I heard once that to have a child is to live life with your heart outside your body. What a true statement that is. To those affected by what happened last week – to those parents – my heart goes out to you. I can’t ever imagine losing my children and I pray to God I never know. I hope you, your family, and your community somehow find the strength needed and find ways each day to celebrate and honor the memories of those gone.

Since this happened right in our backyard, in our home, we have all been looking for ways to help. If you’re interested, here’s another one:

In response to the recent tragedy in Chardon, Cleveland-area chefs have created a fundraiser benefiting the families. Over 15 chefs will offer tastings in a station-style format at Flour on March 19 from 5-8 p.m. Purchase tickets here (cost is $75 per person).

A one-item silent auction for a dinner for 10 guests at a location of the winner’s choosing  prepared by Iron Chef Michael Symon will be auctioned off during the evening.

Participating chefs/food establishments are:

• Matthew Anderson-Umami
• Lauren Bozich,  Marianne Carroll and Matt Myers-The White Flower Cake Shoppe
• Dante Boccuzzi-Dante and Ginko
• Brit-Marie Horrocks Culey-Coquette Patisserie
• Brian Doyle-Sow Food Catering
• Marlin Kaplan-Dragonfly
• Douglas Katz-fire food and drink
• Michael Longo-Harvest Kitchen and Lounge
• Matt Mathlage-Light Bistro
• Paul Minnillo-Flour Rustic Italian Kitchen
• Matt Mytro-Flour Rustic Italian Kitchen
• Fabio Salerno-Gusto! and Lago
• Ricardo Sandoval-Fat Cats and Felice
• Karen Small-Flying Fig
• Wendy Thompson-A Cookie and A Cupcake
• Michael Tolosa-Moxie, the Restaurant
• Eric Williams-Momocho.

My afternoon partners in crime have been my two beautiful daughters, Natalie and Olivia. With Olivia still being carted everywhere in her car seat, this is typically the easy time to be out and about. And thankfully Natalie continues to be a pretty good diner, as long as we eat early (like as soon as the doors open), bring something to occupy her and don’t overstay our welcome.

We have fully taken advantage of having the summer “off.” When I had Natalie, it was the dead of winter so we were often stir crazy. Not so this time around. As soon as Olivia turned the ripe old age of two weeks, we fled the homestead. We called grandma, girlfriends, aunts and daddy to come meet us. We’d often hit up parks, museums, farmers’ markets and Target first, then lunch, which was often al fresco (why tempt fate – we dine outside when we can when the minis are in tow).

A favorite has been Flour. We have sat at the same corner table on their patio at least three times this summer. Natalie loves the pizza, the staff is great with her and mommy can’t get enough of their cob salad with roasted shallot dressing and cheese. However, Flour has made a little snob out of her. She now insists on olive oil (or dip as she affectionately calls it) when she has bread. Don’t  insult her with mere butter.

L’Albatros was another hit, not necessarily with the kids but with mom and dad. We haven’t been there in awhile so it was nice to head back – though I couldn’t take advantage of what I really love about this place: the wine and cheese. That will wait for a date night in our very near future. For Jamie’s birthday, we went to The Natural History Museum coupled with lunch. Jamie inhaled the burger while I had the frisee salad with poached egg, lardons and pork belly – a seriously large piece of pork belly. In fact, it was too much for me. A few bites were all I needed. We ordered the bianco pizza for Natalie with fontina and rosemary and devoured the grilled peaches with prosciutto and tomato salad that the chef sent out.

Other afternoon delights included Taza, Fountain, Umami (though you could put this one in a variety of categories – it’s my husband’s hands-down favorite restaurant and we spend a lot of family time there. They are great with kids and will make a special kid-approved stir-fry).

While being a lady who lunches has had its moments and created great memories with my girls, perhaps my favorite lunchtime excursions have been playdates with our friends over pizza pie, simple picnics in the park and Natalie helping me cook lunch in our own kitchen. She makes a mean peanut butter, yogurt and jelly sammy with a side of Cheerios.

Minnillo, along with partner/executive chef  Chris Di Lisi, have resurfaced in Moreland Hills at Flour. After a few visits, heck, after the first time I opened the door, it’s safe to say Flour is the exact opposite of Baricelli (speaking solely on the decor, vibe and pricing). I wasn’t necessarily in love with every bite of every dish, though some I clearly was, but I was quite smitten with the atmosphere, offerings and the fact that it’s kid-friendly (more on this in a minute). Yes I think Minnillo and Di Lisi will do quite well here, and it’s certainly worth coming to the east side to experience for yourself. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised. I was – and therefore know we’ll  be back several times over.

