Downtown Cleveland Restaurant Week

One of my favorite weeks of the year.  I know I am late in reviewing and it is already Wednesday but...my top picks and low picks for the best menus.

My love of restaurant week is not just for the value, but for seeing something different then the restaurant usually has and enjoying a meal that leaves me wanting to come back and pay full price.  Places like Lola, Mallorca and Cowell and Hubbard have been favorites of mine in the past and make me want to find a reason to go there other than restaurant week.  I have been to all of them for just special occasions since my restaurant week experience. 

I have to start by saying it was hard to pick the top menus because so many restaurants had interesting items that made it well worth the value and purpose of restaurant week.  This time the restaurants I picked are all places I have never been for dinner.

Luca Italian Cuisine- located on the via duct (already making it more promising because parking is easier to find) first course is a soup or salad-sort of boring but the rest of the meal sounds AMAZING.  Choice of Vitello Tortellini, Pappardelli Bolognese, Filetto di Manzo, and Fieletto di Salmone.  The salmon is wrapped in prosciutto with a creamy cognac sauce, the pappardelli has ground beef, duck and wild boar.  Definitely interesting items that I am excited to try.  For dessert- Tiramisu or decadent chocolate mouse- this may sound boring but an amazing tiramisu can make any dinner better.  (Yes I am a little biased, many make tiramisu very few have perfected it) 

Hodges- First course choice of Chicken Liven Toast, Canadian Mussels, Caesar Salad or Creamy beer and Tillamook soup- this is a great first course!  Second course- braised beef cheeks, Salmon or fried chicken thighs.  While salmon and fried chicken are not that exciting...you rarely see braised beef cheeks-thanks for going outside of the box Chef Hodson.  Dessert- banana cream pie or chocolate bread pudding- ok this is sort of boring but the rest of the meal sounds amazing that I can let it go this time. 

Ken Stewarts- First course has 8 different choices- the interesting ones: truffle fries, house made ricotta or calamari.  Definitely not your typical soup or salad.  Second course- five choices and the most interesting: wagyu and wild board meatloaf with sweet potato risotto and a roast tomato and soy BBQ sauce or scallops with sweet potato puree Brussels sprouts, crisp gaufrettes and pomegranate molasses.  Each one different and with some personality.  dessert- peanut butter bomb or chocolate tiramisu- why do the restaurants always wuss out on dessert. 

Zocalo- Ok I have heard Zocalo's food has not been up to par lately.  I have never eaten dinner there only went for drinks so I cannot comment on that, but the menu sounds fun.  First course offers bacon wrapped scallops seared in orange glaze with a citrus habanero salsa or baked chili oysters on the half shell.  I do not even like oysters but I want to try it out.  Second course- there are 5 choices but the most interesting:  Zocalo Paella- shrimp, scallops, chicken, oysters, rajas, and chicken stock served over saffron rice.  Mexican Lasagna with chorizo and rajas.  For dessert- lime sorbet or cinnamon tamale soppapillas. 

Ok now for the ones that just really put in no effort at all:

San Souci- Salad, Pasta, dessert- really why bother participating if it is going to be that simple
Tomo Hibachi-you are offering dinner for 2 for $30 but- Edamame and Gyoza, Chicken Hibachi or Sushi, and Cheesecake or Chocolate cake- zero creativity although a good value for 2 people. 

Slight disappointment- Chinato and Cowell and Hubbard- usually Zach Bruell does something really interesting not on his normal menu for restaurant week- while the choice constitutes a good value I just feel like they are not being as creative as normal.  Also disappointing in Lola.  Again great value for the meal but not interesting.  Once of my first times at Lola was for a restaurant week and there was beef heart on the menu.  That to me is fun and interesting and the purpose of restaurant week. 
Maybe for another restaurant week or Cleveland Independents or Zach Bruell restaurant week the menus will be more exciting.  Wow...we have a lot of restaurant weeks in Cleveland- we are a town that loves great food!

Jack Flaps Yum!

While parking in Ohio stinks...the food at Jack Flaps is worth it...as long as you like sweet.  First of all these were some of the best pancakes I have ever had, crispy and fluffy at the same time, great flavor even without the toppings.  Now when we get to the toppings- everything is sweet.  My friend had just plan jack flaps and it comes with a side of cinnamon syrup- that is delicious and special butter which neither of us tried.  I had the lemon curd pancakes.  They were topped with lemon curd, berries and had graham crackers.  They were delicious and I could not even fully finish them.  We both ordered the cola braised bacon which was delicious and salty but also sweet.  The happy hour...1-3 when all the jack flaps are $5.  AWESOME!!!!

Onto the other items, many people ordered a side of eggs with their pancakes and waffles and they looked good.  They have things other than just pancakes including waffles, eggy bread (French toast), a few others and sides that include root vegetable hash, bacon, eggs, yogurt.  I really wanted to cola braised bacon or I would have gone with one of the non-sweet items on the menu- a homage to another one of his restaurants- the Happy Jack.  A waffle topped with garlicky greens, everything cream cheese and an all beef hotdog.  It is a waffle with three of my favorite ingredients from Happy Dog...add some Momocho habanero sauce and I would have been all over it. 

The scene is fun and their is no alcohol so it is definitely a eat before your drink or next morning hangover place.  That being said, there were families there were small children and you could definitely order items and share- the servings are big enough.  I would love to go back again and try a waffle or maybe even the crab benedict and root vegetable hash...but alas that is for another day.

Press Wine Bar

Ok...so I have not blogged in a  while.  The cold kept me from going out to enjoy the great food of the city.  But finally I have broken out and ventured into the cold wintery mix of Cleveland.  So Press Wine Bar, great location, great décor and I have been there before for brunch and the amazing Bloody Mary's.  But this time it was a catch up session with an old friend over drinks and food for happy hour.

To begin with they have many reasonably priced wines- under $9 a glass- and they have about 8-9 wines available during happy hour for just $5.  This is better than most places that have one house red and one house white for happy hour.  The cool thing about their choices, you have some.  As for the food, to begin with everything is fresh and of good quality.  There are only a few items for the $5 happy hour price, but they are a good bargain.  On the $5 menu is their shrimp deviled eggs- which I did not have this time but have had before and they are amazing, mussels, two pizzas and the risotto balls. 

My dining companion and I opted for a chicken flat bread pizza, risotto balls, and a salad.  The flat bread pizza was great, crisp crust, good amount of toppings, great flavor.  The risotto balls were crispy with a chunk of fresh mozzarella inside.  They were topped with tomatoes and balsamic.  It could have used a little bit more salt, but otherwise they were perfect.  My dinner companion also ordered a salad that looked great.  It had arugula and a poached pear that was perfect. 

I would definitely go back.  On a Monday night they had a decent crowd, never too busy, but constant.,  The bar tender was awesome.  We were sitting there for over 4 hours catching up and he never made us feel rushed or like we needed to leave because we were not drinking anymore.  If you like brunch I recommend their brunch to anyone.  It was great when I went with some friends.  Reasonably priced and delicious as well!~