Bruell's Bringing Restaurant Week Back

If you missed our Cleveland Independents Restaurant Week post back in November, it's your lucky month. Beginning on Monday, Jan. 18, and running through Sunday, Feb. 7, Zack Bruell is reprising his own annual restaurant "week" — actually four weeks — with $33 three-course meals at each and every one of his six fine-dining establishments: Parallax, L'Albatros Brasserie & Bar, Table 45, Chinato, Cowell & Hubbard and Alley Cat Oyster Bar.

While we're firmly of the opinion that you can't go wrong with a Bruell meal — the restaurateur is known for his keen attention to detail and for visiting his restaurants every day to maintain his high standards — you'll find us at Table 45 in MidTown during this cold weather due to the approachable comfort-food-type special menu.

"I keep the menu designed with our most popular sellers and simple apps," says chef de cuisine Donna Chriszt, "let the flavors do all the talking."

Here's what she'll be cooking up for the rest of the month, plus a simple recipe to really stretch that bang for buck.

First course: Choose from a daily chef-prepared soup or a salad of mixed garden greens, fresh vegetables, aged balsamic and Bruell's own olive oil.

Second course: Choice of chicken schnitzel with spaetzle and lemon-butter sauce or a classic lo mein with Asian greens, carrots, bean sprouts, edamame and a ginger-garlic sauce.

Courtesy Donna Chriszt

Courtesy Donna Criszt

 Third course: Assorted ice cream and sorbets with berries and mint, or chocolate lava cake served with creme anglaise.

Lo Mein Broth
Serves 4-6

1 quart vegetable stock
1/4 cup pickled ginger juice
1 ounce fresh ginger root
1/4 cup black bean paste
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
1/2 cups soy sauce
2 tablespoons minced shallot
1 tablespoon minced garlic

In a saucepot, bring to a boil the vegetable stock, ginger juice and ginger root.
Reduce heat to a simmer and add remaining ingredients, stirring to combine.
Remove from heat immediately and serve with noodles and assorted vegetables.

Tour de Course

There's no stopping Zack Bruell. 

As part of his sixth annual Tour de Bruell — an epicurean adventure where guests visit all five of his fine-dining restaurants between Memorial Day and Labor Day, collecting stamps along the way — the culinary pioneer hosted 10 guests who were the first to finish the journey.

While he shared his impressive story on how he's successfully opened Parallax, Table 45, L'Albatros, Chinato and Cowell & Hubbard throughout the night, each dish reminded us why he's one of the best chefs in the city. It also got us excited about the opening of his new spot, Alley Cat. Located on the east bank of the Flats, Bruell thinks the seafood spot will be ready in about two weeks. 

Until then, let one of these Bruell dishes tide you over.

Parallax's chili-orange marinated shrimp paired with a roasted beet and watermelon salad and avocado mousse makes great uses of seasonal ingredients for a cool, refreshing dish. Pro tip: Make sure to snag a table on the Tremont spot's patio. 

Get a double dose of vegetables in this Chinato pasta. A rich roasted cauliflower puree complements carrot fettuccine and ricotta salata. Pro tip: Sip on Chateau Campuget rose, known for its fruity notes of raspberries and black currants. 

The French-inspired Cowell & Hubbard crosses borders with a serving of chili-rubbed Latin braised pork paired with anasazi beans, fresh avocado and cilantro. Pro tip: End the night with a meringue ice cream sandwich. 

Good Match

Back in 1999, Chef Donna Chriszt was drawing on world flavors for the food she prepared at Jeso, her highly regarded Clifton Boulevard restaurant, and J Cafe on the East Side. Now she's at it again, this time in the kitchen of Table 45 in the InterContinental Hotel Cleveland, a Zack Bruell concept. It was defined by his modern interpretations of global cuisine and a series of Chef de Cuisine have done their best to execute that since it opened in 2007. Chriszt, with 30 years experience under her apron, is more than up to the task and — based on dishes I sampled at a private tasting of her new summer menu last week — is making it very much her own.

"I've always been inspired by culinary traditions," she says, "as a way to get beyond basic meat-and-potato cooking. But I like to get creative and put my personal twist on ethnic authenticity."

And that's exactly what she does in a fantastic banana leaf smoked trout entree ($23), plated with smashed yucca and sweet potatoes, jicama slaw and a tomatillo vinaigrette. Cultures combine, but don't clash, to delicious effect in the Thai duck breast ($29) — the bird has red curry crust and is served beside coconut risotto, korean kim chee slaw and baby bok choy.
 
Other things I ate and enjoyed on our international tour included Moroccan spiced lamb and beef kebabs (based on a staff member's "secret" family recipe) with a North African salsa, naan and tzatziki  sauce ($15); spicy Spanish shrimp and chorizo ($13); a Middle Eastern fattoush salad ($11); and a flat iron steak grilled and presented with an Argentine chimichurri sauce ($32).

