So true!

Because I so rarely get to the E side, I had forgotten how much I like Balaton, which I've only been to a handful of times, but my Mom and I had the day to spend with little RNR today so we went over there for lunch. Their website said they weren't open til 12:30 and the sign on the door said 1, but when we showed up at 12:10 the doors were open so we went on in. Thank God I did not (knock wood) get a picky toddler. He shared my cucumber salad with me, ate two big, thick pieces of bread and butter, half a stuffed cabbage roll and then shared a chicken schnitzel dinner with me, including eating all the applesauce. And then had a cup of ice cream from the coffee shop just on the other side of the square. My Mom had a garlicky type pork cutlet that she didn't care for, but loved the stuffed cabbage and we agreed to come back sooner so we could get more of the goulashy type dishes, which we both love.

 

I dont eat there often, the food is so filling!  Try spicy sausage stew - YUMMY!!!  I have soft spot for their onion rings  Oh and the duck breast is really good as well!

 

it just aint right that you have a restaurant with the food of my people right across the way from you in shaker sq and i have a restaurant with the food of your people right across the street from me in ny (la taza de oro) - lol!

 

  Ewwww la taza de oro?  Don't eat there, the food is now crap!  Back in the day before the meatpacking district and when Chelsea and the village were still gay-gay, that place was decent.  Now its the pits. 

 

The Salcocho, pernil, pasteles, bistec are horrible.  The Rabo de res and patitas de cerdo dont have any mean on them!  WTF?!  You can't be a hole in the wall Puerto Rican/Caribbean restaurant and give us crap. 

yes they can, its filled with pr's papi ;)

 

but i hear you.

 

balaton is not all that either. faik they dont even have savory palascinta, at least most of the time.  i saw people eating some at a czech beergarten yesterday and it made me homesick for homemade hungarian food.

 

Per Scene, Alan Glazen (ABC, XYZ, etc) has purchased the Ontario Street Cafe across from the Horseshoe.

 

http://www.clevescene.com/scene-and-heard/archives/2012/06/18/alan-glazen-strikes-again-this-time-downtown

^Man, that's my favorite place to go before games.  I guess I can kiss pre-game $3 Jack and Cokes goodbye.  It was probably inevitable that ABC would go yuppie, but I was holding out hope for the Ontario Street.  The waitresses wear tuxedo shirts and bowties!

Per Scene, Alan Glazen (ABC, XYZ, etc) has purchased the Ontario Street Cafe across from the Horseshoe.

 

http://www.clevescene.com/scene-and-heard/archives/2012/06/18/alan-glazen-strikes-again-this-time-downtown

 

Doesnt look like much will change. I do hope they get better signage to liven that area up a bit. That side of Ontario needs it!

http://www.jbmack.com/

 

Next month on the campus of CSU. Nice.

Yes we know :wink:.  And according to the many previous posts about this, the sign on the window says it is opening Mon. July 16

 

http://www.jbmack.com/

 

Next month on the campus of CSU. Nice.

From their website

 

EDIT: here the link. THe picture came up to large

 

http://0015207.netsolhost.com/images/2030_signage2.JPG

I would say some things about Ontario Street Cafe, but then people would want to go there...

 

There is a sign on the door of the Clevleand Pickle that says something like: We have an injured pickle and will not be open today. But dont worry, you'll be able to get your Cleveland pickle soon.

 

The sign's been there now for a good week +

 

 

I don't know what to make of this.

They're opening soon. Look at their Facebook page. Somebody got really hurt!

 

^Thanks.

 

Speaking of Facebook...according to Barroco Grill's FB, the W. 6th store is ready. They're just waiting on the green light from the city.

This is going to be nice to have downtown.

Not a surprise given the experiences I've had there, but Bistro on Lincoln Park in Tremont is closed. I think that space has been cursed ever since Miracles closed.

 

^I think that space wont sit empty for too long though.

 

Was on W. 25th earlier and Alaturka was not open...and the front windows were covered in plastic in the same fashion as the under-renovation Ohio City Blooms building next door (renovation for the "Town Hall" bar-restaurant). My first assumption after seeing all of this is that the Alaturka space is going to be part of this upcoming bar-restaurant. And Alaturka is no more  :-(

 

Or, it could be that Alaturka is redecorating independent of its next-door neighbors  :-)

 

 

It's hard to believe somebody can't make that Lincoln Park spot work. I've always thought that a place where you could get a decent sandwich and a beer in the afternoon would be great there. So, if anybody has the startup money...

