I friended Lion on Lorain, a biker bar in West Park, a few months back just for fun. Every time they post food it looks amazing and it sounds even better. This place boasts itself as a biker bar but it is so much more than that. The food and drinks are unique twists on some classics. The food and drinks are cheap but well worth it. This bar is not your typical bar food.
The drink menu is great for flavored vodka lover's such as myself. I cannot say much about the beer menu because I am not much of a beer drinker, although they do have Christmas Ale!!!!!!!! I had one drink from the menu and the other two the friendly bar tender just created for me based on what I liked. All three had cherry vodka (my fav!) and a different blend of juices. The drinks were only $3.25 each, a great deal for a hard liquor drink.
The menu has amazingly creative items. It is divided into groups of appetizers, sandwiches, and burgers. Myself and my dining companion enjoyed the sandwich section....$8 per sandwich with choice of tator tots or jojo's. I had The Ex. It was a toasted crunchy baguette with a jalapeno bacon jam, lettuce, tomato, delicious lightly fried chicken breast, cheese and a very good creamy sauce. I opted for the sweet potato tots and they were crunchy and perfect. The sandwich was so big I could only eat half of it. It was the first sandwich I had in a long time that was a perfect proportion of bread to filling to vegetables to sauce. Everything melded together perfectly with a great flavor and a spicy kick! I of course had to add some hot sauce just because. My companion indulged in the "Fresh Prince". A mix of a philly steak and a roast beef au jus. The sandwich looked amazing and I should have asked for a bite. There was perfectly sliced beef, onion, mushrooms, jalapenos, cheese wiz, and it was falling apart with each bite.
While this food was great it completely fit in with my frugality. $8 for a sandwich good enough for 2 days is a great deal in my book! I cannot wait to go back again. There are no plain burgers on the menu. All of them have unique toppings. I was looking at the California burger, topped with onions, avocado and a verde sauce. The other menu item that just makes my mouth water is the mac and cheese. This is not normal mac and cheese....this includes a variety of toppings that you can choose for the mac and cheese. The only thing better than pasta and cheese is a dish that includes bacon, pulled pork, or taco beef along with a mixture of jalapenos and other veggies.
I would definitely go back again. The staff was very nice, the chef came out to talk to us about the food and the place. It was warm and inviting. This place is amazing, cheap, and the best bar food I have had in a long time! They do have specials each night including taco's on Tuesday, Pizza on Wednesday, Burgers on Friday, and a steak dinner on Sunday's. When I say special, I mean something new different and not on the menu. I cannot say enough about this place and look forward to reporting on the burgers and the mac and cheese from personal experience.
Friday, March 23, 2012
Downtown Restaurant Week 2012- XO
This is a short post. One reason is that I was slightly disappointed with my dinner from Downtown Cleveland Restaurant week. For years I heard great things about XO and I have always wanted to try it. Their menu for restaurant week sounded amazing so I really wanted to try the food.
I started my meal with the mini short rib wellington with a wild mushroom risotto. The short rib wellington was literally amuse bouche size, not appetizer size. The risotto was ok, but not great. For the entree I ordered the twin fillet with sauteed spinach and potato cake. The fillet was cooked ok but it was not the quality I expected from XO. The spinach was flavorless. The meal was ok, ut just not great. Dessert was the warm berry compote. That was the first thing I ate all night that was really good. It was buttery and fruity.
I would not return to XO based on this experience.
The good news is that Cleveland Independents is going to have a Restaurant week starting April 2nd~ Who wants to take me to dinner for my birthday?
I started my meal with the mini short rib wellington with a wild mushroom risotto. The short rib wellington was literally amuse bouche size, not appetizer size. The risotto was ok, but not great. For the entree I ordered the twin fillet with sauteed spinach and potato cake. The fillet was cooked ok but it was not the quality I expected from XO. The spinach was flavorless. The meal was ok, ut just not great. Dessert was the warm berry compote. That was the first thing I ate all night that was really good. It was buttery and fruity.
I would not return to XO based on this experience.
The good news is that Cleveland Independents is going to have a Restaurant week starting April 2nd~ Who wants to take me to dinner for my birthday?
