Ticket Giveaway: Chopped Watch Party

Join Cleveland for a Watch Party as my buddy Chef Adam Bostwick of Graffiti: A Social Kitchen and Cork & Cleaver Social Kitchen as he competes on Food Network's Chopped!

You can also get involved in their contest to win two tickets to the Watch Party by building a signature cocktail and menu item. Follow along on their Facebook to participate in the contest. It ends on Thursday.

Official Watch Party
Tuesday, September 12, 2017
7:30pm - 11:30pm
Hosted at Graffiti: A Social Kitchen

Cheer on our city's own Chef Adam Bostwick as he competes on Food Network's Chopped. Tune in with as the episode airs on Tuesday, September 12th at 10:00 pm ET/PT.

The official Watch Party starts at 7:30pm and runs 'til ??. Tickets are $20 per person, and it includes: Food inspired by secret basket ingredients, secret basket-themed cocktail and a parting gift!

Place your ticket order online at Eventbrite or via phone at 216-651-6969. Tickets are limited and they will sell out.

Or, you can win two tickets here!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
I don't know about you, but I love seeing Cleveland chefs compete on a national stage. The word is continuing to spread about what an amazing culinary scene we have here. and these shows do make a difference. I'm even more excited because I get to call this guy a friend, and I'm super excited for him. Come watch with me! Go, Adam!

Disclosure: I was provided with four tickets in exchange for this post. All opinions stated are 100% my own.

2017 Harvesting Hope Preview

The fourth annual American Cancer Society Harvesting Hope event is taking place on September 25th at the Cleveland Botanical Garden. It is an extraordinary farm-to-table experience, showcasing local chefs surrounded by the beautiful scenery of the Garden.

Mr. H and I attended this intimate event for the first time last year, and we not only enjoyed food from some of our favorite chefs, like Jeff Jarrett of Dinner in the Dark, Adam Bostwick of Cork & Cleaver/Graffiti, Zack Bruell's restaurant group, and John Selick of Sodexo/University Hospitals, but we also learned more about an incredible organization and their mission and we scooped up an in-home dinner party live auction package. Needless to say, it was a fantastic night!

The 2017 celebration will begin at 5:00PM with a VIP Reception, where guests will have the pleasure of meeting local celebrity chefs. The dinner portion of the evening will begin at 6:00PM with local breweries offering tastings, and farm-to-table chef stations. Included will be a live auction, silent auction, live music and a special Cleveland Hope Lodge guest speaker and mission moment.

Harvesting Hope appeals to those interested in quality local food, wine, beer and those who are passionate about finishing the fight against cancer. Funds raised at Harvesting Hope will benefit the lifesaving mission of the American Cancer Society, and support the Joseph S. and Jeannette M. Silber Hope Lodge community in Cleveland.

Tickets are $100 or $150 for VIP and can be purchased here.

Disclosure: I was provided with two tickets in exchange for posts about the event. All opinions stated are 100% my own.

Maine Eats: Portland

The second half of our Maine trip took us to Portland. We had some exciting dining plans to look forward to, and I'm happy to say that they did not disappoint!

On our first night, we headed to Grace, which was formerly a Methodist church. It's on the National Registry of Historic Places. The restaurant renovated the church, but left its character and integrity in place, honoring its history.

Simply stunning inside, and quite a unique setting to enjoy a meal in.

We had a large lobster roll lunch earlier at McLoon's Lobstah Shack (would have made our top 3 lobster rolls list if the lobster had been warmed and we had a squeeze of fresh lemon), so we just headed straight to an entree and skipped any small plates to start.

I ordered the English Pea Risotto and added the suggested Lamb Loin and Goat Gouda. It came with Tuscan mountain mint, pickled peppers, baby corn, grilled artichokes, and peanuts. I thought the plate was not only beautiful, but the food was really good too.

The next day brought us another lobster roll lunch (when in Maine, right?). This time, we headed back to an old favorite, Fishermen's Grill. They had recently moved locations, and we wanted to see if it was as good as we remembered.

