Post yours here. Would probably be good to indicate the city and general location upfront, as in (Cleveland - Lola Bistro). I will post a few of mine from elsewhere to get it going.

 

On my Mom's board, we have a thread for restaurant reviews. We typically include a "star" rating up front so you can see the overall review - if you would like to do that, that would be great (1-5 stars)

Hodge's - Downtown Cleveland - 3 stars

 

I've been to Hodge's 3 times now and am ready to write up a little review. I will disclose up front that these are all lunch visits since going out for dinner is a rare occasion here in Toddlerville.

 

I went twice by myself and once with another friend who is a professional food writer.

 

Both the dinner and lunch menus have numerous spelling and grammatical errors, which bugs the f*ck out of me.

My friend and I agreed that Chris (Hodgson, the co-owner) is a lot like a really happy dog, and that silly, schizophrenic nature is evident in the decor, which seems to be going in 3 different directions. You've got a Vegas feel with the lit, oversized red HODGE'S sign above the bar and the matching red chairs at the bar. You've got the "industrial" thing going with some of the light fixtures (but not all) and then this sort of, I don't know, Amish or maybe it's an attempt at Western theme, with the male front of house employees wearing gray dress shirts with black suspenders. It does not tie together. My overall impression is the same could be said about the food.

 

My first visit, I got the "lunchbox," which is not served in a box.

 

Comes with your choice of 3 types of salad, a little cup of asparagus soup (velvety and delicious, but definitely not vegetarian with a pork cracklin on top) and a half a sandwich. My sandwich was like a turkey BLT and it fell apart when I took my first bite. The bread around the edges was much too hard to eat (something I've experienced with the bread on sandwiches from his food trucks) so I ate the innards with a knife and fork. The salad was plain and uninteresting, like salted greens, and the girl next to me, who also got the lunchbox but got a different salad, said hers wasn't very good either. Service was decent but not spectacular or particularly warm - this was the first day they were open for lunch so they weren't super crowded.

 

2nd visit, the bar was very crowded when I arrived so I sat at the end. I tried hard to make the bartender see me and I know she did, but she kept avoiding coming over. She was not only in the weeds, she was completely and utterly clueless about everything. She didn't know where the bottle opener was for someone's beer at one point, and finally a table server had to come and give me a menu and tell the bartender I was waiting to order so that I could get going on my meal - this was after I had sat ignored for at least 10 minutes. I ordered the "5 veg," which was very good - these are likely veg from Chef's Garden in Vermilion and were of excellent quality and preparation. The potato "chards/shards" (2 different spellings on the menu) are strange and seem out of place - huge, misshapen hunks of deep fried potato.

 

The bartender was so, so slow and clueless that they seemed to have forgotten about my dessert, so I asked for it to be taken off the check so I could leave as I was already late in getting back to work. And this was a panna cotta, which is ALREADY PREPARED AHEAD OF TIME so there is no excuse.

 

My 3rd visit, yesterday, my companion and I split the mac and cheese, which was a huge, huge, huge serving, way more than should be one person's entree for lunch - the 2 of us together could not finish it and we are hearty eaters. Our appetizer order (chicken livers on toast) was never delivered and had to be taken off the bill. The ribs (4) were ok but needed sauce - the purple slaw under them was good, but didn't seem to pair as well with the ribs as a SMALL side of mac and cheese would have. Ribs were also served with a side of tater tots, which seems like complete overkill - enough for a full dinner entree for 2 people to share. The bartender (different one every time) seemed to have good intentions but had to be flagged down repeatedly to get his attention for things, and did not notice we did not receive our app until we placed an order for dessert. The dessert was an apple-rhubarb crisp topped with ice cream that was very good, though the rhubarb should have been cut into smaller pieces. He also did not know where some things were and was looking around for them, leading me to wonder if they have a bar manager and if people on the shift beforehand are not putting things away right, or what.

 

From my informal discussions with the staff, this is not a "well-oiled machine" and some people are already departing or planning to soon. My observations bear that out at all levels - the manager can be seen greeting guests, expediting and running food - the job of 3 different people, only one of which is the manager's job (the first one). The food is good, but not mind-blowing, and once they open the patio I fear the kitchen will become completely overwhelmed.

