Tuesday's Tidbits

Welcome to the second helping of Tuesday's Tidbits.  Hope you are staying warm and safe on this snowy/chilly/icy day in Cleveland.  Even though the weather outside may be frightful, there are plenty of delicious events coming up around Northeastern Ohio.

For starters, Cleveland's favorite food truck Dim and Den Sum will be offering in home and private cooking classes.  Visit their website for more information.

Tomorrow evening, Bistro on Lincoln Park will be holding a Winter Wine Tasting event.  $40 gives you a five course prix fixe dinner each carefully paired with a glass of wine.  Reservations recommended.

Staying in Tremont, Parallax will be starting sushi and wine classes on February 21.  Learn how to roll sushi and the best wine parings.  Contact Parallax to reserve a spot.

As if Dante could not get any better, look for the opening of Ginko, a sushi restaurant beneath Dante to be opening soon.

Last thought on sushi, Chef Matthew Mytro, who prepared the tantalizing food served at last Wednesday's "Aphrodisiacs" will be holding his next "Naked Sushi" on March 24 at Suite Six.

Speaking of the Emerging Chefs, their next event will be held on February 23.  "Sacrilicious" will feature the food of Chef Jeff Fisher of Touch Supper Club in a very unique venue.

For all of you craft beer lovers out there,Great Lakes Brewing Company tapped a brewpub exclusive Big Black Smoke porter this week.  Looking ahead, The IX Center Beerfest will be held May 13-14.  Check out the event's website or this great post from Cleveland Food and Brews Reviews.

February also brings a new Sandwich of the Month to Melt.  This month's "The Dude Abides Melt" was inspired by the movie "The Big Lebowski".  If you are more of a Molly Ringwald and Emilio Estivez fan, Melt will be offering "The Brat Pack Breakfast Club Melt" this weekend only to compliment their screening of the movie at Cedar Lee.

With all that being said, hopefully everyone is making their Valentine's Day plans for that special someone in your life.  Cleveland has so many great, romantic places and they will fill up quickly around February 14.  Some of those places will be featured on HIC next week.  Don't forget to stop at Malley's or Lilly Handmade Chocolates to get some sweets for your sweet.

Until next time...follow your heart, fulfill your hunger.

Hungry in 2010

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas filled with family, friends, and food.  As we now look forward to they new year, I would like to take a moment to look back on 2010.  I would love to do a Hungry in Cleveland Best of but since the blog is only 4 months old, I figured this would be a better option.  2010 had its fair share of downtime.  We prayed for the earthquake victims in Haiti, trapped miners in West Virginia and Chile.  We looked on in horror as oil spewed into the Gulf of Mexico devastating beaches and wildlife, and felt betrayal as a wannabe "king" took his "talents" to South Beach.  We mourned the passings of Tony Curtis, Lena Horne, George Steinbrenner, and Cleveland Indians legend Bob Feller to name a few.

However there were moments of joy and celebration.  We saw hope for the Browns when the New Orleans Saints went to and won their first Super Bowl. We cheered on victorious Americans in the 2010 Winter Olympics, and "honked" our vuvuzelas while watching the World Cup.  We may have caught a bit of "Bieber Fever", went goo-goo for Gaga, and fist pumped along with the Jersey Shore.  Through it all, we remained Hungry in Cleveland.

2010 welcomed many new places to the ever growing Cleveland food scene.  The East Fourth Street Neighborhood welcomed Zack Bruell's fourth Cleveland restaurant, Chinato, and  Zinc.  Around the corner on Prospect, R. J. Bolands and the Caddyshack Lounge offered more options for a pregame drink before heading the "The Jake" or "The Q".  Zdara added a bit of Mediterranean flair to the Warehouse District.  Tremont became more of a foodie destination with the additions of Bac, Istanbul Grill, and the reopening of Dante.  East-siders rejoiced when the second Melt opened in Cleveland Heights.  Dim and Den Sum took to the streets parking throughout the city for lunch and late night eats.  Little Italy welcomed Mia Bella and Washington Place Bistro and Inn to the family of great places to "mangia mangia!"  The every growing and changing Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood added Roseangel and Battery Park Wine Bar, along with the reopening of the legendary Big Egg.  In the suburbs, Deagan's Kitchen found a home in Lakewood, Rocky River welcomed Market, and Palate will be opening its doors in Strongsville this week.  I cannot wait to see what 2011 will bring, especially in Ohio City with the opening of Dim and Den Sum's Restaurant and the addition of Market Garden Brewery.  Happy New Year!!!

