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Restaurant Review: One Red Door

CJ — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 14:35:00 +0000

Place: One Red Door

Location: 49 Village Way, Hudson, Ohio, 44236 Google Maps

Quick Blurb:

I first met One Red Door during the Taste of Hudson this past October; Macaroni & Cheese topped with Smoked Brisket. I thought the brisket was delicious (the mac & cheese wasn’t bad either). Regardless, it still has taken some time for me to make my way for a sit-down meal – I’m glad that I finally was able to.

Review:

Appearance:

You won’t have trouble finding the place – akin to its name, there is one, large red door for the entrance. Inside, brick walls, exposed beams with big bolts and nice hardwood floors outlined the place. A long, J-shaped bar is to your right with some booths and to your left is an elevated seating area. In front of you, some more tables and an open view of the kitchen. Small halogen lights provide ample lighting and promoted a modern, lounge-like atmosphere.

Staff:

We were greeted at the door by the hostess and seated promptly – after having the option of choosing which available table to sit. Our waiter was very friendly and upbeat, speaking clearly and giving us plenty of time to look through the menu. Finally, the waitress who seemed to take over (as our original waiter got a table of 8 to look after), was equally friendly, ensuring that we had everything we needed. I’d like to point out that at no time did we even think a different server was necessary, but they took it upon themselves to determine that we would be better served with someone else looking after us.

Meal:

Appetizer:

Their appetizers are tapas style. We chose to start off with a double order of the chicken wings (3 wings x 2):

Crispy confit of all natural chicken wings / smoked chili hot sauce / yogurt blue cheese / celery hearts

I’ll begin by saying that the wings were bare and that I have never had a plain chicken wing taste so good; crispy, juicy and fresh. The sauce was underneath the wings, spread across the plate; the yogurt blue cheese was drizzled within the chili sauce. There wasn’t a lot, so you had to work a bit in order to get some on the wing, but the smoked chili hot sauce was very delicious – just the right bite, a light smoky flavor and a hint of mustard. The blue cheese must have been overpowered by the chili sauce – even when I dipped the wing right in the blue cheese, most of what I tasted was the smoky chili sauce.

While tasty, as as a sauce lover, I’ll opt for something else as it is a bit of a fight to have some on the wing.

Entrée:

Chef’s burger / Ohio grass fed beef / crispy shallots / melted brie cheese / date, apple wood bacon aioli / house chips

I really enjoyed this burger. The meat was cooked perfectly; the bun was fresh and slightly toasted; the house chips light and crispy. I was enjoying just looking at everything. I saw the aioli, put some on the bun and took a bite…yum! The crispy shallots really added a good crunch and onion flavor, the brie was subtle yet noticeable, and the bacon bits in the aioli were just amazing.

Bite by bite, I savored the juicy burger and the combination of flavors; in-between I helped myself to the house chips. They didn’t bring ketchup out with the plate, but I didn’t need it – the aioli more than sufficed for both the burger and chips.

Desserts:

It was a late lunch and we had dinner plans with friends, so we opted out of having something sweet (a shock, I know, as my wife always has dessert).

Drinks:

Celebration for the holiday season, I went for a vodka martini despite it being 2pm. My wife had the infamous Great Lakes Christmas ale on draft – both excellent selections.

Prices:

The chicken wings were 3 for $4.50 and the hamburger was $10. Now-a-days, $10 burgers are not un-common, but you want to make sure you’re getting $10 worth – I’ll argue that you are here. I feel that the wings were slightly on the pricey side and, as mentioned before, while I enjoyed them, I’d prefer more sauce to pair with the wings – so I’ll pass next time.

Overall Experience:

Opened by the owners of Downtown 140, One Red Door had some clout coming in and I was especially excited to try it after the Taste of Hudson. For lunch, it didn’t disappoint. While the tapas appetizer menu is similar to Downtown 140, the regular menu items are unique when considering the other options at First and Main. Next door, they plan on opening up a burger joint, “Flip Side”. It still was under construction, but if their burgers are anywhere near as good as the one I had, it will be take some convincing to make the trek to The B-Spot.

I’ll see how One Red Door fares for dinner next time, but based upon the lunch, I recommend paying them a visit.

Restaurant Review: Hartville Café & Arabica Coffee House

CJ — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 20:34:00 +0000

Place: Hartville Café & Arabica Coffee House
Web-site: http://arabicahartvillecafe.com/
Location: 1273 W. Maple St. Hartville, Oh 44632 Google Maps

Quick Blurb:
My first visit to Hartville Café was a mixed bag. On one hand, I loved the idea of the place and they had an appetizing menu, but on the other, the food I chose just wasn’t anything special. I will say that when I’m in the area, I’ll be going back to try out some other items and definitely will have some dessert.

Review:

Appearance:
Walking from the parking lot I had the “what is this place?” thought going on in my head. There isn’t really much to the outside. But once you walk in, it instantly gives you a warm, cozy feeling. There are some knick-knacks scattered around that you can buy from the store while you weave your way to the main dining area, passing along the way the bakery with giant muffins, pastries and desserts.

We sat on the main floor and I noticed that upstairs is where the tea room is situated. I believe you can also rent out this area for banquets or parties. Fun, homey decorations hung on the walls and on stands throughout. A few of the people I was eating with thought the place was too cold but I had a sweater on with a shirt underneath, so I didn’t feel it. Now people do have different tolerances to the cold, but I thought I would mention it.

Staff:
Very down to earth staff. Everyone was friendly from the moment we walked in. However, the serving of the food was done without any synchronization. Salads were brought out together, but two soups arrived 5 minutes later and the last soup was an additional 5 minute wait. Then one wrap came, then two pizzas, then another 5 min break and three other wraps came out.

Meal:

Appetizer:
While we didn’t order any, the waitress did come out with a complimentary sample of their vanilla chai tea in an espresso cup. I thought this was a very nice touch to start off the meal and coincided well with the aura of the place.

Entrée:
I opted for one of their new pizzas that they were advertising heavily (no joke, I saw three flyers displaying their new pizzas). As some of you know, I’m a sucker for pizza; it’s so versatile and so easy to personalize. I looked through their menu and while some other items caught my eye, the Asian Chicken Wrap for example, it was ultimately always going to be impossible to distract me from ordering one of their pizza options: Vegetarian, Italian, and Margherita. I was rather hungry so I opted for the Italian since the pepperoni, cooked ham, and roasted peppers seemed more filling than pure veggies or cheese.

The pizza came with a salad and I ordered blue cheese dressing. Nothing out of the ordinary here; pretty much what you would expect a complimentary salad to be. The lettuce was fresh and the dressing rich and creamy. The tomatoes were good considering it is December and we have a foot of snow outside, so I enjoyed it.

In the mean time, I should note that three people ordered the Chicken Noodle soup and, while there was the issue of timing, two people commented that it was only luke-warm. Granted, they were the same people who were cold in general, so perhaps the soup cooled down just being around them – I can’t say for sure since I didn’t volunteer to taste test…

And now for the moment I had been waiting for, my pizza! Upon it being laid down in front of me, I started regretting my decision. It was a small, four-slice pizza, on what I determined to be flat bread as a crust, and the toppings didn’t go very close to the edge. Ok, I thought – here’s to hoping the ingredients and flavour really pop! I tried cutting the slices apart from one another and either a) my knife was too dull or b) the crust was really that hard, but after pressing down with the knife with so much force that I almost let my pizza fly off my plate once cutting all the way through, I decided that I would just use my hands to pull the pieces apart – quickly mind you, to avoid burning myself as, opposite the accusations of the chicken soup, the pizza was HOT!

Ok, patience, I get it. Finally, I picked up a piece and noticed it was very soggy – the cooked ham was the culprit here. Argh, ok, keep going, I’m hungry. Take a bite, chew, taste the sauce, the ham, the pepperoni, and the bell peppers. Hmm, well the sauce was ok, a little too acidic for me; the ham had a good flavour, but was too watery; pepperoni is a staple and tasted as you would expect; and finally, the chopped bell peppers were pretending to be the promised roasted peppers. So, as you can imagine, the super hard crust on the end, mixed with a watery center from the ham and no roasted peppers, I felt a little deceived. But, down the hatch it went.