 

I really like Chris and want this to be a successful venture for him and Scott Kuhn, but they need a little more organization from the top-down if they are going to make it long-term.

 

**Updates - I believe Kuhn has left since I wrote this, and I went there for dinner with my husband. The meal was solidly mediocre with some decided downs and a few ups. This was on a Friday and there were less than 5 tables with people at them, and only 2 people at the outside patio bar (it was admittedly early, around 6pm, but still). I probably won't bother going back. There are just too many other good places to go.

Lolita - Tremont - 5 out of 5

 

Had a friend in from DC this weekend and we managed to tear away from our families for dinner on Sunday. Very few places are open downtown and in neighboring environs on Sunday, so the pickings were slim. I took a chance and we showed up at Lolita and asked if there was any possibility of us getting a seat. I apologized for not having a reservation. The hostess was nice but basically said probably not, they were booked up, but we could wait and see if spots at the (tiny) bar opened up. 5 minutes later, 2 spots opened up, the only ones that opened up the whole time we were there. Hooray, Cleveland!

 

We split the chicken liver app, which I've had before and which is AMAZING, and the dates with bacon, which are good, but you know, dates with bacon, everyone's doing it. For mains, we split the fried brussels sprouts (awesome), the Berkshire prosciutto, and a pizza with swiss, rosemary, garlic and fresh argula. The pizza was just out of this world outstanding, the perfect combo of crispy and chewy and salty taste with cheese and bitter greens on top. The prosciutto is good but we were running out of stomach room so we focused on the pizza and the brussels and I took most of the prosciutto home.

 

Service was great and we really enjoyed the pacing. We felt like we had plenty of room at the bar even though it's very small, and I was really pleased we managed to secure a space.

 

 

Good idea RR.

Thanks

 

RED the steakhouse - Beachwood

 

Impeccable. Honestly, I haven't much more to say beyond that. Red lived up to every expectation I could have about a restaurant in terms of food and service, including incredibly thoughtful pacing of the meal, an understanding of the type of diners we are, anticipation of needs without being in our faces, and a complimentary dessert for our anniv. And the food was just amazing. This place makes Ruth's Chris' look like Ponderosa. Creamed spinach made with fresh spinach? Yes, please. Prime steaks cooked to a perfect mid-rare? Oh yes. A detailed conversation with the sommelier in order to find us the best wine at the price point we were comfortable with? Absolutely. Generous rocks pour on the Bulleit bourbon? Indeed.

 

I go to a lot of places with really good food, but service to me is one of the harder components to get exactly right, and also what can really make a "good" meal "great" or a "great" meal "out of this world," and this was one of those places. It's hard not to be hypercritical of service since I was in the business so many years, or of my husband not to be hypercritical of the food since he cooked in restaurants for so long, so we are tough customers and we both came away feeling like the meal was worth every penny (and yes, it was a lot of pennies).

 

Highly recommend.

Just an FYI, could you (and everyone contributing to this thread) put city/neighborhood locations with each review?  Thanks.

Sorry I thought I did.

Thanks for the review of Red, R&R.  The fact that you are so critical of many restaurants means a rave review like that carries even more weight.  I guess there really is a reason for that 28 Zagat rating.  I'm pretty pumped for them to come downtown.

Me too! I hope they do lunches after awhile.

Agree with the review on RED.  That was our impression as well.  The only thing that was a bit of a miss for me was the Green Beans, Pancetta, Pepper Flakes & Pine Nuts side dish, which was too salty tasting too eat much of (I know pancetta has a tendency to do this)

 

Which steak did you have?  I had the Ribeye (I think the CAB one (whichever was a few $$$ more))

We both splurged for the prime steaks, which is better meat than CAB. I got the strip and he got the ribeye.

Then it was the prime.  I know it was just a few $$$ more, but at that point if you were going to do it whats a few $$$ more. 

 

There did seem to be many anniversaries and special occasions around us, and lots of pretty east siders. :-).. 

Then it was the prime.  I know it was just a few $$$ more (and thats the one that is Mr. Symons favorite anywhere), but at that point if you were going to do it whats a few $$$ more. 

 

There did seem to be many anniversaries and special occasions around us, and lots of pretty east siders. :-).. 

 

Oops.  Was trying to add that is the one that is Mr. Symons favorite anywhere. 

