As I’ve said before, I’m a ridiculously hard critic of Italian food. I’m not a chef and I’ve never spent a day in Italy (sigh). But I’m 100% Italian (actually, half Sicilian/half Italian) and I have a grandma and mom that know their way around a kitchen and made daily scratch Italian dishes for as long as I can remember and beat this notion of authenticity into us on a daily basis. Anyone who grew up like this and never knew you could actually buy marinara sauce, gets to play critic.  

For me, the best Italian I’ve had so far is at Michalangelo’s(though I still miss Battuto). But that’s not to say others don’t offer great dishes: bucatini all’ amatriciana @ Baricelli; Rocco’s famous little meatballs, among others)

And now, I’d add Osteria to the list. Was it the most amazing Italian food I’ve had? No. But it was good, surprisingly good – especially the marinara sauce that accompanied the mussels. I used the hot, crusty bread to soak up as much as I could. Very good sauce. And my osso buco was enjoyable, too. Perhaps not as tender as I would have hoped for, but a good dish nonetheless. And the pastas we sampled – quite satisfying, albeit not waist friendly (just too bad the pastas aren’t made in-house – all pasta comes from Gallucci’s, which kinda seems like cheating).

The other drawback for me was the space itself. While I really liked the overall vibe – borderline cool sitting below St. Clair and the overall intimate/cozy feeling inside (great for a date night), the space itself needs a good freshening up. Not a major overhaul, but a few updates would go a long way.

You can read the full review here. In short, I liked it and wish I made it in sooner. I can definitely see us heading back soon, especially on a cold, snowy night (which will be here before we know it). In fact, I think on our next visit I’m going to bypass the menu and let the chef put together a tasting for us. As our server shared as soon as we sat down, they are here to feed you. If you’ll let them, they will make an adventure out of it and put together a tasting for you based on what you’re craving and how hungry you are. Word of advice – go hungry. In fact, I left there feeling the same way I used to after a dinner at my grandma’s house where her only purpose in life was to feed you. Those are the meals when it was nice to wear maternity pants.

We had several of my cousins over, as well as my parents, uncle and grandma. My grandma is one of seven kids so my mom is like one of 100 first cousins. When she was growing up, they did everything together. Of the second and third cousins (confused yet?), I’m closest to these guys and that’s who we had over. It’s always fun for us younger cousins to sit around the table and hear the stories from their childhood, and of course, my grandma, for 94, can remember everything and every date that has ever happened so listening to her talk and share is easily one of my favorite things. We have such a large family and every time we are together, it not only makes for a wonderful time and good laughs, but I also realize just how fortunate I am to be part of this – and also a little sad that we don’t get together more often.

The Meal
Since it was a big group, I wanted to make an easy meal that I could prep most everything ahead of time. Pretty much everything on the menu I’ve made before, so that definitely helped. The exception to this was the beets I served first. I absolutely love beets but have never attempted to make them before. My favorite beets anywhere are at Lolita, and thankfully, the man behind those beets, Chef Matt Harlan, helped me attempt to recreate that dish.

Lolita’s beets are drizzled with a mixture of honey, red wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. Then, topped with a mixture of ricotta, salt/pepper and lemon zest, then finshed with chives, toasted almonds and orange zest. It’s absolutely delicious.

Matt was cool enough to give me some tips on making this dish. I did a practice run earlier in the week and frankly, they came out like crap. After talking to Matt, I realized where I messed up and mixed everything together with the ricotta and therefore totally botched this dish. Luckily, my second attempt came out much, much better. They weren’t as good as the real thing, but I must admit they weren’t bad and I think my guests enjoyed them. Either that or they are fantastic liars.

As for everything else, I made:

–My famous stuffed date appetizer, inspired by Avec, my favorite restaurant in Chicago. Seriously, this is the best appetizer ever and always a big hit. Click here for the recipe.

–Chickpea bruschetta, a staple at Mario Batali’s Babbo restaurant. For this dish, you need:
1 C chickpeas
4 T olive oil
2 T black olive paste
2 T balsamic vinegar
2 T chopped basil
dash red chili flakes
dash fresh rosemary
1 clove minced garlic
Kosher salt to taste
toasted bread

Combine everything and serve over bread. Can be served either as an appetizer or with the meal, which is what I prefer.

–Peas, but not just any peas – another Mario Batali classic. Super easy and again, a sure crowd pleaser. Even the non-peas lovers enjoy this simple dish.

–Pasta with summer amatriciana sauce (adopted from Fine Cooking). Not as good as Battuto’s version, but definitely a winner.

