More Fun Playing With Dinner in the Dark

Monday January 17, we attended the fourth installment of Dinner in the Dark. It was also my first time using the new camera in "combat" conditions, so the photos are what they are.

DITD is self described as "An impromptu dinner designed to stimulate your palate and surprise your taste buds by offering you no idea of what you will eat or drink or who will be cooking for you." Some of Cleveland's top culinary talents have cooked at each of the first four events, donating time and product for a different charity each month. January's dinner benefited the Cleveland Sight Center and was held at Jeff Jarret's new Strongsville restaurant Palate. Priced at an affordable $65 (including wine but plus tax and tip), each of the three dinners we attended have offered some amazing flavors and introduced us to some new culinary ideas.

Before digging into the food, a few words about 55 Degrees. This Ohio wine distributor has provided most of the libations consumed at these events (as well as retail priced bottles for purchase after the meal, with profits donated to the charity of the month). This month, we especially enjoyed (and purchased) the Sineann Red Table Wine from Oregon, which complimented perfectly the Veal Strip Loin you will see below. Thank you to Aaron Deibel of 55 Degrees for explaining the wines and offering them to us each month! We've especially enjoyed the whites we purchased after Dinner in the Dark 2 at AMP 150.

We began with a cocktail crafted by Cleveland area cocktail meister Joseph DeLuca:


A Rose By Any Other Name

This refreshing libation contained Four Roses Single Barrel Bourbon, Pinot Noir Syrup, Rose Water and Bitters.


Amuse

Tonight's first bite was prepared and presented by Chef Adam Bostwick of Melange. His caramelized onion and fig tartlet was adorned with a crispy sweetbread and a large dot of bleu cheese ice cream, which isn't visible in this photo. A lovely, complex start to the evening.



The above photo, shot after the cameraman from Newsnet 5 was kind enough to bathe our table with some much-appreciated light, does at least show you the ice cream. Click the link to see the compelling backstory to this night's event.


Wild Mushroom Bread Pudding, Autumn Vegetables, Sage, Balsamic, Dried Sorrel, Truffle Oil

This slightly kicked up version of an item on the Palate menu was prepared by host Chef Jeff Jarrett. Even though I'm not a mushroom lover, I can recommend this dish, which presented the essence of mushroom, accented with truffle, in a creamy pudding that contrasted texturally with crispy herbed smoked onions.

Calf-tongue Reuben Sandwich with 7 Day Cured Napa Kraut and 14 Day Cured Apple Kimchi

Chef Matt Mathlage of Ohio City's Light Bistro contributed this tasty combo. I neglected to photograph the sandwich sans wrapping paper, so you'll have to take my word for it that the calf-tongue "corned beef" melted in the mouth and tasted wonderful, especially against the kraut and cheese in the sandwich. The Apple Kimchi delighted, kissed with a 90 day vinegar.




Roasted Beets with Pistachio Crusted Goronzola and Goat Cheese Crottin, Blood Orange Vinaigrette,  Beet Gelée, Pistachio Herb Oil

Chef Steve Schimoler of Crop Bistro, who I consider the Mad Scientist of Cleveland Cuisine, presented this amazing salad. My friend Edsel Little got a much better photo of it, which you can find here. The internet tells us this about crottin: "1. A pungent cheese made of goat's milk and formed into small disks. 2. A disk of this cheese." Lookng further, the cheese itself is described as "a goat's milk cheese made in the heart of France in the verdant Loire Valley. When the Crottin is young, it is moist and it has a light tangy goat's milk flavor. As it ages, this pretty little cheese takes on a firmer texture and a fuller flavor." The cheese balanced between creamy goat and tangy Gorgonzola, which worked nicely for me, and perfectly complemented the beets and the fabulous Beet Gelee, which tracked and enhanced the flavors of the beets.The pistachios added crunch.


Brown Butter Poached Arctic Char, Fennel Salad, Smoked Corn & Truffle Risotto, Basil  Cream Sauce

The fish course came from Chef Matt Mytro of Stovemonkeys.com and Crisp Catering. Arctic char bears some similarity to salmon, but is a bit more delicate. This pristine specimen featured crispy skin and a luxurious risotto, nicely cut by the basil sauce.

