The Black Pig

Tuesday's review was less than flattering, so I want to switch gears and share my experiences with a new favorite-- The Black Pig in Ohio City. The newly opened restaurant is from Chef Michael Nowak (formally of Bar Cento and Market Garden Brewery), and it is quickly becoming one of my favorite restaurants in the neighborhood. I've enjoyed two wonderful dinners, and a recent brunch at this spot, so it's time to stop keeping this place a secret from you.

"R" and I went in a couple of months ago for dinner, and enjoyed pork three ways that night. The pork belly appetizer was cooked to perfection, and had a crispy crust to it but yet melted in my mouth like butter. Pork belly should never really need a knife. We also had the cassoulet (which had several different pork products, and the chef had been preparing it for two days before it landed on the specials menu), and the pork tenderloin special that evening. The cassoulet was my favorite, by far. It was packed with flavor, and perfect comfort food for an unusually chilly night. The pork tenderloin was seasoned and cooked well, but not memorable.

My second dinner there was with some good friends, and I ordered the Simple Salad with greens, radish, and a lemon and tarragon vinaigrette. Nothing special here, but a nice light salad to start the meal. For my entree, I had the Pan Seared Scallops that were served with kale and a small portion of risotto that night. For the price, I was surprised to receive five large scallops. That's almost unheard of, and they had a perfect sear and translucent center to them. Another great meal!

Then, "R" and I ended up there for Sunday brunch a couple of weeks ago. The brunch menu is not posted online, and when we arrived we weren't thrilled with the descriptions. There didn't appear to be many "breakfast" options. But we decided to just order three of the small plates to share, and a side of Toast with truffle butter ($4).

Solid toast, but so not worth the price tag.

We tried the Herb Omelette with Fromager d'Affonis and dressed greens ($7). Look at that huge piece of cheese!

The Braised Pork Belly and Egg with potato, fall hash, and hollandaise ($9).

And the Free Range Toad in a Hole with egg, brioche, raclette, and black truffle ($6).

I seriously couldn't pick a favorite dish of these three. I would order any of them again. The menu may have not excited us when we first saw it, but thankfully we were very wrong.

So, after three memorable meals at The Black Pig, I can confidently say that it is quickly becoming my go-to spot for a nice meal in Ohio City. They also have a large bar area that is great for stopping in and having just drinks. Wine on tap (the cool new craze), and a solid list of beer, wine, and cocktails. I almost hate to share this with you, because we've easily been able to make last-minute reservations or just walk in, but do yourself a favor and get your butt there!

Some nay-sayers have voiced that they feel a restaurant named "The Black Pig" doesn't have enough pork on the menu. Well, it's used in at least one dish on almost every section of the menu, there are always nightly dinner specials, and I personally have had pork four ways already. We can agree to disagree. Also, you can't mistake the smell of pork wafting from the kitchen as you dine. The smells become almost overwhelming at times.

Welcome to the neighborhood, The Black Pig! A great addition, in my opinion. I look forward to many more memorable meals there.

The Black Pig
1865 West 25th Street
Cleveland, OH 44113
216-862-7551

Kumo Buffet in Parma

Sorry for the hiatus, readers. With the holiday, long weekend, and the terrible head cold that "R" and I have been fighting for two weeks...I just haven't felt like writing. I hope that you all enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving, filled with family, friends, fun, and of course--good food.

Speaking of good food, I wish that today's post was about that--but it's not. "R" and I were recently out running errands and needed to grab an impromptu quick bite to eat in the Parma area. In the mood to try something new, I suggested heading to Kumo Japanese Seafood Buffet. After reading another blogger's rave review, and seeing photographs of the extensive sushi buffet and other offerings, I was intrigued.

Sadly, the buffet was really disappointing. Not that one should ever have high expectations for a buffet, but it still didn't even meet the low bar that I had set in my mind. It did offer a HUGE selection of sushi and hand rolls, traditional Japanese and Chinese dishes, and even a few "American" options for the less adventuresome.

While we certainly didn't try everything, what we did have was lackluster and most of the sushi was just plain scary looking. The fish looked dry and some have even started to brown around the edges, and the vegetables were wilted and unappetizing to look at. I found a couple of pieces that didn't scream "food poisoning", and even those were bland and certainly not fresh.

Items like the lo mien, fried rice, steamed dumplings, and edamame were all perfectly standard and acceptable. But I've had better. Spicy octopus was gummy and impossible to bite through, mussels were dried out and smelled fishy, and even the crab legs were disappointing.

