I almost didn’t do this interview. My first thought was not to promote those that leave Cleveland. I generally like to call out those that choose to keep their talents here and all the good happening within our city. Then I realized I was being silly. There are great people from Cleveland doing great things all over the country. Sure, ideally we’d like to retain these people and have them be a permanent part of our make-up and help perpetuate our city. But no city can claim zero turnover. Instead, we should look at it like there are true Cleveland ambassadors spread throughout. And with any luck, those people will return home – which they seem to do more and more these days. As is the case with chefs Ryan Harkins and Matt Chernus, the duo behind Grill ‘Em All. While they are still in LA, it sounds like we are part of their future plans. Until then, you can watch as they take part in The Great Food Truck Race on The Food Network.

1. What does Heavy Metal have to do with food?

Matt: We, as humans and fire breathing dragon slayers, use food to sustain our life forces. It keeps us focused, healthy and of stable mind. Heavy Metal does these same things. It defines who we are as it powers our inner dragon – slaying guts and stuff.

Ryan: It’s actually quite strange how heavy metal and food go together. I’d like to thank and honor Ronny James Dio for that. Not sure why, I just would like to take any chance I get to honor that man.

2. If you had to listen to one song over and over, every day for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Matt: That is a tough question as I feel equally strong about ‘Angel of Death’ by Slayer and ‘I Wish I Was a Little Bit Taller’ by Skee-Low.

4. Secret to cooking a good burger?

Ryan: Damn dude, you stole it. ‘Angel of Death’ is such a brutal song! Not out of line saying it’s by far the best thrash song ever written. The album though would have to be ‘36 chambers’ by wu-tang!

3. Favorite burger topping(s)?

Matt: Of all the insane Grill ‘Em concoctions, I would have to vote for seared fennel sausage gravy.

Ryan: I gotta say the “Paul Baloff” — dijon, pickles, swiss, 7oz burg, 1/3 lb pastrami and a fried egg. That burger rips!

Matt: Ryan says love, I say hate. Therefore we have what kind of relationship?
Ryan: Skills son! Haha!

5. If you could cook for any band, who would it be and what would you make?

Matt: Let’s, as the world, cook for U2…and poison them.

Ryan: Appetite for Destruction era Guns and Roses. Loads of tacos and pizza. They’d like that…oh Slash.

6. Where did you grow up in Cleveland?

Matt: Rocky River, son. Represent Center Ridge! I’m a full on East Side hater. I’ve, as a smart adult, lived in Lakewood, Cleveland and Tremont. As, a dumb adult, I’ve spent way too much money drinking in all those neighborhoods!

Ryan: The mean, mean streets of Rocky River, beware those Center Ridge crips! I don’t know anything about the east side except the grog shop. I like that place though.

7. What do you think of the culinary scene in Cleveland now? Will Grill ‘Em All make its way here?

Matt: The Cleveland food scene is far better than I ever remember it being when I lived there. That’s in large part due to our good buddy, Iron Chef Michael Symon. There’s so much good food and drink in Clevo…of course we want to be a part of it! Cleveland is where I learned to eat!!!  Oh yeah, and expect us in Cleveland. Seriously.

Ryan: The Cleveland food scene continues to blow my mind on a daily basis. I follow it closely out here and it makes me so jealous. I swear to you, people out here don’t even know what a pierogi is!

Chef Symon brought our dearly missed city to the forefront of the food movement, and god bless him for that! Raddest dude out, for real!

There are so many great up and comers as well, you guys are so lucky. And on top of that, my absolute favorite place in the entire universe, the West Side Market – I’m drooling! Sokolowski’s, Lola, Lolita, Melt, Greenhouse, Leloli, Flying Fig, Hot Sauce Williams, Steve’s, Old Fashioned, oh boy, I could seriously turn this into the longest interview answer ever. Needless to say, we REALLY love Cleveland!

8. Why are gourmet food trucks so popular right now?

Ryan: Because it’s nerdy and awesome! Fact!
Ryan: It changed my appreciation for all the detail and attention it takes to film a TV show. Our business rules and continues to rule even harder! People of Cleveland, take a well-deserved vacation and come to LA, find us, and we will feed you so well. And if you don’t, Matt and I will see you over the holidays at one of our favorite restaurants feeding our faces and growing our bodies and we will say hello….and also tell you that you missed out!

Matt: Because people loved that movie XXX with all the cars and Vin Diesel. And people get hungry thinking of Vin Diesel.

9. How has participating in this experience on the Food Network changed you and/or your business?

Ryan: It changed my appreciation for all the detail and attention it takes to film a TV show. Our business rules and continues to rule even harder! People of Cleveland, take a well deserved vacation and come to LA, find us and we will feed you so well! And if you don’t, Matt and I will see you over the holidays at one of our favorite restaurants feeding our faces and growing our bodies and we will say hello….and also tell you that you missed out!

