Flavors on the Avenue

Every time we pass Flavors on the Avenue, the restaurant is packed. Like bugs to a flame and humans to an auto accident, we could not resist. We had to try this place. Like watching TMZ, we should have stopped there.

This packed restaurant is the epitome of “trucker influence.” They used to say, if truckers ate at a restaurant, it must be good. That might be the case with “Flavors”. This is cheap plentiful food. We left full, but not satiated. Nothing about this restaurant should attract customers except the price. Food is marginally better than fast foods and in some case poorer. Avoid the animal instinct to gravitate toward the marginal foodstuffs and find a better place.

Save your money, buy good food!

List Status: NOT added

30133 Euclid Avenue Wickliffe, OH 44092 404-347-0174

La Boca

Michele always enjoyed Krazy Mac’s and when they decided to close the restaurant on Detroit Avenue, we were upset. It was a nice cozy place with cozy comfortable food. The tears have dried. La Boca has taken its place and we couldn’t be happier.

We wandered over to the Westside to attend the Bizarre Bazaar at the W78th Street gallery in the new Gordon Square Arts District. It was a very exciting collection of artists/craftspeople selling handmade goods. We of course loaded up on jewelry, cards, soap and handmade candies. We stopped at La Boca for a late lunch/early dinner, a very typical eating time for us on the weekends. This restaurant is perfect for our particular eating pattern as they have only one menu throughout the whole day. Our waiter told us the calamari and the Mussels were both very popular, but we decided to share the new appetizer, Crab & Shrimp Fritters. They were good, a little light in the seafood and heavy on the filler, but an enjoyable introduction to the new place. Dinner was a wholehearted success. Michele had the Grilled Salmon. It was served with paprika potatoes and a white wine, capers and tomatillo sauce. At $13, this bargain did not last long. No doggie bag tonight! Jeff had the pork tenderloin with plantain and rice. Each of the chunks of pork were seared perfectly so they were soft with just the right amount of crunch on the outside. The apple, walnut, raisin and rum sauce was a perfect complement and not a drop went to waste, either embracing the pork or the rice. Dessert was flan. This is one of Michele’s favorites and when it is this dense, rich and creamy, Jeff’s too!

About halfway through eating at a new restaurant, one of us inevitably asks the other, “So, are we coming back?” Neither of us can remember who asked this time, but both of us remember the answer, “Yes!” We hope to see you there!

List Status: Added

http://www.labocabarrio.com/ 5800 Detroit Avenue Cleveland, OH 44102 216-981-5800

Cedro Rustico Osteria (Whole Foods UH)

Who needs fast food when your local Whole Foods grocery store has a fabulous dinner counter serving freshly made food in a cheerful environment?

We live near the University Heights Whole Foods store. Tucked at the edge of the wine department and next to the cheese section is a counter with a number of stool-high chairs. Behind the counter is a small kitchen. A menu rests at each place setting with plenty of low-cost appetizers, entrées and drinks. There are also a series of daily specials. With a number of appetizers in the $3 to $4 range and a few entrées in the single digits, you would be right to worry about quality. That is the surprise. The food is good. It is the perfect antidote to burgers and fries.

The menu changes a lot, but there is always a number of interesting options that usually include a chicken dish, a few pasta plates, a daily risotto, at least one vegetarian offering, some salads and other creative options. We usually have an appetizer and entrée, but this time decided on entrée and dessert instead. Jeff had the pasta special, Carbonara with Ohio City lemon pepper linguini and apple wood smoked bacon. While we sat there, the day’s allotment was exhausted three hours before closing. Michele had the maple-glazed salmon served over creamed sweet potato and vegetables. We finished the meal with a shared piece of toasted almond cream cake.

Two entrées, one dessert, one glass of wine, one cup of tea, a plate of bread with olive oil balsamic and a great show watching the chef prepare plate after plate and only $30, no tip necessary. Can you do better than that? It is unlikely, especially based on this quality.

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/cleveland/downloads/osteria.pdf 13998 Cedar Road University Heights, OH 216-371-5320

Paladar

We like Paladar and try to eat there whenever we’re close. After an afternoon movie (Fantastic Mr. Fox – and it was fantastic) we decided to have a late lunch/early dinner. Sometimes we start with guacamole, sometimes the crab and mango fritters, sometimes just chips and salsa. This time, it was cold outside and we both decided on soup. Jeff had their version of black bean soup. Paladar’s black bean is not as thick as most and not as spicy as some. It also has a few veggies not typically found in this soup. If you’re a purist, you may not like it, but if you don’t let the name influence you, this is good soup. Michele had the Smoked Butternut Squash Soup – think tortilla soup with a butternut based stock instead of chicken broth. The smoky sweet taste was a nice balance with the tortilla chips. As always, a successful first course.

