Heights Eats

Sarah has wanted to go to Wasabi in Beachwood for a while based on Doug Trattner’s review, but I wasn’t looking forward to it. While I’ve found hibachi restaurants to be entertaining, the saltiness and greasiness has always overshadowed the flavors. This wasn’t the case at Wasabi.

The décor of Wasabi is more upscale than a typical hibachi restaurant, with stylish metal and stone surfaces infused with blue light. There is also a wall of blue glass with water flowing through it. Jonathan was endlessly fascinated by the décor, and was too often too busy pointing out details to respond to basic qu… continue reading

Everyone loves barbecue, even vegetarians. But who would expect great barbecue with great sushi? Hiroshi’s Pub has a huge menu, but they somehow manage to successfully pull off about 90% of it.

Hiroshi’s Pub is on Richmond and Chagrin in the same plaza as Moxie. I’m always up for any place with a smoker, and Doug Trattner gave Hiroshi’s a pretty good review. After weeks of trying to persuade Sarah (“An Asian place? Barbecue?”) we finally went there, and we weren’t disappointed.

On our first visit we had the pulled pork sliders ($8.50) for an appetizer, and they were unbelievably good. This was the most melt-in-your-mouth pork I’ve had in Cleveland, although it wasn’t quite as smoky as The Brew Kettle’s. Jonathan also really liked these. We later had the pulled pork sandwich ($6.95), which was a bit more unweildly in a full portion.

One of our favorite dishes was the smoked sausage and cheese platter ($11.95). The various … continue reading

I’ve always loved popcorn. But I don’t love the chemicals and fat that come with movie theater and microwave popcorn. Up until recently we have been popping our corn with oil in a pot on the stove. In a recent Sur-la-table catalog I saw an advertisement for a glass microwave popper and thought it sounded interesting. I looked up reviews on Amazon, and they weren’t favorable so I started searching the Googles for an alternative.

We’ve tried the paper bag method where you place the kernels in a paper lunch bag but found this messy and we don’t usually have paper lunch bags at home. I found an alternate to the glass container or paper bag — a microwave safe bowl with a plate on top. We’ve had pretty good results with this method; however I think the bowls we’re using are not microwave safe because they’re really hot when they come out of the microwave. In short, here’s the method we’ve developed based on … continue reading

A few months ago, Cleveland Foodie posted on how to Cook Like Ellis Cooley (of Amp 150). The first time I thought of making his walleye recipe, I didn’t have beets but happened to have a red bell pepper. While I very much enjoyed the dish at Amp 150, I might have liked my version even better:

The picture above is turbot (I forgot the camera the first time w/walleye) but I think any variety of firm-fleshed fish would work well with this preparation.

Pan Roasted Fish w/ Crème Fraiche, Red Pepper, Dill

(serves 3–4)

1 lb firm-fleshed fish fish (walleye, turbot, halibut, mahi, salmon, etc.)
1 roasted red pepper, chopped
2 TB crème fraiche (available at Whole Foods and increasingly more grocery stores)

2 tsp fresh chopped dill
2 tsp butter
Juice of 1 lemon
scant TB. olive oil

Thoroughly dry fish and season with salt and pepper. Heat heavy frying pan (preferably non-stick or cast iron) to screaming hot. You … continue reading

Chez Peres claims to be “Northern Michigan’s only authentic French Bistro.” It was only two blocks from where I was staying in Traverse City, and we were happy to eat there more than once. It’s right by the Boardman River.

The space is small but tastefully put together, and the blue walls have a rustic feel while echoing the hue of the river. For my first meal, a lunch, I ordered the lentil crêpe:

It was filled with spiced lentils, bacon and potatoes and topped with a little hollandaise sauce. It was extremely tasty, hearty and filling. My dad said that he had never had any dish with lentils that tasted as good as this. I was barely hungry for dinner that night.

For my breakfast visit I ordered the salmon on bagel halves.

The salmon was perfectly smoked and not in the least fishy. The bagels were also toasted and buttered before being spread with cream cheese, making the sandwich even better. Once again, … continue reading

Mine and Jonathan’s recent visit to Traverse City included a stop at Trattoria Stella with my mom. It’s in the old state hospital building, which was slated for demolition years ago but, with some agitation from my dad, become a haven for a number of excellent businesses.

The brick walls provide a good rustic feel, and the dim lighting and white tablecloth clearly indicate a somewhat upscale establishment.

We started our dinner with the bruscetta which included basil pesto, tomato and cheese.

The pairing of sharp roasted tomato, creamy cheese, and butter toasted bread made these go down very easily.

For my entrée (or, technically, “primi”) I had the squash blossom pasta. The squash blossoms (which I’d never had before) were wonderful with a distinct squash flavor with none of the typically unappealing texture or starchiness of squash. They were filled with ricotta amidst a mild garlic butter / olive oil sauce. Whil this was generally balanced and very tasty, it was perhaps a bit on … continue reading

This will be the first of three reviews for restaurants in Traverse City, Michigan. Cleveland readers may ask, “Why should I read this?” First, the beaches on the shore of Lake Michigan are beautiful and clean. The pictures below are from a few years ago (Sarah the photographer didn’t come along this time) but not much has changed:

The state of Lake Erie is a bit sad in comparison. Sleeping Bear dunes, about 35 minutes away, are great as well, where you can climb to the top or just look down at a stop along the scenic drive. I grew up in Traverse City and visit both of these sites regularly when I go back. The winters are brutal, though, which might be part of the reason everyone is so happy (with gratitude) in the summer.

But anyway, the food scene is excellent there as well. I visited Jolly Pumpkin Brewery twice, once with my family and once with friends. Jolly Pumpkin… continue reading

Wasabi Japanese Steakhouse

Hiroshi’s Pub

Microwave Popcorn

Cook (sort of) like Ellis Cooley

Chez Pères

Trattoria Stella

Jolly Pumpkin