Until next time...follow your heart, fulfill your hunger.

The Best Thing I Ever Ate...Part 1

Happy November Everyone!  I hope everyone had a great Halloween full of their favorite treats and pumpkin libations.  With that said, let the days get shorter, the temps get cooler, and the thoughts of TURKEY fill our minds and pallets.  November is a great month for foodies.  A few events worth noting before I get to the point of this blog.

*The Fabulous Food Show will be at the IX Center November 12-14.  This is a wonderful time to meet celebrity chefs (Guy Fieri, Michael Symon, and Giada De Laurentiis to name a few), taste treats from local businesses, and do a little wine tasting.  Tickets are $25 in advance (wine tasting is $5 extra).  For more information visit: http://www.fabulousfoodshow.com/

*Christmas time is here...well, sort of.  A Cleveland Christmas favorite is now on taps and will soon be on store shelves this week.  The elves at Great Lakes Brewing Company have the 2010 edition of Christmas Ale ready to bring holiday cheer to all.

*Cleveland Independent Restaurant Week November 1-14.  For two weeks, many local favorites are offering three courses prix fixe  for $30.  A complete list of participating restaurants and menus is available here:  http://www.clevelandindependents.com/wp/?page_id=280

*Thanksgiving: November 25.  Need I say more??

Ok, so one of my favorite shows on Food Network is "The Best Thing I Ever Ate".  Each episode, Food Network personalities and other famous foodies give their best of list related to a particular topic.  Every time I watch this show, I often wonder how I would answer "What is the best (fill in the blank) you have ever eaten?  Some are hands down easier then others.  Last week, while dining at Lola, I came across a dish that would answer that question.  If I am ever asked what is the best dessert, sweet surprise, etc. I have ever had, I would hands down say the 6 a.m. Special at Lola on East 4th Street.  As we all know, Chef Michael Symon loves bacon and finds unique ways to work it into any dish.  When I first heard of the bacon ice cream served at Lola, it immediately topped my list of things I MUST eat.  The ice cream is actually maple bacon ice cream.  This combination of sweet, salty, crunchy, and creamy is making my mouth water as I type this post.  It is served on top two pieces of brioche French toast and drizzled with maple syrup.  On the side, it is paired with caramelized apples.  I already love the "Breakfast for Dinner" concept, but the "Breakfast for Dessert" idea takes the cake.  I may even recommend ordering this first just to make sure you have room for it.  I was also informed this ice cream is the base for the apple bacon bourbon milkshake at B-Spot.  Iron Chef, you once again succeeded at infusing bacon into a very unlikely treat.

Until next time...follow your heart, fulfill your hunger.

Like a kid in a candy store...only all grown up!

With Halloween being a few days away, I find it very fitting to write about candy, particularly chocolate.  I could have chose to write about traditional chocolate and trick-or-treat favorites but after a recent visit to Tremont, my mind was changed.  Until last week, I have only heard of Lilly Handmade Chocolates but never stopped in, usually because it was either closed or I on my way to meet friends elsewhere in Tremont.  However, it was well worth the wait and curiosity when I finally stopped in the little shop on the corner of Starkweather and Professor Ave.  Lilly specialized in pairing wine and beer with their eclectic handmade truffles.  With truffles coming in flavors such as black perigord truffle infused honey coated in dark chocolate (The Black Diamond) to rose and marigold petals with white tea coated in white chocolate (The Lilly) you can let your taste buds go crazy.  There are favor combinations that can spark anyone's taste buds.  While browsing the almost twenty different truffles to taste, I decided on The Red Planet 2.0 (a black pepper red wine reduction, syrah soaked strawberries, dark chocolate, sprinkled with  freeze dried raspberries on top).  With three of my favorite flavors (red wine, chocolate, and strawberry) in one truffle, how could I go wrong?  The tartness of the berries went perfectly with the rich dark chocolate.  Since it was Cleveland Beer Week when I stopped by, next to each truffle was a recommended beer.  I cannot wait to go back and see what is recommended for my next chocolate and alcohol indulgence.