Monday, February 27, 2012
Tales from another city
This post is the same as any frugal post...focusing on good food at an even better price. However, this post is about a restaurant experience from my visit to Tallahassee last weekend. This restaurant is cool, fun, and different from anywhere I have ever been before.
Chris took me to Circa Sushi for lunch on Saturday. This restaurant serves Thai and Japanese food, but that is not the cool part. The frugal part of this restaurant was the lunch deal of all you can eat sushi, salad, soup and a drink for....$12!!!!!!! Yes that is $12. That will normally just cover 2 rolls but this was all you could eat. So the deal was amazing. The cool part though was the conveyor belt that brought out the sushi. Yes this place had a conveyor belt. The sushi chef would make the sushi and then put it on the belt and you could just pick up whatever you wanted as it passed by your table. The restaurant was not very busy when we were there so the only sushi they made for the belt was common (Philadelphia roll, spicy tune, California roll, shrimp roll). The chef did offer to make us any sushi on the men, but we were pretty full from what we had already eaten. The sushi was simple but very fresh and well prepared. The pickled ginger was spicy and sweet and the wasabi was HOT! The salad with the ginger dressing was fresh and cold, however the miso soup was tasteless and cold.
As far as deals go, this was a great deal with really good sushi for a nice Saturday afternoon lunch. The addition of a conveyor belt going past your table was just interesting. Plus I got to enjoy some time with my favorite dining companion. So if you are ever in Tallahassee, try Circa it is a cool experience.
We were going to try "Mo Bettas". A unique little BBQ/Smoker set-up in a parking lot of a gas station. Yes...BBQ and a smoker in a gas station parking lot. It smells amazing everytime we would drive by it. But the weekend got away from us and we never had a chance to stop by and try a pulled pork or beef brisket sandwich. Maybe on the next visit we will stop by and I can add it to the blog!
The next blog will be about my experience at Downtown Cleveland Restaurant week. Right now I am thinking XO, Prime Rib, or Johnny's Downtown.
Chris took me to Circa Sushi for lunch on Saturday. This restaurant serves Thai and Japanese food, but that is not the cool part. The frugal part of this restaurant was the lunch deal of all you can eat sushi, salad, soup and a drink for....$12!!!!!!! Yes that is $12. That will normally just cover 2 rolls but this was all you could eat. So the deal was amazing. The cool part though was the conveyor belt that brought out the sushi. Yes this place had a conveyor belt. The sushi chef would make the sushi and then put it on the belt and you could just pick up whatever you wanted as it passed by your table. The restaurant was not very busy when we were there so the only sushi they made for the belt was common (Philadelphia roll, spicy tune, California roll, shrimp roll). The chef did offer to make us any sushi on the men, but we were pretty full from what we had already eaten. The sushi was simple but very fresh and well prepared. The pickled ginger was spicy and sweet and the wasabi was HOT! The salad with the ginger dressing was fresh and cold, however the miso soup was tasteless and cold.
As far as deals go, this was a great deal with really good sushi for a nice Saturday afternoon lunch. The addition of a conveyor belt going past your table was just interesting. Plus I got to enjoy some time with my favorite dining companion. So if you are ever in Tallahassee, try Circa it is a cool experience.
We were going to try "Mo Bettas". A unique little BBQ/Smoker set-up in a parking lot of a gas station. Yes...BBQ and a smoker in a gas station parking lot. It smells amazing everytime we would drive by it. But the weekend got away from us and we never had a chance to stop by and try a pulled pork or beef brisket sandwich. Maybe on the next visit we will stop by and I can add it to the blog!
The next blog will be about my experience at Downtown Cleveland Restaurant week. Right now I am thinking XO, Prime Rib, or Johnny's Downtown.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Best Valentine's Ever
The restaurant in tonight's blog is an old favorite that I have written about in the past and I promote to all who will listen....Pier W. Everything on the bar menu is half off, martinis and wine are discounted as well. I promise that this is not a repeat of the past as there was one reason for a trip to Pier W tonight...the Chocolate Bar! Not only is Pier W amazing for Restaurant Week and Happy Hour, but also for Valentine's Day. If you do not have plans for Valentine's Day then make plans right now for Tuesday night to go to Pier W for Happy Hour and...the Chocolate Bar!!!!!!!!!!
