Grabbing A Nosh At Nosh Eatery

I first learned of Nosh Eatery & Creative Catering many months ago from my longtime friend and partner in the Veggie-Vegan Project, Paul. We had been discussing potential restaurants to include in the project and Paul had heard that Nosh was to have a fairly good vegetarian and/or vegan selection. He also knew that they would be based out of Hudson, but unfortunately, that was the extent of his knowledge. Fast forward to Labor Day at the beginning of September and I found myself at the annual Taste of Hudson again. Per usual, I made my cursory walkaround of the entire event before deciding which booths I would visit. Wouldn't you know it? Nosh was one of the booths.

Based on the strength of the food at the Taste of Hudson, I finally got around to stopping in for a bite to eat at their actual location. Their storefront was south of downtown Hudson quite a bit and located at 5929 Darrow Road, Hudson, OH 44236. They can be reached at 330-650-6674 and they have the usual trio of a website, Facebook page, and Twitter account so that you can keep track of them.

Nosh Eatery was among a group of four businesses occupying a small building. As usual, the shared parking lot was more than ample and I had little difficulty finding a parking spot. Here was a shot of the storefront for Nosh Eatery:


Once inside, I was asked if my order was for eating in or taking out. After indicating that I would like to eat in, the woman behind the counter gave me a paper menu and told me I could sit wherever I'd like. I picked the table furthest from the front door (to minimize the mixed lighting), sat down and proceeded to study the menu:



In addition to the options on the menu, daily specials had also been chalked onto a board hanging above the coffee machine on the back wall.

I decided to start out my meal with one of the soups du jour, a Bowl of Tomato and Basil Soup:


The soup was piping hot, had just a bit of texture to it, and had a deep tomato flavor. The soup had been pureed, but not completely as there were still small bits of tomato to be found within. The garlic and basil flavors complemented the soup nicely. In lieu of crackers, the soup had come with a small grilled flatbread quarter that had been seasoned with salt, herbs, and of all things, caraway seeds. It was inventive and delicious and if there was anything to complain about for this dish, it was that the dish only came with one of the "crackers."

While many of the sandwiches caught my eye on the menu today, when I saw that today's special was a Philly-style Cheesesteak, I decided to throw caution to the wind and give it a try:


Filled with luscious expertly grilled cuts of beef shoulder, caramelized onions and peppers, sauteed Chanterelle, fresh thyme, and Havarti and Gruyere cheeses, this was a sandwich with which to be reckoned. The roll (part of a baguette from Great Lakes Baking Company just up the street) was split, buttered, and then grilled to not only give it texture, but also prevent the roll from "sogging out," a dilemma many other sandwich places have yet to solve. From my first bite to my last, I enjoyed this sandwich immensely. It was hot, melty, chewy, earthy, beefy, and savory. If someone had said, "make a Philly-style inspired sandwich but elevate it," this would be the result. The only criticism I might levy would be that the portion size seemed a little small for $7.75.

Inspired by the flavors up to this point and noticing that Nosh's Facebook page had advertised fresh cobbler today, I asked about the dessert selections. Indeed, fresh Strawberry Cobbler had been baked earlier in the day:


Rewarmed and plated, the cobbler was accompanied by fresh chevre-infused whipped cream and a small scoup of buerre noisette ice cream. The plate was finished with some powdered sugar and small streaks of raspberry coulis. I remember the whipped cream from the Taste of Hudson and while you could taste the goat cheese flavor in that version, today's whipped cream was a bit lacking. The brown butter ice cream, however, was heavenly. The cobbler itself was infused with lots of strawberries and if the cobbler topping had been a bit more cake-like in consistency, it would have reminded me more of a clafoutis than a cobbler.

Overall, I found the cobbler to be just borderline on the sweet side -- a cup of black coffee or an espresso would have cut the sweetness to the perfect amount. That being said, I finished the entire portion and would have no qualms ordering -- or recommending -- this dessert again.

My meal at its inevitable conclusion, my server brought me the check and before tip, it came to $16. While I did question the value of the cheesesteak sandwich, everything I had eaten today at Nosh was fresh, hot, and quite frankly, delicious. As was made evident on the daily specials board, today marked the fifty-fifth day of operation. I'd suggest you give them a visit soon so that they can add many more numbers to that ticker.