That was our logic too - we probably won't ever be able to afford to come back, so let's go all out.

market garden brewery

*** stars

cleveland

ohio city neighborhood

right next to the westside market

 

pretty crowded and 'hopping' both indoors and on the outdoor patio this past friday at noon.

 

below is a tap beer sampler and the brewmasters meat+cheese platter.

 

 

^ this platter was fine for 3 people who were not hungry for real food to share while jibber jabbering. in fact its kind of what its for.

 

the wsm cheese selection was great, but the house meats varied. the green-chili sausage was very good, its not spicy and the chilis really do add flavor. the kielbasa was mild and ok, the jerky was not very good. i was a bit disappointed with it because i always get jerky in chinatown and love the stuff and while it looked good, it just wasnt.

 

the beers were all tasty. left to right were the refugee saison, which is a perfect rendition of this style. some like saison some dont, but i love it and this was a very good one. next you see the smoked porter. i am also a porter style fan and this was a very good version. the smoked maltiness is strong, but at the right balance. next is forest city brown ale. an excellent rendition of this malty style. a 'real ale' britpub taste they would love over the pond. next up were the pearl street wheat and wahoo wit. both similar, pearl being more flavorful and wahoo having a nice dry finish. if forced to choose, not going to make me give up glbc holy moses, but good stuff. last was viking pale ale. challenging, with a sharp and dry hoppy bite. loved it prob the most of all, although the saison was up there too.

 

mgb is a must stop after a westside market visit. i think i read they are going to make spirits soon, if they havent already, so keep an eye out for that too.

 

Thanks for posting! I was starting to feel like the only one!

ha yeah - u know i got yr back on this kind of thing.

 

the only other dining out i did was sokolowskis with the family. i never thought to order the trout there before, but i am glad i did it was excellent. i also got my usual bottle of house green apple soda too. we ran into family friends so that was nice and when we were done i gave my mom a few $ and told her to go up and tip the piano player and make sure to give him a wink - she did and he laughed - it was cute ;)

 

so successful visit - and thats all i got this time -

 

 

Long post here - long time since I posted last btw.

 

Well I finally made my way to Momocho last nite and I can honestly say I was unimpressed. 

 

My wife and I went there for our anniversary dinner and had the guacamole sampler with the classic, crab and trout.

 

The classic was extremely bland and needed salt, this came from my wife who has a simpler palate than me and always asks me not to use too many seasonings when I cook. There was no salt/pepper on the table so I had to make do with the lime juice I squeezed over it.

 

The crab and corn guac was better due to the corn flavor, but the crab was lost in it and you could barely taste it.

 

The trout was my wife's favorite and she enjoyed it but was surprised/saddened because she didn't get a more "bacony" taste from it.

 

As for our dinners; I had the bistec(flank steak) taquitos and she had the machaca ones.

 

My steak was cooked perfectly but it didnt have much flavor. Also the onions and peppers that came as a bed for the steak were sauteed and that completely took away all crispness from them which left them soggy and also bland.

 

My wife liked her machaca taquitos with the cafe flavor hints on the sauce but she also didn't care for the onions and peppers.

 

I also had the white-lime rice, which as some of you already know is just white rice and two wedges of lime on top for you to squeeze (seriously?), and black beans on the side.

 

I was expecting a stronger flavor from the black beans but unfortunately it wasn't there - it tasted more like simple hummus. So combine that with what they called lime rice, and you see where this meal is going... It lacked flavor from every angle.

 

Last thing regarding my meal was the fact that momocho uses pre-made corn tortillas, which at this price point, should be illegal. I have made many corn tortillas by hand and yes it's a bit time consuming but the finished product is 10x better than the "soft frozen" type you get from your local grocery store.

 

A couple of things I enjoyed from our dinner; Ryan(I wanna say that was his name) our waiter, was phenomenal. He was very informative and attentive. We were both extremely happy with his work and he was tipped accordingly.

 

Also the house hot sauce was phenomenal and I wonder if they bottle it and sell it.

 

Well I'm not sure if I would ever be back. I liked the patio and the people but the food was forgetable. I hate to say it but there are better options for us paying customers.

