Four Fabulous Foodies

Happy Dog

2011-02-01T11:33:00.017-05:00

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

2011-01-28T10:15:00.012-05:00

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

2009-11-16T11:50:00.003-05:00

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

2009-10-30T19:04:00.001-04:00

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

2009-03-23T12:27:00.000-04:00

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

2009-03-16T09:48:00.001-04:00

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

2009-02-16T13:19:00.000-05:00

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

Foodie Update

2009-01-23T10:23:00.001-05:00

Hi Foodie Fans

We know it has been a long while since any of the 2....I mean 4 of us ;) has written a foodie review. It is a rough time out there for most people with the economy, but since Steve and I are saving for our wedding this summer, Brittney is pursuing her doctorate in Physical Therapy and Amy is in weddings galore...we have become the broke foodies. :(

Alas, our taste for expensive cuisine has been shelved for pizza, Chinese food, wine at home and board game nights. Although this makes us sad, we have been having a great time. Hopefully, soon I'll be able to post a review for another Happy Hour.

In the meantime, if any of our loyal followers would like to post a review, please email us at: fourfabulousfoodies@gmail.com. We'd be happy to hear from you.

Cheers,

Krista

Tartine Wine Bar & Bistro

2008-10-29T13:29:00.000-04:00

As usual on Tuesdays, I am tempted by Stacey coming into town and the promise of some inexpensive Happy Hour fun. Last night, I suggested that we head to new Wine Bar & Bistro in Rocky River, Tartine (one of my co-workers was raving about the decor, wine menu and food over lunch yesterday, so my curiousty was peaked)

Although Tartine does not offer Happy Hour specials, their menu is priced incredibly fairly and can accommodate a limited HH budget. Yay for me and my checkbook!

The exterior and interior decor was as my co-worker described, absolutely charming. It felt like we did escape to a lovely French Bistro. The warm red ceiling, small cozy tables and excellent view of the single hard-working chef/kitchen were amazing. I was really impressed.

Then came the service, it was fabulous. We were greeted promptly with a pleasant server, our water never ran dry and the entrées were served incredibly fast. I haven't seen this kind of service in a while, and it was really refreshing to know it still exists. ;)

And on to the food....

I must mention that Stacey has several food allergies including gluten (wheat products), so when we can find an accommodating menu (as we did last night), it is always awesome. She decided to order the Roasted Mussels and the Asparagus Salad. They were the largest mussels I have ever seen; she was very pleased with them. I took over the bread served with the mussels and dipped it in the fresh marinade consisting of lemon and basil. It tasted absolutely amazing, so I assumed the mussels were fabulous as well. I couldn’t wait to try them myself sometime soon. Stacey then, moved on to the Asparagus Salad. It was served with greens, tomatoes, an over-medium organic egg and horseradish vinaigrette. Stacey said that the egg/aspargus combination was amazing, and that the dressing was good, but a little too spicy for her taste. I am obsessed with horseradish (bias Krista), so I loved the bite I tried.

As for me, I ordered the Roasted Beet Salad and the Bacon Pear Pizza. I was trying to be as adventurous as possible (aka I don’t eat many beets). There were several things on the menu I was dying to order (such as the daily special of foie gras or the medjool dates with goat cheese), but I needed to expand my palate.
Although I was nervous to try the beets, I was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed the salad consisting of beets, ricotta cheese, greens, honey vinaigrette and fabulous roasted pistachio immensely! I think that although the beets are the star of the dish, there was too many for my taste. A little more greens to beets to cheese balancing ratio was needed.

The pizza was pleasant enough, consisting of: a lovely thin crust, roasted bacon, pears, cheese and a balsamic glaze. I feel that the pears were overcooked because they lacked any of the wonderful sweetness I was expecting and the entrée was quite heavy, so I boxed most if it up for Stevie. Overall, the dish was good and priced well.

Stacey and I went on to split the flourless chocolate cake with port wine syrup for dessert. It was wonderful! Stacey, especially, was raving about it. I really enjoyed the chocolate/port wine syrup combination. Next time, I will ask for extra syrup for sure! J

In conclusion, I was very impressed with Tartine’s menu choices, prices, décor and food. Alas, we did not sample any wine, but the menu is truly amazing.

Check them out online:

www.tartinebistro.com

Au revoir,

Krista

87 West 2

2008-10-13T16:10:00.000-04:00

This past Friday night marked the birthday of one of my very best friends (Elaine) so of course we had to go out and do a little celebrating. Elaine and I decided to pay a long overdue trip to 87 West 2 at Crocker Park where our new found friend Clint is a manager. Elaine and I were lucky enough to snag a cozy booth near the fireplace which was a first for me. So far I've only been to this wine bar when it's packed forcing you to casually walk around while giving people the "are you leaving soon because I want your table" eyes.

Once settled we decided to check out the menu. What started as a the intent to order a small snack turned into a small tease, flat bread and dessert! Elaine also sampled some fantastic red wine from the enomatic wine system while I enjoyed a seasonal Great Lakes Nesfaratu. The first little tease Elaine and I tried was the sweet lump crab meat tacos. These bite size tacos were good but absolutely no match for the extremely flavorful chorizo sausage flat bread that Clint talked us into. The flat bread was piled with spicy chorizo sausage, roasted pepper and avocado. The smooth avocado with the spicy sausage was wonderful and the flat bread itself was very soft and chewy, not hard and crunchy as some flat breads can be. By this time Elaine and I were pretty stuffed but Clint being the nice guy he is had saved us one of the seasonal pumpkin cheesecakes so of course we couldn't say no. The cheesecake was served warm and in a festive pumpkin that had been carved out. I've had a lot of pumpkin cheesecake in the past few weeks but this was by far my favorite so far!

Elaine and I had a great time at 87 West 2, and with the approaching cool weather this is a great weekend or weeknight spot to enjoy the company of friends with a glass of wine (or two) and some tasty tapas!

Happy Birthday Elaine!

Amy

Saigon Restaurant & Bar

2008-10-08T13:32:00.000-04:00

The world of authentic Vietnamese cuisine can be very overwhelming for those who never dared try it; however, for the brave who take the time to navigate the menu full of spring rolls, soups, vermicelli and rice dishes, the reward is an intense blend of contrasting flavors and textures served to you with equally exotic sauces and sides.

First rule when eating at a Vietnamese restaurant: consult with an expert such as my good friend Julie Q on the proper pronunciation of the dishes so that you aren't one of those idiots like me running around saying how good #1 Pho is (pronounced by me as foe) when in fact it should be pronounced Pho (pronounced Fuh).

Second rule when eating at a Vietnamese restaurant: dine with someone who doesn't mind sitting across from you while you slurp your soup straight from the bowl (hey Anthony Bourdain does it) and someone who also doesn't mind speaking to you while you have a constant stream of rice noodles hanging from your pie hole.

Lucky for me, I had the pleasure of having lunch at Saigon with my good friend, former co-worker and spirit guide, J. Both J and I have no shame in our game when it comes to soup slurping and thought Saigon would be a great place to try out on this extremely dreary day in Cleveland.

I was craving a nice hot soup and went with a classic, the Pho Tai (beef broth noodle soup). My soup no joke arrived in a bowl that was bigger than my head full of delicious rice noodles with rare beef, also accompanied by bean sprouts, basil, lime and jalapeno pepper. The aromas coming from this bowl were so incredible that I joked and asked J if he would mind if I put a towel over my head and did a quick facial. Sadly enough, neither J or I had a towel that would work. Instead I enjoyed each and every bite of my rice noodles and beef adding dabs of the jalapeno pepper sauce as I could handle it.

J went with another classic Vietnamese dish, Pho ga (chicken noodle soup). I was expecting J's rice noodles and chicken to come prepared in much the same fashion as my soup; however, there was much less broth and his appeared to be more of a chicken and noodle dish than a soup. Either way, it looked fantastic.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time spent at Saigon and would love to go back and sample a few more dishes that step outside of the soup category. The spring rolls and vegetarian dishes look like a fantastic place to start.

Amy

HH Momocho

2008-10-08T09:31:00.000-04:00

Last night I was driving home on the shoreway. I had just made it to Lake Road when I heard from Stacey. She was at Momocho and said I had to come up for the half price Taquitos. I can never say no to amazing food...

I arrived, and sat with Stacey at the Bar. We had an amazing time chatting about our week (so grueling by Tuesday ;). The bartender tempted me into purchasing a fantastic gold margarita (also half price at HH). I then noticed that one of my favorites, Camarones was a member of the Taquitos club! Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!! I got my fabulous fantastic Camarones (garlic + vino shrimp / pico de gallo) for only $8.50! The Camarones are amazing-sweet grilled buttery shrimp...aahhhh it is one of my absolute favorite entrees in Cleveland. Things were looking up.

Stacey had ordered the Carnintas (adobo braised pork / honey-chipotle mojo) with some rice instead of the corn tortillas and I enjoyed a few bites. They were seasoned perfectly (not too spicy for the "Spicy Scaredy Cat" in me). She also enthusiastically gulped down a gold margarita.

I have to say that although I enjoyed the gold margarita and its fantastic price, I missed my cactus flower margarita. It is my favorite and I was trying to save dough, so I went with the gold. Sometimes, self control does get the better of me. ;)

There are several other Taquitos to choose from if you'd like to take advantage of this amazing HH deal. The Taquitos leave you feeling full, satisfied and of course Happy!

HH at Momocho is Tuesday-Friday 5pm-6:30pm.

Vive Momocho!

-Krista

Cafe Tandoor

2008-10-07T12:21:00.000-04:00

This past weekend my old pal Dominic and I decided to catch up on the past year of our lives (Dominic has been living in NYC and before that was living abroad in Paris) over some delicious Indian food at Cafe Tandoor in Westlake. Cafe Tandoor (as the name implies) has a diverse menu specializing in Indian food prepared in a traditional clay tandoor oven. The result is perfectly roasted meat each and every time.

