AMP Fest 2014

On Friday evening, "R" and I attended the inaugural AMP Fest event at AMP 150 on West 150th Street. The event included live music from the Westies...

...cocktails and beer from vendors like Cleveland Whiskey and Buckeye Brewing Company...

...a silent auction, and food from five chefs. The chef lineup included stations from AMP 150's own Dean James Max...

...who took this whole fish, grilled it for all eyes to see (next to an amazing wild boar from Chef Brad Phillips of Asador)...

...and turned it into some really tasty fish tacos with Asian greens and a pepper aioli.

Also, AMP 150's Executive Chef Jeff Jarrett was grilling up some chicken thighs that even made this self-proclaimed chicken-hater drool.

The red onion jam and blackberry BBQ sauce had wonderful flavor, and the meat was so tender and moist.

The event was held in the outdoor courtyard, and it was filled with tantalizing smells as attendees wandered about and enjoyed the evening.

The event was just $40 for all-you-can-eat, all-you-can-drink from 5-9pm. A $5 donation from each ticket sale benefited the Children's Miracle Network, and they were able to raise over $2,000 for the organization.

Great food, fun cocktails and beer, watching the chefs grill right in front of you, live music, and a family of ducks made for a fantastic evening. One that I hope they repeat! There is talk of making this an annual event, so fingers crossed. Don't miss the next one. Always keep you eye on AMP 150 events. The food is outstanding, and always a steal for the ticket price.

Disclosure: I was provided with two media passes in exchange for pre-event promotion. I chose to share my experience with you post-event because it was a great event, and one that you should attend in the future. All opinions are 100% my own.

Cincinnati Eats: Jean-Robert's Table

I just got back from a working weekend in Cincinnati.

These weekends can be tough, because they include a long drive, early mornings, physically and mentally being "on," and then I go two weeks without a weekend break in between. I've had several of these lately, but I finally made it through our spring events. Cincinnati was the last. Luckily, we did get a little "down" time too, and were able to enjoy two nice meals and a boat tour while we were visiting the city.

The first amazing meal that we had was on Friday night after we arrived in Cincinnati. We dined at Jean-Robert's Table in Downtown.

I loved the eclectic atmosphere of the restaurant. Charming, interesting, comfortable with class, and touches of France. Our server was attentive, with the exception of a huge gap in time after our entrees had been cleared, and he had a dry sense of humor that led to some funny one-liners.

This restaurant is not for the faint of heart. You'll find snails, liver, tartar, frog legs, and more. It was right up our alley! The menu sounded very appealing, but then our server hit us with the laundry list of specials that evening. Frankly, it was too long, and a printed menu of the specials would have been helpful. Too much to remember! 

"R" and I decided to share the Foie Gras special.

He deemed this the "best foie gras" he'd ever had. That sauce was delectable.

We also shared the Surf and Turf Tartar ($14) from the regular menu.

It was very good and I would recommend it, but the version at Luca in Cleveland still stands out in my mind.

I had the Halibut special.

It had a hazelnut crust, mushrooms, fingerling potatoes, fennel, pea shoots, and a light sauce. The fish was cooked perfectly, and everything had nice flavor. So much so, that I kind of wanted the flavor of the sauce to be stronger. They certainly know how to create great sauces there.

"R" had the server surprise him for his entree, and he ended up with the Veal Strip ($36). He liked, but didn't love, this dish.

We truly enjoyed our meal, and the food was so beautifully plated that it was a work of art. Even the salads our two dining companions had looked almost too good to eat. This French-Contemporary chef has quite the list of awards and accolades, and is best known for his role as chef de cuisine at the legendary 5-Star Maisonette in Cincinnati.

Thanks to a recommendation from a fellow Clevelander, we had stumbled right into one of the best restaurants in Cincinnati. I'd head back to Jean-Robert's in a heartbeat for a nice, fancy meal.

Jean-Robert's Table
713 Vine Street
Cincinnati, OH
513-621-4777

Lincolns and Short Ribs

The Lincoln Motor Company rolled into Cleveland late last week to offer a unique event. They had partnered with Chef Rocco Whalen of Fahrenheit in Tremont. The event was open to the public. It was simple. Make a reservation at the restaurant during the special event, test drive a Lincoln (your choice from several models), take two surveys (before and after), and then you could enjoy a complimentary three-course meal with two cocktails at the restaurant. Sounds too good to be true, right? Well, it was even better than I had expected.

