Weekend Bites

After spending 10 days in NY to prepare for, and of course celebrate, the wedding of these two (yay for my brother and new sister-in-law!)...

...we were quite ready for a lazy weekend at home in Cleveland.

Friday kicked it off well, since I received the news early in the day that our landscaping project would be done a day sooner than anticipated. I got to arrive home to a transformed front yard, thanks to Impullitti Landscaping.

Mr. H and I decided to spend Friday evening in the neighborhood, first stopping for a glass of wine and an Old Brooklyn Cheese Co. cheese board at the newly opened Vino Veritas Cellars on Memphis. The weather was perfect, and we enjoyed it there. More on that later this week!

We then popped over to the newly opened City Diner, on Memphis as well, for dinner. Also more on that later this week!

On Saturday, we headed over to my in-laws' new house in Bay Village to see it for the first time, and have lunch with the family. Then we ran some errands, including a stop at Saucisson. Among other things, this Korean Spiced Pork Terrine had to come home with us.

On Sunday, we had additional errands to run and some chores around the house, and we didn't want one of them to be grocery shopping. So, we took advantage of the new partnership of Heinen's Grocery Store and Instacart to get home delivery for a reasonable delivery fee. You can also choose to tip your driver. The only thing we didn't love was the additional "service fee" included. We'd like to learn more about their pay structure. 

We were able to set the delivery time for a one-hour window later that day, and BOOM our full grocery list appeared right on time. Ready for the week!

As we headed out to North Olmsted for errands, we stopped at a new-to-us diner, Ari's Family Restaurant, on Lorain. A simple and classic diner, and it did the trick.

While I was too scared to try the $2 Bloody Mary, I did appreciate the vintage cash register.

Overall, this weekend was exactly what we needed after the whirlwind that was my brother's wedding and 14 hours of NY travel. There are plenty of fun September weekends ahead that are packed with events and commitments, so it was nice to not have any!

North Olmsted's Nuevo Acapulco

Remember my 2014 "To Dine" Challenge? Yup, me neither. I tend to take a hiatus during the summer, focusing on all of the great outdoor events and patio weather instead. The brief break is over, and it's time to kick my butt into high gear. I still had 7 left to go before January!

So, that took "R" and I to Nuevo Acapulco in North Olmsted this week. It was pouring rain, so the first thing that I noticed, and appreciated, is that it is connected to a motel by an overhang. A covered run to the restaurant door! There are only a handful of parking spots in front of the restaurant, but plenty of parking in the rear.

It's decorated in your typical American-Mexican decor, with some highlights like the brightly colored birds hanging from the ceiling.

The restaurant was bright, clean, and had both table and booth options. We sunk into a booth and started to browse the menu.

Normally, when dining out, I never like to order the same thing. However, American-Mexican is an exception to the rule. I always search for a combination platter with an enchilada and chili relleno. It gives me the best "apples to apples" comparison. Nuevo Acapulo did not disappoint. I found "my" dish easily.

One enchilada with choice of one chalupa chimichanga or one chili relleno (with rice and choice of beans).

It was one giant, gooey, cheesy, brown heap of food. I've never asked myself if there was such a thing as too much cheese (being the cheese lover that I am), but this might have pushed that envelope. I wasn't even sure that there was a pepper underneath all of that cheese on the left-hand side of the plate. Overall, it was good. The rice was a little dry, but an addition of hot sauce and salsa fixed that. However, I can confidently state that Cozumel in Independence still does this dish better.

"R" ordered the Tacos al Carbon with three thick flour tortillas, dipped in special salsa,then stuffed with your choice of marinated char-broiled steak or chicken garnished with pico de gallo, Parmesan cheese and guacamole.

Again, the rice was dry, but he did enjoy this dish overall. It was huge, and he ended up taking home two of the tacos and the rest of my rice and beans. What's with the Parmesan cheese, though?

So, not a bad meal at all, but we'll stick to Cozumel in Independence. They still reign supreme, in my opinion.

What's your favorite Mexican restaurant in the area? Luchita's is one of the only ones that I haven't been to yet.

