621985 Fri May 22 19:02:53 -0700 2009 14 8 General Midwest Archive 0 4708099 Two recent trips to Cleveland in between trips to San Francisco and New York. After an incredibly disappointing experience at Lola and blah eating in the Italian Village I'm glad to report on some good eats. Full reviews with pics in context in blog: http://uhockey.blogspot.com/2009/05/crop-bistro-cleveland-oh.html http://uhockey.blogspot.com/2009/05/bar-cento-cleveland-oh.html http://uhockey.blogspot.com/2009/05/grandma-fredas-cupcakes-cleveland-oh.html Text below: Fri May 22 19:02:53 -0700 2009 160718 uhockey 1 4708100 Crop: What happens when a self-taught chef (and interesting entrepreneur in the areas of sweeteners and butters) opens a brilliant restaurant in an “average mid-western town” that best known for cursed sports teams, a lake that caught on fire, and a chef named Symon whose personality on TV far outshines the personality or cooking at his restaurant? Apparently the self-taught chef gets overlooked despite his wonderfully detailed focus on local produce, artisan producers, unique presentations, and the fact that he still cooks in his own kitchen regularly. All these things noted I must admit I got taken up in the hype and had a relatively average meal at Lola earlier in the year while Crop sat notably on my “to-do” radar for some time - thankfully my sister’s graduation from the CIA lent a great opportunity to experience Steve Schimoler's culinary skills at the chef’s table. After a classy yet (typically) boring graduation and myriad proud feelings for my sister we arrived approximately 15 minutes early for our reservation and parked at the affordably $5 valet (you certainly don’t get that in the big city.) Entering the restaurant I was somewhat surprised at how busy the place was at 6:15, but our hostess was quite gracious and quickly showed us to our place at the chef’s “table” – a bar peering directly into the intimate workings of the kitchen. With reservations made a month in advance I must admit that despite looking forward to our meal at Crop I had been a tad reluctant given my recent return from a culinary masterpiece of a visit to San Francisco and upcoming trip to New York City – I wondered if I’d simply walk away from Crop with that same “blah” feeling I’ve had at most eateries in the mid-west save for a few notable exceptions in Columbus and Chicago. From the moment we were seated, however, my fears were abated. Greeted promptly by our casual yet professional server and provided with a quick hello from Chef Schimoler and a number of his smiling staff I was admittedly impressed early on by the cool, calm, and collected manner of the kitchen – nothing like the frenetic-yet-controlled chaos I witnessed at Charlie Trotter’s or the refined precision of the 20+ person staff at The French Laundry – only 6 people, quiet and working harmoniously with each doing their set “jobs” effortlessly. Shortly after my sister (chocolate stout), aunt (a super-minty mojito), and mother (some fruity prickly pear drink) ordered drinks and I got my first of many glasses of water we were given menus to peruse – and peruse we did as almost everything sounded amazing. After approximately 10 minutes and much negotiation amongst us so that we could maximize the number of dishes tasted decisions were made we sat back and enjoyed our drinks and the action of the kitchen. Watching the young man in front of us flash extremely professional knife skills and an award-worthy personality (especially with a ~10 year old diner with her parents at the far end of the chef’s table) we were quite amused as we received the first of two amuses bouche directly from his hand – a Chile Deviled Egg with Crisp Pork, Beet, and Balsamic. While I am the only die-hard egg fan of our group, the amuse was a smash with everyone and particularly interesting to myself in the creaminess of the piped yolk puree’s sharp contrast with the spicy and crispy prosciutto. Complimenting the soft yet textural egg was a light earthiness from the beat and a strong spice from the (if I’m not mistaken) fig based balsamic – things were off to an excellent start. Shortly after completing the egg we were brought the bread basket – a glorious surprise (though I admit a major bias.) While I fully believe that any “fine dining” establishment should offer a minimum of 3 types of bread, when the one offered is the best cornbread I’ve ever tasted outside the bacon-fat laden version at Roscoe’s in LA I’ll make an exception. Cutely shaped like mini ears of corn and served with a whipped honey butter – I’d have paid $10 for this if it were an appetizer. Lacking “whole kernels” of corn and textured almost like a baked