NancyH

You keep olive oil and balsamic vinegar at work? I want to work with you!

Actually, don't be surprised if a lot of folks wind up in the suburbs, in part to keep hotel/parking costs in reasonable proportion to the meal costs! I recommend that you guys do what we did - listen if there is something special that people really, really want (Lola) but otherwise use your judgment to pick the places the rest of us might not really know about (VTR, Carrie Cerino's, Sun Luck Garden, Light). We are thrilled to have a reason to visit (and taste) Chicago again!

Cory - thank you so much for your hospitality! I had hoped that we would stop by Lolita tonight in connection with Taste of Tremont - but Dominic fed us into such oblivion that it just didn't happen!

Last year, several folks were too stuffed after the Saturday Feast to come to Brunch at Zingerman's. I hoped to remedy that this year by scheduling a lunch at noon - giving everyone a couple more hours to digest (and sleep!). So - at noon, we assembled at Carrie Cerino's. Dominic Cerino outdid himself in allowing us to sample all of his most primo chow - including some of the amazing Copper River King Salmon he has flown to him directly from Cordova! We started with Salumi Boards, which include items from Dominic, Armandino Batali, and other premium sources, together with cheese, nuts, dried fruits, and something new - fresh figs. Oh my! The boards are served with fresh, hot foccachia bread pronounced delicious by our resident Bread Man, tino27, and little dishes containing olives, red peppers and olive oil. The discussion of pork naturally brings us to the youngest EGulleteers to attend the weekend's festivities - the just-a-few-weeks-old Nolan and Reagan Powalchak (sires of Sheb) - and I had to get a photo of Nolan's shirt: Next - Chef Dominic showed us a way to turn Escargot Platters into multitaskers! Behold - baked artichoke hearts: Next, each diner received a Blue Egg Ravioli - which I didn't photograph, because I have before - but here is a photo from Edsel's album of what we were served today: Dominic has improved a heavenly thing by moving the sage leaves into the ravioli. The yolk is left runny, and when you cut it open, you mix the ricotta-sage filling with the butter in the dish and the yolk - and then you mange! Next up was a plate of Panzanella Salad for each diner - a delightful melange of heirloom tomatoes, cheese, house-made bread, micro-arugala and light dressing. This was followed by the Blue Egg Carbonara with home-made Guanciale; all spaghetti at Carrie Cerino's is made in house from scratch: The next dish - Umbrian Lentils with Red Pepper Guanciale and House-Made Sausage, and studded with more of that awesome Foccachia! Next - Berkshire Pork Piccata - kissed with a light but deep sauce made with love! The next dish - Veal Tosca - is an older creation from Dominic - it was my entree the very first time I ate at Carrie Cerino's. I haven't had it since, because every time I go there, there are always new or even more extra special things to try! A tender slice of veal is breaded with Blue Eggs and Cheese and sauteeed with lemon, and the result is fabulous: In the meantime, Dominic was kind enough to provide a plate of Eggplant Parmesan and Pasta Marinara for Dance, who is a fairly strict vegetarian: Instead of finishing our feast with Vialone Nano Pestelli Risotto, which was on the menu (and which, it turned out, got forgotten in the kitchen in all of the tumult), two additional items were brought out to our table. First, one of my absolute favorites - a dish Dominic created for the Northern Ohio Slow Food Convivium Slow Food Dinner last year- pulled pork cannelloni, topped with a beautiful tomato sauce and fresh ricotta. At this point, I put my camera away because we could not eat another bite, and were filling "leftovers" boxes with these wonderful goodies. But then Dominic again appeared, bearing gifts- he had frozen some of his precious Copper River Kings (the season ended early in July) and grilled up fillets for us. Neither Edsel nor I got a photo, but I'm sure that someone did. I thought, I may not eat again for a week! But I knew that dessert was coming - Blue Egg-Hazelnut Gelato. Again - I didn't get a photo of this one (though there are photos of other CC's gelato in the Carrie Cerino's thread). This one was served with Italian Cookies and a dollop of fresh chocolate. After we finished our dessert - and after some discussion confirming that this was the correct thing to do - I passed the Ceremonial Torch of the EGullet Heartland Gathering (well, actually, an empty gelato glass) to Ronnie Suburban - who has volunteered to lead Chicago in hosting our intrepid band of diners for next year's Gathering. Thank you Ronnie! Though we had planned to lead the minions to Taste of Tremont after this meal, everyone agreed that we were just too stuffed to even consider it (and some folks needed to get on the road). White Lotus volunteered to lead an excursion to a tea store she discovered across the street from the West Side Market, and a bunch of folks decided to join her. Bob and I were just too pooped to party anymore (well - me anyway - Bob is outside in the garden pulling weeds as I type this). I want to thank everyone involved in helping to make this weekend a success. There are too many to name individually - though I will single out Steve Sikorski (Mr. Luckygirl) for getting the dishwasher back on line Saturday night and sparing us two hours of washing dishes by hand, and Angie Vacca, who never heard of EGullet before, but may be joining us soon - for getting this wonderful space for us! See you all in Chicago next year, I hope! Nancy