Desserts:
Unfortunately, none – but from the look of the desert counter, I am sad that I ate lunch and didn’t just get dessert!

Drinks:
For the first time in a while, I opted for a “specialty drink” – their Pumpkin Chai. This was really, really good. Hot chai tea, with real pumpkin puree, whipped cream and cinnamon. Yum! Maybe that’s what I wasn’t cold? Others ordered water or soft drinks.

Price:
I didn’t pay as it was a business meeting, but $11.99 for a pizza that even a pizza lover thought, “eh”, is a bit steep. Yes, it did come with a salad, but it was just a side salad, nothing really to it. I don’t know how much the Pumpkin Chai was (no price listed on the menu), but it was delicious!

Overall:
While I was disappointed in the pizza, everyone else’s wraps / sandwiches looked good. Plus, the bakery section…let me just say that I’ve never seen muffins so big.

Note – As mentioned, I was on a business meeting and couldn’t take photos for the blog. When I go back, I’ll be sure to take some and share

Restaurant Review: Melt Bar & Grilled

CJ — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:34:00 +0000

Place: Melt Bar & Grilled
Web-site: http://www.meltbarandgrilled.com/
Location: 13463 Cedar Road Cleveland Heights, Ohio 44118 Google Maps

Quick Blurb:
Experiencing Melt’s sandwiches is something that everyone must do at some point (very much like Gasoline Alley). Unique, tasty and redefining the phrase “comfort food”, Melt serves up gigantic grilled cheese sandwiches stuffed with almost anything you can imagine (lasagna or perogies anyone?).

Review:
Appearance:
Arriving at their second, newer location in Cleveland Heights (aka East Side), we were met with 24/7 parking meters! Oh no! Luckily we scrounged up some coins, popped them in and off we went. Not much to look at as you walk to the entrance besides abandoned storefronts; it would be great if having Melt here attracts more business to the area.

Once inside, you can experience every holiday at once! Decorations for Halloween and Christmas look as if they hang year round – very fun. Lots of photos on the wall; I assume to fulfill your time waiting for a seat.

Not a great shot, but here’s a view of where we sat at the bar – you can see the holiday decorations in the background

Staff:
We arrived at 2pm on a Sunday and there was still a wait to be seated along with the phone ringing non-stop. The staff still took time and gave us “the time of day”, so to speak – I admire that. We chose to bypass the table wait and sit at the bar. Our waitress told us up front that it was going to be about a 35 min wait for food once we ordered – I like the honesty and straight forwardness.

Meal:
Appetizer:
Um, take a look at the size of the sandwiches and you’ll understand why we didn’t even consider ordering any appetizers.

Entrée:
I psyched myself up before coming by watching the Man vs. Food episode where he attempts the Melt Challenge – over 3 ½ pounds of cheese, plus fries and cole slaw…

I opted against insanity and chose the Big Popper instead. By now, some of you will know my love of ‘hot’ and I just couldn’t resist when the first ingredient listed is “fresh jalapeno peppers”. Keeping the jalapenos company: cheddar & herbed cream cheese, beer battered bread, and mixed berry preserves…Yum.

Imagine a pile of cole slaw hidden behind the Big Popper

When this was placed in front of me, I thought they might have somehow given me the Melt Challenge – not the case. My eyes couldn’t process what was in front of them, but I bravely moved forward and took the first of three pieces of Big Popper that lay in front of me.

The first bite definitely included a fresh jalapeno pepper; so far so good. The herbed cream cheese overpowered any cheddar that may have been included, but that doesn’t bother me. Then I start to appreciate the beer battered crust of the bread, which was sprinkled with some powdered sugar; it reminded me of a funnel cake from a county fair. Surprisingly, it worked. One piece down, two to go; I’ll skip ahead and let you know that I could only finish one other piece and took the last home with me (which I ate that evening after heating it up in the oven). The richness of the cheese and the thick beer battered bread slices were very filling.

After my second piece, I decided to engage the sides. Not being a cole slaw lover, I figured I might as well get that part out of the way. Crunchy cabbage, vinegary dressing, with a hint of sweetness – I’ll be the first to admit, I took more than one bite; that never happens. I didn’t finish it off, but I actually liked cole slaw that afternoon.

Onto the fries: no doubt about their freshness. These were homemade fries, nicely deep fried to a dark golden brown, salted well, and not greasy! They get a ‘thumbs up’ from me.

My wife opted for the Wake and Bacon. She prepped all day for this, starting by eating cereal instead of eggs and bacon that morning for breakfast; it paid off with her coming within a few bites of finishing it (albeit she only had two pieces to my three). She was raving about it throughout the meal and continued to on the ride home – so I can honestly say that she would recommend it.

One of the best ‘breakfast sandwiches’ you’ll taste!

Desserts:
The last piece of my sandwich later that day.

Drinks:
Melt has a great draft beer selection – I opted for the Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA.

Prices:
Most sandwiches were priced between $8 and $11. Beers about $4 average.

Overall Experience:
After hearing all the hype, I did enjoy my experience here at Melt. Would I get my sandwich again? Probably not; but only because there are many other masterpieces that I would like to try. Well, maybe also because I ate a lot of Big Popper! The servings are big and I saw people polishing off their plates (impressive).
We were lucky to find a seat at the bar and not have to wait 45 minutes for a table – this was Sunday at 2pm (as we have read in other reviews, the waiting time can be a little on the obnoxious side).
Ultimately, come with a big appetite and enjoy selecting your concoction from the menu, oh, and enjoy a beer while you wait!

Restaurant Review: Vaccaro’s Trattoria

CJ — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 10:00:00 +0000

Place: Vaccaro’s Trattoria
Web-site: www.vactrat.com/
Location: 1000 Ghent Road Akron, OH 44333 Google Maps

Quick Blurb:
Located in an obscured strip mall – off a road literally 5 yards before an on-ramp to a highway, Vaccaro’s offers traditional Italian food and a decent wine list. We were privileged to be invited to experience a, chef inspired, 6-course prix-fixe meal.

Review:
Appearance:
Vaccaro’s is hidden off the road in a strip mall that I honestly have never noticed before. A quaint outdoor sitting area greets you as you walk in, albeit it seems slightly forced as one overlooks the plaza parking lot, which in turn overlooks the highway on-ramp. Walking in, I noticed the white linen tables and the photos and art pieces hanging on the walls. Some music plays in the background; a charming atmosphere.

Staff:
From the moment we walked in, we were greeted with smiles. We were there with a dinner party of 13 and we had our table nicely situated towards the back of the room. Our waiter was very polite and did the small things very well: remembered your name, what drink/type of wine you were having, etc.

Meal:
As mentioned, we participated in a 6-course prix-fixe meal. Reservations were at 6pm and we waited a good 40 minutes for the first course to arrive. In the mean time, they served us some bread and olive oil for dipping, but didn’t provide us with plates. Apparently, the bringing the bread to the table was a mistake and they were out of bread plates. (I’m as confused as you are reading this). Oh well, onto the meal!

Soup and Sandwich, Smoked Tomato Bisque/Mini Grilled Cheese Panini

Vaccaro’s spin on the typical grilled cheese and tomato soup. The smoked tomato bisque was delicious. While slightly more dense that what I am used to (a bit sauce-ish), the smokiness and sweetness of the tomatoes really complimented each other well. I loved it.

As for the mini grilled cheese, well, there was nothing mini about it! This was a grilled cheese with a multitude of cheeses including mozzarella and goat cheese. Not that a large sandwich filled with cheese was enough, it was coated in panko breadcrumbs and then deep fried. Well, this sounds amazing, but for the first of six courses, a bit overwhelming. Unfortunately, my sandwich was mainly mozzarella and lacked the other flavours that others were talking about. I still ate it up as I’m a grilled cheese fan!

