Brunch at Punch Bowl Social

Looking for a brunch option this weekend? I encourage you to consider Punch Bowl Social in The Flats.

Mr. H and I headed there on a rainy Sunday, and kicked off an indoors Sunday Funday with a build-your-own Bloody Mary bar.

You should also order one of their fresh juices. We sampled The Purist, The Freshest, and The Latest (pictured). All were delicious, but my favorite was The Latest ($5) with grapes, apple, celery, and lime.

You also start the meal with housemade biscuits and jam. Yuuum.

The menu has had a complete overhaul since the last time I was in, and they partnered with celebrity chef Hugh Acheson. So, there is certainly a Southern take on many of the dishes, including the Hugh's Pimiento Cheese ($7) with a tender belly bacon marmalade and Pullman toast.

Mr. H and I then split the Mushroom Buscuits 'n' Gravy ($10) with buttermilk biscuits, white mushroom gravy, cornmeal fried tomato, crisp potatoes, avocado, and eggs any style.

I was also happy to see the Impossible Burger on their menu, because I hadn't tried one yet. Have you? This came with a vidalia onion jam, bread 'n' butter pickles, lettuce, tomato, and boursin cheese on a sesame bun ($13) with a side of fries.

We ended the meal on a sweet note, with one of their milkshakes. The Almond Joy Milkshake ($6) tasted just like the candy bar!

Determined to burn off some of our brunch calories, we headed out of the Diner area and into the main bar and game area.

I love their mix of old and new games, and there is truly something to keep everyone of all ages entertained.

Mr. H and I choose to go bowling. I started off strong by bowling a strike, but then it all went downhill.

Particularly for that rainy Sunday, this brunch spot was great because we got to eat, enjoy some adult beverages, and entertain ourselves with games and activity...all without going out in the rain. This is a family-friendly brunch option, but you should also check out their Happy Hour deals and the lunch/dinner menu too.

Punch Bowl Social
1086 W 11th Street
Cleveland, Ohio 44113
(216) 239-1508

Disclosure: I was invited to review their brunch menu and all food, drink, and one round of bowling was provided in exchange for this post. All opinions stated are 100% my own.

Collision Bend Brewing Co.

I've had a long three weeks of work, including two trips out of town and three weekends in a row of working. Mr. H was being extra thoughtful and planned a date night out last Saturday to check out the newly opened Collision Bend Brewing Company in The Flats.

We had a reservation, and when we arrived the list was 15 parties ahead of us to be seated on the outdoor patio on the river. Of course, because it's stunning out there! We decided to go ahead and sit inside, but our table was along the floor-to-ceiling windows, so you almost felt like you were outside.

We both wanted to order a flight to check out their beers. I ordered the Iron Wind Pilsner, Old River Kolsch, a wheat beer not listed on their website, and the Samsel Stout. The stout was the only one I didn't care for. For my personal taste, it was too hoppy. The others were all easy-sipping beers, but they weren't memorable. One that I would absolutely order again is the High Rent Lemon Girl that Mr. H had.

We also ordered four small plates to share. One issue right away was that the first two plates of food arrived before our beers did. Within just a couple of minutes of being seated and placing our order. The flights quickly followed, but then immediately so did the second round of small plates. Suddenly, we had a tiny table full of food and hadn't even really gotten into tasting our beers yet. The timing was awful, and I did bring it up to our server. The message feels like "We don't care about your experience, and we're just trying to turn this table as quickly as possible." I'm not trying to settle in for the night and take up a table forever, but we were in and out in under 40 minutes and felt very rushed. Not pleasurable at all. Issues are always worth bringing up with your server or management at any restaurant, but particularly at a newly opened one. They can't improve or address specific issues if you don't bring it to their attention.

So, let's talk about the food. Thanks to social media, I've seen a lot of people raving about the Giant Molten Meatball stuffed with cheese and served with marinara sauce ($8).

It was certainly a solid dish and we enjoyed it just fine, but it did sound better than it actually was. As did the Asian Style Arancini Siciliana ($6) with fried risotto balls flavored with pickled ginger, Asian aromatics and served with wasabi mayo. Probably my favorite of the four, but still not quite hitting the mark for me.

We also shared the Moroccan Lamb Ribs ($14). They were fried and served with cucumber-yogurt sauce and pickled vegetable. The rub was flavorful, but the meat was hard to get off the bone and the sauce was a bit too runny to really stick to the meat.