Joey1320. Though I like Momocho a lot more than you did on your visit, you are totally spot on on one key thing.. I, too, find Momocho's use of run of the mill, pre-made (and tasteless) corn tortillas almost inexcusable.  It's akin to a gourmet burger place putting their custom, hand-ground burger on a 5 cent, white bread, McDonald's hamburger bun... I'm sure making them in their small space isn't as easy as buying them in a plastic bag, but it just seems kind of lazy, especially given their independent cred.

 

They also have their margaritas pre-mixed and pour them as you order them, instead of mixing each one by hand as you order them. Sure, they may have made a whole batch an hour earlier behind their bar, but even many of the UO-reviled chains mix each and every cocktail, by hand, one at a time...

Joey1320. Though I like Momocho a lot more than you did on your visit, you are totally spot on on one key thing.. I, too, find Momocho's use of run of the mill, pre-made (and tasteless) corn tortillas almost inexcusable.  It's akin to a gourmet burger place putting their custom, hand-ground burger on a 5 cent, white bread, McDonald's hamburger bun... I'm sure making them in their small space isn't as easy as buying them in a plastic bag, but it just seems kind of lazy, especially given their independent cred.

 

Thank you for understanding lol.  I was really surprised when I saw them - that was a letdown.

 

Like I posted above, it'a a bit time consuming but there's only two ingredients in them, Maza and water. Just mix, flatten and throw on a griddle for 2min on each side.

 

I can guarantee your customers wil appreciate it.

 

The more I think about it the more I realize that I will probably give em a second chance. I'll order the same items and see how they are presented, if it's the same way, then I know not to come back.

Joey1320. Though I like Momocho a lot more than you did on your visit, you are totally spot on on one key thing.. I, too, find Momocho's use of run of the mill, pre-made (and tasteless) corn tortillas almost inexcusable.  It's akin to a gourmet burger place putting their custom, hand-ground burger on a 5 cent, white bread, McDonald's hamburger bun... I'm sure making them in their small space isn't as easy as buying them in a plastic bag, but it just seems kind of lazy, especially given their independent cred.

 

 

 

 

Thank you for understanding lol.  I was really surprised when I saw them - that was a letdown.

 

Like I posted above, it'a a bit time consuming but there's only two ingredients in them, Maza and water. Just mix, flatten and throw on a griddle for 2min on each side.

 

I can guarantee your customers wil appreciate it.

 

The more I think about it the more I realize that I will probably give em a second chance. I'll order the same items and see how they are presented, if it's the same way, then I know not to come back.

 

with all do respect to your critiques...i think Momocho opened without the intentions of getting these intense reviews.  because it has become so popular, everyones expectations have become gourmet.  Much like its sister spot, happy dog, its more of a hipster spot to go be chill and have some unique eats.  because of its popularity, its no longer chill.  I wont be there for happy hour any time soon.  We used to go and sit at the bar and get half off.  Now its every suburban clown and three more fighting for bar spots while others lurch behind.  Not exactly my idea of a nice, chill meal

 

with all do respect to your critiques...i think Momocho opened without the intentions of getting these intense reviews.  because it has become so popular, everyones expectations have become gourmet.  Much like its sister spot, happy dog, its more of a hipster spot to go be chill and have some unique eats.  because of its popularity, its no longer chill.  I wont be there for happy hour any time soon.  We used to go and sit at the bar and get half off.  Now its every suburban clown and three more fighting for bar spots while others lurch behind.  Not exactly my idea of a nice, chill meal

 

I understand what you are saying up to a point, that being the fact that I walked out of there having spent over $100 and not happy with my meal.

 

I mean, I get the fact that they probably have gotten too big for their own good - a la Melt - but that's what you get when you decide to go on triple D's and show your face on national tv.

 

So yeah, after spending the money and getting subpar food, I think I have every right to a critique.

 

NANO Brew 

Cuyahoga  - Cleveland

W25th and Lorain Ave.

 

Just got home from having a great lunch at NANO in West 25th. The staff was attentive and the place was incredibly clean and welcoming.

 

I had the plantains with 3 dipping sauces and the plantains, although not fully ripe, were sweet and fried perfectly. Its nice to see other nationalities enjoying plantains and after having eaten them all my life, it's nice to see some local places selling them, other than the Hispanic eateries around the west side.

