One of the newest places in Gordon Square is Toast. It is a farm to table type place with all kinds of variables to its menu each night. I like variables...so I went in for the fun.
I started with the "bartender's choice" for my drink. You tell the bartender the spirit and if you want sweet or not and then let them create! I went for non-sweet vodka. I got a refreshing minty drink that was perfect for a warmish summer night. My dinner companion asked for a wine that would pair well with chocolate- she was ordering the hand made chocolate truffle with almond. The bartender gave her a glass of wine that was from a bottle left over from a wine tasting. It was full bodied and smelled amazing.
For my food choices...I went with the trio of toast, brocoli beer cheese soup and a sweet pea cake. The trio of taost changes daily. On Saturday it was a halibut confit, rabbit, and a vegetable with fresh pea shoots. All three were amazing. The toast was perfect. A lot of times you order these items and the toast is so crunchy it falls apart, or soggy in the middle from the toppings. This was crunchy, not soggy and it did not fall apart as you bit down. The brocoli beer cheese soup was different. Normally you expect thick cheesy broth with some piece of brocoli and a flavor of beer. This soup was finely chopped brocoli, in an actual broth that was scented heavily with beer. The chese was on top and the bacon piece were perfect. LAstly, the sweet pea cake. Ok...so some people think pea cake gross. But it was really good. My complaint was more with the frosting that was almost like thick slabs of butter instead of frosting. It was not too sweet, which is my preference, but the texture was slightly off.
I am looking forward to another meal at Toast in the near future. This time I may actually order something substantial.
Monday, June 10, 2013
Press Wine Bar
I got a pleasant surprise yesterday when a few friends stop by in the morning from out of town. They were hungry and I wanted to find someplace new. So we decided to try Press Wine Bar for brunch. GREAT choice.
The food was reasonably priced for brunch and it was delicious. I started with an $8 Bloody Mary that could have been a meal itself. It came with a spicy bloody mary mix, salty spiciness on the rim, and smoked bacon and a deviled egg on top. It was well worth the $8 and never lost flavor, even as the ice melted.
For Breakfast I had a mexi skillet with eggs, potato hash, poblanos, fried tortilla, and salsa verde. It was a great blend of egg and flavor. It had a little spice to it and they did bring me a side of hot sauce...always a must with egg dishes. My two favorite dining companions egg had an omelet. One had prosciutto, onion and cheese and the other had wild mushroom, provolone and argula. They both came with a side of toast and potato hash. The toast had very light butter, which I think is better then sopping bread. The meals were a proper size and each cost under $10 for a Sunday brunch meal.
I would love to go back and try their entrees and dinner menu as well as the wine on tap. But for now...it is a solid brunch place for future endeavors!
The food was reasonably priced for brunch and it was delicious. I started with an $8 Bloody Mary that could have been a meal itself. It came with a spicy bloody mary mix, salty spiciness on the rim, and smoked bacon and a deviled egg on top. It was well worth the $8 and never lost flavor, even as the ice melted.
For Breakfast I had a mexi skillet with eggs, potato hash, poblanos, fried tortilla, and salsa verde. It was a great blend of egg and flavor. It had a little spice to it and they did bring me a side of hot sauce...always a must with egg dishes. My two favorite dining companions egg had an omelet. One had prosciutto, onion and cheese and the other had wild mushroom, provolone and argula. They both came with a side of toast and potato hash. The toast had very light butter, which I think is better then sopping bread. The meals were a proper size and each cost under $10 for a Sunday brunch meal.
I would love to go back and try their entrees and dinner menu as well as the wine on tap. But for now...it is a solid brunch place for future endeavors!
Friday, April 26, 2013
Wine Tasting
Those of you who know me have at least somewhat of an idea as to how much I love wine. Vodka is good for a few drinks but wine is the wonderful fermented fruit that you can have with dinner, with friends, sitting around a fire, watching tv, pretty much any situation you can imagine!
My new love...10 for $10 tastings at Battery Park Wine Bar. This is an unpretentious wine tasting that you go through at your own pace. It starts at 7pm the last Wednesday of the month and the $10 is added to your bill. You do need to make reservations for the night. So you come in, grab a glass and start your journey through the wine. Order a cheese plate and for 2 people the total cost is only $18 for the night.
On my most recent trip with my dining companion we were tasting local Ohio Wine from Laurello in Geneva. We started with the whites, moved to the reds, and finished with the sweet Ohio wines. When we walked in we were given a sheet with all of the wines and the descriptions. It was great as we went through each one to see if we could taste the hint of white peach or pineapple. The wines were delicious and for $10 the tasting was well worth it. I do not typically write about alcohol cheap eats and usually my suggestion is to avoid the alcohol to save on the overall cost. But this is well worth a frugally classy endorsement.
