Bon Appetite a la Bruell!

One of the big names on the Cleveland culinary scene would have to be Zack Bruell.  Owner of four wonderful restaurants, Table 45, Parallax, L'Albatros, and Chinato, Zack offers Clevelanders a variety of food and cooking styles.  In all of my dining adventures at Bruell's restaurants, I have yet to have a less then fabulous meal.  The service and selection also is nothing short of wonderful too.  If I only paid a bit more attention (or joined Twitter sooner) I would have participated in the Tour de Bruell, a promotion running through December 3 to dine at all four restaurants with the chance to win a four course meal for eight people with Zack Bruell.  My most recent dining adventure happened to be at Bruell's French Brasserie on University Circle, L'Albatros.

When going to restaurants, I love to try new things.  I hate falling into the always ordering the same thing rut may tend to fall into when dining out.  Yes, I do have my "stand-by" dishes just in case something does not capture my curiosity and spark my appetite.  When going over the extensive menu at L'Albatros, which has a large variety of poultry, seafood, beef, and vegetarian options, one thing definitely caught my eye, "sauteed skate wing".  Now I like to think I am quite familiar with various poultry and seafood options, however I never heard of skate.  My boyfriend clarified it was a type of sting ray but never tried it himself.  I asked our server, who was very helpful and friendly, about the taste.  She explained it as a very mild seafood almost like a whitefish or shellfish.  That made my decision for me.  I must say, I am very pleased with my adventurous pallet because I LOVED the skate.  It was sauteed in a brown butter sauce and accompanied by zucchini and tomatoes cooked in cheese.  

I must also mention the puree of eggplant, mushroom, and tomato soup that we had was the perfect starter to the meal.  A bit of future advice for those wanting to have soup but not wanting it to fill you up.  Ask if it could be split into two or more portions and share with your table.  Much like Bruell's other restaurants, a basket of bread is not placed on the table, yet brought to you, as needed, to enjoy with the olive oil and herbs.  I also must commend our server too for being very friendly and attentive.  After asking about a huge cheese tray I saw being taken around and mentioning my love of truffle, she brought me what is now my new favorite cheese (I will tweet the name later to ensure proper spelling).  It was very mild had a perfect perfect buttery texture.  I was later told, this particular cheese was brought back to Italy by Marco Polo.

Overall, I would recommend any of Bruell's restaurants for a date night or night out with friends who are in town.  The food and service will exceed any expectations.  Bruell's restaurants, specifically L'Albatros, are worth repeat visits to truely experience all it has to offer.

I now want to apologize for not updating recently.  As we all know, Thursday is Thanksgiving and I have been a bit busy preparing the menu for the big day.  I am so ready to talk turkey!!  Also, I would like to mention Cakes Plus bakery in Rocky River.  I am a recent winner of one of their Facebook contests and will blog about the Ultimate Brownies I have won once I pick them up.

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

Five Star Dinner of a Five Star Friend

One of my really close friends recently had the pleasure of dining at Northeastern Ohio's  only five-star restaurant, Chez Francois in Vermillion.  I would like to thank her for sharing this experience with me and allowing me to pass it on to you.  So without anymore from me:

Ooh-la-la

I admit it.  I’m a food snob.  So the fact that I hadn’t been to Chez Francois in Vermilion – this region’s only 5-star restaurant – was bothering me.  But Chez Francois isn’t the kind of place you just go to for no good reason.  So, I got myself a new job, which gave people something to celebrate, and landed me a chance to check this place out.

First of all, I know what you’re thinking.  Vermilion?  What’s a 5-star restaurant doing in Vermilion?  Serving amazing food, that’s what.  And there’s a dress code.  This is a place that is truly about the complete dining experience.  It is worth the drive, trust me.  But considering that you do have quite the drive to get there, I would recommend making reservations on the early side.  Service is not at all rushed at Chez Francois, which allows you to linger in the rustic French atmosphere, enjoy your wine, and eat even more delicious fare.

We started our evening with an amuse bouche of English pea puree with crème fraiche.  It was light, fresh, and flavorful.  And it’s the perfect introduction to what Chez Francois does so well – seasonal cooking.  The menu here changes every season, so don’t get too attached to any one dish. 

Our round of appetizers included foie gras, coquilles St. Jacques (scallops, whipped potatoes, and cream sauce), and lobster in puff pastry with black currant sauce.  I highly recommend the foie gras, not just because it’s incredibly good, but it’s incredibly different.  Chez Francois gives you plenty of opportunity to challenge your palette.  This isn’t fusion cooking (not that there’s anything wrong with fusion) – this is straight-up butter, cream, truffles, rich French cooking.  The foie gras was melt-in-your-mouth delicious, served with cinnamon nut bread and a peach glaze and paired with a dessert wine.  The black currant sauce on the lobster puff pastry was divine, even if it somewhat took away from the taste of the lobster itself.

My dinner entrée was beef Wellington – filet wrapped in puff pastry, served with (more) foie gras, shaved truffles, and two different sauces (one mustard, the other similar to a bordelaise).  The beef was superb and perfectly done and the ratio of beef to puff pastry was spot-on (lots of beef, with just enough puff pastry to cover it).  But what took this dish to the next level were the sauces and truffles, giving it an intense earthy, smoky flavor.  The other diners enjoyed veal medallions, lightly breaded and topped with cream sauce and various seafood; veal chop; and lobster ravioli.

Dessert was raspberries Romanoff, with homemade vanilla and chocolate chunk ice cream.  While it was delicious, I found myself having dessert envy over the chocolate molten cake next to me.  Given the choice again, I don’t think I’d pass up the opportunity for one of Chez Francois’ chocolate creations.

Overall, it was a fabulous dining experience – from the food to the atmosphere to the service.  To make your next truly special occasion over-the-top, think about taking a drive out to Vermilion.

As an aside, there is a wine bar located at Chez Francois called Touche.  It’s more casual, but features some of the same appetizers as the restaurant.