Happy Dog

Going out after work on a Friday night can be hard. The absolute last thing you want to do is go out to dinner and wait a long time for your table and/or food to arrive (not that tables "arrive"...you know what I mean) because you are soo tired from working all day.

So, when we decide to go out on a Friday night, we make excellent choices, such as Happy Dog! It's a fabulous place to go for an incredible inexpensive meal that is wicked fast!

Happy Dog takes the idea of "Fast Food" and turns it into "Gourmet Fast Food" with a selection of high-quality, mouth-watering toppings for their delicious quarter pound hot dogs. All hot dogs come on a tasty poppy seed roll and you can add as many toppings as you want for only $5!

Happy Dog also provides a menu of "Suggestive Weiners" (hehehehehe suggestive weiners... lol) that lists the Chef's favorite topping combos.

These "Suggestive Weiners" include such ideas as:

"Cucumbers, Thai Chile/Garlic Sauce, Wasabi Peas and Korean Kim Chee"

"Tilamook Cheddar, Nueske Farms Bacon, Fried Egg, and Chipotle Hollandaise" (My Favorite!)

Every time we've made an appearance at Happy Dog, I've tried a different "Suggestive Weiner" combo dog. All of them have been delicious, but I keep coming back to my super favorite "Tilamook Cheddar, Nueske Farms Bacon, Fried Egg and Chipotle Hollandaise". I just LOVE it! Amazingly delicious inexpensive comfort food! The Hollandaise is what takes it over the top for me...so creamy with just hint of spicy...yumm!! Perfect for a chilly winter evening. I usually "side dish" one of these bad boys with an order of French Fries (only $2.50!) and 3-4 sauces to dip (as you can order as many sauces as you want-no charge!). You can also order Tater Tots for the same price, which most of my buddies prefer, but I'm a French Fry girl! My favorite dipping sauces are: Black Truffle Honey Mustard, Raspberry Crunch Mustard and Saffron Aioli. Sounds tasty eh? :)

If all this wasn't fabulous enough, Happy Dog is also...wait for it....a fantastic BAR! With over 75 beers and 20 on tap! If you're a microbrew beer snoot like me, this is the perfect place for you! I usually pair my dog with a few bottles of Ommegang Hennipen Farmhouse Ale (Cooperstown, NY). It is a warm and snuggly beer and I love it!

Happy Dog also boasts some great live music. When we went for Amy's birthday, we ended up listening to "The Saddest Happy Hour...Ever (Seriously. That was the title on the poster)" featuring an extremely "Emo" piano player. Needless to say, we forced him to play Billy Joel's "Piano Man". "Hiliariousness Ensued" LOL.

All in all the Happy Dog is an FFF and Din Din Club ultimate hot spot. And, a my favorite place in Cleveland for Cheap Eats.

Check it out soon!

Krista

Amy and her fiance, Nick enjoying tasty Weiners LOL:

Table 45 and bringing the FFF Back to Life

Well it has been over a year since any of the FFF have posted a blog. Yes, shame on us!

Due to some requests for an FFF revival, I am going to do my darnedest to start this blog back up again.

Thank you to all the readers that continue to check this page for updates. I hope to in the future, no longer let you down.

Chow Time!

Krista Beyer

And now onto the actual review...


I've been dying to try Table 45 for some time now. Being an avid fan of Chef Zack Bruell and having enjoyed excellent meals at Parallax, Chinato and L'Albatros, it was only a matter of time before I ventured to the Cleveland Clinic's Intercontinental Hotel for this tasty time!

I decided to head there on a Friday night with my new foodie buddie, Shannon. It is a rare opportunity to meet someone that is just as enthusiastic about food as much as the FFF or the Din Din Club (blog posts relating to what the Din Din Club is coming soon!). In fact, I think we drove our waiter crazy waiting while we chatted away about our favorite foods etc that I think he had to check back 3 times before we were ready to order! Sorry about that dude! However, we had abosolutely no problem cranking out our wine orders quickly....hmmm...lol

Once we buttoned up our "Chatty Cathies" we were able to decide on some excellent dishes. We split the Polenta Cake with Pork appetizer: braised pork on top of a hazlenut polenta cake with foie butter. Oh My God did it "knock my socks off"! It was absolutely amazing! So much flavor! It was loaded with tender juicy pork and a perfectly executed polenta cake (not mushy, just perfect!). Shannon and I were in absolute Heaven! We were also particularly impressed that they served it in individual sized portions on two separate plates. I've never been served an appetizer in that fashion before, and it was awesome! Absolutely no fighting over the last bites (which is good bc I would have "thrown down" for an extra bite of that pork lol)! Excellent touch, Table 45, excellent touch.

