Heights Eats

Parallax is by no means a new edition to the Cleveland dining scene, but it’s nonetheless highly respected and Sarah and I had never made it there. As we were in the mood for fish and seafood (the specialties of the house), we decided to give it a try with Jonathan. We were happy we did.

The décor is stylish and upscale but not oppressively formal. We were surprised at the coziness of the establishment, which filled up not too long after we arrived at 6pm on a Saturday. Our table had a nice view of the kitchen, as did most other tables.

The menu is fairly extensive, and quite a lot looked good. We started with the short rib potstickers. These were excellent, with tender braised meat that reminded me of Michael Symon’s beef cheek pierogies. The sweet/hot sauce was a nice counterpoint, much better than typical dumpling sauce.

To drink I had the Basilico cocktail, a wonderful mix of gin, basil, grapefruit juice, triple-sec and … continue reading

We went to Pier W for our Valentine’s Day dinner on February 13 sans Jonathan. We were very impressed by the food, the service and the setting.

Cal of Dine-O-Mite described the feel of Pier W to us as indistinguishable from a West Coast restaurant. The view out the window, even in winter, is beautiful, a panorama of lake Erie fading off into the distance. Cleveland could use more places like this that take advantage of the coastline.

We started with the grouper tacos, which were stuffed with fresh fish, avocado and cilantro and very neatly plated. They were very yummy.

I ordered absinthe (Lucid, I think–they have quite a selection) to start the meal. It included a sugarcube on a slotted spoon over which one poured hot water. I very much enjoyed it*

For our entrée, we split the surf and turf: filet mignon, lobster tail, spinach, and roasted potatoes. We added a few crab-stuffed shrimp (we were splitting, after all). Like every other aspect of our experience, … continue reading