Draft Days: Three Can't Miss Cleveland Beer Week Events

Bottoms up, Cleveland! Tomorrow kicks off the sixth annual Cleveland Beer Week, a nine-day celebration of Cleveland’s hopping craft brewery scene with more than 350 events. Need the abbreviated tour for your liver’s sake? Here are Winking Lizard co-owner and Beer Week co-founder John Lane’s must-attend events:

1. Great Lakes Tap Takeover: Sat. Oct. 11 @ 11 a.m.

Great Lakes Brewery takes over the Winking Lizard Lakewood’s taps with 43 different Great Lakes beers. Yes, you read that correctly. In addition to the Ohio City brewery’s standards, Great Lakes' brewers have been stashing special elixirs and planning a few surprises to keep the beer flowing in the name of Lake Erie. A handful of beers will only be on tap for a few hours (or as long as it takes for the tap to run dry), with the last one hitting the bar at 5:30 p.m. “We are tapping a barrel-aged Christmas Ale. That’ll be the highlight of the day,” says Lane. “Christmas Ale is already revered in this city, but to have it barrel-aged is superb.” Winking Lizard Tavern Lakewood, 14018 Detroit Ave, Cleveland, 216-226-6693, winkinglizard.com

2. Culture Yourself, Tue. Oct. 14 @ 6-9 p.m.

What’s better than beer? Beer and cheese, of course. This ticketed event ($40 for 20 pairings) will feature 17 breweries — including local favorites Brew Kettle, Buckeye and Great Lakes — for an evening of beer and cheese pairings at the West Side Market in Ohio City. “This is the first time the West Side Market has opened their space for [any group] other than themselves in its entire history that we know of,” Lane says. One of the cheese stands will be open for some expert help. Lane’s favorite combo? “I love when you get a nice stout with a really nice blue cheese,” he recommends. “I’m a freak about blue cheese.” West Side Market, 1979 W. 25th St., Cleveland, 216-664-3387, westsidemarket.org

3. Brewzilla, Sat. Oct. 18 @ 6-10 p.m.

“A Monster of a Beer Tasting” is this event’s subheading, and for good reason. “We’ll have probably 120, 130 different breweries,” says Lane, with many breweries offering several types of beer. In the past, Brewzilla has been Cleveland Beer Week’s culminating event. It’s followed for the first time this year by a bluegrass festival on Sunday, but this is still the king of beer events. VIP tickets are already sold out, and general admission tickets ($50 per person) are going quickly. 5th Street Arcades, 530 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, 216-583-0500, 5thstreetarcades.com

For tickets or for more information about the nonprofit Cleveland Beer Week or the Malone Scholarship Fund it supports, visit clevelandbeerweek.org

Hurray for Orale!

I'm a big fan of Roberto Rodriguez's cooking. Orale, his prepared Mexican food stand at the West Side Market, is a regular stop. I like to take home his chunky salsas, ceviche, empanadas and cactus salad. I have been known to consume one — okay two — warm, soft enchiladas filled with potato and spinach,  chicken mole or black beans and cheese on the spot, as I walk up and down the aisles, or seated on a bench outside.

So I was delighted when the chef decided to open Orale Contemporary Mexican Kitchen in 2011. The small Ohio City restaurant on W. 25th Street, just down the road from the West Side Market, had just 25 seats and it was BYOB. It was a sweet little spot but it had obvious limitations. All that changed in November. After taking over the adjacent storefront and a major remodel, he had twice as much space and a full bar.

I stopped in for lunch recently with my mother and have only raves about the expansion as well as everything we ate. She's generally not a fan of this type of cuisine and has a certain fear of spiciness, but Chef Rodriguez does it differently and she ate until she couldn't eat another bite. We had bowls of tortilla soup, a great version of heuvos rancheros — over easy eggs layered with corn tortillas and queso fresco in a charred tomato sauce — and the stacked enchilada with smoked chicken and caramelized onions. Both came with a side of what the menu calls "mom's rustic mashed potatoes," which were irresistible. We left full and happy.

I haven't been back for cocktails or bar snacks, yet. But I feel his shrimp tamales, tomatillo chicken wings and barbacoa pulled pork pizza, washed down with a margarita or a tequila flight, calling. LikelyI will be there again some night very soon.