The Market Gourmet At Montrose

I was sitting at my desk at work around lunchtime when my cell phone rang. Seeing that it was Joe Harvey, community manager for Local Food Service, I quickly accepted his call. Joe doesn't tend to call just to shoot the breeze, so I figured something must be up.

"Hey," he quipped. "You've got to check out this new place in Montrose called The Market Gourmet. They just opened and have a great selection of products."

After finding out that they were located somewhere around Swensons and Laser Quest, I knew sort of the general area in which to look, and made a note in my mind to stop in and check them out soon. What I didn't realize until I tried to find it was that they were SO new that they didn't even have any signs put up yet. I drove around the intersection of Brookwall and Brookmont for a good fifteen minutes before I pulled off the road and called Joe back.

"Joe, where the hell is this place? I've been looking for a while now and can't find it."
"It's in the building that sits between the Laser Quest building and the Goodyear shop. They're on the very end."

Now with a much clearer understanding of where to look, I pulled into the parking lot that was shared with the Goodyear store as well as a number of other shops at 3631 Brookwall Drive, Fairlawn, OH 44333. As I got out of my car, I walked up to the unit closest to the Laser Quest building and discovered this:


A-ha! Bingo! Specifically, The Market Gourmet was in unit 101 (notice the unit number on the door). They can be reached at 330-524-1818 and there was plenty of parking in the lot outside the stores. Once inside the store, I began to look around.

What I noticed were a number of gourmet and specialty prepared food items already packaged and ready to be sold. I also noticed the rather eclectic variety of items being offered: Middle Eastern, Indian, Chinese, Italian, French, and American. High quality cheeses and charcuterie were being sold, too. None of it was exactly inexpensive, but for the quality of the products being sold, it didn't seem unreasonable. For those familiar with the West Point Market here in Akron, the products had a decidedly similar feel to them.

After walking around the small retail area, I noticed a large display hanging on the wall and I walked over to check it out:


It turned out to be the daily menu that was offered from 10:30 AM until they closed at 6:30 PM, Tuesday through Saturday. When I first arrived, someone had obviously faxed in a very large order as chef and owner Jeff Winer was working quickly and efficiently in the small prep area visible to the rest of the store to make numerous salads and sandwiches. While the woman running the cash register offered to take my order, I simply said that I was fine with waiting and I'd just look around some more.

When it finally looked like the gargantuan order had been bagged and paid, I approached the counter once more. Having looked at the menu long enough, I had become intrigued by the Market Roasted Turkey sandwich. As the menu described it, the sandwich came "with double creme brie, romaine hearts and a cranberry-sage aioli served on freshly baked Focaccia." Having heard my fair share of "menu speak" before, I knew that I needed a few questions answered first before placing my order.

It turned out that Chef Winer made a number of his own products for use in the market's offerings. The roast turkey and roast beef are done in small batches in the on-site convection ovens. The aiolis were made from scratch. The sides were made from scratch. The only item not baked on-site was the bread, which was supplied by a local bakery utilizing recipes that adhere to the chef's specific needs.

During the course of our four minute conversation, I mentioned how hard it had been to find the store's location. That was when he informed me that the new signs should be coming and being installed that day. Additionally, when I mentioned that a colleague of mine had recommended that I stop by and check the store out for myself, Jeff looked at me and said, "Oh, wait, are you the food blogger Joe was talking about yesterday?" I admitted that I was.

