Dinner In The Dark IV

I've really begun looking forward to the monthly Dinner In The Dark series. The first two months, the chefs took us on amazing gastronomic journeys. Sadly, I had to miss the dinner in December due to the atrocious conditions of the roads. I'll drive far for good food, but not when I risk getting into an accident. Fortunately, when it came time for the January dinner on the 17th, the roads were clear, our stomachs were empty and our palates eager for stimulation.

This time around, the event was to take place at Jeff Jarrett's new restaurant, Palate Restaurant and Lounge in Strongsville. Joining Chef Jarrett this time around were some familiar faces as well as some new blood. My companion and I arrived about fifteen minutes before the scheduled start of the event and found our way to our as of yet unoccupied table for eight. As we waited for the others to arrive, I took a snapshot of tonight's menu:


As always, the Dinner In The Dark events benefit a local charity. In tonight's case, it was an organization close to the Jarretts' hearts, the Cleveland Sight Center. The CSC was the location of a fundraiser called Cleveland Chefs Cook For Jewel, a gathering to help raise the funds required to bring one of the Jarrett's newest sight-impaired daughters back from a Chinese orphanage. The CSC is doing absolutely fantastic work in delivering services to Cleveland's sight-impaired folks as well as educating those of us without sight problems as to the needs of those who do.

On the opposite side of this page was the somewhat cryptic menu:


As opposed to the first dinner, courses had been described by simple pictures. Some were easy to decipher, others, not so much. I guess we would just have be adventurous and try whatever was put in front of us!

While we waited for the rest to arrive, Joe DeLuca from Apothecary served us up a tasty pre-dinner cocktail called "A rose by any other name...":


Consisting of Four Roses single barrel bourbon, a pinot noir syrup, rose water, and just a touch of bitters, this was a delicious way to whet our appetites for what was to come. It was expertly mixed and blended and each flavor component was present without dominating the others.

Chef Adam Bostwick from Melange, no stranger to these dinners, presented us with our amuse bouche, a Caramelized Onion and Fig Tartlet with Crispy Sweetbreads and Blue Cheese Ice Cream:


It was a mouthful to say and an even better mouthful to eat! The shortbread crust was incredibly tender and simply melted in my mouth. The play of salty, sweet, crispy and soft all worked so well together. The flavors were definitely strong and while I don't think I'd want to eat a large portion of this, as a one bite starter, it worked incredibly well.

The first course, a Wild Mushroom Bread Pudding with Herb Smoked Onions and Truffle Oil, was presented by Palate's own Chef Jarrett. It was accompanied by a Boffa Dolcetto D'Alba from Piedmont:


As this was being placed in front of me, the heady aroma from the truffle oil filled my nostrils with anticipation. As Jeff has done in the past, he played with textures and flavors that both competed with and complemented each other. The fresh sorrel on top gave the finished dish a herbaceous note to match the already earthy one from the mushrooms. This was a mushroom masterpiece and if the fungus appeals to you in general, you would have loved this. I know I certainly did. Fortunately for all of you gentle readers out there, this dish also appears on Palate's current menu, so you can try it out for yourself.

For our second course, Chef Matt Mathlage from Light Bistro decided that instead of pairing a wine with his course, he picked beer instead:


This was a Menabrea Bionda Biera from Piedmont and paired remarkably well with the dish it accompanied, a Mini Reuben with 14 Day Cured Apple Kimchee:


Of course, it wouldn't be Dinner In The Dark if there wasn't some playful twist on the classic Reuben. Tonight's version had been made with calf tongue and had I not known what the cut was, I would've assumed it was corned beef. The sauerkraut had been cured for seven days using Napa cabbage and the kimchee cured for fourteen days and made with a ninety day vinegar. The results were stunning. The Reuben, for all intents and purposes, ate like a really great sandwich. The kimchee acted all the part of a great side with notes of acidity, spice, salt, and sweet.

Our taste buds fully awake and firing now, Chef Steve Schimoler from Crop Bistro decided to give us a Roasted Beet Salad with Pistachio Crusted Blue and Goat Cheese Crotin, Blood Orange Vinaigrette, and Blood Orange Gelee. He paired this with a Joe Dobbs Jovino Pinot Noir from Oregon:


Made from local Ohio red and yellow beets that had been perfectly roasted to bring out their sweetness, the blood orange vinaigrette and gelee added a bright acidity to help cut through that very sweetness to balance the flavor out. The saltiness from the Blue/Goat cheese combination added just the right amount of "tang" to give the salad another dimension of flavor. As a final touch of flavor and color, Chef Schimoler added an herb-infused oil to dress the plate. Even with the heaviness from the cheese, there was something very refreshing and light about the flavor of this salad.