Each of these events in their national tour has a PR focus to tell the story of how the Lincoln Motor Company is reinventing themselves as a brand. What do you think of Lincolns? I'm going to be completely honest. I have always viewed them as an "old person's car" and way too high out of our price range. Same with Buick. It looks like these brands are trying to tell a different story recently. The new Buick commercial is kind of funny, where people can't "find" the Buick because it looks too cool and reinvented. This national tour of Lincoln's is trying to achieve the same thing. Refresh the brand and expose people to the cars that may not have thought to test drive one before.

Unfortunately, it was POURING rain on Wednesday night. Hence, no pictures of the car or our test drive. We almost didn't keep our reservation. However, a tiny break in the rain encouraged us to pop up to Tremont, and I'm glad that we did. We test drove the Lincoln MKX crossover. This car starts at $38,575. Of course, you can get much higher with it fully loaded, but its starting price was lower than I had expected out of this larger crossover. We took it for a spin around Tremont, and it was incredibly quiet and smooth to drive. This particular model had most of the bells and whistles. Some of which are just worth paying for these days. "R" was drooling over the air conditioned seats. Not only can you have a warm bum in the winter, but a cool bum in the summer! The test drive and survey only took about ten minutes, and then we were whisked into the dining room of Fahrenheit. Not knowing what to expect for food from a free event, I was shocked when the event included a true three-course meal. Guests had the option to choose from a pre-selected list of Fahrenheit favorites.

We did the stuffed dates and pork belly steam buns for the first course.

"R" had the lobster macaroni and cheese, and I couldn't say no to the chance to have Rocco's famous Kobe Beef Short Ribs. It's been years since I've had them, and there is a reason that they are well-known. So tender, juicy, and Asian-inspired, they did not disappoint.

We finished the meal with dessert. I had the Chocolate Pot de Creme (not as good as I thought it would be), and "R" tried the Roasted Apple Crostata.

See the cute Lincoln symbol on the plate?!

We also enjoyed two (strong) cocktails each during the meal. All for just driving a car and giving our honest feedback.

I don't think that it increased my likelihood of considering a Lincoln during my next car purchase, or my perception of who owns Lincolns. We were considerably younger than the average diner at the event. However, it did expose us to a car that we may have gone out to test drive on our own, and its quality was certainly obvious. I loved the double sunroof, back-up assistance, quiet ride, and the thought of cool leather seats during the humid months in Cleveland. I appreciate that they are trying to change their image and make the brand more accessible, and what a fun way to do that! The restaurant was packed the entire time that we were there, despite the miserable weather conditions. Thanks for the drive and dine, Lincoln! Look for them in a city near you.

Disclosure: This event was free and open to the public with restaurant reservations. I was contacted by a media company representing Lincoln Motor Company to attend the event in exchange for this post and my honest feedback during the test drive. I did not receive anything that the public attendees did not receive. All opinions are 100% my own. 

Recipe: Lemon Garlic Scape Pasta

We're in Week Three of Fresh Fork, and really enjoying the experience. I love menu planning once the newsletter comes out, announcing what will be in the bag that week. Sometimes we receive items that we're not familiar with, or that you tend to cook in only one way. So, I'm also loving the Fresh Fork recipes included in the weekly newsletter.

This one, we adapted from the Week Two newsletter from Fresh Fork.


Garlic Scape Lemon Pasta (4 servings)

Ingredients: 
1 lb pasta cooked, drained (I recommend Ohio City Pasta's Garlic and Chive Linguine.)
4 tablespoons oil
2 Tbsp. butter
2 bunches garlic scapes, chopped into 1 inch pieces
4 cloves fresh minced garlic
2 lemons- zest some outer skin and then squeeze out the juice
2 cups shredded hard aged cheese (Parmesan/asiago or similar)
1 1/2 cut-up fresh tomato
Fresh spinach
1 cup fresh mushrooms

Cook pasta, reserving some pasta water.
Saute mushrooms until half-cooked.
Add spinach and saute until wilted, and mushrooms cooked through.
Heat oil in a another saute pan to medium heat.
Add scapes and cook until bright green (2-3 minutes).
Add garlic, cooking until fragrant (1-2 minutes).
Add butter and lemon juice, cook until melted.
Add cooked pasta, cheese, tomato, and lemon zest (leaving some zest for plating), cooking until warm.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Use reserved water to gain correct texture if dry.
Plate, topping with spinach, mushrooms, and additional zest.