So in true frugally classy fashion let's start with the great deal. The half price happy hour is amazing as always. My dining companion, her beautiful 1.5 year old and I started our meal with fresh bread that they provided for the toddler's enjoyment. We ordered the pizza and short rib pierogies for our "meal". (we felt as though we should have some sort of real food and not just chocolate for dinner, that would be a bad example for the child with us). The total cost of these bar bites for happy hour was $4.5 and $4 respectively. The pizza was a great thin crust, fresh tomatoes, fresh basil and mozzarella cheese. Each bite was fresh and a perfect meld of flavors. The short rib pierogies were stuffed with this amazing braised short rib meat with a thick caramelized onion jus. It tasted like the beefiest, meatiest, heartiest flavor you could imagine. It was Sunday roast beef. We used some of the bread to sop up the juice. My martini was originally $9 but only $5.75 for happy hour and my companion's wine was 20% off.
After dinner...we had the delectible chocolate bar. The deal is one trip for $8 and unlimited trips for $12. We tried almost one of everything and some were favorites, but all were great. The favorites were the red wine truffle and the twist on a buckeye. The red wine truffle was this thin dark chocolate shell with a sweet but dry red win inside. It just melted as you bit into the juicy piece. The buckeye cup was a beautiful light peanut butter mouse in a thin chocolate cup. The other pyramids that we enjoyed were filled with cheesecake that melted, cherry chocolate cordial with the light creme, and a white chocolate macadamia nut pyramid. We tried only one round truffle that was a soft ganache of espresso flavored chocolate dusted with chocolate. There were two types of chocolate that were 2 biters. The first was a coconut macaroon covered in chocolate with toasted chocolate on top. The second was the amazing buttery shortbread topped with the silkiest creamiest carmel and covered in chocolate. It was not milk chocolate but not a super dark chocolate either. They also had several types of cake. We tried the chocolate cake like brownie topped with homemade marshmallow. There were also several types of bark. We tried the bark with peppermint. To be honest, we could not tell exactly what was under the peppermint bark. It was a layer of chocolate and then a layer of toffee flavored graham cracker consistency crust. The round out the night....there was a chocolate fondue fountain with strawberries, pineapple, cookies, pretzel rods, and all kinds of other things that could be dipped. We stayed away from that as it was too ordinary for the other things that were on the table.
I have been on a low sugar diet, but broke all rules to be able to enjoy this amazing buffet of chocolate. To make things even better it was well worth the $8 price for a trip and an even better deal for a $12 plate with unlimited trips. Anyone looking for a Valentine's date idea at the last minute should stop by Pier W tomorrow, it is the last day for the chocolate bar.
So in true frugally classy fashion let's start with the great deal. The half price happy hour is amazing as always. My dining companion, her beautiful 1.5 year old and I started our meal with fresh bread that they provided for the toddler's enjoyment. We ordered the pizza and short rib pierogies for our "meal". (we felt as though we should have some sort of real food and not just chocolate for dinner, that would be a bad example for the child with us). The total cost of these bar bites for happy hour was $4.5 and $4 respectively. The pizza was a great thin crust, fresh tomatoes, fresh basil and mozzarella cheese. Each bite was fresh and a perfect meld of flavors. The short rib pierogies were stuffed with this amazing braised short rib meat with a thick caramelized onion jus. It tasted like the beefiest, meatiest, heartiest flavor you could imagine. It was Sunday roast beef. We used some of the bread to sop up the juice. My martini was originally $9 but only $5.75 for happy hour and my companion's wine was 20% off.