The fourth course, a Brown Butter Poached Arctic Char with Crisp Aromatic Salad, Smoked Corn and Truffle Risotto, and Basil Sauce, was courtesy of Matt Mytro from StoveMonkeys. This was paired with a Demetria Chardonnay from Santa Barbara:


Words can hardly do this picture justice. The arctic char was cooked perfectly, seared crispy on the outside while the interior flesh was moist and tender. The smoke on the corn added such a unique flavor to the risotto and while it might not have passed recent Top Chef critiquing, it was certainly a delicious version to this taster. The salad that dressed the fish consisted of thinly sliced red onion and fennel mixed with a bit of arugula, which gave it a spicy, anise-flavored kick. Of course, what plate of food wouldn't be complete with a great sauce? The basil sauce delivered its herbaceous kick with serious aplomb. I was worried that the basil flavor might overpower the rest of the dish, but it complemented the other flavors nicely.

It was at this point in our meal that the palate cleansing intermezzo made its appearance. Delivered to us from Ray Garman from Melange, it consisted of a rock hard frozen kiwi slice that had been topped off with an orange granita and a sliver of basil:


When I say that the kiwi was rock hard, I really mean it. Several at my table tried to cut it without success. In the end, the only way to eat it was to simply pick up the entire slice and quickly pop it into your mouth. The flavors were great, but for those of us susceptible to "brain freeze," this was a bit of a nightmare. In the end, this "in the middle" course did its job and we were primed to receive the last two courses.

Our final savory course, a Spicy Espresso Rubbed Petite Veal Striploin Steak with Jalapeno Risotto Croquettes and Haricot Vert, was served by US Foodservice veteran Chris Quinn:


This dish was accompanied by a glass of Sineann Red Table Wine from Oregon. The croquettes very much reminded me of arancini and the spice from the jalapeños was present, but definitely not overwhelming. While the steak had been spice rubbed before grilling, it had also been dressed with an almost mole-like sauce and had hints of dark chocolate or cocoa. In a surprising twist, the chef informed us upon delivering the dish that the plated sauce was a Dr. Pepper and veal demi-glace reduction. It was interesting to see how Chris had incorporated these well-known tastes into a more refined rendition. I should also mention that the steak was melt-in-your-mouth tender while the haricot vert were nicely crispy-tender.

With the savory portion of the evening finished, we finally arrived at our final course of the evening, Caramelized Local Apples, Lucky Penny Goat Cheese, and Black Walnut Granola. This had been paired with a Monmousseau Vonvray from Loire Valley in France:


Delivered by Chef Matt Anderson from Umami (not to be confused with the food truck Umami Moto), he had also incorporated five spice powder and sorghum to create this sweet, but not too sweet finish to our meal tonight. A tiny bit of caramel sauce had also been drizzled on top of the combination to add a touch of cooked sugar savoriness to the dish. Having just eaten an amuse bouche, five courses, and an intermezzo, this was a light way to finish. The apples were tender but also retained a bit of crunch and the granola contrasted well to the softness and delicateness of the Lucky Penny chevre.

Tonight's dinner, with tip and tax, had essentially come out to $80 per person. While I will agree that this is a bit expensive, considering that this was a wine-paired dinner, proceeds were benefiting a local charity, AND an amazing meal cooked by some of the leading Cleveland chefs, I think it was definitely worth the price of admission. The next Dinner In The Dark is being held at Melange restaurant in Beachwood on Monday, February 21st at 7 p.m. Reservations are required as is an adventurous nature when it comes to eating a menu over which you have no control. But then again, that is part of the fun when it comes to participating in these dinners. I plan to be there and I hope to see you there, too!

Preview Of Palate Restaurant And Lounge

I generally make it my practice not to review newly opened or recently opened restaurants. Even with a seasoned chef, line cooks, and wait staff, every restaurant needs about a month or so to fine tune the experience so that it is more or less consistent for every guest. Unfortunately, by sticking to this rule, it doesn't give me the freedom to talk about new and promising restaurants that I think my readers might want to hear about and try for themselves.

Since rules are meant to be broken occasionally, today I decided to make an exception and attend a meal on the opening night of Palate Restaurant and Lounge. Headed by Chef Jeff Jarrett, formerly of North End Restaurant in Hudson, Ohio, I have been suitably impressed with his cuisine at other venues (such as Taste of Hudson 2010 and the first Dinner In The Dark) and I was eager to see what he and his team would put together with their very own place. Originally slated to open towards the beginning of December 2010, various permit delays pushed the actual opening date to the end of December instead.

Palate Restaurant and Lounge was located at 12214 Pearl Road, Strongsville, OH 44136 and can be reached at 440-238-8500. The restaurant was located in a small strip mall just off of Pearl Road and the easiest way to find them when driving down Pearl Road was to look for the cross street, Fall Water Road. Turn into the plaza at that intersection and follow the drive towards the back of the building. Parking was somewhat limited along the side of building, but there was a large lot behind the entire building which should supply ample parking.

Here was a shot of the front of the restaurant:


Tonight I decided to share my meal with three other friends, fellow food blogger Nancy, her husband Bob, and Flickr devotee Edsel. I want to reiterate that today's visit and subsequent write-up is a preview and not a typical review. While I went to the restaurant with the intent of paying for my food tonight (more on that at the end of the review), it would be unfair to any newly opened restaurant as well as to the reader to become too critical of the food and experience as it will ultimately get better and more consistent given a few more weeks. I plan on returning in several months for a more critical sampling of their menu.