Since I love writing about the food...I will touch on the cheese plate. It is a $16 cheese plate with 3 domestic/imported cheeses. On Wednesday the cheeses were a brie, Merlot soaked Parmesan, and a Camembert. Along with the cheeses were french bread, a date tapenade, herbed oil, grapes, strawberries and walnuts. The cheeses were excellent. The wine soaked cheese had a hint of wine flavor and paired well with the cheeses. We did not want to leave any cheese on the plate! I have written before about the quality of the food at the wine bar and the simple cheese plate did not disappoint!
I hate to give away this secret, but it is a great tasting at a great price and so relaxed that you can really enjoy the wines and company of those at the table.
My new love...10 for $10 tastings at Battery Park Wine Bar. This is an unpretentious wine tasting that you go through at your own pace. It starts at 7pm the last Wednesday of the month and the $10 is added to your bill. You do need to make reservations for the night. So you come in, grab a glass and start your journey through the wine. Order a cheese plate and for 2 people the total cost is only $18 for the night.
On my most recent trip with my dining companion we were tasting local Ohio Wine from Laurello in Geneva. We started with the whites, moved to the reds, and finished with the sweet Ohio wines. When we walked in we were given a sheet with all of the wines and the descriptions. It was great as we went through each one to see if we could taste the hint of white peach or pineapple. The wines were delicious and for $10 the tasting was well worth it. I do not typically write about alcohol cheap eats and usually my suggestion is to avoid the alcohol to save on the overall cost. But this is well worth a frugally classy endorsement.
Since I love writing about the food...I will touch on the cheese plate. It is a $16 cheese plate with 3 domestic/imported cheeses. On Wednesday the cheeses were a brie, Merlot soaked Parmesan, and a Camembert. Along with the cheeses were french bread, a date tapenade, herbed oil, grapes, strawberries and walnuts. The cheeses were excellent. The wine soaked cheese had a hint of wine flavor and paired well with the cheeses. We did not want to leave any cheese on the plate! I have written before about the quality of the food at the wine bar and the simple cheese plate did not disappoint!
I hate to give away this secret, but it is a great tasting at a great price and so relaxed that you can really enjoy the wines and company of those at the table.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Dante Happy Hour
Tremont is one of my favorite spots in Cleveland, second only to Gordon Square. It is a mecca of foods from hole in the wall bar to upscale Japanese. There is a little something for everyone and last night I tried the Godzilla Happy Hour at Dante. The restaurant is quaint and small but the vibe is great. We sat at the bar and were able to order from the happy hour or regular menu. In true frugal fashion...I went for the happy hour menu.
As is typical, my drinks cost more than the food. This is really where they get you on the happy hour. But the cocktails were well worth it...fresh and delicious. I had two martini's at $5 a piece. The first was a passion martini with passion fruit puree, vodka and proscecco. The second martini was a blood orange martini with vodka and blood orange puree. They also offer many beers for $2 and wines for $5. But on to the food...my favorite part of the meal.
The prices for happy hour vary from $3 to $6 a plate. A few people at the table ordered the fried with a Japanese seasoning. They were crispy with a side sauce that was very creamy and tomato based. I chose one of the toban yaki dishes. They cost between $4-6 and include vegetarian, beef, pork belly, and salmon. The salmon was delicious. It was approximately 2-3 oz of fish grilled and then placed in a clay pot to steak with greens and soy. It was a small plate but perfect for dinner. Next time I would try the beef. they also have miso mussels and a sushi "pop". For under $10 you could create a filling, healthy and flavorful meal.
I am excited to go back again soon to try another one of the toban yaki dishes or the sushi "pop". There was really nothing Italian on the happy hour menu, but the regular menu does offer tasting portions of pasta, rissotto and other items for around $5 each. Dante's fits the frugally classy lifestyle and is a great choice for afterwork.
As is typical, my drinks cost more than the food. This is really where they get you on the happy hour. But the cocktails were well worth it...fresh and delicious. I had two martini's at $5 a piece. The first was a passion martini with passion fruit puree, vodka and proscecco. The second martini was a blood orange martini with vodka and blood orange puree. They also offer many beers for $2 and wines for $5. But on to the food...my favorite part of the meal.
The prices for happy hour vary from $3 to $6 a plate. A few people at the table ordered the fried with a Japanese seasoning. They were crispy with a side sauce that was very creamy and tomato based. I chose one of the toban yaki dishes. They cost between $4-6 and include vegetarian, beef, pork belly, and salmon. The salmon was delicious. It was approximately 2-3 oz of fish grilled and then placed in a clay pot to steak with greens and soy. It was a small plate but perfect for dinner. Next time I would try the beef. they also have miso mussels and a sushi "pop". For under $10 you could create a filling, healthy and flavorful meal.