polenta – heaven. Before I could even finish my first (of about 10) cornbread we were brought another gift from the chef, himself. Approximately 1/3 the size of the appetizer portion (a steal at $7) we were each presented with a cup of the house made lobster latte – essentially Crop’s take on Lobster bisque but instead of butter heavy made with a seafood stock and crème fraiche whipped to a froth. Absolutely packed with whole chunks of lobster claw and much less “heavy” than a traditional bisque I found this to be a very interesting take on a classic dish – unexpected, unique, and delicious. More action in the kitchen (including multiple preparations of the balsamic popcorn – clearly a house favorite) led to the delivery of our appetizers – two for myself, one for sister, one for my aunt, and a sharing spoon for my mom. The first appetizer, ordered by my sister, was Tobacco Calamari with Asian Aioli – a tired theme done by almost every restaurant from Denny’s to Aqua I must admit I didn’t expect much yet despite its odd constituents (or perhaps because of them,) it was both unique and delicious. Lightly panko coated and flash fried the tender cephalopods were tossed by the chef with a white mayo-esque aioli with hints of citrus and subsequently tossed with a handful of -yep- chopped tobacco leaf. Spicy yet aromatic this dish honestly makes me wonder why so few chefs have explored tobacco as an ingredient – very well done. The second appetizer, entitled “Cherry Bomb” on the menu was ordered by my aunt – the kind of person who will order $12 tomato skewers with watermelon at The Bizarre de Jose Andres. Described as a deep fried tomato stuffed with Chorizo and Cheese on Corn Puree I must admit this appetizer is the sort of thing that deserves the title of “signature.” Quite unlike anything I’ve ever tasted I can best compare this to a pizza-roll, yet 10 fold better with plenty of spice from the Chorizo, creamy smoothness from the cheese, and plenty of textural contrast between the crunchy fried shell and the corn puree beneath. Appetizer three, my first, was the only “miss” of the night and it was a “barely miss” at worst. Seared Elephant Trunk Scallops with Sun Dried Tomato Tarragon on Crisp Polenta was exactly that – but unfortunately the combination of less-than-stellar scallops and a bit too much “sear” led to a somewhat rubbery texture. To be fair, I must say that given my recent travels I’ve become a bit spoiled with west coast scallops and that may have lent to a bit of the disappointment with the dish, but overall it just didn’t do a lot to wow me. With fried polenta that was good, albeit not as great as the cornbread, the true standout of the dish was the impressively tart yet light tomato sauce. Appetizer next was a must – something rare in Ohio and something I order whenever I see it on the menu – foie gras. Entitled simply Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras with Toasted Challah and Gingered Apricots I will say flat out that the portion and quality was the best “bang for your buck” foie I’ve tasted outside of San Francisco’s One Market. While I prefer terrines to seared preps in general, the soft and ample portion of perfectly prepared liver was contrasted beautifully by the toasted challah which I had the opportunity to witness the chef carve out of a large loaf in a single motion (impressive knife skills with a knife I’d have surely lost a finger to if I tried the same move.) Per usual, the addition of an acidic citrus worked wonders for enhancing the flavor while the ginger added a very intriguing taste I’ve not experienced before. To all the foie lovers out there – it was better than Gary Danko’s or The Dining Room at the Ritz, two much hyped preparations. Finished with our appetizers (and trying very hard to keep my hand off the bread basket so I had room for my main and dessert) a short time passed before main courses began arriving – the first being my sister’s “special du jour” - Pumpkin Crusted Swordfsh with Scallops, Quinoa, and Vegetables. According to the chef only about 10 servings of this would be available for the night due to the short stock of line-caught swordfish and as such I must say we were lucky to get a chance to taste. Crisp yet well cooked vegetables, wonderfully textured swordfish with a good balance of firmness and flakiness (especially for swordfish,) scallops much more delicately prepared than the appetizer though with similar taste, and nicely textured quinoa all brought to a sharp peak by the earthy sweetness of the pumpkin, nutmeg and chives. Brilliant, bold, daring – if I kept going I could probably run out of adjectives. Dish two, my aunt’s, was the Truffled Mushroom