As far as dining with little ones, when I first toured the space while  still under construction, Di Lisi shared that they plan on welcoming diners of all ages and sizes. So we took him up on it. During our second visit, we were with toddler. And we weren’t alone – there was about 4 minis in total in the restaurant that night. Granted, we all sat towards the back and were there around 5:30, but regardless, they were welcoming, had high chairs and several food items they would make for kids that aren’t on the menu (though Natalie enjoyed one of the pizzas). I will say that when Di Lisi talked to me about being kid-friendly and described the type of decor they were going for, I had a specific imagine in my mind of the type of restaurant this was going to be. I was quite surprised when I went the first time for dinner that what I envisioned and the contemporary masterpiece that actually came to life were two different things. But don’t let the chic, modern look full you – if you’re like us and like to dine out as a family, bring ‘em. Just be smart about it – regardless of where you dine out with kids. No one wants to hear screaming kids, but if you plan ahead and make a few modifications, they won’t have to.

As for everything else, you can read my full Metromix review here. Or as always, here’s part of the review:

One of the Cleveland’s most well-respected and beloved chefs, Paul Minnillo, is back. After closing his long-standing Baricelli Inn in the heart of Little Italy last year, Minnillo, together with partner/executive chef Chris Di Lisi, have resurfaced within the east side suburb of Moreland Hills with Flour, a rustic Italian restaurant.

Food: Flour is the type of Italian restaurant Minnillo has wanted to do for the past 15 years. Inspired by Flour and Water in San Francisco and Locanda Verde in New York City, Flour focuses on the two chefs take on traditional Italian food, highlighting simple dishes from salads to pastas to wood-fired pizzas featuring four to five ingredients max (note: there will be no  parmesan of any kind here). Look for the menu to change often. And not just seasonally, but rather every few weeks.

After a couple visits, we were able to sample a nice variety of dishes. Appetizers not to be missed include the crispy calamari ($9.50), a nice take on an expected offering, and the spring pea, pecorino and mint bruschetta and rock shrimp and garlic bruschetta ($3.50 per piece). In total, there are four different bruschetta offered; it’s nice to be able to mix and match and try a variety.

Or forgo traditional appetizers altogether and instead opt for a sampling of cheese to start the meal (or as we prefer, finish the meal). The salumi, also made in-house, and cheese selection change daily and are available in different portions. We sampled three ($9) with crusty bread and honey: brunet, pecorino and robiola. The offering is nice and in fact, add some salumi, plenty of their fresh bread and a few glasses of wine, and this alone can serve as a wonderful meal.

For salads, their take on the classic panzanella ($9.50) with grilled bread, onions and black olives makes for quite the enjoyable start. The beet salad ($10.50) with arugula, fennel, blood oranges and ricotta was also nice but not a favorite, perhaps because it was light on the beets which were in fact slightly undercooked.

Like Baricelli, pasta, which is made in-house, is available as either a full or half order. The gnudi ($12 for half) is not to be missed. It’s almost addicting with its smoked mushrooms, generous amounts of thick pancetta and rich taleggio.

For heartier options, choices range from veal short ribs, tomato braised pork shank, to salmon and sirloin. We couldn’t resist the diver scallops with fennel atop absolutely perfect olive oil mashed potatoes ($28). A simply perfect dish that will surely be ordered in the future.

There are five, 10-inch pizzas available, each served with a side of chili oil. Pizzas can be topped with a handful of toppings, including egg, mortadella, sausage or arugula. The fungi ($15) with miatake, hedgehogs, shallots, taleggio and truffle oil was crispy and flavorful, but, on our next visit, we may opt for the bianca with garlic oil, ricotta, grana, fennel, and rapini leaves and perhaps top with egg and prosciutto.

If you have even an ounce of room left, don’t miss the slightly warm, salted chocolate brownie ($7.50) with refreshing basil ice cream. This dish literally pops, thanks to mini chocolate pop rocks of sorts. It’s fun and ridiculously good.

Libations: As anticipated, Flour boasts an impressive wine offering (and nicely visible, oversized wine cabinet). Roughly 30 Italian wines are available by the glass, all priced between $7–$12. Bottles are also available from a variety of regions, but glass pours focus just on Italy. There’s also a full bar offering a wide-range of cocktails, beers and other spirits.