I am excited to go back again soon to try another one of the toban yaki dishes or the sushi "pop". There was really nothing Italian on the happy hour menu, but the regular menu does offer tasting portions of pasta, rissotto and other items for around $5 each. Dante's fits the frugally classy lifestyle and is a great choice for afterwork.
Monday, April 1, 2013
Wing Playoff
So many of you know I was a judge for the Plain Dealer wings Playoff on Saturday March 30th. It was a fun event and I met some really cool people. They all love wings and they all have a good palate...I think almost all of us agreed on what was the best wing. So it started and we have no idea what wings were from which places. The place chose their best wing to serve us. I do not know the overall winner, it will be announced this Friday in Friday Magazine. Because we do not know the winners, I will try to describe the wings without a lot of my own judgment.
The first round had what I think was a honey mustard with a little chili wing and a dry rub. The honey mustard wing had very subtle flavor. The dry rub was a crispy wing and the rub actually fell off the wing as you were eating it. It was slightly peppery, salty and spicy. A winner was chosen from that round to go to the final.
The second round had a crispy wing with Parmesan cheese on top and a sticky crispy honey wing with a 911 sauce to accompany it. the second wing definitely had two different flavors between the wing without and with the 911 sauce. Ok...I will give some commentary here. The 911 sauce was awesome! I could eat it straight, but it was not what I would describe as 911. the winner was chosen from that round.
The two winners then went head to head for a final tasting and voting was complete. Check out the PD Friday magazine for the overall winner. My one comment on the quality of wings...people...do not vote based on where you live. Try to vote based on the actually quality of the product. There were 2 wings that I not only did not like at all, but that I cannot believe anyone who likes wings would ever order.
Happy Dyngus Day all...I will be down there trying some yummy Polish food all afternoon!
The first round had what I think was a honey mustard with a little chili wing and a dry rub. The honey mustard wing had very subtle flavor. The dry rub was a crispy wing and the rub actually fell off the wing as you were eating it. It was slightly peppery, salty and spicy. A winner was chosen from that round to go to the final.
The second round had a crispy wing with Parmesan cheese on top and a sticky crispy honey wing with a 911 sauce to accompany it. the second wing definitely had two different flavors between the wing without and with the 911 sauce. Ok...I will give some commentary here. The 911 sauce was awesome! I could eat it straight, but it was not what I would describe as 911. the winner was chosen from that round.
The two winners then went head to head for a final tasting and voting was complete. Check out the PD Friday magazine for the overall winner. My one comment on the quality of wings...people...do not vote based on where you live. Try to vote based on the actually quality of the product. There were 2 wings that I not only did not like at all, but that I cannot believe anyone who likes wings would ever order.
Happy Dyngus Day all...I will be down there trying some yummy Polish food all afternoon!
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Latitude 41 Yum
Latitude 41 has a new menu, some new specials but the same great prices that make them one of my favorite stops for a good fresh meal. Every time you walk in the staff is friendly and inviting. You order at the counter and then they bring the food to your table. The place has great maps all over and hot sauce on every table! As a bonus, they are part of Cleveland Independents and have a card in the deck. My biggest problem is if by myself or even with one other person it is hard to get to $30 to be able to use the gift card.
Last night was Friday and I was craving a fish fry like none other! So I decided to try it at Latitude. I ordered the one piece fish fry for $6.50! That is cheaper then any of the local churches fish frys. For $6.50 you get one large piece of hot fried fish, a dish of cole slaw, potato and sweet potato fries and fresh tarter sauce. The fish was flaky and perfectly fried. I added a little hot sauce and used a little bit of the tarter sauce on it. The tarter sauce was delicious and also great a great dip for the fries. The cole slaw was slightly sweet and delicious. I do not even like cole slaw because of the mayonnaise, but this was well balanced. For a fish fry, this was an amazing deal and you cannot get this much food that cheap almost anywhere!
During the week are other specials including: Wednesday night choice of 7 burgers for $6.50 and domestic beer for $2, Thursday choice of 8 chicken sandwiches (grilled or fried) for $6.50, and the famous breakfast Menage a Trois for $4.95. the sandwiches include choice of cole slaw or fries and the Menage includes 2 eggs, 2 bacon, a homemade sausage, potatoes and toast. It is an amazing deal in a clean fresh cooking environment.
The new menu has some of the old favorites...like the amazing pizzas and Latitude Attitudes. They have added some salads, meatball and meatless balls, and pasta dishes with things like mussels and chicken Parmesan. What they, sadly as it was my favorite, got rid of were the pasta bakes. Hopefully they will bring them back as specials once in a while.
This is a great place to like on Facebook as they will put out specials for Facebook users during the week that is not on the menu. Some days they will do a pizza special or a soup and sandwich special that is only posted in Facebook. In addition to the menu are fresh specials every day. Last night they also had a beautiful pasta with seafood on the menu. I was set on a fish fry, but may consider that on another night if they have it again. They serve wine and beer and desserts. This is an old favorite and it is a great value for the quality of the food!
