Category: Gone but not forgotten

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

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

Frank and Pauly’s opened its first restaurant in 1993 on Public Square in the BP Building. I remember eating there and being impressed by the food. We ordered several family style entrees that night, and I remember going back to my room at the Ritz Carlton a very happy translator. The restaurant closed shortly after that. It reopened briefly in Independence, and I ate there once with the executive board of my local translators group.

Frank and Pauly’s is now open in Mentor at The Sawyer House, which is on the National Register of Historic places as one of the only Stone Homes in Lake County. Owner Dennis Koury is using his brother Wayne Koury’s (founder of Frank and Pauly’s) recipes. They take care to use fresh ingredients and import quality pasta and cheese from Italy. When I heard the news that Frank and Pauly’s was now in Mentor I knew this would be the perfect venue for my new dining out group and quickly scheduled a dinner. I apologize for the darkness of the photos, but I didn’t want to detract from the other diners’ enjoyment by turning on my flash.

The Sawyer House is a gorgeous venue. We were immediately blown away by the sumptuous woodwork and cozy dining room. We were seated at a round table, which pleased us to no end because it allowed us all to talk with everyone in the group. We started the evening off with cocktails. I am a sucker for dreamsicles, so when I saw the Orange Dreamsicle on the menu I was thrilled. It was a delicious cocktail. I then switched to red wine with dinner, but a cocktail was the perfect way to take the edge off the day.

The group ordered several appetizers for the table to share. The bruschetta was delicious (unfortunately I wasn’t able to photograph it). The Roma tomatoes were plump and luscious, the crostini bread was soft and had a good bite to it, and the balsamic dressing was really delicious. I can’t wait to go back and order it again. We also split several grilled flatbreads, featuring arugula, Ohio Creamery goat cheese, lemon, garlic and oil. The arugula was a bit dry for my taste (being grilled), but the goat cheese paired really well with the arugula and the lemon and garlic kicked it up a notch.

We also ordered two family style salads to share. The Frank & Pauly’s salad with mixed greens, crispy prosciutto, crumbled gorgonzola and red onions did not disappoint. It was very flavorful and just as good as I remembered it. The second salad, the cranberry walnut salad, was my favorite of the two though. It featured mixed greens, dried cranberries, candied walnuts, croutons, green onions, and creamy goat cheese and was topped with a delicious raspberry vinaigrette.

I ordered the spaghetti and meat sauce. The pasta was al dente, and the meat sauce was very flavorful. I liked it, but I wasn’t thrilled with it. I love a good Bolognese, but I have very high standards. No meat sauce measures up to the Bolognese I had at a little hole-in-the-wall Italian place down in Cincinnati. It probably isn’t fair to compare, but that’s what diners do all the time. Don’t get me wrong, this was a very tasty meat sauce of fresh ground beef, veal, pork and is definitely worth ordering. That said, the addition of hunks of crispy prosciutto might kick this meat sauce up a notch.

When I go back to Frank & Pauly’s I will definitely order the lasagna, because both people at our table adored their meal. Everyone else was very pleased with their entrees, from the fuscilli vegetable ricotta sauce, mostaccioli eggplant marinara, eggplant parmesan (R. ate the entire entree so it must have been good), veal piccata, and the stuffed shrimp scampi, which were the special that night.

The service at Frank & Pauly’s was impeccable. Our waitress was very attentive and had no problems with separate checks for our table of ten. The timing of the food was perfect, and she even waited to put our entree orders in to allow one of our latecomers to eat with the group (we had just finished ordering when she arrived). Our water glasses were topped up several times, and everyone was very friendly. I can’t wait to go back to this little gem in Lake County. It is well worth the drive! Everyone at my table agreed.

Contact info:

Frank & Pauly’s
at “The Sawyer House”
9470 Mentor Ave, Mentor Ohio
(440) 392-9500

If you are looking for a good Mediterranean restaurant, you can’t go wrong with the Istanbul Grill in Tremont. The Istanbul Grill was established in 2010 in the historic Tremont neighborhood at the south end of Professor, near the St. Teodosious Church and Lucky’s Cafe. The food is fresh and very flavorful.

As we walked in the door we were greeted enthusiastically and shown to our tables. Our group of 20 was seated at three separate tables, one of which was in an alcove on the upper floor, but no one cared after the food came out. The service was attentive, and the food was delicious. The atmosphere in the restaurant was simple, clean, and modern yet warm. I have heard wonderful things about the patio, although I haven’t had a chance to check it out.

