More Fun Playing With Food In Virginia Beach

We played with mostly easy to prepare food in the rental house our first few days in Virginia Beach this year. Several attendees prepared some things in advance (or brought easy to fix eats, like a big spiral sliced ham and Hungarian Kielbasa from Cleveland's West Side Market), such that I didn't take as many pictures as usual. Sorry I didn't get Donna's Corn Chowder, Didi's Homemade Boursin, or Garner's delicious Turkey Stew. Garner also made pancakes for a breakfast, and between 2 stratas, Pork Chop Shop Christmas Ale Bacon & Eggs and pancakes - we wound up only having cheesy baked rice for breakfast once. 

Twice, we were treated to Donna's Maple Sausage Strata, which we discovered was even more delicious drizzled with real Maple Syrup. 

The most exciting culinary discovery of the trip (well, in my mind it was tied with the Peter Chang dumplings shown below, but that's just me) was a version of Wild Rice Burgers adapted by Chef Tom and his vegetarian wife Rosemary from a vegetarian offering at Duluth Grill. Not only did they send us the recipe, they sent us a box of ingredients so we could make them!

Table is set for our last dinner with everyone in attendance

Raw burgers

Baked burgers

Served on Potato Rolls

Finished with ketchup and mayo, Didi's Boursin, or cheddar

I'm usually not a big fan of veggie burgers. Most have either mushroom, which I don't care for, or beans, which I like, but not in a burger form. The base for this one was Wild Rice, which provided both intense flavor and sturdy but not too toothy texture, TVP, Mayo, Cheese, Panko and a few other ingredients and assertive seasonings - and gosh darn if it didn't almost have the mouth feel of a real burger, with savory flavor to boot! 

After five days of "eating in," I became concerned that I wouldn't get my Peter Chang fix, so Bob and I headed out alone for Dim Sum even though there were still Rice Burgers left in the fridge. It was beautiful, ordered off of menus (photos of some of the menu pages are in my Flickr set of photos from this trip, because their website has only a truncated electronic menu). 

 Cilantro Flounder Fish Rolls  from "Snack & Cold Appetizer" menu page.

Fresh, fresh fish, fried to a hot and succulent crisp!

Spicy Dipping Sauce

Pork Belly w/Garlic Sauce - from the "Cold Appetizers" section of the Dim Sum Menu

This was actually served warm - not hot or cold. Though we slightly preferred the pork belly dish we had last year at Peter Chang, this dish was most worthy, if a bit spicy.

Sticky Rice Shaumai from the "Dim Sum" Section of the Dim Sum Menu

I love these; it was one of the first Dim Sums I learned to make and you rarely see them in restaurants. 

And finally, the culinary highlight of our trip (perhaps tied with those Wild Rice Burgers):

 Xiao Long Bao ("Soup Dumplings" or "Juicy Buns") called "Steamed Soup Buns" on the "Snack & Cold Appetizers" menu page. 

Oh, have we missed Xiao Long Bao since C&Y Restaurant in Cleveland closed!

The delicate dough was just strong enough to hold together through the eating process. Piping hot soup and tender pork rewarded the patience needed to work the dumpling onto a spoon, nibble a little hole in the wrapper, and slurp. 

Our last full day, we managed to herd all of the cats, um, guests in the house to go out together! We started with an afternoon showing of the new Star Wars movie, then headed across the parking lot from the theater to the rather new place called The Whiskey Kitchen, which describes itself as "Locally Brewed/Grown/Owned." Despite a couple of miscues, we shared a lovely meal and I'd be willing to give them another try.

She Crab Soup

I really enjoyed this creamy, crabby bowl of warmth. 

"Distilled Burger" with lettuce, tomato, red onion, cheddar, served on Brioche with fries.

Bob's burger was cooked a little past medium, but tasted good. 

And here is where the kerfluffle came in. The server had described the "Fresh Catch" of the day as fried Rockfish over Cajun Rice. It turned out that either she misspoke or the kitchen changed it up - whichever it was, the plate below was dropped first, with a comment that the fish "was coming."

