The Greenhouse Tavern and White Flower Cupcakes, Cleveland OH

Following our fantastic brunch at Melt our sites were turned on shopping – a visit to Beachwood and Legacy, The West Side Market, and some of the shops surrounding the ever impressive revamped 4th Street area. The Cavs were in town and the town was abuzz despite the King sitting out to rest for the playoffs and despite the down economy people were out in plethoric numbers. With dinner reservations scheduled for late we did a little sampling at the Market and also picked up a couple of cupcakes from a new vendor at Beachwood Place while waiting to have the strap replaced on my watch.



Entitled White Flower Cupcakes this shop is apparently the second location of 16 year friends Lauren Bozich and Marianne Carroll – their first at LaPlace Shopping Center and featuring larger designer cakes. A limited but delightful collection of well decorated and pricey cakes ($2.95ea) it took a few moments to decide but we eventually settled on something old and something new - Red Velvet and Pancake.



Starting first with the Red Velvet – without a doubt the best I’ve had in Ohio. Dense and aromatic cocoa cake with a somewhat subdued sweetness was a perfect counterbalance for the luscious and glossy cream cheese frosting. Everyone in the car agreed this was not just good, but “wow” worthy. The second selection proved another stunning option with an equally dense cake packing high notes of cinnamon and butter topped with a delectable maple butter cream and a vein of buttery maple syrup running down the core of the cake. Smaller and more costly than the average cake I have to say I’d go back without hesitation – sometimes you get what you pay for.



After more shopping, cheap valet parking, and a visit to Erie Island Coffee Company and the House of Blues Gift Shop we made our way to our dinner destination – a restaurant that for all intents and purposes is becoming a destination due to the chef’s growing critical and popular acclaim. Located only two doors down from the oft celebrated but vastly overrated (in my opinion) Lola a single look at Chef Jonathon Sawyer’s mission statement “…guided by two principles: the idea that the proximity of the farm and soil to a restaurant correlates to the quality of its food and that environmentally conscious or green business practices are fundamental” put it high on my list. A quick perusal of the menu made it a must visit – especially having experienced two of Sawyer’s well conceptualized Pizzas at Bar Cento during his tenure there (shortly after Gayot recognized him as one of their five rising-star chefs)




Arriving rather early in the dinner hour we arrived to find the enormous restaurant already bustling – clearly being featured on Michael Symon’s Best thing I ever ate and in Food and Wine’s 10 best New Chefs of 2010 hadn’t hurt business. Checking in with the hostess we were led to a nice table at the angular front windows at the top of the staircase – a great view of 4th Street one way and a nice view of the strictly green/recycled décor in the other direction. Stairs coursing up above us to the upper floors and others leading down to the controlled chaos of the open kitchen below I must note that the servers at Greenhouse Tavern likely log 500+ stairs a shift. With the varying levels of the restaurant and the elaborate (and enormous) bar centerpiecing the whole room Greenhouse Tavern certainly is not a quiet place, but at the same time it felt more “energetic” than “loud” – think Babbo without the Stones.



Seated without delay our water was filled immediately and along with the menus we were brought a loaf of cool-to-touch crusty bread served alongside a light and airy smoked pork rillet with ample notes of onion, cumin, and bits of sea salt. With my dining partners not enjoying pate I was able to enjoy the whole rillet myself – they wished there would have been some butter and were largely bored by the bread.



Greeted next by our young waitress, Corrine the menu was explained to us – a collection of firsts (essentially amuse bouche sized bites,) second (appetizers,) thirds (mains,) halves (sides,) and desserts. Available a la carte or as a “Chef’s Tasting” consisting of either first/second/third/half or first/second/third/dessert at a bargain $39 (some items at a surcharge of $4-7) we were left to decide – my mother and aunt opting to go a la carte and myself going for the Tasting. While I will note that Corrine was working a substantial portion of the restaurant (upstairs, down, front, back) I found her to be a rather poor waitress – food was dropped off with no explanation, we were checked in on infrequently at best (IE, when receiving a dish,) and drinks required requests to be refilled. While some of this blame may fall on the ancillary staff (I had to make a point of setting my glass down harder than normal to get a water refill) there is a point where the primary server has to be sure guests are taken care of. Without belaboring my service complaints I will say that my biggest pet peeve aside from bad food is when the front of house doesn’t match the chef’s skill and vision – this was my complaint at Lola and it most definitely extended down the street to Greenhouse Tavern (more details to follow.)