__________________________

Speaking of food trucks, let’s not forget our favorite local food truck Dim and Den Sum. The Great Food Truck Race has launched a contest for America’s greatest food truck. Cleveland’s own Dim and Den Sum has been nominated in the top fifteen and needs our votes to win. The contest begins on Sunday, August 29th on the Food Network’s website. The winners will receive a cash prize (enough to bring another truck to Cleveland they declare) as well as a spot on the second season of The Great Food Truck Race.

Let’s be sure to rock the vote for these guys and send them to season 2. And if you haven’t tried their food yet, what are you waiting for – follow that truck!

Fennel Salad

• 2 bulbs of fennel cored and shaved thin
• 2 oranges zested, segmented and juiced all kept separately
• ¼ cup geta olives, pitted and chopped
• ¼ cup parmesan cheese shaved
  

Orange vinaigrette

• Juice and zest from above
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 table spoon minced shallots
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

1 tomato concasse (peeled, seeded and chopped)

Mix first 3 ingredients together.  Whisk in extra virgin olive oil.  Season and add tomato. Place ingredients for salad in a bowl, dress with vinaigrette and divide among four plates. Garnish with fresh ricotta and fennel fronds.

This recipe was sponsored by Heinen’s. When making this salad at home, Perry from the Shaker Heights store and Ed Thompkins, their wine buyer, suggests Ca’Tullio Pinot Grigio currently in their Bin 75 set. The retail price will be $9.99 starting on September 1 (for the rest of August it’s $7.99). It’s light, refreshing and will complement the citrus flavors. The overall fresh taste, they say, will enhance the very fresh flavor of the salad.

Here we go Brownies, here we go.

I am a big Browns fan. Huge. What Clevelander isn’t, right? I grew up a tom boy and followed football and this team for as long as I can remember (and pretended to be Bernie Kosar in my neighborhood after school football games growing up).

We love and passionately root for all our sports teams here, but let’s face it – this is Browns town. And in the past decade especially, this die hard football town has happily become overrun by foodies galore with new places eagerly willing to feed us every day. So when the two collide, look out. And throw in an incredibly worthy cause and you have all the makings of a great event.

The 12^th annual Cleveland Foodbank Taste of the Browns takes place on Monday, Sept. 13 at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Attendees will mix and mingle with current and former Cleveland Browns players, while 25 independent restaurants share some of their favorite dishes. Food and football aside, the underlying cause of this event is even more important – raising valuable dollars for the Cleveland Foodbank, which provides food to more than 600 hunger programs in six counties. Last year’s event raised $117,000, which translates to almost half a million meals.

Did you know that for ever $1 raised, no matter the method, the Cleveland Foodbank can provide enough food for four nutritious meals? Tickets are $150 (all proceeds benefit the Foodbank and the fight against hunger). That’s 604 meals you just provided.

Participating chefs and restaurants this year include:

• Crop / balsamic and buffalo popcorn
• Downtown 140 / Phyllo springroll with forest mushrooms, asparagus and goat cheese fondue.
• Fahrenheit (Rocco Whalen is incredibly involved with this event, locally and nationally, and is even featured in the Taste of the NFL’s cookbook)
• AMP150
• Lago / veal tortellini and lobster gnocchi
• Light Bisto / House made chicken confit with herb polenta and Lake Erie Creamery goat cheese
• Lucky’s cafe /bacon  mac-and-cheese
• Momocho / Adobo braised wild boar tacos with pickled jalapeno mustard
• Players
• Three Birds
• Parallax, L’Albatros, Table 45 and Chinato

Hungry? You can buy tickets here. I also have a pair to giveaway. If you’d like a chance to win them, just leave a comment to this post with your guess for the Browns’ record this year and what year you think they will make it to the Superbowl. And they will make it.

I will pick a winner via random.org on Friday, 9/27 by noon. By the way, 10-6 and 2013.

This store carries practically everything I need (though I wish they still carried Cento tomatoes and would start carrying miso and sliced-to-order pancetta). If I am standing around for what seems like more than a minute, someone asks me if I need help finding something. It’s clean, spacious and I know I am getting a quality product for my money.

Tom and his twin brother Jeff are the third generation of the Heinen family running the 17 stores. Tom was described to me by several as a guy you’d want to grab a few beers with. I spent about an hour and a half chatting with him and I now know why they say that. Though we weren’t in a bar, he’s incredibly down to earth, not shy on words, believes in family and can’t talk enough about the importance of happy employees and customers.

Aside from painting houses in high school and lines on tennis courts, this is the only job he and his brother have held. He was Heinen’s first baker, ran the meat department and just about everything in between. It’s quite a bit more lengthy that my normal Q&As but I was hesitant to cut too much. There’s some good stuff here, including news on future stores, the importance of the customer experience and why you and I will never be offered a bottle of wine should we head home with the wrong groceries.

