Good eats – Page 19 – Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Eats

Clambake at Alfredo’s at the Inn in Mayfield

Alfredo’s at the Inn is an Italian restaurant located in the Holiday Inn in Mayfield. It’s not Amp 150 in the Marriott, but it is a very good hotel restaurant, which is always nice to see. My friend loved the carved 16th century antique desk just outside the entrance, and the pumpkins lining the hallways were whimsical. The metal shelves lining the wall when you walk to the hostess station filled with bags of chips and the coolers of soda and bottled juices were a little disconcerting though. I felt it kind of detracted from the ambiance of the restaurant.

The restaurant itself has very good ratings on Urbanspoon and Yelp, and I had initially heard about it on the local food program 3 Squares. I’ve been meaning to schedule a dinner with my dining out group here. When I read in the FR!DAY magazine that they were offering a clambake on Friday and Saturday nights in late September and October I knew I had to check it out. The clambake is $23.95 a person and offered a lot of food and value for the money.

The parking lot was fairly full – as was the restaurant when we arrived at 7:30 this past Friday night. Despite that, my friend and I were quickly shown to a table and given menus and water. Even though I knew what I wanted I read through the menu and was thrilled to see they serve Beef Braciole. Not many restaurants serve braciole, which I came to appreciate several years ago at a friend’s aunt’s house the night before my first 3-Day walk. When our waitress came to the table to greet us we ordered wine and the clambakes.

While we were waiting for our wine someone dropped off a basket of warm Italian bread and whipped butter. The bread was really good – crusty on the outside and soft on the inside, and we each had our own containers of butter. Our waitress quickly brought out our first course – a cup of New England clam chowder and creamy coleslaw. The coleslaw needed some pepper to season it, but it was quite good. The clam chowder was hot and delicious, with visible chunks of clam.

The bake itself came out on a HUGE platter and included a dozen steamed middle neck clams, a half of a chicken roasted with rosemary and garlic, grilled corn on the cob, and a baked sweet potato as well as a container of melted butter. Being middle neck clams, the clams were a little chewy but very flavorful. A couple of them were gritty, but I feel that just shows that the clams are fresh. If they were in ice water for a while (or too long) they wouldn’t be gritty. The roasted chicken was fall-off-the-bone tender and moist. I love rosemary on chicken, so I was very happy. The corn on the cob was perfectly cooked – not mushy or hard, but just right. It had some nice char marks from the grill on it. The sweet potato was good, but that is never my favorite part of a clambake.

We had some trouble flagging down our waitress after our food was delivered for more water, and even more trouble getting her to bring us the bill and cash us out. If she had bothered to ask us if we wanted dessert I would have probably ordered a chocolate covered strawberry. Not because I was still hungry, but because they looked amazing in the refrigerated case when we walked in. I can’t wait to come back and try some of the Italian entrees and the amazing-looking desserts. If the food tastes half as good as it smells I won’t be disappointed.

If you love a good clambake and don’t have any friends hosting one at their home, Alfredo’s is a nice alternative. They’ll be featuring their clambake through October.

Contact info:

Alfredo’s at the Inn
780 Beta Dr
Mayfield Village, OH 44143
(440) 449-4833

Tree Country Bistro on Coventry Road

Tree Country Bistro is just down the street from me, and I had no idea it was there for almost a year. That was a real shame, but I’m making up for lost time. Right in the heart of Coventry, this tiny little restaurant is an Asian food haven. Tree Country Bistro offers a large variety of menu selections ranging from Japanese entrees and sushi to Korean such as Bi Bim Bab and traditional Thai curries. Located so close to Pacific East I never thought to go to Tree Country Bistro for sushi, but their sushi is equally fresh and delicious. When I order sushi for delivery, Tree Country Bistro is my first choice, because they offer a wide selection of sushi and some other warm appetizers like shumai (steamed or fried shrimp dumplings with a soy ginger sauce – I prefer them steamed as in this photo).

