CMH Gourmand – Eating in Columbus & Ohio

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CLEGourmand: Tommy’s & the Community of Coventry

Posted by CMH Gourmand on November 17, 2010

I have eaten at many of the finest dining establishments in Cleveland including Greenhouse Tavern, Muse, Amp 150, Moxie and more. All of these places must step aside for local legend Tommy’s in Coventry. Why is Tommy’s the place where you must eat in Cleveland and the best meal you will have?

I will build my case with a quote from a tweet I made at the time of my dine: Listening to Tommy tell tales about his restaurant is inspiring. He is so passionate and loves what he does & his community. Tommy’s has always been a business that cares about it’s customers and community. In the eyes of most residents of this part of town, Tommy’s is the heart of Coventry. There is something for everyone – vegan, vegetarian, carnivore, omnivore, locavore, vegetarian, vegan, macrobiotic, and gluten-free eaters have plenty to choose from here. The decision to have such a varied menu is explained in a very matter of fact way by Tommy. He shared that he keeps adding to the menu because he customers want to eat these things and as long as he can make something they will like, he will try it. Health concerns, profit margins, ecological reasons or trends are all peripheral in the food world of Tommy’s. The customer comes first. The food comes a close second with anything else considered bonus points. This is not something that can be taught at CIA or Johnson & Wales, it is not something you can learn on The Food Network. Either you get and give it or you don’t. Tommy Fello cares deeply about his restaurant, employees, customers, community and anything within this sphere. To have anything other than the best for anyone is unfathomable. Love is the magic ingredient at Tommy’s and it is infused into every aspect of the menu.

Mention Tommy’s to a Clevelander and you will hear the word milkshake within five to ten seconds. Not long after Tommy’s opened in 1972, Rolling Stone anointed Tommy’s as having the best Milkshake east of the Mississippi. There has been no evidence to dispute this in almost forty years. Here are some of the secrets to the magic of Tommy’s milkshakes. The ice cream comes from local ice cream maker Pierre’s. The milk comes from Hartzler Dairy (an organic cow farm in Wooster). The milkshakes are shaken and mixed in old milkshake machines. The thump-thump of a shake poured from the steel mixing cup to a glass is music to my ears. I proclaimed the Chocolate Peanut Butter milkshake the true Breakfast of Champions. In addition to all of the diary goodness I have mentioned, Tommy’s makes their own peanut butter, which is the star of another dish I devoured.

Readers that follow me know that breakfast is not my meal of choice. I am happy to eat breakfast at Tommy’s anytime. In part, because both the restaurant and I count a milkshake as a valid breakfast selection. I ordered Elise’s combo. This is not named after the forgotten Borden Dairy cow but after the first customer that ordered this creation (most of the selections on the menu get their names from customers/creators). The combo is a toasted triple decker sandwich with two eggs, bacon, mayonnaise, American cheese and homemade peanut butter. Yes, peanut butter. It is really good – decadent, satisfying and wholesome at the same time. I could be wrong on my opinion of Elise’s greatness but the thousands of other customers that choose this as their breakfast are clearly correct.

The menu is gigantic so I will just mention a few more highlights from the selections. The mention of Tommy’s often brings up another word – falafel. Tommy learned the recipe for falafel from his first boss (the guy he bought the original Tommy’s from). Many people say this is the best falafel ever. It is definitely served in the most varieties anywhere. There are over a dozen falafel sandwich and meal selections on the menu with additions including BBQ sauce, sesame sauce and a variety of vegetables.

Here are some random facts that might make you feel good about Tommy’s: The drinking water is filtered, fry oil is non-hydrogenated, soups are made every day, their canola oil waste is given to biodiesel folks, there is a backdoor garden and Tommy’s is the largest consumer of Muenster cheese in northeast Ohio slicing, shredding and serving 680 pounds or more per week.

Would you like some more reasons? Attached to the restaurant is a great bookstore called Mac’s Backs so you can read or browse while you wait to graze. Everything is made from scratch tofu, tempeh, stocks, cookies, etc. The Italian sauce recipes are handed down from Tommy’s mommy. Tommy’s may have the best vegetarian French Onion soup in the world made from a base of Shitake mushrooms and chickpea drippings.

Are you hungry yet? Do you have the keys for your car? What time are you picking me up? Yes, this is a place to feel excited about going to. If you have to wait for a table or if you need to burn off calories after your meals, you will find much to hold your interest in Coventry. The neighborhood created itself during the counterculture of the 1960’s and 1970’s. The Coventry community spirit remains today in a very big way. If you run into a resident of Coventry Village (which is just a few streets) you will hear many stories about Tommy – how he used to plow the sidewalks in the winter or other actions he took to support local business. If you ask Tommy he will say the same about his neighbors, he knows them all. The first person he mentions is Steve (the unofficial ambassador of Coventry) at the store Big Fun just a few sidewalk segments from the front door of Tommy’s

Big Fun is FUN. It is packed with nostalgic toys, comics, vintage video game systems, wacky t-shirts and more. If it was something that made you happy as a kid, then Big Fun probably has it or will someday. Every trip in offers something new, different or forgotten. A current Big Fun T-shirt creation is “Cleveland, You’ve Got To Be Tough.” This shirt was seen on Anthony Bourdain while he was roaming around a jungle in South America. You will see a lot of “tough” Clevelanders roaming around with and without these shirts. They have taken some hits and they keep going. In Coventry, they are tough too. A group of people created and sustained a community with tenacity and a lot of kindness to each other. They are still at it every day – serving food and fun to neighbors and visitors alike.