This much is true...the rolls are piled HIGH and it's a very generous portion. It was still very good, but not as good as I remembered it being. The roll had gotten very soggy at the bottom, and the wet portions completely fell apart and weren't pleasurable to eat. I also don't care for lettuce with the warm buttered lobster meat, because it starts to wilt and get a little gross. But, that is one monster lobster roll and was still better than many we've tried!

We had planned a filling lunch, because our dinner plans included heading to Central Provisions. Many would say it's Portland's best restaurant, and several of my Cleveland chef friends have raved about it. So, it was on our "must dine" list this trip, but we knew they don't accept reservations. The wait was two hours, so we grabbed a drink and cheese plate at another nearby restaurant while we waited. We finally got in around 10PM. Thankfully, it was soooooo worth the wait!

We were seated at the bar, with front row seats to the action.

Everything is small, shareable plates, and they suggest 3 per person. We shared the Bluefin Tuna Crudo...

...Bone Marrow Toast, Suckling Pig, and a Foie Gras Torchon (pictured below). The foie gras was out of this world.

Instead of sharing dessert as we had planned, we just ordered another Torchon to split. One of the top dishes I've ever had in my life. I'll never not go to Central Provisions (several James Beard nominations) when in Portland again.

Our last night in Portland also brought a fun and memorable experience, the Sunday Supper,  a tailor-made, one-of-a-kind six-course meal by reservation only (only 6 spots available), at Piccolo (James Beard semi-finalist).

Sunday Supper gets you up close and personal for a chef's tasting menu, and wine pairings are optional. Our group of six all chose to add the wine pairings.

I knew the meal was off to a good start when we had this gorgeous stuffed squash blossom.

The meal was playful and creative, with our elevated Chicken and Waffles course being served in vintage lunch pails. I was pretty pumped to get one of my favorite childhood cartoons, Fraggle Rock!

We were impressed with the food, and the overall experience was special. We had a wonderful time chatting with the chef/owner after the meal about the Portland dining scene, Cleveland restaurants, and the beef currently dry-aging in our basement. Her eyes lit up!

We had to leave the next morning to head home, but not before one quick last meal in Portland. I grabbed a Bloody Mary and a Fried Clam Roll ($15) with whole-belly clams, pickled red onions, and red-eye tartar sauce at The Old Port Sea Grill & Raw Bar.

The pickled red onions and red-eye tartar sauce just kicked this classic East Coast sandwich up a notch, and I really enjoyed it.

Now completely stuffed and ready to get back to our daily routines of home, we headed back to Boston to catch our flight. It was bittersweet, since we had such a wonderful trip and I always leave Maine wanting to do more, but it was great to get home. And sleep in our own bed!

I hope you've enjoyed our Maine adventures this week, and maybe I've inspired you to take a trip to that area one day. It does seem like a lot of Clevelanders do! Til next time, Maine...

Grace
15 Chestnut Street
Portland, ME 04101

McLoon's Lobstah Shack
315 Island Road
Spruce Head Island, Maine

Fishermen's Grill
650 Main Street
Westbrook, ME 04092

Central Provisions
414 Fore Street
Portland, ME 04101

Piccolo
111 Middle Street
Portland, ME 04101

Old Port Sea Grill & Raw Bar
93 Commercial Street
Portland, ME 04101

Maine Activities!

In addition to sharing some fantastic Maine eats with you, I also wanted to tell you about some of our favorite activities we did on the recent trip.

In Maine, there is no shortage of lighthouses and forts to explore. It makes for some great walking tours.

Stunning views of little harbor after little harbor (Camden pictured here).

Some views can get even better with height, like using the Mount Battie Trail just outside Camden. Thank you, random stranger, for thinking we looked sweet and captured this moment from behind!

We also took an authentic lobster boat ride this year, and got to watch as they harvested lobsters from the traps outside Camden. Thanks, Captain Jack Lobster Boat!

Of course, we headed to the 70th Annual Maine Lobster Festival (twice!) for not only the food, but for the carnival games, art/craft tent, rides, and more. I've picked up some great artwork for our home here, and a fun tote bag made from old sails.

