Fun Playing with Pizza and More at Crostatas

It was just a couple of weeks ago that the discussion flared up in the office again: people saying that they like Crostatas Pizzeria in Highland Heights Ohio, but "it's just so expensive for what you get." I continue to respectfully disagree, and offer the following in evidence. Crostatas features pizzas made in the Neapolitan style, with a thin crust.

All of the pizzas are presented cut into 8 small slices.

Pizza Alba: San Marzano Tomatoes, Capocollo, Arugula, Fresh Egg, Grana Padana and EVOO, $14. 

This delicious pie fed my dining companion and myself, with two slices left over. As you can see, the crust was thin, with chew rather than crunch, and just the right amount of char on the bottom - a perfect crust. The fresh, runny egg complimented the salty capocollo, with arugula offering a slightly spicy contrast. The cheese brought it all together. And at $7 a person for lunch - what's not to like?

A few weeks later, I finally got my husband to join me for lunch at Crostatas, and he enjoyed it so much that we went back for another shortly after. 

We began with hot peppers stuffed with house-made sausage, served with house-made tomato sauce and house-made breadstick. 

The dish was simply magnificent. The peppers had just enough spice to play off of the mild tomato sauce, but not so much as to outshine the sausage, which truly starred. So much more than the sum of its parts - the preparation enhanced each element on the plate. I don't think I've ever enjoyed the texture and mouthfeel of peppers so much before, without a hint of wateriness or stringiness. At $7, I could easily make a lunch of this if I didn't have someone to share it with!

Basic margharita pizza - $11.50 for 8 slices and worth every penny! 

The pizza consisted of a thin, chewy crust with just a bit of char on its belly, topped judiciously with tasty tomato sauce and cheese. Again, there were leftovers for the next day's lunch. 

Our next visit began with Arancini. Risotto is formed into a ball and stuffed with a meaty ragu, peas, and parmigiano, then breaded and fried, and served on a bed of marinara sauce with a sprinkling of cheese. This generous portion, which again could have been an entree for a single person, was $6.

The only flaw in this dish, for me, was the frozen peas. Otherwise, we deemed it plate licking good.

For our Entree, we shared a Pizza Salsiccia: San Marzano Tomatoes, Mozzarella, Italian Sausage and EVOO, our most expensive item yet at $14.50.

The sausage, probably the same as that which had previously stuffed our hot peppers, melted in the mouth. The crust seemed like it had been made by different hands - it was a bit crispier and to my taste, maybe should have come out of the oven a few seconds sooner. But this pizza still ran circles around any lunch pizza available on the East Side of Cleveland.

I agree with my office-mates that Crostatas is not always the cheapest date in town. But the quality is certainly in line with pricing - quality of ingredients (most are imported from Italy; the Berkshire Hog featured on the specials sheet the day the last photos above were taken is from Chardon, Ohio) and quality of preparation. For my money, when I'm hankering for pizza at lunchtime, Crostatas remains my first choice on Cleveland's East Side, and the appetizers recently sampled also rate honorable mentions. (I do have a second option at dinner, Marotta's in Cleveland Heights, which is more New York than Neapolitan style, and which I enjoy as much as Crostatas.) Case closed.

Crostatas Pizzeria
558 Bishop Road
Highland Heights, OH 44143
(440) 449-7800
Closed Sunday

Fun Playing with Happy Hour Food at Chinato

Last Friday evening, we had a date to attend the 7:30pm show at Hilarities Comedy Club on East Fourth Street in downtown Cleveland. Given the timing and location, we determined that we would finally get to sample Chef Zack Bruell's youngest restaurant, Chinato. There, Chef Andy Dombrowski heads a kitchen turning out beautiful Italian food. And at Happy Hour prices, we were prepared to sample as many tastes as we had capacity for! Happy Hour at Chinato runs from 4:30 to 6:30pm, and $5 plates, $3-5 beer, and $5 wine and selected cocktails are offered.

