PLAN: 2011 Heartland Gathering

[NancyH]

As far as picking a Michael Symon spot.. What if it were possible to arrange for a pig roast over the weekend at Lolita? Greenhouse Tavern sounds good too. When I was in Cleveland in 2009, the plan was to go there for some pre-dinner snacks and drinks before dinner at Lola. But they were closed for a private event. I was really bummed!

I could ask Matt Harlan about doing a pig roast for us at Lolita - but I really think that having Friday dinner at Greenhouse Tavern would get our pig on in just a little better way. I'm going to ask Chef Sawyer to do a tasting menu, with his Roasted Pig Head as the featured item. Greenhouse's food is a little bolder than Lolita's (Pig Head, beef tartar, clams with foie gras sauce, the ever-changing "5th quarter", which was pig tongue the last we were there). Chef Sawyer (who's been on a number of Iron Chef episodes as Michael's sous, as well as Dinner Impossible when Mike was hosting it) has been getting a lot of well deserved national attention and GHT is a real food enthusiast's place. If we have Pig Face at GHT, would people also want a separate pig roast meal in the same weekend?

[tino27]

I agree with Nancy on GHT getting you your porcine quota for the day. I was with Nancy (and Edsel, too) during the last visit where we pigged out :biggrin:

Here's a link to the write-up of our experience.

When A Pork Chop Simply Won't Do

[rooftop1000]

I now have the finishing touch to answer the question...

"hey where are you guys going for vacation this summer"

I can now answer "Cleveland", and when they say "Why?"

I can answer "Roasted Pig Head"

tracey

[Chris Amirault]

Finally, after years of trying and failing to attend the Heartland Gathering, I've blocked out August 4-7 for the event. I won't be able to be there for a Sunday night dinner, probably, but could possibly arrive early to help with whatever needs helping. Just me right now, though I may have a kid or two along.

[NancyH]

Ok, time to start the headcount. This is what I have so far - please chime in to add companions, or your name to the list!

Definite for part or all:

NancyH +1

Ronnie Suburban +2

Edsel

Tino27

torakris

Kerry Beal

Chris Hennes

rooftop1000 +1

Jeff Meeker

David Ross

Boagman

RockNRoller

toolprincess

17

Maybe:

Fat Guy

prasantrin +1

CaliPoutine

4

[NancyH]

Updated:

NancyH +1

Ronnie Suburban +2

Edsel

Tino27

torakris

Kerry Beal

Chris Hennes

rooftop1000 +1

Jeff Meeker

David Ross

Boagman

RockNRoller

Chris Amirault

toolprincess

18

Maybe:

Fat Guy

prasantrin +1

CaliPoutine

4

[Chris Hennes]

My wife will be there as well, so put me down for a +1 (and her down for a vegetarian meal when we do the pig head roast...).

[NancyH]

Updated:

NancyH +1

Ronnie Suburban +2

Edsel

Tino27

torakris

Kerry Beal

Chris Hennes +1 (1 veg)

rooftop1000 +1

Jeff Meeker

David Ross

Boagman

RockNRoller

Chris Amirault

Connie Hayashi +1 (1 veg)

toolprincess

21

Maybe:

Fat Guy

prasantrin +1

CaliPoutine

4

[NancyH]

Here is the tentative schedule I'm working up:

Thursday Lunch: Sterle's Slovenian Country House

Thursday Dinner: Tremont! Pizza and Apps at Lolita followed by 2 or 3 courses at Dante across the street. Maybe after dinner cocktails at Fahrenheit or the VTR (for those who just can't wait for tomorrow). Hopefully, a nice night to walk around and experience Tremont.

Friday Lunch: Crop - Chef Steve Schimoler is the mad food scientist of Cleveland and his food must not be missed. I'm thinking of 11am, so we have a good amount of time for the afternoon activities (and noshing) before Happy Hour/Dinner. The restaurant should be relocated to Ohio City by the time this event happens.

Friday afternoon: Polish Boy sampling and/or visit to The Sausage Shop.

Friday Happy Hour: Velvet Tango Room

Friday Dinner: The Greenhouse Tavern

Saturday shopping: West Side Market and a local farmers' market

Saturday Lunch: Near or in the markets - so many choices!

Bread Making workshop at times Saturday to be determined by the host, locations tbd.

Saturday Dinner: The FEAST (location tbd)

Sunday first meal: Brunch at AMP 150

Sunday dinner - only if enough interest - I've got lots of ideas!

Is there interest in a food photography workshop if I can locate a suitable teacher? Where might that fit in time-wise?

Comments? Questions?

[jsmeeker]

I'm not *quite* a definite yet, but I really am gonna try to make this happen. Been hoping this gathering would return to Cleveland. Nothing on my calendar keeps me from going, though. So, once I start looking into travel details, I can become a definite!

[NancyH]

Updated:

Attending all or part of weekend:

NancyH +1

Ronnie Suburban +2

Edsel

Tino27

torakris

Kerry Beal

Chris Hennes +1 (1 veg)

rooftop1000 +1

David Ross

Boagman

RockNRoller

Chris Amirault

Connie Hayashi +1 (1 veg)

Kasw (Karen) +1

toolprincess

22

Maybe:

Fat Guy

prasantrin +1

CaliPoutine

Jeff Meeker

5

Any thoughts on the itinerary I proposed in my last post?