Waiting for a long time (25 minutes) before our first courses arrived the dishes finally made their way up the stairs and were set down in front of us – in front of the wrong people – and they looked and smelled tremendous. Beginning first with my aunt’s selection, entitled Bread and Butter - grilled bread, goat's milk butter & sea salt the dish was small and simple yet substantial in taste. Featuring the smoke of the grill the crispy bread was very nicely complimented by the creamy and grassy yet sweet butter with lemon zest and sea salt atop. Quite possibly the same spread as the dearly departed goat butter at Alinea – the second best butter I’ve ever tasted.



For my appetizer I selected the standard - Salted Foie Gras Torchon with Pickled Lemon Peel, Shallots, Brioche. Potentially the cheapest foie gras appetizer I’ve ever tasted the flavor was anything but cheap. Unctuous foie and buttery brioche proved a standard pairing and both were excellent – what picked this dish up was the sweet/sour lemon peel – a flavor quite unlike anything I’ve ever tasted and a nice balance for the foie and shallots. The sea salt added a nice textural component.



For my mother’s appetizer – one of the best tastes of the night. Named Devils on Horseback – Dee-Jay’s Bacon Wrapped Dates, Almonds, Bitter Chocolate, Roasted Pepper, this dish is a must order. Served on a skewer atop a creamy hummus the dish featured a roasted almond stuffed in a date and subsequently wrapped with pork belly. Sweet and salty, relatively common on its own, the bites were vastly improved by the interesting pairing of sweet yet spicy roasted red peppers and bitter dark chocolate shavings.



Finishing our firsts it was a matter of only 1-2 minutes before my second was brought by an ancillary server – it was set down without explanation and he ambled off without filling my now empty water. Entitled Soft Egg Omelet - w/ tarragon, chive, stinky cheese, city fresh egg & frisée salad this dish was the weakest of the evening largely because it lacked the subtleties of the other selections. While the egg was certainly fresh and well made the flavors of tarragon and chive were almost entirely lost under the weight of the potent cheese. That certainly isn’t to say this dish was “bad” just that it wasn’t quite as well conceptualized as others – I’d not order it again, though.



With my water sitting dry as a bone even as I finished the egg I tried to make eye contact with one of the servers, alas to no use. At this point I set my glass down with some force on the wooden table and apparently someone noticed as we saw a young bearded man walk over to the bar to pick up the pitcher and fill the water. After this our waters remained filled – a nice touch – unfortunately service continued to suffer as my next plate was brought incomplete. As featured on Symon’s best thing I ever ate I ordered the Animal Style Frites. Featuring, reportedly, hand cut potatoes fried in duck fat and topped with fried bacon, two fried eggs, mozzarella cheese curd & brown gravy this is not what I received – instead I received potatoes, cheese, and gravy – no eggs, no bacon. Thinking perhaps that the pork and eggs had been baked into the poutine I dug in and will admit it was some excellent comfort food – the crispy fries standing up handily to the curd and gravy. Allowing my mother and aunt to take a bite and slowly enjoying the fries a good 5 minutes passed before Corrine appeared with a plate of eggs and bacon – she fully admitted it had been forgotten and was “just sitting there” in the kitchen until they realized the error. Promising to take off the surcharge (a surcharge unlisted or unexplained earlier – and a surcharge of $4 that was still present when the bill arrived) for the mistake she topped the dish with the eggs and bacon and the resultant dish was even better than before – an exercise in excess to be sure, but delicious just the same.



When our mains started to arrive I was already starting to feel a little full – portions at Greenhouse Tavern are substantial to say the least. Beginning with my aunt, she selected Chef Sawyer’s award winning Aaron Miller’s Ohio Beef Burger - raclette cheese, preserved tomato, guss' pickle, pommes frites & GHT beer vinegar – as I do not eat burgers I cannot comment on it, but she ooh’d and aah’d through the dish and said it was the second best burger she’d ever eaten – second only to that at Boulevard.



My mother’s selection was the item I’d originally considered before deciding on my main. Entitled Pan Fried Pork Chop Saltimbocca with Sage, Country Ham, Pommes Puree, Red Eye Gravy. Served meaty and delicate the juicy pork was prominently buttery with ample notes of sage – it was delicious. Further enhancing the dish was a homogenous mix of buttery potatoes topped with chunks of smoky country ham and a gravy that tasted much akin to a pork pan sauce spiked with espresso, notably much less thick than I think of Red Eye Gravy, but better for it.



