Fun Playing With Brunch at Bar Symon

We drove an hour each way to experience our first brunch at Michael Symon's Bar Symon today. Drive two hours just for brunch, you say? I'll admit, I was more partial to a meet-up on the east side when we first started discussing this with some friends, but now, I am very glad they prevailed upon us to go west.

While I was enjoying my freshly squeezed orange juice (which I did not get a good photo of, sorry), a server dropped this plate on our table, courtesy of Chef Matt:

Freshly Fried Donuts Over Honey and Nutella

 

Oh, yes. And that little bit of orange that you see above is orange zest. This isn't on the menu - but it should be!

Eggs Benedict: grilled ham, poached eggs, hollandaise, hash browns

I did not get to taste this, but the diner to my right was very happy with his brunch plate.

Symon Burger: w/fried egg, cheddar, bacon & fries 

I thought it was kind of ironic that Bob ordered the burger, since B Spot is so close to where we live (and both burgers contain the same meat, custom blended and ground by Pat LaFrieda in NY), but I can't complain because I got a bite of it! I also got a bite of the Pork Pastrami Hash that another tablemate ordered - it was tasty. But I have to say, I think my plate was the winner (ah, it feels good to eat on The Pork Side):

Biscuits & Gravy: 2 eggs, bacon, scallion, cheddar biscuits, sausage gravy 

 

The sausage gravy was so tasty that I could have skipped the poached eggs entirely. But I didn't.

The yolks were wonderfully bright and runny. Just the way I like 'em.

The biscuits were studded with bits of chewy bacon, scallion and cheddar. The combination of biscuit and egg yolk was a well made match - but oh my that sausage gravy - fresh, well seasoned sausage meat popping with flavor, nestled in smooth and creamy gravy, with more of that flaky, cheddary, bacony biscuit underneath. This is serious comfort food and highly recommended.

We were so full from our Bar Symon brunch that the chicken and dumplings we'd planned on making for dinner tonight got bumped to tomorrow.  Looking forward to playing with the new Bar Symon dinner menu too!

Fun Playing With Dante Boccuzzi and Sushi, and a Pitch for a Great Cause

 

Saturday night, we joined the rest of Cleveland Ohio at a cocktail party celebrating the impending opening of the new Dante Restaurant in Tremont Ohio. Some folks didn't get it, but it is a very authentic Italian "thing" to invite the whole community in for a cocktail when starting a new venture - and Chef Dante Boccuzzi did it with style. And fun, fun, fun.

This Chef is an amazing young man. After battling cancer and chemo - he (together with his charming wife, who was checking coats and greeting guests this hideously cold and snowy, and busy, Saturday night) has rebounded to turn an historic bank building into a beautiful dining space. A sushi bar will open downstairs in the spring. But Saturday night it was all about the main Dante space in the main floor of the former bank. The architectural details were meticulously preserved (including the bank's decals on the front door, and the "vault" room, with a cozy 4-top and a carnivore's-eye view of the salumi locker), with lots of new touches added. Unfortunately for me, the crowds did nothing to enhance the somewhat dim lights, so most of my photos are lacking - but I offer you the best that I could do.

Meat Slicer

Not quite as colorful as the one at Michael Symon's Lolita - but fully serviceable nevertheless.

Cheese and Salumi

Though I don't know this for sure, I expect that the salumi was house-made, and sliced on the above slicer. And I most enjoyed my tastes of both.

Sushi Being Constructed in the Kitchen

The entire restaurant was laid open to us - the kitchen is brand new and shiny, and features a 6-seat maximum "chef's table" that lays the process open to all who are willing to give up the beautiful dining room to  view stainless steel and sweat instead.

Fresh Crab Sushi

Yuppers - no crab stick for Chef Dante - this is the real deal, with a lovely green roe atop. Sorry - I failed to get a photo of the Hamachi sushi, which was most tasty.

Butternut Squash Soup

Nutty, cinnamon-y, and most delicious - these soup shots delighted all who tasted them!

Not Exactly Arancini

Traditionally, Arancini or arancine are fried (or, less commonly, baked) rice balls coated with breadcrumbs, said to have originated in Sicily in the 10th century. Chef Dante's version were filled with creamy cheese and smooth polenta - simply lovely!