We then moved onto our second glasses of wine and dinner arrived. Shannon was enjoying a delicious Malbec and I was enjoying Beringer Stone Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon which was really wonderful! I really can't stand it when I shell out $7-$12 a glass for a Cab and then it doesn't make me feel warm and fuzzy and so freakin happy I could dance a bit in my chair (which is what good Cabs do for me). I call it "dance", but it mostly involves chair bouncing and publicly embarrassing the FFF or Din Din Club in some way (For a list of my "Dancing in my Chair" Cabs, see below at the end of the blog).

Anyways, as I was saying, dinner arrived:

I ordered the Braised Pork because well I didn't get enough with the app/it sounded sooo good. The entree consisted of Braised Pork, Bacon and Chihuahua Cheese Stuffed Potato Croquette, Haricot Vertes and Charred Tomato Sauce. I enjoyed it very much, but it didn't really "hold a candle" to the Pork appetizer. The Potato Croquette was yummy, but lacked the crispiness I was looking for and it needed a bit more flavor. The Charred Tomato sauce was pleasant, but the flavors were not my favorite.

Shannon ordered the Butternut Squash and Truffle Ravioli with Sage Creamed Spinach and Toasted Hazelnuts, drizzled with Balsamic Reduction and White Truffle Oil. Basically, I just chose the wrong entree because I got a bite of this and it was fantastic! The flavors all blended together exceptionally well, the pasta was cooked to the perfect level (just a bit shy of al dente) and it wasn't overly rich or bland if that makes sense. I dunno, I just loved it (and so did Shannon)!

We enjoyed the rest of our dining experience, complete with "drinking" dessert; another glass (who's counting?) of Malbec for Shannon and a decent glass of Port for me.

Overall, we had a fantastic time complete with great service, atmosphere and food. I will definitely be making a repeat appearance.

Cheers!

Krista


Krista's "Dancin in my Chair" Cab list:

J Lohr Cabernet Sauvignon
Joel Gott Cabernet Sauvignon
Root 1 Cabernet Sauvignon
337 Cabernet Sauvignon
Paso Creek Cabernet Sauvignon
Beringer Stone Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon

Bar Symon-Fabulous Food Show

Thanks to my fabulous boss, Diana (thanks D!) Steve and I were able to attend the Fabulous Food Show yesterday! I love heading to the Food Show for browsing the booths, but mostly I get excited for the chef demonstrations. We were able to watch White Flower Cake Shoppe do a fondant demonstration. I was bouncing up and down with excitement as I am an avid baker. Steve wasn’t nuts for the fondant, but his face lit up when we watched Michael Symon’s demonstration. It was the best demonstration I’ve ever seen at the Food Show (we’ve been going for a few years). He was very educational, hilarious and engaging. Watching him cook his Pasta Bolognese and Fried Brussels Sprouts Salad led me to beg Steve to head to Bar Symon for dinner. I have to admit, it was pretty awesome to watch Michael cook food and then get to go eat it….yeah Cleveland!

We were very lucky that there was no wait at about 5:30 for two people. They were busy and it took a while for our server to get to us, but honestly, the food made up for it. We started off with a “snack” and an appetizer. The snack menu only has a few items, but they are all under $5. We were thrilled to enjoy some popcorn with feta and chili for only $3.

We also ordered the Roasted Bone Marrow off the appetizer menu ($8). I feel that the reason you should go to Michael’s restaurants is to try the unique foods you can’t get anywhere else. Of course his steaks and burgers are fantastic, but let’s be adventurous people! I’ve tried the Cured Venison at Lola and the Fried Chicken Livers at Lolita, and although the Venison wasn’t for me, I am proud to have tried it. The Bone Marrow was a completely new flavor for me. I expected it to taste a bit like foie gras (which the texture was), but the flavor was not like foie gras. The closest thing I can compare it to is hamburger fat. The first few bites, I enjoyed but I wasn’t really sure if I loved it. Steve went gaga for the marrow and I am sure he went to bed last night dreaming about it. The more I ate, the more I liked it. And this morning, I found myself craving it (maybe I needed a little time?). The Bone Marrow was served with grilled baguettes and topped with scallions. To eat it, you scoop the bone marrow out of the bone and spread it on the baguettes. It is not for the un-adventurous eater, but if you like your steak with lots of gristle this may be for you!