My selection was a $7 upcharge (this time announced) on the tasting and worth every penny – even if there was no chance I could finish it. A restaurant signature dish the Half Roasted Chicken in Brioche with fennel, onions, herbs & jus was first presented by Corrine still sealed in the flaky Brioche shell before returning downstairs for plating. An enormous half chicken the preparation of this dish provided a nearly sous-vide texture to the meat with ample notes of fennel, onions, and herbs much akin to a Thanksgiving Turkey. To be honest I really have no idea how the brioche maintained its composure with the significant juiciness of the meat and accompanying jus, but none the less it did, providing an almost “fried chicken” quality as I paired it as breading for the bird. A dish absolutely worthy of being called signature this dish was nearly as exceptional as Michael Mina’s Lobster Pot Pie as comfort food served in perfect form. Alas, as good as the chicken was, the previous items had left me already quite full and I only managed to finish 3/4 of the chicken and 2/3 of the frites – the rest going home for my aunt’s dog who has been given carte blanche for human food since his cancer diagnosis.




Completely stuffed I deferred on dessert while my companions wanted something sweet to finish – browsing the menu the “Petit Fours” plate seemed a perfect option. Purportedly featuring six small bites ours actually featured only 5 as one was duplicated. Lacking any description from our server my best guesses as to what was on the plate are a pistachio Lime Cupcake,a Cayenne Truffle, two Cream Cheese Brownie, a Coconut Macaroon, and a Chocolate Chunk Cookie. All items were clearly pre-made and served cold with only the brownie being better than average – the rest could have easily come from a supermarket bakery and the cookie was worse than Chips Ahoy. If this is what Greenhouse Tavern offers in the dessert department perhaps they should contact the ladies at White Flower – there is definitely room for improvement.



Receiving our bill I didn’t want to raise a fuss since the prices at Greenhouse Tavern are a downright bargain – but I did circle the Anima Frites supplement to make a subtle point – it was removed. With incredible savories and an extremely subpar dessert I left the restaurant with mixed feelings. Certainly if I lived in or around Cleveland I would gladly return to see what Sawyer was putting out of the kitchen, but with so many other options yet to explore (Dante, Moxie, etc) it would be hard to justify rushing back – great food and poor service does not make for a destination restaurant. In the end I echo my comments above about the front of house not keeping up with the chef – I found this to be the case at Lola and Spiaggia as well – each chef putting out superb food but the service lackluster to the point I don’t know I’d return – for Spiaggia – no way, for Lola – maybe, for Greenhouse – the verdict is still out.

Melt Bar and Grilled, Lakewood OH

According to their website, "Melt opened in September 2006 with one goal: To provide gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches and as many beers as possible in a cool and comfortable environment. No bar food. No boring choices on tap. And something for everyone: it's Cleveland-friendly, slightly kitschy, and memorable. It's relaxing, energetic, and fun." Having missed out on Melt while my sister was at CIA but hearing wonderful things I knew I had to check it out on my next visit to Cleveland - I also knew I would have to get there early as I'd heard stories of 1-2 hour waits even on weekdays. Planning in advance to arrive as early as possible my family and I did just that, pulling up to the back lot (free parking) just after 11:30 on a gloomy Friday.



As the only Melt-Virgin in the group I chuckled as we approached the back door - a setup almost 100% identical to Hollywood's Griddle Cafe - another restaurant specializing in kitsch and quality, in their case pancakes and breakfast foods. Entering the enormous waiting area we found the restaurant already 75% full but were led to a great four-top in the middle of the dining room. Snapping pictures of the hilarious decor and peering into the kitchen we were handed copies of the menu - cleverly printed on the back of old record jackets. Browsing the decor I noticed that Diners/Dives/Drive-Ins as well as Man Vs. Food had recently been to Melt and that they are apparently soon to be opening a second store less than 500 yards from my sister's old apartment - clearly business was going well. As a non-drinker I really didn't pay much attention to Melt's notable beer list, though reliable sources tell me it is quite impressive.



Browsing the menu there were in excess of ten sandwiches I wanted to try and a quick glance at the dessert menu let me know I'd have to save room. Watching coverage of The Masters and listening to the 60's/70's/80's era music over the stereo (plus some rather loud older ladies at the table next to us) we were soon greeted by a young lady named Sophia (Sofia?) who would serve as our waitress - and the waitress for nearly half of the busting-at-the-seems-busy restaurant. Aside from being ridiculously cute and friendly, Sophia was also potentially the best waitress I've ever seen at a busy casual joint - full of information (about the food and restaurant,) checking in frequently, drinks never dropping below 1/3 empty, and always with a smile on her face.