[Chris Hennes]

I like the itinerary, esp. the Sunday brunch at the airport Marriott (very convenient for those of us flying out right after). As I've already mentioned, I can't make anything Sunday afternoon or evening, so no opinion on that option. I'm also game for whatever workshops etc. others are interested in.

[jsmeeker]

AMP 150 is at the Airport Marriott? Or did I miss some other post?

Gotta think if I want to fly out there on a Thursday or fly out on Friday. I have plenty of vacation, so either works. Just gotta look at flights and hotels and see what makes sense. Speaking of hotels, any suggestion on a place that would be convenient? I've been to Cleveland a few times, but I didn't do any driving myself. Was driven around by a friend or took the transit and used my feet.

[NancyH]

AMP 150 is at the Airport Marriott? Or did I miss some other post?

Gotta think if I want to fly out there on a Thursday or fly out on Friday. I have plenty of vacation, so either works. Just gotta look at flights and hotels and see what makes sense. Speaking of hotels, any suggestion on a place that would be convenient? I've been to Cleveland a few times, but I didn't do any driving myself. Was driven around by a friend or took the transit and used my feet.

AMP 150 is indeed located in the Airport Marriott. Sounds amazing that this would be an actual foodist destination, but trust me, it is.

Once I have a sense of numbers, I will try to work out a discount room rate with both Marriott and the Holiday Inn next door. Since I don't know where Saturday will be yet, it's hard to recommend lodgings, since most folks want to be close to that. Stay tuned!

[jsmeeker]

Ok..I looked at the website and it didn't seem to indicate it was in an airport hotel. Just gave a street address that I didn't bother looking up.

I just wasn't sure if it was better to stay "downtown" or in one of the neighborhoods where we will be spending a lot of time cruising around. I just know from my rusty memory that the airport is out away from the downtown area (where GHT is) and also Treemont area. But as long as there are people willing to drive people around, that would be great.

I know everyone has there own preferences for hotels. I am somewhat of a "marriott whore", though less of one these days now that I don't do business travel like I used to. I have some points with group Holiday Inn is part of too.

[Chris Hennes]

Jeff, we'll definitely be renting a car, but I don't know for sure if we'll be staying at the airport Marriott yet: however, if we are you are certainly welcome to ride with us. (We have a villion Marriott points, we nearly always stay with them).

[NancyH]

Jeff - the Marriott isn't on the airport, but I imagine that given their name they provide free transport, as they are very near.

Chef Ellis is due back from vacation this week, so I can launch negotiations for a meal and room rate with the hotel. His food is fantastic, and in summer, will use the bounty of the garden he grows on the hotel premises.

[jsmeeker]

Cool. I'm not super worried about transportation. The people flying in can figure it out. A reduced room rate would be cool, but like Hennes, I have a bunch of Marriott points, too

[Chris Amirault]

I've got a few newbie questions for the HG vets.

1. I'm driving and will happily bring cooking equipment that people are interested in using or checking out. You can see quite a bit of it here in the foodblog, but I've got other stuff like a meat grinder, KA pasta roller attachments, ice crusher, and more. If listing stuff here would help, I'll do that.

2. If there's time and interest, I'd be very happy to do a cocktail workshop. The logistics are pretty easy if everyone interested brings shaker and strainer, and we could figure out the shape of the workshop here in the topic. I could also make some tinctures, bitters, and syrups for folks to try out.

3. If anyone lives on the Providence to Cleveland route (probably I-80, possibly I-90) and wants a ride, let me know. Ditto if you can get to Providence easily.

[edsel]

As we get closer to the actual date, people start discussing what equipment will be needed and who can bring what. Since I live in the area it will be more practical for me to bring larger equipment to the Feast this year.

I'm definitely interested in doing the cocktail workshop!

[jsmeeker]

I can pitch in with some basic cocktail equipment. Strainer, some mixing tins, small measuring cups, etc. I can easily fly with that stuff. I've done it before. )

[Dave the Cook]

Janet (JAZ) and I are in. We'll be driving too, so we can haul equipment and the like -- including, if it's helpful, 3 dozen properly-sized glasses that we use for our cocktail classes, as well as 18 champagne flutes. Along those lines, we'd love to be Chris A's minions in presenting that workshop if it's a go.

We're also happy to conduct a cooking class in pretty much anything savory, as that's one of the things we do to make ends meet. (We're also happy not to; mostly we're looking forward to meeting everyone and enjoying three days of outstanding food and drink.)

[jsmeeker]

If we are soliciting suggestions for work shops or demos or whatever, I would really like to see some sort of Sous Vide one. It doesn't even have to be a work shop, per se. It could just be someone preparing a course/dish for the grand feast. But it would be cool to do some sort of "side by side" testing between sous vide and conventional cooking of the same item.

[Chris Amirault]

I am definitely going to bring my Sous Vide Supreme.

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[NancyH]

Updated:

Attending all or part of weekend:

NancyH +1

Ronnie Suburban +2

Edsel

Tino27

torakris

Kerry Beal

Chris Hennes +1 (1 veg)

rooftop1000 +1

David Ross

Boagman

RockNRoller

Chris Amirault

Connie Hayashi +1 (1 veg)

Kasw (Karen) +1

Dave the Cook

JAZ

toolprincess

24

Maybe:

Fat Guy

prasantrin +1

CaliPoutine

Jeff Meeker

LuckyGirl +1

7