Landmark Cleveland

Landmark is a smokehouse, deli, and bar focused on providing fresh food with high-quality ingredients quickly in a modern and relaxed environment, housed in the former Clifton Diner space (next to Twist Social Club and owned by the same folks--- the garage-style doors and windows even open up to expand the Twist space into Landmark).

They source local and all natural products whenever possible. In addition to the house-smoked meats, they have a variety of vegetarian and vegan options as well. The soul of their food is the 100% wood-burning J&R Oyler 700 smoker. I got to try some of these meats the other night, thanks to Mouthwater Media.

Reuben ($15) with your choice of Montreal smoked meat or smoked turkey, Swiss, Cleveland Kraut, Russian dressing and grilled rye.

Ribs (currently a Thursday special, but making more frequent appearances due to their popularity).

You can try a little of everything with the 1 lb. Smoked Meat Tray ($25) with brisket, pork, turkey, coleslaw, pickled onions, mustard, pickles, toast points, and choice of two BBQ sauces on the side.

But, it's not all about the meats. Like this Fried Goat Cheese ($12) salad with radicchio, endive, candied walnuts, dried cranberries, and Dijon dressing.

House Chopped ($10) salad with smoked turkey, bacon, romaine, arugula, avocado, tomato, croutons, and blue cheese dressing.

You can get plain mac and cheese or add on meats, like the BBQ Pork Mac and Cheese ($17) version with shell pasta, smoked Gouda, cheddar, chives, and panko bread crumbs.

Not pictures, we also got to try their rice bowls. Our favorite was the Thai Peanut ($13) with grilled chicken, jasmine rice, broccoli, carrot, roasted red pepper, grilled pineapple, and Thai peanut sauce.

Save room for dessert! You can get Crème Brûlée ($5).

Or a Chocolate Chip Cookie ($2), served warm.

They also serve alcohol, so grab a craft beer, wine, or cocktail at the counter as well and settle in for a casual, but really tasty, meal.

Open daily from 7AM - 10PM on the corner of West 117th and Clifton Boulevard. Right across the street from the new Lucky's Market. We are often trying to think of where to grab a quick and casual meal in that neighborhood, and this spot just rocketed to the top of the list.

Landmark
11633 Clifton Blvd
Cleveland, OH 44102
(216) 230-4040

Disclosure: I was provided with complimentary food and drink in exchange for social posts. All opinions stated are 100% my own.

Red Lantern in Kamm's Corner

You guys, I've been absolutely terrible at tackling the 2016 To Dine Challenge. I've only been to THREE. Yikes. I've come to realize that seven more before December 31st is just not happening, but I'll head to as many as I can before the year comes to a close.

However, Mr. H and I did get to one this past week. After shopping for a sleeper sofa (oh joy), we needed a quick and casual bite on the way home. So, we headed to Red Lantern Kitchen & Bar in Kamm's Corners.

Unassuming-looking in its strip mall storefront, it was surprisingly nice and sleek inside. Pops of red were appropriate, given the name. You had your choice of bar seating, high tops, or booths.

We settled in to a booth, each ordered a drink (hello, alcohol-infused milkshakes, I'm coming for you next time!), and decided that we couldn't choose from the menu so we must split a few small items.

We ordered the Fried Asparagus ($6) with red pepper aioli and lemon garlic aioli.

Reuben Tater Tots ($8.50), which apparently a lot of you like as well, based on the tweets I got that evening!

We then asked our server to choose between the Tuna Lettuce Wraps and Tenderloin Crostini ($12). She chose the crostini, and I honestly wish she hadn't. It was not very good.

Finished the meal off with an order of the Baked Onion Soup ($5).

For the price point, I thought that each dish's portion was generous. We loved the tater tots and enjoyed the tempura asparagus. However, the tenderloin was served cold, and the texture of the cold meat just wasn't appetizing and the dish was a little bland. Even room temperature could have gone a long way with this dish, and I expected more pop from the horseradish aioli. The soup was not very good either. The cheese was barely visible, it had too many crispy onions, and the broth was overpowered by a seasoning (Italian, oregano?) that you don't normally taste in a classic onion soup.

