Another Visit To L'Albatros

I was recently invited to join a group of other diners at the latest Cleveland Eats group of Meetup.com. The group schedules periodic dinner dates at some of Cleveland and Akron's newest and hottest restaurants. Tonight's dining destination? L'Albatros in University Circle. Having eaten there several times in the past, I was excited to return again to experience some of Zack Bruell's amazing country French fare.

Parking has always been a bit tight at L'Albatros. In the past there was a self-service machine at the front of the lot where you inserted cash or a credit card, paid for the number of hours you needed, and proceeded to walk into the restaurant. I don't know if that system has been replaced, but tonight there was a gentleman at the front entrance to the parking lot taking cash and doling out parking passes. Fortunately I managed to snap one of the few remaining spots available.

Here was a shot of the entrance to the restaurant:


Once inside, I was seated at the exact same table I've been at time and time again. Apparently there are only a few spots to put large parties. And as last time, the lighting inside the restaurant was extremely dim. In my last post, I had to pretty much discard all of my photos as they came out way too dark. This time, I had the advantage of having a flash camera. Fortunately, I sat at the end of the table where both food photographers were sitting, so we could minimize the exposure to others at the table.

As our entire party finally settled in for a much anticipated meal, one of the servers began doling out slices of French bread:


On its own, this was excellent bread, a sourdough version. Of course, I remarked about how good the bread tasted during my last visit, too. While there was softened butter for those who wished to partake, one additional condiment was present on the table that I hadn't seen before, a whole-grain, country-style Dijon mustard:


I thought that this was an even better condiment than the butter would have been. It was sweet, tart, spicy and salty all at the same time. And since the mustard seeds were only partially ground, they gave the spread a lovely texture that contrasted nicely with the bread.

Even though I had a flash camera tonight, menu shots are more or less pointless because of the physical size of the menu. Don't misunderstand, the menu was only a front and back side of a single piece of heavyweight paper. However, the physical dimensions on that piece of paper would've made photographs either incredibly hard to read or oddly disjointed. A better use of your time would be to check out the menu already posted on their website.

In the end, I decided to go with three tastes tonight. First, a salad from the daily specials. Second, a dish from one of their standard menu appetizers. Finally, an entree from one of their standard menu dishes.

Having given in to my relatively recent love affair with fresh roasted beets, once I heard that the daily salad special contained them, I was sold:


Consisting of a mixture of golden yellow and red beets, goat cheese, and arugula, this was simply dressed in a very light and slightly sweet champagne vinaigrette. Between the sweetness of the beets, the tanginess from the goat cheese, and the pepperiness from the arugula, this was quite the taste sensation. The leaves were perfectly dressed and by the time I reached the bottom of the plate, not an extra drop of dressing could be found.

For my appetizer course, the chicken liver and foie gras mousseline was simply calling my name:


Served with pickled red onion, cornichon and toasted bread slices, this was a sinful and unctuous way to celebrate liver. The mousseline was incredibly smooth, spreading easily on the toasted bread and delivering a mild liver flavor that literally melted in your mouth. Paired with the acidic onions and cornichon, this dish hit all the right spots on my tongue. I didn't ask my server, but I'm certain based on how light the mousseline tasted, it must have contained either whipped heavy cream or butter. Either way, it was decadent and delicious.

Finally, the main course. Having recently seen an episode of Bobby Flay's Throwdown series on moules frites (aka mussels and fries), I knew that once I saw it on the menu at L'Alabtros, I had to order it. Here was a shot of my entree tonight:


The mussels were sitting in a white wine and butter sauce with lots of fresh garlic. The frites were topped with a chili-spiced aioli that gave a mild, but successful "zing!" to each bite of the frites. The mussels themselves were perfectly cooked and very tender. The broth, while delicious, really needed something other than frites in order to soak up the amazing juice ... perhaps some nice crusty French bread. Sadly, by that point, the "bread guy" had stopped making his rounds at our table. The frites were decent enough, clearly they were homemade, but they just don't have that nice crispness to them that I really desire in a fried potato. That being said, they were consistent with other versions of frites that I've had in Cleveland.

While some of our group still had room for dessert, I needed to pay my check and leave a little earlier since it was a work night and I still had to drive back to Akron. Overall, I really enjoyed my return trip back to L'Albatros and I'm happy that Chef Bruell's vision of a French brasserie is enjoying continued success. I know I am looking forward to returning soon for another excellent meal. The casual, yet intimate feel of the dining room should appeal to diners who are looking for a romantic evening out or who might just be looking to be transported to a small countryside restaurant in the southern part of France.

Checking In On Prime at Anthe's

The last time I visited Prime at Anthe's, I was absolutely stunned at the difference between that visit and previous visits, when the restaurant was under different ownership. The new owners had revamped the menu and the food so that it was fresh, tasty, and honestly, much more financially accessible to the average diner. I decided that I would return to Prime at Anthe's today for lunch, a mere seven months later, to check in and see if they've been able to keep the momentum alive.