1. If you had two minutes with LeBron, what would you say? I would wish him good luck and let him know that maybe next time he may want to take another approach in communicating his next decision, whatever and whenever that may be. I loved watching him play in person and on TV. He is a fabulous athlete and I only wish he would have stayed in Cleveland as I’m sure Cleveland does. The truth is that LeBron leaving Cleveland is not our biggest problem. We need to build a business climate that creates jobs for those who want them and raise the level of schools so that our youth can be successful here in Cleveland and elsewhere to name just a couple of our challenges.

2. What is your earliest memory of the store? I remember my dad taking my brother Jeff and me to the Shaker Heights store on Sundays when the store was closed. He would go in and check the store refrigeration from time to time and we would grab the old wooden grocery stocking carts and race them. It was a lot of fun until we’d knock something over or break something.

3. If your grandfather walked through the store today, what would he say? I think he would be very pleased with the quality of products and the services we offer today. He would be happy that we have continued to deliver his vision of making the people and the product the stars. I think he would be amazed at the variety of foods available in our stores today, especially on the fresh side. I think he would also be surprised that we sell so much prepared foods.

4. What might readers be surprised to learn about Heinen’s? That we are a third generation company hopefully on the way to being a fourth generation. Although we have the image of very high quality products and great service, most people are unaware of how hard we work at having very fair prices for everything we sell.

5. What’s your favorite thing about Cleveland and what drives you nuts? I love the people and family values that Clevelanders tend to have. I think Cleveland is a great place to raise a family. I am very concerned with our inability to keep our young people here.

6. If you were mayor for a day, what would you change? I’d get rid of traffic cameras.

7. What’s your favorite restaurant in Cleveland? I love Tremont and think all the restaurants do a nice job in that area. I probably most often frequent Fahrenheit and Lolita. Cleveland is very lucky to have as many good restaurants as we do. It was very different 30 years ago when I returned here after college.

8. What’s the biggest misconception about your stores? That we are high priced. We are maniacs about price checks. We’re very concerned about good value. We only want a fair profit at the end of the day; we’re not trying to gouge customers. It goes back to just making enough to sustain ourselves. Ultimately, you have to compare the true meaning of value. We are not into value products. For example, our beef program. Sure, we’re higher priced than Giant Eagle. But we are source verified. We won’t trade on commodity. We are the customers advocate when it comes to picking quality meat raised under humane standards. They don’t get to go to the ranch, we do. So they count on us for the best and we won’t settle on this or provide a “value” meat that is not to our standards.

9. What makes Heinen’s different from other grocery retailers? The biggest difference when someone shops at Heinen’s is the experience the shopper has. Our shoppers get to choose from as many local foods as we can find. In fact, given the interest in farmer’s markets today, it seems ironic that the best and most complete market every week is in their local store with our terrific supply of homegrown produce and other locally raised products [they work with 100 area farmers]. Gerber chicken is raised in Kidron which is about an hour away from Cleveland. We also offer the most engaged groups of associates dedicated to helping everyone find what they want and advise the shopper about their food choices when needed. We want everyone to leave in a better mood then when they came in.

10. What are the current trends in the grocery industry? What’s next for you? There is a continuing trend toward source verification for all foods. We have always been small enough to be able to meet and know many of the food producers we buy from. We believe in building relationships with the ranchers and farmers so we can get the very best they have to offer and also understand what we have to do to be sure our customers are getting the very best each day. We continue to explore health management through the foods that people eat. This involves offering the right foods and also helping people understand the best way to prepare them.

When we see area of growth that needs help and expertise, we supply them. Wine and specialty cheese are two great examples. Customers shared they wanted more of this, so now we have 400 types of cheese. But the customer doesn’t know all of these types or what to buy, so we staff with people who are knowledgeable; we’re willing to invest in expertise so we can help our shoppers.

Wellness is a new area for us and now in 10 stores. More and more people are learning that how you manage certain diseases and health issues is how you eat and prepare food. We’re half of that equation. Your doctor tells you that you have high cholesterol or need to be gluten-free. People who sell food need to help people prevent and manage disease through food.

11. Who is going to win a championship first? This is a tough one. Being a longtime Cleveland sports fan, I have learned to wait for the next championship. But if I had to guess, it will come from the Browns and in the next five years. I love all our teams, always have. My family has had season tickets to all three teams for as long as most of the teams have been in existence.

12. Over the past few years, there’s been a big wake-up call among consumers. We’ve seen more and more people getting back to basics – buying local and in-season, and asking where their food comes from, particularly meat. How has Heinen’s responded to this movement and growing food concerns? As I mentioned earlier, knowing our sources is a major strategic initiative. My grandfather started out picking all his own beef in the stockyards and the produce buyer would buy most of our produce in the local market because he could look and touch everything. Today, although we cannot select specific meat in stockyards, we do visit all our processors, ranchers and farmers as often as we can so we can thoroughly understand how our products are being raised and farmed. Our beef and pork have been source verified since 1997 and we only buy product from programs that manage animals in a humane and appropriate way. We currently are exploring a joint program called “Where Food Comes From” that would involve labeling and web access to help our customers learn about the farmers and ranchers we are purchasing our food from.