Cafe Tandoor offers everything from tandoori style lamb, shrimp, salmon and chicken to the amazingly delicious yet simple Naan (round flatbread made of flour). I'm a huge fan of the classic Tandoori Chicken but decided to be a little more adventurous and try something new so I went with the Chicken Tikka. Dominic went with his favorite, Butter Chicken and added on a side of rice.

Dom and I had just enough time to discuss his plans to become a multi-millionaire (and let me tell you this kid will really do it) while I in turn updated him on all the "excitement" that only Cleveland can offer before our meal arrived hot, sizzling and very aromatic. My delicious Chicken Tikka consisted of boneless chicken breast pieces marinated in yogurt and apple spices, served on a sizzling skillet with onions and peppers. Dominic's Butter Chicken, a combination of marinated chicken in a creamy tomato and butter sauce, looked like the perfect comfort food on this chilly fall evening. Both of our dishes were delicious and I easily had enough of my Chicken Tikka left for tomorrow's lunch. I must warn you however that even though the chicken and vegetables are so unbelievably tender, they do not reheat well so don't feel guilty eating every last bite of this meal while you can!

To friends and food!

Amy

Yours Truly

2008-10-01T15:18:00.000-04:00

This past weekend I took my mom on a belated birthday excursion on the Cuyahoga Scenic Valley Railroad. After a 2 hour round trip ride through the beautiful metro parks on a historic steam engine, I decided to take my mom to dine where some some very well known celebrities (Jack Nicholson, Halle Berry, Drew Carey, Chuck Berry) and even the President himself have dined....Yours Truly.

Yours Truly is a diner style restaurant located off of Rockside Road that serves up breakfast, lunch and dinner at an extremely affordable price. Whether you sit in one of the orange and green booths, a table or the counter top you're sure to be greeted by the friendly wait staff who offer fast, friendly service. I personally drink like a sailor and our waitress kept my glass of iced tea full with a fresh lemon before I ever hit the ice at the bottom.

Yours Truly has so many fantastic menu offerings that the best way I found to decide which item to try was by watching other people's food going by. I was this close to trying one of their wraps or sandwiches but my mom's veggie omelet order sounded too good not to try so we both went for breakfast.

Our omelets arrive and didn't disappoint one bit. My mom ordered a regular omelet, I ordered mine with egg whites, but they both came filled with a gooey filling of fresh veggies including green pepper, mushroom, onion, spinach, tomato and cheese. For me personally, the egg whites themselves were quadruple a portion I would normally eat at home so I went straight for the delicious veggie filling but could have done with half the egg whites themselves. My mom on the other hand is a much more experienced omelet connoisseur and finished hers off like a pro. We both had wheat toast with jelly on the side which was great for soaking up the veggie juice that formed on the bottom of our plates.

A beautiful sunny day, a delicious lunch and making my mom pose for picture after picture amongst steam engines and coal piles....that's what Saturday mornings are for!

Next stop...Dante which is located right across from Yours Truly. I've been dying to try this place but think I'll be back for a nice dinner out, not so sure they would have appreciated serving chilled market oysters to someone in a sweatshirt and rubber boots!

Woo-woo,

Amy

Happy Hour at the Flying Fig

2008-09-24T08:58:00.000-04:00

Shocking as it may sound (since I work downtown), I haven’t made it to many Happy Hour celebrations in C-town. I am usually busy working out, grocery shopping or drooling over shoes I can’t afford, on weeknights. Last night, was the exception.

Stacey (one of my Akron BFFs) was in town for her guitar lesson. I was driving up Lakeside Road about to head onto the shoreway, when she called and informed me she was on W. 25th and asked if I’d like to meet her for Happy Hour. How could I say no?

Much to my excitement and of course, happiness, Stacey asked me to meet her at the Flying Fig. I have in fact, been to the FF during Happy Hour before, but never ordered any of the Happy Hour specials (except the wine of course). I usually cannot resist the small plates or a fabulous entrée off the menu (even if you can save mountains of dough by doing so). However, with saving for a wedding, I definitely have to watch my pennies and HH is the perfect time to save without missing out on the fun.

Last night I went against my “Healthy/Krista wants to be skinny for her Wedding dress diet” and ordered off the Happy Hour menu (the HH menu contains nothing that will slim your waistline, only foods that will leave you feeling super happy/naughty for breaking your diet). I ordered the Bacon Blue Cheese Burger with caramelized onions accompanied by FF French Fries. Without any hesitation, I can report that it was the best Blue Cheese Bacon Burger I’ve ever had-the perfect comfort food after a long day at the office (especially when you wash it down with the HH special Spanish red wine….yummm). The star of the meal however, was not my fabulous burger or fries, but the Wasabi dipping sauce resting on the bar (next to a pile of homemade FF potato chips). While Stacey and I were waiting for our food, I dunked a few potato chips in this absolutely amazing sauce. It was some sort of creamy “ranch like” sauce flavored with the deliciousness of wasabi. We dunked everything in it from the chips to fries to my burger. If I could, I would have taken a bucket of it home.

All in all, I’ve decided that life should be enjoyed by attending more HH celebrations (plus Stacey will be in town every Tuesday and I couldn’t disappoint her ;) ). Especially, if you’ve been working hard all week (by doing spinning in the morning and yoga at lunchtime) then, you can rationalize a lovely diet cheat night at the FF HH that will leave you feeling fabulous without breaking your wallet.

Feel the burn,

-Krista

Vine Valley

2008-09-22T08:27:00.000-04:00

The FFF is proud to present another guest foodie review by our fellow friend and foodie, Stacey Scott! Stacey lives in Akron and is going to give us an occasional taste of the fabulous southern Ohio city.

Mediterranean restaurant Vine Valley is located in a unique plaza next to establishments such as Max MCQue’s bar and Nicole’s all in one ice cream parlor/laundromat/tanning salon/nail studio and a self dog wash center that gives blueberry facials. The interior was well lit and a mural covered most of the walls. Vine valley is a good restaurant if you are looking for reasonably priced healthy food, but I would not recommend the double V for a romantic evening or a five star meal.

Items on the menu include both cold and warm appetizers such as stuffed grape leaves and of course the Mediterranean staple, Hummus. My foodie friend Krista who is an avid hummus consumer said these blended chickpeas were good, however she would have preferred a little extra zip of garlic. Our party all ordered entrees from the menu that came with freshly cut romaine salads containing a Lebanese salata, which is a mixture of olive oil, herbs, tomato, parsley, mint and cucumbers. I ordered the lamb sheskabob, which came in-between two pitas and rested on a bed of white rice. The char grilled lamb had excellent flavor. When staring down at this entrée it almost resembled a pita pizza a child might enjoy. The ladies who ordered chicken also received a side of thick garlic sauce on the side.

The belly dancer made for a truly ethnic experience as she rotated her way around the whole room. She was not the most graceful of dancers as she cued her music wrong at the beginning and almost shook her behind right into my friend Krista’s face. However, she was equipped with many colorful fabrics and tiny finger cymbals.

Overall the meal was fair, the service was okay and the dancing was interesting.

For those who enjoy Mediterranean restaurants I highly recommend Aladdin’s in Akron and Dessert Inn in Canton.

-Stacey

Park and Shop Asian Market

2008-08-21T14:17:00.000-04:00

Due to rising fuel costs, wedding saving and good old saving...the FFF has taken a serious foodie hit....We've been too broke to enjoy our fancy feasts!

Alas, this is very sad, but our hope for hitting up some more gourmet experiences...will never die. :)

This has also force us to be more creative. I realized that being a foodie doesn't always have to be about dining in fancy schmancy restaurants...it is about enjoying fabulous food!

Even if it is considered, "too healthy" or you are on a budget...it can all be fabulous!

Today I went to the brand new Asian market, Park and Shop (E.30th street downtown off Chester) with my lovely co-worker Jean. I was on the hunt for Tofu Shirataki noodles (I read about them on HungryGirl.com they are very low calorie, low carb noodles and I am trying to fit into a gorgeous wedding dress). I did not find the noodles, which at first made me very sad. What I did find, ahhhhh so much better.

I found 0 calorie 0 carb noodles, called, Yam Noodles! I have read that these don't taste like much, but they absorb any flavor you can throw at them! I can't wait to try these out in a stir fry or with some peanut sauce.

But wait there is more....

The Park and Shop Market was awesome! They had a whole room devoted to noodles, and the entire store is as large as a normal supermarket. I wish I would have had more time to shop there. Everything was amazing! There was rows and rows of tea, exotic fish, meat and vegetables, a prepared food section that had everything from the fantastic looking (I think I drooled a little) Roast Duck (Only $9.75 for a whole duck mmmm dinner for me and Steve) to the extremely odd...Cuttle Fish. I think I am going too avoid that one. :)

Best of all, everything is very inexpensive! I even saw one of my healthy staples, Laughing Cow Cheese for only $2.55 (normally $3.99 at Giant Eagle).

I am very excited to head back, and am taking the lovely foodie Amy with me next chance I get!

Krista

Star at Playhouse Square

2008-08-06T10:45:00.000-04:00

I adore Playhouse Square. I have the fondest memories of heading there when I was a “little Krista” to see the Nutcracker at Christmastime or the summer my Mom bought us a multi-show pass and we got to see everything from, Little Women to The Hobbit. Fortunately, these days I am often lucky enough to receive tickets to many shows at fabulous PHS courtesy of my office. Thanks office! ;)

Last night, my Mom, Brittney and I were headed to the State Theater to see, Mama Mia (It was amazing! It is my new favorite musical!). We decided to stop at Star restaurant before the show. Brittney and I have been once before when we went to see the Lion King (also an awesome show…not just for kids!), and enjoyed it very much, but I was dying to try it again.