You can’t go wrong with the spring rolls (as seen in the top photo behind my melon smoothie) or the gyoza (pork dumplings), but if you want to try something different I highly recommend you try the soft shell crab tempura as an appetizer. The dish features lightly breaded and perfectly fried soft shell crab and vegetables with a light dipping sauce. Wow! Talk about different and delicious!

My favorite roll is their Ebi Mango Maki, which features cooked shrimp, fresh mango, tempura crumbs and a special sauce. The flavor is bright and delicious. The tempura crumbs were a nice contrast to the smoothness of the mango.

If you prefer trying their Korean dishes you will also not be disappointed. Their Bulgogi and Bi BimBap are definite must-tries. Bulgogi is a Korean dish that usually consists of marinated barbecued beef, chicken or pork. It is listed at number 23 on the World’s 50 most delicious foods readers’ poll compiled by CNN Go in 2011. Bulgogi literally means “fire meat” and is made from thin slices of beef. Before cooking, the meat is marinated to enhance its flavor and tenderness with a mixture of soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, garlic, pepper and other ingredients such as scallions, onions or mushrooms.

The day we ate there most of my friends ordered the various versions of BimBap, which features chicken or beef. It is made with bulgogi-style meat and deliciously marinated vegetables. Tree Country Bistro serves their traditional BimBap with a cooked egg on top (see photo on left). They also serve Okdol Bi BimBap (on the right), which is served in a sizzling hot stone pot. Everyone loved their choices.

The service was attentive (considering we were a large table and they had quite a few additional tables to take care of at the same time). Drinks were refilled, and the attention to detail in the food was really remarkable. In fact, one of the plates of sushi was served in the shape of a heart, which was a cute touch. The owners brought out a beautifully cut plate of fresh fruit (watermelon, honeydew melon, grapes and orange slices topped with hand-carved carrot butterflies and flowers) for us on the house, which was a lovely surprise. Unfortunately my photo of it was blurry, so I can’t share it. It was the perfect ending to a delicious meal.

The menu is understandably extensive. You can check it out by clicking on the restaurant name under Contact info. I’m confident everyone you dine with will be able to find something to satisfy them.

Contact info:

Tree Country Bistro
1803 Coventry Road
Cleveland Hts. OH 44118
(216) 321-0644

An Ode to Smoked Prime Rib

Now being served in the dining room of Frank Sterle’s on Friday nights.

Oh, smoked prime rib, you complete me… your tender, juicy meat, your marbling, your smoky flavor, your crispy crust…
Served with creamy garlic mashed potatoes and the tenderest, butteriest ear of corn I’ve eaten in a long while…
Walter and Scott from Fat Casual BBQ in Macedona (later Tavern of Solon, now Frank Sterle’s) have outdone themselves – truly…
I don’t think I shall ever forget you.

Luckily I won’t have to, because they are starting to serve it again since the weather is starting to cool. Get your own smoked prime rib by visiting ~~Fat Casual BBQ in Macedonia~~ ~~Tavern of Solon~~ Frank Sterle’s Slovenian Country House on Friday nights. The smoked prime rib is ready to serve at 5 and sells out quickly. The day I bought mine it sold out by 6:15. I got mine to go and ate the other half of the prime rib on a crispy baguette from Stone Oven for lunch the next day. If they’ve run out, you won’t go wrong ordering anything off their menu, such as the ribs, the smoked turkey, the brisket, the sweet potato salad, the deep fried potato salad…

Jack’s Deli & Restaurant in University Heights

Since I recently wrote about Corky & Lenny’s I thought it would be only fair to write about the other Jewish deli in my “neighborhood,” Jack’s Deli. As one Yelper describes it, “If you like traditional Jewish delis, this is your place. From the deli counter, to the no-nonsense “Brooklyn”-type staff and all the old biddies sitting in the dining room kvetching with their mumbling husbands, its [sic] like you’re in a Woody Allen flick or Seinfeld episode!” I couldn’t agree more.

