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Dinner at CC on Friday. It's been bitter cold here for several days now. Braving the nasty weather was worth it, though. First Friday of the month, so we had to start out with the Blue Egg Ravioli: We emailed Dominic with a special request for his Osso Bucco Agnolotti. No longer on the menu, but with some advance warning he obliged. My bleary picture doesn't do it justice. The osso bucco filling is intensely flavorful, and the double saucing (creamy white sauce and veal stock reduction) sends it over the top. Simply wonderful. A new dish on the menu is the Salsiccia e Lenticchie de Umbria: Another pic that doesn't measure up to the reality. The dish is made with organic Colfiorito lentils, house-made sausage, and house-cured red-pepper guanciale. The lentils are prepared in the "al dente" Umbrian style. The pepper-cured guanciale gives it a surprising kick.

Bourdain is in Cleveland at Michael Ruhlman's invitation (challenge?) with NR crew in tow. The weather here has turned suitably grim and nasty. Perfect timing for AB's visit. The "invitation" is on Ruhlman's blog. I can't wait to see where they wind up.

Wow, thanks for the report, Nancy. I have just a few comments to add: I was at the other table. We ordered pretty much the same items that Nancy already described, except for the Chive Dumpling (which Nancy generously shared with us when they had extra). Two of us said "Yes!" to the chicken feet while everyone else said "Uhmmmm..." Some of us also tried the tripe. I liked both quite a lot. Everyone was really excited about the xiao long bao, until we tasted them. The "fishy" taste reminded me of that asian dried shrimp that's used (quite successfully) as part of certain pungent / spicy sauces. The crab didn't taste "off" to me - there was just a strong fishy taste that wasn't right in this context. I didn't bring my camera. I thought Stuart was going to be there. The presentation of many of the dishes was attractive, but nothing unusual for dim sum. One minor - slightly surreal - note about C & Y: They have a cross-promotion deal going with the Christmas Story House which is located a few miles away in Tremont. It's a bit goofy to have them reenacting the "Chinese Turkey" scene from the movie every time someone orders the duck. Don't mind the cleaver!

From the piece linked by robert40: I wonder why Kummer thinks that Achatz doesn't have that kind of relationship with his suppliers. Did he ask about where the food comes from (aside from the exotic chemicals)? Overall I thought it was an interesting read. There's a second installment promised for Jan 12. Thanks for the link.

I went to Parea for dinner late Monday evening. The service was friendly, relaxed and attentive. The food was terrific. We started out with the cured meats board and the bbq lamb ribs. The meat board had a variety of thin-sliced cured meats, some sausage, and a bit of feta and some pickled raisins. I don't recall exactly what all of the meats were, but I particularly enjoyed the cured duck breast and the pork cured with fennel. The spicing was more subdued than I had expected. The lamb ribs were falling-off-the-bone tender. The sauce was subtly sweet, accented by thin strips of crisp orange zest and some sort of mild peppers. I had the pan-seared skate wing wrapped in crisp pork. The skate was slightly more done than I like, but still moist and tasty. The pork wrapping gave it a nice savory crunch, and the accompaniment of braised cardoon and olives was very flavorful. My colleague had the strip steak which he seemed to enjoy quite a bit. He said the fries were very highly seasoned (he liked them). The steak is served with an unusual condiment - a Greek yogurt cut with a bit of veal stock. Greek yogurt tends to be very thick, but the stock loosens it up a bit and adds a savory touch. We had the walnut tart and the almond-pear phyllo pastry for dessert. The pomegranate sorbet served with my pastry added a nice tart accent. The desserts struck me as being a bit less adventurous than the ones Cory makes for Symon's Cleveland restaurants, but both were well-executed and nicely presented.

Stuart, was the brittle I sampled from the "raw" batch? It didn't taste that way to me. It was pretty darn good, actually. They ran out of the pumpkin pie dessert at Moxie Friday night, but I had some of the pumpkin seed brittle in another dish. It really is awesome. I've been making nut brittle lately (peanut, pecan, and pine nut), but haven't tried using bacon yet. BTW, I don't like corn syrup either, though I wouldn't worry about it in small quantities. I've been using Steen's cane syrup instead.