I like to start my meal off with a beverage (in the case of Turkish cuisine I like to enjoy an apple tea), and the Istanbul Grill didn’t disappoint. This fruity flavored delight is much more popular in the Turkish culture than traditional tea and coffee. In fact it is regarded as the national soft drink of Turkey.

My friend is a vegetarian, so we ordered several vegetarian appetizers. I wasn’t quick enough to photograph the baba gannush (chargrilled eggplant pureed with olive oil, lemon and garlic) before she dug in. The baba was fresh and delicious. You could taste that it was freshly prepared on site. The other appetizer – the soslu patlican (pictured to the left) – featured chopped eggplant cooked in a moderately spicy sauce of fresh tomato, green pepper, garlic, onions and parsley) was also quite fresh. Of the two I preferred the baba, but I am not a huge eggplant fan.

When it comes to Turkish food, my entree of choice is usually the Chicken Adana, although Doner Kebab is a close second. I ordered the Adana kebab (ground chicken and beef grilled on skewers), which was flavorful, and the meat was perfectly cooked – crispy on the outside, yet juicy from the inside, seasoned to perfection. The rice was flaky and a nice complement to the meat. Since I have a dairy allergy I did not order the yogurt kebabs, although several people did and raved about them.

My friend ordered the Sigara Börek on Mediterranean Salad. The “cigars” filled with feta cheese and parsley were artfully placed over the bed of greens, and she loved her choice.

No meal is complete without dessert, and the Istanbul Grill didn’t disappoint. Our group tends to order several desserts and shares them. In this case, the baklava was fresh and tender, and the Kadayif (shredded pastry dough stuffed with walnuts, baked, and topped with
chopped pistachios) was a delight. And of course no meal is complete without a Turkish coffee.

The members of my dining out group couldn’t wait to go back, and have mentioned it several times since our meal. The vegetarians in the group were especially pleased with their meals. If you are looking for an affordable yet tasty meal, you can’t go wrong with the Istanbul Grill in Tremont.

Contact info:

Istanbul Grill
2505 Professor Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44113
(216) 298-4450

One of my New Year’s resolutions is to stop ignoring this blog, so I intend to post at least one post a month. Let’s see if I can do better than last time. If I don’t, feel free to get on my case.

I have been hearing about Mekong River for several years now and finally got a chance to check them out. I initially stopped by on a whim because I was craving fish, so I whipped out my smartphone, googled them while in the Beachwood library parking lot and called my carryout order in. I was surprised to find this place practically empty when I got there, although there was another woman waiting for her carryout order as well. She told me she and her husband get take-out from Mekong every week and recommended I try the Crystal Noodle Soup.

I was not disappointed. I had ordered the Cambodian eggrolls and Tangerine Tilapia and liked it so much that I brought my mother there the next night to try the tilapia as well. She has dietary restrictions and I knew it would be perfect for her. She loved it too. It is bright and fresh and served with steamed broccoli. The fish is lightly fried and flaky and tender, and the tangerine is served in slices on top of the fish. I have noted that the in-house servings are larger than the carryout servings, so if you are hungry try to eat there.

I also tried the Crystal Noodle Soup the second night, and it was delicious. The broth was light, and the cabbage was not overcooked and had a good bite to it. The pork was cooked perfectly, and the fresh cilantro on top really made the soup excel.

Several tips on Foursquare recommend the Thai Curry Puffs, and they are not wrong! The curry puffs are amazingly light and flavorful. I could easily eat these and the tilapia for the rest of my life and be blissfully happy.

One thing to note about Mekong River is that the food is outstanding, but the service is lacking. I have heard several stories of bad service here, and witnessed it myself when my dining out group met there last week. One of my members may or may not have ordered the Tangerine Duck instead of the tilapia. I didn’t hear him order, so I don’t know if he made the mistake or the waiter did. However, the waiter’s response was unbelievably rude. He got upset with us, gave the tilapia to my friend, and then no longer came out to serve us. I was left sitting there with no meal for about five minutes. The owner then came out asking which of us had ordered the duck and I responded that none of us had. The kitchen then proceeded to cook another tilapia for me, which I was given shortly before everyone was finished with their meals. Luckily everyone in our group shares their meals, so I did not go hungry and ended up boxing almost the entire entree to take home.

We also had to ask for the Cambodian crepe after a while, because I was not the only person without her meal. I tried the crepe as well. The crepe is an egg crepe, but it could have been more flavorful. I took a Viking Cooking School class on Vietnamese cooking, and the crepe we cooked there was much more flavorful. The crepe here seemed more like an omelette than a crepe.

