First Glances: Sarita

When the venerable Players on Madison closed this October after three decades, longtime executive chef Anthony Romano and business partner Sandy Smith purchased the space for their own concept, a polished and likely soon-to-be-favorite neighborhood spot called Sarita.

It was a move Romano says he'd been contemplating for years, prompted by regular half-serious offers to sell from retiring owner Gary Lucarelli. Sarita opened to the public Saturday, Nov. 14 after an overhaul of the interior space.

Gone is the 1980s-esque wall art, muted wallpaper and neutral chairs and linens. In its place is a bold and minimal black and white concept splashed with red, a tie-in with Sarita's logo (shown above on the restaurant's awning). The space is comfortable and clean, though loud due to the openness of the two distinct dining areas and a painted tin ceiling that, while full of needed character, reflects and amplifies bar chatter.

The menu, divided into "this," "that" and "the other" categories broadly defined as appetizers, small plates and entrees, is expansive with nearly 40 total options with wide appeal, such as crispy, fluffy Navajo fry bread — akin to fried pizza dough — with two kinds of pesto ($4), sweet and savory stuffed dates wrapped in prosciutto ($10) and horseradish-crusted grouper ($29) with chanterelle mushrooms, mashed potatoes and a garlicy vinaigrette.

Horseradish-crusted grouper at Sarita, a Restaurant

Serious diners may find this new spot a bit too safe, and regular diners may struggle with the prices for an average night out, but Sarita has at least two standouts going for it.

Firstly, the service is astounding. Most new restaurants can aim only at keeping up with an opening-night crush while struggling to train overwhelmed servers and cooks. Because much of the staff are holdovers from Players on Madison, however, Sarita felt from Day One as if it were already a well-oiled machine (rapid menu changes based on customer feedback notwithstanding nor unwelcome).

Secondly, the olive oil cake ($7). Sure, there's a flourless chocolate cake that will likely sell well because, well, chocolate. But if you take one risk with your visit to Sarita, make it this cake. Citrusy, with a luscious scoop of cinnamon ice cream, just the right amount of crumb and a lingering aftertaste that reminds you the cake is made with olive oil, it was far and away the most impressive dish of the evening.

IF YOU GO:
Sarita, 14523 Madison Ave., Lakewood, 216-226-5200, sarita-restaurant.com
Mon-Thu 5-11 p.m., Fri & Sat 5-12 p.m., Sun 5-10 p.m.

First Look: 111 Bistro

The Vibe: Tucked inside the Montville Centre shopping plaza along state Route 18 in Medina, this spacious new American restaurant boasts a gastropub feel with a large wood bar, brick walls and draft lists written on chalkboards. It's welcoming whether you want to grab a spot at the bar, cozy up in one of the booths or hold court at the 16-seat, family-style table near the open kitchen.

How Ready Are They: Three weeks into the restaurant's opening, the wait staff is still getting acclimated to the menu and the pace of dinner service. Our server was cheery and knowledgeable — though she admitted she hadn't tried certain dishes. The biggest blunder was how fast our food was served. We barely took a bite of our appetizers when our entrees arrived at the table.

We Tried It: Executive chef and co-owner Anthony Scolaro must have a thing for duck. You can find it throughout the menu from bacon on the DBLT (a twist on the classic BLT) to wings. We opted for the latter and enjoyed the six plump duck wings ($9) — definitely larger and meatier than the plain-old chicken variety — coated in a mild chili sauce with a dash of citrus and topped with green onion.

We also tried the pork cheek pappardelle ($15) with guajillo cream, chihuahua cheese, creme fraiche and cilantro. With the guajillo cream, we'd hoped for a little more flavor but the overall effect was somewhat flat and could have used a touch of salt (worth a mention: salt and pepper shakers are absent from the tables).

What We'd Like To See: Walking the line between fine dining and upscale gastropub, a few more burger options than the 111 Burger — an appealing version with smoked gouda, lettuce, tomato, onion and house pickles on an egg bun — would help round out the menu.

If You Go: 111 Bistro, 2736 Medina Road, Medina, 330-952-1122, 111bistro.com

Zack Attack

"There's a joke in the food business," says Zack Bruell, as we climb into a limo bus. "What did they do? Just let a bus out in front of here?"

That's exactly what the chef of Parallax, Table 45, L'Albatros, Chinato and Cowell & Hubbard had on the menu for last night.