After dinner...we had the delectible chocolate bar. The deal is one trip for $8 and unlimited trips for $12. We tried almost one of everything and some were favorites, but all were great. The favorites were the red wine truffle and the twist on a buckeye. The red wine truffle was this thin dark chocolate shell with a sweet but dry red win inside. It just melted as you bit into the juicy piece. The buckeye cup was a beautiful light peanut butter mouse in a thin chocolate cup. The other pyramids that we enjoyed were filled with cheesecake that melted, cherry chocolate cordial with the light creme, and a white chocolate macadamia nut pyramid. We tried only one round truffle that was a soft ganache of espresso flavored chocolate dusted with chocolate. There were two types of chocolate that were 2 biters. The first was a coconut macaroon covered in chocolate with toasted chocolate on top. The second was the amazing buttery shortbread topped with the silkiest creamiest carmel and covered in chocolate. It was not milk chocolate but not a super dark chocolate either. They also had several types of cake. We tried the chocolate cake like brownie topped with homemade marshmallow. There were also several types of bark. We tried the bark with peppermint. To be honest, we could not tell exactly what was under the peppermint bark. It was a layer of chocolate and then a layer of toffee flavored graham cracker consistency crust. The round out the night....there was a chocolate fondue fountain with strawberries, pineapple, cookies, pretzel rods, and all kinds of other things that could be dipped. We stayed away from that as it was too ordinary for the other things that were on the table.
I have been on a low sugar diet, but broke all rules to be able to enjoy this amazing buffet of chocolate. To make things even better it was well worth the $8 price for a trip and an even better deal for a $12 plate with unlimited trips. Anyone looking for a Valentine's date idea at the last minute should stop by Pier W tomorrow, it is the last day for the chocolate bar.
Friday, February 3, 2012
New Year....New 50 food places or things
As the new year is underway I wanted to have a fresh idea for the blog. My thought...inspired by a crappy list of 50 things to eat in Cleveland that was listed in the Plain Dealer today...50 new places or trying things I have never eaten under $20~! I need to have something in the mix to keep it loyal to my frugal brand.
Tonight XYZ tavern. I love this bar and just think it has a fun vibe in general. I decided to stop there on my way home from work tonight. So I tried 2 things I have never had before...Rooster Cocoa Porter and Bouillabaisse Risotto. The total for tonight's dinner, with leftovers for lunch tomorrow, was $20 for dinner, drink, tip and tax! Not bad for the night with leftovers to boot!
The Rooster Cocoa porter was very interesting. It was slightly sour with a taste of cocoa. It was dark but not too hoppy. I actually liked it and I typically do not like beer. Dinner was a new experience as well. I realize that bouillabaisse is not exactly exotic, but it is something I never ate before. I do not like mussels...but decided to try it anyway. The meal was yummy. half a dozen mussels, 4 large shrimp and white fish cooked in a great spicy tangy tomato broth with onions, green peppers, carrots, celery and parsley. All of it was served over top of rice that was perfectly al dente. It is going to soak up the remaining broth and not get soggy by tomorrow.
I have discovered that I still do not like mussels. Seriously, the texture is just too much for me to get past. I cut them up really small and they seemed to melt into the dish so as not to be as offensive to me. The shrimp was cooked perfectly and had fantastic flavor. This dish needed nothing more added to it. Once again XYZ Tavern did not disappoint and while for the most point the food is not extremely interesting it is well prepared.
For my first outing for the blog...it was not that exciting but it stayed under my $20 budget and it was 2 items I have never had before. Now to start thinking about my next outing!
Please comment with your suggestions and possibly new items for me to try!
Happy eating!
Tonight XYZ tavern. I love this bar and just think it has a fun vibe in general. I decided to stop there on my way home from work tonight. So I tried 2 things I have never had before...Rooster Cocoa Porter and Bouillabaisse Risotto. The total for tonight's dinner, with leftovers for lunch tomorrow, was $20 for dinner, drink, tip and tax! Not bad for the night with leftovers to boot!
The Rooster Cocoa porter was very interesting. It was slightly sour with a taste of cocoa. It was dark but not too hoppy. I actually liked it and I typically do not like beer. Dinner was a new experience as well. I realize that bouillabaisse is not exactly exotic, but it is something I never ate before. I do not like mussels...but decided to try it anyway. The meal was yummy. half a dozen mussels, 4 large shrimp and white fish cooked in a great spicy tangy tomato broth with onions, green peppers, carrots, celery and parsley. All of it was served over top of rice that was perfectly al dente. It is going to soak up the remaining broth and not get soggy by tomorrow.
I have discovered that I still do not like mussels. Seriously, the texture is just too much for me to get past. I cut them up really small and they seemed to melt into the dish so as not to be as offensive to me. The shrimp was cooked perfectly and had fantastic flavor. This dish needed nothing more added to it. Once again XYZ Tavern did not disappoint and while for the most point the food is not extremely interesting it is well prepared.