13. What are the best days/times to grocery shop? We would hope customers have a good experience at any time, but the busiest hours are 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. and again from 4 p.m. – 7 p.m.

14. What’s it like working with your brother? The bad part is that family can become more business partner than family. But as a partner, you can’t pick a better one. We were raised with the same values and blood is thicker than water. We really are partners. So many partnerships don’t work because people have different objectives and values. Ours have always been the same – perpetuate the company. We are very vested in having our people be successful. It makes life easier when you don’t have to worry about how someone is going to treat someone in the name of Heinens. We will always do the right thing; we air on trusting our team and our customer. Also, I never have to worry about him screwing me!

15. What are you currently reading? I just finished Private by James Patterson.

16. Last meal on Earth? Strip steak, corn-on-the-cob, grilled asparagus and a great pinot.

17. Any more Cleveland stores? Making money is important for one reason – to sustain the company. We just need to make enough to sustain ourselves. That’s a huge advantage to being a privately held company. We want to perpetuate the company as a premier supermarket, best-in-class. We don’t want to be a shitty operation. That’s our goal. We’re not expanding locally. There hasn’t been substantial growth here in 30 years. Our last big store was Avon. Fifteen years ago there were more cows than people in Avon! That’s an exception. We have to follow the people for us to sustain growth, which we are committed to. So for us to do that, we’ll have to look outside of Cleveland [he won’t name cities].

We have a full distribution warehouse. We self distribute so many items and manufacturer a lot of our own food. We don’t use a wholesaler. So because of this, we’d like to stay within 8 hours of Cleveland so we can do truck runs in one day. So you can kind of figure out what areas from there.

18. Everyone I come in contact that works for you genuinely seems happy to work for you – and never wants to leave. Why? We respect and treat everyone like family. No one looks over anyone’s shoulder. We’ll talk, but it’s up to that person to do their job. All we ask is that your boss is never going to be surprised. But you have to trust people to do what you hired them for – they can put two and two together.

Something is going to go wrong somewhere, trust me. With 2,500 employees, it’s going to happen. It’s okay to screw up. I make mistakes. You learn and move on. People are our #1 asset that we invest in. They control their own destiny. Understand that Heinen’s success first and foremost depends on what experience they create for our customer. We’re as good as a customer’s last shopping trip. So it’s important that we create an environment where everyone loves working and what they do. Personal development and customer service are critical for us. Everyone says that they want good service but we totally invest ourselves in making it a reality. What you talk about and what you lead is what becomes important. And for us it’s the customer experience.

Tom went on to tell me a story about ‘parcel pick up mix up’ as he calls it, which he says some people hate, but he thinks they’d hate having their cars dinged up more. He tells me about a woman from Warren that received the wrong groceries at the Bainbridge store years ago. She called and was on fire – your worst nightmare he explains. It was of course a terrible blizzard. They offered to drive the groceries to her but she insisted that she would come back herself. When she arrived, they gave her a pie and a bottle of wine with their sincerest apologies. She looked at them and loudly declared she was a recovering alcoholic and stormed off! The fact is, he added, these things are going to happen. But when it does, we can only try to fix it and learn. He adds that someone told him once that you judge people by how they correct their mistakes verses how they make the mistake. So true.

On September 27^th at the Intercontinental Hotel, it’s time once again for Flavors of Northeast Ohio, a fabulous culinary event that benefits the American Liver Foundation. Guests of 10 will sit at one of the following chef’s tables and enjoy a gourmet five-course dinner plus wine pairings. Tickets are $200 and on sale now.

I attended this event last year and have played a small role in organizing this year’s event. I can tell you that I thankfully do not know anyone directly affected with liver disease. But last year, I met so many wonderful individuals who shared their incredibly personal stories. I cried listening to them talk about their struggles, their families and how this organization and the good people of our community have helped them. Each was filled with hope, promise and incredible courage. We are so fortunate that we not only live in a town surrounded by such world-class healthcare and research, but a community of organizations and foundations, chefs and everyday donors that go above and beyond to help others.

So whether you’re a foodie or have in some way been affected by this disease, this is a great way to help. I know from first-hand experience that you’ll have a wonderful evening, dine on perfectly delicious cuisine and engage with our chefs on a fun and unique level. I hope to see you there!

Chef Ben Bebenroth – Spice of Life Catering

Chef Dante Boccuzzi – Restaurant Dante

Chef Zack Bruell – Table 45, L’Albatros, Parallax, and Chinato

Chef Vincent Cachot – InterContinental Hotel, Cleveland

Chef Ellis Cooley – AMP 150

Chefs Jeff Creighton and Adam Bostwick – Melange

Chef Michael Herschman – Menu6

Chef Jeff Jarrett – North End Wine Bar

Chef Scott Kim – SASAmatsu

Chef Nolan Konkoski – Tartine Bistro

Chef Ruth Levine – Bistro 185

Chef Matthew Mathlage – Light Bistro

Chef Michael Nowak – Bar Cento

Chef Regan Reik – Pier W

Chef Jonathon Sawyer – The Greenhouse Tavern

Chef Steve Schimoler – Crop Bistro & Bar

Chef Bob Sferra – Bob Sferra Culinary Occasions

Chef Karen Small – Flying Fig

Chef Constantine Vourliotis – Muse at the Ritz Carlton

Chef Pamela Waterman – Duet Fine Catered and Prepared Foods

Chef Mary Wills – The Good Fork

I liked everything about this place – almost. Right off the bat I felt at home on the patio. I could easily picture myself spending any given summer evening on the patio with friends. The overall atmosphere of this space quickly won me over.