[Ed. Note: The following pictures will look a little dark because the location of our table was in a VERY dark spot in the restaurant and I didn't use the flash on my camera (on purpose). I've actually lightened them slightly just to make them pop a little. I didn't want to over-lighten them because I wanted to give you a sense of what to expect when you go for a visit yourself.]

After being seated, we were handed Palate's brand new menu:


What I really liked about this menu (besides the fact that I could fit the entire thing into one photograph) was its elegant simplicity. I've seen so many restaurants who want to offer everything under the sun to their diners and the result is a menu that has no focus and no sense of identity. The other thing that surprised me was the sense of value the menu provided. All appetizers were between $5 and $8, salads between $4 and $7, and entrees between $13 and $20.

While we were honing in on our dining strategy tonight, fresh bread arrived at our table:


The bread was made in-house by the Sous Chef/Pastry Chef Lauren Stephenson. In addition to the fresh bread, softened butter was presented in two small ramekins:


The bread was warmed slightly, enough to allow the butter to gently melt right into the crumb. The bread also came in handy for getting that last bit of sauce or dressing off of the empty plates of food we would consume in the courses to come.

Since there were four of us dining tonight, we decided to split three of the appetizers. First off, we started with two of the Corn Flake Encrusted Crab Cakes:


These were priced per cake and we each ended up with half of a cake. The crab cakes came on a pool of apple butter and nestled on top of the cakes were small strands of candied hot pepper rings. I didn't manage to get any of the candied hot peppers until my very last bite, but when I did, wow was that ever good! One would think that hot peppers would overpower the delicate crab, but given Chef Jarrett's treatment, it remained as an accent flavor.

Our second appetizer was the Citrus-Cured Hamachi, Beets, Horseradish Cream, Pickled Red Onion dressed in a Lemon Basil Vinaigrette:


As with the crab cakes, the hamachi was ordered on a per piece basis and we decided to stick with two pieces here as well. The incredibly delicate flavor of hamachi (aka yellowtail) often has a slightly lemony and buttery flavor and even with all of the other ingredients on the plate, I never lost the taste of the hamachi. One of the hallmarks of Jeff's food is a profound sense of balance and this dish exemplified that fact.

Our final appetizer of the evening was the Buttermilk Fried Chicken Livers over Cheesy Polenta, Spiced Honey and Grilled Scallion Salad:


Ever since I discovered the fried chicken livers at Lolita many moons ago, I have been a complete sucker for a properly fried chicken liver. Tonight's version was crispy on the outside, creamy and tender on the inside and the cheesy polenta added a second layer of softness to each forkful I put into my mouth. While the plate pictured in the photograph above represented a single order, I could've greedily snarfed down the entire lot and not felt guilty at all.

Our appetizers out of the way, we next moved to the salad/soup course. I decided to order the Fried Goat Cheese Salad:


Two rounds of fresh chevre had been coated in bread crumbs and deep fried to a golden brown. I first came upon this sublime flavor at Moe's Restaurant in Cuyahoga Falls many, many years ago and there is just something about the crispy exterior combined with the soft, warm interior that makes this a perennial hit. Paired with the goat cheese rounds were roasted beets, apple, greens and a cranberry honey gastrique. Combining said ingredients on my fork and taking a subsequent bite resulted in a very happy foodie. This was one of the dishes that I used the aforementioned bread to make sure I sopped up every last bit of vinaigrette from the bottom of the dish.

Bob ended up ordering the Soup of the Moment:


I've included a shot of it here because Bob generously asked our server for four soup spoons so that we each could have a taste. Tonight's soup was Potato, Bacon, and Cheddar Cheese and besides being delicious, it was hearty and perfect for a cold winter's day like today.

Our second course now complete, it wasn't long before our entrees made their way to the table:


Tonight I decided to go with the Seared Scallops over Celery Root Puree, Apple Slaw, Gremolata, and Salsa Verde. The puree was super smooth and from the mouth feel, I deduced that it had been finished with either butter and/or cream. The scallops were seared to a golden brown crust on the outside and yet were still tender and translucent on the inside. The apple slaw added a nice textural contrast to the soft scallops and the gremolata and salsa verde brought a bright herbaceous sensibility to the dish. Before I knew it, I was staring down at a completely empty plate and found myself using more of the bread to sop up every last bit.

After clearing our table of finished plates and silverware, our server dropped off the dessert menu. The front of the menu had the desserts:


And the reverse had after dinner drinks:


Eager to try some of Lauren's $5 sweet treats, when I saw the Dark Chocolate Mousse, I knew I couldn't resist it's siren song:


A layer of Devil's Food cake was topped with two spheres of the velvety smooth dark chocolate mousse. Dried cherries were sprinkled on top and in a move that gave the dessert a somewhat "rabbit ears" quality to it, two Parmesan tuilles were inserted into the top. I tried each of the components of the dessert separately and then got down to the business of combining various flavors. Joining the umami and salty qualities of the Parmesan cheese with the sweetness and slight bitterness from the dark chocolate was an interesting idea. While pairing chocolate with cheese is a home run for some people, for me it didn't do much to elevate the dish. Of course, given that I nearly licked the bowl clean after reaching the bottom, clearly I had no complaints about the flavors.