As part of his third Tour de Bruell, a contest encouraging customers to visit all five of his restaurants from Memorial Day through Labor Day, Bruell hosted a progressive dinner, with one course at each of his restaurants for five winners who completed the tour early. I was lucky enough to score a seat on the bus.

We started off at Table 45 for a first course of sushi, including the popular Table 45 Roll made with tempura shrimp, tuna, cucumber mayo, scallions and a spicy sauce inside, all topped with red tip clams.

While the limo bus chauffeured us around, Bruell shared tales of his culinary journey (for more, read our October 2011 feature: "Does Zack Bruell Finally Have Your Attention?"). He says Cowell & Hubbard has been the hardest restaurant to open due to the size of the space (it's the largest of the five) and menu (it's the biggest and most ambitious). But you'd never notice any of that struggle based on the entree served as part of the tour's second stop — a stuffed poblano pepper filled with shrimp and ricotta cheese. The lime butter sauce was so delicious that even Bruell used his bread to soak up his extra sauce.

"Cowell & Hubbard's menu is reminiscent of what I did in my last life," he says of his first restaurant, Z Contemporary Cuisine. "That restaurant sort of changed the dining scene. People who ate there never forgot it."

While we enjoyed fusilli with oxtail and beef tongue at Chinato and ended the night with cheese and wine pairings at L'Albatros, it was Parallax that offered up my favorite dish. The roasted peaches topped with ricotta were light and refreshing. The arugula salad of pickled red onions, candied walnuts and lemon balsamic vinaigrette were delicate and sweet.

"This place is a little more free-wheeling," he says of his oldest restaurant. "We have a little more fun here."

I joked with my fellow diners about how this dish seems so simple that I might even be able to re-create it at home, but then I realized it's easier (and probably safer) for me to just enjoy whatever Bruell creates. I will be back to have this dish again. And that, at the end of the day, is all the man is after.

"The goal is to make people feel good when they leave," he says.

Mission accomplished.

Looking for a fish fry tonight?

We have put together, quite possibly, Northeast Ohio's most comprehensive fish fry database here. Use it to find the perfect fish fry for you.

You, our readers, have the ability to comment on any individual fish fry to let readers know if it's worth checking out. We also plotted all those fries on a map, so you can find one in your neighborhood. And if we missed a good Cleveland area fry, let us know by clicking here and we'll add it to our list.

In our March issue, we gave our picks for the best baker's dozen of fish fries in the region with write ups that will make you salivate. So go eat and come back to tell us how it was. You can also read about one of Cleveland's first (and best) fries.

Get Out

Before the warm weather days and nights of this season are just a memory, I decided to make time for some serious patio pleasure. I’ve been cruising outdoor dining and drinking spots and have a few off the beaten path recommendations that may not be on everyone’s where-to go list.
-Visible Voice Books in Tremont started pouring wine this summer and opened a little garden courtyard where patrons can enjoy it. The narrow brick-paved spot, set back from the street, is outfitted with tables and chairs, pots of flowers and tiki torches. Get your Merlot, Chardonnay and Prosecco by the glass or the bottle. I lingered until 10 pm closing on a Friday night.
- The food’s nothing out of the ordinary but you can’t beat the fabulous lake view from the terrace of the Boardwalk Café at Quay 55 on North Marginal Road. It’s a beautiful way to get some fine scenery, fresh air and sun along with lunch or a cup of coffee.
-Le Petit Triangle Café on Fulton has tables right on the sidewalk out front. The view is urban and the European streetside charm a good fit with the menu of crepes, quiche, and the traditional ham sandwich known as a croque monsieur.
-Henry’s at the Barn is an Eden-like hideaway in Avon. A gas fed fire-pit and big stack of blankets means we can continue hanging out here even when cool temperatures take over. The food’s amazing and I highly recommend a glass of Swamp Tea to go with his South Carolina Low Country cooking.

Grasshoppers selling well at Momocho

When we hit Ohio City's Momocho recently, we already knew about the grasshopper taquitos that had been added to the menu. What we didn't expect is for our server to tell us they were sold out of them for the evening, when we showed up for our 8:30 reservation.

No worries. We weren't going to try the grasshoppers anyway. But it's interesting that many brave diners have been ordering up chef Eric Williams' quirky new dish. Our server told us the wings and legs are removed from the grasshoppers and they pretty much take on the flavors of the ingredients with which they're prepared. Other facts: They are crunchy (no surprise there, really), and they are imported from Thailand.

But we had to ask our server the big question: Has she tried them? Yes. Apparently, Williams had our server taste his newest creation before telling her what she was munching on.