Natural Wines at Bruell Restaurants

Zack Bruell Restaurant Group is introducing a new line of highly acclaimed natural wines at two of his restaurants: L’Albatros in University Circle and Parallax in Tremont. Mr. H and I had the pleasure of attending the media preview last week, to sip and sample an assortment of these wines, and to snack on some expertly paired Parallax bites. Like their famous sushi...

...smoked salmon tartar...

...and tempura vegetables, among others.

Bruell's simplistic approach to food pairs well with natural wines, because they are distinguished by a biodynamic or organic growing process, coupled with minimal technological intervention during winemaking and cellaring. No yeasts, sugars or bacteria are added in the process. Fermentation is spontaneous from natural yeasts and bacteria present on the grape skins during harvest. The only additive can be a small amount of Sulphur for bottling stability. Often, the wines are unfiltered.

Tasting the wines on their own, then with food, and after they had sat for a while changed every sip's experience. These wines are always evolving. Their highly active characteristics make them an ideal pairing with contemporary foods that feature intensive flavors. One thing that I learned was that I've probably had a natural wine before, and just didn't know it.

The only one that I didn't care for was a Chardonnay that we sampled, but here is my favorite white and favorite red from the evening:

• 2013 Dry Tokaji, Oremas, “Mandelas,” Hungary- crisp, gooseberry, caramelized pineapple upside-down cake $44 (left)

• 2015 Mouvedre, Dirty & Rowdy, “Familiar Vineyard,” California-fresh strawberries, strudel, limestone $55 (right)

I'll be tracking these down.

Right now, diners can find 14 natural wines at L'Albatros and Parallax on a special wine listing, but they will eventually be integrated into the regular wine list and denoted as a natural wine. All fall at a very approachable price point.

The introduction of these wines onto their menus is part of an emerging movement that has upended an influential group of winemakers, Michelin-starred restaurants and sommeliers throughout the world. The trend has only really taken off in New York City, Chicago, and Portland in the United States. Julian Bruell, Director of Service, wants their restaurant group to be on the forefront of bringing this movement to Cleveland.

Disclosure: I was invited, with a guest, to a complimentary media preview and tasting. All opinions are 100% my own. 

Tour de Bruell

I did it! Mr. H and I tasked ourselves with completing the official Tour de Bruell for the first time this summer. And...we did it!

Cleveland restaurateur Zack Bruell annually launches the Tour de Bruell. Diners receive a punch card at one of his signature restaurants, and then you have between Memorial Day and Labor Day to visit each of his six signature restaurants.

You must order an entree at each, and you receive a stamp on your card to mark your visit at that restaurant. If you complete the tour before Labor Day, you're entered to win a raffle for a four-course dinner prepared in your home for 8 guests by chef Bruell himself. Also, everyone that completes it is invited to a complimentary VIP party in the fall. This year marked the seventh year of the Tour de Bruell, and we did it! His restaurants are some of my favorite in Cleveland, so we had quite a lot of fun getting to all six this summer.

We started at Parallax, and I had the seared ahi tuna with lemon puree, sushi rice, and shishito fried vegetables. This was probably my favorite dish of the Tour, and a great way to kick it off. I was dreaming about that lemon puree for weeks.

Next up was Chinato, and I ordered the braised lamb with sweet potato gnocchi, Brussels sprouts and Parmesan.

Alley Cat was the perfect next stop, because of its riverfront views and summery vibe. I ordered the grilled octopus with succotash, bacon and smoked paprika aioli.

Our most disappointing meal was at Cowell and Hubbard. I had the strip steak with roasted baby potatoes and creamed leeks in a foie gras jus.

Then, we dined at Table 45, and I enjoyed the plancha seared scallops with miso glazed scallops, bamboo rice, bok choy, sweet tamari gastrigue, and shiso cream ($28) from the new chef Matthew Anderson.

We saved the best for last. Our favorite of his signature restaurants, L'Albatros. The lighting was poor, so I don't have a picture of the delicious duck confit with a crispy duck leg, sweet potato puree, and braised cabbage ($24). Of course, we had to end the meal there with the famous cheese service. It was the perfect ending to the tour, and right in time. We dined there just days before Labor Day!

Phew, it was a whirlwind of a summer, but thanks to the Tour de Bruell...it was a tasty one. Nothing to disclose here, we chose to do the Tour on our own, and had a lot of fun challenging ourselves to complete it. You can almost never go wrong with food from Bruell's group, and so we really enjoyed completing the Tour. Don't miss out next summer!

Birthday Dinner a Bust

Overall, my birthday was simply wonderful. A near perfect day, and the celebrations aren't quite over yet. I have a big birthday bash weekend planned with my college friends as we travel back to campus and watch SU take on Georgetown. Then, I'll be celebrating with my family at one of our favorite Syracuse restaurants. Lastly, an epic dinner party back here in Cleveland. This birthday will carry on for close to a month. But, it's 30...that's allowed, right?