At various points in our meal, Jeff, Lauren, and General Manager Chrisopher Von Alt stopped over to see how our meal was. In what came as a complete shock to all of us, when at last our table was completely cleared of plates and dishes, our server approached us to tell us that the meal had been comp'd by Chef Jarrett. We earnestly put up a protest, but she stood firm in her resolve. We at least insisted that we would need to know the check total so that we could tip her properly. Alcohol excluded, tonight's check for the four of us, with tax, came to $37.50 per person.

I was at first concerned that having the meal comp'd would compromise my ability to write about tonight's experience, but I quickly realized that a) this was a preview of the menu and b) my opinions had already been formed before finding out about Chef Jarrett's more-than-generous gift to us. Once the restaurant has had time to settle into itself, I will return for what hopefully amounts to a more anonymous critical analysis of the food (as much as is possible since much of the staff now knows what I look like).

In the meantime, I highly encourage you to check out this new addition to the Strongsville culinary scene. The food was innovative without being too "out there," the prices were completely in-line with the level of cuisine and the staff seemed knowledgeable and eager to make sure our dining experience was top notch. As the restaurant is brand new, I would recommend that you call for reservations just to make sure they have a table waiting for you when you go. With plans in early 2011 to add lunch service and a Sunday brunch, I look forward to many more good meals at Palate. Considering that they are only a thirty (30) minute drive from the Montrose area via the Turkpike, I definitely think it's a worthwhile trip. If you decide to try them out for yourself, shoot me an email or leave a comment and tell me about your experience.

Finally, I would encourage you to check out Nancy's blog post about her experience at Palate. In addition to joining Edsel and I for dinner tonight, she and Bob also attended a "Family and Friends" dinner the night before and has some added perspective that is definitely valuable.

The Culinary Illuminati At Dinner In The Dark

It would seem a touch cruel of me to write about a meal that you, gentle reader, couldn't actually go out and eat yourself. On first glance, you might think that this review of the Dinner In The Dark event which happened on Monday, October 11th, 2010 might be exactly that. The bad news is that the dinner on the 11th is over and done with, the menu not to be repeated. The GOOD news is that the Dinner In The Dark is a series of dinners, not just a lone event. In that light, use my review of the first instance as preparation for what to expect at future dinners.

As opposed to what the name suggests, Dinner In The Dark has nothing to do with the lighting at the restaurant and everything to do with going into the dinner knowing nothing of the menu. Six local chefs, representing six different cuisines and approaches, agreed to get together at Verve Restaurant in Cleveland, Ohio to cook a multi-course meal complete with wine pairings in a charity event that benefited Veggie U, a non-profit organization run by farmer Lee Jones to help promote fresh and healthy fruits and vegetables to children.

Verve, normally only open for breakfast and lunch from Monday through Friday, opened up its kitchen and its dining room to 60+ eager diners, ready to try out whatever the chefs put together. Verve was located at 1332 Carnegie Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115 and can be reached at 216-664-5500. Parking was in the lot directly next to the restaurant and while there may be a charge to park during the day, at tonight's event, it was free.

After parking, I took a shot of the front entrance to Verve:


Once inside, I gave the hostess the name of my party and she sat us at a long table set for twelve diners (there were at least five or six of these tables set up for tonight's dinner). Once seated, I noticed the menu sitting in front of me. Here was a shot of the front, detailing the courses and the paired wines:


And a shot of the back of the menu listing individuals and organizations:


Shortly after being seated, a server was over to fill our water glasses and hand my dinner companion and I a starter cocktail, the Autumn Snapper:


Made with freshly pressed Honey Crisp apple juice, heirloom cherry tomatoes, Campari, Aperol, and Cynar (pronounced chi-nar) shaken over ice, it was garnished with just a few sprigs of micro parsley. To my nose, the cocktail definitely smelled of the earthiness of fresh tomatoes, but upon tasting it, the crispness of the apple juice definitely shined through. The other bitter components in the drink, the Campari, Cynar, and Aperol, added a subtle bitterness that offset the sweetness of the apples and tomatoes. This was a nicely balanced cocktail and a quite refreshing way to start off dinner.

Before dinner started, servers were suddenly walking amongst the guests delivering an unexpected surprise, an amuse bouche:


An amuse bouche is generally a one or two bite morsel of food that allows a chef to set the tone for the rest of the meal or stimulate the diner's appetite for more. In tonight's case, this was accomplished with baby peppers that had been stuffed with roasted butternut squash, goat cheese, pepitas and chopped bacon. The crunch from the seeds and chopped bacon matched well with the creaminess from the squash and goat cheese. If the chefs were trying to stimulate our appetites, it was definitely working.