I've also seen a lot of positive chatter about the Roasted Brussels Sprouts ($8) with Vietnamese caramel sauce, queso fresco cheese and shishito peppers.

These actually probably would have been good, had they been cooked through. They were under cooked, so still pretty hard and bitter. We left most of them behind.

Absolutely some of these issues are opening kinks to work out. The food selections and quality were still much better than anything most breweries are offering, but I think my expectations are higher when it's coming from the Zack Bruell Restaurant Group. The location, vibe, and views are fantastic, so I do hope it continues to improve as they get more time under their belt. I'd love to head back for a pizza and beer out on the patio.

If you've been, what are your thoughts?

Collision Bend Brewing Co.
1250 Old River Road
Cleveland, OH 44113

Punch Bowl Social Cleveland

One thing that I'm loving about the new development in The Flats is that you can make a whole night of entertainment within walking distance. For us, that has included stops at Punch Bowl Social on several occasions.

I was already familiar with the place, having stopped in there for both pre and post-dinner drinks and games. The monthly CLE Dinner Club outing had also given me a taste of the menu several months ago. But, when they reached out to me to see if I would be interested in partnering for a review, I wanted to take them up on it to really experience the "three prong approach" of Eat.Drink.Social.

Armed with two friends, we started off the evening right, with one of their signature punches. I went with the bourbon-based The Bachelor's Bowl.

I've almost always ordered one of their punches, and I can say that they go down easy.

With drink in hand, we got a full tour of the facility, which can be hard to take in when it's a busier weekend night. I noticed things that I hadn't seen before, and I finally got a peek at the upstairs area. Which includes this giant Scrabble board!

The upstairs would be perfect for a private party, with plenty of gaming options, a bar, and karaoke room. They have four bars total, and plans for a fifth once the rooftop patio opens. That space alone will accommodate up to 300 guests (150 seated), with stunning views of the river and Downtown.

Then, it was time for some food. I did notice that the Executive Chef was a change since the CLE Dinner Club event we attended. They are a scratch kitchen, making everything in-house, except for their bread and desserts. The desserts are coming from Luna Bakery on the east side of Cleveland.

The meal started off on a high note, with these fresh biscuits and jam. I'm glad that there weren't more.

We decided to share the Stuffed Creminis with taleggio ($9).

And Deviled Eggs ($6). Two standard classics that were easy to share.

I had a really hard time choosing my entree from the appetizing menu, but I settled on the Very Serious Grilled Cheese ($12).

With gruyere and goat cheeses, poached pear, and quince...this is an "adult" grilled cheese on steroids. My only wish? The ciabatta needed to be grilled a bit more to hold up to the gooey insides. Otherwise, this was a fantastic sandwich, and I'll be adding some poached fruit to my homemade ones in the future.

The Cubano ($13) was another hit at the table. The mustard cream was a real standout there. Just a bit more toasting on the bread needed here as well, but an excellent choice and the "reason" that our server started working there. Their version of Chicken and Waffles ($16) is too sweet for my personal taste, but a shot of local Pope's Hot Sauce was the perfect addition to the dish. The waffle itself had great texture.

They are sourcing a handful of products from local Cleveland vendors, and many others from the home of the original Punch Bowl Social, Denver. Which is always a good thing.

In a complete food coma, it was time to play some games. Aside from classic arcade games, you can choose from things like darts, shuffleboard, bowling, table tennis, Foosball, karaoke, and more.

Our choice? Bowling!

Let's just say that two of us combined still didn't touch the score of our winner, but we had lots of laughs (and gutter balls). One thing that I discovered...they have "bumpers" and you can actually set the lane to put them up only on certain players. Great for families, or me.

So, while you can make a whole night of it down in The Flats, you can even do that at just one stop at Punch Bowl Social. Also, it's totally family-friendly before 10PM, and they are running a summer special where kids can bowl for free on Monday - Wednesday from 11AM - 2PM. Breakfast is served until 3PM every day, and it's a great location for a workday lunch. An escape to the riverside, and maybe a quick game of skee-ball?

I enjoyed myself even more than past visits, and we'll continue to stop in here. Visiting another city and looking for something to do? They have 11 locations, and more on the way.

Punch Bowl Social Cleveland
1086 West 11th Street
Cleveland, OH 44113
216-239-1508

Disclosure: All food, drink, and games were provided in exchange for this blog post. All opinions stated are 100% my own. 

