tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17625189533966430542024-03-13T16:23:50.012-04:00Exploring Food My Way: Satisfying the CravingExercising my epicurean muscles by eating my way through everything that is edible.Tinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230553378930796656noreply@blogger.comBlogger488125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762518953396643054.post-68560868697096585232020-11-14T22:50:00.002-05:002020-11-14T23:11:51.634-05:00"C" May Be For Cookie, But "O"?<p>I just found out this morning that my longtime friend, T, has passed. Technically it was last Tuesday, but the obituary didn't show up in the local paper until yesterday. A mutual friend, who knew I had gone incognito from Facebook many years ago, had seen talk of T's passing from family members on social media and wondered if I had heard the news. In addition to not participating on Facebook anymore, my path with T's family (and T himself) had diverged back at the end of 2014. I was glad my friend called, because I was blissfully ignorant.</p><p>I met T for the first time during the summer break between my freshman and sophomore years at Case. My father, who also worked at Bridgestone/Firestone, managed to set me up with T in Office Services -- a fancy name for a group of people who moved office furniture and cut keys for office locks -- and although it was quite the manual job, often in brutally hot parts of the old warehouse, I really clicked with T and my coworkers. At the time, I was 19 years old and he was just under 40; however, we instantly bonded. From that point forward until the end of my college career, I looked forward to spending every summer (save one) and Christmas holiday working with T.</p><p>When I went off to college in the fall of 1990, my father had the half-baked idea of sending me to school with a personal fax/copy/answering machine combination. I protested the idea as being idiotic since no other college freshman would show up to their dorm room with a fax machine (and I was correct about that). His overriding argument was that since long distance calling was still very expensive and email messaging wasn't even on the horizon, he insisted that faxing each other was a cost effective way of communicating. He offered that we could send each other pages and pages of handwritten or typed out text instead of calling on the phone. All of those faxes would pay for themselves, wouldn't you know?</p><p>I mentioned all of this to T at work one time -- that I was the only freshman with a fax machine -- and completed the delivery of this information with an appropriate teen-aged eye roll. Wouldn't you know it, the only two people I received faxes from for the entirely of my college career were my father (mostly my freshman year) and T. Every year on my birthday, he and my Bridgestone coworkers would all sign and fax a piece of paper with birthday wishes on it. I remember getting back from class on my birthday, walking into my room and my roommate saying, "Dude, you actually got a fax while you were at class." The sight of seeing a curled up fax hanging off the machine, ready to be cut from the main roll, always left me with a huge grin on my face.</p><p>Over the next couple of years, I began to slowly meet and become friends with his family, both immediate and extended. My second summer working for T, I was invited to a surprise 40th birthday party being thrown at his home by his wife. That summer, during a down time at work, I was nonchalantly flipping through a dictionary that T kept in the office and I came across the word, "<a href="https://www.dictionary.com/browse/octoroon">octoroon</a>". It struck me as such a silly word and something I had never heard before that I couldn't imagine ANYONE knowing the actual definition, so I brought it to T's attention and challenged him to its meaning. T had never heard of it either and we had a tremendous laugh about the whole thing and relegated it to some weird work conversation. Fast forward to that surprise 40th birthday party where I met T's mom for the first time. Somehow, octoroon came into the conversation and without missing a beat, T's mom recited the (correct) definition for us. We were both stunned.</p><p>One thing that I quickly came to learn about T and his family was that -- on the whole -- they were snacking people, not necessarily meal people. "Snicky snacks" is how they referred to the spread that would inevitably be laid out around mid-to-late afternoon. Snicky snacks would be things like cubes of cheese, cut up pepperoni, bunches of grapes and strawberries, crackers, and potato chips and dip. I have no problem with snacking, but at some point, I'm used to a proper meal. T's family had grown use to this snacking-as-a-meal concept and for them the spread would often be plenty. I can't tell you how many times I remember guiltily slinking off and hitting up the local Wendy's for a proper sandwich just to tide my appetite over lest I be hungry all night. I laugh about it now and would trade all of my "proper meals" for just one more night of "snicky snacking" with T.</p><p>I was fortunate that my relationship with T and his family extended beyond my employment at Bridgestone. I graduated with my Bachelor's degree in 1996, but enjoyed nearly another 20 years as a family friend, being involved in weddings, births, funerals, and my favorite thing of all, just general merriment. I sometimes felt like I had two families in my life, my biological one and the one of my choosing. It was not unusual at all to spend holidays at multiple houses. Holidays proper were spent with my family until about 4 pm in the afternoon. Then I would head over to T's house for a rousing, fun-filled conclusion. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy spending time with my family, but there was a marked contrast to the two environments. It isn't ironic that the splitting of the day was very much like the splitting of the meal. I ate the savory part of the meal with my family (the much more somber -- and sober -- part) and then got to cut loose with dessert at T's house -- the fun part.</p><p>I was privileged and honored to be in T's world for as long as I was. But as things happen, towards the end of 2014, I was getting a fairly distinct signal that it was time to move on. I had made several overtures towards reconnecting with T and his family, but felt that the reciprocity and enthusiasm just wasn't there. All good things must come to a close and instead of lamenting it any further, I quietly slipped away. Then, in mid 2018, having just suffered through another security breach from Facebook (plus the eternal time-suck that is Facebook), I made a rather unannounced and curt decision to just leave Facebook altogether -- and with it any chance of monitoring T's family conversation, even if I wasn't actively part of it.</p><p>It turns out that T's health problems (which started around 2009) continued to plague him. Every time he seemed to get back up, life knocked him back down again. That makes me incredibly sad, because the T in my mind's eye is one of life, of exuberance, of happiness. And, honestly, I think that is how I will choose to remember him. I've always been sad with how things ended up -- although with time and perspective, I've come to accept them. But with T's passing, I truly feel like a major chapter of my personal history has come to an end.</p><p>My life is so much better off because of T and his family. Sometimes you just don't know how good things are until they are gone from your life. T always did appreciate a good Kennedy reference and I personally think of the golden years between myself and T and his family as the Camelot years. What I hope for T's family is peace and comfort from his years of struggle and his ultimate passing. T had made a lifelong indelible impression on me and I will always remember him as the affable and loving instigator of mischief and longtime proponent of ABBA (on vinyl, of course). Dancing Queen or Waterloo? Waterloo!</p><p>I'm currently sitting here at my keyboard drinking a Guckenheimer and 7-Up in his honor while listening to the Sibelius violin concerto and alternating between being small and contemplative and loud and ugly crying. To be fair, I feel like this will probably continue for the rest of the night. And I'm okay with that.</p><p>Just know that you will be forever missed and I will love you always.</p>Tinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230553378930796656noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762518953396643054.post-85048293203818189602015-12-22T22:00:00.000-05:002015-12-22T22:00:09.506-05:00No Salt Added at The Annex Bar and GrilleI must have driven by <a href="http://www.annexbar.com/" target="_blank">The Annex Bar & Grille</a> on Pettibone Road in Solon several dozen times over the last number of years. Friend and <a href="http://funplayingwithfood.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">fellow food blogger Nancy</a> lives close by The Annex and every time I would drive to or from her house, I'd pass by the small structure. I never even gave it a second thought until recently when Nancy contacted me to tell me that two old friends, Walter Hyde and Scott Slagle (of <a href="http://exploringfoodmyway.blogspot.com/2010/10/doing-it-right-at-fat-casual-bbq.html" target="_blank">Fat Casual</a> fame) were now working certain shifts behind the bar and the grill. Not only that, but apparently they were doing some low/no sodium items on the menu for lunch.<br />
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After doing some initial research with Walter, I met up with Nancy and her husband for lunch just a few weeks ago to check things out. It turns out that The Annex has a policy of not salting anything on the menu. Here I was all prepared to say, "no salt, please" to everything I ordered, but as it turns out, there was no need to. Now, that being said, there are still only a couple of menu items that can be done low/no sodium successfully because much of the food is traditional bar food -- highly processed frozen items that can be quickly cooked or deep fried during service. These items (and there are many of them) can't be done without salt because they are seasoned even before they are cooked.<br />
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The first item I tried was the burger. The burgers come in two sizes, a one-third pound patty and a two-third pound patty. I was feeling particularly hungry that day, so I went with a two-third pound burger, medium rare with just some lettuce and tomato on a toasted (but not buttered) bun. While The Annex doesn't use salt, it does use butter, so if you want a toasted butter-free bun, make sure to order it that way. Paired with my burger was an order of their fresh-cut fries, also completely salt-free:<br />
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I have to say, for a measly $8 for this combination, this was a pretty damn good burger! Now, of course, there was some natural sodium in the beef and the bun was just a regular hamburger bun (so probably around 200-250mg of sodium), but for around 300-350mg of total sodium, this was a great way to kill the craving for a burger and fries. And at two-thirds of a pound of ground beef, it was VERY filling.<br />
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On every table (and presumably the bar), there was a container with standard condiments. Since I knew I wanted some ketchup and mustard with my meal and knowing that regular ketchup and mustard pack a large sodium wallop, I brought my own. I've done that twice now and nobody seems to care, so if you want sodium-free condiments, do what I did and bring your own. To be fair, malt vinegar was available for your French Fries, but I kind of prefer ketchup.<br />
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It was also during my first visit that Walter informed me that the chicken breast wasn't brined and would therefore be a good choice, too. I decided to take him up on that bit of information and several weeks after my first visit returned to order the grilled chicken sandwich with a side of the same fresh-cut fries:<br />
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In the second image you can see my sodium-free ketchup and mustard in the background. Heinz makes a nearly sodium-free ketchup that you can find in most regular grocery stores. Unfortunately, the downside to this ketchup is that it uses high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) as the sweetener. It turns out that you can't have your (condiment) cake and eat it, too. Either you get the "natural" ketchup with real sugar that has salt or you get the no salt added ketchup that has no added salt but HFCS. I figure that as rarely as I eat this ketchup, having it twice in six months was acceptable. The sodium free mustard I used was one from Westbrae and is available at Mustard Seed Market (the one in Fairlawn) for about $3 per jar. It comes both in organic and non-organic varieties (and the price varies accordingly). I've found this to be an excellent mustard that I can use liberally since it has 0mg of sodium per serving.<br />
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But I digress; back to my chicken sandwich. Based on how the menu reads, the chicken sandwich normally comes between two slices of bread. Figuring a hamburger bun would be slightly lower in sodium than two pieces of sandwich bread (200-250mg vs. 300-350mg), the only change I made was to ask for it on the hamburger bun, again without butter. While it was nice to have the option of either the grilled chicken or the burger, were I to do it again, I'd probably stick with the burger. In the end, it was just the better tasting of the two. The fresh-cut fries, however, were great both times.<br />
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The only other option you really have if you're not in the mood for a sandwich is to order a house salad with grilled chicken on top. The only problem is that while they have malt vinegar to dress your salad, I don't know that they have oil to go along with it (you might just want to bring your own).<br />
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Will I go back to The Annex? Absolutely. For $8(ish) for either a healthy-sized burger or chicken sandwich with fresh-cut fries, it's a great deal. Is it the best burger I've ever had (price aside)? No, but it's pretty darn good and I wouldn't hesitate recommending it to others, especially if they're looking for low sodium options.<br />
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The Annex Bar & Grille is located at 36200 Pettibone Road, Solon, OH 44139 and can be reached at 440-248-5725. Hours listed on their website indicate they are open Monday through Saturday from 10am-2:30am (kitchen 10am-10pm) and on Sunday from 12pm-12am (kitchen 12pm-10pm). That being said, I know they recently added breakfast hours on Saturday mornings.Tinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230553378930796656noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762518953396643054.post-5993361409283800782015-12-15T22:00:00.000-05:002015-12-15T22:00:00.873-05:00A Low Sodium Fast Food CompendiumIt would seem, at least at first, that the notion of eating a very low salt, no butter, no cheese diet would be at complete odds with the current state of the fast food industry. And to a large extent, you would be correct. However, in the vast sea of salt, fat, and sugar that comprises most of the fast food industry's offerings, there are a few nuggets of goodness that you can cling to when you are looking for a quick fix or are traveling and haven't had time to research local restaurants.<br />
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Having combed through more than a dozen published nutritional guides on the Internet, I've come to a few conclusions:<br />
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1) Many fast food restaurants offer some type of "garden salad" which is usually okay. Almost all only offer salted dressings, although as you'll see, some dressings are better than others.<br />
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2) Of those that offer garden salads, that's usually all they can offer that would be acceptably low sodium.<br />
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3) There are some fast food chains that offer nothing acceptably low sodium.<br />
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4) Grilled chicken breast is often as salty or saltier than beef (thanks to brining).<br />
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So, how do I differentiate between fast food and fast casual? I know it isn't a completely cut and dry set of rules, but in general, if the restaurant has a drive thru, I'd consider it fast food and not fast casual. That being said, I consider Subway to be fast food although I've seen very few Subway locations with a drive thru.<br />
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And with that distinction out of the way, here are the only fast food restaurants at which I've had any success.<br />
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<u>Wendy's</u><br />
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While none of the proteins (chicken, beef, or fish) at Wendy's would even remotely qualify as low sodium, the one thing that Wendy's has on their menu that I find appealing is the presence of a baked potato. Now, of course, when you load up that baked potato with cheese, bacon, and sour cream, it is no longer low sodium, but according to their published nutrition information, a plain baked potato by itself has almost no sodium and if you decide to splurge and add chives and sour cream (just one container of sour cream), you top out at 35mg of sodium.<br />
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And while the garden salad has nothing particularly salty on it, you do have to be careful of the dressings. Your two best choices are the pomegranate vinaigrette (150mg of sodium for the entire packet) or the ranch dressing (170mg of sodium for the entire packet). Since I tend to not like overdressed salads, I usually use only half of the packet. Thus, for about 100-110mg of sodium, you can walk away with a baked potato with sour cream and chives and a garden salad with half a packet of pomegranate vinaigrette. Not bad.<br />
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<u>Subway</u><br />
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Just like Wendy's, every single protein and cheese option is out at Subway if you are considering a sub sandwich. Which means that the only real choice you have if you want a sub sandwich is a 6" Veggie Delite on either 9-grain wheat, Italian, honey oat, or multigrain flatbread. Each of these types of bread has between 280mg and 290mg of sodium for the 6" version. Skip the cheese and load up on non-salty vegetables (lettuce, tomato, red onion, spinach, cucumber, green peppers, etc.). Fortunately, Subway is one of the few (maybe only?) fast food restaurants to offer plain old oil and vinegar as a dressing. Other non-salty toppers include ground pepper and dried thyme. Pair that with a package of apple slices from the kids menu and you've got a decent meal with about 300mg of sodium total.<br />
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If you're wanting to go more of the salad route, you can certainly go with the Veggie Delite option at 75mg of sodium or, the one protein-based salad that seems acceptable to me is the oven-roasted chicken salad at 280mg of sodium. Again, dressing will be limited to oil and vinegar. A possible third option is the Monterrey chicken melt salad, but it clocks in at 360mg of sodium. Plus, with the addition of cheese, you up the fat and saturated fat by a couple of grams each. Nothing heart-seizing, mind you, but the first two salads are the healthier options.<br />
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<u>Steak 'n Shake</u><br />
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As you've seen so far, fast food proteins and low sodium don't mix. However, at Steak 'n Shake, you can get either the single steakburger (310mg sodium) or the double steakburger (330mg sodium) if what you crave can only be satiated by beef. Of course, realize that cheese is out, as are all forms of condiments. The standard burger toppings of lettuce, tomato, and onion will be okay additions.<br />
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For sides, you could go with applesauce (0mg), apples and caramel (75mg), small French fries (80mg), regular French fries (140mg), small garden salad (105mg), or a cup of Mandarin oranges (15mg). I'm guessing by the fact that the garden salad has 105mg of sodium that it probably has cheese or croutons, which you can either pick off yourself or ask for it to be served without, which would substantially lower the sodium content. While I don't see oil and vinegar as an option from the salad dressings portion of the nutritional spreadsheet, one ounce of the honey mustard dressing does clock in at only 115mg of sodium. As with Wendy's, a light touch with the dressing can reduce that number by half.<br />
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If breakfast is what you are after at Steak 'n Shake, you also have a couple of options from that menu, too. Two eggs, any style, will set you back 140mg of sodium. Other choices include a cup of Mandarin oranges (15mg), the parfait (95mg), oatmeal (260mg), or hash browns (300mg). While the combination of eggs and hash browns is a bit high for my liking (440mg for both), combining two eggs with a parfait seems like a perfectly reasonable amount of sodium (235mg for both) when eating out at a fast food restaurant and getting something that is nutritious and filling.<br />
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So, there you have it -- three recommendations for those looking to both maintain a low salt lifestyle and still be able to occasionally stop in for a quick meal at a fast food restaurant. Are there others out there that might qualify? Of course, I'm sure there are. I really only researched fast food chains that are common to the northeast Ohio area. And for those that hoped Swenson's might make the list, even though it is a local chain here in northeast Ohio, unfortunately, they haven't published any nutritional information about their food, so I ruled them out.<br />
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Please feel free, gentle reader, to suggest other fast food chains (and more specifically, menu items) that might make the cut.Tinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230553378930796656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762518953396643054.post-22204970662179086322015-12-08T20:00:00.000-05:002015-12-08T20:00:03.068-05:00A Return Visit To Flury's CafeAs any long-time reader of Exploring Food knows, I've reviewed <a href="http://www.fluryscafe.com/" target="_blank">Flury's Cafe</a> <a href="http://exploringfoodmyway.blogspot.com/2010/02/extra-helpings-welcome-home-at-flurys.html" target="_blank">several</a> <a href="http://exploringfoodmyway.blogspot.com/2010/03/where-wild-blueberry-things-are.html" target="_blank">times</a> <a href="http://exploringfoodmyway.blogspot.com/2010/07/more-breakfasts-from-flurys-cafe.html" target="_blank">before</a> <a href="http://exploringfoodmyway.blogspot.com/2011/01/restaurant-expansion-at-flurys-cafe.html" target="_blank">on this blog</a>. And I've been enjoying owner Kimberly White's food from my very first visit many, many years ago. I find it ironic when I reread my previous reviews that I occasionally ding'ed particular items she made for having too little (or no) salt, such as her hashed browns or eggs. Interestingly, it is exactly that feature that now draws me in on a regular basis for breakfast or lunch.<br />
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I was quite surprised when I first approached Kim with my new diet that she was able to point to quite a few items on her current menu that would be appropriate for me. I also learned that she shares my philosophy that there is way more salt in our food than is necessary. When possible, she would rather make dishes lower in sodium and allow the guest to add salt where he or she thinks it appropriate.<br />
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While there are certainly items on the menu where salt is inherently built in (anything with cheese, sausage gravy, fried sides such as French fries or onion rings), I thought I would point out a few of the items on the menu that I've been able to order off of the menu without too many substantial changes (other than my usual request for "no salt, butter, or cheese").<br />
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Let's start with the potato pancakes, scrambled eggs, and a small cup of sour cream, all lightly dusted with paprika:<br />
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The difference between the potato pancakes and the regular hashed browns is the addition of onions and eggs to the potato pancakes. Cooked in a combination of canola and olive oil, the potato pancakes are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The majority of salt on this plate comes from the scrambled eggs, about 120mg of sodium for two eggs. The sour cream, interestingly, does have sodium, but at only 10mg of sodium per tablespoon, it is an acceptable amount and adds a nice acidity and richness to the pancakes.<br />
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Next up is my standard breakfast order, the vegetarian omelet with hashed browns. Occasionally Kim makes awesome homemade jam, and if it is available, I may also get a slice of dry wheat or rye toast as a vehicle for jam delivery*:<br />
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* The omelet comes with hashed browns and toast, I sometimes just omit the toast.<br />
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Kim uses regular sandwich bread for her toast (which can have anywhere from 150 to 200mg of sodium per slice). Considering that the only other sodium in the dish is the 120mg in the eggs for the omelet, having a single slice of toast is an acceptable amount. The omelet is filled and topped with sauteed spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, and red bell peppers. Both the original Tabasco sauce (the red one) as well as the jalapeno-based sauce (the green one) are available if you like things a little spicy. The green one is completely out (150mg of sodium per teaspoon), but every now and again I'll shake on a bit of the red one (35mg of sodium per teaspoon).<br />
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While regular sandwich bread is used for toast, Kim bakes her own buns for sandwiches and revealed to me that each bun only has about 150mg of sodium. Paired with a single or double burger or the grilled chicken breast, it makes for a delicious sandwich that can be kept under 300mg of sodium:<br />
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Of course, you have to forgo any condiments or the delicious housemade pesto (which I adore, but can't have due to the presence of cheese in the pesto), but you still get a juicy burger or chicken sandwich with lettuce and tomato that's also filling. Unusually, Kim uses chicken that isn't brined before grilling, so the chicken is 100% okay to order at Flury's.<br />
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As I mentioned before, none of the usual sandwich sides like French fries or onion rings are on the low sodium list, so whenever I get a sandwich, I usually order the spinach salad minus the bacon and substitute the housemade balsamic vinaigrette for the warm bacon dressing:<br />
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The vinaigrette isn't necessarily low sodium, but if I just use a very small amount to lightly dress my salad, I'm not too concerned about it.<br />
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Kim always has some kind of baked good to tempt you with at the end of your meal. In the past I've normally said no to these (even when I was eating salt). However, in the past couple of months, she has also had fresh fruit available to be eaten at the restaurant or to go. I almost always say yes to an orange, apple, or banana, even if I don't intend to eat it at that very moment. <br />
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Normally I hit up Flury's Cafe for breakfast on days that I don't walk in the early mornings, so maybe once a week. But Kim and Flury's Cafe has been on my no-salt radar since I first realized I had to change my diet. Whenever I'm craving breakfast food, this is the first place that pops into my head. Most breakfast/diner places can offer you eggs without salt, but Flury's appeal is that you have additional options, too.<br />
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One thing to note about Flury's Cafe is that they recently moved from their old location on Sackett Avenue in Cuyahoga Falls to their new location on the corner of Front Street and Portage Trail, also in Cuyahoga Falls. Free parking is available in one of the two parking garages just north or south of the restaurant. They are open Monday through Saturday for breakfast and lunch and can be reached at 330-929-1315.Tinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230553378930796656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762518953396643054.post-27259931305915973552015-12-02T12:49:00.000-05:002015-12-02T13:27:10.970-05:00A Cornocopia Of Choices At 111 BistroFair warning -- I cannot give you an unbiased review of the food at <a href="http://111bistro.com/" target="_blank">111 Bistro</a>. Perhaps this surprises you, gentle reader, given the myriad of reviews on this blog where I assert that very quality, an unbiased attempt at describing to you what the average consumer can expect in terms of food and service when dining at an establishment.<br />
<br />
In fact, my relationship with 111 Bistro has always had a personal quality to it. The original sous chef invited me to the "friends and family" night prior to the restaurant's actual opening back in June 2014. I had first learned of the restaurant's planned existence earlier in 2014 when the chef, Anthony Scolaro, and sous chef, Joe Holmes, each hosted a course at a <a href="http://dinnerinthedarkcleveland.com/" target="_blank">Dinner In The Dark</a> event at Crave in Akron. And, of course, at the friends and family event, I first met Anthony in person.<br />
<br />
Is the food fantastic? Yes. Is the service great? Yes, with the caveat that I almost always sit at the bar, so I tend to be waited on by the same bartenders/servers over and over again. Have I ever had to send food back to the kitchen? Once, because of a mix-up with how my order was entered into the system. The kitchen made my entree with salt because they didn't realize it was for me. However, one of the line cooks saw that I had received the salted entree and immediately flagged me down. Grateful for the assist, I sent the plate of food back to the kitchen and they re-fired the entree, this time sans salt.<br />
<br />
So what value can I add without this sounding like an (unpaid) advertisement for 111 Bistro? What I like about the menu at 111 Bistro is that not only does Anthony draw elements from other ethnic cuisines (although the menu is billed as "modern American", Japanese, Thai, Indian, French, and Italian all play a role), but dishes for diners with more common dietary restrictions are already represented on the menu, everything from vegetarian to vegan to gluten-free. And as I've already mentioned, when it comes to salt and seasoning, restaurants come in two varieties: those that season during prep and those that don't. 111 Bistro, more or less, comes squarely in the second camp.<br />
<br />
That doesn't mean that the entire menu is fair game. Some elements are seasoned during prep because there is a marinade or brine involved; some of the confit preparations involve the traditional use of salt to bring out moisture from the protein. However, where I can normally expect maybe one thing on the menu to be low-salt/salt-free, at 111 Bistro, at any given moment, there will be a dozen items that I can order. They also run seafood specials quite often and many times, those dishes can be made salt-free.<br />
<br />
Think I'm exaggerating? Let's take a look at their <a href="http://111bistro.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/fall-winter-2015.pdf" target="_blank">current menu (Fall/Winter 2015)</a>. Here are the items I can order and know that the kitchen can reasonably accommodate me:<br />
<ul>
<li>111 "Poutine" (minus the cheese)</li>
<li>111 Fries (plain with the house made salt-free ketchup)</li>
<li>Pork Belly Steam Buns (minus the sambal mayo)</li>
<li>Shrimp Fried Rice (minus the soy)</li>
<li>Greens Salad (as is)</li>
<li>Greens Salad add-on proteins -- chicken, salmon, tuna, or shrimp</li>
<li>111 Burger (no cheese, bun has a very low amount of salt)</li>
<li>Smoked Bison Meatloaf (subbing roasted potatoes for potato gratin)</li>
<li>Faroe Island Salmon (minus bacon)</li>
<li>Lake Erie Walleye (as is)</li>
<li>Brussels-bacon-onion (minus bacon)</li>
<li>Roasted carrots (as is)</li>
<li>Fingerling potatoes (as is)</li>
</ul>
You can also usually add the weekly seafood special to this list. Here is a picture of last night's seafood special, a pan-seared barramundi over coconut curry rice and roasted heirloom carrots with a piquillo pepper puree:<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zkxjvoi8qEg/Vl8f892m2LI/AAAAAAAALgc/KkK4XW5nyEA/s1600/23458743595_595e2d9efc_h.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zkxjvoi8qEg/Vl8f892m2LI/AAAAAAAALgc/KkK4XW5nyEA/s400/23458743595_595e2d9efc_h.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Or, how about last weekend's seafood special, a pan-seared black sea bass over chanterelle and porcini farro, truffle honey drizzle, and micro greens:<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p5swxjguROw/Vl8gXxznV8I/AAAAAAAALgg/Ezy58nIsXMc/s1600/23166295896_fffa70c070_h.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p5swxjguROw/Vl8gXxznV8I/AAAAAAAALgg/Ezy58nIsXMc/s400/23166295896_fffa70c070_h.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Seafood isn't your only option -- I tend to have the 111 Burger about once a week with either unseasoned French fries or a side of fresh fruit:<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Um1wMSsrX8M/Vl8gqhSikoI/AAAAAAAALgs/vUy-Nc2MWA8/s1600/22967393480_697b4530a2_h.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Um1wMSsrX8M/Vl8gqhSikoI/AAAAAAAALgs/vUy-Nc2MWA8/s400/22967393480_697b4530a2_h.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
This particular burger had the optional fried egg on it.<br />
<br />
It's hard to believe, but all of these entrees are no salt added, no butter, and no cheese. That's not to say they are salt-free (as in 0mg sodium), but I'd venture to guess that any one of these three entrees probably has under 300mg of sodium for the entire plate of food (the burger with egg on it probably having the most natural sodium). For those who are managing their salt intake, the menu and the preparations at 111 Bistro are truly a godsend. The fact that they are utilizing quality ingredients and preparing them correctly just makes it an even more attractive package.<br />
<br />
