Happy Dog - Makes me so happy!

Was really craving some good ol' junk food and me and the sister/bro-in-law decided we wanted some hot dogs.  Well if hot dogs were on the menu; we didn't have to think too long before the three of us decided we were going to be heading to HAPPY DOG!  So, the three of us headed to the west side of Cleveland to this bar/grill/hot dog heaven!

As we walk in, it was a little early, around 6:00pm and the place was still relatively quiet.  Music was at a good level, with the college football game on TV, it was a nice environment with a welcoming vibe.  The wait staff were very friendly, and very efficient; coming over to ask for our drink orders and give us our cutlery as soon as we sat down.  The three of us; were super eager to get our orders in and so we quickly hunched over our order forms.

For those who have never been to Happy Dog before; this place is famous for their hot dogs simple enough.  They have either a choice of the regular meat hot dogs or you can get an order of their vegetarian dog.  You then put on as many toppings as you want at no extra charge.  You can also order a side of fries or of course; they're tater tots with your choice of sauces.

My first dog; I topped with a fried egg; had their amazing brazilian chimichurri, cheddar cheese; saffron aioli and truffle mustard.  It was devine.  The toppings melted together; and although I thought it may be overpowering, but in fact it worked very very well.  I loved it.  It really gave me the junk food fix I was looking for.

My second dog I got with cheese whiz, chorizo chilli, blue cheese coleslaw, spanish onion, and tomatoes.  As you can see, they really do not skimp on giving you the toppings and again, I totally loved my hot dog.

I think this is a great concept that Happy Dog has going on.  With a list as long as the one on the left of toppings; and with innovative toppings as they are, the sky is the limit with what you come up with.  The hot dog wieners themselves aren't anything out of this world, but they are good, quality 1/4 pounder meat dogs that really satisfy you and do its job very well.  I had a big order of tater tots with a bunch of dipping sauces which really was great.  I really enjoyed my visit here.  You get exactly what you are looking for, a good hot dog with the uniqueness of innovative toppings, good quality toppings too.  I was completely satisfied with my visit; and when the cravings hit again (which will definately be soon) i'll make the visit without another thought. 

Overall: 4.0 out of 5 stars.

Happy Dog Inc
5801 Detroit Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44102-3001
(216) 651-9474
www.happydogcleveland.com 

Bricco - A lacking experience...

I don't like to write negative reviews; in fact I rarely do unless I'm absolutely sure that the negative experience I've had wasn't a fluke.  So it is after the second straight time at Bricco's where I left the restaurant with somewhat of a bad taste (literally and figuratively)that I have come to the come to the conclusion that, this restaurant, is really not up to par.  The location is great - amazing - in fact, but unfortunately, that is the best thing they have working for them. That, and the decor.  When I walked into the restaurant, both times, I enjoyed the design.  It gives the place; a good hip, in-crowd feel.  But the pleasant feelings I get from the location and decor are quickly diminished.  In this review, I will only recount the experience of my latest visit - as my first visit was more than 2 months ago, and I would feel bad if my absolute details were not there.  Yesterday's visit will be the focal point of this review though.

Walking in with a few of my buddies, we were in a good mood.  We had tickets to the improv club later on in the night; and were looking forward to the stand up comedian we were about to see, however, the hostess acknowledged us with a very tired and uninterested greeting; almost as if she was too tired to work.  It was 6:00pm on a Saturday night; and the place had 1 table; come on, get some energy!

Anyways, we ignored the monotonous greeting and sat down; hungry and eager to get our eat on.  Water glasses were quickly filled, but our waitress took her time coming by, but eventually got our drink orders in.  Surprisingly, we were only told of the "red snapper" special, and she quickly left.  No worries because there were plenty of choices on the menu already.  The waitress took our orders; with a very defined lack of interest; which all three of us were rather surprised because we were extremely polite and cheerful at the moment.  What really got me though, was a few minutes after we had placed our orders and another table was seated next to us; their server gave them a much more descriptive run through of the special which included much more than just the red snapper, which left us surprised and somewhat annoyed as a few of those specials sounded quite appealing.  Annoyed we didn't get to hear about those choices; and surprised they have such a difference in service between servers. But anyways, onto the food:

I know, I know....I always mention that I don't talk or care too much about the bread service. But, I always eat the bread at the restaurant and I believe that its a good indication of how much care they take in their details and the small things.  Bricco's obviously did not care.  The bread, must have had good intentions at one point; it was solid italian bread; crusty outside and soft in the inside....AT SOME POINT.  But not when we were served it last night during our bread service.  Our bread was stale, and tasted like 2 day old bread they sell on sale.  The butter, also had good intentions....it was a honey flavored whipped butter, or it was intended to be; but it was kept in the fridge for so long or chilled too much that it came out solid instead of whipped and when we dipped our butter knives into it; the butter basically crumbled into small bits and pieces.  Oh well, we tried to salvage this by asking for olive oil - which was greeting with....a heavy SIGH.  really????