Décor: If you’re expecting something Baricelli-esque, you’re in for a shock. While the former was stuck in some type of dated pastel period from the ’80s, Flour couldn’t be further from that decade. Just by opening the door, you’re greeted with very clean, contemporary stylings of a modern restaurant with bold accents of color, mixes of rich woods and a beautiful wine cabinet as its focal point. The lounge area is ideal for dinner, cocktails or snacking and mingling after work. The open kitchen features a welcoming chef’s table and large windows throughout the 140-seat dining room. It’s a well-done and inviting space.

The first recipe Di Lisi shares is for peperonata, which he says is great with bruschetta, or on top of grilled fish or chicken.  He adds that it’s scaled to restaurant portions but can easily be scaled down by half to still get a good yield.  This will keep and can be served cold, room temp, or hot. The second recipe is for his favorite popcorn.  He jokes that this answers the question about what chefs eat when they get off shift and go home.

FLOUR-PEPERONATA

HEAT OLIVE OIL…MED HIGH HEAT….ADD DRIED CAPERS AND SAUTE FOR A MINUTE. STIR IN PASTE AND COOK 2 MIN. SHOULD BE BRICK COLOR. STIR IN ONION, FENNEL,CHILI FLAKES AND SALT. COOK STIRRING FIVE MINUTES. DEGLAZE WITH VINEGAR, STIR IN PEPPERS. COOK A MINUTE. ADJUST SEASONING.

SMOKED PAPRIKA BUTTERED POPCORN

MELT BUTTER WITH LIME ZEST. PLACE OIL IN SAUCE PAN. HEAT ON MEDIUM. ADD THREE KERNELS TO SEE IF IT IS HOT ENOUGH. SHOULD MAKE MUCH NOISE. ADD POPCORN, COVER, SHAKE A FEW TIMES A MINUTE. CORN IS DONE WHEN POPPING STOPS. ABOUT FIVE MINUTES. TOSS IN MIXING BOWL WITH BUTTER FIRST THEN SALT, PAPRIKA, AND CILANTRO. TASTE- ADJUST IF NEEDED.

This post was sponsored by Heinen’s. When making either dish at home, Ed Thompkins suggests pairing it with Porta Sole Sangiovese (BIN 75) and Victory Headwaters Pale Ale for the popcorn (Top 40).

Last summer, Minnillo made the decision to close The Baricelli Inn after 25 years. Shortly after, Minnillo and his executive chef, DiLisi made the easy decision to work together again. This time, opening up a restaurant together that would be quite the opposite of Baricelli, or at least the opposite of the perception of Baricelli held by many.

The only problem – it has taken a bit longer to open doors than first anticipated. And these two are incredibly eager to get back in the kitchen and open the doors to their new eatery, Flour. Lucky for them (and us), the wait isn’t much longer. DiLisi fully expects the 140 seat restaurant (with another 30-ish in outdoor dining) to be open by March 29.

Flour is the type of rustic Italian restaurant that Minnillo has wanted to do for the past 15 years. “I don’t have multiple restaurants,” explains Minnillo. “I have a great amount of respect for Symon and Bruell. They continue to do a great job. But that’s not me. I like to focus on one thing.”

That one thing will be a reasonably priced Italian restaurant. But don’t expect parmesan of any kind. “Italian food is very polarizing in this city,” explains DiLisi. “We’re going to focus on traditional Italian cuisine, but with our spin on it, highlighting real cooking techniques. The dishes will be simple, four to five ingredients.”

And the menu will change often. Not just seasonally, but every couple of weeks. And the dishes will support local as much as possible, including grass-fed beef, pork and chicken.

In researching their restaurant, the chefs went to San Francisco and found themselves at Flour + Water. (side note: this is an absolutely amazing restaurant, one of my favorite San Fran eats. If you have the opportunity, I highly recommend it). That restaurant is the inspiration for our place, adds Minnillo. They also received inspiration from A16 and NYC’s Locanda Verde (run by native Clevelander chef Andrew Carmellini. “They do a great job there,” says Di Lisi. “We want to create a Locanda Verde-type experience here.”

Here’s a sample of some of the dishes off the menu that caught my eye. Nearly everything is made in-house. As DiLisi adds, we now have the room to do some serious cooking.

