Fun Playing in Sanctuary

Cleveland food truck pioneer Chris Hodgson and his Driftwood Restaurant Group partner Scott Kuhn have teamed up with Twin Tier Hospitality at the Doubletree Hotel in Beachwood Ohio in the newly minted Sanctuary Restaurants, to, as their website says, "reinvent the in-hotel dining experience with an expertly crafted menu, expansive wine list, and farm fresh ingredients." Driftwood Group, under Hodgson's supervision, not only has taken over restaurant and room service in the hotel, but also all of the event catering. This is an exciting hotel trend, first seen in Cleveland at the Airport Marriott's AMP 150, of bringing in true food professionals and offering creative and locally sourced menus at value price points. A second Sanctuary project is on tap for the West Side of Cleveland in 2015, as the former Holiday Inn Westlake is also transformed into a Doubletree. Bob and I were recently invited to a complimentary soft open-preview of the menu. My opinions, as always, are my own. And my conclusion was - this menu is fun!

Hanky Pankies

Chorizo, Tillamook Cheddar, Fig Jam, Crostini, was served as a passed hors d'oeuvres together with the restaurant's "signature cocktail," the Beehive, composed of Old Forester Bourbon, St. Germain, lemon, ginger-honey and soda. Since I'm not a big bourbon fan, I decided to try the Sparkling Pear on my own dime. This libation mixed Absolut Pear, Honey Syrup, Amaretto and Lemon Juice, and I liked it much better than the bourbon. These crafted cocktails generally range from $9-11 each.

The Hanky Panky packed a substantial flavor and texture punch for a little crostini.

Bread Service

Warm and fluffy.

"Sanctuary Pesto" and Whipped Butter

No one told us what the signature aspect of the pesto was, but it was fresh and pleasantly garlicky without being overwhelmingly so. The butter spread easily on the soft bread.

Blue Crab Hushpuppies

One of Chef Hodgson's signatures is the fried . . . anything. Here, this skill produces a succulent crispy ball of crabby goodness, with just enough breading to hold it together, and a refreshing "Old Bay'onnaise" topping to round it out (you may also find the bits of cucumber refreshing, I however preferred them on the plate).

French Wedge

This plate featured Tomato, Hard Egg, Pickled Red Onion, Bacon, Blue Cheese Crumbles, White French Dressing. I loved the choice of a very approachable bleu cheese that wasn't too strong, and the White French Dressing, which was also muted enough to allow the great flavors of the pickled onion and bacon to shine through, making the whole dish much more than the sum of its parts.

Seared U-10 Sea Scallops

Everyone at the table marveled at the perfectly cooked Risotto underneath the scallops and I agreed that it was delicious. Fried Golden Beets, Caramelized Apples, Butternut Squash, Fried Sage, and Apple Gastrique also accompanied the scallops, which were expertly seared while tender in the middle. A dish I would happily eat again and again.

Certified Angus Beef Hanger Steak With Frites

Served rare, our table of food forward diners thought highly of the steak preparation. We also loved the garlicky Salsa Verde atop the meat. The shoestring frites were crispy and not too assertively seasoned, and were accompanied by a thick Malt Vinegar Aioli.

Chocolate Mousse

The dessert was the only course that didn't hit a home run, though it was by no means a strikeout. The salted caramel was understated, though the whipped cream happily tasted of a fresh beating. The packaged pretzel rod seemed a bit stale and didn't really contribute the salty kick the kitchen was probably shooting for. The mousse itself, however, delivered on its airy chocolaty promise, so no harm done.

Sanctuary serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, and each menu has a combination of hotel menu standards and Chef Hodgson's more creative and locally sourced items, all at very fair price points that should make Sanctuary a destination for outside diners in addition to hotel guests. The facility also touts a wine bar, and several flexible types of seating areas. We had fun playing with our tastes of Sanctuary and look forward to trying more. 

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.