One of my foodie friends recommended Jack’s Deli to me, and I have been hooked ever since. Jack’s has been in business for over 30 years and is tucked away in a strip mall at the corner of Cedar and Green. It is around the back of the strip mall just behind the BP station. The store front has about a million handicapped spots (I’m exaggerating – it’s more like 6), and you need to drive past it and park in the lot to the left.

Just as any respectable Jewish deli, they greet you with a glass of water and a plate of homemade kosher pickles. This last visit featured both kosher dill and kosher garlic and dill pickles. They help take the edge off while you peruse the menu and then wait for your food. Jack’s also serves jars of them to go in the lobby. I highly recommend picking up a jar on your way out.

Both offer great sandwiches, corned beef and melt-in-your-mouth brisket, and other kosher delicacies. For those of you who like tongue, you can get it here, and my Jewish, former New Yorker friend swooned over it. Everything is made from scratch.

Jack’s may not have a lunch counter, but it has its devoted regulars and features the best soup in my opinion! The flavor of their chicken soup broth is just a bit deeper and richer. Their version of The Mish Mash is called The Whole Magilla and, like Corky & Lenny’s, features a matzoh ball, kreplach, noodles, rice – all served in an extra large bowl. I’ve ordered it to go several times and they give me a quart container brimming with goodness.

Most of the time I order a half sandwich and a cup of the matzoh ball soup. It doesn’t sound like a lot of food, but the sandwich is brimming over with sliced meat and the matzoh ball is filling. The beef is well-flavored, lean and cut thick enough to give the sandwich some heft. The soup and half sandwich combo really fills you up. I prefer brisket over corned beef or pastrami, so my regular choice is half a brisket sandwich, which I doctor with just a little bit of the yellow mustard. My only complaint is that serving a spicy brown mustard like Stadium mustard or Gulden’s as well would really be nice.

My favorite sandwich at Jack’s is their Famous Brisket Dip. It features hot brisket with melted Swiss cheese and grilled onions grilled on Challah bread and served with a side of au jus and crinkle cut french fries. I have started ordering it without the au jus, because it tastes so delicious as is. Plus, as a Virgo I prefer less messy sandwiches, which au jus just guarantees. The French fries are always crisp outside and buttery soft inside. The roasted beef brisket served open-faced with beef gravy or turkey and turkey gravy with mashed potatoes or French fries is also divine – comfort food at its best!

I never have room for dessert when I eat here, but the cheesecakes are amazing. I hear their other desserts are wonderful as well.

Also, Jack’s Deli also serves great breakfasts, like Challah French toast, omelettes, corned beef hash, matzoh brei and L.E.O. Nova lox with eggs and onions. Be sure to hit the deli counter on your way out. Everything always looks and tastes fresh and delicious.

Update: They have recently renovated the cash register and dining areas to allow for more seating. I wouldn’t recognize the place.

Contact info:

Jack’s Deli & Restaurant
14490 Cedar Road
University Heights, OH 44121
(216) 382-5350

Hot Sauce Williams

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Edit: All Hot Sauce Williams locations are now closed.

1297095070-hot-sauce-williams — Photo from the Cleveland Scene

Hot Sauce Williams is a Cleveland institution. I drive past it all the time and had heard so many good things about it that I finally decided I needed to try it. If you love fried food that is slathered in hot sauce, then this is your place. We went to the main restaurant on Carnegie, but they have additional locations on Lee Road and Superior Avenue. The restaurant has a “divey” feel to it, which I always enjoy (I still miss the old Suds Maguire in Olmsted Township). The tables are covered in plastic and the place looks somewhat run-down. Just don’t come here expecting fast or friendly service. In fact, the major negative about our visit to Hot Sauce Williams was that the service was slower than molasses and was not particularly friendly, but we quickly forgot about that after digging into the food. But if you go in knowing it’s a bit of a dive and that the food makes it worth the trip you’ll be ok. One thing I can say is that you get a massive amount of food for a great price. It just took an hour to get it. If you don’t want to wait that long, order whatever is in the warmers behind the counter.