Cajun Rice Topped with Fried Rock Shrimp

This plate came next (both to me, and to Margaret, who'd ordered the same thing):

"Street Taco" flavored Rockfish

The server dropped this without explanation beyond "here's your Rockfish". After Margaret decanted hers onto her plate of vegetables (which she'd gotten as a substitute for the spicy rice), I decided to do the same. Except the "street taco" seasoning on the fish did NOT go at all with the aggressively seasoned Cajun Rice. I asked the waitress what was up, and she explained that since she'd promised us Rockfish, but the actual special was the Shrimp, she wanted us to also have some of the fish. I scratched my head, wondering why she hadn't simply explained the mistake on the special before dropping it, and offered the diner the option of choosing something else. That Rockfish was fantastic (I did eat the fish, though most of the shrimp and rice were leftover and I didn't take them), and I would have happily ordered the tacos, or whatever else, to have that beautiful fish for my dinner! The server made it right, though, by taking my entree off the check, at her own initiative. No harm done. 

For our last meal together before hitting the road, we again assembled at the perfectly-located, food service pack driven Margie & Ray's. The ice tea tasted much fresher than I remembered it from previous years, so that was a good start. Service was exceptional from start to finish. 

Bob's Bacon Omelet with Grits

Yes, Margie and Ray remain full of culinary shortcuts: liquid egg product for the omelet, cheap food service breads, and pseudo-butter instead of real butter. But this was not a bad plate and Bob cleaned it. 

Margie’s Platter. Country Fried Steak with white gravy and 2 eggs served any style (over easy), grits, toast.

Having learned to avoid eggs here unless they are poached or fried, I did much better than I had in previous years. The eggs were perfectly cooked, and the runny yolks perked up the otherwise bland grits (which at least did not have the texture of instant grits, as in the past). Even if that steak patty came out of a package, it was cooked well and was therefore crispy and enjoyable. 

And so, we headed back to the frigid climes of Cleveland, fortified by a long week of playing with fun food and great friends.

Fun Playing With Food in Richmond, Virginia

The Christmas-New Year's break brought us once again to Virginia Beach, VA with a house-full of friends. Our route took us first to the northern Richmond suburb of Glen Allen, then Richmond proper for breakfast, then on to Virginia Beach.

We managed to get ourselves to the Richmond metropolitan area in time for a late dinner. Didn't matter what time it was, Mill on MacArthur was jammed! Luckily, there was one deuce open; larger parties were waiting up to 30 minutes for a table! Though the bar looked both fun and funky, with craft beer and tempting wine selections, so not a bad place to wait.  

Bob's: the mill burger.

Single-source grass fed VA black Angus ground beef char-grilled & topped with sautéed mushrooms, crisp bacon, melted cheddar, lettuce & tomato on a toasted Kaiser roll, with house made fries (the diner also has other side choices, at up charges of $1 or $2 each). We were both very happy with the house-made fries, which were in the $1 up charge category.

Nancy's: oyster po boy.

Hand-breaded & fried VA farmed Rappahannock River Oysters with VA country ham, lettuce, tomato on a warm baguette finished with a Cajun remoulade, with house made fries. The combination of briny oysters with salty ham made the sandwich a little too salty for my palate. But fresh seafood always makes me happy and this sandwich did!

Vegetable of the Day

Side order of fresh green beans sauteed with garlic, to share. Yummy.

After getting a good night's sleep and checking out of our hotel in Glen Allen, we first headed for a "must try" recommendation: Early Bird Biscuit. Once we found it, we unfortunately discovered that it was take-out only. With rain and gloom all around us, and having already checked out of the hotel, we reluctantly decided to go someplace else, since we didn't feel like eating in the car.

This turned out to be a great decision, because it led us to Saison Market on Adams street near downtown Richmond. Saison sells beer, wines, and coffee and tea beverages, to eat in or to go, and offers an eclectic "made from scratch" menu from 9am to midnight (not be confused with the affiliated Saison restaurant on the corner of Adams and Marshall, which serves dinner and drinks after 5pm). We started out with hot coffee for Bob and a beautiful fresh-brewed ice tea for me. Though everything is "counter service" the staff brought our plates to our table and were friendly and welcoming. 