Moving on to the entrees: Steve ordered the Burger and Fries and I ordered the Mac N Cheese with a side of the fried brussels sprouts. I tried to talk Steve into something besides the burger, but that man loves his burgers. I almost had him at the Fried Chicken, but alas no dice. He is a very habitual eater (i.e. always orders General Tso’s Chicken at Chinese restaurants). I wanted some serious comfort food as I had a long Saturday night full of dancing with my girlfriends. There is nothing better than Sunday comfort food after a big night out. The Mac N Cheese was amazing! It was the best Mac N Cheese that I've ever had! It was incredibly simple: goat cheese, rosemary and chicken, but fantastic! The goat cheese wasn’t too rich or overwhelming in flavor-it was perfect. The chicken was mostly dark meat and reminded me of hearty turkey and the rosemary….ah well I just love fresh rosemary!

And now for the brussels sprouts: they are one of Michael Symons’ signature dishes. There was a special on the Food Network called, “The Best Thing I Ever Ate-Fried Foods edition” where these Brussels Sprouts made the list. They were amazing and worth the trip to Lolita or Bar Symon alone (on both menus)! They are deep fried and then topped with his signature dressing. The server could not tell me what was it in (Symon Secret), but I think soy, capers, anchovy paste? Whatever it is (and I don’t care), it is delicious and I will be craving them until we head to Lollta or Bar Symon again.

Steve’s burger disappeared before I could even try a bite. When I popped my head up to ask for one, he giggled awkwardly and pointed at his empty plate. I need a date who shares more! :) I am pretty sure it is the same burger served at Lolita, which is amazing. A simple burger topped with bacon, a fried egg and pickled onions on an English muffin. No condiments are needed (I don’t think they have them). The fries that come with the burger are also great. They are skinny, crispy and deep fried in lard; topped with sea salt and rosemary. And, as Michael said in his presentation, “Yes lard! It isn’t like they are healthy people! They are French Fries!” I am on the same page as you Symon. If I am going to eat unhealthy, I just don’t care about the lard. I will supplement eating naughty with eating healthy Monday through Friday and heading to the gym.

All in all, it was one amazing meal and I can’t wait to go back and try more delights! Next time, we will spring for dessert. That bacon-apple bread pudding looked very appetizing and very Michael Symon.

I heart Bacon.

Krista

P.S. Our bill only came to $47. This is one great budget-friendly place! :) Proving that you can spend the same amount of money on fantastic food at Bar Symon, as you would at Applebees. I choose Bar Symon.

Date Night at Light Bistro

What is the perfect date? Is it a long walk on a sandy beach, sipping champagne in front of a warm fire, or wrapped in bacon and stuffed with almonds and valdeon cheese? I had no fire and went without sand in my shoes yet last Friday I had the perfect date, sweet decadent and left me wanting more, I also sampled the bacon wrapped dates at Light Bistro. A perfect balance of savory bacon sweet date and creamy cheese was only the beginning of my introduction to Light Bistro, one of the incredible restaurants on Cleveland’s west side, and one I am ashamed to say I had not visited earlier.

It was one of those days when everything went right. Not only was it Friday, payday, but I also got off work early and was in the mood for a night out. Light Bistro was the perfect escape, quiet and private with good service and even better food. The dates were followed by the Braised Pork Belly, it was tender and the watermelon it was served with helped to bring out the sweetness of the meat, I was amused at first my the combination and almost asked for more after tasting it.

The tapas raised the bar for what was to follow, and after the first bite of the grilled ostrich I had to put my fork down and give it a second look. I was confused. Ostrich is a bird, it was not supposed to have that much flavor or be that tender, and how did the raisins and pine nuts perfectly compliment the subtle gamey flavor, I don’t usually like pine nuts or raisins what about the flavors was drawing me in I did not know. All I could do was heave a sigh of contentment and settle in for what I know was going to be a treat.

Krista ordered the Caramelized Scallops. They were plump and juicy the tarragon sauce was fantastic, for one brief moment I thought for once she had chosen the better dish. While mulling it over I popped a raisin into my mouth, followed by another bite of ostrich, and could not stop the smile it brought to my face, it is nice to know I can make a better decision than my wife, it does not happen often.

I differed to her when it came to dessert. Coffee and Donuts. Even I could not have chosen a better way to end a spectacular night out. Warm donuts tossed with sugar table side served with a warm chocolate ganache and espresso ice cream. So again what is a perfect date? If you are lucky enough to have someone you love and a passion for good food the perfect date can be found at the Light Bistro.

