Down on the Farm for an Upscale Dinner

 

    I've been going out to Squire Valleevue Farm since 1971. Of course, back then, we never called it by that name. To us, it was The Pink Pig, a piece of country property owned by Case Western Reserve University out in Hunting Valley. The moniker came courtesy of a building that had a hog-themed decor honoring its past incarnation as a sty. We used it as our personal playground and private estate. Students, faculty and alumni have access to the 389 acres of forests, meadows, fields and ravines. Since my husband Barney is a CWRU grad, over the years we've  gone there for nature walks, picnics, birthdays and gatherings with family and friends. I even spoke at a local food symposium held inside the former sheep barn in 2002 with Chef Parker Bosley and Darwin Kelsey of the Cuyahoga Valley Countryside Conservancy. 

  For one night, August 24, anyone can enjoy this beautiful place if they purchase a ticket to Back to Our Roots, a farm-to-table dinner hosted by Cleveland Independents.  The event is a celebration of the talent and entrepreneurial spirit that defines participants of this 90-member restaurant organization, and a way to give back to the community that supports them.The location is sure to be special, but the lineup of participating chefs is its own kind of draw: Andrew Dombrowski of Zach Bruell Restaurants, John Kolar of Thyme2, Matthew Anderson of Umami Asian Kitchen, Karen Small of Flying Fig and Jonathan Bennett of Red Restaurant Group.

The menu looks phenomenal and features some mouthwatering ingredients: corn crepes with truffled ricotta, beef and compressed melon tartar, Mackenzie Farm chevre with sauteed peppers and pancetta, grilled trout with edamame hummus and tamari pickled onions, prosciutto-wrapped black figs, grilled Ohio sirloin and ember-roasted potatoes, and to finish a milk chocolate cremeux, a sort of pudding with raspberries and a salted pretzel crisp. Libations start with sparkling Cava, cycle through two whites, a red and end with Moscato.

    The $199 per person price might seem steep at first glance. But consider what those dollars buy —  an absolutely unique, never-to-be-repeated meal, with five courses prepared by five different chefs, using as much local produce —  some of it grown on-site, and other products from area food artisans. You also get entertainment from Ensemble Concertante, a chamber music trio, a splendid outdoor setting (with dinner served under a tent), and tours of the gardens, apiary and mushroom/root cellar. But that's not all. A portion of the proceeds will go to the University Farm School Visitation Program. The funds make it possible for schools to bring elementary-age students out to explore this working farm, learn about healthy eating and have lunch.

  The food and service will be upscale. But leave the heels at home and dress casually and comfortably for an evening on the grass and under the stars. Advance reservations required. Seating is limited so don't wait. The fun begins at 6:30 p.m., sunset to follow.

No Better Time to Eat Out

We all fall into ruts. It’s only human. Habits take over, familiarity is typically the default setting, and so we tend to do what we’ve already done before. This predisposition often expresses itself when choosing where to eat. Restaurants we know and like are the fallback option. The appeal is that we know what kind of experience we’re in for and are confident we’ll be happy with our meal. And there are definite advantages to being a regular.

But there is no better time to bust out and try something new and different in the dining realm than Cleveland Restaurant Week. Make that weeks. This year the promotional event sponsored by locally owned independent restaurants runs from November 1-14. Approximately 90 places are participating by offering three-course, prix fixe menus for $30 per person, with a few throwing in an extra course or charging a bit more, or even less, depending on the type of venue. The locations range from downtown to the ‘burbs, Cleveland Heights to Rocky River, Tremont to Willoughby. You can see a complete list online, and make reservations via Opentable.

It’s an affordable way to do some culinary exploring and add variety your dining routine. You may even find a new favorite, the kind of place you’ll go back to again and again.

Stack the Deck In Your Favor

If you worry about gaining weight, do not under any circumstances dine with one of those maddeningly thin people who seem able to eat huge portions of everything and never gain an ounce. If you happen to live with a person who fits this description, it’s essential that you find other settings for contact and conversation. Accept the fact that you will have to give up meeting up at the breakfast, lunch and dinner table. Because according to a recently released study published in Journal of Consumer Research what and how much we eat is influenced by who we eat it with.