One thing you can do (that isn't mentioned in the instructions or on their site) is make "fizzy" fruit. I think I saw it on the ideasinfood blog. Put small fruit (like grapes) or cut up larger pieces so they fit through the opening of the charger. Screw on the top, charge the canister (I use CO2 from the soda syphon - same size as the nitrous cartridges for whipping cream) and leave in the fridge for an hour or so. Release the pressure, unscrew the top, and remove the fruit. It will have a weird fizzy carbonated taste. Kind of fun.

This thread started rather abruptly as a spin-off from the Cleveland dining topic. I think it had something to do with my car troubles. In various Cleveland-oriented topics we seem to mention stopping off at VTR before or after dinner. Such was the case last night when several eG folks met up at Lolita in Tremont (about two miles from VTR). I've been meaning to post further thoughts about VTR, but somehow haven't got around to it until now. We made reservations at Lolita at 8:00 last night, mainly because one of our party was working late and couldn't make it before that. (She is a host at the Christmas Story house in Tremont - they stayed open late on Friday to accommodate the cheerful crowds wanting to pose for group photos in front of the famous leg-lamp. ) So what do we do to kill time before our dinner reservations? We go to VTR! Duh! I started with a French 75 with gin. They use Hendrick's, which has a cucumber note that goes nicely with the bubbly in the French 75. I followed up with the brandy version of the French 75, which is somewhat sweeter. Both were crafted lovingly and painstakingly. You will never, ever, be served a slipshod drink at VTR. The lemon peel garnish was stripped from the fruit especially for my drink. Don't look for tub of pre-fab stuff at VTR. Everything is prepared to order, and you will never *ever* see anything shot out of a hose. Another member of our party started with a Bourbon Manhattan, and then followed up with a Manhattan made with Rye. I know that there's a bit of a purist thang about what constitutes a "real" Manhattan. Suffice to say that the mixologists at VTR actually expect you to have an opinion on the subject, and don't hesitate to ask whether you want rye or bourbon. Oh, they also use a house-made vermouth. And custom-crafted bitters. And the cherry is a real cherry soaked in brandy, not some toxic chemical cherry substitute. One thing that I love about VTR is the whole rhythm of the experience. Walk through the door to VTR and you've stepped into a more genteel era. Was there ever a time when one could step out of the cold into a welcoming, charming environment where your your drink is lovingly crafted from the best ingredients? It sounds like a fantasy, but we've got it in Cleveland. My previous visit to VTR was before dining at Ty Fun, a lovely Thai restaurant in Tremont. I had to give the root beer float a try. The root beer is of course not the canned stuff - it's brewed from a traditional-style recipe. Top it with some quality ice cream and a bit of bourbon and you've got yourself a lovely little concoction. Yeah, I ordered a second one.

Lolita switched to a new menu this week, so of course we had to check it out. The "small plates" section is gone, but some of the favorites (like the smelts) have been moved to a "Sides and Snacks" selection. Several of the appetizers are new, including a sensational smoked / cured seafood board. We also tried the "naked ravioli" (gnudi), shrimp, and sweetbreads. The shrimp had a nice porky flavor (I think it was guanciale), and the sweetbreads were served with a delicious reduction sauce. We drank an Alsatian rosé cremant with the apps. I had gnocchi with a highly seasoned bolognese sauce. Others had a fresh pasta dish, seared scallops, and a "Fred Flintstone" steak. Wines were an Italian red (Valpolicella?) from the Veneto and an Oregon Pinot. One was complex and tannic, the other light and acidic. The wine list has been expanded. Previously all were from the Mediterranean, but there are now California and Oregon wines as well. They still have a very extensive selection of wines by the glass, which is great when dining solo or when people have divergent tastes. The member of our party who doesn't like red wine simply ordered a glass of Chardonnay instead, so everyone was happy. The "small plate" desserts have been replaced by somewhat larger portions. My memory of what we had is a bit fuzzy but I recall that there was a delicious stewed apple dish, a créme brullée, and chocolate mousse. I suspect that they have decided to move to a more familiar palette for the desserts at Lolita, leaving the more daring stuff for Lola downtown. I still like the "small plate" idea , but they've got to go with what the (majority of) customers want. We didn't bother with pictures of the food. You've probably seen enough of our fine photography. I did have to snap a picture from the street, showing a nice Tremont touch of seasonal decoration. (The actual Christmas Story House is in Tremont).