Eaters Welcome

Photo by Barney Taxel

   Urban dweller Joe Gramc likes to take advantage of all this city has to offer. One of his particular enthusiasms is dining out. He's a regular at numerous independent, owner operated and chef driven Cleveland restaurants;  is gung ho about those that stock the kitchen with local products and is always eager to try new places.  The fine meals he's had have made him an outspoken fan and active booster of our food scene which, he says, stacks up against those in other cities. Three years ago Gramc decided it would be fun to get other people to join him in his culinary forays, and so the Cleveland Dinner Club emerged on Twitter.  It was a way, he explained, to support these restaurants and help them be successful. He also saw this as a chance to network, bring old friends together, and make new ones.
  Ten showed up for the first "drop-in" event at Dante. They ate from the regular menu and he tweeted about it. That pattern repeated with subsequent outings. Interest in what he was doing grew.  Now Gramc, who has a full-time job as VP of Finance at Five Star Trucking Inc, the family business in Willoughby, puts in around 16 (unpaid) hours to plan and promote each monthly gathering. The format has evolved to  feature special prix fixe menus created just for the group and reservations are required. He asks that chefs try to include some vegetarian and gluten-free options.
   Until it's time to come to the table, this is a totally online project. "I tweet out what we're doing- I now have around 3000 followers- and send invites to 150 names on the Club's email list," he says.  There's a link to an event site I create where people can rsvp. The Club is open to all. Anyone can attend an event as long as there is space available in the restaurant." Typically each gathering attracts 20-30 people, sometimes less, occasionally more.

Photo by Barney Taxel

 Dinners are always held during the week, when business tends to be slower and the restaurants can handle the crowd.  The next one is Wednesday, September 18, and I'm excited to be part of it.  I'll be the guide for an after-hours tour of the West Side Market, sharing some little known facts and debunking a few popular myths. Guests get a signed copy of my book, Cleveland's West Side Market:100 Years and Still Cooking.  After our ramble in and around the building, we'll head next door for a meal at Market Garden Brewery. The dishes Chef Andrew Bower and the crew are preparing make for a mouthwatering read: heirloom tomato salad with country ham; duck breast with apple and fennel; seared scallops with roasted corn and crab risotto...  and there are (optional) beer pairings with each course, including dessert. There are still seats available for this but you must purchase tickets in advance. Please consider joining Joe and I for this unique Cleveland Dinner Club outing. No doubt a good time for all. And if you can't, be sure to become a Twitter follower so you're sure to know what he's got going on in the months to come.

Get Your Game On

   Tomorrow, Thursday May 23, I launch my new career as game show host. This could be a break through night for me. My co-author Marilou Suszko and I have created a trivia competition based on our vast knowledge about the West Side Market (gathered during the three year process of researching and writing the definitive book on that subject, Cleveland's West Side Market: 100 Years & Still Cooking). We're unveiling it at Sterle's Country House with an event called Market Smarts . If you think you know a thing or two about the place, its history, its vendors- past and present- and the vast array of ethnic foods to be found there, then join us to Test Your West Side Market IQ. Or just come for a good time and the chance to learn the difference between kapusta, krakowska, and kolache.

   Selected  guests will team up to compete. There will be multiple rounds and even audience members get a chance to chime in.We expect much head-scratching, labored thinking, flashes of brilliance, tense tie-breaking moments, expressions of joy, and good sportsmanship from the losers. Even if none of that happens, I feel fairly secure in saying there will be lots of laughs. And beer. Throwing of kielbasa, pierogies and schnitzel is not allowed but eating them is encouraged.

   The show's free. You buy your own food and drink. Come to play or just to watch.  Great prizes from the West Side Market  await the lucky winners. The fun starts at 7PM.
  Marilou has claimed the Don Pardo role. This is my Regis Phlibin-Pat Sajak-Bob Barker moment, my chance to quip like Peter Sagal, vamp like Vanna White and be as clever as Alex Trebek. Be there to cheer us on.

Drink Beer, Support the Market

A bottle from the original batch of Butcher's Brew. The beer won't be
bottled this time around. (Photo by Amira Maher)

A wave of supportive efforts that launched after the Jan. 30 fire at the West Side Market -- from a cash mob to Michael Symon's fund-raising campaign — has largely died down. But Great Lakes Brewing Co.’s contribution is just now being poured.