I love the Star restaurant; it is not only extremely conveniently located in Playhouse Square, but the ambiance, food and service is remarkable! I love any restaraunt that features live piano playing. It is also a very romantic spot for a date, if you can wrangle your man into seeing a play (I never have that problem with Steve :) ). We were greeted by an incredibly friendly server and the rest of the experience went by way too quickly. We all ordered salads, I was incredibly happy with my Bibb Salad with fresh goat cheese and toasted pine nuts topped off with balsamic vinaigrette. As Brittney put it, “You adore salads like this in restaurants, and you never make them at home.” Well, I’ve definitely tried to repeat these at home, but they are never as good. Brittney and Mom ordered the Spinach Salad with red onion, strawberries and feta cheese, tossed with apple cider vinaigrette. They both enjoyed them immensely.

For the main event, we all enjoyed the lighter side of the menu. Mom ordered the Ahi Tuna crusted with sesame seeds and bok choy, Brittney ordered the Chicken with ratatouille tomato with olive tapenade and I ordered the Salmon with greens, citrus, cous cous and roasted red pepper sauce. Of course, we all shared our fabulous entrees. The most adventurous dish for me was Brittney’s and I was instantly a little jealous. According to my sister, I often order the wrong thing and then fall in love with someone else’s entrée-be prepared if you go out to eat with me. I also enjoyed my salmon very much, it was not fishy-just salty, and sweet and went perfectly with the roasted red pepper sauce. Mom’s entrée was also very good and once Steve hears about it, he will be quite sad he missed out on it (he loves Ahi Tuna).

Our time began to run out, because the show was starting, but we still wanted to check out the dessert menu. Due to my desire to want to save money and shrink inches from my waist (wedding), I opted out of ordering any. I did get to try a bite of the Cheesecake Britney ordered and the Mango Tear Drop (a gelatin/flan-like dessert) Mom ordered. The Mango Tear Drop was amazing. I believe the desserts there change regularly for the seasons…so I would head to Star and try that Mango Tear Drop before it disappears.

As far as the Mama Mia performance, it was absolutely wonderful and left my Mom dancing to what else, but the “Dancing Queen” in the aisle of the theater. At first I was thinking “Oh I can’t take her anywhere” :) and then I looked over and EVERY Mom was dancing in the aisle. The show is hilarious, cute and full of catchy ABBA songs. Girls, take your Moms to see it, you won’t regret it!

Taking my bow,

Krista

Star Restaraunt on the web: http://www.staratplayhousesquare.com/

Four rules for the Flying Fig

2008-08-05T13:31:00.000-04:00

There are four rules to live by when going out.
1) Bring Friends
2) Everyone order something different
3) Share it all
4) Leave Happy

I put these rules to the test last Sunday at the Flying Fig, a small eatery & bar on the west side. It may be a small eatery, but do not be afraid to bring friends, family, acquaintances, or random people off the street, they have plenty of space for everyone. I love to try as many things as I can when I go out, to the displeasure of my bathroom scale (I would hate to deprive myself of the chance to try a dish). With an ever changing menu full of fresh locally grown delights, the same experience is never had twice. Unfortunately, that also means you had better try that mouthwatering special or seasonal favorite before it is gone.. which brings us to rule 2. The menu is not huge; it is large enough to have all the right things but still small enough to make the choices simple (well everything is good so it is not too simple). There is something for every taste. Basic steak or pork chop for the meat and potatoes type (which are closer to decadently mouthwatering than basic), scallops for those looking for a bit of seafood, or something more exotic.

The best thing about the Fig is the selection of small plates. They allow you to try a bit of everything without breaking your scale, or your wallet. Follow rule 2, and have everyone order a different selection of smalls, then proceed to rule 3. If something in particular jumps off your plate, or your friends, you can always order a second round.

My favorite of the smalls is the Medjool Dates-plump dates wrapped in smoked bacon and stuffed with chorizo (I almost had to break rule 3, well in fact I tried, but one was poached while I was distracted). These beauties fill your mouth with the sweetness of the date, smokiness of the bacon and the slight spice of the chorizo. It is a dish to be savored, allowing first one then another flavor spread over your tongue until you lose track of where you are where you came from; excited about where it will take you next. When you finally find yourself back to your seat, it is time for another bite.

The seared scallops with braised beef are also very good with a delightful contrast between the scallop and beef, although the spotlight of the dish is stolen by its side dish. If, you can really call the horseradish potato puree a side dish. It is simple yet packs a lot of flavor; I have even tried to remake it at home with varying degrees of success. It is not uncommon at the Fig for a side to steal the show.

The Sautéed Plum Creek Farm Chicken Livers, which were done to perfection, were served on a bed of spinach with caramelized onions, smoked bacon, and creamy goat cheese (which thankfully, I was able to escape without sharing, we will not tell rule 3).

The homemade Kim Chee, while a little less spicy than expected, offered a nice contrast to its main dish the crusted Tofu. Yes tofu, I know what many of you are thinking. "Tofu is bland and only fit for those health nuts on a calorie counting diet" ..well you would be wrong. This tofu has flavor, let me repeat that, it has flavor. It is good, trust me, and if you do not want to trust me go with someone who does and sneak a bit. I will not be looking, but remember, I told you so.

One down side to sampling a bit of everything is when the time for dessert comes around. You may be too full... do not let this happen to you. Pace yourself, and always remember there is more to come. It would be a shame to reach the final stretch and have to watch as your friends dig into their fig ice cream or molten chocolate cake.

If you follow rules 1 through 3 I promise number 4 will take care of itself.

Cheers,
Steve

Michael Symon to Host Food Network's Dinner Impossible!

2008-07-14T14:28:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to Cleveland's own Michael Symon! He will be the new host of Food Network's Dinner Impossible.

For more info:

http://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2008/04/michael_symon_taking_over_food.html

87 West 2 Wine Bar

2008-07-09T10:44:00.000-04:00

My good buddy, Stacey surprised me last night by meeting me at Crocker Park. Stacey lives in Akron, so anytime she journeys to my neck of the woods, I jump at the chance to hang with her. I was in Westlake getting my bridesmaid dress fitted by the lovely ladies at A Brides Design (they are super nice there...check them out), and when I heard from Stacey, it was the perfect excuse to meet for dinner. On an impulse, we decided to head over to the 87 West 2 wine bar located right in Crocker Park. I have to confess, I’ve been dying to head there ever since Amy told me that it was fabulous (she was lucky enough to go to the soft opening a few months ago).

The exterior of the building is just as gorgeous as the interior. Walking up to the bar I caught the strong smell of cedar (which has always been a favorite scent of mine) from the cedar panels covering the building.

Since it was Tuesday night, there was a decent crowd, but we definitely had plenty of space, so we sat down right away. Our server immediately presented us with some ice water containing cucumber slices; a nice change from the old lemon or lime typically seen in ice water. Stacey ordered the margarita (Tuesday nights is margarita and sangria night $6 a piece. There are specials all nights of the week) and I ordered the house white wine. Both drinks were presented nicely and tasted delicious. Once we opened the menu, Stacey and I knew we were going to have a tough time. There were sooo many good looking items it was so hard to choose. Stacey chose the Crab cake Trio and the Crispy Fair Fries. I ordered the Chorizo and Chevre “Hanky Pankys” and the Poached Pear & Walnut Crusted Chevre Salad. I have a thing for Chevre….

When the food came out, all of it was presented beautifully. I loved the salad it was awesome! However, Stacey looked a little confused. The server brought Stacey the Sweep Lump Crabmeat Tacos instead of the Crab cakes. Once we let her know, she replaced the tacos with the Crab cakes incredibly quickly. I was lucky enough to try a bite of Stacey’s Crab cakes. I was instantly jealous that I didn’t order them. They were some of the best Crab cakes I’ve ever had. *Background info on “Krista’s thing with Crab cakes”…I don’t usually like Crab cakes because they are typically not made with the leg meat…so instead of enjoying the delicious sweet taste I adore in crab legs they are a bit too fishy for me. The Crab cakes at 87 West 2 are so sweet they reminded me of scallops. Yay! Stacey was very happy with them. I adored my Poached Pear Salad, but I wasn’t the biggest fan of the “Hanky Pankys”. I think that they would make an amazing late night snack (after a lot of drinking), but they were way to heavy and rich for me last night. I decided to also order some Vietnamese Battered Calamari, and it was great, the perfect amount of spicy, sweet and crunchy.

Right around my second glass of wine, Stacey and I got a nice surprise visit from fellow foodie, Amy. We couldn’t temp her into ordering anything (the girl has amazing willpower), but we had a great time rounding off the evening with her.

All in all, I really enjoyed 87 West 2 wine bar and I will definitely be back.

Check them out on the web:

http://www.87west2.com/

Cheers,

Krista

Sweet Melissa's Part Deux

2008-07-03T13:37:00.001-04:00

A few weekends ago I decided to take a much needed study break from a professional certification exam I was preparing for so who do I call? My mom of course! What my mom didn't know when she agreed to make the drive to Rocky River for lunch is that in a die hard effort to conserve gas I've been taking the bus to work and walking or biking anywhere else my legs can physically take me. This day was no different and because we would be walking, what better local place to go then Sweet Melissa's. You may recall Krista, Steve and I had given Sweet Mel's a try when they first opened so I was eager to go back and try some of their other menu items.

When we got to Sweet Melissa's it was bustling with couples, children and old folks of all types enjoying a beautiful summer's day lunch. We began by quenching our worked up thirst with the mango iced tea which was absolutely refreshing without being overpowering. We also sampled some of the day's fresh baked banana nut muffins and chocolate chip, coconut scones. My mom and I both love scones, but I must say that the perfectly moist sugar coated banana nut muffins were the pastry of choice that really tested my will power.

As delicious as the scones and muffins were I was starving and ready to get down to business. I had decided my third hour into studying that morning that there would be absolutely no fru-fru grilled chicken and vegetables or salad for me today. I was going to indulge in a delicious (yet still nutritious) Roasted Veggie Burger. Hillary's Roasted Veggie Burger to be exact complete with baby arugula, red onion vinaigrette and sharp white cheddar on multi-grain. For anyone who thinks veggie burgers are rabbit food, think again! This veggie burger resembled more of a giant crab cake both in appearance and consistency and was clearly more than going to fill my growling stomach. The flavor of the burger was so amazing I could have easily eaten it without all the trimmings and been satisfied, but the addition of tomatoes, pickles, arugula, white cheddar etc. made this far superior to any beef, turkey or veggie burger I've ever feasted on. Not to mention the warm chips they serve atop the sandwich add a nice little crunch since I'm one of those weird people who puts chips on my sandwiches from time to time just to see what will happen.

