Conforti

When Conforti opened in January in Tremont, we knew that we'd have to try it because as chef David Kocab has made his way through kitchens like Trentina, The Black Pig, Ushabu, and Bar Oni...we've become big fans. 

Chef/owner Matt Spinner and Kocab are focusing on takeout only, Thursday - Monday. Delivery is available from Uber Eats. 

Immediately their Meatballs started hitting my Instagram feed. They did not disappoint!

But our favorite of the meal (and Kocab's personal favorite combo) was the Tomato Braised Cod with red sauce, capers, olive tapenade and parsley salad and a side of the Grilled Rapini with fried garlic, red chili flake, and lemon.

The Fried Arancini is served with garlicky pesto aioli for dipping.

The Gulf Shrimp are cooked in caper butter served with parsley and grilled lemon.

The menu changes slightly, so you want to keep your eyes peeled. There's more that we plan to try (hello, Personal Pan Lasagna and Gnocchi Alla Romana), but that Cod, the Rapini, and Meatballs will be hard to resist ordering over and over again.

Conforti
2173 Professor Avenue
Cleveland, OH
(216) 334-9746 

Date Night at Visible Voice Books

We hadn't been to the adorable Visible Voice Books in Tremont prior to the pandemic, but when they started offering a Create-Your-Own-Night package that provided a private 90 minutes of browsing the book store, one large two-topping pizza from Crust (located just below), and a bottle of wine for just $50...we knew it was the perfect pandemic date night that we needed.

We had such a wonderful time in November that we immediately booked a second date for March. They are full about two months out, but have since added a weekend Brunch and Browse option as well with pastries from nearby Leavened, coffee and two mimosas per person, and 100 minutes of the store to yourself for just $40 (for two, $15 each for additional guests). 

In addition to checking out the "local" section of the store, we spent quite a bit of time in the Cooking section. If you've been following along on my Instagram for my adventures in learning how to cook, a lot of the recipes I've been using since December have been from Alison Roman's Nothing Fancy. Highly recommend! 

Then we settled in for our pepperoni, mushroom, and diced garlic pizza. 

Yes, we travel with our own Mike's Hot Honey.

You also have access to ordering anything additional from Crust or Proof BBQ, so we couldn't resist trying the Pork Belly Steamed Buns ($9). 

They needed more pickled items for brightness and crunch, but overall were tasty.

The private bookings have been successful for them, so they are considering keeping them post-pandemic. My vote is YES! This is totally something we'd love to do even in a "normal" world again. But in case we don't have the chance, book your own now before they are gone. 

Visible Voice Books
2258 Professor Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44113
(216) 961-0084

Terrapin Bakery

Who doesn't love a morning stop at a local bakery? While ours are usually limited to weekends, we enjoy popping in for fresh pastries, bread to accompany some dish we're making at home, or breakfast to kickstart our day.

We didn't have to travel far from home recently to discover a new favorite, Terrapin Bakery.

Located on W. 14th Street in Tremont (closer to the circle by Steelyard Commons), street parking is free and we had no issue finding a spot right out front on a Sunday morning.

It is a small shop, so we waited outside for a bit as a few other customers got their orders (and the line grew after we went in, they clearly are popular). Long enough that I could stare in at their tempting case of sweets!

I was also greeted by racks of fresh donuts upon entering. Some of the flavors sounded so good, and more unusual than your basics. 

But, we were there for the Breakfast Sandwiches (inspired by our neighbor and friend Amanda's recent Instagram post). So they aren't actually listed on the website, but the shop has several different sandwiches to select from. All come on your choice of bagel or English muffin and with herbed cream cheese and cheddar. 

I had the Bacon and Egg on a Bagel. I appreciated that the bacon was crumbled so that it didn't slide out on bite one as it often can.

And Mr. H had the same (as they were out of Sausage that morning) but on an English Muffin.

Both were very good, as I did snag a bite of his as well. The muffin was almost biscuit-like.

We didn't sample anything else yet, but visit them for your cakes, cupcakes, donuts and other breakfast breads, cookies and bars, and other desserts. Just don't miss out on these yummy breakfast sandwiches while you're there!

Terrapin Bakery

3146 W. 14th Street

Cleveland, OH 44109

(216) 256-7915

Leavened Opens in Tremont

If you haven't heard yet, the head baker at On the Rise in Cleveland Heights, Ian Herrington, has left to open his own thing, Leavened, on the ground floor of The Tappan in Tremont. Nestled in the modern and sleek residential building, this spacious bakery is a stunner.

Besides the literal wall of bread that greets you from behind the counter, you'll also find tempting sweet and savory pastries.

It was hard not to just order one of everything!

In addition to two regular croissants (so freakin' good!) to save for the following days, we couldn't resist the Duxelle Croissant ($3.75) made with locally foraged maitake mushrooms that was a special that day. Buttery, decadent and a pop of umami in your mouth.

We also split a Citrus Cinnamon Bun ($4) that morning that was pure perfection.