Our small group dined at the private chef's table in the kitchen, which seats eight and can be reserved in advance. With the flair of a natural artist, Chriszt delivered courses with plenty of eye appeal as well as tasty and nuanced seasoning. It's no wonder she was something of a national celebrity before there were star chefs on every corner. She was heralded in Food and Wine, Gourmet, and Food Arts, and invited to cook at the James Beard House before many other Clevelanders. She's been laboring out of the limelight for awhile. But she's in her element now. "I come to work happy every day," she says.

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.

Zack Attack

It’s Tour De Bruell time again. No need to pack a suitcase or dig out your passport for this trip. All you need is a wallet stocked with cash or credit card. A promotional project dreamed up by chef and restaurateur Zack Bruell, it’s an invitation to dine competitively, eating out for a chance to win three fantastic culinary prizes.

food at Parallax photo by Dale Caldwell, Jamestown Group

Here’s how it works:

Have a fabulous dinner at any Zack Bruell restaurant — Parallax, Table 45, L'Albatros or Chinato — between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Ask for a Tour de Bruell ticket and get it stamped. Then get busy and do the same at his three other spots. Turn in your ticket when you pay the bill at your final stop. This gets you a commemorative t-shirt, featuring the 2011 Tour theme: “Get Your Zack On,” and puts you in the running for the more serious swag.

The first person at each restaurant to turn in a completed Tour de Bruell ticket earns a chauffeured progressive dinner for two, with one course at each of the four Zack Bruell restaurants. This happens at the midway point of the Tour, so there’s definitely an incentive to make reservations starting Right Now. That Zack’s no fool.

Chinato photo by Kevin G Reeves

Ten semi-finalists will be randomly selected from among all those who have done the entire tour. Along with a guest of their choice, this group gets a complimentary (yes — as in totally, completely free) wine tasting dinner at Table 45, featuring cuisine by Bruell and offerings by Moët & Chandon, the world’s largest champagne house. I was a media guest at a smaller version of this event — there were only 5 semifinalists chosen — last January. The meal was superb: oysters with Japanese mignonette; sushi; butternut squash ravioli in sage cream spike with truffle essence, Parmesan, and toasted hazelnuts; five-spice scallops with a crispy noodle cake; pulled duck confit and spinach salad; and crème de Bruell for dessert, all with appropriate wine pairings.

I sat next to a couple that described themselves as Zack groupies. Their enthusiasm for his food, they said — clearly proud that they were fans from the beginning — dated back to his days at Z Contemporary Cuisine, his first place, which opened in 1985. The male half of this duo added that he took a cooking class from the chef years ago and still uses what he learned.

The name of the grand prize winner is drawn from this group of semi-finalists and announced during their dinner. That exceptionally lucky person and seven of their bfo’s receive a four-course dinner, custom created and prepared by Chef Bruell in their home.

I’m not the gambling type, so this is my kind of contest. You can’t loose and there’s no risk. To enter and be a contender, all that’s required is four good meals at four good restaurants. If there’s a down side to that, I don’t see it. And I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that all these dining destinations have very inviting patios.

L'Albatros photo by Kevin G. Reeves

Perfect Pours for the Holiday

Wondering what wine to put on the table for the Thanksgiving meal? If your criteria goes beyond what’s cheapest at the grocery store, then you might want to consider signing up for the crash course at Table 45, November 11th or 12th. Your wine pairing teacher will be sommelier Todd Thompson. But this lesson requires a fork, knife, and glass- eight of them to be precise- and note taking is optional. The restaurant’s chef Tom Schrenk is preparing tasting portions of holiday favorites, with a twist of course, to partner with Thompson’s selections. Dinner- I mean class- begins at 6:30. Space is limited and reservations are required, 216-707-4045. The cost is $40 per person plus tax and gratuity and valet parking is complementary. Table 45 is located inside the Intercontinental Hotel on Carnegie Avenue on the Cleveland Clinic campus.

If you and your guests are more inclined to sip suds than rely on Randy Mosher to steer you in the right direction. He’s a nationally recognized craft brew expert based in Chicago and author of a newish book called Tasting Beer. I’ve interviewed Mosher and the depth and breadth of his knowledge is impressive. So I was excited to get word that he’s put together an online list of beers that pair well with turkey, sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie, providing detailed descriptions of what’s in each bottle. Instead of choosing just one or two, Mosher suggests setting up a little brew buffet so people can do some beverage grazing. The guy has a sense of humor, and though I have a high regard for his advice, the best bit of wisdom he offers in my opinion is this: “With the right beer, Cousin Eddy won't care that he's still sitting at the kids' table even though he's on his third wife.”

If you want to belly up to a hoppy smorgasbord a day early, then head to Touche, the lounge at Chez Francois in Vermillion, on Wednesday November 24. They’re hosting a sampling of holiday ales from around the country, Belgium and England called The 12 Beers of Christmas. $35 gets you 2 ounce pours of everything plus appetizers. Reservations required 440.967.0630

Tableside Service

If Zack Bruell was stuck on a desert island, it’s safe to say the two ingredients he’d bring with him are olive oil (French, of course, it’s got a more flowery taste and smoother finish than its Italian counterparts) and fresh lemon juice. The Table 45 chef topped off nearly every dish of last night's six-course dinner with the two — and the result was a great meal from start to finish.