My mom went for Jen's BLT which arrived stacked sky high on Italian white with thick pieces of applewood smoked bacon, roasted tomato, lettuce and avocado. It was pretty apparent she enjoyed her sandwich plus it was amusing to see if she could actually get her mouth open wide enough to take bite after bite without her jaw locking up.

Needless to say we really enjoyed our lunch at Sweet Melissa's and it's always nice to have great local places close to home to grab a last minute bite to eat or entertain friends and family.

Smell ya later!

Amy

Juniper Grille

2008-07-01T13:36:00.000-04:00

Last week a co-worker and I decided to venture away from our section of town and up to Juniper Grille on Carnegie for lunch. Juniper Grille is quite the downtown breakfast and lunch hot spot known for it's moderate prices and delicious food. With items like Spanish Chorizo Bake, Chicken and Brie Wrap and Agnolotti Pasta, there is sure to be a menu item to please every palate.

On this particular sunny afternoon, I decided to stick with a classic lunch staple, the BBQ Grilled Chicken Salad. This salad was a perfect lunch size portion and came with delicious Ranch dressing. The BBQ chicken was extremely moist and appeared to look just liked BBQ pulled pork and was atop a bed of crispy greens.

My co-worker enjoyed the Chicken and Brie Wrap which consists of roasted chicken, caramelized onions, roasted tomatoes and brie cheese served with pesto mayo and sweet potato fries.

I very much enjoyed my experience at Juniper Grille and would love to gather the foodies to meet for Cinnamon Raisin French Toast, Banana Pecan Pancakes or a traditional omelet some weekend morning soon!

My only warning about Juniper Grille is go early as the adjoining parking lot fills up very fast and you'll find yourself paying extra to park in the lot if you don't score the first come first serve available space.

Smell ya later-

Amy

The Metropolitan Cafe

2008-06-19T13:33:00.001-04:00

Today I got a nice break from my long workday to meet up with an old friend for lunch, Amanda. Amanda and I were friends when I was way into Rainbow Brite, The Little Mermaid and a crazy crazy Girl Scout (we did it together for 7 years). I still never sold enough cookies for that awesome stuffed owl, but it was totally worth it.

Amanda and I went to the Metropolitan on W.6th street. It’s a hop and a skip away from my office, so I’ve been several times and always left pleased. I usually get an incredibly rich meal like the Lobster Pizza (fabulous) or the amazing Bacon Mac n Cheese.

Today, was a different story.
I have exactly one year and a day until I tie the knot with fellow foodie, Steve and if I want to fit into my gorgeous dress…I need to be a good healthy foodie. It doesn’t mean I have to eat boring rabbit food, but alas Mac n Cheese I shall miss you …until I have a Christmastime relapse…we all know that’s coming.

I ordered the Cedar Plank Salmon with fresh summer vegetables. It was absolutely amazing. The salmon was my favorite blend of sweet and fresh and seasoned lovelly with herbs and a citrus glaze.

Amanda ordered the Salmon Cesar Salad and swapped the Cesar dressing for a nice herb vinaigrette. She appeared to enjoy it very much…but honesty we were gabbing away so I never got a chance to ask. Time flies with good conversation.

-Krista

The Metropolitan Cafe on the web: http://www.hydeparkrestaurants.com/metro/index.htm

Cabin Club

2008-06-16T17:11:00.000-04:00

Yay!!!! We are soo pleased to announce our first "guest" foodie review written by FFF friend and favorite, Jennifer. I've enjoyed some lovely dinners and lunch room fun with Jennifer and am confident to post one of her reviews, as she has excellent taste.

Thanks Jennifer, we appreciate all guest foodie reviews! :)

On with the show...

-Krista

Special occasions call for trying new things, so I was excited to celebrate my boyfriend’s birthday with his parents at The Cabin Club. The name is quite appropriate, as the interior is indeed all honey-colored wood walls and exposed roof beams, making for a cozy atmosphere. Some might find it a little too cozy—tables are close together, putting you nearly elbow-to-elbow with your dining neighbors, and the room can get a little noisy with conversation.

In other words, this is a great place to go for a special dinner with family, but not my first choice for an intimate date or a hip evening out with girlfriends.

Dinner begins with a choice of salad or soup, and our entire table chose the Cabin Salad. It was a generous portion of mixed greens and salad vegetables, topped with smoked turkey, Swiss, croutons and a lovely honey champagne vinaigrette. Salads were paired with warm bread and butter.

Our table was split between drinking cocktails from the full bar and wine from the by-the-glass selection. Everyone was pleased with their choice.

Although the Cabin Club prides itself on fantastic steaks, I am not a steak eater. Luckily, there is an extensive seafood section of the menu. I chose pan seared sea scallops with wild fennel crust, sweet corn risotto, crispy leeks, and Meyer lemon beurre blanc.

It was a dish of delicate, creamy deliciousness. Four large scallops were the perfect amount, and the very rich risotto had me struggling to enjoy the last luscious bit. The fennel crust was noticeable without overpowering the scallops, and the leeks were like fun miniature onion rings topping my plate.

The rest of the table decided on steaks. The two elders were pleased with their precisely cooked filets and very large loaded baked potatoes. A small roasted tomato made an unusual but tasty side dish.

My boyfriend’s choice was cold-smoked USDA Prime Sirloin, char-grilled, served with crispy fingerlings, fire-roasted creamed corn and tomato chutney. He was very pleased with his correctly cooked medium-rare steak and sides, which was a full plate even for a big eater. Even though the smoke flavor was the first one that registered, it still had a nice, full beefy taste. The creamed corn was rich and tasty with a very identifiable roasted flavor.

Our table was far too full for dessert, and therefore did not even glance at the menu. It was a delicious meal, and everyone left satisfied.

-Jennifer

Cabin Club on the net: http://www.hospitalityrestaurants.com/cabin.php

Southside

2008-06-11T10:00:00.000-04:00

This amazing weather we’ve been enjoying lately has left the foodies in pursuit of the perfect restaurant patio. Many elements come into play while searching for this outstanding outdoor eating experience; menu variety, amazing food, amazing drinks, pleasant environment, and comfy chairs. I am so pleased to report we’ve found it all at SouthSide restaurant in Tremont.

Friday night Steve, Amy, our buddy Elaine and I headed to Southside for a light dinner and some patio time. Southside was definitely hopping Friday night and we patiently waited for our table while enjoying some delicious beverages on the patio.

Once we were seated, I was pleased to discover the menu has something for everyone, including: burgers, salads, sandwiches and sautéed scallops.

Amy and Elaine split the portabella mushroom sandwich and raved about the taste.

Steve enjoyed the fresh spinach cobb salad with the amazingly delicious wasabi cucumber dressing (it was fabulous and I wanted to take a bucket of it home).

I had a very light lunch that day, so my tummy was rumbling by dinnertime. Therefore, I opted for the hearty lobster pasta with fresh herbs, vegetables and a cream sauce. It filled me up and I completely cleaned my plate.

That night, nothing in the world was better than friends, a perfect patio, some fine pino grigio and absolutely delicious lobster pasta.

I went home incredibly happy that night.

-Krista

Southside on the web: http://www.southsidecleveland.com/

Melt Bar and Grilled - Second Helping

2008-06-04T14:38:00.000-04:00

They say misery loves company and last week Brittney did a fantastic job of persuading me to drown my sorrows of a little parking garage "mishap" after work in several pints of Strongbow Cider Ale followed by a fantastic Mushroom Melt at Melt Bar and Grilled in Lakewood. Sitting next to a stranger at the bar who knocks your elbow with theirs with each chug of a beer, stained glass filled with knives and broken beer bottles, constantly checking to see if your purse is still safely hidden under your bar stool every 3 minutes and vultures watching your every bite so they can be the first to grab your coveted seat at the bar the second you reach for your last sip of beer ...what's not to love!

In fact, I love it so much that I threw up no argument when Krista pulled me away from a $160 pair of glistening gold Betsey Johnson shoes at what else "Amy's Shoes" in Rocky River that I was drooling over in favor of filling our growling stomachs. Krista had never been to Melt and immediately starting searching the menu for the infamous Grilled Peanut Butter and Banana sandwich that has been featured in many a foodie magazine. I was slightly worried that I was becoming obsessed and addicted to the Mushroom Melt which features giant garlic portabella mushrooms, caramelized onions and provolone cheese and decided to try something new rather than end up in rehab.

And the decision....Krista teetered back and forth between the Grilled Peanut Butter and Banana sandwich and the Municipal Stadium Magic which featured a giant bratwurst, napa vodka kraut, grilled peppers and American cheese. Let me tell you that nobody I know enjoys a nice juicy Bratwurst more than Krista, but when in Rome...so the Grilled PB and Banana sandwich it was. I once again drank a pint of my favorite Strongbow Cider Ale and quickly narrowed my decision down to the North Coast Shores crab cake sandwich that I watched Brittney enjoy a few nights before.

Our sandwiches arrived stacked high and looking every bit as promising as we knew they would. The North Coast Shores complete with humongous handmade crab cakes, wilted garlic spinach, roasted red pepper and herbed cream cheese had me pretty darn happy. This sandwich was definitely worth the mess it left all over my face and hands, luckily Krista has seen me in far worse situations. Warning: do not order this on a first date or if you are wearing a white shirt.

Krista's Grilled PB and Banana sandwich however was the real showstopper. This sandwich was rich and delicious, but not nearly as overpowering as I thought it would be. There was a nice taste of banana but it certainly didn't steal the show next to the fresh made peanut butter as I would of expected and the berry preserves it came with added an extra sweet zing to this already sweet sandwich. I also discovered that the berry preserves are quite delicious on french fries...don't ask!

