California

I have just returned from a trip to the West coast so keep a look out for some posts of the tasty places that I visited while there. Specifically, Livermore, California and surrounding areas. The California sunshine just makes me feel good. It gives me that feeling of taking one of those all encompassing deep breaths that energizes and invigorates you. All the wine tasting didn't hurt either.
Also, I will be returning to Cali. again in a month or so, so there will be places from the San Francisco area coming soon.
Bon Appetit!

Momocho

1835 Fulton Road
Cleveland, OH
(216) 694-2122
www.momocho.com


I do not know where to start when it comes to Ohio City's Momocho. I have been there many times, and have always loved it. The music, the lighting, the service, and the food make you feel comfortable and looking forward to the next time.
Knowing we were in for a good meal, we were excited to attend Momocho's latest tequila tasting dinner. I have attended a wine tasting dinner and a tequila tasting dinner there so far, so I couldn't possibly miss the last of the season. We sat at the bar, which was a perfect spot to be able to see all the activity around us. Not everyone was there for the tasting dinner; many chose to order off of the menu. Their menu choices are wonderful, but if there was a delectable tasting menu being offered, why wouldn't you get in on that!? To each his own I suppose.

First, we were presented with a "play on soup and salad". A bowl was placed in front of us with a dollop of chopped rock shrimp and a basil pesto sauce nestled in the bottom.

Over the rock shrimp and pesto sauce, they poured in the Tomate Amarillo Soup. The soup had just enough spice to wake you up but not to knock you out. The consistency of the soup was of a smooth puree and it was a perfect way to set the stage for the following courses.

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Patron Silver was the tequila partner for the first course. Although Patron Silver is not my favorite of tequilas, it definitely fit well with the spicy soup and tender shrimp.
The second course offering was the Sweet Corn Fritters, served with roasted chilies and Queso de Urgell Fondue.

The corn fritters were served on skewers over the bed of chilies. The Urgell Fondue was on the side for dipping or pouring. The Urgell was just the right accompaniment for the corn fritters. The creaminess of the queso brought out the sweetness of the corn and the smokiness from the roasted chilies beautifully. Herradura Reposado tequila was served with the fritters.

This tequila also brought out the sweetness of the corn and cut through the queso nicely.

The third course was the Tuna Cebiche Taquito, served with Watermelon Pickles and a Sour Orange Crema. First of all I love cebiches. The citrus denaturing the fish is just a lovely frolic for the tongue. This cebiche presentation was no different.

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With the squeeze of lime served on the side, the tuna was bursting and the Watermelon Pickles I could eat all by themselves. With the drizzle of the Sour Orange Crema the dish came together superbly.

The cebiche was accompanied by Don Julio Anejo tequila, and with its honey undertones was absolutely perfect.
Next was Momocho's intermission course. I love this unique offering. The intermission includes a flavorful little selection to cleanse the palette before continuing on the culinary journey.
Served in a shot glass was Guanabana Punch with a Vanilla Bean Nieve, topped with thinly sliced Strawberries.

This was perfect. The guanabana, which is a sweet tropical fruit, with the vanilla bean and a bit of sorbet was delicious. The thin strawberries added just enough texture to the little shot glass of sweet heaven.
Next, my favorite course, was the Pork Confit served with Baby Ramps, Coconut Foam, and Mango Salt.

This dish was so good that I felt drunk after finishing it. I love discovering dishes that just intoxicate you, or immediately give you that euphoric feeling, this dish accomplished both. The sweet fatty pork belly was exquisitely spiced and the lightly sweetened foam danced on the surface before it melted and surrounded the saltiness that lay beneath it.

The mango salt sat on the plate tormenting you, as if it knew, after a bite of the pork, you wanted that extra sweet and savory addition. Served with this was Corazon Anejo tequila. This tequila has a hint of spice to its finish, and complimented the fattiness of the pork well.
As if that weren't enough, the fifth and final course was dessert. The dessert was a Latin Crepe Cake, with Milk Chocolate Mojo and a Tequila Spiked Horchata.

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Thin crepes were stacked upon one another and placed on the Milk Chocolate Mojo, with a shot glass of milky Horchata for sipping, shooting or pouring. I opted for a few sips then the pouring. My companion opted for the complete pouring over the sweet crepes. The Mojo was wonderful and was perfect with the thin crepes. The mild sweetness of the Horchata was very nice sipped or cascading down the layers of the thin crepes.

Momocho has never disappointed, and this trip was no different. The tasting menu and it's pairings were perfect and thoughtfully executed. Unfortunately, the season is over for the tasting menus, but now that the weather has changed their beautiful patio will be open. I will surely be visiting them again soon, very soon.