Overall, it was a pretty bad buffet experience and I wouldn't set foot in there again. My expectations were low, but geez. The only thing that I regret not trying was the hibachi. You create your own bowl of goodies, and then staff cook it right there for you. For $14.99, the dinner buffet is a deal, but to me that's not worth compromising quality. Plenty of cheap food out there that is way better!

Kumo Japanese Seafood Buffet
1975 Snow Road
Parma, OH 44134
216-741-3038

Blog Swap! Favorite Places from Beer and Clothing in Cleveland

Today is the Ohio Blogging Association's state-wide blog swap, where participating bloggers are paired up, and we're sharing posts on each other's blogs. Today, I have a post for you from Katie at Beer and Clothing in Cleveland. My post about the CLEDinnerClub is over on Julie's blog at Wearing Mascara. Enjoy!

Cleveland's food scene never ceases to amaze me. Our restaurant offerings are what I would claim is the biggest change I've witnessed in the city. Maybe it's because I grew up in the 'burbs but I think I'm onto something from all of the grand openings I've seen now living on the West Side. I can remember when there was just one Melt people! Now there's four, Lakewood (which boasts the original Aladdin's as well,) Cleveland Heights, Independence and now Mentor. I cannot stand to hear one more person say "I'm not sure if it was worth the wait." Melt is always worth the wait, always. Sorry, I digress...

One of the hardships that come with lots of new exciting places to dine out is not being able to pick a favorite. I know, must be terrible. One thing I would love to be though is a regular somewhere! I want to walk in to somewhere that knows my name, knows my poison, and knows if there might be a special to top my "usual." I'm working on it. Katrina's blog excels at making the restaurant experience personal (From Katrina-- awww, thank you!!) and so, for this blog swap, I wanted to share a few restaurants I personally recommend.

1. Maxi's Bistro in Little Italy. My better half will not be pleased that I'm making this public knowledge. The establishment is not particularly big and it is one place in Cleveland we routinely visit. If you ever get the last order of the Penne Pasta Alla Flavia before I do, words will be had. I typically prefer my dishes to "let the ingredients speak for themselves." This sauce changes everything. I want to put it on everything. I can't keep Boyface out of it frankly. In the fall, they have a drink consisting of apple cider and bourbon. The staff is always warm and friendly and the back patio is perfect when the weather accommodates My one hint here: order bread fast and often. The bread is put in the oven fresh for each table and we occasionally are without bread for the meal. Normally I don't eat bread during the meal but with a sauce like that, it's practically a sin to go without. (From Katrina-- the sauces at this classic Italian place are sooo good)

2. SOHO in Ohio City. I've reviewed SOHO at my blog before but I can't help but mention it again. This is the kind of place I want to be a regular at. I've never had a bad dish, bad service, and most importantly, a bad drink. We've been there just the two of us for drinks and the cheese board. We've been there on a double date. We've been for a very hungover, much needed brunch. We've been to the bar, an intimate table in a corner, and out in the patio with a big ole' umbrella. It was meant to be that we happened to wander in on their public opening night. My favorite dishes so far are the chicken-fried pork salad and shrimp po'boy. Doesn't look like the have the shrimp po'boy yet. I'm crossing my fingers for a crawdad po'boy someday!

3. Eddy & Iggy's. This is a place where I've been a regular. My first place in Lakewood was of walking distance, so we spent a lot of time here. A lot of happy hours, sports games, and late nights. This is a place where they knew my name...they might not anymore but the owner recognizes us. It's been fun to watch Eddy & Iggy's evolve into the bar they are now. They have a few homebrews, always delicious and dangerously potent. I have yet to have a bad dish here too. You would be hard pressed to find anything healthy but it's simple to find something that just tastes good. My favorite is their soft-pretzel sticks. They are perfectly crispy on the outside with a delightful contrast of fluff on the inside. I didn't know one could have a preference on a stadium food, but I do now. My only caveat is this- Eddy & Iggy's now hosts karaoke seven nights a week. How does a sports bar get away with being a karaoke bar? I'm not quite sure, but it works for me. It does not sit well with everyone I love though. Did I mention it's within stumbling distance of one of my close girlfriend's apartments now? There may be an Eddy & Iggy's renaissance in my near future, hope to see you there!