As you can tell the food at Melt is amazing and their beer selection is one of my favorite in the area not to mention the bartenders are extremely knowledgeable and quick to suggest a unique pairing to your sandwich. Whether you're in the mood for comfort food, a few bottles of your favorite hard to find beer or some good old fashioned people watching...Melt is the place that will leave you satisfied and wanting more every time!

-Amy

Melt Bar & Grilled

2008-06-03T20:35:00.000-04:00

Have you looked far and wide for a restaurant willing to venture outside the box and be creative with coveted cuisine? Well look no further then Melt Bar & Grilled in Lakewood. I mean, raise your hand if you love grilled cheese!!!! Those of you awesome enough to raise your hands, belong to a group of Americans whose beloved past time is the oh-so-delicious grilled cheese (alias name: toasted cheese).

Melt has outdone itself by providing a wide selection of grilled cheese sandwiches for the loving child in all of us (and you get to order them off old vinyl record albums, how fun is that).

I visited this quirky and eclectic establishment this past Tuesday night with my fellow foodie Amy for a beer and some comfort food. Not only did we both thoroughly enjoy our sandwich selections, but also were ecstatic about the beer list. I washed my North Coast Shore sandwich (which featured homemade crab cakes, wilted garlic spinach, roasted red peppers and herbed cream cheese) with Agave Wheat Ale made by Breckenridge Brewery in Colorado. Amy enjoyed a Mushroom Melt sandwich that featured fresh garlic portabellas, caramelized onions, melted provolone and washed it down with tasty Strongbow Cider Ale.

The sandwiches are made on thick slices of sourdough bread grilled to perfection then served up with heaping mounds of hand-cut french fries and homemade cole slaw. Yum.

Between the great beer, generous portions and quality ingredients this fun establishment is guaranteed to please. I recommend trying it out on a weeknight (it can get pretty busy on weekends).

Now quit drooling and go get a grilled cheese!!!!!!!!!!

Make sure you eat your crust :)
~Brittney~

http://www.meltbarandgrilled.com/home.html

Michelangelo's

2008-06-03T13:34:00.000-04:00

Last Friday night, my Mom, Brittney and I journeyed to one of Little Italy's youngest restaurants, Michelangelo's. It opened in May 2006 and has been getting steady buzz over the past 2 years. They even received the award for Best Italian Restaurant from Cleveland Scene Magazine in 2006.

Brittney had a gift certificate she wanted to use and my Mom and I didn't want to pass up a chance to check out a new restaurant, so we tagged along.

The first thing we noticed was the cozy little brick building the restaurant was located in. It was like visiting a little cottage in Italy. We were also thrilled that Michelangelo's has its own parking lot (small but for Little Italy a huge plus). The interior was absolutely gorgeous. I loved the look from the warm color schemes in the entrance to the dark and trendy bar- complete with an amusing gentleman strumming his acoustic guitar.

We decided to eat on the deck. It was a very nice night and we felt as if we were dining in some one's backyard-warm and friendly.

And on to the dinner... :)

We had made reservations (recommended) so we were seated immediately and greeted quickly by our helpful waiter. We decided to start out with the Escargot appetizer and a couple of glasses of DaVinci chianti, both delicious.

For our entrees:
Mom ordered one of the specials, Sauteed Scallops-sundried tomatoes, egg noodles, and parmesan reggiano cheese (she opted out of the olive tapenade-she is not a fan). I had a few bites and that was my favorite. Brittney enjoyed the Tagliolini -thin spaghetti, jumbo shrimp, roasted tomato with pinot grigio. The Tagliolini was absolutely fabulous as well. Incidentally, I got yelled at when I tried to steal a few bites. :) I ventured out of my "safety zone" and ordered the Agnello New Zealand lamb shank with port wine lamb sauce. I am a huge lamb fan and have had it several different ways, but was a "first-timer" for the shank. I think that for me, lamb shank is something that I need to develop a taste for (sort of like the first time I enjoyed a beer or an olive). It is a pleasant experience, but I haven't quite figured it out yet.

In conclusion, we enjoyed Michelangelo's very much. I am also looking forward to my next adventure with lamb shank. Perhaps, lamb shank will steadily become a favorite in my foodie future.

Ciao,

Krista

Check out Michelangelo's on the web: http://www.mangelos.com/index.html

Sushi Rock Downtown

2008-05-20T13:17:00.000-04:00

For those of you who enjoy a nice raw fish dish from time to time, Sushi Rock is the place to go. I have found myself there several times including this past Friday night with an out of town friend from the Chicago area. To start we ordered martinis. I had a flirtini, my Chicago friend had a sex and the city martini and the other woman with us had a strawberry mojito. I thought my martini was excellent, but slightly over priced at $11 (more expensive then the sushi we ordered). I understand this is the warehouse district of downtown Cleveland, but I think $10 or more for a drink is ridiculous, but very tasty. For our main entrees we all chose to order the big rolls, 8 large pieces of taste bud goodness. In addition, I ordered tuna sashimi (raw fish by itself without rice). I am a big sashimi fan, but you really can taste the difference between fresh, never frozen fish and the other kind. Sushi rock fabulously chooses it's fresh fish and the texture of the sashimi literally almost melts in your mouth as it swims its way to your GI tract.

Like many others, I enjoy the spicy side of life and so for my choice of big rolls I ordered the dynamite, while my less caliente friends chose the everyday morning and the lobster roll. If your are a fan of anything deep fried that involves fresh salmon and cream cheese the everyday morning is for you. The lobster roll was good, but on the safe side of choices on the menu. The dynamite was, as always, a burst of heat and flavor that caused me to consume all my water, but it was so worth it. The dynamite is a masterpiece of rolled spicy tuna, salmon, yellowtail, wasabi and scallion. The sushi comes out on a beautifully presented marble slate that the preparer very meticulously finishes and would get major finishing points for in the Iron Chef kitchen.

So if you are counting carbs or watching your caloric intake, try sushi rock. Not only will you ingest some healthy omega-3 fatty acids (found in most fish) but you will have great service, enjoy a modern urban atmosphere and leave the restaurant feeling satisfied, but not over stuffed.

To check out more on sushi rock, both downtown or in Beachwood, see their website:
www.sushirockohio.com

Grab your chop sticks and getting going! Enjoy!
~Brittney

Lola

2008-05-16T12:57:00.000-04:00

Lunch at Lola! :)

I went with my "partner in delicious crime", Amy and our friend Lisa. We finally made it back to Lola after about a year. The last time we went for dinner. We were obviously very impressed that night, but its been so long we've been dying to give it another shot. Lunchtime, was perfect.

I ordered the, beef cheek pierogie appetizer with horseradish and mushrooms that I've heard so much about. This was a bit of a risk for me because I do not like mushrooms. I decided to "throw caution to the wind" and try the dish anyway. Luckily for me, the mushrooms seem like they are a nice part of the dish, but are by no way the star. The pierogies were buttery, tender and amazingly hearty. My only comment would be that I wanted more horseradish sauce because well...I LOVE horseradish. This dish is great for a chilly day.

I also enjoyed the very simple, but absolutely delicious mixed green salad of greens, sliced green apples, blue cheese, candied pecans and a light vinaigrette. It was refreshing, light and lovely.

Amy raved about her Chicken Pailliard salad with arugula, grapes and almonds. She said, "You know this is only grilled chicken, but its amazing! Its soo moist!". I also thought it was neat that the dish was served with the salad on one side of the plate and a whole chicken breast on the other. This way, you could mix and match pieces to your pleasure.

Lisa ordered the "choose two (selections of soups, sandwiches and salads)" entree with a Pressed Turkey Club with bacon, alfalfa sprouts and smoked cheddar with a side salad. She enjoyed it very much.

All in all, we are definitely heading back to Lola for lunch and hopefully dinner sometime soon.

I know Steve is going to be very jealous of us after today's lunch. He's been dying to try Lola for ages. Look soon for his Lolita review from his Graduation dinner. P.S. Steve just graduated with his Master's Degree in Psychology! Yay Steve!

AND .........Yay Michael Symon!

-Krista

Wild Mango

2008-05-15T16:44:00.000-04:00

The only thing better than eating is shopping and hours of shopping always makes you want to eat! That was the case a few days ago when I decided to join Krista on the hunt for a perfect new outfit at Great Northern Mall. After browsing a few stores we decided to stop into the Wild Mango for dinner.

Krista and I dined at the Wild Mango about a year ago and were both left unimpressed. Not only were we seated in an awkward booth that was literally cut off from the entire dining room and lead into the kitchen, but we disliked our dishes so much we ended up leaving the majority of our meal on the plate.

On this night we had a much more pleasant experience! Even though the large plank menu made me feel like I was rowing a boat, Krista and I were very pleased to see a multitude of items on the menu that we wanted to try. Plus, our server was extremely knowledeable and did a great job answering our questions.

I started off with the Warm Spinach Salad with caramelized shrimp and roasted pine nuts. The salad arrived warm and the aroma surrounding it was fantastic. The baby shrimp were delicious and the portion was just right.

I followed my salad with the Tuna Tartar which consisted of tuna, lemon-soy and wasabi, quail egg and white truffle oil with a mango coulis. Although the bowl it was served in was a bit large and unnecessary the Tartar itself was AMAZING! My first warm bite of quail egg mixed with the cool tartar was absolutely delicious!

Krista tried the Romano Shrimp for her entree which consisted of cheese battered black tiger shrimp with spicy mayo, sauteed baby spinach and sweet potato fries. While the shrimp themselves were indeed large and filling they were quite heavily battered, too much so for Krista's taste. I do believe Steve was actually the recipient of the rest of her dish when he got home from work that night.

All in all, the Wild Mango offers an upscale dining experience and great alternative to the mall food court.