Our first course was delivered to us by Chef Matt Mathlage from Light Bistro and was paired with a Oremus, Fermint Dry, MandolisTokaji, Hungary 2006:


This remarkably inventive dish contained garlic pudding, pesto "soup," pickled radish over a rye bread puree, and a single stalk of gai lan, or bitter Chinese broccoli. I couldn't help but take individual tastes of each component before combining them together and the minute I tasted each component, I knew that they could've only been made by the restrained hand of Chef Mattlage. Other than the strongly bitter Chinese broccoli and the pickled radish, every other component was so subtly presented on the plate. The rye bread puree was simply amazing: he had taken rye bread essence and made a smooth sauce out of it. The sharpness of the pickled turnip helped to cut through some of the richness of the garlic pudding, itself having been loaded with quite a bit of butter. I wished the gai lan had been a touch less bitter, but I still appreciated how the flavor bounced off the others on the plate.

The second course was presented by Chef Chris Hodgson, owner of the Dim and Den Sum truck, who decided to play with pigs ears tonight. His dish was paired with a Domaine de Piaugier, Les Ramieres Vaucluse, Rhone Valley, France 2007 :


Here you had a Delicata squash ring that had been filled with an ultra-creamy polenta and topped with a bit of mosh, duck fat-confited crispy pigs ear strips and sauced with a mustard vinaigrette containing chopped capers. The pigs ears were fried to perfection and my dining companion, having never eaten pigs ears before, said that she actually liked them. Crispy on the outside and just a little sticky to the teeth on the inside, they matched well with the strong vinegar flavor of the vinaigrette. The Delicata squash was cooked all the way through and complemented the smooth polenta that the chef had prepared. Even the salty bite from the capers was appreciated in this vast flavor explosion.

The third course was presented by Chef Adam Bostwick from Melange and was a playful re-interpretation of a Caesar salad. It was paired with a Corta alla Flora, Giugglio Bianco, Montepulciano, Italy 2008:


Here you had a toasted piece of brioche, a fried egg yolk with still runny center, a single sliver of white anchovy, purple romaine, slightly sweetened and ever-so-slightly toasted meringue, and a drizzle of agrodolce ... a sauce both sweet and sour. As the chef described it to us, we were instructed to combine the various flavors in one bite. The resulting combination should reconstruct the flavor of a Caesar salad. For me, this was the least successful dish of the night; not because it didn't taste good, but because to me it failed to achieve the goal of tasting like a Caesar salad. The fried egg yolk was beautifully runny on the inside and after cutting a bit of each of the other components, I placed them on my fork and took a bite. Missing for me at a minimum was the garlic. I think the addition of a handful of freshly grated Parmesan cheese may not have been in the original recipe and I can overlook that, but the garlic I definitely missed. The slightly sweetened meringue was also a bit of a mystery to me, seemingly out of place in this quite savory dish.

Thankfully, when you let a group of chefs cook for you what they want, they know when to give your palate a break. Following the first three courses, a simple intermezzo was brought to the table:


This was a single small scoup of a lemon verbena sorbet topped with just a few thinly sliced strands of the freshly infused herb. This was simple, it was delicious, and it fulfilled its purpose spectacularly.

The fourth course was prepared and presented to us by Chef Brandt Evans from Blue Canyon and was a seared scallop dish. It was paired with a Max Ferd Richter, Estate Reisling, Mosel, Germany 2008:


The impeccably fresh, dry-packed scallops had been seared to a perfect golden brown, topped with impossibly thin slices of fresh radish, and served with an Indian curry coconut sauce, fresh basil oil, and some of Farmer Jones's amazing colored cauliflower. I've had some delicious dishes in my time, but this plate of food was amazing. The perfectly cooked scallops were sweet and tender and the interplay between the creaminess of the coconut milk and the barely perceptible spice from the Indian curry matched so well with the pristine seafood. Not being a huge cauliflower fan myself, I eagerly gobbled up every last bite of food from this plate and was half tempted to lick it clean. Bravo, sir! Bravo!

Where I thought I had achieved epicurean nirvana with the fourth course, when recently departed Chef Jeffrey Jarrett from North End Restaurant presented his plate of braised beef short ribs with sauce, polenta and vegetables, my mouth watered even before I tasted it. This course was served with a Wild Hog Petite Syrah, Sonoma Coast, California 2006:


The short ribs had been braised to absolute perfection. They were so soft and tender that not only was a knife not required to eat them, but its use would have been an insult to the chef. After the short ribs finished cooking, the braising liquid was reduced, chocolate was added and eventually the whole lot was mounted with butter and used as a sauce for the ultra-tender meat. I actually started with the polenta and was shocked that even though we had eaten polenta as one of the components of our second course, Chef Jarrett's polenta was wholly different. With just a little bit of texture from the medium-course corn meal, this polenta screamed "Corn!" at me.