One thing I should note is that the place is freezing (especially the bathroom), so dress warmly in the winter. Or order tea and a soup to start to warm yourself up! The temperature of the restaurant and the service aren’t going to stop me from frequenting there, but I certainly won’t go there if I am in a hurry! Nor will I go there again with a large group.

Contact info:

Mekong River
1918 Lee Road
Cleveland Heights, OH 44118-2125
(216) 371-9575

Brasa closed in November 2018. I will miss the delicious skewers of meat and amazing salad bar, but luckily we have Rodizio Grill in Valley View and Texas de Brazil on the east (Woodmere) and west (Crocker Park) sides in case you have a craving for skewers of meat.

I love Brazilian steakhouses. Brazilian steakhouses feature skewered cuts of meat grilled over a wood burning fire and sliced into thin, succulent pieces (churrasco) and served to you continuously at your table from skewers. They also feature an all-you-can-eat salad bar. When you want some meat, you flip the table-side card to green and when you need a break you flip the card to red. My first experience was in Cincinnati at Boi Nai Brasa. As a beginner I had no idea what to expect and filled up on its truly outstanding salad bar and barely had any room for the delicious grilled meats.

I didn’t make the mistake at The Brasa Grill Steakhouse, which is located in Cleveland’s Warehouse District. Brasa is a truly unique restaurant for Cleveland. For $35 you can eat your choice of beef, pork, lamb, chicken, sausage, and turkey. If you love meat, this is the place for you. You can also pay $25 for just the salad bar, but why would you when you can eat your fill of prime rib, filet, chicken and lamb? Dinner starts off with a selection of appetizers and a trip to the salad bar. The salad bar features 40 different salads, vegetables, seafood and pastas.

Then the fun begins. Gauchos walk around the dining room with skewers of meat, announcing which cuts they are offering. When you would like a piece, they slice off a generous portion and you use your tongs to transfer it to your plate.

Definitely go there hungry. This is not a place for the faint-hearted. Also, be sure to allow yourself plenty of time. The food is best enjoyed in a leisurely fashion.

Contact info:

1300 West 9th Street
Cleveland, Ohio 44113
(216) 575-0699

I’ve heard good things about Romanini’s in Aurora and figured I should see for myself. The original plan was to meet friends there for dinner to carb up the night before the Cleveland 3-Day a few weeks ago, but life got in the way and we agreed on a raincheck. The night we were there was probably one of the best nights to sit outside we’ve had all year. Not too hot, not too cool – but just right.

First of all, valet parking is mandatory and complementary. It is also a necessity, because Romanini’s does not have many parking spaces and there aren’t many parking options in the immediate area. Be sure to plan accordingly to have money to tip the valet after your meal.

Romanini’s menu reflects the wide range of cuisines – the small plates and entree sections are broken down into Asian, Southwestern and Italian. It was hard to decide from such diverse choices. I’m going to have to try the mussels the next time I’m there. I just have to decide which ones to try. There are three options…

My friends were seated at the bar, enjoying a stemless glass of wine, when I arrived. Since the evening was so beautiful we chose to sit on the outside patio. The patio overlooks a body of water, and there were kayakers cruising back and forth on the water that night. It was very peaceful.

The first order of business for me was a cocktail. I tried the Romaninitini and then followed it with the New Age Martini, which the table next to us was enjoying, and it very refreshing. Both cocktails were very light and fruity. The New Age Martini relied on sparking white wine and fruit, but it was not too sweet. It was quite nice.

Gretchen and I split the vegetable tempura and sushi appetizer. I’m not a fan of tempura (I find it generally too greasy and not very savory), but the sushi was delicious. I only wish there were several more pieces of it. The tempura was batter-dipped vegetable slices of eggplant, carrot, and zucchini and a shrimp, which we divided in two to try each one.

One of the servers suggested ordering several small plates, but we decided to order entrees. The entrees come with a choice of three salads and the vegetable of the day. Jon and I chose the Caesar salad with roasted red peppers, which was delicious, while Gretchen ordered the house salad.

I had chosen Romanini’s for the spaghetti and meatballs, but once I saw trout on the menu I had to order it. This trout was rainbow trout stuffed with crab and wrapped with pancetta. It was served with sauteed yellow and green zucchini. It was delicious – and just as good the next day.

Jon ordered the Meza Rigatoni Bolognese and offered me a taste, which was good. However, it isn’t like any Bolognese I’ve ever seen/enjoyed. It features beef short ribs and hot Italian sausage in the sauce, but most Bolognese I have enjoyed are usually piled with meat. But I’m not ripping on this version, because it was delicious. The fresh chopped basil was a nice touch.