One piece of my actual birthday that didn't live up to our expectations was dinner at Parallax Restaurant & Lounge. We are big fans of Chef Bruell's restaurants, but we haven't been back to Parallax in five years (even though it's the closest to home). We've been meaning to get back there, so it was an easy pick for my birthday dinner with "R".

It was a Tuesday at 6:45PM, so we easily got a reservation and the restaurant was only slightly over half-full the entire time that we were there. However, a VIP table of basketball players and coaches were seated next to us shortly after we arrived (still not sure who they were after scouring rosters online). Immediately, our level of service went downhill. Placing our food order took forever, we had to flag down another server in order to get a second round of drinks, food/beverages were slower arriving at the table, and it just wasn't the experience that I think we would have had otherwise.

Overall, the food wasn't that great either. We decided to share two small plates to start the meal. We ordered the Pork Belly Chiroshi with shishito peppers, fried egg, and mustard broth ($11).

The pork belly had already been pulled apart into small pieces, so the fatty, buttery texture of good pork belly that we love was lost in this dish. The pieces were just a little too crispy. Also, I LOVE spicy food, but there were bites of this dish that I felt overdid it just a bit. It was good, but not great, and I probably wouldn't order it again.

Parallax is also known for their fantastic sushi, so we couldn't completely miss out on this even though I wasn't in the mood for rolls. We decided to share the Nigiri Sushi Combo of Tuna, Salmon, and Yellowtail ($14 for two pieces each).

The fish was clearly very fresh, and I enjoyed it, but you can get good nigiri like this at several other restaurants for a lower price tag. I'll stick to Pacific East. However, I would like to go back to Parallax to try some of their specialty rolls.

For my entree, I made a last minute decision to switch from the scallops to the Soy Lacquered Mahi Mahi with ginger fried rice and shishito peppers in a pineapple nam prik ($24).

Sadly, overall the dish was very dry and a little bland. There were also way too many peppers on the plate. It wasn't terrible, but I certainly wasn't thrilled with my selection. I enjoyed my bites of "R's" Vietnamese Chile-Garlic Shrimp more, but he wasn't in love with his dish either.

For the hefty price tag, we weren't overly impressed with our meal, and it didn't leave us wanting more. We've had much better experiences at his other restaurants (Chinato, L'Albatros, Cowell & Hubbard, Table 45), so I think that it may be another five years before we find ourselves back there again.

Do you have a favorite Bruell restaurant?

Parallax
2179 West 11th Street
Cleveland, OH 44113
216-583-9999

It May Have a Funny Name...

Anyone who pays attention to the restaurant scene in Cleveland has heard of Zach Bruell and his popular contemporary cusine at Parallax (Tremont), Table 45 (located inside the InterContinental Hotel by the Cleveland Clinic), and his newest restaurant L'Albatros Brasserie & Bar (University Circle). I've had the pleasure of dining at Parallax before (delicious modern seafood), haven't made it to Table 45 yet, and last night was my first time experiencing L'Albatros since its opening. I have to say that if my decision was based on the decor and atmosphere, I would not be going back. Bruell's contemporary trend was taken a bit too far with the cold white plastic chairs and table, minimalist artwork and decor, and simplistic (a.k.a. boring) bar area. Also a glass of wine runs you about $10. Now on to the food- which is where he really shines!

We started with the "French Toast" served with ragout of wild mushrooms and balsamic syrup ($8). Our waitress stated that it was their signature starter and very popular. The dish was very rich, but inventive and flavorful. The carmelized mushrooms and hint of balsamic syrup was a wonderful combination. The light, fluffy french toast squares just melted in your mouth. Two of us ordered the pasta special of the evening which included house-made noodles smothered in a light goat cheese fondue with grilled cauliflower. The dish was tasty and the portion was perfect, but I think I would have enjoyed my first choice off their regular menu a little better. I think it was the words "goat cheese fondue" that got me! Luckily, our other dining companion ordered my top choice: Seared Sea Scallops with brussel sprouts, noodles and pernod cream ($20). The gigantic scallops appeared to be seared to perfection, and they were nestled on a bed of house-made noodles. I may be back to try this dish for myself! We finished with the Warm Chocolate Brownie served with crème anglaise and vanilla bean ice cream ($7). It arrived warm as promised, and the ice cream was melting right into the thick gooey brownie. Umm, can you say heaven?!

Overall, I was impressed with the food and will probably overlook the atmosphere of the restaurant while dining there again. Rumor has it that Bruell is opening a fourth restaurant on East 4th in the near future. Keep your eyes peeled!

L'Albatros Brasserie & Bar
11401 Bellflower Ct.
Cleveland, OH 44106
(216) 791-7880