Coastal Taco

Personally, I am enjoying all of the development on the east bank of The Flats, and we find ourselves down there often now. When we heard about Coastal Taco Bar + Chill going in down there, we were excited about the concept. To be honest, Mr. H just loves anything in a tortilla.

Well, they opened their doors about two weeks ago, and we popped in on Friday evening.

The menu is limited to a handful of assorted tacos (no build-your-own here), and a couple of appetizers, sides, and bowls. Narrow menus can often be a sign of limited items being done well, so I'm usually in favor. Not the case here, unfortunately.

The interior has a high-level of detail to capture the atmosphere of a beach-side, nautical East Coast joint.

The crisp white and soft gray tones are soothing.

But it does feel "chainy" as soon as you walk in the door.

We saddled up to a table inside, because the weather was GORGEOUS and their patio and outdoor bar were packed. I was immediately drawn to the Happy Hour drink specials. It hit the spot on a warm evening.

A tray of complimentary "chips" arrived, but our server didn't tell us what they were. Nothing to dip them in either, which seemed odd.

To order, you take one of the forms and a pencil provided on your table (multiple people on one form), and check off your desired items. It all arrives family-style on one tray.

Which would have been fine, but two servers couldn't identify them on the tray, so we just dug in and hoped that we were grabbing the right ones. Overall, very bland and uninspired. They are small---about two generous bites each. And corn tortillas only. I don't mind a good corn tortilla, but I prefer flour, and having options would keep all diners happy. Hope that changes in the future.

While we were munching away on our tacos, runners tried to deliver food to our table three times that wasn't ours. Safe to say that they all need a bit more training on the table numbering. It's to be expected with such a brand new spot, but it was still comical.

The outdoor area of Coastal Taco is fantastic, with stunning river and city views, outdoor games like Giant Jenga and Cornhole, fire pits, soft seating, and more.

This could be a really great addition to the area, if they can clean up their service issues and improve the quality of the food a bit. It may seem like I'm being harsh here, since they are so new, but it doesn't mean that I don't think it can get better with time. I'll never forget about how the beloved Barrio in Tremont was downright awful the first two times that we dined there. Look at them now. But, Cleveland has some great taco restaurants these days, and Coastal isn't on par yet. It was a really disappointing visit. Fingers crossed. 

Coastal Taco
1146 Old River Road
Cleveland, OH 44113

Crop Rocks

We are really loving spending time down in The Flats since all of the restaurants and bars have been popping up over the last year. There are still a couple of places that we haven't been yet, but we did get to cross two off the other night with friends.

For pre-dinner drinks, we met at Beerhead Bar + Eatery. With six locations spread across Illinois, Ohio, NY, and Pennsylvania, it is a chain, but one that I think will be welcomed in Cleveland, and do well in that area. They are offering 50 beers on tap and 400+ in bottles. Beer is certainly the focus here, but they do have wine and cocktail offerings. Just don't ask them to make a "mock"tail (not for me!), because you'll thrown them for a loop and you'll get a skunky-tasting non-alcoholic beer instead. With so many dining options and great places to grab wine and cocktails in that area now, it's nice to have a craft beer option. They are serving some small plate food and pizzas too, and I've heard that the pizza is good. We'll be back.

We had dinner reservations at the new Crop Rocks restaurant from the folks behind Crop Bistro and Crop Kitchen. They also opened up Crop Sticks right next door to Crop Rocks.

This casual bar setting highlights 50 years worth of Cleveland music history and 15,000 vinyl records. The menu is "American Comfort Food," and plenty of the dishes are served right on metal trays. The vibe is fun, laid-back and will be great during the warmer months when they open up the garage door-style walls behind the main bar overlooking the river.

I went with the Kung-Fu Fighting ($13) with Korean BBQ meatloaf, kim chi, and sriracha aioli on a toasted bun. Yes, almost every dish is named after a musical reference.

The sandwich contents were a bit mushy and I made quite a mess of myself as I ate half of it, but it had good flavor. I'd probably order other items before revisiting this one though.

With the sandwiches, french fries are served, but for a small up-charge you can substitute a side of gravy cheese fries, shrapnel fries, slaw, or a salad. Pictured above are the gravy and cheese fries, and they were outstanding. The gravy was very flavorful, and they didn't overdo the quantity of gravy on on the fries. You got the flavor of it without the fries turning to complete wet mush.

Mr. H and our friends were happy with their food as well. We'll revisit this one. I also popped my head into Crop Sticks (because the bathroom hallway connects both restaurants). This small Asian bistro is more formal than its sister restaurant next door. Something for everyone.