I would love to say I did pair this truffle with the recommended beer or wine, but I very distracted from the numerous bottles of beer on the shelves.  I cannot remember seeing such a diverse and eclectic beer selection anywhere aside from a few bars.  From chocolate oatmeal stouts, to fruit beers, to pumpkin ales I have never heard of, the beer selection would give any beer connoisseur that "kid in a candy store" feeling.  O wait, I was in a candy shop but one meant for grown ups.  There even was a breakfast stout which very much intrigues me.  The wine selection was decent, offering a nice variety, but not as extensive as you would find in a wine shop.  Also, the people there are so friendly and helpful.  They never rushed me in making a selection, and offered their honest opinions about their products.  I never felt pressured into buying something, however with chocolate, beer, and wine, I could never leave empty handed.  If you are looking for something to satisfy your sweet tooth in a very different way or try a beer you could only dream about, I would recommend Lilly Handmade Chocolates.  Also, it would be a perfect stop to start off a girls' night out or girls' night in.  If you are looking for something for that special someone, I would also recommend visiting Lilly.

Now for a few side notes, one being quite sad.  This Saturday, October 30th is the last day Michael Symon's Bar Symon will be open for business.  If you have not already, make a trip out to Avon Lake this week to bid a fond farewell to one of the Iron Chef's restaurants.

Today, October 25th at Great Lakes Brewing Company, it's beginning to look alot like Christmas!!  Christmas Ale will be tapped tonight at 4 p.m.  Also, there may be a chance to try some of Lilly's truffles made specifically for this event.  Joy to the World!!

Finally, if you have not already heard, the popular Cleveland food truck Dim and Den Sum will be opening a restaurant this spring on W.25th in the Market District.

Until next time...follow your heart, fulfill your hunger.

From the Ice Cream Man to Dim and Den Sum

Growing up, one of my favorite food memories (and trust me, there are many) was buying ice cream from the ice cream truck that would come on my grandparents' street or after a softball game.  I think I was able to hear the familiar tune streets away and I would drop whatever I was doing, find my grandparents, and wait on the curb.  I never got the same thing twice, but my favorite would probably have to be the cherry sherbet in the shape of a baseball glove with a bubblegum baseball.  Maybe it was my love of baseball, the fact that it was a shade of pink, or the simple fact it just tasted good.  Those days are now only memories but I do see that same truck driving around from time to time, only now instead of white, it is school bus yellow.   I have now discovered a new food truck around the streets of Cleveland that in a way, takes me back to those summer days of the ice cream man.

Dim and Den Sum is making it's way onto the Cleveland culinary map.  I first found out about this truck on a friend's Facebook page, thus becoming a D&DS fan.  Luckily, one of their regular stops was near my place of employment over lunch.  However, until today, I finally made it a point to stop for lunch, and I was far from disappointed.  They had a few different lunchtime options ranging from different types of tacos, to burgers, to a vegetarian curry, all very reasonably prices.  Everything is also made to order.  Since I could not decide between the three different tacos (chicken, fish, and BLT) and since they were 3/$6, I had one of each.  They were a perfect lunch or snack sized and well stuffed.  The first one I had, and ended up being my favorite, was the fish.  I would like to consider this a Mexican-Asian fusion taco since the flavors of the catfish and slaw were distinctly Asian, while the corn and tortilla were the Mexican half.  It had a very sweet and light flavor to it and next time I visit this truck, I may opt for three fish tacos.  The second one I tried was the BLT taco, taking a deli favorite of mine and wrapping it on a tortilla.  Again, I was not disappointed, however I would have preferred a bit more aioli on the side to add and my bacon a little more crisp (again, this is my personal bacon preference).  Lastly, was the chicken taco, again following the Mexican-Asian fusion of the fish taco.  I loved the teriyaki flavor and next time would consider adding a little of the Sriracha hot sauce since I love the combination of sweet and heat.

Dim and Den Sum is also a finalist to be on the next season of Food Network's "The Great Food Truck Race".  They currently are in third place and there are only a few days left to vote.  It would be awesome to see another Cleveland culinary star competing on national TV.  So please take a moment to vote for them here: http://foodtrucks.teamdigital.com/?vty=foodtrucks#page_top.

Check out their weekly schedule and menu online and "Like" them on Facebook.  Next time they are in your neck of the woods or you see them on the streets of Cleveland (their truck is very hard to miss), I highly recommend trying sum.

Until next time...Follow your heart, fulfill your hunger.