Nuevo Acapulco
24409 Lorain Road
North Olmsted, OH 44070
440-734-3100

Bite Buff Turns Five!

Today this little old blog turns five. FIVE. Happy Blogiversary to me!

Where did the time go? Well, at least I have a published record of where it went, but it sure did fly by. I'm still enjoying the ride, so I'll keep on blogging. Thank you for being with me along the way!

People typically celebrate with cake, ice cream, cookies, and other sweet treats. So, I'll share one with you today.

I'm a dummy. I had no idea that Malley's Chocolates had ice cream parlors in some of their locations (four to be exact). I've stated over and over that sweets aren't really my thing, but shame on me for missing this one.

One of these old-fashioned parlors is located in Lakewood, and they have late-night hours for a perfect after-dinner treat. Out with friends last weekend, we stopped by around 9PM for sundaes.

I was still full from dinner at the Buckeye Beer Engine, but that didn't stop me from stealing bites of "R's" brownie sundae.

That thing was massive, and decadently delicious.

The best part about the Malley's Ice Cream Parlors? If you order a sundae or hot fudge for your ice cream, you receive your own cup of hot fudge to pour as you wish. Not only does that add to the "fun" factor, it ensures that you can still enjoy fudge until the last bite. 

It was such a great discovery! Have you ever been? They are also in Bay Village, Mentor, and North Olmsted. 

Malley's

Chocolate Shoppe & Ice Cream Parlor

14822 Madison Avenue

Lakewood, OH 44107

The Rail

"R" and I found ourselves in the North Olmsted area last weekend around lunchtime. We discussed a few restaurant options, but then suddenly The Rail popped into my head. It was one of the restaurants that you, readers, had suggested for the 2014 To Dine Challenge that just hadn't quite made the list. I've heard that they have a good burger, so I was interested to try it. The Akron-based restaurant just opened a new location in the Great Northern Mall, so it made our lunch decision pretty easy.

It was easy to find, with big signage on the side of the mall, and plenty of free parking in the mall lot. There was ample seating available between the bar area, small lower dining room, and upper level. We were seated right away, and left with the decision on what burger to order.

A couple of the burgers sounded really good, so I had a hard time choosing. I finally went with the Greenwich Pig ($9.50) with sauteed onions, bleu cheese, spinach, and rail mayo. I also added a side of the red onion jam.

This was hands-down the sloppiest burger that I've ever eaten. Things were just oozing out of the buttered bun, running all over my hands. It's one of those burgers that once you pick it up, you don't put it down. But, man, was it good.

"R" got the Crouching Burger (Hidden Bacon) burger ($10.50) with thick-cut Ohio bacon and pulled pork on top of it, so it was a meat-lovers dream. I didn't dare take a bite.

We also shared an order of the Sweet Potato Fries ($3.25) with a side of chipotle mayo (50 cents).

They were very crispy, not too greasy, and I enjoyed the dipping sauce. Worth the extra money.

Overall, I liked the look and feel of the restaurant/bar. It reminds me of B-Spot. A little "chainy" feeling, but they try to show their Ohio pride and farm-feel with the decor.

They also have a decent beer list, both bottle and draft. It seems like a great spot to pop into for a good burger and beer.

They will be opening a third location in Canton in March.

The Rail
4954 Great Northern Boulevard
North Olmsted, OH 44070

3265 W. Market Street
Akron, OH 44333

Weekend Fun- Ohashi Sushi

What an amazing weekend in Cleveland! "R" and I had no plans, on purpose (I'm not very good at that), and we took full advantage of the nice weather.

Saturday, we found ourselves in North Olmsted running errands around lunchtime. We were headed to Washington Place Bistro for dinner that night, so I wanted something light for lunch. Ohashi Sushi on Lorain Road immediately came to mind. It's on my 2013 "To Dine" list, and sushi sounded great.

Located in the strip of businesses tucked behind Fat Heads, parking was free and easy to find in the large parking lot.

It is a small-ish place, with about 15 tables. Only two other tables of diners were there when we arrived, so service was quick and attentive.