Tom's Seafood Restaurant

3048 St. Clair Ave.
Cleveland, Ohio 44114
(216) 771-1928
www.tom-seafood-restaurant.com

I am always open to trying a new Asian cuisine restaurant. I have not heard anyone talk about Tom's Seafood Restaurant, and I have passed it often so the other night we gave it a try.
You walk through the glass doors into a large open dining room. Only about three tables were occupied early on this Tuesday night.
We started with tea of course and ordered Crab Rangoon, Pan Fried Dumplings, and Spring Rolls. All three were not that exceptional; as a matter of fact the dumplings had a weird flavor to them. We also ordered the Egg Drop and Wonton soups. The Wonton was very bland and unexciting. But, the Egg Drop was quite tasty and flavorful. We then ordered the Ong Choy with preserved tofu sauce, the Shrimp and Scallop with Black Bean sauce hot plate, and the Beef with Pan Fried Noodles. The Beef with Pan Fried Noodle dish was nothing compared to Siam cafe's version. The flavors were lacking and the beef had a certain flavor to it that I just didn't care for. The Shrimp and Scallop dish was pretty tasty and I really liked the Black Bean Sauce. The Ong Choy was a nice dish also, but it didn't have much to it, although I had not tried Ong Choy before, I have to say I prefer it's cousin the Bok Choy. The meal was finished with sliced oranges. The sweet citrus was a perfect conclusion to the meal.
Tom's Seafood Restaurant had its good points and it's bad points. I don't think I will be in any rush to return, but I am glad I got to try another one of Cleveland's Asian restaurant offerings.

Lucky's Cafe

Revisited:

777 Starkweather
Cleveland, OH 44113
(216) 622-7773
www.luckyscafe.com

An afternoon stop at Lucky's...
After having lunch downtown I had a craving for something sweet. Lucky's was the spot. I had experienced their sweets in the past, and had mixed feelings. I was ready to try again, and I had no complaints. A cappuccino and a Milk Chocolate Brownie with Butter cream frosting and burnt sugar crust. Mmmm. The Brownie was moist and smooth and the slight crunch from the sugar crust was perfect with the creamy frosting. The cappuccino was exquisitely frothed and the espresso was perfectly balanced. The two were just what I was looking for, and as always Lucky's was there for the afternoon treat.

Bo Loong

3922 Saint Clair Ave NE
Cleveland, OH 44114
(216) 391-3113

I have heard mixed reviews of Bo Loong forever. All my years in Cleveland not once had I passed through their doors. It was a Saturday afternoon and there were six of us in the mood for Dim Sum. We wanted to go to C & Y Restaurant like we had in the past, but apparently it is closed! Closed forever! (I am going to get more information on this situation.)
Anyway, Bo Loong was the place we chose for our Dim Sum adventure, and an adventure it was. Bo Loong is another sprawling restaurant complete with fish tanks pretty much on every wall. This being only the second time I have experienced Dim Sum, I was ready to dive back in to the multitudes of selections.
I do love how the staff just bombards you with choice after choice of the steamed dumplings, steamed buns, and soups, and all the rest, but it can be a bit daunting. The next thing I knew we had a table full of little beauties to try.
Steamed Shrimp dumplings,

Pork and Shrimp, Bbqued Pork, Chicken Dumplings, Tofu skin stuffed with mushrooms and onions, fried Taro Root,

(which was very nice, but I definitely liked the Taro Root at C & Y better), Spring Rolls, fried Tofu, and last but certainly not least Congee. I have been interested to try Congee for some time, and I finally got to try this gelatinous concoction of rice porridge with bits of pork and fish.

I have to say, it was good. The texture was definitely something to get used to, but once you do, it was tasty stuff.
Some of us ordered some soups as well; the Egg Drop, and Wonton. Unfortunately, they were not that impressive.
Our last experience with Dim Sum we didn’t get to try any of the sweet selections, so this time we made sure we did.

Mexican Bough, which was a bun stuffed with Lemon Cassata, Sesame Bun, a chewy morsel stuffed with sesame paste, little egg custard cups, and the Silken Tofu pudding with sweet syrup. The Lemon bun was delicious, sweet lemon custard with a baked bun shell. The Sesame Bun was not my favorite, nor were the egg custard cups, which were like biting into a congealed egg yolk.

The Tofu pudding on the other hand, if you can get past the consistency, was lightly sweetened, silky and quite pleasing.

After giving the bowl a stir, the sweet syrup surrounded the Tofu and left you with a slurpy sweet and smooth finish.
I am quite glad that I finally got the chance to try Bo Loong, if not for the Dim Sum, just to give them a chance. The service and the food were very good and I will happily return in the future.

