dining room was a little less my taste. It lost the warmth and uniqueness of the other spaces. The patio, where we sat, was also right up my alley. Beautiful surroundings and views of the barn plus a nice fire pit.

As aforementioned, the menu is southern, or Carolina low country cuisine as they say. Again, not being a huge fan of this type of food, nothing was necessarily jumping out for me (this is not to say that it's not an impressive menu, rather just not my first choice of regions). I opted for a salad and two apps: the Henry's spring house with deviled egg, berries, brittle and rhubarb vinaigrette; fried green tomatoes with smoked blue cheese; and smoked scallops with sweet pea and carrot spread. Jamie had the she crab soup, a house specialty, and the black and bleu rib eye, which was a special that night.

Let's start with what I liked - the patio (so quaint and well thought-out it's worth mentioning again), soup (I helped myself to Jamie's) and the scallops. I can see why this soup is one of the most requested items - we were all impressed with the creaminess and overall flavor of this soup. My scallops were also rather enjoyable, although I was disappointed that they weren't smoky in flavor - at all.

I also like the wine list - 25 wines for under $25. There were several good choices and we happily enjoyed a few bottles of cabernet.

As for the salad and tomatoes, I was somewhat disappointed. The dressing was just too overpowering and sweet and the tomatoes were actually a bit soggy for lack of a better word. Aside from the soup, Jamie was also underwhelmed with his dinner. While he thoroughly enjoyed the soup, his steak was rather overcooked and served cool. As for the bleu portion of the meal, it was crumbled around the dish versus melted on top.

The rest of the party seemed very pleased with their meal, with the exception of my brother and one sister who both sent back the duck for being too tough, which caused the manager to come out and apologize and sheepishly admit they weren't happy when they saw the duck come in. Both were very happy with dinner #2.

Bottom line - it's almost unfair for me to be overly critical of the food because again, this isn't my type of cuisine. Those that do appreciate southern cooking, were quite happy. We both really did enjoy the space and service was wonderful. I don't think I'd make a special trip from the east side to go back based on this experience, but if my family picked this place for another occasion, I'd happily accept the invite.

guy fieri has good taste (chef williams thoughts on being part of the show)

noreply@blogger.com (michelle v) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 11:26:00 +0000

Back in March, I received a call from a producer with Page Productions, producers of Food Networks "Diners, Drives-Ins and Dives". She was researching Cleveland for an upcoming show and wanted to know my favorite places to eat -- and they didn't necessarily have to be dives, but as she put it, cool, quirky, unique and still somewhat unknown. I gave her my picks, talked to her a few times between phone and e-mail and never heard from her again. Which is kinda becoming routine now - reporters, authors and producers from around the country do their research, find people like me, pick our brains and tease with opportunities, then poof - not a word until I hear/see/read about sans project like everyone else months later (not that I mind - I'm more than happy to talk food and share my thoughts with just about anyone!).

Cut to last month when I received an email from chef Eric Williams at Momocho telling me that they were selected for the show and to see if Jamie and I wanted to come in for the taping. I couldn't type fast enough - of course a very big YES and thank you for including us! The catch - I couldn't say anything until after (which is near impossible for me, but I made it - and to think, I could have "scooped" the local media...). At any rate, I was thrilled that Momocho, along with Lucky's, were picked for Guy's show. And it just so happens that those were two of the places I gave the producer (along with others I'm sure).

As we approached the restaurant last night, we were greeted by Guy's old red convertible in mint condition parked out front (I'm a foodie, not a car enthusiast... corvette maybe?). As we entered, there was a small crew, big cameras and lights - and Guy Fieri, with an even bigger personality and a lot of big, bold, heavy bling. We sat down right in the middle of the restaurant and ordered drinks and dinner (adobo braised pork, grilled mahi mahi and albondigas - as always, absolutely amazing!) and just watched and listened with excitement as Guy interviewed Eric and other diners.

This was obviously exciting for us to watch and be part of, but just imagine how Eric Williams, Heather Haviland and the Geraci's felt? Here's some of what chef Eric Williams had to say about the experience:

His reaction to finding out: "Super excited and flattered, although I did ask the producer when she called me what category does Momocho fit into. It was explained to me that DDD focuses on one-off unique places. I've watched the show enough to know that Guy leads off the show by saying, 'If you're funky, we'll find you.' "

First impression of Guy: "He's for real. He says what he means and doesn't hold back. He said throughout the filming that he loved everything by using his own lingo. By the way, he renamed the pork carnitas "thunder pork" and said he didn't like the tortilla chips served with the guacs and salsas. He liked the fact we fried them to order but likes his chips to be thicker. He's got a killer sense of humor and obviously loves his job. We had a great time cooking together. Guy also made plenty of time for autographs and pictures for customers and fans after filming."