For my first outing for the blog...it was not that exciting but it stayed under my $20 budget and it was 2 items I have never had before. Now to start thinking about my next outing!
Please comment with your suggestions and possibly new items for me to try!
Happy eating!
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Cleveland Independents Restaurant Week
So as the self proclaimed queen of frugality....here is my assessment of the best restaurants for Cleveland Independents Restaurant week (November 1-13). My assessment is going to be divided in to 2 categories...less than $30 per person meal and the $30 per person meal. What I looked at for the over $30 meal was the creativity of the menu and the value. so here are my picks!
$30 per person Meal
Sarava- Sarava is normally an amazing restaurant and their choice for the prix fixe menu is interesting and fun. My choice start with the Crispy Duck Ravioli with the plum aioli; move on to the Pistachio Crusted Trout served with artichoke pilaf, asperagus, and cilantro butter; finish it off with the Coconut Butter Cake. They do offer 3-4 choices under each course but these to me sound amazing and are well worht the $30!
Pier W. Pier W always provides a solid meal and the choices for restuarant week will not disappoint. What really turns me on to this menu is the Baby Spinach Salad with 3 minute egg, raspberry and herb parmesan dressing (for those who love fish they also have a Lemon Fried Oyster with pickled vegetables and ginger cream); second course includes a Grilled Miuso Glazed Cobia with tempura vegetables, and sticky rice; desert includes a pumpkin cheesecake.
Hyde Park. This is another favorite of mine, especially for happy hour. This menu may be the one with the greatest value that still is a little interesting. For starters you have the option of Lobster Bisque or their Signature Salad; the main course includes Atlantic Salmon with a tropical salsa and blood orange sauce or, for the meat lovers, Bacon Wrapped Twin Filet Mignon with whipped potatoes; for dessert try the amazing double layer chocolate cake- it will not disappoint.
Grovewood Tavern Grovewood is one of my favorite palces to go for upsale wonderful comfort food. For Restaurant week you need to check out their website as their menu is constantly changing. The one I checked out today does not disappoint. You can start with a handmade Salmon Empanada; continue to the main course with Zinfandel Shirt Ribs with cranberries and whipped potatoes; finish it off with lava cake. At Grovewood you can add wine pairing for each course for only $14 more.
Under $30 per person
Creekside This one has an amazing choice for lunch., For only $10 you get Lobster Bisque, the choice of one entree and one side. Thi sis a full meal at lunch for a low low price. Creekside has wonderfully prepared food and a great atmosphere.
Tremont Tap House. There prix fixe menu is only $25 (and personally I think it is better than some of the other $30 menus). You can start out with Miso R amen Bowl with a poached egg and bamboo shoots; move onto a mail course of Braised boneless beef shortribs with red wine cabbage and smoked celery root; finish it off with Pot de Creme with a Lambic shooter and Grand Marnier whipped cream.
There are some that are honorable mentions, meaning the menu is interesting but not as great value wise as the others listed or a great value but the menu is not interesting. So for honorable mention we have Luxe, Red, Parallax, and Light Bistro.
I hope this guide helps in choosing your place for Cleveland Independents Restaurant week!
$30 per person Meal
Sarava- Sarava is normally an amazing restaurant and their choice for the prix fixe menu is interesting and fun. My choice start with the Crispy Duck Ravioli with the plum aioli; move on to the Pistachio Crusted Trout served with artichoke pilaf, asperagus, and cilantro butter; finish it off with the Coconut Butter Cake. They do offer 3-4 choices under each course but these to me sound amazing and are well worht the $30!
Pier W. Pier W always provides a solid meal and the choices for restuarant week will not disappoint. What really turns me on to this menu is the Baby Spinach Salad with 3 minute egg, raspberry and herb parmesan dressing (for those who love fish they also have a Lemon Fried Oyster with pickled vegetables and ginger cream); second course includes a Grilled Miuso Glazed Cobia with tempura vegetables, and sticky rice; desert includes a pumpkin cheesecake.
