eG Foodblog: Torakris in the Heartland - Fast Food to Fine Dining

[mhjoseph]

Are you on a bagel kick while you are back in the US? Good bagels seem to be hard to find in Japan - even the not very good ones are rare and expensive!

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I didn't really think about it, I guess I am just eating them because it is what my mom bought for us. Last week I bought a hue pack of English muffins and none of my kid's liked them, they said they prefer the Japanese English muffins...

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Try Trader Joe's bagels. IMHO, the best in Cleveland.

[torakris]

Just back from a lovely dinner and cocktails with a wonderful group from eGullet, pictures to come tomorrow as I am headed off to bed.

The other book I am waiting for is

The New Spanish Table by Anya von Bremzen

I thought I ordered more but when I checked Amazon just now all the rest are workout videos... without those I would probably weigh 300lbs

[torakris]

Try Trader Joe's bagels. IMHO, the best in Cleveland.

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Thanks! I am probably headed to Trader Joe's tomorrow, I will pick some up.

[MomOfLittleFoodies]

If you see this before you go to Trader Joe's, get yourself a jar of their Morello Cherry Fruit Spread and some of their whole milk yogurt... those are my 2 favorite things at Trader Joe's right now (well, other than their sunflower seed butter, but that's a whole other story).

[torakris]

If you see this before you go to Trader Joe's, get yourself a jar of their Morello Cherry Fruit Spread and some of their whole milk yogurt... those are my 2 favorite things at Trader Joe's right now (well, other than their sunflower seed butter, but that's a whole other story).

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That sounds sooo good! I love morello cherries.

[torakris]

Last night My sister, Laura, and I enjoyed a fabulous dinner with a group of Cleveland eGulleteers. We started at Parallax in Tremont and then headed over to the Velvet Tango Room for cocktails and dessert.

My sister and I started off the meal with the scallop ceviche

these scallops were incredible, absolutely fresh.

I then chose a dish that I have never tried before, a spider roll!

though it was difficult to eat, I really enjoyed it.

For my main I chose the grilled shrimp with South American chile sauce and Latin style cream corm. Excellent!

[Chufi]

are those really spiders or some kind of soft shell crab?

[alanamoana]

it's a pretty standard, obviously american-ized, sushi roll. you're right, soft shelled crab with the legs all hanging out, making it look spidery!

it used to be one of my favorite rolls, but then it started showing up everywhere and i noticed that the soft shelled crabs most places were using were frozen. if you're paying around $15 (the average price for a spider roll), it had better be fresh, in season, soft shell.

[lancastermike]

Very much enjoyed your blog, Kristen. Your beautiful children get to enjoy the best both cultures have to offer. It's great you are able to keep your family close to the foods of both countries each half a world away.

In your case it seems Cleveland and Yokohama are really not that far apart

[torakris]

it's a pretty standard, obviously american-ized, sushi roll.  you're right, soft shelled crab with the legs all hanging out, making it look spidery!

it used to be one of my favorite rolls, but then it started showing up everywhere and i noticed that the soft shelled crabs most places were using were frozen.  if you're paying around $15 (the average price for a spider roll), it had better be fresh, in season, soft shell.

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I think I paid $9, it was really good crab. I have no idea if it was frozen or not. Isn't soft shelled crab season over? I found them in Costco back in May but they were imported form Thailand. These ones last night were better.

I have never seen anything like this in Japan...

[torakris]

Sorry for not finishing the pictures of last night, I had to run out shopping..

Laura and I hit another Gabriel Brothers, Kohl's and Bed, Bath and Beyond. I went back and forth on a tablecloth but ended up not getting it because I wasn't sure of my dining table size.

We stopped for lunch at 5th Ave Deli a new place at Eastgate shopping center that was recommended by NancyH. Once again Nancy has found a great place. Though it has all your deli standards, the owner is Lebanese and has put a couple Lebanese items on the menu. I really hope she expands it more though. We both had the shwarama. The meat was just a tad on the tough side but the sauce had a great flavor and I would get it again.

I didn't have my camera with me so I am sorry but there are no pictures.

[torakris]

Back to last night.

