Monday, September 30, 2013

One Walnut

One Walnut Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44114
216-575-1111
Lunch; June 9, 2008
Party of Two






Lobster Nachos with Guacamole, Lobster, Chips and Sweet Soy



Prosciutto Tart with Caramelized Onions, Spinach & Fresh Mozzarella
with Mixed Green Salad




Risotto with English Peas, Pine Nuts and Parmesan with Grilled Chicken




"Berries in the Snow"
White Chocolate Mousse with Berries and Fresh Mint


Mint Green Tea Crème Brûlée (background)


The last time my lunching companion and I were at One Walnut, we had a three course dinner with wine pairings that blew us away. Their sommelier really knows his/her stuff. However, this time, neither of us had alcoholic beverages and still had a fantastic three course meal.


The lobster nachos weren't new to us since the topping (without the chip underneath) was an amuse-bouche on our previous visit. The chips tasted like flour tortilla chips or some other light delicate crisp. The ingredients were a great combination that managed to keep their distinctiveness.


I added chicken to the risotto (food rut broken!) on the server's suggestion-- she suggested it because I was worried that the risotto wouldn't be filling. I LOVE risotto and this was perfectly al dente. The taste was good and got better when I stirred the dark sauce around the outside of the dish (sweet soy again?) into the rice. But, the whole thing was nearly ruined by the garnish of greens that you can see on top of the chicken in the picture. They were extremely bitter and smelled a bit foul when warm. I think the kitchen may have forgotten the chicken (before it reached the table) because the greens were both under and over the chicken. Once I removed them I really enjoyed the entree. The nuts and peas were slightly crunchy and really complimented the toothiness of the risotto.


If my lunching companion wouldn't have ordered the tart, I would have since I'm a sucker for anything with prosciutto, cheese and/or spinach. The bite I had was delicious. The flavors were strong but the flaky crust held its own. It looks like a piece of pizza in the picture but it was very pretty in person.


I've had a lot of yummy desserts lately, but since white chocolate mousse is one of my most favorite desserts, this one wins for best dessert I've eaten recently. The berries were so fresh and the mousse rivaled the one served in my all time favorite dessert (which might still be found at The Drake Hotel in Chicago.)


I didn't try the crème brûlée because I don't care for it. It's one of the very few desserts I refuse unlike French silk or banana cream pies, which I'll eat but don't prefer. It looked nice...


After lunch we went across the street to the newly relocated Phoenix Coffee where I had a great vanilla latte.


Dewey's Pizza

Dewey's Pizza
18516 Detroit Avenue
Lakewood, OH 44107
216-228-2299
Dinner; April 12, 2009
Party of Two


Candied Walnut and Grape Salad



Half Socrates Revenge and half Wild Mushroom pizza

Even though I've been to the Dewey's on the eastside for both eat-in and take away many many times, I've never taken pictures or written a review of the place. I guess I had to go to the westside location to get the job done.

Dewey's has some of the best pizza around. Both locations have windows where you can watch the dough being tossed and the rest of the pizza making taking place. In fact, both stores have a similar look to them. Comfy, bright and cheery.

You can't really tell from the picture I took, but the crust is thin like a New York pizzeria. It's that magic blend of crispy and chewy and a perfect base for the white or red sauce and lots of toppings. Our pizza had a boatload of toppings. The pies never want for toppings, but this was a little ridiculous in a good way.

You can order any pizza as a half with any other pizza regardless of whether one has red sauce and one has white sauce. I always get at least half a Wild Mushroom pizza unless I'm ordering with someone who hates the smell of garlic. I prefer the white sauce, but the red sauce is good too.

I've had most, if not all, of their salads, which are truly phenomenal. The candied walnut and grape is one that I've ordered frequently. Diner 2 has a walnut allergy so we got them on the side. I ate them all.

The menu always includes a seasonal salad and pizza. I hope they bring back their strawberry and macadamia nut salad because that was killer.

I don't like to get negative in my reviews, but I will say that I was sorely disappointed with my westside Dewey's experience because they did not have my beloved Barq's Red Cream Soda on tap. They have Mr. Pibb on the westside! Who prefers Mr. Pibb? I told the waitress, "That's why Cleveland Heights is better."

Sunday, September 29, 2013

Duragold 14k White Gold Solid Perfectina Chain Necklace (1.0mm), 16"


Features
  • Duragold is 14k gold, the threshold of karat gold jewelry, lustrous in yellow or white gold
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  • The Duragold collection includes, earrings, chains and pendants all beautifully made and will last a lifetime when properly cared for
  • Domestic

List Price: $220.00
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Saturday, September 28, 2013

INDIE CRED

I don't understand the appeal of some artists.

What's so great about Sufjan Stevens? I mean, he's okay, but he's not the be all end all.

And I hate the Mates of State. They shouldn't have quit their day jobs.

Death Cab for Cutie is starting to bug me too.

Pancakes


Gridlin'


Delicious stack of pancakes


I was in the mood for pancakes this morning. Well, I was actually in the mood for pancakes from the Inn on Coventry, but I wanted to stay home. I used the KitchenAid recipe with a few substitutions. 1 1/2 cups plus 1 1/2 teaspoons of self-rising flour that I'm trying to use up, 1 teaspoon of baking powder because of the flour substitution and no salt because of the flour substitution. I used canola oil because melted shortening sounded gross. It really only took about 45 seconds of actual mixing to make the batter.

I've always been good at the cooking of pancakes and the first was just as tasty as the last. I guess I don't need Aunt Jemima Complete. Maybe I'll make waffles next time with the mystery waffle iron in my kitchen.

Thursday, September 26, 2013

14k Yellow Gold and White AA-Grade Akoya Cultured Pearl (8.5-9 mm) Pendant Necklace, 18"


Features
  • A solitary pearl pendant dangling from a delicate rope chain makes this necklace a lovely, understated finish to a look.
  • The natural properties and process of pearl formation define the unique beauty of each pearl. The image may show slight differences in texture, color, size, and shape.
  • Carved rings are naturally occurring imperfections that result from the pearl rotating inside the mollusk as it is growing. They define the unique beauty of each pearl and may vary in size, number, and depth per pearl.
  • No ultrasonic
  • Imported

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Pre-Christmas Baking

I usually make sugar cookies for Christmas, but I had a function to attend that required cookies so I made some a few days earlier. I took two dozen of them (colored red and green) to the event and made these with the leftover dough. They're blue because it was the first day of Hanukkah.


Strange Currency

When I first started playing Words with Friends, I looked up a list of possible words containing the letter Q but not U. I use the popular QI and QAT relatively often, but there are others I've yet to play in a game. SHEQEL had been one of those words until the other day when I played it against a worthy opponent.   


Actually, I played SHEQEL once before but it was in a game against myself so it doesn't really count.

Kelleys Island

I spent about a day on Kelleys Island. I took just a few pictures at first because it was cloudy. The next morning it was bright and sunny so I took some from the ferry as I left.

Boat dock

Kelley Mansion
Sun-kissed lake


White cranes

It was a very relaxing time. We didn't really do anything, but that was the point. It's that kind of island.

CUTE!

Looky Here!