Tah - tah,

Amy

One Walnut

2008-05-14T17:02:00.001-04:00

The best part of a visit from any lawyer is undoubtedly ditching my brown bag lunch to discuss business over something a little more appealing. On this dreary day in downtown Cleveland the immediate question posed to me, my boss and our visiting legal counsel was "where can we walk to lunch that requires the least amount of walking outside in the rain". Well, it just so happens it's a short walk to One Walnut from my office building so One Walnut it was! I've frequented One Walnut several times for lunch, but today I enjoyed an especially delicious salad I must recommend to those of you trying to strike a balance between eating healthy while enjoying a little red meat.

BUT....before you roll your eyes that I'm writing about yet another salad hear me out, this was not your run of the mill grilled chicken salad with stale croutons, this was a Grilled Angus Salad complete with some of the most delicious Angus beef I've ever tasted. I'm typically not a huge fan of red meat, but on this rainy afternoon it just sounded plain delicious.

The Grilled Angus Salad consisted of a bed of Bibb lettuce topped with a generous portion of perfectly seasoned Angus beef. Fresh mozzarella slices and mushrooms made this salad so tasty I didn't even add the side of Buttermilk dressing (I did however sneak a taste of the dressing which was as rich and delicious as the name suggests).

My boss enjoyed the grilled salmon while our guest enjoyed the fish and chips, both looked equally delicious.

One Walnut is also a fantastic evening dining experience (we'll write more about later); however, if you're ever in need of a classy lunch spot to entertain your next client or co-worker...stop into One Walnut and try one of their delicious and frequently changing menu items.

Happy hump day-

Amy

Sweet Melissa's

2008-05-05T09:41:00.000-04:00

Sweet Melissa's opened last Monday 4/28/08. Last night, Amy, Steve and I ventured to try this exciting new place for the first time.

When we walked in we were blown away by the overall look. Copper ceilings, dark wood, local art...it was a very eye pleasing environment. We were soo excited because the menu offered a nice selection, from snazzy Mahi Mahi to savory turkey sandwiches. It seemed like a great new place for the FFF.

However, we were a bit disappointed. It appears as though Sweet Melissa's has some kinks to work out before they can become a successful part of the Rocky River food scene.

We started out with the Fried green tomatoes appetizer. They were ok, but the spicy mustard aioli didn't go with the tomatoes and they were cold (cold seemed to be the theme of the evening). We had the feeling that they sat in the kitchen a bit too long.

I then ordered the Warm Goat Cheese salad. The salad was pleasant enough, but the goat cheese fritter was not warm and appeared to be possibly microwaved or previously frozen.

Then we moved on to our entrees.

Steve loved his Turkey Club (sandwiches may be the star of Sweet Melissa's). He also ordered a side of the red skin potato salad and reported that it was a bit bland.

Amy ordered the Portabella Quesadilla as her entree. She said that the quesadilla lacked flavor and was also incredibly bland.

I ordered the Pistachio Crusted Mahi Mahi. I loved the side dish, the butternut squash mash, but I was disappointed with the fish. Mahi Mahi is typically a very mild fish and needs a lot of help to "spice it up". The dish lacked anything to "spice it up". I couldn't taste pistachio in the crust and it was a bit too thick for my taste. It honestly reminded me of chicken.

Finally, we ordered dessert. We were incredibly excited because the dessert case looked amazing and the list of choices took up almost the whole back-side of the menu.

Steve ordered a Butterscotch brownie and couldn't taste the butterscotch.

Amy ordered the Golden rasin bread pudding that was a decent bread pudding, but was sad that it was clearly microwaved.

My Chocolate ganache sandwich was mushy and uneventful.

In conclusion, we decided to give Sweet Melissa's another chance in the future, but probably for soups and sandwiches at lunchtime...instead of an FFF dinner out.

-Krista

Check out Sweet Melissa's on the web: http://sweetmels.net/

The Cleveland Cupcake Co.

2008-04-30T12:29:00.000-04:00

Fresh banana butter cake with milk chocolate chunks, peanut butter cream frosting topped with a chocolate covered pretzel...despite the image of Elvis' swiveling hips popping into my head and Krista singing I ain't nothing but a hound dog...how could you possibly resist something as delicious as a "Silly Monkey" cupcake from The Cleveland Cupcake Co.?

Started up last summer by two Cleveland locals, The Cleveland Cupcake Co. offers an array of simple to exotic cupcakes and other "little nibbles" such as bacon chocolate chip cookies, cheesecake bites, pumpkin blueberry muffins and much more!

So my dilemma started the day before Administrative Professionals Day. What special surpreese should we order to honor our lovely administrative support staff on their special day that can be delivered the next day? Breakfast, flowers, balloons....screw that! This year we are having cupcakes! I've personally been dying to try CCC since I first saw their website featured in the weekly "Cool Cleveland" newsletter. The website by the way is very well put together, easy to navigate and allows you to order hundreds of cupcakes at home or work in a matter of seconds.

Easy right? Now the real decision started, what kind of cupcakes to get. Doesn't seem that hard a choice until you check out their website and see that instead of chocolate cupcakes with sprinkles you can custom order mocha cupcakes with dark ganache icing filled with seasonal berries and topped off with espresso beans! Not in the mood for chocolate, don't worry, you can choose from a multitude of cake flavors such as carrot, red velvet and corn. Ice it off with everything from buttercream to strussle topping. Fill it with figs, lime, jalepeno...the list is truly endless and unique. And finally, top it off with edible flowers, marshmallow, ribbon, cocoa powder or whatever else you could possibly think to place atop a cupcake.

So on the big day the cupcakes arrived right on time and in a fantastic box complete with colorful ribbon...we started off with a dozen custom ordered vanilla bean cake and buttercream icing cupcakes filled with fresh blueberries and blackberries, topped with additional fruit and nuts (I pretended these were a healthy alternative for everyone in our Biggest Loser contest). The buttercream was exactly the way it should be, sweet, sweet and more sweet. The berries were fresh and delicious and the nuts added a great crunch to the moist vanilla bean cake. The staff wasted no time digging in!

Don't worry, the feeding frenzy didn't stop there, I also ordered an other dozen of the "Hazel" cupcakes. The gooey little cupcakes have hazelnut and chocolate candy hidden inside a dark chocolate and caramel cupcake. Although many people commented they couldn't taste the caramel in the batter, this selection definitely satisfied every choco-o-holics sweeth tooth in the building with the gooey icing and crunch candy.

Next on the list to try....blackberry puff pastry tarts, pumpkin cookies, Paradise (grilled pineapple, vanilla bean cake and Hawaii 5-0 decorations) and The Rachel (cornbread, cheddar, bacon and green onion).

Need a sweet treat? www.clevelandcupcakecompany.com.

Smell ya later,

Amy

Nighttown

2008-04-28T12:52:00.001-04:00

As mentioned in my earlier post today, we journeyed to Nighttown for Steve's cousin's wedding reception this past Saturday night. Since Nighttown is a restaurant, what else can I do...but write a foodie review! *Please disregard the nerdy rhyming, it had fabulous timing...

I was very impressed with the reception at Nighttown. We arrived a bit early and all the staff was so accommodating; serving us cocktails immediately with a friendly smile. The appetizers put out also made us quite happy. Mini toasts with herbed goat cheese and roasted red peppers, bacon wrapped water chestnuts ...always a crowd pleaser. Matt's parents also had a great selection of wine, which left me in "food/wine" heaven.

As well as the food, I loved the atmosphere. The combination of the fun jazzy art and the elegance of the gorgeous lilac centerpieces with low candlelight ...reflected Matt and Emily's style... amazingly fun, awesome and elegant.

We had a choice of four different entrees to choose from when it came time to seat everyone for dinner. I have to say, I was a bit disappointed in my entree...the rib eye steak. It was overcooked and very thin, served with disappointing vegetables. Alas, sometimes to serve about 75 people steak is a quite difficult task. So I cut Nighttown some deserved slack here. :)

However, once I tried Carrie's (my "to-be" sister-in-law) entree...the house specialty, The Dublin Lawyer...Nighttown had definitely redeemed itself. The Dublin Lawyer is lobster meat sauteed in a mild cayenne butter cream sauce with mushrooms, scallions & Irish whisky served with rice pilaf...the lobster was incredibly sweet and spiced perfectly. I was very very jealous of Carrie at that point. ;)

Steve and I are definitely planning on heading back to Nighttown for a dinner out sometime in the future, I have been hearing nothing but good things about the food.

Congrats again to the happy couple!

-Krista

Nightown on the web: http://www.nighttowncleveland.com/

Le Petit Triangle Cafe

2008-04-28T08:55:00.000-04:00

This past weekend, Steve's parents were in town for his cousin Matt's wedding. Matt, and his new gorgeous bride, Emily got married at Holy Rosary Church in Little Italy with the reception at Nightown restaurant in Cleveland Heights. We loved every minute of it! A big FFF congratulations to the new Mr and Mrs. LaVigne!!

And back to the foodie review...:)

Every time Steve's parents come to town, we try to take them out to restaurants that we feel can "show off" Cleveland and our fabulous foodie style. I felt that for a unique breakfast/brunch experience...there is no better place to try then, Le Petit Triangle. I was also dying to get back to Le Petit Triangle since the name/ownership had changed, to see how the changes effected the restaurant.

I am happy to report that the restaurant has lost none of its famous charm it had under the new name/ownership. The decor has not even changed much, a little yellow paint on the wall to brighten up, but the feeling you have escaped to a lovely cafe in Paris for about a hour...it still totally there.

Most the of menu has remained the same, but there have been some new additions which only add to the "fabulousness" of the cafe. The menu includes several other items in addition to their very famous crepes; from the Stuffed French Toast made with raisin walnut bread layered with sweetened chevre and maple syrup to the Chicken Ratatouille Omelet.

We all ordered crepes of course, (it is the way to go when visiting Le Petite Triangle) but I will definitely try that Stuffed French toast as soon as I can. Steve's dad was raving about the artichoke crepe made with tomato, gruyere and artichoke hearts and absolutely adored the fresh fruit parfait he finished it off with.

