Fun Playing with Food at Bar 50/20 AKA Mish Mosh

Mish Mosh made it's first appearance on this blog in March 2017. At that point, we'd only scratched the surface of their food; I thought surely I'd posted about them again. But with the roller coaster our lives have been on the past few years, it never happened. Until now. 

Chef-Owner Howard Curtis and his sons, Chandler and Skyler Curtis, cook up an eclectic menu and a constantly changing bevy of specials for lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday at their cozy space located at 5020 Brainard Road in Solon. In nice weather, their outdoor patio is primo. Howard's wife and Co-Owner Jamie curates a lovely wine selection year round. It is one of our favorite places to dine. A base menu of starters, sandwiches, burgers, pizza, salads and entrees is complemented daily by a specials list that can compete with any restaurant in Cleveland for quality, freshness and creativity. Price points range from $10 up to $24 for the Strip Steak, and mid twenties to low thirties for some specials.

Since it seems my photographs have been accumulating for over two years, here are some highlights:

This gorgeous piece of cod was also from the 2017 Lenten season. 

Continuing from 2017, this Special featured Tortellini, tossed with sausage, seafood and cream.

Bob enjoyed their take on a Banh Mi. Roast Pork, Country Pate, Pickled Carrots, Daikon Radish, Nuoc Mam Cham were served on a Crusty Baguette. It took them a while to get the hang of the fresh cut fries, but get it right they do!

When Stuffed Cabbage is on the menu, it is on my plate! Served here with potato-cheese pierogi (and a tossed salad first, with housemade balsamic dressing). Oh, there it is:

Their Bourbon Street Cobb Salad resembles no Cobb salad I've ever had, but it's delicious. After the first time I had it, I asked for the dressing on the side because it is a spicy meatball! Mixed Greens, Rice, Cheddar and Mozzarella, Scallion, Roasted Peppers, Cajun Ranch with an "add" of chicken. 

This Sausage Kale Soup actually made kale not just palatable, but delicious! Another awesome soup selection is their Clam Chowder with Bacon.

This particular dinner was enjoyed on the aforementioned patio. 

Another standout from the regular menu is the burger selection. 

Bob loved his Cajun Burger. Caramelized Onion, Mushrooms, Pepper Jack Cheese, topped with Cajun Ranch. 

This Pork Chop special also made Bob very happy, There were enough leftovers for a second meal!

Bob had tried the pizza over the last couple of years, but it never appealed to me. Howard, a Connecticut native, sympathized with my longing for East Coast style pizza, but it's not what he serves here. Still, something made me decide to try it. And, as Anthony Bourdain said of Chicago's Burt's Pizza (deep dish) back in 2008 - it's not pizza (as I know it), I don't know what it is but it's delicious!

The crust had a great chew and crunch, and even though it was cooked in a pan, I liked it! So much so that I ordered another style on my next visit. 

They call this the Mesclun Pizza: A plain cheese pizza topped after baking with Baby Field Greens, Sundried Tomato, Goat Cheese, Balsamic Vinaigrette. And as weird as it may seem to top a pizza with a salad, the sun dried tomatoes really pull it together and make it work. Though I confess I ate the greens part mostly as a separate salad component and not still on the pizza. 

Howard and Jamie offer delicious food, gracious hospitality, and a killer patio (in season). Highly recommended for Fun Playing With Food in the Eastern suburbs!

Bar 50/20 aka Mish Mosh

5020 Brainard Road

Solon, Ohio 44139

(440) 349-7300

mishmosheatery@gmail.com

No website, FB page: https://www.facebook.com/bar5020/

Open for lunch and dinner M-TH 11:30am-11pm, Fri-Sat until 1am.

Fun Playing with Ceviche and European Cuisine at Restaurant Europa

Literally on the heels of our weekend of fun catering for our Mensa friends, Mensan friend Robert hosted a watch party as he appeared on the nationally televised quiz show Jeopardy on Monday, September 27. We assembled at the bar of Pepper Pike's Restaurant Europa Cleveland, 30519 Pinetree Road Pepper Pike Ohio 44124, 216.591.1273. I had heard about this restaurant's Ceviche Bar and chilled Siberian vodka room, so I was glad Robert had selected it.

Our evening began with appetizers, which I believe were comped to Robert by the house. 

Potato Pancakes (Latkes), Smoked Salmon, Sour Cream

Shrimp Cocktail with Vodka Cocktail Sauce

Let me stop right here. This shrimp was positively delicious. Though certainly a frozen product - there was not a trace of off smell or taste (or chemicals), just lovely sweet shrimp meat that paired nicely with the horseradish-infused cocktail sauce.



The smoked salmon likewise tasted fresh and clean, with a bit of salmon gusto that I really enjoyed.



The potato pancakes were dense and chewy - not as crunchy as I might like them, but wonderfully satisfying and not at all greasy. Topped with a bit of salmon and sour cream - a perfect pre-dinner bite.


Beef Filled Potato Pancake

At least I think that is what this was. A sort of inside-out latke - meat in the middle instead of on top - this  morsel was crispy and again not greasy, with seasoned meat to round it out. Nicely done.


Stuffed Latke Cross Section

I'll show you the appetizer we ordered next, even though it wasn't actually served until after our entrees.  I really wanted to sample a Ceviche, especially after tasting the pristine shrimp and tasty salmon. (Ceviche is raw fish “cooked” through the process of marinating in citrus.) And what type of Ceviche could be more "Cleveland" than this:



PERCH Ceviche * Onion, jalapeno peppers, cilantro, mango. Juice of lemon, lime and orange.

The oversized martini glass was stuffed to bursting with these lovely nuggets of perchy goodness! I especially enjoyed the combination of the unexpected flavors - the mango, cilantro and jalapeno, together with three different citrus juices. And for the third time, a fish/seafood product passed both the smell and taste tests for freshness and chemistry. I am completely sold on Restaurant Europa.

Stuffed Cabbage

Bob's entree was served with tasty mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables (which clearly came from a food service bag, though they were not the frozen type) and sour cream.

My taste was moist and delicious - a little different from the way my mom (or my husband) would make it, but that's ok. I can't even explain how it was different - seasonings, cooking technique - but we enjoyed it very much. 

Russian Ravioli: Beef Dumplings with Mushroom Sauce 

My entree was the only thing I tasted all evening that I could make a negative comment about. There was something dusty and dry about the texture of these "deep fried" dumplings that I couldn't put my finger on. Fortunately, the ceviche and the mushroom sauce (yes, you read that correctly; I actually selected the mushroom sauce and it was delicious, thank you) added lots of moisture to the party. And the insides of the dumplings were very moist - it was just the outside that was dry.

The beef filling inside the dumpling was just a little different from both of the beef fillings I had already tasted. Though I don't know if I'd order this dish again, I'm not sorry that I tried it (I'd suggest trying the boiled version if this intrigues you).

The price points at Europa are incredibly reasonable for the quality and quantity served. The generous portion of Ceviche was $5.50 and our entrees were each $10.99. So playing with European food at Europa is not only fun on your palate, but easy on your wallet. The website boasts of live music six nights a week beginning at 6pm (except Monday, which was the night we visited). The bar tenders worked very hard to please our large group, even when liquors ran out or weren't available, and the alcohol selections included some Russian beers, Eastern European wines, and unusual vodkas. Note that the restaurant is not open for lunch, just dinner beginning at 4pm all seven days. We had fun playing with the food and drinks at Restaurant Europa, and we didn't even get to the chilled vodka room this time!