Fun Playing With Food at Light Bistro

I was waaayyy overdue for a visit to Light Bistro - one of Cleveland's most innovative restaurants. Thankfully, we solved that "overdue" problem last Friday, and enjoyed a lovely meal with friends.

Chef Matt Mathlage's menu has undergone a lot of changes since I last dined at Light. These changes address the economic times in which we find ourselves, by offering several very different dining options at a variety of price points. This had to have been difficult to balance, as Chef Matthlage is committed to using local and sustainable products, which have to drive his costs up. So, in addition to the tapas and entrees always found at Light, Matt is also serving pizza, panini and burgers at price points from $9-16, and a bar menu of hearty snacks ranging from $5-8.

An even better deal is the Happy Hour, from 4:40-7pm, Monday-Friday. All Bar Menu food items are $5.00 each, 5 domestic beers are $5.00, 5 specialty beers are $7.50 , single specialty beers are $2.00-3.00, selected glasses of wine are $5.00, and a selected bottle of wine is $10.00. Selected specialty cocktails are $3.00. We started at the bar, around 6:30pm, waiting for everyone to arrive. I ordered the happy hour bottle, which was a Malbec (and the dark print didn't photograph well enough for me to tell you what it was) - Malbec being the magic word for me!

Once everyone arrived and we were seated, the table was set with filtered water (which, IMHO, every good restaurant should have) and bread service.



The bread comes hot from the oven.



It is served with fabulous Lake Erie Creamery butter, at a creamy, spreadable temperature.





Yum!

We decided to split a pizza and two "traditional" tapas. First up - a tapas:


Chinese Street Chicken / Miso / Sesame / Green Onion

This dish was presented in a Chinese food take-out container.



Although it was succulent and tasty - we didn't get much of miso or sesame flavor.


Chicken Liver Pate / Crostini / Ohio Apple



This was packed with flavor and texture - the apples contrasted perfectly with the creamy pate, which wasn't at all "livery" (butter will do that).

I confess that I wasn't expecting too much from the pizza - as readers of this blog know, I freely admit to having very strong preferences in that department, which few Cleveland restaurants have sated; and pizza wasn't an original part of the Light repertoire. But I should have known to not worry.


Pizza Albondigas - Lamb Meatballs / Tomato Sauce / Mozzarella / Provolone



This thin-crust pizza, baked in Light's bread oven, was excellent. The crust had crunch and chew (though not char), but was still effervescently tender. The toppings were outstanding - the lamb meatball was a few flavor notches over the usual beef or pork meatball one can get on pizza (if one can get meatball on pizza in Cleveland!), and the sauce and cheese brought it all together.

Truthfully, I was almost full after the appetizers! But there was one entree item I wanted, no I needed, to try. The last time I'd dined at Light, one of my dining companions, who is a chef, noted that Light had ostrich on the menu, and he told me that I must try it. Unfortunately, the last order of ostrich available that night was ordered at another table moments before we ordered. Even worse - the diner who received the lucky plate was right in eyeshot! After being tortured watching him enjoy his dinner - I promised myself that the next time I dined at Light - ostrich would be mine!

But first, my dining companions, who all generously shared a taste:


Truffle and Ricotta Ravioli / Sauteed Mushrooms / Balsamic / Parsley Oil

My taste of the ravioli (I passed on the mushrooms, surprise) was lovely. Light pasta, fresh cheesy filling, and a tasty sauce combo.


Caramelized Scallops / Fennel / Red Onion / Orange Salad / Tarragon Sauce

My taste of this dish was the only "miss", for me, of the evening - though the person who ordered it enjoyed it very much. Again, accept that I have a very fussy seafood palate - what is important is that the diner who selected this dish really liked it.


Pork chop / Polenta / Pickled Onions / Champagne Mustard

This dish rocked - a huge portion of Berkshire pork, perfectly cooked, the loin atop a kiss of mustard, the bone standing aside a mug of very tasty polenta.