Guy in the kitchen: "Guy doesn't cook much, his role during filming is to promote Momocho and get excited about what I was cooking - they want us to cook and show off what we do and how we do it. He gave his opinion on a couple things off camera but was really there to have fun."

Favorite dishes he sampled: "He loved the machaca taquito (coffee and ancho braised beef brisket) - said they belonged in shamalamadingdong town!"

The overall experience: "Unbelievable experience. This is a great opportunity to promote Momocho and Cleveland's culinary scene on a national level (DDD filmed at other Cleveland locations this week). Also, this is great for my staff. This gives them a little validation for all the hard work they do daily to make Momocho a success - especially my two chefs, Damon and Tom. These guys are unbelievable!"

His son Jackson's thoughts: "Honestly, a little disappointed. He thought they were going to film him cooking with me. We did drag a chair up to the kitchen so he could watch them tape some last minute details and recipes after everyone left. Plus, Guy signed a baseball hat for him and gave him the wristband off his arm - that made him really happy. He actually went to bed wearing the wristband." I saw Eric's son, Jackson, wearing the wristband and didn't realize that at the time - very cool of Guy!

What went as expected and what didn't go so well: "I don't think it could have gone any better. The production crew was amazing. We banged out all the dishes and recipes under schedule. They had cool personalities and we played a couple pranks on each other - they made it a very easy and fun experience."

Air date: "Should air in September/October. Food Network will send me a notice three weeks prior. We are planning a watch party at Momocho on that Monday night."

The one drawback to all of this? We've been loyal devotees to Lucky's and Momocho for quite some time now. While I'm thrilled for the wonderful national coverage that's ahead for my favorite city and restaurants, I won't be so happy when I can no longer get a table! So seriously, if you've yet to go to Momocho or Lucky's - what are you waiting for? Lucky's is amazing for breakfast (and now Vine & Bean) and Momocho is hands-down the best modern Mexican restaurant - period.

fahrenheit

noreply@blogger.com (michelle v) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 11:49:00 +0000

There are some restaurants that you know you can always count on. Regardless of when you go, if it's for dinner or a drink, or how much time may have lapsed in between visits, you just know you're going to have a great meal and good time.

For me, Fahrenheit is one of those places. From the first time I took my mom there for pizza almost seven years ago to this past Friday night for dinner with friends, they are consistently good. Has every single item I've ordered through the years been spot on? Not necessarily, I've definitely favored some things over others. But I can say the same for just about anywhere that I've been to so many times I can't even recall all visits. Nonetheless, I love this restaurant. It's one that I quickly recommend to visitors and happily visit time and time again (last month I sent a whole group from HGTV there and they reported back that they loved every bite).

I must admit though, this time it wasn't necessarily the food that impressed me the most (though I did enjoy my entree). Rather, sitting on the newly constructed patio watching people parade up and down the street for the Tremont art walk. This is the first time we sat on the patio and from my understanding, it wasn't an easy space to construct. From my point of view, it's worth all the frustration and patience it took them to complete.

It's not that there's anything over-the-top extraordinary about this patio. But the location, size, furniture selection and other added details picked to finish it off truly make for a nice setting. I could have sat there all night. In fact, none of us seemed to mind that the kitchen was backed up and our dinners probably took twice as long. Didn't even phase us, though our server was clearly upset and routinely apologized. To me, a weekend dinner should be enjoyed and not rushed, and that's exactly what we did - enjoyed the wonderful surroundings, company and took our time with dinner.

Speaking of dinner, Fahrenheit has several new items on its menu for summer. I tried the heirloom tomato and goat cheese salad with toasted bread and caper-balsamic dressing and the sushi grade tuna with Indonesian fried rice and a green curry coconut sauce. Jamie went for the famous short ribs with Teriyaki lo mein noodles and a ginger soy reduction.

I love heirloom tomatoes, especially when they are simply prepared without too much fuss, which is exactly how this salad was constructed. My only complaint was there wasn't enough goat cheese. In fact, there was barely any. Luckily the tomatoes were fantastic enough on their own.

As for my tuna, this just might have been one of my favorite Fahrenheit dishes I've sampled yet. The tuna was perfectly jeweled in color and super fresh - just how tuna is supposed to be. And the rice was a great pairing - lots of flavor. I wasn't overly crazy about the curry coconut sauce, but that was mostly because it was too spicy for my liking - much spicier than I anticipated with barely a hint of any sweet coconut.

I did try a few bites of the short ribs and now I know why this dish is a long-time customer favorite. I can't recall having short ribs prepared this way and I truly enjoyed it, as did Jamie who happily finished the plate clean. Now we're both short rib snobs - easily our favorite dish. We compare any and all short ribs to the best plate we've ever sampled at Crush in Seattle a few years ago. While Crush still retains the title, with former Cleveland chef Keoko Turner's version coming in at #2 (though I hear Turner is back in town making organic chocolates), I'd say these are up there. But to be fair, Rocco's version is different, so it's not like comparing apples to apples. But as two self-proclaimed short rib gurus, this is a mighty impressive dish.

