My dining out group went to AMP 150 last Thursday night and had such an enjoyable experience. My assistant organizer had been tweeting about his excitement in going there, so they were fully aware we were coming. Since he had tweeted his disappointment about his meal at Chinato the weekend before, Ellis (the executive chef) was particularly careful informing the waitstaff. The service was quite good with one exception, but the size of our group probably threw them off a bit. Lisa, our server, did a wonderful job waiting on us and had no problem giving us separate checks.
Chef Ellis greeted us before the meal and came out afterward to answer any questions.
AMP 150 is located in the Cleveland Airport Marriott hotel. It has to be the best “hotel restaurant” I have ever eaten at. My only complaint is that the front parking lot was filled with cars (most likely guests’ cars), and most of us had to park at the back of the hotel and walk around the hotel in the freezing weather. Valet parking would have been extremely appreciated, and I for one would have gladly paid for it. Especially since a single woman walking by herself in a parking lot in West Park can get a little nervous…
Glazed Chesapeake Bay Cod with bok choy, broken shrimp, edamame, and smoked onion broth
Braised lamb special with Chorizo and white beans
AMP 150 features local Northern Ohio “farming and culinary artisanship” so the menu changes regularly. They had two special “secret fan” meals on offer that night – a Facebook special with Velvet Mushroom soup, Glazed Chesapeake Bay Cod with bok choy, broken shrimp, edamame, and smoked onion broth and the warm chocolate cake and the Twitter special with the Velvet Mushroom soup, braised lamb with Chorizo and white beans, and a Lemongrass Crème Brulee.
We started the meal by ordering an order of the sweet soy and peanut chicken wings with house-made kim chee and the spicy chicken wings. I was expecting more peanut flavor from the chicken wings, but they were indeed delicious. The housemade kim chee was not overpowering like kim chee usually is. I used to work at a Korean printing company in Germany and the smell of kim chee usually permeated the building since they worked and lived there. I enjoyed this version of kim chee.
Sweet soy and peanut chicken wings with house-made kim chee
Fried apple pie with Jeni's honey vanilla ice cream
AMP 150 offers small plates and entrees, so there are enough choices to fit everyone’s budget and palate. I had a really hard time deciding. I ended up choosing the Facebook special. The Velvet Mushroom soup was creamy and delicious with a slight hint of smoke. I would order it again on its own if given the choice. The Glazed Chesapeake Bay Cod with bok choy, broken shrimp, edamame, and smoked onion broth was a good choice for a low-fat meal (I’m on Nutrisystem, so I need to be good most of the week). The cod was flaky and the broth and vegetables were hot and delicious. The warm chocolate cake was served with a scoop of Jeni’s Double CoCo ice cream. Anyone who has ever tried Jeni’s Ice Cream would know that it is simply divine. The double coco could become a new favorite. It was rich and creamy and oh so chocolatey.
Milk chocolate pana cotta with salted caramel ice cream and malted hazelnut shake
The chef also sent out several items for us to try, including the braised lamb with farro risotto and celery root and the Fried Apple Pie with Jeni’s Honey Vanilla Ice Cream. Both were divine. The braised lamb had sold out by the time we ordered, but they had saved a portion for us to try. Ellis explained to us that he serves a cut from the neck of the lamb, so it was flavorful and moist due to the ribbons of fat. The fried apple pie was amazing. I think I might have liked it better than my warm chocolate cake.
Chicken Paillard Sandwich with mixed greens, lemon herb vinaigrette, Brie cheese, and white truffle aioli
However, the real star of the night was the Milk Chocolate Pana Cotta with Jeni’s Salted Caramel ice cream and Malted Hazelnut Shake. I have eaten desserts in Europe and the U.S. and have never had such a delicious dessert. It was creamy and chocolatey, but not too overpowering. Simply divine! I cannot wait to go back and order it again.
When I do go back (and it will be soon – my assistant organizer went back the next night!) I may just have to order the Chicken Paillard Sandwich with mixed greens, lemon herb vinaigrette, Brie cheese, and white truffle aioli or one of their delicious-sounding burgers to ensure I have room for the Pana Cotta. I can’t recommend AMP 150 enough, and I really hope you give it a try soon.
