RagallachMC

I agree with eje. I don't have the magazine in front of me, but if I recall 5 or 6 of their top 10 are imperial stouts, Imperial IPAs, or double IPAs. Now don't get me wrong, I think those beers are great, but sometimes less is more. [edit] And honestly, how many people have had the Westvleteren 12? I think its scacity drives its rating up. Or maybe I'm just jealous 'cause I've never had it.

5. Saison Dupont 4. Geuze Boon 3. De Koninck 2. Duvel 1. (tie) Chimay Blanche and Bosteels Tripel Karmeleit If we include american producers of Belgian styles, then Ommegang's Hennepin would have to be squeezed in there somewhere.

That Pils glass is nice. I'm gonna have to head out to C+B and get a few. Riedel does do a beer glass in its overture line, and it isn't cheap. beer glass. It's not really a tulip glass, though. I did find the contact for an american distributor for Rastal glass. I'm gonna call him and see if he can help me. I'll keep you posted.

The tulip glass on the left of the picture that TongoRad posted is similar to what I'm looking for. I want something unetched or unmarked. A plain, unbranded tulip glass. I've already checked out most of the sites that you guys posted, but thanks for trying to help me out.

I was paging through my copy of 'Michael Jackson's Great Beer Guide' the other day, and there's this glass in there I've been trying to find. I can't even find a picture of it to link up to, so I'll have to describe it. It's a footed, tulip shaped beer glass without any engraving or writing on it. It's featured several time throughout the book. The book says that all of their glasses came from the breweries themselves or German glass maker Rastal. I checked their site and couldn't find it. So my question: Does anyone know who makes this glass and where to buy it? Also, are their any online or offline retailers for beer glasses that you like? Thanks for the help!

I haven't been to the Phoenix coffee on Lee, but they used to have one on the west side near where I live. Good stuff. Algebra Tea is also quite good, although I haven't been there in a little while (don't get out to the east side as much as I used to). Although BP's coffee is good in a pinch, it's not great by any stretch of the imagination. How is the daybreak coffee, improvchef44? I know a couple of folks who buy alot from them and they swear buy it. I might have to make a trip out there before work sometime.

My brother moved to Milwaukee last year, and I had a chance to visit him a few months ago. On the Sunday morning that I was there we had brunch at Bartolotta's Lake Park Bistro. I was very pleasantly surprised! One of the finest Bistro dining experiences I've had outside of Europe. Very old school and authentic, and just a stones throw from the art museum. Next time I go, I'm definatly making room in my schedule to have dinner there.

Great Lakes Brewery makes a couple of great High ABV beers. Blackout Stout is a Russian Imperial that clocks in at 9% ABV, and Nosferatu an American Red Ale that runs a little less at 8% ABV. They used to be exclusive to the brewery, but they have bottled some of them in limited batches. Definatly worth tracking down if you live in the midwest (or just driving to the brewery if you live in Cleveland). I also enjoy many of the high ABV Abbey style Belgians. The Westvleteren 12 is my fave, but all of them are good and worth looking for. Goose Island's Demolition is good, as is there Imperial IPA (although it's very, very hoppy). Also, if you can find it, Goose Island's Bourbon County Stout is fantastic. I had to have my local beer purveyor order me a few, but it was worth it. EDIT: Almost forgot another local favorite. Thirsty Dog Brewing Co.'s Siberian Night Imperial Stout. 9% ABV, but you'd never know it. Very smooth and very drinkable. Great beer.

Going back and re-reading my first post, I realize I was only talking about SouthAmerican/Central American cuisine and failed to address my favorite: Mexican. In my opionion there are three must visit Mexican restaurants in Cleveland: 1. Nuevo Acapulco. Located out in the Western suburb of North Olmsted, Nuevo is a great Mexican restaurant and offers some respite from all the McChains that dot N. Olmsted. If you go on Sunday afternoons (after church) I've seen them offer a special menu that is even more traditional than their regular menu. Unfortunately, they usually don't offer it to non-hispanics, so ask them (the special menu is all en espanol, so brush up on your menu spanish). 2. Mi Pueblo. This seems to be the favorite of the real mexicans in Cleveland. It has almost a cafeteria vibe to it, but the food is authentic and very tasty. 3. Luchita's. IMHO, the best mexican restaurant in town. There are several Luchita's scattered about town now, but the W. 117th location is the original and the best. Great mole. Great tacos. Great margaritas. The only bad thing I can say about them is that they don't carry Pacifico Beer (My favorite mexican beer which would make Luchita's just about perfect).