By the way, congrats to chef Rocco Whalen who won the Cleveland top chef award at the St. John Westshore competition with Ted Allen.

If you haven't yet been to Fahrenheit, even any of the galleries and shops throughout Tremont, now is your chance. This Sunday marks the 7th annual Taste of Tremont from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. I still can't believe this event is in its seventh year. I still remember the first one and have gone every year except last. It's a fun event and worth checking out. And the weather is supposed to be around 70 on Sunday - ideal for this sort of thing.

celebrate bastille day (for free) at the greenhouse tavern

noreply@blogger.com (michelle v) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 19:32:00 +0000

If you've yet to check out The Greenhouse Tavern (shame on you if you haven't), and are still deciding just how to celebrate France's Independence, then this is the post for you.

On Monday, July 13, enjoy pre Bastille Day festivities with chefs Jonathon Sawyer, Dante Boccuzzi, Steve Schimoler, Paul Minillo, Ben Bebenroth and Greg Maclaren (just to name a few) at The Greenhouse Tavern.

This very impressive lineup will be whipping up some of the tastiest French cuisine you've ever sampled. This Slow Food sponsored event costs $60 per person (for non members) but thanks to Local Food Service.com, you can win two tickets.

Between now and noon on Monday, just leave a comment telling me your favorite thing about the French and you're entered. And if you agree to give me the other ticket, you automatically win (just kidding!).

vine and bean cafe

noreply@blogger.com (michelle v) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 15:00:00 +0000

There aren't many things better on a weekend than sitting at Lucky's, sharing breakfast (which must include the pecan-crusted bacon) with Jamie and Natalie while reading the paper. Oh wait - there is! A Saturday morning trip in the summer to the North Union Farmers Market at Shaker Square followed by breakfast at Vine & Bean Cafe, which is also owned by Heather Haviland and therefore features many of my favorite dishes found at Lucky's in Tremont.

A few weeks ago this is exactly what we did since I was lucky enough to review the super cute Vine & Bean for Metromix. We started off at the market, where we picked up some Ohio Honey and a Tea Hills chicken (tried the Heidi Robb recipe - it was so good that I'm slowing becoming a chicken fan).

Next up was the super quick drive around the corner to Vine & Bean. We chose the funky patio featuring a hodgepodge of furniture (my favorite place to sit) versus the equally charming and quirky inside dining area.

You can read the full story here or keep reading for a portion of my review.
_____________________________________
It didn’t take too long for Lucky’s Café in Tremont to become the go-to place for weekend brunch. Now, chef Heather Haviland is at it again. This time, it’s East Siders who benefit from her delicious expertise with early hour temptations. And it’s not just breakfast. At Vine & Bean, Haviland is serving up comfort food throughout most of the day along with cocktails, coffee drinks and live music.

Food: Locavores rejoice. Chef Haviland has a strong reputation within Cleveland for supporting local farmers and producers. In fact, each dish that leaves the kitchen during season is approximately 95 percent locally sourced (60 percent during the winter).

The menu, which features gourmet comfort food, is sectioned into weekend brunch and daily offerings, plus specials.

The brunch menu features many of the popular items found at Lucky’s, like the shipwreck, breakfast burrito and pecan-crusted bacon. Each of these dishes alone is a must-try and will bring you back again and again.

On our visit, we tried the vanilla bean waffles with roasted peaches and caramel sauce and the egg pie with local bacon, ham, Swiss cheese and a side of fruit and banana bread.

Consider yourself warned; These sinfully good waffles are big—way big. Even on two empty stomachs, we couldn’t finish. And this dish is sweet, almost dessert like. Perhaps too sweet, but that’s no surprise given Haviland’s baking connections and history.

The egg pie is a much more manageable portion. Served piping hot, it’s a good start to the day with wonderful flavor and a flaky crust and just as tempting sides (the banana bread is some of the best in town).

As for the non-brunch items, you’ll find a number of sandwiches (all served on homemade bread), like the turkey with avocado, cheddar and local bacon served on rustic Italian bread as well as build-your-own hot panini sandwiches. There’s also a small variety of soups and salads and a cheese board.

Décor: Situated in an old Victorian century home on Larchmere Boulevard in Shaker Heights in what was once Café Limbo, Vine & Bean resembles a child’s doll house—a silver blue doll house with bright purple and green accents. Inside, it’s close quarters. You can sit in the quaint front dining room (that was once a family room), in the back kitchen, or on the outside patio, which features a hodgepodge of furniture. The place is tiny, incredibly charming and frankly, adorable.

i heart cleveland (news, reviews and events)

noreply@blogger.com (michelle v) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 11:57:00 +0000

A funny thing happened on the way to the Indians game this past Thursday. I'm told it was an awesome game and that fireworks were set to Michael Jackson (which we did catch thanks to the deck at Pete & Deweys, er, Thirsty Parrot). Maybe this has happened to you? You set out to go to the game, and than the lure of East 4 sucks you in and end up catching the highlights (or lowlights as they seem to be lately) the next day.

