Author: Jill (@bonnjill)

Palookaville Chili

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I met some friends for lunch yesterday at Palookaville Chili. Wow, we loved it. This funky chili shop on Lorain Avenue (just past Fulton) specializes in chili or (as they like to call them) “hot pots o’ soul.” If you like chili you’ll love this place. Once you see the bill you’ll love it even more.

The star here is the chili, made from hand-chopped meats, fresh chiles, and proprietary spice blends. There are five “gourmet chilis” to choose from, including Texas beef, chicken verde, hot pork, spicy veggie, and spinach paneer. The spicy veggie and spinach paneer are vegetarian-friendly The chilis are served eight different ways – in a cup or bowl, on macaroni, on nachos, on rice, on a chili dog, in a burrito or as a sloppy jose. They also offer beef & cheddar, pulled pork and BBQ chicken sandwiches, which would pair nicely with a cup of chili. It is BYOB-friendly if you want to enjoy a beer with your chili.

As soon as I saw it on the menu online I decided to try the Sloppy Jose. Being a fan of hoagie buns, this was right up my alley. I could choose from any of the chilis and then could add toppings, including cheddar cheese, red onion, sour cream and jalapenos (baked beans are 50 cents more). I ordered the chicken verde (the mildest of the chilis) with everything but the jalapenos. I was going out to dinner that night and didn’t want to have heartburn or an upset stomach. It was served with a fork, which I quickly learned I would need. I tried to eat it as a sandwich and succeeded in making quite a mess. This sandwich was delicious. The chili was very flavorful and, for being a mild chili, had a nice heat to it. Combined with a can of Mountain Dew my bill came to a whopping $5.

I also splurged on a side of cornbread, which was $1.75. It was worth every penny. The cornbread was dotted with bits of corn and jalapeno and was more savory than sweet. It was also extremely moist.

I also had the pleasure of trying my friend’s spinach paneer chili (not pictured here), which featured spinach, Indian spices, and cubes of fresh Indian cheese (paneer). Wow, that was good. Despite being a meat lover I can appreciate a good palak paneer, and this spinach paneer did not disappoint – with chunks of paneer in a spicy spinach-based chili. Yum!

This little neighborhood gem is only open for lunch and closes at 4:00 every day. It features free wifi and plays some righteous bluegrass-rock music. My friend G. was loving the old-time music. We all felt very comfortable and will definitely be going back.

Contact info:

Palookaville Chili
3900 Lorain Ave.
Cleveland, OH
216-961-4810

Jezebel’s Bayou on Larchmere

Jezebel’s Bayou was an authentic New Orleans-inspired restaurant located in the old Menu 6/Boulevard Blue location on Larchmere. They fly their seafood in fresh from Louisiana every day. I love New Orleans, so I was very excited to hear about Jezebel’s, and the fact that it is so close to my home is an added bonus. If I could winter in New Orleans and spend the summers here in Cleveland I would do it in a heartbeat. New Orleans is a very unique city with a very unique culture – and outstanding food. I’ve enjoyed some amazing meals there.

Our first visit to Jezebel’s Bayou started off rocky and just stayed rocky. I had made a reservation for 11 people for 1 PM several days beforehand, so it wasn’t like our big table was a surprise – or at least it shouldn’t have been. As I was driving to meet my friends on that rainy Saturday afternoon I got a call saying they were standing outside the restaurant and the door was locked (the hours on the door indicated they opened at 11, but maybe they hadn’t gotten around to changing the hours on the door). I called and was told that the chef had arrived late that morning from shopping and that they would be opening at 1 or 1:05. When I got there they were opening the doors and letting us in. They never seemed to hit their stride after that. To make a long story short, our lunch took 3 hours.

However, the drinks were potent, which made up for the long wait. It might have been the fact that we were “day drinking” on empty stomachs. Several of my friends got pretty crocked on Sazeracs while we waited, and I got pretty buzzed from my hurricane. I had to walk away from it at one point to visit the other end of the table, because I needed to slow down. My $9 hurricane was made with Myerʼs Dark Rum, Bacardi, 151, orange juice, pineapple and grenadine and was absolutely delicious. It wasn’t served in a hurricane glass, but that certainly didn’t detract from the drink itself.