I will leave the rest of Saturday to those who had the energy and presence of mind to photograph it. We arrived at my house around midnight, following a few fun and not so fun moments (like the church's kitchen dishwasher deciding to overheat and refusing to work for part of the evening). We also realized that we were bone tired, because last year, folks from Tammy's community helped us to clean up, and this year we were on our own! But we did get it clean and get to go home and a wonderful time was had by all. A word about TammyLC - she almost had to cancel due to work and family commitments, but the 20+ people who enjoyed her chocolate and wine tastings, and truffle making demo, were most glad that she didn't. Thank you for joining us Tammy! And the book sale organized by Calipoutine brought in some bucks for Gully and a "thank you" to the Church for hosting us. We hit the pillows immediately after getting home!

Saturday was Feast Day! I had made arrangements with my friend Angie to rent the commercial kitchen and social hall at her church, near to my house. The day was to begin with the traditional shopping trip - this year, at Cleveland's storied West Side Market. We arrived at 9:30am, with no breakfast in us, to plot for the evening's festivities. Unfortunately, I got so caught with "being in charge", and, more important, being the person who lived closest to the Feast location, that I only took one photo the whole day! After we separated to shop (and by this time, I was also forced to acknowledge that being "in charge" meant I wasn't really going to get to cook anything), I stopped at The Creperie for a bite. This lovely stand is owned by the owners of City Roast Coffee (coincidentally also named Bob and Nancy). My lone photo from Saturday is Bob Hoecepl [i'm sorry if I butchered the spelling] making my breakfast - a "from scratch" crepe filled with egg, spinach, tomato and cheese - yum! A bunch of folk wound up sampling the crepes - as Steve mentioned, Bob is a little slow in the cooking process - but the best things . . . .

Friday evening was Lola night. Those of you who were in Ann Arbor last year might recall that the impending opening of Michael Symon's Lola was the primary impetus for holding the gathering in Cleveland this year. Unfortunately for us, Michael was not in Cleveland this weekend - he's been out of town all of July, working on the Next Iron Chef competition for FoodTV - but Liz Symon and Doug Petkovic and their staff have everything running smoothly in his absence - I think this was the best meal yet that I've had at the new Lola! Each of the four courses offered two choices. Bob and I independently chose parallel menus, to the great convenience of our neighbors, as none of them had to pause for photos (or share any food). Dinner started with a beverage order, of course. Since I cannot take the taste of chlorinated water, I usually order seltzer and lime. But the server suggested the House Sparkling water - and as soon as I saw the bottle, I was glad that I had I ordered it! Next came a lovely amuse - a bit of puffy goodness topped with something a little gooey and a tasty morsel of meat; house-made, I believe: Next - on to the dinner menu! I started with Yellowtail with Melon, Horseradish & Celery (well, Bob got most of my celery): I have never had Yellowtail melt in my mouth like that - it is usually a little fishy and tough. I am now Yellowtail spoiled for life. Bob opted for the Heirloom Tomato Salad with Feta, Olives, and Onions - dressed with the most heavenly concoction: Second course - for me, two perfectly seared scallops, resplendent upon a perch of Butter Beans scattered with cubes of Lamb Sausage: Bob had the traditional (for Lola diners) Beef Cheek Pierogie - perfectly crisp dough stuffed with tender, moist morsels and draped with Creme Fraiche. Oh yes, and mushrooms that are beautiful - if you like mushrooms: For the mains, I opted for the Walleye, which was a massive tower of perfectly prepared fish, over creamed corn and house-smoked bacon. Bob tried what was described as "Roasted Duck Breast" - but was really Duck Two Ways - perfectly seared breast slices accompanied by melt-in-your-mouth roasted leg. The Pickled Cherry sauce was delicious (reminiscent of the Beef with Chili and Cherry that Bob, Edsel and I made for the Feast last year!). Cbarre02 (also known as Cory Barrett) stopped up to meet us and see how we were doing as we devoured his desserts - for Bob, a Marcarpone "Strawberry Shortcake" with Almond, Balsamic Gelee and Strawberry Sorbet: I could not resist staying with the 6 A.M. Special, which Cory has improved to perfection during the last nine months - Bacon Ice Cream, "French Toast" Brioche and a Maple Twill: We left well after 11pm - and dinner service was still going strong in the restaurant. Lola is a special place - well worth the wait!