Hyde Park. This is another favorite of mine, especially for happy hour. This menu may be the one with the greatest value that still is a little interesting. For starters you have the option of Lobster Bisque or their Signature Salad; the main course includes Atlantic Salmon with a tropical salsa and blood orange sauce or, for the meat lovers, Bacon Wrapped Twin Filet Mignon with whipped potatoes; for dessert try the amazing double layer chocolate cake- it will not disappoint.
Grovewood Tavern Grovewood is one of my favorite palces to go for upsale wonderful comfort food. For Restaurant week you need to check out their website as their menu is constantly changing. The one I checked out today does not disappoint. You can start with a handmade Salmon Empanada; continue to the main course with Zinfandel Shirt Ribs with cranberries and whipped potatoes; finish it off with lava cake. At Grovewood you can add wine pairing for each course for only $14 more.
Under $30 per person
Creekside This one has an amazing choice for lunch., For only $10 you get Lobster Bisque, the choice of one entree and one side. Thi sis a full meal at lunch for a low low price. Creekside has wonderfully prepared food and a great atmosphere.
Tremont Tap House. There prix fixe menu is only $25 (and personally I think it is better than some of the other $30 menus). You can start out with Miso R amen Bowl with a poached egg and bamboo shoots; move onto a mail course of Braised boneless beef shortribs with red wine cabbage and smoked celery root; finish it off with Pot de Creme with a Lambic shooter and Grand Marnier whipped cream.
There are some that are honorable mentions, meaning the menu is interesting but not as great value wise as the others listed or a great value but the menu is not interesting. So for honorable mention we have Luxe, Red, Parallax, and Light Bistro.
I hope this guide helps in choosing your place for Cleveland Independents Restaurant week!
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Beer Wek Deals!
Cleveland is celebrating Beer Week with great events all over the city. As a frugal blogger, I am going to highlight a few that sound like a great deal for the money. There are definitely higher end events that are probably amazing, but I am focusing on frugality. You can check out the website clevelandbeerweek.org for additional activities. They are sorted by day. There are so many activities going on all over the city that I in no way intend for this blog to cover all the great events. I am just highlighting a few that sound great and affordable to me!
Food Truck Beer Dinner:
I know, I want people to experience good food at a great deal and I am writing about food trucks. The food trucks involved in this beer dinner serve high end food and not what you would traditionally think of as food truck food. It is a great deal including 10 tastings (5 from Sierra Nevada and 5 from Columbus Brewing Company), a food course from Fahrenheit’s Shortrib1, Dim and Den Sum, Hodge Podge, Umami Moto, and Sweet Mobile Cupcakery for only $35. Each beer is paired with a course from a food truck. While I am not a huge beer drinker…cupcakes and beer sounds delightful! The event is on October 21 starting at 7 pm outside of Southside (purchase tickets on their website) in Tremont and to make it even better….a portion of all ticket sales will go to the Malone Scholarship Fund. Great food and a cause! You can make the event VIP and start an hour earlier for an extra $15 which will include specialty appetizers, additional beer, and pictures with brew masters and chefs.
Lily’s Handmade Chocolates:
If you have not tried Lily’s just for the chocolate, this is a great way to try her wonderful chocolate paired with beer! On !0/20/11 she is hosting a beer and chocolate pairing for only $15. The pairing includes 4 of her handmade, amazing chocolates and various beer tagged as homebrews on the listing. It starts at noon and goes until 7:30 pm and it is on a first come first serve basis until the items are gone. To get 6 pieces of her chocolate is typically $11, so for $15 you are getting 4 tastings and beer! That to me is a great deal and something different during beer week.
XYZ Tavern:
XYZ is one of my favorite places and for beer week they are doing a tasting of 4 ales, and you get to keep the snifter, for $15. The tasting is almost every night of the week during beer week and I chose this because it sounds like something interesting. The tasting includes : Lexington Brewery Kentucky Light, Kentucky Ale, Kentucky Bourbon Ale, and Woodford Reserve.
These are three of my suggestions and I am hoping to make it to at least one of these events if not all three!
Coming soon…Cleveland Independents Restaurant Week. I will be looking at the menus when posted and give you my suggestions for the best deal among those participating. The gift certificates for Cleveland Independent’s restaurants went on sale on Thursday, many sold out within 10 minutes, but there are still some great ones left to check out the restaurant at a reduced rate!
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