So, the food was 50/50 for us. We really liked a couple, but were disappointed in others.

Parking is great, because you have access to the large lot at the strip mall. Kamm's Corners parking can be tough at times, so this spot is accessible and free to park near. Not sure if we'll be back though. It didn't leave me wanting more, unlike Thai Elephant down the street.

Red Lantern Kitchen & Bar
17446 Lorain Avenue
Cleveland, OH
216-331-1458

Thai Elephant

2015 is winding down. By November, I still had three restaurants left to visit on my 2015 To Dine Challenge list. Luckily, I knew that I had some fellow diners all lined up to try Thai Elephant in Kamm's Corners.

The quaint restaurant is located on Lorain Avenue, and they are open seven days a week for dinner. They have recently changed their hours, so be careful. The sign on the door, and hours listed online, and not currently accurate.

A group of six of us met at Thai Elephant for dinner one chilly evening two weeks ago. It was a perfect night for Thai food. The decor and atmosphere is pretty typical, but warm and inviting. The smells from the kitchen were intoxicating as soon as we walked in the door. Bring on the curry! 

Our table shared a couple of appetizers, like the Crispy Shrimp and Dumplings. Both enjoyable, and easy to share.

I had to order the Pad Thai, because I heard that it was very good. I appreciated that I was given several spice level options, which isn't always the case for Pad Thai. Mr. H and I were doing some sharing, so I had to order it at a "medium" level. Normally, I order "Thai hot" for everything. Our server immediately offered to bring out a spicy chile sauce that could be added to the dishes to increase the level of heat. I was grateful, and it did the trick!

This was a solid Pad Thai, and much better than some other local versions that I've had around town.

However, the real star of the meal was the Massaman Curry that Mr. H ordered for us to share. The peanut-based curry sauce is my favorite Thai dish, and this was hands-down the best version that I've tasted in Greater Cleveland.

The sauce was thicker than most, almost like stew or thick gravy. It had wonderful flavor, and I was only able to steal a couple of bites from Mr. H. So much for "sharing," huh? I took that as a good sign. I used to claim that my favorite version was from Thai Gourmet in Independence. I still appreciate that they use additional vegetables, like peppers, that are a bit lighter than the traditional potato and carrot that is served with Massaman Curry.

Worth noting- This restaurant is BYOB!

We'll definitely be back to Thai Elephant. A highlight from the 2015 list, for sure.

Don't forget that it's that time of year. I want to hear from YOU on your restaurant ideas for the 2016 To Dine Challenge. I'll pick 10 from your suggestions, and I'll challenge myself to dine at all of them in the upcoming year. Comment on the blog post here. Where do you want to send me next year?

Thai Elephant
16610 Lorain Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44111
216-671-9999

Fish Fry Friday

Looking for a good fish fry this Friday? Head on over to The Public House in West Park. This Kamm's Corners eatery is known for its fish fry, so get there early. Even at 5:30PM last Friday, we were looking at a 45 minute wait for a table.

However, that Lake Erie perch fish fry was totally worth it. Personally, perch is my favorite and I'll choose that any day over haddock or cod. For $14, the Perch Dinner included six large fillets of lightly-breaded perch, a thick slice of fresh Italian bread or Irish soda bread, coleslaw (a little too much mayo for my taste, but great crunch to it), and a generous side of French fries. For just $2.99, you can substitute two locally produced potato and cheese pierogies as your side dish. "R" and I both opted for that swap.

The place was packed on Friday night, and service was a little off. I'm sure that they are just swamped during Lent. Beware of the parking situation. The lot is small, and shared with Panini's next door.

I've never been to a fish fry at a local church around Cleveland. So many of them offer a fish fry on Fridays this time of year. Do you have a favorite fish fry location?

The Public House
17219 Lorain Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44111
216-252-6608