After Parallax the 6 of us headed over to the Velvet Tango Room where we were joined by 3 more people for cocktails and dessert.

I really enjoyed the Ramos Gin Fizz when I was there last week but wanted to try something different. I don't drink normally and can't handle anything that actually tastes like alcohol. The bartender was great and said she would make a drink for me. It turned out to be a lovely mixture of with the made on the premises ginger ale with another made on the premises red wine reduction syrup.

We all saved room for dessert. With Bananas Foster and Crepes Suzette on the menu who wouldn't??

Paulius (the owner) prepares everything tableside (or sofa side in our case).

Wonderful!!

The Velvet Tango Room thread

and did I mention that Paulius presents all the women with kisses and roses...

[torakris]

In just a little bit 8 of us from eGullet are going to be arriving at The Leopard Restaurant in Aurora, Ohio where the chef, Matthew Mathlage, is preparing a special tasting menu just for us.

Many, many beautiful pictures to follow.

Now I need to figure out what to wear!

[Abra]

Kris, please tell us that Paulius wiped all the spatters off that Suzette plate before presenting it to the table!

[torakris]

Kris, please tell us that Paulius wiped all the spatters off that Suzette plate before presenting it to the table!

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I snap pictures too early.

I am just home (almost 1:00am) from an absolutely incredible dinner. I will have to post the pictures tomorrow as I am just going to head up to bed...

[torakris]

I just realized I left the menu of what we ate last night in my dad's car and he and my mom are at church right now....

I am going to post the pictures and come back later to edit what exactly they were.

Amuse Bouche: Bloody Mary Soup

For the bread, Truffle Butter, Honeycomb and Whipped Amish Butter

The Breads: Multigrain, Walnut and Raisin, Pepperoni

White Asparagus with Egg White Foam, Poached Liquid Yolk, and Vanilla Butter Sauce

Kona Kampachi 3 ways, top: Nigiri with Green Tea (almost raw, hte fishw as just dipped in hot soy sauce) left: BBQ with Fresh Corn and Couscous (rare) right: Coconut Poached with Lime Cilantro Chutney (medium)

Pork Belly with Foie Gras Fried Rice

Lobster with Grapefruit, Saffron Oil, Orange Peel, Kalamata Olives and Hearts of Palm

Pomegranate Sorbet

Basque Style Lamb: Colorado Lamb, Merquez Sausage, Potato and Roasted Garlic

Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich (honestly, that is what the menu says)

Edited July 30, 2006 by torakris (log)

[Susan in FL]

Posting this before you edit: It sure is a feast for the eyes! If it all tasted as good as it looks, that was one incredible meal.

[srhcb]

I'd love to have a setting of those leopard plates!

SB (maybe next time you go could take a big purse?)

[alanamoana]

kris,

i'm sorry to see your blog end! i hope you and your kids have a great time the rest of your vacation and have a safe trip home. i'm so envious of your cross-cultural lifestyle and i do hope your kids will appreciate how special they are (and you are, too)!

[torakris]

It only took a couple tries but I was finally able to label the the pictures correctly.

I must apologize to Chef Matthew because my pictures do not do the meal justice.

Maybe Edsel took better ones.....

My favorite part of the meal??

Probably the pork belly and fried rice and the lobster salad.

Well my week is over, it was a lot of fun and thank you to all of those who followed my week.

I have a family BBQ today and my sister Mary's house, a small gathering with only 25 of us.

I just whipped together a zucchini frittata, this is my grandmother's recipe and we can't have a gathering without it and I have become the new official maker of it since my grandmother passed away 2 years ago. The recipe is here.

The zucchini came from my dad's garden and he had a basket of yellow and green beans as well so I made a Greek style salad with red onion (also from the garden), tomatoes, peppers, Kalamata olives, feta and mint and parsely (also from the garden.

I will see everyone again soon at the end of Calipoutine's blog as I will be joining here in Ann Arbor for the Heartland Gathering.

[gus_tatory]

...

Well my week is over, it was a lot of fun and thank you to all of those who followed my week...

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thanks to you, Kristin~! have an amazing rest of the summer, and a safe and happy trip home...