Tommy’s Restaurant
1824 Coventry Road, Cleveland Heights
(aka Coventry Village, East Side)
216.321.7757

Tommy’s
Mac’s Backs
Big Fun
Coventry Village

Tommy's on Urbanspoon

Posted in breakfast, CLEGourmand, Diners, kid friendly dining, Ohio, Road Trip, sandwiches | Tagged: | 7 Comments »

CLEGourmand: Hot Sauce Williams and The Polish Boy

Posted by CMH Gourmand on November 14, 2010

Hot Sauce Williams and The Polish Boy sounds like the title of a Tom Petty song or the next Tarantino action farce. Not so. These are two quintessential Cleveland food experiences. Fortunately for me I was able to find one with the other. There are plenty of Polish boys in Cleveland. There are also plenty of places which serve a sandwich by the same name. The Polish Boy base is a hot dog bun heaped with the following: Polish sausage/kielbasa (grilled or fried), a layer of French Fries, barbeque or hot sauce and a mound of cole slaw. A Polish Girl takes the same and adds a pile of pork shoulder. Now that is the type of girl I would like to get my hands on. The problem is these sandwiches are too messy to manhandle so one must endure the unmanly humiliation of eating with a fork, knife, fingers or combination thereof while constantly wiping body parts with wet naps.

The Polish Boy has received a lot of attention but not just for it’s heart attack inducing qualities. Michael Symon profiled it on the Food Network. The version Chef Symon choose was from Seti’s which also adds chili and cheese to the sandwich (the gods of massive consumption salute you Seti’s). Polish Boys have popped up in Esquire many times. Adam Richman tried one at Hot Sauce Williams. So did I.

Who is this Hot Sauce Williams? Well, it is now several restaurants not a person. In 1964, five brothers with almost no food service experience decided to buy a restaurant from a barber. Their no-name carry out operation quickly became hot, serving open pit, Mississippi-style ribs. The hot sauce was memorable and the name of the family was Williams so the neighbors called it Hot Sauce Williams. The brothers quickly opened more restaurants while their food fueled a BBQ renaissance and fed a growing blues and soul music scene in a city that is over fifty percent African American. Their menu serves up Southern comfort food classics: long and short ribs, okra, macaroni and cheese, fried fish and chicken dinners.

The place has been visited by celebrities long before the Food Network but nothing about the experience has changed. There is still a simple approach to serving here – styrofoam everything, plasticware and lots of napkins. Clean your table and pitch your trash if you eat in. The location I tried was on Lee Road, a byway I have renamed Chicken Row because you can throw a telltale rib bone in any direction and hit a rib joint, chicken shack or some type of sauced meat purveyor. I felt like an insider sliding into the Lee Road Hot Sauce Williams, it has the aura of a dive and the feel of one too. That is essential to good BBQ.

Was the food good? Absolutely! Was the experience authentic? Yes! Eating at 1 AM felt a little dangerous and seedy. The most memorable part of my meal was….the hot sauce. It is thick and dense with a molasses consistency. No matter how hard and frequently you wipe and wash during the frenzy of eating, you will find sauce on your hands and elsewhere the next day. It never leaves you. Ever.

3770 Lee Road
Cleveland
216.921.4704

Bourdain goes to Hot Sauce Williams (Carnegie Ave) with Michael Symon

Posted in CLEGourmand, Ohio, Road Trip, sandwiches | Tagged: , | Leave a Comment »

CLEGourmand: Slyman’s, The Biggest Corned Beef in Cleveland

Posted by CMH Gourmand on November 8, 2010

Slyman’s sign says they serve the biggest and best corned beef in Cleveland. There may be one or two corned beef sandwiches in the city of cleved meats that are more brined or quintessentially something or another but there are none that are bigger or served with as much pride. To date no cured meat stacker has tried to dispute the title. I opine that Slyman’s has the best corned beef in town under the mindset of the whole is infinitely greater than the sum of the parts. There are a lot of parts involved in a Slyman’s sandwich. Let’s break the elements of excellence down.

Mass:
Size does matter. Sylman’s delivers stacks of thinly sliced corned beef piled to colossal proportions. My field notes read as follows: The meat to bread ratio of a Slyman’s Corned Beef Sandwich is about 13:1. In retrospect, I believe I underestimated the bulk. A normal eater could eat a quarter of this sandwich and feel satiated. I ate a full half of my corned beef. I tried to offer the other half to the maid at my hotel. She just shook her head and said “that much meat might kill me, sir.” Indeed, but it would be a good way to go.

Lingo:
A good sandwich needs good bread, fresh ingredients, a pickle on the side, a big serving of love and etc. Slyman’s delivers on all of that. They top off the experience with lingo. Over several decades a vocabulary has developed to shorten the process of ordering a big ass sandwich. This is how one orders a corned beef sandwich at Slyman’s. Some translation will ensue with a few examples: Smurf – Swiss and Mustard; Zinger – horseradish only; Sumo – Swiss, mayonnaise and horseradish; and Blaster – Swiss, American cheese, mayonnaise and mustard.

Service:
The grill cooks and servers have been here for decades serving the working class people of the community. “Whaddaya have honey“, never sounded nicer or more authentic than when in comes from a seasoned waitress taking my order at the table. She made sure I didn’t forget anything on my sandwich, checked to make sure I picked the right side dishes to fill me up and wanted to make sure I had enough pickles. Some terms come to mind: old school, earnest and proud.

Character:
The story of Slyman’s is the same as many tales in Cleveland. People get up, go to work, work hard and keep plugging on in good times and bad for their family, friends and neighbors. Good, honest work is a reward in itself and pride is served with a kind word and a can of pop. Slyman’s opened in the 1960’s. An immigrant family decided to make a go in the restaurant business knowing they would not get rich, but they would always have something to eat. Freddie Sylman tells the story of his father, who was asked “Mr Slyman, why do you make your sandwiches so big?” The reply, “To thank America for my freedom.” My response, WOW!

Hundreds of celebrities have supped on sandwiches at Slyman’s over the years, surrounded by a growing collection of Three Stooges decor (no one is sure how this started, they just know it started with a customer bringing something in) and hard working people of both sides of the counter, getting through the day with a smile and some serious hustle. A Slyman’s corned beef sandwich is a greater equalizer and a great thing to share.

Slymans is a landmark and an icon. It is a taste of Cleveland, not just the food, but the character of the city and the people. Slyman’s is the real Cleveland and serves the simple food that keeps things moving along. Sylman’s does have the biggest corned beef in Cleveland served with a lot of heart.

