Siam Cafe'

3951 Saint Clair Ave NE
Cleveland, OH 44114
(216) 361-2323

What can I say? This is the best Thai/Cambodian cuisine to be found in Cleveland, (so far.) I say so far, because I have not been to every single Thai place in the city, but I have been to a good handful, so up to this point Siam Cafe' is the best. Every time you walk in to the place you are greeted with a warm hello, but for my personal taste it is way too bright. (Although I do like the lights to be lower than most in restaurants.)
They are always friendly and helpful if you should have questions about dishes, how prepared or their favorites. I personally love the Tom Khar Gai soup. Made with coconut milk, galanga, lime, scallions, and tender pieces of chicken. My significant other opts for the spicy Tom Yum Goong soup, which is great too. A must are the pan fried dumplings and the crispy spring rolls, just to get started while you figure out the rest. The rice paper rolls are refreshing with the bean sprouts and basil too. Going along the beef route, i would have to insist on the Beef with Pan Fried noodle.
It is served with a hearty brown sauce with carrots, shrooms, and broccoli. The noodles are crispy and juicy at the same time, from the savory sauce dowsed upon them. The duck dishes are quite fabulous as well, if you are in to duck. Most of the seafood dishes I have tried are succulent and well rounded with flavor. And if you are really hungry or have some friends with you, call ahead and see if they have any Ham hocks around...We went there with good friends of ours, and they luckily had the Ham hock special available, we couldn't resist. The platter full of fall off the bone meat came to the table surrounded by bok choy. It was just that simple. Juicy, tender, falling apart meat covered in a lightly sweetened gravy and perfectly cooked bok choy. Not only was this dish delicious, but the price was unbelievable! $15! Yes, that is right. The four of us with two beers each, tea, appetizers, soups, one dish, and the Ham hock got out of there for around $65! Can't beat that.
This is a place that you know every time you will get a damn good meal and not have empty pockets when you leave.

Smoke Daddy

1804 W Division St
Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 772-6656
www.thesmokedaddy.com

Smokey is right... This joint is chill, tasty, and where it is at if you like Bbq and ribs. I have been there twice now, and the second time was just as good as the first. Last April I went there with my significant other, his sis, and his parents. So, there were five of us, and let me just say we did our part that night on some ribs! The ribs were permeated with that oh so good smokey flavor that can be sometimes hard to find. The pulled pork was juicy and tender, and the chicken was sweet and delicious. The mac and cheese was a gooey delight, and the baked beans were bacon infused mushy goodness.
The second visit this January, during our trek around Wicker Park in negative 20-degree weather, was just as enjoyable. We stopped in to warm up with some bourbon and a quick bite. We split a half slab of baby backs, mac and cheese and corn bread. The ribs did not disappoint once again. The corn bread was super moist and made with just enough jalapeños for a fiery boost. Again the staff was courteous and friendly, and we left there happy and warmed up for the next stop.

Lee Road

Cleveland Heights, Ohio

Cleveland Heights’ Lee Road is finally coming back to life.
Don’t get me wrong, the street has always been alive, with Irish pubs like Parnells where you can get an awesome Guinness and some Jamesons, and your other local hang outs like the Tav. Co., and don’t forget the Colony who never disappoints for better pub fare than most. But, now the up and coming Cleveland Heights strip of Lee Road is not just watering holes anymore, now the street is beginning to open a restaurant row of sorts. Under new construction is Anatolia Café (Update; 3/28/08 Now open and delicious.)that has its original space at Cedar Center just up the road. It is a Turkish spot, with tasty kabobs and grilled meats with yogurt sauces. The apple tea is like biting into a warm apple and can’t be beat, and please make sure you have some Kazandibi. A milk pudding dessert that I could eat by the plateful, for real.
Also, the Wine Room is under going a full renovation (Bliss Bistro and Lounge) and will hopefully reopen soon with a full kitchen and the previous dark wood, and inviting feel. Prabu was always there to talk wine and offer any knowledgeable suggestions.
I must not forget to mention Marotta's. A small dimly lit Italian restaurant. It is quaint and has an extensive wine list. The antipasto plate is perfect with cured meats, cheeses, artichokes, peppers, eggplant, olives, and greens, just to name a few. Their thin crust pizzas and pasta dishes are also delicious.
Ariyoshi is another new addition, a Japanese restaurant with a full sushi bar and tasty udon noodle soups, and Teriyaki dishes that I have yet to try. But the Age Dashi Tofu appetizer for $4.50, is a definite winner. With the sweet and soft tofu inside just a slightly fried skin, served with a salty special sauce. I have been there three times now and left pleased each time. I plan on trying to go there at least once a week to ensure they stick around.
Okay, I cannot lie, I did get a bone in a bite of some yellowtail sushi. But, that was my only complaint, and the sushi chef did make up for it by making a special salmon, crab, and ginger sauce plate. After that... what bone?