Orders placed we sat back and enjoyed our drinks - for mom and aunt iced tea and for myself a surprisingly rich and flavorful coffee (refilled repeatedly, and served in hilariously mismatched cups.) With myriad takeout orders coming out of the kitchen and the line in the lobby growing longer by the minute Sophia informed us that our orders could take up to an hour - not a problem as the scene was certainly entertainment in and of itself. Noting that this is a "bar" I will say the noise level got quite loud at times - though significantly less so (and noted by the bartender to a woman at the bar) once the older ladies next to us started eating.



Approximately 45 minutes after we were seated our sandwiches arrived - and they were as big, bold, and beautiful as advertised. Served alongside each of the sandwiches were excellent dill pickles, hand-cut fries - crisp on the outside, densely potato within, and lightly salted, and "sweet slaw." Having never been a Coleslaw fan in the past I decided to taste the slaw and I have to say I was impressed. Not creamy or heavy like most traditional versions the overarching flavor of this version was that of cabbage, carrot, onion, and peppery vinegar with a hint of apple and sugar. Cole slaw is still certainly not my first option in vegetables, but Melt's was one of the better versions I've had.



Moving onto the sandwiches and beginning first with my Aunt, a fan of the plain and unadventurous, her selection was entitled Porky Cheese and it featured Honey ham, Crisp bacon, and Swiss cheese (though I admittedly tried to convince her to get it with an egg she resisted.) Featuring hefty slices of white bread, well buttered and grilled perfectly, surrounding a sweet yet savory amalgam of ham, Swiss, and salty bacon I must say it was more nuanced than it reads. With the bacon adding some crunch and the creaminess of the Swiss balancing the ham the overall effect was almost akin to a croque monsieur though not quite as refined (let’s face it, Swiss just doesn't hold a candle to gruyere.) With that said, a very serviceable and delicious sandwich.



For my mother's selection she apparently felt so fondly about her first experience at Melt that she ordered the same thing again - but this time, for a $2 surcharge, Sophia suggested she get it deep fried. Entitled PB and Banana the sandwich featured the same hefty white bread as my Aunt's, but this time was slathered with fresh made peanut butter and sweetened cream cheese served alongside a cup of mixed berry preserves. "Mmmmm-ing" from her first bite I must say it would be hard to say she made the wrong choice - even if I am all about trying new things - as the sandwich was glorious. With the bread first griddle fried and then dunked in a tempura-esque batter before a quick dunk in the deep frier the sandwich came out piping hot with ripe bananas, liquid peanut butter and mascarpone-sweet cream cheese filling every bite. Tasty on its own and only improved by a dunk in the delectable fruit puree of raspberry/strawberry/blackberry the crisp bread married perfectly with the creamy interior forming a nut butter sandwich only rivaled by Keller's Cashew Butter and Apricot Compote on Brioche at Bouchon.



For my selection at Melt I went with the monthly special - the Corny Beast. Opting for the vegetarian version as I don't eat beef my plate contained two enormous cornbread battered and deep fried "sandwich halves" with a wooden stick in each. Contained in the beautiful golden shell was griddled white bread sandwiched around a well charred and excellently textured vegan corndog split and surrounded by double American Cheese - cheese so densely packed that it was leaking out of the batter. Without a doubt this is the best thing one can do with a hotdog (or a tofu-dog as it were) and aside from the fact that the cheese was wonderful, the cornbread was even better. Served with a Chipotle Ketchup that was not really needed but certainly added another level to the "sandwich" the entire effect was smoky yet savory, crunchy yet creamy. While this dish may be only available for a limited time if I were Melt I'd keep that cornbread batter around for appetizers and more sandwiches in the future (Perch or perhaps Oyster or Shrimp - maybe a Po'Boy?).....or how about a cornbread waffle with fried chicken on the brunch menu?