Baby Arugula/Fresh Citrus/Scamorza/Cirignolo Olives/Cinzano Vinaigrette

Following the soup, came the salad. You can play “look for the olives” all you want in the photo, but you won’t find any – they got lost with the bread plates I suppose!

If there wasn’t so much salt on the salad (yes, salt), I would have really enjoyed this. I enjoyed the bitterness of the lettuce and citrus fruits, offset slightly by the sweetness of the berries. But the salt – oh, I don’t know if the shaker must have had larger holes than normal, but it was very salty. Not everyone at the table complained about it, but there were others – so perhaps the salad was made in batches? I’d expect consistency of making a salad to be relatively easy.

Fried Green Tomato/Shrimp & Langostino

This was my second favourite dish – after the surprise main course. The tomato in the description was actually a squash – cucuzza to be exact. This had a very eggplant-esque look and taste to it. Filled with baby shrimp and langoustine in a mayonnaise sauce, I felt this was the most unique dish of the six – it reminded me of the Belgian dish, ‘Tomates Crevettes’. Although I really enjoyed this, I felt the shrimp and langoustine ‘filling’ felt a little flat – as if it were missing the final piece to really make this plate pop.

Local Heirloom Tomato Sauce/Fiochetti Pasta all Uovo Primavera

Coming to a ‘traditional Italian’ restaurant, I was hoping for a homemade pasta dish – this was going to be it! The presentation of a basic pasta and sauce dish was great; a nice touch. The heirloom tomato sauce was very nice – fresh, light, and full of flavor. The pasta, however, took the cooking style ‘al dente’ to the extreme. I really was hoping for pasta that I could tell was fresh and homemade. Instead, I got pasta that could have really used another minute or two of cooking to be a true al dente. All together, the dish was OK.

Surprise Main Course

Soup, salad, seafood, pasta, and now, the meat – a thick bone-in lamb tenderloin to be exact. Cooked to a perfect medium-rare, and topped with an apricot demi-glaze; I was left wanting more. The lamb didn’t have much of a gamey taste to it, so my wife who doesn’t go head over heels for lamb, enjoyed it very much. The mashed potatoes that accompanied it were seasoned well and helped soak up the juice and flavours of the dish. I very much enjoyed this course, and as I said just a moment before, I definitely wanted some more.

Housemade Ricotta with Lemon Mousse, Fresh Berry Compote – Toasted Savoiardi

The dessert was served in a small martini glass full of colour from the berries and aesthetically pleasing to the eye (apologies for the dark photo). Crumbled lady fingers topped it off. I didn’t taste the lemon mousse (I believe I heard the chef mention that it was a vanilla mousse mixed with ricotta); regardless, it was tasty, not heavy on the stomach (after 5 previous courses), and an excellent way to end the meal.

Drinks:
They have a great selection of wines from all over the world. I enjoyed two glasses of the Pinot Grigio, Ritratti, Trentino from Italy – very crisp, great bouquet, and a burst of flavour.

Prices:
Granted this was an organized meal, our prix-fixe was $40 a person, without drinks, tips or taxes. Typical entrees are in the $20’s.

Overall Experience:
I had big expectations coming into this dinner and they were partially met, in other words, some courses seemed to fall just short of being great. Had each course been as interesting as the lamb and cucuzza, I would have left with a more positive feeling about the place. That said, the ingredients were very fresh and other reviews that I’ve read online have been positive. Perhaps another visit is necessary; one where we order from the set menu.

Restaurant Review: Russo’s Kitchen

CJ — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 17:45:00 +0000

Place: Russo’s Kitchen

Website: www.russoskitchen.com

Location: 4895 State Road, Peninsula Google Maps

Quick Blurb: Russo’s is quickly becoming one of our favorite places to visit. Specializing in Italian-Creole “soul food,” Russo’s prides itself on its fresh seafood dishes and authentic flavors. Come with at least another person and share the appetizers!

Review:

Appearance: There isn’t much to the place. It’s located next to one of the multiple motels on State Road and inside it looks like an ordinary diner. Seating is made up of mainly booths, only a few tables (I’m a table fan), and a bar where you can sit and enjoy the cooking action – I really enjoy sitting here.

Staff: I’ve read some negative reviews about the staff and I’m not really sure what they are based upon. Each time we’ve visited Russo’s we have not had a reservation – and each time the staff was happy to find us a table or allow us to sit at the bar. Our waiters have been overly friendly, prompt service while also allowing you the time to enjoy your meals (they don’t bring out your main dish when you’re still enjoying your appetizer – this is one thing that really annoys me at most places).

Meal:

Appetizer: On our recent visit, we chose from their daily specials menu: Tempura fried local squash blossoms filled with chevre, ricotta, lemon zest, fresh herbs & pine nuts, served with lemon garlic butter sauce.

Dave’s famous Lafaytte skillet fondue with sweet corn, roasted red bell peppers & jumbo lump crabmeat served with French bread crostini.

Both of these dishes were amazing. The stuffed blossoms combined goat cheese tartness, citrus and creamy ricotta to provide a taste the reminded me of cheese croquettes back in Belgium. The lemon garlic sauce was runny, not creamy and paired nicely, albeit a little too salty for my liking.

The skillet fondue is something that I’ll be dreaming about for a few days: Rich and creamy sauce, big chunks of crabmeat, a great level of sweetness from both the peppers and corn. The combination was simply amazing. The crostini were drizzled in some olive oil, had a great crunch and were sliced nice and thin. We ran out of crostini – not a problem – our waitress gladly provided us with some more. I highly recommend this if you see it on the menu.

Entrée: My wife went for the chicken fried steak again. I have to admit, it is really, really good. If you’re a fan of chicken fried steak, get it here. I nicked a piece from her the first time we came and was impressed; it almost made me want to get it myself. The home-style (not perfectly whipped, had some chunks) mashed potatoes and gravy topped it off.

Who thought chicken fried steak could be so colourful?

I am glad that I ordered the soft-shell crab though. Oh my. Partnered with some fried green tomatoes and more jumbo lump crabmeat on the side made me more than happy with my choice. I was a little hesitant on the soft-shell crab – I thought it was a little too late in the season. But, our waitress assured me they were still good to eat and I can attest that she tells the truth! The tartness of the green tomatoes balanced the saltiness of the breading. Add in the sweet crabmeat and you have a nice triangle of flavors.

Presentation was very cool – the vegetable “hair” and sitting a top of a pedestal of fried green tomatoes

Desserts: We’re always too full to even entertain the idea – but I’m not a sweet tooth, so this is OK with me!

Drinks: They make some mean martinis – similar to Moe’s. They have a small draft beer selection, but you have some great beers to choose from.

Prices: Both times, it cost us over $100 for the two of us. This included two martinis and two beers, two appetizers and two entrees. Some may think that it is a bit much, and I appreciate that, but in my opinion, you are definitely getting your money’s worth.

Overall Experience: Two wonderful visits here and I’m positive there are more to come. The only complaint so far is that one dish’s sauce was a little too salty, but then again, I’m not a salt fan. Everything else has exceeded our expectations that were falsely made by reading negative reviews online; which are precisely why I started reviewing restaurants myself. I highly recommend trying Russo’s – and when you do, get a dish that has the Louisiana Crawfish sauce – as the expression says, “It’s to die for.”

Restaurant Review: Michael Symon’s B-Spot

CJ — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 12:00:00 +0000

Place: Michael Symon’s B-Spot
Web-site: http://www.bspotburgers.com/
Location: 28699 Chagrin Boulevard – Woodmere, OH 44122 Google Maps

Quick Blurb:
Having now experienced my second Michael Symon restaurant, I can say that I’m becoming a big fan of his cooking. Indoor and outdoor seating, simple menu, great draft beer selection and phenomenal burgers is what the B-Spot is all about. Seriously, the hamburgers are the best I’ve had in the area – cooked to perfection, full of distinct flavours, and oh, so juicy!

