Brunching At Wild Goats Cafe

For those of you who have been following my blog for any length of time, I have made several remarks to the fact that I spent my formative years in Stow, Ohio. At the end of my 7th grade year and just before my 8th grade year was to start, my family relocated to Wadsworth, Ohio where I finished middle school and graduated from the high school. I was pretty miserable leaving my friends behind and I attempted to stay in touch for a while through letter writing. Ultimately, it got to be too much and the never very prolific penning of letters came to a grinding halt.

Over the years, I hadn't thought much about my Stow friends. That is, until Facebook came onto the scene. Suddenly I am reconnecting with people who, honestly, I don't even remember (anyone else out there have that problem, too?). As it turned out, this weekend was Stow High School's 20th annual reunion and many of these old friends had driven and flown in from all parts of the country. While I would feel a little weird crashing a high school reunion where I hadn't actually graduated from the school, I was fortunate enough to be invited to a pre-party the night before the reunion and to a brunch on the day of at the enormously popular Wild Goats Cafe.

Wild Goats Cafe was located at 319 West Main Street, Kent, OH 44240 and can be reached at 330-677-2326. Parking was a little strange in that only the spots directly around the restaurant were available for use. The outer spaces were for some type of medical facility that apparently shared the lot with the cafe. When I arrived today at 11:30 AM, there were absolutely zero spots available, so I ended up parking on the street further down West Main and walking to the cafe.

Here was a shot of the sign outside of the restaurant:


Once inside, I quickly realized why the parking lot was full: this place was hopping! Fortunately, it didn't take long before our group of 14 was seated at three different tables. Waiting for us on the table were menus:









The menu bordered on being just a bit too much in that there was almost too much from which to choose. It certainly didn't enter The Cheesecake Factory territory though. Looking through my options, I had to decide if I was more in a breakfast mood or a lunch mood. Since I hadn't eaten breakfast yet today, I decided to go for that.

I started out with a freshly squeezed glass of orange juice:


At $2.99, some might find this pricey, but given the size of the glass and how fresh it tasted, I certainly didn't mind. My body must have been craving orange juice this morning because somehow when I picked up the glass to take another sip, it was already nearly empty.

Looking over the menu, I tried to gauge which breakfast choice would give me the opportunity to try as many flavors as possible today. At $8.45, the Shepherd's Breakfast seemed to fit the bill perfectly. There were eggs, hash browns, toast, biscuit and sausage gravy, and a breakfast meat of my choice.

Here was half of my Shepherd's Breakfast:


And here was the other half:


Let's talk about the positives first. The eggs were cooked sunny-side up as I had requested with no visible uncooked whites surrounding the yolks. The hash browns were nicely caramelized and had that crunchy and creamy texture going for them at the same time. The toast, whole wheat, was thickly cut and nicely toasted so that the outside was crunchy and the inside was nice and soft. A restrained amount of butter had been brushed on the inside surfaces. The bread was tasty and made me feel like I was doing something healthy for my body.

The sausage gravy was perfectly seasoned and had just the right amount of spice to it. In combination with the biscuit,


I really enjoyed this combination of textures and flavors. The biscuit wasn't flaky, but it was definitely tender and warm.

Now the negatives. The first negative can almost get away with getting a pass since it happens at so many places where eggs are served: they came out unseasoned. The hash browns, while there was some seasoning, were definitely underseasoned. The ham, on the other hand, was like eating a salt lick in comparison. The other problem I had with the ham was that it looked like such a tiny portion on that big plate, especially in comparison to how full the first plate of eggs, hash browns, and toast looked.

My friend Rachel decided to get an order of the sweet potato fries for the table to share:


Flavor-wise these were good, but once again, they came out of the kitchen lacking some serious salt. After seasoning, the subtle sweet potato flavor came out even more and we enjoyed them as a nice side to our respective breakfasts/lunches.

