Scallop

The Noodlecat Address

~ evanzuzik ~ 1 Comment

I am trying to use Opentable when I can (also if a place offers 1000pt bonus times that just gives me some more incentive to try somewhere new).  I already use this blog as an excuse to eat out probably too frequently, adding the Opentable rewards just exacerbates the “well I’m getting something out of this”.  If you aren’t aware, its a reservation service that gives you points (usually 100) for every time you go…when you get to 2000 points you get 20$ gift cards.

I’m on spring break and enjoy the time off. Here are some pictures of what I did /ate.

Noodle Cat:

I like Noodlecat and have been to the downtown location numerous times. Part of me is still in mourning over the loss of the old happy hour offerings (half portions!) and the most wonderful fried chicken (honey, sriracha and perfectly crispy yet juicy inside).  To say I was upset when the menu changed and I couldn’t order the chicken anymore is an understatement.

Chef and  James Beard Award Winner Jonathan Sawyer is widely known for Greenhouse Tavern and Trentina, but I think the fact that these three establishments are all VERY different speaks volumes about his talent. He really loves Cleveland and makes that very clear in every interview. This place is casual and relaxed and not what you would expect from someone who has a upscale farm to table as well as a fancy Italian place.

Sam and I were going to a show at House of Blues and only had 40 minutes or so to eat. We split the House Ramen noodles/ Crispy beef short ribs ($10) and the crispy brussle sprout bowl ($6).  This was absolutely enough food for 2 people. The ramen portions are huge, another reason I am sad they don’t have the half-sized happy hours, and occasionally I would get 2 half portions.  It comes out soo hot, I typically burn my mouth because I can’t wait to start slurping.

 

 I remember when ramen places got popular; it seemed like 7 years or so.  My initial thought confusion since I only knew of the super cheap ramen packages that cost 12 cent.  This one is good but not that adventurous.

The short ribs are flavorful, a little fatty but satisfying. It is strange to pull something on a small bone out of the broth. I feel like to eat this food you need chopsticks, a fork and a spoon, your fingers and maybe a knife. It’s not the most graceful way to eat but the food is satisfying.

The sprout dish is very unique and satisfying.  My brother, the super health conscious vegan,  first introduced me to this item. For six dollars you get a LOT of food. The fried sprouts come with cabbage, kim chi an aged soy sauce and lots of cilantro. If you claim to not like sprouts this would be a good dish to get to change your mind. There are a lot of acidic/strong flavors going on and this is a dish you want to have mints/gum on hand afterwards. I wish I had these years ago because I lived a good portion of my life thinking I didn’t like this vegetable. Note, I do like them in non-fried presentations as well, but my first ones were probably boiled, bland and offensive.

It’s a fun atmosphere (the Noodlecat comics on the walls are silly) and you get a lot of food, quickly and it is pretty cheap. Again, and I am not someone who generally geeks out for fried chicken, Please Noodlecat, can I have the fried chicken placed back on the menu? You still have the fried chicken steam bun so I know you have the ingredients…. pleeease?

 Is there anything more delicious than the Surprisingly Nimble Latrice Royale?

So I am writing this part  from my hotel room in Gettysburg. This is my Gettysburg address of sorts. My Mother and I are taking a mini spring break trip just the 2 of us.  Day 1:  Falling Water… My father is an architect so it would make sense to bring him along…Day 2 and 3 are Hershey, Indian Echo Cavern and Gettysburg.

We went to The Circular inside the Hershey Hotel. It was a lovely, classy place. The place is fancy without being stuffy.  My pictures really failed to capture it. Here is the website. It is at a fairly high elevation and has a lovely view. We split a pheasant salad, some roasted veggies and the signature scallop dish. We then each got our own dessert because #Hershey.

  This is a cocoa and almond dusted scallop (we split them, so the portion was 2 ) with a  salsify puree, brussel sprouts and a concord grape gastrique.

I had no idea what salsify was (or even how to say it). It’s an edible root and honestly the puree with the grape and the scallop was just perfection. The coco powder was subtle but I did get a hint of it. I guess in February they feature more savory dishes with chocolate incorporated into them.   This is the only one that is available year round and I understand why. There are so many different things going on here, but it was so lovely. Drive to Hershey and get it.   Obviously in Hershey one is mandated to order chocolate desserts. This dark chocolate tart was served with toasted lemon meringue and morello cherries.  This dessert was so beautiful. Lemon, Dark chocolate and brandy+cherries should be served together more often. The chocolate and the crust were not all that sweet but the fruit balanced it out.   The large piece of dark chocolate over top was unnecessary but of course I ate it.  While eating this I thought to myself “Why did I eat the bread before the food?!” I was so full but really wanted to like the plate clean.
  The Chocolate Souffle. There was a dark chocolate ganache as well.  Our fantastic waitress, Brittany, asked if she could vent it and put some of the vanilla glaze. This was like eating a chocolate cake batter cloud and so decedent.  I rarely order souffles and this one makes me regret every time I’ve seen it on a menu and opted for something else.

As if this wasn’t enough it was also served with a hazelnut ice cream sandwich. I rarely use the phrase too much chocolate, but I got close. Did you know that 60 MILLION kisses are made each day?