More Fun Playing with Dim and Den Sum

I have been fortunate enough to catch the Dim and Den Sum truck a few more times since my last post about Cleveland's first food truck. The food just keeps getting better and better, despite flat tires, short bread supplies, empty propane tanks, and any other number of things that just seem to happen when you are trying to feed a lot of people honest, freshly made food from a converted box truck. Dim and Den Sum rocks!

My second visit with Dim and Den Sum was again at the parking lot of 24865 Emery Road. This time, I took advantage of the picnic tables.

Tater Tots with Spicy Sauce and Truffle Pepper

I don't know how they get these basic tater tots to have such perfect crunch and taste, but they do! Perhaps it's the special sauce?

Chicken Nachos with Asparagus Slaw

Loved this lunch selection. I would have liked a little more of the exquisitely fresh  and celery-free chicken salad, but I did not leave hungry.

The asparagus slaw captured the essence of spring, in a way I'd have never expected. Fresh, crunchy, yet also a creamy texture when eaten with the beans. Worked for me.

By my next visit with DDS, the venue had moved to the main street outside of the Progressive Insurance campus, between the corporate office buildings and the lovely park (300 N. Commons Blvd Mayfield OH - hopefully to be the "regular" Thursday lunch spot). And the menu had improved from a xeroxed sheet taped to the truck to this cool "chalkboard paint." The only thing missing was a place to sit, but hey, this is street food after all!

Cheesesteak Steam Bun: Shaved beef, pickled red onions, cheese, & "horsey sauce", BBQ

This wasn't exactly the format I was expecting - I expected a char sui type item, fully encased in pastry. This version, an almost pancake-like fresh bread circle topped with savory beef, incredibly tasty pickled onion, horseradishy sauce and cheese whiz, was a little messy to eat, but fabulous in tastes and textures. 

Pulled Pork Taco

This creation featured succulent pulled pork, fiji apple creme fraiche, kimchi slaw, and hot sauce. Yum!

Jjang Dawg: Local dog, pulled pork, kimchi slaw, smashed tots, Bourbon soy bbq sauce

Wow. This may be the best thing I've had from DDS (though that Cheesesteak Bun is a darn close second) - an amazing locally-sourced hotdog, perfectly grilled, which went "snap" when I bit in and which  further rewarded me with juiciness in every bite. This dog was served on the "home-made" bun the DDS boys are sourcing from a pal at Fire Restaurant, topped with tender pulled pork, crunchy kimchi slaw, smashed tots, and Bourbon BBQ sauce - I almost wished I'd hadn't eaten anything else, so I  would have room to enjoy a second  one of these, it was that good. Almost wished, because the other items were truly delicious also. But this dog left me feeling happy for the rest of the day!

 

A lone tater tot that got away. How sad!

The next week at the same locale - here was the menu:

Both Chefs, Jeremy Esterly and Chris Hodgson, were "in the house," so to speak, this gorgeously sunny day.

Sarah's Jalapeno Tots

As described on the menu, except no bacon. The bacon was not missed at all - the flavors and textures were delicious, though a little messy for finger food.

Meatloaf Melt: Beef and Veal Meatloaf, Duck Confit, Sweet Soy Ketchup, Green Onion Cheese

 

Thought this sandwich "suffered" from not having the wonderful homemade bread (the supply had gotten stale, and the Chefs decided that packaged bread was the better choice) - the fillings more than made up for it! The duck confit tasted wonderfully ducky, and the meatloaf was moist and flavorful. The cheese was an interesting and different product - it all worked together beautifully.

I haven't mentioned the beverages because I've mostly stuck to water, but Dim and Den Sum offers a small variety of unusual libations to accompany the eats - so far, I've seen an Apple Soda from China, an Apple Soda from Mexico (all cane sugar and no high fructose corn syrup), and a Coconut Soda.

And so, another three Dim and Den Sum lunches delivered a pause from the workday that truly refreshed. Please check out their website, twitter (I understand that they are about to launch an IPhone app that makes them easier to find) and Facebook page, so that you can have some fun playing with Dim and Den Sum's made-from-scratch, tasty food. It is definitely worth the the sticky fingers!

