Fun Playing with Food (and friends) at Lake House Restaurant in Lakewood

September 19 is "Talk Like A Pirate Day." My Mensa friends, who love a good joke, pun or excuse to be a little silly, set up a lunch by the water (Lake Erie) to celebrate. I'd never heard of Lake House Restaurant in Lakewood before, but it was a "fun to play with" discovery yesterday! Sadly, I didn't get any photos of the attendees, some of whom sported their Pirate finest, but ARGGHH did we have a great, inexpensive meal accompanied by a four star lake view despite the gloomy weather! The restaurant is a physically old, old-school diner-like space in a mid-rise residential building, with close, free parking, that serves up classic (and a little newer school) comfort food and diner grub, with beer if desired, six days a week. 

I loved that so much of the food was made from scratch (or nearly so), though my first taste, of a Guinness Pretzel Bite served with a cheddar cheese dipping sauce ordered by a table-mate, definitely felt Sysco-y (though warm and tasty).

But it was mostly uphill from there. 

House-made Clam Chowder

Our group numbered over a dozen, so I can't really fault them for serving this lovely soup a little to the cold side. But the microwave would have rubberized the beautifully tender clam meat, so we enjoyed it as served. Nicely done.

Cajun Pasta

Bob just had four teeth extracted, and so was limited to mushy food. Lake House Restaurant offers several pasta dishes that come by default with meat and/or seafood, but which can also be ordered "plain" - this option served Bob well: penne pasta tossed with a cajun spiced alfredo sauce and tomatoes. Topped with parmesan cheese, it tasted creamy with a little bite, and "gave" nicely without being mushy. I enjoyed my bite even without the chicken that normally accompanies it.

I took a flyer on the signature dish - Fresh Lake Erie Perch: Lightly breaded and fried, served with sautéed onions & parmesan topped pierogies, and coleslaw. Experience has taught that a dish like this would either be very good or very bad. Happy to report the former!

House made cole slaw

What a difference fresh-made makes! Creamy, clean and crisp. Half came home for dinner.

Fried Perch, Pierogies, Tarter

Another perspective

Half of this portion came home for dinner; it was a lovely value at $16 plus $2 for the cup of soup. The fish glistened with freshness under it's hot, crispy coat, cleverly plated over iceberg lettuce strips to keep it from getting soggy on the plate. I didn't get to learn if the pierogies are made in house or sourced, but they were fresh not frozen and the sauteed (not deeply fried) dough had a delightful pillowy lightness, encasing freshly mashed potatoes. The onion topping was nicely caramelized and accented with grated cheese and parsley. I would return for this meal again and again if I lived nearby!

Other diners in our party sampled various diner-style comfort foods, including patty melts served with house-made chips, wraps, salads, and one peanut-butter cup encrusted dessert that looked lovely. Service was exuberant and attentive, another reason to return for more. 

Lake House Restaurant is open for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Tuesday-Saturday, and Breakfast and Lunch only on Sunday. A great little fun place to play with your food with a view!

Fun Playing with Cheesesteak Wit Whiz in Twinsburg OH

My blogger friend Tom (Exploring Food My Way) recently referenced a post he made last year, describing a relative newcomer to the Northeast Ohio food scene - The Original Steak & Hoagies in Twinsburg, which promises to deliver the true Philadelphia Cheesesteak experience. I saw Tom's more recent post, and wondered, "how did this place slip through my radar?" And so, after a trip to the Geuaga Farmers' Market on a recent Saturday, we headed for Twinsburg to see if a true taste of Philly had landed in our proverbial back yard. Please refer to Tom's excellent post for some background on the genre, and the family that owns and runs Original Steak & Hoagies.

 

Orders are placed at the friendly counter - I ordered a small Cheesesteak Wit Whiz; Bob opted for Wit Provolone. As we sat and waited for our food, I was impressed by how exquisitely clean the place was - both the dining room, and the large portion of the food prep areas we could see from our seats in front of the restaurant.

We had also decided to share an order of fries, which was more than plenty for the two of us. The fries came up first:



The staff told us that they had just switched to this product, and asked how we liked it. The fries were perfectly cooked to crispy goodness and dressed with just the right amount of salt. Most important, they weren't greasy. Though not house-made "from scratch," we loved them.


Bob's Wit Provolone


Mine Wit Whiz

For those of you not conversant in Philly Cheesesteak speak - the "wit" refers to "with grilled onions."



This "sandwich consumption in progress" shot says it better than I can. The combination of an authentic roll sourced from Amoroso Bakery in Philadelphia, which handled the extreme juiciness of the sandwich with perfect aplomb, the creamy meld at the left of the sandwich in this photo of whiz, caramelized onions and tasty rib eye which had been chopped and fried to order on the grill, led to happy sighs. Our last trip to Philly was July 1990, but one bite of this sandwich took me right back.