The food itself was really good. I started the meal by ordering the Alligator Voodoo, which are farm-raised alligator strips served with a Jalapeno Remoulade sauce. They were pretty moist, and the dipping sauce was very flavorful. I would definitely order this again. The New Orleans BBQ shrimp appetizer seemed a bit pricey for just four shrimp, although my friend A. said they were good. I’ll probably order them as an entree in the future. The onion rings, dipped in a Dortmunder Gold beer batter and served with a warm white Cheddar fondue sauce, on the other hand, were plentiful and delicious. I couldn’t stop eating them off my friend’s plate. That fondue sauce was divine!! My friend E. also thoroughly enjoyed his raw oysters on the half shell.

I ordered the Shrimp and Crawfish Creole for my entree. Whooeee, was it spicy, which is just how Creole and Cajun food should be. I ordered it because it was served with steamed rice. I was glad it came with the rice, because the rice offset the heat a bit. The shrimp and crawfish were perfectly cooked and the tomato-based creole sauce was very flavorful.

I will also be ordering the Sweet and Crunchy Praline Salad in the near future. It is gorgeous and features mixed field greens, mandarin oranges, sun-dried cherries, white cheddar cheese, and sugar-spice pecans with a white French dressing. It was light and flavorful and the pecans were delicious.

The owner came by at some point to welcome us and make sure everything was okay. He was so sincere we didn’t have the heart to complain about the unorganized service or slow kitchen. And we were enjoying ourselves, even if several of the folks had to be in Akron at some point. I wasn’t planning on going anywhere that afternoon and just enjoyed the company, so it wasn’t that big a deal to me. I just won’t be going back again with a large group. The smaller tables seemed to be taken care of just fine, having arrived after us and leaving before us.

Several of my fellow diners were also surprised when they got their bill. It certainly wasn’t a cheap lunch, but it was a delicious and enjoyable one. I’m glad I have a New Orleans restaurant so close to home. I plan to give dining service one more try, and if it is just as slow I will simply stick to carry out in the future.

Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Contact info:

Jezebel’s Bayou
12718 Larchmere Boulevard
Cleveland, OH 44120
(216) 721-3877

The Chew: Have a Bite at Swensons

Michael Symon featured local favorite Swensons on The Chew today. Chef Symon said Swensons is “a little piece of his childhood.” I myself became a Swensons fan while at grad school in Kent. I agree with the King of the Cleveland Burger. The Galley Boy does happen to be a fantastic burger. No one knows the secret ingredient that makes the patty so sweet. Some say it’s brown sugar, others say it’s hash. All I know is it’s so good! If you haven’t had a burger at Swensons you need to rectify that as soon as possible. Swensons has been voted Akron’s best burger for the past 10 years and has several locations in the Akron/Canton area – as well as a location at 7635 Broadview Road in Parma/Seven Hills. There are currently seven locations, but the clip on The Chew filmed at the original location at West Market and Hawkins in Akron, which has been in business since 1934. I recommend ordering a strawberry phosphate, but most people swear by their milkshakes. Thanks for sharing one of our best-kept secrets, Chef Symon! Hope it ensures Swensons stays in business for many years to come!

Tom at Exploring Food My Way did a good review of Swensons and the Galley Boy back in 2009 here. Be sure to check it out.

Titanic Tea

I belong to a tea group through Meetup.com. Every few months one of the co-organizers hosts a tea at her home that simply rocks. Space is limited, and her teas fill up very quickly. When I told Crystal of Eat*Drink*Cleveland about the tea she thought it might interest my readers and encouraged me to post about it. Maybe it will inspire you to host a tea of your own.

J. goes above and beyond when it comes to the teas she hosts at her house. We have enjoyed a Mad Hatter Tea featuring food inspired by Alice and Wonderland and a Peter Rabbit Summertime Tea featuring food inspired by the characters of Beatrix Potter.

J. and her husband worked hard to prepare the food for this tea, while her daughter M., who attended culinary school, helps put everything together and serve the food so that J. can visit with her guests and be the ultimate hostess. Everything was as close to being authentic as possible from the food to the teas to the music. She had a CD of music that played on the Titanic playing when we walked in. We were handed a handout packet entitled Boarding Pass (printed a likeness of the actual boarding pass) featuring the menu, authentic menus from first, second and third class and various historical facts. Most of the recipes she found came from Tea Time Magazine.