I do occasionally indulge in dessert. While there is at least one item on the dessert menu that is 100% off-limits -- salted caramel cheesecake, I'm looking at you -- the seasonal creme brulee or just a scoop of the vanilla bean ice cream (occasionally with a freshly brewed espresso poured over it, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affogato" target="_blank"><i>affogato-style</i></a>) is sometimes all I want.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--bJTslAMRdY/Vl8itbJpyII/AAAAAAAALg4/PI7KUVe2Cxo/s1600/22830390044_871b661bf5_h.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--bJTslAMRdY/Vl8itbJpyII/AAAAAAAALg4/PI7KUVe2Cxo/s400/22830390044_871b661bf5_h.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
I will say that the dessert menu has become less adventurous over time (and not necessarily in a bad way). When the restaurant opened, Joe Holmes (mentioned earlier) was both the sous chef and the pastry chef. When Joe and 111 Bistro parted ways mid-summer 2015, Anthony decided to not only scale back the desserts (smaller portions and simpler desserts), but the prices as well. I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss some of Joe's desserts, but at the end of the meal, often times you just want a small taste of something sweet, not another full-blown course.<br />
<br />
I'm in a unique position in that I've had the opportunity to try 111's food both as a salt-eater and now as a salt-free eater. As a salt-eater, one of the qualities that always stood out for me was Anthony's philosophy on salt -- add just enough to enhance the flavor of the food, but never enough to make the salt noticed. As a salt-free eater, now I can completely appreciate the food on an entirely different level, both the high quality of the ingredients and the creative use of elements on the plate to balance savory, sweet, bitter, and spicy.<br />
<br />
As you can imagine, I really highly recommend you give 111 Bistro a try, and not just because I eat there multiple times a week. Co-owners Anthony Scolaro and Meghan Pender (Meghan manages the front of the house) want you to have a fantastic experience and in my opinion they take that goal very seriously. They have been open to constructive feedback (and I've given them both positive and negative feedback over the last eighteen months) and I can't stress enough how much I appreciate the kitchen's flexibility in being able to provide the myriad of no-salt-added choices on the menu.<br />
<br />
If you're interested in seeing more of my images from 111 Bistro (and trust me, there are nearly 300 to look through currently), feel free to visit my <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tom_j_noe/albums/72157645220980953" target="_blank">Flickr album</a>.<br />
<br />
111 Bistro is located at 2736 Medina Road, Medina, OH 44256 (it's in the same building as the new location for the Medina On Tap Bar and Grill) and can be reached at 330-952-1122. They are open Tuesday through Saturday for dinner and Sunday for brunch. Reservations are accepted and based on what I've seen, I'd encourage them for the weekends.<br />
<br />
If you do decide to go, look for the guy sitting at the end of the bar with the large camera. Chances are, it'll be me.Tinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230553378930796656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762518953396643054.post-54238631588225188872015-11-23T11:32:00.000-05:002015-11-23T12:11:14.903-05:00Tackling The Restaurant Problem, Part 2While I had never intended my <a href="http://exploringfoodmyway.blogspot.com/2015/11/tackling-restaurant-problem.html" target="_blank">last post</a> to be the first in a series of entries about successfully navigating the restaurant scene while managing a food restriction, I realized as I was writing it that the rabbit hole goes much deeper than I originally thought. And while the first part of this series had some excellent overall tips when attempting to eat out, this entry will be discussing menu items, or more specifically, common proteins that you'll find in a variety of food cuisines. If the post were to have a subtitle, it would be "A Protein Primer".<br />
<br />
<u><b>Chicken</b></u><br />
<br />
Surely chicken is okay, right? Not fried chicken, mind you, but plain old grilled chicken breast? You know, healthy grilled chicken breast?<br />
<br />
In a vast majority of cases, you'd be wrong.<br />
<br />
Even though most restaurants are happy to comply with a request to not add salt to a chicken breast when it is cooked, by that point it is too late. Most (and I'm talking like 90%) restaurants either receive their chicken breasts already brined or brine them once they receive them. Brining* the chicken does several things:<br />
<br />
1. Seasons it (obviously)<br />
2. Keeps it juicier when cooked (and helps it from drying out when overcooked)<br />
3. Prevents variation in seasoning of the final product when cooked by different cooks working the line (e.g., everything is seasoned the same)<br />
<br />
Chicken breast, when unbrined, has roughly 55-80mg of sodium per 4 ounce serving. So, if you're looking over the nutritional information for a restaurant and the chicken entree has some 1000mg of sodium when paired with steamed broccoli and a plain baked potato, rest assured that the sodium is in the chicken and it has probably been brined.<br />
<br />
Ironically, the best places to find unbrined chicken are Asian restaurants. Since most of the salt comes from sauces (soy sauce, fish sauce, chili sauce, hoisin, oyster sauce, etc.), they don't usually brine the chicken. That being said, I've found that sometimes it can be difficult to communicate that saying "no salt" also means saying no to additional sauces as well.<br />
<br />
Chicken wings are a mixed bag. Obviously, nearly all the sauces that would coat the wings are out. The chicken wings themselves are okay as long as they aren't brined or marinated before cooking. This is going to vary by restaurant and it's best to ask the appropriate person before ordering. <br />
<br />
* For those unfamiliar with the term "brining", brining a protein involves placing it into a vessel containing (at a minimum) water and dissolved salt for a particular length of time.<br />
<br />
<u><b>Eggs</b></u><br />
<br />
The typical large chicken egg has about 60mg of sodium in it. Eggs are a great source of protein, but be careful with that three egg omelet ... even unsalted, you are already at nearly 200mg of sodium without even considering the additional fillings (which could add their own natural salt content).<br />
<br />
<u><b>Beef</b></u><br />
<br />
The good news about beef is that other than beef jerky, corned beef, or BBQ brisket, it is rarely brined and only seasoned as it is being grilled. Depending on the cut of beef, it is sometimes "rubbed" and the rub usually contains salt. It always pays to ask, of course. If the beef is ground (such as for hamburger), salt may be mixed into the grind to season it throughout. It's been my experience that of all the restaurants that have only one thing on the menu I can eat, many times it is the hamburger.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Pork</u></b><br />
<br />
Like chicken, pork that hasn't been brined is perfectly acceptable. Unfortunately, like chicken, pork is often brined in order to keep it juicy when cooked. Unlike chicken at Asian restaurants, a lot of the pork found at this style of restaurant has already been prepared in such a way that it contains additional salt (I'm referring to the twice-cooked pork often found in stir fries).<br />
<br />
<u><b>Turkey</b></u><br />
<br />
See chicken above. An additional note is that commercial turkeys (think Butterball), while not brined in the traditional sense, are often injected with a saline solution for exactly the same purpose as brining. It's always best to read the nutritional label to be certain. In a restaurant setting, this will vary.<br />
<br />
<u><b>Fish</b></u><br />
<br />
Here I am talking about things like salmon, tuna, sea bass, grouper, etc. Fish is almost never brined, but I have, on occasion, seen it "glazed", usually with something salty like soy sauce, miso, or hoisin. You are usually completely safe ordering the fresh fish (canned fish can be another matter), but again, if you aren't 100% sure, ask your server to confirm with the chef that the fish is unseasoned/unglazed.<br />
<br />
<u><b>Seafood</b></u><br />
<br />
Here I am lumping together all other water-based non-fish items. Bivalves like scallops, oysters, clams, and mussels are LOADED with natural salt. So much so that once your palate adjusts to eating very low levels of salt, they will simply taste like little salt bombs. Shrimp can be okay, but it also depends on how they were processed. Typically the tiny little shrimp found in dishes that cost $6.99 are usually more highly processed than the shrimp fettuccine dish at a more expensive place that costs $18. Squid and octopus are out as well as they also have a lot of natural salt. Fresh crab I've found to be on the border of too salty. For you sushi lovers, eel is popular. Unfortunately, almost all eel is served with a "sauce" that has been painted on top; it's the sauce that has the salt.<br />
<br />
<u><b>Tofu</b></u><br />
<br />
Tofu is an excellent source of nutrition and by itself contains almost no sodium. That's the good news. The bad news is that tofu is almost never served by itself and acts like a sponge to absorb all the flavors (and sauces) around it. Tofu served as an entree is usually marinated to give it flavor and seasoning. Tofu blended into a smoothie should be fine (as the tofu is there to give the smoothie body).<br />
<br />
<u><b>Non-Meat Alternatives</b></u><br />
<br />
I'll be the first to admit that I don't have enough experience with meat alternatives such as seitan or TVP (textured vegetable protein) to offer any guidance. If you're purchasing the ingredients at the grocery store, use the nutritional label as your guide. If you're eating at a restaurant, you may want to wait until you can do your research with the chef (or the published nutritional guide) before selecting it off of the menu.<br />
<br />
So there you have it, a fairly complete (but certainly by no means exhaustive) list of proteins you can expect to find offered on most menus. Do you have additional questions? Feel free to leave a comment below.Tinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230553378930796656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762518953396643054.post-86598027537324207182015-11-18T08:22:00.000-05:002015-11-18T08:22:14.652-05:00Tackling The Restaurant ProblemIf you've read my last <a href="http://exploringfoodmyway.blogspot.com/2015/11/exploring-food-new-beginning.html" target="_blank">two</a> <a href="http://exploringfoodmyway.blogspot.com/2015/11/wait-no-salt-now-what.html" target="_blank">posts</a>, you already know that I've severely cut back on salt, almost cut out butter, and completely cut out cheese from my diet. While this seemed daunting at first, it didn't seem impossible to achieve when cooking for myself at home, where I have 100% control over what goes into my mouth. But what do you do when you want to go out for a nice meal? Is this even possible when it's pretty common knowledge that restaurants often load their food with the very items you are trying to avoid?<br />
<br />
Yes, it is.<br />
<br />
However, in order to stay in control, you have to do three things: research, research, and research. You can take NOTHING for granted. Your server may be the most sincere and helpful person on the planet, but they aren't the ones prepping and cooking your food*. Managers are usually better (at least in chain restaurants), but you need to go into the situation as if you've prepped for battle. It's nice that the restaurant gives you a menu when you sit down at your table, but you have to already know what you can and can't have before you even walk through the front door.<br />
<br />
(* I'm not saying that servers can't be helpful, I'm simply saying that you shouldn't necessarily rely on them for accurate information when it comes to what it is in the food.)<br />
<br />
There are really three situations you're likely to encounter when you go out for a meal:<br />
<ol>
<li>National or local chain restaurants that have published nutritional information (usually on their website).</li>
<li>Local chain restaurants that have not published nutritional information because they aren't yet big enough and not required to do so.</li>
<li>Independently owned restaurants that have not published nutrition information because they are a single location and not required to do so.</li>
</ol>
<div>
Let's talk about each of these options in turn.</div>
<br />
<b><u>#1</u></b><br />
<div>
<br />
Restaurants that publish nutritional information are worth their weight in gold. After reviewing the information provided, you may discover that there is absolutely nothing that you can eat, but at least you know that before even stepping foot inside the front door. Here's the thing to remember about chain restaurants (be they local or national) ... the owner(s) want the experience to be the same regardless of which location you attend. Thus, they have put in place a series of suppliers and processes to reliably deliver the same food quality and nutrition across all of their locations.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In this blog's previous incarnation, I would've almost immediately turned down a request to review a national chain restaurant. They stand to offer little local character to the food scene and quite frankly, the food can be rather uninspiring. Now that things have changed for me and most chains publish their nutritional information, I find that chain restaurants offer me the opportunity to vet them on my computer at my own leisure without the pressure of having to make an uninformed choice when sitting at the restaurant. And I know that if I find something on the menu that I can actually have, all the locations will be able to provide it with the same nutritional content (in other words, one location won't be salting it more than the others).</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Most restaurants' nutritional information is offered via a downloadable PDF file that is organized in a spreadsheet-like format. After figuring out which column represents sodium, scan through the list of offerings to find items that fit within your daily sodium budget. Occasionally, I've found websites where you had to essentially submit requests item by item in order to retrieve nutritional information (I'm looking at you, Outback Steakhouse). My rule of thumb is that if I can't easily scan through a list of items to find the information I need, you're out. Buh-bye.<br />
<br />
If you're surprised that I would even consider Outback Steakhouse, know that I found a very low sodium meal that I can have at PF Chang's (gluten-free Buddha's Feast with steamed vegetables and brown rice -- 80 mg for the entire meal). Yes, this is the same PF Chang's that offers an item that has nearly <b><u>8000 mg of sodium for a single dish</u></b> (a bowl of their Hot & Sour soup)! You just don't know until you start doing the research.</div>
<div>
<br />
<b><u>#2</u></b><br />
<br /></div>
<div>
Next up, we have the local chain restaurants (some national ones, too, like Cracker Barrel) that haven't published any nutritional information. Honestly, I don't even bother with these. If they aren't willing to divulge, then I'm not willing to be used as a guinea pig.</div>
<div>
<br />
<b><u>#3</u></b><br />
<br /></div>
<div>
Finally, we have the local independent restaurants. While they don't publish nutritional information, at these types of establishments, you have the opportunity to actually talk to the person/people who actually cook your food. That is all well and good, of course, but I've found that independent restaurants fall into two categories:</div>
<div>
<ol>
<li>Restaurants that season the food as it is being prepped and then do a final seasoning as it is cooked for service.</li>
<li>Restaurants that don't season the food as it is being prepped and only do a final seasoning as it is cooked for service.</li>
</ol>
<div>
And, of course, know that most restaurants fall in between those two extremes. So, you may come across some items on a restaurant's menu that are seasoned during prep (such as house-made charcuterie or a confit duck or chicken) and others such as sauces that are only seasoned during final cooking for service. Once you manage to track down the person making the food, it pays to ask very specific questions. I would 100% never, ever, ever, ever walk into a restaurant which I haven't vetted, either by looking at published nutritional information or talking with the chef (or at least a manager) ahead of time. It's not fair to the restaurant and it's not fair to you. Even with my dietary restrictions, I still want my dining out experience to be pleasant and anything I can do to make it as smooth as possible is welcomed both by the restaurant and by me.</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Here's the thing about eating a very low sodium diet (along with no butter and no cheese): expect that most restaurants that can accommodate you will pretty much be able to offer only one thing on the menu that you can eat. If you're lucky, two. If you're REALLY lucky, you'll come across a restaurant that can offer you four or five choices. When you find those restaurants, thank your lucky stars and give them patronage whenever you can. Opening a dialogue with the chef goes light years towards helping you achieve your nutritional goals and helps the restaurant understand exactly what you can and can't have. Once you've established that repertoire with a kitchen, it can be very easy, for instance, to find out if the daily special can be done within your dietary restrictions. "Chef says that the special is all salt-free except for the chicken, which is brined." Good to know!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So, this leads to the question of how to initiate that dialogue, especially if you don't know the chef or if you haven't ever been to the restaurant.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Go to the restaurant's website and/or Facebook page. If there is a contact email listed, use it. Leaving a public comment on a restaurant's Facebook page is kind of hit or miss; it'll depend on how actively the restaurant monitors their own page. I've also been known to send a Twitter message if a Twitter account is all that I can find. Explain your predicament and ask for advice in steering you towards menu items that would be appropriate. Here is a recent example of a message I sent to a restaurant:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
"Sir/madam --</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I have friends who have invited me to join them for dinner at your restaurant in a couple of weeks. I am writing to you ahead of time because I have several dietary restrictions (no salt, butter, cream, or cheese) and was hoping you might be able to suggest an item or two on your current dinner menu that would be easy for the kitchen to accommodate me during service. Oil (olive, canola, vegetable, etc.) is perfectly fine. Please direct any response or additional questions to my email address.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Thank you for your time."</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
You'll get one of three responses:</div>
<div>
<ol>
<li>Yes, we can accommodate you and here are your choices.</li>
<li>No, I'm sorry, but we can't accommodate you.</li>
<li>No response.</li>
</ol>
<div>
#1 happens pretty often. #2 happens, but more rarely. #3 happens more often than you'd like to think. To be honest, I'd rather hear back from a restaurant stating that they can't accommodate me than not hearing back at all. That being said, #3 just means that in the game of consumer choice, the restaurant simply loses by default.<br />
<br />
So far, this has been my strategy for tackling the restaurant problem and I've had good results. If you're scared at the thought of talking to an honest-to-goodness chef (the Food Network does seem to put them on a pedestal), know that almost every chef I've interacted positively with absolutely wants you to enjoy your experience at their restaurant and as long as you are courteous and willing to work with them, they are happy to give you the information you need to make your visit a success.<br />
<br />
Do you have any tips for successfully navigating the restaurant scene? I'd love to hear them in the comments.</div>
</div>
Tinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230553378930796656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762518953396643054.post-15884616787352240612015-11-17T11:09:00.000-05:002015-11-17T11:14:21.077-05:00Wait ... No Salt?! Now What?When I first made the decision to go as low sodium as possible, I knew I was going to have to start by cleaning house. My own house, that is. While I didn't quite know what I was going to be able to eat on a regular basis, I knew that I had high-sodium products in my refrigerator and my pantry that would just have to go. What I didn't quite realize was HOW MANY of the items I used to eat did not even remotely qualify as no or low sodium.<br />
<br />
First off, let's define a few terms. According to <a href="http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/GuidanceDocumentsRegulatoryInformation/LabelingNutrition/ucm064911.htm" target="_blank">this page</a> from the FDA's website, here are some terms with which you should become familiar:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>"Light" : if food is "Low Calorie" and "Low Fat" and sodium is reduced by at least 50%.</li>
<li>"Light in Sodium": if sodium is reduced by at least 50%.</li>
<li>"Lightly Salted" : 50% less sodium than normally added to reference food.</li>
<li>"Very Low Sodium" : 35 mg or less per RACC* (and per 50g if RACC* is small). For meals and main dishes, 35mg or less per 100g.</li>
<li>"No Salt Added" and "Unsalted" : must declare "This is Not A Sodium Free
Food" either adjacent to the claim or on the information panel.</li>
<li>"Sodium Free" : less than 5 mg per RACC* and per labeled serving (or for meals and main dishes, less than 5 mg per labeled serving).</li>
</ul>
* RACC = Reference Amounts Customarily Consumed<br />
<br />
Okay, so there is the terminology. Now let's take a look at what these things actually mean:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>"Light", "Light in Sodium", and "Lightly Salted" : while better than the regular product (usually by at least 50%), these can still be quite high in salt. If the original product had 1000 mg of sodium per serving, these versions will have 500 mg. Depending on how much sodium you are allowed to have, these might fit your daily requirements. For me, these products are out.</li>
<li>"Very Low Sodium" : in general this is perfectly acceptable, but you do have to figure out what the serving size is and how much of the product you consume when using it. For instance, the original Tabasco brand hot sauce (the red one, not the green one) has 35 mg of sodium per teaspoon. If you are the kind of person who shakes only a tiny bit of Tabasco onto your food, you'll be perfectly fine. If you're the kind of person who seriously loves the spicy flavor of Tabasco and you shake on a couple of tablespoons, that 35 mg per serving begins to add up and balloons into a couple of hundred milligrams of sodium.</li>
<li>"No Salt Added" : this one you have to be VERY CAREFUL with. What I didn't understand (and I'm sure I'm not the only one) was that a lot of food has natural sodium in it. I'm not talking about things like bacon; I'm referring to carrots, tomatoes, unbrined chicken breast, beef ... these all have trace (or not-so-trace) amounts of sodium. While no salt has been added to the product, it does not mean it is an appropriate choice. I was SHOCKED to discover that the "No Salt Added" Kitchen Basics Vegetable Stock has 210 mg of sodium PER CUP. Vegetable stock ... I know, right?!</li>
<li>"Sodium Free" : with less than 5 mg of sodium per serving, have at it!</li>
</ul>
So now that we've had a primer in labeling terminology and what it actually means, let's get back to the "cleaning house." I systematically went through my refrigerator and pantry to rid myself of any products that I could no longer use. I knew that items like canned soup and soy sauce would be out, but I was shocked to learn that I had to throw out nearly every single sauce and condiment I owned. Crackers, out. Bread, out. Bottled salad dressing, out. Regular peanut butter, out. I seriously began to wonder what the hell I was going to be able to eat.<br />
<br />
It slowly began to dawn on me that I was going to have to adopt a cook-for-myself whole foods approach to eating. Meaning that I was going to have to go the grocery store and buy raw ingredients and actually cook them (without salt, of course) for my meals, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Knowing that restaurants could be a major source of both sodium and butter (I think at some level, we all know this), I suspended all restaurant visits for a couple of weeks until I could begin doing the research required to safely go out for a meal.<br />
<br />
Fortunately, freaking out (which I found out I'm quite adept at) over my high blood pressure fueled this initial sodium purge and cook-for-myself attitude for a good solid month. And I won't lie, for the first couple of weeks I did think the food I made for myself was utterly bland. But then something interesting happened -- my palate began to adjust to not having salt. And the crazy thing is that I began tasting foods almost as if it were the first time. Foods tasted cleaner and more pure. I found that I wasn't missing the salt like I thought I would.<br />
<br />
Now, I'm not saying this happened overnight and it took a good month for me to adjust, but it did happen. And now, whenever I have the rare "cheat day", I don't eat salty foods. I tried this once and about blew my palate out because the smoked salmon I had eaten and enjoyed just a month prior tasted like nothing but a salt bomb. Instead, on cheat days, I'll have something sweet, like a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a creme brulee (however, that salted caramel cheesecake is still out).<br />
<br />
Another tip, and perhaps this works for me since I live alone, is that I never keep sweets in my house. If I want a scoop of ice cream, I'll go to a restaurant or shop and order the smallest size possible (even sweets can have hidden salt if you're not careful). This way, I satisfy the craving with a single serving and can walk away. If I kept these things at home, a) I'd have them more often and b) I'd be tempted to have more than a single serving at a time. I do keep plenty of fresh fruit at home, so if I'm craving something sweet and I'm home, I'll have a banana or an apple.<br />
<br />
I'll conclude with this little bit of advice: if you are serious about reducing sodium, carefully read every single label. Don't just look at the amount of sodium per serving, but also the serving size as well. MANY companies make the serving size of their product unrealistically small in order to make it appear that their product is healthier than it really is. The FDA is putting new rules into place that will change this so that companies are required to use a serving size that reflects what consumers actually use, but this isn't in effect yet. Until then, it is up to you to do the math in your head and figure out how much sodium is in each serving you consume.Tinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230553378930796656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762518953396643054.post-34626098383778761002015-11-16T14:30:00.000-05:002015-11-16T14:30:10.158-05:00Exploring Food: A New BeginningAs any astute reader might surmise from the fact that it has been almost eighteen months since my last post, it seems that I have run out of things to say. This has been true, to a degree. While restaurants come and go all of the time, by the time I stopped writing food reviews back in 2013, I had covered much of the local Akron scene. Between that and the fact that my life was pulled in new directions, I decided that while I would leave this blog and its myriad of reviews up, I wouldn't force myself to write additional posts if I didn't have something valuable to add to the conversation.<br />
<br />
Additionally, if you've been with me and my adventures for any length of time, one might be forced to inquire, "How does he manage to eat all of that rich food and stay healthy?" The short answer is, I didn't. And everything kind of came to a head back in May when a routine doctor visit uncovered several very important issues, the biggest of which was high blood pressure. Facing the possibility of a lifetime of medication, I decided to take the matter into my own hands and make some radical lifestyle changes to see if I could tackle the issue without having to resort to medication.<br />
<br />
First up? Cut out salt. Until I began looking at how much salt I was actually eating, I had no idea the pervasiveness of salt in the modern American diet. Now, I'm certainly not saying that YOU have to cut out salt from your diet, gentle reader. What I am saying is that because I have to, I've become highly attuned to the kinds of foods I can have if I want to stay within my daily salt budget.<br />
<br />
Second? Cut out booze. Completely. This wasn't really an issue for me, but I did enjoy (and post about) a cocktail with dinner from time to time. That being said, attending a wine dinner or even the occasional Dinner In The Dark becomes moot; why pay for something you can't participate in? There isn't much point in going to a wine dinner when you can't drink the wine.<br />
<br />
Third? No cheese. Cheese has salt (and most has a lot of it) and thus was eliminated from the "can have" list.<br />
<br />
Finally? No butter. Although I have relaxed this rule slightly because many desserts have butter in them and I still enjoy a sweet treat from time to time (still adhering to my rule of avoiding salt), I still try and steer clear of butter as much as I can. I figured if I was going to clean up my diet, butter and saturated fats had to go. In place are heart healthy oils: olive, avocado, canola, nut, seed, and the omegas found in wild salmon.<br />
<br />
That seems like a lot of changes. When you consider how much of our diet has salt, butter, or cheese in it, it can be pretty overwhelming to start to grapple with the simple question, "Well, then, what the hell can I eat?" And I have to admit, the first couple of months I spent pondering the answer to exactly that question. I did a LOT of reading and asked a LOT of questions. Along the way, I spoke to a number of very supportive people (both readers and non-readers) who suggested that I write about my experiences because others in the same boat might find it useful. But, as I stated at the beginning of this post, if I didn't have something new to add to the conversation, I'd rather just wait.<br />
<br />
So I waited. And now I think I have something useful to say.<br />
<br />
So, Exploring Food My Way will continue to document my journey through the food world, both in the kitchen and in the restaurant world, but funneled through the lens of someone looking to eat healthier: low sodium, healthy oils, more heart-healthy. This means no more reviews on double bacon cheeseburgers. But it does mean pointing out the places where you can get a delicious no-salt-added medium-rare hamburger with lettuce and tomato. Will this new format appeal to 95% of my old readers? Probably not. And I'm okay with that. My hope is that by putting this new energy out into the Internet, I'll find a home for new readers, ones who might be new to the game of no/low sodium or seasoned veterans (pardon the pun) who might like to leave tips in the comments.<br />
<br />
I invite you to come along on this new and interesting journey to good food and better health.<br />
<br />
You'll be seeing lots of the #nosalt #nobutter #nocheese hashtags in the upcoming months.<br />
<br />
<i>[Editorial Note: I am in no way trying to dispense medical advice. I am not a doctor. Radically changing my diet and incorporating regular exercise to get my blood pressure under control is what worked for me. If your doctor advises a different method for you, by all means, listen to him/her.]</i>Tinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230553378930796656noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762518953396643054.post-52040958150777968222014-06-16T21:04:00.001-04:002014-06-16T21:54:01.387-04:00When It Goes From Bad To Worse<div>
Greetings, gentle readers. The more astute among you may have
noticed that the amount of time since my last post has been right around
a year. I've posted in the past the reason for the long gaps and what
was true then remains true now: I just don't have the luxury of the time required to write this blog on a
consistent basis. So what brings me (temporarily) out of retirement
today? A troubling tale I am prepared to tell, involving a food truck,
squishy Italian hoagie rolls, and a blatant disregard for the safety of customers.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This
isn't the first time I've written about food trucks on this blog. Some
of them, including <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheOrangeTruk" target="_blank">The Orange Truk</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Whollyfrijoles" target="_blank">Wholly Frijoles</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Zydeco.Bistro" target="_blank">Zydeco Bistro</a>, and
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/Bocalocaburritofactory" target="_blank">Boca Loca Burrito Factory</a> have set out and accomplished the main goal of
a food truck: to be unique and serve quality, freshly prepared food to the people for a reasonable price. The best food
trucks seek to recreate the same food experience one would find at a
great restaurant (at least in terms of the food). Of course, I suppose you can't
have the best without having the worst. While I want every restaurant (and food truck) to succeed,
<a href="http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/restfail.htm" target="_blank">real world studies</a> indicate that nearly 60% of restaurants will fail
over a three year period. Today's visit to the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/1Mama.nacho?ref=br_tf" target="_blank">Nacho Mama Food Truck</a> out of Kent, Ohio proved exactly why this is the case.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Being
a lovely sunny day in the low 70's was too much of an allure to stay
indoors. Coupled with the announcement I saw by one of the many food
trucks I follow on Facebook, I discovered that there would be a "round
up" of seven trucks at the Home Depot in Cuyahoga Falls. When I got to the round up around
noon, I was relieved to find that the lines were fairly short. After
getting my camera equipment set up in the back of my car, I walked
around to survey the goods. While I enjoyed the crepe I had at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/akroncrepes" target="_blank">Premier Crepes</a> at a past round up, I wasn't
really in a crepe kind of mood today. Surveying my other options, I
finally settled on Nacho Mama Food Truck. I had seen it at other round ups, but had
yet to try their food. Today was as good as any to give it the college try.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I approached the truck and began to read the menu.