Hot Sauce Williams’ fried chicken was highly recommended as being amazingly good, so I went there intent on fried chicken. I ordered the 2 piece fried chicken breast dinner and received two massive bone-in chicken breasts. They needed to make it in the back and took their good old sweet time doing so. It came out so hot it melted the styrofoam. I could barely finish one breast and took the rest home. It came with cole slaw and French fries and slices of white or wheat bread and cost a whopping $5.99.

The wing dinner was $5.00 and also came with French fries and coleslaw, white or wheat bread. My friend upgraded and ordered three different sides, which she absolutely raved about – mac and cheese, collard greens and candied yams. True Southern comfort food!

Another friend ordered a full slab rib dinner for $19.50 (it also comes with French fries, cole slaw and white or wheat bread). He let me try a couple bones while I waited for my food and watched everyone eat. They don’t fall off the bone, but they are nicely smoked and slathered in an absolutely delicious sauce. After all, Hot Sauce Williams is known for the BBQ sauce.

They gave our group a mess of French fries for free to compensate for our wait. We got an industrial restaurant aluminum pan brimming full of fries (you can see it at the top of the photo in the center of the table). The fries are actually store-bought Ore-Ida brand fries, but they were good – especially drenched in the hot sauce, which wasn’t all that hot (as in spicy).

We weren’t all that impressed with the desserts though (I was so unimpressed that I didn’t even take photos of it), so unless something really tickles your fancy just keep gorging yourself on the dinners. No one walked out of here hungry. In fact, we all left with lots of leftovers.

Hot Sauce Williams has been featured on Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations and Man vs. Food. The menu item that was featured on Man vs. Food was the Polish Boy IMG_20170625_193149 sandwich. It is a whopping $3.50. According to Man vs. Food, the Polish Boy is Cleveland’s signature menu item. I must not be a true Clevelander (although I was born in Parma and grew up in Olmsted Falls), because I have never had a Polish Boy. Pierogis? Yes. Kielbasa? Yes. But a Polish Boy? I had never heard of one until a few years ago. The Polish Boy at Hot Sauce Williams is made up of an all beef kielbasa, French fries, cole slaw, bbq pork shoulder, and hot sauce on a bun. I’ll be sure to get one next time.

Contact info:

Hot Sauce Williams
3770 Lee Road
Cleveland, OH 44128
(216) 921-4704

12310 Superior Ave.
Cleveland, OH 44106
(216)249-0710

Chop It Salad Co.

Since it is summer I had a hankerin’ for a chopped salad. Like any good technophile I turned to Google to find a good one near me, which is how I discovered Chop It Salad Co. It is located in the atrium of Eton Center in Woodmere. In fact, you can watch the folks at B Spot eat their burgers and drink those delicious milkshakes while knowing you are eating somewhat healthy. Chop It Salad Co. allows you to order off the pre-designed Signature Menu (which is what I did since I was craving a good Cobb salad) or create your own salad or wrap with “Unlimited Toppings”! If you choose the latter option, you first choose your lettuce mixture between romaine, iceberg, spring mix or spinach and then choose from their over 50 toppings of meats, cheeses, shrimp, eggs, and veggies.

I wanted a Cobb salad, but I asked for Honey Mustard dressing instead of the default Bleu Cheese or Ranch dressing. My Cobb salad was made of iceberg and romaine lettuce, grilled chicken, bacon, cheddar cheese, crumbled blue cheese, avocado, hard boiled egg, tomatoes and black olives. It was accompanied by a thin slice of pita bread. I ordered a fountain drink to go with it and was told I could get a free refill at any time by bringing my glass back up to the register.