Intermezzo

Ray Garman of Melange prepared this lovely blood orange sorbet with basil, served over a round of seriously frozen kiwi. A perfect palate refresher as we transitioned from fish to flesh.


Veal Strip Loin with Risotto Croquette, Dr. Pepper Demi

Chris Quinn, a Chef with US Foodservice, gave us this surprising course: spicy espresso-rubbed veal strip-loin steak with jalapeño risotto cheese croquettes and haricots verts in a sweet pepper jus. Once again, my photo does not do justice to this melt-in-your-mouth hunk of meat and the toothy sides - so do please click through to Edsel's much better photo. The flavors were perfectly melded, such that the espresso did not set off my "coffee meter" (hence the "surprise") and the texture of the veal was, well, I suppose what I'd expect a veal strip loin to be like, if I'd ever considered eating a veal strip loin - buttery, mild, and tender are three adjectives that come to mind.

Caramelized Local Apples, Lucky Penny Goat Cheese, Black Walnut Granola, Sorghum and Five Spice

 

Dessert was provided by Chef Matt Anderson of Umami Asian Kitchen. Truthfully, I was too full to really appreciate this, though caramel is one of my favorite things, and this plate did not disappoint. 

As diners began to say their goodbyes and leave, a final whimsical bowl made its way to the tables, courtesy of Melange's Adam Bostwick:


Peanut Butter & Jelly Popcorn

This dish epitomizes the creativity and fun that Cleveland Chefs are bringing to each table every month with Dinner in the Dark. The next event is scheduled for February 21 at Melange. Please call 216-378-9755 for your reservations, so you can join us in playing with great food and drink for another worthy (and as of this date, unannounced) beneficiary.

Fun Playing with Palate Pleasing Food

We've known Cleveland-area Chef Jeffrey Jarrett for almost five years and we are excited that Chef Jeff  has finally opened his own restaurant - Palate, in Strongsville.  After sous cheffing for Matthew Mathlage (The Leopard, Aurora Ohio and Light Bistro, Ohio City) and Dante Bocuse (Dante, Tremont), he most recently ran the kitchens at Lockkeepers in Valley View and  North End in Hudson. Even more important, he and his wife Tammy have five children - three by the normal methods (apologies to Harry Chapin) and two adopted from orphanages in China. Both of the adoptees are special needs children. Jasmine is vision impaired, and sweet Jewel completely blind. Jeff and Tammy (and their  three boys) are themselves very special for taking these two children into their hearts and home - it tells you something about the people behind the food at this particular restaurant. So, be aware before I even start my discussion of Palate, that I am biased in favor of Jeff.

Bob and I were excited to be invited to the Palate "Friends and Family" preview evening on Monday, December 27. My food blogging friend Tom had already made a reservation for us to dine at Palate on its "official" opening night that followed, so what follows is drawn from two nights' experience at Palate. (You can read Tom's description of our Palate dinner at Exploring Food My Way).

The tables are covered in white linen, and the front of the house does a fine job living up to those white tablecloths. Service is attentive and knowledgeable. Fresh cracked pepper was offered with each course as appropriate to the dishes ordered. The table was de-crumbed and silverware replaced as needed throughout dinner. Glasses were re-filled promptly. The dining experience is simply a delight.

Palate's menu presently contains six items each in the "small plates" and "greens/soups" categories, and 10 entree options. This presents the diner with choice, but not so much choice as to be overwhelmed. Even so, after two visits, we still haven't tasted everything that looked appealing on the menu.