Cheers,

Steve

Bucci's

The mark of a good Italian restaurant is not the food, or at least not all about the food. When Brittney mentioned that she was thinking about going to Bucci's with her boyfriend she most likely had in mind an quiet romantic dinner, but word got around. This unassuming little restaurant with a little red awning next to an often passed by little convenient store, who would want to stop there? By the time they arrived we were waiting, her parents, brother, sister and me, so much for the romantic night, but it was Bucci's, we could not pass up the opportunity. The mark of a truly great restaurant is its ability to draw people, diets be damned, with just the whisper of its name. Half way through the meal I looked up and found that we had entered a cheesy Olive Garden commercial, albeit with vastly superior food, with everyone sneaking bites off each others plates and spontaneously breaking in to That's Amore, and unfortunately the Spice Girls.

They have the atmosphere of a cozy family restaurant, but they also have the food to back it up. I started with the French onion soup, cheesy and delicious, and followed it up with the mussels in garlic sauce. The mussels are incredible, but the high light of the dish is sopping up all of the extra butter with their fresh bread, and we where lucky to get it fresh out of the oven. I could not help myself from reaching across the table to steal some Gnocchi from Brittany's plate. My favorite thing on the menu is the Gnocchi in Blush sauce, and luckily the portions are so large and the sauce is so rich that there is always plenty to take home, which I usually steal, now I get the mussels and the Gnocchi, and don't worry it is just as good the next day. I was so good in fact that I traded a mussel for a second bite when I got caught stealing.

I could not resist trying everything on the table and had to trade mussels for bites of the veal, chicken and eggplant Parmesans, all great. By this point in the meal I was running low on the mussels for trade, it was a large portion but between being hungry and the frequent trades I was getting low, and I still had not tried the Special Potatoe Crusted Tilapia with fresh grape tomatoes and capers in angel hair pasta, luckily Krista's mother had ordered it, and she was sitting next to me, within stealing distance. I snuck one quick bite. And it was not enough. I had to go back for more. I spent many years working in a seafood restaurant and I know how what it takes to get make a relatively bland fish shine, and I was still not prepared, even after all the other offerings I had tried, for the amount of flavor in this fish, the tomatoes and capers paired perfectly with the light crust with out over powering the fact that it was a perfectly cooked piece of fish I was eating. I usually expect the natural flavor of a good piece of meat to be masked by a heavy sauce and over abundance of cheese at many Italian eateries, not so here. Here was an accent to the natural flavor.

I could not put my finger on it, was it the decadently rich sauce on the Gnocchi, the subtle accents that highlighted the Tilapia, trading bites with friends, having fresh hot bread to wipe up the last of the sauce on my plate (and on the plates next to me), I don't know, but something made this a great night out. I guess I will have to go back again and find out!

Cheers,

Steve

Sakura

About 2 weeks ago, I ventured to Akron to visit my favorite girls: Susan and Stacey. Steve was out-of-town for an interview and I felt the need to escape to the wilds of the "other" northeastern Ohio city. Susan was dealing with a sick little one, so after I quickly stopped by and gave the hard working Mama a hug and a smooch for little Nathan, I made my way to Stacey's place.

We decided it was an excellent night for some delicious sushi. I was really excited because I know that Stacey favors this sushi place over my favorite, Sushi Rock. Every time we have been to S.R., I've been reminded of how it isn't as good as Sakura.

Sakura is nestled in a small shopping center across from the West Market Plaza on Medina Road in Akron. You may not notice it for anything more than a small Japanese take out joint (if you weren't looking close enough). When we parked, I was honestly a little apprehensive...the decor of Sushi Rock is gorgeous and modern...and this looked like "just another tiny Japanese restaurant". When we walked in, I noticed the it was cozy and pleasing to the eye. No decor "over the top", but does that really matter when the food is great?

We arrived at about 8:00pm and had to wait for about 20 minutes to get a table because it is a small restaurant and were busy. This is usually a good sign.

Once we were seated, our server popped over immediately for our drink order. I guess I was excited and not paying attention, because I ordered a large Sake...whooops. I think that is usually meant for two people and since Stacey is allergic to several things...we weren't sure if she could have it. It was a good thing that she was behind the wheel that evening. ;)

We had perused the menu when we were waiting, so I thought I was ready to order. However, then they brought out the "specials" menu. I was super excited because I saw exactly what I wanted on the specials menu that was missing from the regular menu...the Philadelphia Crunchy Roll. Healthy? No, but soooo delicious! Salmon, Cream Cheese and Scallions...deep fried. My kind of sushi.