My salad was made quickly by the helpful chopper, and after I paid for it at the register (the total was around $11 for the salad and large beverage) I found a cozy upholstered chair in the center of the atrium where I enjoyed my salad and did some people watching. So if you are in the Woodmere area and want to enjoy a refreshing chopped salad or wrap give Chop It Salad a try. They also have locations in Southpark Center (500 Southpark Ctr, Strongsville, OH 44136) and the food courts at Great Northern Mall and Belden Village Mall.

Contact info:

Chop It Salad Co.
28699 Chagrin Boulevard
Beachwood, OH 44122
(216) 378-9122

Bo Loong (Dim sum in Cleveland)

Bo Loong is under new management, and they have really spiffed up the place. One change is it now closes at 9 or 10 PM every night instead of 2 or 3 AM. It is still located across from Siam Cafe and has the same entrance doors, but the water-stained ceiling tile and grungy carpet is gone. The tables still have white tablecloths, but the chairs have sumptuous red covers. They also offer some fun and different dim sum choices.

Everyone has their favorite restaurant when it comes to dim sum (I know a guy through Meetup who is at Bo Loong every Saturday for dim sum), whether it be Bo Loong or Li Wah. I’ve tried them both – and both are very good – but in my opinion Bo Loong doesn’t quite measure up to Li Wah. I think the service has a lot to do with it. The carts don’t flow through the restaurant as often as in Li Wah, and the offerings aren’t as diverse. One morning we had to sit and wait 30 minutes for the first cart to be ready.

The crust on the egg tart is just a little flakier, and I prefer the atmosphere at Li Wah more. Plus, you never have a problem getting a table at Li Wah because it is so large. Bo Loong, on the other hand, also has plenty of seating and was deemed Cleveland’s best dim sum restaurant by the Plain Dealer. Both restaurants are usually packed with Chinese diners, which is a testament to the quality of both places. You really can’t go wrong at either place. IMG_20171111_114256

Dim sum refers to a style of Chinese food prepared as small, bite-sized or individual portions of food traditionally served in small steamer baskets or on small plates. Most people think of various steamed or pan-fried dumplings and stuffed steamed or baked buns when it comes to dim sum. My favorites include the turnip cake, sui mai (or sao mai depending on the restaurant), sticky rice, and shrimp dumplings. It’s a chance to be adventurous and try new things. I always try to order Chinese broccoli or some other vegetables to balance out all the carbs. Pro tip: order the green veg FIRST so you have it at the same time as the rest of the food! IMG_20171111_114821

Dim sum is served in most Chinese restaurants on carts. The fully cooked and ready-to-serve dim sum dishes are wheeled around the restaurant for customers to choose their orders while seated at their tables. The most unusual dishes can be ordered from the servers and are made to order in the kitchen. The dishes are tallied on a bill that is left on the table, and are priced according to size. The recent cost of dim sum at Bo Loong for 8 people was $62.55, which came out to about $10 a person after tax and a generous tip.

Dim sum is traditionally served with tea. In fact, the drinking of tea is just as important to dim sum as the food. More traditional dim sum restaurants typically serve dim sum until mid-afternoon.

Dim sum is a great choice when you dine with several people, and it’s a fun thing to do on a Saturday or Sunday morning. The first time I went to Li Wah we had a nice-sized group and sat at a round table with a lazy susan in the middle. We could select the dishes and rotate the lazy susan to get what we wanted.

My friends and I usually order a bunch of steamed goodies like shumai (a mixture of pork, shrimp and mushroom – last photo above), sin joe gin (tofu skin rolls – middle photo in top row above), various pork or shrimp dumplings, turnip cakes, char siu baau (steamed BBQ pork buns), or sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaves (see last two photos in last row below – so good!). We also got a fun deep-fried dumpling that blew us all away along with the house special Phoenix dumplings (shrimp, mushroom and pork paste – first photo below). The second photo are meatballs covered in shaved carrot – also delicious. The third photo are shrimp rice noodles. The first photo in the next row are ham sui gok (fried glutinous rice dumplings).

Once we start getting full, we then order some sweets like egg tarts, jin deui (a chewy dough filled with red bean paste, rolled in sesame seeds, and deep fried) or steamed buns for dessert (see below). The third photo is complementary tofu fa – a kind of smoky-tasting soybean pudding.