^I think Bistro on Lincoln Park had great food... when you could get it. The biggest problem IMHO was the service - once we went there when it was newer, thinking "hey a nice place with several beers on tap worth mentioning!" - they were out of all but one. Then there were the times we tried to stop in for lunch - place was open, door was open, tables were set - there just wasn't a soul to be found. Not a host, not a server, not a bartender... we could have walked off with everything but just walked out :wtf:

 

This is unfortunate if Alaturka is out.  Although i never saw it hopping, i thought the food was good and fresh.  I liked the diversity that it brought to the street...Im sure it will get snagged, but the thought of an international food street took a hit.

^It seemed to me from the time they opened that the wide variety of middle-eastern/greek food on W. 25th would be an impediment to their success. W. 25th already features Maha's, Nate's, and Kan Zamaan, as well as the full-service Maha's south of Clark and another (better) Turkish restaurant in Tremont.  That being said, Alaturka was definitely a step above the other places on 25th and did feature some items outside of the falafel, hummus, baba trinity. Of course I guess we also don't know for a fact that they're closing. In any event, there's a lot of Middle Eastern food to be had on the west side.

 

D'Vine Times

A downtown wine bar gets some love

by Douglas Trattner

 

With Heck's Café rolling merrily along in Ohio City and BRGR 9 doing "better than expected" in the Warehouse District, owner Fadi Daoud has made another move. Earlier this month, he purchased D'Vine Wine Bar from the original owners who opened it about 14 years ago.

 

http://www.clevescene.com/cleveland/dvine-times/Content?oid=2993291

Reminds me, has anyone been to BRGR 9? How is it?

I've been there several times now, and really enjoyed each visit.  I usually don't eat ground beef, but the burgers just looked so good, that I couldn't resist.  Between me and my friends, we've tried most of the burgers on the menu - the 'Big Texas' was definitely a group favorite.  Milk shakes area awesome, but very small. 

 

I've sat on the patio during each visit and mostly enjoyed the view, except for when I looked into the sea of parking lots and started to think about the days when the entire WHD was lined with awesome blocks of buildings like the one that houses BRGR9... 

 

I also give a thumbs up for BRGR9!

 

...update on Alaturka, it has been sold.

Ditto for the burgers (even reheated) and milkshakes.

My beloved Alaturka has been removed from my beloved delivermefood.com ... These are crying days.

My beloved Alaturka has been removed from my beloved delivermefood.com ... These are crying days.

 

Well, at least you didn't just buy Alaturka gift certificates for people.

 

Stupid Dragonfly......

Big announcement tomorrow morning from Jonathon Sawyer announcing a new partnership...it will be on WKYC Good company.  He isnt announcing the new pizza place, would he?  I wonder what is goin on.

This is it.

 

3 Cleveland celebrity chefs to open food stands at Browns Stadium

By Joe Crea, The Plain Dealer Monday, June 25, 2012

 

Read More at: http://www.cleveland.com/dining/index.ssf/2012/06/3_cleveland_celebrity_chefs_to.html

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- There will be new places for club- and loge-level fans to eat at Cleveland Browns Stadium this fall, bearing the names of three of the area's favorite chefs.

Michael Symon's B Spot, Rocco Whalen's Rosie & Rocco's and a new concept by Jonathon Sawyer of Greenhouse Tavern and Noodlecat restaurants will soon be operating under one roof.

Each chef will have two locations within the stadium, in the Lakeview and Cityview Club Level areas. The stands are expected to open in time for the Kenny Chesney-Tim McGraw concert on Sunday, July 29.

 

Crain's has a Sawyer piece about new Italian place in Uptown, now scheduled for Spring 2013 opening... Darn... No name announced yet. Here is concept:

 

"The chef is constructing a menu inspired by the cuisine of the northern Italian Trentino region, which highlights single-grain pastas, potatoes, cabbages, apples, rich cheeses, pork and freshwater fish"

^Oh man, that sounds awesome!

Sawyer: as recently as March, a print article fro CWRU confirmed this as a pizza place... So appears that has changed.