After paying for my lunch, Jeff finished making my sandwich and packed it, along with a side of the roasted potato salad, into a large brown sack for me to take with me:


For now, everything is take-out only, and there really wasn't a whole lot of space to set up tables with the gourmet market occupying the rest of the space. Fortunately, today was a lovely day outside, so I simply walked over to my car, sat down on the curb and prepared to enjoy my spoils. First up, a shot of my Market Roasted Turkey sandwich:


While the crust on the focaccia bread was a little pale in color, by looking at the side shot, there were plenty of holes in the crumb:


As is my usual custom, I tried little bits of each part of the sandwich before taking a solid bite through all of the layers. I was quickly drawn to the quality of the turkey breast. It actually looked like real turkey, the kind you slice from a cooked turkey breast. This was clearly not the compressed and shaped turkey loaf you find at the supermarket. I tasted it and was rewarded with an excellent turkey flavor. Next up, the brie. Smooth, mild, and creamy, this brie was tasty and delicious. Third, the cranberry-sage aioli. While the flavor from the sage was pretty subtle, the sweet and sour interplay of the cranberries in the aioli was a welcome addition. Finally, the focaccia. While the interior was definitely not dried out, it wasn't exactly moist either. Had the aioli not been applied to both sides of the sandwich, I think the sandwich would've needed some serious help.

Okay, all pieces now dissected and tasted, how did the sandwich fare when I took an entire bite? Excellent. All of the flavors complimented each other without taking over. I especially liked that the Brie was mild, as using one with too assertive a flavor would've easily killed the delicate flavor of the turkey breast. Since the focaccia was being baked to the chef's recipe, I would love to see something a little extra done with the bread, perhaps adding some kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to the top, just for that extra little kick of flavor. Additionally, the salt would help to make the mouth water, which would deal with the dryness issue.

Having finished my sandwich, I turned my attention to my side, the roasted potato salad:


It was clear that the potatoes had been roasted very deeply as there was definitely caramelization on some of the spuds. The dressing had an off-white look to it and there were chopped chives spread throughout the container. When I first tasted it, what didn't pop into my head was what normally does: acid. Most potato salads, whether mayonnaise-based or not, usually have a strong vinegar component to them. As I sat there pondering the flavors I was tasting, I had the oddest sensation of caramel register in my brain. Nothing sweet, mind you. I could also tell that there was paprika in the dish, too (if for no other reason there were small red specks on the dressed potatoes).

Finishing my lunch, I cleaned up my trash and walked back into the shop. While at first the staff looked surprised to see me, after telling them where I had lunched and that I had a few questions, we quickly fell into a conversation. I asked the chef if he could tell me what was in the dressing for the potatoes. He looked a little apprehensive for a second and then said, "Mayonnaise and sour cream. That's it." I told him about the subtle and complex flavors I had tasted and he responded that it was probably due to some of the spices he also used, such as cumin and the aforementioned paprika.

Before I knew it, he had gone back to the soup pot at the rear of the store and returned with this:


Handing it to me, he said, "I was kicking myself for not giving you a sample of this to try when you were in earlier. It's a French onion soup, done more in a country style."

Utilizing chicken stock instead of beef, this hearty soup had a clean, sweet flavor and one spoonful was enough to wish I had a crouton, some Gruyere cheese and a broiler. Apparently the chef cooks his onion for a long time in almond oil, an unusual choice I originally thought. The chef informed me that since almond oil has such a high smoke point, it won't break down during the time it takes to properly cook the onions. While I certainly couldn't taste the almond oil (or the tarragon that was also part of the recipe), the end result on the onions was pretty spectacular. The next time I go back, I am definitely going to have to get a larger sampling of this hearty dish.

Besides six salads already on the menu, you also have the ability to create your very own salad from among fifty different ingredients. In fact, I suspect that when I had first arrived, the reason the order was taking so long to put together was that each person on the order wanted a unique salad. All I know was that the Market Caprese salad with actual Burrata looked quite tasty and I think that it will be on my radar for my next visit.

In additional to the retail and food outlet, Jeff Winer's other source of income is the affiliated On Market Catering. You can get information about both entities on the website linked to at the top of the article if you are interested.

After my conversation with Chef Winer and sampling some of his delicious offerings today, I would highly recommend that you give them a chance. While my sandwich and roasted potato salad weren't inexpensive at $8.50 for both, the fact that it was all homemade and much tastier than local fast food options makes the decision to go back a no brainer to me. I know I'll be stopping back soon and I hope you will, too.

A Proven Winner: Drunken Fruit Salad

I was invited to dinner by a good college friend of mine and decided to bring something dessert-ish since she would be cooking everything else. A couple of years ago, faced with having to prepare an "adult" fruit salad for an event I was catering, I came up with a recipe that has wowed party guest after party guest. And I've decided to share that with you today.