Last night was Friday and I was craving a fish fry like none other! So I decided to try it at Latitude. I ordered the one piece fish fry for $6.50! That is cheaper then any of the local churches fish frys. For $6.50 you get one large piece of hot fried fish, a dish of cole slaw, potato and sweet potato fries and fresh tarter sauce. The fish was flaky and perfectly fried. I added a little hot sauce and used a little bit of the tarter sauce on it. The tarter sauce was delicious and also great a great dip for the fries. The cole slaw was slightly sweet and delicious. I do not even like cole slaw because of the mayonnaise, but this was well balanced. For a fish fry, this was an amazing deal and you cannot get this much food that cheap almost anywhere!
During the week are other specials including: Wednesday night choice of 7 burgers for $6.50 and domestic beer for $2, Thursday choice of 8 chicken sandwiches (grilled or fried) for $6.50, and the famous breakfast Menage a Trois for $4.95. the sandwiches include choice of cole slaw or fries and the Menage includes 2 eggs, 2 bacon, a homemade sausage, potatoes and toast. It is an amazing deal in a clean fresh cooking environment.
The new menu has some of the old favorites...like the amazing pizzas and Latitude Attitudes. They have added some salads, meatball and meatless balls, and pasta dishes with things like mussels and chicken Parmesan. What they, sadly as it was my favorite, got rid of were the pasta bakes. Hopefully they will bring them back as specials once in a while.
This is a great place to like on Facebook as they will put out specials for Facebook users during the week that is not on the menu. Some days they will do a pizza special or a soup and sandwich special that is only posted in Facebook. In addition to the menu are fresh specials every day. Last night they also had a beautiful pasta with seafood on the menu. I was set on a fish fry, but may consider that on another night if they have it again. They serve wine and beer and desserts. This is an old favorite and it is a great value for the quality of the food!
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Cleveland Independents Restaurant Week
Another week...another prix fixe menu...this time for the 2 restaurant week of the year from Cleveland Independents. This one is a bit more open as the restaurants are all over the city and they are all part of my favorite consortium of restaurants. As per my usual plan of attack...I reviewed menus and put together what I think are the best menus for the value. I also tried to look at places I have not been before. the deal for Cleveland independents is $33 for three courses.
The first place is Cowell and Hubbard. I have to admit I picked this purely for the apps and dessert. The appetisers include a fresh roasted tomato soup with grilled cheese or a salmon tartar with avocado and chimichurri sauce. There is absolutely nothing that I do not love about both of these items. For dinner he is offering a chicken panzenella or a shrimp and polenta cake. But dessert...desert includes baked apple or peanut butter and jelly cheesecake...YUM!
My second choice is another place I have never been...but Flour has an amazing menu for restaurant week. The appetiser includes a duck and prosciutto meatball with marscapone and red wine. Dinner includes
The first place is Cowell and Hubbard. I have to admit I picked this purely for the apps and dessert. The appetisers include a fresh roasted tomato soup with grilled cheese or a salmon tartar with avocado and chimichurri sauce. There is absolutely nothing that I do not love about both of these items. For dinner he is offering a chicken panzenella or a shrimp and polenta cake. But dessert...desert includes baked apple or peanut butter and jelly cheesecake...YUM!
My second choice is another place I have never been...but Flour has an amazing menu for restaurant week. The appetiser includes a duck and prosciutto meatball with marscapone and red wine. Dinner includes
Strozzapreti Castelvetrano Olives, Arugula, White Anchovies, Caper-Butter and a beef short rib with wild mushroom risotto. Dessert just sounds amazing...nutella and banana ice cream bar with peanut butter powder.
A favorite restaurant of mine is Pier W and they do not disappoint for restaurant week either. Apps include a truffle diver scallop or a wild boar pate en crute. There are four dinner choices including a pesto crusted cod with lobster mashed potatoes or for meat lovers beef medallions or roasted duck. Dessert is not so exciting with either a peppermint cheesecake or a selection of sorbet.
My last choice was between Hyde Park and Flying Fig. I went with Flying Fig purely based on the unique menu. The appetiser includes polenta with greens and mushrooms. Dinner includes
Posole with Confit Ohio Pork Shoulder Hominy, Lime and Smoked Chile or a Seafood Stew Shrimp, Scallops, Whitefish and Mussels in Coconut Curry Broth with Jasmine Rice. Dessert also is not so exciting with a brownie parfait or apple crisp.
another couple of my favorites...which i always frequent during restaurant week so I am avoiding them this time...Players and Grovewood Tavern.
So there are my best menus. I hope everyone will go out and support these fine establishments which promote local food and culture.
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