Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Eats

Akira Hibachi in Solon

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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.

100_0584 — The hibachi chef keeps everyone entertained

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.

100_0589 — Philadelphia Maki (left), Rainbow Roll (back), Iidako Nigiri (right)

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.

100_0590 — Left to right: Salmon Nigiri, Lobster Maki and Tobiko Nigiri

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

Henry’s at the Barn in Avon

The dining room and patio are both very inviting

I enjoyed the most wonderful meal last night at Henry’s at the Barn in Avon. As Henry’s website explains: “Located in Avon’s Olde Avon Village, Henry’s is constructed from an 1830’s stone-and-wood barn that was moved to the site last spring. The eminently comfortable restaurant features a cozy barroom with fireplace, a 60-seat dining room that shares the same see-through fireplace, and a cocktail lounge tucked into an upstairs loft.”

Fried green tomatoes and smoked scallop appetizers

Henry’s features Southern, specifically Carolina Low Country, cuisine. It was an enjoyable evening from start to finish. I had made a reservation for 18. Unfortunately only 11 people showed up, but the restaurant could not have been more gracious. They also had no problems giving us separate checks, which is always appreciated. There is nothing worse than fighting over what everyone owes at the end of a lovely evening.

The dining room and patio are both very inviting. We congregated at the bar until our table was ready. The bar features knotty driftwood and rough-hewn beams. It was extremely cozy. Henry’s serves pimiento cheese and crackers instead of the usual bar snacks.

We shared two tables in the dining room since it was a little too cold to sit on the patio. Two brave souls did sit on the patio, and the staff lit the fire pit for them. I look forward to going back soon this summer and enjoying drinks on that patio. The dining room features wood beams with Spanish moss, flowers and twinkle lights. It was extremely cozy and romantic. I can imagine the fireplace roaring in the winter.

Bacon wrapped walleye with corn & tomato, sweet potato praline bread pudding and Carolina BBQ sauce

Our dinners were impeccably seasoned – from start to finish. The horseradish sauce for the peel and eat shrimp had quite the kick. One of my fellow diners enjoyed the sauce with his fried oysters as well.

Henry’s is known for its she-crab soup, which was perfectly seasoned, and its South Carolina shrimp with stone ground grits, Andouille sausage and peppers and onions in cream.

Buttermilk fried chicken with tomato & onion stewed collards, black eye peas, corn & hot pepper hushpuppies

I could still taste the bacon on my bacon-wrapped walleye this morning. The walleye was served with corn and tomato, a savory sweet potato bread pudding, and barbecue sauce. My fellow diners all raved about their meals – from the NY strip with butter garlic mushrooms, smoked bleu cheese, melted leek and sweet & Yukon potato gratin (which I was told melted in your mouth), the buttermilk fried chicken with collards, black eye peas and corn & hot pepper hushpuppies to the Frogmore stew (clams, mussels, oysters, shrimp, sausage, sweet & hot peppers, Vidalia onions, potatoes, corn and spiced broth). One of my friends remarked that the scallops and tiramisu were the best she had ever eaten – and she had eaten them a lot.

Henry’s offered three different desserts, which we all tasted: flourless chocolate cake, pineapple upside down cake, and the aforementioned tiramisu. I’m not normally a fan of tiramisu, but this one has definitely won me over. As my friend commented, it was “Not too sweet, not too creamy, not too rummy. Just a perfect balance.”

Henry’s was pricey, but worth every dollar. It is the perfect place for celebrating a special occasion or getting together with some girlfriends for a bottle of wine. It was truly a magical night. I can’t wait to go back – and it’s a 45 minute drive for me.

Contact info:

Henry’s at the Barn
36840 Detroit Rd
Avon, OH 44011-1570
(440) 934-6636

Trattoria on the Hill in Little Italy

IMAG4566 Trattoria on the Hill (formerly known as Trattoria Roman Gardens) is one of my favorite restaurants in Cleveland’s Little Italy. The food (particularly the gnocchi – oh my God, the gnocchi!!!) is fresh and delicious. And most importantly the prices are very reasonable. Since I had not yet started IMAG4567 my blog when I went here I did not take as many pictures as I normally would have. We were there on a Tuesday and the place was pretty full, which is a testament to the fresh food.