With every intention of going to the game with our neighbors and their friends, we decided to stop at Lola first for a drink and a few appetizers. Luckily, and I'm assuming since it was rather early, the chef's table was open. This is such a fun place to sit because you can watch executive chef Derek Clayton and company masterfully and meticulously prepare each dish for the restaurant.

We decided to split several orders of each of the appetizers. Obviously, the beef cheek pierogis were a hit. But for me personally, I loved the braised Berkshire "bacon" (pork belly) and cured tuna with grapefruit and fennel the best followed by the charcuterie plate which I grazed on most of the evening until there was nothing left. These apps couldn't be more different from each other and were truly outstanding.

Sometimes I much rather share an assortment of appetizers than have dinner. It's not that Lola doesn't offer some very tempting dinner options, obviously they do, but this is a fun, tasty way to try wide-variety of items.

After enjoying probably one too many cocktails at the chef's table, we the heading to the patio for dessert. I was not-so-secretly hoping everyone would bail on the game and could continue to take advantage of the great Cleveland evening and crowd watching on E 4th. I got my wish.

All the restaurants were filled and people were overflowing from the individual patios onto the street. Lining the street were beautiful planters with oversized colorful flowers. It's truly a site to see and take in. My hope now is that other areas within Cleveland take note of its success. We can enjoy more than one great neighborhood at once.

And Clevelanders aren't the only ones impressed with E 4th. The New York Times just wrote a feature on the area's rebirth, which includes mentions of Lola, of course, The Greenhouse Tavern, La Strada, Pickwick and Zocalo - which surprisingly the reporter cited as one of the best Mexican restaurants in Ohio. While I'm excited for the article, I'd have to greatly disagree with that statement (that nod goes to Momocho).

And speaking of positive national exposure for our small but mighty city, Daily Candy, something else I heart, just did a quick write-up on their recent visit. While I agree we desperately need more shopping, the writer's tour guide missed a big opportunity by not taking her to Room Service, Duo Home and Banyan Tree, among others.

A must-attend event
Cleveland Food Rocks presents a Rock 'n' Roll BBQ Throwdown
On Sunday, July 26 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., at the Beachland Ballroom, Cleveland Food Rocks will be hosting a ginormous BBQ with many of our area chefs in an effort to raise funds for this initiative.

Participating restaurants include: Bar Cento, Beachland Ballroom, Blue Canyon Kitchen, Blue Point, Brother’s Lounge, Crop, Dante, Fahrenheit, Flying Fig, Greenhouse Tavern, Grotto Wine Bar, Gusto, Happy Dog, Johnny’s Downtown, Local Crop, Lago, Luxe, Melange, Momocho, Moxie, Prosperity Social Club, Sarava, Southside and Sky Larae’s Culinary Services.

Rain or shine, come enjoy what you just know is going to be some seriously good eats for $25 ($30 day of) plus live music. And it's family-friendly! You can purchase tickets here.

Started by chef Steve Schimoler of Crop, Cleveland Food Rocks is a non-profit collaborative of dozens of Cleveland-area restaurants and food-service operations, dedicated to promoting and encouraging a vigorous local dining scene by forging a link between great food and live music. The group hopes to serve as a grassroots model, representing the power of social interconnectivity as a catalyst for strengthening the Greater Cleveland Community.

one way we can all help cleveland kids

noreply@blogger.com (michelle v) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 14:48:00 +0000

This has nothing to do with food, but everything to do with Cleveland. Jamie and I are both on the board of Most Valuable Kids (MVK), a group that provides underserved children throughout Cleveland the chance to see LeBron dunk, Grady homer (when healthy), Joshua Cribbs do just about everything and see the inside of the beautiful and magnificent Allen Theater or Cleveland Orchestra.

MVK takes unused tickets to any sporting or entertainment event and gives them to local kids so they can experience what many of us take for granted. Often for the very first time.

Think about it - how often do you decide to pass on the Tribe game or let the weekend orchestra tickets go unused? Same with season tickets where you work? This is such an easy way for people to help those less fortunate and it doesn't cost a dime, which is something we can all appreciate during the current state of things.