Review:

Appearance:
I didn’t know where this place was, so I was a little shocked that it was relatively close to where I live – I was expecting another downtown Cleveland drive. Immediately I noticed the outdoor seating. I love being able to enjoy the weather (see my review on The Galaxy). I only spent a few moments inside asking for a table, so I don’t know a lot about how it is in there. But, outside was great – colourful flowers everywhere, umbrellas to keep the sun off of you and attentive servers that don’t leave you hanging. Plus, you can “people watch” the shoppers that walk by.

Staff:
Everyone we talked to was very friendly – what more could you ask for? Our waitress was helpful in letting us know how “the system” operated (no appetizers , pickle bar, etc), and laughed along with us as my friend ordered the double-decker (yeah, exactly).

Meal:

Appetizer:
None here – they’re considered sides. I’ll review them with the full meal below.

Entrée:
I had the Red Hot burger – piled high with pulled pork, pickled tomato, hot peppers, pepperjack cheese and finished with a sriracha mayo. Yum! I asked for it medium rare and it was perfectly cooked – this is definitely a place that I trust the quality of the meat. I liked having the pepperjack cheese in place of traditional cheddar, and I was a fan of the pickled tomatoes. I may be living on another level of hot than most, because the hot peppers weren’t hot enough for me – I like a good bite. Anyway, it didn’t bother me; it just didn’t meet my expectations of the hotness. The sriracha mayo was something new to me and I enjoyed it a lot. I am a Sriracha fan to begin with; I’m not sure why I never thought about mixing it with mayo to use as a spread, but this is one idea I took back home.

Would you just look at that? You can see the pork, hot peppers, pickled tomatoes and of course, the burger!

Overall, my experience with the Red Hot burger was one that raised and set the bar in terms of burger quality in the area. I am a big fan of the Mo-Betta burger at Moe’s , but the Red Hot has too many unique things to it that really makes it stand alone.

My wife got the Thin Lizzy, my friend the Doubler and his wife the Lola burger. Everyone fell in love with their specific burger. My persistence paid off as my wife allowed me to steal a bite of her Thin Lizzy – nothing too fancy, but the carmelized onions were de-li-cious! As for The Doubler, I think that after just looking at it, I became instantly full – that’s how big it is. Kudoo’s to my friend who finished it, but I would rather go for a single patty with multiple toppings! (I’m all about variety of flavours!) Finally, the Lola burger – this just looked amazing. And if it wasn’t for my natural tendency of ordering anything that says “Hot”, I would have chosen the Lola immediately (fried egg, bacon, pickled red onions, cheddar and mayo). I am a big fan of breakfast and this is breakfast on a burger – what a solid idea. It also brought back some memories of living in Australia where I first had a fried egg on a burger. I thought it was an awesome idea back then and still do now! More than likely, the Lola burger will be my choice when I go back – oh, and I am definitely going back!

Sorry for the blurriness – but you can see how nicely the cheddar cheese is melted and the caramelized onions hanging off to the left

We did order some Lola fries (which are amazing and reminded us of our dinner at Lola’s). They’re thin cut and seasoned with rosemary and sea salt. Yum! And, after reading a review that showed the Parmesan Fondue, I just had to order it. This was something I hadn’t had before and I really enjoyed the variation. The chips were not as crispy as I would have liked, but I think that’s a personal preference…as when I said that, my wife said “oh really? I like the not so crispy ones”. Oh well, there were plenty of chips to share with four people and the fondue was very good – nicely melted and so different from the ranch / nacho cheese dip that we are all used to seeing. A fun twist!

Also to note - there is a pickle bar inside where you can load up on more pickled vegetables. I didn’t go inside to try it out, but my friend’s wife did and she liked it. Finally, they serve you 6 different types of “sauces” to add onto your burger if you so wish. I very much enjoyed the Lola Ketchup – give it a go!

Desserts:None – but the shakes kind of count!

Drinks:
A wonderful draft beer selection – I ordered the Rogue Somer Orange Honey Ale (Wheat Ale). I never had it before and my friend and I had just finished brewing our own Orange Blossom Honey Ale. Well, it didn’t taste anything like our concoction (not a bad thing!) but it was very refreshing with a hint of citrus and very light to drink. It paired very well with the Red Hot.

Price:
Burgers are about $10, sides range from $3 – $7 beers and shakes $5 – Not bad at all considering the quality of food your are getting.

Overall:
I now finally appreciate all the hype surrounding The B-Spot. This is yet another place that I regret not having visited earlier. That said, I’ll be back this summer – to enjoy the amazing Lola Burger and the outdoors…also to try out the other sides. I highly recommend paying a visit – it wasn’t crowded at all on a Sunday afternoon, but I do hear it gets quite busy at night time and they have a First Come – First Served policy. Have fun!

Restaurant Review: Old Carolina BBQ Company

CJ — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 21:11:00 +0000

Place: Old Carolina BBQ Company

Web-site: http://www.oldcarolina.com

Location: 620 Ridgewood Crossing Drive, Fairlawn, OH 44333 Google Maps

Quick Blurb:

Not too many places in Ohio serve BBQ reminiscent of the south. In fact, I don’t think there is another place quite like Old Carolina in Northeast Ohio. Come for their deliciously smoked meat and true vinegar BBQ sauces.

This location is latest of three in the area – you can find the others in Massillon and Canton.

Review:

Appearance:

Located in a strip mall immediately off of the highway, the restaurant is just another building with a sign out front. Upon walking in, you notice it is very clean and has a simple layout, with a semi-diner style. There’s a counter where you order your food and then they’ll come deliver it to you. There is an area where you can get your fountain drinks and the array of BBQ sauces. It’s very much like Fuddruckers.

Staff:

I can’t talk up the staff enough – they were overly friendly, patient with us first-timers and always had a smile. They delivered our food and cleaned up after us. We even ended up staying and chit chatting with our friends past the time they closed and they never said anything that would lead us to believe that we had to get going. I finally noticed that no one else was coming in and then realized it was past closing time. They just smiled at us and said, “Hope to see you guys again!” I wish a few more restaurants could have workers this friendly.

Meal:

Appetizer:
None

Entrée:

I went for The Outlaw – with the choice of three meats from: pulled pork, beef brisket, smoked turkey, 4 ribs, 1?4 chicken or 3 tenders. I chose the pork, ribs and tenders. It included two sides and I chose: Mac N Cheese and Fries

What a meal. The ribs were smoked beautifully – prior to eating with a sauce, I tried some of the meat ‘au natural’. The meat fell right off the bone – literally, and had a great crispy crust on the top with a smoky flavour that didn’t overwhelm. Then came the pulled pork – lovely strings of juicy pork and, again with a great smoky flavour. Finally, the tenders – they look so simple and like every other tender you get in restaurants, but once I took a bite, I noticed the quality difference in the chicken. The breading had some good seasoning and was nice and crispy, locking in all the juiciness of the chicken. I could have each of these plain – but I had to dig into the sauces:

Original Classic (sweet)
Piedmont #5 (tangy)
Original Gold (golden bbq)
Screamin’ Beaver (tastefully hot)

All vinegar based, my favourites are the Screamin’ Beaver and the Original Classic. Others at the table were totally sold on the Original Gold. This doesn’t mean that the Piedmont #5 was bad – it too had its uniqueness. I think these are four very different sauces and you will find the one that suits you – have fun figuring it out!

My dish came with two sides – I opted for the fries and the Four Cheese Mac N Cheese. I wasn’t really impressed with the sides: the fries were OK, but you could tell they were frozen; the Mac N Cheese, even though gloating four cheeses in its name, didn’t even taste like there was any cheese in it. Luckily, the meat was so much that I didn’t need to eat the sides to feel satisfied.

Desserts:
None

Drinks:
The sweet tea was delicious!

Prices:
$31 for two people. Very affordable.