Slyman’s Restaurant
3106 St.Clair Avenue
Cleveland
216. 621.3760

Open Monday to Friday
6:00 am to 2:30 pm

Slyman on Urbanspoon

Posted in CLEGourmand, Gastronomic Stimulus, Ohio, Road Trip, sandwiches | Tagged: , , | 4 Comments »

Athens Street Food 101 (Starring The Burrito Buggy)

Posted by CMH Gourmand on November 3, 2010

Street Food has come to national attention in the last two years. Korean Taco Trucks in LA, over 300 food carts in “pods” throughout Portland (with an app to track them), articles galore, a Food Network show and mobile food conventions in San Francisco as well as Boston. Street Food is hot/haute.

Down in Athens and Ohio University this mobile food mania is old news. There has been a mobile food court at the corner of Court and Union streets for decades. At any time, two to four of more food carts are serving students and local’s lunch, dinner and late night post revelry refreshers. The king of the court is the Burrito Buggy. Open since 1984, this cart is a local landmark and a source of addiction for undergraduates and alumni. For at least one Columbus based food writer the mention of a Burrito Buggy Burrito has the same power as the suggestion of a free dime bag to a heroin user.

There was a major panic in the winter of 2009 when notice went out that long time owner of the “buggy” Paul Wildeck was looking to sell the business and in the interim, the buggy would be closed. I contacted Paul about buying the buggy but the cost was out of my price range. Fortunately, the business was purchased and some of the previous employees stayed on to maintain the quality and tradition of the Burrito Buggy. I have sampled several burritos in the new era and have found each as good as ever.

The Supreme comes with choice of beef or chicken, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, olives, jalapenos, your choice of salsa, sour cream, rice and black or red beans with guacamole available for an extra $0.75. Get the Guacamole! The burritos range from $4.50 to $7.00. Everything is fresh and locally sourced when possible. There are many vegetarian options. Beans and rice is a low budget staple for diners that are short on cash or do not have the capacity for a one-pound burrito weighing down their belly.

Other carts and trailers serving the masses include Ali Baba (Middle Eastern: gyros, baba ganoush etc.), Bagel Buggy, Zaanti (Sanskrit word for peace – Indian cuisine). Mr. Softee and A-Town Pies (pizza) and Fries. I would like to say that I have tried the other mobile vendors but put the Burrito Buggy in front of me and I am going there (and most likely heading to O’Betty’s and Casa Nueva within the hour as well).

In my opinion, Athens leads Ohio in locally focused food. Athens also led the state in embracing food cart culture. Many OU graduates migrate to Columbus after college with a firm foundation in street food appreciation and in some cases a BA in Burrito Buggy Studies. I am sure local OU alumni are more apt to engage in the incredible Taco Truck and Street Food culture that is growing in Columbus.

If you are reluctant to take the plunge into “street meat”, I suggest you head to Athens for an education.

(Alternatively, buy local and do a Columbus Food Adventures Taco Truck Tour).

How to find the Burrito Buggy
Burrito Buggy on Facebook
on twitter – @burritobuggy
Or, old school technology – the phone:
740.593.6065

Posted in Athens, culinary knowledge, Ohio, Road Trip | Tagged: | 1 Comment »

CLEGourmand: Lucky’s Cafe

Posted by CMH Gourmand on November 1, 2010

The town of Tremont, nestled in a bend of the Cuyahoga River across from the Flats has great things going on. The community has wonderful views of downtown Cleveland, an amazing assortment of eclectic historic churches, neighborhood spirit, spunk and an accelerating, independent, local fueled food scene. Tremont has been called “A small town in the heart of the city”. In the heart of the heart is Lucky’s Cafe.

It is an established fact that I do not get too excited about breakfast (with a few exceptions: Starliner Diner, Casa Nueva and Skillet come to mind). Breakfast is the meal that takes space away from lunch and dinner. I was slated to have breakfast at Lucky’s as part of a culinary tour of Cleveland. I was a bit bummed because Lucky’s had been on my hit list a long time and I was worried about missing the dishes I really wanted. After one trip to Lucky’s I can happily say I will have breakfast there anytime.

Lucky’s was featured on Diner’s, Drive In’s and Dives, the Guy Fieri Food Network show. The place is no dive. A quick look at the hippiesque, locavore and sustainable menu would scare the pants off most old school diner fans. However anyone would be satisfied in an eatery that nails the classics and creates unique spin offs of traditional fare with top notch ingredients.

The woman that makes this all possible is Chef Heather Haviland. Most ingredients are from within 100 miles of Cleveland. Heather made a conscious choice to buy from local farmers and she has a vegetable and herb garden across the street from her restaurant to add to her produce selection. The menu is all natural. The place is packed on the weekends filling up every seat inside as well as the picnic tables outside when weather allows. While eating around Cleveland we would ask various chefs where they liked to eat. Lucky’s was mentioned frequently. There is no greater endorsement than when peers make the choice to eat at your establishment. The accolades are deserved and I will add to them.

The place itself has a quaint and quirky charm which seems to be found in heaping portions in Tremont. A local artist created the unique signage for Luckys. Each month a new installation of a local art is spread around the dining area. The baked good selection at the counter has great depth and diversity. The servers are friendly and know the menu. As I mentioned in a tweet: Grilled cheese of the day. I am smitten. I am not easily smited. There were many things that smote me here. The concept of a new grilled cheese option everyday made a very good impression.

Among the items getting my immediate attention: freshly squeezed orange juice, special house blends of coffee, pecan crusted bacon and pumpkin pickles. Lucky’s makes almost everything for their menu including pickles, ketchup and sauerkraut (which ferments in the basement). Not bad for a restaurant that used two camp stove propane burners to cook everything for the first two years.

OK so what I have mentioned so far would excite hard-core breakfast eaters but I am a hard sell for breakfast bliss. What was the key to my conversion? One word: SANDWICHES. Lucky’s serves sandwiches all day. My eye immediately fell upon the Vietnamese Grinder (Black Forest ham, pork pate, pickled pumpkin, fresh cilantro, cucumber, mayo and diced jalapeño).

I was torn by several selections I wanted. Fortunately I was eating with people willing to share. The favorite of Chef Haviland and apparently most of Cuyahoga county is the Lucky Reuben (as seen on TV – Food Network’s Guy Fieri probably called this awesome). This Reuben is just the basics: corned beef, sauerkraut, rye bread and Thousand Island dressing (all house made) served with Swiss cheese. The whole and the parts were all delectable. Yum. My field notes read as follows: The Reuben kicks ass. Serious ass.