We were having so much fun playing with our food that proprietor Bill Fromholzer stopped by our table to chat. I mentioned how the sandwich took me back to my last Philadelphia cheesesteak experience, and commented that next time, I'd have to try the Mom Mom's Meatball with Gravy sandwich. But before you could say "on top of spaghetti," Bill brought us each a meatball and a taste of gravy - made from scratch from his grandma's recipe ("gravy" is of course the Philadelphian term for tomato sauce) and piping hot; no microwave needed here.





The meatball tasted like a combination of different meats (probably pork, beef and veal), egg, seasonings, and just enough breadcrumb to hold it together - a great set of ingredients prepared with grandma-like finesse. And the sauce also sang with fresh-made flavor.

Since we were grilling sausage for dinner that night, we decided to grab a side of the house-made coleslaw to go with it.



This cole slaw had the flavors and texture of cole slaw as I enjoyed it growing up on the East Coast - chopped vegetables (not food service pack, and not shredded, but obviously chopped in house) with just the right amount of mayo, vinegar and simple seasonings (including a pinch of sugar, which always seems missing from Midwest coleslaws). Darn tasty.

According to the Steaks & Hoagies website, you can enjoy their products at Canal Park in downtown Akron (home of the Cleveland Indians AA affiliate Akron Aeros), in addition to the Twinsburg location on 10735 Ravenna Road. And free local delivery is available; call to learn if you are in their range. If you are fond of cheesesteak, Philadelphia, meatballs and gravy, or coleslaw - you will have fun playing with food at  The Original Steak &  Hoagies.

Fun Playing With A Chicago Breakfast That Channeled the Catskills

I so apologize for the long delay between posts. Since my last post on May 19, we've been to NY and back, and to Cincinnati and back - cooking on both trips. Reports will follow eventually - but I didn't want to lose this report on a very cool Chicago spot that was our last taste of that city on our early May trip.

Donut Holes - the Amuse at Lou Mitchell's

Having been forced to dismiss the lawsuit against the city that tore up my labrum after the trial judge allowed the City to fundamentally change the case, literally moments before we were to select a jury, and knowing we'd be re-filing and starting again, I was determined to enjoy one last special taste of Chicago before we left to drive back to Cleveland. The only problem was that we'd had to meet with my attorney first thing Thursday morning, and we had to be checked out of our hotel room by noon to avoid extra charges. So - we sprinted across downtown to 565 W Jackson Blvd to sample a place recommended by a friend - Lou Mitchell's. 

Now, I suppose that there are a lot of locals who think this place is a tourist trap and nothing but. But let me tell you - one step into the dining room, one breath of the aromas, and one look at the tables, food and servers were enough for me! I felt transported to the world of "Catskilland" - a marketing term coined for New York's Catskill Mountain resorts in the late 1980s. My parents were married at the Nevele, and my childhood experience was indelibly inked by time spent "in the Catskills," at the Nevele and other resort hotels long gone. Since I married Bob nearly 15 years ago, I'd often hoped to take him to the Catskills to experience at least a taste of it; however, it is almost gone now (Kutshers Country Club  is the only "Borscht Belt" hotel still operating).

Fast forward back to Lou Mitchell's. It wasn't especially "Jewish" at all - but something about the look, the smell, the feel - I felt like I was back in The Mountains. It didn't hurt that our server was an older woman who understood completely when I asked for expedition, as we needed to walk a bunch of blocks back to our hotel before noon (and it was already after 11am). I wanted to take some atmosphere shots, but the stress and hurry made that impossible. The above freshly prepared donut holes are kept in a container by the entrance, and offered to patrons as they enter or wait for a table. Fortunately, we got to enjoy our nosh and get right to a table.

La Conga Delight (Bacon, Tomato and Cheese), Choice of Homemade Bread, Melted American Cheese, Crisp Bacon and Tomato, Fries

My selection - brought freshly cooked, hot, crispy and delicious. The house-made fries are simply lovely - creamy and crispy. And, the leftovers made a delightful road snack, holding much of their crunch though cold.

House-Made Coleslaw




Though I skipped the pickle, I adored this cole slaw.


La Conga Close Up



BLT Club, Crisp Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato on Homemade Golden Brown Greek Toast, Fries



Bob loved his choice (and my bite was fantastic) - crunchy, cheesy, creamy - and most importantly - made fresh with fresh ingredients.

Since the case has been started over again, I anticipate additional Chicago trips to resolve it. We have promised to return to Lou Mitchell's without a time clock ticking over our heads, to give it the respect and enjoyment that it deserves. Despite the rush - we had great fun sampling not only the tasty food and fabulous service - but the nostalgic atmosphere of Lou Mitchell's.