Bob's: C A R N I T A S   S O P E S    C O N    H U E V O S

Bob's plate consisted of house-made Masa Cakes topped with Carnitas, Salsa Verde, and Sunny Side Up Eggs. My taste was a little spicy, but definitely enjoyable. The eggs on both plates were simply gorgeous. 

Mine: “ F A N C Y ”   C H I C K E N    B I S C U I T

I can count on one hand how many times a year I order chicken in a restaurant. But the description of this dish just hooked me: Nashville-style Fried Chicken Breast, House made Sausage Gravy, Sunny Side Up Egg, Biscuit. The flavors reeled me in.

 Here's another angle on the Chicken Biscuit; you can actually see the chicken in this one.

The chicken was also to the spicier side (though more of a Frank's Hot Sauce than the Mexican flavors on Bob's plate), but I'd have licked the plate any way! Tender yet crispy fried chicken, runny egg yolk, beautiful sausage gravy all over a light and flaky biscuit. 

As I rose from the table, I found myself staring at the sherry display. Looking right back at me, begging to be taken from the shelf, was a bottle of my favorite sherry, Pedro Ximénez. Yes, I answered the call.

Rested and fortified after our long drive from Cleveland, happy to to have played with such delicious food in Richmond, we headed off to Virginia Beach!

More Fun Playing With Food at Grove Hill

It is unusual for me to post a second piece on a restaurant so soon after the first, but we had so much fun playing at Grove Hill in Chagrin Falls the other night that I have to share! Tim Bando's raw gem of a restaurant, which was less than two weeks old at our first visit, continues to refine itself into a jewel, and our experience reflected that. Their website is now fully functional, and walking into the restaurant, with a reservation this time, I noticed that the roses had disappeared from the front window bar seating area. Whereas the first time a few items were unevenly seasoned, all of the flavors Thursday night were spot on. And the best part is that Chef Bando spent a lot of years on Long Island's East End, and he knows fish and seafood, as demonstrated by some of our selections on both visits. 

Butter, Roasted Garlic, House Made Bean Dip

On our first visit, the roasted garlic was a little under-cooked; this version was soft and spreadable. The seasoning on the bean dip was completely balanced, and the butter creamy.

Our friend dove into the raw bar and had oysters for his appetizer. I didn't photograph them because I didn't eat them, but he assured me that they were superb; here's a link to his photo of his oysters. Our friend was impressed with the selection available, the product he ate, and the sauces that accompanied them. 

SMOKED SAUSAGE, pickled vegetables, grain mustard, crusty bread

Bob's appetizer was big enough to be an entree! Two large, crispy on the outside pieces of smoked sausage were accompanied by crunchy vegetables that lent acidic lightness to the rich meat. Chef Bando stopped by to chat with us, and said that this kielbasa-like sausage is made for him by Blue Ribbon Meats, a quality Cleveland purveyor that also makes the Bratwurst served at Michael Symon's B Spot restaurants. 

VEAL SWEETBREADS MILANESE, marinated heirloom tomatoes

The best sweatbreads ever! The meat melted in the mouth, the breading adding a nice crunch. Again, a light acidic accompaniment, the tomato salad, helped to cut and compliment the creamy richness of the sweatbreads and the aïoli topped it off perfectly. 

GROVE HILL BURGER, lettuce, tomato, half-sour pickle, cheese, fries

Bob chose the burger. It was cooked to medium as he specified, and the cheddar was nicely melted. This was a perfectly serviceable burger and well suited to the fussy eater in your party, if you  have one (you know, the one who said "eww" when you explained what sweatbreads are). 

SPAGHETTI BOLOGNESE AMERICANO, parmesan, basil

Our friend made this dish his entree. My bite was a delicious combination of meat, tomato and pasta. Not sure why it's called "Americano," but that will give me an excuse to order it on a future visit. 