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We then divide the check by however many people are in attendance (any vegetarians or picky/allergic diners get their own check – it’s just easier and more fair). It is always a surprise how stuffed we are and how little we spend in the end. As long as you avoid the roasted meats and vegetables (the higher priced items), you can sit there for hours and walk away paying less than $20.

The most important thing about enjoying dim sum is to go in there with an open mind and just try as many dishes as you can. Once you have learned what you like and don’t like you can then start being choosier. For example, I cannot and will not order tripe, jelly fish or chicken feet, even though they are a dim sum delicacy. But I have at least tried them.

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Dim sum tip: Bo Loong and Li Wah serve dim sum off carts, while Emperor’s Palace brings them fresh from the kitchen.

Contact info:

Bo Loong
3922 St Clair Ave NE
Cleveland, OH 44114
(216) 391-3113
Open Mon-Thu 10 am – 9 pm and Fri-Sun 10 am – 10 pm

Hansa Import Haus in Ohio City

Cleveland truly does rock and features all kinds of little ethnic stores and markets such as Yeleseyevsky Deli (Russian), Lakshmi Plaza (Indian), Farkas Bakery (European Hungarian desserts – try the Napoleon!), or the stores in Asian Plaza and the surrounding area (for a great list of ethnic stores be sure to buy a copy of Laura Taxel’s Ethnic Eats, which is currently in its eight edition). My favorite market that I regularly visit is Hansa Import Haus. It is located on Lorain Avenue just down the street from the West Side Market (across from Touch Supper Club and Farkas Bakery). Just look for the wrought iron gate. It has its own parking lot for customers.

Hansa Import Haus has been a Cleveland legacy since 1957. Its current owner is Boris Music, a native of Slovenia, who also runs a travel agency out of the store. It’s a great store full of hard-to-find treats from Germany and other parts of Europe. Customers are greeted with Old World murals decorating the walls, German music playing throughout the store, and smells of fresh lunch meats and cheeses. Hansa gets fresh bread delivered to the store every week from the Dimpflmeier Bakery in Toronto, Canada and Reinecker’s Bakery in Macedonia, Ohio. The selection of wine and beer (German beers as well as beers from Central and Eastern Europe) is incredibly good. The beer is available in single bottles, four or six-packs and pony kegs.

In the real world (and not this virtual world) I am a German translator by trade. I began studying German in high school here in Cleveland and eventually earned Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in German (and Russian) and German translation, respectively. Cleveland has a very strong German heritage, and I grew up at the Donauschwaben German-American Club in Olmsted Falls. I lived in Germany for six years, and when I moved back in 2001 I was thrilled to learn about Hansa Haus in Ohio City. I can’t believe I hadn’t heard of it before that. Hansa Haus sells lots of European specialties, including (but not limited to) beer, wine, chocolate, candies, honey, condiments like mustards, ketchup, curry ketchup, shashlik sauce, jams, coffee, cookies, vinegars, herring, dairy products, sausages and wurst (if you like carpacchio, try the Lachsschinken – it’s amazing), and breads as well as Hungarian paprika and other spices, Persil detergent, Fa deodorant, Niveau creams and lotions, and many more items. The coolers hold juice, herring, fresh cold cuts, cheeses, European butters (the Sauerrahmbutter is my personal favorite), and Quark (a European farmer’s cheese that is a cross between creme fraiche, yogurt and ricotta cheese). They even sell beer glasses and mugs, German magazines and curios such as bread boards, knives, Feuerzange [a metal grate mounted on top of the bowl to hold the sugar pyramid or Zuckerhut] for a Feuerzangenbowle [Flaming Fire Tongs Punch], Jausenbretter [wood boards that the Germans use to eat the evening meals of cold cuts and bread] and much more. The varieties of chocolate is worth a blog post all by itself. Hansa sells all the big brands, such as Milka, Lindt, Mozart Kugeln, Toblerone, Ritter Sport, KitKat (not the basic KitKat – they have several other varieties you can’t normally buy here!), and other rare chocolates such as Kinderschokolade, Katzenzungen, etc. The chocolate varieties range from raisin and nut to strawberry yogurt and dark and milk chocolates, chocolate with cookies, chocolate with corn flakes, chocolate with spices… It will blow you away. The Milka Tenders (think Ho-Hos but better) are also pretty amazing. You’ll be amazed when you walk in and see for yourself how big it is.