A highlight of the trip was an unplanned adventure, touring the Glidden Pt. Oyster Farms in Edgecomb. We had stumbled upon their roadside sign on the way to Camden, after just enjoying their oysters at lunch. Thanks to a quick Google search, I learned that you can go to the farm to eat oysters at any time, and schedule your own private tour as well.

We did just that a few days later, and it was something we'll never forget. The owner took us out on one of the boats and we toured the farms for over two hours. We got to see three different stages of oyster growth...

...eat oysters that were plucked from the river that day...

...and it left us with huge smiles and forever memories.

Don't mind our obnoxious lobster gear, we were headed to the Lobster Festival afterwards, haha. We're now on a mission to find Glidden Pt. Selects (our favorite oyster of theirs) in Cleveland. Euclid Fish Co. in Mentor apparently has them weekly. Lucky for us, Glidden Pt. Farms also sells them online and ships them directly to your house! I see a purchase in our future.

In Portland, we did the typical tourist excursions. By land...

...and by sea, thanks to Portland Discovery Tours.

It is a great way to get the lay of the land, and to learn about a city's history.

We enjoy getting to know the places we visit, and these activities were a great way to do so this trip.

Maine Eats: Camden

This week will be all about my recent trip to Maine with Mr. H. We are the type to always want to try something new and unfamiliar, seeking new experiences. That's basically how this blog was born! But, there's something about Maine that has drawn us back in for the last three summers. We head to the same area, but always do new activities and try new food...for the most part. Some favorites might make a reappearance!

So today I'll be talking about some of the eats we had in and around Camden, ME. First, a wonderful dinner at Francine Bistro (James Beard finalist eight times) on Chestnut Street.

We started with some Oysters with Agua Chile and Smoked Trout Crema ($18 for 6). Mr. H deemed these the best oyster dish he'd ever had. He then had a roasted lobster, and I enjoyed a beautiful piece of halibut with a spring pea puree and salmon roe.

Each plate was gorgeous, they had an impressive craft cocktail list, and this French bistro was lively and comfortable. The menu changes frequently, as the chef practices "extreme seasonability."

The next night, we dined at the 70th Annual Maine Lobster Festival in Rockland. The real reason we've structured our Maine trips around the same week each year. You can sit there and just crack open the soft-shelled lobster with your bare hands. It's a lobster-lover's delight!

For our last dinner in Camden, we headed to Natalie's Restaurant at the Camden Harbour Inn on Bayview Street. The fine dining restaurant offers a four-course prix fixe ($89), five-course lobster tasting menu (Market Price), or a seven-course Chef's Tasting ($115). We were all in for the Chef's Tasting (which was actually 10 courses with all the extras they tag on).

The dishes were stunning, and showed a lot of technique. There wasn't a bad plate of food in the bunch, and service and the wine pairings matched the quality of the food. The setting was also perfection on this summer evening, perched on a wide outdoor deck with sunset and harbor views in the distance.

From start...

...to finish, the food was beautiful and this meal was a memory-maker.

As we departed Camden the next day to head to Portland for the remainder of our trip, we had to catch Mine Oyster Restaurant & Raw Bar in Boothbay on the way.

We had the opportunity to tour Glidden Pt. Oyster Farm the day before (more on that later this week), and the farmer called the owner of Mine Oyster an "oyster nut" because of his large menu of oysters. It was true, and fun, because you got to just write in how many of the types you wanted on a checklist menu.

Our oyster and lobster roll lunch included a great deck on the harbor with classic Maine views and the sea breeze.

I was looking forward to Portland for the rest of the trip, but I'm always sad to leave the Camden area. There's still a lot left to explore and we'd love to keep going North, so needless to say...the Homers will be back.

Stay tuned this week to hear about some of our favorite Maine activities, and our dining experiences in Portland, ME!

Francine Bistro
55 Chestnut Street
Camden, ME
(207)230-0083

Natalie's Restaurant
83 Bayview Street
Camden, Maine, 04843
(866) 520-2603

Mine Oyster Restaurant & Raw Bar
16 Wharf Street
Pier 1
Boothbay Harbor, Maine 04538
207-633-6616