Grilled Ostrich / Asian Glaze / Spinach with Pine Nuts and Raisins



I'd never tasted ostrich before. And, at the risk of channeling Emeril Lagasse - it tasted like, well, ostrich. The texture reminded me of bison, and the flavor had notes of bison, poultry and just a hint of gaminess - but the overall effect was unique to my palate - most delicious. The Asian-inspired glaze was minimal - a veritable whisper on the dish - and it added just the right amount of "extra" flavor and texture, together with the raisins, which seemed made to accompany ostrich.

So - shame on me for taking so long between visits to Light Bistro. Chef Matt is having a slightly different brand of fun than he started with at Light - a little less emphasis on molecular gastronomy (which I enjoyed, but which might have been a hard sell in Ohio City) and a little more traditional, but nevertheless diverse menu, with something for everyone, at multiple price points. Bottom line is that the food and drink were outstanding, as was our server (also named Matt). We had a large time playing with our food at Light Bistro!

NY Roadtrip Postscript-Fun Playing with Freezer

When last I posted (some two weeks ago), I promised a posting on our Sichuan dinner in New Jersey during our August trip to NY. Since so much time has passed, however, and so many new photos are accumulating, I'm going to hold the Chengdu 1 photos for now.

Our reason for driving to NY the last two trips was to secure a full sized, frost-free freezer from the basement of my parents' house. They acquired the freezer sometime around 1974, to hold the food for my sister's backyard Bat Mitzvah party. My mom anticipated additional entertaining when she bought the freezer. However, so far as I know, it was only used one more time, for my Bat Mitzvah party three years later. Mom got sick with MS and stopped entertaining, and the freezer sat empty, unused, and unloved in the basement, though in perfect condition.

I've wanted it for years - and this summer, we made it a reality.

It took two trips to get the whole thing back to Cleveland in my Ford Edge - first the body, then the door.



But it was well worth it - especially with half a Breychak Berkshire Hog and half a Breychak Dorper Lamb due in shortly!



Half a hog (or most of it; we've eaten some bacon and sausage so far).





And cleaned garden tomatoes on top - for winter sauce and chili making.

Thanks Mom and Dad - without this freezer, we wouldn't be having this much fun with our wonderful locally raised meats!

Fun Playing With Berkshire Pork From Mister Brisket

My mother made the occasional pork chop when I was growing up - but none of us kids liked them and we basically refused to eat them. They were dry, tough and with a taste we just couldn't learn to like. Though these came from a butcher shop and not the supermarket, I suspect they were 1970s-on factory farmed pork. To this day, the only pork chop dish I've ever liked enough to eat was Dominic Cerino's Berkshire Pork. Still, in recent years, under the tutelage of Dominic, and Chefs Michael Symon and Matt Harlan, I've learned to appreciate the pig enough to try any good quality meat. Which leads me to the instant question:

How did a nice Jewish boy like Sanford Herskovitz learn to pick his pork so well?

Bob called Mister Brisket to order some meats for our weekend. After speaking with Sanford's adjutant, Hank, on Wednesday, a delivery of casing hotdogs and Berkshire pork chops was arranged. Specifically, Bob ordered eight 6-ounce chops. By the time the delivery arrived on Thursday, however, Bob learned that he'd been overruled - the package contained four 12-ounce chops. And how sweet they were, seasoned only with kosher salt and telicherry pepper:











Bob is really learning how to use the Weber (after a lifetime of gas) - it was grilled to caramelized crustiness on the outside and medium-rare inside. The BEST pork chop I've ever tasted!





Bob and I sighed with delight through every bite (we shared the one chop). This delectable meat was accompanied by locally grown salad greens, and goodies from our garden, which will be the subject of another post. Playing with pork chops was never so good!

Even More Fun Playing With Birthday Treats!

Ok, I promise to stop belaboring this birthday thing. But for me, it is the one day of the year where I refuse to allow myself any guilt or denial about food. It is a day to play with my food with abandon (sometimes, more than one day, as happened this year).

Several weeks ago, I had decided to try to score the Chef's Table at Lola for my birthday dinner. I was so happy to succeed - it can be a tough ticket to get on a Friday night. The down side of this is that there are only six seats. The up side of this, however, is a steak-eyed view of the kitchen (complete with sound and heat), which, if you are as much of a food junkie as I am, is almost as much fun as eating the food. I decided the solution to the limited seating would be to adjourn to the Velvet Tango Room for cocktails after dinner, and to invite others to join us there.