Fun Playing with Dim and Den Sum

Dim Sum, as many of you know, is a Cantonese reference to "The Heart's Little Treasures." In practice, Dim Sum generally consists of small plates of dumplings, cakes, rolls and other dainty goodies, usually labor-intensive to make, and quick and easy to eat. Cleveland-area Chefs Christopher Hodgson and Jeremy Esterly have turned the concept inside-out with their historic (read: first legal in Cleveland) food truck: Dim and den Sum. Combining modern communications technology (ie Facebook and Twitter), cooking technology (a mobile kitchen) and eclectic crafting on Slow Food, Soul Food, and Asian themes, these two young Chefs have created a new food sensation, which appears at various venues around the Greater Cleveland Area. Where and when they will be serving is where the social network tech comes in.

Last Thursday, I had an 11:30am appointment in Willoughby, and was rushing to get caught up on my  morning info-overload when I saw a post on the Facebook Wall of fellow blogger Cleveland Foodie:  "Want to try Dim and den sum? Work on the east side? They are coming to my office parking lot tomorrow at 11:30 - stop by!" An inquiry or two later, I learned that they would be serving until 1:30pm, "or until the food runs out." Hopeful that I could make it after my appointment, I found myself flying into the parking lot of 24865 Emery Road just about 1pm. And imagine my distress to see that they were obviously gearing up to drive out! As my mind considered parking in front of them to stop them from leaving, I was rescued by yet another Cleveland food blogger, Heidi Robb (of Life in Recipes), and another gentleman, who emerged from their vehicles just as I was hitting the driveway apron. Thank goodness, and lucky for us!

Why so lucky, you ask? Because we all got an awesome lunch for a little money!

The Uniquely Decorated Dim and Den Sum Truck

Chef Chris informed us that everything on the menu was still available except tater tots (because he'd already shut and cooled the fryer). And he was out of tomatoes. And singles. And we said: "no worries!"

First up - a sandwich for the gentleman:

Brisk-wich: Slow roasted brisket, asian baked beans, spring onion relish, pickles

Heidi ordered two sets of sliders:

Chicken slider: chicken confit, watermelon slaw, homemade hot sauce 

Pork Slider: Pulled Pork, kimchi-onaise, seaweed salad 

I did not get to taste any of those, but they sure looked fabulous! I had briefly considered taking my lunch back to my office to eat, but the sight and smell of the other items sealed it. Back in my car, as Dim and Den Sum rolled past my rear window, I dug into my packages!

Shortrib slider: Braised local shortrib, corn salsa, teryiaki sauce 

What a lovely introduction to Dim and Den Sum! Melt-in-your-mouth tender shortrib, crunchy fresh onions and corn (not super sweet, but better than I would expect for May), and mild teriyaki adding salty bite against the sweet salsa.  A toothsome appetizer.

PBLT: Slow roasted pork shoulder, thick cut bacon, tomato relish, sriracha mayo, red leaf lettuce

PBLT = Pork, Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato.

This DDS signature sandwich was a little sad to be missing it's tomato components - but pork fat definitely made up for it!

This last photo is included to show off the bacon more. It is a most worthy bacon - deeply tasty, not overly salty, and richly porky. Mine was just a tad undercooked, such that it was a bit too chewy, but I'm not holding that against it - conceptually, and in execution (but for the doneness of the bacon) it was a fabulous sandwich, which I anticipate happily eating again. The pulled pork was perfectly cooked and flavored, and the sriracha mayo made my lips tingle with pleasure. Though the menu described the greens as red leaf lettuce, my sandwich also had peppery micro greens, which added even more depth to the flavors, while the leaf lettuce added crunch. All in all, a lunch worthy of committing a parking violation to get!

Dim and Den Sum posts the info on where and when it will be serving to Facebook and Twitter, and provides menu and other information on its website. The website says that they are also available for catering or corporate events. I highly recommend playing with their food (I hear the tater tots with truffle are to die for!) if you have the opportunity to do so.