Overall Experience:
I would find myself coming back here for a BBQ fix, but I wouldn’t get the meals that come with the sides, not worth it. The BBQ smoked meat is really, really good; moist and flavourful even without sauces. The people are extremely polite and the prices are reasonable. I don’t know why there were a lot of negative reviews online about this place, unless the restaurant has changed its cooking methods since then. Some people complained about the meat being too dry – not the case. Others complained that the sauce was an extra charge – again, not the case. I say go there and see for yourself and let me know you thoughts!

Restaurant Review: The Stew Pot

CJ — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 13:24:00 +0000

Place: The Stew Pot

Web-site: http://www.thestewpotkitchen.com/ (not yet working at the time of this review)

Location: 30 North High Street, Akron, OH 44316 Google Maps

Quick Blurb: The Stew Pot is, at the time of this review, a new restaurant that just had its Grand Opening. Choose from homemade soups, burgers or beer cooked hot dogs. The friendly, family atmosphere paired with really good, honest and affordable food, will make this a popular stop.

Review:

Appearance:Located in an old office building, there isn’t much to the outside. When you walk in, the paint color creates a welcoming, warm feeling. There are some tables to your left and the counter directly in front of you, with the old-style soup pots to the side – very cool, although hidden behind some see through shelves. I’d like to see the pots as if on display – it’s a soup place, show off the soup! Everything screams family restaurant, which is something I haven’t found around the area yet – I like it!

I think that as time goes by, they may redesign the layout inside to be more accommodating when ordering and sitting. It just seemed a little cramped when ordering, and there were only three tables to sit at, albeit they were tables for four people. I think multiple, smaller, two person tables would be better. It didn’t bother me as it wasn’t crowded, but having only three tables to sit at will become a problem once the word gets around about how good the soups are!

Staff:The lady that served us at the cashier was welcoming, and the gentleman (who I believe is the owner and chef) was very friendly. He takes great pride in his food – in fact the Beer Cheese soup that I ordered had some chunks of cheese in it that hadn’t melted completely. I wasn’t bothered by it and actually liked it a little, but it wasn’t how he wanted it to be served, so they gave me a complimentary to-go cup. Very nice touch – thank you!

Meal:

Appetizer:None

Entree:I ordered a 16oz cup of the Beer Cheese soup (yes, soup on a hot summer’s day – and it was great!) and two of their Smoked Chicken Cheddar crescent rolls. Add on a can of soda and my total came to less than $5!

The Beer Cheese soup was so full of flavour. The sharp cheddar cheese (and perhaps another?) paired with the yeast/fermented taste of the beer reminded me of a cheese fondue. So good! I had a piece of a baguette on the side, but as I ordered two crescent rolls, I didn’t eat it.

The crescent rolls were really good! A good piece of smoked chicken with what tasted like Cajun spices and cheddar cheese wrapped up in pastry. The only thing I’d recommend changing was the presentation – they were served in a Tupper ware container that you opened and served yourself. It slightly turned me off and cramped up the ordering area as well. But ultimately, they were delicious!

Now onto my friend’s chili dog – holy cow! Now this is one massive hot dog that we cut in half and shared. All beef and cooked in beer. Served with a bunch of sausage chili on top made it quite the site to be seen. I’m personally not a hot dog man, so although it looked great and had some good flavours, I wouldn’t order one. But that’s simply based on my general feeling for hot dogs – which is why I didn’t get one myself. For hot dog lovers out there, give it a go and let me know what you think!

Desserts:None

Drinks:Soda was $0.75 for a can and water $0.50 for a bottle – cheap.

Prices:Very affordable. My total meal was under $5 – a bargain for fresh, homemade food. You can’t even get a Subway foot-long and a drink for that price.

Overall Experience:Situated on a one-way street made it a little difficult to figure out where to park and how to get there. Maybe it’s my lack of knowledge of downtown Akron and I hope that it doesn’t discourage people from coming because I really enjoyed my first time here. I’ll admit that I went in slightly biased towards wanting to like the place. But, my review is ultimately how I see it. The soup I had was very good and I will be going back to try their other styles. I overheard how he uses roast beef from the deli to make his Kansas City Steak soup – it almost made me order a cup right then and there, if I hadn’t been so full from the food already.

It’s a very satisfying place to go to and I can’t wait to warm up in the winter here. I’m sure as people start flocking, they’ll find a way to have more seating and an easier ordering area. But then again, maybe most of their customers are the To-Go type.

Good luck to The Stew Pot and check them out on Facebook!

Restaurant Review: The Galaxy

CJ — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 23:40:00 +0000

Place: The Galaxy

Web-site: http://www.galaxyrestaurant.com/

Location: 201 Park Center Drive, Wadsworth, Ohio Google Maps

Quick Blurb:For the handful of ‘relaxing on a patio’ months that we have here in Northeast Ohio, you should make your way down to the Galaxy. Drink, eat, and be merry in the sun or shade – just the fact that there is large outdoor eating area should keep you coming back here. The honest sandwiches, decent draft beers and occasional live music are bonuses.

Review:

Appearance: From the outside, it doesn’t look like much. Situated off the highway next to the Radison hotel, gives me the impression of a cheapish restaurant with its sole purpose of feeding the guests at the hotel that doesn’t have its own restaurant. The outside entrance, while kept up, looks a little dated. Inside, I got even a little more confused with the entrance looking like a little hotel-esque. Once inside the main bar/dining area, my eyes took a while to adjust as it was so dark! But, given the right time of day, I think I would really enjoy an atmosphere like this – it was relaxing.

But we kept pressing through to the patio area. We were a little early and it was a Monday, so the bar pavilions weren’t up and running (totally understandable) – but they looked like a lot of fun. The rock wall with a waterfall was very pleasant (see photo 1) and the various canopies (see photo 2) really made you feel like you were not in NEO. Although it is near the highway, and we were the only ones outside, the noise of the cars was minimal and not annoying at all.

I’ve noticed on their website that there are a few sections to this place – a Dining Room, a Wine Room and the Sports Bar. I would assume we walked through the sports bar towards the patio.

Here are a few photos of the patio:

Staff:The staff was very nice. We were greeted with a smile and seated promptly. Our waitress, also friendly, did an excellent job in timing of when to come see us and when to leave us alone. What more could you really ask? If only high-end places were like this all the time…

Meal:

Appetizer: We started off with an order of the potato skins and the spinach and artichoke dip. YUM! Now, don’t expect the potato skins to look like a perfect potato – that’s because they make these from scratch, as in they were not previously frozen. They were baked to a delicious crunch, not deep fried like you would get at some restaurants serving frozen skins.

The spinach and artichoke dip was different than what I’ve had before – a good different. It seemed to have some Boursin cheese included – most likely was some herbs they added, but it was great, unexpected and somewhat set a new level of spinach-artichoke dip! Haha! It came served in a bread bowl, which was a fun touch and included four ‘slices’ of thin, crunchy flat bread – another differentiating trait. But, this time I wasn’t as excited. It wasn’t bad, but it would break apart in the dip and just frustrate me as I try to get out the piece left behind! There came the point where we had to break apart the bowl to finish off the dip – I liked that part! The bread was very nice – a solid sourdough (one of my favourites). Overall the appetizers were a hit.

Entree: I ordered the Italian Sub – I’m very much a cold-cut guy and here is the description:

Hot Italian Sub Layers of salami, capicola and hamtopped with provolone cheese, lettuce,tomato, shaved onions, pepperoncinis withour Italian dressing on atoasted hoagie.

Notice the first word? “Layers” – that just got my attention and I couldn’t get away from it. I did mistaken the combination of the words “Hot” and “Pepperoncinis” to imply it would have a good bite to it, but the pepperoncinis were actually mild and the sandwich was hot as in temperature. Not burning, but warm. I still very much enjoyed it – the meat was good quality, the cheese nicely melted and the Italian dressing wasn’t over powering the flavours of the ingredients.