Heather and the staff insisted we share another house favorite, Baked Mac-N-Cheese: (Cheddar, Brie, Parmesan, and Mozzarella cheeses, baked with pasta and real cream then topped with Brioche bread crumbs and served with housemade apple sauce). This would have made any cheesehead happy. We also sampled the waffles which were wonderful. In fact, our group seemed unanimous in finding the waffles perfect especially served with real whipped cream.

If you are intent on a “real” breakfast, you are in good hands with Lucky’s signature the Shipwreck: a blend of hash browns, eggs, seasonal vegetables, bacon, and cheddar cheese. It is massive but probably worth the heart attack.

Lucky’s was worth the trip for breakfast. I can’t wait to head back for lunch.

Lucky’s Café
777 Starkweather Avenue
Tremont
216.622.7773
Lucky’s Cafe website

Lucky's Cafe on Urbanspoon

Posted in CLEGourmand, Diners, Ohio, Road Trip, Vegetarian Friendly | Tagged: | 1 Comment »

Charlie’s Apples with a side of Goumas Confections

Posted by CMH Gourmand on October 31, 2010

Fall is fading fast. Most farmers markets have folded for the season. Apples picking has petered out but there is still plenty of time to get some late fall apples and freshly made apple products. There are several great apple orchards in our area however one stands out for some special reasons. There are still time left for a roadtrip for produce.

Charlie’s Apples aka Windy Hill Apple Farm is located in between Johnston and Granville, about 45 minutes from Columbus. The orchard was planted in 1995 with the intention of being a completely organic operation. Owner Charlie Fritsch grew up on a farm and has a background in science. Charlie uses no pesticides or other unnatural aids in the apple growing process. He has figured out the art of growing apples but is still working on the science of making a living doing it. He makes other apple products in an effort to make the business sustainable. There are ten varieties of apples that were selected to be disease resistant and suited to this part of Ohio. The apples are available in different growing seasons during the year but there are usually three to five types available at any time from spring to fall. The apples available for picking are heirloom/heritage/vintage apples. At the beginning of the 20th century there were over 7000 apples varieties to choose from but the move to mass marketing for the masses scaled the variety we saw in the grocery store down to six to eight. Heirloom apples have names that you have never heard before such as Liberty and Enterprise. There is a move to bring back many of these forgotten apple varieties.

For more in depth information on the farm watch the video below:
Interview with Charlie Fritsch

Charlie’s Apples is a pick your own operation. You drive up, sign in, pick your apples and pay for them. Picking and payment are on the honor system – you handle the entire transaction on your own. Payment is in cash or check. Depending on the time of year you can also pick raspberries or buy sweet cider, hard cider, cider syrup or apples that have been stored for the winter. Charlie also does tours for groups if you are interested. For November choices are Enterprise, Goldrush and Juliet apples as well as the ciders and syrup.

The downside to an organic orchard is the harsh reality of a naturally grown product. These apples are often not as pretty as what we see in the stores. The apples can be misshapen and bumpy. Some may have worms. If you have been to other pick your own orchards you will find that you have to work a little harder to find the apple you want here. However, the result is an apple that tastes like none that you have had before.

If your trip to Charlie’s leaves you feeling like you need a bit more instant gratification, there is something for your sweet tooth less than 15 minutes away. Goumas Candyland has been a landmark in Heath for decades. A spin off (or split from, depending on how one defines things) of the chocolate and confection maker is located in Newark and now Granville. Goumas Confections opened a retail location in downtown Granville. This location fits in well with a trip to Charlie’s especially since the store has candy apples.

This store has a large selection of chocolates, nuts, brittles, popcorn balls and candies. A signature item here is the Goomie – a conglomeration of rice krispies covered in caramel and dipped in chocolate. There are plenty of other places to grab a snack or a brew on East Broadway but a combination of apples and chocolate seem like the recipe for a good day to me.

Charlie’s Apples
aka Windy Hill Apple Farm
1740 Sportsman Club Road
740.587.3632

Goumas Confections
226 East Broadway
Granville
740.587.4905

Posted in culinary knowledge, Ohio, Road Trip | Tagged: , | 2 Comments »

CLEGourmand: New Series, New Category: Comparing and Contrasting CMH and CLE

Posted by CMH Gourmand on October 28, 2010


Cleveland has been on my mind this year. I have always been a fan of our northeastern neighbor. Most of my college friends hail from there. However, my 21st century trips to Cleveland had been for funerals or shows at Beachland Ballroom. My Cleveland food to do list had been growing to an overwhelming point of no return. In particular I have stalked the Dim and Den Sum Food Truck (@dimanddensum). This mobile food vendor has taken innovation and customer focus to a higher level for mobile food or any food.

I have always had respect for the Cleveland food scene and reports kept coming in of great new places. As local blogger, Cleveland Foodie says:

“Cleveland might not have the quantity as other cities, but we have the quality. From gourmet grocers, to mom and pop sandwich shops to high-end celebrity chef restaurants. It’s a great place for a foodie.”

And then, something really tweaked my interest while stirring my quiet rage. The show No Reservations profiled two places in our fair city. Part of the shtick of the segment involved slights on Columbus referring to our town as a city of strips malls and Applebee’s (yes, we do have these). The tone was dismissive. If it had just been Anthony Bourdain, I might not have been irked. His sideman in the commentary was Michael Ruhlman from Cleveland. Granted, the show was based on a very brief trip to Columbus and Chef Ruhlman does not control editing of the show. However, I expected a little defense of our food scene from another Ohioan who has some experience with Columbus and whom I know tracked the coming and goings of Rosendales when it was open. Such was not the case. As the Twitterverse blew up with rantings about Ruhlman and the tone of the show, his response was that he was ignorant of what Columbus might have to offer. Phooey to that. Know thy neighbor I thought. If Ruhlman could not come here then I was going to go to Cleveland to rid myself of my own ignorance of the Cleveland Culinary scene. I made a hit list (of restaurants) and wondered when I was going to make my sojourn.