• Four different types of bruschetta, like spring peas, pecorino and mint
• Pancetta-wrapped chicken meatballs
• Salmon crudo with avocado and grapefruit
• Four to five house made types of salumi
• Panzanella
• Beet salad with blood oranges, arugula, fennel and house-made ricotta salada
• Five housemade pastas (plus daily specials): fettuccini carbonara with housemade guanciale; gnugi, with smoked mushrooms, garlic, shallots and tellagio funduta; cauliflower risotto and tagliatelle with ragu Bolognese and ricotta salada.
• At least six entrees, including veal short ribs, half roasted chicken, grouper cheeks, grilled swordfish and tomato braised pork shank.
• And 9”, wood fired, Neapolitan pizzas with a 40 hour rise:

o Margherita

o Fungi, with miatake, shallots and tellagio

o Romana, with crushed tomato, anchovy, black olives and pecorino

o Salsiccia, with sausage, crushed tomato, bufala, grana and oregano

And if you have room left over, there’s an equally impressive dessert list. “We want to have fun with our desserts,” explains DiLisi. “Use American sensibility with Italian traditions. But we will push the envelope a bit.” Though DiLisi is also a trained pastry chef, they just hired a pastry chef who is from Connecticut originally but spent the last two years baking in Israel. She met a boy and now finds herself calling Cleveland home, jokes DiLisi.

And what Italian restaurant is complete without a glass of wine? Or in this case, 30. Flour will boast 30 Italian wines by the glass, all priced between $7 – $12. Of course bottles are also available and from all different regions, but glass pours will just focus on Italy.

Minnillo is clearly excited about the wine offering and shared they had a lot of fun picking out the wines. “Italian whites are amazing, just wait until people try some of the pours we’ll have available, and at these prices,” he adds. Minnillo goes onto explain that all the servers will be thoroughly trained on the wines, as well as the menu. He explains that he wants customers to get to know all the different items, from the bar to the kitchen, and always have a different dining experience during each visit.

The restaurant will boast a big lounge area that will serve as the main focal point, plus a giant wine wall, impressive chef’s table and a main dining area with large windows (that will be sectioned off into two zones allowing for private parties). Though still in the drywall stage, Kristin DiLisi, Chris’ wife and Flour’s GM, explains the décor will be contemporary rustic.

Flour will also be kid-friendly and feature a separate kids’ menu. Flour, located in Moreland Hills at the corner of 91 and Chagrin Blvd, will be open 7 days a week. Lunch will be available shortly after opening, but for now, the chefs plan to just focus on dinner.

Last night was a media preview dinner for both bloggers and traditional media outlets. In the spirit of full disclosure (as always), I am doing some freelance PR and social outreach work for the restaurant’s owners and coordinated last night’s event. I was given this opportunity after I interviewed owner Scott Kuhn for a previous post. As many of you know, I’ve worked in PR for the last 13 years and will often do some freelance work on the side, especially when it involves my other passion – food.

So with that in mind, I am clearly biased and therefore won’t write a typical review since I don’t really just have my blogger hat on. But there are several items I think are worth spreading the word.

First off, I do think you should go and check out this place for yourself. It’s truly remarkable the transformation they did from its Baricelli days. Now, we were big Baricelli fans and are super eager for Flour to open in early 2011. But truthfully, we’d only eat there in the summer – on the patio – because neither one of us cared for the décor inside. Scott redid everything from top to bottom, including the inn suites. And we’re not just talking new carpet and a fresh coat of paint. There’s even a spacious new lounge area in the entryway, something I always felt the old space was missing. Though I must admit, I do miss that large, walk-in cooler of cheese, glorious cheese! Though Baricelli Cheeses will be used in many of the new dishes, like the mack and cheese (mack for Mackenzie Creamery).

I also like the significant effort the restaurant is making to support Veggie U, an organization I care deeply about (be sure to check back tomorrow for how you can support Veggie U and basically eat free for the next year). Not only is the chef, Jonathan Guest, utilizing many items from The Chef’s Garden, but each guest has the ability to donate to Veggie U at the end of their meal. Further, the owners want to continue that spirit of giving and will soon offer ways to support UH as well, a hospital and an organization that both Scott and his family have been heavily involved with and committed to supporting for years.

Continuing in the spirit of supporting the community of Little Italy and surrounding University Circle, within the next month or so they will start offering “employee discounts” for people that work in neighboring areas. Further, if you visit one of the area attractions, stop in to the restaurant on that same day to receive a special treat, too. Once these have been finalized, I’ll be sure to share the specifics. And if you’re a Foursquare user like me, there will specials for the Mayor and for each 5^th check-in, like free appetizers.