Chinato's Happy Hour menu is available both at the bar and at the booths in the bar area. But be forewarned - reservations may be necessary for those booths, though they were not on this Friday night, which turned out to be the coldest night of the year here in Cleveland. After snuggling into our booth (Bob never did remove his coat - it was cold), we ordered Great Lakes Christmas Ale drafts from the Happy Hour menu, only to learn that they were out (not a surprise this far into January). Since Elliot Ness Amber Lager and Dortmunder Gold Lager  were both on tap, we were fine. Do be aware that the Elliot was priced as a "seasonal" at $5 a pour (the Christmas Ale was listed as the seasonal); whereas Dortmunder can be had for a mere $3 during the hour of happy. No worries for us.

Our wonderful server Matt dropped off some lovely On the Rise bread and Olive Oil (no photo) for dipping:

We ordered five items off of the Happy Hour menu ($5 per plate), and Matt decided to course them for us. Two first, then a final three. 

Artichoke and Supplì (Risotto and Cheese Stuffed Balls with Tomato Sauce)

As Matt explained, the baby artichoke was so tender that everything on the plate was edible. We loved the contrast of the creamy rice filled balls and tomato sauce against the crispy veggie with olive oil and grated cheese.

Crudo Sampler

From left to right: Scallop with tobiko, scallions and lemon zest, Tuna with lardo,Yellowtail with pesto and tomatoes, and Salmon with orange, fennel, and red onion. This was the only one of the five dishes that didn't completely wow us. Perhaps the memory of the exquisite crudo served up at The Chowder House Cafe  the previous Tuesday was still in our heads (see it here), but we both noticed very slight "off" flavors in the scallop and yellowtail. Still, we enjoyed the plate.

Matt whisked away our first two empty plates, and shortly after, the last three items hit the table:

Tonnarelli with Black Pepper, Pecorino and Lemon

Chinato makes most of its pastas from scratch, but the tonnarelli textured like an extruded pasta cooked from dried. I didn't think I'd love citrus with cheese, but it all worked extremely well.

Gnocchi with Tomato, Basil, Toasted Garlic, Butter and Parmesan

This exquisite dish had us sighing with pleasure. Is there any food so sexy as perfectly prepared gnocchi served with tomato, butter and parmesan cheese?


Fennel Sausage, Tomato Sauce and Mozzarella Pizza



At first glance, the thought that barreled through my head was "Shmura Matzo" pizza - a description given to extremely thin crust pizza by an observant Jewish attorney I worked with in New Jersey years ago. But this specimen wasn't merely thin - it had amazing elasticity and chew, and combined with the tasty toppings (including house made sausage to die for), really satisfied this fussy pizza eater. The pizza is small, but made with top quality ingredients and cooked to perfection.

We were so full that we didn't empty all of the plates completely. Our check, including four glasses of Elliot Ness, was a gentle $45. Chinato offers a food bargain not to be missed if you are anywhere near downtown Cleveland between 4:30 and 6:30pm Monday through Saturday. Or if you are around after 9pm, when it starts all over again! In between those times, all of these items are available on the regular menu. Based on our Happy Hour experience, there is much more on the regular menu that we need to try! Fun playing with beautiful food, quality drink and and fabulous service awaits you at Chinato.

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!

Fun Playing With Eddie's Pizzaria Cerino

Sorry to be gone so long - a series of personal issues, culminating with the surgical removal of a tooth last Friday, have made food a little less fun for me lately. But I am back in the proverbial blogging saddle, playing with food and writing about it again!

Saturday night, I joined about a dozen friends to sample the wares at Eddie's Pizzaria Cerino. On a street that is dominated by chains (Broadview Road in Seven Hills), it was a pleasure to drive up and see the size of the crowd at Cerino's, which is small and doesn't take reservations. We were advised, however, that this will change soon - the restaurant is expanding into the space next door, and will offer a full bar and additional seating shortly. This is good news for Seven Hills!