In general, should the Wild Goats Cafe decide to fix their seasoning issues, I would heartily recommend that you check them out. They have a cool Kent State campus college vibe to them and I like that they strive to make healthy meals available should you choose to order them off the menu. You may want to try and go at sometime other than 11:30 AM on a Saturday if you want to avoid the crowds, but even then, it wasn't a terrible wait for a table. While I am actually a little sad that I won't be attending my previous alma mater's reunion tonight, at least I was able to share a meal and walk down memory lane with some of my old Stow friends. Wild Goats Cafe was a perfect place for all that reminiscing.

eGullet Heartland Gathering: Sunday Brunch

The last official event of this year's 2010 eGullet Heartland Gathering in Ann Arbor, Michigan was to be held at Zingerman's Roadhouse. The Zingerman's brand has many food-related establishments under its umbrella and the Roadhouse seems to be the one place to bring all of the other brands under one roof and serve them to the public in a restaurant setting. The last time the Gathering had been in Ann Arbor (which just so happened to be the first Gathering I had ever attended), the weekend had been finished off with a brunch at the Roadhouse. I was eager to return again and sample the food one more time.

Zingerman's Roadhouse was located at 2501 Jackson Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48103 and can be reached at 734-663-3663. Parking was available outside the restaurant in the lot surrounding the building.

Here was a shot of the front of the restaurant:


Once inside, I was shown to our table and when I sat down, I noticed the pre-printed menu sitting at each diner's location. The difference this time around versus the last was that today's brunch had a theme: Everything's Better with Bacon. Instead of just selecting dishes off the regular menu, co-founder Ari Weinzweig had put together a five course bacon tasting menu for our little intrepid band of foodies.

Here was a shot of the menu today (one of the courses was a surprise course and not listed on the menu):


Our server today, Shea, walked around and efficiently filled everyone's drink orders. Knowing that the Zingerman's brand also included a coffee roasting facility, I felt it would be more than acceptable to order a cup of decaffeinated coffee:


The coffee was bitter, rich, and complex all at the same time. It was the perfect accompaniment to the sweet components of this morning's brunch.

The first dish we would be served today was a simple plate with four strips of bacon on it:


It was at this point that Ari joined us at the table and began to explain the four pieces of meat currently in front of us.

* At the left was a piece of bacon from Sam Edwards. The pork used was of a Berkshire variety that was free range and dry cured in salt before being smoked using green hickory wood.

* Second from the left was a bacon from Allen Benton in eastern Tennessee. It was also a Berkshire variety pig and while the most meaty, it was also the most heavily smoked, spending several days in the smoker with hickory wood smoke after being dry cured.

* Second from the right was a bacon from Nueske's in Wisconsin. It was done using a wet cure made from water, salt, and sugar. Wet cures are traditionally done in cooler, wetter climates and dry cures are typically done in hotter, drier climates.

* At the right was a piece of Arkansas peppered bacon from the Schlosser family. It was also wet cured using brown sugar.

I tasted each as Ari went over a description of the curing and smoking process of each. As Ari pointed out, each was an excellent piece of bacon, but each had its own personality. Where one type might pair well with something delicate like fish (i.e., the first variety), others would definitely only stand up to something much heartier (i.e., the second variety). Just based on the boldness of the smoke flavor, I really liked the second sample, the Allen Benton bacon. Some people might think it was too smoky, but it really reminded me of camping out when I was a young child. The other bacons were good, but that one was superb.

After our bacon tasting, the next two courses appeared at our table on the same plate:


On the left was the "Grits and Bits Waffle" and to the right was the "Pimento Cheese & Peppered Bacon Scrambled Eggs." Let's take a closer look.

First, the Grits and Bits Waffle:


These were waffles that actually had bits of Anson Mill's organic grits in the waffle batter itself and was topped with Vermont white cheddar cheese and applewood smoked bacon. Accompanying the dish were small pitchers of Ralph Snow's Michigan maple syrup. I tried the dish sans syrup and while interesting, it didn't quite feel like a breakfast dish without the addition of a little maple syrup. Not so much syrup that the sweetness destroyed the delicate balance of flavors, but just enough to get that sweet / salty combination just right. I think what surprised me the most was that I could really taste the "corniness" from the grits inside the waffle batter. The bacon and cheese served as a source of saltiness, but amazingly, neither was too overpowering.