I received an e-mail from Positively Cleveland (the Convention and Visitors Bureau for the city) asking if I might like to come up for a culinary tour of the area. Looking at the stops on tentative tour schedule, I was excited. There were two old favorites on the list but many new discoveries to explore.

To say I was impressed with what I saw and ate is an understatement. As someone that twitters with great restraint, I was positively prolific for four days. You can find many of my field reports on Twitter under the hashtag – #CLEGourmand.

During the trip, I thought of the Columbus comments from No Reservations in contrast to an entire episode the show did on Cleveland, which was chuck full of compliments. I started to compare the cities. These are my thoughts.

Cleveland has an identity – “Mistake on the Lake”, Professional sports figures and teams, home to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, A Christmas Story and the Drew Carey Show, etc. People “know” Cleveland. There are people who are Clevelanders. Most of the USA does not know Columbus. Our city is largely undefined.

Cleveland is a city with long established, multi-generational ethnic neighborhoods, where cultures and countries integrate their culture and cuisine into the city. (Aside: If you want to explore the ethic eateries of Cleveland on your own, the best guide is Cleveland Ethnic Eats 8th Edition: The Guide to Authentic Ethnic Restaurants and Markets in Northeast Ohio by Laura Taxel).

Columbus on the other hand is an expanding city of transplants and job seekers. Once people plant roots here, they tend to assimilate. We do not tend to have the depth of neighborhoods that metropolitan Cleveland does. Have you seen many Germans in German Village or “real” Irish in Dublin. Most ethic residents have dispersed throughout our city and blended in and during the process, we lost much of what their cultures had to offer. Ethnic food has flavor and tradition. Sure, we have Schmidt’s, some alt-eateries (Indian, Somali, etc.) and our awesome Taco Trucks but we lack neighborhoods that sustain the full flavor and tradition of ethnic food. Most of our true immigrants are first or second generation whereas the ethnic neighborhoods of Cleveland go back to the 19th century.

A community needs to spark to go from good to great. In Athens, the spark is a restaurant called Casa Nueva. This co-op restaurant has fueled the careers and styles of many other restaurateurs, artisan food makers and farmers. In Cleveland, part of that spark comes from Michael Ruhlman (a chef/writer who choose to stay in Cleveland), who in turn wrote about Michael Symon. They both became Food TV celebrities showcasing as well as proud of their talents and their city. More fuel comes from ex-Symon Sous Chefs contributing to a food first, localavore, green renaissance in Cleveland. Collectively, many of the chefs and restaurants in Cleveland support and collaborate with each other to go green, source local ingredients and create foods with innovative spins on old ethnic and traditional classics.

Columbus has great restaurants, food artisans and even a few farmers. However, we just have not quite found that spark that draws serious attention to our city. We definitely do not have a strong community pride that is proud and confident in what we have to offer. In our city, people’s choice “best of” restaurant polls consistently list places like Olive Garden (for best Italian) and Red Lobster (for best seafood). Right or wrong, that does not support a culinary civic pride. Cleveland does have pride. People in the kitchens, behind the counters and in the streets are proud of their city and their food. We need to get on that.

In Cleveland, innovation in food (plus green restaurants, sustainable agriculture and urban gardens) comes from the collaboration among chefs, suppliers and the community. We have some of that in Columbus but we do not have the same zeal and passion for it – yet. Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream is soon to open a location in Chagrin Falls. Maybe that can be a link to bring our two cities into the start of a culinary collaboration. We give them ice cream, perhaps they can send us more pride in what we have to offer. We are in this together. We are what we eat and we are eating very well.

So, in the coming months I will be sharing CLEGourmand discoveries from my culinary tour in October. More trips to research the Cleveland food scene are needed and being plotted (hopefully places such as Melt, Lolita and a strip on Lee Road I call Chicken Row). I want to find a way to support and work on growing a culinary connection between Cleveland and Columbus. Our cities count and cannot be discounted as flyover cities, rust belt write-offs or third rate restaurant regions any longer. Our cities rock. Columbus and Cleveland are going to have a role in the future of food in this country. We can collaborate on promoting two Ohio cities that are proud of our food and the people preparing it.

Posted in CLEGourmand, Columbus, Ohio, Road Trip | Tagged: | 3 Comments »

#CLEGourmand: I’m in Cleveland this week

Posted by CMH Gourmand on October 6, 2010

I received an e-mail from Positively Cleveland asking if I would be interested in coming to Cleveland for a Culinary Press Trip in October. I mulled on this for less than one second most likely replying: “YES, YES, YES! So they said yes and here I am.

Your can follow the play by play on twitter here – CMH Gourmand. I will mark most tweets #CLECourmand to avoid confusion.

Below is my itinerary from Positively Cleveland, copied and pasted (without editing, which saves me a load of time) for those of you following along on twitter.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5

4 – 9pm Check-In at the Ritz-Carlton, Cleveland (Downtown)
• 1515 West Third Street, Cleveland, Ohio 44113, 216.623.1300, http://www.ritzcarlton.com
• The Ritz-Carlton, Cleveland recently completed a major renovation of the 206-room hotel located in the heart of the city’s downtown. From the spacious guestrooms and suites to the exclusive Club lounge with expansive views of the city’s skyline, the award-winning hotel has received a complete makeover.

8:30pm Welcome Dinner at MUSE at the Ritz-Carlton
• The award-winning MUSE, located in the Ritz-Carlton offers a menu of contemporary American cuisine that is designed to offer meals as wholesome and fresh as they are appetizing, artistic expressions.
• You will be enjoying a variety of wines from Northeast Ohio.
• Meet-and-greet with Ritz-Carlton chef

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6

9am Breakfast at Lucky’s Café (Tremont, West Side)
• 777 Starkweather Avenue, 216.622.7773, http://www.luckyscafe.com
• Start your morning out right at Lucky’s Café. Perfectly situated in the artsy, blue-collared neighborhood of Tremont, Lucky’s Café is brimming with charisma and quirkiness with its home cooked breakfasts, lunches, pastries and coffees.
• Meet-and-greet with Chef Heather Haviland.