LINGUINI, jumbo lump crab, garlic, calabrian chile, lemon oil, parsley

I hit the jackpot with this choice. The lump crab tasted of sweet freshness from the sea, with no off flavors or smells as is often the case with Cleveland seafood. The chile was applied with care so it did not overwhelm the delicate crabmeat, and the prominence of lemon oil again showed off Chef Bando's skill with mating acid to rich ingredients to get the best of both. 

Even with leftovers to box up, we were all too full for dessert, which is a shame because they sounded delicious! Grove Hill has an in-house pastry chef making them, so next time, we will save room.

Chef Bando said the menu would be changing very soon (he says he has a short attention span), and even better, that Grove Hill would begin serving brunch on Saturday and Sunday August 23; they have a local farm set up to supply quality eggs for that. We look forward to playing with brunch at Grove Hill after the Farmers' Markets for the rest of summer and into fall!

Grove Hill is quickly becoming a favorite. Pristine ingredients and clever preparations combined with great service equals fun playing with food at Grove Hill.

Fun Playing With Food in Chicago, Last Part

Our time in Chicago was marked by a roller coaster of weather. Ice storm Sunday, followed by seasonally cold Monday, nearly record-breaking warm and soggy Tuesday, falling towards seasonal and wet on Wednesday, then going into the deep freeze as we waited for the bus Wednesday evening after a delicious dinner at Little Goat Diner. We woke early on Thursday to a polar zone, complete with a biting wind that took the breath away. But we were going to make the best of our remaining time here, beginning with a repeat visit to Lou Mitchell's Restaurant, which we'd had to rush through on our last visit. The cold weather deterred me from taking any outside photos (you can see this exterior of this classic place on their website), but once we were inside, it was like coming home. There is something about this place that channels The Catskill Mountains for me, though the olfactory triggers were less pronounced this time (probably owing to the winter season). 

Complimentary fresh-baked donut holes always grace the entryway

Tell me that this glass of iced tea doesn't make you feel like you're at The Nevele or Kutsher's. The size and shape of the glass, the overly generous slice of lemon and the taste of freshly brewed tea just take me right back.

Complimentary Orange and Dried Plum (Prune)

Our last visit was at lunchtime; I assume that this nosh is standard fare at the breakfast hour. Another nice hospitality touch.

I asked our server about the contents of this bottle (and it's siblings scattered throughout the tables) - she said she'd been instructed to say it was all real maple syrup, but admitted than some customers had questioned this. Sadly, the customer is usually right, and it turned out that there was quite a bit of sugar water in this bottle. A shame, because Lou Mitchell's not only prides itself on making almost everything served from scratch, but we noticed on this visit that the menu touted a number of "local" and "organic" items, as well as the real butter served with pancakes, waffles etc. I'd have gladly paid a reasonable upcharge for pure maple syrup to accompany that real butter.

Pecan Bun

Bob was still pretty stuffed from his All American Burger, Smoked Fries and Mac N Cheese from dinner the night before, and so ordered only coffee (which he pronounced very good) and this bun. We could see trays and trays of freshly made-in-house bakery, so I wondered why they toasted it. Still, it was very tasty.

Belgian Malted Bacon Pecan Waffle

Real syrup or no - this was a mighty fine waffle. Bacon and pecans just go together so well, especially with maple flavors. More comfort food to comfort the discomforted.

The Silversmith not only honored our request for a late checkout, they didn't put a time limit on it. Though I can't guarantee you that kind of accommodation "in season," they really do seem to be a very customer-friendly hotel. So, we waited to shower and pack until after breakfast. We debated whether we had enough appetite to share another meal downtown, or whether we should wait and try to find palatable eats at Midway Airport. After some internet research suggested we'd be disappointed with anything we tried to eat at the airport, one last meal downtown seemed in order. But where? The weather was even more bitterly (single digit) cold than it had been earlier in the day, with a nasty wind that would make mass transit impractical. And there were time constraints.

We wound up at the restaurant of Iron Chef Jose Garces, a short cab ride down the street: Mercat a la Planxa. Our EGullet group was supposed to dine here that fateful Sunday in 2008 (later switched to Burt's Pizza). The restaurant offers The Catalan Express for lunch - two courses plus soft drink for $18. As that name implies, the cuisine is Spanish, and particularly focused on Catalonia. The bar is at street level, and the restaurant up either a flight of stairs or  a short elevator ride. It is most beautiful, with an open kitchen, and tantalizing smells enticed us to our table.

