Still Spot On

Barney Taxel, Taxel Image Group

  I celebrated the arrival of Wine Spot on Lee Road in Cleveland Heights with a 2012 post. A recent visit made it clear that much has happened since then and there are many more reasons to put this place on your go-to list.

Barney Taxel, Taxel Image Group

    There's still the same eclectic array of wines, craft beers, and hard ciders from around the world for sale. But now there are 12 beer taps and a six seat bar; an extensive selection of hard to find vermouths, digestifs and apertifs; cheese and meat boards to go with your drinks- charcuterie supplied by Saucisson; and a high speed chiller that can get a bottle ice cold in seven minutes.

Barney Taxel, Taxel Image Group

  Owners Adam and Susan Fleischer also secured a full liquor license and so they are pouring shots — only the really good stuff of course — and mixing some creative cocktails along with full glasses of everything they sell. Those in a tasting mood can order beer, wine or whiskey flights.
  Since New Year's eve is almost here. it's worth mentioning that the store is stocked with a variety of bubbles-champagne, cava and prosecco among them. But I am totally smitten with something Adam encouraged me to try. It's a dry sparkling white wine called Gruet Brut, made in the French methode champenoise. Not sure which feature amazes me more: how delicious and aromatic it is, with notes of grapefruit and green apple; that it's only $14.99 a bottle; or that it comes from New Mexico. Finds and recommendations like this are what The Wine Spot is all about. And I'm so glad to have them in my neighborhood.

Apple of my Eye

Photo from Rittman Orchards

Lots of apples look good but many don't deliver on their promise. Sinking my teeth into one that is mealy, mushy and relatively flavorless is a particular kind of disappointment. I'm always on the watch for varieties that are all an apple should be, especially this time of year when local ones are available. And I just found a new favorite at Zagara's Marketplace in Cleveland Heights.
 
Called Macoun, its creamy white flesh is crisp, juicy and sweet-tart. The pros, using the language of wine writers, describe it as "complex" and "aromatic" with "hints of berry, strawberry and spice notes." The skin splits and snaps like the casing of a properly made sausage when you bite into it. A hybrid of McIntosh, which I generally find insipid, and Jersey Blacks, an American heirloom varietal, the Macoun was developed in 1909 and named after a Canadian pomologist. It's a real all-rounder, great for eating fresh, cooking down into sauce or baking. I am definitely using them for my Thanksgiving pie this year.

Barney Taxel, Taxel Image Group

Unknown by me until now, I discovered that Macoun's have something of a cult following in various parts of the country and their seasonal arrival is eagerly anticipated. I did some asking around and learned that a few area growers have them for sale on site and at the weekly markets they attend: Sages Fruit Farm, Eddy Fruit Farm, Huffman Fruit Farm and Rittman Orchards. Keep your eyes out for these dark skinned beauties — it might be love at first bite for you too.

Drinker's Dream

Photo by Barney Taxel

A friend turned the husband and I on to Red, Wine & Brew, a most unusual and impressive beverage shop in Chesterland. He gave the place a big build-up, and our visit there a couple of weeks ago confirmed that there was good reason for his enthusiasm.
 
Opened in 2007, the sprawling store boasts that shelves are stocked with 6,000 bottles of wine from around the country and the world and 1,500 different beers. Needless to say, drinkers can have a tough time making a choice. I certainly did.

Photo by Barney Taxel

   
 Then I talked to Gabriel Schlesinger. He stepped from behind the counter, offered his help and after some discussion, set us up with a $20 Italian Valpolicello, promising that it resembled a much pricier Amarone. He was right and we enjoyed the wine. Schlesinger's regulars rely on him, and he takes a certain pride in the fact that if customers tell him what they like and what they're willing to spend he can zero-in on something with a high probability of surprising and pleasing them. In addition to buying from the big name producers and representing the well-known appellations, Scheslinger, a self-taught oenophile and self-described wine nerd, seeks out the quirky, the different and the unfamiliar. Trophy wines share space with boutique brands and bargain bottles. He's got — and can tell you all about — wines from Macedonia, Montenegro, Moldova, Uruguay, Armenia and Israel, plus a sizable selection of sakes from Japan.
 
