New House Pours and Plates

There are some new beverages at the West Side Market Café. The alcoholic content means they won’t go with your early morning eggs, hash browns, and sausage. Though I do recall seeing a group of guys in there wearing hospital scrubs- hopefully coming off a late night shift and not heading to work- order beers with their over-easies and toast. It might however, pair up nicely with a turkey club or a tuna melt.

I’m talking about wine- which many people don’t realize is sold by the glass and the bottle here. But not just any wines. The two signature vintages I’m referring to feature images of the Market tower, the Café sign, and the Historic District marker on the label. The white’s a Sauvignon Blanc and the red’s a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cab Franc. Both are estate bottled in Bordeaux, France by Chateau des Tuquets, known for its south-facing clay and limestone hills. Grapes have been grown on the property since ancient times and some vineyards have been steadily cultivated since the 18th century.
photo by Barney Taxel
A Cleveland company, European Wine Imports, is bringing the wines in and doing a private labeling program for the Cafe. I’ve tried the Cab and really enjoyed it. It’s approachable, nicely balancing berries and pepper, and goes down easy with a relatively smooth finish. Definitely a nice wine for the price. You can take home a bottle of either one for $13.95.

That’s not all that’s new. Tom Szoradi took over as chef two months ago and starts serving his menu- more adventurous and creative than the previous version- this week. I got a sneak peak and some items immeditaley caught my eye: a twist on lox and eggs made with house cured salmon on pumpernickel with pickled onions, arugula, boursin, and shaved hard boiled eggs; an open-faced Spanish omelette made with cilantro lime chicken and queso fresca; lamb sliders; a Korean BBQ pulled pork sandwich; and a burger topped with onion bacon spread and fontina cheese.

Remember that the Café’s open even on days the Market is not, from 7 AM till 3 or 4 most week days, and till 6 PM Fridays and Saturdays. And I hear that if the weather cooperates they’ll be offering sidewalk seating beginning this Friday.