Next up, wine. Another winner – good thing since it’s in the name. We enjoyed everything we sampled. And I liked how the wine list was presented, the knowledge of the staff and the fact that they offer opportunities for their customers to increase their wine knowledge.

Service – another plus. And the location of the restaurant itself on Linda Street in Rocky River. I hear there are more eateries and boutiques in the works for this part of town. Rumor Mill Alert: I also hear this space itself plans to move to allow for growth. Not sure if there is any truth to this. Anyone?

Now what I didn’t care for. Sadly, it was the food. We tried several different dishes and nothing really did it for me. I had high hopes for the brie and avocado bruschetta. Two of my favorite things, how could this not be anything but ideal? But it wasn’t – along with the majority of our eats. But despite this, I would go back. We genuinely enjoyed the patio and wine. I’d just pass on ordering food and keep my fingers crossed that the cheese and charcuterie offering way outshines the food.

Here’s part of the recap or you can read the full review here.

Food: The menu features an array of dishes that are meant to pair well with your wine or to be enjoyed on their own. There’s a good mix of starters to share, larger dishes and sweets.

On our visit, our eyes were immediately drawn to the brie and avocado bruschetta ($10), which we ordered before perusing the rest of the menu or sampling wine. Unfortunately, this dish fell short of expectations, which were rather high since typically anything that includes brie coupled with avocado should be an automatic winner. Not so in this case. The bread was barely toasted, which meant the brie wasn’t melted as described by our server. Additionally, the avocado wasn’t as ripe as it was likely supposed to be. The only ingredient that really jumped out was the honey mustard drizzled over top that was borderline overwhelming.

The rest of the meal was on par with this dish, except for an order of the wino fries with malted vinegar and cabernet ketchup ($6)—these were quite addicting and rather satisfying.

Other dishes included the BBQ chicken sandwich special on a pretzel bun with corn salsa ($9) and the chorizo and manchego quesadilla with pineapple salsa ($11). The chicken was overcooked and tough, though the bun and salsa were nice accompaniments. As for the quesadilla, this was another dish that based on ingredients alone should have had us coming back for more…but it won’t. You couldn’t tell there was chorizo or manchego stuffed in this tortilla. Two distinct flavors, particularly the chorizo, were sadly rather bland and unidentifiable.

Perhaps next time we’ll stick with the cured meats and cheese selection.

Libations: Where the food lacks, the wine picks up, and is clearly the focus of this establishment. Wine Bar features an impressive selection of wines from all over the world for every palate and price point. The menu is nicely sectioned in categories making it easy to navigate. Groups include: bubbles, slightly sweet, forever fun (sauvignon blanc, fume blanc, pinot gris), toasty (chardonnay), slightly sweet (rose, Riesling), sensational (blends, cabernet, Bordeaux), soft curves (merlot), sensitive (pinot noir), dramatic (chianti, syrah, malbec, zinfandel) and ports. There are also 15 white and red wines each, both ranging from $6.50 to $13.

If you’re not in the mood for wine, there’s a full bar and a handful of domestic, imported and craft beer.

Décor: While the inside of Wine Bar is fairly traditional and cozy with its dark wood and idyllic two top that sits right under the oversized wine window, the patio is the main focal point–and for good reason. Outlined by the quaint little stores on Linda Street and mature trees offering privacy and shade, the patio is perhaps one of the best in town. There’s plenty of seating and even a pergola in one section. It’s the perfect place to spend an afternoon or a long summer evening.

Bottom line: Though the food may fall short of expectations, the wine offerings and atmosphere surely don’t. Wine Bar is a great place for a date night, catching up with friends or to increase your wine know-how.

L’Albatros Croque Monsieur Recipe courtesy of David Uecke, Chef du Cuisine (serves four)

• Brioche bread sliced (½ inch thick)

• Smoked ham sliced thin

• 4 tbsp whole grain mustard

• Swiss cheese sliced thin

• 4 tbsp whole butter

Method: Spread whole grain mustard on one side of each slice of bread.    Place one slice of Swiss cheese on each side of bread, on top of mustard.  Add five slices of ham per sandwich.  Put sandwich together and butter outsides of bread.  Cook in medium size nonstick pan or griddle until golden brown.