Thank you, Katie, for sharing some of your favorites with my readers! This is why I love blog swapping-- I've never been to Eddy & Iggy's. Who's meeting us there?

Holiday Shopping

I have actually gotten a jump start on my Christmas shopping for my family (and "R") this year, which never happens. In the past, I've liked to use www.gifts.com for inspiration. It still led me to some great ideas this year, but now I am also using Pinterest. Ahh, Pinterest, what did we do without you?

I wanted to share a few fun ideas for the foodie in your life...

Cocktail Buffet Plates

These are great to have at parties when everyone is standing around grazing! You don't have to worry about finding a place to set down your wine glass while you eat.

Fruit Infusion Pitcher

Personally, I love to add cucumber to water for a refreshing beverage. But the possibilities are endless with this pitcher.

Auto-measure Spice Rack

This rotating rack is idiot-proof for the foodie who may not be the best home cook (cough, cough...me), or just plain easy to use for the frequent cook.

The Sriracha Cookbook

My favorite condiment! I can only imagine all of the tasty, and spicy, recipes in this book.

Have you found any great gifts for the cook, craft beer lover, wine aficionado, or lover of all things food-related this season? Please share! I still have a ways to go before my shopping will be done.

Delmonico's Steakhouse

This weekend was relatively low-key for us, which was great. Friday, I wasn't feeling well and had to skip Alexa's event at Noodlecat. It led to some pho from Minh Anh. Soup just always makes everything slightly better when you're feeling ill. Plus, my $6.75 Large Pho Saigon gave me three meals out of it! (Dining Deals Alert!)

Saturday morning, I managed our weekly team run for the Liver Life Challenge program. I have the best team, and coach, this year! They are nine weeks into the program now, and absolutely killing the training and fundraising. The group is just awesome, and we're going to have a great time in Disney for the marathon in January. After our monthly team breakfast at Yours Truly after the run, I did some shopping with a friend (but couldn't find anything that I was looking for). By the time I got home, it was almost dinner time and we didn't have a plan (or groceries). "R" was suddenly craving a steak, so we decided to try Delmonico's Steakhouse in Independence.

Part of the Hospitality Restaurant Group (Blue Point, Salmon Dave's, Cabin Club, Rosewood), it's the closest to home for us but we've both never been. The atmosphere was exactly what I expected-- dark woods, deep red leather booths, retro furnishings and decor, and a real "old boys' club" feel to it. A classic steakhouse. We didn't have a reservation since it was an impromptu date night, but after only a few minutes we were seated in a booth in the bar area.

We decided to try the Bocce Balls with sweet peppers and herbed boursin cheese, flash fried ($7). The dish included five small balls, a marinara sauce, and some grated cheese. Personally, I though that the balls were bland and the sauce was too sweet. I couldn't find the flavor of the peppers, and the cheese had completely melted into a watery substance that squirted out the side of the ball when you tried to snag it with your fork. Big disappointment.

"R" was in the mood to splurge, and I wasn't fighting him when he encouraged me to order the Surf and Turf special of the night.

The lobster tail was one of the biggest, and best, that I've ever had. It was so delicious. The garlic mashed potatoes were very garlicky, but I enjoyed them. A standard classic. Luckily, there were only two asparagus spears, because they were incredibly boring and mushy, yet al dente at the same time. It was so weird, and I quickly moved on. The filet was cooked medium-rare, as requested, and was it was a decent steak overall. The Bearnaise sauce served on the side was creamy and rich, but I personally feel that a great steak doesn't need a sauce and should be able to stand on its own. All it needs is a little pepper or minimal seasoning to really be a great steak, in my opinion. This steak was a little under seasoned, and benefited from the sauce.

"R" ordered the Double Cut Filet with the seasonal vegetables and mushroom risotto as sides. He loved the seasonal vegetables, a medley of squash, zucchini, and roasted red peppers, but the mushroom risotto was terrible. It was watery, and bland. Notice a theme of the meal? Not worth the $6 side dish charge, for sure.

Overall, our bill was just over $125 before tax and tip. Certainly a "splurge" night for us, and we left feeling underwhelmed by the food. Which is never how you want to feel when enjoying a nice night out. I think that there are much better steaks in Cleveland, so I wouldn't recommend Delmonico's. What restaurant in the Cleveland area has your favorite steak?

Delmonico's Steakhouse
6001 Quarry Lane
Independence, OH 44131
216-573-1991