Heights Eats

We’ve been meaning to make it to Deagan’s in Lakewood for dinner for eons. We were already on the West side from a late afternoon trip to Dave and Buster’s, so we decided to take advantage of our location. We were glad we did.

We arrived at 6:00pm on a Friday night and got the last open table. We were given menus–including a kids menu for Jonathan–and our drink order was taken quickly.

Deagan’s has an excellent selection of draft beers, making for a difficult decision. I ordered the Green Flash Red IPA ($5). It was perfectly balanced between the hops and bittersweet caramel from dark roasted malt.

The décor is warm, with high wooden ceilings and plenty of thick, dark wood in the chairs and tables as well. The lighting was perfect, just dark enough to feel relaxed and intimate but bright enough to clearly see your food and surroundings.

Deagan’s has a large variety of small bar snacks and appetizers. Jonathan … continue reading

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

Pictured: a sake sampling from a recent NEO Food Tour in Shaker Square (Photo Courtesy of Amanda at Clue Into Cleveland)

Amanda at Clue Into Cleveland let us know about a couple upcoming Northeast Ohio Food Tours that sound like a lot of fun, especially for anyone who enjoys good beer, food and wine.

The Brews ‘n Pubs Tour is debuting this year for Cleveland Beer Week. The tour includes stops at local breweries such including Indigo Imp and Market Garden Brewery. Samples of beer and pub fare, transportation between stops, conversations with brewmasters and gratuity are all included. The tour is Saturday, October 15^th from 1:00pm to 5:00pm and costs $60 per person plus a $4.29 service fee. A $100 Beer Masters ticket is also available which includes that Taste of the Harvest event on October 21^st.

This is also the first year for the Market District Happy Hour Tours. These include food and drink samples from various … continue reading

We had a busy Saturday lately and felt like going out to eat without fighting typical Saturday pm crowds, so we decided to check out Cropicana. We were glad we did.

Cropicana is located at Whiskey Island Marina near Wendy Park, at the former location of the Sunset Grille, and is headed by Steve Schimoler, who also owns the outstanding Crop Bistro. We found the food to be a distinct improvement from Sunset Grille, and some dishes were even comparable to the food at Crop.

There are two lines at the establishment, one for food and the other for drinks, although drinks can be ordered with the food as well. Jonathan had a cheeseburger ($7) which was put on our tray immediately and can only be ordered well-done. It was fairly standard-issue, but a good familiar taste for kids. There are plenty of better options to be had for adults, though.

Sarah and I split two entrees, the chorizo black bean tacos … 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

I’ve been tracking the progress of the government-delayed Ohio Brewery beer collaboration, and, despite finding it sold out at Heinen’s, managed to snag a 12-pack at Warehouse Beverage. Overall it held up quite well despite being released six months late.… continue reading

Rye Kolsch (Brew Kettle and Willoughby Brewing): My favorite of the bunch. This was supposedly the beer most likely to go off because Kolsch in theory tastes best young, but that wasn’t the case. The aroma was citrusy hops with the flavor nicely balanced between floral (but not overpowering) hoppiness, sharp rye, and a subtle caramel malt evening everything out. I haven’t had a lot of low ABV rye ales, but this was the best I’ve had (less bitter and more drinkable than Acadia’s). The lightness of the beer’s body combined with the refreshing, complex flavors make for a great session beer. Too bad they’re not brewing more of these.
Barrel-Aged Strong Ale (“Berlot”) (Great

Fracas gatropub opened a couple months ago in the old Centrum theater building in Coventry on Euclid Heights Blvd. The menu and space both looked interesting, so we thought we’d give it a try.

We arrived at a little after six on a dark, snowy Saturday, and the large space was relatively empty. The ceilings were many stories high, and the movie theater screen was still there, albeit closed off by a curtain.

Their beer list is good but not as extensive as Winking Lizard’s down the street. I started with a Brew Kettle Old 21 Imperial IPA on draft, which was a good floral mix of strong hops and a hint of sweet malt. The waiter insisted that Dogfish’s 60 minute IPA was better, but I said that I wanted a beer I hadn’t tried before.

Fracas has a large list of tempting appetizers. We were waffling between pretzels w/ smoked cheddar fondue and chips w/dip, and we chose the latter. These were the best chip / dip combination in … continue reading

Deagan’s Kitchen and Bar

Jammy Buggars

Drinking and Touring Events

Cropicana

Market Garden Brewery

Craft Collaboration Review / IX Giveaway

Fracas