Having skipped breakfast there was certainly room for dessert - at least for myself (the family was stuffed.) With bread pudding ranking as my very favorite way to finish a meal I declined on Melt's oft celebrated fried twinkies and went with their dessert special of the day - Fudge Brownie Caramel Pecan Bread Pudding with Vanilla Ice Cream. Featuring a thick and fudgy brownie as the base/crust the dish was topped with a well saturated slab of warm and buttery bread pudding laced with ribbons of caramel and fudge and crunchy pecans adding texture. With two large Pepperidge Farm Chocolate Goldfishes and ample whipped cream alongside the steaming hot dish was topped with a hefty scoop of creamy ice cream and drizzles of fudge. Rich, hearty, large, and whimsical I very much liked the dish and although it was not as refined as many of my favorite bread puddings in the past the flavor and balance was excellent.



Finishing dessert and settling the modest bill we thanked Sophia for the truly excellent food and service before making our way to the door. Having dined at many of the best restaurants in the United States as well as many of the most famous houses of kitschy yet delectable food I can absolutely recommend Melt as a MUST visit for anyone visiting Cleveland. As one would expect from their cult local following (see the tattoo contest) and expanding empire Melt does it right - from food to service to setting. On their website Melt's owner and chef Matt Fish states that he wanted the restaurant to feel like family, but also wanted eating there to feel like an event - I'd say he succeeded on both counts.

Crop Bistro, Cleveland OH

What happens when a self-taught chef (and interesting entrepreneur in the areas of sweeteners and butters) opens a brilliant restaurant in an “average mid-western town” that best known for cursed sports teams, a lake that caught on fire, and a chef named Symon whose personality on TV far outshines the personality or cooking at his restaurant? Apparently the self-taught chef gets overlooked despite his wonderfully detailed focus on local produce, artisan producers, unique presentations, and the fact that he still cooks in his own kitchen regularly. All these things noted I must admit I got taken up in the hype and had a relatively average meal at Lola earlier in the year while Crop sat notably on my “to-do” radar for some time - thankfully my sister’s graduation from the CIA lent a great opportunity to experience Steve Schimoler's culinary skills at the chef’s table.

After a classy yet (typically) boring graduation and myriad proud feelings for my sister we arrived approximately 15 minutes early for our reservation and parked at the affordably $5 valet (you certainly don’t get that in the big city.) Entering the restaurant I was somewhat surprised at how busy the place was at 6:15, but our hostess was quite gracious and quickly showed us to our place at the chef’s “table” – a bar peering directly into the intimate workings of the kitchen. With reservations made a month in advance I must admit that despite looking forward to our meal at Crop I had been a tad reluctant given my recent return from a culinary masterpiece of a visit to San Francisco and upcoming trip to New York City – I wondered if I’d simply walk away from Crop with that same “blah” feeling I’ve had at most eateries in the mid-west save for a few notable exceptions in Columbus and Chicago. From the moment we were seated, however, my fears were abated.

Greeted promptly by our casual yet professional server and provided with a quick hello from Chef Schimoler and a number of his smiling staff I was admittedly impressed early on by the cool, calm, and collected manner of the kitchen – nothing like the frenetic-yet-controlled chaos I witnessed at Charlie Trotter’s or the refined precision of the 20+ person staff at The French Laundry – only 6 people, quiet and working harmoniously with each doing their set “jobs” effortlessly. Shortly after my sister (chocolate stout), aunt (a super-minty mojito), and mother (some fruity prickly pear drink) ordered drinks and I got my first of many glasses of water we were given menus to peruse – and peruse we did as almost everything sounded amazing. After approximately 10 minutes and much negotiation amongst us so that we could maximize the number of dishes tasted decisions were made we sat back and enjoyed our drinks and the action of the kitchen.

Watching the young man in front of us flash extremely professional knife skills and an award-worthy personality (especially with a ~10 year old diner with her parents at the far end of the chef’s table) we were quite amused as we received the first of two amuses bouche directly from his hand – a Chile Deviled Egg with Crisp Pork, Beet, and Balsamic. While I am the only die-hard egg fan of our group, the amuse was a smash with everyone and particularly interesting to myself in the creaminess of the piped yolk puree’s sharp contrast with the spicy and crispy prosciutto. Complimenting the soft yet textural egg was a light earthiness from the beat and a strong spice from the (if I’m not mistaken) fig based balsamic – things were off to an excellent start.

Shortly after completing the egg we were brought the bread basket – a glorious surprise (though I admit a major bias.) While I fully believe that any “fine dining” establishment should offer a minimum of 3 types of bread, when the one offered is the best cornbread I’ve ever tasted outside the bacon-fat laden version at Roscoe’s in LA I’ll make an exception. Cutely shaped like mini ears of corn and served with a whipped honey butter – I’d have paid $10 for this if it were an appetizer. Lacking “whole kernels” of corn and textured almost like a baked polenta – heaven.