Every time I've been in there or gone past, it's been busy. I have to believe the place is doing well.

I've had a chance to see an advance copy of Ruhlman and Polcyn's book on Charcuterie. The copy I saw was no frills (no pictures), but it's a must for anybody who is interested in the topic. Covers just about every aspect of charcuterie that you could possibly want to know about in depth and with precision. I'm definatly going to get a copy when it's released.

My wife and I went there last month. I got out of work early, and since our son was staying with my mother for the night, we decided to have an impromptu date. We got to Lolita about 9:30 pm, since it was a weeknight the place was pretty quiet but there were a few tables finishing up and a few people at the bar. We sat at the bar and were promptly handed menus and a wine list. I'll be honest and say that I don't know a whole lot about Spanish or Greek wines, so I asked a few questions aboutsome of the selections on the wine list. The bartender (whose name embarresingly escapes me right now) was knowledgeable about the list and answered all my questions. We ordered a bottle of Cava and turned our attention to the menu. The menu offered 20 (I think) small plates, some appetizers, a couple of salads, and maybe 10 entrees. My wife and I were drawn to the small plates so we ordered 16 different items, 8 to start with and then 8 more when we killed the first batch. I don't remember them all, but here's the ones I do: Crispy risotto, chicken livers, and spring peas. So good! The risotto was crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside, The livers tasted almost like foie gras they were so rich, and the peas and the perfect snap to them. Stuffed calamari. Stuffed with a mediterranean rice pilaf. Very simple but well executed and very tasty. My wife's favorite. Tellagio cheese. I love Tellagio, so this was a no brainer for me. Perfect temperature (I hate cold tellagio). Cured pork loin. I forget the fancy name for this. It was shaved very thin and served with pickled ramps, some bread, and a fig jam. It melted in my mouth. Meatballs. Little meatballs served in a tomato sauce. Again, a simple dish well executed. Roasted peppers. A small bowl of julienned roasted peppers, and small olives. Unimpressed. Spanakopita. Good, but not great. The pastry was a touch undercooked, and it just lacked a full flavor. Fried smelts with lemon aioli. Really good! I could have eaten a huge bowl of these. The aioli was great too. Salumi du jour. This was an actual salami. Very good, with the same setup as the cured pork. Roquefort cheese. I forget where this cheese came from, but it was very good. Very earthy. That's all I can remember right now, but there were at least 6 others. After we finished our cava and let the food settle a bit, we ordered and split a florless chocolate cake with ouzo whipped cream and 2 cappucinos. The cappucinos were great and the flourless cake was very good. The ouzo cream was also well done. Just enough to leave a flavor impression, but not so much that the anis overpowered the chocolate. All in all a very nice experience. Great food, great service, and not a bad price either. We ate all that food, a bottle of cava, 2 cappucinos, tax and tip, and got out for under 100 dollars. Defiantely worth a visit.

There's a small grocery store that's attached to the West Side Market (the name escapes me right now). I know I've seen pomegranate molasses there before, and I'm pretty sure they carry aleppo pepper. If they don't, Asian Spices and Sauce inside the Market would be a good place to check. Also, there are a couple of Middle Eastern grocery stores on W 117th near the I90 exit that might be worth a shot (and they're near Luchita's if you want to grab a great Mexican meal. MMMmmmmm......Luchita's).

Thanks for the review Nancy. You have definatly aroused my curiosity (and my hunger).

I hate throwing up a post that just agrees with the last one, but..... I have to agree with torakris. Pacific East is waaayyy better than Shinano's There's a Japanese restaurant in Strongsville that I haven't checked out yet. I can't remember the name right now, but some of my family went there and they said it was great. Also, as far as chains go, PF Chang's is a decent one. I've been to the Beachwood one a couple of times and a decent meal there each time. I had the scallops last time and they were really good. I agree that we should support home-grown restaurants, but sometimes our non-food educated bretheren will insist on the chains.