Goat cheese sauce:

• 2 cups heavy cream

• 1 cup fresh goat cheese

• ½ tsp ground fennel seed

• 1 tsp salt

• ½ tsp white pepper

Method: Cook in medium size saucepan.  Heat heavy cream until it begins to simmer.  With a whisk, slowly incorporate the goat cheese.  Season to taste with fennel seed, salt, and white pepper.

To finish sandwich, top with goat cheese sauce.  Place under broiler until sauce browns slightly.

This post was sponsored by Heinen’s. Glenn, the beer specialist at the University Heights store, not surprisingly suggests a good lager with this sandwich. “Although many beer styles will go very well with this classic sandwich, I would suggest Great Lakes Brewing Company’s Oktoberfest,” he explains. “This medium bodied amber lager has a malty base that is perfect with smoked ham. Although this beer is lightly hopped, it will not interfere with the subtle flavor of the goat cheese sauce. This beer’s dry finish will compliment the overall recipe.”

He adds that by finishing this sandwich under the broiler until the sauce browns slightly, allows the light sweetness of this malty beer to be distinguished.

Twilight, which benefits the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, is this town’s biggest fundraiser. Roughly 6,200 people attended last Friday evening raising close to $500,000.

The event, which reminded me of a cross between a frat party at OSU, the old Rockin’ Reggae/Midwest Reggae Fest I’d attend in high school/college to see First Light and a touch of Put-in-Bay, featured 14 local bands, plenty of Sam Adams and finger food – all for guests 21 and over.

We were given a pair of media passes, which included VIP access (top-shelf cocktails and a better food selection, but we never made it back there). It’s been a good 10 years (unfortunately) since I’ve been to the zoo. The zoo looked great at night; they really did a nice job with the set up. Now that I have a family, I look forward to getting us passes and spending much more time there (when it cools down of course!).

This is perhaps one of the smartest fundraisers. I say that solely because they have been able to reach out well beyond their core target audience and raise money and secure attendance  from many different groups of people – people who may or may not normally support the Zoological Society. There were people from their early 20s to late 60s and everything in between. Country fans, reggae fans, swing and folk to 80s fans – you name it, all out to listen to their favorite bands and have a good time. There were those that were there to really party and likely never strayed too far from the beer trucks, to others that aimlessly wandered, soaking up both the setting and people watching.

We went with good friends and as always, had a great time with them, but probably would have had more fun if it already hadn’t been such a long week. Aside from the company and overall atmosphere, I truly did enjoy the music. They had some great bands – some we stopped to enjoy, others I’m sorry I missed. One in particular, 1988, I wasn’t familiar with but couldn’t get enough of. I love that decade, especially 80s cover bands. They aren’t as good as The Reaganomics (though each focuses on different music), but I’d certainly see them again.

Here’s what I didn’t care for – the food or drink. Let’s be clear, this is not a foodie event in any way shape or form. The hors d’oeuvres consisted of mostly fried finger foods (egg rolls, chicken fingers, ravioli, jalapeño poppers, etc.), pasta and breadsticks and crudités. There is no exaggeration here – almost everything was borderline inedible. The bread was so stale I had to toss it long with most of the finger foods. Each was way overcooked.

But this is not meant to be a food event. Given the amount of alcohol served, I’m sure their goal is to get something – anything – in people’s stomachs so that a touch of Put-in-Bay doesn’t become an exact replica.

But still, it would be nice to see a little more attention being put towards the food. I realize I’m picky in this area, but I know I wasn’t alone in my thinking. As for the selection of three Sam Adams brews, that seemed to make most happy. There were also cocktails, wine and even Jell-O shots, but I’m just not that into beer and never cared for Sam Adams (too heavy for me). But, I did like their Twisted Tea and had a couple of those.

Everyone I talk to or mention this event to just raves about it. It’s clear people wait all summer long to attend. I can see why. It’s a fun setting, great crowd, lots to do and for a good cause. And I know if the week’s events were different I would have had a different experience myself (and if the food choices were better too – hey, this is a food blog after all!).  Nonetheless, it was a success for the zoo and will no doubt continue to be for years to come.

To say Gaul has passion for her job would be an understatement. It’s genuine and quite refreshing. I spent some time with her last week in an attempt to get a better understanding of where my seafood – where our seafood – comes from.

Gaul has been in the grocery business for 36 years with the past 12 spent at Heinen’s. She started in the meat department at the old Rini-Rego then eventually oversaw the seafood department. When Giant Eagle took over, she wasn’t crazy about the operation and called Tom Heinen for a job, which led to a three-hour interview. A year-and-a-half later, he hired her. She jokes about still being salty that it took him so long.

In fact, she jokes a lot. It’s clear Gaul doesn’t take herself too seriously and likes to have fun. And that fun carries over into how she manager her team, roughly 40 people (though she quickly adds that there are many more that wish they were part of her group).

“We have a very hands-on team,” she explains. “We are all equal, no one is the boss. Actually, they are all my boss. They tell me what they need and how things can continue to improve. We have a great, open relationship. At the end of the day, it’s all about selling great product and having fun, and we have fun.”