Next, was my salad.  I chose to get a spinach salad with bacon bits, cheese, eggs and a warm balsamic vinaigrette.  It wasn't bad.  Good portions, lots of spinach, plenty of toppings and the sauce wasn't bad at all.  In fact, I would say the taste of the salad wasn't that bad at all.  At a price of $8, it was passable.  Nothing to write home about, but I would recommend getting the salad if you do end up at Bricco.

For my entree, I decided to get a pizza because I had tried their entree last time and had a very bad experience. 2 very bad experiences in one sitting last time, in fact, because the entree I ordered last time had to be sent back once because they forgot to heat up my food (literally, the side dishes were premade and was still cold) and the second time because they prepared it the complete opposite from what I asked.  Thus, this time, I chose to go with the pizza - a meaty pizza with three different meats; and the red sauce.  I was actually quite looking forward to this pizza as the description was quite enticing. So the pizza arrived; nice and hot.  At least it was fresh - I'll give it that.  And honestly, the pizza wasn't terrible, but you would expect more than "not terrible" when you go out to eat right?  The pizza had all the toppings they listed; the chorizo, the bacon, the ham, and red marinara sauce.  But it just didn't come together.  The sauce was so spicy that it overpowered everything, and I basically couldn't taste the flavor of the meats.  It was more a textural feature that told me I was eating a meaty pizza rather than the taste.  And I can eat spicy food.  I've even had the infamous ghost pepper in my curry before and lived to eat another day.  But the spiciness of the sauce just overpowered and lost the pizza entirely for me. The big thing for me was; I couldn't even taste the tomato from the marinara sauce.  With great expectations - I was left rather unimpressed.

We ended the night with coffee's all around, and at least that wasn't a problem.  We left, stomachs full, but tastebuds - disappointed, and overall unimpressed.  The service was rather lacking; to a point where I felt it was close to borderline rude.  The food was plentiful, and location great, but next time before a show, I think I'd rather choose another venue to eat.

Overall: 2.25 out of 5 stars.

Bricco (Cleveland)
1438 Euclid ave
Cleveland, OH 44115
(216) 862-2889
www.briccocleveland.com

Cleveland Chop House

It had been a while since I've had a good hearty steak out at a restaurant because first of all, I haven't really been to a nice steakhouse as of the past few months, and in that situation; I'd rather cook my own steak at home than eat a bad quality one at a regular restaurant that doesn't specialize in it.  However, I've heard good things about the Cleveland ChopHouse and their steaks and how they are a "a real steakhouse" that are at times mentioned along the same sentences as Mortons or Flemings (which I do enjoy once in a while), I decided to give this place a shot.

My first impression upon entering the chophouse was that; I really liked the decor.  It wasn't overly modern, but looked well renovated, yet still retained an old school chophouse look (if that makes any sense at all).  They had tall sturdy booths; and nice big tables and big large comfy chairs.  I took my older sister out on this occasion as the two of us haven't really had some alone (brother-sister bond time) in a while.  We were seated immediately upon arrival, and promptly served ice water while our server appeared upon our table within moments after settling down to take our drink orders.  The service over all was very competent; nothing extra-ordinary; but simple and adequate.  Water and drinks were refilled quickly and efficiently; and the server came to check on us twice during the meal and things went very smoothly.

On to the Food!!  Overall, the food was...good!  I enjoyed it quite well.  It was exactly what you would expect from a decent/good steakhouse:

CORN BREAD

Again, I don't normally mention the bread, or at least I won't post a picture of it; but their bread service was that of a freshly made corn bread still in its pan.  It was different from your run of the mill french/italian bread offerings most places provide.  In fact, I have to admit; the corn bread was really really good.  It was a ample amount; more than the two of us could finish, nice and buttery and hot; but not overy greasy.  And it came with a sweet whipped butter that really complemented it well.  In fact; I enjoyed the corn bread so much that if they didn't provide this as their bread service; I would order it for the table next time I came.  It was that good.