The first red flag was that the chorizo dog they were offering was
misspelled as a "chirizo" dog. Thinking the misspelling might have been
done on purpose as a marketing gimmick, I asked the woman taking orders if that was indeed the case. When she stared back at me blankly, my question was answered without her having to actually say anything.
Other menu items for today were nachos (as the name of the truck would
imply), burritos, and a few other things aimed at children. My philosophy when trying out a new
restaurant (or truck) is generally to buy two or three items,
photograph them all, eat one and take the other(s) home for later
consumption.</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<br />
After ordering my chorizo dog topped with the spicy slaw,
I set about attempting to order the tequila lime chicken nachos. This
was where things started to get a little dicey. While people like to
claim that they want choice in their lives, when faced with too much choice, the average human being becomes
paralyzed with fear over having to actually make said choice. And with some fifteen
toppings from which to choose, it took me a minute to get my bearings.
Nacho Mama might be better served by offering a "standard" - beans, lettuce, tomatoes, shredded cheese, and salsa
- and then allow customers to modify it to suit their taste. For
whatever reason I was feeling in a nacho cheese kind of mood, so I
added it as one of the toppings.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
After paying the $15 for my haul (I included one of
the Pepsi products as well), I walked to the other end of the truck to
wait for my food. Within a minute or so, the woman inside the truck
handed me the chorizo dog. While waiting for my nachos, she helpfully informed me that the chorizo link was actually from a
place with which I am quite familiar, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Duma-Meats-Farm-Market/196418637061857" target="_blank">Dumas Meats</a> in Mogadore, Ohio.
That, to me, was a good sign. The bad sign, sadly, was the white squishy
Italian hoagie bun on which the dog had been served. More on that later.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The
last step before handing me my finished nachos was the ladling on of
the cheese. Sadly, this happened straight from a very large can that had
no cover on it that was labeled, "Nacho Cheese." One might find this type of product at any Gordon
Food Service (GFS) / Sam's Club / food wholesale place and would have probably been more correctly labeled
"pasteurized cheese food product" rather than just "cheese." Regardless,
after the ladling of the cheese, she handed it to me. The first thing I
noticed besides the dayglo orange color of the cheese was the heft of the basket in my hand. For $7, you certainly got your money's worth, I thought.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5277/14427650994_a6758a1ee8_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5277/14427650994_a6758a1ee8_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
As
I crossed the parking lot to my waiting car, I began to notice a
problem. The nacho cheese had been poured too closely to one of the edges
of the cardboard container and as it settled, had started to ooze over the
edge. Not wanting to set this down anywhere in or on my car, I did the only thing a person holding a
soda pop and chorizo dog in one hand and a container of nachos in the other
hand could do: I decided to lick the cheese off the cardboard. I figured
I just wouldn't photograph that side of the dish. I put the cardboard container to my mouth and
gently licked the offending cheese off with a quick swipe of my tongue
and gasped in amazement: the nacho cheese was ROOM temperature!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Now, those of you reading with no commercial food preparation or
restaurant experience may think my negative reaction was due to the fact that I
(and probably you) prefer your nacho cheese food product served hot.
Tepid liquid cheese is just not something I relish the thought of
eating. In reality, my surprise was due to the fact that by not holding the
cheese at a proper serving temperature, the Nacho Mama Food Truck folks
were playing Russian roulette with their customer's health.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Most <a href="http://www.idph.state.il.us/about/fdd/fdd_fs_foodservice.htm" target="_blank">food safety guidelines</a> indicate that to avoid
bacterial growth, food must be held below 40 degrees or above 135 (some say 140) degrees Fahrenheit. As for time spent in between those two extremes, the cumulative time must be calculated and
the food must be discarded after it reaches four hours. In addition to the inappropriate holding temperature, the can of
cheese was just sitting on the counter, completely uncovered. Who was to
say that something couldn't fly in through a window and contaminate the
product?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So, let me see if I've got my math straight. The food trucks started serving food at 11 am
and I was there at noon. Best case scenario, let's assume that the staff
opened a fresh can of nacho cheese sauce right at 11 am. So, an
uncovered can has already sat there for an hour right in the middle of
the temperature danger zone? You can see why I was so alarmed. And honestly, if they
can't hold this food at the proper temperature, what makes me think
they know how to hold any other food at the proper temperature to avoid
potentially getting people sick?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
After photographing both items, I turned my
attention to the chorizo dog. Upon my first bite, I was rewarded with a
nice snap from the dog and creamy cole slaw. Unfortunately, the spicy part of the "spicy
slaw" I ordered to top the dog was nowhere to be found. This was straight up cole slaw,
and I'd venture to say given the provenance of the other ingredients coming out
of the truck, it was probably food service cole slaw. But for me, the
bigger issue with the dog was the bun.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The large Italian-style hoagie bun was straight out
of squishy white bread hell and couldn't contain the dog and the slaw.
Within another couple of bites, the dog had broken through the spine and
by the time I got halfway done with it, the bun had completely split
along the spine, offering no additional structural support to keep
everything together. Fortunately, I had the presence of mind to grab a
plastic fork from the truck and while I had originally envisioned using it with the
nachos, found a more appropriate use for it to clean up the mounds of
slaw that had fallen into the waiting basket below. The only real
positive for me about this dog was the chorizo link itself from Dumas
Meats.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I ended up disposing of the nachos in the garbage
can, not even wanting to eat a single bite. I packed my camera gear
away, got back in my car, and drove off. I do not plan on eating at the
Nacho Mama Food Truck again, really for two reasons. First, the food
safety issue (and that is the elephant in the room). Second, the quality and
uniqueness of the food just didn't appeal to my sense of adventure. It
felt like really bad Americanized versions of Mexican staples and
honestly, there are plenty of other places I can already go to for that.
You can definitely cross this food truck off of my list of places I'd
recommend.</div>
Tinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230553378930796656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762518953396643054.post-42533973767223704852013-07-19T15:00:00.000-04:002013-07-19T19:13:05.554-04:00Rosewood Grill: Where Do The Desserts Come From?I'll be the first to admit that sometimes it takes a little push to get me going. I knew that Turner's Mill had transitioned into <a href="http://www.rosewoodgrill.com/" target="_blank">Rosewood Grill</a> several years ago. I also knew that they were serving upscale cuisine and that initial wait times for a table were crazy long. So I kept putting it off and off until I finally forgot about it. That is, until two friends and fellow photographers told me that they had gone for a meal to celebrate their anniversary and loved it.<br />
<br />
Seizing the opportunity, I stopped out for two meals, after work, both weeknights. Fortunately, weeknights seem to be the time to go in order to assure a table with minimum wait. After being seated, handed the <a href="http://www.rosewoodgrill.com/userfiles/files/Rosewood-Grill-Dinner-menu.pdf" target="_blank">menu</a>, and told about the specials, I only had to deliberate for a short time before the server came back to my table to take my order and deliver the standard Bread Service: <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5446/9264787087_3a9093edda_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5446/9264787087_3a9093edda_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bread Service</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The butter was cold and firm, but the hot, salted bread more than made up for it. The cold nuggets of dairy that I dug out of the ramekin with my knife melted easily into the bread and I was rewarded with a delicious starter to my meal.<br />
<br />
Hearing that one of the specials for the night was a Salad Caprese, I knew that a simple salad like this could easily be terrific or terrible. Shortly after the bread arrived at the table, my salad was delivered:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3698/9264785853_7d09b2ac98_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3698/9264785853_7d09b2ac98_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Salad Caprese</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I've had many a salad caprese in my days and this one was right up there with the best of them. Really, it is a salad that is only as good as its ingredients. The mozzarella was tender and soft, the tomatoes were perfectly sweet and acidic, the fresh basil added a great herbaceous quality to the dish, and the balsamic vinaigrette tied all of the flavors together to bring home a true taste of summer.<br />
<br />
While there were lots of interesting choices on the dinner menu, for some reason the Lobster Ziti was speaking to me tonight:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3832/9264784879_ee7c0a339e_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3832/9264784879_ee7c0a339e_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lobster Ziti</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The ziti was cooked perfectly <i>al dente</i> and the sauce nicely coated the pasta. I would've liked a bit more lobster meat, but generally this was a pleasing and filling dish. The spinach was a nice touch in terms of color, texture, and flavor. The mushrooms and grated cheese added a bit of earthiness and body to the pasta. Overall, a very good dish.<br />
<br />
I decided to entertain the notion of dessert and thus took a look at the four item menu. When my server handed me the menu, as I quite often do, I asked her which desserts were made in-house. She declared that only the first two, the creme brulee and the chocolate "moose" were done on premises. Seeing as the creme brulee was straight up vanilla (and by vanilla, I mean both in flavor and excitement level), I ended up choosing the Chocolate "Moose" along with a cup of decaffeinated coffee:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7288/9267558888_94814f6490_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7288/9267558888_94814f6490_o.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chocolate "Moose"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The Chocolate "Moose" was a parfait-like concoction of chocolate mousse and crushed oreo cookies with moose antler cookies sticking out of the top. While definitely a tasty dessert, there were a couple of items with which I took issue. First, this seemed like an awfully simple dessert for a restaurant of Rosewood Grill's caliber. It felt like a dessert a non-pastry person would have come up with. Second, and the more important of the two items, was that the mousse itself had been overwhipped slightly and the result was a slightly grainy texture. Sort of like little nuggets of butter had formed throughout the mousse.<br />
<br />
For my second visit, I decided to skip the bread service and go with one of the on-menu salads, the Berry and Bibb Salad:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7406/9298770954_a08dfffcdc_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7406/9298770954_a08dfffcdc_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Berry and Bibb Salad</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I love the theory of this salad. Combining Bibb lettuce with strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries, crumbled goat cheese, toasted almonds and dressing the whole thing in a citrus vinaigrette sounded delicious in my head. However, the execution was a bit off as most of the Bibb lettuce wasn't coated with any of the vinaigrette. This undressed lettuce had a serious bitterness that the sweetness from the vinaigrette would've gone a long way at alleviating. That being said, were this salad more properly tossed, I think it would've been a hit. I did enjoy that the toasted almonds added a lovely little crunch to each bite.<br />
<br />
After hearing about one of the nightly entree specials, I found myself waiting with anticipation. Fortunately, I didn't have to wait long as the Pan-Seared Salmon with Asparagus and Red Lentil Hash arrived shortly after my salad plate was cleared:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pan-seared Salmon</td></tr>
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The preparation of the salmon was executed with immaculate textbook-like precision, seasoned perfectly and pan-seared with a crisp exterior and a melt-in-your-mouth medium rare interior. The skinny asparagus and the accompanying <i>buerre blanc</i> added a further lusciousness to the dish. The red lentil hash was a nice idea on paper, but it felt a bit too overworked in the ingredient department. It definitely didn't need the added pop of color from the spinach. The rather large onions (compared to the small lentils) felt out of place. Perhaps had all of the ingredients been cut to the same size and the resulting mixture been pressed into a ring mold, this might have worked better for me.<br />
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Dessert during my second visit to Rosewood took an unexpected turn. After handing me the dessert menu, I asked my server which of the desserts were made in-house, the very same question I asked the other server I had during my first visit. Expecting him to point out just the creme brulee and the chocolate "moose", I was a bit surprised when he claimed that all of the desserts (with the exception of the <a href="http://mitchellshomemade.com/" target="_blank">Mitchell's ice cream</a>) was made in-house. When I told him what my previous server said, he claimed that she was misinformed. In fact, he had personally witnessed one of the items previously considered out-of-house being made on premises.<br />
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With that new nugget of knowledge, I decided to continue with my chocolate dessert theme and ordered the Chocoholic:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chocoholic</td></tr>
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The menu didn't lie. For $6, I received an enormous portion that could've easily fed two people. Positioned between thick creamy layers of dark chocolate ganache were a brownie with nuts layer and a chocolate cake layer. Additional chocolate sauce was drizzled over the top and the plate was dressed with slightly sweetened whipped cream and macerated cherries.<br />
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I had decided to forego the usual cup of unsweetened decaffeinated coffee that I often use to cut the sweetness of desserts. My server had asked me if I wanted a cup of Mitchell's vanilla ice cream to accompany my dessert and I said, "No," thinking that I really didn't need the additional sweetness. That was a mistake on my part because you need something, ANYTHING, to help cut through the incredible chocolate flavor avalanche you are about to embark upon. I actually liked the Chocoholic quite a bit, other than there was just too damn much of it. Fortunately, this wasn't my server's first rodeo and he graciously brought me a complimentary scoop of vanilla ice cream anyway. As odd as it sounds, the vanilla flavor was a welcome relief every now and again to the intense chocolateness of the dessert.<br />
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Like my previous visit, the check before tip and tax was roughly $40-$45. Despite the various quibbling over under dressed salads and dessert provenances, I rather enjoyed both of my meals at Rosewood Grill. The service was pleasant and (mostly) well-informed both nights I went and I was able to get a table within about ten minutes of arriving. I would strongly recommend calling for reservations if you are planning a visit on a weekend.<br />
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Rosewood Grill is definitely recommended.<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/16/1503857/restaurant/Cleveland/Rosewood-Grill-Hudson"><img alt="Rosewood Grill on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1503857/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a>Tinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230553378930796656noreply@blogger.com8Hudson, OH, USA41.240056 -81.44066699999996241.1445355 -81.60202849999996 41.3355765 -81.279305499999964tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762518953396643054.post-32179694774965184582013-07-10T16:00:00.000-04:002013-07-10T16:00:01.867-04:00Goldilocks RebootedCome, gentle readers, gather 'round. It's story time and I have one that will be right up your alley. Er, or maybe not.<br />
<br />
As a result of my multiple trips up to dine at <a href="http://exploringfoodmyway.blogspot.com/2013/06/around-world-and-back-again.html" target="_blank">Cork & Cleaver Social Kitchen</a> and gather intel for my review on them, I noticed a restaurant called Clearview Inn on the corner of Cleveland-Massillon and Everett Roads. Should you go to the almighty Google to locate them on Google Maps, DO NOT believe the results. Google Maps puts the restaurant about a half a mile further south on Cleveland-Massillon Road than they actually are.<br />
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Having driven past the restaurant enough times, it finally piqued my curiosity enough to actually look them up online. Interestingly, while they do have a perfectly <a href="http://www.theclearviewinn.com/index.html" target="_blank">fine and functioning website</a>, when it comes time to take a gander at their menus online, while there is a landing page for both the lunch and the dinner menu, links and/or PDF files are suitably missing. Sadly, no amount of digging around the Internet would yield anything other than the fact that the Clearview Inn specializes in steaks, chops, and seafood. I decided to remedy the situation with a visit.<br />
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My first visit was on a Thursday night, around 6:30, on a night when there wasn't any entertainment (which according to my server is a big thing at Clearview Inn). When I walked in, I discovered more of a bar-like atmosphere than a restaurant, although there were plenty of empty linen-covered tables. The woman tending the bar told me I could sit wherever I'd like. A glass of water and a menu followed shortly thereafter.<br />
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Here was the Dinner Menu:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dinner Menu</td></tr>
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Based on how much the print had faded on my menu, I'm guessing the menu didn't change very often. I also noticed that most of the steaks, chops, and seafood were in the $20-$30 price range, a touch on the pricey side for the Akron area. However, with <a href="http://exploringfoodmyway.blogspot.com/2010/07/outrageous-meal-at-ken-stewarts-lodge.html" target="_blank">Ken Stewart's</a> <a href="http://exploringfoodmyway.blogspot.com/2010/04/unusual-suspect-at-tre-belle.html" target="_blank">two joints</a> just down the road, the Clearview Inn seemed in-line to compete with them. On the last page was a section called, "On The Lighter Side". Reading the items in this section (Southern Fried Chicken?), it occurred to me that "lighter" must refer to the price points rather than the calorie counts.<br />
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While I wasn't quite in the mood for a steak, the scallops sounded like a lovely choice. After placing my order, standard bread service arrived a few minutes later:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dinner Roll and Butter</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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The roll was fresh and warm and the butter soft. What can I say? It was a good roll.<br />
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In addition to my entree, I decided to start my meal out with a cup of the Shrimp and Corn Chowder:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shrimp and Corn Chowder</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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While the soup was hot and had a nice flavor, the two items that I noticed right away were the thinness of the soup (almost a broth) and the lack of actual shrimp in the soup. While I wasn't expecting whole pieces of shrimp to be floating in the soup, by the time I reached the bottom of the bowl the only shrimp I found was a few links of the tail-side end of the shrimp ... sans shrimp! I don't doubt that shrimp and shrimp shells were used to flavor the soup, but it'd be nice to see a bit of the actual shellfish given its use in the description.<br />
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My entree came with a rather standard garden salad. I asked for mine with the homemade White French Dressing on the side:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Garden Salad with White French Dressing</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Containing an assortment of iceberg lettuce, grape tomatoes, cucumber slices, and red onion, there was nothing particularly special about this salad. The white french dressing added some necessary zip, flavor and seasoning. Sometimes you eat something because it tastes good; sometimes you eat something because it is (or at least you think it is) good for you. This salad falls into the latter category.<br />
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My entree, the Seared Sea Scallops with Asparagus, showed up just as I was finished my salad:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sea Scallops</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Let me break down the plate for you a bit, gentle reader. In addition to what appeared to be half a pound of asparagus, there were five scallops of various sizes arranged around the plate. Some were seared nicely to a golden brown and others, a tad more blonde. A sherry butter sauce lined the plate and a dusting of chopped parsley added a bit of color to the whiteness of the backdrop. At a $27 price point for the scallops, I expected quite a bit more in terms of uniformity of scallops, the inclusion of a starch of some kind, and honestly, just better plating. I'm not sure who decided that a half-pound of asparagus was a wise portion size for the average diner, but I would've preferred half the asparagus and the inclusion of some rice pilauf or maybe some mashed or roasted potatoes.<br />
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Regardless of the presentation, what really counted was how well the food was prepared and how it tasted. Sadly, like Goldilocks and the Three Bears, because the sizes of the scallops were all over the place, the smaller ones were overcooked and rubbery, the middle one was nearly perfect and the larger ones were undercooked and raw in the middle. The sherry butter sauce was tasty, if a bit on the thin side. I only managed to eat half of the asparagus, although it was tender and had good flavor. Overall, I'd say the dish was average, which is not what I expected for $27.<br />
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I decided to return for my second meal on the following Friday, this time for lunch. In addition to the dinner menu, a standard lunch menu was also available:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lunch Menu</td></tr>
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Having already experienced the dinner menu, I decided to focus on items from the lunch menu, starting with a cup of the Mushroom Bisque:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mushroom Bisque</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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As opposed to the shrimp and corn chowder I had experienced during my previous visit, the mushroom bisque was thick, hearty, and full of not only great mushroom flavor, but also mushroom pieces themselves. A bowl of this and a nice salad and you'd have yourself a very filling lunch. Fortunately, the cup provided a lovely taste while still leaving room for more food.<br />
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For my lunch proper, after scanning the menu quite thoroughly, I opted for the Buffalo and Bird Burger:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buffalo and Bird Burger</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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I am a big proponent of ordering straight off the menu when evaluating food for the blog. Sometimes the chef just knows better and I don't want to go mucking around with a recipe that was designed to be a specific way. However, when I saw that the egg was cooked over-medium, I asked instead if they would cook it sunny side up. I mean, isn't the runny yolk part of the appeal of putting a fried egg on a burger? Fortunately, my server said that it wouldn't be a problem.<br />
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When my burger finally arrived at the table, I used a steak knife to cut the burger in half to examine the middle. Knowing that buffalo meat could be fairly lean, I had ordered the burger cooked medium. Sadly, while the burger had been cooked closer to well done, at least it wasn't dried out. I also noticed that the burger meat was adulterated with bits of red pepper and onions strewn throughout the patty, presumably to add flavor and help keep the meat juicy. I was eating more of a meatloaf-esque buffalo burger than a straight up 100% ground buffalo patty.<br />
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As for the taste, it was a decent enough burger. The seasoning was right and the bun was toasted and substantial. It wasn't the best burger I've ever had, but it was far from being the worst. The menu indicates that the burger comes with lettuce, tomato, and onion, but my plate came devoid of any vegetation for the burger. I chose a side of the homemade potato salad which basically consisted of potatoes, celery, scallions, mayonnaise-based dressing and seasoning. It was potato salad, yes, but it was rather plain, to be honest.<br />
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Lunch was obviously far more economical than my previous dinner, coming it at around $15 plus the tip. I realized fairly early on in my experience with the Clearview Inn that this is the kind of dining establishment that would've appealed to my late grandfather. When he went out for dinner, he expected the steak to arrive on one plate with a sprig of parsley and the potato to come on a separate plate. Plate presentation was of little importance to him. That he could have ordered a Black Velvet manhattan and probably gotten one at this establishment says more about a previous generation of restaurant goers.<br />
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In the end, I was only moderately impressed with the food. However, the service when I went both times was responsive and pleasant. To be fair, I didn't go during a day when they had entertainment; your mileage may vary if you go then. For value, I'd recommend lunch over dinner and quite frankly, dinner only gets an average passing grade for the quality and execution of the food. If I had $27 to blow on scallops, I can think of several other restaurants who would get that business instead.<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/16/201064/restaurant/Cleveland/South-of-the-City/Clearview-Steak-Chop-House-Akron"><img alt="Clearview Steak & Chop House on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/201064/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a>
Tinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230553378930796656noreply@blogger.com0Bath, OH 44333, USA41.1889439 -81.6362341999999940.997448899999995 -81.958957699999985 41.3804389 -81.3135107tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762518953396643054.post-20913204440896232412013-07-03T20:00:00.000-04:002013-07-03T21:00:28.829-04:00Serving Up Tasty Double Entendre From A TrükAs a restaurant critic, I try not to get too attached to either people or places. I am not always successful and that can put me in a bind when it comes to my subjective objectivity. I'll find myself either defending an opinion I wrote and published about a restaurant visit or realizing that in order to be fair to my readers, I must say something negative about someone's work whom I hold as a friend.<br />
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Enter Jeff Winer. When I first met Jeff, he had just opened up a small deli/cafe in Montrose called <a href="http://exploringfoodmyway.blogspot.com/2010/09/market-gourmet-at-montrose.html" target="_blank">The Market Gourmet</a>. Serving soups, salads, and sandwiches, what set Jeff's cuisine apart from nearly every other place in the area wasn't that it was fancy or expensive. The difference that set Jeff's food apart was how wonderfully fresh everything tasted. He roasted his own beef and turkey and you could absolutely taste it in every sandwich. Dressings and sauces were also homemade. Most importantly, Jeff had a great palate and knew how to combine flavors to get the best out of everything. I probably ate there three times a week. And I was in culinary bliss.<br />
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And then, with only a week's notice, Jeff gave me the unfortunate news that he and his landlord were at an impasse regarding his lease and that he would be closing down the store. I was devastated. Given the plethora of food options in Montrose and Fairlawn, it seems ironic that I would <i>kvetch</i> over this one tiny shop, but the notion of no longer having access to this kind of freshly prepared food just bummed me out.<br />