Michele really likes the Slow Cooked Chicken; Jeff is typically drawn in by the Rum Glazed Pork Cubano or the Brazilian Lamp Stew. Because it was “officially” a lunch menu and the chicken is not available, Michele ordered the Chipotle Chicken BBQ Quesadilla. The dish was spunky, but not too spicy for her. She finished all four segments of the quesadilla. Jeff opted for El Cubano traditional Cuban sandwich, theirs being a very good version. The plantain side was perfect. A second clean plate and satisfied customer. Mom would be proud.

As a reward, we ordered the Coconut and Caramel Flan, a particularly thick and rich, dense version. We’ve had a few other dessert offerings, but usually fall back on flan, because of the nice way it caps these sometimes complex meals.

As always, good food in a nice space capped a good afternoon on a cold day. What could be better?

List Status: Existing

http://www.paladarlatinkitchen.com/ 28601 Chagrin Boulevard Woodmere, OH 44122 216-896-9020

The Greenhouse Tavern

Prior to opening The Greenhouse Tavern, Chef Jonathon Sawyer ran Bar Cento, a great little bar that served some of the best meals, bar food and snacks in Cleveland. Jeff loved the place and Michele was lukewarm. It wasn’t the food. She always loved the fabulous moist and tender roast chicken. The problem was the limited selection. While Jeff tried almost everything on the menu, she had roast chicken every time we went because nothing else appealed to her. Fast forward to The Greenhouse Tavern.

Michele usually orders hot tea with her meal. The Greenhouse Tavern serves a pungent green leaf in a French Press. Jeff remembers the type as a “worker’s tea” popular in China. She didn’t like it and quickly ordered a diet cola while Jeff finished the tea. The cola was a natural brand named Cricket that Michele never had before and she really enjoyed it. For lunch, unfortunately, finding nothing else to her liking, she ordered the chicken pallards salad. Jeff ordered the French Dip sandwich and the beef vegetable bean soup. Like Bar Cento before it, this was great food. The sandwich was flavorful; the gruyère a perfect complement to the dip’s braised beef, the chicken was tender and the soup hearty. The chocolate dessert was a perfect end cap. Based on the experience, Jeff was eager to try some additional menu items. Michele was hard-pressed to imagine the next visit not consisting of chicken.

On our way out of the restaurant, we asked to see a dinner menu. Jeff looked it over with anticipation. Michele noted that with the exception of the daily fish special, the Coq au Vin looked good! While this place serves wonderful food, we are unlikely to return very often. The limited menu will appease only half of us and when a pair of eaters doesn’t find common group at an eatery, dinner hour is not satisfactory.

One additional note. If you decide to visit, be warned that every time the front door is opened, a cold wind whips through the room. We were seated ¾ of the way back and even at this point, felt a cold shot. Don’t forget your muffler!

List Status: Existing, recommended, but not used very often

http://thegreenhousetavern.com/ 2038 East 4^th Street Cleveland, OH 44115 216-443-0511

Mario Fazio’s

Mario Fazio’s is probably the friendliest Italian restaurant in the Cleveland area. Don’t get us wrong, we like the food here, but every time we visit, we are treated like an old family friend that just stopped over while Mama was finishing preparation on a big bowl of Sunday spaghetti sauce, “So sit, eat, unbuckle your belt a notch, enjoy!”

Beyond the smiling faces of the gang, there are a lot of things that bring us back to Mario Fazio’s. Shortly after sitting down, a bowl of garlic bread and salsa is served. The chunky tomato-based sauce is a great complement to the fresh bread. The wine pours are generous and inexpensive and each meal is capped with a small slice (the perfect size!) of cassata cake. For us this is also an odd dining experience. Michele, the usual lover of a pre-dinner salad has the complementary Italian Wedding soup. Jeff, not a huge fan of traditional salads eagerly orders their version. It is packed with the things he likes and she hates, julienne beets, garbanzo beans, shaved carrots and fresh peas over lettuce. A snappy house made balsamic vinaigrette makes this one of his favorite salads and we haven’t even ordered dinner yet!