Alas, Mercat was the only meal of our trip (other than the water/sugar-maybe some real syrup described above) to not deliver an exquisite experience. Not that it was bad; it just didn't wow as the other places did, with either food or service. The soup course wound up the star of the meal.

ARROZ A LA CAZUELA WITH SHRIMP, CHICKEN, CHORIZO SOUP WITH ARTICHOKE CONFIT & PIQUILLO AIOLI

Neither bowl of soup was piping hot. Bob's soup tasted good to me, but he confirmed that the shrimp had a lingering flavor of sodium tripolyphosphate.

SOPA DE FORTMAGE Y CERVEZA IDIAZABAL AND ESTRELLA DAMM SOUP WITH TRUFFLE AND POTATO

You can see how a skin formed at the top of my cheese soup, from sitting under the heat lamp. Why this happened is a mystery, since it was after 2pm, and there weren't more than 6 tables occupied in the place. Still, the flavors of this soup, which included luscious cheese, speck, potato and truffle, were winners.

THE MERCAT BURGER 8 OZ BLACK ANGUS BURGER WITH LA PERAL, PADRÓN PEPPERS & RED WINE ONION JAM

I don't know what possessed Bob to order a burger after the magnificent patty he'd enjoyed last night. But burger he did. The burger was good, though nothing extraordinary, and the house made chips were cold and a bit salty.

VIEIRES I ALBERGÍNIA DIVER SCALLOPS A LA PLANXA, ROASTED EGGPLANT PUREE, ARTICHOKE SALAD

My entree was the only outright disappointing dish of the trip. I judge all scallops against those prepared by Cleveland's Brandt Evans, and these simply didn't cut it. A day or two older than they wanted to be and a little cold, the scallops sat atop an artichoke relish that I found inedibly sour. The off-green roasted eggplant puree added nothing to the visual appeal of the dish, though it tasted ok. However, between the waffle breakfast and the cheesy soup course at Mercat, I did not feel unsatisfied as we hailed a cab back to the hotel for our final departure.

The weather cooperated enough that we were only a bit late returning to Cleveland, but we weren't hungry enough to eat - a compliment to the many chefs whose food we'd played with in Chicago over the past week.

As much as I enjoyed Chicago's food scene, I can't help but appreciate a moment we had at Girl and The Goat. While perusing the menu, we noted how we were still a little sated from lunch at The Gage, and our server exclaimed, "but you have to have room for pig's face!" Smilingly, we ordered the goat belly instead, explaining that we can get pig face in Cleveland (at The Greenhouse Tavern). So, win lose or draw - it is a wonderful life, isn't it? Filled with fun playing with food, this time in Chicago.

Fun Playing with Comfort Food in Solon, Ohio

Bob and I recently sampled and compared two of the most similar comfort-food-serving establishments in the city of Solon. What makes these two places similar is that they are small, locally owned, serve lunch and dinner, have full alcohol service and lively bar (with a TV emphasis on sports programming), and offer Italian and comfort food. I speak of Station 43 Tavern and Benny's Sports Bar & Grille - both located at different ends of Rt. 43/Aurora Road in Solon. Benny's is rather new, and though Station 43 has been around a while, we hadn't dined there since they doubled and modernized their space some two years ago. Honestly, our first visit to Station 43 in 2007 hadn't wowed us enough to return, but we were just back from a roadtrip to Columbus and wanted quick, casual, tasty eats. Station 43 had recently gotten a nice write up in Mimi Vanderhaven's paper, and so was on the brain.

A caveat - while I try to keep this blog focused on the positive, I also have to be honest if I want to have any credibility. So, below is my honest take on both  of these places.