My wife had the Caprese Panini – just as you could imagine, it was Mozzarella (and it was the kind that comes in a ball that they slice by hand), tomatoes, basil, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. She enjoyed it and I had a chance to have the last bite since she was full. I very much liked the ingredients, but wasn’t overly impressed with the bread – it crumbled too easily and didn’t have much flavor.

Our friend ordered the buffalo chicken wrap – and it looked just as you would think, but with a nice touch (at least I thought so). The wrap was a tomato wrap – red in colour. I think this was a nice, fun touch, and one that I have never seen before. Although offered, I didn’t take a bite so I’m going with his word that he “like it a lot”.

Desserts: No Dessert…

Drinks: An above average draft selection, but with above average prices. Stick to the monthly specials and you’ll be fine ($2 Coors Draft). But when I’m sitting out on a patio in the heat of summer, any cold beer is delicious, so I’m not really bothered by this.

Prices: Besides the beer being slightly above average, everything else was fairly normal, and when you think about the actual quality of the ham, salami and capicola that was in the sandwich I had, then I would say I came out on top.

Overall Experience:

Overall, I want to go back to the Galaxy and enjoy the outdoors. Sure, I have a patio at home, but it’s always more fun with people around and someone serving you a drink instead of having to get up and get one. Plus, I don’t have a waterfall at home. I’m also very keen on trying out their Wine Room – their website mentions that they do flights…that’s always a good time.

I recommend going to the Galaxy and just having fun outside this summer. There aren’t too many places with an outdoor area quite like this.

Restaurant Review: Gasoline Alley

CJ — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 19:55:00 +0000

Place: Gasoline Alley

Web site: Not Available (Facebook Page)

Location: 870 North Cleveland Massillon Road, Akron Google Map

Quick Blurb:

I think, no, I know that everyone needs to try a sandwich from here. We had been meaning to try Gasoline Alley for some since we heard so much talk about their sandwiches I don’t know why we waited so long, but I’m glad it finally is over. The menu is extensive and I cant wait to work my way through it. Delicious!

Review:

Appearance:

The outside doesn’t look like much and the parking lot is a bit of a free-for-all, but once you’re inside, you feel better. I think every inch of the wall is covered in some sort of memorabilia and/or decorations even the ceiling has old-school bicycles hanging from it. A mix of tables and high-tops, seating is limited and it is slightly cramped, but it never bothered my claustrophobic side (that said, I’ve been told since that we were very lucky to not have to wait 30-plus minutes).

Staff:

Down to earth, helpful, attentive and smiling. Service was prompted even though we sat down at the only free table in the place.

Meal:

Appetizer:

We went for the fried zucchini and onion rings. I’ll give the onion rings a thumbs up, but the zucchini was just OK, if that. I liked that they sliced the zucchini long-ways instead of small circles, but that’s about it. The breading fell off quickly and there wasn’t much flavor in the breading nor in the ranch dipping sauce.

Entre:

I went for a sandwich with: a breast of chicken, fried mortadella, and a giant slice of Havarti cheese. Sounds fairly simple, but oh my gosh was it ever delicious. The saltiness of the fried mortadella along with the buttery, creamy, and deliciously melted Havarti cheese topped the juicy, grilled chicken breast, which had no fat at all (don’t you want to eat that right now?). I was cautious about the chicken as usually there is always a piece of fat somewhere when you go to some restaurants. Not the case here. I added a little Frank’s Red Hot sauce for a kick and I was on cloud nine.

My wife ordered the tenderloin sandwich which, naturally came with beef tenderloin (cooked to her desire mind you), lettuce and tomato. She too made a point to compliment the quality of the meat.

We ordered a side of fries to munch on as our eyes were hungry when we arrived and, for some reason, a sandwich doesn’t mentally fill me up. But, I would like to point out that the sizes are perfect. They aren’t obnoxiously large, but they don’t leave you going home for something to snack on. I think they’ve got this down. Oh, and the fries, freshly cut and not laden in oil I had to stop myself from eating the whole basket.

Desserts:

Passed on desserts, although we did notice people ordering desserts to go. They had a display of their cakes and pies when you walked in I think a tasting is in the cards next time we go.

Drinks:

A great selection of draft beer (lots of craft choices). The bar looked fully stocked, but it is definitely a beer type of place.

Prices:

Sandwiches run you about $8-11 and the pizzas aren’t much more than a Donatos.

Overall Experience:

I’m going to have a hard time going back. It’s going to be impossible deciding what to order next time! Reviews that I have read mention the pizzas as being amazing and, well, I’m a pizza guy. But, that chicken sandwich was just so good. And then I wonder what all the other combinations are like. I think this may be a multi-visit place until I try out everything!

Restaurant Review: The Saffron Patch

CJ — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 16:40:00 +0000

Place: The Saffron Patch

Web site: www.thesaffronpatch.com

Location: 1244 Weathervane Lane, Akron Google Maps

Quick Blurb:

Fresh ingredients, pleasant staff and stiff drinks keep us coming back! The Saffron Patch is one of the better Indian restaurants I’ve been to and so far the best in Akron.

Review:

Appearance:

Located in “The Valley,” the restaurant has a charming outer appearance. It feels as if you were walking into someone’s house for dinner.

Inside, you have a bar to your left with some small tables for two, and then on the right you have the main dining area. The tables are a little too close together in some places, but otherwise the dim lighting and good background music give a great ambiance.

Staff:

We’ve never had a problem any time we’ve been here. Once, they had three dinner parties of 10-plus people. Needless to say, service was slower, but they apologized continuously and knowing how they usually are very prompt, I didn’t mind at all. They are more than willing to make recommendations in terms of both dishes and ‘hotness’.

Meal:

We tend to stick to the same Indian dishes – what can I say? We have our favorites!

Appetizer:

We go for the vegetable pakroas and samosas. Both are delicious and nicely spiced. While they are both fried, they never come out dripping in oil. We usually ask for additional ‘dipping’ sauce – the flavors are hard to describe – they’re simply yum! Give them a try and you won’t be disappointed.

Entree:

While it’s not on the menu, we go for the shrimp tikka masala. The shrimp are extremely fresh, and this is one of the main reasons I like The Saffron Patch – in a lot of restaurants the shrimp can have an ammonia taste to them – I cannot stand this. This isn’t the case here. They are cooked perfectly and the tikka masala sauce is delicious – creamy with flavors of cumin and ginger. I can’t get enough of this dish. Pair it with their rice and you’ll be set.

We also go for the okra – bhindi masala. Okra is a vegetable that you don’t see often on a restaurant’s menu, which is one of the main reasons we get it. Cooked with the “chef’s special spices,” the okra holds its own, I say rice is optional. Oh, and don’t worry about it being overcooked and mushy like any member of the squash family can get sometimes -it still has substance to it.

Our final selection is the baingan bhartha – sauteed eggplant that has a distinct smokey flavor from fire roasting. In another restaurant, they call it the “smokey eggplant.” Again, the spice combination is incredible and I enjoy pairing it with some rice as we do with the tikka masala.

Don’t forget ordering some naan – the garlic is pheonomenal, but then again I’m a huge garlic fan. Oh, just don’t plan on kissing anyone afterward.

Desserts:

We pass on dessert as we always order too much. One great thing about the food is that it heats up great! People at work may look at you strange, but who cares? Your lunch is a million times better than their PB&J.

Drinks:

They make some great drinks. I shy away from my usual martini and go for a gin and tonic and switch to singah during the meal. My wife usually gets their drink special of the day, which never disappoints her. It usually includes passion fruit and/or limoncello – how could you go wrong?

Prices:

Their main dishes run from $12-20 – not cheap, but not crazy either. Personally, I think it’s well worth it. We get a variety of dishes and have a lunch or two with the leftovers.

Overall Experience:

I hear of other Indian restaurants opening up, but I’m hesitant in trying them. I have been to others in the area and none match this place. Make reservations so you’re assured of a seat and if you’re not sure what to order, the servers are more than happy to suggest something. One thing that I would like to note – go for dinner. I wasn’t impressed with their lunch buffet. Sure, you can sample a variety of simple dishes, but there wasn’t anything that excited me.

