Heights Eats

Sarah and I had heard good things about Jammy Buggars for quite a while and figured that, as it was Saturday, we had time to cross the river for dinner. We were happy we did.

The establishment feels like a moderately upscale bar / restaurant with dark wooden beams and a stylish décor. The ambience is informal, and we were among a number of groups with children.

Despite arriving before 5:30pm, we weren’t seated for a half hour. The waiting area is small with few chairs, and we felt a bit cramped while standing.

We were very comfortable once seated, though. The booths are among the most comfortable in town, with thick, supportive uphostery. Tables are set with a free basket of tasty, homemade potato chips, so any hunger pangs from waiting were immediately put at bay.

Jammy Buggars has an excellent list of draft and bottled beers, and I started with a Bourbon Barrel ale ($4.50). Despite liking both bourbon and ale, this will be my last try on this beer, which is … continue reading

We decided to check out the recently opened Market Garden Brewery as it looked like a fun place to eat and drink.

We reserved a table for 6:30pm on a Saturday, and it was relatively crowded. The place looks and feels like a traditional British/American brewpub with a strong emphasis on wood in the design and plenty of information about the beer.

We started our meal with the barbecue popcorn ($3), which was outstanding. I’m not generally a huge popcorn fan, but the sweetness, subtle spice and mild cheesiness (?) made this an addictive starter.

We also ordered the cheese plate ($10), which wasn’t bad but not really notable either. Even the smoked blue cheese, which sounds like a bold flavor combination, was a bit on the bland side. This would be less of an issue if Bar Cento across the street and plenty of other Cleveland restaurants didn’t have such impressive meat and cheese selections.

The accompanying pickle selection was good, although we wished the menu had … continue reading

Sarah and I were invited to a new menu tasting at the Reddstone–the home of the former Snicker’s Tavern–along with a number of other food bloggers. We all loved the food (even Jonathan) and are eager to return.

We asked in advance if it was okay to bring Jonathan, and we were told it would be fine. We didn’t know, though, that doing so would put us two tables away from all of the other invitees, whom we were eager to meet. We missed hanging out with Nancy, Tom, Katrina and Allison (and probably someone I’m forgetting). If Reddstone had told us we’d be alone at a table we would have gotten a sitter.

Our first course was Rare Salmon Lettuce Rolls, which we really enjoyed. They were fresh, light and tasty, making them the perfect summer food. J tried them, but this was the only dish he wasn’t crazy about.

The next course was BBQ’d Duck Confit Sliders. We all loved … continue reading