Tarte Tatin with Asiago Anglaise. While the dish itself was excellent, I must admit that the preparation was even more fun to watch. Starting with a large pan that was coated with batter, fried, and subsequently baked before adding a mélange of mushrooms, truffle oil, and cheese and then flipping and further coating with cheese for presentation – very cool with a rustic French approach that would not be out of place at a place like Jean-Georges. Great flavor with a crispy and buttery crust I can honestly say that the only flaw of this dish might have been that it was too big for one diner – no problems though, I was more than willing to help her out. The final main, ordered by both myself and my mother, was the Park Farms Chicken Fried Chicken with String Beans, Savory Ohio Maple Waffles. Super thinly pounded breast coated with panko and cornmeal on both sides, quickly flash fried in the deep fryer and finished in the oven the chicken’s taste and texture were wonderful and second to only Boulevard and Momofuku Ssam in quality. Textural and tasty the chicken’s savory components were well tempered by the soft and sweet waffle (buttermilk mixed by Chef Schimoler and then toasted on both sides) with ample maple syrup and perfectly crisp yet well done string beans. A fine dining take on “comfort food” that actually works – unlike so many other’s vain attempts at mac n’ cheese, meatloaf, and pot pies (save Mina’s lobster pot pie.) Clearly after a meal of such quality dessert was a no brainer and with 5 options on the menu we opted for four different choices to be shared (neglecting the parfait which sounded good, but not overly inventive.) Starting with my selection, “Some like it Hot” with Warm Flourless Chocolate Cake, Mentholated Habanero Ice Cream, Mango Lime Coulis, Citrus Tuile – Tried and true, flourless cake once again equals lava cake and once again the presentation was standard – dense, warm, and safe. The addition of a wonderful mango-lime coulis added additional complexity while the citrus tuile added some crunch. Unexpectedly, however, was the ice cream – holy hell. While I fully admit I’m not the world’s biggest fan of spicy, this ice cream redefined “HOT” and as much as the menthol tried to temper the habanero, it failed. Despite this fact, however, I must admit the spice added a very unique aspect to a generally standard dish and it kept me going back for more – like Bart Simpson and the electric cupcake. Sure it took me two whole glasses of water to get through the dish, but honestly, I’d consider ordering it again – something about the spice and the chocolate just worked. The second dessert, my mothers, was entitled “Waffles and Ice Cream” with Hot Waffles, Strawberry Basil Ice Cream, Seasonal Fruit, Herbs, Chocolate Sauce. True to its name the dish consisted of two of the same waffles offered with the chicken, but this time paired with strawberry couilis, chocolate sauce, and a complex strawberry/basil ice-cream and fresh basil. Voted a winner by my mother and sister, I personally didn’t love the dish as I simply felt the basil was too strong and lacked the subtlety of Daniel Humm’s at Eleven Madison Park. Dessert three, ordered by my Aunt, was Pretzel UnLogic with Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Pie, Pretzel Tuile, Malted Milk Shooter. Loved by my aunt and enjoyable enough I personally found the most interesting aspect of this dish to be the interplay of the chocolate and salt, plus the wonderful shooter which tasted like a liquefied Malt Ball. In my opinion this dish lacked the imaginativity of the other desserts and although good could’ve been ordered at any number of places. The final dessert, Crop’s signature “Crop Circles” with Hot Coffee Sorbet, Mocha Meringue, Espresso Blondie, Vanilla cream, Espresso Syrup was ordered by my sister and wowed on every level. With a sorbet that topped Jeni’s Black Coffee Icecream, Meringue that tasted better than Starbuck’s Mocha, and a Blondie with heavy hints of coffee flavor the whole dish was like a deconstructed/reconstructed tiramisu and appealed as much to the palate as the eyes - a definite must-order for anyone who likes coffee. Finishing the meal and paying the bill (less than $60 per person with drinks, tax, tip) I must admit I was absolutely stuffed – but not to the point of discomfort – but lets just say I’m glad there wasn’t a course of mignardises or candies. Brilliant food in a lively setting, a chef who is as willing to support the local markets as he is to take risks, and a friendly amicable staff – plus prices that make “fine dining” accessible. While others will prattle about Lola and Symon, I’ve been to enough casual and fine dining establishments