2 T olive oil
1 red onion, diced
2 – 5 thick slices of pancetta (about 1/4 in thick), cut into short strips (I prefer the pancetta at Chef’s Choice Meats, but because of distance, I often just pick it up at Miles Farmer’s Market)
1.5 lbs cherry tomatoes, halved
1/8 tsp cayenne
Kosher salt to taste (I often omit this depending on how salty the pancetta is)

Heat the oil and onion over medium heat until softened but not brown, about 4 mins. Add pancetta and cook until both are a muted shade of purple, about 6 mins. Add tomatoes, cayenne and salt. Simmer until the tomatoes have been reduced to a thick, pulpy sauce – about 15 – 20 mins.

You can either serve as is, which is great, or take it one step further and mix with an immersion blender (my favorite tool in the kitchen), which is how I prefer.

–Bone-in pork chops. The key here is the brine, which we learned from Mario himself. Soak the chops in a mix of ¼-cup kosher salt and ¼-cup sugar in 2 quarts of water for at least 12 hours or overnight. Then brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper and grill. You can also serve with grilled shallots or peaches, but I was lazy and we just served with really good balsamic. Trust me, the brine really does a number on these chops and they are simply wonderful. I could never eat chops until I discovered the beauty of brine.

Since Battuto sadly closed, I haven’t been to dinner anywhere in Little Italy. There are places there we visit frequently, like Presti’s and the galleries, but truthfully, with the exception of Baricelli’s (specifically the patio in the summer); I’m not overly impressed with any of the restaurants. That is, until last night.

I just knew we were going to love Michaelangelo’s. Our good friends ate there a few months ago and raved about it, and my folks liked their dinner so much last weekend, they went back after the play for drinks and dessert in the bar.

The restaurant itself is slightly too traditional for my taste. While there are touches I enjoyed, like the ornate mirror, wine coolers in plain view and crown molding, overall, it’s not my ideal décor. The bar area was more my taste, with darker wood floors, fireplace, and a few oversized chairs to enjoy the fire. On our next visit, we’d much prefer to sit here or on the patio, which also looked promising.

For appetizers, I bypassed the passata soup, a puree of barlotti and cannellini beans with cured pork and pecorino Romano, for a half order of cured meats and cheese. Jamie couldn’t resist and went for the soup. For dinner, we did the usual and agreed to share entrees. I had a half order of the veal and ricotta stuffed tortellini with prosciutto, peas and Parmigiano Reggiano. Jamie went with the braised short rib special, with asparagus and roasted red pepper polenta.

Since I ordered a half order of the antipasto, I was expecting just a few pieces. Instead, it was easily enough for say a table of four to share. I enjoyed all the meats, especially the sopressta, and was happy with my decision. That is, until I tried the soup. Jamie basically shut down all communication while eating the soup. He saved me a little and I was immediately kicking myself for not ordering my own in favor of the salumi. This might have been the best soup I’ve ever had. I was scraping the bowl and staring at it as if more would magically appear.

Before our dinner came out, we enjoyed the fresh warm, crusty bread with olive oil, balsamic, thyme and rosemary. Give me a loaf of bread with that olive oil mixture, good cheese, salumi and wine and I’d be the happiest person. In fact, sometimes in the summer, we’ll sit on our patio and that’s all we’ll have for dinner.

For my meal, I absolutely loved my pasta. The sauce was creamy, but not too rich. The peas and prosciutto were cooked perfectly. And the size was equally as impressive. For a half portion, it was easily enough for us to share and would have been too much if it was just for me. This dish was just one of about five pastas that really stood out and I can’t wait to go back and try the others, especially the pappardelle with veal, duck and tomato-Barolo ragu (you just know anything with Barolo is going to be good!).

When the server brought out Jamie’s short ribs, it resembled something out of Bedrock. The bone was easily 10 inches long and two inches thick. The presentation and aroma from the dish was so good, other diners turned their heads. Unfortunately, the taste didn’t match the presentation. He said it wasn’t bad, but definitely not great and not even close to our favorite short ribs at Crush. He felt it was a little dry and was surprised he needed a knife to cut the meat and that overall, it tasted more like good roast then what he was anticipating. After I tried my portion, I had to agree. I enjoyed it, but did feel it was a bit uneventful and that I’ve definitely had better. The polenta, however, was very good, especially after it soaked up the nice veal demi-glace.

For dessert, I had the peanut butter gelato with strawberry jam. Jamie, a self-proclaimed tiramisu expert, not surprisingly didn’t hesitate to order this.

Great presentation with the tiramisu, served on a mini wood serving board. It was light, fluffy and very enjoyable. He finished every bite and was definitely satisfied. My gelato was also very satisfying, although the consistency was more like custard. I liked the strawberry jam and felt that made the dessert.

