La Strada Was "La Clunker"

We found ourselves downtown for Public Square's Winterfest on Saturday evening, and after the tree lighting and fireworks we started to wander down East 4th in search of food and drinks. Of course The Greenhouse Tavern didn't have any openings for 1.5 hours (do you blame them? I don't! It's fantastic.). So we stumbled into La Strada, owned by Terry Tarantino who also operates La Dolce Vita in Little Italy.

I vaguely remember reading a review in The Plain Dealer about how dimly lit the restaurant was- and they were spot on! "R" even commented that they must save a lot of money on their electric bill (what a jokester he is). Once we got over the lighting situation, I started to take in the place. The seating arrangement is a little odd, with the focus being on the classic black and white movies playing through a projector onto the main wall of the restaurant. Is anyone really watching while they eat? It boasts that it is a "Mediterranean bistro", but I really think that it was an excuse to decorate by slapping up random wall decor (ex. tribal mask next to our table) and lots of candles. I certainly did not feel "transported to the streets of Rome, Barcelona, and Athens" as their website claims. Trust me, I've been there.

I ordered the Fettuccine Fellini with gorgonzola in a tomato cream sauce ($18). When the dish arrived, I was severely disappointed in the presentation. The noodles were drenched in a pale pink sauce close to the shade of the pasta, and the dish was seriously lacking some garnish. The whole plate just looked bland. The sauce wasn't bad after I made sure that each bite had a substantial amount on it, and the noodles were clearly home-made. A vegetable or something else to add a little color to the plate would have gone a long way in my eyes. Overall, it was just ok. "R" tried the Vagabondo pizza with spinach, tomato, red pepper, red onion, kalamata olive, french feta, and mozzarella ($11). The crust was so thin that it cracked and crumbled as you bit into it, and the pizza was lacking any sauce or a desired amount of cheese. He was pretty disappointed in his selection.

While I am glad that we finally tried La Strada, I can't see us going back with so many wonderful options popping up on East 4th.

La Strada
2050 East 4th Street
Cleveland, OH 44115
(216) 861-3663

Charity Event That You Must Check Out!

"Blog It Forward"- what a concept. Cleveland's infamous Chef's Widow and her hubby Chef Sawyer are opening the doors of their amazing Greenhouse Tavern restaurant for a happy hour event on December 3rd to benefit a wonderful fellow blogger going through a difficult time right now.

Read more about the event, and seriously consider attending. We're talking about $6 for Sawyer's highly sought after Chicken Wings- what a deal, and it's all for a great cause!

A New "Angle" For Us

This past weekend we stumbled upon The Old Angle Tavern in Ohio City- and what a find it was! I have passed by there many times, and in my mind I had pictured more of a dive bar. The warm, cozy, rich interior has an artistic flare. Old bookshelves line the mahogany bar- filled with assorted glassware, bottles, books, and tchotchkes. We were instantly impressed with the upscale bar menu and long drink list.

We started with the Lamb Sliders- topped with tzatziki & onions ($6). The sliders were thick, juicy, and flavorful. My slider had more sauce on it than the other one, also "R" was a little disappointed with his because of this. I opted for the Ohio City Cheese Steak with grilled onion, assorted cheeses and au-jus ($8.5). The cheese steak sandwich was giant, and the steak was clearly shaved fresh in-house. I will argue that the cheese tasted like American, not "assorted"- but it was still gooey and good. The au-jus is what really brought this sandwich home. "R" had the Grilled Cheese with duck confit, tomato, American & Swiss cheese ($8). It was out of this world. The thick Texas toast supported the hearty portion of cheese and other fillers. The duck confit added just the right amount of richness to the sandwich. All sandwiches are served with fresh-cut french fries, slaw, and amazing thick-cut dill pickles. I am a french fry lover, and rarely want to mess with the flavor by using ketchup- but the Old Angle's house-made ketchup was fantastic. The hint of spices and chunks of tomato complimented the fries perfectly.