The great thing is that it is SO simple. First up, start with the freshest, ripest fruit that you can get your hands on. Cut it into bite-sized pieces. It can be any fruit you like and is in season. Honestly, I can't think of a single fruit that wouldn't work well. I usually try and get between three and four different fruits, and try to vary colors and flavors. Today I had wonderfully ripe strawberries, pineapple, mangoes (I actually found a few that were nice and ripe), and blood oranges. I cut them up and placed them in a bowl:


Then come the secret ingredients that take a simple bowl of cut up fruit to fruit nirvana. You want to add some type of sweetness, the heavenly scent of vanilla, and an orange brandy:


Let's talk left to right. Agave Nectar is a recent addition to most regular grocery stores. You can definitely find it at places like Mustard Seed Market or Heinen's, but I've also managed to find it at Acme and Buehler's as well. If there is an organics section in your grocery store, it's most likely located there. Otherwise, I'd check wherever the honey is located. It comes in both an amber and light variety. The amber has a more assertive flavor which is nice, but for today's recipe I went with light. Not because light has fewer calories (it doesn't), but because it adds less of its own flavor than amber would. You could also do honey or a simple syrup if you wanted. Heck you could even just do plain sugar in a pinch.

Next up is the vanilla. Don't use imitation vanilla. Don't use vanilla bean extract. Go the extra mile and get yourself a fresh vanilla bean. You and your guests will be thankful you did. Yes, it's a bit more expensive, but after you've finished up using the vanilla pod, you can rinse it off and insert it into some sugar to create wonderfully aromatic vanilla sugar for future baking projects. To use the vanilla bean, take a sharp paring knife and split the bean lengthwise. Using the blade of the knife, scrape all the seeds out of the bean and place on top of your fruit. The seeds are kind of sticky and syrupy so you may need to scrape the knife off with your finger. After you've cleaned out both halves of the bean, cut the split bean in half so that it is half the length it was originally and place the beans inside the bowl of fruit. Using the outer skin of the bean will lend an additional level of vanilla flavor as it macerates in the refrigerator.

Finally, the orange brandy. Feel free to use a premium version such as Grand Marnier or Cointreau, but realize that some of the less expensive brands (such as Harlequin) work just as well at half the price. Follow the same rule that you'd use when cooking with wine: if you'd drink it in a glass, you should feel good about using it in recipes.

The amount of sweetener and orange brandy you add is completely up to you. The amount of sweetener will depend on how sweet the fruit is naturally. The orange brandy is there as a counterpoint to the vanilla. Personally, I add enough brandy to the fruit until I can just taste the alcohol harshness of the brandy. For today's batch, I probably added about 1/2 cup. Also add just a pinch of kosher or sea salt. With the "juiciness" of the salad, it should dissolve without any problem. Now, I know it seems odd to add salt to something sweet, but the salt actually accentuates the sweet flavor and brings it to the forefront. Think of what happens when you mix M&M's and popcorn at the movie theater. By themselves, good, but together, yum!

After stirring gently with a large spoon, you get this:


Now the most important part; while you could eat this immediately, it is best served after sitting in the fridge for a minimum of four hours. This allows all the flavors to marry, the brandy to mellow out, and most importantly the formation of the wonderful fruit "liqueur". The sugar from the sweetener acts in a hygroscopic fashion to pull moisture out of the fruit. This mixes with the brandy and the vanilla to form a juice that can be enjoyed even after the fruit salad is gone. People were actually doing shots of this liqueur at the last party I attended where I brought this dish.

I typically put this mixture in a sealed container and give it a good mixing every couple of hours by turning the container end over end to redistribute all the wonderful juices. Like I mentioned before, give it a minimum of four hours to macerate, but you could definitely do it the night before as well. After 24 hours or so, the fruit will begin to break down considerably, so you might want to consider other options such as using it in a smoothie or a fruit compote to serve over a dessert.

If you want to make a kid-friendly version of the above, just leave out the liquor. It won't be quite as good, but the vanilla and agave syrup alone will make a lovely fruit salad that all can enjoy.