I tried to get Jamie to try a bite, but he wouldn’t budge. This is one thing about him that dumbfounds me: he almost never feels the need to try a bite of something I am enjoying, unless we agree to swap dinners. I’m the exact opposite. If I had a go-go-Gadget arm, I’d be sneaking a bite of someone’s dish five tables over. I like to try just about anything and after five years, am still perplexed that he can sit across from me and not want to try my dessert, appetizer, or whatever it may be, no matter how hard I keep telling him you HAVE to try this.

While I still miss Battuto and constantly think about their bucatini all amatriciana and anise breadsticks, we definitely found a favorite Italian spot in town and will quickly head back for more contemporary Italian fare. I might even have to bring my gram.

1. What are the top 5 spices every home chef should have? Essential elements of flavor for every kitchen include kosher salt, pepper, something from the onion world, say onion-garlic-shallot or leek, cayenne, and nutmeg or mace. If I could have two more, I would include bay leaves and basil.

2. What is your favorite and least favorite thing to make? I still get a bit nervous when I need to prepare a piece of meat. A perfectly done steak takes good technique.

3. What is your favorite thing about Cleveland and what drives you nuts? How long do I have? There are so many things I love about Cleveland, but what made me come back to the area was the people. Clevelanders are such loyal creatures. During the 10 years I was gone traveling around the country, I experienced so many different cities and its people, but no other place can measure up to our people. The thing that drives me nuts is that with that “loyalty” comes the other side of the coin, which is a reluctance to change and try new things. To really save our city, I think we have to get pretty bold and change how we approach growth and put a lot more energy into our downtown.

4. If you could cook for one person, real or dead, who would it be? My great grandfather because he loved his garden and loved to eat. Also my grandfather, because he could now see that cooking can be a career. He never really experienced what I do in the kitchen and he really loved to eat.

5. You’re having a dinner party, top 5 songs on your play list? Depending on the guest list and the menu, these albums are good start to finish:

Van Morrison – Astral Weeks
Nina Simone – The Very Best
S. Rachmaninov – Vespers, performed by The USSR Ministry of Culture chamber choir
Madeleine Peyroux
White Zombies – Super Sexy Swinging Sounds

6. Favorite restaurant in Cleveland? I have just spent 20 minutes sitting here thinking of which is my favorite and it is giving me a headache. I am very proud to be a part of the Cleveland culinary community and I have too many to choose a favorite. My most memorable meal I ate in Cleveland that was not prepared by my sweetie who is a chef [Chef Andrew Strizak of the old Parker’s Bistro and now Lolita], was at Battuto in Little Italy.

7. What restaurant do you miss? Parker’s Bistro in Ohio City and Battuto

8. What hidden gem / café have Clevelanders yet to discover? Villa Y Zapata on Madison. The one on W 25th, their new one, needs a little work.

9. What’s your last meal on Earth? Cheesy polenta with braised beef and red wine braising sauce made by my sweetie, or any meal he would make in late August because it would involve my favorite foods of the Ohio harvest: corn, zucchini, tomatoes, peaches, concords… don’t get me started, there are still seven months to go! For dessert, I would have my mom’s chocolate fudge sauerkraut cake.

10. Most unusual food you have ever tried? Dehydrated pig ear.

11. Most famous person you have baked for? I have been pretty lucky here. Chrissie Hyde of The Pretenders (I just love her), Peter Gabriel (nice guy), Elvis Costello, REM, Quentin Tarantino and Ethan and Uma. I was partners in a restaurant in upstate New York that was next to a recording studio. A lot of the neighborhood was people from the city that had second homes in Woodstock.

12. If you weren’t a chef, what would you be doing? Traditional coal forge blacksmith, mother of five, bridge welder or a solid gold dancer. So many options, so little time. Really, I would be a blacksmith.

13. What is your favorite sweet treat? Dichotomy. It is a popcorn coated with cheddar cheese and caramel made by the popcorn company at the West Side Market

14. What’s the most popular item at Lucky’s? Ginger chewy cookies and Shipwreck, a dish served during brunch. It features sautéed veggies, potatoes, bacon, eggs and cheese served with our house made Italian toast and jam. Our Mac-n-cheese with bacon is making a run for it, too.

15. Where do you grocery shop? It’s a combination of the West Side Market, farmer’s markets and Marc’s.

16. What is the best dessert you have ever had? For my 40th birthday, my sweetie and I went to Hocking Hills and stayed in a cabin in the woods. It could have been the combo of the woods, seclusion, hot tub, fireplace and time to chill and be together, but he made me an apple pie that rocked my world! I am a lucky girl.