Our first course was champagne punch accompanied by marinated fruit shots, which were fruit skewers marinated in a tea-infused simple sugar. The champagne punch was made with tea, ginger, a bunch of other ingredients, and three bottles of champagne. I preferred drinking it over the tea this time since it was such a warm day.

The second course was the scone course. She had made three different scones – a white chocolate and champagne scone, a chocolate coconut almond scone, and a raspberry ricotta scone. The scones were served with butter, clotted cream and raspberry preserves, which we could add or not depending on our preference. I would be hard pressed to choose a favorite, but my favorite scone was the chocolate coconut almond scone.

The third course featured assorted tea sandwiches that were inspired by food that had been served on the Titanic. We enjoyed marinated shrimp on crostini, goat cheese and olive tapenade sandwich stacks, bacon and cheddar tea sandwiches on toasted pita rounds, crab salad in cucumber boats, pear and blue cheese canapes, curried chicken and apple toast cups, and lamb with mint pesto on crostini. Again, all of the sandwiches were delicious, but my favorites were the pear and blue cheese and lamb sandwiches.

The fourth course was the dessert course. She served Victorian poppy seed bundt cake with a lime glaze, lemon berry ladyfingers, black forest trifle, chocolate eclairs and ‘white on white confections’ (mini-cupcakes with white sprinkles). I had started to hit the wall at this point, but if I had to choose a favorite it would be the mini-cupcakes. They were moist and delicious.

Three different teas were served at the Titanic Tea: RMS Titanic tea, Buckingham Palace tea, and Queen Catherine tea. The RMS Titanic Tea Blend is a Harney & Sons loose commemorative tea blend created to honor the 100th Anniversary of those who perished when the Titanic sank. The tea blend features Chinese Keemun and Formosa Oolong. A portion of the sales will be donated to The Ocean Conservancy. Buckingham Palace Tea is served at the Buckingham Palace garden party every May. The tea blends Ceylon Earl Grey with a soft jasmine from Fujian Province and a malty Assam. Queen Catherine is a Harney & Sons loose tea blend of three Chinese black teas in honor of Queen Catherine, who introduced her love of tea to the British. Not being a fan of Earl Grey, I chose to drink the RMS Titanic Tea.

To view more photos, visit http://www.meetup.com/No-Hats-Required-Tea/photos/7477542/.

Pie-making class at The Chubby Cook

As I’ve said in a previous post, I have been on a cooking class kick lately. The Chubby Cook has now gone the way of Viking Cooking. I’m on the search for good cooking classes, so please let me know if you here of any.

I recently attended a pie-making class at The Chubby Cook presented by the proprietor of Humble Pie Baking Company (and my friend) Diane. Her pies are simply amazing. I have been buying her pies at local farmer’s markets and craft fairs. I am not a fan of pie crust. I worked as a waitress at Baker’s Square for five years, and I always threw out the crust after eating the pie innards. Not her pies! They are light, tender, flaky and crisp. I wanted to learn how to make her pie crust, so I jumped at the chance to sign up for the pie-making class.

The Chubby Cook started out as a local food blog, but Scott branched out and opened his own carry-out restaurant/catering venue, which has now morphed into a catering venue and cooking school. It is located in the shopping strip across from Moxie’s (just down from Hiroshi’s Pub). The facilities were nicely arranged and very clean. I joined my two friends there and met some of the other attendees. We all had a ball.

We were greeted by Diane and Scott and offered a glass of fresh cider from the orchard where Diane gets her apples. We put on our aprons and read through the recipe handout. Diane started out by showing us how she makes a pie: cutting the butter and lard into the flour mixture, letting the dough rest, rolling out the dough, placing it in the pie pan, making the filling (lots of apples with cinnamon and butter!) and crimping and fluting the edges. I could have been happy just eating the filling by itself.