Soon after the fire, the brewery decided to help the market through a re-release of Butcher’s Brew — a lager originally made in honor of the West Side Market for last year’s Centennial Gala. But beer can’t be brewed overnight.

Now it’s ready. Starting tomorrow, Butcher’s Brew will be available in for-donation samples at the West Side Market Café and in $6 pints at the brewery, across the street on Market Avenue, until the contents of seven barrels run dry. This time around, the velvety yet subtly bitter Kulmbacher-style lager won’t be bottled.

All proceeds, which the brewery expects will be about $10,000, will go to Ohio City Inc.’s Market Bonds program. Customers who buy $40 worth of bond certificates to the West Side Market will get $10 for free, funded by donations from the brewery. Vendors can turn in certificates they receive for cash.

“It’s a good way for us to make sure that the proceeds are going to the vendors,” says Mary LaVenia, public relations assistant at Great Lakes. “We want to make sure that the vendors can stay in business and be able to repurchase things that they lost during the fire.”

Since its 1988 inception, Great Lakes Brewing Co.’s menu has included meat and some produce from West Side Market vendors, including Dohar Meats, Ohio City Pasta and Lance’s Beef. Over the years, partnerships that were strictly business have turned into friendships.

“The happiness there the first day it was reopened. It wasn’t just about them doing business again,” says LaVenia. “It was about seeing the friends that you used to see every week when you went to patronize their business. We couldn’t be more happy to have it back.”

The restaurant and bar saw a decrease in foot traffic during the almost three weeks the West Side Market was closed.

“Everyone, I think — we’ve talked about it in our merchant meetings — realized that the West Side Market impacted their business a lot more strongly than they ever knew,” LaVenia says. “We just want to help out the market.”

For more coverage of the market, including the vendor families who’ve been at the market for 100 years, take a look at our stories from November. For more on the brewery, including its pub-only specialty beers, check out our February beer package.

Locavore Lesson Plan

When Laura Adiletta left Cleveland in 2009, she had no idea she would make a return under such delicious circumstances.

Or that she would bring 33 high school students from Marianapolis Preparatory School in Connecticut  with her.

This week Adiletta is taking the students on a tour of the city as she teaches them about sustainable foods.

“The title of the course is Taste of Cleveland," explains Adiletta, who is also a chef at Vanilla Bean Cafe in Pomfret, Conn.  "So not only will they get a taste of the food and the stuff that’s growing around Cleveland, they’re also getting to experience the culture that really makes Cleveland unique.”




A few places on their packed itinerary include the Flying Fig, Greenhouse Tavern, and Spice Kitchen & Bar, where they will be treated to chef-led talks and tours. They’ll also get right into the source of their meals by visiting the Culinary Vegetable Institute in Milan, Ohio, and West Side Market’s urban farm.

 Adiletta's history with Cleveland (she graduated from Case Western Reserve University and also worked as an editor at Cleveland Magazine) influenced her decision to use it as an example for her course, but the city's emerging focus on sustainable food also caught her eye.

“I’ve been following the local food in Cleveland for years, really ever since I started cooking,” she says. “I jumped on the opportunity to highlight Cleveland and the food scene that’s brewing there.”

Many of the students Adiletta will be taking around the city are international, so this trip is an opportunity to show those kids there is more to American food than drive-thru fare.

“I want the kids to ask where their food is coming from,” she says. “I want to be an ambassador to American food culture and say we’re not all about McDonald's hamburgers.”

The  local food education doesn't stop with the students. Adiletta and her students are using social media to engage with the community about what they learned. Follow along through Twitter with the @eatloCLE handle and #eatloCLE hashtag and a website made for the trip, eatlocle.com.

Market Repair

While the fire that struck the West Side Market Jan. 30 has long been snuffed out, Cash Mob founder Andrew Samtoy is inviting Clevelanders to help him spark an economic boom at the beloved landmark this Saturday.

When Samtoy heard an overnight fire left a trail of smoke damage throughout the market, contributing to thousands of dollars in lost food, he sprung into action. Samtoy and his crew decided to host a cash mob to get the vendors back on their feet after losing out on profits (including major revenues from Super Bowl weekend) while they were closed for a $276,000 cleanup from Jan. 30 to Feb. 17.