We arrived on East Fourth Street around 5:40pm (the Chef's Table books at 6pm and 9pm) and stepped out into the beautiful sunshine. We met our friend Edsel on the street, and together marveled at how alive East Fourth has become. Most of the restaurants were either open to the outdoors, or had a patio (including, by the way, Lola), and people were walking, sitting, eating, drinking and just generally having a great time. This is just the kind of "shot in the arm" downtown Cleveland really needed, and it was great to experience it!

We took our seats at the Lola Chef Table and awaited our remaining dining companions. Edsel and I decided to try the Pomegranite-Fig "Martini" and Bob opted for an Erdinger Weissbock.



While the drink was very tasty, it was a little sweet. Remembering how warm it can get at this table, I decided to have one of these beers as well - it is a big, malty, refreshing brew.

By now, you have no doubt noticed the only remaining downside of dining at the Lola Chef's Table - the profusion of red colors and the intense yellow of the table surface play heck with point-and-shoot photography. So - work with me.


The Line Keeps the Food Moving

Even when Michael Symon is not in the house (as was the case last night), his crew flawlessly executes his vision and turns out consistent, amazing food. We wondered where Executive Chef Derek Clayton might be - and we were told he was "busting suds" because a dishwasher had called off. That's the way this business goes - one minute you're on "Iron Chef" - the next minute, you're in the dishroom because it needs done.

Derek did emerge and take his place at the pass before we got too far along. We decided to start our eating by sharing two plates of the daily Charcuterie (each plate is enough for 2-3 people). We put that order in and pondered appetizers.

Before the Charcuterie, however, we were asked to be test subjects for a "dish in progress." Experiment on me, Professor Clayton, please!


Apricot-Glazed Fried Pork Belly Over Sliced Mango with Salad of Greens, Radish, Jicama and Lime

Slow cooked Berkshire pork belly was deep-fried in pork fat, then plated with the goodies listed. We told Derek that they need to get this onto the menu!





Oh, yes - we'd ordered Charcuterie, hadn't we?






Venison salami, duck prosciutto, bresaola, duck rillette, and a very rich sausage (we're all blanking on the name of that one), Pickled Ramps, Mini-Pickles, Brioche Toast and Stone Ground Mustard


Ramps and Brioche


Mustard


Venison Salami


Duck Rillette


I think this was the "mystery meat" - it melted in the mouth!


Duck Prosciutto

This was my favorite. I think. It was so hard to choose!


My Plate

Chef Derek suggested spreading a bit of Rillette on the toast, then adding a little mustard. It was heavenly. And, let the record reflect that not only did I taste the mini-pickle - I - for the first time in my life - liked it! I liked it so much that I ate another! A miracle at the Chef's table of Lola!





We now turned to ordering our appetizers and mains. But Chef Derek was not through experimenting with us yet. Oh no - not by a long shot. You know that birthday phrase about "a pinch to grow an inch?" Well, Chef Derek fed us a taste of something guaranteed to add an inch - but it tasted so good that none of us cared!

Crispy Beef Marrow

Let me say that again - crispy beef marrow. As in melt-in-your-mouth, rich, fried, plate-licking-good! Chef said they serve this delicacy with the Ribeye Steak - so it is on the menu if you want to try it. We told him - this deserves to be its own dish!









Accompanying the marrow nuggets was a selection of flat-leaf parsley, pickled onions, lemon wedges, pesto and coarse sea salt, for each diner to finish each bite to taste.


Deconstructed


Reconstructed



Um, well, yes, we did actually order appetizers. Thankfully, Bob and I decided to share one instead of ordering one for each of us.


Fresh Berkshire Bacon, Cornbread, Coleslaw, BBQ

While this was the same cut of meat Chef Derek had served to us earlier - this was a completely different treatment of it. Bob was amazed at the fluffy texture of the cornbread, and the zippy sauce and cool slaw complimented the meat perfectly.