Although we didn't get introduced, another staffer has a similar expertise when it comes to beers. But Schlesinger takes the idea of a service to a level that goes beyond his job description. When I was paying for my bottle, and without any knowledge of who I was or that I might be writing about him, he handed me his business card, which identifies him as "The Wine Guy," pointed to the store's phone number, and said, "Call me for advice. Really. Anytime. If I'm here, I'm happy to help, whether you're planning a dinner party or in a restaurant and want to know what would go with certain foods, just ask. I'm not kidding. People think I'm joking when I tell them that. But I mean it."

Photo by Barney Taxel

 
Try him. Here's his number: 440-729-7376. And if you go the store, which is well worth the trip no matter where you live, he might even give you his cell number so you can reach him with questions after hours.

Nature's Bounty

Ben Bebenroth's idea of bringing people out to area farms for dinner just doesn't get old. The chef and owner of  Spice Kitchen and Bar has been doing it since 2005, and I've attended these Plated Landscape Dinners multiple times, most recently earlier this month at Muddy Fork Farm near Wooster. It was as magical and memorable as ever.

The weather, the astonishingly good food, and grower Monica Bongue, who supplied just-picked ingredients including the asparagus served for our first course, made the event perfect, and that's a word I don't use often or casually. The long table, set up in a grassy space between the rhubarb patch, some fruit trees and the chicken coop, was covered in white linen and set with wine glasses and wildflowers. Six minute eggs and freshly made hollandaise came out of the temporary outdoor kitchen. Walleye, skirt steak and bread were grilled on a grate suspended over a campfire. Before the meal, guests got tours of the beautiful property from Bongue, who operates the farm with the help of her husband, as well as passed hors d'oeuvres and an excellent cocktail featuring ginger syrup and tequila. Well-paired reds and whites were poured with every course. Service, under the watchful, seasoned eye of Jess Edmonds, who favors dresses and cowboy boots, was impeccable. Ducks waddled by, the dog barked, the hens clucked, birds sang, breezes blew, the sun set with a gorgeous glow, the band played on and the world was a happy place.

You can make reservations for your own enchanted evening. There are dinners scheduled through October. My husband, Barney Taxel, took photos that show why you should.

  

Lights, Cameras, Party

We’ll be plugging in the twinkley lights, pulling corks, and welcoming guests on Thursday, February 3. Once again my husband, photographer Barney Taxel, and I are hosting a fundraiser for the Cleveland International Film Festival. Location is the same as always: our fabulous (and prop-filled) studio at 46th and Prospect in downtown Cleveland.

Photo by Mike Lembke ©Taxel Image Group, 2010

The event begins at 7 p.m. Each feast we’ve done features appearances and food by local culinary lights. The lineup this year is Ellis Cooley, executive chef for the highly acclaimed restaurant at the Airport Marriot, Amp 150, Chris Hodgson founder of the wildly popular Dim and Den Sum food truck (and a sit down restaurant under construction on West 25th Street), Michael Herschman, most recently at Menu 6 and currently working on a new (and top secret) restaurant project, and Kimberly McCune, the woman behind Vine and Dine, a personal chef and catering company. They’re preparing an array of signature appetizers and desserts. But their contribution includes more than cooking.

The four have also agreed to stick around and be part of the evening's entertainment. Don’t expect a white-coated chorus line or toqued up karaoke. What we are going to have is a culinary conversation. The chefs will talk about how the come up with ideas for new dishes, describing their personal process for going from concept to plate. It will be set up as an informal interactive panel discussion and members of the audience can jump in with questions. The profession attracts unique, quirky and intensely creative characters — this is a chance to get inside the heads of a few. I predict it will be an interesting place to spend time.

Help Barney and I support the International Film Festival. It is one thing (among so many) that makes living in Cleveland extremely desirable, despite our average snowfall, lack of a hockey team, and the saga of LeGone. (Take that you know-nothings at Forbes — we don’t need or want your pity, because we like our city). But this party maxes out at 75. My sources tell me there are still some tickets left — but not many. Get yours right now.