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Fast forward several years later and Jeff is now back, this time with partner Steve Sabo, to serve food to the public in a somewhat less orthodox vessel, a food truck. Specifically, The Orange Trük. No, gentle reader, that wasn't a misspelling; it actually is 'Truk' with the little dots above the 'u'. When I inquired about the reason for the misspelling, Jeff simply laughed and said, "You won't forget the name, will you?" Fair enough.<br />
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As opposed to some of the <a href="http://exploringfoodmyway.blogspot.com/2010/06/extra-helpings-dim-and-den-sum.html" target="_blank">other food trucks</a> <a href="http://exploringfoodmyway.blogspot.com/2010/01/extra-helpings-taco-happiness-at.html" target="_blank">I've written about</a>, The Orange Trük is actually Akron-based as both Steve and Jeff are from the Akron area. As such, they have been pushing hard to help reform <a href="http://www.ohio.com/news/break-news/akron-council-to-study-whether-food-trucks-should-be-allowed-1.408471" target="_blank">Akron's rather ancient law</a> prohibiting anything larger than hot dog carts to sell food on public property. Currently, the truck has to park on property where they have been given permission to do so or drive up to Cleveland (which has more fully embraced the food truck concept).<br />
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The first time I saw the truck was in Fairlawn at Merchant's Square:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Orange Trük</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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One of the wonderful partnerships that has grown between mobile and brick and mortal businesses is the one between The Orange Trük and <a href="http://www.regencywinesellers.com/" target="_blank">Regency Wine Store</a> located on the corner at Merchant's Square. After buying food from the truck, if you take it inside the store and purchase a lovely frosty beverage, they will be more than happy to let you sit down and eat your food. This has also been very helpful for me in my picture taking as I don't have to battle the elements while trying to balance food and beverage on my knees.<br />
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While the menu has changed over their first six months of existence, there have been some standouts and consistent dishes which I will share with you now. On the menu for quite some time was the Lobster and Shrimp Macaroni and Cheese:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lobster and Shrimp Mac and Cheese</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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This dish just goes to prove that pairing cheese with seafood isn't a terrible idea, but a wonderful one! I've probably had this dish at least three or four times and every time I do, they've refined it even more. A four cheese blend coats lovely pieces of sweet seafood and was generously coated with toasted breadcrumbs. A splash of color from chopped parsley and, <i>Et Voila!</i>, you get the dish pictured above. Sadly, pastas have been dropped from the menu during the summer months as most people find the dish to be too heavy.<br />
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Another pasta that came and went, but is worth mentioning was the Penne with Three Meat Ragu:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Penne with Three Meat Ragu</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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This was another home run for The Orange Trük. The penne was cooked perfectly (i.e., not mushy), the pasta was drained properly and tossed with just enough of the pork, veal, and beef ragu to coat the pasta without drowning it. The shaved cheese on top offered a nice sharp, salty contrast to the creaminess of the sauce.<br />
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About the same time the guys pulled pastas from the menu, they started adding tacos. Specifically soft flour tacos filled with various tasty ingredients. On one visit, I decided on a pair of Mahi Mahi fish tacos with cilantro, queso fresco, Trük sauce, and a bit of homemade cole slaw:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8248/8606812829_672423e9e8_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8248/8606812829_672423e9e8_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Adorned with a squeeze of fresh lime, it felt like I was sitting on a beach in California enjoying the bright, crisp flavors of the sea. Before moving on, I should explain that once Jeff and Steve latched onto the word "Trük", they began using it any place they could. Thus, "Trük Sauce" was a red pepper and mayonnaise-based sauce that was fairly mild. They also have a "Bistro Sauce" which is a touch spicier, "HMT - Holy Mother Trükker" which has a nice kick and slow burn to it and if you are really in the mood for something spicy, get the "WTF - What The Fuck" which has some of the hottest chile peppers in the world in it. HMT is about as hot as I go.<br />
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On a separate visit, I went for another kind of taco, the Tequila Lime Chicken Taco:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8137/8920062434_c2525e2286_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8137/8920062434_c2525e2286_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tequila Lime Chicken Taco</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Topped with a mango <i>pico de gallo</i> and a homemade cole slaw, the pulled chicken was moist and juicy and the sweetness of the pico contrasted so nicely with the savoriness of the chicken. If you are worried about the tequila element of the dish, don't be. It was very subtle and greatly overpowered by the other elements in this delicious dish.<br />
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In addition to tacos being popular current menu items, sandwiches typically comprise the other fifty percent of the menu. Whereas Steve brings a lot of the Italian influence from his background, Jeff brings much of his sandwich-making skills when it comes to the building of a successful sandwich. Sadly, too many sandwich shops just don't understand that the basis of a great sandwich starts with great bread. Sourced from multiple bakeries, the one thing I have complimented The Orange Trük on again and again is their bread. The buns were always fresh, sturdy, chewy, and could stand up to very wet ingredients without sogging out and falling apart. Case in point? The Pulled Pork Sandwich with Homemade Cole Slaw:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3727/9146160293_5a4b2d59c7_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3727/9146160293_5a4b2d59c7_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pulled Pork Sandwich</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Topped with their homemade (are you starting to see a theme here?) BBQ sauce, this monster of a sandwich required at least three napkins and a fourth just to wipe off after hosing down. A single bite gave me creamy, crunchy, sweet, smoky, savory, and sour. Make sure to grab a fork when picking up your food ... you'll need it to eat all the filling that falls out while consuming the rest of the sandwich. Pictured above and below are the Trük Pickles. These were quick-curing cucumber pickles that Jeff and Steve invented early on that add a really wonderful brightness to heavy meat dishes. I usually chose to eat my pickle chip on the side as the sandwiches were already hard enough to get my big mouth around.<br />
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Another popular sandwich was the Buttermilk Fried Chicken Sandwich:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3713/8920060150_a9c270a034_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3713/8920060150_a9c270a034_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buttermilk Fried Chicken Sandwich</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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This sandwich was topped with HMT Sauce, homemade cole slaw, and another one of the fabulous Truk pickles. It was one of the better fried chicken sandwiches I've had in a long time. The chicken was pleasantly juicy and flavorful, the fried coating wasn't greasy and didn't flake off, and the acidity from the cole slaw helped to balance out the fattiness of the chicken. More often than not, every time I have one of The Orange Trük's newest concoctions, I am always pleasantly surprised at how many of my gastronomic pleasure points all seem to be pushed at the same time.<br />
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Another chicken variation that has proven to be popular both with diners was the Chicken Piquante Sandwich:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8089/8580706921_f36d192ae3_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8089/8580706921_f36d192ae3_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chicken Piquante Sandwich</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Instead of being a fried chicken sandwich, the chicken was instead freshly ground, seasoned, formed into a patty and then cooked like a hamburger on the flat top. While it is topped similarly to the fried chicken sandwich in the last picture, because of the way it is seasoned and cooked, it had a wholly different, but still delicious flavor to it.<br />
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Burgers have similarly gone through various phases. Always made with ground Angus beef, the burgers started out their life as a nod to the Jucy Lucy/Juicy Lucey popular in the Minneapolis and St. Paul region of the country, with the cheddar cheese stuffed inside the patty. Over time, the cheese migrated from the inside to the outside until you got the following, the Big Trükken Burger:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8379/8669501823_ea53a15a55_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8379/8669501823_ea53a15a55_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big Trükken Burger</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I have to admit, I almost preferred the Jucy Lucy-style burger because they had to be cooked medium-rare to medium to keep them moist. Some of the post-Jucy Lucy burgers have been cooked a bit more on the medium-well side and although juicy, just feel more done than I would like. It should be stated that burgers are neither ordered nor cooked to a requested temperature. They come out as is. Regardless of where the cheese is located, good luck wrapping your mouth around this burger because it is big!<br />
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The last sandwich I would like to mention is the Scandanavian Shrimp Salad Sandwich:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3823/9148378582_5aee6ba364_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3823/9148378582_5aee6ba364_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scandinavian Shrimp Salad Sandwich</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Knowing that neither Steve nor Jeff had a Scandinavian background, I asked about the origin of the shrimp salad. Apparently, it was something that Steve's wife brought to the table ... well, at least her side of the family. Freshly cooked shrimp were lightly tossed in a mayonnaise-based dressing with fresh dill and celery and served with fresh greens on a toasted roll. Other than having carnage fall out of the bun with every bite, this was an unusual and satisfying sandwich on a hot day. This would be another example where having a fork to clean up the aftermath was a good thing.<br />
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So, at this point in the review, I have demonstrated that not only did Steve and Jeff purposely misspell the word "truck", but they decided to use that word in many of the menu items. Apparently, that wasn't enough. They've decided that they are Beavis and Butthead, too. Complete with all the "huh huh ... huh huh ..." and the use of body part names.<br />
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On the menu since the very beginning were the Arancini (as they were originally called) and at some point renamed to "Trük Balls":<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8500/8375043248_f5bdb06528_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8500/8375043248_f5bdb06528_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trük Balls / Arancini</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Generally speaking, <i>arancini</i> are fried risotto balls. Usually they are made from risotto that has been cooled, formed into a ball, floured and then deep fried until golden brown. This makes them crunchy on the outside and soft and creamy on the inside. Topped with Trük Sauce, The Orange Trük's version were quite delicious. Originally, Steve was going to rotate the ingredients in the risotto so that they'd be different every time. Eventually they settled on the multi-cheese blend that currently inhabit these fried balls of gooeyness.<br />
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Another of the fried sides that was on the menu for quite a while were the Onion Petals (aka "Trük Petals"):<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8249/8606816707_3cfc3d71ee_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8249/8606816707_3cfc3d71ee_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trük Petals / Onion Petals</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Anyone who has ever had a Bloomin' Onion from Outback Steakhouse should be familiar with the concept. These weren't bad, but I prefer a proper fried onion ring. You can top them with any of the Trük sauces or ketchup that was available on a small table next to the order/pick-up window of the truck. During this visit, mine was topped with HMT sauce.<br />
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The last side dish to discuss were the French Fries:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8541/8670600754_0c8b2cfe94_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8541/8670600754_0c8b2cfe94_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">French Fries</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The fries have gone from the skinny cut you see above to a more naturally cut fry that was meatier and less crispy. They've always been seasoned well and never greasy. Of course, you can leave your fries as is or top with one of several truck-made sauces or truck-provided condiments.<br />
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Moving on to the sweeter side of things, we start out with another item that has been on the menu from the beginning, in one form or another, the <i>Bomboloni</i> or as the boys have named them, "Trük Nuts."<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8252/8580708033_a8a49c64d5_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8252/8580708033_a8a49c64d5_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bomboloni / Trük Nuts</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I was unfamiliar with the word "bomboloni" and more familiar with "<i>zeppole</i>" to describe these small Italian donuts. I've looked up recipes for each and while there are similarities and differences, the terms apparently can be used somewhat interchangeably. What started out as basically fried dough tossed in cinnamon sugar has morphed over time into the rainbow jimmy, nut, and chocolate sauce-laden concoction pictured above. While I think the original version featured at The Orange Trük was probably a tad more authentic to the Italian tradition, I do have to admit that I do love me a sauce-covered Trük Nut now and again. Be careful as they are addictive.<br />
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While Trük Nuts have been on the menu for some time, an attempt to add more balls, this time sweet rather than savory, was made with the addition of the Sweet Apple Pie Balls:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7319/8920176038_c941e53933_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7319/8920176038_c941e53933_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweet Apple Pie Balls</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Essentially risotto made with apple pie filling and cinnamon, these were sweet without being overly so and a pretty tasty way to end a meal. I will warn you that because they are essentially two large rice balls, they are REALLY filling.<br />
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A second variation on the sweet ball concept was the Sweet Blue Balls (yes, yes, gentle reader, I'm shaking my head back in forth in my hand as I type the very phrase):<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5516/9146158101_120ef1b158_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5516/9146158101_120ef1b158_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweet Blue Balls</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Instead of apple pie filling in the risotto, this time around it was blueberries. Topped with blue crystal sugar and a white chocolate sauce, this wasn't quite the success that the Sweet Apple Pie Balls were. They were a bit too sweet and to be honest, a bit too "blue". Like, food coloring blue. I have no worries, however. I know that Steve and Jeff are always thinking of new ways to flavor their balls.<br />
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So what, pray tell, were the downsides to the food truck? Well, the biggest one was finding a place where you can sit and enjoy your meal. Fortunately, many of the places where The Orange Trük sold food also had picnic tables nearby. As I mentioned earlier, if you caught them while they were at Merchant's Square, for the price of a frosty beverage, Regency Wine Store would allow you to either eat inside or on their patio. The other downside to a food truck was that when they were slammed with orders, it took a bit of time for your food to be ready. The lack of space inside the truck limited how many people could work the line at any given time. In general, expect to spend about $10-$15 to get a full meal: sandwich, side, and a drink. It wasn't as inexpensive as fast food, but it was FAR more tasty.<br />
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Many people still might have an antiquated view of what a modern food truck represents. I highly recommend you set those reservations aside, check The Orange Trük's menu and location on their <a href="http://www.facebook.com/TheOrangeTruk" target="_blank">Facebook</a> or <a href="http://twitter.com/theorangetruk" target="_blank">Twitter</a> page, and discover some of the best and creative eats in Akron.<br />
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<i>[Ed. note: If you are in the Norton area on Friday, July 5, 2013 from 4 pm until 8 pm, The Orange Tr</i><i>ük along with six other food trucks will be gathered together at 4070 Columbia Woods. This is the second time the food trucks have participated in an Akron-based round up and promises to be a fun time with food for everyone's taste.]</i>Tinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230553378930796656noreply@blogger.com0Akron, OH, USA41.0814447 -81.519005340.889949699999995 -81.8417288 41.2729397 -81.196281800000008tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762518953396643054.post-77784282687051783952013-06-26T20:15:00.000-04:002013-06-26T20:15:40.934-04:00Dining On The Mezzanine<i>[Full disclosure: In 2007, I apprenticed (and got paid) at Mustard Seed Market in Solon in the baking department for two months. I also gave away several gift cards provided by Mustard Seed Market in my blog post about the grocery part of the Montrose store back in May 2012.]</i><br />
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I find it both odd and interesting that having lived and worked in and around Akron for much of my life that I really haven't spent all that much time trying out the cafe portion of <a href="http://www.mustardseedmarket.com/" target="_blank">Mustard Seed Market</a>. With their recent acquisition (and subsequent departure) of one Mr. Lanny Chin, I decided that perhaps now was as good a time as any to investigate further. As when any new chef starts, he or she invariably takes control of his predecessor's menu and has to execute it until it can be replaced with something new. This was the role that Lanny played.<br />
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Fortunately for me, Mustard Seed Market prominently features not only their cafe and its mission but also the <a href="http://www.mustardseedmarket.com/cafe/lunch-menu/" target="_blank">menu online</a> for all to see. Given the variety of healthy choices (gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, etc.), it was also nice to see that they offered something as hearty as a burger (grass-fed beef, bison, or veggie). Before each of my visits, I was able to study the menu in such a way that would allow me to try maximum tastes for minimum cash outlay.<br />
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First on the discussion block are soups. The Tomato Bisque was a member of the regular menu:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8407/8697738011_c69086bd1f_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8407/8697738011_c69086bd1f_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tomato Bisque</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Although I thought that the soup was a bit chunky to be called a bisque, the flavor of the tomatoes was pretty profound. The acidity of the tomato matched well with the cashew cream used to give the soup its body. While perfectly tasty on its own, don't make the mistake that I did and pair the soup with something equally acidic, like the whole wheat gemelli with marinara sauce.<br />
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While the other soup always on the menu is the Miso Soup, always be sure to check the daily specials. On a different visit, the Chicken Florentine Soup struck my fancy:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3715/9050019103_c1bb89b3d6_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3715/9050019103_c1bb89b3d6_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chicken Florentine Soup</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Rich and velvety, this was a hearty soup that satisfied. There was ample chicken and spinach in the liquid and the soup itself was the perfect consistency. The only real complaint I had about the soup was that since the chicken had been shredded, I pulled many a spoonful of soup out of the bowl where chicken was hanging over the edge of the spoon, mercilessly taunting the shirt I was wearing. Needless to say, the perilous trip from cup to mouth was fraught with danger.<br />
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While the soups were delicious and relatively worry free, both of my salads had me perk up and say, "Hmmm." One of the niceties of the cafe's current menu was that many of the salads were available in both half and full portion sizes. All the salads pictured here were of the half-portion size variety. First was the Avocado Salad:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7452/8723899961_cf3f89709a_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7452/8723899961_cf3f89709a_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Avocado Salad</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The avocado was rich and buttery and the acidity of the dressing on the greens balanced the richness of the fruit. The bisected cherry tomatoes were a nice touch, but sadly, my salad came from the kitchen missing the fresh raspberries the menu promised. Unfortunately, I didn't realize that until after I had eaten most of the salad, so there was no sending it back to the kitchen. Regardless, it was still a tasty salad sans raspberries.<br />
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The more dubious of my salad experiences was when I ordered the Spring Panzanella Salad during a different visit:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3743/8778080502_95fb6ee205_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3743/8778080502_95fb6ee205_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spring Panzanella Salad</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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With fresh peas, asparagus, and more bisected cherry tomatoes, this was a perfectly serviceable salad. Except no one bothered to tell the chef who made the previous menu that what he actually created was a garden salad with croutons, not a panzanella salad. Traditionally, a panzanella salad is made by taking day old cubed bread and tossing it with cut up tomatoes. As the mixture is tossed, the juice from the tomatoes softens the bread. Other ingredients can be added, of course, but clearly what I had been served was not panzanella.<br />
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Here was the conversation that ensued when I released the picture on Twitter with a comment:<br />
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<b>Tom Noe @tnoe27 21 May</b><br />
Listed on the menu as a Spring Panzanella Salad at @MustardSeedMrkt, Bzzzt, wrong! It WAS a tasty salad w/ croutons. http://flic.kr/p/enFXvy <br />
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<b>Mustard Seed Market @MustardSeedMrkt 24 May</b><br />
@tnoe27 We apologize for mixing it up and giving you the wrong salad. Mistakes do happen but not often in our Cafe. We hope to see you soon.<br />
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<b>Tom Noe @tnoe27 24 May</b><br />
@MustardSeedMrkt So, based on the picture I posted, I am curious as to what salad you sent me instead of the Spring Panzanella Salad?<br />
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<b>Mustard Seed Market @MustardSeedMrkt 24 May</b><br />
@tnoe27 Looks like a garden salad with croutons but let me check and get back to you. -Gabe<br />
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<b>Mustard Seed Market @MustardSeedMrkt 24 May</b><br />
@tnoe27 It is our Panzanella salad but not a traditional Panzanella salad. I hope you enjoyed it and come back to see us again soon.<br />
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So, the basic point I am trying to make is that if you expecting a more traditional panzanella salad, I'd avoid the one at Mustard Seed Market. If you are looking for a tasty garden salads with croutons, this one's a keeper.<br />
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Now that we've covered soups and salads, we move forward to sandwiches and entrees. On my initial visit to the cafe, I decided to go with a plate of Whole Wheat Gemelli and Turkey Meatballs:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whole Wheat Gemelli</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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The picture doesn't really do the platter of pasta justice. At only $8 on the menu, I EASILY received enough food for two meals (or two people). Honestly, they could've given me half the pasta, kept the two meatballs and only charged $6 for it. I had no problem with the texture of the cooked pasta, but as you can see in the lower bottom right corner of the plate, the kitchen hadn't drained the pasta completely before saucing it. The meatballs were tasty, but a touch on the dry side. Overall, this dish scored an average rating.<br />
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At Lanny's suggestion, I gave the Bison Burger a try on my second visit:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bison Burger</td></tr>
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The cafe has sort of a "build your own" burger philosophy. You pick the protein, the cheese (or soy-based alternative), the toppings, and the side and the kitchen will send you out exactly what you ordered. In this case, I went with grilled onions and a side of the house made cole slaw. I knew that bison was a lean meat, so I ordered my burger medium rare. And that was exactly how it came out of the kitchen. The burger was marvelous: juicy, seasoned properly, and cooked perfectly. While the house made whole wheat bun held up well against all the juices coming out of the patty, it was also just a touch stale. The cole slaw was a creamy salad, unusual in that it had large planks of colored bell peppers in it.<br />
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The first time I ordered chicken was as the Pan-Seared Chicken Breast:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pan-seared Chicken Breast</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Fanned over a savory fennel and tomato farro and adorned with a herb <i>pistou</i>, everything on this plate tasted fantastic. The chicken, sadly, was a touch overcooked and dry. The pistou helped in that regard, but too much pistou and it tasted like I was eating an herb garden. The whole cherry tomatoes were hot and when I bit into one, the hot cherry juice exploded into my mouth. <br />
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My second experience with chicken fixed one problem, but introduced others. Here was the cafe's take on Pasta Carbonara:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bucatini Pasta Carbonara with Chicken</td></tr>
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This time around, the chicken was seasoned and cooked beautifully. The chicken was actually an add-on to the base dish of bucatini pasta carbonara (which was vegan). Many of the dishes offered at Mustard Seed Market operated in this fashion. Start with a base and add whatever "topping" you'd like, for an additional fee. The problem with this dish, and I think it is pretty clear in the picture above, was that the pasta carbonara portion of the dish was just too much: too many ingredients and too much sauce. A traditional carbonara is made with pancetta, which is smoked. I wondered how that particular flavor profile would be recreated. It turned out that the mushrooms were lightly smoked and really infused a remarkably similar flavor to this vegan dish. While in the end this was a tasty dish, it just tried to be too many things to too many people.<br />
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Of all the entrees I tried during my visits to the Mustard Seed Market cafe, none were so perfect as the Black Pearl Grilled Salmon:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black Pearl Grilled Salmon</td></tr>
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Served exactly medium rare over a grapefruit quinoa salad that had been drizzled with a balsamic gastrique, this was heaven on a plate. The fish was eminently juicy and perfectly seasoned, the quinoa had amazing depth and was slightly chewy while still being cooked and the grapefruit supremes embedded in the quinoa matched the sweetness from the gastrique very well. Honestly, the grilled baby bok choy was cute and added a contrasting color, but was wholly unnecessary.<br />