While her pie was baking in the oven we were turned loose to make our own pie. We followed the same steps Diane used, but we had to peel the apples first (she was peeling apples when we walked in). I got fancy and added leaves made from the extra crust dough to mine to differentiate my pie from the other pies. While our pies were in the oven, we dug into her pie and she showed us how to make crust in a food processor. She was an excellent instructor. Everyone’s pies turned out beautifully.

Many attendees really appreciated all her tips like using half lard and half butter for the crust, where to purchase lard and all her tips on locally sourced produce. We all went home with our own steaming apple pie in a glass pie plate. Everyone who tried my pie that weekend absolutely raved about it. I went back a week or so later and picked up some pie crusts that she had dropped off for us. They are now in my freezer, and I can’t wait until the summer to bake and fill them! I walked out of The Chubby Cook covered in cinnamon and flour, but absolutely relaxed and ebullient. I can’t imagine a better way to spend a snowy morning than baking pies with friends.

If you haven’t attended a cooking class, The Chubby Cook is a great place to start! Check out his class calendar today!

Contact info:

The Chubby Cook
3365 Richmond Road, #225
Beachwood, OH 44122
(216) 342-4840

Viking Range/Cooking at Legacy Village is going out of business at the end of the month

I just read on Twitter that Viking is closing. I called Viking to confirm because I had hoped it was an April Fool’s joke. Alas, it is not. It isn’t because their classes were not well attended, because most of the classes for April and into May were already sold out. My heart is breaking for the employees there. The classes were always delicious and enjoyable, and the recipes I have collected from their classes over the years are some of my favorites. We were so lucky to have such an excellent cooking school in Cleveland. This is truly a sad day. The employee on the phone informed me that the Going out of Business sale starts on Friday, so be sure to check it out. If you are signed up for any classes after April you will be receiving an e-mail to let you know, and I would assume they will be refunding your money.

Saigon Grille on Superior Avenue East

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I’m going to take a controversial stand – I prefer Saigon Grille over Superior Pho. I seem to crave pho on Mondays, when Minh Anh and Superior Pho are closed. A few weeks ago I was craving a banh mi, so I hit Google and searched for a restaurant that offered them. Number 1 Pho was open, but they only serve pho – not banh mi. The restaurant one door over from it did and was open all day from 10 a.m. to midnight, which was great because I was eating a late lunch at 2 p.m. After eating at Superior Pho today and ordering a similar pho and banh mi meal I can unequivocally say that I prefer the banh mi at Saigon Grille over Superior Pho (although the meal at Superior Pho was about $5 cheaper). Both restaurants serve outstanding pho, but if you want an outstanding banh mi I suggest you try Saigon Grille’s and see if you agree.

Saigon Grille is a small unassuming storefront right near Superior Pho and Number 1 Pho. Parking is available in the back off E. 31st street (caution: one way street), but I parallel parked on E. 31st and walked down to the cheerful door. I’m glad I did, because they have a little shrine right inside the door with incense, candles and a roll on a plate. It lent some major atmosphere to the place.

I was quickly seated, and the waitress quickly brought me a glass of water. I ordered my banh mi (A7) and P22 (Pho Tai Nam, which is rice noodle soup with eye round steak and well done flank steak). Since Saigon Grille serves Vietnamese and Thai cuisine, I ordered one of my favorite beverages (a Thai ice tea) to drink and was surprised to see that they served it as a bubble tea.

The banh mi was heavenly. You can choose between pork, chicken or ham, but if you don’t specify you get pork. Unless you are Jewish I don’t know why anyone would order anything but the pork. The grilled, charred smokiness combined really well with the bright and fresh vegetables. The bread was crusty without being difficult to bite into. It was, frankly, a little bit of heaven. I prefer the roll at Superior Pho, but since the sandwich contents themselves are so delicious I’ll happily eat it.

The pho was also delicious. I dressed it with the Thai basil, bean sprouts and squirt of fresh lime wedge that accompanies pho at any restaurant you order it. The soup was perfectly prepared. The noodles weren’t overcooked, and there was just enough meat to enjoy with every bite. I can still taste the lime. The serving was plentiful and I ended up taking over half of it home with me to enjoy that evening.