  Indian Echo Caverns is a few miles outside Hershey. It is huge (100ft tall at some points) but it is very hard to get decent photos that accurately capture how impressive it is in person. So neat and totally worth it.
 “Out of the way little children….  MY Chocolate!”
 Falling Water. It was a windy/cold/rainy day but this is an awesome feat of architecture. Also the lighting (and iphone filters) allowed for this great photo.

 No filter on this one. The Pennsylvania Monument at Gettysburg.  We also ate in a building constructed in the 1700’s but the meal was candlelit and there are no salvageable photos.

Fact: the whole thing about if a war statue features a horse with one hoof raised vs. two showing how the soldier died is false/myth. I was a little disappointed in this because I felt like it was a neat history fact I knew about.

“Can you make the margarita without the alcohol?” Lopez with the parents

~ evanzuzik

My parents came up to Cleveland to look at a condo that I was potentially interested in purchasing. Long story short, I am glad they did… I tend to ask questions like “can I have a puppy here” and “oooh can I paint the walls” whereas my father asks realistic things about loans and construction. I (we) have decided to not continue with that property. Afterwards my parents wanted to go eat and my mother’s usual request was simply somewhere with a nice patio. I chose Lopez in the Cedar- Lee area of Cleveland Heights. I had never been there.     MENU HERE
  (my mother becomes a super -coordinated ninja whenever you try to capture her image in a picture. I’ve been trying for year…if the loch ness or bigfoot people are looking for another challenge I’d appreciate one smiling photo of her)

I was a little upset and Mexican food is generally comfort food (carbs! Cheese! Salsa!)  They had very light and tomato-y salsa that I enjoy. Also the small patio is very festive and nice, and it was a perfect night for it.

I did not feel like making any decisions and the wonderful waitress was very passionate about the food offerings.
  They offer cactus margaritas, something I had never had so of course I jumped on that when it was suggested (also it was happy hour time).  I really enjoyed the vibrant color of it and couldn’t really place what the taste reminded me of (some sort of childhood candy maybe?). It was good although others might say it wasn’t strong enough.  My mother wanted a festive drink as well. I wish I could have taken a picture of the waitress’s face when she was earnestly asked by my mother if they could make flavored margaritas without any alcohol.  It was like time stood still and the waitress was waiting for the “no no no i’m just kidding”. it never happened. After a few seconds of crickets she said they made ‘Mexican lemonade”. It wasn’t bad (also this restaurant puts small squeeze bottles of agave nectar on the tables…which is good, on everything). I am not sure what made it particularly “Mexican”…it tasted just like a Lemon Shake from a festival without being AS diabetes-inducing.

The waitress recommended the charred caesar salad and the scallops. I ordered both to share with my mother. Although by the time the food arrived I was barely hungry,thanks to the lovely chips and salsa.  Something that I was completely unaware of until just now (trying to look up the menu online). RICK BAYLESS helped open this restaurant 29 years ago! Not sure if that means something to you but he is a culinary giant (he was the winner of the first season of Top Chef Masters).  He is all about elevating Mexican cuisine to something beyond quick enchiladas (don’t get me wrong, I love a Speedy Gonzales combo meal).

I was a bit skeptical when she recommended the Caesar salad. I am not really a fan of salads with creamy dressings, and I feel like Caesar salads are sometimes both boring and tiring too hard.

This one was different. FIRST OF ALL IT WAS HUUUUUUGE (and only $8). Like way more than I was expecting. The dressing was a caper vinaigrette (capers are not normally something I like, and the taste was strong but not unpleasant). The best part was the ‘croutons’ which were actually anchovy fritters. I know it sounds a little odd to be like ‘the best part of the salad was the crouton’ (kinda like saying the best part of the play was the lighting- it is important but typically something that enhances the more key parts). No. these are amazing. Mostly you anticipating something typical and boring, and then…POW with flavor. I would order this again for just those, or maybe ask to order a side of them (actually I did ask, but only half hearted since we were already given soo much food).

Scallops are maybe my favorite sea food. I tend to stay away from seafood at mexican restaurants since I am usually underwhelmed and it is usually more ‘fishy/salty’ then I am used to. I liked these, didn’t love them, but still glad I tried them. They came with cucumber noodles and a caviar served over a salty smoked salmon. There was, as anticipated, a lot of saltiness in the dish, at least to my palate and I could barely handle the salmon.. I enjoyed the scallops themselves, they had a good sear on them. They were a special so I do not remember the exact price (9-12$ range I believe). 

My father ordered the skirt steak fajitas ($19). My father always wants steak rare, but orders it Med.Rare and is consistently upset when the meat he orders comes out as he ordered it, not how he imagined it.

This time it was a little closer to Medium, and the manager came over and quickly brought a replacement that was a little bloodier and what my father wanted. Like the salad, it was gigantic.

Overall, if you want to deviate away from typical mexican cuisine, and are SUPER hungry go there, especially on a nice night to enjoy the patio area. I still am not 100 percent sold on Mexican seafood, but I will keep trying. It has a great atmosphere and I totally get why it is a Cleveland/East side institution. I am genuinely excited to go back and try more items.

Join me next time when my mother orders her favorite drink, rum and coke, but virgin and without the coke 😛