Marcus Samuelsson has a recipe for Chicken-Peanut Stew in his new book Soul of a New Cuisine. He learned about the stew from a Malian dishwasher at Aquavit, so I guess it's a sort of mafé. Ingredients are: onion carrot chilies ginger bay pepper chicken peanuts potatoes tomatoes spinach I've made creamy / spicy peanut soup before, but nothing quite so elaborate. Samuelsson's recipe sounds interesting to me - maybe I'll try to join in on this cook-off.

I think it was about forty guests, plus lots of Lola/Lolita folks. The upstairs is pretty cozy, so we had quite a crowd. I'm guessing that it was maybe two-thirds Slow Food / one-third Food Forum, but I didn't know everyone who was there. And yes, it was a lively crowd! I see that stuart_s has posted some pictures on his flickr page.

There was a special tasting dinner upstairs at Lolita last night. The dinner was a joint project of a cleveland.com food-and-wine forum and the Northern Ohio Slow Food Convivium. Lolita chef Matt Harlan designed the menu around local foods, with Ohio honey a featured ingredient in several dishes. We started off the evening with some of Michael Symon's wonderful house-cured salumi accompanied by a lovely Alsation Cremant (sparkling wine) from Chateau d'Orschwihr. Lucy Wellhausen of Ohio Honey gave a brief talk about beekeeping and honey production. Then on to the main event: The menu First course Slow Roasted Beet Salad, Crispy Pork, Mint, Vinegar Chateau d'Orschwihr Riesling Bollenberg, Alsace '05 This is a great combination of flavors and textures. The pork belly was meltingly tender, but with a nice crunch. The flavor and aroma of the beets was concentrated by the slow roasting. Second course Honey Glazed Scallops, Braised Leeks, Celery, Citrus The scallop was perfectly cooked - just done on the inside, but with a beautiful crusty surface. The braised vegetables and citrus gave this a nice balance. Third course Rabbit Ravioli, Sage, Olives, Brown Butter Chateau de Thulon Beaujolais Villages, Burgundy '05 The rabbit meat was slow-braised in a subtly sweet sauce. Sage and brown butter is a classic sauce for ravioli, but the sliced green and black olives added an extra dimension. Fourth course Roasted Pork Loin, Apples, Celery Root, Mache This is heritage pork from Curly Tail Farms. Unlike factory pork, this is moist and very tasty! Fifth course Ohio Honeycomb, Tallegio Cheese, Toasted Pine Nuts Chateau d'Orschwihr Riesling Vendage Tardive, Alsace '89 Sorry for the dim picture - maybe NancyH has a better one. Pine nuts go so well with honey. The honeycomb is a bit chewy (yes, you eat the whole thing). Kind of a novel experience. I liked it. Sixth course A Honey of a Dessert Honey Braised Butternut Squash, Goat Cheese Cream, Pecan Cake Another dim picture. Nancy, help me out! This dessert is by Cory Barrett - he's the pastry chef for both Lolita and the new Lola. The goat cheese cream was actually a frozen parfait (?). The squash is an unusual component for a dessert. I like having sweet and not-so-sweet elements in the same dish. The pecan cake was sort of hard/crisp like biscotti. Again, another surprise. The upstairs dining room is designed for private functions, but it's also a teaching kitchen. There are video cameras aimed down at the cutting boards and flat-top, so we could see the food being prepared and plated. Chef Matt and company did a sensational job last night.

Well, as a Yank visiting Liverpool for the first time, I can certainly attest to the "Big Dig" impact on the scene there. I honestly couldn't figure out how to reach the docks from the city center. The choice of the term "big dig" is especially unfortunate, given the experience in Boston, US. Hopefully no concrete slabs will fall on the unsuspecting. I tried to find "Simply Heathcotes", eventually giving up, not realizing that I had passed within a few yards of the place. The tourist guide gave a completely useless address for the place. Oh well. Missed it by that much After walking up and down the Liverpool city center (centre) I eventually found my way to Hope Street. 60 Hope Street was nearly deserted at 7:00 PM on a Thursday night. I think there might have been something happening at the Philharmonic Hall nearby, but I was surprised to find that there was no problem getting a seat at the restaurant with no reservation. My app, a "de-constructed Caesar Salad" was fun. The little plug of chicken smacked of "I've got a jar of Activa". I liked it. The entree, a breast of pheasant wrapped in prosciutto, was a bit too salty. It was topped with a deep-fried cylinder of potato, resembling a bread-stick. I admire the efforts of the cooks at 60 Hope Street, even if their efforts fall somewhat short of perfection. Overall, not a bad impression of Liverpool.