Then, we headed to Punch Bowl Social where I embarrassed myself on the bowling lanes, but we had a good laugh. Between pre-dinner drink destinations, several restaurants, and entertainment like Punch Bowl and Big Bang (dueling piano bar), you can really make a night of it in The Flats now.

Crop Rocks
1075 Old River Road
Cleveland, OH 44113

BOLD Food & Drink

A recent girls' night out took us to The Flats. If you haven't been in that area in a while, it is unrecognizable. The amount of restaurants and bars that have popped up in the last year is remarkable. In the eight years that I've lived in Cleveland, that area lining the Cuyahoga River has been desolate. Well, no more! 

One of the newest additions to the East Bank is BOLD Food & Drink. It opened in record-time in the former Ken Stewart's location on W. 10th Street. From the folks behind Oak Barrel and Forage Public House, this restaurant has a similar feel to its menu and presentation. You'll find a wide variety of "tiny" and "small" plates, 10 entrees, and then the "BOLD" section of the menu that features steaks, chops, and seafood dishes. Their intention is to bring an affordable steakhouse to the Downtown area. Luckily, the quality that I've come to expect from them at the other two restaurants was present here as well.

To start, we shared the Stuffed Pasture Raised Eggs with piquillo pepper and radish sprouts ($3 for one egg).

While I prefer the other version of this dish at Oak Barrel and Forage, it was still a good deviled egg. What is it about this classic and often called "outdated" dish that people still love? I don't know, but I'm a sucker for one!

I wanted to be able to try a few things, so I chose to order two of the "small" plates as my entree. First, I ordered the Stuffed Chile Rellenos with a poblano chile, cotija cheese, chilatomate sauce, and lime crema ($11).

For $11, the portion was large. The chile pepper was lightly breaded and deep-fried, with a golden crust instead of the often too-thick coating that others can have. The cheese was creamy and oozed right out of the pepper when I cut into it. This was a great stuffed pepper! However, I really did not care for the sauce. Its tomato base leaned Italian, and just didn't work well with this dish, in my opinion. It was easy to avoid after a few bites, and I happily enjoyed this pepper even without a sauce.

For my second small plate, I went with the Manchester Farms Stuffed Quail with serrano ham, gruyere, and white truffled cream corn ($13).

The quail skin was crispy, meat moist and tender, and the cream corn was delicate and delicious. I would order this dish again.

Service was very good, even though our server admitted that he was in training and had only been there four days. They also made a delicious mock-tini for my pregnant friend. We were nestled in a cozy U-shaped booth, with a glass fireplace crackling in front of us. It was a great setting for a girls' night out, or a special date night without breaking the bank. They retained most of the decor and atmosphere from Ken Stewart's, so it has a high-end feel without quite the price tag. I think they'll do well in the "new" The Flats.

BOLD Food & Drink
1121 W. 10th Street
Cleveland, OH 44113
216-696-8400

Shooter's

Mr. H and I have been trying to soak in the last days of sunny weather in Cleveland before the grey skies settle in. That quest recently took us down to The Flats for lunch. Thankfully, we have several new restaurant options along the river. But, we decided to head to Shooter's on the Water.

I'd never eaten there. Just spent a few drunken nights there in my 20's. But, it has one of the best locations on the Cuyahoga River for boat-watching and soaking up water views...

...and Downtown views.

Sadly, even the views can't save the food there.

Isn't this the most depressing-looking plate of fish tacos that you've ever seen?

Not only were they bland, the filling didn't even come close to the size of the tortilla used, and the tortilla was stale...but they left a funky after-taste behind. Never a good thing.

Mr. H had a Cuban that was much better than my tacos, but still never worth returning for.

What a waste of waterfront space.

The placement and atmosphere have such potential. I would have been content with even average food, but those tacos were downright nasty.

Shooters on the Water
1148 Main Road
Cleveland, OH

Alley Cat Oyster Bar

Cleveland restaurateur Zack Bruell's new Alley Cat Oyster Bar has opened as part of The Flats Project on the east bank.

Right across from Shooter's and The Music Box Supper Club, diners can enjoy views of the Cuyahoga River that have been hard to find in the past.

Finally, some waterside dining with food to match the quality of view!

The menu features 12 types of oysters. Currently, they are offering three a night, until they get to know the menu better. We indulged in the three available that evening. Other than the fact that a few of them hadn't been detached from the shell, we really enjoyed them. We also ordered the Beef Tartar with egg 63, house grain mustard, and toast points ($15). It was a good tartar, but Greenhouse Tavern and Luca both have better versions. I'd try other starters before ordering this again.

