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 Sunday Supper at Crop

I am ashamed to admit how long it has been since I first dined at Crop Bistro in Cleveland's Warehouse District. Owner Steve Schimoler is passionate about his food, and one of the most playfully creative Chefs I know. He and his wife Jackie are the forces behind Cleveland Food Rocks and localcrop.com, "an online farmers market linking Northeast Ohio's small farmers and producers with local chefs. In an innovative and timely twist, the market is "powered" by SYSCO, whose refrigerated trucks delivery the goods to local restaurants over already-established routes, thereby conserving fuel and maximizing efficiency. " We were determined to get our friend Kris to Crop before she had to leave for Japan.

Six of us assembled at Crop for the unique Sunday Supper. It was close to perfect, and an amazing bargain at $25 per person. We started with not one, but two amuses:


Chile Deviled Eggs with Crisp Pork

What combination could be better than a deviled egg topped with crispy bacon! And dusted with a satisfyingly hot bit of chile pepper. As per usual, Chef Schimoler encouraged us to play with this food by taking the egg with fingers and dredging it in the sauces decorating the plate. Yum.










Crop-pacho

Fresh tomatoes were the star of this chilled soup. Truthfully, I'm not a big fan of Gazpacho - but this dish wowed; we all practically licked our bowls.



The cheesy crouton was a perfect foil for the acidic tomatoes, and the cilantro was garden-fresh.


Bread Service

Freshly baked cornbread was the next table guest, accompanied by a softened compound butter.

Salad came next, served family style:





Watermelon, tomatoes, and two varieties of beets, together with assorted lettuces, were the base of the salad. There were also cubes of an extremely mild Swiss cheese, cucumbers, and a bacon topping. The dressing was a simple balsamic vinaigrette - simply delicious. Even though this was the first official course - the six of us could not finish it.



This intermezzo followed the salad course:


Crop-Sickle - Lime and Honey



I'm not really into frozen - I thought I'd clean my palate with a few licks, then return this to the glass. Wrong! I ate the whole thing - simple but delicious, and refreshing to the palate.

We had our choice of six entrees for the next course. Chef Steve explained that Crop had hosted a "Julie and Julia" dinner the night before, and so had magnificent Massachusetts Sole in the house. Sold.


Herb Crusted Baked Sole With Citrus Cream



Chef Steve applied the cream from a seltzer bottle at the table. This dish was simply perfect. Though I thought I tasted something nutty in the crust, Chef said that it was a simple combination of fresh herbs and bread crumbs. The Citrus Cream complimented the mild fish - there was none of either left on my plate!


Seared Hiramasa (Amberjack) and Scallops

Two of our tablemates sampled this delicious dish, with Olive Tapanade and Salsa Verde. Chef Steve said the Citrus Cream would go well with this dish also, and allowed our tablemates to help themselves to his siphon.






Grilled Hangar Steak with Chimichurri

Two tablemates opted for this dish - and my taste was heavenly. The meat was perfectly cooked to medium-rare, and the sauces on the plate truly enhanced that which was already pretty darn tasty. Our remaining dining companion had the Tasmanian Salmon wtih Coconut Curry and pronounced it delicious.

Side dishes were Chef's Choice and served family style:


Cool Bean Salad


Grilled Ohio Corn


Plucot in Pastry, Unsweetened House Made Whipped Cream

I just learned about Plucot at the Geauga Farmers' Market on Saturday (Herbthyme had some Plucot Jam), but it didn't stick to my brain that it was a specific fruit until this dessert was served.



The fruit was slightly cooked, but still firm to the bite. The pastry added a desserty feel to the lovely fruit, and the cream was perfect with it - picking up the sweetness from the fruit without added sugar of its own.

Sunday Supper at Crop is even more of a "play with your food" experience than the regular menu - while I'm sure that Chef Steve would love to have his Sunday off - we could see how much he loves finding creative ways to utilize his bounty, and to show off ideas in process. We were so glad to finally play with Sunday Supper at Crop!