Beef in a Box

There’s something wonderful about driving up to your house and finding steaks waiting for you at the front door. It’s an experience I recently had for the first time and it came courtesy of the folks at Certified Angus Beef Brand. The Wooster based company, dedicated to promoting this select line of premium beef, invited me try their new online ordering and delivery service and tell them what I think. It couldn’t have been easier and I have to say I liked buying meat in my pajamas.

And not just any meat. This is the stuff served at high-end restaurants around the country.
I chose four 12 oz. strip steaks, typed and clicked my way through the purchasing process, and quickly received an email confirming my order, and then another with a tracking number. They arrived frozen three days later, each one vacuum sealed, in a cooler packed with dry ice. There was even a handy little grilling guide. Getting packages in the mail is always fun- like having an extra birthday. Getting a box of something so good to eat makes me ridiculously happy.

I was in charge of sides for dinner on Sunday. There was corn on the cob, bought the day before at the North Union Farmers Market, a salad with tomatoes from the garden, and baked beans that we had slow smoked last week. But the strip was the centerpiece of our meal. We dry rubbed with Chef Brandt Evans’ Killer Steak Crust spice blend and cooked over an open fire.

Photographer, resident flame master and husband Barney Taxel was in charge of achieving a rare interior for the beautifully marbled meat and a picture perfect sear. He did both very well.

There's plenty of grilling days left in the season . Next time, I'm going to gift myself with a rib-eye. Home shopping has never seemed quite so appealing.

This One's a Gem

Jeff Jarrett’s a chef at North End in Hudson. He and his wife Tammy, who’s a nurse, are in the process of adopting a second baby girl from China. The first child they added to their family two years ago, which already included three boys, is visually impaired.

The new 13 month old they want to bring here was born without eyes and abandoned by her birth parents at four weeks. The likelihood of her ever leaving the orphanage for a real home was slim to zero until the Jarretts learned of her situation. They’ve named her Jewel and they’re doing everything they can to bring her here. They have big hearts but it will take deep pockets to make it happen.

They need $20,000-25,000 and to raise some of that they’ve organized a fundraiser, Cooking for Jewel. It will be held on Monday, March 22 at The Cleveland Sight Center from 5:30 PM to 9 PM. Once again, our astonishingly generous community of chefs responded to a call from one of their own and has stepped up to lend a hand. The evening’s food will come courtesy of a long list of talented locals. As of this writing it includes:

Matt Baber– Naya Bistro and Lounge: Highland Heights
Dante Boccuzzi– Dante: Tremont
Lanny Chin– Naya Bistro and Lounge: Highland Heights
Mark Cleland– North End: Hudson
Zack Conover– The Leopard: Aurora
Ellis Cooley– Amp150 : Marriott Cleveland Hopkins
Brian Doyle-World's Fare Culinary/Danny's Organic Marketplace
William Fugitt-Private Chef: Columbus
Aaron Guzik– L’Albatros: Cleveland
Heather Haviland-Lucky's Cafe/Vine and Bean:Cleveland
Jeremy Lisy-KJ Greens
Matt Mathlage– Light Bistro: Ohio City
Matt Mytro– Stove Monkeys: Cleveland
Mike Nowak- Bar Cento: Ohio City
Stacey Stoudemire- Simply Elegant Catering
Wendy Thompson– A Cookie and a Cupcake: Tremont
Ky-Wai Wong– Lucky’s Café: Tremont
Eric Wells- Skye LaRae Culinary Services

There will also be a silent auction with chances to bid on great stuff, including an original framed photo by my husband Barney Taxel and a collection of books from Gray and Company Publishers, including a copy of the latest edition of my book Cleveland Ethnic Eats.

Tickets are only $25 per person and I’ve already bought mine. Make reservations online or call 330-353-4991 (the Jarrett’s home). If ever there was a good cause folks, this is it. And contributing is not only easy, it will be fun. Purchase a ticket, have some terrific food, and give one little girl a family and a future.