Samtoy, who co-engineered the cash mob idea that started an international trend, (read our 2013 Most Interesting People profile on him) welcomes people to come out during all hours the market is open, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., but he recommends coming before 10 a.m. or after 2 p.m.to avoid crowds. He simply asks attendees to spend $20, meet three new people and have fun. Although he is only asking people to spend $20, Samtoy expects many people will drop more cash than that.

“People know this is going towards the vendors and helping them get back on their feet,” he says. “The one concern that we have is that some of these vendors are actually going to run out.”

Although there is still a lot of work to be done before the market completely recovers from the setback, Samtoy believes this cash mob is a starting point. You can find out more information about the cash mob on a Facebook page Samtoy started for the event.

Samtoy's cash mob is one of many efforts to revive the market. Others have jumped on the relief bandwagon, including chef Michael Symon, who announced a national campaign on his television show, The Chew, and is hosting a benefit for the market Feb. 27. To find out more about his efforts and to donate, visit his website marketvendorrelief.org.

We wrote about the market's 100th anniversary in our November 2012 issue. You can read the stories here. (To link to this article on social media, use: http://bit.ly/WyieGD)

Book Club

photo by Bob Perkoski, www.perkoski.com

I’ve been spending time with Michael Symon’s Carnivore: 120 Recipes for Meat Lovers, just recently released by Clarkson Potter (and covered in Cleveland Magazine last month). First impression after the initial flip-through was that it’s nice to look at, (though it does not unfortunately lay open and flat), well organized and full of dishes I want to eat. And, as the co-author of my own new book (with Marilou Suszko), Cleveland’s West Side Market: 100 Years & Still Cooking, (mentioned in both the October and November issues of Cleveland Magazine) with a forward written by Symon, I was delighted to see that a goodly number of the photos were shot at the local spot we both love so much.

Further closer reading revealed that it offers a great deal useful information, even for an experienced cook like me, but is clear and simple enough for anyone at any skill level to use.The writing — from chapter intro’s and headnotes to instructions and sidebars are lucid, engaging, and warmly personal. Some credit for that must go to Symon’s literary collaborator Doug Trattner, freelance journalist, editor, author, and chronicler of Cleveland’s food scene for many years. Symon has many talents but he’s the first to admit that he’s not a pro when it comes to putting words on paper. So it was Trattner’s job to turn the chef’s thoughts and ideas into solid, readable prose while letting Symon’s style and personality shine through on every page. He succeeded admirably. So I thought it would be interesting to get —and share — Trattner’s perspective on the partnership.

photo by Bob Perkoski, www.perkoski.com

-How did you get involved in this project? Michael approached me at the start of the process saying that he was looking for a ghostwriter for his second cookbook and would I consider taking it on. Having now made it through to the other side, I see how important a good fit between team members really is. There is absolutely no room for ego in this role, and I think Michael saw that quality in me.

-What exactly was your role? Initially, I was tapped to be a straight-up ghostwriter, meaning that all of my work would be behind the scenes, with perhaps a mention in the acknowledgments. Soon after the project began, though, Symon was hired onto the cast of The Chew, which he juggled along with Iron Chef, Symon Suppers, and Cook Like an Iron Chef. The busier he got, the larger my role became. In the end, Symon upgraded my status to that of co-author, complete with cover credit. I never asked, he didn't have to offer, but that's Symon in a nutshell.

-How long did the project take from start to finish? We first discussed the project more than a year and a half back. First there are outlines, tables of content, basic structural issues like how the chapters will be categorized. Recipes are tested (by Symon's chef Katie Pickens), photographed (by Jennifer May), chapters are written, manuscripts are submitted, returned, re-submitted… until everything is as perfect as humanly possible.

-Were there any especially memorable moments- good or bad- as the book went from concept to completion? You mean besides the late-night pillow fights? Due to a mix-up, I never received the publisher (Clarkson Potter) style guide until late in the game. That meant that pretty close to 120 recipes were improperly formatted. I had to go back and re-do a lot of my work. But it was all worth it when I received my first hardcover copy. It is such a beautiful cookbook, and to see it all come together in one glorious package really is staggering. It was the highlight of my professional career – that is, until my name landed on the New York Times Best Seller list.