Four of us dined at the Chef's Table at lola last night. The CT is a raised stone counter adjacent to the open kitchen. View from the CT My entree being plated The table is lit from below We had the lobster, hanger steak, pork and lamb shanks. I though everything was delicious, but especially liked the lamb. A new dessert Another new dessert I can't recall exactly what was in these desserts. The first was a tuille filled was a banana mousse and accompanied by a fruit compote (?). The second was a pumpkin pana cotta with cream. We also had the "dark day in Cleveland" chocolate cake with stout ice cream. Lola Pops Love the crunchy salt with caramel. EDIT: I still don't have the dessert descriptions right.

I didn't know that Mark Daverio cooked with Paul Bertolli. I've always wished that we in Cleveland could have something like the "Whole Hog" dinners of Oliveto. Sounds like we're finally getting closer to it *, and I'll be out of town. Here's to hoping that this will become a regular event.... I know that Parker Bosley did some Heritage Pork "theme" dinners, but I don't know if they were as comprehensive as this sounds. The Oliveto dinners included cured products, so the Wednesday event at Battuto isn't quite the same thing. Still, it sounds wonderful.

Dominic just updated the photoblog with pictures from Dario Cecchini's butcher shop. (More photoblog). Check out the "Fred Flintstone" steak!

Thanks for takin' one for the team, chicagowench! Though I'm confused by the distinction between the Rainforest Cafe and the mall version thereof. I thought all of them were in (mostly outlet) malls. Or were you just projecting what Rainforest Cafe would be like if it fell into the clutches of Disney/Times Square/et.al.?

Well, I'm certainly no expert, but a slightly fruity, not-too-sweet Riesling (or some such) might come to mind. But really, one wine for all those dishes is a tough call. More to the point, Why limit yourself to bottle service? Rather than a full flight of wines to compliment every course, ask for a few "key" pairings spread out over the tasting menu, with sparkling waters and/or fruit juices filling in the blanks. Let them know that you enjoy wine but don't want to over-do it. I bet they could accommodate your request graciously and thoughtfully - make them earn their star .

For those "too wayward to actually subscribe" to Gourmet Magazine, Ruhlman has posted "On Hot Dogs" on his blog. Interesting that Vienna Beef was so forthcoming about their methods and ingredients.

There's a post on Louisa Chu's blog about espesso. There's some speculation there about what the "secret" ingredient is. I'm guessing that it is not gelatine, since that would be a problem for many customers. Maybe some "high tech" starch like Maltodextrin? Adrià certainly has plenty of expertise in using (and marketing) such products.

I expect a full accounting from Dominic and his "bald, tattooed" roommate.

Dominic is attending the Terra Madre gathering in Torino (Turin, Italy). eG member Kat Breychak has graciously provided a photo blog for Dominic to post his impressions. Terra Madre 2006 photoblog. The pictures of the food from the Salone del Gusto just blow me away. Lots of salume, artisinal cheeses, beautiful breads, awesome truffles. There's even some prosciutto from Norcia, the original home town of grandma Carrie.

If you follow the trackback, it does lead to the original. The problem is that there are so many pictures on the page that it sort of convulses and scrolls to a chaming picture of one of hathor's cats. (hathor's blog has to rank as one of the all-time best *ever*) Follow the trackback to this entry, be patient, wait for the page to scroll wildly as the pictures load. Then reload the page and you'll find a very thoughtful and amusing post about Italian eating habits. p.s. to Kris: Dominic Cerino is in Italy now (Terra Madre delegate), and he's posting some wonderful pictures. I'll post a link in the Heartland forum.

Kris, did you read hathor's foodblog? She talked about the Italian aversion to having "too many ingredients" on the plate. And I think there was something about not letting them touch each other. Maybe even the Bento food-segregation regime isn't enough for the Italians, if hathor's observations are true. Separate dishes, separate courses.

The snapper was very tasty indeed. The texture of the fish was a bit dry. I'm not sure if it was overcooked or if that's the way it's supposed to be. The sauce was terrific - nice balance of coconut and curry. The fish section of Ty Fun's menu has four different sauce preparations, any of which can be ordered with the whole red snapper or with grilled salmon fillet. The picture of the snapper makes me chuckle - I keep seeing a cartoon shark ready to take a bite. Cue the "Jaws" theme.