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The final sandwich I tried during my visits was the good old Turkey Reuben:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turkey Reuben Sandwich</td></tr>
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Served with Kettle potato chips, a pickle spear, and a side of "1000 Island" dressing, this was a decent interpretation of the real thing. Actually, on the sandwich itself, the rye bread could've been a bit more toasted and the sauerkraut could've been a bit more tangy, but the quality of the turkey was quite lovely and the sandwich more or less worked. What didn't work so well was the vegan 1000 Island dressing. It was a bit on the thin side and just didn't pair as well with the sandwich as the real deal. The potato chips were salty and crunchy and tasted like, well, potato chips.<br />
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Lest you think the cafe doesn't have anything for your sweet tooth, I took a taste of two of their desserts. On my first visit, I tried the Warm Chocolate Chip Sundae:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Warm Chocolate Chip Sundae</td></tr>
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The dish consisted of a scoop of vanilla ice cream that had two warm chocolate chip cookies pressed up against it, topped with whipped cream, sliced strawberries strewn among the plate and drizzled heavily with chocolate sauce. I'm not going to lie; this was good. But it was good in the way you'd expect a quality vanilla ice cream to taste. And homemade chocolate chip cookies to taste. In other words, the individual components were tasty, but put together, it wasn't really breaking any culinary ground.<br />
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The Knock Out Cake, however,<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Knock Out Cake</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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elicited several moans of culinary ecstasy. With the cake layers and the mousse layers and the fresh raspberries and the generous chocolate ganache coating, it was all I could do to restrain myself from licking the plate clean. My server didn't indicate whether or not this cake was vegan. If it was, my hat is off to the baker who came up with this recipe. Even if this was a traditional cake, my hat still goes off. If you are in the mood for something sweet at the end of your meal, this is definitely the route to go.<br />
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I should also say a little bit about service. During all of my visits except one, service was prompt and efficient. The kitchen definitely wasn't cranking out dishes quickly, so I wouldn't advise the cafe for lunch if you have less than forty-five minutes available. The one service issue was the day when I ordered the Chicken Florentine Soup and the Black Pearl Grilled Salmon. After what seemed to be an enormously long time to get my soup, thirty seconds or so after receiving my soup, my server returned to my table to deliver the salmon. As he was setting the plate on the table, I was finishing my first spoonful of soup. He helpfully offered to put the salmon under a warming lamp, but realizing that would kill the dish, I moved the soup aside (I had tasted it after all) and accepted the salmon. I'm glad I did.<br />
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Overall, I think the cafe did a pretty good job. While there were a few nitpicks with the food here and there, (just like most restaurants), there were dishes that could've been improved upon (or simply renamed) and others that were utterly perfect just as they came out of the kitchen. While Lanny Chin has moved on, I'll be curious to see which executive chef they bring in next and the changes (or not) that get implemented. I recommend that you give Mustard Seed Market Cafe a chance the next time you are in Montrose and looking for a restaurant that can serve up food to folks with dietary restrictions and for folks who are just looking for something tasty.<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/16/203263/restaurant/Cleveland/Fairlawn/Mustard-Seed-Market-and-Cafe-Akron"><img alt="Mustard Seed Market and Cafe on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/203263/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a>Tinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230553378930796656noreply@blogger.com0Montrose, Fairlawn, OH 44333, USA41.1356106 -81.63734569999996915.6135761 -122.94593969999997 66.6576451 -40.32875169999997tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762518953396643054.post-74326039141660115892013-06-20T20:00:00.000-04:002013-06-20T21:15:53.375-04:00Around The World And Back AgainThe first time I met Brian Okin was at the very <a href="http://exploringfoodmyway.blogspot.com/2010/11/culinary-illuminati-at-dinner-in-dark.html" target="_blank">first Dinner In The Dark</a> several years ago. It was actually hosted at his restaurant, Verve, in downtown Cleveland. I had never been to Verve before, but was impressed by the space as well as the dinner. Sadly, that first charity dinner was the swan's song for Verve and within a month or so, the restaurant had shuttered its doors.<br />
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Since then, Brian has gone on to work at both <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tom_j_noe/sets/72157628660055675/" target="_blank">Fountain</a> and then <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tom_j_noe/sets/72157630590751886/" target="_blank">Luxe Kitchen</a>, both of which benefited from his wonderful palate and attention to detail, but sadly, were owned and run by other people and in the end, things just didn't work out.<br />
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So when I heard that Brian would be partnering with Adam Bostwick (co-chef of the old Melange restaurant in La Place at Beachwood Mall) at a new restaurant in Broadview Heights called <a href="http://www.ccsocialkitchen.com/" target="_blank">Cork & Cleaver Social Kitchen</a>, I was definitely intrigued. In an ironic twist, the location for the new restaurant was in the exact same space that he left, Benvenuti, several years before to start Verve. Apparently, when it was Benvenuti, there were only about thirty-five seats in the small restaurant. After Brian left, the new owners of Benvenuti bought the space next to the restaurant, opened up a wall between the two and essentially doubled the capacity.<br />
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Cork & Cleaver resides in a small plaza on the west side of Broadview Road, just south of Wallings. Once inside the main door, you are greeted by the hostess stand with tables to your right and a walkthrough to the bar area on your left. My first (of many visits) to Cork & Cleaver was for opening night and I was so impressed that I went back the next night, too. Truth be told, I've pretty much eaten my way through the entire menu by now.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Menu</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
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Every meal starts out with a basket of bread and compound butter:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bread Service</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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The pumpernickel bread has always been fresh and the compound butter is a combination of butter, garlic, spinach, and Parmesan cheese. Served soft, this complemented the bread well.<br />
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Now that the bread service is out of the way, let's focus our attention on starters and salads. First up is the Caesar Salad:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caesar Salad</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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I never had the pleasure of dining on Chef Bostwick's food at Melange, but I am told that he has a playful side when it comes to interpreting the classics. The romaine hearts had been replaced with Mizuna and in place of the standard bread croutons were breaded and fried chicken "croutons." While the dish was clearly a bit unusual, it delivered in the flavor department. The dark meat chicken croutons reminded me of the chicken nuggets from my childhood and the creamy caesar dressing was enough to coat the greens without overpowering them.<br />
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If you are looking for a more refreshing, crisp salad, try the C&C Salad instead:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">C & C Salad</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Combining Bibb lettuce, house-pickled rhubarb, shaved fennel, and a raisin vinaigrette, this salad danced on my tongue with its balance of sweetness and acidity. I was expecting extreme sourness from the rhubarb, but the pickling process completely mellowed it out. The fennel added a nice, anise undercurrent to the dish.<br />
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Moving on to the appetizer portion of the menu, the Fried Tomatillos with Spicy Aioli did not disappoint:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fried Tomatillos</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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As with anything spicy, balance is the key. The <i>aioli</i> added a definite zip to the experience without overpowering the delicate sour flavor of the <i>tomatillo</i>. Additionally, the tomatillos weren't fried to the point where they became mushy, and retained that wonderful meatiness.<br />
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Continuing on the successful frying theme, we move on to the Fried Chicken and Waffles:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chicken and Waffles</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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There are many people out there who just don't understand how combining these seemingly incongruous foods would be desirable. They balk at the notion of combining breakfast with dinner. Cork & Cleaver's version, a thyme-scented waffle topped with expertly-fried and juicy chicken drizzled in warm syrup, was a real winner. My own preference would've been to splash a bit of Frank's Red Hot Sauce on top, but my mouth was happy enough.<br />
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Our final trip in the appetizer section of the menu would not be complete without talking about The Board:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Board</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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The Board is a cardiologist's worst nightmare, a trio of artery clogging delights. Combining roasted bone marrow, long-braised pork belly, and quick-seared <i>foie gras</i>, this is a dish to be shared. Fortunately, there were five of us at the table when this was ordered, so I managed to only snag a bite of each item on the board. But, oh my, what a bite! Each of the fatty meats was delicious in its own way and each had an accompaniment designed to help cut through the fattiness. I've been told that people order The Board for themselves, but that seems a bit decadent for one.<br />
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Having walked our way through five of the appetizers and salads at Cork & Cleaver, it is now time to move on to the main event.<br />
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First on the entree docket is the Walleye with Himalayan Red Rice:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walleye</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
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The twin fillets of walleye were seasoned and seared perfectly. One of my pet peeves is overcooked fish; fortunately, moist and juicy was the way it came out of the kitchen. Walleye can have a slightly fishy flavor and while this walleye did, it didn't detract from the flavor of the overall dish. The red rice was cooked, yet still toothsome, and the mushroom vinaigrette added a rich earthy flavor I enjoyed very much.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flat Iron</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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You haven't heard me say much that has been negatively critical of the food so far in all of my visits. That's because for the most part, the food has been very well-seasoned, perfectly cooked, and plated with precision. Sadly, the Flat Iron steak, of all the dishes I've tried at Cork & Cleaver, didn't live up to the other dishes. The potato and mushroom hash the steak rested on was delicious. And the steak itself was also delicious (although a bit on the rarer side of the medium-rare I ordered it).<br />
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The problem was two fold. First, while I LOVE goat cheese, the large scoop of <i>chevre</i> sitting on the plate next to the steak felt out of place. While a lovely example of this tart <i>fromage</i>, it didn't integrate well into the overall dish. The other problem was the ramp pesto underneath the fanned steak slices. While an interesting idea to bring a herbaceousness to the dish, the incredibly strong garlic flavor from the ramps more or less killed the flavor of anything else paired with it.<br />
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On the opposite end of the spectrum from the Flat Iron steak were the Seared Scallops:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scallops</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
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This quartet of bivalves was seasoned beautifully and seared until the outside was a lovely shade of brown leaving the inside still translucent and tender. The scallops alone were enough to knock this one out of the ballpark. What really surprised me, however, was the braised fennel that adorned the dish. Braised first in chicken stock until tender and then quickly pan-seared in butter for service, I don't know that I've loved a vegetable as much as this one. Combined with the white bean salad and <i>haricot vert</i>, this was a substantial amount of food.<br />
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Of course, being both a fried chicken fanatic and macaroni and cheese lover, this next dish, Fried Chicken with Macaroni and Cheese, lit up all the gastronomic lights in my brain:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8101/8654224213_2f3050cd81_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8101/8654224213_2f3050cd81_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fried Chicken</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Let's talk about the macaroni and cheese first. To date, my favorite macaroni and cheese has been <a href="http://exploringfoodmyway.blogspot.com/2010/02/extra-helpings-welcome-home-at-flurys.html" target="_blank">Kim White's from Flury's Cafe</a>. Finished to order, the stuff is perfectly cooked, creamy, cheese, and wonderfully dreamy. Kim now has some serious competition from Cork & Cleaver. The pasta was cooked but still had texture. The cheese sauce was creamy without being too thin or too thick. And most importantly, the cheesiness was right on the money.<br />
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The fried chicken was equally delicious. The two "must haves" for fried chicken are a crispy coating on the outside and juicy, tender meat on the inside. Cork & Cleaver scored a 100% on both accounts. It's probably a good thing I don't live closer to the restaurant; I'd be driving up there three nights a week for this dish alone.<br />
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The final entree I'd like to talk about is the Gnocchi:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8243/8655323758_cc83478268_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8243/8655323758_cc83478268_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gnocchi</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
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I'm incredibly picky about gnocchi. Made the right way, they are ethereal little clouds of potato-based pasta. In fact, when I first moved to Akron and couldn't find any good examples of gnocchi, <a href="http://exploringfoodmyway.blogspot.com/2011/07/kitchen-challenge-gnocchi-with-garlic.html" target="_blank">I decided to teach myself how to make it</a>. Cork & Cleaver's gnocchi not only met my standard, it exceeded it. The gnocchi in this case were nestled among other delicious ingredients as well: braised lamb, <i>tzatziki</i>, and a cucumber slaw. When eaten together, it almost felt like I was eating a deconstructed gyro.<br />
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A meal would not be complete without sampling one of the restaurant's few desserts. On my first visit to the restaurant, one of the desserts sent out to our table (compliments of the kitchen) was this Pear Tart:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pear Tart</td></tr>
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Combined with fresh caramel corn and a scoop of real vanilla ice cream, this was a dessert that was well-balanced in the sweetness department. With five of us at the table, I only managed to snag a bite of this one, but it was well worth the effort.<br />
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Of all the desserts on the menu, the Root Beer and Malt was clearly the most unusual:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7282/8738449726_3ec03f9cb0_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7282/8738449726_3ec03f9cb0_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Root Beer and Malt</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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The root beer refers to the enormous meringue sitting on top of two scoops of chocolate malted ice cream. Chocolate-dipped and crushed pretzels adorn both the plate and the meringue. Having never thought about pairing root beer and chocolate malted together, I fearlessly dug in, cracking the meringue into more manageable sized pieces. It was, in a word, delicious. The meringue really did taste like root beer. And while the malt was somewhat subtle, everything worked beautifully on my tongue.<br />
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Another complimentary dessert that was sent out during my initial visit to the restaurant was the Country Fried Brownie:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8252/8654222519_80079ae664_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8252/8654222519_80079ae664_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Country Fried Brownie</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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This, to me, is akin to deep-frying candy bars and Oreo cookies. It occurred to me that this technique seemed a bit too decadent and ostentatious, but again, one bite and you'll be in chocolate heaven. The brownie came atop a rich caramel "Red Eye Gravy". The sour cherries served as a lovely counterpoint to all of the richness in the brownie and the sweetness of the sauce.<br />
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Of the four desserts currently being offered at Cork & Cleaver, my favorite is the Lemon and Coconut:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7331/9080082739_6590c3299c_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7331/9080082739_6590c3299c_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lemon and Coconut</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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This dish is comprised of a coconut milk <i>panna cotta</i> topped with lemon curd, toasted homemade marshmallow, and crumbled shortbread cookies. Of course, these three components have been disassembled on the plate, allowing you, the diner, to assemble them at your pleasure. While the shortbread cookies are a bit rich, this dessert comes off as neither too sweet or too tart. The coconut panna cotta is soft and silky and the bite from the lemon curd helps to tie all of the ingredients together.<br />
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Exhausted yet, gentle reader? That or really hungry, I'm sure.<br />
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The bottom line is that over a half-dozen visits, Cork & Cleaver Social Kitchen scores nearly perfectly in my book. With the exception of one dish, everything else has been spot on. The service has consistently been good. And honestly, the prices on the menu are entirely reasonable for the quality and quantity of food you are getting. Chefs/Co-owners Brian and Adam have put a lot of work into the entire dining experience and it really shows. I wish them much luck in their new (or old?) space and I plan on returning again very soon. I highly suggest that you do the same.<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/16/1747902/restaurant/Cleveland/Parma/Cork-Cleaver-Social-Kitchen-Broadview-Heights"><img alt="Cork & Cleaver Social Kitchen on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1747902/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a>Tinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230553378930796656noreply@blogger.com3Cork & Cleaver Social Kitchen41.3446936 -81.68498039999997241.249281599999996 -81.84634189999997 41.4401056 -81.523618899999974tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762518953396643054.post-56439640802288164822013-06-19T18:00:00.000-04:002013-06-19T18:00:00.622-04:00Scooby Doo, Where The Hell Were You?I can hear the question that everyone who followed my ramblings on this blog are thinking right now: What the hell happened to you? Here you were, posting three or four times a week for years and then suddenly BLAM-O! Nothing. For an entire year, no less.<div>
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While I might be tempted to blame the terrible house fire I suffered back in February 2011 where I essentially lost the entire contents of my house, if I were to be truly honest, that was probably just the final tipping point to me realizing that I was tired and needed a change. Not necessarily tired of going out to eat. Or even interacting with my wonderful gentle readers out there in Internet-land.</div>
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It was more that I had and was continuing to have a lot of changes happen in my personal life. I just didn't have the time or energy to write as much as I used to. The interesting thing to note was that I had such a huge backlog of entries already written that I continued to post three times a week for many months before I simply ran out. Without me constantly filling the coffer, the grand machine suddenly just ground to a half.</div>
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The changes started when I realized that I could improve the quality of my blog posts if my pictures were better. For most of the history of this blog, a large majority of the pictures were taken with the camera of whatever cellphone I had at the time of my visit to the restaurant. There had always been a handful of restaurants where getting a decent photograph was challenging. And, in fact, there were about three or four where the lighting was so poor that even with the flash on my cellphone, I couldn't get a photograph because there wasn't even enough light for the camera to focus the lens.</div>
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Around October 2010, I decided to step up my game and bought a really nice point and shoot camera (Canon G12). Thinking that a dedicated camera would solve all of my woes, I went to <a href="http://exploringfoodmyway.blogspot.com/2011/01/experiencing-modern-mexican-at-momocho.html" target="_blank">Momocho Mod Mex</a> about a week after its purchase and captured some of the most horrific images I had posted to date. I quickly realized that just because I bought a better camera, without proper instruction, it wasn't any better than my silly cellphone camera. This, gentle reader, is how I fell down the rabbit hole and into the massive (and wonderful) sinkhole that is photography.</div>
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One class led into another, and another, and another. I began to network. I joined a local photography club and upgraded my point and shoot to my first DSLR (Canon t3i). I used to think that owning a boat was the only unquenchable hobby when it came to squandering money. I now realize that photography can easily be lumped into that category, too. As I was sucked more and more into the photography world, I became less inclined to keep my stockpile of blog posts full and ready to go. And so, by July 2012, I would post the last one on Dante Boccuzzi's <a href="http://exploringfoodmyway.blogspot.com/2012/07/red-rover-red-rover-let-dante-come-over.html" target="_blank">DBA</a>.</div>
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Since then, I've done a few semi-professional food shoots, had several food articles published in a local rag, and generally just enjoyed my time away, often wondering if I would return. I continue to post to my social media accounts and <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tom_j_noe/" target="_blank">my Flickr page</a> continues to show the fruits of my labor over the last two years. Learning how to get not just usable, but really great images from ANY restaurant, no matter how brightly or darkly lit it is, has been my personal goal and I think I am finally there, although I am always pushing myself to learn more.</div>
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I would be remiss if I were to assert to you that I was taking up my previous schedule of three to four posts per week. Realistically with everything else going on in my life, that just isn't possible. That being said, I will commit to one posting per week, with the hope that I might get a second if time permits. Given this limitation, I intend to change a few of the parameters regarding restaurant visits. With the DBA post, I changed from doing a single visit/single post model to a multi-visit model and then one overall post. I think this makes more sense and gives you a more well-rounded view of what you can expect should you go.</div>
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One of the benefits of using a cellphone to capture images was that I was nearly completely incognito. With my current rig, even though it isn't huge, it would be hard not to spot the gear I am using. It doesn't happen all that often, but I've been asked by servers, managers, owners, and other patrons about my intentions. While I had once presumed that knowing I was a food blogger would change my dining experience, sadly, that doesn't happen often and when it does, I take that into account in my review.</div>
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When I first began this blog back in December 2008, I truly was an anonymous "everyman." After writing about the restaurant scene in northeast Ohio for four years and continuing to make connections over the course of the last year, I now know quite a bit about the dining scene and those involved in making it happen. Conversely, people also occasionally recognize me, too. I was at lunch just yesterday when a man who turned out to be the restaurant's manager walked up to my table and out of the blue introduced himself to me. After he walked away, my lunch companion was taken aback and asked, "Does that happen often?" </div>
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More often than you'd think.</div>
Tinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230553378930796656noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762518953396643054.post-9683896576950584182012-07-07T13:00:00.000-04:002012-07-26T22:54:17.532-04:00Red Rover, Red Rover, Let Dante Come OverPrepare yourself, gentle reader, for a lengthy blog post today. In trying to give Dante Boccuzzi's new Akron-based D.B.A. restaurant as much chance to impress as possible (or not), I ended up going to the restaurant twice during its opening week and have included both experiences in this one post.<br />
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<a href="http://www.restaurantdante.us/dante-akron-index.html" target="_blank">D.B.A. (aka Dante Boccuzzi Akron)</a> is Dante's latest restaurant opening and his first in the Akron area. Located in the old Vegiterranean space situated across the street from Luigi's, it doesn't represent a brand new concept for him, but merely an extension of his current offerings at <a href="http://exploringfoodmyway.blogspot.com/2010/06/red-fish-blue-fish-part-ii.html" target="_blank">Restaurant Dante</a> in Tremont and <a href="http://exploringfoodmyway.blogspot.com/2012/02/preview-of-dante-boccuzzis-dc-pasta.html" target="_blank">The DC Pasta Company</a> in Strongsville. That being said, there are far fewer restaurants in Akron to compete directly with D.B.A., both in terms of cuisine and price.<br />
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D.B.A. was located at 21 Furnace Street, Akron, OH 44308 and can be reached at 330-375-5050 or by fax at 330-375-1670. While there is parking available in a lot across the street from D.B.A., it can be tricky to find a spot as Luigi's shares the same parking space. I was easily able to find a space to park during my first visit on a Tuesday. For my second visit on a Friday night, I gladly paid the $4 valet charge to not have to worry about it.<br />
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Once inside, I was impressed at how the interior had been transformed from the rather hard and edgy space of its predecessor to the more broken up and darker look that the restaurant space currently has. One of the problems that Vegiterranean always seemed to have in the past was that when full, the noise levels were extremely high and it was often difficult to have a conversation with dinner companions without having to yell at them. Smartly, the bar area now has a wall between it and the main dining room and the space at the front of the restaurant has been converted into small nooks, each containing three or four tables.<br />
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As Dante is also a musician, cleverly, the dinner menu comes presented on an LP album with an actual record inside:<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-znyOJrm5evQ/T_eq_bTjHAI/AAAAAAAAK18/KaZEmuHoejA/s1600/IMG_4195.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="D.B.A." border="0" dinner="" front"="" height="320" menu="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-znyOJrm5evQ/T_eq_bTjHAI/AAAAAAAAK18/KaZEmuHoejA/s320/IMG_4195.jpg" title="D.B.A. Dinner Menu Front" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nDaorxr2JcU/T_eq_8qGHcI/AAAAAAAAK2I/IsXd3_JsKkY/s1600/IMG_4196.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="D.B.A. Dinner Menu Back" border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nDaorxr2JcU/T_eq_8qGHcI/AAAAAAAAK2I/IsXd3_JsKkY/s320/IMG_4196.jpg" title="D.B.A. Dinner Menu Back" width="320" /></a></div>