Before I could even finish my first (of about 10) cornbread we were brought another gift from the chef, himself. Approximately 1/3 the size of the appetizer portion (a steal at $7) we were each presented with a cup of the house made lobster latte – essentially Crop’s take on Lobster bisque but instead of butter heavy made with a seafood stock and crème fraiche whipped to a froth. Absolutely packed with whole chunks of lobster claw and much less “heavy” than a traditional bisque I found this to be a very interesting take on a classic dish – unexpected, unique, and delicious.

More action in the kitchen (including multiple preparations of the balsamic popcorn – clearly a house favorite) led to the delivery of our appetizers – two for myself, one for sister, one for my aunt, and a sharing spoon for my mom. The first appetizer, ordered by my sister, was Tobacco Calamari with Asian Aioli – a tired theme done by almost every restaurant from Denny’s to Aqua I must admit I didn’t expect much yet despite its odd constituents (or perhaps because of them,) it was both unique and delicious. Lightly panko coated and flash fried the tender cephalopods were tossed by the chef with a white mayo-esque aioli with hints of citrus and subsequently tossed with a handful of -yep- chopped tobacco leaf. Spicy yet aromatic this dish honestly makes me wonder why so few chefs have explored tobacco as an ingredient – very well done.

The second appetizer, entitled “Cherry Bomb” on the menu was ordered by my aunt – the kind of person who will order $12 tomato skewers with watermelon at The Bizarre de Jose Andres. Described as a deep fried tomato stuffed with Chorizo and Cheese on Corn Puree I must admit this appetizer is the sort of thing that deserves the title of “signature.” Quite unlike anything I’ve ever tasted I can best compare this to a pizza-roll, yet 10 fold better with plenty of spice from the Chorizo, creamy smoothness from the cheese, and plenty of textural contrast between the crunchy fried shell and the corn puree beneath.

Appetizer three, my first, was the only “miss” of the night and it was a “barely miss” at worst. Seared Elephant Trunk Scallops with Sun Dried Tomato Tarragon on Crisp Polenta was exactly that – but unfortunately the combination of less-than-stellar scallops and a bit too much “sear” led to a somewhat rubbery texture. To be fair, I must say that given my recent travels I’ve become a bit spoiled with west coast scallops and that may have lent to a bit of the disappointment with the dish, but overall it just didn’t do a lot to wow me. With fried polenta that was good, albeit not as great as the cornbread, the true standout of the dish was the impressively tart yet light tomato sauce.

Appetizer next was a must – something rare in Ohio and something I order whenever I see it on the menu – foie gras. Entitled simply Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras with Toasted Challah and Gingered Apricots I will say flat out that the portion and quality was the best “bang for your buck” foie I’ve tasted outside of San Francisco’s One Market. While I prefer terrines to seared preps in general, the soft and ample portion of perfectly prepared liver was contrasted beautifully by the toasted challah which I had the opportunity to witness the chef carve out of a large loaf in a single motion (impressive knife skills with a knife I’d have surely lost a finger to if I tried the same move.) Per usual, the addition of an acidic citrus worked wonders for enhancing the flavor while the ginger added a very intriguing taste I’ve not experienced before. To all the foie lovers out there – it was better than Gary Danko’s or The Dining Room at the Ritz, two much hyped preparations.

Finished with our appetizers (and trying very hard to keep my hand off the bread basket so I had room for my main and dessert) a short time passed before main courses began arriving – the first being my sister’s “special du jour” - Pumpkin Crusted Swordfsh with Scallops, Quinoa, and Vegetables. According to the chef only about 10 servings of this would be available for the night due to the short stock of line-caught swordfish and as such I must say we were lucky to get a chance to taste. Crisp yet well cooked vegetables, wonderfully textured swordfish with a good balance of firmness and flakiness (especially for swordfish,) scallops much more delicately prepared than the appetizer though with similar taste, and nicely textured quinoa all brought to a sharp peak by the earthy sweetness of the pumpkin, nutmeg and chives. Brilliant, bold, daring – if I kept going I could probably run out of adjectives.