Contact info:

Saigon Grille
3142 Superior Avenue East
Cleveland, OH 44114
(216) 589-9300

Noodlecat

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My friends and I ate at Noodlecat last night, and I can honestly say that I don’t know what has taken me so long to eat there. My only excuse is that I don’t usually eat downtown, and was reminded of why when I had to pay almost $10 to park since House of Blues was having some special event that night. Yes, I am a spoiled suburbanite (if Cleveland Heights can be considered the suburbs – but I gladly pay a couple quarters at their meters…). That said, I do occasionally eat in the Warehouse District, but generally can find a cheap spot on the street or cough up $5 for a spot in the parking lot. It’s not that I mind paying to park, but when there are so many other options that don’t necessitate paying half to one-fourth of the cost of the meal… Unfortunately there were no available spots on Prospect or Euclid, so I valeted it on E. 4th.

Noodlecat is unpretentious and casual, using recycled materials in the same way as The Greenhouse Tavern. Being an environmentalist from way back (since the 1980s) I love that. My only complaint about the decor is that the chair started becoming uncomfortable after an hour and a half. In short, my butt hurt from sitting on the little metal chair, and my fellow diners told me the wood bench wasn’t much better.

Kim Chee salad

Those are the only two negatives I have to report. In short, the food was simply amazing, and I take it as a good sign that I am craving the food the next day. If you are a fan of pho or ramen you will be quite pleased with what they serve. It was a happy accident that I scheduled our dinner for 6:30, which was at the tail end of their happy hour. All the ramen was $5 and the steam buns were just $2. I walked away paying just $20 including tip.

I started off by ordering a sparkling sake, which was on draft and only $4. Win! The sake was just what I wanted/needed. It was light and just a little sweet. Choosing an entree was a difficult decision. I was tempted to order Roscoe’s Fried Chicken & Ramen with fried chicken, butter, hot sauce, maple syrup, greens and fried chicken broth, but changed my mind when I heard the chicken was bone-in. Three of my fellow diners ordered it and loved it. They did, however, have trouble getting the meat off the bone with only chopsticks and an Asian-style soup spoon.

Chicken yakitori steam bun

One of my fellow diners ordered the Kim Chee Salad with Napa cabbage, sweet pureed kim chee, cashews, peanuts and pickled melon. Not being a fan of kim chee but willing to keep an open mind I was able to try several bites. The salad was flavorful and had a subtle heat that snuck up on you. Another friend ordered the “Super” Salad with adzuki beans, local greens, dry blueberry, savory green tea granola and ancient grains. He loved it and even pointed out to the waiter that there wasn’t a drop left.

Pork miso ramen

I decided to go with a chicken yakitori steam bun with pickled carrots, miso mayo and cilantro, which I enjoyed. However, as luck would have it our waiter had accidentally ordered two Tonkatsu buns that featured a crispy fried pork cutlet and smoked egg sauce. I told him I would be happy to pay for one of them, and I am so glad I did because it was my favorite part of the meal (and that is saying a lot). It was a taste explosion of goodness.

Green tea pot de creme

For my entree I ordered a bowl of the pork miso ramen, which features roasted Ohio pork, miso, scallions and greens. The noodles and roasted pork were perfectly cooked, and the broth was so flavorful and delicious that I drank up every last drop.

I ended my meal with the green tea pot de creme. I love green tea ice cream, and the pot de creme was absolutely perfect. The consistency was firm and not runny, and the flavor was light and balanced. The shaved chocolate on top was a nice complement to the green tea pot de creme. The waiter informed us that the chef had spent two weeks working to perfect it. I say thumbs up!

Several of us headed over to the Chocolate Bar for a night cap afterward. Since the temperature had dropped 40 degrees in a day I was chilled and chose the caramel and sea salt hot chocolate. It was creamy and delicious. The perfect ending to a perfect meal.

Contact info:

Noodlecat
234 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio 44114
(216) 589-0007

An old favorite: Hunan of Solon

Before moving to Cleveland Heights in May 2010 I lived in Solon for eight years. Solon has a lot of chain restaurants, but there are a few independent gems. One of my favorite restaurants there is Hunan of Solon. I would get take-out or eat in the restaurant at least every couple of weeks. So when Groupon offered a deal there last March I jumped at it. It was set to expire soon, so I grabbed a friend and took a night off from my juice fast (more on that another time) to enjoy some much-needed protein.