I don't know why I was so thirsty for a beer, but I was very pleased with the available choices, mostly on tap. This is a Pumpkin Ale from Akron's Thirsty Dog Brewery, rimmed with a bit of cinnamon sugar. Bob opted for the Great Lakes Oktoberfest.





Bud and Coors Light are among the domestic selections available for a gentle $2.75. There are also by-the-glass wines available for $4.50 and up.

Though the restaurant doesn't take reservations, it does allow parties of 8 or more to reserve the one large table in the room - we filled it and then some! Owner-Chef Eddie Cerino stopped by to introduce himself, and sent some complimentary off-the-menu flatbreads to the table:



I am not sure of exactly what this was - it had lovely salumi, and what seemed like a goat's cheese, and capers. The bread was tender and perfectly cooked, and the toppings tasty, though I thought this one was a little dry.






Flatbread Topped With Bolognese

I could have eaten a whole plate of this, it was so delicious. I enjoyed it so much, that I decided to have the Eggplant Parmesan with Bolognese Sauce for my entree.



But first - soups and salads. All of the soups, salads and pastas can be ordered in half sizes at incredibly gentle prices (and the full sizes are also very reasonably priced - the most expensive entree is only $16). The half salads I saw all looked wonderful, and the portions were very generous. Bob and I both decided to try a cup of soup. As we waited for the soups, fresh foccacia and seasoned olive oil appeared on the tables. Another tasty treat!






Italian Wedding Soup

My taste of Bob's soup was delightful - the meatball juicy and soft, the broth well flavored.


Seafood Chowder

Though the server said that this soup had clams, fish and shrimp, I didn't notice any shrimp (which was just fine with me) - the clams were fresh and tender, as was the whitefish. And even though I'm not normally a "dunker" - I really enjoyed the freshly crisped crouton in the soup.






EGGPLANT PARMIGIANA BOLOGNESE, Angel hair pasta and marinara

My entree. This massive plate was a mere $9.95. I was only able to eat about half of it; the rest became Sunday breakfast. I wasn't sure how the Bolognese would work with eggplant parm - but work it did. I'd eat this again any time!


Linguine with Clams and Pancetta

One of my dining companions enjoyed this off-menu special - but for my dental work, I'd have probably tried it also!




Butternut Squash Ravioli

A couple of folks at the table indulged in this lightly dressed, yet hearty fall treat - my taste was superb!


Half and Half Pizza

I believe that this was half Wild Mushroom (white sauce, mushrooms, portobello, shitake, oyster, roasted red peppers, ricotta salata, mozzarella and provolone cheese, Italian Parsley) and half something else - I don't want to guess! Bob also ordered pizza, which I neglected to photograph as a whole pie. Despite my dental work, I still wanted to try a slice:


SALUMI Pizza: red sauce, thin-sliced salumi, prosciutto ham, sun-dried tomato, mozzarella and asiago cheese

I am sorry to say that it was at the pizza where Chef Eddie lost me a little. While the flatbreads were beautifully cooked to chewy perfection on the oven floor - the pizzas were obviously cooked in pans, such that their bottoms didn't develop a nice crust. The dough was too thick for my taste (bearing in mind that my taste is for thin crust pizza; Eddie's makes a thin crust but no one at our table ordered it so I can't speak to it) and the dough didn't have that unctious "give" that the flatbread had. Still - the toppings were first rate and very enjoyable, so if you like Cleveland-style pizza, you will probably like the pizza here as well.

Only one person in our group had dessert - he requested "anything chocolate" - and it certainly looked like he was well rewarded, though I had already put the camera away.

Eddie's Pizzaria Cerino is a delightful, inexpensive place to enjoy a casual meal. Though ironically the pizza wasn't my favorite dish - there was plenty of other genuinely great food to play with. And for our table of 14, I think it is safe to say that a marvelous time was had by all!