How has the BP spill affected business? Less than 2 percent of all seafood actually comes from the Gulf, Gaul explains, primarily oysters and shrimp. We don’t get anything from the Gulf. But in general, it has affected prices of oysters because the demand for oysters from other areas is so much stronger, so goes the price.

Where does your seafood comes from? About 30 percent of our seafood comes from Euclid Fish (mostly shellfish – clams, mussels, also swordfish, etc.). We also work with Euro USA out of Cleveland. On the east coast, I like Puritan for cod, sole, haddock (delivers from there twice a week).

But what she is really excited about is a new partnership that started at the end of February with an Alaskan company called Favco. “They deliver overnight direct to our stores five days a week [no deliveries on Sundays and Mondays]. We get Alaskan cod, king salmon, Coho salmon, saki salmon, halibut, rockfish [which she strongly recommends] and more. You have no idea how great this relationship has been. Fish is processed off the boat to our order. From Anchorage to Bainbridge. Customers are getting seafood that was in the water just 24 hours earlier – it’s absolutely amazing,” she explains.

The freshness doesn’t stop there. Gaul is looking into a direct from Hawaii program and something similar with a company out of Maine called Catch a Piece of Maine.  “This company is great,” Gaul adds. “There are these two brothers that knew as kids they just wanted to be lobstermen. But their parents made them go to college just to be certain. They did, and then right after graduation followed their dream. I met with John [one of the brothers] and knew we wanted to work with them. These are the kind of people we like to work with – people with good stores, families; people that have pride in what they do and what they sell. These are the people and companies we seek out and like to support.”

What sets you guys apart? We have a knowledgeable team, an excited and enthusiastic team. Our fish is ridiculously fresh. We aren’t afraid not to carry something. Sometimes the fishermen go out to work and come back empty. Or if something comes to us and we’re not crazy about it, we don’t take it. If we wouldn’t buy it ourselves, we won’t sell it. Nothing in our case is frozen, except for the shrimp. Our product is really superior and the best in town. Also, we work with great, local suppliers. It’s a pleasure doing business with these people. I know exactly where our food comes from; we all do, and happily pass on this information and these stories to our customers. There is nothing to hide; it’s the only way to do business.

How long is seafood in the case for? No more than 2 to 3 days. If we don’t sell something, we cook it. How long is something good in our fridge for? 1 – 2 days, after that, I’d freeze it.

It’s almost clambake time! We kick off clambake season with a huge clambake/meeting at the beach (she has held other meetings at Whiskey Island – she likes to get out of the office atmosphere and have fun with her group). We easily sell a couple thousand clambakes a season; it’s a great time of the year for us. You used to only sell in months that end in R, but now we sell year-round (farm-raised clams from the east coast; wild clams from Prince Edward Island). We actually sell clambakes all year long, but of course September and October are the busy times. It’s chilly and perfect. A beer in one hand and broth in the other, what could be better?

We do everything from individual bakes to giving you everything you need to host a clambake for a big group, including the pot, burner and stand. Gaul shares that they get everything from Euclid Fish then sell to the customers and that there’s zero markup to the customer when they need to rent equipment.

Why do you like your job so much? I can’t even tell you how much I like where I work and what I do. I get anxious to go to work in the morning! This really is the best organization to work for. Tom and Jeff [Heinen] are just top-notch. Classy, loyal and generous human beings. You can sit down and have a beer with them – they are one of us. I really do love it; I wish I worked here for more than 12 years.

What Heinen’s do you shop at? I shop at all of them, wherever I end my day. I can honestly tell you that I don’t shop anywhere else. If we don’t carry it I don’t need it. Growing up, my mom would shop at the Green Rd. store. I can remember she would only let food in the house that was bought at Heinen’s because she trusted them.

Favorite restaurant in town? Whiskey Island, Sunset Bar. Take the dog, grab a beer and sit on the picnic table, nothing better.

What restaurant do you miss? Sawyer House in Mentor.

If you had to eat seafood everyday for the rest of your life, what would it be? Scallops because you can cook them a variety of ways and the flavor and texture is just great.

Favorite childhood meal? Meatloaf, mashed potatoes and corn that my mom made.

Although this post was sponsored by Heinen’s, I can tell you that I truly enjoyed spending some time with Marty. Personally, I am very picky about where my food comes and regardless of what I buy, I like to know its origin. This Q&A was informative and made me feel good about the seafood purchases I have been buying. I was especially intrigued and impressed about the seafood from Alaska. I was also impressed with Marty in general. It’s refreshing to meet people that are giddy about their work and actually like what they do. I’m the same way about my career and could never understand why anyone would spend so much time doing something that doesn’t make them happy. We spend so much of our lives working; we might as well enjoy it.

Finally, if you have thoughts or questions yourself about anything seafood related, Marty wants to hear from you. She looks forward to chatting with customers and encourages people to call her at anytime for whatever they may need: 216-475-2300 x 2323.