The bread service with the fresh tomato bruschetta is absolutely divine. The bread was very fresh Italian bread (most likely from Corbo’s or Presti’s) – and the tomato bruschetta was amazing. I couldn’t stop eating it. I’ll take a picture the next time I am there.

I ordered the eggplant parmigiano. I asked my friends on Facebook for recommendations, and one of my Italian friends told me I needed to get the eggplant parm. She raved that she had never had better eggplant parm – even at Italian restaurants in NYC. She wasn’t wrong. The eggplant at Trattoria was thinly sliced, lightly breaded and simply delicious.

My friend Hélène ordered the gnocchi and let me try some. They were absolutely divine. So good that we were both craving them several days later and made a spontaneous trip that weekend. I have an unwritten rule that I never order the same thing as the person I am eating with, but I broke that rule for these gnocchi. They are a simple potato gnocchi in a sauce of tomato basil, butter and Romano. I had planned on bringing half home, but found myself eating the whole thing.

Everyone in the group thoroughly enjoyed their meals. The lasagna is huge and vegetarian-friendly (made with ricotta cheese, spinach and mushrooms – you can order meat sauce if you want a more carnivore-friendly meal).

The couple at the other end of the table ordered the linguini and clams and cavatelli with meatballs. Both looked lovely and quite affordable. They definitely enjoyed their meals as well. No one had room for dessert, although the desserts served to other tables looked quite delicious.

dinners — Linguini and cavatelli and meatballs

On a trip there several years ago I had tried the Baby Bay Scallops Pesto with Linguini, which Rachel Ray had recommended on her show Tasty Travels. I would probably stick with the dishes with tomato sauce, because Trattoria on the Hill is known for their tomato sauce. It is fresh and delicious – and available for purchase.

The service was quite attentive, and they had no problems giving us separate checks. I like this place so much that my translators group is planning our Annual Meeting there in the fall (based on my and Hélène’s suggestion). But I will definitely be back before then!

Contact info:

Trattoria on the Hill
12207 Mayfield Road
Cleveland, OH 44106
216-421-2700

Miss Molly’s Tea Room in Medina

100_0524 One of my favorite places to go to lunch with my family is Miss Molly’s Tea Room in Medina, located just off the Square at 140 W. Washington St. #6. This is not a place to take the menfolk in your life. They will most likely feel uncomfortable surrounded by flowers, tea cups, doilies and other frou frou. We recently went there on the Saturday before Mother’s Day. We made our reservation a month ahead of time. It’s a good thing we did. The place was packed, and they had a live harpist that day, which was nice.

My nieces have been going there with us since they were very little. They have always been very accommodating to children. In fact, it is a popular place for little (and big) girls to dress in their finest. On our most recent visit there was a table of older women wearing all kinds of different hats – just because.

You can order the tea iced or in your own teapot (loose leaf tea or tea bags available, but a proper tea is served loose leaf and steeped for 3-5 minutes). They offer a delicious variety of teas from black teas, green teas to delicate white teas. Tea is nothing without scones. Their scones are quite good and are baked fresh every day. The scones are served with Devonshire cream and preserves upon request.

My all-time favorite meal is the Chicken Divan. I was in the mood to try something different that day though, so I ordered the tuna salad croissant. All the meals come with your 100_0528 choice of soup or one of their side salads. They have four delicious salads to choose from: cucumber salad in a light creamy sauce (my sister’s favorite), chilled cranberry salad (Miss Molly’s specialty), broccoli salad (one of my favorites) and strawberry pretzel salad (which is by far my favorite). I ordered both the broccoli salad and the strawberry pretzel salad.

My mother ordered the crab salad puff and a side of the lobster bisque soup. She loved the fresh dill in the crab salad and remarked that the lobster bisque soup was delicious as well 100_0529 .

My sister had the Harvest Turkey sandwich that day, but she usually orders the chicken salad sandwich.

