Restaurant Week is one of my favorite weeks of the year, glad there are usually 3-4 a year. The deal is that you get a three course meal for $33 a person. Some places take this as an opportunity to bring people in that maybe would not normally eat at the restaurant, others try to be cheap about it and offer mediocre choices. http://www.clevelandindependents.com/restaurant-week.php
Ok here is my run down.....
Most creative:
Paralax, Paladar, Edwins-
Paralax and the yummy options. First course has a choice of a salmon maki roll, grilled apple salad, or roasted butternut squash soup. Second course is where it gets creative. Choice of cider braised pork cheeks with horseradish potatoes and mustard greens or sauteed rainbow trout with ginger fried rice pickled cabbage and a chili-Carmel sauce or for the vegetarians miso glazed eggplant. All awesome choices for a meal, creative and well worth the cost of the dinner. The desserts sound good as well- ginger apple crisp, chocolate truffle torte or pumpkin creme brulee.
Paladar has an amazing Latin themed menu and some really cool choices to pique your taste buds. You can start you meal with a crab and heart of palm empanada, Mojo pork tostones, or a salad, The second course promises Coconut curry vegetables, Argentinian mixed grille, chimichurri portabello mixed grill or mojo marinated salmon. Each one sounds better than the next and all have the signature Latin flare. For dessert- pineapple rum upside down cake or churros.
Edwins- This is a unique restaurant and the concept and purpose behind it makes me want to eat there even more then this great menu. To start you can have soup, and herb salad or a pork terrine with cognac. The entrees feature a cornish hen with cilantro butter, portabello napoleon, or salmon with a white wine butter sauce. You almost never see Cornish hen on a menu. For dessert a creme brulee or a ginger vanilla soup with tropical fruit and jasmine sorbet. A great additions is that for $18 you can get a flight of wines to pair with the meal.
There are three restaurants totally worth it, even if the menu is not that creative. Oldies but goodies. Delmonicos, Blue Point and Salmon Daves.
Delmonico's- To start there is a choice of wedding soup or iceberg salad- classics but if done right they can be amazing. Entrees include a choice of Steak Christopher with tiger shrimp Bearnaise sauce and garlic mashers or chive crusted walley with sundried tomato and asparagus risotto, vegetables and a ginger pine nut butter sauce. or veal and shrimp piccata. For dessert the always elegant but delicious chocolate flourless cake and vanilla bean creme brulee.
The next, Blue Pointe Grill has always been a favorite of mine. The first course is either tomato bisque or an iceberg salad. The second course is a salmon with blue crab and lemon risotto or sauteed jumbo shrimp with Klondike rose potatoes or tornedos of beef with a root vegetable puree and garlic spinach. Each one is decedent but simple. desserts are the old standby- flourless torte and creme brulee.
Salmon Dave's may be one of the best values for your buck for restaurant week. You can start with house salad or lobster bisque. The entrees each sound delicious and luxurious. There is a choice of a pan seared salmon with lemon dill butter, lobster neuberg, or lobster chicken cavatappi. For dessert is the ever popular flourless chocolate torte or cheesecake.
Now the ones that are big old busts and I do not recommend:
Fire and Red are both charging $39 and the choices are not that great. Moxie is offering chicken and biscuits. Seriously, these restaurants need to step it up int he future.