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Just as with Dante's other restaurants, many of the dishes are offered at various sizes, from a tasting to an appetizer to an entree sized portion. As a restaurant reviewer, I greatly appreciate this because it can be difficult when going out by yourself to get as many tastes as possible during a single visit. Immediately, my brain began to devise a plan on how to get the maximum number of courses for a minimum amount of cash.<br />
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While there was no <i>prix fixe</i> meal available at D.B.A. (at least, my server didn't indicate that there was one available on my first visit), I decided to take matters into my own hands and ordered a five course progression, three from the appetizer section, one from the pasta section, and a final course from the entree section of the menu.<br />
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Within just a few seconds of placing my order, standard Restaurant Dante bread service arrived at my table:<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xvz1mekEcfU/T_clO0mYZHI/AAAAAAAAK0w/X4x_kibn6nA/s1600/IMG_4164.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Bread Service" border="0" height="214" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xvz1mekEcfU/T_clO0mYZHI/AAAAAAAAK0w/X4x_kibn6nA/s320/IMG_4164.jpg" title="Bread Service" width="320" /></a></div>
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The breads are sourced from a variety of locales (one of which is <a href="http://mediterrabakehouse.com/" target="_blank">Mediterra</a> in Pittsburgh) and arrived in an old vinyl LP that has been heated, remolded, and shaped into a bread basket. The hummos that accompanied the bread was also identical to what is served at Restaurant Dante. Both were fresh and delicious and a nice way to start the meal.<br />
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What came next was the onslaught of food I had originally ordered, each course skillfully arriving at my table only mere moments after my previous course had been removed and new silverware carefully placed in front of me. First up was the half portion of the Mackenzie Goat Cheese appetizer:<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UHlhZdUciog/T_clPbvdBKI/AAAAAAAAK08/2XahYVMLP2g/s1600/IMG_4166.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fried Squash Blossom" border="0" height="214" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UHlhZdUciog/T_clPbvdBKI/AAAAAAAAK08/2XahYVMLP2g/s320/IMG_4166.jpg" title="Fried Squash Blossom" width="320" /></a></div>
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I had assumed that the chevre would be inside the fried squash blossom, but it was actually under the dressed salad greens. The squash blossom was exquisitely fried -- crispy, tender, and not greasy -- and seasoned perfectly. All of the elements on the plate worked very well together, but the one standout that made my mouth swoon was the zucchini <i>agrodolce</i>. It was sweet and sour (as the name would imply) with just a touch of heat to it.<br />
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The next course was one of the menu's many vegan offerings, the half portion of the Asparagus Salad:<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P3luBPrDHPw/T_clPtDwz1I/AAAAAAAAK1I/CmQpzI4M34U/s1600/IMG_4170.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Asparagus Salad" border="0" height="214" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P3luBPrDHPw/T_clPtDwz1I/AAAAAAAAK1I/CmQpzI4M34U/s320/IMG_4170.jpg" title="Asparagus Salad" width="320" /></a></div>
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In addition to the shaved asparagus, there were asparagus spears, frisee, pickled Chanterelles, and an eggless bearnaise that served as the dressing. The seasoning of this dish was a bit uneven as the frisee was more heavily salted and the asparagus a little less. But, at the end of the day, when combining a little bit of each element from the plate, everything evened out and I thought it was quite tasty. The eggless bearnaise (I'm assuming the yellow color probably comes from the use of tumeric) worked quite well and gave the salad an acidity and richness that really balanced the other flavors well.<br />
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The next course to cross my table was the Crispy Calamari and Rock Shrimp appetizer:<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FYsuRdM5IAI/T_clQChxWbI/AAAAAAAAK1U/1hyf9l2ayVo/s1600/IMG_4172.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Crispy Calamari and Rock Shrimp" border="0" height="214" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FYsuRdM5IAI/T_clQChxWbI/AAAAAAAAK1U/1hyf9l2ayVo/s320/IMG_4172.jpg" title="Crispy Calamari and Rock Shrimp" width="320" /></a></div>
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Accompanying the fried items was a chile-spiced mayonnaise and sliced pickled Shiitake mushrooms. The spiced mayonnaise had a considerable amount of heat, but nothing that I would consider excessive. The squid and shrimp were very tender and the coating on both was crispy and not greasy. The only real complaint I had regarding this dish was that the rock shrimp were fairly aggressively seasoned and the calamari a tad underseasoned. Eaten together, they balanced each other out, but woe to the diner who decided to eat three or four rock shrimp in a row.<br />
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Having finished three appetizer courses, my fourth course came from the middle portion of the menu. Items from here were available as a taste, an appetizer-sized portion, and as a full entree. I decided to go with an appetizer-sized portion of the Arborio Risotto Carbonara:<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PZSdmEL7jro/T_clQWFFjQI/AAAAAAAAK1g/EmT8T_borsc/s1600/IMG_4176.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Arborio Risotto Carbonara" border="0" height="214" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PZSdmEL7jro/T_clQWFFjQI/AAAAAAAAK1g/EmT8T_borsc/s320/IMG_4176.jpg" title="Arborio Risotto Carbonara" width="320" /></a></div>
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The portion was HUGE. It might be because I had already eaten three courses already, but I realized as soon as this was sat in front of me that I should've ordered the tasting size. I immediately knew that I would be leaving the restaurant with leftovers.<br />
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Nestled in the center of the dish was a soft poached egg with a small dollop of black truffle puree next to it. The trick, of course, is to break open the egg and stir the contents of the bowl together before eating it (much like the Korean <i>bibimbap</i>). After thoroughly mixing, I took my first bite. First, the good points. It was rich. It was earthy. It was creamy. The pancetta has excellent texture. Second, the not-so-good points. It was incredibly salty. Just to rule out the possibility of the pancetta's salt being the culprit, I made sure I found a forkful that had none in it. I repeated the experiment several more times. I quickly reached for my water. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't inedible. It just wasn't balanced. I ate about one-third of this dish before asking for the remainder to be boxed up.<br />
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The final course of this first evening at D.B.A. was the Seared Sea Scallops:<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Pi7z18bb1Bg/T_cliG6ZWLI/AAAAAAAAK1s/vmZaIYZ81sI/s1600/IMG_4179.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Seared Sea Scallops" border="0" height="214" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Pi7z18bb1Bg/T_cliG6ZWLI/AAAAAAAAK1s/vmZaIYZ81sI/s320/IMG_4179.jpg" title="Seared Sea Scallops" width="320" /></a></div>
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Perched atop three potato cakes, the scallops were dressed with balsamic glazed strawberries and lemon zest strips. In between the scallop mounds was fresh arugula, baby Shiitake mushrooms, and sliced dehydrated strawberries. As opposed to my fourth course tonight, this one was spot on. The scallops were cooked perfectly, seared brown on the outside and beautifully translucent on the inside, the strawberries and balsamic played so well together on my tongue. The salad had a lovely bit of pepperiness to it and the dehyrdrated strawberries really reinforced the fresh strawberry flavor nicely. The only thing I didn't care for was the texture on the lemon zest "strips." While I dig the visual presentation of the strip, I think I might have preferred a more finely grated zest.<br />
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My second visit to D.B.A. was during the same week as my first, but this time on a very busy Friday evening. Whereas I had been seated at a small corner table in the main room before, this time we were seated at a small two top right by the front window. One of the trickier aspects of food photography when done in a restaurant setting is the natural light coming in through the windows in the evening. The color temperature of the light can change rapidly as the sun sets and over the course of our two and a half hour meal, I found myself recalibrating the white balance on my camera in between each course and actually having to use <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_painting" target="_blank">light painting</a> on my dessert course because of the lack of good light.<br />
<br />
To start off tonight's meal, I went with the half portion of the vegan-friendly Cold Soup:<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Th2OX0GLjQE/T_erAG8eA5I/AAAAAAAAK2U/3r3RDPKrd5k/s1600/IMG_4200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Cold Soup" border="0" height="214" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Th2OX0GLjQE/T_erAG8eA5I/AAAAAAAAK2U/3r3RDPKrd5k/s320/IMG_4200.jpg" title="Cold Soup" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Made from heirloom tomatoes, it also had a basil cream mousse and was dotted with bits of crisped pita bread. The acidity and sweetness of balsamic vinegar added to the complexity of flavor in this quite delicious and refreshing dish. The seasoning was spot on and the crispy pita added a wonderful textural contrast to the smoothness of the soup and the mousse. Truly, this was an excellent way to start my second visit at D.B.A.<br />
<br />
My next course was also from the appetizer portion of the menu and was something I had been eying since I first gazed upon the on-line menu, the Hudson Valley Foie Gras:<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z7v8H0dVM3M/T_erAWT-VLI/AAAAAAAAK2g/U-Et2hoLtgg/s1600/IMG_4204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Hudson Valley Foie Gras" border="0" height="214" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z7v8H0dVM3M/T_erAWT-VLI/AAAAAAAAK2g/U-Et2hoLtgg/s320/IMG_4204.jpg" title="Hudson Valley Foie Gras" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Served over a raspberry short cake and topped with duck prosciutto, this dish truly delivered in every way possible. As I took my first bite, I think my eyes must have rolled back in my head just a little bit as I savored the wonderful balance of salty, sweet and tart from the various components of the dish. While this is one pricey appetizer at $19 (indeed it is more expensive than several of the entrees), I decided to consider this my entree for the evening and was very happy that I did. The raspberries, both used as a garnish and baked into the short cake added a very necessary amount of acid to combat the heavy richness of the foie gras. I'd order this again in a heartbeat.<br />
<br />
For the next course, my dining companion and I each ordered a "tasting" portion ($5 each) of one of D.B.A.'s pastas and decided to share them with each other. The Pappardelle alla Bolognese is a popular dish at Restaurant Dante and makes its appearance on D.B.A.'s menu, too:<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-En-yLR3FQDo/T_erAoTVgSI/AAAAAAAAK2s/CgvUUBV2bXI/s1600/IMG_4209.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Pappardelle alla Bolognese" border="0" height="214" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-En-yLR3FQDo/T_erAoTVgSI/AAAAAAAAK2s/CgvUUBV2bXI/s320/IMG_4209.jpg" title="Pappardelle alla Bolognese" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
This dish was rich and hearty, the pasta was cooked perfectly, and the veal, pork, and beef ragu that dressed the noodles was present without being too much. Honestly, if I wasn't attempting to get in as many tastes of the menu as possible, I could be a happy man with a nice big plate of this pasta.<br />
<br />
I, on the other hand, ordered the Green Spaghetti:<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CX3ckEMG258/T_erPlsDdwI/AAAAAAAAK24/xUi6H91iG-M/s1600/IMG_4212.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Green Spaghetti" border="0" height="214" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CX3ckEMG258/T_erPlsDdwI/AAAAAAAAK24/xUi6H91iG-M/s320/IMG_4212.jpg" title="Green Spaghetti" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Topped with garlic braised rock shrimp, spinach, poor man's cheese, and finished with crispy bread crumbs, this pasta also delivered, albeit with a little less intensity than the pappardelle. Once again the pasta was cooked and dressed perfectly, but I felt that the rock shrimp were a bit too salty. I had first noticed this when I tried the Crispy Calamari and Rock Shrimp appetizer on my first visit. I'm not sure whether the shrimp themselves are naturally salty or if the coating used on the shrimp is the culprit.<br />
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My final savory course on my second visit was the appetizer-sized portion ($12) of the Hong Kong Style Mussels:<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-req4cziZv5E/T_erP_-LmbI/AAAAAAAAK3E/BFsNJLOee0s/s1600/IMG_4219.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Mussels 'Hong Kong' Style" border="0" height="214" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-req4cziZv5E/T_erP_-LmbI/AAAAAAAAK3E/BFsNJLOee0s/s320/IMG_4219.jpg" title="Mussels 'Hong Kong' Style" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
As opposed to the appetizer-sized portion of the Arborio Risotto I had ordered during my first visit, this time, the portion was perfectly in line with what I had room for in my stomach. The mussels were tender and flavorful and all except one of them had steamed open during the cooking process. The broth had been infused with chiles, lime and cilantro and while the broth by itself was a bit aggressive in seasoning, when paired with the sweet mussels, it was a nice complement. One thing that was missing from this dish was a nice piece of grilled bread to soak up some of the broth. Fortunately, I asked my server for some fresh bread and she was happy to oblige.<br />
<br />
While I didn't have room for dessert on my first visit, on this second one I purposely made sure not to stuff myself such that I couldn't sample something from the dessert menu:<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Bjv2sZAiNPc/T_erQAVRk5I/AAAAAAAAK3Q/dQsDGvauX44/s1600/IMG_4220.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="D.B.A. Dessert Menu" border="0" height="282" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Bjv2sZAiNPc/T_erQAVRk5I/AAAAAAAAK3Q/dQsDGvauX44/s320/IMG_4220.jpg" title="D.B.A. Dessert Menu" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Continuing in the vein of cleverness, while the regular dinner menu was presented on the album cover of an LP, the dessert menu came on the liner notes of a Compact Disc.<br />
<br />
After considering all of my options, I ended up going with the Double Baked Chocolate Brownie:<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rhO-1K9hU4w/T_erQu4lpgI/AAAAAAAAK3c/A1-SxuqK8u4/s1600/IMG_4226.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Double Baked Chocolate Brownie" border="0" height="214" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rhO-1K9hU4w/T_erQu4lpgI/AAAAAAAAK3c/A1-SxuqK8u4/s320/IMG_4226.jpg" title="Double Baked Chocolate Brownie" width="320" /></a></div>
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I had originally thought that perhaps the brownie would be more like a <i>biscotti</i>, the twice-baked Italian pastries that are often dipped into coffee or espresso to soften. Instead, what arrived was a nut-free brownie wrapped in phyllo, brushed with butter and then baked until golden brown. Paired with a stone fruit compote, chocolate sauce, and a scoop of apricot sorbet, this turned out to be an unusual, but delicious dessert. The brownie, even though it had been twice baked, was decadent and moist and the tartness from the apricot sorbet did a great job of cleansing my palate from the rich and sweet brownie. The chocolate sauce didn't do a whole lot for me and something like a raspberry coulis might have better served this dessert.<br />
<br />
Over the course of two visits, I was able to try eleven of the twenty-nine dishes on D.B.A.'s current dinner and dessert menus. Of them all, while the seasoning on a few of the dishes was a little uneven, and one of them was way too salty, on the whole, I think the flavors were spot on, and most dishes I tasted had no issue with seasoning.<br />
<br />
Service between my two visits was interesting. With only a third full restaurant on my first visit, it took approximately one and a half hours to enjoy a five course meal. During my second visit during a busy Friday night service with a full restaurant, a similar five course meal took two and a half hours. As you can imagine, the first visit felt a bit rushed as the minute my plate was cleared and silverware replaced, the next course appeared, really giving me little time between courses to relax. On my second visit, the pacing at the beginning of the meal was much better, but as the courses progressed, so did the lag time between each course. Between the pasta course and the mussels, my dining companion and I probably waited a good thirty minutes.<br />
<br />
While the servers during both visits were knowledgeable about the menu, the server during my second visit forgot to bring a glass of wine requested by my dining companion and decided to drop off the final check to our table before we had actually finished our meal. I realize that this is the first week of D.B.A. being open and I can easily chalk up these glitches to the staff getting its collective feet wet. Given a few weeks, these problems should correct themselves.<br />
<br />
As you can imagine by looking at the menu and some of the prices I've quoted along the way, eating at D.B.A. can be reasonable or expensive. I had water with both of my meals and the totals for each of my meals, with tax and a twenty percent gratuity were $80 and $65, respectively. I imagine that were you to throw in a cocktail and a glass of wine, you could easily approach $100 per person. That being said, if you stick to three or four of the $5 options or simply choose one entree, you could get away with a check totaling closer to $25 to $30. While this is certainly comparable to what you would spend at some of Cleveland's more upscale restaurants, D.B.A. finds itself on the pricier end for an Akron-based restaurant.<br />
<br />
Noise levels during my Friday night visit were light to moderate and I had absolutely no problem carrying on a conversation with my dining companion. Unlike Restaurant Dante where, at times, it can be nearly impossible to carry on a conversation without yelling at the person across the table, D.B.A. was much more conducive to productive conversations.<br />
<br />
Everything said and done, I would recommend that you check out D.B.A. The food and the service have a lot of promise and given a couple of weeks to get everything running like a finely-oiled machine, I imagine an experience will be similar to any of Dante Boccuzzi's other restaurants. While the menu isn't a huge departure from Restaurant Dante, it also offers a nice assortment of vegan, vegetarian, and meat-based options that can be enjoyed by all audiences. I know that I am looking forward to returning soon and giving some of the remaining menu items a try.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/16/1673784/restaurant/Cleveland/Dba-Dante-Boccuzzi-Akron-Akron"><img alt="Dba [Dante Boccuzzi Akron] on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1673784/biglogo.gif" style="border:none;padding:0px;width:104px;height:34px" /></a>Tinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230553378930796656noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762518953396643054.post-65434581776772712182012-06-19T10:41:00.000-04:002012-06-19T10:41:17.612-04:00Tuesday Morning Amusement<div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left;">
Dear
Food Blogger,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left;">
Can
I offer you and your readers a special discount coupon for organic sesame
butter?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left;">
While
you are probably aware of the nutritional benefits of sesame butter, and
despite the fact that the yummy nutty flavor has been in use for decades in
Asian and Middle Eastern cuisines, sesame butter is not yet common in America.
I'm on a quest to change that.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left;">
If
you reply positively, I will be happy to send you a customized introduction coupon
with your site's name that would give your readers an exclusive <b>40% discount</b>.
I will also send materials and images to help you with writing a post.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left;">
If
you are willing to give it a try yourself, the following coupon already gives you
a <b>40% discount</b> (for food writers only). Please keep this private. Once
you agree to post on your site, I will send you a customized coupon for your readers.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left;">
Visit
here: <a href="http://sesamebutter.com/?cgi=rd3" target="_blank">http://sesamebutter.com/?cgi=<wbr></wbr>rd3</a>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left;">
<b>Use
coupon: foodblog</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left;">
(it
works after entering the shipping address)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left;">
After
a long quest for the perfect sesame butter, I decided to make it myself. This
premium sesame butter is made from the highest quality organic sesame seeds
grown in Ethiopia, crushed in a traditional method using a 90-years old
millstone, and is free of nuts or any artificial additives. Healthy and delicious...!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left;">
So,
what do you say – can I send you a customized coupon for your readers?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left;">
I
will be looking forward to receiving your feedback.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left;">
All
the Best,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left;">
Tomer
Treves</div>
<span dir="RTL" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://sesamebutter.com/" target="_blank"><span dir="LTR">http://SesameButter.com</span></a></span><br />
<br />
<hr />
<br />
Dear Clueless Product Pusher,<br />
<br />
Thanks for taking the time to personalize your message to me.<br />
<br />
Please do me a favor and keep your organic sesame butter. Your marketing effort to rebrand tahini as "sesame butter" feels as silly to me as does calling something like High Fructose Corn Syrup, "Corn Sugar." While I love to use tahini in many of the Mediterranean dishes that I make, trying to pass it off as something else does not sit well with me.<br />
<br />
I am usually tempted to pass things along to my blog readers when it benefits them; however, I also keep no secrets from my readers either. If you are giving me a discount on a product, I will disclose it. And as for the offer of assistance in sending me "materials and images to help you with writing a post," I can assure you, were I to take you up on your offer, I'm pretty sure I could come up with plenty of words on
my own to describe your product.<br />
<br />
I have no problem with the notion of incorporating more tahini into the diet. Your impersonal approach, silly marketing rebrand, and rather shady "let's just keep this between us" modus operandi makes me
give this opportunity a pass.<br />
<br />
Sincerely,<br />
Tom Noe<br />
Exploring Food My WayTinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230553378930796656noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762518953396643054.post-89577325142756913982012-05-20T13:00:00.000-04:002012-05-20T13:00:04.025-04:00A Week In The Life At The Blue Door Cafe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I <u><b>love</b></u> <a href="http://exploringfoodmyway.blogspot.com/2011/08/blue-door-compendium-of-visits.html" target="_blank">The Blue Door Cafe and Bakery</a>.</div>
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Am I recognized when I walk through the front door? Yes. Am I given seating priority over other customers? Never. Do I ask for special treatment or go off menu when ordering? Nothing that I wouldn't do at any other restaurant. Do I think that the kitchen might take an extra second or two to make sure my plate of food is a stand-out dish both visually and in how it tastes? Absolutely.</div>
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Lest I set the bar too high so early in the review, let me bring some reality to the situation. I have been going on a fairly regular basis to Blue Door since they converted over from <a href="http://exploringfoodmyway.blogspot.com/2009/12/extra-helpings-confused-croissant-at.html" target="_blank">The Golden Goose</a> just under a year ago. On the whole, the food is creative, very tasty, and fun. Have I ever gotten a bad plate of food -- something I would send back to the kitchen? No. Have I ordered items off the menu that weren't as stellar as others? Yes. It is a sad fact of life that not all dishes are created equal and while I've been knocked out of this world too many times to count with the food here, sometimes a dish can be cooked correctly and seasoned properly, but still only register a "meh" in the taste department.</div>
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So why do I love Blue Door so much? Mostly because of the commitment of every single person that works there to provide a positive experience, from the homemade breads and pastries, to the effort to use seasonal and local ingredients as much as possible, to the knowledgeable waitstaff, and to the kitchen team that not only continually strives to innovate new dishes on a daily basis, but also has the chops to be able to pull it off.</div>
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While the restaurant has a regular menu which changes very little, the true magic of this place is the daily "specials" menu, which tends to rotate definitely on a weekly basis, and quite often, on a daily one. This week, dishes on the specials menu centered on an Italian theme, some of which were of true Italian descent, others were a nod to an Italian tradition.</div>
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Shall we begin the journey with Wednesday, May 16th?</div>
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<img alt="Blue Door Cafe's Specials Menu for Wednesday" border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HzWuPqBAe1I/T7jX7yYkfRI/AAAAAAAAKw4/pxkn8aNf8Qo/s320/IMG_3164.jpg" title="Blue Door Cafe's Specials Menu for Wednesday" width="214" /></div>
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Many times I already know what I am going to order even before walking through the front door. This is because owner Michael Bruno does a great job of fairly regularly updating the status of the restaurant's <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Blue-Door-Cafe-Bakery/197272870335371">Facebook page</a>. He'll list out the daily specials for the following day so that customers have an idea of what to expect. Nine times out of ten, that status update will be what prompts me to come in the following day for breakfast or lunch.</div>
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So what was today's sirens' song? Fresh Pasta Carbonara:</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ISrwsY4qlIg/T7jX8aSGFFI/AAAAAAAAKxA/lb7-HV0HmhI/s1600/IMG_3166.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Homemade Pasta Carbonara" border="0" height="214" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ISrwsY4qlIg/T7jX8aSGFFI/AAAAAAAAKxA/lb7-HV0HmhI/s320/IMG_3166.jpg" title="Homemade Pasta Carbonara" width="320" /></a></div>
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Made with homemade egg noodles, fresh peas, shallots, Nueske's bacon, and Parmesan cheese, this creamy and salty concoction made my head swoon with delight. I am particularly fond of the fact that from it's very inception, Blue Door has championed the use of the deliciously smokey and salty Nueske bacon, which adds such great depth to any dish it appears in. The fresh peas were delicious and added little pops of sweetness to a pasta dish which could've easily landed on the salty side.</div>
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Not wanting me to miss out on the opportunity to try one of the kitchen's homemade meatballs, at the chef's request, my server also brought me one covered in the house marinara sauce:</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_Bznvvy763o/T7jXt2JcMII/AAAAAAAAKv8/QiiAsASLRso/s1600/IMG_3169.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Homemade Meatball with Marinara" border="0" height="214" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_Bznvvy763o/T7jXt2JcMII/AAAAAAAAKv8/QiiAsASLRso/s320/IMG_3169.jpg" title="Homemade Meatball with Marinara" width="320" /></a></div>
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This was one of the most tender meatballs I think I've ever eaten, probably due to the freshly ground bread crumbs that were added to help retain the meat's moisture. The marinara sauce had a nice acidity to it that complemented the fattiness of the meatball. On the menu, this meatball was intended for the "Not Just Any Spaghetti and Meatballs," also with homemade egg pasta. Had I not been so hot and bothered for the carbonara, I would've gladly ordered this in its place.</div>