While walking around and talking to groups of diners, he insisted that he hadn't done anything particularly special to the polenta to enhance the flavor, so clearly he must have started with stellar cornmeal. While the vegetables on the dish were nice, nothing, and I mean not even the marvelous polenta, could prepare me for the short ribs and sauce. All around me people were moaning in ecstasy as they ate the meat and sauce combination and as soon as I took a bite myself, I could see why. The level of complexity was exquisite. I've eaten very few things in my life where I immediately shut my eyes and focused solely on the enjoyment of food. This was one of those moments. If there was a superlative to "Bravo," I would be using it here.

Not knowing if it would even be possible to top the fifth course, Chef Ellis Cooley from AMP 150 surprised everyone by serving up a freshly baked beet cake adorned with foam and a single wafer-thin piece of beet paper paired with creme fraiche ice cream over a crumble:


The beet cake had been made using fresh beets and I was simply amazed that not only was the cake hot, moist, delicate and most importantly, delicious, but you could actually taste a very subtle beet flavor in it. The creme fraiche ice cream was silky smooth and because of the tartness from the creme fraiche, it helped to cut the fattiness from the ice cream and the cake. I tried each component individually and combining the flavors together and no matter which way I ate it, I was a completely happy camper.

The other benefit of tonight's dinner was that in addition to the dinner cost per person going toward charity, all of the wines we had with dinner were being sold by the bottle and proceeds of the sale were also going toward Veggie U. By that point in the evening, myself and my dinner companion had to hop back in the car to drive back to Akron, so we missed out on the auction portion of the evening, but at the very least, dinners for four were being auctioned off at the various chefs' restaurants.

Dinner tonight was $50 per person, excluding tax and tip, so this wasn't an inexpensive meal. However, and I can speak for all those seated around me, too, the food went from fantastic to mind blowing, the service was efficient and friendly, and all of the money spent was for a very worthwhile cause. I am eager to return on November 15th, 2010 at 6:30 PM for the next installment of this series. If you have the wherewithal to attend, I highly encourage you to do so. To make a reservation, simply call AMP 150 at 216-706-8787 and give them your name and the size of your party.

Perhaps I'll see you there!

A Visit To North End Restaurant

When last I mentioned Chef Jeff Jarrett and the North End Restaurant and Wine Bar in Hudson, Ohio, it was during this year's Taste of Hudson event. Just as with my idea at the 2010 Taste of Akron, instead of trying to do the impossible and eat the food from every single one of the vendors, I singled out three or four restaurants on which I hadn't done any type of formal review and sampled their food as a pre-cursor to an official visit and review. Chef Jarrett's food at the Labor Day festival had really impressed me and my companions and I decided that today would be the day for my unannounced visit. Since Chef Jarrett obviously knew what I looked like, I wasn't sure how long my visit would remain anonymous, but I figured I'd at least give it the college try.

The North End Restaurant and Wine Bar was located at 7542 Darrow Road, Hudson, OH 44236 and can be reached at 330-656-1238. Parking was located in a fairly large lot just outside of the building. From Darrow Road (aka State Route 91), the sign for the restaurant was clearly visible on the west side of the road:


And here was a shot of the entrance:


It should be noted that the market portion of the facility opened earlier in the day, 11 AM every day except for Sundays and Mondays. While the website lists lunch hours, I can assure you that only dinner is currently being served starting at 5 PM on the days that they are already open. I had stopped in one other time to try them for lunch only to discover that while the doors were open, the only item being sold was retail wine and beer. Tonight I decided to stop in at around 5:30 PM on a Wednesday evening. Fortunately, while there was a scheduled wine tasting later in the evening, the number of patrons here for dinner was small.

After being seated, my server left me with the menu:





An interesting thing to note on the menu was that Italian bread was available for $3. I've heard of restaurants that only serve bread upon request or have started charging for the service, but the North End was the first restaurant where I've actually come across this policy. I thought about ordering some of the bread to accompany my meal, but by the time my entree arrived today, I knew that I would be too full to appreciate it. Next time, for sure.

As usual, I decided to go with multiple courses in order to see how well played out the menu was. For my appetizer, I started out with the Crispy Pork Belly:


The fanned slices of ultra-tender pork belly had been plated atop kimchee that had been pureed and then brushed onto the plate. Sitting next to the pork was an arugula salad with a brunoise of red onion, plums, and fresh peaches and dressed with a light citrus vinaigrette. I first tasted the kimchee shmear and was rewarded with a wonderful spicy and sour flavor with a bit of spice aggressiveness towards the front of my mouth. When I combined a bit of the pork, salad, and kimchee puree, I was pleased to discover crunchy (from the seared outer edge of the pork belly), creamy, sweet, spicy, and tangy.

While I thought the salad by itself could use a touch more salt, when everything was combined together and eaten as one forkful, this was an amazingly rich and complex dish. I would have never pictured myself being a lover of pork belly, but Chef Jarrett's take on it was delicious and satisfying. For those concerned about spice levels, I should mention that the heat from the kimchee was quite mild and unless you have a complete aversion to anything spicy, you really will enjoy the playfulness of the dish.