-Is this your first time collaborating? How was it being part of a team? In terms of process, how did you and Symon work together? Was it a smooth or bumpy ride? For Fresh Water, our team produces a product every week, so I'm used to speedy efficiency. Things move slower in book publishing, and I often found myself stuck waiting for the answer that would allow me to move on with my work. I had to accept the fact that I was working with one of the busiest human beings on the planet and to not take silence or delays personally. But when Symon gets a window in which to work, he is a machine.

-What are some of the challenges in writing a cookbook and how was this different than other writing you've done? After writing professionally for a dozen years, you develop a style (hopefully) that not only is unique to yourself, but also sort of hardcoded into your DNA. When you write with and for another person, you need to resist those involuntary and instinctive impulses to do things your way. Mike has a style all his own – one that clearly is beloved by fans – and more than anything, I need to preserve, sharpen and enhance his voice. I imagine it's a bit like ventriloquism -- without those creepy dolls.

-Did you learn anything new about meat and how to cook it? I did. One of the best takeaways from the book, I think, is the notion of the dry brine (or quick cure). Symon is not a big fan of wet-brining meats; instead, he suggests liberally seasoning meat the night before and letting it rest in the fridge overnight. Do this to a good-quality chicken the night before you roast it and you will be amazed at the difference. I also learned that when the recipe calls for veal heart, do not substitute the heart from a worn-out dairy cow or you will be very sorry (but your dogs will be very happy).

-The public loves Michael and no matter how significant your contribution, as far as they're concerned this is his book. Is it hard to be in the shadow of a big celebrity like Symon? As far as I'm concerned, this is his book. While I'm extremely proud of the work I did, the book would be nothing without the bald man on the cover. It is his food, his words, and his talent that created the thing. More importantly, it is his reputation and hard work that is selling the thing. I can't imagine enduring his grueling schedule of TV tapings, book signings, public appearances… All I had to do was sit in front of my computer in my jammies. The book is not a New York Times Best Seller because of me; it's because of Symon.

-I heard a rumor that you're already working on second cookbook with him. Is it true? It's true. We recently started work on Symon's third cookbook, which plays off of the type of cooking he does on The Chew. The recipes are really geared to the home cook, who may not have a lot of time, but still wants to feed his or her family a delicious (and affordable) meal. If all goes as planned, the book should drop around this time next year.

After Party, After Sandy

 I was hanging out at Noodlecat late Saturday night,  mingling with some of the hard working chefs who so generously donated time and talent to the utterly fabulous and financially successful West Side Market Gala. As if he hadn't already done enough,  'Cat owner and chef extraordinaire Jonathon Sawyer, who worked with Michael Symon on the big fundraiser, rolled out the welcome mat for an afterparty. He wanted to be sure that those who worked the main event also had a chance to kick back, relax, and enjoy some nice food and drink. Ben Bebenroth, who's own Spice Kitchen and Bar had been closed last week due to the power outages that crippled so many Cleveland neighborhoods, was outside grilling.

Eric Williams and I chatted about how Storm Sandy had hurt us here. Momocho, his Ohio City restaurant, was dark for three days. He lost about $5,000 worth of food and the building suffered some serious wind and water damage. He estimates his total losses at $15, 000, a lot for a small business but not much, we agreed, compared to the hit taken by those on the east coast, including some of the chefs scheduled to be here for the Gala. I mentioned reading an article in The New York Times about how tough things were for that city's hourly wage workers: their desperate attempts to get to work despite the dangers and transportation shut down because they couldn't afford to miss a day of work, and the despair of those who  lost desperately needed income when their employers didn't or couldn't open for business. Williams told me that, worried about his own people, he had gone to the bank, made a cash withdrawal and paid his staff for the days Momocho was shuttered. "I did it," he said, "because it was the right thing to do."

He didn't tell me this to boast or make himself look good. I wasn't on the job and he had no reason to think I'd write about it. We were just two people chatting about what had been going on. But thinking about it afterwards, I realized that I wanted to share the conversation because it encapsulates both some of the grief the hurricane left in its wake and the way people step up to help one another in times of crisis. The entire evening- the super efforts Symon and Sawyer made to find replacements for the chefs from out of town who were not able to make it here; how everyone pulled together to insure that the fundraiser went ahead as planned including Williams who cooked for the event; Bebenroth showing up with his usual smile despite a hellish week and troubles of his own; and my exchange with Eric- was a little story within a big a disaster and a testament to resiliency and goodness.