Restaurant review: The Wine Bar @ Solaire

CJ — Sun, 23 May 2010 18:53:00 +0000

Place: The Wine Bar @ Solaire
Web-site: Unavailable
Location: 111 First Street, Hudson, Ohio 44236 Google Maps

Quick Blurb:
Great ambiance, delicious food and a selection of wine that will introduce you to a new favorite. A very relaxed atmosphere with friendly staff and great background music.

Review:

Appearance:
The Wine Bar is located above Solaire’s Spa in the First & Main shopping center of Hudson. I remember the first time going, we were so confused as to how to enter that we almost turned around. Then, we saw what looked like a maintenance door on the side of the building that had a small sign saying the Wine Bar was through there.

After walking up a flight of stairs, you enter and are immediately relaxed. Dim lighting, low volume music in the background, gentle conversation and an intimate layout around a foyer that looks down into the spa.

Staff:
Always greeted with a smile and the “Please choose any table you like” – very relaxing. We’ve always struck up a conversation with the waiter/ess since Day 1. They are rather knowledgeable about the wines on their list and will gladly recommend one to you if you’re out to try something new.

Meal:

Appetizer:
Like most restaurants, they start off with some bread at the table. The bread has a great crust to it (I’m big on bread crust and have never mentioned it before because it’s rare that you get good bread nowadays in restaurants).

Along with the bread, you get a plate with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, a few olives (with seeds, watch out!), some sliced salami and a couple pieces of cheese – yum!

We always go for the bruschetta – my wife believes it’s the best she’s ever had, and I’m not arguing – it is phenomenal. Fresh basil, sweet tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella shaved on top, a little spice from the garlic, and finally drizzled with olive oil and sweet balsamic vinegar. I know, sounds like basic ingredients to bruschetta, but for some reason, this tastes so much better than anywhere else we’ve had it.

Entrée:
It had been some time since we were last here and they changed their menu slightly; they now have some dishes on their appetizer list that could easily pass for a main course. My wife chose the scallops from the list and I took the lamb sliders.

Her scallops were cooked with truffle oil – yum! They came with a fresh vegetable medley (I really don’t like the ‘vegetable medley’ phrase, but for lack of a better way to describe it, I’ll use it). A little caviar in the corner was an interesting touch – one that she politely passed on to me. Which I gladly accepted and I enjoyed scooping a bit on the chips I had from my plate. They came with the bottle of truffle oil to the table and left it there in case she wanted to have some more – she didn’t, but it was a nice, unexpected touch.

The lamb sliders were fun; three mini burgers basically. The lamb meat was good – juicy and with that slight gamey flavor. It was served with a side of mustard mayonnaise that I spread on the top; it could have had a bit more mustard flavor for me – a little too ‘mayonnaisey.’ The homemade chips were great, but a few were cooked too long and had that burned taste. The pickles that were served on the side were actually cornichons – I eat them at home and in Belgium they are popular, but I hadn’t seen them served in restaurants in the U.S. before. A nice touch. Oh, and finally I’ll give another shout-out to the tomatoes that night – made me feel like I just plucked them from my own garden.

That said, I don’t know if I’d get the sliders again – they were good, don’t get me wrong, but they were rather basic. Not much seasoning to the meat and the mayonnaise was too plain as well for me. I found myself checking out the scallops with truffle oil.

To give you an idea of what else is on the menu (since you can’t view online), there is a Chilean Sea Bass, Osso Bucco, and a Bone-in steak. Each sound delicious to me!

Desserts:
Mrs. Chocoholic got the lava cake, which she loves, but it didn’t look anything out of the ordinary to me, with the exception of the freshly baked chocolate chip cookies it came with on the side.

Our waitress asked if we liked sorbet, and I said “Yes!” – she said they had freshly made sorbet of a variety of fruits in the back – so I said surprise me. I was given a half of a small pineapple, hollowed out, frozen and filled with the pineapple sorbet. A little cheesy on the presentation, but it still was cool. And, the sorbet was delicious – I wish I could have that every hot summer day.

Drinks:
Wine all around!

We started off trying a Greek wine that is relatively inexpensive:

2007 Boutari Moschofilero
Friends of ours recommended it as they had it while over in Greece. Very light and fruity, not very complex at all – you can understand why it would be great in the sun of Greece.

I moved onto 2008 Layer Cake Shiraz from Australia as I thought it to be appropriate with lamb sliders. My go-to shiraz is Penfold’s Koonunga Hill – it’s $9.99 a bottle and I use it as a comparison – Layer Cake is much more intense. Deep, deep red color, slightly heavy feel, but it bursts with flavors of cherries and plums and, believe it or not, for the first time ever, I could identify the ‘chocolate’ taste that people often mention in their reviews. Appropriate with the name I suppose!

Prices:
The wines aren’t cheap, cheapest glass being around $7 but quickly climb. I believe my shiraz was $15 (Do keep in mind that they pour heavy).

The appetizers and our main dishes were very reasonable. The lamb sliders were $12 and the same with the scallops. Contrast that with the Osso Bucco at $40.

Overall Experience:
I really do enjoy going to Solaire. While the prices are on the high side for the wine, they do pour you a big glass and will top it off sometimes. They also will give you a small glass to sip on while they chill your wine. It’s little things like these that keep us coming back. We also enjoy small conversations with our waiter/ess – they are friendly people here.

I’ve read some reviews that have complained about the types of people coming in – wearing shorts, etc. I don’t know why you have to be dressed up in a suit and tie to enjoy a glass of wine and some lamb sliders. What I do enjoy about Solaire is that you have a mix of people coming in. There was an older couple dressed up nicely, we were in jeans and then at the bar itself, there was indeed a couple in casual clothes – so what? It’s a very relaxed place and that’s what we love about it.

Restaurant Review: Julian’s

CJ — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 00:01:00 +0000

Place: Julian’s
Web-site: Not available
Location: 314 Pioneer Street, Akron

Quick Blurb: Clam chowder and bread pudding – be sure to visit on a Friday so you can have the opportunity of tasting this excellent combination. This hole-in-the-wall restaurant is as down to earth as you can get. If you live in the area, you’ve got to give Julian’s a try.

Review:

Appearance: As I said – a hole in the wall. Upon entering, it’s a small restaurant with booths on either side and then tables down the middle. My guess would be about 6 or 7 booths on each side – to give you an idea of depth. The kitchen is then located in the back and that’s all there is to it.

Staff: Each and every time we’ve been, I have never had a complaint about the staff. The waitresses are so friendly and pleasant to speak with. Even on our first trip we struck up a conversation and had a joke or two go back and forth.

Meal:

Entrée: We’ve been there only on Friday’s as that is the day we go out to lunch from work. We noticed early on that clam chowder was on their specialty menu – clam chowder it is. Believe me, there is a tin of clams in each bowl of chowder you order. It isn’t a couple of clams masked by loads of potato. Rather the opposite. With a nice side of oyster crackers and some Louisiana hot sauce to sprinkle on, there isn’t much more satisfaction you can get from a meal ($4). Oh and it does fill you up. I am very hesitant in order clam chowder anywhere, but the fact that it is homemade, right there by the chef, I took the chance and have never gone wrong. It is delicious!

Desserts: If you do make it over to Julian’s, please, do me a favor and order the bread pudding. If you get nothing to eat, just order the bread pudding. Another homemade masterpiece – I don’t think I’ve had bread pudding as good as this anywhere. The beauty of it all, the inclusion of rum makes a nice Friday lunch treat before returning to work.

Drinks: I’ve only ever had the soft drinks. I tended to stay away from water because it had a bit of a taste to it, and I’m picky about tap water – I don’t want it to taste like anything.

Prices: Chowder, bread pudding and a soda was $10 with a tip included. You can’t beat that really. A quality, homemade meal for under $10 with tip. It’s a steal!

Overall Experience: I have had some other items on the menu before venturing into the chowder and they were good. Not great, nothing spectacular, but good. That said, I haven’t had anything else but the clam chowder since ordering it the first time.