Tucked inside of the standard menu was a sushi checklist, which made ordering super easy. Each roll provided a description of its contents, and so many of their House Special Rolls sounded great. "R" and I decided to share three House Special Rolls (cut- 8 small pieces each).

Pictured above (left to right) is: Fire Mountain Roll with spicy crab topped with spicy tuna, spicy sauce, and crunch batter ($11.50); Crunch Munch Roll with spicy crab topped with shrimp, crunch, and wasabi sauce ($10.50); and Mustard Roll with white tuna, cucumber, and topped with tuna and wasabi sauce ($11). The wasabi sauce was killer on them; I loved it! So many rolls also had "crunch" by including tempura flakes, which is a favorite of mine.

"R" also ordered an additional roll for himself from the Chef's Special Rolls section--- Kanpai with fried spicy tuna, cream cheese, shrimp, avocado, and asparagus, topped with eel sauce, wasabi mayo, and wasabi tobiko, and rolled with mame nori ($13).

Overall, the fish tasted fresh and I liked their roll combinations. However, it was a really expensive sushi lunch for what we received. The three House Special Rolls were very small (which was great for lunch, but not for the price). With prices varying from $10 - $13.50, I expected them all to be the size of the Kanpai roll from the Chef's Special Rolls that "R" had. They were more like the traditional hand rolls from the basic section of any sushi menu. Prices should have ranged more like $5 - $8. This opinion is just based on my experience at other local sushi restaurants. If the prices had been a tad lower, I wouldn't have thought twice about it.

So, we enjoyed the sushi and our waitress was simply charming. However, I think the prices are too high for what you receive, and I personally enjoy the Specialty Rolls at Mizu Sushi in Parma more. For affordable sushi on the west side, I'll stick to Mizu. Also, their menu is limited to just sushi, sashimi, and only a couple of appetizers and teriyaki/noodle dishes. But it was a fun Saturday excursion on a beautiful day in Cleveland!

Ohashi Sushi
24539 Lorain Road
North Olmsted, OH
440-716-0988

A "Wild"-ly Good Dish

Last Sunday,"R" and I scheduled an impromptu dinner with his mom (who had just returned from a warm and sun-filled week in Cabo- so jealous!). She recently moved to North Olmsted, and has started to explore local eateries. But one that she had frequented before, Wild Mango, became our destination of choice.

It was a very early dinner, so only a few other diners were there when we were. The restaurant is located in the Great Northern Mall, which may throw foodies and fine diners for a loop. But it really was not what I was expecting. The atmosphere was very elegant and tastefully Asian-inspired. The prices are a little high for what most mall-goers would be looking for, but this restaurant can stand on its own.

At "R's" mom's suggestion, we started with the Pepsi Shrimp ($7)- Pepsi-cola battered, Asian cucumber salad and crispy soba noodles. The lightly battered shrimp were tasty with a hint of sriracha, but the cucumber salad offered a nice balance of cool acidity to the dish. Overall, it was very thoughtfully prepared and presented. "R" and his mom both got dishes that included the Beef Tenderloin, and I settled on the Scallops with lobster risotto, mushrooms, and baby bok choy. My dish was outstanding. From the first yummy bite to the last, I was thoroughly enjoying it. The only critique that I can say is that the dish could have used a little more bok choy to help cut the richness of the rest of the components. By the time I was finishing, it was still delicious, but a little heavy. The risotto was so creamy that it melted in my mouth, and the six medium-sized scallops were cooked perfectly. The slight mushroom flavor gave the dish a hint of earthiness, really balancing out the seafood. I would order this dish again in a heartbeat, and "R" stated that he would too after just a few bites that I reluctantly shared. And that says a lot, because his surf n' turf dish that included the beef tenderloin was very good as well. The meat was done to a perfect medium rare, and was so smooth that the meat also melted in your mouth. The sauce was paired well, and both "R" and his mom were really pleased with their dishes.

So, in summary this impromptu dinner was a nice surprise and we certainly found a place (and dish) that we'll come back to! Just be prepared to drop some dough and ignore the mall shoppers.

Wild Mango
362 Great Northern Mall
North Olmsted, OH 44070
(440) 979-1888