E. 4th’s Maron closes Envy, nightclub & problem tenant

Cleveland Magazine’s November issue has been out for about a week now, and Ari Maron, my latest profile subject, has already made one part of my new article about him obsolete.

Maron says Envy, the troubled nightclub on West 25th Street, has closed. Maron, Envy’s reluctant landlord, bought out the club’s liquor license and lease.

Maron’s company, MRN Ltd., owns most of East 4th Street and drove that block’s resurgence as a nightlife spot. Now, Maron, 33, is trying to bring a similar approach -- creative landlording based on ideals about cities -- to Ohio City and University Circle. Lots of high-profile tenants, such as Crop Bistro, have moved into the Maron family’s properties near the West Side Market lately.

Envy, a tenant MRN inherited on West 25th, threatened to upset the budding new resurgence. A man was shot to death outside the club in September.

Now, Maron intends to tear the former Envy down to create parking for a planned international traveler’s hostel. The Plain Dealer has the full story here.

To read “Urban Active,” my profile of Maron in the new issue, click here.

One Stop Shop

The husband and I were at the West Side Market last Saturday afternoon- along with hundreds, maybe even a thousand others- for a musical experience. Crowded shoulder to shoulder in the aisles of the great hall, with the aroma of bratwurst, falafel, and gyros perfuming the air (an excellent alternative to the distinctive scent of many humans gathered together), we were participants in a Random Act of Culture orchestrated by the West Shore Chorale. Members gathered on the balcony to sing Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus and many down below joined in. A flash mob event promoted via social media and the occasional old school person to person word of mouth method this was a rousing energetic outburst of music, seasonal joy and community spirit. photo by Barney Taxel

It took a few minutes for the multitudes to disperse after the final note died out, so that those who wanted to actually shop could once again make their way from stand to stand. Personally, confronted by the awesome and irresistible selection, I don’t understand how anyone could leave without buying food to take home or something to eat on the spot. We loaded up our canvas bags with ingredients for the family party we’re throwing tonight to celebrate our twins 26th birthday. The menu theme: homemade bar food favorites. The supplies included: wings from Whittaker's Poultry; Czuchraj's smokies; half sour pickles from Ritas; and big Idaho spuds for oven fried wedges from Kristi's (aka The Potato Stand)and carrots and cabbage for coleslaw at The Basketeria.

This was my second trip there in a week but the earlier visit was about gift shopping not groceries. Over the years I’ve learned that some of the best and most appreciated presents are those that can be consumed. If you’re still on the hunt for things to wrap and give, the West Side Market is full of great possibilities, and I’m not talking pounds of ground beef, raw fish, or a bag of apples. There are real treasures to be found here. To help get you started I offer these suggestions (which also qualify as a few of my favorite things):
-Urban Herbs
a salt grinder and some chunky salts to fill it; fresh and unusual spices and spice blends; or a selection of exotic grains and beans
-The Olive and the Grape
a bottle of single origin extra virgin olive oil and another of gourmet vinegar

-The Cheese Shop
some artisanal cheeses, specialty crackers and a little jar membrillo (quince paste) (heavenly with aged cheese)
-Mediterranean Imported Foods
three to six quarter pound bags of loose teas; imported preserves; or cheeses and fig almond “cake” to pair with them
-Ohio City Pasta
fresh, handmade flavored varieties of fettucine, ravioli, gnocchi and tortellini
-Narrins Spice and Sauce
hot sauces from around the world- the crazy labels and wacky names make them extra giftable
-Campbell’s Popcorn Shop
Dichotomy Corn is addictive and hand dipped chocolates are perfect for anyone with a sweet tooth, chocolate covered chiles are in a class of their own

-Mena’s Produce (outside)
boxes of luscious colorful dried fruits
-Johrhensen’s Apiary (outside)
local honey and fruit jams

-The Basketeria (outside)

sells gift cards- how cool is that- and buy $50 worth and you'll get another $5 free.

Special holiday hours this week so the West Side Market is open on Thursday.