CAESAR SALAD with anchovies

My steak meal came with a side Caesar salad.  Interestingly, I was offered the option of having anchovies in it; which again was a little added touch I rather appreciated.  I've had anchovies on my salad before, but didn't expect this chop house to have this offering.  I definately appreciated it as the salad turned out rather well.  Fresh greens, crunchy croutons, and a cheese; but not overly strong sauce mixed well with fresh Parmesan cheese slices.  The anchovies went well with the salad giving it a sharp switch in gear to the creaminess the sauce provided.  Paired with the already raved about corn bread; the salad was pretty good.  Don't get me wrong, the salad isn't worth coming to the steak house itself; but it was a good salad that I enjoyed.

NY STRIP 16OZ - medium rare, with white cheddar mashed potatoes

I got the 16oz, NY strip steak, done medium rare.  Actually, I ordered it; "Chicago - medium rare" which means on the outside; medium rare in the inside.  Our server was confused for 2 seconds and then piped up with "OH!, that's a pittsburg"!  So, apparently, they're version of chicago (or charred outside) with the inside being more rare is known as the pittsburg.  Good to know!  Anyways, I would have been perfectly happy with just a regular medium rare done steak; but the fact they could do it this way; was an added bonus and a testament to not just a regular run in the mill restaurant doing steak; but that they take their steak seriously.
The quality of the meat was great.  Choice quality; good marbling on the NY strip; and they really did give me a 16oz steak.  Cooked to order.  Charred outside; while the meat was still medium rare once I cut into it.  Seasoned simply; but well enough that I could taste the quality and the dry aged steak flavor.  I really enjoyed the steak; and was very satisfied.  The potatoes were good.  Nothing too special; just done well and flavorful.  But the steak stole the show as it was good quality meat; and cooked very well.

Overall, I had a very good impression of my dining experience.  The food was very well executed and just as you would expect from a decent to quality steakhouse.  It is not your top of line Morton's steakhouse; but it is close enough without having to pay the high end price tag that comes with Morton's.  In fact; ChopHouse was not too expensive; rather a very well priced; very well done meal.  Service again, was adequate and efficient and overall I enjoyed my experience.

Overall: 4.00 out of 5 stars.

Cleveland Chop House & Brewery
824 W Saint Clair Ave
Cleveland, OH 44113-1266
(216) 623-0909
http://www.chophouse.com/ 

Superior Pho

It was a relatively cold day in Cleveland; compared to the gloriously hot and sunny days we've been enjoying in past couple of days of August.  I guess fall is coming soon?  I know, I know, people are going to give you a hard time about this, but I LOVE fall. Its the best season of all time.  The weather is not too hot; not too cold; a light jacket will do.  Glorious scenery, and its a festive time!  Thanksgiving is here; and Christmas is just around the corner!  Anyways; since it was a little wet; a little chilly, and after a hard week at work, me and a bunch of friends decided it'll be a good day to watch a bunch of movies and go for Pho!  Ahhh a nice steaming bowl of Vietnamese rice noodles to cure the cold wet weather.

Our usual "go-to place" in Cleveland for Pho would be Superior Pho downtown.  Its located in an Asian strip mall in china town, hidden almost and the parking is in the back.  It doesn't look very inviting, but fear not, its safe, clean and perfectly fine place to eat.  Anyways, lets get right to the food:

VIETNAMESE SPRING ROLLS

I started off with the fried spring rolls for an appetizer.  They came out FAST.  I think in less than 5 minutes of ordering our food; these spring rolls came out; piping HOT and FRESH.  So we know they were fried up right after the orders went in.  They come with a cooling, fish sauce for dipping in.  The spring rolls were just as you would expect; standard fare; but done well.  Hot minced pork and veggie fillings bursting out of the crispy spring roll shell.  The meat was flavorful, but nothing out of the ordinary; then again; simple and well done is always a good thing too.  Plus; the play in temperature contrast; with the hot spring roll and cool sauce was rather enjoyable.

NO.8 (LARGE) - PHO WITH FAT BRISKET, FLANK AND THIN SLICED BEEF

I went with my usual bowl of pho; a number eight - large. At this place you can order your pho at two sizes and large is the only size that satisfies me, and even then its enough to tie me over for a few hours; fills you up, but doesn't leave you stuffed. Hot steamy bowl of beef broth with thin rice noodles submerged at the bottom and the beef toppings on top.  This too came at a ridiculously quick time.  I would say; within 2 minutes of biting into my appetizer of spring rolls these big bowls of noodles came out.  The broth was flavorful, the beef fixings were tender and not over cooked and the cilantro; spring onions; baby onions complemented well with each other.  With some hot sauce and hoisin dipping sauce on the side the meal was rather enjoyable.  I must say I enjoyed slurping my noodles rather loudly and the beef toppings gave it a nice hearty chew.  Again; nothing ground breaking here, just a nice bowl of pho, done simply, but done well.  Just as you would expect from a nice Pho joint.