The reason for the intimate gathering around the kitchen countertop table at Table 45 was two-fold. First, Bruell wanted to give our group of 10 a sampling of his favorite dishes from the recently unveiled spring/summer menu. But he also wanted to fill us in on the newest tableside service he’ll be offering at Table 45, one of this year’s Silver Spoon Award winners featured in the May issue. The action station cooking demo series offers a maximum of 10 guests the chance to watch Bruell and chef Rick Argoso cook, learn techniques, plate dishes and then feast on a prix fix menu.

We started with tuna carpaccio rolled paper thin and garnished with cucumbers, tomato, feta and mint oil. Next, we sampled a crab cake wrapped in crispy rice paper and served with spicy Asian remoulade. The Belgian endive salad offered a great blend of salty and citrus flavors thanks to tender prosciutto and orange and lime slices. 

It was followed by the halibut poached with olive oil, blanched leeks oregano, thyme, orange peel and some salt and white pepper. It was served swimming in roasted garlic and smoked paprika broth with ivory lentils, green beans, crispy croutons and saffron aioli. Next came Bruell’s more sophisticated version of a gyro — a Greek-style braised lamb shank (it fell off the bone perfectly during preparation) with cucumber salad, Tzatziki sauce and orgeno naan freshly made in a Tandoori oven right at the kitchen station.

I was surprised at the simplicity of the dish ingredients — “A little salt and pepper and that’s it,” Bruell repeatedly told us — and the complexity of the flavors that he was able to create. And I even picked up a few pointers along the way to use in my own kitchen: the right way to cut tiny orange slices and how to make sure your lentils don’t end up as a pile of mush (slightly undercook them because they’ll keep cooking even after you take them off the heat).

The plan is for Table 45 to start these weekly demos in June. And Bruell’s hope is to serve single walk-up dinners as well as large parties — just as long as the evenings are kept lighthearted, he says. “Food should be fun, not serious,” he told us. 

Catch Bruell and other top Cleveland chefs in two weeks at our Silver Spoon Awards party on May 14 at the InterContinental Hotel. Bruell will represent his two winning restaurants, Table 45 and L’Albatros. For tickets, visit us here.

Table Talk

Sometimes food pro’s like me get invited into restaurant kitchens for a look-see, or even a special sit down meal in sight of the stove, with the chef and his/her minions attending to our every need. At Table 45 in the Intercontinental Hotel the experience of dining where the cooking action happens is available to anyone who reserves the Chef’s Table. From a glassed in seating area that can accommodate up to eight, guests have a panoramic picture window view of dishes being assembled, fired and plated in the big main kitchen. It’s like watching your favorite food movie, only much much better because those appetizing morsels you see on the “screen” actually end up in your mouth.

I was recently seated there with some other media folks and their companions observing chefs Zach Bruell and Rick Argoso, who’s the day to day culinary point man here, prepping a seven course sampling of small plates. It was fun to see them working, but way more fun to eat it. Everything we tasted was a candidate for the new fall menu that kicks in this week. We began with naan- the Indian style bread freshly baked in the restaurant’s tandoori oven- and three dipping sauces; spicy aoli, Lebanese hummus, and goat cheese tapenade. This stuff is so good I could make a meal out of it. But before I could over indulge an amuse bouche of tempura oysters arrived. They were accompanied by dabs of four different salsas; red pepper, corn and black bean, pineapple, and a Morccan spiced tomato and olive combination. These two openers epitomized the global vision that defines the cuisine of Table 45. The rest of the menu, as evidenced below, followed suit. Everything was astonishingly good, flavored to the max without overwhelming or losing the balance between elements and ingredients. A fruity Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand was lovely with the shrimp, and a ruby pinot noir made by Kings Ridge of Oregon was just right with the rich vinegar and sugar braised pork.

But don’t just read about it. Head to Table 45 to taste-and see- what the kitchen’s got cooking for yourself.

1st course
Chicken and Sausage Gumbo with Fried Crawfish

2nd course
Grilled Japanese Shrimp Salad with Daikon Slaw,
Orange and Rice Wine Grastrique

3rd course
Indian Spiced Striped Bass with Spaghetti Squash,
Toasted Marcona Almonds, Lime Chardonnay Cream
Tomato Jam

4th course
Indian Spiced Pork Belly with Cumin Basmati Rice

5th course
Maple Glazed Venison Loin Wrapped with Applewood Smoked
Bacon, Pumpkin Spatzle and Rosemary Maple Demi

6th course
Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie served with Blood Orange and Cassis Sorbet

Caption: view from the Chef's Table. Photo by Barney Taxel, Taxel Image Group