For my second taste of the evening, I settled on a cup of the Soup du Jour, which in today's case was the Lobster Bisque:


When this small cup of happiness first arrived at my table, I was completely taken with its terra cotta color and intense seafood aroma. As I dug into the viscous liquid, I noticed that not only was the lobster completely infused into the soup, but there were additional bits of lobster floating throughout as well. Upon tasting my first spoonful, I was again presented with sweet, salty, tangy, creamy, and spicy, but a different spicy. This time the spice hit me gently in the back of the throat, a sure sign that cayenne chili powder had been used to give this bisque some zip. I found myself eating spoon after spoon of this delicious course until sadly, I reached the bottom of the cup. I'm actually thankful that the bisque only came in the smaller "cup" size as had a bowl of this been placed in front of me, I probably would've licked the damn thing clean and been too full for my entrée afterward.

Speaking of entrées, tonight I decided to try the North End Chicken:


Consisting of an Airline cut chicken breast seared to a wonderful golden brown, it rested on top of shredded dark meat from the chicken, goat cheese dumplings, and various cuts of regular and Dragon carrots. All of which had been enhanced by a pan sauce finished with butter and drizzled with a touch of white truffle oil. I decided to try the sauce first and work my way up to the chicken breast. The sauce was exactly what I expected it to be and I could taste the richness from the butter and the slight zip from the fresh herbs that the chefs had thrown in right at the end before plating. What delighted me was the almost earthy headiness that could only come from a drizzle of the white truffle oil.

The goat cheese dumplings were only slightly tart and were completely tender without at all being mushy. The least successful part of the dish, the carrots, were a tad undercooked. Actually, the smallish coins of carrots underneath the chicken were okay since they were small, but when I cut a piece from the larger varieties lining the sides of the plate, I was surprised to find that they still had a bit of their raw flavor and crunch.

The chicken itself, as you can see from this shot, was incredibly moist and juicy:


While the breast meat was great, I think I enjoyed the scattered shredded dark meat even more. Either way, I really savored this dish and with all of the components going on, I was happy to see that everything was perfectly seasoned ... which was a good thing since nary a salt nor pepper shaker could be found at any of the tables in the restaurant. By the time I finished my entrée, it was roughly 6:30 PM, approximately an hour after I had first arrived and about a half-hour before the beginning of the wine tasting. When my server approached me about dessert, I politely declined and asked for both the check and Chef Jarrett if he wasn't in the weeds.

Moments later, Chef Jarrett appeared from the kitchen, looked at me and exclaimed, "You were supposed to tell me when you were coming!" I laughed and responded, "No, no. It doesn't work like that." In the end, tonight had turned out to be a completely anonymous visit and I'm glad I had a chance to review the food as if it was meant for any other regular diner. Chef Jarrett and I talked for a few minutes before he had to return to the kitchen to finish preparations for the impending wine tasting.

With tax, my meal tonight came to slightly under $32, which for the three very tasty courses I enjoyed this evening, I felt was well worth the price. Having finally had a chance to eat a proper meal inside the actual restaurant, I am quite excited about returning for many more in the future. If you haven't had a chance to try out the chef's inventive and tasty menu, I would suggest you stop by and give them a chance soon. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

[Ed. Note: I contacted Chef Jarrett to let him know when this review would be published on the blog (he asked me to let him know when the review would go live) and he informed me that he has officially turned in his notice at North End Restaurant in order to pursue his own place. As information becomes available to me of the chef's future endeavors, gentle reader, I will be more than happy to pass along these details to you. And, of course, when North End replaces Chef Jarrett with a new chef, you can expect a re-review of the food.]

A Tasty Sampling Of The Taste Of Hudson 2010

It seems as though festivals celebrating the local restaurant scene are now in full force and quite popular. With people looking for a great way to celebrate the Labor Day weekend, there are several popular choices this year from which to pick. In Cleveland, there is both the Ohio Natural Gas Taste of Cleveland (the PR and marketing people need to work on that name, no?) and the Oktoberfest in Berea. If you live closer to Akron than to Cleveland, there is also the Taste of Hudson. About a week ago, I was contacted by good friend and fellow food blogger Kathy from Carano's Cucina and asked if I wanted to join her and her husband, Nick, for a walkthrough of this year's festivities at the First & Main shopping district in Hudson.

Because of our diverse schedules, we drove and parked separately and then met up around 2 PM. Parking was a bit tricky as the parking deck was essentially closed. I ended up finding a parking spot on Atterbury Boulevard, just east of the train tracks. Streetside parking was available for free and I took advantage of it. As I walked toward the area where the festival was being held, I knew that I was heading in the right direction when I saw this sign advertising the festival:


I proceeded to walk to the corner of Library and Park (where the Coldstone Creamery was located) and noticed the first of two booths where money was being exchanged for magnetic striped cards that would then subsequently be used to purchase food. The other booth was located at the corner on the opposite side of the square at the intersection of First and Village Way:


There were actually two lines: one for credit card payments and the other for cash transactions. Needless to say, the line for the credit cards was long and the one for cash was blissfully short. Fortunately, I had brought enough cash with me today that I totally avoided the long lines. I decided that $20 worth of credit ought to be enough to get me all of the samples I would need to write up this entry. The nice thing was that I could always go back for more if I needed it. I didn't specifically ask, but at other festivals similar to the Taste of Hudson, there aren't refunds for unused money at the end of the event, so spend wisely.