My nieces ordered Mac and Cheese and the cheese pizza off the children’s menu. The children’s meals come with a ‘decorate-it-yourself’ cookie. They love coming to Miss Molly’s, because they get their milk served in miniature tea pots and demitasse cups. In fact, they enjoy it so much that we serve them milk in tea pots at family dinners now too. 100_0527

100_0532 I have also had the Heavenly Wrap (roast beef and roasted red peppers with watercress, fresh spinach leaves and horseradish) and the Cooper River Croissant (hot ham and cheddar cheese) during past visits and can vouch for the freshness of the ingredients and overall tastiness. Miss Molly’s also features a quiche of the day and a featured lunch. The featured lunch the day we were there was a white lasagna.

One of these days we are going to order the special tea service. You need to request it 24 hours in advance. So if you are looking for someplace to take a special woman in your life I highly recommend Miss Molly’s.

Contact info:

Miss Molly’s Tea Room
140 W Washington St # 6
Medina, OH 44256-2262
330-725-6830

My current addiction: Trader Joe’s Pomegranate Limeade

traderjoes I cannot get enough of Trader Joe’s Pomegranate Limeade at the moment. There are two Trader Joe’s in Cleveland:on the West Side in Westlake and on the East Side in Woodmere. I bought the Pomegranate Limeade on a whim a few weeks ago and went back two days later and bought three more bottles. I drink it straight and cut with tap water. Both ways are refreshing and delicious. I plan to enjoy it until it is pulled from the stores, which knowing Trader Joe’s could be any day now. I still miss the Triple Espresso Mochas and Triple Espresso Lattes.

Stouffer’s Thrift Store

PLEASE NOTE THAT I DO NOT WORK FOR STOUFFER’S AND HAVE NO INFORMATION OTHER THAN WHAT I SHARE HERE. IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT STOUFFER’S PLEASE CALL THEM.

When I was younger my mother used to drive from the West Side of Cleveland to the East Side to stock up on cases of Stouffer’s French bread pizza at the Stouffer’s thrift store. That was twenty years ago. I now live about two miles from the Stouffer’s thrift store in Solon and occasionally stock up on Stouffer’s dinners, Lean Cuisines, Hot Pockets, and Nestlé frozen cookie dough and Drumsticks.

Stouffer’s outlet store, at 5750 Harper Road, is located right inside the Stouffer’s U.S. headquarters. Take Interstate 480 eastbound to Route 422 eastbound. Exit at the first exit (Harper Road), take a right, and Stouffer’s is right next to the exit ramp. Visitors to the Thrift Store need to park in the first set of parking lots. Hours are 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

You can get Lean Cuisine entrees that normally cost around $4 for about $2, family size lasagnas with meat sauce for $5.99, and a case of French bread pizza for $21.99. I went this morning, picked up 5 items, and spent $11.18 A box of Pepperoni and Mushroom French bread pizza is $2.40. My single serving meat lasagna was $2.20 (discounted another 22 cents because it was in the 10% off bin). Dinners like spaghetti with meatballs, chicken bakes and tuna noodle casserole are $2.20. It’s cheaper for a reason. Nestlé says its thrift food is certainly wholesome, but less than perfect. The box may be crumpled, the recipe might be discontinued, or there might be too much or too little of some ingredient. That said, I have never once been disappointed by the quality.

Not all of the items are available all the time. For example, it is often hit or miss whether macaroni and beef (my personal favorite) is available. However, I never leave the place empty-handed. And there are usually always family size lasagnas available and other industrial size portions. It’s the perfect place to stock up if you are having a family reunion or need something to bring to a party or potluck. This morning there was a guy buying 10 family size lasagnas and cases of chocolate chip cookie dough. There is always something good available, so be sure to check out this “hidden treasure” in Cleveland.

Update: You can only buy the cookie dough in cases. I tried to buy an individual package today and was denied. Still, a case of cookie dough for under $7.00 is a great deal.

Der Braumeister

Being a German translator, I appreciate good German food. As the organizer of the Cleveland German Language Meetup group, I scheduled a trip to a German or ethnic restaurant once a month. We used to meet at Der Braumeister on Lorain Avenue. The food was consistently good, but seems to have dropped in quality lately. Apart from the Jägerschnitzel (I’m allergic to egg and the sauce reminded me of shrimp with lobster sauce, which contains lots and lots of egg), I have never been disappointed by the food here, but some of my friends have.