This is a great happy hour spot, or if you're settling in for a casual evening of drinks and food that is up a notch from other local taverns. It's also a plus that it is only a few miles from our house! You can be assured that we'll be back (soon!).

Old Angle Tavern
1848 W 25th Street
Cleveland, OH 44113
(216) 861-5643

I Live With Trattoria's Biggest Fan

From the time we started dating over two years ago, my boyfriend has expressed his love for Trattoria's House Special Gnocchi Al Burro. In the heart of Little Italy, Trattoria has a lot of great competition on Mayfield Road. Its low profile entrance and signage might not jump out at you, but this is one casual, cozy, third-generation run destination that you should check out. The atmospohere is nothing special, and could actually be called "cliche". However, thier plump, hearty gnocchi make it worth the trip.

I have now experienced their gnocchi special more times that I can count, and I too have become a loyal fan. Their homemade potato dumplings are soaked in a tomato, basil, butter and Romano cheese sauce- and it is to die for. I actually highly recommend getting take out and allowing the gnocchi to absorb the delicious sauce for a while longer. Many things are not as good reheated, but this dish is better!

You also need to try their fresh bruschetta that is served with each entree order. The house-made dipping sauce is phenomenal, and the warm baked bread served with it is the perfect spoon! Lucky for us, they sell it by the jar.

Trattoria On The Hill

12207 Mayfield Road

Cleveland, OH 44106

(216) 421-2700

Whoops! Brunch at the Tap House

If you follow me on Twitter, then you know that "R" and I have been frequenting the Tremont Tap House a lot lately. Not only is it located in one of our favorite neighborhoods, but it is just the type of place we envision ourselves owning some day (and I do mean some day). The exposed brick, funky decor, warm lighting, casual atmosphere, and outstanding food often fits what we are in the mood for. I've been nothing but impressed with the food we've had there: gourmet burgers, home made pizzas, seafood entrees, hanger steak, and ahhh the Hot Pretzel with Imperial Stout and Smoked Cheddar dip ($6). Of course I can't forget to mention their extensive beer list!

They have a nice happy hour, with several food specials including the house burger for $5.

However, we stopped in for their famous brunch last Sunday and what a disaster it was! For once, I will not be writing about the food- because it was that terrible. My Steak and Eggs was missing the red onion relish, the steak was well done, and the eggs were severely under cooked. I will be writing about their service and how well they responded to an unfortunate situation.

Brunch begins at 10 AM on Sundays, and we arrived around 10:10. There was one other table seated. Our waitress quickly informed us that the chef had not arrived yet, and everything that included a hollandaise sauce was not available (which is nearly half the menu). We didn't mind, and placed an order for two items sans sauce. As the bar and dining area began to fill up, we realized that the chef was still not there. Over an hour later, our food had still not arrived and the staff was scrambling to handle the situation. Both owners were present, and stopped by our table several times to apologize. The food finally arrived- prepared by a sous chef in over his head but he served us with a smile and great attitude. It was pretty bad. As we finished our meal, one of the owners- Christopher Lieb -stopped by one last time. He apologized profusely and gave us his business card. "Next time you want to come in, just give me a call and we'll get you a gift certificate, " he said. Apparently his partner had run to grab some, but would not be back before we left. We were thrilled with the offer and thought that it was very appropriate. Then came the surprise. We received the bill and they had taken $15 off the $34 bill- almost half!

Things happen. Anyone who has worked in the restaurant industry understands this more than most people. It is all about how you handle the situation, and the owners and staff at the Tap House handled it better than I've ever experienced before. I will not hold this disastrous brunch against them, and you can believe that we'll be back there soon!