So please help us spread the word. We have a lot of children waiting to go to a game, a play or the museum - we just need tickets! If you have tickets, or your company does, please visit the site and learn how to donate. It's ridiculously easy and you'll be responsible for some very big smiles throughout our city. Thank you.

q&a with lucy wellhausen

noreply@blogger.com (michelle v) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:54:00 +0000

You may not recognize the name Lucy Wellhausen but I'm willing to bet you know Ohio Honey. Lucy, and her husband Charlie, are the duo behind our region's most delicious honey. I love honey and its many uses and am a big fan of Ohio Honey. Of course I like it on certain cheeses and fruits, but my favorite use is generously drizzled over Greek yogurt mixed with frozen blueberries and Graham Cracker crumbs as an after dinner snack (or with Koshi Go Lean Crunch if it's breakfast).

1. How did you get into the honey business? Many years ago, a friend’s father – who was a beekeeper, noticed that we have a very nice field – perfect—full of goldenrod blooms in the autumn, and asked if he could place a few hives. We replied – sure, as long as we don’t get stung! Well, every year, he would bring us a jar of honey and say thank you very much….and that was just fine until 1997 when he passed away. His family had no interest in beekeeping, so we inherited four beehives. Long story short – that was the beginning. We learned beekeeping and are so happy we did.

2. How many times have you been stung? It is an occupational hazard, but not that bad. We take precautions – such as wearing the beekeeper-garb and use a smoker to calm the honeybees when we are working the hives. Inevitably, one or two honeybees manage to get INSIDE the helmet or crawl up the leg, or get into our shoes. Ouch – the important thing is to remove the stinger as soon as you can. How often are you asked that? That question comes up more than any other, at least 2-3 times per month.

3. What's the one thing about your job that would surprise people? Hmm, good question – maybe the fact that we LOVE to do what we do. Our job is actually FUN…never boring, and always full of surprises. For example, in springtime, when we are moving young hives to new farm locations, the honeybees sometimes manage to escape from the hive during transport - in the vehicle. That’s not so bad in a truck, but there have been times when we moved them in the Jeep, and the honeybees snuck out of the hive – and were flying around in the Jeep. It was interesting seeing the looks on other drivers’ faces looking – seeing the driver of a Jeep wearing a beekeepers helmet driving down the freeway!

4. Favorite use for honey, both food and other? The simplest use – spread on toast, chicken and for treating cuts or burns – since honey is anti-bacterial.

5. What do you love about Cleveland and what drives you nuts? Cleveland is emerging as one of the most interesting food capitals of the USA. And we are lucky to be able to provide honey to some of the most popular restaurants! See? Everything is honey-related! The thing about Cleveland that drives me nuts – construction detours and the frustrations of the ‘highs and lows’ we experience with our sports teams.

6. Favorite restaurant? This must be some kind of trick question. To be honest, I can’t single out just one.

7. What restaurant do you miss? Nostalgia kicks in on that question. I remember the good times at the old Captain Frank’s when we were kids.

8. Favorite honey pairing? Toss-up between the old reliable ‘honey and tea’ – and ‘honey and cheese’ – but wait, there’s more – don’t forget honey and peanut butter, and...

9. What book are you currently reading? Ratio by Michael Ruhlman

10. Last meal on Earth? It would be something in the comfort food department – maybe a Thanksgiving dinner with mashed potatoes, turkey and gravy.

11. If you weren't in the honey business, what would you be doing? I suppose I’d still be doing escrows and mortgage loans.

12. Aside from farmer's markets, how else can people buy your honey? Check our site as we have quite a few stores that carry our honey, in addition to buying right on the the site.

13. What does raw honey mean? Raw honey has never been pasteurized, that’s how it keeps the healthy nutrients. Most of the honey on grocers’ shelves has been boiled, which removes the vitamins, minerals and lots of the flavor – all the good stuff is cooked out. Always buy your honey from a beekeeper.

14. Give us an interesting bee fact. A worker bee lives for about 45 days. In that time she will collect enough pollen and nectar to make 1/12th of a teaspoon of honey.

15. How long does it take to get honey and how many bees do you have? The extraction process does not take long. Once the wax is removed from the frame, it is spun (using centrifugal force) and presto – raw honey! Each hive – in the height of the summer season – contains approximately 50,000-60,000 honeybees…too many to name!

food, inc.

noreply@blogger.com (michelle v) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:43:00 +0000

I can not wait to see this documentary. Food, Inc. will be playing at Cedar Lee next Friday, which just happens to be surrounded by great restaurants.
Here's a link to preview the trailer.

Synopsis:
In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation's food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that's been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government's regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation's food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment. We have bigger-breasted chickens, the perfect pork chop, insecticide-resistant soybean seeds, even tomatoes that won't go bad, but we also have new strains of e coli--the harmful bacteria that causes illness for an estimated 73,000 Americans annually. We are riddled with widespread obesity, particularly among children, and an epidemic level of diabetes among adults.