Dish two, my aunt’s, was the Truffled Mushroom Tarte Tatin with Asiago Anglaise. While the dish itself was excellent, I must admit that the preparation was even more fun to watch. Starting with a large pan that was coated with batter, fried, and subsequently baked before adding a mélange of mushrooms, truffle oil, and cheese and then flipping and further coating with cheese for presentation – very cool with a rustic French approach that would not be out of place at a place like Jean-Georges. Great flavor with a crispy and buttery crust I can honestly say that the only flaw of this dish might have been that it was too big for one diner – no problems though, I was more than willing to help her out.

The final main, ordered by both myself and my mother, was the Park Farms Chicken Fried Chicken with String Beans, Savory Ohio Maple Waffles. Super thinly pounded breast coated with panko and cornmeal on both sides, quickly flash fried in the deep fryer and finished in the oven the chicken’s taste and texture were wonderful and second to only Boulevard and Momofuku Ssam in quality. Textural and tasty the chicken’s savory components were well tempered by the soft and sweet waffle (buttermilk mixed by Chef Schimoler and then toasted on both sides) with ample maple syrup and perfectly crisp yet well done string beans. A fine dining take on “comfort food” that actually works – unlike so many other’s vain attempts at mac n’ cheese, meatloaf, and pot pies (save Mina’s lobster pot pie.)

Clearly after a meal of such quality dessert was a no brainer and with 5 options on the menu we opted for four different choices to be shared (neglecting the parfait which sounded good, but not overly inventive.) Starting with my selection, “Some like it Hot” with Warm Flourless Chocolate Cake, Mentholated Habanero Ice Cream, Mango Lime Coulis, Citrus Tuile – Tried and true, flourless cake once again equals lava cake and once again the presentation was standard – dense, warm, and safe. The addition of a wonderful mango-lime coulis added additional complexity while the citrus tuile added some crunch. Unexpectedly, however, was the ice cream – holy hell. While I fully admit I’m not the world’s biggest fan of spicy, this ice cream redefined “HOT” and as much as the menthol tried to temper the habanero, it failed. Despite this fact, however, I must admit the spice added a very unique aspect to a generally standard dish and it kept me going back for more – like Bart Simpson and the electric cupcake. Sure it took me two whole glasses of water to get through the dish, but honestly, I’d consider ordering it again – something about the spice and the chocolate just worked.

The second dessert, my mothers, was entitled “Waffles and Ice Cream” with Hot Waffles, Strawberry Basil Ice Cream, Seasonal Fruit, Herbs, Chocolate Sauce. True to its name the dish consisted of two of the same waffles offered with the chicken, but this time paired with strawberry couilis, chocolate sauce, and a complex strawberry/basil ice-cream and fresh basil. Voted a winner by my mother and sister, I personally didn’t love the dish as I simply felt the basil was too strong and lacked the subtlety of Daniel Humm’s at Eleven Madison Park.

Dessert three, ordered by my Aunt, was Pretzel UnLogic with Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Pie, Pretzel Tuile, Malted Milk Shooter. Loved by my aunt and enjoyable enough I personally found the most interesting aspect of this dish to be the interplay of the chocolate and salt, plus the wonderful shooter which tasted like a liquefied Malt Ball. In my opinion this dish lacked the imaginativity of the other desserts and although good could’ve been ordered at any number of places.

The final dessert, Crop’s signature “Crop Circles” with Hot Coffee Sorbet, Mocha Meringue, Espresso Blondie, Vanilla cream, Espresso Syrup was ordered by my sister and wowed on every level. With a sorbet that topped Jeni’s Black Coffee Icecream, Meringue that tasted better than Starbuck’s Mocha, and a Blondie with heavy hints of coffee flavor the whole dish was like a deconstructed/reconstructed tiramisu and appealed as much to the palate as the eyes - a definite must-order for anyone who likes coffee.

Finishing the meal and paying the bill (less than $60 per person with drinks, tax, tip) I must admit I was absolutely stuffed – but not to the point of discomfort – but lets just say I’m glad there wasn’t a course of mignardises or candies. Brilliant food in a lively setting, a chef who is as willing to support the local markets as he is to take risks, and a friendly amicable staff – plus prices that make “fine dining” accessible. While others will prattle about Lola and Symon, I’ve been to enough casual and fine dining establishments to definitively say that with Crop in town I’d never give Lola a second thought or chance – better food, better prices, better service, and no pretense whatsoever. At the end of this month my sister will leave Cleveland for a new city and I’m unsure how often I’ll be back, but if I do return I will make a return visit to Crop – Sunday Supper sounds excellent!