to definitively say that with Crop in town I’d never give Lola a second thought or chance – better food, better prices, better service, and no pretense whatsoever. At the end of this month my sister will leave Cleveland for a new city and I’m unsure how often I’ll be back, but if I do return I will make a return visit to Crop – Sunday Supper sounds excellent! Fri May 22 19:04:26 -0700 2009 4708099 160718 uhockey 2 4891813 My husband and I will be meeting friends in Cleveland next month and need to find a good lunch spot before we head to Massillon; would you recommend Crop over Lola? Sun Jul 26 12:06:09 -0700 2009 4708100 40895 Shooley 3 4892152 I'm not Uhockey (and I regret to disagree with him about Lola; to the best of my knowledge, he has not had lunch at Lola, only one dinner, which did not impress him). I have not had lunch at Crop (I've had dinner); I've had both at Lola. I think you would enjoy either - toss a coin - they are both excellent. Another excellent, recently opened choice is The Greenhouse Tavern, also on East 4th. The best way to choose among them is probably to look at their online menus and see which appeals to you the most - all three are top-notch restaurants. Sun Jul 26 15:04:51 -0700 2009 4891813 18699 NancyH 4 4898729 Crop was amazing - top to bottom. Lola had good (not great) food, the service was average, the bread and coffee service were amongst the worst in fine dining I have ever tasted.. The portion to price ratio at Lola is on par with Providence, Charlie Trotters, Le Bernardin, or Manresa while the ingredients and experience are vastly inferior. Tue Jul 28 18:45:10 -0700 2009 4892152 160718 uhockey 3 4893306 I really enjoy Lola for lunch. I know that Lola has dug up quite a bit of criticism on the boards, but I have had nothing but (mostly) wonderful experiences there (the service can be a bit flaky and amateurish). I took a friend to Lola for lunch this past weekend and we enjoyed the beef cheek pierogi appetizer (they even split it for us, so we would get more mushrooms and horseradish cream), and the herb-brined turkey club (very large portion for a sandwich, some of the very best turkey I have ever had, with a pile of delicious rosemary/sea salt shoestring fries), and the mac and cheese with roasted chicken and goat cheese (one of my favorites). The menu is fairly simple (sandwiches, simple entrees), but I have never had a bad meal there. I also enjoy the small lunch desserts, and have tried the chocolate pot de creme, the peanut butter pudding, and most recently the pistachio panna cotta with cherries and lemon biscotti (which was incredible). The space can be pretty noisy, but not unbearable. I have not eaten at Crop, but I have tasted many dishes of theirs at various Cleveland food events, and have been very impressed by the simplicity and freshness of the dishes, while still packing a serious punch flavor-wise. I am very excited to go either for lunch or dinner, and would reccommend based on what I have heard. NancyH is right on about The Greenhouse Tavern (next door to Lola, practically). Their Chevre Salad with goat confit is absolutely divine. Mon Jul 27 06:08:27 -0700 2009 4891813 1092518 emmaleeb 4 4895777 Emma - You must try Crop - Steve Schimoler is an incredible chef (and an interesting character - from the same town on Long Island where I grew up, and very creative). He was a food scientist before he became a restaurant chef, and his menu reflects that. Glad you enjoy Lola as much as I do - though I've never had a service hiccup. Mon Jul 27 19:45:42 -0700 2009 4893306 18699 NancyH 5 4896319 Ahh I know! I am very excited to. Was going to go for the family style dinner on Sunday but was hesitant because I knew that Steve would be at the Rock n Roll BBQ at the Beachland Ballroom. Maybe this week.... Yes, his menu looks amazing (I am obsessed with looking at menus online and have probably read Crop's over 100 times.) I will post a review when I do go. Thanks! Tue Jul 28 05:41:34 -0700 2009 4895777 1092518 emmaleeb 3 4896283 Crop and Lola both have GREAT lunches, I prefer both restaurants for lunch because service is much speedier at both places and the selections are very unique and tasty. The house-made bologna sandwich (with fried egg, pickles and dijon on an english muffin served with the rosemary fries) is my favorite thing on Lola's whole menu, dinner included, and the "Pig Mac" (a take off on the big mac) at Crop is probably the best sandwich in all of downtown - pulled pork, bacon and pork tenderloin with homemade "special sauce" and pickles on a pleasantly greasy bun topped with black sesame seeds. Only drawback to crop is that they are not open on Mondays. Tue Jul 28 