I convinced Mr. H to share entrees with me, so that we could try more than just the Lobster Roll ($22). What can I say, we're on a total lobster roll kick after our trip to Maine. My mom, also a lobster lover, was also ordering the roll, so I just had to try something else too.

This was a far cry from what we were able to get in Maine, but it was probably the best version that I've personally had in the Greater Cleveland area. I was concerned that it was dressed with Green Goddess (I'm a lobster purist!), but the dressing was light and it didn't detract from the butter-poached lobster. For the price, I'd like to see more lobster on the roll. The fries were quite good! Extra crispy, and lightly seasoned.

We also shared the American Red Snapper with an arugula bread salad ($21).

The fish was cooked perfectly, and the flavors were light and summery. Enjoyable, but not memorable, however.

Service left a lot to be desired. It was much sloppier and more casual than other Bruell restaurants, and the staff seemed very uneducated on the menu. Like, we were served bread that had kernels of corn in it, but no one could tell us what the type of bread was. I've been to other Bruell restaurants close to opening, and that was never the case before. I think management is aware of the issues, and they are addressing them, so I expect that things will be running more smoothly next time we're in. Because, we'll certainly be back!

This is what Cleveland needed. More quality seafood options, excellent cocktails, and waterfront dining. It's so exciting to see the progress being made in The Flats. Have you been down there recently?

Alley Cat Oyster Bar
1056 Old River Road
Cleveland, OH 44113
216-574-9999

Rusty Anchor at Music Box Supper Club

Mr. H and I had the best Friday night, and it was completely unplanned, unexpected, and unforgettable. It was a picture-perfect July evening in Cleveland. It was gorgeous out, with no humidity, sunny skies, and lots of people out-and-about enjoying our city. We decided to hop in the car to head over to Pier W in Lakewood to try and grab a spot on their deck overlooking the lake and the Downtown skyline. We've dined there many times, but have never taken advantage of their deck seating since it opened last year.

Well, the view and atmosphere did not disappoint. The service, cocktails, and food, however, really missed the mark. I did share our concerns about the cold flatbread that was served and the distinct lipstick mark on my wine glass with our server that night, but I also tweeted at the restaurant. It was truly worth sharing, since that's not the experience we're used to. The representative handling their social media reacted promptly, and I exchanged emails with the General Manager. I'm not a complainer, and I'm not looking for anything, but I did feel that our experience was worth sharing with them so that issues could be addressed. I couldn't be happier about how they handled it. They truly want to know if something is not up to the reputation that they pride themselves on. Whenever you have an issue at a restaurant, I do hope that you'll address it directly with them. Too many people just take to social media instead.

So, the evening still left something to be desired after our drinks and appetizers, and we didn't want to compromise the water views and seafood we were hoping for. That led us to the newly opened Rusty Anchor at the Music Box Supper Club in The Flats of Downtown Cleveland.

Unfortunately, a private party meant that the patio was closed for service, But, we could take advantage of their Oyster Bar outside, serving a limited menu and table service for drinks.

We settled in with a cocktail and some amazing views of the construction taking place on the East Bank.

Oh, what's that??? Just a freighter going by our table...

We helped ourselves to the raw bar, filling up a bowl with two kinds of oysters, crab claws, and peeled shrimp.

I didn't care for the cold crab claws, but the shrimp and oysters were both huge and succulent. They just needed better options for dipping/toppings. Available was lemon juice, hot sauce, and traditional cocktail sauce. A little boring, and it could really be stepped up a notch to enhance this raw bar experience by the river.

In need of something more substantial than the oysters we'd now consumed at both Pier W and Rusty Anchor, we eventually moved on to Tremont. But, wow, what a great time taking advantage of some water views in Cleveland. We need more of them! I could see the newly constructed building for Zack Bruell's Alley Cat restaurant that is set to open on the east bank soon, and I think that Cleveland will be in for a real treat there. Rusty Anchor just didn't live up to my expectations that night, but hopefully, over time, the menu will be tweaked and it will provide the river dining experience that we're all craving. We'll go back to experience the full menu, but so far, I haven't heard positive reviews from other "foodie" friends.

Has anyone else been to the Rusty Anchor for dinner yet, or been to a live music show at the Music Box Supper Club?

Rusty Anchor at Music Box Supper Club
1148 Main Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44113