 

I also had the "Sweet" burger which was a burger topped with sweet caramelized onions, sweet peppers and white American cheese. It was cooked great and tasted really good.

 

I was there with a group of 4 and everyone enjoyed their food and had nothing but positive things to say about it.

 

I would definitely recommend the place to anyone else and I do plan on riding my vintage cruiser there with a group this upcoming weekend.

 

If we are going to have a review thread for the whole state, can we put at the beginning of the reviews the municipality or  metro in which a restaurant is located?

NANO Brew 

Cleveland - W25th

 

Just got home from having a great lunch at NANO in West 25th. The staff was attentive and the place was incredibly clean and welcoming.

 

I had the plantains with 3 dipping sauces and the plantains, although not fully ripe, were sweet and fried perfectly. Its nice to see other nationalities enjoying plantains and after having eaten them all my life, it's nice to see some local places selling them, other than the Hispanic eateries around the west side.

 

I also had the "Sweet" burger which was a burger topped with sweet caramelized onions, sweet peppers and white American cheese. It was cooked great and tasted really good.

 

I was there with a group of 4 and everyone enjoyed their food and had nothing but positive things to say about it.

 

I would definitely recommend the place to anyone else and I do plan on riding my vintage cruiser there with a group this upcoming weekend.

 

What's your background?

 

What's your background?

 

 

Do you mean my nationality?

 

I was born and raised in Puerto Rico until my family and I moved to New York - horrible South Bronx - in 1990.

 

Then we moved back to Puerto Rico after the high school my father thought in was gun down by some gang members.

 

Then in 1992 we all moved to Kissimme, Florida and in 1994 we moved to Cleveland.

 

Where we lived the whole area was covered in banana, plantains, mangos, tamarind, passion fruit  and other types of trees and plants.

 

It was truly amazing and I wish the island hadn't turned out to the sh!t-hole it is today...

 

 

What's your background?

 

 

Do you mean my nationality?

 

I was born and raised in Puerto Rico until my family and I moved to New York - horrible South Bronx - in 1990.

 

Then we moved back to Puerto Rico after the high school my father thought in was gun down by some gang members.

 

Then in 1992 we all moved to Kissimme, Florida and in 1994 we moved to Cleveland.

 

Where we lived the whole area was covered in banana, plantains, mangos, tamarind, passion fruit  and other types of trees and plants.

 

It was truly amazing and I wish the island hadn't turned out to the sh!t-hole it is today...

 

 

Another Puerto Rican here.  WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPAAAAAAAA!

 

Another Puerto Rican here.  WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPAAAAAAAA!

 

Vaaaaya!

 

If you don't mind me asking, what's your background?

 

^This will be fun. :-D

Dios mio, take it to mensaje privado!

Seriously, get a room fellas so we can get back to restaurant reviewing. :)

Cuyahoga -- Lakewood

Warren Rd and Detroit Ave.

"Eddy N Eddy"

 

This restaurant just opened a few weeks back and my wife wanted to try it out.

 

We met with her younger and went there for dinner last nite. Around 7pm the place was packed and we waited for about 20min for a table.

 

While waiting I noticed a few things; first the restaurant is spacious but felt loud and bare. Meaning the noise level was intense. It was hard to carry a private conversation while sitting at our table.

 

Also, most of the walls were not decorated and neither was the ceiling - other than some plain and modern lights. This brought a sense of "unfinished" to the location and overall the place felt cold.

 

Another thing and one that is mind boggling, is the fact that they have "glazed" the cement flooring which is going to be extremely slippery come snow season - that was just weird...

 

Well what about the food?

 

We had fried pickles and onion rings as app - both were perfectly fried and tasty. Both came with really good dipping sauces and overall they were priced properly at $6 and $7 respectively.

 

Given the fact that the slogan for the place is "bourbon, burgers and apple pie", I decided to go for the cheeseburger with bacon. I ordered it medium but it was a bit on the rarer side - almost to the point where I was thinking about sending it back but decided against it.

 

Unfortunately the meat pattie didn't taste as if it was seasoned so all I tasted was cheese, ketchup and bacon. Not good for a burger spot.  The fries that came with the burger were fried great but also not seasoned. So apparently they know how to fry things... 

 

Well after all is said and done, my wife and brother in law had sonewhat the same experience. Their food was ok but not great.