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On Thursday, May 17th, I returned for lunch and decided this time to try the Italian Sausage Sandwich accompanied by a selection of Fresh Fruit:</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6UWk-ie_678/T7jXuPuU0VI/AAAAAAAAKwI/GnaoEv-oUnM/s1600/IMG_3171.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Sausage and Peppers Sandwich with Fresh Fruit, Angle 1" border="0" height="214" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6UWk-ie_678/T7jXuPuU0VI/AAAAAAAAKwI/GnaoEv-oUnM/s320/IMG_3171.jpg" title="Sausage and Peppers Sandwich with Fresh Fruit, Angle 1" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here's a slightly different angle:</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B1aXCh8u3UU/T7jXutABidI/AAAAAAAAKwU/jKg3Du89hFE/s1600/IMG_3174.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Sausage and Peppers Sandwich with Fresh Fruit, Angle 2" border="0" height="214" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B1aXCh8u3UU/T7jXutABidI/AAAAAAAAKwU/jKg3Du89hFE/s320/IMG_3174.jpg" title="Sausage and Peppers Sandwich with Fresh Fruit, Angle 2" width="320" /></a></div>
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Placed in a toasted housemade baguette roll, the Italian sausage was a little bit spicy, substantial, and delicious. Housemade marinara along with roasted peppers and onions also filled the roll and was finished off with melted cheese and a chiffonade of fresh basil. When the plate was first set down in front of me, I had to pause for a moment to consider my line of attack. While I'm sure some could unhinge their jaw and attempt to eat this like a normal sandwich, today I opted for knife and fork. Everything about this plate of food was delicious. And while the interior crumb of the baguette was nearly perfect, the only concern that I had was with the exterior. When toasting a baguette, it can get a bit too crusty for my dental work. The fresh fruit was an excellent complement to the savory sandwich.</div>
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When I stopped in on Friday, May 18th, I noticed that some of the specials had been reworked (like the Cannoli French Toast was now a Sicilian French Toast) and new items were listed where others had lived before:</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V8WmA6Yd_r0/T7jXuzTAN8I/AAAAAAAAKwg/mZWzRdR3EIM/s1600/IMG_3182.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Blue Door Cafe's Specials Menu for Friday" border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V8WmA6Yd_r0/T7jXuzTAN8I/AAAAAAAAKwg/mZWzRdR3EIM/s320/IMG_3182.jpg" title="Blue Door Cafe's Specials Menu for Friday" width="214" /></a></div>
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I am ALWAYS up for a good burger and having never had one at Blue Door before, I decided to go with the Mafia Burger with a side of French Fries. Here was one angle: </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tgDtXRyX4F4/T7jXvVoNb9I/AAAAAAAAKws/81_sEVnFQp0/s1600/IMG_3184.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Mafia Burger with Fries, Angle 1" border="0" height="214" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tgDtXRyX4F4/T7jXvVoNb9I/AAAAAAAAKws/81_sEVnFQp0/s320/IMG_3184.jpg" title="Mafia Burger with Fries, Angle 1" width="320" /></a></div>
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and a different angle: </div>
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So what made this burger so special? For one, the ground beef was local Ohio beef that had been grass-fed. It arrived at the perfect medium-rare I had ordered it. Second, the pesto creme fraiche, organic roasted red peppers, and toasted ciabatta roll were all made in-house. As you can well imagine, the French Fries were hand-cut and fried to a proper crispy golden brown and delicious texture and flavor. While I had read the night before on Blue Door's Facebook page that the bun was going to be a seeded brioche, I was a little surprised that the burger actually came on a ciabatta roll.</div>
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If there was one gripe about the burger, it was the ciabatta roll. Don't misunderstand, gentle reader. It was impeccably fresh and had a wonderful crust and crumb. And it was right for the kitchen to split and toast the roll in an effort to avoid a soggy bottom bun from the juicy burger patty. But because of the nature of ciabatta, the crust was tougher to bite through. This meant that with every bite, the interior contents of the burger were being squished out the other end of the roll. A minor gripe to be sure, but when you're working at such an elevated level, every little consideration counts.</div>
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I mentioned it to Michael on my way out of the door and he concurred that ciabatta wasn't the best match for the burger, but that he just hadn't had time to get the brioche done that morning. Fair enough. </div>
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On Saturday, May 19th, I was completely stoked to see that Blue Door had received a shipment of ripe heirloom tomatoes. There are few pleasures in life as a really ripe tomato and I was excited to see what would appear on the specials menu for the day:</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2BRwQpyYCNo/T7jXYJ4E8xI/AAAAAAAAKvk/ZOvQUMHbaUE/s1600/IMG_3220.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Blue Door Cafe's Specials Menu for Saturday" border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2BRwQpyYCNo/T7jXYJ4E8xI/AAAAAAAAKvk/ZOvQUMHbaUE/s320/IMG_3220.jpg" title="Blue Door Cafe's Specials Menu for Saturday" width="214" /></a></div>
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While there was a Salad Caprese on the menu: </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VZHSZh_JF4E/T7jXX34IQkI/AAAAAAAAKvY/D15h2yhzNZs/s1600/IMG_3222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Salad Caprese" border="0" height="214" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VZHSZh_JF4E/T7jXX34IQkI/AAAAAAAAKvY/D15h2yhzNZs/s320/IMG_3222.jpg" title="Salad Caprese" width="320" /></a></div>
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I was thinking more along the lines of a sandwich. So, in a moment of foodie inspiration (or desperation, depending on your point of view), I decided to order the Salad Caprese and one of Blue Door's signature croissants, split and toasted on the flattop: </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x4iAFwZCDno/T7jXXXr-WvI/AAAAAAAAKvM/tBh1e_fBAHw/s1600/IMG_3225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Split and Toasted Croissant" border="0" height="214" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x4iAFwZCDno/T7jXXXr-WvI/AAAAAAAAKvM/tBh1e_fBAHw/s320/IMG_3225.jpg" title="Split and Toasted Croissant" width="320" /></a></div>
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With salad and croissant in hand, I simply assembled the breakfast sandwich I had been envisioning all along: </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8nlLmL5yCjI/T7jXXH4c2sI/AAAAAAAAKvA/0XJGoAwviAs/s1600/IMG_3226.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Salad Caprese Breakfast Sandwich" border="0" height="214" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8nlLmL5yCjI/T7jXXH4c2sI/AAAAAAAAKvA/0XJGoAwviAs/s320/IMG_3226.jpg" title="Salad Caprese Breakfast Sandwich" width="320" /></a></div>
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I mean, how can you go wrong with fresh ripe tomatoes, fresh Ohio basil, fresh mozzarella cheese, 30-year-old balsamic vinegar and an incredibly buttery, flaky croissant? Truth be told that one croissant only used up about half of the salad's contents, so I had a lovely time finishing the remaining salad with my fork. For about a tenth of a second, I thought about ordering a second croissant to make an additional "sandwich," but decided to keep my butter quota in check for the meal. If you have the chance to try this for yourself, do it!</div>
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For my final visit, TODAY, I had arrived early enough to consider a breakfast dish instead of lunch. As such, I decided to give in to my sweet tooth: </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iPZ3TzjhBUk/T7kRw3T9ygI/AAAAAAAAKxU/rIhk34Z1zsg/s1600/IMG_3229.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Blue Door Cafe's Specials Menu for Sunday" border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iPZ3TzjhBUk/T7kRw3T9ygI/AAAAAAAAKxU/rIhk34Z1zsg/s320/IMG_3229.jpg" title="Blue Door Cafe's Specials Menu for Sunday" width="214" /></a></div>
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Any time I order something sweet, I also try to order something to balance it out. In today's case, that would a cup of coffee from local, Akron-based coffee roaster Angel Falls:</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7FsrzAiWTc4/T7kRxG1T-_I/AAAAAAAAKxg/mfIlGeISN8I/s1600/IMG_3234.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Angel Falls Roasted Coffee" border="0" height="214" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7FsrzAiWTc4/T7kRxG1T-_I/AAAAAAAAKxg/mfIlGeISN8I/s320/IMG_3234.jpg" title="Angel Falls Roasted Coffee" width="320" /></a></div>
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Hot and bitter, this was a lovely way to start my meal and wake up in the morning. </div>
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The Sicilian French Toast had been teasing me most of the week and a comment from a Facebook friend finally pushed me over the edge: </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-75IAwMywARQ/T7kRxkOEFeI/AAAAAAAAKxs/wic3LgA6_4g/s1600/IMG_3242.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Sicilian French Toast" border="0" height="214" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-75IAwMywARQ/T7kRxkOEFeI/AAAAAAAAKxs/wic3LgA6_4g/s320/IMG_3242.jpg" title="Sicilian French Toast" width="320" /></a></div>
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The French Toast was made with housemade Challah bread, soaked in lemon, milk, cream, and eggs, which had then been griddled and then layered with a lemon pastry cream, topped with Creme Chantilly (aka fresh whipped cream), sprinkled with Vietnamese cinnamon, a chiffonade of fresh mint, fresh raspberries, and powdered sugar. I was surprised at how well the lemon and mint went together. Actually, the whole thing was delicious and while it wasn't the best French Toast I've had at Blue Door (that honor goes to the brandied peach French Toast), if you're looking to satisfy your sweet tooth, this would be the way to go.</div>
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Along with the sweet portion of my meal, I decided to add a bit of smokey saltiness with some of the Nueske applewood-smoked, thick-cut bacon: </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--UbN8tsds08/T7kRx0d_sEI/AAAAAAAAKx4/QNsSkUOUbxk/s1600/IMG_3245.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Nueske Applewood-Smoked Bacon" border="0" height="214" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--UbN8tsds08/T7kRx0d_sEI/AAAAAAAAKx4/QNsSkUOUbxk/s320/IMG_3245.jpg" title="Nueske Applewood-Smoked Bacon" width="320" /></a></div>
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Honestly, this is some of the best bacon I've ever eaten. It isn't inexpensive, but it is meat, hearty, rich, salty, and smokey all at the same time. I probably shouldn't have gone the extra step because I couldn't finish everything, but every time I taste this bacon, it takes me back to my youth when I would camp out with the Cub Scouts and we'd cook most of the food over an open fire.</div>
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So there we have it, gentle reader, an entire week's worth of Blue Door Cafe and Bakery.</div>
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Now, I will be the first to admit that Blue Door is not inexpensive. On a fairly regular basis, with tip and tax, each of the meals I wrote about above was anywhere from $15 to $20. Those wandering in thinking that Blue Door is the same old greasy spoon diner it used to be in one of its previous lives will be a bit shocked. In fact, I have seen people sit down, look at the menu, then at each other, get up and leave before ordering anything. Honestly, those aren't the kind of folks that Blue Door cater to anymore.</div>
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But if you are interested in nearly everything being made from scratch, local, organic, sustainable food being cooked and seasoned properly, and understand that quality ingredients cost money, then you really ought to check out Blue Door as soon as you can. Do note that while the outside door is now blue, the old sign for The Golden Goose is still standing out in front of the restaurant. That will change at some point, according to Michael, but it is worth remembering in case you are trying to locate the restaurant for the first time.</div>
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I've included lots of gorgeous pictures in this write-up from my past five visits (which open up extra large when you click on them), however, I have many, MANY more starting from the day they opened in on my Flickr account. If you'd like to see more pictures, <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tom_j_noe/sets/72157627126822399/with/7234242514/" target="_blank">click here</a>. You can even start a slideshow to view them from beginning to end.</div>
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There is so much I didn't get to cover during these five visits. Gee, I guess I'll just have to pick another week in the future and repeat the experiment. And that will be fun for both of us!<br />
</div>Tinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230553378930796656noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762518953396643054.post-301595449642402152012-04-29T17:20:00.000-04:002012-04-29T22:26:07.167-04:00Destination Italy at Lucca RestaurantOpening a restaurant is a daunting proposition. Were you to tell me that you wanted to open a high-end restaurant featuring local and sustainable products, I would assume you were talking about the Cleveland market, where clientele tend to be more aware of this kind of dining option. If instead, you told me that the restaurant in question was in Canton, Ohio, I'd have a tougher time believing you. Unfortunately, just having well-executed food isn't enough sometimes to ensure a restaurant's longevity. You also have to have patrons who are willing to pay for the privilege of a chef willing to go the extra steps to ensure that what is put in front of you represents both wholesomeness and seasonality.<br />
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This is exactly the angle chef Josh Schory has taken with his restaurant, Lucca. Located on the corner of Cleveland Ave and 4th Street NE, by 7 PM on a Saturday night, it was abuzz with activity, each and every table filled with hungry patrons. But before I get ahead of myself, gentle reader, first some pertinent information. Lucca was located at 228 4th Street NW, Canton, OH 44702 and can be reached at 330-456-2534. Parking was streetside or in a parking lot just north of the restaurant. The restaurant has both a <a href="http://www.luccadowntown.com/">website</a> and a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LuccaDowntown">Facebook fan page</a>.<br />
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After being seated, the hostess handed me several menus. First, the regular menu: <br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MXLby7C9XzM/T52dGd4JmLI/AAAAAAAAKr0/zVUOz-Lbm5Q/s1600/IMG_2652.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lucca's Regular Menu Front Top" border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MXLby7C9XzM/T52dGd4JmLI/AAAAAAAAKr0/zVUOz-Lbm5Q/s320/IMG_2652.jpg" title="Lucca's Regular Menu Front Top" width="320" /></a></div>
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And the daily specials menu:<br />
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As I began to look over both menus deciding which bits to pick from each, my server arrived at my table with freshly sliced crusty bread and herb-infused olive oil:<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ys98HbQKvGI/T52dJOAPoOI/AAAAAAAAKsk/oueFMgdJwIU/s1600/IMG_2660.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Bread Service" border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ys98HbQKvGI/T52dJOAPoOI/AAAAAAAAKsk/oueFMgdJwIU/s320/IMG_2660.jpg" title="Bread Service" width="320" /></a></div>
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The bread, baked at a local Canton bakery, had a wonderfully chewy crust and soft crumb. The flavor of the bread plain was delicious on its own -- paired with the herbaceous peppery bite of the olive oil, it made a wonderful way to start out the meal.<br />
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I decided to begin my meal with the Carpaccio Insalata:<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WgLNyDa9QfM/T52dJiU4gPI/AAAAAAAAKss/MEBHiRSR2LU/s1600/IMG_2664.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Carpaccio Salad" border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WgLNyDa9QfM/T52dJiU4gPI/AAAAAAAAKss/MEBHiRSR2LU/s320/IMG_2664.jpg" title="Carpaccio Salad" width="320" /></a></div>
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Traditionally, <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpaccio">carpaccio</a></i> is incredibly thin slices of pounded raw beef tenderloin that is dressed with various toppings. Chef Schory riffed on the original dish and served thinly-sliced, cured <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bresaola">Bresaola</a> as the base. He dressed it lightly with shaved Parmigiano Reggiano, extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon, a small green salad and a balsamic gastrique. Salty, sweet, and tart sensations danced over my tongue as I rolled each bite around in my mouth. Although the dish sounds heavy, it was surprisingly light and a perfect segue into my next course.<br />
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I was happy to see that many of the pastas came as both full entree-sized portions as well as half-sized portions. After reading over the many choices, I settled on a half portion of the Buccatini with Gorgonzola Dolce:<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-U93ZRgO83eM/T52dKB5TQ4I/AAAAAAAAKs0/DqoU751Y4ek/s1600/IMG_2665.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Buccatini with Gorgonzola Dolce" border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-U93ZRgO83eM/T52dKB5TQ4I/AAAAAAAAKs0/DqoU751Y4ek/s320/IMG_2665.jpg" title="Buccatini with Gorgonzola Dolce" width="320" /></a></div>
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Accompanying the cheese sauce was pancetta, spinach, parsnips, and a hint of truffle oil. When my server sat the plate down in front of me, I inhaled deeply and was rewarded with a heady earthiness of the truffle. Since buccatini is a hollow pasta, the long strands had not only been coated in the sexy cheese sauce, but also soaked it up into the hollow cavity inside of each noodle. The pasta was cooked to a perfect <i>al dente</i> and the cheese sauce had a wonderful balance between the strong blue cheese flavor and sweetness. Neither overpowered the other. Essentially, this was an adult macaroni and cheese dish, but a far more elevated version than I've had before.<br />
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I have but two criticisms for this course. First, the pasta was oversauced. In true Italian cooking, the sauce is considered a condiment (thus, it being called <i><a href="http://lettherebebite.com/in-store-guide/pasta/">condimento</a></i>) and should essentially coat the pasta lightly and evenly. That being said, most Americans prefer their pasta drowned in sauce, so if this is your preference, you'll be pleased with the dish as it came from the kitchen.<br />
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Second, and this is less of a criticism, and more of a suggestion, the cutlery brought out to consume this course included a butter knife, a fork, and a spoon. While there is a great controversy over whether pasta should be rolled onto the tines of a fork using the spoon as a base, when I asked my server why he brought the butter knife, he answered, "In case you wanted to cut the pasta." As a general rule, pasta should neither be broken before cooking nor cut afterwards. <br />
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The first two savory courses behind me, I eagerly awaited the arrival of my entree for the evening, the Sole En Papillote which was being offered on today's specials menu:<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IDdrG-HHPs0/T52dKouWezI/AAAAAAAAKs8/bu7IE3C2hDg/s1600/IMG_2667.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Sole en Papillote" border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IDdrG-HHPs0/T52dKouWezI/AAAAAAAAKs8/bu7IE3C2hDg/s320/IMG_2667.jpg" title="Sole en Papillote" width="320" /></a></div>
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The sole was perfectly steamed and incredibly moist and tender. As I took bite after bite, the flesh simply melted in my mouth. One of the benefits of cooking fish in parchment paper (<i>en papillote</i>) is that you end up with fish that is almost always perfectly cooked. The filet of sole came atop salty sea beans and frenched local organic baby carrots. Additionally, fingerling potatoes that had been roasted separately were perched to the side of the fish. Honestly, everything was delicious, but the seasoning on the fish was a bit uneven. If you combined some of the sea beans with the fish, it worked well, but the fish itself could've used a bit more seasoning.<br />
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I wasn't sure if I was going to have dessert or not, so I asked my server to recite the list for me. While there were six or seven options, the only two that were made in house were the <i>creme brulee</i> and the fresh fruit parfait. I have nothing against a good creme brulee, but it seems that every restaurant anymore offers creme brulee (and chocolate lava cake, too). Thus that left me with the Fresh Fruit Parfait:<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x8jw4OsTyvU/T52dLCLH1BI/AAAAAAAAKtE/D7b_XtwZbHM/s1600/IMG_2670.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fresh Fruit Parfait" border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x8jw4OsTyvU/T52dLCLH1BI/AAAAAAAAKtE/D7b_XtwZbHM/s320/IMG_2670.jpg" title="Fresh Fruit Parfait" width="213" /></a></div>
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Composed of macerated strawberries and blueberries, the mini-martini glass filled with fruit had been topped with a Grand Marnier-infused freshly whipped cream and garnished with some shaved chocolate. To complement the "mini-ness" of the glass, the accompanying spoon was designed for hands far more delicate than my own. All that said, this was the perfect dessert to finish up the meal. It was only slightly sweet and paired well with the cup of decaffeinated coffee I also ordered.<br />
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All said and done, my check with tax came to just under $48 (I only had water to drink). Was this expensive? I suppose that depends on what you normally spend on dinner. I would think that Lucca isn't a place that someone goes to on a regular basis and has a four-course meal. However, most of the full-sized pasta entrees are at $20 or below and you could certainly make a meal out of that, while perhaps splitting an appetizer with a dining partner.<br />
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One final note about my experience tonight at Lucca's. Dining out by yourself has its advantages -- primarily, people watching. At several points during the meal, in addition to my server and the hostess making sure I was enjoying the meal, the chef went from table to table asking people if they were enjoying their meal. As it turns out, even though I don't believe I had ever met Josh Schory before, he actually recognized me from the work I've done here at Exploring Food My Way. That being said, others around me were having as equally a pleasurable meal as I was, so I don't believe I received treatment that would've compromised this review.<br />
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Do I recommend Lucca? Absolutely. Will I be going back soon? You'd better believe it. I left a business card with my server at the conclusion of the meal and he obviously passed it along to the chef as I got an email not fifteen minutes later thanking me for my visit and telling me about some of the culinary techniques he is trying to work into the cuisine (sous vide and the antigriddle to name two). There are few chefs I have come across where I'd walk in, sit down, and simply ask for the "Chef's Whim." Lucca is a place where I can see myself doing exactly that.<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/102/1629460/restaurant/Lucca-Downtown-Canton"><img alt="Lucca Downtown on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1629460/biglogo.gif" style="border: none; height: 34px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a>Tinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230553378930796656noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762518953396643054.post-83661815178340163062012-04-02T08:00:00.004-04:002012-04-02T08:00:08.863-04:00Noticing The Color PurpleAs part of my college coursework, I was asked at one point to read Alice Walker's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Color-Purple-Alice-Walker/dp/0156031825/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1333333780&sr=8-2">The Color Purple</a>. An amazing read all on its own, I have always remembered certain quotes, even decades after reading the book and watching the subsequent movie. Most memorable to me was when Shug and Celia are walking down the road and Shug says,<br /><br />"I think it pisses God off when you walk by the color purple in a field and don't notice it. "<br /><br />It took me a while to figure out what that statement meant. My take on the phrase these days is that it is a real shame when you find something so simple, so perfect, so delicate and don't take the time to enjoy and appreciate it fully, it is wasted. It doesn't live up to its potential. I'm here today to tell you that I've found the color purple and it lives in a North Hill restaurant called Ranchero's Taqueria.<br /><br />Ranchero's Taqueria was located at 286 East Cuyahoga Falls Avenue, Akron, OH 44310 and can be reached at 330-510-2110. Sadly, their web presence is almost completely off the grid. Parking was along the street, or more likely, the fairly large parking lot across from the restaurant.<br /><br />Speaking of which, here was the front entrance:<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Gk2AXoyR5Rc/T3euCse-QnI/AAAAAAAAKo0/L8t8A5OouPU/s1600/IMG_2145.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Gk2AXoyR5Rc/T3euCse-QnI/AAAAAAAAKo0/L8t8A5OouPU/s320/IMG_2145.jpg" alt="Entrance to Ranchero's Taqueria in Akron, Ohio" title="Entrance to Ranchero's Taqueria in Akron, Ohio" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726236812548915826" border="0" /></a><br />What started out as a small operation has grown to include the space next to the original restaurant with a number of tables at which you can sit and enjoy your meal. After being seated, my server left me with the menu:<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JEBr0Rgzx9I/T3euCtsGZlI/AAAAAAAAKos/cF4R2fvKMgw/s1600/IMG_1426.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JEBr0Rgzx9I/T3euCtsGZlI/AAAAAAAAKos/cF4R2fvKMgw/s320/IMG_1426.jpg" alt="Ranchero's Taqueria's Menu Page 1" title="Ranchero's Taqueria's Menu Page 1" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726236812872410706" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-duhwIepnAp8/T3euCVaPtUI/AAAAAAAAKog/HMIQLlbYJ4M/s1600/IMG_1427.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-duhwIepnAp8/T3euCVaPtUI/AAAAAAAAKog/HMIQLlbYJ4M/s320/IMG_1427.jpg" alt="Ranchero's Taqueria's Menu Page 2" title="Ranchero's Taqueria's Menu Page 2" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726236806355072322" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zAkChE6-C9c/T3euCJpB1SI/AAAAAAAAKoY/pc3LRJYHuhA/s1600/IMG_1428.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zAkChE6-C9c/T3euCJpB1SI/AAAAAAAAKoY/pc3LRJYHuhA/s320/IMG_1428.jpg" alt="Ranchero's Taqueria's Menu Page 3" title="Ranchero's Taqueria's Menu Page 3" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726236803195852066" border="0" /></a><br />In addition to the menu, a small whiteboard hung on the wall by the beverage cooler and listed the daily specials. While the daily special during my first visit wasn't anything particularly interesting, I did note that Saturday was "mole" day and Sunday was "menudo" day.<br /><br />As with every other Mexican restaurant, Ranchero's was quick to deliver fresh corn tortilla chips and salsa:<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-g04cI7G01D0/T3euB0Ep-eI/AAAAAAAAKoM/4F75zzzcrWs/s1600/IMG_1432.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-g04cI7G01D0/T3euB0Ep-eI/AAAAAAAAKoM/4F75zzzcrWs/s320/IMG_1432.jpg" alt="Tortilla Chips and Mild Salsa" title="Tortilla Chips and Mild Salsa" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726236797406149090" border="0" /></a><br />During my second visit, my chips were accompanied by both a mild and a spicy version of salsa:<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-veyqMrAeG9o/T3et3sbnhXI/AAAAAAAAKoA/1rOw0BFEPHc/s1600/IMG_2139.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-veyqMrAeG9o/T3et3sbnhXI/AAAAAAAAKoA/1rOw0BFEPHc/s320/IMG_2139.jpg" alt="Tortilla Chips with Mild and Spicy Salsas" title="Tortilla Chips with Mild and Spicy Salsas" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726236623556281714" border="0" /></a><br />The chips were fresh and tasty, but nothing remarkable. The salsa, however, wasn't your traditional tomato, onion, jalapeno, lime, and cilantro. There was something else in the salsa that danced on my tongue -- a slight fruity sweetness. Not so much that it threw off the balance of flavors, but it was completely noticeable. It really added a nice brightness and uniqueness to Ranchero's version of this ubiquitous condiment. It made me think of peach or mango.<br /><br />The menu was comprised of more traditional and less traditional dishes. If what you seek is your standard complement of burritos and enchiladas, smothered in tons of cheese, you can probably find it without too much trouble. And I'm okay with that because in addition to those more Americanized dishes, you can also find this:<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jXnC-J7g-Dk/T3et3X9CzyI/AAAAAAAAKn0/LjFcUunH11k/s1600/IMG_1434.