10am Drive to Sandusky/Huron Area

11:30am Chef’s Garden
• 9009 Huron-Avery Road, Huron, Ohio 44839, http://www.chefs-garden.com
• What started as struggling family farm recuperating from a destructive hailstorm in Huron, Ohio is now the Chef’s Garden, the leading grower of artisanal products in the United States for the world’s top chefs. In fact, Chef’s Garden grows more than 600 varieties of heirloom vegetables, micro greens, micro herbs, specialty lettuces and edible flowers in seven different stage of growth. By using sustainable agricultural methods in loamy soil, each and every product offers exceptional flavor, lasting shelf life and enhanced nutritional content.
• Meet-and-greet with Farmer Lee Jones.

2:30pm Lunch at Light Bistro in Ohio City.

4pm Dessert at Lilly’s Handmade Chocolates (Tremont, West Side)
• 761 Starkweather Ave., Cleveland, 44113, 216.771.3333, http://www.lillytremont.com
• Lilly Handmade Chocolates is an artisanal chocolatier that specializes in pairing fine wine & craft beer with their handmade, fresh chocolate confections. Lilly is owned & operated by Amanda & Joshua Montague, who are both classically trained chefs. Their chef background is reflected in their creations; while there is some throwback to traditional, the chefs aim to create individual “dishes” for you to savor, through layers of flavor both sweet and savory.
• Meet-and-greet with owner, Amanda Montague.

About Tremont:
• http://www.restoretremont.com
• Historic Tremont is has a reputation as one of Cleveland’s hidden hotspots for art and dining. A blue collar neighborhood with a rich cultural heritage, Tremont’s newest residents are urban professionals and artists. Just off of Lincoln Park, the neighborhood’s landmark epicenter, you’ll discover hidden galleries and boutiques, award-winning restaurants and pubs the locals would like to keep to themselves.

4:45pm Lake Erie Goat Cheese Creamery (West Side)
• 216.961.9222, http://www.lakeeriecreamery.com
• Located in a renovated factory located on an urban stretch of road just neighboring downtown Cleveland sits a tiny goat cheese creamery operated by a husband and wife team. While the plant is 40 miles from the nearest goat, the plant produces hand-made, lightly salted chevre from gently pasteurized, small batches of goat milk. The goat milk comes from local goat farms and breeders in neighboring communities. The award-winning cheese is sold in some of Cleveland’s trendiest restaurants like Lola, The Greenhouse Tavern, Flying Fig and Fahrenheit.

5:15pm Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum (Downtown)
• 1100 Rock and Roll Boulevard, Cleveland, 216.781.7625, http://www.rockhall.org
• Contact: Margaret Thresher, Director of Communications, 216.515.1215, mthresher@rockhall.org
• Pay homage to rock icons and see video, artifacts, memorabilia and other cool, “one-of-a-kind” stuff on display at the Rock Hall. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is dedicated to exploring the past, present and future of the music and the cultural context from which it emerges.

7:15–8:15pm Downtime at Ritz-Carlton, Cleveland

8:30pm Dinner at The Greenhouse Tavern (East Fourth Street, Downtown)
• 2038 East 4th Street, Cleveland, 44115, 216.443.0511, http://www.thegreenhousetavern.com
• Chef Jonathon Sawyer evokes the farm-to-plate movement in his new restaurant, the Greenhouse Tavern. Sawyer believes that the proximity of the farm to the restaurant direct correlates with the quality of food. This new restaurant exhibits this concept and is the first Green Restaurant Association Certified Green restaurant in Ohio. Chef Sawyer is a semi-finalist for the 2010 James Beard Foundation Award for Rising Star Chef.
• Meet-and-greet with part-owner, Jonathan Seeholzer.

About East Fourth Street:
• http://www.east4thstreet.com
• Quickly becoming a nightlife destination of choice, this narrow brick street is packed with upscale eateries and entertainment. Take in a show at the House of Blues. Laugh along with your favorite comedian at Hilarities. Bowl at the upscale Corner Alley. Savor a pint at Flannery’s or dine at Chef Michael Symon’s Lola.

10:15pm Nightcap at Velvet Tango Room (Tremont, West Side)
• 2095 Columbus Rd, Cleveland, OH 44113, http://www.velvettangoroom.com
• Recently rated as one of the “Top 10 Places to Slip into a Modern Speakeasy” by USA Today, the Velvet Tango Room is reviving the art of a well mixed cocktail. But if you ask any food critic, they’re changing lives daily. While each of their unique cocktails begins at $15 a piece, guests will soon realize that it’s a small price to pay for changing their entire perspective on cocktails. Try the Apricot Sour (light, airy and smooth) or the Dark and Stormy (spicy, homemade ginger ale finished with Black Seal rum).

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7

9am Breakfast at Tommy’s Restaurant (Coventry Village, East Side)
• 1824 Coventry Road, Cleveland Heights, OH 44118, 216.321.7757, http://www.tommyscoventry.com
• Head to Tommy’s for a burger and milkshake! While the shakes and menu stayed the same since it opened in 1972, Tommy’s is now in a much bigger venue and is always filled with customers – vegetarians, vegans, meat-eaters, health-conscious and the just plain hungry.
• Because we love them so much, expect to enjoy a milkshakes at breakfast!! Meet-and-greet with owner, Tommy.

10am Big Fun (Coventry, East Side)
• 1814 Coventry Road, Cleveland Heights, 44118, http://www.bigfunbigfun.com
• Fun is packed into this store with cards, kitsch and collectibles from lunch boxes, blow-up advertising toys, Barbie dolls, and reproduction and original classic toys. Prices range from under a buck to thousands of bucks. This one’s fun for teens, too.

About Coventry Village:
• http://www.coventryvillage.org
• With a music club, street festivals and ethnic restaurants, Coventry Village in Cleveland Heights on Cleveland’s near east side retains some of the counterculture atmosphere that made it a magnet for the area’s bohemians in the 1960s and ‘70s. Cool and eclectic shopping options ranging from the vintage toys of Big Fun to offbeat book stores, round out this hip ‘hood.