Chef Jonathon Sawyer preparing Italian concept for University Circle

By KATHY AMES CARR 4:30 am, June 25, 2012

 

Before Jonathon Sawyer opened the French-inspired Greenhouse Tavern, he and some of the restaurant's co-pilots traveled to France for some research and development.

 

He went to Tokyo to more fully integrate himself with the Japanese metropolis and cuisine before unveiling Noodlecat.

 

Now the chef has recently returned from a 40-day jaunt in Italy, the bulk of the time spent in Trentino, where Mr. Sawyer engrossed himself in the culture in preparation for a planned spring 2013 opening of an Italian concept targeted for Uptown in University Circle.

http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20120625/SUB1/120629920/1053/TOC&Profile=1053

 

 

Underwhelmed by the Browns/Sawyer/Rocco/Symon news today... If they were opening 3 new casino-adjacent restaurants in vacant Prospect storefronts - THAT would be news... If Symon followed through with the S&P Smokehouse in 2012 - as hinted 6 months ago - THAT would be news, too...

I had a feeling the new Symon restaurant will be in the FEB. No?

 

ALso underwhelmed by the trinity of chefs/Cleve Browns announcement.

Yet another events-only B-Spot??

C'mon, Mike, a lot of us do live and/or work downtown and we walk the sidewalks...

I was at the casino for lunch today (most successful gambling session ever - took me a full hour to lose my $20 at the video poker machine) and there was a long line of people waiting for food after ordering at the B-spot. Zero line at Rosie & Rocco's again, which has been the case each time I went. Not sure if it's just "faster" food or less desirable or what - short line at Corky & Lenny's too.

 

I got the breakfast pizza, with local sausage, a local egg, spinach and cheese. It was awesome.

I keep wondering if Symon restaurant might end up in parking garage corner main floor spot. That space is ripe for a restaurant... 3500ish square feet - B Spot in size... = perfect for S&P Smokehouse... Melt - another great choice for there.

The Browns stadium news was very underwhelming but I'm pleasantly surprised by the Sawyer Uptown announcement.  I definitely think Cleveland needs more quality pizza, but regional Italian like this is a real feather in the cap for a serious food scene.  As a lover of northern Italian food, I'm really, really psyched and hope the market's there for something this specific.

Taking Cadillac Ranch talk over here... Granite City Brewery - I'd suggest they're looking at McCormick & Schmick's site for their stated CLE opening in 2013... Know they were looking Beachwood-adjacent at part of another large space vacated in last 18 months or so..

Now that makes more sense based on their typical location.

Taking Cadillac Ranch talk over here... Granite City Brewery - I'd suggest they're looking at McCormick & Schmick's site for their stated CLE opening in 2013... Know they were looking Beachwood-adjacent at part of another large space vacated in last 18 months or so..

 

Please keep McCormick & Schmick's out of downtown.  I know it's a national chain but the food is horrible!  Just terrible!

M&S bombed here - so doubt they'll re-enter... I was talking about Granite City looking at former Beachwood Place M&S space...

M&S bombed here - so doubt they'll re-enter... I was talking about Granite City looking at former Beachwood Place M&S space...

In the 'burbs that location wasn't great, since most M&S are in city centers, flanked in an office building or relatively near Ruth's Chris.

Ruth's Chris... CLE still only top 35-40 or so city without one... since their departure from Eton, in part due to flap about Fleming's being allowed in over a technicality (different building = not same shopping center) or so it was rumored...

 

Hyde Park Steakhouse has put up signage now that they are within eye-shot of the casino.

 

Stopped by the new Burntwood Tavern in Solon last night... a former Max & Erma's, opened in recent weeks. Hadn't loved the one here in Chagrin in several visits in the 2 years its been open - but it's small and always packed so have tried to give it more tries than we've able to get it.. Solon spot is much larger - and hadn't planned to go so soon after opening - but, driving by last night, the large, rustic looking covered patio was crammed full of folks and drew us in. They've done wonders with the space - dimly lit and vibey with metal mesh light shade over the booths/tables and free-form blown hanging lights over the beautiful copper-topped indoor/outdoor bar...  Re-purposed wood everywhere... just looked super - at least during the hustle and bustle of a busy Saturday night...