The staff is great. As I said, friendly, polite, a sense of humor and down to earth. It’s fun to go to Julian’s – you get a solid meal for a great price and you feel welcomed. Places like this are hard to come by nowadays. Go on a Friday and give the chowder and bread pudding combo a try!

Restaurant Review: Lola

CJ — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 06:36:04 +0000

Place: Lola

Web-site: http://www.lolabistro.com/

Location: 2058 East 4th Street, Cleveland Google Maps

Quick Blurb:

One of the best restaurants I have been too. It was exciting to see a menu with dishes that you don’t typically find in Ohio. Great atmosphere and excellent service. The only thing keeping me from going again and again is the price. Don’t get me wrong though, it’s worth it!

Review:

Appearance: While located on East 4th, it is more of a side street. No cars can drive through the area and there are a few other restaurants around. Nothing stands out too much from the outside, but once in, the decor is wonderful: Dim lighting, nice long bar to the side, tables situated on two levels and a lower level “party room” and restroom area.

Staff: We were greeted promptly and politely at the door. We knew we were early for our 8:15 p.m. reservations (we arrived at 7:45) and were prepared to have a drink at the bar in the mean time. Instead, they had our table ready and we were seated promptly.

Our server was polite, patient and willing to help out in any way. Being our first time in the restaurant, he provided us with the recommendations of the masses and then also his own. We started off with a drink and were never pressed to make decisions. We felt comfortable taking our time and this is something I value when dining out.

Meal:

Appetizer: My wife went for the popular beef cheek perogies, with wild mushrooms and horseradish creme fraiche. I did manage a taste and, while not being a perogie fan (of the actual outside dough), they were delicious. The beef cheek was tender and tasty. I never had horseradish creme fraiche, but I would like to see more of it.

I went for the crispy veal sweetbreads, with fresh chickpeas, pearl onions, bacon and capers. I haven’t seen sweetbreads on the menu in Ohio and was excited to have them. I had never seen a fresh chickpea before and was shocked to see it was green and had a nutty flavor – very different than the canned chickpeas you are used to – SO much better! The apple wood bacon was in pieces and cooked well and the addition of capers just topped off the meal for me. I am quite the fan of capers! I would have a hard time not ordering this again the next time we go, if they have it on the menu still. The night we arrived it was brand new to the menu.

Entree: My wife got the scallops with butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, blood orange, bacon and cilantro. Perfectly seared on both sides, the scallops were sweet and tasty! The dish looked beautiful with the orange of the butternut squash, the green of the sprouts and the red blood oranges. The combination of ingredients was full of flavor but also light on the stomach. My wife was a big fan of the scallops and said she’d be hard pressed to order them somewhere else and enjoy them as much!

I went for the rib eye with smoked blue cheese and wild mushrooms. This was one of the most flavorful steaks I’ve had. The mushrooms were extremely good and complimented the hearty steak nicely. The blue cheese was a little too subtle and I didn’t taste much of it – but when I did, I enjoyed it a lot.

Desserts: My wife went with the “mint chocolate chip” peppermint fudge cake, chocolate chip mousse, and spearmint syrup. The taste of peppermint and spearmint was a welcomed change from the typical minty flavor you get everywhere. The fudge and mousse were rich, but not overbearing.

I went with the mango parfait: mango, lime, cashew, cilantro and Paulina’s banana bread. What an intense dish. The mango was ripe and sweet. The banana bread consisted of slices of banana with caramelized brown sugar on top – similar to a creme brulee. Talk about being unique.

Drinks: Martini served perfectly – straight up with a twist.

We each had a glass of the Ben Glaetzer shiraz – lighter body than other shiraz’s we’ve had, but just as intense with flavors of cherry and pepper. Mighty tasty.

I had a second with the steak and my wife went with the Sancerre. You don’t see Sancerre’s on the menu often. She typically goes with Sauvingon Blanc, but I steered her toward the Sancerre. She was very happy with the choice. Light and fruity, but not sweet. It had an aroma that would keep you just smelling over and over again.

The coffee was nice. I take mine black and it wasn’t very strong, but not watery either – a nice mix.

Prices: It isn’t cheap. The rib eye was the most expensive at $35. Everything else seemed reasonable for the quality. There aren’t many places you can get a combination of ingredients like these. I love how different it was. The dishes stood out on the menu and on the plate. That’s worth the extra cost to me.

Overall Experience: A terrific restaurant that I think everyone should try at some point. As I just said, the unique combination of ingredients makes it a fun meal. One thing that I would like to point out when going out for two people – there are a few tables that are situated rather close to one another. We were lucky and had our own table next to a wall. I do not like being seated at a two-person table with another couple within two feet of us. I don’t know how we lucked out, but we did and it made a difference – we felt isolated even though we were in the middle of a restaurant.

You’ve got to give this a go if you’re a fan of eating great food!

Restaurant Review: Big City Chophouse

CJ — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 21:15:06 +0000

Place: Big City Chophouse
Website: http://www.bigcitychophouse.com/
Location: 45 E. Market Street Akron

Quick Blurb:

A typical good, solid steakhouse. The meat was of great quality, steaks were cooked to perfection and the drinks were well made. Unfortunately, nothing was out of the ordinary – the result left the experience a little plain.

Review:

Appearance: Sitting next to Crave, the exterior wasn’t anything spectacular. Upon entering, the atmosphere also was lacking a little something. The bar was immediately in front of you, in it’s own room and the rest of the restaurant to your right. Mixture of booths and tables lined the rows. There was a lack of dimension to the place.

Staff: No one actually greeted me. The host/ess stand was empty. I stood around looking from bar to restaurant until the people I was meeting called my name and ushered me to the table.

Our waitress was very nice, but a little too robotic. Perhaps it was because she was training someone new and wanted to do everything by the book. Just came off a little too intense, but friendly all the same.

Meal:

Appetizer: We held back on ordering an appetizer – it was a work function and we were somewhat limited for time. We did get salads and I got the traditional Caesar salad, which I might add had a great dressing. The croutons were cheap though, had a stale taste to them, as if the bag they came had been opened for a while. Not much flavor on them.

Entrée: I got the blue cheese encrusted filet of sirloin with a starch or vegetable.

Again with the options of a starch and vegetable. You ask what they are and they rattle off a bunch of possible combination. Yikes – I chose the red skinned smashed potatoes.

The meat was cooked to perfection! I haven’t had a steak this good since Mitchell’s Steakhouse in Columbus. You may know, I enjoy my meat rare and this piece was perfectly seared on both sides, warm all the way through. Excellent! I like the crust of blue cheese on top as well, usually it’s just crumbled on top, not ‘baked.’ A nice way to differentiate.

The potatoes were exactly as they said, Red Skinned Smashed. Nothing too fancy really and they gave you a lot of them! It looked as if I didn’t even touch them when they took my plate away.

Desserts: They came out with the dessert plate, which is a great sales tactic. Once you see how delicious everything looks, how can you say no? The decision was to choose one to split; I let the ladies choose the peanut butter pie. If you’re a fan of this, you’d like it. I’m not so much a fan of the pb pie, but from what I tasted and heard, I’ll give it credit.

Drinks: Contrary to Cilantro, the martini I ordered was perfect. Straight up with a twist. Delicious. I asked for a glass of their Shiraz and it was really nice. I didn’t see the name, so I can’t say for sure what it was, but it was very good for being by the glass.

Prices: Work dinner, so I got off easy on this one. But the prices were very reasonable. My 8 oz. filet of sirloin was $21.95, and a 10 oz. filet mignon was only $29.99. The meat was great quality, so these prices are very competitive.

Overall Experience: Ultimately, it’s your typical steakhouse, not too much in terms of style, but the food is solid and the prices of the steak are very reasonable for the quality of the meat. Unfortunately, the service wasn’t anything outstanding and there was no one even to greet me as I walked in. As I said in the beginning, it was a little plain.