Town Fryer

3859 Superior Ave E
Cleveland, OH 44114
(216) 426-9235

The Town Fryer has been around for a while now. They closed their doors for a spell then reopened under the same ownership and decided to only be open for lunch. When I visited in the past the food was consistently good. The fried pickles, fried chicken, red beans and rice, fried Twinkies, all were delicious. Every time I entered the small establishment complete with two dining areas, one by the bar and one on the other side of the entrance, they were busy and the sweet fried aroma wafted through the air. They even had live music on certain nights of the week, and the bar is looked down on by a deer head complete with Elvis sunglasses.
Well, my first visit back since the reopening was just not the same. Everyone was friendly, and the service was prompt and attentive. Unfortunately, the food was just not as good as it once was. First of all, I ordered a cup of coffee. I don't necessarily have a problem with flavored coffees, well maybe I do, but if your standard cup of coffee is flavored you would think the establishment would tell you. The coffee was hazelnut.
We started with a basket of Fried Pickles. Sweet, salty, fried, greasy morsels. Good stuff. I ordered the red beans and rice. The portions are offered in small, medium, and large. The medium was huge. The beans and rice were perfectly cooked, the Andouille Sausage was tasty, but not quite as spicy as I would prefer, and there were only about six pieces of the meaty slices in the whole bowl, not enough I would say. I also ordered the Fried Mac and Cheese, but again was disappointed. The crust was dry and doughy instead of crisp and light. The Mac and Cheese itself lacked the cheesy flavor that it had in the past. My companion ordered the gumbo. They didn't seem too impressed either.
After the not so impressive meals we passed on the fried Twinkies and fried Oreos this visit, although they were very good last time.
I wish them all the best in the future but if they continue to serve the uninspired lack luster fare it probably will be a while before I return.

Anatolia Cafe

Revisited:

2270 Lee Road
Cleveland, OH 44118
(216) 321-4400
www.anatoliacafe.com


Anatolia Cafe continues to please. Since the post regarding my first visit, I have returned to Anatolia Cafe twice. Both times I tried new items, and both times I have enjoyed the service and mostly enjoyed their selections.
These past visits I tried the Falafel, the Zucchini Pancakes, and the Sigara Borek (Sigara Böreği, Phylo dough wrapped around Feta and spices). All of those were quite tasty, and I would order all of them again. I also tried their Red Lentil Soup, which was quite flavorful and had a nice texture.
During our most recent visit, my companion and I tried the Chicken and Okra and the Doner dinners. The first arrived in a shallow dish with onions, green peppers, okra and cubes of chicken. The flavor of the dish was adequate, but was definitely not overly pleasing or extraordinary in any way. The Doner is a dish similar to Greek Gyro meat, served with vegetables and rice. We were informed that the meat is house made, as in layered into a roll in their own kitchen. Being that they prepare their own meat for the Doner, I have to give them some credit. However, I have to say that the red meat dishes I have tried have had a weird gamy essence to them. The Doner was no different. The first few bites of the dish were very pleasing to the palette, and with the addition of the yogurt sauce were exquisite. Unfortunately, the next few bites of the Doner meat left a strange and unsettling flavor that was not satisfying or pleasant in the least. The flavor of the meat made me think of something spoiled or just not right in the meat's composition.
Of course, we had to order dessert. The Rice Pudding and the Kazandibi are still wonderful endings to the meals, and I have since been tempted to stop in just for dessert to go.
Anatolia Cafe's inconsistency with their red meat dishes is certainly a turn off, but fortunately everything else is fabulous and you still can't deny the beautiful space that just gets better with each visit.

Mama Santa's Restaurant Pizzeria

12305 Mayfield Rd.
Cleveland, OH 44106
(216) 421-2159

Anyone who knows Cleveland or Cleveland's Little Italy knows about Mama Santa's. It is a quaint red and white-checkered table clothed Italian Eatery. Many people coming to visit Cleveland go to Mama Santa's, many coming home to Cleveland go to Mama Santa's.
Mama Santa's cuisine is simple and the prices can't be beat. I wouldn't say that the food is groundbreaking or even outstandingly delicious, but if you are in the mood for a cheesy thin crust pizza, Mama Santa's is the place. Although they serve traditional pasta dishes of Ravioli or Spaghetti with a Bolognese sauce and even your Picatta or Parmigiana, I would have to say that most come for the pizzas.Mama Santa's is cheap and satisfying.
I have to mention that there have been times I have visited Mama and her pizza was not fully cooked. This past visit the crust was thicker than usual, but in most cases, she pleases and her pizzas continue to bring back the crowds. Mama Santa's does not take reservations, so you may find yourself waiting in a line winding out the front door. Although you might have to wait, it will be worth it once you are sitting in the cute and cozy dining room.