After meeting up with Kathy and Nick, we proceeded to walk the entire square, looking at restaurants, menus, and judging whether or not the food looked interesting enough to brave the lines. Instead of trying to write up the twenty or so vendors that were participating this year, I decided to adopt the same tactic that served me so well for the Taste of Akron 2010; I would visit the booths for the restaurants I was interested in doing a proper review at some point in the future.

The initial item on today's culinary agenda was a visit to the booth for Blue Canyon (warning: gratuitous use of Flash) in Twinsburg, Ohio. As it turned out, Chef Brandt Evans had also shown up and was talking with an attendee when we visited his booth:


Both Kathy and I decided to try the Beef Brisket Sandwich with Coleslaw. At only $4, this was a very large sandwich and a very good value:


Here was a shot of the guts of the sandwich, crown removed:


And finally, not to be outdone, the crown of the bun itself:


This was a very tasty offering. The brisket was tender, juicy, and had just the right amount of smoke to it. The sauce used to dress the meat was well balanced between smoke, sweet, and acidic. The bun was fresh and held up to the wet ingredients in the interior. The only real issue I had with the sandwich was that while there were certain bites that contained enough coleslaw to act as a nice foil to the meat, other bites seemed completely devoid of any of the crunchy salad. A simple fix? A bit more coleslaw, please.

Having finished my brisket sandwich, we walked around the square until we came upon the target of my next tasting which just happened to be located directly in front of the new restaurant bearing the same name, One Red Door. They were also serving up a variety of adult tastes today:


One Red Door only recently opened its doors having replaced the much loved Vue Restaurant. While there was around three or four options on the menu, the Macaroni and Cheese with Smoked Brisket at $5 called out to me:


First, the good news. For being held and served out of a chaffing dish, the pasta was in remarkably good shape. It was cooked properly and had a nice chew to it. The smoked brisket was also cooked to the point where it was still tender and easily shredded under the weight of my plastic fork. The sauce on the brisket was assertively smoky, sweet and sour. I do think that Blue Canyon's brisket was a little better, but only marginally so. The bad news was that the cheese sauce dressing the pasta was completely lost in the boldness of the brisket. Even just eating the macaroni and cheese by itself, I couldn't help but think that I would've enjoyed it much more had it been made with a bolder cheese flavor. I enjoyed the viscosity of the cheese sauce, enough that it coated the noodles well, but it was not swimming in a pool of sauce mornay. Overall, while this dish wasn't bad, it was today's last place finisher.

Finally, having made it completely around the entire square and back to where we started, we stopped at the last booth on my agenda today, the North End Restaurant and Wine Bar:


I still had $11 left on my dining card and it looked like I would be rounding out my experience at the Taste of Hudson today with two of North End's menu items. First up, for $4 was the Goat Cheese Stuffed Peppadews:


These were little nuggets of heat, sweet, acidity, and goat cheese flavored goodness all rolled up into one. According to Chef Jeff Jarrett who was working the event today and stopped over to chat with us when he recognized me, these are commonly served right out of the jars in which they are brined. The brine was the reason that each of these little bites had a wonderful hit of acidity. The goat cheese flavor was actually subdued a bit and the mild spiciness from the peppadew rolled around in my mouth as I chewed each morsel.

The final item on my tasting schedule for only $4 was the homemade Potato Gnocchi with Braised Beef Short Ribs:


A combination of potato gnocchi that had been crisped up in a mixture of butter and oil and a braised beef short rib that was so tender it could be cut with only a minute amount of pressure from my plastic fork, the meat literally melted in my mouth. The gnocchi, not to be outdone, had a truly delightful potato flavor to it and the contrast of textures between the soft interior of the pasta and the crusty outer exterior made it a truly delicious bite to eat. Kathy also got the gnocchi and short ribs and she proclaimed her love for the dish as well. Of the three restaurant booths I visited today, this dish was by far my favorite. Then again, I'm a complete sucker for a well executed plate of gnocchi; it's sad that so few restaurants seem to be able to pull off a good version.

As with my experience at the Taste of Akron this year, I know that I can expect some fantastic meals at all three restaurants when I finally get around to officially reviewing them. The Taste of Hudson 2010 will be happening today, Monday, September 6th from 11 AM until 6 PM. While there were plenty of vendors whose food offereings I didn't have a chance to sample today, I would suggest that if you are looking for wonderful food in a fun atmosphere, you make it a point to stop out and pick your own favorites. $20 was enough for me to work my way around the square and it should be plenty for you, too.