The next day we shared another special, the Pepperoni Roll ($4.50) that Mr. H still won't shut up about. I hope it becomes a regular menu item, because it deserves to be. 

Lastly, a loaf of Sourdough ($6.50) lasted us for days of breakfast and this Brie, Prosciutto, and Peach Jam Grilled Cheese that I made for us.

They are also currently offering two sandwiches daily, with plans to add soups and more in the future. Open 6:30AM - 2PM for now, but will expand its hours at a later date. There is street parking available. Masks required, limited number of people allowed in at a time, plexiglass dividers, and distance signs posted, so we felt very safe with the COVID-19 precautions in place there.

Run, don't walk, to this new bakery.

Leavened

1633 Auburn Avenue

Cleveland, OH 44113

Literary Tavern

In the quest to still work through the restaurants on my 2020 To Dine Challenge list, we ordered carry-out from Literary Tavern in Tremont.

Luckily, we had already experienced their atmosphere when we stopped in for drinks with friends back in January. 

It honors the historic elements of the 150-year-old building, while feeling chic and a bit sexy. The intimate tavern only seats 45 guests, and has some killer craft cocktails in addition to beer and wine. With a chef-driven menu and not far from home, this is exactly the type of place that will be in regular rotation for us. Stupid pandemic.

We're trying to do our part to support our favorite local restaurants through this, so we decided to go ahead and order takeout since we'd already experienced inside of Literary Tavern. At that point, I was still holding out hope that late summer or fall would bring some level of comfort with dining out for us.

We started with the Roasted Mushrooms ($9) of cremini, shiitake and oyster mushrooms with goat cheese, chili oil, and crostini. I'm a sucker for mushrooms, and this was enjoyable even as takeout so I can imagine the good and hot version being excellent.

Then we split the Muffuletta ($8) with olive bread, mortadella, soppressata, porchetta, olive tapenade, provolone, and pesto.

And Charred Corn Carbonara ($12) with charred corn, leeks, crispy ham, pecorino romano, leek ash, and house made linguine.

Both were delicious, but I didn't expect anything less from the same owner as Cantine and D'Agnese's in Broadview Heights, as I've always had good meals at both places. 

I hope this newish tavern makes it through the pandemic, because I foresee many more meals and plenty of cocktail visits in our future. 

Literary Tavern

1031 Literary Road

Cleveland, OH 44113

(216) 862-1916

Tales from Social Distancing...

As we enter Week 11, it still seems a little surreal that it's been that long. I drove a car this weekend for the first time since March 16. Weird to think about. 

But we're hanging in there in at home. Now enjoying the sights, sounds, and smells of full-blown Spring.

There are still a handful of chilly and damp days, so one of those evenings we ordered in Gnocchi al Burro from Trattoria Roman Garden in Little Italy. I can't speak to the rest of the menu, but that gnocchi makes an appearance once a year for us!

Do you remember when I recently visited Tapatia's Taqueria? Well we discovered their sister restaurant Hacienda Tapatia, and it was just as good. I still prefer the Chile Poblano from Cozumel, but their version of Chile Rellenos slid into the #3 spot for me (close behind Luchita's).

We're still supporting The Black Pig once a week, and we recently enjoyed their Pasta Night for 2. Their house made pastas have always been excellent, so it was great to experience them again.

I have always loved getting lost in a good book and used to devour 5-7 books a week when I was a kid on summer break, but as an adult I don't read much fiction anymore because I have a hard time putting a book down once I'm reading. It often leads to staying up into the wee hours of the morning until I finish, and then I pay the price for days. With self-quarantine, I decided it was a perfect time to distract my mind and dive into a couple of books. My new gorgeous bookmark from Oceanne makes it feel extra special. Any recommendations?

One of the things I'm enjoying about takeout these days is focusing on foods that we (by "we" we all know I mean Mr. H) don't make at home. Indian falls into that category, and we enjoyed Chicken Tikka Masala from Tandul in Tremont. They have the best Garlic Cheese Naan that I've had locally.

I'm really missing "my people" during this. So Mr. H and I decided to take a random day off of work, whip up some Ramp & Spinach Pesto (thanks for the recipe, Meghan!), and deliver jars with a note to a few of our favorite neighbors. It felt great to take that time to step away from the stress of work to do something nice for people we care about and miss.

The last takeout experience that I want to share with you is the Walnut Shrimp from Li Wah in AsiaTown. It's always been my favorite dish there if I'm not doing dim sum, and after eating it again, it inspired us to try and make a version at home this week. Fingers crossed!

Stay tuned later this week, because I've been slowly starting to tackle takeout from 2020 To Dine Challenge restaurants to still try and complete the list this year. Only 5 more to go!

Li Wah
2999 Payne Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44114

Tandul
2505 Professor Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44113

The Black Pig

2801 Bridge Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44113

Trattoria Roman Garden

12207 Mayfield Road
Cleveland, OH 44106

Hacienda Tapatia
1572 W. 117
Lakewood, OH 44107

Ushabu Omaske

Mr. H and I hadn't been to Tremont's Ushabu in quite some time, so when a silent auction package came up this fall for a 7-course Omaske Tasting with premium sake pairings for 2 people...I scooped it up, and we decided to use it to kick off his birthday celebrations there. It was a milestone birthday (shh), so I wanted it to be extra special.