Photo courtesy of Barney Taxel, Taxel Image Group

People tend to mirror their dining partner when it comes to food choices and quantity. That makes skinny people with an appetite a danger to the rest of us. Picture this typical scenario. You go out for a meal. Your companion chooses cheese nachos to start, and a burger deluxe with fries. You had planned to order grilled fish with steamed vegetables, no appetizer. The science suggests you and your good intentions are at risk. Chances are high that a “what the hell why not” attititude will take hold and without even thinking about it, you’ll be asking for potato skins fully loaded and a side of onion rings.

Keep this in mind when taking advantage of the The Deck, the latest offer from Cleveland Independents, the association of locally owned restaurants. There are 52 cards in the box, each a $10 gift certificate from a different member restaurant. It costs only $29.95 and cards are good through December 30, 2010. Visit just 10 of the participating places over the course of a year and you’ve saved $70. This is a great deal and would make a terrific gift- I know it would make me happy. Preorder online now- it ships next month. Once you start using The Deck, don’t forget that if you're concerned about putting on the pounds, partner control is critical to portion control.

Fork in the Road

There’s lots of advice for managing your money and weathering the economic turmoil that has most of us anxious in Suze Orman’s 2009 Action Plan. Among the financial planning guru’s prescriptions is to stop going out to eat for a month. Bad idea. There are many smart ways to save money but this isn’t one of them. At least that’s what some of us think. I give you two opinions on the subject.

The first is from Douglas Katz, Owner of fire food and drink and President of Cleveland Independents
As a Suze Orman fan and a chef/independent restaurateur, I must take issue with her recommendation to avoid eating out as part of her 2009 action plan. In principal, avoiding eating out may provide a short-term solution for select consumers, however, it is crucial to view this decision in term of both its short and long-term impact on the economy.
According to All Business, a D&B Company:
• Restaurant-industry employment will reach 13.3 million by 2012.
• In 2010, the restaurant industry will operate more than 1 million units and post sales of $577 billion
• More than eight out of 10 salaried employees at table-service restaurants started as hourly employees
• One third of all adults in the United States have worked in the restaurant industry at some time during their lives
• The number of African-American-owned and women-owned eating and drinking place firms increased at double digit rating during the past decade
• Eating and drinking places rank second, based on sales volume, among retail establishments owned by African-Americans and Hispanics
• Eating and drinking places employ more minority managers than any other industry
With independent restaurants closing on a daily basis due to lack of volume, Suze’s advice can only serve to further impact this situation. It is my hope that she will investigate this situation in a more global manner and ultimately discuss the fact that, in this particular instance, she may have jumped to a conclusion that does not best serve the consumer.

Katz has assembled some important facts and figures. My views are less researched and more personal. With vacation plans on indefinite hold, eating out is one form of fun I can still afford. A restaurant meal may be a luxury, but it’s one that's within reach for me, when so many things are not, and the experience usually lifts my spirits. After working all day or all week, it’s like a mini-holiday just to sit back and be served. It feels good to relax, get out of the house, and put my cares aside for an hour or two. And in these hard times, I need that.

And let’s not forget that those people taking care of us in a restaurant-from the servers and bussers to the prep guys and dishwashers in the back, are our friends, neighbors, family-members, somebody’s son or daughter, all just trying to earn a living like you and me. They live in northeast Ohio and spend their money here so that means they’re helping to keep all kinds of other people employed. We’re an economic eco-system, a community, with every part inter-related and inter-dependent. Now’s the time to pull together, not turn our backs on one another.

And think about this. Virtually every charitable organization and worthy cause in this town enlist the support of local restaurant owners and chefs for their events. They are a regular presence at fundraisers, DONATING time, talent, and countless pans and platters of wonderful food to support the good causes the rest of us champion . Now it’s our turn to support them. If we don’t many will go out of business. We’ll miss them when they’re gone and lose valuable cultural and community resources.