Crispy Sweetbreads, Leeks, Blue Cheese, Mushrooms

Truth be told - I can take sweetbreads or leave them. Most of the time. My taste of this treatment was nothing short of dazzling. The combination of the pristine quality of the meat and the skilled preparation left me wanting more!



One person at the table got Oysters Mignonette, which I did not get a photo of. She was very happy with them.

Appetizers over - time for mains!


Beef Hanger Steak, Pickle Sauce, Chilies

Bob's plate of beef was served with Lola Fries (which I didn't get a photo of this time). It was perfectly medium-rare and delicious. Bob's leftovers from this dish made a breakfast of Steak and Eggs and Potatoes for BOTH of us this morning.


Beef Shortrib, Root Vegetables, Mushrooms, Gremolata

My taste of this dish paid off the highest for texture/flavor - probably because of the sous vide preparation. The veggies included fingerling potatoes and baby turnips.


Alaskan King Salmon Filet, Tomato, Avocado, Cucumber, Radish

Bet you thought this was mine! Well, you'd be wrong! As much as I love fresh fish, and as much as I trust Lola with it (and Lola is one of the few Cleveland places I do trust with it) - I didn't come out to Michael Symon's restaurant on my birthday to eat fish! However, my taste of this confirmed what I just said about trusting Lola - it was fabulous. But what I had was better!


Lamb Loin Chops, Merguez, Cous Cous, Fava Beans

This entree was perfection on a plate. Two simply prepared loins of Colorado lamb, accompanied by a tender, house made lamb (with a bit of pork fat) sausage patty (merguez), toothsome Israeli Cous Cous, fresh fava beans and a gentle jus that did nothing to upstage the marvelous flavors.



Lola did indeed make my special day, well, special. But, they were not finished yet!

Pastry Chef Cory Barrett dropped over to say hello. He suggested that he send up a selection of desserts, since we were missing his new dessert menu debut by one day, and of course we said "yes!" Chef Cory had some wonderful news for us. Not only is he engaged to the engaging Kerry, but he and his soon-to-be have a new business venture in the pipeline. Now, don't panic - Cory is NOT leaving the Symon empire. What the Barretts will be adding, however, is a new pastry shop to be located at Eton. Hmmm - Sushi for lunch then pastry for dessert - this could be something really special! The new place will, among other things, furnish desserts to Lola and Lolita, and they hope to have it open before the end of the year. We wish them much success!

After our chat, and a little time to digest, the following desserts appeared:






Starting from the left: Zucchini cake topped with vanilla ice cream and a cherry, "Tropical Drink" - a summery, piña colada-like concoction with sorbet and the flavors of coconut and pineapple. Last, and most unusual, bleu cheese and mango with caramel sauce and plump berries. Jeff, our server, suggested that we start with the Bleu Cheese.



This is the second time in two weeks I genuinely liked, make that loved, a serving of Bleu Cheese. This experience (and the pickles I enjoyed earlier) demonstrate the potential benefits to be gleaned when one is willing to try everything - even if you didn't like it last time you tried it. You never know. And who'd have thunk of combining caramel with Bleu Cheese? And mango. Cory. And it works.





The other two items were creamy and satisfying.



The zucchini cake was perfectly tender and moist (and a great play on the "local and sustainable" theme, as there is already an abundance of local zucchini around here), and cherries are peaking about now. And how can you not love house-made ice cream?





I ate this one last - it made the least impression, but we'd been drinking sauternes with this course, and it was getting late . . . I know I really liked it and that there were NO dessert leftovers at our table.



How can you not love a dessert with a cheesy cocktail umbrella sticking out of it?

And so, after saying good night to our gracious hosts and prying ourselves away from the Chef's Table, we finished the evening at the Velvet Tango Room, with more company and amazing cocktails. I watched some of the Progressive Field fireworks from the back room while sipping a Dark and Stormy. Life just doesn't get any better than that.

The calendar having advanced to 12 July, it is time for me to stop playing with birthday food for 2008. Well, I've still got leftover Birthday Cake in the fridge . . . that could be fun . . . . .