I love coming here right before Easter or Christmas and stocking up on the holiday chocolates (the German liquor-filled chocolates at Christmas are a particular favorite of mine), chocolate bunnies or Santas, cookies (Lebkuchen, Dominosteine, Stollen), and chocolate Advent calendars. The last photo here was the aisle of Christmas goodies back in November of last year.

Contact info:

Hansa Import Haus
2717 Lorain Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44113
(216) 281-3177

Southern Cookin’ class at Viking Cooking School

I’m a sucker for banana pudding and fried chicken, so signing up for the Southern Cookin’ class at Viking Cooking School in Lyndhurst was a no-brainer for me. Viking Cooking School is located in the Viking Store at Legacy Village, and they offer a variety of fun hands-on cooking classes and chef demonstrations. I have attended 9 hands-on classes there so far, my favorite being the Steak, Roast and Chop class and my least favorite being the Vietnamese Cooking class. I am on a cooking class kick at the moment, so I have attended cooking classes at both The Chubby Cook and Viking recently. This led to some confusion on my part when I showed up for the Southern Cooking class at The Chubby Cook. I realized my mistake when they started passing around edamame, and I apologized and ran out of there to drive to Viking. Luckily they are close to each other, so I was only five minutes late. I had missed the introductions, but quickly grabbed a seat next to my friend A., put on my apron, grabbed a sweet tea and took a deep breath (not necessarily in that order).

Viking always puts out a snack to nibble on while we cook, and the “sample recipe” this time was cheese straws. Not being a big fan of cheese straws I ate one and then concentrated on the recipes at hand. We started out making banana pudding with vanilla wafers, because it needed to set in the refrigerator for a while (at least 1 hour, but preferably up to 4). We whisked the ingredients together, added egg yolks (carefully tempering them into the heated mix), and made a custard. We especially enjoyed pushing in the bananas and vanilla wafers into the serving dish.

Next up were the slow-cooked collard greens, because they needed to cook on the stove for at least 20 to 30 minutes. We cooked the bacon and onions (in A.’s case, because she is Jewish, she cooked the onions in a separate sauce pot and made her very own bacon-free collard greens), washed and chopped the greens, added them to the bacon and onion, added water and let them cook down until tender while we focused on the mashed potatoes and fried chicken.

The mashed potatoes were fairly straight-forward. We cooked and riced the potatoes and mashed them with warm half and half and butter, adding salt and pepper. The interesting technique we learned is that you can make them ahead, wrap them tightly with plastic wrap and keep them in a 200° oven or warming drawer for up to 4 hours. They were still warm once they were served with the gravy later.

I had most anticipated learning how to fry chicken in a Dutch oven. I recently inherited my grandmother’s, so I was anxious to learn how to use it properly. The chicken had been brined in a buttermilk mixture overnight, so all we had to do was heat up the oil in the Dutch oven (checking the temperature constantly with a candy thermometer), coat the chicken in a bag of flour, cornstarch, baking powder, cayenne, paprika and black pepper, and fry it up two pieces at a time. The toughest part about frying the chicken was maintaining a steady heat, because the heat drops once you add the chicken. I was the fry master, learning how to scoop out the little bits that broke loose while frying using a fine-meshed sieve to use later for the gravy. I only burned myself once when A. accidentally singed me with the sieve. The chicken was then put into the oven to finish cooking.