Steve ordered the smoked salmon crepe made with cold smoked Atlantic salmon filet, fresh dill, cream cheese served with red onion and capers , and I bravely took a bite ( I'm not such a fan of fish at brunch) and I was pleasantly surprised. It was sweet, salty from the capers and went lovely in the crepe.

My coffee was as good as it has always been there, wonderful. I know our good friend Jacquie still daydreams about that coffee. I also enjoyed a simplette crepe with scrambled eggs, brie and spinach. It was the perfect light breakfast I needed that morning. I have to note as well, that the proportions of the crepes are the perfect fulfilling size and even served with additional lyonnaise potatoes ...that are great. :)

We could not pass up ordering a dessert crepe, so we ordered the chocolate lover's crepe with dark chocolate and stawberries....mmmmmm...it was awesome!

All in all, Le Petit Triangle is still my favorite fabulous breakfast/brunch spot in Cleveland. And I am dreaming of when we get to head back.

-Krista

Check out Le Petite Triangle Cafe on the web: http://www.lepetittrianglecafe.com/home

FFF Recipes!

2008-04-17T09:17:00.000-04:00

We now have a FFF Recipes blog!!! Yayyy!!!

The link is on the top right side of our page.

Enjoy,

The Foodies

Crop Bistro

2008-04-15T16:49:00.000-04:00

Today my lovely co-worker Rebecca, took me to lunch at Crop Bistro.

I have to say I was a bit nervous because Johnny's Downtown (partnership with Crop Bistro) has never been a FFF favorite. However, the Crop Bistro experience was definitely not Johnny's. It was enormously superior. We went at the perfect time, beating the lunch rush and seated immediately. Our service was very good and the meal...was quite fabulous.

I really enjoyed the tiny details of the menu and restaurant aka the "spring themed menu". Rebecca ordered a favorite sandwich of hers, the Willie Bird Smoked Turkey on Corn Bread but the chutney had changed from Cranberry to Peach Basil for spring. A nice touch to set the "changing of the seasons" mood. Lets just hope we no longer see any snow! Hooray for spring!

She quite enjoyed her sandwich and I really enjoyed the Baby Spinach salad with Plumped Apricots, Goat Cheese Crostini and Warm Honey Balsamic. The dressing was the perfect blend of spicy and refreshing. The goat cheese crostini was warm, falvorful and a wondeful compliment to the salad.

I ordered as my main course, the Seared Scallops- Polenta Crouton & Arugula appetiser...because I just couldn't help it. I love me some scallops! :) They were amazing! Topped with sweet corn and red peppers, cooked perfectly. The polenta crouton was also very good with a nice crust on the outside and a wonderfully cooked cornbread texture on the inside. Speaking of cornbread, the bread served is a cornbeard. Accompanied by, a wonderful cinnabon butter. I have to say I am usually not a fan of the cinnamon butter at restaurants, but it went perfectly with cornbread.

All in all, I was impressed and am looking forward to trying dinner at Crop.

-Krista

Crop Bistro on the web: http://www.cropbistro.com/

Trattoria

2008-04-14T15:41:00.000-04:00

Trattoria located on Mayfield Road in Little Italy is an FFF favorite.

From the fabulous antipasto platter to the scrumptious desserts. It has always been a great dining experience. **Plus Steve's awesome cousin and his fiance reside in Little Italy, so we can usually rope them into joining us...ah bonus. :)

The atmosphere in Trattoria is just as charming as the incredibly popular Tomato Basil sauce. (available for purchase by the jar). If I ever see any in a store or at a food show, I snatch some up for my homemade eggplant parmesan. Which by the way...is my favorite entree at Trattoria.

Brittney love love loves the gnocchi. The best way to eat it is with the blush sauce. It is an extremely rich dish with that sauce, but perfect comfort food for the unpredictable chilly Ohio weather.

By the time you get to the desserts, you may not have much room left...however you can always fit a bit into your "dessert stomach".

(Side Story:The dessert stomach is apparently separate from the regular stomach, so that when the regular stomach is full, the dessert stomach is always ready for action. ;) Oh that's awesome, isn't it? Invented by a friend's child trying to convince Mom that there is always room for a piece of chocolate cake.)

I would recommend the Cassata Cake. It is always super moist and exquisite.

Il mio amore Trattoria!

-Krista

Trattoria on the web: http://www.trattoriaromangarden.com/

Three Birds

2008-04-13T21:26:00.001-04:00

From the moment a co-worker recalled her first date with a promising new love interest at a fabulous restaurant in Lakewood called, Three Birds, I knew I must make a reservation and go at the soonest available special occasion.

Well, two years later I finally found a special occasion...dinner on a Friday evening with my mother who was being "kicked out" of the house while my dad hosted a poker party for some of his old timer friends. As appealing as I'm sure a giant sub sandwich from Convenient is to men chugging Miller lite and throwing chips on a table, I told my mom I was going to take her somewhere that would offer a much wider selection of protein.

First off, you MUST make a reservation at Three Birds in advance if you hope to sit at one of the cozy tables and sip wine on a weekend otherwise you'll find yourself walking right back through the beautiful garden, through the gate and over to India Garden for Tandoori chicken.

Second, you must clear your schedule so that you have plenty of time to enjoy every moment of happiness that you'll experience from the time you're seated at your table. From the soft bread, to the crisp salads to the amazing entrees, you'll won't want to shovel this cuisine in your mouth just to rush off to the local pub.

For starters, my mother and I shared the Field Greens salad and by share I mean I asked her to taste one bite which lead to me attacking the entire plate filled with assorted citrus, greens, toasted cashews, grilled pineapple and a mint grapefruit coriander vinaigrette! Honestly, I've never drooled from a salad but this was worthy of carrying a tissue just in case.

After the unbelievable salad experience, my mother and I could hardly wait for our entree of pan seared sea scallops, roasted curried cauliflower, coriander spiced carrot puree and chili hollandaise sauce to arrive. Our entrees arrived in a beautiful triangular presentation showing off a beautiful color explosion of bright orange carrot puree. I decided to savor every bite of the three sea scallops on my plate as I was absolutely starving and was afraid I would still be hungry afterwards; however, by the last bite I found that I was quite stuffed. The cauliflower was roasted wonderfully and mixed incredibly well with the carrot puree. Although it looks quite like baby food, there is nothing juvenile about this mix. I never thought I'd find myself scraping every last bit of mashed carrots off my plate at any restaurant, but hey I'm not above it! My mom by the way was equally impressed with the entire meal and asked if it was inappropriate to sop the remainder of carrot puree off her plate with bread when no one was looking.

Three Birds is a fantastic way to spend any night of the week, anytime of the year, but I am now very eager to go back once the weather warms up and sample some Roasted Duck Breast with Foie Gras in their beautifully landscaped garden. There's nothing I enjoy more than sitting outdoors at dusk on a breezy summer evening, slightly slouched back in my chair sipping wine with the FFF!

-Amy

Players on Madison

2008-04-13T14:30:00.000-04:00

To some people the holy grail of food and beverage is the coveted beer and pizza. While I may have skipped out on the beer, to save calories or to justify my heart healthy glass of red wine, the pizza at Players on Madison was no disappointment. Steve and I ordered a large pizza with arabiatta sauce, a slightly spicier version of traditional red pizza sauce, with fresh basil, mozzarella, tomatoes and lobster (yes, you can put lobster on your pizza there). Any restaurant where you can combine fresh ingredients, including the chopped basil and huge pieces of lump lobster meat, and slap them on a perfectly crunchy, not too thick crust is worth the reservation.

In addition to the fabulous pizza at Players on Madison, we satisfied our palates with another traditional snack with a new twist, Lobster Nachos. While this item was a special the night we embarked on Players, it was so unique and novel that it had to be mentioned. The dish was prepared with homemade tortilla chips, with a hint of lime and topped with spicy black beans, fresh sweet corn, chopped tomatoes, avacado, and a light sour cream sauce with large pieces of lobster. It must have been stuck under the broiler for a few seconds because the cheese on the nachos was melted perfectly and the tortillas had a nice hint of crunch that doesn’t come standard with your out of the bag chips.

All and all I though the restaurant and atmosphere were a fresh and creative take on the old neighborhood and offered a variety of flavors and price ranges to satisfy both the palate and billfold. A bonus was the friendly and enthusiastic staff, which made the evening very pleasant.

Enjoy,
Brittney

Flying Fig

2008-04-12T11:31:00.000-04:00

When Steve's Aunt and Uncle (who own a catering business and are quite amazing foodies themselves), suggest a restaurant to us...we always take their advice.

We've been to the Flying Fig several times and it has become a FFF hot spot. My personal favorite part about the "Fig" is ordering the trio of small plates aka the "Savory Smalls" off the menu. This way, for the same price as an entree you can try 3 different culinary triumphs in one sitting. And, if you have friends with you, and you each order the trio of savory smalls, you can try more. The FFF's are huge fans of sharing food, and the Fig is a great place to do it.

As far as the entrees go, we've never been disappointed. I love love love the Seared Duck Breast & Roasted Duck Leg with Butternut Squash Puree & Brussel Sprouts,Pecans and Sour Cherry Reduction! It was amazing! It is also so much fun to sample the specials and chef Karen Small is always coming out with fun exciting specials.

We will continue to flock to the Fig as long as it remains fabulous!

-Krista

Flying Fig on the web: http://www.theflyingfig.com/

Great Lakes Brewing Company

2008-04-12T11:16:00.002-04:00

I am a fan of Cleveland and a fan of Beer, and when it comes to Cleveland and Beer it does not get any better than Great Lakes. I knew that Great Lakes could do beer but it was not until last night that I found out that they can do food as well. While I greatly enjoy getting dressed up and going out for a fine dining experience my passion is for the meat and potatoes (or in this case the burgers and beers). While every dive, pub and bar can serve up a greasy burger and soggy fries it is to easy to lump all food at these establishments together. These places have traded in their sommelier for bouncers and as far as "bar food", it is only one step above meals that require someone to ask "do you want fries with that".