On the opposite side of the plate were the pimento cheese and peppered bacon scrambled eggs:


The pimento cheese was a homemade concoction consisting of Grafton two-year-old cheddar cheese, mayonnaise and pimentos and was scrambled into eggs with some of the Arkansas peppered bacon. Personally, I've never had pimento cheese before, but I have to say that I could taste each of the unique flavors that made up Zingerman's version, including the creaminess of the mayonnaise. Again, it was a very well balanced dish and the salt and pepperiness already present in the bacon meant that this needed no additional seasoning at all.

The next dish up on our tasting menu was the "Biscuits and Chocolate Bacon Gravy":


As Ari would tell us as this was being served, the tradition of using cocoa powder is quite old, about one hundred and twenty-five years, from the Appalachian region of the country. Since chocolate was too labor intensive to move into the mountains, it wasn't until cocoa powder became available that this incredibly regional dish became popular for family and special occasion dinners. Essentially a bacon gravy that had been studded with large amounts of cocoa powder, the resulting gravy was ladled over Zingerman's homemade buttermilk biscuits and topped off with just a few crumbled bits of the applewood smoked bacon.

How was this rather unique dish? It was actually pretty good. It wasn't particularly sweet, but at the same time I wouldn't call it entirely savory either. It had the consistency of a fudge sauce, but the smokiness from the bacon cut through to let you know that this wasn't exactly a topper for a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It's probably not something I would crave on a regular basis, but at the same time I found the flavor combination fascinating.

When we thought we had finished, Ari had one final dish for us to try:


This was a small dish of maple bacon gelato that they had whipped up just for the occasion. A small scoop, it was the perfect way to end our decidedly savory brunch today. The maple flavor was quite strong and balanced nicely with the saltiness and smokiness from the bacon pieces embedded in the gelato. I don't know that I would order this from a gelateria if I was just looking for something cold to cool me down on a hot day, but as a finisher to our bacon brunch, I think this did an admirable job.

While I decided not to include Zingerman's Roadhouse's regular brunch menu in this write-up because we didn't actually eat anything off of it, I will say that their commitment to quality ingredients does pay off with exceptional flavor on the plate. That being said, expect to pay a bit more for dishes here because of that fact. The prices aren't outrageous, but if the ultimate expression of a dish isn't your cup of tea, then the Roadhouse might not be for you. That being said, the place was packed from the moment we got there to the moment we left, so clearly they are doing something right.

From my two visits, I can definitely recommend that you give Zingerman's Roadhouse restaurant a try if you happen to live in or are driving through Ann Arbor, Michigan. The food might be a little on the pricey side, but you will be getting quality local ingredients and premier artisan products that are expertly prepared and quite delicious to eat. As the saying goes, you get what you pay for. [Ed. Note: Although my old English teacher might rephrase that as "For what you pay, you get." She hated dangling prepositions.]

Brunch At Bar Symon

It's official. I have now eaten at all of Michael Symon's full-sized restaurants in the Cleveland area. While there are still two eateries left bearing his name, I don't see myself getting to either downtown Cleveland and Progressive Field or Detroit anytime soon. I started the journey at Lolita, moved on to Lola, have had several stints at B Spot, and finally over the weekend had a chance to enjoy brunch at Bar Symon out in Avon Lake. Of course, this was a journey of a thousand days, so don't think I did something insane like try and hit all four in one weekend. Even if I could afford to do so, my taste buds would be on sensory overload by the third spot.

Bar Symon was located at 32858 Walker Road, Avon Lake, OH 44012 and can be reached at 440-933-5652. Because Bar Symon was located at the end of a retail outlet center, parking was ample and in front of the restaurant. Also note that the strip mall was located back away from the street, so it was difficult to spot hiding behind the stores lining the actual street.

My best piece of advice for finding the storefront? Look for the flying pig:


Upon closer inspection of the front door, the hours of operation were clearly listed:


What isn't listed on the door were the brunch hours, or 10 AM to 2 PM on Sundays. I'm not sure if Bar Symon added brunch after opening or if the current brunch offering was only temporary, but I've been hearing good reviews about their brunch for a while now. Once inside, I was actually surprised at how dim the restaurant was, even in the middle of the day. Granted, it wasn't pleasant and sunny outside, but it was dark enough that most of my flash-less photos needed some serious doctoring before posting.