Ok - picture time! You have already seen the details of our Thursday kick-off at Light Bistro. We next assembled Friday afternoon at Sun Luck Garden in Cleveland Heights - a favorite of Fatguy. As he previously described, Annie brought us a dizzying assortment of goodies, but kept the portions at tasting sizes - lucky for us, because it was so good, if she had served regular sized portions - we would have eaten them all! First up - appetizers. We were each presented with a crispy egg roll and a completely-from-scratch Pork Potsticker: Next - the Scallion Pancake: Then, a Peking Duck wrap: Last - for appetizers - a plate of tempura shrimp and cold spicy noodles: I do not normally care for frozen shrimp (the only kind available in Cleveland) - but this dish was extraordinary and good to the last drop! The sauce drizzled over the shrimp had some citrus and some sweet, with just a twang of sour - yum. The mains came out in rapid succession - starting with Walnut Chicken: Annie had polled the table to learn if we wanted our Mei Fun (thin rice noodles) mild or spicy curry - guess which one the table picked! This was our pork course: Next came Chilean Sea Bass with Asparagus and Black Bean Sauce: The next entree was a spicy beef stir fry with fresh pineapple, which made the dish sing: As we worked our way through this feast, Annie asked if we wanted to try some fried rice. We all started to say no - but Steve piped up with a "yes" - and we were very glad he did: Notice - no soy sauce staining this lovely dish. Though it lacked the larded mouthfeel of the fried rice served at Cleveland's Siam Cafe - it was absolutely worth having and we thanked Steve (and Annie) accordingly! The last dish to come out were the Mussels, which came highly recommended from Luckygirl. I am not a big mussel eater, but I actually had a second one. Those at our table who do enjoy mussels pronounced them fabulous. My photos really didn't do justice to the mussels. We had a round of fortune cookies, and then, after I had put away my camera, Annie treated us to a round of her homemade cookies, which were lovely. Bob and I headed home to change for the evening, and others wandered Cleveland for a couple hours until Happy Hour at the VTR.

Even I was too tired to take photos last night! But I'll be posting photos from Sun Luck Garden, Lola and perhaps Carrie Cerino's later today or tomorrow. But here - a couple of photos from VTR - the infamous Dark & Stormy: And the Rootbeer Float - the likes of which was enjoyed by Lucas Suburban - with house-made root beer and house made Vanilla Gelato: Thank you, Bolognuim, for hosting our Friday Happy Hour!

And lets not forget to recognize Sous Chef Jeff, who also was an integral part of producing these awesome eats! What a wonderful start to our weekend!

We were at a slight disadvantage arriving on July 3, because most of the city's good restaurants closed for WTW that week. Hot and Hot and Cafe Dupont were both on my list, but we simply could not squeeze them in. Two of our dining companions did make it to Hot & Hot (the night we went to Highlands) and they gave it rave reviews.

You can't make this stuff up.

