Chefs Unbridled 2014

The popular event, Chefs Unbridled, benefitting Fieldstone Farm Therapeutic Riding Center is slated for Saturday, September 13th at the Chagrin Valley Hunt Club in Gates Mills. Eight of Cleveland’s premier chefs, led by Scott Kuhn and Chris Hodgson of Driftwood Restaurant Group, will prepare a delicious seasonal tasting dinner for 600 guests. In its fourth year, Chefs Unbridled is expected to be a sell-out.

"R" and I attended last year, so you can read about our experience here.

The rundown of talented chefs at this year’s event include:
Scott Kuhn, Restaurateur/Chef of Driftwood Restaurant Group
Chris Hodgson, Partner/Consulting Chef of Driftwood Restaurant Group
Tim Bando of Grove Hill in Chagrin Falls
Brad Cecchi of Urban Farmer Cleveland
Andy Dombrowski of Cowell & Hubbard
Jeff Jarrett of AMP 150 in Cleveland
Matt Mytro of Flour in Moreland Hills
Ian Thompson of Radius Restaurant at South Franklin Circle in Chagrin Falls

A pretty great lineup of chefs!

The event, which is the Center’s primary annual benefit to raise money for riders with special needs, will take place under a decorated tent on the grounds of the prestigious polo field in Gates Mills. In addition to cocktails and appetizers, guests will sample cuisine from various stations around the tent. Food trucks will be on site serving as well, including the addition of the ever-popular Hodge Podge truck. WKYC-TV3’s Kris Pickel will be Master of Ceremonies for the evening.

Entertainment will be provided by the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra, while guests can also enjoy a horse-drawn carriage ride throughout the grounds. A fundraising silent auction and raffle will also be part of the evening’s festivities.

Ticket prices begin at $125 and include a tax deductible donation to Fieldstone Farm Therapeutic Riding Center. Tables and sponsorship packages are also available. Reservations for Chefs Unbridled can be made before August 29th, however seating is limited and the event sold-out last year before the reservation date. For tickets contact Maureen Foster at 440-708-0013 ext. 123 or mfoster@fieldstonefarmtrc.com. To learn more about Fieldstone Farm Therapeutic Riding Center visit www.fieldstonefarmtrc.com.

Disclosure: I was provided two media passes in exchange for a preview blog post. All opinions stated are 100% my own. 

#ThisisCLE Culinary Tour: Part One

I had the chance to play ultimate culinary tour guide this weekend, thanks to Positively Cleveland. They contacted me a while back to see if I would be interested in partnering with them to host an out-of-town food blogger on a three-day culinary tour of our city. I got to set the itinerary, and all meals, tickets, and transportation would be covered. I didn't even hesitate to say "YES!"

Now that it's over, I don't even know how to begin to describe our three-days of culinary bliss. But, I'll try...

I was partnered with Sarah from EatPGH. Four friends are behind this food-blog-turned-brand, and they certainly know their Pittsburgh eats. They've turned their blog into a business, focusing now on event production and authoring wonderful dining guides. It's very inspiring, and I knew that I had my work cut out for me. I needed to impress. I couldn't let our city down. It was more pressure that I had originally thought, and selecting restaurants and attractions to visit during her short three days here was harder than it sounds! I think that I did a pretty good job, but you be the judge.

I'm going to have to break this tour into three parts, to summarize each day that we spent touring the city. Day one began on Thursday evening, with a quick stop at the last Edgewater Live event of the season. The Cleveland Metroparks introduced a fantastic new event to Edgewater Park this summer, bringing in live music, food trucks, and more. The weekly Thursday event was free to attend, and Clevelanders arrived in droves. Sarah was interested in hearing about our food truck scene, and it sounds like our city has embraced food trucks much quicker than Pittsburgh. I'm sure that they still have their challenges, but the amount of food trucks in Cleveland has grown exponentially over the last few years, and there seems to be a great community built around the concept. Working together on events like Walnut Wednesdays, and rallying behind all kinds of public events and causes. Sarah wanted to try a bite from at least one truck, so I recommended a taco from Touch Supper Club.

She enjoyed pulled pork and shrimp tacos, and I got my hands on my first Chorizo Mac n' Cheese Taco from Touch. The little patty of chorizo, macaroni, and cheese was breaded and fried. It held together well, and was still creamy when I bit into it. However, I do wish that the "scallion cream" on it had more flavor. For just $10, we enjoyed three good-sized tacos as a pre-dinner snack.

After a stroll around the park, I took her downtown to Playhouse Square.

With the addition of the new signage and outdoor chandelier, the area is impressive and just feels special. We're so fortunate to have such a large theatre district with amazing shows year-round.

We had dinner at Cowell and Hubbard.