Regarding the event last night, everyone was treated to passed appetizers, then a six-course tasting of some of their favorite dishes. The menu itself has a definite slant towards gourmet comfort foods, especially pleasing this time of the year. Though I did clear each plate, there were two items I am eager to order on my next visit: the roasted beet and Mackenzie Creamery goat cheese salad (truly, I think this was my favorite dish – I am a sucker for beets) and the oxtail pierogi with Ohio City Pasta truffle-stuffed potato pieogie (a new venture for the guys at OCP). On a side note, I had the pleasure of meeting Jean Mackenzie and her partner Jim. I’ve been a fan of her cheeses for several years now but had never met her. What a truly delightful and charming couple – look for a Q&A with Jean soon!

You can view the full menu, including lunch and brunch, here. And if you happen to be in the area on Wednesdays, be sure to take advantage of the $40 deal: a bottle of wine, appetizer plus two entrees. You can learn about this plus other restaurant happenings and special offers on its Facebook page, too.

It’s that patio that I’ll miss the most. I never cared for the decor inside the restaurant so therefore only found myself at Baricelli in the summer. In fact, the only time I ever went inside was to mill around the tiny walk-in cheese cooler that housed many of my weakness.

I’m sure we all have our opinions as to why they are closing and can form our own conclusions. But for whatever the reason may be, I’ll personally miss the restaurant. Even though I only made it to Baricelli once or twice a year (wine, cheese and we’d share the Bucatini all’ Amatriciana – our standard Baricelli fare on the patio), it’s part of Little Italy’s fabric. That beautiful mansion on the hill with its exquisite grounds. Sure, they earned a reputation as a fine dining establishment and as a special occasion place that never seemed to fade, despite numerous attempts to change it. And that’s likely part of the reason behind its closing.  Nonetheless, it’s in the makeup of that neighborhood and it just doesn’t seem right that in a week it will be no more. Not to mention that that’s now two of my go-to restaurants in Little Italy that made my all time favorite pasta dish (Battuto was the other).

According to the article, Washington Place Bistro and Inn will open in its place this fall. The restaurant will not serve Italian dishes, instead it will focus on modern American comfort food. While I hate to judge a place based on one article and not knowing a thing more, I’m a bit skeptical about this new venture. Yes, I want something to go in there and would hate the thought of that beautiful structure sitting empty. But American comfort food? And based on the other establishments that the new owner, Scott Kuhn, owns, I don’t have high hopes for the food. While I am a fan of many places he operates, like 87 West, it’s for the atmosphere and wine, never the food. I consistently just find it to be average and not a main priority. Nevertheless, only time will tell and of course I’ll visit to fond out for sure – and hopefully be proven wrong.

As for Paul Minnillo and head chef Christopher Di Lisi, they have no plans to hang up their chef coats anytime soon. As Joe Crea shares in the article:

Meanwhile, the end of Baricelli doesn’t mean Clevelanders will have enjoyed their last meal from the artful hands of its skilled chefs. Minnillo is joining in the migratory pattern taken by growing numbers of the nation’s tops chefs from formal to casual.

This fall, Minnillo and partner chef Christopher Di Lisi, will open Flour at 34205 Chagrin Blvd. in Moreland Hills. Di Lisi’s wife, Krista, will serve as general manager. The 6,000-square-foot space will have an open kitchen, an expansive bar and a menu that the partner chefs describe as “moderately priced rustic Italian.” Flour will prominently feature an oversized wood-fired oven capable of baking authentic Neopolitan-style pizzas and other dishes, as well as an array of house-cured salume, antipasti, pastas and entrees.

The migration also will bring lower prices. Despite the area’s higher socioeconomic bracket, “these people are no different [in their changing eating habits], even though their homes are more expensive,” Minnillo says. “They’re going to more casual places.” The most expensive item on his new menu will be $21.”

As for the cheeses that I have grown to love, Crea shares that The Baricelli Cheese Co will live on inside the West Side Market offering more than 40 varieties from around the world in conjunction with Urban Herbs and the Cheese Shop.

Good news for cheese lovers, and despite the sad news of Baricelli’s closing, I am certainly looking forward to Flour and can see myself becoming a regular (and it’s fairly close to me!).