05:17:02 -0700 2009 4891813 19518 rockandroller1 1 4708103 Cento and Freda's: I’m not a drinker and as such I don’t go to bars – ever. After a long day checking out the CIA’s BFA exhibit with my little sister we decided to hit the West Side Market and after picking up some cupcakes from Grandma Freda’s decided that some proper food would be ideal before digging into the cupcakes (for the sake of full disclosure I’ll admit I ate the Red Velvet before dinner.) Having heard great things about Michael Nowak’s inventive cuisine and high end ingredients I’ll admit I was curious about Bar Cento before even going to Cleveland for the day and the fact that they had an extensive list of unique beers certainly appealed to my sister. Entering the surprisingly larger front-patio area we were greeted by a friendly hostess who asked us whether we would prefer the (loud!) outside area or the more subdued interior – given the fact that techno-esque music blared outside and I heard Pearl Jam’s Black playing inside we opted for the indoors - a great choice as we were treated to Zeppelin, the Doors, Soundgarden, and Pearl Jam throughout our meal. Comfortably seated at a small table near the bar we browsed the menu (myself the food and my sister the beer) and chatted while our quirky server buzzed around the restaurant replacing silverware on tables, placing bread baskets with olive oil (which we notably never received,) and pushing beer/alcohol orders – thankfully my sister ordered a beer or I fear we’d have been pressured to order drinks throughout the meal. Receiving her beer my sister noted it was quite good – to me it tasted like beer. Ordering two pizzas we sat and chatted while watching the cooks in the open kitchen spin dough, chop vegetables, and assemble the pies. No more than 15 minutes passed before we were brought our well cooked thin-and-crispy pizzas, ideally prepared with just a little bit of char on the edge. The first option, Apple and Prosciutto Pizza with Gorgonzola and red wine was a great blend of sweet and savory with wonderfully sweet and tender skinless apples contrasting eloquently against the somewhat crisp and amply salty prosciutto. Adding a layer of creaminess a small amount of un-salty gorgonzola was added to the dish along with a slight bit of bitterness coming from the merlot. Hints of chives and possibly coriander also crept though with bites towards the center and as a whole this was as good, if not better than the Brie pizza at Spagio in Columbus – with a much better crust. The second pizza, Sunnyside Pizza with eggs, provolone, pancetta, and lots of black pepper lived up to its name – IE, it tasted like a lot of Black Pepper – and maybe some eggs. A noted fan of all things featuring a yolk I had very much looked forward to trying this pizza but unfortunately any nuance or subtlety was entirely eliminated by the incredible degree of over seasoning. Salty Pancetta, the tongue/mouth-feel of yolk, and pepper pepper pepper. I will admit I appreciated the crispy and perfect crust of this pie, but otherwise a piece of bread with olive oil (which we weren’t given) topped with black pepper would have been nearly on par. After our meal we were offered desserts (ironically, Jeni’s Ice Creams) but instead opted to eat our cupcakes from Grandma Freda’s while listening to some Nirvana. All told I must admit I was modestly impressed with Bar Cento and the prices were certainly manageable compared to the vastly overpriced and overhyped Lola – I’d like to go back at some point for the chicken and gnocchi. According to my sister, the alcohol list was quite extensive and affordable, so perhaps for beers and bites the place would be better and I bet it would also be a good place to catch a Cavs game – certainly better than average “bar food” and a setting/scene better than the average “dive bar.” ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- My sister completed her BFA and the exhibit was awesome. After a long afternoon of browsing the exhibit and hanging out we decided to head to the West Side Market for some shopping – little did I know that in the process I would find something remarkable (aside from the quality produce at low prices.) Lettuce, Celery, Apples, and Quince in hand we browsed the market further when we happened upon a little place called Grandma Freda’s – a little place with 8 great looking varieties of cupcakes, great prices (okay, at least compared to LA, SF, and NYC.) Assessing the varieties and opting for a 4-pack we paid the friendly young lady behind the counter and made our way out to Bar Cento for dinner – followed by a cupcake sampling. The first cupcake sampled was the standard by which all cupcakes are