The brunch menu came on a single piece of heavy-duty paper. The front side was the brunch menu and the rear side contained the wine and beer selections. Instead of trying to get the entire brunch menu into one shot, I broke it up into the top, middle, and bottom:




Soon after arriving and being seated, complimentary fried donut holes appeared at our table:


These are complimentary for every guest attending brunch at Bar Symon. I think they serve as a sort of amuse bouche to whet the appetite for the impending meal. While the dough itself was only slightly sweet, the cinnamon and sugar coating that encased the fried dough added a lovely sweetness and a tiny textural crunch when eaten. Underneath each donut hole was a pool of lovely chocolate sauce.

While everything looked really good on the menu, the one item that I had been very eager to try was the biscuits and sausage gravy. Having read about them originally on my friend Nancy's blog, her pictures along with the descriptions I've heard on the Cleveland Food and Wine Forum made this brunch item the raison d'etre for me today. Ordering my eggs "sunnyside up" (my favorite), after only a few minutes, our meals arrived at the table:


First up, the eggs:


While the eggs were nicely seasoned (a nice change for once), the barest bit of white around each of the yolks was still a bit undercooked. Other than that, the eggs were tender and delicious. Had I ordered or received a bit of toast with my meal, I probably would've eaten the egg yolks with the toast points. That not being the case today, my fellow dining companion Diane squealed with glee as she watched me eat all of the white around each egg yolk before popping the entire yolk, unbroken, into my mouth. She wondered if I always ate my eggs that way and other than when I have something to smother the yolks over, I agreed that it was. Old habits die hard, I guess.

Here was a shot of the cheddar cheese, bacon, and scallion biscuits:


I tried these on their own and they were quite delicious. Michael Symon seems to find a way to sneak pork into everything he does and in this case, I certainly won't object. By themselves, they had a lovely balance of flavors and were tender and flaky. I imagine that smeared with just a little freshly softened butter, these would be heaven on a plate.

While the biscuits were good on their own, they belonged to the third element on the plate, the sausage gravy:


While certainly a homemade version of sausage gravy, Bar Symon's lost some of the sweetness that a milk gravy should have. To my palate, it didn't have a traditional balance of sweet and spice from the milk sugars and the spice from the sausage. Don't get me wrong, the gravy wasn't bad. It was just different from what I was expecting. Combining a bite of biscuit and a generous lathering of gravy on my fork, I took a bite of the combination and discovered that sometimes there can be too many flavors going on. In my mind, the sum of the whole was less than the combination of the parts. Technically I think this dish was executed well, but I began losing flavors when eating the biscuits with the gravy.

My friend Diane decided to order the Eggs Benedict and gave me a small bite of hers for me to try:


Between the crispy English muffin, the slice of moderately salted ham and the nicely poached egg on top, this was a nice bite. The next time I return for brunch at Bar Symon, I may just have to go with this dish instead it was so nice. My other dining companion gave me a bite of his entree, the stuffed French Toast, too. It was tasty, but what surprised both him and myself was the very reserved level of sweetness in his dish. It could be due to the use of reduced balsamic vinegar drizzled over the plate; either way, both of us missed a certain level of sweetness that most French Toast normally has.

Because we arrived later in the brunch service, we actually managed to close out the service by the time we were done. Chef Matt Harlan came out to say hello to our small party and started talking about some of the upcoming specials. The topic quickly turned to seafood and he admitted that he had been surprised that the fresh oysters that he had acquired recently hadn't been selling very well on the dinner menu. After describing their preparation to us, he went back to the kitchen and returned with a complimentary oyster for each of us.

Here was a shot of my oyster:


Fresh and cold, each oyster was dotted with just a bit of wasabi and a drop of sriracha. Having never had this combination before, I was surprised at how well all of the flavors worked together. You could actually taste the flavor of the oyster, the sharpness of the wasabi and then the lingering of the chili and garlic from the sriracha. Had I not already eaten a full meal and the fact that the restaurant was now closed for brunch, I might have ordered a full dozen just based on that flavor combination alone.

