Tastes Like Sweetest Day

Sweetest Day, the sugary-sweet alter ego of Valentine's Day, is Oct. 17. Impress the one you love or treat yourself with a series of truffle-making parties hosted by The Bom — a 2014 Best of Cleveland winner.

Grab a partner and select a bottle of your favorite wine from one of the three participating wineries. Carolina Martin, owner and chocolatier behind the Bom's boozy treats, will provide all the dry ingredients to make your own 21-and-over truffles.

You'll leave with five boxes, or about 20 truffles, just in time for Sweetest Day. But we won't blame you if you keep them for yourself.

Register by calling 216-941-7643 or send an email to carolina@thebom.us.


Thursday, Oct. 1
6-8 p.m.
Paper Moon Vineyards, 2008 State Road, Vermilion
$25 per person

Wednesday, Oct. 14
6-8 p.m.
Sharon James Cellars, 11303 Kinsman Road, Newbury
$30 per person

Thursday, Oct. 15
7-9 p.m.
John Christ Winery, 32421 Walker Road, Avon Lake
$30 per person

Flights of Fancy

Tonight is the third and final class in the Zack Bruell Wine School: Tour de France series at Cowell & Hubbard. Exploring the Rhone and southern regions, the tasting dinner promises a true French experience: bouillabaisse, braised lamb shoulder, canapes, cheeses and, of course, tiny chocolate mignardises (which means "cute" in Old French). The wines will be served and explained by Bruell's sommelier, Robert LaBuda, while the menu is created by chef de cuisine Andy Dombrowski (along with the chefs at Cowell & Hubbard).

Dombrowski says each class presents at least three courses with three wines each, which allows participants to more fully experience subtle variations in wines within a single region.

That way, he says, guests get to "have some fun and play around with it, as opposed to just saying, 'Here, this is a Bordeaux, and this is what you should taste, and this is what it goes with. Would you like to buy a bottle?'" 

Featured wines will range from run-of-the-mill bottles to higher-end or lesser-known makers for a more robust exploration of the Rhone and Southern regions of France. "We’re showing our guests the difference in taste not only from a quality [perspective], but educating them on the regions," he says. "It’s kind of a neat and different way to do a wine dinner."

(We'll be live Tweeting our thoughts and tastes along the way, so stay tuned, and send us any questions along the way.)

"You don’t have to be bashful about asking questions," promises Dombrowski. "It’s a very welcoming environment ... an open forum, and that’s kind of how we treat our restaurants as well."

If you're already asking, 'When's the next one?" check out the Giro di Italia series focusing on Italian vintners at Chinato in October, or January's New World series at Parallax, which will explore wines from North and South America and the Australian continents. Call 216-298-9080 to make a reservation for the Italian series or 216-583-9999 for the New World. Classes are $90 each or $250 for the entire series. One participant from each series will win dinner with Bruell and a guest.

Good Fit, Close Quarters

Without planning on it, I seem to be on a tear about small spots. Last month I wrote about Tony's Southside in Tremont and Orale in Ohio City. Now I've got a third one, this time on the East Side. Gigi's on Fairmount opened in Cleveland Heights, a few doors down from On the Rise bakery, in late 2013. A labor of love for husband and wife Gia Ilijasic and Jim Patsch, who explain their new venture as the natural outgrowth of their personal enthusiasm for good food, good drink and good times, the pretty little place bills itself as a wine cafe. Based on how busy it was on a recent cold and blustery week night, it looks as though it's just what the neighborhood needed.

 My girlfriend and I found a nice, reasonably priced bottle of Italian red and shared an artisan cheese platter that included jam, dried fruit, nuts and — best of all — a pool of lavender honey. We also got a mix-n-match bruschetta board, selecting four toppings from a long list of options: white bean and kalamata olive tapenade, house-made trout pate, shredded roast pork flavored with lime and cilantro, and caponata made with lamb and feta. All were quite tasty. The kitchen also offers a daily soup or two, salads, overstuffed pannini, charcuterie and a couple of entree style specials nightly.

I really like Gigi's, but so do lots of other people and that's the problem. It was incredibly loud and 45 seats are crammed uncomfortably close together. It felt like we were sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with the people on either side of us. Private conversation was not possible and by the time we left my throat was sore from shouting over the din. I'm looking forward to the warm weather when they'll expand to the sidewalk out front.

Wine Times: Class By the Glass

 PlayhouseSquare

Lora Workman's passion for cabaret began when she started going to shows with a friend who was a fan of the classic art form. After her friend's untimely death, she felt compelled to take up cabaret in his honor.

Workman has morphed into a champion of art form  in our region, going on to create the Cabaret Cleveland Project to promote advancement and awareness of cabaret.  Her latest performance, Class By the Glass, hits the 14th Street Theatre for a third time at 8:30 p.m. this Saturday. While Workman and other local artists perform a humorous musical routine, audience members can enjoy wine, appetizers and dessert.

Playing off of the opening of Sister Act at PlayhouseSquare, Workman’s cabaret will explore the concept of religion and the effect it has on our lives through playful song and light-hearted comedy in What A Fool Believes.

“It’s about the religions we grew up with, and we change the songs to fit around our stories,” says Workman, who studied cabaret at Baldwin Wallace and in New York and Italy. “We’re all about the comedy part of it because we’re making fun of ourselves, our own religious upbringing, other people and other things.”

The Pope’s resignation came at the perfect time for Workman's performance. She hints that the audience might get the chance to hear the Pope’s side of the story.

"We’re going to break the fourth wall and go out into the audience and engage them,” Workman says. “We love to hear people laugh. It means we’re doing something right!”

Known for her choreography, Workman has been involved in shows at the Beck Center of the Arts, Cassidy Theatre and the Huntington Theatre. She also teaches students in the weeklong Cabaret Intensive , July 28-August 2 at Baldwin Wallace University, that culminates with an evening performance.

For more information on Class By the Glass visit playhousesquare.com.

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.