Contact info:
Amp 150 Restaurant & Bar
4277 W. 150th Street
Cleveland, OH 44135
(216) 651-9474
Disclaimer: the really great, close-ups were taken by my assistant organizer. The other (lamer) photos were taken by me. I will be buying a Canon as well soon, so expect to see better, more artistic photos here very soon.
Posted by jillsommer 
But I stopped at 
She sells lots of baked goods there, including chocolate chip cookies, rice krispie treats, fudge and homemade pies (I saw pumpkin, apple walnut, mixed berry and blueberry when I was there), as well as apple cider, apples, homemade jelly and preserves, pumpkins, and several kinds of candy for the kids. Not to mention the homemade wreaths, crafts, decorative corn stalks, and gourds. The pumpkins are gorgeous and are available in all sizes and colors (I’d never heard or seen cotton candy white pumpkins before). The variety is amazing.
Clam bakes (or as we in Cleveland spell it – “clambakes”) originated in New England, but Cleveland has taken the clambake and embraced it as its own fall tradition. Many restaurants advertise their clambakes in the Plain Dealer and online, but if you ask me the best clambakes are the ones thrown in someone’s backyard. A clambake is a traditional method of cooking seafood over an open fire pit on the beach. The seafood is often supplemented by sausages, chicken, potatoes, onions, carrots, corn on the cob, etc. The food is layered, with lots of vegetables like celery, parsnips, onions, peppers, corn husks, etc. and herbs as flavoring.
My best friend and her family have a clambake every year, and my parents and I really look forward to it. Invitations go out in early September, and payment is due about a week ahead of the clambake (so that they can order the right amount from one of the many Cleveland catering companies that sell clambakes). The company they use is 
They also offer a “chicken bake” alternative, because several people don’t like the taste of clams and two of the attendees are extremely allergic to shellfish. Since everything is boiled together in a pot, that means everything might be potentially life-threatening. As a result, they grill chicken breasts and make separate corn and sweet potatoes for the “chicken bakes.” It’s a lot more work, but it does work out in the end. They also try hard to keep the chicken bakes and clambakes separate.
Once it was determined that the pot contents were ready, the pot was removed from the burner and deconstructed. First, the seasoning vegetables were removed and set aside. Then the chickens were removed and browned in a large skillet over the same burner. In the meantime, the sweet potatoes and corn were transferred to serving platters and the clams were kept in the pot to stay warm. Everyone was encouraged to line up and help themselves.
There is always a bonfire roaring in the backyard, and folks congregate around the fire. There are also rousing games of corn hole and baseball in the backyard – and some years they blow off a cannon.
I had a craving for a root beer float this afternoon after taking my dog to Bow Wow Beach in Stow. I haven’t had a root beer float in about twenty years and really enjoyed it. I was hoping it would be served in the big glass mug the root beer is served in, but unfortunately it came in a “to go” cup.
Feeling a little peckish, I decided to try something different and tried their Mozza Burger, which features mozzarella cheese, bacon and a Thousand Island dressing. The patties were a little overcooked, but the mozzarella cheese and bacon really went well together. I’m going to have to try to recreate this burger at home. The crinkle fries were perfectly done, and my dog enjoyed her plain beef hotdog. It was a pleasant afternoon, and I was sad that I had finished my root beer float so quickly.
Probably the thing I was most looking forward to when I moved back to Cleveland after living in Germany for six years was spending the evening at Blossom Music Center listening to the world famous Cleveland Orchestra or the Blossom Festival Orchestra.
those who are not familiar with Austro-Hungarian cuisine, Wiener Schnitzel is a veal cutlet pounded flat and battered and fried to a golden brown. It is traditionally served with spaetzel (delicate dumplings made of flour, eggs and water) and applesauce.
night. We were a fairly large group and the restaurant was full, but we had no problems with the service. They seated us at an L-shaped table by the window.