Hunan of Solon is located in an unassuming strip mall on a dead end street leading to the Solon Regal Cinemas. According to Scene Magazine, it is operated by the same people who run Hunan by the Falls in Chagrin Falls. They won Cleveland Magazine’s 2008 Silver Spoon Award for Best Chinese for their salty prawns. It offers an “eclectic and ambitious menu” including Korean beef rib strips, shrimp tempura, garlic shrimp, Cantonese lobster, basil chicken, moo shu duck, and pad Thai and Thai curries. Their lobster dishes are prepared from fresh live-tanked lobster (word of warning – if you order lobster they simply chop it up and you will have to remove the shells yourself, which can get quite messy and isn’t attractive when dining with others – but most especially on a date!). They also serve bubble tea smoothies. According to Wikipedia, bubble tea contains a tea base mixed with fruit (or fruit syrup) and/or milk. Ice-blended versions of the drinks, similar to slushies, are also available, usually in fruit flavors. I ordered the honey dew bubble tea smoothie, which was rather sweeter than I expected, in honor of St. Patrick’s Day. I probably would have been better sticking to the green tea bubble tea smoothie.

I dined there with my friend G., who is Chinese American. Once seated, our server quickly greeted us, asking G. if she was Chinese and then bringing her the Chinese menu. In all the times I have eaten here I had no idea they had a separate Chinese menu featuring more authentic dishes for Chinese palates. Looking at the website now I see that the “Authentic Chineses [sic] Menu” is featured there now. Having an Americanized palate and having anticipated the meal for at least a week, I knew exactly what I wanted already so I stuck with my tried and true favorites.

We started off with a cup of wonton soup each. Hunan of Solon is known for their wonton soup. G. even admitted that it was better than her mother’s, which I consider to be high praise seeing as her parents are currently living in Beijing. The broth is flavorful, and the wontons are dense and tasty (I apologize for the reflection off the broth in the photo). We both enjoyed every last drop.

My absolute favorite thing on the Hunan of Solon menu are the spinach pot stickers. I ordered these on a whim one day and did not regret it. After that my meal wasn’t complete without an order of spinach pot stickers. The pot sticker dough has spinach in it, and it is stuffed with a mixture of spinach and cream cheese. The pot stickers are pan fried to have a nice crisp base, but you can still really sink your teeth into these doughly little pillows of heaven. It is served with a dipping sauce that most likely features soy sauce but is not overly salty. If you are a fan of spinach or cream cheese you simply must try them. I guarantee you will order them every time afterward.

I could have been happy with just the soup and the pot stickers, but I was also looking forward to ordering my favorite curry on their menu, the Panang curry. The Panang curry is the mildest of their curries. It is a sweet and spicy dry curry, featuring dried chili peppers, coconut milk, butternut squash, yellow squash, snow pea pods, cherry tomatoes, onions, and green beans. I am not a big fan of heat – in fact I order it mild, a fact I overlooked when I ordered this time. However, it didn’t detract from the meal. I love biting down on the cherry tomato and having it burst with flavor in my mouth. I ordered the seafood curry, which included lobster, scallops and shrimp. I only had to remove lobster shell from one piece of lobster. The seafood was perfectly cooked, and the coconut milk, seafood and vegetables all blended together for a delicious meal that I have missed in the last two years.

G. ordered #50 off the authentic Chinese menu – lamb with cilantro and scallion. She was debating between three things on the menu, and the waiter recommended it. I got to try a bite, and it was very flavorful. She had ordered it with a medium heat, and this dish packed some heat that snuck up on you. The fresh cilantro and scallions complemented the lamb very well.

Without the Groupon our meal came out to $56. G. picked up the tab after the Groupon was deducted, and I plunked down the cash tip. We enjoyed catching up with each other and hearing each others’ plans for the summer. There was no need to dress up for Hunan. The restaurant was populated with young and old and several tables of regulars, including numerous tables of Chinese families enjoying authentic meals. All in all, it was a delightful and relaxed way to spend a St. Patrick’s Day evening.

Contact info:

Hunan of Solon
6050 Enterprise Parkway
Solon, OH 44139
(440) 248-8836