11am Cleveland Museum of Art (University Circle, East Side)
• 11150 East Boulevard, University Circle, 216.421.7340, http://www.clevelandart.org
• One of the most prestigious cultural institutions in the city is the Cleveland Museum of Art, one of the United States’ most important art museums and the only major museum in the country to still offer free admission to its permanent collection.

About University Circle:
• East Boulevard, Cleveland, 44106, 216.791.3900, http://www.universitycircle.org
• Each year, more than 2.5 million people “find themselves in the Circle.” Just four miles from downtown Cleveland, University Circle is one of the most concentrated square miles of arts and culture in the nation, home to more than 20 artistic and cultural venues.

12:45pm Dessert at Presti’s Bakery (Little Italy, East Side)
• 12101 Mayfield Road, Cleveland, 216.421.3060/www.prestisbakery.com
• Presti’s Bakery in Little Italy offers homemade pastries, cookies, biscotti, cannoli, tira misu and cakes for any occasion. Or, tempt your tastebuds to some delicious Italian gelato. Open for breakfast and lunch, Presti’s menu also offers deli items, breads, pizzas and paninis.

About Little Italy:
• http://www.littleitalyredevelopment.org
• First settled in the late 19th century by skilled Italian artisans, Little Italy (also known as Murray Hill) has retained much of its Old World charm and tight-knit sense of community. A blend of art galleries, shops and restaurants, Little Italy offers some of the finest Italian dining in Cleveland Plus.

1:45pm Lunch at Slyman’s
• 3106 St. Clair Avenue, Cleveland, 216.621.3760 http://www.slymans.com
• While certainly not the “haute couture” of upscale culinary, the renowned Slyman’s Deli has been serving Cleveland’s most coveted corned beef sandwiches for countless generations.
• Meet-and-greet with owner, Freddie Slyman.

3:15pm Tour + Tasting at Great Lakes Brewing Company (Ohio City, West Side)
• 2516 Market Avenue, Cleveland, 216.771.4404, http://www.greatlakesbrewing.com
• Great Lakes Brewing Company, which is comprised of a brewery and brewpub, was the first microbrewery in the state of Ohio and today remains Ohio’s most celebrated and award-winning brewer of lagers and ales.

5:15-6:30pm Downtime at the Ritz-Carlton, Cleveland

7pm Dinner at Moxie, The Restaurant (Beachwood, East Side)
• 216.831.5599, http://www.moxietherestaurant.com
• Often referred to as the east side’s “crown jewel,” Moxie’s imaginative yet simple menus are developed by nationally acclaimed Executive Chefs Jonathan Bennett and Peter Vauthy, both known for using the freshest and best ingredients in the world. Peter says, “We order and work with the best. If we don’t have what the world says is the best, we search for it until we track it down. We don’t deal with second-rate ingredients here.”
• Meet-and-greet with Chef Jonathan Bennett.

10pm Nightcap at Morton’s The Steakhouse (Downtown)
• 55 Public Square, Cleveland 44113, 216.621.6200, http://www.mortons.com
• World-renowned steakhouse serving prime beef, fresh seafood and shelfish. Enjoy an award-winning wine list during a special wine event occurring with the three generations of Mondavi family members.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8

10am Breakfast + West Side Market (Ohio City, West Side)
• 1979 W. 25th Street, Cleveland, 216.861.5250 http://www.westsidemarket.com
• If you’re covering the culinary scene in Cleveland, you absolutely cannot leave without a visit the West Side Market. Built in 1912, the West Side Market is the largest indoor/outdoor market in the country. This marketplace was once where turn-of-the-century immigrants found their native foods and spices. Today, it features 180 booths with the freshest selection of fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy, produce, bakery, ethnic foods and international delicacies. Only open Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
• Tour the market with Richard Soren Arnoldi, Executive Chef from MUSE at the Ritz-Carlton.

11:30am b.a. Sweetie Candy Company (Parma, Southwest)
• 7480 Brookpark Road, Cleveland, 44129-1104, 216.739.2244 or 888.267.9340 http://www.sweetiescandy.com
• From wax lips to PEZ dispensers to gourmet jellybeans, this amazing store has every delight for every sweet tooth. You have to see it to believe it.

1pm AMP 150 (West Park, Southwest)
• 4277 West 150th Street, Cleveland, OH 44135, 216.252.5333, http://amp150.com
• This hip, new restaurant located in the recently restored Cleveland Airport Marriott, AMP 150 is the newest destination restaurant by chef Dean James Max. The farm-to-plate movement comes to life through menu consisting of local artisan products and hand-crafted cuisine much to the liking of critics and locals alike.
• Meet-and-greet with Chef Ellis Cooley.

Posted in Road Trip, Travelfoodalogue | 2 Comments »

Yellow Springs Roadtrip: Winds Cafe and Bakery

Posted by CMH Gourmand on September 19, 2010

Sometimes I go where the wind takes me. More often, I get a notion to roam and fall back to some sure things that I know will ensure my roadtrip is satisfying. Yellow Springs is just under one hour southwest of Columbus. It offers a lot of indoor and outdoor activities to keep me occupied. If I have time to sit down for a meal while I am in town, I go to the Winds Cafe and Bakery. Most people just call it The Winds.

So why is the Winds a slam dunk? It offers superior food: fresh and when possible local and organic. It has ambiance – if you need romantic, the Winds can pull that off. If you just need to soak in some air conditioning and some cocktails in jeans after a hike – you will not feel out of place here. There is counter service in the bakery area when you just need to grab something and go. If you just happen to be passing through town and find that you are not hungry at all, drop in for any of their baked goods. You will be glad during the drive home or the next day.

I am going to lead with “place” instead of food for once. The cafe could be described a quaint in the nicest possible way. There is a definite French bistro atmosphere inside. The wooden tables and chairs are mismatched but lovely. The walls are painted in varied colors to create different spaces in the same room. There is a random mini wall with a window in the center of the dining room which creates private space for the tables on either side of this mock wall. Flowers adorn each table, local art is on the walls and everything has the aura of being in place for decades. The bathrooms would best be described as “really nice” featuring tiled floors, artsy yet practical sinks and several nice touches. There is no wasted space in the bathrooms. These lavatories are not cramped – yet somehow just a precise use of space. Usually I just pay attention to whether a restaurant keeps their bathrooms clean, here, for whatever reason the bathrooms leave an impression. Um, moving right along.