Tremont Tap House and Grill
2572 Scranton Road
Cleveland, OH 44113
(216) 298-4451

*photo courtesy of Stuartblog2

Social and Prosperous

I have been to Prosperity Social Club in Tremont twice now, and I've been pretty impressed with the place. My first visit was not too long ago, for happy hour with co-workers and friends on a Friday evening. We enjoyed discounted drinks, decent food, and board games galore! One of the best things PSC has to offer is their collection of board games available for patrons to use while they dine and drink. As our group dwindled from 9 to 5 people, we started to play Candy Land and Chutes and Ladders- as drinking games (very fun, and I can explain the "rules" if you are interested). Overall, we had a great evening but I did think that my pita bread which accompanied the spinach and artichoke dip ($8) was over baked.

Last night was my second time dining at PSC, and the food experience was much better than the first. We arrived early to take advantage of their great Happy Hour deals from 4-7PM. Domestic bottles were $2 and micro brew drafts were $3.75. They also have great wine and cocktail deals. During happy hour, several appetizers are on special, including a dozen mussels ($3) and the hummus plate ($5). We started with the mussels, which are sauteed in a garlic butter white wine broth and served with warm bread. The broth was delicious, though heavy on the garlic so consider yourself warned! The toasty warm bread was the perfect avenue for soaking up the broth. The hummus is made in-house. It was unique and we really enjoyed it, but I did think that it lacked some acidity. The plate came with toasted pita bread (not as bad as my first experience, but still overly crisp), tomatoes and cucumber slices. It was a large bowl of hummus for the $5 price.

They have week night specials, and Tuesday is $5 Cheeseburgers day. The patty was cooked nicely (medium as requested) and the bun was very fresh. It was a little messy to eat, but delicious. The house fries that come with the burger were fresh cut. It was a great deal for $5! I've also heard that they have excellent fall-off-the-bone ribs and that the Friday Fish Fry is very good. It is a great casual bar with tasty food, so if you're looking for a relatively cheap night out and some good old fashioned fun with board games you should check this place out.

Prosperity Social Club
1109 Starkweather Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44113
(216) 937-1938

It May Have a Funny Name...

Anyone who pays attention to the restaurant scene in Cleveland has heard of Zach Bruell and his popular contemporary cusine at Parallax (Tremont), Table 45 (located inside the InterContinental Hotel by the Cleveland Clinic), and his newest restaurant L'Albatros Brasserie & Bar (University Circle). I've had the pleasure of dining at Parallax before (delicious modern seafood), haven't made it to Table 45 yet, and last night was my first time experiencing L'Albatros since its opening. I have to say that if my decision was based on the decor and atmosphere, I would not be going back. Bruell's contemporary trend was taken a bit too far with the cold white plastic chairs and table, minimalist artwork and decor, and simplistic (a.k.a. boring) bar area. Also a glass of wine runs you about $10. Now on to the food- which is where he really shines!

We started with the "French Toast" served with ragout of wild mushrooms and balsamic syrup ($8). Our waitress stated that it was their signature starter and very popular. The dish was very rich, but inventive and flavorful. The carmelized mushrooms and hint of balsamic syrup was a wonderful combination. The light, fluffy french toast squares just melted in your mouth. Two of us ordered the pasta special of the evening which included house-made noodles smothered in a light goat cheese fondue with grilled cauliflower. The dish was tasty and the portion was perfect, but I think I would have enjoyed my first choice off their regular menu a little better. I think it was the words "goat cheese fondue" that got me! Luckily, our other dining companion ordered my top choice: Seared Sea Scallops with brussel sprouts, noodles and pernod cream ($20). The gigantic scallops appeared to be seared to perfection, and they were nestled on a bed of house-made noodles. I may be back to try this dish for myself! We finished with the Warm Chocolate Brownie served with crème anglaise and vanilla bean ice cream ($7). It arrived warm as promised, and the ice cream was melting right into the thick gooey brownie. Umm, can you say heaven?!

Overall, I was impressed with the food and will probably overlook the atmosphere of the restaurant while dining there again. Rumor has it that Bruell is opening a fourth restaurant on East 4th in the near future. Keep your eyes peeled!

L'Albatros Brasserie & Bar
11401 Bellflower Ct.
Cleveland, OH 44106
(216) 791-7880