The meal kicked off with certainly the prettiest of presentations.

Each chef's whim dish was very different from the last.

And there wasn't a bad bite to the whole thing.

The next two courses were my favorite, with flavors of mushroom, truffle, beef, marrow, and more.

The little Japanese "pancakes" made a lovely sweet vehicle for the rich bone marrow.

Homemade udon noodles with charred fennel and soy paired well with the fish course for our last savory course of the evening.

The chocolate pot de crème and matcha whipped cream was the only course I didn't care for. But I think matcha in general is not a flavor I enjoy, and dessert is always my least favorite thing of any meal.

The sake we sampled was selected perfectly by Matt Spinner, and our buddy Chef David Kocab (formally of The Black Pig) had just stepped in to take over the helm in the kitchen just days before we dined there. You'll see some menu changes on the near horizon, and we're excited to see what these guys come up with next.

Ushabu

2173 Professor Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44113
(216) 713-1741

Weekend Bites: Anniversary Edition

Well, it's Friday, but I'm still going to fill you in on our past weekend because it was a good one! Mr. H and I celebrated our five-year wedding anniversary, and there was no shortage of celebratory moments.

On Friday evening (our actual anniversary), I surprised him by picking up Salted Caramel cupcakes (our wedding cake) from A Cookie and a Cupcake in Tremont. I topped them with our original cake topper (a joke about how he made me wait almost 8 years before we "finally" married). And I arrived home to a surprise of my own, a floral arrangement made to mimic my wedding bouquet from Urban Orchid. Mr. H is incredibly thoughtful. I'll keep him.

Then we headed out the door to the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo for their new Wild Winter Lights event.

Not only is the zoo the site of our "first date" in Cleveland the first weekend I visited him from NY...

...but we also got engaged there. So it's a special place for us, and this new event was a perfect way to celebrate. The lights were beautiful, there were a lot of activities, and the weather was great that evening.

However, we were ready to warm up and fill our bellies after walking around outside. So we headed to Urban Farmer Cleveland in downtown. We hosted our rehearsal dinner there five years ago, and that experience is still one of my favorite moments of the wedding weekend.

Any meal at Urban Farmer must start with their signature Cornbread cooked in a tin can. It's some of the best I've had.

We also shared their Calamari before Mr. H enjoyed their Trout and I dove into a 21-day dry-aged Filet with tallow butter and blue cheese. It was a really lovely meal.

The celebrating wasn't over, and we jumped in the car the next morning to head to Gervasi Vineyard in Canton. More on that later!

After a wonderful night away, it was great to get back home and have Mr. H back in the kitchen whipping up amazing meals like these Pork Chops from Saucisson and a roasted butternut squash, brussels sprouts, pecans, and dried cherries mix that makes a great side dish for these colder months.

Having an anniversary smack in the middle of holiday season can sometimes feel overwhelming or not ideal, but I always appreciate taking the time to slow down and focus on celebrating with each other. This year was special--- our first big milestone, so we did it up!

Weekend Bites

After traveling for work last weekend and being down for the count with a terrible upper respiratory infection for another, I was READY to be home and have some fun around town and enjoy being home with Mr. H and the pooches.

We kicked off Friday with a quick dinner and glass of wine at Opal on Pearl, just down the street from home. Tony had a Buffalo Chicken Dip on special, and it hit the spot!

As we wrapped up our meal, we were in the mood for a sweet treat and Lilly Chocolates and Confections was still open. Woo hoo!

Not only did the truffles do the trick to satisfy our sweet tooth, but I also snagged one of their Chocolate Advent Calendars. Now I'm all set to celebrate the next holiday once Thursday is over this week.

On Saturday, we bummed around town doing some errands. That included picking up some copper candle holders that I purchased from Helm Collective (seriously, following her adorable shop on Instagram is dangerous). That also gave me the opportunity to shoot next door to All Things for You, where I scooped up this brass and copper potpourri container. 

We had a fancy date night planned for that evening, to celebrate Mr. H losing 40.4 pounds in the recent Biggest Loser Competition at work. After a stop at The Spotted Owl...

...for a craft cocktail that is always the "Bee's Knees"...

...we headed to Luca, because he was seriously craving some carbs. Their Sacchetti is always celebration-worthy.

Sunday was spent at home with my goofballs.

We got to end the weekend on a very high note, with a new recipe really knocking our socks off. Mr. H made this Sea Bass San Sebastian, and it will be on regular rotation now.

Phew! We crammed a lot in this weekend, and my lingering cough didn't get in the way too much. Short week ahead, before the Thanksgiving festivities! 2019 was a hard year, and this holiday will be bittersweet without my dad for the first time on his favorite holiday. But I have so much to be thankful for, and you all are a part of that. So thank you.

What were you up to this weekend?