Buddy Guy/Carlos Johnson

Buddy Guy’s Legends
754 S Wabash Ave
Chicago, IL 60605
(312) 427-1190
www.buddyguys.com


Buddy Guy a blues legend. I am by no means an expert when comes to blues or any genre of music for that matter, but I do know what sounds good and what I like. Oh Buddy!
Buddy Guy plays only a certain amount of shows at his own club every January. Unfortunately, from what I hear this will be the last series, because Columbia College in downtown Chi-town owns the land and is kicking Buddy out to make room for dorms or something that they could build somewhere else instead of on such a landmark sight as Buddy Guy’s spot. Ridiculous really, but what can you do? The “man” wins again…
Regardless, the show was definitely entertaining. I bought the tickets online in November on the day they went on sale for a Friday night show. That following Monday they were sold out for Friday nights.
We showed up at four in the afternoon and got the last open table in the house. We hung out for the next seven hours with people that had gotten there around eleven in the morning!
So, what else did we have to do, but eat and drink? Some beers, fried okra, and fried crawfish tails to start. Very good while hot, but don’t let them sit for too long or you will be sorry. Later after a few more drinks we ordered the chicken and sausage Jambalaya. The sausage was good and hearty, but I don’t think the dish was as good as it should and or could be. It lacked that kick in the ass you look for in a dish of that sort, especially when served at Buddy’s Legends.
We ended up meeting some locals who were planning on attending a half dozen shows over the course of the month and last year had actually purchased one of Buddy’s guitars for a nominal fee.
A surprise guest showed up around seven…Muddy Waters Jr…He sat in on a few good ol’ jams and you could hear his father’s sultry tones coming out as he crooned. Not to mention his freakin awesome suit.
Carlos Johnson (pic) opened up for Buddy around nine o’clock. I had not see him perform before, and his enthusiasm was contagious, I could not keep still while he was up on stage doing what he does, and I was happy to have witnessed his talents.

Buddy finally started playing around eleven. Walked right in off the street and went at it. He started the first song and had one of his female employees bring him a shot on stage. He belted out the riffs like the pro he his, but someone once said, "it his voice that is most impressive." How he keeps going night after night at his age is something to be respected and admired. Not to mention how he continued to do shots as he took his wireless guitar all around the club stopping at the bar on his way, and sharing the mic with the ladies as he went.
One thing that was disappointing, was that as these talented musicians played their hearts out, I looked around the room to see not one other soul moving to the groove. We were the ONLY two dancin in our seats. The whole crowd just sat or stood in their spots and stared at the stage. Every once and awhile I would see a smile break out, but that was about it.

Bongo Room

1470 N Milwaukee Ave.
Chicago , OH
(773) 489-0690


I first heard about the Bongo Room by doing searches online for breakfast spots or cafes in Wicker Park. It kept showing up with rave reviews, so I had to see for myself. A freezing early Saturday morning we braved the elements and made it. We had about a 10 minute wait until we were seated. The fact that there were only two of us was extremely helpful, I watched parties of three and more waiting at least 20 if not 30 more minutes for a table. From what I hear we got off easy, usually the wait is out the door on the weekends. The tables are close together so you will get to know your neighbors. Our neighbors were a very nice couple that shared quite a bit of their knowledge of the city, and to our surprise they were from the Cleveland area as well.
The service was great. They ran a tight ship. The water in the glass never fell below half and neither did the coffee, which by the way was delicious. I ordered the Pumpkin and Graham Cracker Pancakes, served with a vanilla bean crème anglais and dusted with cinnamon. Talk about rich. Talk about sweet. The pancakes themselves had great graham flavor and if I were to get the dish again, I would certainly get the anglais on the side. There was no way I could finish the portion or anything else for that matter. My companion ordered the breakfast burrito, meatless and served with chunky potatoes. The burrito was filled with fluffy eggs and veggies and he seemed quite pleased.
After we departed, he later told me that he did find a hair on the plate, but did not want to ruin the visit, although it wouldn’t have changed the company or the experience.

Marche'

833 West Randolph Street
Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 226 8399
www.marche-chicago.com

Negative 20 degrees in Chicago is not fun. Crazy windy and you have to stop every two blocks to get some coffee or some booze just to keep going. After an afternoon of just such stops, needless to say we needed a nap...
The original plan was to take a restaurant crawl up Randolph, in the West Loop, stopping in place after place to experience as many as we fancied...Perhaps warm up with some hot sake and some maguro at Meiji, then to Blackbird for a small bite too. Well, after our nap, we just barely made our nine o'clock reservation at Marche' a few blocks down the street from the above mentioned restaurants.
The size of the place was not at all what we expected, its soaring ceilings were adorned with elaborate and colorful fabrics, something that of a circus...It had us worried. We had read the reviews and praise, but we began to doubt the quality from the flurry of activity we witnessed as we were guided to our table situated in the back corner of the restaurant. Much to our contentment, the place was dimly lit, (although the website would have you believe something different).
The music echoing overhead at first was a bit intrusive, until we heard Les Nubians piping through the speakers, then we knew we were in good hands for the time being.
We started with a few glasses of champagne ($14) for the middle of the road choice. Our server was nice. She realized we were not in a rush and we invited her to join us and enjoy the food, she politely declined with a chuckle. We proceeded with steak tartar, and escargot which both were extremely tasty. Although, I personally did not need the bread crumb topping on the little guys, since the bread served, was perfect for dipping in the buttery, garlic goodness. A bottle of Chinon that reminded us of our trip to the Loire Valley of France a few years back followed...Next the evening selection of pate'. Pork and pistachio wrapped with pork fat, and served with duck liver mousse accompanied by whole grain mustard and cornichons. Rich and guiltily dirty. (dirty in the good way, dirty).
Moules Mariniere came next. The pommes frites were perfectly crisp and salty, and the mussels arrived in a creamy shallot broth. Finally we opted for the cheese plate, since we were getting quite full at that point. Three or five choices; we went for five of course. Served with some dried fruits and nuts each was tastier than the next.
We really wanted to try a dessert, but our guts would not allow us. So we decided on an after dinner drink...no such luck, they did not carry Navan (the Madagascar vanilla bean flavored creation of Grand Marnier) which we both had a taste for, so we moved on to a place next door for espressos and limoncello...
All in all, the low light, the great service, and the rich flavors of France brought back a flood of memories from our travels and if given the option we would definitely go back to indulge, but, really, Chicago has so many French eateries that I would rather try a new spot before my return.