In Cleveland Heights, near Nighttown on Cedar Road, the restaurant is serving up Middle Eastern Mezze (or "small dishes"). Lucky for us, my friend had already dined there, so she helped guide us on how many and what to order.
Top of her list was the Harissa Peanut Hummus ($10) served with fresh pita. They have three different versions of hummus on the menu.
Other than the long line of diners waiting to get in and the hour and a half we waited for a table, you'd never know that the restaurant just opened. There were no service issues, and the quality and pacing of the food was top notch. But word is spreading fast, and they don't currently take reservations, so be prepared to wait if you're trying to dine on a popular night or time. No fear, there are good drinks just down the street at Parnell's Pub or Fairmount. My only "complaint" is that a few areas of the dining room are communal seating, which I personally don't care for.
I walked away thinking that this was one of the best meals I've had in Cleveland in a while, and that says a lot because you all know that we eat good around here! I purposefully didn't order a few small plates that I knew Mr. H would love to try, so we'll be going back soon.
I walked away thinking that this was one of the best meals I've had in Cleveland in a while, and that says a lot because you all know that we eat good around here! I purposefully didn't order a few small plates that I knew Mr. H would love to try, so we'll be going back soon.
I didn't find the "heat" in this dish, but the notes of coconut milk sung through and I really enjoyed this dish. We also had a chance to hear from the Executive Kitchen Manager, who has been with Sarava since it opened. He shared with us that his favorite dish on the menu is their Xim Xim- a slow braised stew. Then we enjoyed a demonstration on how to make the cocktail that was paired with the dish- a traditional Brazilian Caipirinha. It was strong, but tart and tasty!
Next, we wandered across Shaker Square (led by our guide, Todd) to Japanese restaurant SaSa Matsu.
Here we enjoyed a Lamb Mini Burger on homemade sesame buns with SaSa fries. The dish was paired with two kinds of sake.
The spices in the lamb burger left my tongue dancing, and I really enjoyed the kimcee slaw that topped the burger.
we were served a 4 oz. Tandoor Roasted Hanger Steak with leek bread pudding, crumbled bleu, sauteed spinach and porcino jus paired with a red wine.
This was my favorite dish of the evening, overall. The steak was cooked perfectly, and the flavors of the rich bread pudding, sharp bleu cheese, and earthy spinach all worked very well together. We also really enjoyed listening to Katz talk about his love affair with Shaker Square, and his passion for our area's restaurant community and their friendly competition. And it's true, our independent restaurant community is unique if you look across the country. Todd, our guide, compared our restaurant owners to siblings- "You'll push them in the puddle, tease them, but if they fall- you're there to pick them up." Katz also told us about his partnership with the museum and their new restaurant in the works, and a new addition to the fire location- an "underground", almost speakeasy, restaurant next door to the current restaurant. This should open up in the next few months.
It included fresh mozzarella and shaved parmesan, but my favorites were the gorgonzola and the cranberry stilton. We also enjoyed a wonderful Syrah at this stop.