All in all, Superior Pho does their Pho well.  It doesn't break any rules, its not ground shaking cuisine, but rather comfort food for "one of those days".  The price is very reasonable, the food was flavorful; and its in a decently clean environment.  The service was quick, to the point and accomodating.  A good experience if you're looking for a tasy, good, clean, cheap meal. My go to spot for pho in Cleveland.  And I'm sure as the weather gets more chilly and the winter months set in; this place will be frequented more and more by me and the boys.

Overall: 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Superior Pho Restaurant
3030 Superior Avenue East
Cleveland, OH 44114-4360
(216) 781-7462

Giovanni's Ristorante

My first food post.  How fitting it is, that my first post on this blog is a review of what may very well have been one of my finest and most enjoyable dining experiences I've had in the Cleveland area. Giovanni's Ristorante.  A traditional Italian name.  Unassuming.  Nothing jumps out at you at first. Even the location of the restaurant is located in the lobby of a rather unassuming office building.  But oh how much of a difference it is once you step behind those beautiful double wooden doors of Giovanni's Ristorante.  To be quiet honest; its wall of honors next to the main doors should have been an indication of the treat were about to have; with the four diamond awards and plaques hanging proudly on the wall.  But to put it simply, when I walked through those double doors, I was transported to a whole new world.  A wonderful world of gastronomic delight and bliss.

Now Giovanni's is no regular dining experience - the price range is above what me and my friends would normally be able to afford; but it was a special occasion and me and my closest friend had been saving for this meal.  And boy were we not disappointed one bit.

I'll begin with the service and atmosphere.  The moment we walked in, I felt as though I was transported to a different world entirely.  The decor was one of sophistication and class.  Wood work must have cost them a fortune; and the bottles of wine lining the dining room was a nice touch.  Tables were spaced far enough that you were in a comfortable distance away from everyone but not enough to make you feel as though you were on an island on your own.  The service was TREMENDOUS.  Servers were very friendly, and knowledgeable.  Always there when you needed them; but not intruding.  And well trained.  VERY well trained.  Something you would expect from a fine dining establishment like Giovanni's.  My experience at a nice restaurant is always more enjoyable when the service doesn't disappoint; and no disappointment here.  However, the more importantly issue...what about the food?


Oh the food. It was FANTASTIC.  Lets begin:

I normally do not think too much about the bread.  In fact there are times when I ignore the bread entirely.  But the moment we sat down; the runners came out with a basket of the most freshest smelling bread; as if it JUST came out of the oven.  They placed them on our bread plates and I couldn't ignore the fact the bread itself was a cross between a dinner roll and a croissant.  So, I rip a piece off from the roll and was pleasantly, no cross that, was ridiculously surprised.  The bread was outstanding.  Buttery and flaky like a croissant, with a nice roll hybrid top and some herbs baked into the top portion.  Needless to say, I had a few pieces of bread that evening.

CARPACCIO DI MANZA CON SCHEGGIA DI GRANA capaccio pf prime sirloin with mustard cream drizzle

I started off with the beef carppaccio,  now I've had my fair share of carppaccio, but I've never really enjoyed one to the extent where I felt "wowed" by the dish.  But I heard great ravings about Giovanni's, and I decided I'd give it a shot.  I was pleasantly surprised.  Now I didn't get an epiphany moment felt as though I could fill up just eating this appetizer, but it was good.  The mustard cream had a good tang too it, but wasn't overpowering which allowed me to still taste the subtly and flavors of the beef.  This is important as I've been turned off by other establishments where their dressing completely overpowers their beef carpaccio, and doesn't allow the beef to shine.  Here, the beef is the main player; and the mustard dressing and capers are supporters.  I liked it - quiet well in fact, and was content with my choice; but this dish pales in comparison to the rest of the meal (just because of the sheer perfectness of the other dishes).