Featuring interviews with such experts as Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation), Michael Pollan (The Omnivore's Dilemma) along with forward thinking social entrepreneurs like Stonyfield Farm's Gary Hirshberg and Polyface Farms' Joe Salatin, Food, Inc. reveals surprising -- and often shocking truths -- about what we eat, how it's produced, who we have become as a nation and where we are going from here.

lockkeepers

noreply@blogger.com (michelle v) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:11:00 +0000

With the resurrection of Lockkeepers, I found myself there a few months ago on behalf of Metromix.

Since reopening with the original owners, the restaurant has brought back some menu favorites and lowered prices, perhaps in an attempt to help diminish its once stuffy and expensive reputation and because now is not the time to introduce high price tags.

Will we go back? Not likely. Mostly because the food didn't leave a lasting impression and it's simply just not my kind of restaurant. Here is a little of my review, or you can read the full recap here.

Food: Lockkeeper’s Italian-centric menu consists of many Italian staples like lasagna big enough to share and its signature and incredibly popular calamari with kalamata olives, sun-dried tomatoes and mushrooms plus slight twists on favorites like prosciutto-wrapped long-bone pork chopped stuffed with fontina and sage. An order of the tuna tarturo teeters between staple and twist sitting atop a crunchy potato chive pancake with caper remoulada. Although beautifully constructed, too much grease interfered with an otherwise perfectly good appetizer. Continuing with a focus on presentation, the scallops with limoncello froth and shoestring veggies was also sitting pretty on the simple white plate. The scallops were seasoned and seared perfectly; However, the accompanying shoestring vegetables were overcooked, slightly bland and wilted in appearance. The highly recommended long-bone pork chop had good flavor and was anything but dry, but unfortunately, was also way too greasy, which made the dish difficult to finish. The pork is served with risotto cakes which were wonderful.

Bottom line: With its convenient location layered between business-heavy Rockside Road and a mega movie theater complex, Lockkeeper’s continues to be a good choice for business happenings, and with its new lower price point, a better alternative to neighboring chains for a weekend dinner and movie.

another zack bruell restaurant set to open soon

noreply@blogger.com (michelle v) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:22:00 +0000

And I thought I had a lot on my plate. Thanks to North Coast Lifestyle's tweet, I saw that Zack Bruell will be the latest chef to occupy a section of East 4th. According to the Plain Dealer, chef Bruell will open an Italian restaurant later this year:

Soon he'll be lending his name, formidable imagination and precise execution to a fourth restaurant -- this one planned for downtown Cleveland's restaurant row on East Fourth Street. Look for Chinato to open this fall, at Fourth and Prospect Avenue.

"It will be an Italian restaurant -- or, at least my take on Italian," says Bruell.

By the way: If you're curious about the name, chinato is an Italian wine that's fortified with herbs, spices and various kinds of bark, producing a drink used as a digestif.

Food editor Joe Crea also included information on tomorrow's opening of Bar Symon:

Casual is king on the menu, too. Grilled sausage platters, appetizers, a raw bar and bar snacks are major categories, with dishes as simple as feta- and oregano-laced popcorn ($3) or some really tasty Spicy Pork Cracklings ($4) to more upscale options like Duck Confit Sliders ($6 each) and Roasted Bone Marrow With Parsley and Chile ($8). I tore into a basket of really delicious Crispy Fried Organic Chicken lightly coated with fragrant truffle honey and strewn with crunchy rosemary sprigs ($15). Delicately sweet Bacon Creamed Corn ($4), its flavor intensified by simmering the kernels in a stock rendered from whole cobs, was a perfect side. But I loved what's maybe the menu's unlikeliest dish -- Fried Brussels Sprouts ($5), an addictively tasty combination of quartered sprouts fried golden, then dressed with extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, capers, Fresno chile, walnuts, parsley and anchovies.

Nothing on the menu exceeds $18, with the exception of the large-cut, spit-roasted prime rib ($24; the small portion is $17) served Friday nights only. Matthew Harlan is executive chef, Jason Bryson serves as sous chef, and pastry chef Cory Barrett will produce desserts for all of Symon's local restaurants from the kitchen.

Good luck, Michael and Matt! We'll be in soon for what will no doubt be the first of many visits (I have family in Avon so I'm excited for this location!).

free t-shirts

noreply@blogger.com (michelle v) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:14:00 +0000

I just love free stuff, don't you? Chef Matthew Mytro, formerly of Paladar and Crop and currently in Miami working on the new Red the Steakhouse, is more than just a chef - he's an entrepreneur. With his company, Stove Monkeys, he and partner Anthony Lynch design shirts for chefs and foodies alike.

According to their site, they were inspired to create a line of clothing that could be worn by chefs as everyday street wear. Stove Monkeys purpose is to provide the culinary industry apparel that will bestow a sense of camaraderie amongst culinary professionals, students, and foodies everywhere. As progressive chefs, they are concerned with sustainability and health. These beliefs are carried into the production of the apparel and utilizie eco-friendly printing materials and recycled products where available.

