DINING: RESTAURANTS & BARS

Food Reviews, Fine Dining Guides & More in Cleveland OH

Dinner, Drinks and a Movie: Austin's Wood Fire Grille, jalapeno margarita at Lopez Southwestern Food Club, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"

by The Plain Dealer

Thursday August 21, 2008, 1:39 PM

Yummy treats like an appetizer of blackened ahi tuna await at Austin's Wood Fire Grille in Brecksville.

Austin's Wood Fire Grille
8121 Chippewa Road (Ohio 82), Brecksville, 440-546-1003 
The centerpiece of Austin's menu is a stunning 14-ounce New York Strip Steak ($29.99), dry-aged for 21 days in the restaurant cooler then mesquite grilled. It is served crusty and caramelized on the outside, juicy and buttery on the inside and perfectly done to order. It certainly didn't need a sauce and that's a lucky thing, because none was offered. -- Beth Segal

Post a comment | View comments (0)

Restaurant Row: New Michael Symon TV series debuts Wednesday night

by Joe Crea

Tuesday August 19, 2008, 1:24 PM

Plain Dealer file photoMICHAEL SYMON

Cleveland-proud foodies have a big reason to stay up and tune in Wednesday night. Click the remote to Food Network at 10 p.m., when Michael Symon debuts as the new host of "Dinner: Impossible."

"It's been a long time in coming, but I'm really excited," Symon said. "Sometimes it could be pretty exhausting, but I'm really happy with what everyone's done with the show."

Taping has been ongoing for several months. If you're unfamiliar with the format, Symon and his crew show up at a designated time and place, where they're sent on a mission to produce a meal to match a setting and a theme. And as scriptwriters say, mayhem ensues.

I'm ready to watch the series unfold. There's plenty of pro-con buzz afloat on the Internet about the show. Former (fallen) host Robert Irvine still has plenty of fans, despite being dropped by Food Network over his inflated resume. Symon, on the other hand, has plenty of friends and fans beyond Northeast Ohio -- his win on "America's Next Iron Chef" and stints on ">"Iron Chef America" garnered him plenty of affection and support. With his crackling, cackling personality, my guess is he's going to do just fine on the series.

Post a comment | View comments (0)

At Burton's Welshfield Inn, over-the-top can be a very good thing

by David Farkas

Friday August 15, 2008, 1:42 PM

Thomas OndreyHAPPY OVERKILL: The whole roasted chicken at Welshfield Inn may be a big bird, but it's perfectly juicy and finished golden brown.

WE WANT YOUR REVIEW
Have you been to the Welshfield Inn? E-mail us your review of the food, service and atmosphere. Include your full name and where you live. We'll publish a sampling on Cleveland.com and in The Plain Dealer. Click here to sound off

TASTE OF THE TOWN

I've heard that a kitchen that roasts a chicken really well is a kitchen you want cooking your food. With that in mind, I ordered roasted chicken ($16.99) at the historic Welshfield Inn.

But I overlooked the word "whole" on the menu. I wound up with an intact bird, earning me the stares and chuckles of people sitting nearby.

Much of the fare at this restaurant, which opened in the 1840s, is like that - completely over-the-top. Take any of the terrific appetizers I sampled. You'll love the rich flavors of pan-seared scallops on a bed of baby spinach, but what rocks your tastebuds is the slathering of lobster cream sauce ($10.49).

And although you may feel the need for a cardiologist after consuming three thick-sliced tomatoes encrusted in Romano cheese and littered with back-fin crab meat ($10.99), you'll forgive the kitchen for any arterial concerns after tasting the Bearnaise sauce that really plays the starring roll. Even something as simple as crab cakes (two for $9.99) is accompanied by delectable, extra-thick tartar sauce.

Post a comment | View comments (0)

Dinner, drinks and a movie: Jefferson 150, Dead Guy Ale at Brothers Lounge, "Tropic Thunder"

by The Plain Dealer

Thursday August 14, 2008, 10:34 AM

Jefferson 150 owner/chef Shawn Grieves serves up yummy dishes such as pork chops Florentine.