While L'Albatros will always be my favorite, I had to bring her to at least one Zack Bruell restaurant during the trip.

We started off the meal with Bruell's famous cheese service.

While the other restaurants don't have quite the spread of selections like L'Albatros, the build-your-own cheese plate and presentation of the board is still unique at all Bruell restaurants. It takes "cheese plate" to a whole other level.

The kitchen also sent out their Crispy Pork Stack with vegetable risotto and a one-hour egg ($9).

The pulled pork was quite crispy on top, and balanced the creamy texture of the risotto well. The greens had a subtle heat to them, and I enjoyed this dish.

Getting a little full, and still needing room for dessert, we decided to share the Sea Scallops entree with pea puree, roasted fennel, and Thai curry cream sauce ($26).

I appreciated that they split the dish for us (only a half-portion pictured above). This dish was light in flavor, and a perfect end to our meal. We also decided that peas don't get enough recognition.

They didn't let us leave with a special after-dinner dessert wine.

Then, we walked over to Bin 216 for dessert. I hadn't been to the newly-opened Driftwood Catering spot, so I was interested to check it out.

Located inside of the Ohio Theatre, it has that great feel of an ornate, swanky theatre inside of the restaurant and bar. We settled ourselves into two plush chairs, and located the list of desserts.

Specializing in small plates and desserts, I was surprised by how limited the list of desserts was. From a handful of choices, we decided to share the Chocolate Fondue and the Pound Cake (pictured below).

The chocolate fondue was made with dark chocolate, so it was very rich and decadent. It arrived with mixed berries, pound cake, bananas, and then two original dippers: spicy bacon and mini s'mores. I haven't seen either served with fondue before. The pound cake, however, was disappointing. A little too dry and dense, for my personal taste.

This stop at Bin 216 was really the only disappointment during our three days. I loved the space itself, but the dessert menu needs some work, and there was only one other patron in the place on Thursday evening. I think that they opened two months ago a little too quietly. However, I did think that the small plates menu sounded appealing, and I'd like to go back to try some of the dishes.

Exhausted after a busy evening eating our faces off, we called it a night and headed back to the hotel/home. Day one was a wrap, and overall very successful. Tune in later this week to see where I took Sarah on day two and three!

What's one restaurant that you always take out-of-town guests to in Cleveland?

Disclosure: I partnered with Positively Cleveland to host a three-day culinary tour. All food, admission tickets, and travel expenses were paid for by Positively Cleveland. I also received a Cleveland-themed goodie bag. All opinions expressed are 100% my own. 

North Olmsted's Nuevo Acapulco

Remember my 2014 "To Dine" Challenge? Yup, me neither. I tend to take a hiatus during the summer, focusing on all of the great outdoor events and patio weather instead. The brief break is over, and it's time to kick my butt into high gear. I still had 7 left to go before January!

So, that took "R" and I to Nuevo Acapulco in North Olmsted this week. It was pouring rain, so the first thing that I noticed, and appreciated, is that it is connected to a motel by an overhang. A covered run to the restaurant door! There are only a handful of parking spots in front of the restaurant, but plenty of parking in the rear.

It's decorated in your typical American-Mexican decor, with some highlights like the brightly colored birds hanging from the ceiling.

The restaurant was bright, clean, and had both table and booth options. We sunk into a booth and started to browse the menu.

Normally, when dining out, I never like to order the same thing. However, American-Mexican is an exception to the rule. I always search for a combination platter with an enchilada and chili relleno. It gives me the best "apples to apples" comparison. Nuevo Acapulo did not disappoint. I found "my" dish easily.

One enchilada with choice of one chalupa chimichanga or one chili relleno (with rice and choice of beans).

It was one giant, gooey, cheesy, brown heap of food. I've never asked myself if there was such a thing as too much cheese (being the cheese lover that I am), but this might have pushed that envelope. I wasn't even sure that there was a pepper underneath all of that cheese on the left-hand side of the plate. Overall, it was good. The rice was a little dry, but an addition of hot sauce and salsa fixed that. However, I can confidently state that Cozumel in Independence still does this dish better.

"R" ordered the Tacos al Carbon with three thick flour tortillas, dipped in special salsa,then stuffed with your choice of marinated char-broiled steak or chicken garnished with pico de gallo, Parmesan cheese and guacamole.

Again, the rice was dry, but he did enjoy this dish overall. It was huge, and he ended up taking home two of the tacos and the rest of my rice and beans. What's with the Parmesan cheese, though?

So, not a bad meal at all, but we'll stick to Cozumel in Independence. They still reign supreme, in my opinion.

What's your favorite Mexican restaurant in the area? Luchita's is one of the only ones that I haven't been to yet.

