Quick Bites from Cleveland

From a food perspective, I will say that this trip to Cleveland was unlike any other that I’d taken. As an interesting side note, it was unlike any other from a work/positive energy/excitement perspective as well. All-in-all, my best trip to Cleveland. Anyway, I posted about Lola and Lolita over the past week, but those obviously were not the only places that I ate at. So, I offer a quick bites recap of my non-hotel, non-cafeteria dining around Cleveland.

Steak ‘N Shake

You might be asking why I went to a Steak ‘N Shake, especially given my affinity for non-chain restaurants and trying the local cuisine. Two reasons. First, there really isn’t a lot open in Cleveland after 11 p.m. Second, Marc Summers said on The Best Thing I Ever Ate that his favorite hamburger of all time was from Steak ‘N Shake. Now, I’m sure Marc Summers knows good food, but I can now definitively say we don’t share the same hamburger tastes. I ordered the Double Steakburger with the Works and fries. This means it had ketchup, mustard, lettuce, tomato, mustard, onion, and mustard for good measure. I like yellow mustard as much as the next guy, but this was ridiculous. Once I finally made my way through a lot of the mustard and tasted the burger, I was turned off completely. It just tasted of greasy and almost metallic, painfully obvious that it had been cooked on a flat top that wasn’t absorbing flavors of burgers past. And the fries were just not good. No salt, soggy, luke warm. I know my expectations shouldn’t be super high for after midnight dining, but this was my first and last visit to Steak ‘N Shake. Next time I’m just finding an all night, local diner.

Final Verdict – 1.5 Stars (Sorry Marc Summers)

Jacobs (er…Progressive) Field

There is just something about a baseball game that makes the simplest foods taste exponentially better. Unfortunately, I didn’t really take advantage of it. At the game I stopped and grabbed a sausage that was ok, some onion rings that were palatable, and some nachos that had been sitting under a heat lamp for too long. But, I also had a few Great Lakes brews on board, so I didn’t really pay attention.

Final Verdict – Incomplete

Sushi Rock

The best way to describe Sushi Rock is Cleveland does sushi. After doing the appropriate amount of whining about a Seattlite going to sushi in the middle of the country, I finally decided that building rapport with my boss was better for my career and sucked it up and went to Sushi Rock. Walking in, it was exactly what I expected; Cleveland does sushi. There was loud, but trendy music, a bunch of people, and a slightly snobby hostess. When we sat down and I looked at the menu, two things jumped out. First, this was a place that had sushi on one side of the menu and truffle mac & cheese on the other. Second, there was a sushi item called “crabstick”. I am no expert, but I contest that crabstick is not the type of crab I’m used to at home, and there was a debate whether or not it was really crab. This was one of the things on the menu that didn’t have the Japanese word next to it (oh, it should be noted that the sushi was in English, throwing me off completely until I noticed the Japanese in fine print). In the end, we ordered a few pieces of sashimi, and a bunch of rolls, nearly all featuring cooked rather than raw preparations. The sashimi was ok, with the Maguro being pretty good and the Hamachi not as much. For the rolls, they were good, no real standouts and one that I thought was just not good (I can’t remember which it was, but it was bad). As the night came to a close, I realized that I’d had a pretty good time, and it was not the worst meal I’d eaten in my life, or even this trip.

Final Verdict – 2.5 Stars

Seti’s Polish Boys

I figured it was only appropriate that I finish my trip to Cleveland by getting a very “Cleveland” food, and one endorsed by Iron Chef Michael Symon. Learning of the Polish Boy by watching The Best Thing I Ever Ate, I was determined to give it a try. So, on the way to the airport, I made a small detour and got myself a couple of Polish Boys from Seti’s Truck in the parking lot of the restaurant supply depot. The Polish Boy can basically be described as a complete meal in one hand. It is a hot dog smeared with cole slaw, and topped with French fries and a sweet barbeque/honey sauce. I wasn’t quite sure exactly what they would be like, so decided to eat in the car. Unwrapping the first one, I looked down and it and sighed, knowing without a doubt that it was going to wind up on me (I’m a messy eater to begin with…). The other thing I didn’t know was how hot they were. Biting into the first one, the very delicious sauce and hot dog hit the top of my mouth and burned it pretty good. I definitely didn’t let that stop me, and polished off the first one. I waited until I was a little more stuck in traffic, and moving slower to break into the second one. First degree burns on the roof of my mouth aside, I was definitely pleased. Did I get as excited as Michael Symon did? No, but I will definitely go back.

Final Verdict – 3.75 Stars

So that’s it. This trip to Cleveland is officially in the books. Next week will include a trip to Dallas, a trip to Denver and a couple of home-cooked meals, including one in my hometown of Cheyenne, WY. And it won’t be long until Michael Symon recipes and experiences start appearing in Deck On Food!

Deck on Lolita: Cleveland Restaurant Review

What’s better than one trip to a Michael Symon restaurant in a week? How about a trip to each Michael Symon restaurant in Cleveland!? After a little bit of discussion (ok a little bit of whining until I got what I wanted), I convinced a couple of my colleagues that it would be worthwhile to drive the 25 minutes from the suburbs into town to dine at Lolita.

