Heights Eats

Sarah and I finally ate at the Baricelli Inn a few days ago and couldn’t believe it had taken us so long to do so. Cleveland Foodie has been singing their praises for years, and for good reason.

We started out with a cheese plate ($14). There was a good cow’s milk cheese that tasted like what Whole Foods typically has out for samples and an excellent, mild, fairly firm goat’s milk cheese. The most notable inclusion was the Cowgirl Creamery Red Hawk. The waiter warned us that we should pair it with some grapes and nuts, and the sour intensity was a bit much for Sarah. We both made faces when we had a bite, the same as people typically make for extremely spicy food. I enjoyed it, though. The plating was beautiful and included walnuts, fig cake, various crackers, apple slices and grapes. The dish was among the best courses I’ve had this year, appetizer or otherwise. Baricelli also sells their cheeses retail at … continue reading

Sarah and I picked up dinner from Taste on Lee Rd. tonight after Jonathan went to sleep. It’s a relatively new establishment and, considering the chef recently cooked at a Michelin-rated restaurant in Paris, we were definitely excited to give it a try.

We started with the soup of the day–cream of potato ($6)–and the beet carpacio ($8). The soup was pretty good–Sarah described it as a bit like “rich mashed potato” flavor–and the parsley oil was a nice touch. The beet carpacio was more interesting as the counterpoints were bacon, goat cheese and spinach. The combination of sweet, pungent, and meaty worked well.

For our entrée we split the scallops with creamy leeks, mango coulis and roasted (pureed) red peppers ($18). The dish was good, but the flavors seemed somehow too clean and not very complex. Perhaps this is characteristic of rustic French dishes; I’m not sure. My favorite element was the creamy leeks, which … continue reading

Sarah was in the mood for sushi the other night, but I was more up for some other kind of Asian. Tree Country Bistro provided the perfect answer to our dilemma.

Located in the old Que Tal space on Coventry, Tree Country features Sushi, Thai and Korean dishes. The Korean is what really pulled me in as I don’t know of any other Korean places, at least in the neighborhood.

The use of the space is much improved from the Que Tal days. The restaurant is cozy but very tastefully and colorfully decorated. And the window onto Coventry feels much better utilized than before. It’s as if the space got a Gordon Ramsay-style makeover.

We were very happy with everything we ordered. We decided to try the fresh steamed edamame for an appetizer as we had only had frozen before. Fresh is more tender and flavorful. Even Jonathan really enjoyed them.… continue reading

We recently visited the Rocky River Brewing Company, which used to be one of our favorite restaurants when we lived on the west side. The place has a really nice feel to it. The lighting is just dim enough to be comfortable but light enough to see your food and for kids to feel comfortable. The prevalance of hardwood and brick all around and the visibility of the brewing kettles add to the atmosphere as well.
We ordered the beer cheese soup as an appetizer. It’s one of our favorites and is rich without being too heavy and very well balanced between beer and cheese flavors.

Sarah ordered the Pierogi appetizer for her meal which, once I’d tasted it, I wished I’d gotten as well:

The pierogies were really brought to life by what tasted like a reduction sauce, and the bratwurst was excellent too.

I ordered the Pacific Beach Tacos, which were a little … continue reading

We visited Food Dance on a recent visit to my brother Ethan and his wife Maura in Kalamazoo, Michigan. My brother basically recommended it as the best place to eat in Kalamazoo, and, based on our (admittedly limited) experience, we definitely agreed.

The vibe is simultaneously homey (lots of hardwood) and slightly upscale, a bit like Crop Bistro in Cleveland. We ordered the Cheese Board and Curry Dusted Chickpeas to start and were very happy with both. The cheeses included blue, sharp Cheddar, hard Monterey jack, and Gouda along with some rustic crackers and excellent olives. The deep fried chickpeas had an almost overwhelming curry aroma but were actually mild enough for even Jonathan to enjoy.

To drink Ethan ordered a mojito. Most mojitos I’ve had at restaurants are cloyingly sweet, but his was perfectly minty and fairly dry. Both Sarah and I ordered the Short’s Soft Parade, a four berry rye beer brewed in … continue reading

Recently Ben and I stopped in to Jaipur Junction on the west side for lunch. We had not been there in years, but remembered that they had great Indian food at great prices. The restaurant itself is pretty small and you are served on plastic plates with plastic silver ware. Ben ordered the vegetarian lunch plate, and I ordered the non-veg lunch plate. Ben’s was $5.99 and mine was $6.99. We were both served two Indian dishes, saffron rice, papadams and naan. My entrees were curried chicken and chickpeas while Ben’s were a spinach & chickpea curry and a mixed vegetable curry with peas. While my chicken was quite good, Ben noted that one definitely doesn’t miss the meat in a vegetarian Indian meal.

The food was excellent, and the price was beyond excellent. This is a great spot for take out or a casual lunch.

This past Sunday Ben and I had the opportunity for a date night. So we decided to try some place we’ve never been — Crop Bistro. We have been interested in this place for some time, based on it’s dedication to local farmers. We were excited to learn that they offer a special Sunday Supper menu on Sundays. The salad, side and desert are all chosen by the chef and you can select your choice of main entrée from a short list. The price was right at $25 per person.

The restaurant itself is impressive. The décor is farily ornate, but classy. There is a lot of wood and gorgeous macro pics of veggies. The star of the place however is the chef’s table that is towards the back of the restaurant. The table itself is like a bar. It is hard to explain, but there is a large ornate frame around the bar that creates … continue reading