 

The food, however, once again disappointed - though the menu has changed for the better since my last Chagrin visit- and is very reasonably priced - with choices from sandwiches to full meals..... Only 1 of 3 dishes - tasty and juicy Angus sliders - was something I'd have again. The small chopped salad my wife had is stolen directly from Bravo - where the local owners formerly worked - and isn't half as good as the just decent on there - plus was poorly plated (small, flat circle of greens on a too-large plate) to make the portion look skimpy - even for the modest $5 cost...  Tuna nachos - rare tuna on crispy wontons with spicy aioli - looked tasty (served on a rectangular piece of slate) and would have been good - if the kitchen had ever heard of salt and pepper... literally none on them... Better once salted... (though it took two tries to get a salt mill with salt actually in it..).

 

(Oh - and this is another one of those restaurants  - getting more common -  that offers to make any side/appetizer salad into an entree by adding chicken, etc... for $5 more or whatever... but then doesn't change the portion side of the original salad... so you've basically got a side salad with chicken as your main course... making salad eaters 2nd class citizens...)

 

So, we were underwhelmed.. but place looks so good and inviting - that we'll have to go back.. This might be one of those spots where we'll just have to find the right thing - the thing we like, that is done well - and stick with it.. So far, not having much luck...

 

Hyde Park Steakhouse has put up signage now that they are within eye-shot of the casino.

 

 

Thanks for the picture!

Stopped by the new Burntwood Tavern in Solon last night... a former Max & Erma's, opened in recent weeks. Hadn't loved the one here in Chagrin in several visits in the 2 years its been open - but it's small and always packed so have tried to give it more tries than we've able to get it.. Solon spot is much larger - and hadn't planned to go so soon after opening - but, driving by last night, the large, rustic looking covered patio was crammed full of folks and drew us in. They've done wonders with the space - dimly lit and vibey with metal mesh light shade over the booths/tables and free-form blown hanging lights over the beautiful copper-topped indoor/outdoor bar...  Re-purposed wood everywhere... just looked super - at least during the hustle and bustle of a busy Saturday night...

 

The food, however, once again disappointed - though the menu has changed for the better since my last Chagrin visit- and is very reasonably priced - with choices from sandwiches to full meals..... Only 1 of 3 dishes - tasty and juicy Angus sliders - was something I'd have again. The small chopped salad my wife had is stolen directly from Bravo - where the local owners formerly worked - and isn't half as good as the just decent on there - plus was poorly plated (small, flat circle of greens on a too-large plate) to make the portion look skimpy - even for the modest $5 cost...  Tuna nachos - rare tuna on crispy wontons with spicy aioli - looked tasty (served on a rectangular piece of slate) and would have been good - if the kitchen had ever heard of salt and pepper... literally none on them... Better once salted... (though it took two tries to get a salt mill with salt actually in it..).

 

(Oh - and this is another one of those restaurants  - getting more common -  that offers to make any side/appetizer salad into an entree by adding chicken, etc... for $5 more or whatever... but then doesn't change the portion side of the original salad... so you've basically got a side salad with chicken as your main course... making salad eaters 2nd class citizens...)

 

So, we were underwhelmed.. but place looks so good and inviting - that we'll have to go back.. This might be one of those spots where we'll just have to find the right thing - the thing we like, that is done well - and stick with it.. So far, not having much luck...

 

you dont HAVE to go back.  There are so many good food options in this city nobody should have to be relegated to a place where they had a bad experience. Ahi tuna nachos, i believe thats Guy Fieris signature appetizer at his Johnny Garlics restaurant, i could be wrong though.

^ Yeah, I agree. There's so many great options, don't endorse mediocrity. For whatever reason, Solon can't seem to hit on a great restaurant, and they turnover pretty quickly.  For F@#'s sake, they couldn't even keep a Pizzazz open. It's not like there are an abundance of great pizza places around (not that I count Pizzazz as great pizza, but a man dying of thirst in a desert doesn't turn away a glass of muddy water).

 

And don't say 'Jimmy Dadonna's'...just...don't.

 

 

On a lighter note, the kids were at grandma's house on Saturday, so the wife and I tried out Chez Francois in Vermillion. Yay! Yeah, well until we got there. Then the comedy of errors started. In brief summary I'll have to go back to get a better opinion. Saturday night wasn't their best showing.

And don't say 'Jimmy Dadonna's'...just...don't.

 

THANK YOU!  When I worked in Solon, all people could talk about was how great that place is.  It's really not good.