My husband Bob and I have just returned from a week in Birmingham AL, where we attended the annual American Mensa Convention and partook of some mighty fine local eats. We arrived on July 3, and went with some friends to John's City Diner Downtown, 112 21st Street North. John's lived up to its reputation of "upscale diner" - everyone enjoyed their food, from the most humble to the sublime! They started us with hot-from-the-oven corn biscuits: Tere expected her chicken to be ordinary - but it was juicy and the crust was perfectly seasoned and prepared: She also enjoyed the smashed taters and fried green tomatoes. The gentleman on my right loved his crab cakes: Bob and I went for the more "upscale" dinner specials. I had a fabulous filet of red trout, dressed with the freshest melt-in-your-mouth lump crabmeat I've had since I was in New Orleans 2 years ago! It was all drizzled wtih buerre blanc and plated with perfectly prepared grits specked with fresh corn kernels. Since they mistakenly put green beans on my plate, I got to taste that extra side - and they were very tasty! But the collard greens and sausage, which was the side I actually ordered, was wonderful - not too mushy or slimey, as greens often are - these were bright green and had just a little texture. And, anything tastes good with fresh sausage! Bob's dinner was simply amazing. Called "Surf & Turf" - it was more like BEEF and shrimp! It must have been at least a half pound of prime rib, lightly smoked and rubbed with just the right amount of seasoning, cooked to perfect medium rare, and served with large Gulf Shrimp that barely got touched (he couldn't finish the meat, either): One thing about Mensa conventions is that there is always food in our hospitality suites - so we did not go out for every meal. Our next stop out was the next day, when we had a late lunch at a BBQ place in the 5 Points district that we thought was locally owned, but turned out to be a "local" chain - Jim 'N Nick's Bar-B-Q. It came highly recommended, and with good reason. Any table that comes set like this works for me! First up - oven-hot cheese muffins: Bob and I decided to share Mr. Jim's Deluxe Combo - half rack of ribs (we got baby backs, which were the only disappointment because they were a little dry), 3 BBQ Meats (we got house-made sausage, Angus Brisket, and Smoked Turkey), and 4 sides. It was not only a thing of beauty - it was darned tasty! The sausage was perfection in a casing: For our sides, we had fresh corn on the cob that was allowed to cook way too long (and therefore not photo or taste worthy - though someone else at the table got an ear that looked very good), and mac & cheese that could have been a meal all by itself: We also tried baked beans that tasted "made from scratch" and had an awesome pork product in them: And coleslaw that had to be made from scratch: We left with a carry-out box of meat that wound up being devoured by some of our convention mates - we couldn't eat another bite until the next day! Thursday, we lunched at Taj India, 2226 Highland Ave. S. Website with friends, and though we rarely eat buffets, this one came highly recommended so we all tried it. We were not disappointed! I started with a Lassi, but it was no ordinary Lassi: It was the "Bombay" Lassi, which is not listed in the menu's drink section, but which is described at the beginning of the menu as you can see in the following photo: The proprietor actually tried to talk me out of ordering it, once I 'fessed up that I'd never had one before (heck, I'd never heard of it before). And, I could understand how a Western palate might not appreciate the strong flavors, including a bit of hot chile, that did not exactly cool down the spicy Indian food. Nevertheless, I was glad that I tried it. The buffet included 2 types of chicken (stewed in brown sauce, not pictured, and tandoori style), 2 types of lentils, mixed vegetables, and an awesome mushroom korma (which isn't in the picture because I despise mushrooms); the gravy was fabulous and adorns the right-hand side of my rice: I especially loved the fiery Sambhar, which I happily scooped up with warm Naan: The mint raita was spicy and soothing at the same time, and the chopped vegetable chutney was fresh and crunchy: I neglected to get photos of the desserts, which were all very good: Gajar ka Halwa (homemade carrot and nut delicacy) that was served cold on the buffet, and warm off the menu - it was creamy and sweet - not your mother's carrots, a cold soup with vermicelli and a house made ice cream. Fortunately for us, we made this an early lunch - because we had dinner reservations at Frank Stitt's Highlands Bar and Grille. Chef Stitt is a member of Slow Food, and is committed to locally sourced and sustainable ingredients; he gave a talk on this subject at our Convention on Friday. We dressed up a bit, got to 5 Points, and were ushered to our table. Multiple servers attended to our every want and need. We enjoyed a first class meal - starting with the bread, which tasted just-baked, and a fabulous sweet butter imported from the Czech Republic, of all places: . Normally, Bob and I share an appetizer - but there were so many wonderful looking choices that we each ordered one and we couldn't decide if one was better than the other, because they were so good. I had Michael Dean's Squash Blossom and Fried Green Tomatoes with Cherry Tomatoes and Crab Salsa: Again, the crab was pristine - and the tomatoes simply perfect. The Blossom was stuffed with light-as-a-feather goat cheese: Bob had the Heirloom Tomato Salad, with lettuces, Cucumbers, Belle Cherve and Tomato Vinaigrette: This was our first taste of 2007 local heirloom tomatoes, and it was sensational. We usually don't care for dressings on fresh tomatoes that are this good, but the Viniagrette complemented the flavors without interfering with them. For entrees - Virginia opted for the Mississippi Rabbit with Creamy Grits and Chanterelles: I've had rabbit a few times and never really cared for it - but my taste of this dish was delicious. Two of our companions shared the Australian Lamb Chops, with Eggplant Gratin, Potato Puree and Basil Oil - the kitchen split their entree onto separate plates, so this photo is a half portion: Frank Stitt, at his talk on Friday at our Convention, mentioned that he usually uses Jamison Lamb (from Pennsylvania), but that he couldn't get any that week. Rose Lee and Tere gushed at how good the Australian lamb was - and I found the Eggplant Gratin to be fabulous. Two of us got the Sauteed Apalachicola Flounder and Scallops in an ingenious Gumbo Sauce that contained Okra, Peppers, Chorizio, Shrimp and Spices: Two others got the Pork Tenderloin, plated with fresh corn, Coosa Valley Grits, and the most tasty local Peach Relish and Arugula Salad. This picture cannot do justice to the taste of those peaches: For dessert, we ordered . . . a lot of extra spoons! We passed around the following: Chocolate Dome Cake, filled iwth chocolate mousse and covered with Chocolate Ganache The best Creme Brulee I've ever tasted: House-made berry sorbet: House made ice cream - Vanilla, White Peach, and Chocolate Jack Daniels: Finally, Bob's choice, a Warm Peach Crostata, oozing with more of those incredibly ripe fresh peaches, three peach slices, and a ball of vanilla bean ice cream: Our next adventure came the next evening, when a few of us hopped the DART bus down to 5 Points and the hip restaurant "26", sister of Ocean. This place was loud and I do mean LOUD - but it was a fun, energetic loud. And the food was fabulous! We started with hot bread and herbed butter: Bob and I ordered a sushi roll for appetizer. The combination of spicy tuna and honeydew melon worked surprisingly well: I had to get a photo of Sue's entree: House-Made Pasta with Scallops and Shrimp! The "special" that evening was an Australian fish filet, cooked "en pappilliote" with olives, tomatoes, lemon and wine. Normally, I would stick with "local" fish - but since 26 is the sister of Ocean, which is one of Birmingham's top fish places, I decided to try it. I was not disappointed! Since this entree did not come with a carb (strangely - a few entrees did not, such as the seared Tuna that Bruce ordered, though most did), and since I adore Mac and Cheese in just about any form, I got the Gouda Mac and Cheese side, which was plate-licking good! Bob seriously contemplated getting a hamburger, but I convinced him to try the Pork Tenderloin marinated in Sambal and served over Wheat Soba Noodles and vegetables, topped with a spicy Indonesian-inspired sauce: He was glad he listened to me! Bob did eventually get his burger, though - we woke up late Saturday morning to pouring rain. By