I also ordered some spicy tuna roll and shrimp tempura roll. I have to admit, I have tried the rolls that are more geared toward the raw fish lover and no matter how many times I try it or where I try it...I just can't get into it. I like sweetness in my friends from the ocean. The fresh "out-of-the-ocean" taste has never wowed me. I order my salmon well done. I enjoy deep fried goodness, spicy tuna rolls and everyone's "ultimate sushi favorite" California roll. Living with a fiancé that lived in Japan, I have been given my share of the fresh delights and tried hard to like them...but alas they go in the "I don't like" box with raw tomatoes and most mushrooms. Sorry mushrooms...I want to love you too!

Stacey ordered the Alaska roll with smoked salmon and avocado, and the tuna roll. She also enjoyed some Japanese ice cream made with rice called Mochi. More on this interesting ice cream here. You can find it at Trader Joes. It is a perfect snack for Stacey since she is allergic to wheat products and anything that tastes great made with rice...is good news for her. Stacey was, as usual, very pleased with her dinner.

Needless to say for me, everything was fabulous. I felt that the freshness of the rolls was on par, if not better than Sushi Rock. This is a great place to venture to if you are in the hilly city of Akron.

Sake it to me baby,

Krista

Diso's Bistro-Guest Review

Hello Foodie Fans!

Krista has asked us several times to write a guest review, so here we go. As the parents of Krista and Brittney, we share much of the responsibility for their appreciation and love of good food.

For Valentine's Day I decided to take my wife Lisa (along with our friends, da Bearers) to a place we had been to only one time last summer at the suggestion of friends. Diso's Bistro in Lorain is the antithesis of the corporate, glitzy, high-overhead eatery that dominates most people's choices of where to get a really nice dinner these days. In other words, a place where the owner's personality and attention to detail makes your evening special. Even when it is your destination, one can easily drive right by this establishment. It looks like any of the countless number of neighborhood bars you might never notice. That is what makes this place so special. Once inside, tastefully elegant furnishings of dark wood, subdued lighting and candles starkly contrast the perception of what one might expect to find.

We were immediately greeted by the owner Mark and shown to our waiting reserved table. A very pleasant surprise was that Mark remembered my drink preference exactly, even though we had been there only once many months ago. I have an annoyance for bar staff who don't know the difference between a twist and a slice of orange when ordering my favorite VO and 7-up cocktail.

Once drinks were delivered, we decided to order two appetizers to share among the four of us. The ladies split the "Skins", red bliss potatoes with smoked chicken, pancetta, caramelized onions and boursin cheese. We are lovers of boursin and these Skins were incredibly tasty. The fellas split the 'Smoked DucK". Sliced breast of duck was served with pistachio & pear mostarda, grana padano, crostini and a delicious orange/apple cider honey. The wonderful combination of flavors made this a huge hit. Diso's menu is not overly extensive, but included beef, pork, fowl, lamb, fish and seafood choices. Bearer got the "Game Hen", a pan-roasted cornish hen that was partially de-boned served with fingerling potatoes, a bacon/green bean/tomato ragout and caramelized lemon and roasted garlic jus. The herbs gave this a wonderful flavor and it was lacking the greasiness common with game hens.

They offered a special Valentine's Day three course dinner of oysters, scallops and chocolate sake cakes. Lisa wanted just the scallops as her entree and Mark obliged without the slightest hesitation. They arrived caramelized, served on a wild rice blini with black truffle cream corn, topped with Hudson Bay foie gras. I received one taste and upon requesting a second, my lovely bride politely said NO! They were fantastic. Mrs. Bearer and I opted for the Filet Mignon. Diso's has a unique way of offering their filet. It is sold $3.00 per ounce with a 5 ounce minimum. It is hand cut and prepared to order, served with lyonnaise potatoes and grilled asparagus. It is topped with a generous slice of roasted garlic/herb maitre d' butter. I ordered a manly 8 ounce steak prepared Pittsburgh Rare. It was done absolutely to perfection.

Now the best part for you value seekers. The dinner for Lisa and I which included two premium cocktails, the duck appetizer, three huge sea scallops and my half pound filet was $64.00 including tax, without tip. The dinner was as good as any at any price we've ever had. I have paid twice that amount for a dinner of this quality and thought it reasonable. This is why we'll be going back to Diso's and why we encourage you to do the same.

Jeff Faro
Foodie Dad/Guest Reviewer


Diso's Bistro
4286 Oberlin Ave.
Lorain, OH 44089
440-282-1195