There's a Dave's Supermarket pretty close to where I live and one near where I work. I've been into both, but I try to stay clear of them. Although they do carry some ethnic groceries, the stores are a little seedy. There's a Cuban Deli on Detroit Ave. in Cleveland. I've never been, but I hear the sandwiches are good. I believe they are take-out only. Lelolai Bakery is near the West Side Market and is probably your best bet for a Cuban Sandwich. Although it's primarily a Puerto Rican take out restaurant, they do make a great Cubano. The sandwiches are huge and reasonably priced. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it :)

Unfortunately, the two best Central/South American restaurants are on the west side. La Tortilla Feliz is near the Tremont neighborhood on the near west side of Cleveland. a really good and diverse menu. I've never had a bad meal there. Also, they have a good selection of Central/South American beers and wines. While El Tango Taqueria sounds like a Mexican restaurant, it really features a broad range of Central/South American fare. Nothing fancy, but a good meal. As for Caribbean, I'll admit that I haven't tried any of them. A new one, 83 Degrees, opened up about 6 months ago. Although, it's literally 1 minute from my house, I haven't popped in there yet. It got a decent review in the Palin Dealer, and its menu seems to focus on Puerto Rican cuisine. Which makes sense since Puerto Ricans make up a big chunk of the local neighborhoods.

Downtown 140 was mentioned in this months Food + Wine magazine for its wine list. My in-laws went there and said it was fantastic. So many restaurants, so little time. Boulevard Blue is also on my short list of places to go. I've heard lots of good things about the food and the music. It's true that Lockkeepers is different without Chef Jacobs, but it is still worth a visit. They have a very solid culinary team that can still turn out some fantastic dishes. Three Birds is pretty good. If you're in the area, it's definately worth a visit.

Actually, the only saving grace at my two visits to Blue Canyon was the service. On our second visit, which was dinner, my wife and I ordered a couple bottles of wine. It was kind of obvious that the server didn't know that much about wine, but she talked with us about what we were drinking and we even let her have a small glass of each (she was working, after all :) ). She was very charming, and when things started going wrong with the food she took care of business swiftly and gracefully. I really don't understand the 'outstanding' food, though. I was very underwhelmed both times. Maybe my expectations were too high. I know a guy who knows a guy who works at Carrie Cerino's (who might actually leave there and come work with me) who has been saying nice things about CC, but I kind of laughed it off. I guess I'll have to get out there some time. Sadly, I'll miss out on the blue egg ravioli, since I always work on Fridays.

Hey Torakris! Welcome back to Cleveland! Here's my imput: New additions: Blue Canyon in Twinsburg. It's getting alot of good reviews, and I don't know why. Ive been there twice, once for lunch and once for dinner, and everything was either average or below IMHO. Not really new, but XO in the Warehouse district changed into an upscale steak house. Pricey, but decent is what I've heard. A couple of other higher end steak houses popped up, as well. Had a chance to go to one of them a couple of weeks ago. It's called Red, and it's in Beachwood right next to Moxie. Had a good dinner there. The big news is the closing and reopening of Lola and the addition of Lolita. Haven't talked to anyone who's been to Lolita yet, so I can't say anything about it (although I suspect it will be great). House of Blues is new to downtown. Had some drinks there, saw a band, but didn't eat. Food looked alright, though. There's others, but I'll move on. One of the best Gelato places in Cleveland is right in Cleveland Heights. La Gelateria is on Cedar Rd near the corner of Cedar and S. Taylor Rd. Really great gelatos and sorbetos in a variety of flavors. All this, and they're open until midnight on the weekends. Mmmmm...gelato. A nostalgic pick for Ice Cream is Honey Hut. They have a few locations around the west side. I grew up near one, and we would go there after baseball games and such. Besides the nostalgia, their ice cream is pretty good too. al Fresco dining? hmmmm... Depends what you're looking for. I like The Metropolitan in the Warehouse district. It's right on a busy corner and is great for people watching. Lure Bistro has a good outdoor patio and bar (plus they have free sushi on Tuesdays). If you're looking for something more peaceful Gamekeeper's has a great outdoor courtyard. Blake's Seafood Grill in Chagrin Falls has a wonderful view of the falls. Something more casual could be The Harp on the Cleveland/Lakewood border. It's deck looks right out over Lake Erie and they serve one of the best pints of Guiness in town. I'm kind of curious about this talk about Carrie Cerino's. Last time I was there (which was several years ago), it was your typical spaghetti and meatballs joint. Good, but not great. Also, the average age of the other diners was 65+. Has it really changed that much? Anywho, if you have any other questions Tokakris, let 'em rip. I'll try to help.