the time we were ready to eat, the Hospitality food (which included food service Mac and Cheese that would have made me happy) was gone an hour early, and Bob wanted to see a program that started in an hour. We trundled up to the hotel restaurant (I wanted the Fish House, but there was no way to get to and fro in time) only to find it closed (we later learned that their roof had leaked). That left us with a choice between the hotel sports bar and Subway, and we opted for the former. You know it is a bad sign when the server doesn't ask how you want your burger cooked, and ours were cooked until any E. Coli (and moisture) were gone. And at $10.95 (and choice of fries or salad) it cost the same as the premium burgers served at Chez Fon Fon and 26. And then, just for a little salt in the wound- Bob found out that his program had been postponed until 9:30pm, so we could have gone out after all! We made up for our mediocre lunch by having dinner at Frank Stitt's more casual restaurant, Chez Fon Fon. Two of our dining companions had been to France several times, and they were amazed at how well Fon Fon captured the look and feel of a French Bistro - right down to the ambient noise from all of the customers talking! We began with freshly baked bread and more of that amazing Czech butter: Bob and I decided to share the Sausage Plate appetizer, which we thought was misnamed - there was a veritable melange of tastes and flavors on the plate: Chef Stitt has a working farm that produces some of his produce and other products - judging by the bright yolks and fabulous flavor, I'm guessing that the hard cooked egg was from a heritage chicken (he mentioned Aracaunas in his talk). There were two slices of meat - a pepperoni (not my favorite flavor) and a salami (that's more my style!), a tangy slaw, and a dollop of what tasted like freshly made mustard. Also on the plate were boiled potato slices, mini pickles that Bob enjoyed, beet slices, and small olives. Even the green garnish had an interesting, if slightly bitter flavor. Dorine's Salmon entree looked devine: Terry treated herself to the lamb, which was dressed with fresh mint puree and served with Zucchini Gratin: I selected the Fish of the Day - fresh Triggerfish draped with a luscious buerre blanc studded with potato. The haricot verts were exquisite. My only criticism was the boiled potatoes - I would have liked a more interesting side: Bob picked a winner with the Hangar Steak, topped with a fresh corn relish and served with Pomme Frittes and Fresh Garden Greens: Bob also enjoyed a local microbrew from Olde Towne Brewing Company. The server mentioned that the brewery had just burned down the previous day - we didn't get a chance to determine for sure whether that was true; a shame because the beer was really good! Three desserts came to the table and they were all wonderful. First, Pot de Creme with house made chocolate biscotti: This next concoction layered rich chocolate and nuts, and was topped with a dreamy dollop of creamy goodness: Finally - coconut custard cake: We left very happy, and very glad we had arrived early, since the place was now packed (and they do not take reservations) and the bar was three deep with customers! On Sunday, we brunched at the new Icon, located in the Tutweiler Hotel. We started with beverages. The "Blueberry Monster" was a blend of orange juice, blueberry, mango, and banana purees, apple and Concord grape juices, and it was the perfect revitalizer after a long weekend of partying! Also refreshing was the Raspberry Lemonade made with fresh lemon juice and raspberry puree. Next - a basket of breakfast pastry accompanied by orange marmaladed butter. The Pecan Rolls were to die for! A local had told us not to miss Icon's Spicy Green Tomato Soup, with peppered shrimp and applewood smoked bacon. Bob and I decided to split a bowl, and it was presented to us in two small bowls, one of which is pictured below. The flavors were intense and delicious - this was the best thing we tasted at Icon. I ordered the "ICONIC EGGS BENEDICT" - English muffin, lump crab, Creole hollandaise, and asparagus, and a side of Stone Ground Cheese Grits. The grits were excellent. The egg dish was also very good, except that the crab was not very fresh. Rose Lee ordered French Toast, which came in a huge portion; she enjoyed it, but took a "people bag" with her to the airport! Bob went more to the lunch side of brunch, ordering an item described as "SPRING TAGLIATELLE cherry tomatoes, spring peas, asparagus, white truffle oil, manchego". What he actually received was: Though we didn't remember any chicken in the menu description (and you can see why), and though Bob doesn't much care for white meat chicken - we both pronounced the slabs of chicken on the dish delicious (in fact, every component of the dish was delicious). When the check came, there was an upcharge for the chicken, which we realized then was an optional add-on to the otherwise vegetarian dish (which Bob had not ordered); however, Bob had enjoyed it so much that he didn't ask the server to remove the charge. Also on the lunch side was our friend Jeanette, who opted for Rice Paper Wrapped Salmon, over buckwheat soba noodles, with edamame and shiitake dashi, which she pronounced excellent: Rounding out our table, Emily and Lori both got the Balsamic and Laurel Marinated Flat Iron Steak, with roasted leeks, carrots, potatoes, and garlic chive crème fraîche and they loved it! Lori had already "dug in" when I snapped this photo: Jeanette was the only person who ordered dessert, and she enjoyed her Bittersweet Chocolate Pyramid with Cardamom Ice Cream, though she wanted something more gooey in the Pyramid. Our final dinner in Birmingham found us at Surin West, a Thai and Sushi place that was highly recommended. The experience proved a reminder as to how important good service is to a good meal - even good food will be overpowered by mediocre service. Our table of 7 was seated and beverages ordered. The server was young and a tad spacy, but nice enough. Unfortunately, his busser, who also helped to serve, had a really bad attitude that infected the entire dining experience. We realized this when the soup was served (I think all 7 of us ordered a cup). The busser handled the saucer roughly and spilled some of mine (fortunately missing my white shorts); he then ignored my 3 requests for a new napkin so I helped myself to one from the next table, which is also where he left the rag he used to wipe the spill. A treat for the customers who were seated there shortly after. I asked the woman who seated them for some assistance and mentioned the problem with our busser, who was now serving entree plates even though he had not cleared any of the soup plates, causing a pile up. In addition, 2 entrees were wrong and had to be redone. This was all a shame, because there were some fine flavors in the food. First - Spicy Chicken Coconut Soup: I had Roasted Duck with Red Curry, roasted duck that is then marinated overnight in a red curry sauce then blended with Kiffir leaf, pineapple, and fresh tomato: Bob went for the Pad Prik with pork. He ordered it "Thai Spicy"; it was hot but not incendiary. The dish had red and green bell peppers, onions, garlic, and straw mushrooms in a pepper sauce. The entrees were served with a nondescript white rice. Overall, I wouldn't rush to eat there again, but then, had the service been better, the food might have tasted better. For our last meal in Birmingham, we were determined to partake in that Southern tradtition of "Meat and 3". We took the DART bus up 20th Street to Tracy's Cafeteria and oh my did we eat well! Bob went for the classic - Meatloaf. Even though I usually prefer my own meatloaf to any made in a restaurant, I have to admit that this was very tasty. Bob's sides were Lima Beans, Mac 'N Cheese, and Cole Slaw - the slaw was fantastic and had a vinegar, rather than a mayo base for the dressing: My meat was perfectly fried chicken tenders. My sides, which were absolutely perfect, were fried okra, fried green tomatoes, and Mac 'N Cheese: Since my first taste of the chicken seemed kind of dry (and a couple of the pieces were, though the rest were juicy and tender), I asked for gravy and they gave me the mashed potato gravy. I wound up prefering a mustard-mayo condiment I found on the condiment table with 4 types of hot sauce: We were too stuffed to even consider dessert, which was a shame because they looked delicious. So there it is - a wonderful week of mostly great eats. The skies opened up as we waited in the hotel lobby for the airport shuttle; at least it waited until after lunch. Thank you, Birmingham, for your gracious and tasty hospitality!