Mytro is giving away two shirts - one for the guys and one for girls, your pick. All you have to do is leave a comment, any comment, and I'll randomly pick two winners (but don't leave a comment as anonymous - I need to be able to contact you). Pretty simple, huh?

Good luck!

something different this 4th of july

noreply@blogger.com (michelle v) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:22:00 +0000

Sure, you'll probably get invited to a bunch of BBQs where you'll munch on juicy burgers and cool yourself off with plenty of beer. And it will be another great holiday weekend. You know it will be great because you do the same thing ever year. Or, you could try something different (actually - you can do both, it's a long weekend after all).

Check out Ghetto at the Grotto on July 5. This is a new concept (new to me anyway) that features people coming together for a night of farm fresh local food in an urban and charmingly dilapidated setting. Dinner includes six courses of locally sourced ingredients. Chefs Karen Small (Flying Fig) and Tripp Rion (Twisted Foods, Chicago) plus, I'm told, a bunch of other characters will be participating, so you know you'll be in for a treat.

The cost of the even is $50 and includes your food and wine. The location is the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood, 1780 W 52nd St. To sign up, call Jill Davis at 216 577 4795.

win tickets to chef's garden food and wine celebration

noreply@blogger.com (michelle v) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:17:00 +0000

I have yet to meet farmer Lee Jones or his wife Mary (though they did Facebook me!) or visit the Culinary Vegetable Institute - something we are incredibly fortunate to have in our area, so this just may be my opportunity. Our yours.

My friend Heidi Robb is hosting her first blogger giveaway - and what a giveaway it is! One lucky person will win two tickets (which go for $145 each) to the Institutes's benefit for their Veggie U program, a not-for-profit that's committed to fostering a synergy between educational, nutritional and agricultural goals to combat the rising epidemic of childhood obesity.

According to Heidi, the 2009 Food and Wine Celebration will be held this July 18th from 4-9 p.m. in Milan, Ohio on the beautiful grounds of The Culinary Vegetable Institute. There will be food from a multitude of top chefs from around the country, a Star Chef Cook-off with judging by our homegrown Michael Ruhlman and Fred Griffith, Alex Guarnaschelli, executive chef of New York's BUTTER, and more. Plus fine wines, music and merrymaking.

Be sure to visit her blog to learn how to enter. Be quick, you only have a few days. She also includes a recipe for Moxie's beet salad from chef Jonathan Bennett who will be participating in the event (I will most definitely try this - mmm, beets!).

blue point

noreply@blogger.com (michelle v) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 23:37:00 +0000

A couple years ago I wrote a post about Blue Point. In short, I discussed my fascination for this widely popular Warehouse restaurant. Specifically, trying to figure out what it was that people raved about. I've been there numerous times through the years and not once ever left impressed by the food. In fact, I referred to Blue Point as a glorified Red Lobster, which caused quite a stir.

I found myself there again this past weekend to celebrate my one brother's 40th birthday (his choice). Like I've shared before, I have a lot of siblings and they are genuine fans and regularly suggest BP. I was looking forward to the evening - even the dinner. It's been about two years since my last visit so I decided to go in with an open-mind.

We spent the first 30 minutes perusing the wine list - the very bulky and lengthy wine list. Now, I get that this may impress people, but I'm not one of them. I'd rather have a limited list with really good choices. I love my wine, but I don't like to spend a lot of time studying and wondering if I made the right decision. It also doesn't help when the server isn't too familiar with the list and can't confidently make a recommendation. In the end, we decided on Hess petite, which I think we enjoyed because it led to 6 more bottles.

For my appetizer, I chose the ahi tuna tartare over avocado mouse. As for dinner, nothing was really jumping out. I ended up picking the scallops and shrimp with garlic butter, vegetables and an upgrade to lobster mashed potatoes.

Let's start with the positive - I loved this appetizer. In fact, it was so good, that it made me excited for dinner. And to continue with the high notes, let me jump ahead to dessert. I passed on my own and instead opted to graze on Jamie's flourless chocolate torte, which was ridiculously good. So there you have it - if I would have come in for a glass of wine, this appetizer and this dessert, I would have left happy and reconsidered my previous comments. Actually, considering that was the highest dinner bill this group has had yet, part of me wishes that's exactly what we did! But that's not the case. I had dinner. We all had dinner.

From the second my plate was handed to me, I knew I wasn't going to like it. The shrimp appeared to have sat under the lamp one too many hours. And as for the overall presentation, it looked like someone walked through a buffet line at a wedding and just threw some stuff on a plate.

As for the taste, it wasn't much better. The scallops were so overly salted I left all but one bite on the plate. As for the garlic butter, there was no garlic, just butter - lots and lots of butter. And even more was hiding in the lobster mashed potatoes. Even the vegetables were still slightly raw.