Nuevo Acapulco
24409 Lorain Road
North Olmsted, OH 44070
440-734-3100

Event Recap: 2014 Chef Gala

On Saturday night, "R" and I had the chance to get all dressed up and attend the 2014 Chef Gala at the Cleveland Museum of Art to benefit Autism Speaks.

The evening kicked off with a Cocktail Reception and Cleveland Chef Tasting in the main atrium of the museum. Guests wandered through the chef stations, sampling dishes like Icarian Salad with raw vegan Greek dressing, served with a raw vegan gluten free kalamata cracker from Chef Anna Harouvis from Anna in the Raw/Good to Go Cafe.

Her food was as gorgeous as she was that night, and a refreshing and light summery bite.

Other favorites of ours included the Goat Cheese Tart from Chef Chris Hodgson of Driftwood Catering.

Bison Tartare with duck egg gribiche, shiso puree, and spiced salt from Chef Jeff Jarrett of AMP 150.

Scallop Crudo from Chef Fabio Salerno of Lago.

A pleasant surprise was from Chef Dion Tsevdos from The Cheese Shop (one of my favorite stands at the West Side Market), who gave us a Goat Cheese Sunday, and one of my favorite bites of the evening. We took seconds, and "R" stole a third later on!

I could go on, and on, and on...

We enjoyed almost everything that we sampled at the event, with the exception of the The Doughgirl's Tomato Cucumber Jam. The shockingly sweet bite was too much for me.

Once the Reception ended, the Interactive Dinner Preparation by Cleveland-native Michael Symon and Mario Batali (co-hosts of The Chew on ABC) began on the main stage.

The two celebrity chefs have great chemistry together, bantering and laughing through cooking four courses on stage, and the smells were intoxicating (even in our second-level seating). My only real complaint of the evening? The cooking demo was not projected, so if you weren't in the sponsor seating, it was hard to stay focused on the chefs. The demo lasted for two hours, which was way too long to just "listen" to them cook, and not truly see what they were doing. This element was new to the reformatted event, so I hope that they correct this for the next event (it will be held every other year). It would only help to further engage the rest of the attendees. One thing that I did love about the celebrity chef demo was that all of the "Tasting Ticket" (a.k.a. General Admission) guests were able to sample small plates of each course. We were able to snag the first one by tipping a server to bring plates upstairs for us. Then she disappeared, and we had to nab the third and fourth courses downstairs from the tasting stations as we wrapped up the evening. It appears that we missed a tasty second course of pasta.

About 700 guests attended the event, and it raised $250,000 for the organization. $26,000 of that was from the silent auction, which included some great dining packages from the participating chefs, experience packages, jewelry, tickets to Cleveland attractions and events, and much more. They also live auctioned off the 16 seats on-stage during the cooking demonstration, raising $18,800 from that. Just, wow.

Overall, it was a special evening with fantastic food and atmosphere. The museum made for such a breathtaking backdrop, and the Cleveland and celebrity chefs outdid themselves. If you'd like to learn more about Autism Speaks, please visit their website. If you missed the Chef Gala, there are other ways that you can give to this organization.

Disclosure: I was provided with four Tasting Tickets to the Chef Gala, in exchange for hosting a ticket giveaway. I was not asked to post an event recap, and chose to do so on my own. All opinions stated are 100% my own.

2014 Weapons of Mass Creation Fest

The fifth annual Weapons of Mass Creation Fest will hit Cleveland August 15th - 17th. Weapons of Mass Creation is a grassroots movement to inspire and enable the creative mind. Over three days, more than 2,000 attendees will see a diverse array of speakers, artists, and musical acts at Cleveland Public Theater. Creative professionals, entrepreneurs, musicians, artists, students, and fans will gather to learn, get inspired, collaborate, network, and celebrate their passion for art, design, music, and entrepreneurship.

Attendees will enjoy ten inspiring talks per day on the subjects of graphic design, art, entrepreneurship, leadership, productivity, creativity, and more. Creative leaders both local and national will take part. WMC also includes a jaw-dropping art and design show highlighting both local and regional talent. Attendees can expect to see album art, t-shirt design, typography, poster art, toy design, fashion design, and illustration. An eclectic mix of live music will entertain throughout the Fest. WMC Fest is also about creative movement. Since 2010, break dancing has been a big part of it. Experience freestyle cyphers, a kids' breakdance competition, and crew battles for cash prizes.

Pre-event ticket sales are encouraged, and tickets are $100 for the three days. You can purchase online here.

Check out the full schedule of events and speakers here.

There will also be all kinds of goods for sale through a long list of vendors, and an assortment of workshops, panels, competitions, and special events in addition to the official speakers.

I encourage you to check out this meeting-of-the-minds. It should be an explosion of creativity and artistry.

Disclosure: I was contacted by WMC to help promote the event. I received nothing in exchange for this post. All opinions are 100% my own.