Steven - what a shame you have such a short visit to Cleveland! We have an excellent Cambodian place on the near west side - Phnom Penn. Try to get there if you can squeeze it in!

Last night, Dominic Cerino hosted our local Slow Food Convivium for a Copper River Salmon Celebration! These fabulous salmon preparations were accompanied by three Pinot Noirs supplied by Wine Trendz, which paired wonderfully with the food. We started with a buffet of appetizers and a Jibe Pinot Noir (New Zealand). The centerpiece was a huge filet of Smoked Copper River King, accompanied by sliced tomato, red onion, lemon, capers, dill dipping sauce and a cream cheese side: The Carpaccio was served over olive oil and crostini: House-cured gravlax was perfect by itself, and presented over a huge section of salmon skin! Deviled Eggs with salmon in the filling, and topped with Copper River King Roe, were devine: Arrancini (Risotto Balls) with salmon in the filling were light and crispy: This is my appetizer plate, fully loaded: Though I was tempted to get a little more of the smoked salmon, I was ultimately glad I resisted that temptation! The appetizers started to come out of the kitchen just as I decided to wait - Salmon-Stuffed Agnolotti with Mama’s White Sauce: Normally, Mama's White Sauce is a mixture of butter and parmesean - this version was accented with a touch of Dijon Mustard. It accompanied the puffy squares of goodness perfectly. The Angeline Pinot Noir (Russian River, California) was a delightful match. Instead of bringing out the salad course next, Dominic followed Italian tradtition and sent out the entree plates. Care to guess what constituted the main course? I don't know how the kitchen managed to get 50 orders of salmon filet cooked to perfect medium-rare - but they did: The side of Roasted Asparagus Crusted with Parmesan went delightfully with the fish and the wine - Hayman Hill (Santa Lucia, California). I was really too full for salad (but had the salad been served first, I would have been to full for salmon - so that calculus worked just fine for me!). Like everything else Dominic does - this was special: The salad was Dandelion, Escarole, Romaine and Red Onion tossed with Olive Oil and Red Wine Vinegar, finished with Crisped House-Cured Pancetta and Jacquin Saint Maure Ash goat cheese. The rind of the cheese was a little strong for me - but the center was oh so marvelous - especially with the red onion and the bacon! I only wish I had been able to finish it. Dessert was an item we've posted about above, but I'll include a photo of it anyway: Blue Egg Gelato, topped with an exquisite Italian balsamic - Condimento Balsamic Must, aged in Oak, Cherry and Chestnut Barrets -- and fresh berries, and served with Italian Cookies. Unfortunately, Dominic was still not satisfied with his Lemon Gelato, so that will have to await another day. Gee - another excuse to eat at Carrie Cerino's! Copper River King Salmon Season runs through the end of June.