DINNER

Jefferson 150
150 Jefferson St., Amherst 440-988-0330

Our entrees included a twice-baked lasagna bolognese, filled with stringy mozzarella, savory meat sauce, wild mushrooms and roasted red pepper ($14). The dish came out extra hot, sizzling in a cast-iron skillet. A huge serving of meatloaf and smashed potatoes cost $12. The accompanying country gravy was nothing like the heavy glop you might expect. Instead, the dish was paired with a delicate stock broth with a hint of lemon. -- Bob Migra

Post a comment | View comments (0)

Restaurant Row: Cleveland Heights bistro offers Asian cuisine for all (except maybe shrimp lovers)

by Joe Crea / Food and Restaurants Editor

Wednesday August 13, 2008, 12:19 PM

Housed in the Coventry Village location of the former Que Tal restaurant, Tree Country Bistro boasts primarily tastes of Japanese, Korean and Thai cuisine. If you enjoy all those styles, you may feel stumped when you flip open the well-organized menu. One segment features dishes with noodles or rice; another highlights curries. But about two-thirds of the overall menu focuses on sushi, sashimi, rolled makimono options and full meals (including a salad and miso soup). I finally decided the best approach was to settle on a major category and choose from there.

The place is lovely, by the way, a sushi bar and service area replacing the old order counter. During two visits, service was invariably friendly, efficient and responsive to special requests.

Post a comment | View comments (0)

Bob Golic part of team opening new Warehouse District pub

by Joe Crea / The Plain Dealer

Monday August 11, 2008, 6:04 PM

Former Cleveland Browns nose tackle Bob Golic ranks among one of the citys most popular sports figures. These days, from 3 to 7 p.m. weekdays and noon to 4 p.m. Saturdays, Golic hosts a radio program on Akron-based WNIR-FM/100.1. Soon he'll be playing another new role in the city: hosting a sports bar in the Warehouse District.

Look for Bob Golics Sports Bar & Grille to open by Labor Day or possibly sooner, says operating partner Pete Bosinger. (The third partner is Henry LoConti, owner of The Agora.) Their 5,000-square-foot restaurant will be located at 1213 West Sixth St. at the corner of West Sixth and Lakeside Avenue. The most recent tenant of that space was Synergy nightclub.

Post a comment | View comments (0)

Cleveland morning spot Villa Mia gives new meaning to 'the best location'

by Bob Migra

Friday August 08, 2008, 3:02 PM

Taste of the Town

Joshua GunterSCRAMBLED SENSATION: Hungry? Villa Mia's Gyro Omelet with a side of tender potatoes might be too large to finish.

WE WANT YOUR REVIEW
Have you been to Villa Mia? E-mail us your review of the food, service and atmosphere. Include your full name and where you live. We'll publish a sampling on Cleveland.com and in The Plain Dealer. Click here to sound off

Villa Mia is a colorful place, literally and figuratively.

The colors jump out at you like a vinyl kaleidoscope display when you enter the small, 12-table breakfast and lunch diner in Old Brooklyn. Each table is covered with a different plastic tablecloth, filling the room with shades of green, purple, yellow, blue and pink.

We selected the table covered in an American flag print as we sat down for a Saturday morning breakfast, soaking in the figurative color.

Post a comment | View comments (0)

Dinner, Drinks and a Movie: Barley House, Velvet Tango Room, "Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired"

by The Plain Dealer

Thursday August 07, 2008, 6:55 AM

Roman Polanski is the subject of this week's movie pick.

The Barley House
222 S. Main St., Akron, 330-374-0925

The Guinness Irish BBQ Burger ($8.95 almost every item on the menu is less than $10) is a beef burger slathered with a sweet yet piercing barbecue sauce, Swiss cheese, mushrooms, onions and a potato pancake. Its a remarkable experience, especially when washed down with a sip of Shock Top wheat beer, one of the more than two dozen drafts available. -- John Campanelli

Post a comment | View comments (0)