judged – Red Velvet. Soft and moist cake, thick and creamy frosting – not quite perfect in terms of a cream-cheese frosting, but not sugary sweet either – a very adequate example that I’d put in my top 5 all time. The second cupcake, Carrot, was exemplary and the first of three fantastic tastes. Thick and hearty with a much more impressive cream cheese frosting than the Red Velvet – hints of pineapple, walnuts, cinnamon, and whole raisins – not quite as excellent as the Carrot Muffie at Bouchon, but damned good. The third cupcake, German Chocolate, was absolutely fantastic and my sister’s favorite of the group. Once again, perfectly moist cake with strong base-notes of cocoa but subtle accents of coconut – this time complimented wonderfully by a thick and creamy coconut/pecan frosting – decadent and delicious. The fourth cupcake, the show-stealer for myself, was entitled Peanut Butter and Jelly. With a dense cake that quite literally tasted like 50% Peanut Butter and 50% Flour I was already impressed, but then completing this masterpiece was the inch think topping of peanut butter/butter cream and strawberry jelly that tasted like the middle of a nutter-butter but better. Admittedly quite filling, but absolutely a must buy and vastly better than the PB+J cupcakes at Yummy. Without over-exaggerating, I’ve tried cupcakes from at least 20 different places in my time – including the famous Sprinkles, Magnolia, Yummy, and Crumbs as well as other specialty cupcakes like Keller’s at Bouchon – while I still rank Keller’s Red Velvet as the best cupcake of all time, on the whole I’d rank Grandma Freda’s as “best overall collection.” Sure, they probably aren’t as ‘healthy’ or ‘pure’ as Kara’s or others, but if I want health food I’m not shopping for cupcakes anyhow! Cheers Grandma Freda, real men love cupcakes and I must admit I’m quite fond of you. Fri May 22 19:06:21 -0700 2009 4708099 160718 uhockey 2 4895914 UHockey - the next time you are in town, get some cupcakes from Appetite in Lyndhurst. I'm not a big sweets fan - but these things knock my socks off! Call first to make sure they have them - then indulge - my friend Bernie, who is a sweets fanatic - swears these are the best anywhere. And he seeks them out wherever he goes, and his kids live in NYC and Boston. Don't know why these last few posts didn't appear on my feed of this thread; oh well. Mon Jul 27 20:49:06 -0700 2009 4708103 18699 NancyH 1 4719142 Thank you for the great reviews. I already have my reservations at Crop and can't wait to try it. Wed May 27 11:24:10 -0700 2009 4708099 70545 heidikay 2 4723186 Truly a great restaurant - get the chicken! :-) Thu May 28 15:45:32 -0700 2009 4719142 160718 uhockey 3 4851763 I'm back from my night at CROP and it was wonderful. I went with my husband and another couple and we all left vowing to return. We sat at the chef's table as well and we really enjoyed watching the kitchen. When we were first seated we were lucky that Chef Schimoler was not that busy and he described some of his favorite's from the menu. Our experience was very similiar to yours. The food was wonderful. I forgot your recommendation to have the chicken. I ordered the Hanger steak. It as very good. My husband did order the chicken and he shared a bite with me and it was delicious. One of our friends ordered the hanger steak as well and he and my husband split their meals. They shared their plan with the waiter and he had the kitchen split the meals so it worked out wonderfully for them. They both ended up with a piece of chicken and waffle on their plate along with the hanger steak and potato salad. Our waiter was excellent probably one of the best I have had in recent years. The cornbread was excellent even my husband who doesn't really care for cornbread said how much he enjoyed it. The deviled egg was really good. After we had all finished our entree's the chef called out for us to get a cropsicle. We were brought a mini popsicle of lime and honey. It was really refreshing and fun. Earlier in the night I had the watermellon margarita and it was so light and delicious, chef warned me that it would be easy to drink several and I agree but I contained myself at one. My friend had a capresi martini that she enyoyed so much she had two. She said it went wonderfully with the balsamic popcorn. The portions on every dish were so generous that none of us had much room left for dessert. Thank you again for your wonderfully written review, uhockey. I'm so glad it led me to CROP. Heidi Sun Jul 12 15:26:58 -0700 2009 4723186 70545 heidikay 4 4898720 Awesome, I try to give back to the board that helps me make good choices. Tue Jul 28 18:42:44 -0700 2009 4851763 160718 uhockey