I'm glad I finally had a chance to complete the Michael Symon "set" of Cleveland-based restaurants today. While some aspects of today's brunch seemed to fall in the "miss" category, others were squarely dead on. Perhaps my experience today speaks more to the blow-you-away flavors I've experienced at Symon's other eateries than to a sub-par meal at Bar Symon. Either way, I recommend the restaurant and I know that I intend to return again for brunch and for a proper dinner meal as well.

eG Heartland Gathering: Brunch is Bountiful

The final official event of the 2009 eGullet Heartland Gathering was a brunch hosted at Crum Farm, just west of Kansas City near Bonner Springs, KS. I was told ahead of time that it was going to be an outdoor event and I was prepared for the worst: hot, humid weather or even worse, rain. I was pleasantly surprised, however, to walk out of my hotel room at the Best Western to discover bright, sunny skies with a high in the lower 80's. My roommate and I checked out of our room, packed up my car and headed westbound on I-70. The funny thing about Missouri and the little bit of Kansas that I did drive through was that much of the landscape reminded me of rural Ohio. That is, until we got to the actual road that the farm was on. Suddenly it looked like we stepped out into the middle of nowhere as the paved road disappeared and a dirt road replaced it.

Another half-mile or so and we found the street address for Crum Farm (16211 Stillwell Road, Bonner Springs, KS 66012). Having no other identifying mark than the "16211" on the mailbox, we threw caution to the wind and turned into the driveway. As soon as we rounded the corner, we breathed a sigh of relief as we realized that it was completely obvious we were at the right place. Besides a wonderfully quaint and beautiful house and surroundings, we also noticed some of our compatriots from the previous night's dinner. A young man helped us find a place to park and once I got outside of my car, I was simply amazed at the luscious beauty that surrounded me.

Before I get into the food, I wanted to spend just a little time to try and give you some perspective on where we would be brunching this morning. Our environment truly added as much to the experience as the delicious food we would be served.

Here is a shot of the front of the house at the top of the driveway:


The entire property is covered by trees so there are lots of places to find a cool area to sit during a warm day. However, today the temperature was quite moderate and there was a lovely cool breeze blowing.

Right across the way from the front of the house were the chef and his assistants actually cooking our meal on an open fire:


The next shot is of the neighbor's wandering dog, but he really felt like he belonged in this idyllic setting:


He was definitely an attention whore and allowed nearly anyone who wanted to pet him to do so.

Walking around to the right side of the house we were greeted with a small porch that contained cups, coffee, tea, and water. Right across from the porch was this little mound of Earth:


The first thing that popped into my head was, "Boy, somebody sure is a fan of The Lord of The Rings!" Actually, it was pointed out to me after voicing this opinion, that this is an honest-to-goodness root cellar. While we were invited to go in and check it out (and some did), I never managed to get around to it as I continued to wander around the farm.

This next shot is the back of the house. Notice the many perfect spots for sitting around and losing one's self in the lost art of small talk:


It was on the back porch I discovered another farm resident, the mouse chaser:


Unlike his canine partner out in front of the house, this one preferred his solitude and ran any time you got close to him.

One of the things that struck me from the moment I entered the driveway was the absolute beauty and number of simply vibrant colors that surrounded me. Sitting on the porch where our refreshments were being served was a simple aluminum can filled with a most vibrant floral arrangement:


At the back part of the grassy area behind the house was this cute little shack. I'm not sure what it is being used for, but it was kind of quaint and colorful and I thought I'd take a shot:


The actual fields are directly behind this structure. To the right of the shack was a vinyl covered hothouse where tomatoes and cucumbers were ripening on the vine:


And between the shack and the hothouse were several racks of seedlings and herbs, ready for planting or harvest:


As I wandered around the back yard, I came across cluster after cluster of just amazing colors. Here are a couple of shots from some of the flowering plants:




Alright, gentle reader, I think I've given you a pretty good mental picture of the Garden of Eden we'd be enjoying our brunch in; now I think it's time to get serious and start talking about the food. Inside the side porch where refreshments were being doled out, a chalkboard listed the wonderful brunch dishes we would be sampling today:


Oh, man, were we in for a TREAT!

At the back of the house and to the left of the root cellar were pre-set tables and quilt covered haybales ready for the brunch to begin:


These were perfectly set up in the shade with just the tiniest specs of sunlight peeking through the branches. Nestled in the shade with the gentle breeze blowing by made this the absolute perfect place to enjoy this last meal with friends and colleagues.

