Monthly Archives: April 2009

Vine and Bean

April 25, 2009 | by Ben 2

Spurred on by Doug Trattner’s recent review, Sarah and I went to Vine and Bean Café for lunch on Friday. 

The space is really unique. It’s basically a regular house converted into a restaurant. The open feel reminded Sarah of restaurants in Key West, which she used to visit often to see her grandparents.

We sat on the patio, which was nicely but informally decorated with items such as a small wooden gargoyle and shiny metallic birds topping the entry gates. Sarah ordered the iced tea ($1.95) to drink, which was refreshing and a lot like the Cheesecake Factory’s mango ice tea. I ordered a Berry Fizz ($2.95): house made berry coulis and sparkling water. It was very, very good, probably the best non-alcoholic drink I’ve had in Cleveland. The berry flavor is fresh and strong, but the drink is also slightly dry and not at all cloying. 

Sarah ordered the Toasted Tuna ($8.95), which comes on a toasted croissant. The tuna portion was large and … continue reading

Breakfast Pizza

April 22, 2009 | by Ben 2

Inspired by Michael Ruhlman’s post on breakfast pizza, I decided to give one a try. 

I used Mark Bittman’s recipe for half-whole wheat pizza dough, bacon from the freezer, 4 eggs (I’d use one more next time) and cheddar cheese. The biggest trick was figuring out how to make this with scrambled eggs without their spilling over the edge. I cooked them briefly on the stove until they gelled somewhat, then, after baking the dough at 500 degrees for five minutes, added them along with the cheese and precooked bacon. Reduce the heat to 375 when you add the eggs so they’ll turn out fluffy and not dry.

Sarah and I really enjoyed this, even more so than Whole Foods breakfast pizza. Ruhlman says that a pound of dough makes two servings, but we had this for two meals.

This is also surprisingly simple to make. I read Ruhlman’s post at 11pm Monday, made the pizza dough that night, and finished everything else in the … continue reading

Bricco Downtown

April 18, 2009 | by Ben 0

Sarah and I recently went to Bricco downtown for lunch and were very happy with our experience. The décor is classical but warm and inviting at the same time.

Sarah ordered the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich:

This was much better than a typical specimen, which is generally slathered in Pete’s (or a similar brand) hot sauce. The flavors here are more complex, equal parts chicken, heat and savory breading. The provolone and peppercorn ranch were nice touches as well. The fries were outstanding, clearly freshly made from fresh cut potatoes.

I had the Crab Cake Sandwich:

The crab cake itself had plenty of crab meat and very little breading. While not that flavorful in and of itself, it was really brought to life by the basil / chive remoulade and sautéed spinach and peppers (both yellow and green). The grill flavor from the bun also deepened the flavor of the sandwich. The cole slaw, which easily could have been an afterthought, was very good and generously … continue reading

The Gateway Meat

April 13, 2009 | by Ben 1

I recently cured and smoked a pork belly (bought from the West Side market, prepared per Charcuterie’s recipe for maple-cured bacon) for Easter brunch. With nine people eating, though, there was plenty left over. To be honest, figuring out what to do with the bacon wasn’t difficult. Here’s what’s on the menu for the week:

Asparagus, Bacon and Scallion Frittata (made tonight, really good, supposedly serves six, served about 2 1/2)
Orecchiete Carbonara with Leeks
BLTs on Multigrain Seed Bread

It’s not as if we’re having bacon every meal, though. We’ve also got Ravioli with Sage and Pinenuts on the menu as well as Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s Jerk Seitan and Coconut Rice. The irony of the bacon dishes is that we’re getting loads of seasonal vegetables in them, e.g. asparagus, leeks, etc.–more than in the non-meat meals.… continue reading

Iron and Wine

April 5, 2009 | by Ben 0

Here’s the video for the Iron and Wine song “Naked as We Came.” I love the “life as a feast” symbolism of the video, and it’s a beautiful song:

Here are the lyrics:

She says “wake up, it’s no use pretending“ I’ll keep stealing, breathing her. Birds are leaving over autumn’s ending One of us will die inside these arms Eyes wide open, naked as we came One will spread our ashes ’round the yard

She says “If I leave before you, darling Don’t you waste me in the ground“ I lay smiling like our sleeping children One of us will die inside these arms Eyes wide open, naked as we came One will spread our ashes round the yard.… continue reading