Michele flies all over this menu. She like’s Bert’s Ravioli, the traditional lasagna and the eggplant, but probably most asks them to prepare her favorite dish, one that appears only on the lunch menu, Chicken Alioto, a chicken parmesan with ricotta, roasted peppers and pasta. Jeff has honed in on a favorite, Beef Braciole and usually orders it, primarily because it is not on any other menu in town. A thin flip steak is lined with pepperoni, breadcrumbs and hard boiled egg, them rolled and topped with provolone cheese and served on a bed of cavatelli. This is one of the few places Jeff needs a takeout box.

Looking for a place that serves food  just like your Italian grandmother used to cook, even if you don’t have any Italian blood in you? Stop by Mario Fazio’s. They’ll make you feel like you’re home…and don’t wear a belt.

List Status: Existing

http://www.mariofazios.com/ 34400 Chardon Road Willoughby Hills. OH 44094 440-585-3883

AMP 150 / Hell’s Kitchen

Michele is a big fan of Hell’s Kitchen. When she found out five of the competitors from Season 5 were coming to Cleveland, she immediately made reservations. Each prepared a course and the event was held in the newly renovated airport Marriott on West 150^th.

The new AMP 150 (America’s Modern Palate) is a very comfortable and inviting room. Mustard and Tomato Red furniture is surrounded by a warm wood bar and draped glass bead ceiling lighting. While we did not try the food, the new menu looks promising with a wide variety of small and large offerings, perfect for travelers with a wide assortment of needs.

Champagne and hord’ovres preceded the first course created by Colleen Cleek. This was a perfect salad of endive, frisee and watercress, topped with Pomegranate vinaigrette. The real treat however was the duck pastrami side, a wonderful blend of the delicate texture of duck with the saltiness of smoked meat. Paula DaSilva prepared shrimp ravioli over a butternut squash puree. The slight crunchiness inside the soft blanket was a nice combination with the sweet puree. This was one of our two favorite courses. Course three was its rival. Ben Walanka prepared porcini-dusted scallops. Wonderfully seared on the outside and smooth and soft inside, they were perfect. The 4^th course featured beef tenderloin with lobster cream sauce. This was a melt-in-your-mouth tender piece of meat with just the right counterpoint in the lobster sauce. Chef Giovanni Filippone created this dish. Dessert was a bittersweet chocolate cake with pumpkin five-spice ice cream. A wonderful complement to a great menu from the hand of Ji Cha. Nicely selected wines accompanied each course.

After dinner the guest chefs circled the room and freely chatted with the crowd, gamely posing for photographs and chats about their experience on the show. All told, this was a fun evening with a group of people who enjoy watching a loud chef yell at his fellow chefs.

http://amp150.com/ 4277 West 150^th Cleveland, OH  216-706-8787

Sun Luck Garden

Sun Luck Garden has been one of our favorite restaurants from the first time we stopped. On our initial visit, there were no free tables when we entered. We were asked if we cared to join a couple at an underused six-seat table. “Why not?” Sharing dinner with a pair of eccentric and interesting repeat customers set a path for our appreciation of this amazing little restaurant. We were hooked.

First Rule of Sun Luck: This is not your ordinary Chinese restaurant. Yes, there is one red paper lantern at the entry, but the room is primarily decorated with contemporary art and bold colored banners. Knives and forks are on the table, rather than the obligatory chopsticks. There are only about a dozen tales in this South Taylor storefront, so reservations are suggested. The menu is actually short.

Second Rule of Sun Luck: Wait for the specials. Yes there are interesting things on the menu. Michele feels the dark Tofu is the best ANYWHERE. She also likes the Won Ton Soup. Jeff often orders the scallion cakes appetizer and the Honey Walnut Shrimp is the only entrée he can recall ordering from the menu. The real treats here however, are the specials. Whatever is offered will be remarkable. The fish is always fresh and Michele readily orders it. The reoccurring Chicken Dumpling and Asparagus in Brown Sauce are among Jeff’s favorites. Even the specials that sound odd are ten times better than regular items at other restaurants. Sit down, buckle your set belt and order one of the unscripted treats. You’ll thank us.

Third Rule of Sun Luck: You get dessert at THIS Chinese restaurant! After having worked with some of the best chefs in Cleveland, it was inevitable that she would include a tantalizing array of sweets to end the meal. The ice cream is homemade, the sorbet is homemade, and all of the desserts are (you guessed) made in house. In almost twenty years of dining at Sun Luck, we haven’t had a clinker.