Two oopsies: First - the Olive Oil Cake - that is not Raspberry, it is Rhubarb. It is still very tasty! More important - I forgot to mention that White Lotus does not drink alcohol, and she doesn't care for pop. She asked Lolita to make her lemonade - and they put it together for her lickety-split (sorry we didn't take a photo of it - it looked gorgeous). She commented that it was perfect!

We also shared: Mixed olives, house marinated in orange, saffron, and fennel Green Tea Dusted Marcona Almonds Eggplant flan w/red pepper and Crème anglaise, which was even better than I remembered it from our last visit, Pickled shrimp w/chili, lemongrass & chive - presented whimsically in a small jar that is opened and poured, and again tasting every bit as good as the last time I had it. Blue crab and shrimp cake w/green curry and honey dew sauce & yellow pepper ceviche Braised oxtails w/celery root puree over toasted sour dough We were too hungry to photograh these plates as they came out, in part because service was a tad slow - but for a wonderful reason - the house was positively packed! Also - the bread deserves a mention - the proscuitto bread had pea-sized chunks of warm, tender meat and was almost an appetizer in itself! The plain bread happily soaked up the Lake Erie Creamery Butter, and later, the wonderful Olive Oil from the Olive app. And those desserts! The "Cheese Course" was fabulous, and I can't really describe the "Cheese Cake" (the round item) adequately - a delicate bleu cheese, and two other cheeses, baked in that wonderful crust - I could eat that every day! Another fabulous dining experience from Chef Matt and his crew!

Edsel reported on our last dinner at Light Bisto here. White Lotus's last stop in her Cleveland food odyssey was the Velvet Tango Room, which is reported on here. Hope you now agree that there is great food in Cleveland!

For White Lotus's last night in Cleveland, we started at the Velvet Tango Room. After a lovely dinner at Light Bistro, 5 of us returned to VTR for a last drink together. We enjoyed a new piano player in the cozy back room, as well as fabulous cocktails. From our earlier visit - a photo of the non-alcoholic root beer float that White Lotus enjoyed - house made root beer and whipped cream, and locally sourced vanilla gelato: They will also fortify this drink with bourbon, on request. I was tempted, but: Once I sampled the new "Dark & Stormy" - a fabulously spicy conconction of house made ginger syrup and ginger beer, topped with Gosling's Black Seal Rum (and served with TWO straws, so the ginger can fully sting your throat with its spicy goodness!) - I was sold on it and could drink nothing else! Yum. White Lotus - I hope you enjoyed your time in Cleveland!

It has been so fun showing off some of Cleveland's great food to our out of town visitor! Tonight will be the last stop (she has to leave early tomorrow): Light Bistro. Please pm or email me if you are interested in joining us!

I have a few thoughts and photos to add to Edsel's report. A choice of soup or salad is offered with every entree at Carrie Cerinos. On Friday night, the usual choice to Italian Wedding is Chowder. I love CCs Fish Chowder: Unfortunately, I did not get to photograph the Wedding Soup. Fortunately, I got to taste it! In addition to the wonderful meatballs - Dominic is now putting tender chunks of pork in this soup! Bellisimo! Another dish that Dominic has been tweaking since returning from Italy is the Umbrian Lentils, with house-made Guanciale. It is now offered as a side dish rather than an entree. We enjoyed such a fabulous range of tastes and flavors last night that I didn't fully appreciate the complexity of this dish until I ate the leftovers for breakfast this morning. The hot pepper Guanciale brings a delightful tingle, and even though the lentils are al dente, there is a wonderful creaminess to the dish. The sweetness of the red peppers play off of the spice. This is truly a wonderful dish! As for the Tagliatelle Norcia - I was so intrigued with it that I had to take a "close up": The integration of the ingredients is what made this dish so wonderful for me. The cheesy-creamy of the white sauce against the prosciutto, the creaminess of the beans and the melt-in-your-mouth pasta. A few words about the duck. It was fabulous! White Lotus could not stop picking out the cherries, which lent a perfect contrast to the hot chilies (anyone who was at the Heartland Gathering last year remember where they tasted that combination?). The duck breast was perfectly seared, and the satiny reduction brought it all together. A winner! Finally, a few shots of the individual gelatos: First, the Lemon: We agreed that this was our favorite - sort of (you'll see what I mean in a minute). Orange- which we agreed was like a grown-up Creamsicle: And last - Chocolate Hazelnut: Now, we all said we like the Lemon the best - but at some point as we passed them around, the Chocolate got "stuck" in front of White Lotus. While insisting that she's not a big chocolate person - she finally decided to just finish it! It's too bad that White Lotus will have to leave before the Copper River Salmon come in. But we who live here will be back soon for that delicacy.