Well it is not quite that simple, and I am very grateful, the quality of grub in casual bars and taverns has slowly clawed its way up to stand with fine dinning. It was with this outlook that I went to the Great Lakes Brewing Co. for dinner, and I was not disappointed. The atmosphere was inviting, full but not crowded, with a table waiting just for us. We started with a round of beer, and it was a hard decision, with all the classic staples I have enjoyed for years and the new flavors only available on tap at the brewery,I did the only thing I could, I tried them all. The beer sampler, a sample of all ten beers on tap is a good way to have your favorites and try something new at the same time. I was tentative of some of the new flavors, not being a fan of IPAs, but any and all hesitation left with the first sip of The Lake Erie Monster, an imperial India pale ale. It was well balanced and smooth while maintaining a full hoppy flavor which did not overpower the brew, which it can all to easily do.

I knew we were not getting your grandfather's bar food when our appetizer arrived, Brewer's Barley Pretzels, Two fresh baked brewer’s barley pretzels with radishes and Liptauer dip. They were warm, soft and matched well with the accompanying mustards. I followed it up with Dee Jay's Pulled Pork Sandwich, the bun was soft the meat was "fall apart tender" and it had the perfect amount of BBQ sauce. I want to add here that sauce is an art form not a science, you need enough to keep the meat moist and to soak slightly into the bun, but without letting it get soggy and dripping onto the plate or your shirt, enough flavor is needed to compliment the meat but it should be mild enough to let the flavor of the meat through, an art, and at the brewing company I tasted a Monet. These people know how to make a sandwich.

Krista had the Bratwurst & Pirogi. One Dortmunder bratwurst and three potato and cheese pirogi with braised red cabbage, sour cream and Dijon mustard. She loved it and the horseradish mustard that went amazing with the pirogi. She washed it down with Elliot Ness...she kept raving about how much she loved Elliot Ness, I do not think she knows there are a few bottles left in the back of the fridge or her new found love of this beer will have me on a new found trip to buy some more.

Cheers,

Steve

Momocho

2008-04-12T09:59:00.000-04:00

Me gusta Momocho!!!!!

Momocho is one of the FFF staple favorites. We've been several times and not once, have we been disappointed. If you are looking for the city's best margaritas and gourmet Mexican food...look no further, Momocho is the # 1 choice.

I first discovered Momocho 2 years ago. We had our work Holiday party there. Steve and I were suddenly, obsessed. We've even taken both sets of parents, and they also left with huge smiles and happy tummys.

I have to say that I am not the world's biggest "spicy food fan" I constantly hear the phrase, "Oh Krista that is not spicy at all!" (mostly hearing this from FFF, Brittney). But, at Momocho it doesn't matter. The seasonings/sauces on my two favorite entrees are a bit spicy, but nothing I can't handle.

I get so excited just thinking about the seared sea scallops with hominy croqueta and jalapeno creamed corn. It is really hard not to order this every time we go. I am a huge seafood fan and the scallops are perfectly tender and seasoned every time!

I also adore... the adobo lamb chops with jalapeno mustard crema, goat cheese mashed avocado and spinach (usually with pumpkin seeds). The lamb is perfect as long as you order it medium to medium-rare, but lamb lovers out there should know that is the only way to eat it. This even inspired me to cook fresh spinach more often at home. It makes a great side dish if you just steam it in a pan with olive oil and lemon juice..mmmmmm

Steve has to order the Margarita flight every time we go. There is no way around it, but can you blame him? :) My favorite is the Catus Flower margarita, but seriously, they are ALL amazing! They even have special flavors from time-to-time.

The guacamole is a crowd pleaser as well. I am not usually a fan, but at Momocho I make an exception to the goat cheese,tomato and chile guacamole.

If your in the mood for an adventurous dessert, try the cream cheese flan with blackberry + chile pasilla syrup. It really is one of the things I can't wait to have again. I mean, how often can you enjoy a spicy flan?

Su amiga,

Krista

Momocho on the web: http://www.momocho.com/

Special Event-Flavors of Northeast Ohio

2008-04-12T08:39:00.001-04:00

Had to mention this, because it sounds absolutely...well...fabulous!

Flavors of Northeast Ohio brings together a brilliant assortment of the area's top chefs who offer their visionary cuisine to a limited number of guests in an intimate and exclusive setting.

Monday May 12th, 2008
Intercontinental Hotel and Conference Center
9801 Carnegie Avenue, Cleveland
Cocktails at 6pm
Signature dinners served at 7pm
$150 per ticket on a first come first serve basis (Only 200 tickets available)

To register or for more information:
Call the American Liver Foundation Ohio Chapter 216-635-2780 or email ohio@liverfoundation.org

***All proceeds benefit the American Liver Foundation Ohio Chapter

Featured Chefs:

Matthew Barnes- Saucy Bistro
Ben Bebenroth- Spice of Life Catering Co.
Dante Boccuzzi- Dante
Robert Cabrales- Paladar
Richard Carson- Vue
James Foreman-Chefs for Hire
Michael Herschman-The Cabin
Doug Katz- Fine food and drink
John Kolar- Thyme the Restaurant
Robert Ledzianowski- Table 45
Matthew Mathlage- Light Bistro
Matthew Mytro- Boulevard Blue
Scott Popovic- Certified Angus Beef
Jonathan Sawyer-Bar Centro
Steve Schimoler- Crop Bistro
Karen Small- Flying Fig
Rocco Whalen- Farenheight

This sounds like an amazing event and we are hoping to report back after attending. Plus, the best part is.. ..it is all to the benefit the American Liver Foundation!!

How could you not feel fabulous about that?

-Krista

Pickwick & Frolic - Restaurant and Club

2008-04-11T22:55:00.000-04:00

Who doesn't love walking down E. 4th Street on a sunny afternoon. It's impossible not to "people watch" as the outdoor patios fill with Clevelanders flocking to enjoy every possible second of the "here today - gone tomorrow" warmth and sunshine.

This past sunny Monday, 3 co-workers and I started the chain of emails around 10am about where to have lunch. I have been to Kevin's Martin Bar located in Pickwick & Frolic Restaurant and Club several times, but until recently it never dawned on me to sample something other than the Crazy Cran Cosmo martini. Honestly, I would still probably not have thought of Pickwick as a dining option until one of my co-worker's discovered "Mondays Suck".

Apparently, Pickwick offers an array of delicious items off their lunch menu for only $6 every Monday! Who can pass that up? Well, I did. Unfortunately, the $6 menu was not very waistline friendly for me so I gave the Wood Grilled Salmon Bistro a try instead. It may have cost me more than the daily specials, but oh so worth it! The salmon was just enough to tide me over through the rest of the workday and perfectly cooked so that it flaked away into bite size pieces as soon as my fork hit the pink flesh. I nixed the roasted red peppers, but the mix of greens, feta cheese, grilled onion and kalamata olives couldn't have been more pleasing...oh wait, yes it could...just add the lemon herb vinaigrette. The salad is so delicious I found I only needed a drop of the dressing to add a little extra delight.

I was so impressed with Pickwick's comfy chairs, ballroom chandeliers and overall classy yet not uptight atmosphere that I suggested it as a lunch meeting spot two days later with my boss and insurance brokers. Neither my boss or the brokers had ever dined at Pickwick although they also admitted walking by it all the time. Surprise, surprise I yet again ordered the Wood Grilled Salmon Bistro and two of the others in our party did the same. Everyone raved how delicious the choice was and my boss was especially happy that he was able to dine out without having to tack 30 extra minutes onto the treadmill that evening.

All in all, Pickwick offers a great atmosphere for lunch or dinner and the food seems to be great! On top of that, you can enjoy a Martini Bar, Champagne Room, Comedy Club and Gift Shop without even leaving the building. Did I also mention they serve brunch on Sundays? There's no better way to end a long weekend then to enjoy some Prime Rib alongside a made to order omelet!

Needless to say, Pickwick is great for entertaining so keep it in mind next time you are in charge of picking the lunch spot, putting together an entertaining evening for friends downtown or need a new brunch spot to kill that Sunday morning hangover.

-Amy

Check it out - http://www.pickwickandfrolic.com/index.htm.

Wine Bar RR

2008-04-11T09:38:00.000-04:00

Wine Bar RR
Since, the Wine Bar Rocky River isn't a restaurant, it is not centered around food. But, since they have such delicious food accompanying their fabulous wine...this will be our first real foodie review! (Plus we went on Tuesday and it is fresh in our minds)

We are sad to report that there are no longer main entrees on the menu. It now consists of a wonderful appetizer selection, flatbreads, entree salads and burgers/sandwiches. Alas entrees we will miss you. However, hanging at the Wine Bar RR will hopefully always be a favorite FFF pastime.

Our dinner Tuesday night:

Amy:Grilled Salmon salad with arugula, toasted pepitas, jicama andancho lime vinaigrette

Brittney: Chicken with mixed greens, dried strawberries, pecans, basil, blue cheese and balsamic vinaigrette

Krista: Turkey cheddar burger with sun dried tomato mayo and a side salad (mixed greens with pine nuts, Asiago, Kalamata and sun dried tomato vinaigrette-perfect mix of salty from the olives and the sweet pine nuts )

*We were trying our best to avoid carbs that night if you can't tell. In saying that, we may want to take this time to mention this FFF rule, "Even if there aren't any carbs in sight, doesn't mean the meal isn't might!"

Anyways, we are also happy to report, though we were sad to no longer see main entrees...everything was fantastic!

Wine Bar RR is a great place to hang with friends and enjoy the sharing of several appetizers with of course.. a nice glass of vino!

-Krista

P.S. We can't wait for the weather to be fabulous! The patio at Wine Bar RR is the best way to enjoy!

Check out Wine Bar RR on the web: http://www.winebarrr.com/index.htm