Any German restaurant worth its salt has to offer a good variety of German beers. They offer good German and Belgian beers here on tap and 50 bottled import beers. I went with the Reissdorf Kölsch this time, which is a light, refreshing beer. It is supposed to be served in a Stange (a tall, narrow 200-ml beaker that gives it more head), but I will overlook that because it is just nice to be able to drink it here in the U.S.

beer

Der Braumeister has three rooms. You enter through the bar, followed by a dining area that is filled with cozy wooden booths and tables, followed in turn by the mural room. The mural room is ideal for large parties and features a mural of Neuschwanstein Castle (probably Germany’s most famous castle – located in southern Germany).

braumeister

The Landjäger Platte features German smoked sausage, Swiss cheese,and crackers. It’s hard to go wrong with sausage, cheese and crackers. I’ve also had the sauerkraut balls, and they are delicious as well.

platte

Der Braumeister has several vegetarian options on the menu, which is gratifying since several of our members are vegetarians. The vegetarian Maultaschen (a Swabian delicacy that looks like large ravioli) was a hit.

maultaschen

The dinners all come with your choice of potato or dumpling and a salad. The salads are really fresh and good, and the bread rolls were crisp and delicious as well. I ordered the Sauerbraten. Although I wasn’t really enthusiastic about the meat itself (it was good, but a little too sweet and sour for me), the spaetzel (dumplings) and red cabbage were delicious.

sauerbraten

You can always judge a German (or Austrian) restaurant by how good their Schnitzel is. The Schnitzel at Der Braumeister is delicious. Here is the Schnitzel with mashed potatoes and sauerkraut.

schnitzel

One of my members ordered the Rahmschnitzel, which is a Schnitzel with a creamy onion and bacon sauce. She loved it.

jaeger

If you want to be adventurous, you might want to try the Schweinshaxe, which is a classic Bavarian dish that features roasted pork knuckles (ham hocks). I can’t bring myself to order it, but I know several men who love it. Bob thoroughly enjoyed his. It is also called Eisbein outside of Bavaria.

haxe

Another dinner that looked delicious was the Rheinlander Platte, which features a grilled, smoked pork chop and grilled bratwurst.

landplatte

Several of us ordered dessert. I had the Bavarian Cream Torte (Frankfurter Kranz) this time, which was huge. German cakes are not as cloyingly sweet as American cakes. This one catered a bit more to the American palette. Several others ordered the apple and cherry strudels, which are served with a dusting of powdered sugar. I failed to photograph the desserts, because I was too busy chatting with my tablemates.

Luxe Kitchen & Lounge

I have been reading about Luxe Kitchen & Lounge for months now and finally got a chance to try it last month with my Meetup.com Dining Out group. It did not disappoint. I was a little off-put by the construction and hidden parking lot. I had to drive around the block again to park behind the bank as instructed. The ambiance inside the restaurant was eclectic, yet hip. They didn’t have any record of our reservation, but since I try to schedule our dinners for slower nights it wasn’t a problem. They seated us right away at the window. The group really got a kick out of the fact that the curtain over the window is an old drop cloth. I loved the chandeliers and the fact that the tables aren’t crowded together. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to get any good pictures of the dining area. Onto the food…

The house salad with mixed greens, pine nuts, Romano cheese and white balsamic vinaigrette was simplistic, yet delicious. I loved the shaved Romano.

salad

Since I had unfortunately eaten a large lunch (I won’t make that mistake again) I chose from the Small Plate section. My Kobe beef corn dog with truffle fries and wholegrain mustard did not disappoint.

The pizzas look absolutely amazing, and I plan on ordering one next time. I love the way Luxe serves it – on unique little stands.

pizza

Several of the group went with the specials, and they raved about them. The hanger steak over lobster risotto was a huge hit, and the swordfish kebabs were fresh and tasty.

steak

swordfish_kebab

Bob also really enjoyed his Fettucini Carbonara. A good carbonara is a thing of beauty, and this one definitely is a sight to behold!

carbonara

No one had a harsh word to say about the restaurant. Our server was attentive, extremely knowledgeable and very friendly. The cocktail I ordered (the Amrita – citrus vodka with peach puree, lavender lemonade and ginger syrup) was delicious and very refreshing. I love Hoegaarden (a Belgian white beer), and if I hadn’t wanted a cocktail I would have ordered it. It would have been a good choice with the corn dog. I will definitely be going back!