Station 43: We arrived shortly before 4pm on a Sunday. The three dining areas each had a few patrons, and a few more dotted the bar and high tops. We were seated in a small seating area across from the bar on one side and across from the service window on another, next to another couple that was finishing up. As we talked to one another, we noticed it getting darker and darker in the room. We had a lot of time to talk because the service was very slow. Once we we each had a beer in front of us, we considered the menu, which is kind of all over the place in different comfort food zones - Italian, burgers, ribs, chicken, salads. It all looked good, so we ordered. The couple next to us finished and left. And still we waited. I flagged down another server and asked if the lights might be turned on, so that Bob and I could see one another (and so the camera could also see). I was accommodated, after she said "I'll check." Ok. Honestly, it was too dark and I was too tired to fuss with taking photos of the decor, but it was very original, with Solon-related photos and artifacts, with a heavy firefighter-service person emphasis.

Bob's Firehouse Half Rack did not come with salad, but my Veal Parmesan entree did. 

The salad was adequate, though the food service tomato was a little disappointing given the time of year. The house-made zinfandel dressing was fantastic, however.

Then we waited for our dinners. And waited. and waited. I looked into the kitchen and noticed through the  service window that the cook wasn't Chef Bennie Crosby (unless he's gained weight and turned female). I also noticed said cook eating a sandwich while working on the line and while we were waiting for our dinners. Our server was no where to be seen, although he had few other tables. So we waited.

Nearly an hour after we'd arrived, our dinners finally did (no bread was ever served - I don't know if that's restaurant policy in these wheat-expensive times or an oversight).

Firehouse Rack Half

Described on the menu as: "Succulent St. Louis ribs basted with “Big Daddy’s” perfect sauce served with a hearty portion of french fries, and coleslaw," these ribs tasted of food service food; my one bite was more than enough.

The fries were a nice from-the-package product, prepared well, and the cole slaw was actually very good. 

Veal Parmesan

Again, per the menu: "Lightly breaded veal topped with mozzarella cheese and marinara sauce served with a side of spaghetti or penne, and dinner salad." One look and smell of this plate and I knew the veal had been overdone twice - first in the fryer, then under the broiler. The edges of the meat were just off-black in color, and you can see how overdone the cheese was. It looks nothing like the chicken parm pictured on the restaurant website. Despite the long wait and great hunger, I didn't burn the roof of my mouth on this, probably because it took so long to get a server's attention to ask for grated cheese. I admit, as my eyes searched the room for a sign of service, I was really tempted to send this back. But I didn't. 

The pasta and sauce were pleasant enough - finished with dried parsley, as you can see. And amazingly, given how over-cooked the veal was, the pasta was perfectly toothy. Go figure.

Paying the check turned into another wait, again, we had to flag someone other than our server to get us out of there. We did finally extricate ourselves, nearly two hours after we'd arrived.

Benny's Sports Bar & Grille is located in the Solon Square shopping center, a couple of doors down from Officemax. That general location in the center has previously been home to a couple of restaurants, even though it seems like a very unlikely spot for a bar of any kind, let alone a sports bar. The interior is kind of cold and hard; I suspect it gets rather noisy when a Cleveland team is winning or weekend bands are playing.



Our first visit in June was a bit of an emergency - our dishwasher had died, just as we'd finished preparing for a catering project. So - out to eat we went. I think that in our two visits, we observed both ends of the service spectrum described in some of the Urban Spoon reviews of this place. Our first server was definitely dressed to extract maximum tippage from the male population, and wasn't knowledgable about some things. My cocktail - ordered as a Bacardi and Amaretto Disaronno with lime - was watered down and did NOT contain Disaronno, even though she insisted that the bartender said that she poured Disaronno. But the beer comes in high quality, low price and fair quantity, so we'll call that a draw. The Sambuca Romana I had on the second visit was the real deal, and a very fair pour for a reasonable price.

Like Station 43, Benny's menu is all over the comfort food spectrum, with an emphasis on red-sauce Italian comfort food. Gosh darn, we needed some comfort that first night!


The "Benny Burger"

Bob's choice came with pepperjack cheese, jalapeno, and cajun mayo on a non-descript bun, and house-made fries.



The cajun mayo was irresistable - I kept dipping my own fries in it!