Bread is made in house by Sous Chef Lauren Stephenson, and served with luxuriously soft butter.

citrus-cured hamachi, beets, horseradish cream, pickled red onion, lemon basil vinaigrette

The photo above is from our second dinner and represents two portions ($5 per portion).  I loved this dish both times I ate it - pristine fish and tender beets contrast with the pickled onions and horseradish creme. I loved every component on this plate, though I wanted more horseradish intensity in the creme. But then, we grow horseradish in our backyard.

buttermilk fried chicken livers, cheesy polenta, spiced honey, grilled scallion salad

The livers were very good - crunchy on the outside and gentle on the inside. I especially liked the creamy polenta, which paired marvelously with a bite of the liver and the spiced honey.

crab cake, corn flake, candied hot peppers, apple butter

This plate contains two pieces of the crab cake, which is served by the piece (like the hamachi, $5 per piece). I loved the candied hot peppers, which contrasted nicely with the crab meat.

soup of the moment

Tonight's soup was potato, bacon and cheese. Pure comfort food, well executed. 

fried goat cheese, roasted beets & apples, greens, cranberry honey gastrique

Bob and I shared this the first night, and Tom enjoyed it on Tuesday - it was one of my favorites. Crispy, yet creamy goat cheese patties top a salad that is bigger than it looks. Packed with texture from the beets and apples and intense flavor from the gastrique - I could eat a big plate of this for dinner and be a happy girl!

palate Caesar - romaine, dressing, brioche crouton, roasted garlic/parmesan meringue

Is Strongsville ready for a salad that has real anchovies in it? I hope so, because I adored this salad! I'm not generally a huge anchovy fan, but the combination of flavors and textures on this plate totally worked for me.  Caesar salad is traditionally started by combining raw egg, garlic, salt and anchovy filet and creaming them together - we learned about this at The Leopard, where it was prepared tableside for us (before Jeff's tenure there).  Jeff here skillfully plays with those elements and makes them tasty and approachable. The warm meringue covered the egg component, and had a touch of sweetness that played very nicely off of the subtle fish flavor from the tasted-but-not-seen anchovy. The house-made brioche croutons broke easily and provided nice crunch against the creamy garlic, and just the right amount of absorbency without getting soggy. Did I mention that I adored this salad?

In fact, all of the salads we tasted both nights were fabulous - not a bad note among them. 

mache pit - goat cheese, pistachio, honey, pomegranate, lemon vinaigrette

Order this salad and you'll fully understand why it is served in a clear bowl. It is fun to play with (the name describes how it is put together) and fun to eat! Bob had this Monday, our friend Edsel ordered it on Tuesday - it is a true "mache pit," built from the bottom up.

braised beef short rib, parsnip polenta, garden vegetables, pan sauce

Bob's Tuesday entree was a Jeff Jarrett signature - short rib. Cooked nicely, with a hint of chocolate in the sauce - this plate was so good that Bob even ate his broccoli!

scallops, celery root puree, apple slaw, gremolata, salsa verde

Both of our dining companions ordered this entree and reported their enjoyment. The scallop I tasted was cooked perfectly, and Edsel did let me also steal a swipe of the creamy celery puree. Yum.

The great consistency Bob and I noted in both meals was the veritable perfection in the purees, vegetables and sauces (in almost infinite variation of styles) on the plates. Jeff is truly gifted at creating unique plate elements that work on all levels -  visual, smell, taste, texture and with some, playfulness. Our only complaint was that some plates needed a larger quantity of some of these accouterments, but I expect that this will work itself out as the kitchen becomes more accustomed to plating Jeff's creations. Of course, Jeff also excels at good old fashioned comfort foods - hold the gastrique, candied fruits, vinaigrettes, meringues, confits, and gremolatas, and you get my Tuesday entree:

flat iron steak, mac n’ cheese, braised green beans



The. Best. Mac N Cheese. Ever. Nothing fancy or cutting edge; no pork or seafood. Just a perfect custard-like texture, rich cheesy flavor and crispy topping. 



The green beans were braised with bacon, and tasted so good that I had to share them with my tablemates. I mean, who gets that excited about winter green beans?



The steak was cooked to a perfect medium-rare and had nice crusting accented by cracked black pepper and other seasonings. Oh, and what do you know - there was a small pool of sauce on that plate after all. Shhhh - this was still an amazing plate of completely approachable, familiar, and satisfying food.

