three in one

So this week's blog has 3 parts all in one.  Great dinner, great festival, and upcoming deals.

1. Great Dinner
     I have spent time at Clifton Martini and Wine Bar for parties and just drinks, but Friday night I decided to go for dinner.  The outside was packed and since I was dining alone I chose to sit at the bar.  Sadly the inside was pretty much empty (hoping this blog brings some recognition to the greatness of this place).  I sat down and immediately noticed Absolut Tea vodka and had a drink with the vodka and lemonade.  If you like iced tea and have never had this new vodka...give it a try.  So now for dinner selections of the night.  I wanted something I could not get at home.  I was torn between the beef carpaccio and the ahi tuna.  I chose the ahi tuna and it was amazing.  The description on the menu is perfect "Sesame Crusted, Kimchee Slaw, Wasabi, & Pickled Ginger, Prepared Medium Rare".  The tuna was succulent and perfectly seasoned.  The kimchi slaw was very unexpected but a great balance to the tuna.  The plate was balanced, quality high, and taste out of this world.  As a protein portion, it was great.  I could have ordered one of the amazing salads but I chose the fried mozzarella.  It sounds like a strange combination...but hey it was what I wanted on Friday night. The fried mozzarella was also amazing.  It was fresh mozzarella lightly breaded in a light tomato sauce with fresh basil chopped on the top of it.  The taste was fresh, the medallions were perfectly melty and for being fried cheese it was not heavy or greasy at all.  While the meal was great, it was definitely above my frugally classy budget for dinner.  However, it was a treat for a long week and so perfectly acceptable to pay $20 for dinner.  :-).  On the plus side, from 4-6pm you can order any of the pizza's on the menu for $6 and $3 off martinis.  The person next to me had ordered a pizza and it was huge.  Definitely a 2 night meal or a great item to split with a date. 

2.  Great festival
   Sunday I went to the Slavic Festival in Youngstown.  It was a $3 entry fee and that included a chance at a raffle prize and great entertainment.  The food however was absolutely amazing.  Most of it was made by Slavic churches and the food was great and cheap!  I was able to purchase a pita with cevapaci, onions, and a tomato eggplant sauce.  The cost was only $6 and the sandwich was a great size.  The next item I tried was from one of churches.  It was a $2 bread pastry with meat and onions inside.  IT was called a pirohi, not to be confused with a perogie.  The smells were great and I wanted to eat more.  The Haluski, keilbasa, cabbage, cabbage rolls all looked amazing, but I was stuffed.  The festival also offered ethnic beers, slivo, and kolachi.  Great event and I cannot wait until next year and eating even more food!

3.  Shhhh....a secret sale for all those foodies out there.  June 20th check out Cleveland Independents for greatly discounted gift certificates!

Looking for more great festivals to try and food from everywhere.  I may blog about the great stuff from Fresh Fork CSA I pick up and how I prepare the food one week. 

Affordable in Little Italy

On Wednesday the Italian American Women's Network of Cleveland met for its monthly meeting and dinner at Trattoria in Little Italy.  Not only was the company and conversation enjoyable...so was the food!  Trattoria is a great place in Little Italy to have dinner not only for its fantastic outdoor patio but also because it has its own free parking lot.  Even better is the food and how affordable it is. 

Usually when I go I get the gnocchi with tomato butter sauce.  It is amazing and fresh and creamy.  But on this nice start of summer evening I wanted something a bit lighter.  I started with a salad with oil and balsamic vinegar.  The olive oil was a beautiful shade of green and delicious.  They also serve fresh bread with tomatoes for the table.  The tomatoes were seasoned with fresh garlic and basil.  I could have been happy eating just the bread and tomatoes all night.  But...decided that something for dinner would be a better idea.  I chose the pizza.  For $8.50 it was a thin crust pizza with pesto, shrimp, eggplant, roasted red peppers and cheese.  There was plenty for me to take half home, but it was so good I just had to finish it.  The pizza had a nice balance of toppings, cheese and bright flavors.  One of my dining companions had an interesting pizza as well.  She chose one with smoked salmon, olives and feta.  It was amazing.  It was not salty as you might expect.  The flavors melded together perfectly. 

Most of the restaurants in Little Italy can be pricey with dinners starting at $15 per plate, but at Trattoria most meals are under $15 per person and all are filling, delectable, fresh and authentic.  This place definitely fits the frugally classy profile of good food at an even better price!