Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Good Company

I've been meaning to get to Good Company since it opened in the Battery Park area, since the concept comes from the same crew behind The Plum. The Plum's food is pretty fantastic, so I had high hopes.

They have daily specials (check out the website) and we happened to land on their $2 Burger Thursdays.
While I was anxious to try their standard The Good Boi burger, I was more interested in trying other things on the menu that night so we didn't build-our-own burger. But I'd love to go back and do so, because there was quite a list of fabulous toppings to choose from.

Instead, we shared the House Made Soft Pretzel n' Cheese ($9) with Bertman's mustard, white American cheese sauce, and pimento cheese dip. Unfortunately, the pretzel itself was really dry and not overly enjoyable. But the three dips were all good!
We also split the Twice Baked Potato Skins ($5) with white American cheese sauce, caramelized cabbage, griddled onion, and crumbled house bratwurst. Probably our favorite dish of the evening, but it came out a little cold.
Lastly, we did split the single patty The Good Boi ($6). The one 4 oz. patty wasn't quite enough meat for the bun ratio in our opinion, so I'd suggest adding another patty for $2. Overall, a solid burger and I'd like to head back in to build my own on another Thursday.
Now the place is sparsely decorated and there's a laid back and casual vibe happening, so you can pop in for a quick bite at very reasonable price-points for the quality of products they are using. There's a Mikey Likey kids' menu, and everything on the menu is easily labeled for vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free. For parking, you can park in the small lot on the side of the building, try your chance at snagging one of the limited spots in front, or there's free street parking down several of the side streets.

While none of the food blew us away as much as our past meals at The Plum, it was solid and I'd like to go back and try more. Definitely for a boozy shake too!

Good Company
1200 W 76th Street
Cleveland, OH 44102
(216) 331-0318

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Weekend Bites

After traveling for work last weekend and being down for the count with a terrible upper respiratory infection for another, I was READY to be home and have some fun around town and enjoy being home with Mr. H and the pooches.

We kicked off Friday with a quick dinner and glass of wine at Opal on Pearl, just down the street from home. Tony had a Buffalo Chicken Dip on special, and it hit the spot!
As we wrapped up our meal, we were in the mood for a sweet treat and Lilly Chocolates and Confections was still open. Woo hoo!
Not only did the truffles do the trick to satisfy our sweet tooth, but I also snagged one of their Chocolate Advent Calendars. Now I'm all set to celebrate the next holiday once Thursday is over this week.
On Saturday, we bummed around town doing some errands. That included picking up some copper candle holders that I purchased from Helm Collective (seriously, following her adorable shop on Instagram is dangerous). That also gave me the opportunity to shoot next door to All Things for You, where I scooped up this brass and copper potpourri container. 
We had a fancy date night planned for that evening, to celebrate Mr. H losing 40.4 pounds in the recent Biggest Loser Competition at work. After a stop at The Spotted Owl...
...for a craft cocktail that is always the "Bee's Knees"...
...we headed to Luca, because he was seriously craving some carbs. Their Sacchetti is always celebration-worthy.
Sunday was spent at home with my goofballs.
We got to end the weekend on a very high note, with a new recipe really knocking our socks off. Mr. H made this Sea Bass San Sebastian, and it will be on regular rotation now.
Phew! We crammed a lot in this weekend, and my lingering cough didn't get in the way too much. Short week ahead, before the Thanksgiving festivities! 2019 was a hard year, and this holiday will be bittersweet without my dad for the first time on his favorite holiday. But I have so much to be thankful for, and you all are a part of that. So thank you.

What were you up to this weekend?

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

An "Offally Good" Dinner at The Black Pig

This post isn't for the faint-hearted.

I do consider myself a mostly adventuresome eater. I'm willing to try almost anything, at least once. Over the years, I've had chicken heart, pig ear, sweetbread, tongue...but never all in one meal. The thought of every.single.course being some form of offal (the entrails and internal organs of an animal used as food) was a bit much for me. I'd shied away from the Fifth Quarter dinner events held at The Greenhouse Tavern in the past. But when a similar dinner was being held at one of our very favorite spots, The Black Pig, I decided to take the plunge.
The first course started us off easy, with "Lamb Snacks" that included a heart tartar, mortadella and terrine. Nothing that I hadn't had before. 
Then, Chef Dave Kocab made his take on a favorite Asian salad from LJ Shanghai, a Beef Tendon & Tripe Salad with chili, roasted peppers, and arugula. The flavors were great, but I could have done with a little more arugula. The textures of the tripe (edible lining from the stomachs of various farm animals) and tendon were a bit much for me after about half-way through the salad.
Next up, this dish really pushed us. Pig Brain & Veal Sweetbreads (the thymus or pancreas) with cauliflower, curry, apricot puree, and raisins. The flavors of this dish were outstanding, and the crispy sweetbreads were not a problem for me to enjoy. But the brain was quite soft, and the mushy texture prevented me from wanting to eat the whole piece.
The last savory course ended up being the most difficult for me. The Beef Tongue Stroganoff with blood noodles (yes, BLOOD! was swapped for eggs in the pasta) was rich and flavorful. But I had warned my seatmates that I get squeamish when I visually see whole animals, organs that look exactly like they do inside the body, etc. So, when the guys started talking about the visible taste buds on the tongue and I looked down at a neighboring plate and could see all of the little bumps, it only took a couple more bites of the tongue hitting my tongue before I had to stop. I honestly think I would have been fine if I hadn't seen the taste buds!
Brûléed Bone Marrow with caramel apple was the final course, and personally I think a dessert preparation of bone marrow should appear more often on menus! It was delicious. 

So even though a couple of textures threw me off during this "offally good" dinner, I'm glad that I pushed myself to try so many courses within one meal. I'd even go to one again! When products are in the hands of excellent chefs, it's amazing what can be done. These are often considered "trash" pieces of an animal, but I appreciate that some chefs take interest in and the care to try and work with them. This type of event isn't for everyone, but I encourage you to go outside your comfort zone when you can. 

The Black Pig
2801 Bridge Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44113
216-862-7551