Fourth Rule of Sun Luck: Annie Chiu has a cult-like following. If you eat at Sun Luck Garden, you lovingly refer to the owner as simply, “Annie”. When the place is less than busy, she stops by each table for a chat. Conversations overheard during a normal evening are peppered with her name, “Annie really knows how to select fish” “What specials did Annie do today?” “I think Annie outdid herself today!” Once you dine here a second time, you too will be on a first-name basis with Annie.

Fifth Rule of Sun Luck: Go! Eat! Enjoy! You are not likely to find better, fresher or more creative cooking in all of Cleveland.

For the record, on this visit, Michele has the swordfish in savory vegetables, Jeff ordered the Chinese Squash with pulled pork. For dessert, Michele has the Mocha ice cream and Jeff had the bread pudding with warm caramel topping. Of course they were ALL good! Annie made them!

List Status: Existing

http://www.sunluckgarden.com/ 1901 South Taylor Road Cleveland Heights, OH 44118 216-397-7676

Muse

Because of favorable comments from friends “in the know,” we added Muse at the Ritz Carlton to our list, but had not yet tried it for ourselves. We had tickets for a performance at the Quicken Loan Arena, so took the opportunity to grab lunch at Muse. Our initial reaction was to book dinner reservations as soon as possible. This was a fabulous lunch. Michele has the Crab BLT, a large heap of crabmeat, topped with thick slices of smoked bacon, avocado slices, alfalfa sprouts and marinated tomatoes, served on a rosemary foccacia bread. A spicy chili sauce add just the right amount of snap. A side of sweet potato fries was a nice balance. Jeff ordered the pan roasted scallop Palette. The Palattes mix the selected course with a salad and dessert of the day. The scallops were perfectly seared and served with a rich, creamy cherry tomato and mushroom sauce. The salad was a wonderful penne blended with sliced asparagus and crumbled bleu cheese. For dessert, a miniature tart with raspberries and mousse.

We always liked Century at the Ritz Carlton and even though the new room is nice, believe that space was a bit more elegant. This was a nice mid-day dining experience and has whetted our appetite to try for more.

List Status: Existing

http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/Cleveland/Dining/Muse/Default.htm

1515 West Third Street Cleveland, OH 44113 216-623-0515

Michaelangelo’s

Over the last twenty-five years, this Murray Hill space, set back from the street has had a number of owners and food themes. Prior to current ownership the place was called Villa d’Este. A number of years prior, Canterbury Ales was one of our favorite casual dining haunts. Michaelangelo’s is miles away. The place is now an elegant, yet simple room serving some of the best Northern Italian food in the area.

We’ve been to this restaurant a number of times. In each visit we’ve sampled the heartier offerings on the “meat and fish” side of the menu. On today’s visit we decided to try the pasta. This proved to be an excellent decision. While Michele has enjoyed the menu’s Bass and the fresh offering of the day and Jeff raved about the rack of lamb and veal dishes, the pasta certainly held its own.

Michele ordered the Tagliolini, a bowl of “square” pasta wrapped around jumbo shrimp, olives, and roasted tomatoes in a Pinot Grigio sauce. The bold tomato flavor was augmented with a spunky, spicy sauce. Jeff had the Tortellini. This was a classic veal-stuffed pillow served with prosciutto, peas and Parmigiano Reggiano cream sauce. Both were fabulous, so good in-fact, we kept asking ourselves why we’ve stuck to the “other side” of the menu for so long.

We did not have appetizers during this visit, despite wonderful Caesar salad, escargot and Kobe beef carpaccio in the past. We decided instead on trying the daily dessert special Chocolate Ganache “Bomb”. This was a decadent mount of chocolate, surrounded by blueberries, raspberries and chocolate biscotti. We scrapped the plate clean.

We like this restaurant. The food is great, the staff is professional and the atmosphere is classy. Give it a try before the orchestra or for a relaxing evening.

Please note: Thursday November 12, 2009 is their special Black Truffle Wine Dinner. For $100 each, they are offering a six-course dinner, all featuring in-season black truffles along with wine pairing. The menu looked great, especially if you like this rare foodstuff.

List Status: Existing

http://www.mangelos.com/ 2198 Murray Hill Road Cleveland, OH 44106 216-721-0300