Gretchen wanted the halibut, but they were out. She ordered another fish (I think it was haddock?) with a sweet mushroom sauce. She was surprised by the sweetness of the sauce, but said it complemented the fish very nicely.

We were too full for dessert, but the choices were so tempting that Gretchen ordered a cannoli for the three of us. It was a nice way to round out the evening, but I would have probably ordered the Derby Pie.

Contact info:

Romanini’s
238 Garfield Route 82
Aurora, OH 44202
330-562-1205

I just enjoyed a very pleasant meal tonight at Akira Hibachi in Solon. When I was younger the idea of eating “raw fish” was not appealing, but I became hooked on it while living in Germany of all places. Did you know that Düsseldorf has a very large Japanese population? I had the best green tea ice cream there and have never been able to find a comparable green tea ice cream since.

I have eaten at a lot of sushi places in Cleveland, and I have to say Akira Hibachi is at the top of my list for sushi as well as hibachi. Sure, it is within walking distance of my home (lucky me), but the sushi is consistently fresh and delicious and is worth the drive. You can tell that this independent restaurant is a labor of love, because Anna the owner is almost always present, greeting guests like old friends and circulating through the dining room and stopping at the tables to chat.

The hibachi chefs have a sense of humor and really put on a show, and you definitely walk out of there full and happy. The hibachi offers a nice mix of meat, vegetables and rice with flavorful dipping sauces. The grilled shrimp appetizers are nice too – but not if you are out to dinner with a vegetarian (on second thought, you get your dinner companion’s appetizer, so I recommended it!). Hibachi entrees come with miso soup and salad.

Tonight my neighbor Kim and I spontaneously decided to go out for sushi, which to be honest happens quite often. I had delivered batch 4 of a rather large translation project today and wanted to celebrate. I had tried the Iidako Nigiri last Saturday when I ordered sushi to eat at home after my training walk for the Breast Cancer 3-Day, and I was craving it again. It did not disappoint.

I always start my meal with a martini there. The Cherry Bomb (featuring Three Olives Cherry Vodka) is always delicious and refreshing. My friend Kim ordered a Sam Adams. Akira also serves Kendall Jackson Chardonnay, which pairs really well with sushi. We are creatures of habit, so Kim ordered the seaweed salad and I ordered the miso soup and house salad. The miso soup has fresh seaweed and generous cubes of tofu in a delicious broth. The ginger dressing on the house salad is light and refreshing and can be quite addictive as well.

We tend to order a la carte because we have our favorites. Tonight I ordered two orders of the Iidako (baby octopus) Nigiri, the Philadelphia Maki (rolls with seawood with salmon, cream cheese and scallion), and the Rainbow Roll Futomaki (double size maki roll of tuna, whitefish, salmon, yellowtail and shrimp wrapped around the California Maki). Kim ordered the Tobiko (flying fish roe) Nigiri, Lobster Maki (lobster, lettuce and tobiko) and the Nama Sake Nigiri (fresh salmon). Other favorites on the menu include the Cloud 9 Maki (sushi roll with shrimp, mango and sour cream), the Volcano Roll (with shrimp tempura, conch, tobiko and spicy mayonnaise)  and anything with the Toro (marble tuna). Akira is one of the few sushi places that serves Toro. The toro is sold at market price and simply melts in your mouth. If you are looking for a treat and it is on the special board, I suggest you try it.

Sushi newcomers might want to start with smoked salmon, shrimp (always cooked) or crab stick and work into the raw fish selections. You may soon find yourself happily dining on Unagi (eel, which is rather sweet and quite delicious) and Iidako. It’s the pickled ginger and the mixture of wasabi, soy sauce and sushi. I crave it constantly.

Online reviews of Akira (and past personal experience) complain of slow service, but we have noticed that the service at Akira has really improved. Our servers have been extremely attentive the last few times we have been there. Our server was surprised how fast our sushi was up.

When we left at 7:30 there were lots of folks standing in the foyer still waiting to be seated. I have no idea if they were there for the hibachi or the sushi, but business was definitely booming on both sides of the restaurant. We were in and out in an hour, which we appreciated since we were both exhausted from a busy week.

Now if only Akira served Benihana’s Lobster Roll (big chunks of lobster meat served with melted butter instead of soy sauce and $20 a pop – talk about orgasmic!) I would never have to go anywhere else…

Contact info:

Akira Hibachi
6025 Kruse Drive
Solon, OH 44139
440-349-6850