The menu changes monthly/every two months to reflect what is in season so I will focus on the items that stay constant as well as the general types of meals you can expect. There are always daily specials. The menu is mostly Old World, with frequent nods to France as well as many new world twists. The Winds provides a bread service featuring a mix of several breads from their in-house bakery with many entrees. If bread is not part of your meal, order some with butter. The breads are varied, always fresh and exceptionally good.

The restaurant always has an array of salads to choose from. The Tuscan bread salad is a standard. It is a mix of tomatoes, sweet onions and peppers dressed in red wine vinegar and olive oil. Olives and mozzarella are tossed in then broiled with chunks of bread. Other salads with seasonal items and high end ingredients can be expected at all times.

The French style breads the bakery produces serve as perfect bases for lunchtime sandwiches. Anything with ham will be a best bet. Being a Yellow Springs eatery, there is always at least one vegetarian friendly sandwich mixing multiple vegetables with one or two cheeses. A standby lunch offering is the Brown Bag. The Winds take on Chicken Salad goes like this: chicken poached with wine, lemons and peppercorns. The chicken is mixed with a variety of vegetables, mayonnaise and and a touch of curry and served on a bed of greens. Not too bland for a brown bag. While I have dined at the Winds countless times, I have never had dinner there. The dinner menu takes many of the lunch items from the day and adds additional small and large plates. I suggest reservations for dinner especially on Friday and Saturday.

On the other hand, I have had brunch almost as often as lunch at the Winds. The Winds is hard to beat for brunch. The kitchen takes their all-stars from the lunch menu, adds in above average standard breakfast fare such as pancakes, eggs and home fries and then the chefs create some unique Sunday specific items to make the day special. Omelettes are worth their plate space here. These are made with local, organic eggs and cooked French style on iron pans. The biscuits are memorable as are the buttermilk pancakes. Reservations are suggested for brunch especially when the weather is nice.

In addition to the restaurant and bakery, the Winds has a wine shop next door with an impressive stock of wines to choose from. Their standard menus are supplemented and enhanced by a three course Prix-Fixe menu, special wine dinners/event/special meals on a regular basis and bistro menus that run for three days at a time each week. The desserts and cocktail options vary as often as the regular menu and have the same great quality. The long list of cocktails includes Caipirinhas and other less common tastes. The desserts include Blackout Cake which is a tribute to Ebinger’s Bakery in Brooklyn.

As you can read, the Winds has a lot to serve visitors and it will require more than one trip to fully explore all this restaurant has to offer.

Winds Café
215 Xenia Avenue
937.767.1144
Winds Cafe on the web
Winds Cafe on Twitter

Posted in Ohio, restaurants, Road Trip | Tagged: , , | 2 Comments »

Donalds Donuts: Best in Ohio

Posted by CMH Gourmand on June 20, 2010

Any drive on I 70 could be described as mission oriented. The interstate from one side of the state to the other was designed to get people from point A to point B without distractions or delay. This is how I treat that long stretch of road, it is flat, featureless and has nothing to draw my attention. There is one exception. I will set aside fifteen minutes to veer from my course at exit 153 (OH 60 N, OH 146 W). This is not for the thrill of seeing the sign for OH 666, my designated destination in Zanesville is Donald’s Donuts. These are the best damn donuts in Ohio (DK Diner being a very close second).

I discovered Donald’s Donuts by accident. I had ten minutes to kill before a business meeting and spied the shop near my turn off. Donald’s is an old school donutery (I made up that word, I may put it on Wikipedia). It is a classic donut shop with a lime green awning and mid 20th century mass produced structural nothingness. There is a counter inside that seats ten. The original shop opened in 1960. The current location is spot number two but the building looks like it was fabricated in the 1960’s or earlier.

The staff know all of their regulars by name as well as by donut ordering preference. There is a Donald that works there but I am not sure if he is the original. Doing a dash of Donald’s internet sleuthing I found this reference: Don Warne is The Donut GOD. I can not disagree with this pronouncement. After a careful and deliberate study of Donald’s donuts, I have yet to be disappointed by any selection.

Donald’s offers an assortment of thirty or so donut styles. The shop excels in the cake donut category. These are dense, flavorful, fresh and serve as an excellent foundation for the maple cream frosting that Donald’s uses on a few items. It is fitting that Donald’s is on Maple Avenue because their icing is so good that the street would have been named so by decades of appreciative fans.

The cinnamon honeybuns are made in small batches and sell out before 10am. There is also an item that is just refered to as sticks. These long, twisty, donuts have a hint of cinnamon and are coated in the maple cream frosting. These are so good that @CMHTobias, a dog that has never shown any interest in donuts during our six year relationship, ate two while I was filling the car with gas. (The devestating heartbreak I felt when he closed the donut box with his nose and licked the maple frosting from his snout cannot be described, but it was a very, very low moment for me). An under the radar award winner are the slower selling buttermilk donuts. A woman donut docent behind the counter said these were mostly unappreciated by the Donald’s loyalists.

I did have a Paczki (a filled Polish donut) here during Lent that was one of the finest doughed delicacies I have ever consumed. I have had a few Paczki’s over the years. I had high hopes for this donut variant and was very disappointed by each of them. The Donald’s Paczki wiped the slate of shame clean and allowed me to appreciate this Polish pleasuremaker.

When I stop at Donald’s I usually get two cake donuts with maple frosting and peanuts and whatever looks fresh from the fryer. Their damn good donuts rarely survive more than two exits after I get back on I 70.

Donald’s Donuts
2622 Maple Ave (OH 60 N)
Zanesville
740.453.4749

Hours:
5am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday
6am to Noon on Sunday

(If one was focused and traffic cooperates the drive from downtown Columbus to Donald’s could be completed in under one hour. I am just saying.)

This is an article from 2015 -> HERE

And there is another great donut shop in Zanesville with a family connection – Darrels.

Donald's Donuts on Urbanspoon

Posted in bakery, breakfast, donuts, Ohio Donut Trail, Road Trip | Tagged: | 9 Comments »

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