Lauren's desserts are a veritable bargain at $5 each:


deconstructed s’more: marshmallow meringue, graham cracker sablé, chocolate ganache

I loved the meringue, and any dish that invites play prior to ingestion works in my book. The warm topping nicely melted the chocolate onto the cookie.


beet parfait: pomegranate molasses, spicy chocolate cookie, chocolate curl

Beet desserts seem to be the fashion in Cleveland this year, and this one does not disappoint. If you like beets at all, you should love this dish. I loved the combination of the beet sorbet with the chocolate curl.


dark chocolate mousse, devils food cake, dried cherries, parmesan tuille

Bob and I shared this dessert the first night and Tom got it the second - and all who tasted it pronounced it "plate licking" good. Though we all agreed that the cheese in the tuille clashed a little with the chocolate - the dessert as a whole tasted so good that a little clash didn't matter. The two types of chocolate paired with cherry combined deliciously.

I need to note that, as is customary, the Friends and Family night meal was comped. The next night, the four of us enjoyed dinner expecting to pay for our meals, but at the end, we were again comped (thank you Jeff!).

As with any restaurant open for less than a week, Palate still has a few kinks to work out. But I am confident that Chef Jeff, General Manager Christopher Von Alt, and their staff will do their utmost to provide a completely enjoyable dining experience should you venture to Strongsville and visit with them. And with price points between $4-8 for small plates and $13-20 for entrees, I am already looking forward to a return!

A few months before opening Palate, Jeff joined with Cleveland chefs Brian Okin and Ellis Cooley (AMP 150) to start Dinner in the Dark. Each month, a group of chefs prepare a multi-course wine dinner for an audience willing to dine without advance notice of who is cooking or what is being cooked. All proceeds from each dinner are donated to a different charity. The next event is January 17, at Palate, and will benefit the Cleveland Sight Center. Please call Palate at (440) 238-8500 to make your 6:30pm reservation ($65). We'll be there, and we hope that you will be too!

Fun Playing with Food in the Dark

Cleveland's place as a jewel among food towns just got a little higher and a little brighter. And all because we ate in the dark. Well, not exactly - the name of the event was "Dinner in the Dark," and the concept was that a bunch of Cleveland chefs would take over a restaurant and cook what they wanted to cook, for a change. They and their restaurants donated all of the labor, and worked with their purveyors to obtain donated food, and wine (the wine purveyor also donated proceeds on retail wine bottle sales) so that a donation could be made to a worthy charity at the end of the evening. The concept grew from there, and Bob and I were among 60 or so lucky participants in the first event, Monday night. For $50 per person, a full house at Brian Okin's Verve Restaurant got to enjoy a six+ course dinner paired with wines. The evening offered several opportunities to direct additional revenues to the chosen charity, Veggie U. And to top it all off - Mister The Chef's Garden - The Culinary Vegetable Institute  - Veggie U. himself, Farmer Lee Jones, was in the house! And as if that wasn't enough - Farmer Jones provided all of the produce for the dinner. We couldn't wait to taste.

Autumn Snapper - Joe Deluca from Apothecary

This welcoming cocktail consisted of Aperol, Campari, Cinar (Artichoke Liquor), Freshly Pressed Honey Crisp Apples, Heirloom Tomatoes, and Micro Parsley.

Bob was the first in our group to say something to the effect of, "the heck with ceremony - I'm tasting these tomatoes in the bottom of the glass." We who followed his lead were well rewarded by amazing tomato flavor.

Amuse Bouche: Stuffed Micro Bell Pepper

This delectable morsel was prepared by Chef Brian Toomey of Verve. Chef's Garden Micro Bell Pepper was stuffed with a combination of Butternut Squash-Goat Cheese Puree, Pepita (Pumpkin Seed) and Bacon - an auspicious beginning!