This dish was phenomenal. Very lemon-y, but we both love lemon and anything citrus. We also had some leftover Fresh Fork chorizo and bok choy from pairing with mussels the night before, so we heated them back up and threw it on top of this dish. I think it would work very well with any seafood too.

It was a winner, and will become on regular rotation for us. Enjoy! 

Carnivore Wednesdays- TownHall

Wednesdays have a new meaning at Ohio City's TownHall. Meat. They recently introduced Carnivore: For the Love of Meat as the new Wednesday special. This paleo-friendly menu offers something that I was just talking about on this blog...meat on a stick. There aren't enough meat on sticks in the world! Well, look no further, because TownHall has got 'em.

I was invited in to sample the new special Wednesday menu last week, and the sampling included a surprise beverage pairing with each of the four courses. The pairings were expertly selected, and really brought out the flavor of the dishes or complimented it well. Overall, we enjoyed the four dishes, and TownHall continues to grow on me.

First, we tried the Pulled Pork Bacon and Bleu Meatballs, paired with a Lagunitas Pilsner.

This first dish ended up being my favorite of the evening. The balls themselves are made with smoked pork, smoked applewood thick-cut bacon, gorgonzola cheese, green onion, egg, and breadcrumbs. It is served with a tangy homemade steak sauce, that kept us dunking in for more.

Then, we had the Spicy Coconut Chicken, paired with one of my favorite beers--- Willoughby Brewing Company's Peanut Butter Cup Porter. This particular pairing stood out. The flavor of the beer was more subtle when tasted with the Thai peanut sauce, but the flavor of the sauce lingered in your mouth, brought out by the beer.

The grilled chicken breast is spiced with cayenne, cumin, garlic powder, and smoked paprika. Then, it is rubbed with shredded coconut and served with a Thai peanut sauce. I love Thai peanut sauce and peanut curry, but the addition of coconut was something that I hadn't had before. It worked well.

Our third sample was the Bean Bar Rubbed Ribs, paired with a Rock and Rye Slow and Low honey and orange rye whiskey.

Warning: MUST LOVE COFFEE. This bold sauce is bursting with coffee flavor. The housemade sauce is made from espresso beans, found at the TownHall bean bar thanks to their partnership with Rising Star Roasters. The barbecue sauce was tangy and delicious, but I did recommend that they try to grind the beans finer. It was a little gritty at times. The ribs themselves just fell right off the bone at the touch of a fork. They are marinated for 24 hours in brown sugar, cayenne pepper, chili powder, and smoked paprika. Then, slow roasted in Bell's Two Hearted IPA beer for three hours.

The last dish that we tried was the Marinated Flank Steak, paired with TownHall's very own blend of Jack Daniels Single Barrel that the staff themselves sampled and selected.

The strips of steak are marinated in brown sugar, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. They are served with a homemade chimmi churri sauce. This was my least favorite of the four dishes, but I wouldn't tell you not to order it. I had immediately smothered it in the sauce, but "R" tried some of the meat on its own and actually preferred it that way.

Please note that the pictures above reflect sample sizes for the tasting we were provided. They do represent the full menu of Carnivore, with the exception of the sample platter that includes all skewers. That would be a great option for a table to share. All dishes are served with fried plantains and slaw.

As I said, the food at TownHall is growing on me. My very first visit when they had just opened was far from satisfying, but I think that their food has significantly improved recently. I had a surprisingly good experience at their Vegan Night (on Mondays), and I've had a couple of great lunch meetings and delivery meals within the last six months. The grilled cheese bars have always been good, but now you can order them with a choice from their selection of soups, instead of just paired with the tomato. Also, I've gotten their black bean burger a couple of times now. It's a tad mushy, but really tasty! There wasn't one dish of the four we sampled at Carnivore that I wouldn't order again on my own.

I also really love both their front and back patios. The space has always been cool, and now the food is starting to match that appeal. However, consider yourself warned that very different crowds take over TownHall, depending on the time of day and day of the week. I'm really loving weekdays, and weekend afternoons. The crowd tends to get a little younger and heavy on the drinking on Friday and Saturday nights there.

So, if you're trying to find paleo-centric food in this city, or you just plain love meat, head to TownHall on Wednesdays now for Carnivore.

TownHall
1909 West 25th Street
Cleveland, OH

Disclosure: I was invited to sample their Carnivore menu. All food and beverage was complimentary, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are 100% my own.