Here's a few places I go when I'm looking for a good craftbrew or obscure import: Rozi's Wine and Liquor on Detroit Rd. in Lakewood. A wide range of both beer and wine. Lots of hard to find stuff. North Coast Wine and Beer on W. 117th in Cleveland. A good selection and they're open late. Biddulph Beverage on Biddulph Rd. in Cleveland. I usually go here first since it's really close to my house. A surprisingly good collection of domestic, craftbrew, and imports. A large selection of single bottles to mix and match.

I did a quick search but didn't see anybody discussing this yet. Michael Symon is moving his localy (and nationaly) famous retaurant, Lola, from its current location in Tremont to a new location on E. 4th. Lola will close in April and will reopen a month later as a new restaurant: Lolita. Lolita will feature Symon's take on Greek/Mediterranean cuisine and is rumored to be more affordable than Lola's current menu and will place a large emphasis on meze style small plates. Lola will then reopen in October in the new E. 4th street digs with a bigger kitchen, larger dining room, and expanded wine storage. In addition, the Symons (Michael and his wife Liz) have formed a partnership with Theory's owner, Doug Petkovic. The three are now partners in Lola, Lolita, and Theory with Michael Symon running the kitchens, Liz decorating and setting the style, and Petkovic running the business side. That's a lot to take in, eh? :) I think it's a bold move for Symon to move from his Tremont digs to downtown. Many restaurants downtown are not doing well, and it will be interesting to see if the addition of Lola to the downtown scene can turn it around (like he did with Tremont when he opened there). Partnering with Petkovic is a great move that will hopefully allow Symon more time to concentrate on his kitchens, his staff, and his food. I'm also excited to see what Symon will do with the menu at Theory, which I think is good but isn't great. Whatever happens, I now have three 'new' restaurants to try. :)

Leaving for NYC tomorrow, and will be eating at Per Se on the 5th. I'm giddy like a schoolgirl!

Circo really boned their crew when they closed down. They closed on a Monday, and waited until the day before to tell everyone. In fact, I hear they lied to everyone for months about the restaurant closing. Oh well. Such is the restaurant biz. Here's my restaurant recommendations for Cleveland: Parker's- IMHO, the best restaurant in town. Not flashy or pretentious, but dishes composed of superb ingredients that have been expertly handled. I try to go there as much as possible. Classics- Here's your flashy and pretentious. It's a bit stuffy for my taste, but you can't argue that Classics turns out some of the best plates in Cleveland. Johnny's on Fulton - I find the Fulton location offers better service and food than the one downtown. Lola Bistro- Every time I think that maybe Lola has 'jumped the shark' I go there and am proved wrong. Michael Symon and his crew still rock. fire- I really hate going to Shaker Square (crappy parking *grumble grumble*), but fire keeps drawing me back. Get the $14 hamburger. Yummy! Baricelli Inn- Bring your wallet, 'cause this place will cost you. However, I've never felt ripped off. Their food is worth the price. They are also one of the only cheese ripening facilities in the midwest. Take advantage of this and get one of their great artisinal cheese boards. I've been reading these threads about the Egulleters from Minneapolis and Chicago getting together and going for a meal. Why don't us Clevelanders do the same? It's always better going to a nice dinner with others who appreciate food.

Wow. Great site. I added it to my favorites so I can give it a thorough looksee when I have time.