I've put up photos and a report on our Lolita dinner last night here, in the Lola/Lolita thread. We're going to Carrie Cerino's tonight. Please PM me if you are interested in joining us.

4 of us joined White Lotus, who is visiting Cleveland this week, for a wonderful dinner at Lolita. Let me start by complimenting the service we received. Unfortunately for us EGullet-types, Cleveland did not "get" the wonderful ethnic-small plate concept that Lolita did last year, so Lolita was forced to make some menu changes. Nevertheless, they were happy to accomodate our desire to maximize the number of tastes by ordering everything for sharing. We started with an assortment of salumi, which is now listed under the "Share Plates" section of the menu. Everything except the proscuitto is made in-house - and it was all fabulous! The salumi's were plated with crostini, pickled fennel and a fruit relish that contrasted sweet with mustard seed! I am relying on White Lotus - who took copious notes as the items were explained to us - to identify the various items: I think this was lamb salumi (made from Jamison Lamb - oh my!): I believe this was duck salumi - sliced so thin you can see the board through it! This was falling apart-good! I believe that this was fennel: Again - a salumi sliced board-viewing thin and delciously delicate: The relish: My own personal summary, if you will: A new section on the menu is entitled "Dips" - and there are four to choose from. We opted to sample three (the Roasted Pepper, Feta & Olives will have to wait for another visit): Smoked Eggplant: White Bean & Anchovie: I found the Anchoive flavor a little strong for my taste, but the others loved it! This was my favorite - Almond & Garlic: The dips were served with warm, fresh pita bread: Next, we moved to the "Starters" (and one "Sides and Snacks") - and our server happily brought us fresh plates and silverware so we could share! White Lotus did the honor of breaking up the fresh poached egg atop our Warm Spinach Salad with Bacon and Mushrooms: While White Lotus tossed the salad, we passed around the Crispy Pig Ears and the Crunchy Pickled Vegetables served with them. No jokes about silk purses here - these pig ears were divine! Our last Starter was also outstanding - Grilled Octopus Salad with Red Pepper, Garlic and Almonds: I hope Edsel got a better photo of the Octopus - I was amazed at how good it was - I'd never before encountered octupus that wasn't too chewy to be palatable - this octopus melted in the mouth and explained why some people love octopus so much! The octopus pieces are the black on the outside-white on the inside cylindrical-looking things. The bitter greens in the salad offset the caramelized octopus and the sweet almonds to perfection and the dressing brought it all gently together. Yum. Up to this point, we had been talking as if all five of us would order an entree (or in one case, a starter to act as an entree). Thankfully, our server had patiently let us order each course as we went. Since we were starting to feel full (and we had to save room for some of Cory's desserts), we decided to order three entrees and share them. The choices, and the quantity, turned out to be perfect! Chef Matt had mentioned to us earlier that the Tea Hills Crispy Chicken (plated with grilled cherry tomatoes, cipollini onions, and pancetta vinagrette) was outstanding, a surprise because "who gets excited about chicken"? We took him up on it, and were very glad that we did! Someone who was there - help me out - was that a bed of polenta the dish was served on? It was "corny" "creamy" and perfect with the other ingredients. White Lotus expressed a preference for pork products, so we got the Gnocchi Bolognese - tender puffs of goodness surrounded by braised pork, guanciale and veal, and topped with tomato and cheese - a touch of heaven on a plate: Last, but in no way least: Jamison Lamb Steak, with Arugula Salad, peppers, feta and Fava: We couldn't quite finish it all, but we were determined to have room for dessert! And it was so worth it! I had never before had Cory's Warm Olive Oil Cake, with raspberry puree and cheese on top - it was differently wonderful: But sometimes, the simplest things are the most extraordinary. Bearing witness to this theory - sliced strawberries in a pool of balsamic vinegar, speckled with fesh mint, with a dollop of strawberry sorbet and a crown of cream - the cookies were almost unncessary, until they were tasted with the vinegar soaked into them. I do believe that someone licked this plate! It was our pleasure to show off some of Cleveland's best to a visting E-Gulleteer! Thank you to Michael, Matt and everyone at Lolita for helping us to enjoy a night to remember!

White Lotus reports that she had a wonderful dinner at Lola last night, and she is on to Fire tonight. So - Thursday we're going to Lolita, and Friday to Carrie Cerino's. Dominic Cerino reports that there is Blue Egg Gelato in the house! Please PM me if you'd like to join us for either or both!

White Lotus has landed in Cleveland! We are planning to dine together Thursday and Friday at Fire or Lolita, and Carrie Cerino's (Blue Egg Ravioli!), respectively. Please PM me if you are interested in joining us for one or both evenings!