On each table was another amazing assortment freshly-cut flowers:


As we began to congregate around the tables, the chef and his assistants started assembling platters on the table with the blue and white checkered tablecloth behind where we were siting:


In true foodie fashion, a line of people formed and started walking down the buffet line; not to sample the food, but to take photo after photo of the most sumptuous looking food. I had to chuckle at that one and I even made a joke to the chef at the opposite end of the table, "Only with foodies." He laughed.

So, walk with me now, gentle reader, as we explore the absolutely amazing brunch that was prepared for us today. First up, the challah French Toast:


And to go with the French Toast, a simple wild blackberry and peach compote made with blackberries picked right at the farm:


Next up was a delicacy that wasn't listed on the actual menu, but it turns out that our chef had done some pastry work and decided to whip together some Kouign Amann:


These were INCREDIBLY good. And unfortunately incredibly limited as they went fast.

Next up was the farm-raised Kennebee potato wedges fried in pork fat and served with a heirloom tomato catsup made from tomatoes harvested right there on the farm:


To the left of the potatoes was a coffee-braised pork belly served with poached eggs:


The only real problem with this dish was that a spoon was provided to serve yourself. Unfortunately, many an egg yolk was broken as someone attempted to scoop out a portion for their plate.

To keep the pork fat theme going, the next dish on the buffet line was a heirloom tomato salad dressed with a homemade mayonnaise using pork fat as the oil component:


After that was a roasted eggplant served on homemade zucchini bread and topped with just a little bit of freshly made lardo:


At the end of the table were a duo of bowls. To the left we have long-simmered trotters (again with the pork, spotting a trend?) with some locally harvested honey and other spices and to the right is a bowl of roasted vegetables served with browned butter and herbs:


The last dish to make it to our table was a large bowl of Humita with slowly cooked 55 minute eggs:


Needless to say, I had to make two trips. On the first trip I managed to grab seven of the nine dishes, and even then they were just bite-sized samples:


I have to say that hands down, this was perhaps one of the most marvelous plates of food I have ever had the privilege to eat. This just reinforces my belief that if you start with incredibly good ingredients, you don't have to do a whole lot to them to make them taste great. Starting at noon and going clockwise you have the challah French Toast with berry compote, the Kouign Amann, the Kennebee potatoes with the heirloom tomato catsup, the humita with 55 minute eggs, the heirloom tomato salad with pork fat mayonnaise, the grilled eggplant on zucchini bread with lardo and right in the middle you have the coffee-braised pork belly with a poached egg. A special shout out goes to the Kouign Amann (which was the most stunning pastry I've had in a long while) and the Kennebee potato wedges with heirloom tomato catsup. Honestly, the potatoes served more as a vehicle to get the catsup to your mouth than anything else.

On my second trip, I tried a few repeats of some of the contenders during my first trip along with the other two items on the table I had yet to try:


At the bottom of the photo are the grilled vegetables with brown butter and herbs and to the left of that are the pig trotters with honey and spices. While both of these were wonderful flavor-wise, I wasn't a huge fan of the consistency of the trotters. To be honest, they were kind of chewy. However, I do think they were cooked correctly and several others at my table absolutely loved them. I think that pig trotters might just be one of those foods that I'll try if they are available, but wouldn't necessarily have a craving for them.

As a wonderful parting gift, one of the owners of the farm passed out these small plastic bags of homemade granola:


Even though they were sealed, you could still smell the assortment of spices through the plastic. I wasn't sure when I'd be eating this, but I was certainly looking forward to it.

With our meal now complete and a seven hour drive ahead of me to my stopping point in Terre Haute, IN, I picked up my bag of granola, thanked our hosts and this year's organizers (Aaron and Judy) and did the rounds hugging old friends and new before climbing into my car and driving off. I felt like I had just experienced the perfect meal and if I had ever doubted it was worth driving 24 hours round trip just to be in Kansas City for 36 hours, those thoughts were now exorcised. This meal had not only fed my gut, but nourished my soul and will sustain me another year until the next Heartland Gathering, wherever it may happen to be.