Unfortunately, there was nothing good about this dish and left me wondering once again, what is it exactly that people like about this place so much (my sister agreed, who had the same dish, and Jamie's steak wasn't much better). In general, I think their food is over priced. But with that being said, I don't mind paying a higher price for something when I know I'm getting wonderful and knowledgeable service, the food is knock-your-socks-off good and the atmosphere is enjoyable. I just don't get that from Blue Point, and they have had plenty of opportunities to win me over through the years. So as much as I love my family, I think I'll have to pass the next time the group heads to Blue Point. I'd rather spend my money elsewhere.

But food aside, the evening itself at the restaurant was very memorable. In fact, the whole night was great. It was a 40th birthday that I know my brother would like to think he'll always remember, but unfortunately, he already can't recall half of the evening.

l'albatros (plus cooking demos)

noreply@blogger.com (michelle v) — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 01:07:00 +0000

To celebrate my birthday last weekend (if you've never met me, it was my 29th), Jamie took me to dinner at L'Albatros. He knows me so well - all I wanted was good wine and cheese to accompany it and he picked the perfect spot.

This was our third visit to the restaurant. On prior visits, we sat in the same room, the one that's to the right of the bar. This time we sat to the left of the bar in the cozy brick room with a fireplace and views of the patio.

We started off with a wonderful bottle of the Normon petite syrah, of which I think I enjoyed the majority. I passed on the cauliflower soup for fear of making the same mistake on previous visits (filling up on soup and not being able to fully enjoy anything else) and instead opted for the beat salad. I peaked at nearby diners' tables and they all seemed to be oohing and ahhing over the soup. Chef Bruell's creativity really shines, in my opinion, with soups. None the less I opted to pass on what I know would have been wonderfully tasty for something that was just okay (the beet salad actually only had a hint of beets). Regardless, it's not the salads that draw one into L'Albtros or keep bringing us back.

For dinner, I ordered the braised leg of lamb over pasta risotto and rosemary jus while Jamie once again chose the Saturday night special: beef bourguignon with pearl onions, mushrooms and burgandy reduction. Our server shared with us that this continues to be one of the most popular items and they sell out each Saturday by 8 p.m.

Wow. There really isn't a better way to describe our meals. Before we even took a bite, we knew we were in for a treat based on aromas alone. When you can smell your dish approaching, you know it's going to impress you. Jamie's dish was even better than we remembered from our first visit. And the lamb - that just might be the best lamb I've had out in a long time.

And to top it all off - and what made Jamie bring me here in the first place - five glorious cheeses handpicked from Brandon Chrostowski, manager/fromager. Honestly, I would love to share exactly what I had, but I was feeling too good from the wine to bother writing anything down, and the more and more I turn 29, the less and less I can remember. But it doesn't matter - just tell Brandon what you like and he'll happily set you up on a wonderful journey that will delight your palate.

It was a perfect evening and a delicious way to end an already good day that started off at the farmer's market at Shaker Square (purchases at Ohio Honey and Tea Hill Farms) and breakfast at Vine & Bean (more on that later).

___________________________________________________________________
Speaking of Zack Bruell, if you're a fan, you might be interested to know he's offering his version of cooking classes: Take 45 with Zack at Table 45.

The interactive cooking demonstrations and tastings will feature Bruell preparing his signature eclectic fare, providing techniques, tips and insight in Table 45’s state-of-the art open kitchen. Sessions will feature a different theme every month; the first is Tandoori oven cooking.

Take 45 will take place every other Tuesday at 6 p.m., beginning June 23, and accommodates up to eight participants. The demonstrations cost $55 per person, including chef-prepared cuisine. Optional wine pairings are available for $25 per person. Reservations are required. Call 216-707-4045.

food and wine

noreply@blogger.com (michelle v) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 23:43:00 +0000

A few things caught my eye in this month's Food & Wine. Up first - a small feature that highlights a variety of chef's kitchen essentials, including Michael Symon.

The issue overall focused on the best new chefs and some of their favorite recipes. Included in the lineup is Nate Appleman with a16 and SPQR, both in San Francisco. I recently ate at SPQR and was truly wowed with every bite of my meal. Very happy to see this talented - and Ohio native - chef included. For his recipe, he shared pinsimonio with tonnato sauce. In last month's issue, he had a recipe for smoky glazed asparagus. I made this the other week and was pleasantly surprised, especially since it calls for mayo - something I typically don't care for and avoid. I'll definitely make it again, but perhaps cut back on some of the salt.

One other recipe in the issue that caught my eye was a watermelon salad with feta and mint. I haven't tried this yet but am eager to. Mostly because it sounds like a simple salad I had at the Beach House in Kauai, though that one used Gorgonzola.