Located in what I’m told is the up-and-coming Tremont neighborhood, Lolita could best be described as the yang to Lola’s yin. Where Lola is slacks and a button up shirt, Lolita is jeans and a t-shirt. It was a little bit bright, a little bit louder, and a little bit less intimate; none of which is a bad thing by any means. We’d called ahead on the drive in to see if there were any tables, and were informed that there were not until later, but that there was some bar seating. On arrival, we found four seats next to each other, at the corner of the bar. Saddling up to the bar, we were ready to eat.

Taking a look at the menu, we were overwhelmed by the amount of delicious looking food. So we decided to start by focusing simply on starters. The first thing we selected was the lamb keftedes. Then, after a little bit of debating over the cured meats, we settled on the roasted bone marrow, figuring it is not something you can get everywhere. We put in our appetizer order and returned out attention to the entrée menu. This ended up being a little of an ordeal. All four of us finally selected an option off the menu, and then asked the bartender his recommendation. After basically five minutes of talking us through the menu, describing with enthusiasm the delicious options, we once again selected our entrees. That’s when he reminded us of the specials… In the end, after 15 good minutes, and changing our collective minds a half dozen times, we settled on our final items and quickly placed our orders to prevent changing our mind again.

At this time we were finally able to settle into conversation, made easier by sitting at the corner of the bar. We enjoyed drinks and conversation for about 10 minutes prior to the appetizers arriving. Once they did, we quickly quieted down and dove in. The Lamb Keftedes can best be described as delicious lamb meatballs, served with lemon, mint, yogurt and cucumber. The meat was very tender and juicy. This was followed up by the Roasted Bone Marrow which was served with a salsa verde and a little bit of scallion. For the first bite, I simply scraped the marrow out of the bone, put it on a crostini and enjoyed the delicious flavor, what could easily be described as a meat butter. For the second bite I added one of the pickled onions which had a sweet taste and really balanced out the whole meal.

This was definitely the way to kick-start a meal, and had us all excited about the entrees which arrived not too long after we finished the appetizers. For the main courses, Charles had finally decided on the fish special, a Wild Caught Canadian Walleye. Georgy had decided on the house-made Pappdelle with beef cheeks, crème fraische, and killbuck valley mushrooms. Rene had selected the Gnocchi with Pork Ragu (all homemade), tomato and parmesan. And I had selected the Duck Prociutto Pizza with egg, parmesan and rosemary. It was at this point that I realized the biggest advantage to dining with others; the opportunity to try multiple dishes. After the pictures, we passed the plates around so each person could get a few bites off each of the plates.

The pappardelle was the first thing I tried. Honestly, there is nothing like homemade pasta. It just has a fresh, light flavor that can’t be matched. Add to it amazingly tender and wonderfully cooked beef cheeks and you have a delicious dinner. Next, I tried the walleye. At first, Charles wondered if I would be ok with fish, being that I’m from Seattle. I assured him that as long as it was a local wild caught, I would be up for it, and it absolutely would. The fish was perfectly cooked ,nice and flaky and tender while still full of flavor. It had some greens with it which I thought actually took away from the taste of the delicious fish. That left the gnocchi. The first thing that hit me was the lightness of the gnocchi; far lighter than any I’ve ever cooked or tried. The pork ragu was definitely good and very flavorful. Had I not ordered the pizza, this would have been my choice, and I absolutely would not have been disappointed.

Finally, after eating everyone else’s food I dove into mine. My first thought was, I won the food lottery. The flavors of the pizza were like nothing I’ve ever tasted before. The egg added a great flavor to the pizza, but it was the cracker crust and the salty prosciutto that really set it apart. I don’t really know how to describe duck prosciutto other than to say if you take your regular pork prosciutto and multiply the deliciousness by 10, then you get duck prosciutto. It was one of those meals where I thought “I’m stuffed, but if another appeared in front of me, I would finish it”. Then the next day I thought I wish I had that pizza for breakfast. Just an incredible combination of flavors.

After the meal that left everyone completely satisfied, we decided to take a look at the dessert menu. This ended up being a mistake in that as soon as you look at the menu, you can’t help but order something. I decided I would give the warm toffee pudding a try, while Rene went for the Lemon Pound Cake (made with Olive Oil instead of butter) and Charles did the vanilla gelato. The toffee pudding could best be described as dangerous; meaning as long as it was in front of you, it was impossible to stop eating. Just delicious and flavorful. The lemon pound cake was good, but you definitely missed the butter. And the gelato was flavorful, but it was no Fainting Goat. In fact, it had a little more of an ice cream flavor than a gelato flavor.