I had tried to preview their lunch menu by downloading it off of their website before I went in order to check out what would be in store for me. Unfortunately, I think their webserver might have been under strain because the website took forever to load and once it did, the rather large PDF file containing the menu just pooped out after only about 4% had downloaded. I guess I was going to have to go into this one blind.

After being seated at a small table for two by the window in the bar area, I quickly began examining the menus that the hostess had left. First, a shot of the Early Bird menu, which was also available during lunch hours:


Here was a shot of the front of the lunch menu:


And the back:


I noticed that many of the available dinner entrees from which I had to choose the last time I ate at Prime were available as lunch-sized portions at a reduced price. It occurred to me that if you are on a budget but still want to try the food, you might just consider coming for lunch instead.

As with all meals at Prime at Anthe's, the bean salad


and the basket of warm sourdough dinner rolls


are both obligatory and complimentary. I noted that the dressing for the bean salad was a little thinner in consistency this time versus last. Before I served myself a portion, I had to "refresh" the beans a bit by scooping them from the bottom of the dish onto the top to redistribute the creamy dressing. I talked about both the rolls and the bean salad in my last post, so I won't belabor you with another description. Suffice it to say that they were both very good.

After hearing my server describe the soups du jour, I decided to try one and went with a cup of the homemade chicken and rice soup:


While I don't normally comment on the crackers that go along with the soup, today they were noteworthy:


Wondering what "All Natural" meant when applied to oyster crackers, I flipped the package over and discovered that the ingredients consisted of unbleached wheat flour, water, canola oil, evaporated cane juice, salt, yeast, and baking soda. I guess that's about as all natural as you can get. I appreciated this small touch to my meal.

The soup itself was brought to the table piping hot and was quite good. Studded with chunks of shredded white and dark meat chicken, carrots, onion, celery and rice, this was a filling soup. I didn't realize how full I was until I finished the entire cup. Had I not been eager to try a sandwich off the lunch menu, I probably could've been happy with my rolls, bean salad, and cup of soup.

That being said, I was overwhelmed when my fried perch poboy platter came out:


Two thoughts popped into my head when my server sat this down on the table in front of me. First, how on earth was I going to be able to eat all that? Second, oh - my - god - the - smell - of - fresh- rosemary - coming - off - those - fries - was - amazing. Despite the Pavlovian response to dig straight into the pile of French Fries, I managed to contain myself and take a few photos first.

A close-up of the perch sandwich:


And a close-up shot of the multitude of layers comprising my quite substantial sandwich:


There was some homemade tartar sauce supplied in a small cup,


but given how moist and juicy the sandwich was already, I didn't even bother with it. I did, however, taste it on its own and the sweetness from the pickles really complimented the flavor of the tartar sauce. Had my sandwich not already come sauced with what appeared to be a chipotle aioli, I would definitely have gone to the trouble to use it.

The sandwich was excellent. It was a bit challenging to get my mouth around it, but once I did, I got juicy, creamy, crispy, tangy, and crunchy all in one bite. The Asian slaw advertised on the menu was of a vinegar, sugar, and salt variety and had more of a sweet than tangy flavor. Everything just worked so well together. I was really bummed that I could only eat half. Had my stomach not already been hurting from the sheer volume of food I had already consumed, I think my brain could've convinced me to take another bite or two.

Not to be outdone, the French Fries tossed in fresh rosemary dust and kosher salt were also outstanding:


As someone who loves ketchup with his fries, especially good fries, the thought never entered my mind even once to touch the bottle my server brought me when she dropped off my lunch. In my mind that would've been like putting A1 brand steak sauce on a perfectly cooked filet mignon. Like I mentioned earlier, I won't go on and on about the flavor of these magnificent potato gems since I already talked about them in my other post. Needless to say, they were absolutely fantastic and continue to be one of my all-time favorite preparations.

After boxing up the remaining half of my sandwich and fries, I asked for my check. Something that caught me by surprise was the inclusion of these post-meal morsels:


This was a throwback to the days of The Brown Derby from my youth. A sweet, chocolate minty way to finish the meal and freshen your breath all at the same time. I'm sure there are plenty of restaurants that still do this, but I'm still tickled when it happens to me.

Finally, I wanted to comment on a cardboard flyer that was on every table that talk about some of Prime at Anthe's ongoing specials:


The one that I think most of my gentle readers out there would be likely to take advantage of would be the "2 for $40" special on Tuesday through Thursday. From my previous post I know that this means you split an appetizer, you each get your own entree and dessert all for only $40. That sounds like a great date night to me.

I am very happy to see that even more than a half a year since my last visit, the bar remains high at Prime at Anthe's. It bothers me when a faithful reader approaches me after I've recommended a restaurant and says that their experience wasn't as good as mine. Given that on two random days six months apart I was served excellent food that also didn't completely empty my wallet, I think it is safe to say that Prime at Anthe's is still highly recommended, now for both lunch and dinner. Unfortunately, the only service I still have to check out is their Sunday brunch. Given my attendance record though, that will be another six months from now before I get back.