West Side Market Hallelujah Chorus flash mob

Crowing and Kvelling

I’m feeling good, really good about Cleveland and you should too. Quite a few of our culinary treasures received enthusiastic ink and media accolades from writers and reporters around in the country this week. I’m taking-in these compliments like a proud parent. Just as adoring moms and dads don’t need anyone to tell them that their kid is amazing, I’m already well aware of how many terrific and unique places there are in greater Cleveland to eat and go food shopping but it sure is nice when outsiders take notice.

Sheila O’Connor of the San Francisco Examiner told travelers to our town that they must visit The Happy Dog to enjoy the chummy ambience, great beers, and the hot dog menu featuring Chef’s Eric Williams’ incredible array of gourmet condiments and toppings.

Former Washington Post editor Maryann Haggerty, now freelancing for her old employer, was lured here by the Springsteen exhibit at the Rock Hall. But she devoted many words to her Ohio City restaurant finds- both those she actually tried (Great Lakes Brewing, Flying Fig) and those she plans to try next time (Bar Cento, Momocho) …because she liked it here so much she wants to come back. The highlight of her trip however was the West Side Market. You'll stand a little taller after reading the whole story.

The Market is also included in a four page spread in the October issue of Saveur. Veteran road trippers Jane and Michael Stern penned a love note to northeast Ohio ethnic dining. Among the places they mention are Balaton’s, Perla Homemade Delights, State Meats, Little Polish Diner, and Babushka’s Kitchen and Al’s Corner Restaurant. I had no idea the article would be there. The magazine arrived in the mail on Friday. I flipped through it while eating lunch, got to page 30, and this header caught my attention: Midwestern Charm. So I stopped turning pages and read the teaser: An Ohio road trip leads to some of the country’s best Eastern European fare- and more. What a nice surprise to dig in to their story and murmur to myself “been there,” “uh huh,” and “got that right!”

And one other thing is worth noting in this round-up of the good press our culinary scene has earned. It’s a bit self-promotional (sorry) and a Columbus rather than a Cleveland triumph (same state however). I contributed to a story in the October issue of Cooking Light. My job was to nominate forty of the best artisan food products from the Midwest. Different writers did the same for other parts of the country. Judges tried them all and picked eight from each region to feature in the magazine. Jeni’s Splendid Cherry Lambic Sorbet was among those selected. It’s an Ohio win and like the other articles, it just makes me want to crow (braggy gloating) and kvell (Yiddish for joyful boasting). You know what I mean?

Brass band plays Christmas music at West Side Market

The West Side Market filled with deafening, bombastic Christmas cheer today as a nine-piece brass band performed holiday carols from the balcony. I photographed the hornblowers as they oompahed through "We Wish You A Merry Christmas." At one point they raised half-full plastic cups of what looked like a blond ale and toasted the crowd in a language I didn't understand.

Spice Up Your Cooking

Stopping by Urban Herbs inside the West Side Market is dangerous. I lose control and touch with reality. I’m overwhelmed with the desire to cook- not just a simple after-work meal for two but big potfuls of complicated and exotic fare. And this feeling is not tempered by the fact that I might not actually have time to do it or a crowd to feed. Eyeballing the array of spices, grains, salts, and beans I want to buy, buy, buy. My cupboards are not big enough to hold all the things I must have. I lust after Chinese cinnamon and Spanish paprika, smoked sea salt and garam masala, giant Peruvian limas, black quinoa and purple sticky rice.

Owner Dion Tsevdos is a chef, and he knows what gets a kitchen devotee’s mouth watering and creative juices flowing. He stocks high quality and unusual ingredients sourced from all over the globe, and also creates his own intriguing spice blends.

So I stood there, breathing deeply in and out, focus and gradually got a grip. I came for one item- rice to make paella- and left with just five more: containers of aromatic cumin and thyme; French puy lentils that I’ll use in a salad inspired by the recipe in Alice Waters’ cookbook The Art of Simple Food; a pound of flageolet beans that will spur me to make a cassoulet; and a bag of the “house” rice blend.

Walking away with my purchases, I felt proud of mastering my impulses. But to tell the truth, I continue to ponder the possibilities of Himalayan red rice and vanilla powder from Madagascar. Sel gris, a natural sea salt from Brittany, is like a tune that I just can’t get out of my head. So I know it won’t be long before I’m back at Chef Dion's counter again .