While driving through Cleveland on a road trip last weekend, we stopped for dinner in the historic Ohio City neighborhood. We decided to try the first brew pub in Ohio, Great Lakes Brewing Company.We checked out the whole operation – an elegant upstairs bar, dining rooms indoors that had the brew tanks encased in glass, outdoor patios decorated with kegs and flowers, a gift shop, and a basement area reminiscent of European cellar pubs.

We were seated in the dining room near the brew tanks and were presented with a delicious menu with a full selection of beer from light lagers to dark stouts including an organic German ale. We were especially interested in the Cellar Dweller Organic Ale because of our interest in maintaining the viability of agriculture into the future (and to avoid supporting use of petrochemicals because of carbon footprint and effects on our health). They ran out of Cellar Dwellar so we tried the Commodore Perry IPA and the Edmund Fitzgerald Porter. Both were well crafted, satisfying, flavorful beers.

The best part about this restaurant is their commitment to sustainability. We were impressed wiht the variety of regional and locally sourced ingredients and sustainable seafood selections on the menu. This is the kind of business that I seek out and want to support, as where the food comes from is equally important to me as the taste. The food did taste pretty good by the way. We started out with the mussels steamed in Great Lakes’ own Dortmunder Gold Lager, garlic with butter, bell peppers and lemon. It was served with fresh hearty warm whole wheat bread for dipping in the broth. Next we ate the chopped Greek salad that was standard, but refreshing and hit the spot. We also tried the Lake Erie Perch with sauteed pea pods in lemon basil sauce. It had a light, tender buttery texture with more flavor than a typical white fish.

Next time I’m in Cleveland I am definitely going to make time to stop in for another scrumptious meal at Great Lakes Brewing Company!

http://www.cityofboston.gov/business/foodtruckchallenge/vote.asp

We want to endorse the World Eats truck, not only because Rich is a great guy, but because his food is really excellent.  Last year after seeing a Phish show down at Great Woods in Mansfield, MA, Rich was serving up some delicious fish tacos and other mexican deliciousness.  He’s adept at making food of all kinds, and the concept for his new truck looks awesome!  Check out the description here:

World Eats (WE) strives to celebrate the unique diversity of Boston by offering freshly baked breads and healthy fillings from around the globe that customers may mix and match. Thus, South American ‘arepas’ filled with Korean BBQ short ribs, a side of Caribbean plantains and an Indian mango ’lassi’ exemplify the breadth of our international offering.

Our menu will display nutritional values for every item, and we will feature exciting choices for vegetarians, and gluten and lactose-challenged individuals. Our ultimate aim is to expose our citizens and our visitors to the very best fare that our city has to offer in a thought-provoking and affordable manner.

In an effort to educate the community about ethnic enclaves in Boston, WE will display ‘culture awareness’ boards that feature a different country every month. By partnering with The Boston City School System, via Social Studies Instructors, WE will have access to the works of students that best depict our mission of tearing down cultural barriers through education. Because the greater Boston area is recognized as the cornerstone of US technology, we want to provide a high tech, multi-sensory experience for our customers. We will hang a flat panel screen on our truck and project images that promote Boston’s diversity.

The longer I have cooked professionally, the more frequently I have come to ask, what does it mean to cook well?  It’s somewhat of a loaded question.  Plenty of people cook well at home every day, with nothing more glorious than ingredients from a local chain store.  To the professional chef it means a host of different things depending on their personal goals, style of restaurant, etc…

To me it means a clean apron at the end of the night, after performing a host of different tasks, all so that we can satisfy our guests’ rather complex whims.   For me it is easier to explain my vision of cooking well by pointing to certain chefs I hold in high regard, David Kinch of Manresa, Daniel Patterson of Coi, Paul Liebrandt of Corton.

There was a fantastic article about Liebrandt in the NY Times on Tuesday.  The crazier foodies, and New Yorkers in general, have been following his eclectic behavior and seemingly odd flavor combinations for quite a while now.  No one seems to know what he is going to do next.  But among all this volatility, there is an extreme degree of control and finesse, something that is highly sought after in the fine dining world.  Two sentences jumped out at me.

“Paul’s plates look like the food was blown there by a gentle breeze, to have a plate that is super-composed but looks organic, that’s the dream. And it’s not easy to do.”  The comment was made by a pastry chef that worked with him earlier in his career, Will Goldfarb.  Many of us aspire to that level, but it is incredibly rare that any reach that plane.  If you have the time, take a look at the NY Times article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/22/dining/22lieb.html?_r=1&ref=dining

The man really is amazing.  Oh, did I mention, Paul Liebrandt is only 32 years old, and has been running high-end kitchens since he was 25?

Holy guacamole! My stint in New Orleans is coming to a close. Portfolio and final exam behind me; my graduation ceremony will be over in 48 hours. I am just one board exam away from becoming a Registered Dietitian!

A mnemonic to remember the reduced state of iron (Ferrous; Fe2+) for my final exam reminded me of a quote from one of the best movies of all time: Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and take a look around once in a while, you could miss it. -Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, 1986

I believe that Ferris is right on, and I know the other interns would agree with him right now too. Gathering for boiled crawfish and shrimp etouffee at our directors house a few nights ago (among many other varied dishes in classic nola style), we debriefed as usual. The typical topics were covered- likes and dislikes about our last rotation, updates on husbands/boyfriends/pets, etc. This meeting was different however because it was one of our last. Members of a previous class and the new class of interns that just began their rotations about this silly city were digging in with us as well.

A joyful occasion it was, not just because of the sangria I brought (recipe coming soon). A lot of the stories being told made me laugh. I am going to share two highlights, which I’d like to introduce as Ridiculous Food Tidbits.

Ridiculous Food Tidbit #1: An intern (name undisclosed) was rotating in a food service facility in which kitchen staff were preparing a new soup recipe. She found employees having trouble opening a can of corn that had been frozen solid. Upon further inquiry she discovered that the recipe read “frozen corn”…so they put the huge cans of corn in the freezer. It took this intern all she had not to fall over laughing.

Ridiculous Food Tidbit #2: Our director ordered a really nice Doberge Cake to sweeten the celebration. (This is a famous New Orleans dessert, everyone should try one in their lifetime at least once!) When she went to pick it up from the bakery, it read “Congratulations Intern” without the “s.” She asked if they could please add an “s” so it would read “interns.” She paid for it, took it home and opened it to see a cake that read “Congratulations Intern F.” I don’t have an explanation for this one.

Please share any Ridiculous Food Tidbits you have to add!