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jXnC-J7g-Dk/T3et3X9CzyI/AAAAAAAAKn0/LjFcUunH11k/s320/IMG_1434.jpg" alt="Burritos Al Pastor and Carnitas" title="Burritos Al Pastor and Carnitas" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726236618059337506" border="0" /></a><br />This was the Al Pastor and Carnitas Burrito combination with refried beans and Mexican rice. Seeing that the carnitas tacos also came dressed with <span style="font-style: italic;">nopales</span> (aka cactus pads), I asked if my burrito could have the same and the kitchen happily complied. While the burritos did have finely shredded cheese on top of them, they also came sauced with a creamy <span style="font-style: italic;">queso bianca salsa</span>. The sauce added a wonderful creaminess to each bite.<br /><br />And speaking of bite, the al pastor burrito had a wonderful combination of savory, sweet and sour (from the pineapple). The carnitas burrito was also a real winner with the cactus salad adding to the overall flavor of the burrito. I think I finished both burritos in record time as they were so delicious. I'll talk about the beans and rice in another minute or so.<br /><br />Of course, this write-up would not be complete without me going back for a second visit to check out the mole. Even as I sat down at the table and the waiter handed me the menu, I knew what I wanted. When my server came back to take my order, I simply said, "Mole." He then asked if I wanted flour tortillas with my meal or the more authentic corn variety. I asked for corn. During my first visit, my dinner had come out of the kitchen fairly quickly. This time, it took a few minutes. I suppose the anticipation was what had me checking my watch time and again.<br /><br />Finally, my server approached my table with this incredible plate of goodness:<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yoveOSqjpw4/T3et3JzxrrI/AAAAAAAAKnk/Eod1ObOeRko/s1600/IMG_2140.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yoveOSqjpw4/T3et3JzxrrI/AAAAAAAAKnk/Eod1ObOeRko/s320/IMG_2140.jpg" alt="Chicken Mole" title="Chicken Mole" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726236614262369970" border="0" /></a><br />At every other restaurant in which I've ordered mole, the chicken has come pre-shredded. Adorned simply with freshly chopped cilantro, I thought Ranchero's was a thing of beauty to behold. While there are many different kinds of Mexican moles, one thing to note is that they are usually long-simmered complex sauces comprised of garlic, onions, chiles, spices, and seasonings. In addition to my chicken mole, my server also brought a foil wrapper with freshly steamed corn tortillas,<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--87MI4EQyk8/T3et29qq0eI/AAAAAAAAKnY/vsw6uNoSydU/s1600/IMG_2143.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--87MI4EQyk8/T3et29qq0eI/AAAAAAAAKnY/vsw6uNoSydU/s320/IMG_2143.jpg" alt="Corn Tortillas" title="Corn Tortillas" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726236611002946018" border="0" /></a><br />and a separate plate filled with more of the refried beans and Mexican rice:<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ma4esGUUwLE/T3et23K3rSI/AAAAAAAAKnQ/jdc5qKZBCJk/s1600/IMG_2142.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ma4esGUUwLE/T3et23K3rSI/AAAAAAAAKnQ/jdc5qKZBCJk/s320/IMG_2142.jpg" alt="Refried Beans and Mexican Rice" title="Refried Beans and Mexican Rice" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726236609258958114" border="0" /></a><br />I gingerly began to shred the chicken from the bones and discovered that the leg meat was hot, juicy, and incredibly tender. After separating meat from bone, I tossed the chicken in the sauce, grabbed two of the corn tortillas and ran a line of sauced chicken from one side to the other before folding it up. From first bite to last, I was in pure heaven. The chicken was luscious and soft, the tortillas added a small hit of sweetness and the mole added everything else.<br /><br />As I let the flavors linger on my tongue, individual components of the sauce revealed themselves, like peeling layers of paint off a well-worn wall. There was heat from the chile, citrus notes from coriander seeds, earthiness from cumin, bitterness from chocolate (I'm guessing chocolate), pungency from garlic, and a whole host of other flavors -- each of which perfectly balanced the others, none of which took the lead. Was the mole spicy? My sinuses registered yes, but just barely.<br /><br />As I savored the flavors, I felt the love that the chef put into this dish and I immediately realized I was seeing the color purple. After greedily chowing down on that first corn tortilla, I took my spoon, pooled some of the sauce in it and brought it to my lips. As I cleaned the spoon of its contents, I closed my eyes and savored the peeling layers all over again. Pure bliss.<br /><br />I finished up the corn tortillas and the chicken mole before turning to the beans and rice. I appreciated the fact that the beans weren't smothered in melted queso fresco. I also thought that while both components were tasty and fresh, they weren't particularly interesting. Perhaps the beans and rice were there as supporting characters to the burritos and the chicken mole. I'm okay with that. While there were salt and pepper shakers on every table during both visits, everything I've had so far has been seasoned perfectly coming straight from the kitchen.<br /><br />What amazed me more than the food was that as I sat there last Saturday waiting for my dinner to arrive that the restaurant wasn't completely packed. There were perhaps five tables filled when I arrived and only two when I left. Ranchero's Taqueria may be one of the best kept secrets in Akron right now. I suppose I am doing myself a disservice by telling you, gentle reader, about this hidden gem. But if you are a fan of authentic flavors, of delicious food, of food that will make you thankful that you have taste buds, you owe it to yourself to check this restaurant out.<br /><br />I should mention that the cost of experiencing heaven in your mouth is roughly $10. I'll be back for the mole often and the menudo soon.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/16/203823/restaurant/Cleveland/Rancheros-Taqueria-Akron"><img alt="Ranchero's Taqueria on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/203823/biglogo.gif" style="border:none;width:104px;height:34px" /></a>Tinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230553378930796656noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762518953396643054.post-84692636960588650642012-03-23T09:45:00.001-04:002012-03-23T09:47:47.371-04:00Lenten Project III: Fish Schedule 3-23-12Here are the final two locations that I will be visiting for the 2012 Lenten Fish Fry season. First up is the overall winner from the first year I started doing this project, <a href="http://exploringfoodmyway.blogspot.com/2010/03/lenten-project-week-3-1-of-2.html">St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church</a>:<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church</span><br />8894 Ohio Rt. 14<br />Streetsboro, OH 44241<br />(330) 626-3424<br />4:30 PM - 7:00 PM<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cafe in Stow</span><br />4591 Darrow Road<br />Stow, OH 44224<br />(330) 688-0200<br />11:00 AM - 9:30 PM<br /><br /><br />I plan on being at St. Joan of Arc at roughly 5:15 PM tonight and the Cafe in Stow at around 6:30 PM. Please feel free to join me for either dinner if you are feeling up to it. It has been such a strange Lenten fish fry season with the weather being so warm. In the past two years, I've had to cancel at least one Friday because of impassable roads and inclement weather.Tinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230553378930796656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762518953396643054.post-48167634776635192352012-03-16T18:00:00.003-04:002012-03-16T21:17:54.758-04:00Lenten Project III: Murphy's Law Can Kiss My $$$Generally speaking, I am a non-religious man. Spiritual, perhaps, but religious, no. I am also not particularly superstitious. I may not walk under ladders in fear of something falling on me, but I have no problem taking the elevator to the thirteenth floor or opening an umbrella indoors in order to let the fabric dry off after a good soaking in the rain. I seldom read my horoscope and when I do, I always think to myself that the scribblings are so generalized that they really could apply to anyone.<br /><br />However, after days like today, I have to think some force is out there keeping an eye on me and every once in a while, a perfect storm brews in such a way that my life is suddenly made miserable, at least temporarily. Let me walk you through such an example, gentle reader. While the only person truly in pain is yours truly, perhaps my tale of woe will give you some entertainment in this mad cap world we live in.<br /><br />The setup actually began back in January, earlier this year. I happen to be a substitute handbell ringer in my mother's church choir. It was an activity I did growing up and throughout high school. After graduating high school, I didn't pick up another handbell for at least fifteen years. I've alternated being a member and a substitute for the last couple of years. To make a long story shorter, every couple of years, various handbell ringing groups get together for ... well, for lack of a better word, a "conference" where we all play the same music, just <span style="font-style: italic;">en masse</span>. Back in January, I agreed to pay my $60 to be a part of this year's festival since it will be in Akron this weekend.<br /><br />Fast forward to this past Wednesday evening. I had shown up early to my weekly camera club meeting and as this was a competition week, the room needed to be transformed to accommodate the night's activities. One of the other members asked me to help bring the lightbox down from the second floor. As I slowly helped to lower the cumbersome (but surprisingly light) box down step by step, I had an odd sensation in my upper right thigh. I didn't think much about it at the time as it was simply a quick tinge of pain, but that was all it took to strain the muscle.<br /><br />As I walked back to my car after the camera club meeting, I noticed a slight change in my gait. It wasn't until I woke up Thursday morning that I really felt it. "Eh," I thought, "it'll work itself out as I start walking." It sort of did and by the time I went out to grab some lunch, I was doing better.<br /><br />Last night, I attended the final handbell choir rehearsal for the upcoming festival. Unfortunately, even with the occasional aid of a wooden stool upon which to sit, I essentially stood for about ninety minutes during rehearsal. When I went to leave, I felt a noticeable amount of pain with each step. Hoping that another night's sleep might help, I returned home, plopped my butt down on a chair (which helps immensely) until it was time to go to bed.<br /><br />I woke up this morning, hopeful that my time spent lacking verticality would pay off with decreased soreness and pain. Nope, no such luck. I'm okay when I sit, but when I stand and/or try to walk, it's quite obvious that I am in pain. Not crippling pain, but enough pain that I kind of hobble along. Since the festival starts tonight, I knew I wasn't going to be able to get in any Friday night Lenten fish fries in.<br /><br />But then an idea struck me. Just down the road from where I work is a small complex of buildings housing a local chain that does fresh fish fries and an Acme Super Market right next door to it. If I take my camera with me, I could do a review of the fried fish sandwich at On Tap Bar and Grille and then stop in at Acme and pick up something to help me deal with the pain (as there will be a *LOT* of standing at this festival). So, I made sure to grab my camera bag along with my keys and wallet and headed out to my car.<br /><br />As I pulled into the very packed parking lot that On Tap and Acme share, I found a spot a tad closer to Acme. Not my preference, but on Friday at 12:30 pm for lunch, it was the only spot available. I decided to do lunch first. <a href="http://www.ontapgrill.com/">On Tap Bar and Grille</a> (one of four locations in the area) was located at 3997 Medina Road, Montrose, OH 44333 and can be reached at 330-668-1116. Here was a shot of the front of the restaurant:<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u4vOeNKJqUc/T2Olbjcvr5I/AAAAAAAAKlg/3U20odwkPl8/s1600/IMG_1952.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u4vOeNKJqUc/T2Olbjcvr5I/AAAAAAAAKlg/3U20odwkPl8/s320/IMG_1952.JPG" alt="On Tap Bar and Grille in Montrose, OH" title="On Tap Bar and Grille in Montrose, OH" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5720597844481519506" border="0" /></a><br />Once inside, I asked to be seated in the lounge area. I find that in general, there are fewer children sitting on that side and it is a more relaxed environment as the tables give you a chance to sit comfortably. While I was handed a menu, I knew what I wanted already and placed my order with my server. The room was pretty packed and I knew that they only did the freshly beer-battered fish on Fridays until they ran out. Fortunately, this was the only thing that was working for me today as they still had fish in the kitchen. After only about fifteen minutes, my sandwich arrived at the table:<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z0zoDLvQXWo/T2Olb8ejXdI/AAAAAAAAKls/sckGIKh8wRc/s1600/IMG_1950.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z0zoDLvQXWo/T2Olb8ejXdI/AAAAAAAAKls/sckGIKh8wRc/s320/IMG_1950.JPG" alt="Fried Fish Sandwich and Shells and Cheese" title="Fried Fish Sandwich and Shells and Cheese" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5720597851199987154" border="0" /></a><br />The sandwich, available year round on Fridays comes with a standard array of sides, some of which came at no additional expense (Fresh-cut fries, applesauce, cole slaw) and some for an additional $1.00 (sweet potato fries, onion rings, pasta shells and cheese, cottage cheese). Having had all of the sides at some point or another, I knew how much I really don't care for most of the fried items. I would normally get the applesauce as my side, but decided in the "macaroni and cheese" spirit of Lent that I would try On Tap's "Shells and Cheese."<br /><br />Today's fish sandwich was fried nicely -- the exterior was crispy and not greasy. However, the actual fish, scrod, was a tad on the dry side. That being said, a little of the (not-so-homemade) tartar sauce and a bit of ketchup and I was good to go. The bun has always been a bit uninspired, neither having a deliciousness of its own or imbued by the kitchen staff by say, buttering and toasting the roll first. The tartar sauce had a nice balance between sweetness and acidity. The shredded lettuce and March tomatoes were more or less pointless and I removed them before eating the sandwich.<br /><br />I could tell that the shells and cheese had been plated first and allowed to sit while the fish was finishing in the fryer as the top of the shells were cold and a bit dried out while the shells at the bottom of the dish were lusciously creamy and still warm. Other than that little bit of discontentment, the shells and cheese were actually quite good and I highly recommend them for the extra $1.<br /><br />My lunch finished, I paid my check (roughly $9 before tip) and wandered back out into the lovely, sunny Friday air. I dropped my camera bag off on my way into Acme, managed to find a bottle of Bayer and made my way to the front of the superstore to pay for my purchase. It wasn't until I got back to my car that Murphy, poised to strike this entire time, delivered his fatal blow. My car refused to start.<br /><br />It wasn't the case of a dead battery. I've had plenty of those over the course of my driving history. The starter was trying to turn over the engine, but it just wasn't happening. After assuring myself it wasn't the battery, my thoughts drifted to the starter motor. Well, if it WAS the starter, would I even get any reaction at all when I turned the key in the ignition switch? I tried on and off for the next ten minutes to get my car started with no luck. Beginning to see that I might have to accept defeat and actually call AAA, I first called the Firestone store in the mall located across the street from my workplace to see if they could take it. "Sure, have it towed here."<br /><br />Next I called AAA where a very helpful woman took down my information and told me that as soon as they arranged for a tow service, they would call me back. Fearing that I might now need a ride to the beginning and ending of tonight's festival plans, I called my mother, who as the group's intrepid organizer, began to escalate her voice in full-on panic attack mode. Fortunately, since I was already in Akron and the festival was in Akron, arrangements could be made for someone to pick me up. As I waited for AAA to call me back, I had time to think about the fact that the car more than likely wouldn't be ready today. And if not, I will have to either have someone pick me up on their way in, or just skip the festival until I can pick the car up. Not exactly what I was hoping for when I signed on back in January.<br /><br />Half an hour went by with no word from AAA, but at that moment, I noticed a tow truck slowly and methodically driving up and down the car aisles. I got out of my car and flagged him down. I told the driver what was going on and he tried to start the car himself. Rrr, rrr, rrr, rrr. Nothing. "Yeah, it's probably your fuel pump. My guess would be $270 for parts and another $250 for labor." Great. Another $500 put into a car I was only planning on keeping for perhaps a few more months.<br /><br />He quickly mounted my car onto the metal bars of his tow truck and off we went to drop it off at the Firestone store. When we arrived, I hopped out of the car (painfully, I might add), grabbed my camera bag, and a folder I had snatched from my car just as the tow truck driver arrived at the scene. It had all of the information I needed for this weekend's festival. After dropping off my keys at the front desk, I gave the clerk my cellphone number and suddenly realized the impossibility of the task now set in front of me.<br /><br />Because of an injury I sustained while helping out at camera club and exacerbated by standing for ninety minutes at the handbell choir practice in preparation for this weekend's festival, I had aggravated the pulled muscle in my right thigh to the point where I had a painful walk and noticeably different gait. I had stopped at Acme to pick up some Bayer to help with the pain, only to leave it in the car, now nicely buoyed into the air at Firestone. I had also decided that since the festival wouldn't allow me the opportunity to attend any Lenten fish fry dinners tonight, I further decided to lug along my twenty pound bag of camera gear in order to get a shot of the food for this blog post.<br /><br />To get back to my office, all I had to do was walk through the mall to the front entrance, cross the main street and walk up to the front door. However, what would take pain-free and unencumbered people ten minutes to do took me roughly half an hour of painful after painful step. Now, I sit here at the festival, waiting for a phone call from Firestone to tell me that it in fact WAS the fuel pump and oh, by the way, might I have $500 laying around with which to pay for the repairs?<br /><br />I have a feeling if I didn't have a good sense of humor, I'd be a lot more depressed.<br /><br />So, there you have it for this week's Lenten fish fry. The good news is that On Tap does a reasonably decent fish fry from fresh fish on Friday's, even outside of Lent. If you're going to get a side, get a non-fried one, even at the premium price if necessary. I do still have reviews from several places last Friday to publish, but I will get those up in the next few days.<br /><br />I sincerely hope that Murphy got it ALL out of his system for now. I don't think I could withstand another round.<br /><br />Here are the current rankings so far from best overall to worst overall as well as an individual grade for each of the major elements on the plate.<br /><br />1. <a href="http://exploringfoodmyway.blogspot.com/2012/03/lenten-project-iii-week-2-part-1-of-2.html">Ancient Order of the Hibernians</a> (Akron): Fish, A; Macaroni and Cheese, B-; Cole Slaw, C-<br />2. On Tap Bar and Grille (Montrose, OH): Fish, B+, Macaroni and Cheese, A-<br />3. <a href="http://exploringfoodmyway.blogspot.com/2012/03/lenten-project-iii-week-1-part-2-of-2.html">Fat Casual BBQ</a> (Macedonia): Fish, B-; Hushpuppies, B; Cole Slaw, A<br />4. <a href="http://exploringfoodmyway.blogspot.com/2012/02/lenten-project-iii-week-1-part-1-of-2.html">American Legion Post 281</a> (Cuyahoga Falls): Fish, B; Cole Slaw, C+; Green Beans, C; Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, B-Tinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230553378930796656noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762518953396643054.post-23399427663212892252012-03-09T12:58:00.000-05:002012-03-09T12:59:00.070-05:00Lenten Project III: Fish Schedule 3-9-12It has been a CRAZY week at work. I know I've already posted <a href="http://exploringfoodmyway.blogspot.com/2012/03/lenten-project-iii-week-2-part-1-of-2.html">Part I</a> of my second week visits already. I promise to get Part II up tonight or tomorrow morning.<br /><br />That being said, here are the two fish fries that I will be attending tonight. Please feel free to come along if you'd like.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">St. Nicholas Orthodox Church</span> (5 to 7 PM)<br />755 South Cleveland Avenue<br />Mogadore, OH 44260<br />330-628-1333<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Harbor Inn / Lighthouse Bar & Grill</span> (5 to 9 PM)<br />562 Portage Lakes Drive<br />Coventry Township, OH 44319<br />330-644-1664<br /><br /><br />I plan on hitting up St. Nicholas right around 5 PM and the Harbor Inn at 6:30 PM. I've been told that homemade pierogi await me at both, so I'm excited to see what I find during tonight's adventure.Tinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230553378930796656noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762518953396643054.post-70073254891726914222012-03-05T22:45:00.002-05:002012-03-05T22:45:00.644-05:00Lenten Project III: Week 2, Part 1 of 2It seems like every year since I started the Lenten Project back in 2010, there has been a Friday with inclement weather that has either jeopardized or threatened to jeopardize the schedule of fish fries I set before myself. The first year, a mountainous amount of snow fell between Thursday and Friday and caused St. Mary's Catholic Church in Hudson to cancel their fish fry entirely. This led me to visit <a href="http://exploringfoodmyway.blogspot.com/2010/02/lenten-project-week-2.html">Duffy's Restaurant</a> in its place (as the restaurant was at the end of the street where I lived at the time) and try their rather disastrous attempt at a fish fry. I still have nightmares about the macaroni and cheese served at Duffy's.<br /><br />Fortunately, this year the winter weather has been much tamer. That being said, as "fried fish hour" approached last Friday night, storms started rolling through the area. Other than a few monsoon-like moments between the two fish fries on the slate for tonight, the weather cooperated for the most part. The first visit of the evening was to another organization with which I am familiar as several of my friends are members, the Ancient Order of Hibernians, located at 2000 Brown Street, Akron, OH 44319. They are operating their Lenten fish fry from 5 PM to 7 PM until March 30.<br /><br />Here was a shot of the front of the building:<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kY4xuhxfnZQ/T1F8kJl1seI/AAAAAAAAKhM/GXVsGrNtwG8/s1600/IMG_1718.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kY4xuhxfnZQ/T1F8kJl1seI/AAAAAAAAKhM/GXVsGrNtwG8/s320/IMG_1718.jpg" alt="Ancient Order of the Hibernians in Akron, OH" title="Ancient Order of the Hibernians in Akron, OH" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5715486362601632226" border="0" /></a><br />Parking was all around the building and a small unpaved (and muddy) lot behind the building. Since I had arrived precisely at 5 PM, parking wasn't a problem. While there was a door on the right side of the building that said, "Entrance," this was actually to the bar area. The correct door to walk through (unless you want to walk through the bar) is the double set of doors at the front entrance. Once inside, you'll queue up into a line and wait your turn to order.<br /><br />Sadly, I didn't get a picture of the menu being served at the Hibernians. However, it was pretty straightforward. For $6, you could get an AYCE (all you can eat) fried whitefish dinner with two sides. For $7, you could get either a piece of baked or fried cod and two sides. For $10, you could get two pieces of either baked or fried cod with two sides. Knowing that I still had another fish fry to attend tonight, I opted for the single piece of fried cod. Of the five or six side dishes from which to choose, I went with cole slaw and macaroni and cheese to complete my meal.<br /><br />Having paid, I was handed a yellow meal ticket. The main hall had been set up with long rectangular tables and chairs. Since it was just myself for the visit, I went up to the bar to procure a beverage (there was a bar area with a bar, but there was also a bar in the main dining hall, too). The Hibernians does sell beer, wine, and spirits (and quite cheaply, I might add), but in order to be eligible to purchase them, you must show a membership card. Fortunately, water and soft drinks require no such identification. I grabbed my glass of water and headed toward the rear of the room.<br /><br />I sat down and within a few moments, a woman approached my table and asked for my ticket. She returned a short time later with a basket of bread and pats of butter:<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gXED1pFYmy8/T1F8jzt3QuI/AAAAAAAAKhA/CpB4xJ5i1Jg/s1600/IMG_1706.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gXED1pFYmy8/T1F8jzt3QuI/AAAAAAAAKhA/CpB4xJ5i1Jg/s320/IMG_1706.jpg" alt="Bread Basket" title="Bread Basket" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5715486356729709282" border="0" /></a><br />The bread was fresh, the pats of butter cold. That being said, this was typical American sandwich bread. Nothing remarkable here.<br /><br />In an interesting twist, my server brought out the side dishes before the fried fish. Here was a shot of the Cole Slaw:<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A88iR8lMpoI/T1F8jto1tPI/AAAAAAAAKg0/FUZg7HluV1g/s1600/IMG_1708.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A88iR8lMpoI/T1F8jto1tPI/AAAAAAAAKg0/FUZg7HluV1g/s320/IMG_1708.jpg" alt="Cole Slaw" title="Cole Slaw" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5715486355098023154" border="0" /></a><br />I originally asked my server if the sides were homemade. She kind of squirmed and said that she really didn't know. As soon as I tasted the cole slaw, I had the answer I needed: this was DEFINITELY homemade. Sadly, in this case, being homemade was not a good thing. While I could tell just by looking at the cole slaw that it wasn't mayonnaise based (which is fine), bite after bite of this incredibly bland dish of shredded vegetables left me wondering if the person who made this actually tasted it before serving it. In addition to lack of salt, there was an incredible lack of acidity. It was like eating shredded crunchy vegetables with a barely acidulated water dressing it.<br /><br />I moved onto the Macaroni and Cheese:<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T397r1ndEy4/T1F8jspcETI/AAAAAAAAKgo/-xn3_KoNRI0/s1600/IMG_1711.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T397r1ndEy4/T1F8jspcETI/AAAAAAAAKgo/-xn3_KoNRI0/s320/IMG_1711.jpg" alt="Macaroni and Cheese" title="Macaroni and Cheese" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5715486354832101682" border="0" /></a><br />Having not been particularly impressed with the cole slaw, I was pleasantly surprised to find that this rendition of the American classic had excellent cheese flavor and was creamy without being soupy. The downside was that it had been cooked nearly within an inch of its life and the phrase <span style="font-style: italic;">al dente</span> had long left the building by this point. Remember that I had shown up at 5 PM on the dot for dinner. Imagine how much worse the texture would be on the macaroni and cheese that wasn't served until 6:45 PM. If you like the texture on your pasta to be near mush, this might just be up your alley.<br /><br />Having just finished assessing the other components of my meal tonight, the star finally arrived:<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jqtk8uWq64M/T1F8jR5vOgI/AAAAAAAAKgg/Pqa0Zvvl2CI/s1600/IMG_1713.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jqtk8uWq64M/T1F8jR5vOgI/AAAAAAAAKgg/Pqa0Zvvl2CI/s320/IMG_1713.jpg" alt="Fried Cod, Tartar Sauce" title="Fried Cod, Tartar Sauce" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5715486347652708866" border="0" /></a><br />I'll have to admit, with the two sides being served ahead of time, this lone piece of fried fish looked a little lonely sitting on the plate next to a cup of tartar sauce, adorned by a single wedge of lemon. Visually, I could tell that the fish had been fried very well -- no signs of oil either absorbed by the paper plate or when I put pressure on the crust to cut it with my fork. As I cut into the fish, I was rewarded with rising steam. Unadorned by either lemon or tartar sauce, I tried the first bite of fish and was pleased as punch to find that it was delicious. It was salted well, was juicy and overall tasted like what fish should taste like. It wasn't the juiciest nor the hottest piece of fish I've ever eaten, but for the crap shoot that I collectively call the Lenten Project, this was an excellent piece of fried fish.<br /><br />I also tried the fish paired with a squeeze of lemon and a bit of tartar sauce. For those that enjoy tartar sauce, it was an excellent pairing with the fish. I doubt the tartar sauce was homemade, but in all fairness, I didn't ask. After finishing with my meal, I packed up my camera gear and headed back out into the wet Friday evening, glad that I had about an hour before the next stop on my pescetarian tour.<br /><br />I would definitely go back to the Ancient Order of Hibernians for another fish fry, but I would definitely avoid the cole slaw the next time.<br /><br />Here are the current rankings so far from best overall to worst overall as well as an individual grade for each of the major elements on the plate.<br /><br />1. Ancient Order of the Hibernians (Akron): Fish, A; Macaroni and Cheese, B-; Cole Slaw, C-<br />2. <a href="http://exploringfoodmyway.blogspot.com/2012/03/lenten-project-iii-week-1-part-2-of-2.html">Fat Casual BBQ</a> (Macedonia): Fish, B-; Hushpuppies, B; Cole Slaw, A<br />3. <a href="http://exploringfoodmyway.blogspot.com/2012/02/lenten-project-iii-week-1-part-1-of-2.html">American Legion Post 281</a> (Cuyahoga Falls): Fish, B; Cole Slaw, C+; Green Beans, C; Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, B-Tinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230553378930796656noreply@blogger.com0