 

Fun Playing with the Creative Food of Steve Schimoler at Crop Bistro

Steve Schimoler is my kinda chef. Turns out, he grew up just down the road from where I grew up on the North Shore of Long Island (NY), and started playing with food by the age of 23. In addition to opening restaurants and a bakery, he got into food science and has a number of culinary creations to his credit. But more than anything else - he loves to play with his food, and it shows.

Eleven members of the Cleveland Food & Wine Forum enjoyed the fabulous hospitality of Chef Schimoler, Chef de Cuisine Tom Moran, and an attentive and friendly staff of servers last night. The dinner was set up as a tasting, with each diner chosing a starter and entree from the menu in addition to several tasting courses and shared desserts.

As we entered the space, I was impressed with the Manhattan feeling of the decor, and I loved the huge photographs of fruits and vegetables adorning the walls. Even the pillars were decorated with images of produce.

Our first taste from the kitchen was the Warm Pac Rim Popcorn:





The popcorn was tossed with citrus and Asian flavors, accompanied by slivered onions and peppers, and drizzled with spicy flavors.


Picnic Deviled Egg & Oven Dried Prosciutto

The deviled egg was heavenly - I don't know what they mixed with the yolk, but it was lip-smackingly delicious. Chef Schimoler encouraged us to eat this with our fingers, and to dip the egg in the beet reduction on the plate - and I not only used the egg for this purpose, but the cornbread which came to the table as we were eating this course.






Maple-Honey Butter (I think)

I'm sure about the maple, and less sure about the sugar (might have been brown sugar) - but whatever it was, it was perfect texture, taste and consistency to accompany the bread service.


House Made Cornbread




Ahi Tuna Sashimi over Watermelon with Two Flavors

This course more than amply illustrates the photographic challenges to my limited skills presented by this dinner. The dim yellow light made some things hard to capture - my apologies for not doing this dish full justice. There was a delicious glaze with soy and something else under the melon/fish combo, but I don't remember exactly what it was.






Lobster Latte

As this course came out, Chef Schimoler explained that he deliberately designs his menu so that the diner needs more information, and has to question the server - you play with your food even before you order it! I was afraid from the menu that this dish, with "latte" in the name, would be coffee - but it wasn't. It was a little cup of heaven! A light-as-a feather lobster bisque, containing chunks of perfectly cooked lobster and topped with foamed 2% milk and incredibly aromatic spices.




The Big Mac

Instead of 2 all beef patties - how about 2 seared Homer Wharf Scallop "patties" enveloping a slab of seared foie gras, over a polenta cake and a savory, mushroomy reduction (yes - I did give the actual mushrooms to Bob - but I loved the flavor they imparted to the sauce).





After we enjoyed these treats, Pastry Chef Olena Gudz visited the table to present her intermezzo:




Lemon-Lime Shaved Ice with Lemongrass and, I think, Mint

The perfect palate cleanser. Now, the appetizers appeared.


Crisped Pork Belly with Sweet Onion Caramel Glaze & Corn Demi

This was my choice - and it was the only plate I tasted the whole evening that missed the mark (and considering how many plates I tasted - that is actually, I hope, a compliment). The pork was dry and tough. However, others at the table who also ordered this dish complimented it very highly, so perhaps it was just this serving that wasn't perfect. Not to worry - there were lots of other great flavors and textures to come!




Cherry Bomb

Bob's appetizer was the polar opposite of mine. Brilliantly conceived and perfectly executed, a huge, luscious tomato was stuffed with a mixture of chorizo, bread crumb and cheese. It was then bathed in a light, tempura-style batter and fried. The Bomb was plated over fabulous cheesey-creamy corn, and surrounded with a sweet pepper coulis and an olive oil drizzle. Yum.






Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras with Stone Fruit

I did not taste this one, but those that ordered it cleaned their plates - and given how good my "big mac" taste of the foie had been, I was not surprised.

One person ordered the Roasted Beet salad, and one person got the Stuffed Figs with Gorgonzola, Walnuts, Prosciutto & Rosemary. I didn't get photographs, but trust me, they looked delicious and the plates were all empty by the time they left the table.

After a short lull - out came the entrees. Bob again picked the winner.


Chicken Fried Duck with Aged Cheddar Grits & Smoky Black Beans

This plate went above and beyond. A tender, tasty duck breast was skinned - and the skin and top fat were rendered into a crisp. The crisp perched gloriously atop the cornbreaded-and-fried breast meat. I loved the cheddary grits, but the spicy, smoky beans were to die for!


Fish Special of the Day

Pan seared Black Striped Bass Filet, Tomatoes, Olives.


Seared Lamb Loin with "Beans Nicoise", Herb Vinaigrette & Fingerling Frites

My taste of this was wonderful, though I'd have liked the meat a little more tender, and a more developed crust.


Big Pile of Crop Pasta

This was my dinner choice (and I actually ate most of it for breakfast this morning, because I was almost full by the time this was served). It was simply amazing - the essence of playing with food! Neither the server's description, nor that of Chef Schimoler, really expressed the explosion of flavor that emanated from this plate. Housemade pasta was stuffed with a mousse-like concoction of veal and beef (and, I think, cheese) and herbs. The meaty filling melted in the mouth. The pasta rounds were plated over perfectly micro-diced fresh carrots (Thomas Keller, call your answering service), fresh garden peas, and most amazing this early summer time of year - fresh sweet corn kernels. Topped with fresh grated cheese and greens, the dish was brought together by a light, but incredibly tasty sauce. It was like Beef Stew deconstructed, then reconstructed with pasta instead of potato and smooth meat mousse instead of beef chunks. Brilliant!


View of the pasta filling

As it happens, only I ordered the pasta dish - everyone else either got the duck, the lamb or the fish for their entree. So - on to Chef Gudz's desserts.

By this time in the evening, after almost three hours of eating, it was hard to move fast enough to keep up with the servers dropping dessert plates across the table. It was harder to take quick pictures and listen to the descriptions of the desserts. So, work with me!


Some Like It Hot

Warm Flourless Chocolate Cake, Mentholated Habanero Ice Cream, Mango-Lime Coulis, Citrus Tuile. I loved this - hot and cold and chocolate and citrus at the same time.


Southern Culture

7up Cake, Creme Fraiche Panna Cotta, Grapefruit Marmalade, Citrus Meringue. This was my second-favorite.


Backyard Soiree

Rhubarb Buckle, Stawberry Basil Ice Cream, Basil Gastrique, Basil Syrup, Rhubarb Crisps.


Pretzel Un-logic

Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Pie, Pretzel Tuile, Malted Milk. Wait - this was my second favorite. Or was it my first favorite? I don't even eat desserts!



I took a second photo - must be my favorite.


Flavored Shaved Ice with Fruit

I totally missed the description of this one - but it was cool and very refreshing on the palate after all of the spice, chocolate and pastry.


Derby Shortcake

Vanilla Pound Cake, Mint Julep Ice Cream, Sweet Peach Chutney, Pralines, Bourbon Elixir. I give up playing favorites - it was all superb! I'm so glad we played with these (as in, passed them around and dug a spoon in each), so everyone got to taste them all, and no one had to try to finish any whole serving.

After all of this wonderful food - how could there be more? A little parfait to end the meal:



I did not get a description, but it was cool, fairly neutral, and a perfect way to batten down the tummy after a food assault such as we experienced this night.



Cleveland is fortunate that Chef Schimoler has decided to sink his roots here. His whimsy, humor, commitment to quality ingredients, and ingenuity mean that a dinner at Crop will tickle your senses and please your palate. And, you get to play with your food!