 

 

Smoked Salmon, Aoli over House-Made Gauffrette

This bite was also wonderful.

Cake with Espresso Taste

I actually liked this, even though Bob got most of my espresso-filled tasting tube. I expect nothing but good things on the dessert side of the new Dante.

Six of us had tucked ourselves, fairly early, into one of the "first-come, first-sit" tables - but Dante (the restaurant, not the Chef!) got so frenetic, crowded and noisy that we decided to repair to Parallax for some "dinner" food and a gentler scene. Though we were sad to leave, we were comforted by the knowledge that we'd be back soon, for a full meal!

Unfortunately for me, the light at Parallax wasn't much better than the light at Dante had been, so most of my photos were 86'd. Here are a couple of views of my sushi plate - Dante had whetted my appetite with his lovely sushi, and Chef Zach Bruell finished me off with fresh and tasty salmon and tuna:

 

 

Bob opted for Grilled Hanger Steak with truffled cauliflower, parmesan fingerlings and cabernet sauce, but you don't want to see those photos - though I tasted, and can assure you, it was perfectly cooked and a very tasty, if not photogenic in low light, dish. My taste of Fred's tempura was likewise delicious.

And now, a "commercial," from Cleveland Foodie Michelle V:

Do good. Eat Good.

After writing this blog for nearly four years, I think I can safely make some assumptions about you, my readers. Assumption one: you like food.  Two: you like food prepared by one of our many talented chefs. Three: You’re pro Cleveland and will always support local when able. Four: You care about this community and supporting others when in need. Five: You have $5.

(and I’m willing to bet you’d happily exchange that $5 for free dinner out the rest of the year.)

After meeting Farming Lee Jones, I learned about the Veggie U initiative, a national program that promotes the well-being of children through a healthy lifestyle with a focus on making wise food choices, combating adolescent and juvenile disease, and attaining an understanding of sustainable agriculture. The program is embraced and loved by teachers and students alike. Locally, 150 schools in the Cleveland Metro School District have been using the 4^th grade Veggie U science program. Unfortunately, they don’t have any funding to continue as $200 per classroom is needed to fund the kits.

On the way home from that initial meeting and fabulous dinner, we had an idea to try to help these students and teachers. Would you be willing to donate a minimum of $5 to help this cause? That’s your morning Starbucks. If we all help and spread the word, we have an opportunity to make a difference here. And if you’ve watched the news lately, you know Cleveland students can use a little bit of good news.

If you donate $5 to Veggie U, you will automatically be entered to win more than $1,200 worth of gift cards to all your favorite eateries and shops. Want to increase your odds? Donate $10, $25, $50 or more (I promise you won’t miss $25). For every $5 you donate, you will earn another entry into the drawing. The more you donate, the greater your chance of winning. You have until February 13 to donate and be entered. It’s easy – just call 419.499.7500 ext 119; you must reference Cleveland Foodie (a winner will be picked using random.org).

As soon as we worked out all the details with Veggie U, I reached out to the chefs and owners to share the idea and ask for support. Almost immediately I started to hear back. The backing of our food community and willingness to work together to help all sorts of causes beyond this is inspiring, admirable and personally greatly appreciated by myself. Thank you to everyone for your generosity and willingness to pitch in.

One incredibly lucky diner will spend the year eating and drinking their way throughout Cleveland:

Western Reserve Wine / $50 gift card

Tartine / $50 gift card

Momocho / $50 gift card (Eric Williams also generously donated an additional $200 to fund one classroom)

Lola / $50 gift card

The Greenhouse Tavern / $50 gift card

Heinen’s / $100 gift card

Blue Canyon / $50 gift card

The Flying Fig / $50 gift card

Fire / $50 gift card

Erie Island Coffee / $50 gift card

Fahrenheit / $50 gift card

Miles Farmers Market / $50 gift card

Jekyll’s Kitchen / $50 gift card

Moxie / $200 gift card!!

Touch Supper Club / $50 gift card

Parallax / $50 gift card

L’Albatros / $50 gift card

Chinato / $50 gift card (opening very soon!)