At the end of the meal, we were all completely satisfied. The meal was absolutely delicious, and it was without a doubt worth the trip into Cleveland. When the bill came we were all shocked to see that the grand total was a paltry $150 for all four of us! Up to this point I didn’t think it was possible to get food of that quality for that price. In the end, my colleagues were actually glad that I talked them into making the trip to Lolita. The food was delicious, and the atmosphere perfectly lent itself to the type of evening that we were looking for. From my perspective, the appetizers absolutely blew away the previous evening at Lola, but the entrée and the dessert were a little less, leading to an overall balanced score. And , we learned two important lessons when eating at Lolita; go there often because the menu is ever evolving, and if you go on a Tuesday, get there before 6 to enjoy the suckling pig roast.

Final Verdict - 4.5 stars

Deck on Lola - Cleveland Restaurant Review

Of all my work destinations, Cleveland had been one of my least favorites.  My dining experiences haven't been that great, and lately I had resorted to staying in my hotel room and just ordering room service.  That was until about a month ago.  While watching The Best Thing I Ever Ate on the Food Network, I was shocked to find out that Iron Chef Michael Symon is not only from Cleveland, but has two restaurants there.  Not to mention that some of his favorite places to eat are in Cleveland.  I jotted down some notes, telling myself that the next time I was in town, I would seek out one of the places and see if my trips to Cleveland could be salvaged.

Tonight, after my meetings wrapped up, I headed down town to start my "Michael Symon Restaurant Tour of Cleveland".  I didn't take the most direct route so it took awhile and I was getting a little frustrated, but I was trying to remain optimistic.  My plan was to go to the Greenhouse Tavern, and the menu looked fantastic, so I definitely had something to look forward to.  As I was getting closer, I realized that it was in a part of area I hadn't been to, and that it seemed like an area that could be fun.  I eventually arrived on 4th St, and parked across from the House of Blues (another new finding for me).  I got out and headed toward the Greenhouse Tavern.  That's when I noticed the sign for Lola, Michael Symon's flagship restaurant.  I figured that since I was right there, it would be silly to not eat at an Iron Chef's restaurant (I mean, I'd like to eat a meal from at least one restaurant by each of them).  I walked the extra half block to Lola and headed in.

As I approached the bar, I was greeted warmly by the bartender, and offered a dinner and drink menu.  I scanned the menu, looking at all of the delicious sounding meals.  So, I did what I've come to do lately, ask for advice.  For an appetizer she recommended the lobster or the Hawaiian crudo.  For an entree, she suggested the pasta if I wanted something vegetarian, the scallops for fish, and that they were known for their pork dishes; the shank was a little lighter, the chop a little more "robust".  So, quickly evaluating her recommendations, I selected the Hawaiian Crudo "Teriyaki" and the Smoked Berkshire Pork Chop. 

After what couldn't have been more than 5-10 minutes, the crudo arrived.  Normally I don't order fish when I come to the middle of the country (especially since I'm from Seattle), especially when it is a raw preparation, but I figured if I was going to make an exception, I would do it at Lola.  The crudo was yellowfin tuna seasoned with soy, pineapple, habanero, and cilantro.  The flavors were very nice, though surprisingly not spicy considering that it included the habanero pepper.  The best flavors were when the soy and pineapple were eaten together.  Finishing it off, I was pleased, though not overwhelmed.  I've had very good yellowfin in Seattle.  But, things were looking up compared to most of my previous Cleveland dining experiences.

Next up was the smoked pork chop, which arrived again fairly quickly.  The pork chop was served with peppers, chessy polenta and barbequed onions, and was prepared medium per the chef's recommendation.  I cut into a piece, scooped a little bit of polenta, took a bite, and was blown away.  The pork was just deliciously seasoned; not overpowering, but very nicely balanced.  But it was the smokiness that really took it to another level and provided that extra depth of flavor.  Then there was the polenta.  When I make a cheesy polenta, it could be described as a polenta with cheese.  When Michael Symon makes polenta, it could be described as cheese with polenta, and fantastic.  And that was just the first bite.  As I worked my way through I got to the peppers which were just delicious, and the barbeque onion were like nothing I'd ever tasted.  I devoured the meal, coming up for air every now and then, savoring every bite.  When I got down to the end, I didn't hesitate to pick up the bone with my fingers and get every last piece of pork.

At the end of the meal, I just sat back in my chair very happy and very content and sipped on what was left of my wine.  I was planning on simply finishing my wine and heading back to the hotel, but decided to at least take a look at the dessert menu.  As I was scanning it, four magic words jumped out at me; "Maple Bacon Ice Cream".  I couldn't help myself.  It could have said maple bacon ice cream on shoe leather, I was ordering it.  Fortunately came not on shoe leather, but with poundcake french toast and carmelized apples; known simply as the 6 a.m. Special.  Sounds delicious, right?  It tasted even better than it sounds.  The ice cream was incredible as expected, and just worked very nicely with everything else.

Needless to say, when I finally finished, and paid the bill (a respectable $70 with tip) I was very pleased.  I feel like I'd been a little overly harsh on Cleveland.  Michael Symon has single handidly renewed my interest in the food scene of Cleveland.  And even though I still think that Bobby Flay has an edge on him when it comes to overall flavors, I did walk out with a signed copy of Michael Symon's cookbook and can't wait to try some of the delicious looking and sounding dishes.

Final Verdict - 4.5 Stars