The burger was . . . ok (and cooked well beyond the "medium" ordered). If I wanted a burger in Solon (and if it was Tuesday, Thursday, Friday or Saturday), I'd go to The Annex over Benny's  - there is a huge quality and taste differential. The fries at both places are similar - a little limp, because while freshly cut - they are only fried once. But they burst with real potato flavor.



"Veal Parmesan Style"

I really loved this dish, which was far too mammoth to eat as a sandwich (and the bread was kind of meh). Unlike Station 43, which massacred the veal, this kitchen cooked the veal to perfection. I savored every bite. And, at $8.25, this was a very affordable treat. (N.B.- to compare fairly, the Veal Parm dinner at Benny's, which includes pasta, but offers salad at a $1.99 upcharge, is $11.99; Station 43's version, which includes the salad,  is $13.99).

I also ordered a side of the house-made coleslaw:



I thought the portion, a very small ramekin, was a bit skimpy for, I believe, $2.75 (neither the item nor the price is on the online menu). While not the best value on the menu, it is claimed to be homemade and the delicious taste certainly backed that claim up.

Most important, we learned that the owner hails from New York, and we were assured that the pizza and calzone (stuffed with ricotta cheese!!) was "New York Style." Despite a few service glitches and the lackluster burger, we resolved to return.

We returned a few weeks later to sample the pizza. The first difference in the Benny's experience was immediate - our server was a bit older and, um, more dressed than our first server had been. But more than that - she really busted it for us, despite being slammed with tables, and we greatly appreciated the good service that she provided. We decided to split one pizza and one calzone, and we each ordered a salad.

The "Big Salad"

Well, I don't know about big - especially for $3.99. They are excused for the lackluster tomato, as this was before the local supply had ripened.



House Made Italian Dressing


House Made Peppercorn Ranch Dressing

But the house-made dressings elevated the mundane lettuce to a fabulous starter. Especially the ranch, which perfectly paired creamy ranch against fresh cracked pepper; I couldn't stop nibbling on it throughout our meal.



Large Pizza with Housemade Sausage

The moment the pizza hit the table - I felt a ping of disappointment. This was not a New York style pizza at all, but Cleveland style - clunky, un-foldable sized slices (or "cuts"), too thick crust certainly cooked in a pan, big chunks of sausage instead of finer slices that could be nibbled easily - not what I craved. But the sausage lived up to its "home-made" description with amazing flavor, and was worth the price of admission all by itself.



As you can see, the crust was undercooked. It got worse as a re-heated leftover (no "Cold Pizza For Breakfast" with this specimen), and really did not impress at all.


Spinach and Cheese Calzone

The calzone is essentially a ricotta and mozzerella stuffed dough pocket, which the diner may customize with numerous pizza toppings that can be stuffed inside, with the first one included in the base price.  It is folded closed, crimped, scored, and then baked in the pizza oven. We opted for spinach for our included filling.



Marinara is served on the side - this version zipped nicely.





I loved this calzone. Which is incongruous because the dough is the same dough that seemed so lame under the pizza. I'm guessing that it's all in how it was handled and cooked. You can see the nice colors on the calzone dough; the texture was crunchy and chewy at the same time. But when it comes to it - I'm a sucker for calzone stuffed with ricotta, which none of the pizza places in Cleveland (other than Dewey's and Vincenza's) seem to serve. And this version  offered an additional tasty surprise - caramelized sweet red pepper was mixed in with the spinach filling. My only complaint was that there could have been more filling; there was a lot of empty real estate inside the pocket. But this is a minor quibble; this product is New York calzone lover approved!

My conclusion after we consumed the leftovers during the next few days: leave the pizza, take the calzone (with spinach AND sausage)!

If I was seeking this type of food, price point and environment the next time a kitchen appliance dies or a long trip is over - Benny's would get my patronage faster than Station 43. But we only visited Station 43 once, on a Sunday, when the Chef was not in the house, so perhaps they deserve another chance.We did visit Benny's twice. The fun thing is that Solon now offers a couple of pleasant options for playing with comfort food seven days a week, with full bar and sports TV, though your mileage may vary on the quality of the service and even some of the food.