Crop Bistro / $50 gift card

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And to top it all off, the winner will receive one ticket to their choice of upcoming dinners at The Culinary Vegetable Institute (you’re in for a real treat here) and The Chefs Garden will send you one of their e-commerce family boxes.

To kick it off, Jamie and I will donate $100 (we will not be counted for the drawing). Would you also consider making a pledge? I know times are tough for many, and if you can’t, it’s completely understandable. But if you’re able to give something back and if you’re a follower of this blog I can only assume it’s a greater cause that matters to you, please call. Let’s follow the lead of our chefs and local owners and show what the Cleveland food community can accomplish when we work together.

Thank You.

Update: Just learned that The Culinary Vegetable Institute will give a copy of the 2009 official cookbook of the Food & Wine Celebration to the first 20 people that donate $50 or more!

Plays With Food says - I do not need to add that winning this prize will enable a lucky donor to have serious fun with a lotta great Cleveland food! But I will add it, because I can. Please support Michelle's worthy cause, if you can!

New Year's Day Fun at Wonton Gourmet, Asiatown, Cleveland Ohio

New Year's Day can be a strange time for us. My husband's mother celebrates her birthday on that day (this year was her 94th - and she's still sharp as a tack!). So, family doings sometimes get in the way of other social plans. This year, however, it was snow, more than commitments, that bollixed up the day a bit!

Thank goodness we scheduled a NYD meal with friends at Wonton Gourmet (Wonton Gourmet (3211 Payne Avenue, 216-875-7000, no website)(each of the last 8 words has a link to a different FPWF WG post) for the afternoon (and even with that, it was a struggle to get home in one piece). Among the new friends at our table were Greg and Sunny from Tremont's Ty Fun restaurant, which we have yet to sample, but which we have put on our list of New Year's Resolutions (which consists, BTW, of just that one).

We began with appetizers, which I've posted about many times before: turnip cake, chive potstickers, fish maw and conpoy soup. We also ordered the Cilantro Rice Rolls, which I decided to include in this post because they looked so good!

Also, with the first round of our order, we continued working our way through the newer Sichuan (or Szechuan) dishes depicted on the wall, a cold plate:

Hot Spicy Beef Two Ways 

 

This was a classic Chinese cold dish, and a time-honored way to use every bit of the animal. Tough, gristly meat and tripe were slow cooked for many hours, with spice and seasonings, then chilled and topped with an incendiary sauce featuring chilies and Sichuan Peppercorns. The result was tender and delicious and the plate was cleaned, even though neither Bob nor I would have listed tripe as a desired food before we tasted this.

We ordered 4 mains for 8 people and we still had a few leftovers!

Sichuan (or Szechuan) Hot & Spicy Fish

This dish brought the heat and the vinegar, as always. Fresh, crispy fish sat atop cabbage and below the chilies and delighted all of us.

Ma Lai Pork Chop

Given the name of this dish (Mai Lai means numbing and hot -- from Sichuan pepper and chilies), I expected a lot more heat than we got. Oh but the Umami of it all! I can't really describe it - but it was a taste and fragrance that made you want to just keep eating it. With a savory crunch and tender texture, to boot.

We determined to have a noodle dish for New Year's, an Asian tradition that reaches around the entire continent - we asked our server to recommend a good NYD choice, and having narrowed it down to three, we asked Sunny to decide. We were all delighted with his selection!

 Tai Pan Chow Mai

This rice noodle-seafood stir fry paired perfectly with the firestorm of spice on our palates from the Sichuan dishes.

 Finally, in recognition of both our need for vegetable input, and the resemblance of green leafy vegetables to money (another New Year's good luck food):

Sauteed Snow Pea Leaves with Garlic

Our server had recommended these - they  had a fresh-picked taste and texture, and  tasted delicious with the gentle garlic sauce treatment.

The snow was totally out of control by the time we headed home - after slipping and sliding on the highways and our local streets almost all of the way, we decided to wait until the next day to see Bob's Mom. We were also so stuffed from this feast that we put our traditional pork roast and sauerkraut dinner off for a day as well.

Wonton Gourmet continues to consistently deliver truly authentic and tasty Chinese food, and we enjoyed playing with every dish! I again encourage you to pay them a visit, and to venture, as least a little bit, into the world beyond your usual Chinese restaurant fare. It's fun!