FORMAGGIO DI CAPRA IN INSALATA CON PISTACCHIO pistacchio crusted goats cheese with baby spinach and warm bacon

A number of different salads were offered with the traditional ceaser's salad, and heirloom tomato salads, but I chose a spinach salad as I was intrigued with the crusted goat cheese that was mentioned in the menu.  I know, I know, pretty weird way to choose a salad, but hey, everything looked good and I needed to make a decision - besides I wanted something lighter than a ceaser's but not a huge fan of having too many tomatos.  Boy was I glad I chose my salad - and for my so called stupid reason.  The fried goat cheese ball?  It was AMAZING.  The salad had fresh baby spinach; a good amount coated with a warm vinagrette; not overpowering; but very well done.  I wouldn't say it was anything crazy.  But then I cut into that fried goat cheese ball. It was outstanding; strong intense flavor and fried; but not oily.  When I broke it up and mixed it in with the rest of the salad, it really took it up a notch.  The little crunchiness the fried component gave it a special textural component whereas the intense goat cheese flavor really enhanced the vinaigrette dressing without making it too heavy.

PENNE RIGATE ALLA CARBONARA CON PANNA short cut pasta with pancetta, parmigiana and cream

For my pasta dish, I ordered the penne carbonara.  My description of it?  It was blissful.  After my first bite, no, my second or third bite (because I couldn't stop at my first) I felt as if I was in heaven.  It was absolutely delicious.  Firstly, the pasta dish was heated tableside by our server.  I mean who does that now a days, but I truly appreciated this "old school" hospitality and service.  The pasta was cooked to perfection; tender with a slight chew to its body.  And the sauce,  oh how good the sauce was.  Creamy, but not overpowering; with the saltiness and of the pancetta coming through and coating each and every one of the penne pasta. I felt even though it was a very creamy dish; it maintained a very clean and not overly heavy feeling I sometimes get from carbonaras I've eaten from other place.   It was truly a masterpiece. I would definitely recommend getting this dish.  The portion was not small either, but I had no trouble finishing the dish as it was just too good not to. 

TIRAMISU

By the time dessert rolled by, I was getting pretty full.  I guess it didn't help that I loved the bread so much I had three servings of their bread throughout the entire service.  It was really good bread!!!  But despite starting to feel full, I opted to order dessert.  The meal was so good so far that I didn't want to miss out on anything.  Being in a traditional Italian restaurant; they offered the traditional desserts, gelatos, cakes, tiramisu; and in hindsight; I really should have opted for a lighter option, but I really wanted to try their tiramisu. (You only live once right? and I had scheduled a LONG RUN the next morning anyways - excessive "carb load" some may say?)  The tiramisu was good.  It wasn't something I would write home about, but it was good.  Light and not too heavy, but still flavorful enough - it was simply a good piece of tiramisu.


Overall, I had an amazing experience.  The food was tremendous.  Truly one of the best dining experiences I've had in Cleveland.  Coupled with the great service and the outstanding atmosphere; it'll definately remain one of my top choices for fine dining and I highly recommend giving it a shot when one of those special occasions come up.


Overall: 4.75 out of 5 stars.

Giovanni's Ristorante
25550 Chagrin Blvd.
Cleveland, OH 44122
(216)831-8625
http://www.giovanniscleveland.com/

Introductions...

So first things first.  I should introduce myself as I take my first steps into this blogging world.  I've been refraining from starting a blog for the past few years.  Not for any specific reasons other than the fact that I didn't want to start something and end up letting it die out unattended after I start because of being massively busy and also (and I won't lie) sheer laziness.  However, as of late, I'm afforded a little more time due to work life being more settled down and stable; coupled with a real urge to document my passion for dining out/in which has driven me to start this blog. 

So the question is: Who am I? 

I'm currently a PhD Student living in Cleveland in the department of medicine.  I think my biggest hobbies outside of my life in the medical research field (where research/work really is a large part of my life - even if i want it to be or not) is eating or enjoying good cuisine and working out and playing sports.  Although at first some may believe those hobbies to be contrasting; staying fit/healthy but loving to eat - at least I did for a long time, until I've been able to manage both of these passions of mine into a much more intertwining combination.  I work-out and stay fit and eat a pretty clean cut diet most of the week; where as the weekends are a different tale.  It is during the weekend when I allow myself to eat well and enjoy life.  Which brings me to the theme of this blog.

I hope to center this blog on the dining experiences I have during my weekend food vacations.  I usually set my Saturday nights as my night out to dine out at wherever interesting restaurant I can venture to.  My friends and I try and visit places all over Cleveland; but do not limit our selves to this locale.  In fact, many road trips and some vacations are themed behind the gastronomic pleasures we may achieve.

So with that introduction; I hope you'll join me and follow me around as I eat and enjoy food every Saturday!

Cheers and good day to all!