Garlic Pudding - Chef Matt Mathlage of Light Bistro

Heirloom garlic pudding, gai lan (Chinese Broccoli) sauteed in duck fat, pesto broth, compressed squash, rye bread puree, pickled black radish. Now, I love garlic, so the notion of Garlic Pudding was just fine with me.  I loved the perfect balance of pungent garlic and creamy pesto, offset by the gentle bitterness of the broccoli.  My dining companions were wowed by the pickled radish (I'm not a huge radish fan myself). The only negative any of us could come up with was the lack of bread to scrape every bit of the goodness off of the bottom of the serving bowls!

Pig Ear - Chef Chris Hodgson of Dim and Den Sum

A certain Cleveland chef  appears on a Food Network show called "The Best Thing I Ever Ate." If I was on that show (or picking a dish for it), these pig ears, confited in duck fat and served with roasted delicata squash, dandelion greens and frisee, sour polenta, pepper & lemon vinaigrette, would have a starring role. The texture of Chef Hodgson's pig ear was like no other pig's ear I've ever sampled before, bringing together intense creaminess with crispy porkiness. Some of it actually stuck to my teeth - and I liked it, I liked it!!

Deconstructed Caesar Salad: Lettuce, Flash Fried Egg Yolk, Egg White Meringue, White Anchovy, Crouton, Olive Oil - Chef Adam Bostwick of Melange

Another amazing dish. Though my flash-fried egg yolk was not runny as the Chef intended, it was the exception among our group, and still tasted delicious. The deconstructed dressing worked nicely, in part, because the white anchovy popped with flavor without overpowering the other ingredients.

Intermezzo

This Lemon Verbana Sorbet was the second contribution from Chef Brian Toomey of Verve. It was exquisite, and the perfect way to clean said popping white anchovy off of the palate.

Dry Pack Scallops with Coconut Curry Sauce, Heirloom Cauliflower, Moroccan Oil - Chef Brandt Evans of Blue Canyon Restaurant

IMHO, Brandt Evans is the undisputed sea scallop king of Cleveland - no one makes them better.  The curry sauce added to the flavor parade, and the radish garnish was sliced so thinly that even I could enjoy it. That heirloom cauliflower burst with so much good flavor that Bob actually tracked Farmer Jones down in the Men's Room to learn where he might get seeds for next year's garden. Ok, I lied - it was happenstance that they met and discussed the cauliflower in that location. But yes, it was that tasty.

Short Rib with Chocolate Sauce, Polenta, Root Vegetables, Sorrel - Chef Jeff Jarrett, North End Hudson

We should have been too full to do justice to this plate. Still - the aroma, as the servers began to distribute them, got us all salivating. While the concept of beef and chocolate is hardly novel, Chef Jeff Jarrett really nailed this one and made it his own. Was it the chocolate-infused sauce? The melt-in-your-mouth beef?  The creamy, yet toothy polenta? The amazing vegetables, featuring turnips that had us oohing and ahhing (and who oohs and aahs over turnips, after all?)? I have no idea - but I think that I could happily eat a plate of this dish for dinner every day during the winter and never tire of it.

Beet Cake with Creme Fraiche Ice Cream and Chocolate Ganosh - Chef Ellis Cooley, AMP 150

Yes, you read that correctly - Beet Cake. A flour and sugar dessert, starring beets. Another brilliant use of the garden from Chef Ellis Cooley. Though the ice cream melted swiftly, the taste was worth the hurry to eat it (and the cake loved being immersed in the creamy puddle that remained). Chocolate provided the counterpoint, as did the "tire track" of candied garden flavor across the top of the plate.

The first Dinner in the Dark embodied the very concept of Fun Playing With Food, and both the Chefs and the diners had way too much fun! We also learned a little bit more about Veggie U, which takes the gardening experience into public school classrooms around the country by setting them up with the start of a fully functional garden (including composting materials). Veggie U. thus tries to bridge the knowledge and experience gap for school children who are otherwise part of the national disconnect between human beings and the food we eat.  I cannot imagine a more worthy cause for people passionate about food.

The next Dinner in the Dark is scheduled for November 15, 2010 at Verve. I do not know the chef lineup or the charity to benefit yet - but reservations are highly recommended.