Brunch at Grovewood Tavern

When I used to work on the near east-side of Cleveland, Grovewood Tavern was a frequent stop for Happy Hour with co-workers. I've also enjoyed dinner there several times, but I was unaware that they served Sunday Brunch. My favorite weekend meal!

Thanks to the powers of Twitter, I was casually scanning my feed on Sunday morning, and Grovewood Tavern tempted me in by posting some delicious-looking food and adult beverages. Since we had errands, and eventually a first birthday party, on the east side that day, it didn't take Mr. H and I long to determine that we wanted to try out their brunch this past Sunday.

The menu options seemed a little hearty, so I was quickly drawn to the Forest Mushroom Crepe ($12). It is a buckwheat crèpe with forest mushroom sautéed with spring peas, preserved Meyer lemon and Gruyère, and then served with a poached egg and seasonal salad.

The mushroom blend was bold in flavor, and balanced well by the hint of lemon and spring pea. The salad could have used more dressing, but I had no other complaints. The egg was poached perfectly, and it was just the right amount of food to leave me satisfied but not stuffed.

Mr. H went for the heavier South by Southwest ($13).

This dish includes a cheddar scallion biscuit, poached eggs, choice of chorizo or mushroom gravy, fruit, and choice of grits or breakfast potatoes. He chose chorizo gravy and the side of grits. The grits were creamy, but bland. The gravy was one of the most flavorful sausage gravies that we've had in Cleveland. Lucky's Cafe is a favorite, and this was right up there with that version.

I topped my meal off with a Clevelander Bloody Mary.

My order of "extra spicy" wasn't spicy at all, but I did enjoy the house-pickled vegetables and the strip of crispy bacon included.

Overall, it held up to my expectations, based on the memorable meals that I've had there in the past. We'd go for brunch again.

Grovewood Tavern
17105 Grovewood Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44110
216-531-4900

Grovewood Tavern

The Grovewood Tavern in the Collinwood neighborhood is a place that my co-workers and I frequent for happy hour. It is tucked away in a residential neighborhood off of East 152nd Street. As you drive down Grovewood Avenue on your first visit to this establishment, you start to wonder if you are lost. "Am I going the right way?" "Is there really a restaurant around here? One worth going to?" All of these thoughts certainly crossed my mind the first time I followed someone over there after work. The answer to all of these questions is...Yes.

With drink specials and $5 superb bar menu items, it is one of our favorite destinations from 5-6:30PM on weeknights. (I have several suggestions for dishes on their bar menu if you ever want them!)

After two years of sporadic happy hours spent at this restaurant, I finally had dinner there for the first time last weekend. Two of my close friends from college are from Cleveland, and we gathered with our significant others at Grovewood Tavern on Saturday night. I had called ahead for reservations, and they generously offered to save us seating on the patio as well as the dining room so that we could have our choice based on the unpredictable Cleveland weather lately. I thought this was a wonderful gesture. We were in luck! The weather was great and we all settled into patio seating and ordered a glass of wine to sip on as we searched the menu.

"R" and I had a card from the Cleveland Independents' deck for a free appetizer or dessert. We decided on sharing the Potstickers ($10)- shrimp and pork-filled dumplings with Thai chili butter sauce and seaweed salad. The potstickers themselves were good, but nothing special. However the sweet, but yet slightly spicy, sauce they came in was flavorful and well-balanced. I found myself dipping my bread in the leftover sauce. Two of us at the table, including myself, ordered the Blackened Diver Scallops ($28)- poached in ancho-honey cream with chorizo-cheddar-scallion-mashed potatoes and sautéed seasonal vegetables. There were several ingredients in this dish that peaked my interest. The large diver scallops were cooked perfectly, and I was really happy with the overall flavor and heat of the sauce. This isn't a dish for the faint-hearted! The potatoes were a unique twist on traditional mashed. The small, ground chorizo bits and melted cheddar cheese created a high-end version of one of my favorite comfort foods. The side of seasonal vegetables was good, but forgettable. My only complaint about the dish is that it was swimming in the sauce (see above). Since it had some heat to it (and I love heat), I craved bites in between to cleanse my palate. There were only so many bites of the mashed potatoes that I could skim off the top that hadn't been taken over by the pool of sauce. It is really only a minor complaint, since I did love the flavor of the dish, but the chef could stand to go a little lighter next time when plating.

As usual, the wine selections were top notch. We had a great night sitting on the patio, enjoying the food, and catching up. There was some interesting people-watching taking place as well! While I'll stick to their $5 bar menu items for now (I though the bill was a little high for the two of us), I could see us dining there again. Maybe to try their signature lamb dish with a spicy plum glaze!

Grovewood Tavern
17105 Grovewood Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44110-1574
(216) 531-4900