Our instructor Brie then showed us how to make a quick skillet cornbread and sent us out into the store while she and her assistant whipped up some gravy using some leftover oil and crispy chicken bits, cleaned up, and prepped and set the table. Class attendees get 10% off on most items in the store during classes. I used my discount to buy a sieve, a good Viking Santoku knife and a scone pan.

We then came back into the classroom and took our seats for a delicious meal and a glass or two of wine. I wanted a chicken breast, so I had to wait a bit until it wasn’t raw on the inside. I ended up taking another one home for the next day. The food was delicious. There is something about enjoying the fruits of your labor over a glass of wine with friends. No one went home hungry, and I couldn’t wait to go home and try making the banana pudding on my own. It was a very enjoyable and delicious evening.

Contact info:

Viking Cooking School
24703 Cedar Road
Lyndhurst, OH 44124
(216) 381-2100

Inn on Coventry

The Inn on Coventry has been in business since 1981. This “mom-and-mom restaurant” has been feeding hungry college students and locals ever since. The matriarch died in 2010 (she was 96), and there is commemorative plaque hanging above the cash register. Word to the wise: since it is so popular it is always crowded on the weekends. Expect a wait. Also, they won’t seat you until everyone in your party is there. Despite what the website claims it is not open on Friday evening. I walked there for dinner last Friday, looking forward to trying their fish fry, and was sadly disappointed. I asked my waitress this morning, and she told me they haven’t been open for dinner for about two years. I suggested they update their website.

I first came here before I lived in Cleveland Heights (invited by local friends who were in the know), and it is one of my favorite breakfast and lunch places in the area. I ordered the Swedish eggs, which are eggs scrambled with lox and cream cheese, and fell in love. I treated myself to breakfast this morning and indulged in this favorite. The saltiness of the lox is balanced by the creamy chunks of cream cheese. I make this at home now, but I add chopped spinach. The dish is served with your choice of grits or home fries and toast. I chose the home fries and Jewish rye (not like the marbled rye some places serve). There is no better comfort for me than starting the day off with buttered rye toast and jelly.

My second favorite breakfast offering here is the Fresh Banana Walnut French Toast. The thick slices of French toast are topped with ricotta fresh sliced bananas. The flavors meld together really well, and it is simply a flavor explosion. It doesn’t get much better than this. I had a similar French toast at Deagan’s the other day, and although it was good it simply didn’t compare to Inn on Coventry’s. I ordered a side of bacon for good measure, because everything’s better with bacon.

sisterhood Inn on Coventry is also known for their Eggs Benedict and Eggs Mando – and they also offer a Veggie Mando topped with avocado instead of Canadian bacon for the vegetarians). The lemon ricotta pancakes are also divine (or any of the pancakes really… although I haven’t had the nerve to order IMG_20160303_133410 the Reese Cup pancakes). If you do order the pancakes stick with one at first. The pancakes are huge and, as you can see, span the whole plate.

Although I usually order breakfast, I can also personally vouch for the sloppy joe, the Coventry Burger, and the California Club sandwich. And I am usually critical of sloppy joes that aren’t my mother’s “white trash” version that consists of a pound of ground beef, a half bottle of chili sauce bloody and 4 oz of Velveeta (try it – you’ll love it). All of their items are made fresh and are just like Mom used to make. I intend to try as many items on their menu as I can, but it is hard when such delicious favorites are available.

They offer a full service bar if you want a mimosa or Bloody Mary. Also, one thing that simply must be mentioned is that Inn on Coventry has delicious coffee. It is a Kona blend that simply can’t be described. It is very smooth and not at all bitter. Plus, the waitresses are constantly coming around to ensure your cup is full. Come for the food, stay for the service. And don’t forget to always overtip your breakfast waitresses!

Contact info:

Inn on Coventry
2785 Euclid Heights Boulevard
Cleveland Heights, OH 44106
(216) 371-1811

Open 7 days a week from 7 a.m. (8 a.m. on Sat/Sun) to 2:45 p.m.