 

I hate to say this but 5guys has a better tasting burger and lets not forget B Spot. This for less money.

 

Given the fact that its a brand new place, I'll chalk this experience to a new crew. I plan on going back in a month or so and hopefully get a better overall meal.

 

The Anchor - Over-the-Rhine, Cincinnati

 

I enjoyed it and great addition to the neighborhood.

 

That is all.

^ Better than the Anchor Grill?

Not even God himself could make a better restaurant than Anchor Grill.

SOHO Kitchen & Bar - 1889 W 25th, Cleveland

 

This isn't so much a review as it is food porn.  My review: very very good.  Although I admit I am biased as my sister and brother-in-law own the joint. 

 

These are some pics from a recent beer dinner. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I could go for a Root Beer float right about now.

Smith, wow, are you a professional food-photographer?

I am not, but I certainly appreciate the question!  I have a lot of practice seeing how my sister and brother-in-law own a restaurant, which also means I can just walk into the kitchen and start shooting, which obviously I couldn't do at other restaurants.

 

Great pictures.

Those root beer floats really do look (and sound) good.

Helvetica on the border of CLE and Lakewood is an immediate top 10 favorite spot of mine. Loved it.  The juices are incredible, the food is fresh and more importantly the vibe is exactly what this part of town needed.  A place to grab a great meal/juice OR a place to sit and have cooffee for a few hours and get work done or chat.

 

smithy thats dayum cool - and its making me hungry!

 

Charkha Indian restaurant - downtown CLE

 

Went here for lunch buffet today, finally, been meaning to get there since they opened in May but that's how long it takes sometimes.

 

Overall, I give them a very high rating. I stuffed myself silly on the lunch buffet which was NOT EVEN NINE DOLLARS, and the food was very, very good. My only complaint was with the meat dishes - there were 3 of them, they were all chicken, and they were all cold and not very well prepared. If this was a subversive way to divert you to eating the vegetarian dishes, it worked very well, and was no problem with me as I love vegetarian stuff as well.

 

Hot, fluffy naan, more yeasty than other naan I have had which was fine with me. Curried lentils, amazing creamy spinach with chickpea puree, an awesome dish with potatoes, carrots, peas and spices, and an excellent mushroom dish. The dishes in general are more saucy/liquidy than what I've seen, but that may be because they're trying to avoid things drying out on the buffet line. They also had small potato pancake type things that were good and very different. There were a couple of chutneys, a raita and a couple of dessert things that I did not try (rice pudding and a sweetned fried milk ball thing) and a bit of green salad at the end for those who want that.

 

The veg. dishes were all very good and man am I stuffed. Will definitely be back.

Any reviews from J.Gumbo or Chipotle? 

My first downtown Chipotle experience was not a good one. I'm giving them a couple weeks to get it together.

My first downtown Chipotle experience was not a good one. I'm giving them a couple weeks to get it together.

 

Hopefully they figure it out quicker than the Chipotle at Uptown. I swear the workers there intentionally try to move as slowly as they can.

Any reviews from J.Gumbo or Chipotle? 

 

Not a direct review, but I've heard half a dozen people around the office say J.Gumbo ranks very good to exceptional.

Stonetown -

 

I went here with a few buddies Saturday night. The restaurant was about half full. The food was outstanding. I got the deep fried turkey chops, with mac and cheese. They also give you jalepeno cornbread that's is a great starter. I'm a hot sauce junkie so when they give me a bottle of hot sauce to put on everything, I was thrilled. Definitely recommending this place to everyone.

The wifey and I went to Accent for our anniversary last night.  That is the new Korean themed restaraunt in Cleveland's new Uptown development.  I usually don't rave about food, but it was off the charts IMO.  Highly recommended.  Somewhat exppensive, but worth it.  All the presentation you get at the uppity places but without the miniscule protions.  We has the miso soup, the SASA fries, and the pork belly to start out.  As entrees, I got the Korean short ribs and she got a sampler they offer of their entrees.  Add in a few drinks and a dessert and our bill was just north of $100.

 

It wasn't busy at all, which makes me nervous it might not be around long.  The waitress said that it really picks up with their weekend brunches, so hopefully the word will get out

Do you know the address? I will be up in Cleveland soon for work and want to try this.