Broken Rocks Cafe And Bakery Saves The Day

Thankfully, Wooster, Ohio has more to offer culinary-wise than just the South Market Bistro. I have now been twice rebuffed from this eatery. The first time I tried to go, it was on a day that the restaurant was completely closed. Not to be beaten again, I checked the Local Yahoo website listing for the South Market Bistro and picked a day that they would be open for lunch. Unfortunately, it didn't occur to me to also check South Market Bistro's actual website for hours. Sadly, when I arrived at my destination, I discovered that while this restaurant may have been open for lunch in the past, they were now only open for dinner. Crap!

Being that South Market Bistro is located exactly in the middle of beautiful downtown Wooster, I figured there had to be something else good to eat within walking distance. And boy, how! I saw an Italian restaurant called El Grande that looked promising, but what really piqued my interest was when I rounded the corner onto East Liberty and stumbled upon the Broken Rocks Bakery & Cafe. They are located at 123 E Liberty St, Wooster, OH 44691 and can be reached at 330-263-2949.

Here is a shot of the front of the building:


What convinced me to walk through the front door was a little blurb posted in the window talking about how the owner had developed a sourdough culture and that had fueled his bakery and now this cafe. Real sourdough bread? I'm SO there. I was there around 12:45 pm and the place was maybe 1/3 full. Fortunately, my hostess sat me near the front of the building where there was a lot of light coming in through the windows. She handed me the menu and walked away to get my glass of water.

The menu is divided into standard areas, soups, salads, sandwiches, pastas, pizzas, and entrees. The front side is here:


And the back side is here:


Everything is made from scratch and today I had a choice of four different soups. They had tomato and roasted garlic, sausage and lentil, asparagus and shiitake (vegetarian option), and another one that I have now forgotten. Because it was lunchtime, there was also a smaller lunch-specific menu that listed the daily specials.

While I sat there pondering what to order, I decided to take some ambiance shots of the restaurant. First up, the bar area across from my table:


There are additional tables behind the half-wall on the left side of the photo. In the very back of the space is the open kitchen and bakery.

A shot of the lovely table adornments, each table having it's own set of flowers:


Having decided to go with the asparagus and shiitake soup for a starter, my server brought some of their signature sourdough bread and nicely softened butter for me to try prior to the arrival of the soup.

Here is a shot of the bread:


And a close-up of the crumb:


This was excellent bread! A very good example of an Eastern European sourdough. The dough contains a blend of both wheat and rye flours and the sourdough component was not overwhelming in the way that a San Francisco sourdough can be. This had a mildly acidic kick and was absolutely fresh and wonderful. The irregular hole structure in the crumb also tells me that this was a more highly hydrated dough which makes them harder to handle. Clearly this was handmade by someone with knowledge and expertise.

Shortly after my bread arrived, my soup arrived:


The soup was hit and miss. Besides the lovely pieces of asparagus and shiitake that were in the soup, it also contained bits of onion and potato as well. The concept for the soup was a good one, but it missed in two ways. First, the soup base was not pureed well enough. This meant that the potato could be "felt" on the mouth. This gave the soup a gritty texture as opposed to a smooth one. Second, the soup lacked a flavor punch. It wasn't that the soup lacked salt; it didn't. But it just didn't have the kind of character that grabbed hold of your taste buds and didn't let go.

For my sandwich, I decided to go with the Blue BBQ burger with Jo Jos. Here are some shots of the burger and "fries":



The burger is a half-pound ground beef burger from a locally sourced farm served with Maytag blue cheese, a homemade spicy BBQ sauce, a honey Dijon mustard dressing, and lettuce and mild red onion served on some of the bakery's focaccia bread that has been split and grilled. I ordered it medium and that was how I received it. This sandwich was fantastic. The burger was hot and juicy, the various toppings and sauces all complimented each other so well and the Maytag blue cheese added the nice sharp, salty flavor that really brought everything together. The grilled focaccia also helped to keep the integrity of the sandwich as there was plenty of liquid coming out of this guy.

Jo Jos, for those of my gentle readers not from the northeast Ohio area are simply potato wedges that are baked or more commonly fried. Sometimes they are battered, sometimes not. These jo jos were simply fried until crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside and then treated with a bit of seasoning. Served with a side of ketchup, I wouldn't call them the ultimate version of this Ohio delicacy, but certainly a tasty version.

After the bowl full of soup and the 1/2 pound burger and jo jos I had just enjoyed, the thought of dessert was simply too much to think about. However, I did decide to take a photo of the dessert menu, in case you want to check it out:


Doesn't the Apple Pecan Crisp sound just delicious? Yum. Next time I go back to Broken Rocks, I'm definitely going to have to check out the actual desserts they serve.

I'm very happy that I stumbled upon the Broken Rocks Bakery & Cafe after my original plans were dashed. I'm also happy to discover that Wooster is much more than a one-restaurant destination stop. If you are planning a trip into Wooster, or if you already happen to live there, I heartily recommend you stop in and try some of the delicious bakery and restaurant items that they have to offer.