Fun Playing With Pho

We are blessed in Cleveland to have a diverse Asiatown. Our Asiatown is so named because it includes a large number of restaurants representing many variations on Asian cuisine. We also have some excellent Asian restaurants on the East and West Sides of Cleveland. But New Year's Eve day brought us to Asiatown, with its free parking and awesome Pho options, for a pre-Rock and Roll Hall of Fame lunch.

I'd been to Superior Pho back when it was Pho Hoa (and the owner subsequently received a "cease and desist" letter from a national Pho chain with the same name and no outlets in Ohio, prompting the name change to channel its street address) and the chairs were metal folding chairs. Had a fabulous lunch - but I just hadn't gotten back. The only Pho experience Bob had in Asiatown was the cross-intersection rival Number 1 Pho. We'd had a nice lunch, but not an "omigosh we need to get back here" great lunch.

I'd won 2 tickets to the Rock Hall at the Rock N Roll BBQ Throwdown July 26. They expired 12/31/09, and that's when we intended to use them! But first - sustenance! We got that - and much more, at the fabulous Superior Pho, 3030 Superior Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44114, 216-781-7462 (no website). The chairs have been replaced with more sturdy, comfortable models!

We began with beverages. Bob ordered the Vietnamese Coffee, I ordered tea.

Coffee Brewed Tabletop

 

Bob, who was caffiene-deprived by the time I took these photos, really liked the strong, freshly brewed coffee. I took no photos of the tea - it looked like, well, tea. The menu described it as Jasmine tea. But it wasn't. It was rich and creamy, with hints of vanilla and coconut flavors. I asked our server, who at first insisted it was Jasmine, then said something about Lotus. He seemed afraid that if he said anything other than Jasmine, that I wouldn't like it (I assume there was a rational basis for that fear, like non-Asian customers sending it back). All I know is that it was mighty, mighty fine tea, and accompanied the food perfectly on a cold day. And I told him so.

Cleveland's own Iron Chef, Michael Symon, has sung the praises of Superior Pho's Bahn Mi, or Vietnamese Sandwich, so Bob and I knew we'd be sharing one.  I asked him to hold the cucumber, and with a surprised look, the server said "ok." I guess they don't get a lot of requests for that.

Banh Mi Thit (Vietnamese Sandwich on crispy French bread with homemade pate, roasted pork, no cucumber, fresh herbs, and mayonnaise sauce)

 

 

As in most things culinary, the Iron Chef was spot on - creamy pate, housemade meat, zingy sauce and crispy bread - a little bit of heaven on a bun. And a bargain at $3.95.

 

 Bo Bia (Rice paper rolls with Lap Cheong (Chinese Dried Sausage), Fried Egg, herbs, lettuce, rice noodles) 

 

 

Note the sear on the Lap Cheong, which helped to bring out the flavors.

Forget the Pho - I could have eaten a bowl of this peanut-sesame-soy infused dipping sauce!

Well, don't forget the Pho - we ordered the "small" bowls ($6.75 each) and found the portions more than ample. But more than that - the textures and flavors were simply perfect.

Pho Accompaniments - Bean Sprouts, Vietnamese Mint, Jalepeno Peppers, Lime

 

Pho Chin nam gau (noodle soup with eye round steak, fat brisket and flank) 

 

Bob's selection was wonderful - tender meats, perfectly seasoned beef broth, and rice noodles.

Pho Bo Vien (Noodle soup and meat balls)

The meat balls were a total contrast to the braised meats in Bob's dish - more toothy in texture, and less pronounced in flavor. But a gentle swipe of Hoisin Sauce and Sriracha paste from the table gave the meatballs the flavor balance they needed. I loved the beefy broth and crisp greens, and of course, the rice noodles.

We both loved playing with the Vietnamese delicacies served up at Superior Pho. I can't wait to go back. (Well, what do you know - a business meeting is scheduled there this week!)

Superior Pho remains a simple, family owned and run place at the back of the Golden Plaza. But the food, perfect for this snowy and cold time of year, is served with heart and soul along with the hoisin and Sriracha on the tables. We had fun playing with everything we tasted, and can't wait to sample more!