From left to right: Marty Gaul, Colleen Farkas, Kathy Fletcher and Nicole Nedelman.

My grandma was not the typical grandmother type, and we did not have the typical grandchild/grandparent relationship. She was an amazing, courageous, spirited, generous and  witty woman. She loved life, she loved family and she loved food.

My great grandfather came to this country from Sicily when he was 13 and started selling produce on a wagon downtown. Years later, he would open Paolo Volpe & Sons produce in the Northern Ohio Food Terminal, which he started. My gram, who was the only — and oldest –  one of her 7 siblings to graduate high school (something she was incredibly determined to do), worked as his bookkeeper for years, driving down in the middle of the night to the terminal. She loved every minute of it. Working alongside her dad and brothers, being a part of this operation and having her own independence. I believe this is also where appreciation of food began to take shape.

My gram had an amazing sense of style and loved fashion – she never owned a pair of jeans or tennis shoes. She didn’t see the point. Even when she was cooking, she looked like she could be on TV with her trademark pink apron and pearls. She had quite the purse collection (of which I now share and inherited some seriously fun and retro bags) and loved to dress up. She would tell me stories of how they used to get all dolled up to go shopping, dinner, etc. Today’s loss of style on these types of occasions always bothered her. She wore fancy hats and looked like a movie star. I would sit and study all her old photographs from various places around Cleveland. What I would give to spend a week in our city during that time alongside her strolling the streets.

Her house was a magical place. I can still picture every inch of her home on Stillmore and the smells of cutlets and sauce that would hit you as soon as you opened the car door. She was incredibly immaculate yet never made us feel like we couldn’t run around and enjoy being kids. I loved sleeping over in the summer and did so religiously. She’d take me to Woolworths’s (the dime store) or May Co. in her 1979 Oldsmobile that never wore and she kept until the mid-1990s. We’d listen to Julio Inglesias for hours on her porch (she used to say he could put his slippers under her bed anytime!), play gin rummy and she’d teach me how to cook and make things for myself. I have years of amazing memories from that house – especially all the Christmas Eve’s we spent there, all of us cousins having a ball. I didn’t care about gifts – I just loved that we were all together. Many of these same traditions carried on as she moved into her apartment when she could no longer manage the house.

To this day, I’m not even sure if my grandma actually liked to cook. I think she did, but I know for certain that what she liked more was what the food represented. She absolutely cherished and adored her family. She wanted us together all the time, whether it was around her dining room table or a restaurant’s. And she knew food was the way to celebrate these relationships and bring us together. Her sauce and meatballs, spiedini, lima bean soup and pizzelles are legendary. She taught me how to make the pizzelles and spiedini and wouldn’t let up until I perfected them.

My parents divorced when I was around 9. I never knew my dad after this or his side of the family. My grandpa died when I was little, too, so grandma was really the only grandparent I ever had. But she was more to me than that – she truly was my friend. We had a one-of-a-kind bond that I will cherish forever. We’d talk and visit several times a week. She loved knowing everything going on in my life and gave the best advice. She was quite modern and liberal in her thinking for her age in many ways and loved to tell me stories from her own experiences for me to dwell from and learn. She was proud of us, wanted us to never settle and believed in us wholeheartedly, even when we always didn’t. She never cared about herself or her needs, but what would make others happy. She had grace and class, even in her last days.

Ever since I was a little girl, I knew if I was lucky enough to have a daughter one day I’d want to name her Natalie in honor of my grandma. When that time came, Jamie couldn’t agree with me more because he was just as in love with my gram as I was. I am so very blessed to have had my grandma for 34 years. That she saw me graduate college, grow into a career that makes me happy, meet Jamie and witness our wedding, and get to know her namesake. Not many people can say that, and for that, I am one of the lucky ones.

To say that it will be weird to not have her around is an understatement. There will definitely be a void that can’t be replaced. But she left us with years upon years of memories that make me smile and laugh, recipes that will be cooked and baked for years to come, stories that will be passed down and a spirit that will live on in my daughter.

Years ago we got on the subject of heaven. I asked my grandma what she felt heaven would be like.  She paused, then said  she’s not sure but  knows that when it’s her time, she’s going to pour herself a scotch (or PBR) and float on past Julio Inglesias’ bedroom and spend some time peaking in.

I have no doubt that’s exactly where she is – and with a very big smile!

Grandma Natalie’s Breadcrumbs

My gram’s breadcrumbs were the foundation of many of her recipes, from her meatballs, to breaded green beans and paper-thin cutlets. She believed strongly that, under no circumstance, should a person buy or use store bought breadcrumbs (the same rule applies to sauce). She felt this was the easiest thing to make and could be stored in the freezer for months. I wish I could share all her recipes with you, but I can’t since some are just for family. But try this the next time you need breadcrumbs. And I’ll tell you what my gram always told me – make sure you buy good quality grating cheese, it makes all the difference in the world. She would only use grated Romano from Alesci’s in South Euclid.