Or better yet, head to The Greenhouse and watch in person with their first ever tweet up (or tweet from the comfort of your couch and follow along #teamsawyer).There will be a special Iron Chef menu and prozes if you can guess the secret ingredient (pre show of course!). Learn more here.

Way to go chef! You make Cleveland proud!

In other GHT news, two upcoming pop-up restaurants not to be missed at Noodlecat: Lee Anne Wong (I went to he first one – AMAZING!!!) and welcome back pastry chef Corey Barrett with Sweet Streets.

I would have been content just about anywhere, but of course we didn’t just want to settle considering we haven’t been out alone in ages (even before the baby came, I was no peach to be around those final weeks of pregnancy & became quite the homebody). We headed to East 4th for rooftop cocktails, shopping and dinner.

I’ve had drinks on the roof of Greenhouse several times, but this was the first time I’ve been up there since they “opened” it. What a space and what views. If they served food up there, my butt would have been parked in that stool all night. Though I get why they don’t offer anything to munch on upstairs (those stairs are quite plentiful – and steep), I sure wish they did.

Post drinks, and feeling pretty good (when you don’t drink your normal share for the better part of a year, you become quite the cheap date), we headed to Chinato. As we made the short hop down the street, it was  electrifying to be downtown at that moment. Thome was back that night for the first time in nearly a decade, the weather was picturesque and it seemed like just about everyone was out in the city enjoying it.

At dinner, we ordered a variety of small dishes and feasted away. Highlights included the yellowtail and salmon crudo, fried baby artichokes (which the chef sent out) and buratta.  What I’ll likely skip next time is the involtini of eggplant with ricotta and shrimp. While I’ve never tried this before, it seemed a bit overbooked and over seasoned.

Not ready to head home just yet, we stopped in Dredgers Union which wisely stays open until 10 p.m. Jamie picked up a few shirts, I snagged some clothes for the kids and a great fall hat for myself (clothes shopping has to wait a bit for me). If you haven’t had the pleasurable experience of shopping here yet, you should go soon. It has something for everyone.

When we got home the kids were in la la land and we weren’t far behind. Unfortunately, they didn’t get the tweet that mommy and daddy went out the night before and woke up bright and early with the first one getting our attention at 5 a.m. I’ve missed the nights out, but not the mornings after…

I’m so excited for this to open, I just can’t stop saying the name.

If you’re active on Facebook, then you’ve likely seen people “liking” Noodlecat over the past few months. And this week, the proverbial cat was let out of the bag so to speak as to what this secretive restaurant is exactly and who was the masked man, er chef, er, duo, behind it. It’s Team Sawyer of course!

Noodlecat, slated to open later this summer, will be in the former Theresa’s Pizza locale on Public Square near the soon-to-open Pura Vida. According to Amelia Sawyer, the restaurant, “will be a mash-up of Japanese and American cooking. It will be both modern and traditional.”

Added chef Jonathon Sawyer, “We wanted to do noodles for a long time now. We think this will translate really well to Ohio, like what we did at [Bar] Cento with Roman food. We can tell a similar story here and showcase what’s unique to Ohio.”

With the opening of Noodlecat, the goal for the Sawyers was to have clarity of concept.  “Noodles tend to be lumped together in Cleveland. Really muddled in fact and you don’t get to see what authentic Japanese noodles are,” explained the chef.

“The main point is for us to have fun, and be the second certified green restaurant in Ohio,” he added. “We’ll be casual, really fast, a lot of fun and all under $15.”

Just like their flagship Greenhouse Tavern, a lot of staples will be made by the chefs, like rice wine vinegar and a local fish sauce he’s currently working on. He’s also excited to embrace more healthy and veggie-based options, and of course, sourcing a ton of local, quality ingredients.

A sneak peek at the lunch and dinner menu is enough to make you want to relocate downtown. While it’s still a work in progress, some of the items include:

• Slow Soy Cooked Eggs n Soldiers w/ Japanese white bread, crispy snap peas & tempura potato
• Broiled Rice Balls w/ seasonal ingredients
• BBQ Pork Belly Steam Bun
• Ohio Beef Burger Steam Bun
• Veggie Miso Steam Bun
• BBQ Blue Fish Steam Bun
• Pork and Clam Soba w/ BBQ smoked pork country sausage, salted cured chili paste, burnt citrus fruit, toasted garlic, young shallot & bottarga
• Crispy Veggie Tempura Soba w/ seasonal vegetables, miso paste, tofu, peas, scallion & shitake mushrooms
• Spicy She Crab Udon w/ ginger, garlic, young shallot, crab paste, spinach, house made surimi & soft boiled egg
• San Fransisco Surf n’ Turf Ramen w/ poached scallop, wild mushrooms, pasture raised ohio chicken, young shallot & sliced radishes
• Chilled Ohio Soba w/ ponzu, crispy peas, shredded nori, scallion & wasabi
• Su Tofu Udon w/ wakame seaweed, warm dashi, shitake mushrooms & soft boiled tofu
• Whole Roasted Suckling Pig w/ oysters, BBQ, buns, horseradish vodka & condiments
• Very Spicey Whole Crab w/ rice cakes, lots of Garlic, Fish Sauce & Chili  customers are advised to wear a bibb
• Salt Grill Sustainable Himachi w/ oysters, pickled veggies, chilled unfiltered sweet sake, buns & condiments
• Sustainable Sashimi Style Plate w/ pickled veggie, salt cured chili paste & calamansi

“A noodle place like this will make people happy,” concluded Sawyer. I concur.

On Thursday, Jamie and I had dinner at The Greenhouse Tavern. But not just any dinner. A six-course, family style meal featuring two dishes at each course. One prepared by Sawyer; the other via chef Jeff Michaud of Osteria in Philadelphia. The two became friends after cooking up a frenzy on Iron Chef. The evening felt like we were in scenes from Big Night.

The eating extravaganza started off with a cocktail hour (Old School Ohio punch) and several stationary dishes, including my faves: involtini di muratori with mortadella and grilled stuffed calamari with seafood boudin blanc. Another highlight was all the vinegars Sawyer had on display for sampling (the champagne was my favorite). He’s really perfected these vinegars from when I first recall trying them at Bar Cento. His enthusiasm and knowledge on the subject matter is something else and almost infectious. In fact, talking to him throughout the night on a variety of topics was rather intriguing. He’s quite the walking Wikipedia.

For dinner, we thoroughly enjoyed every bite and every dish – plus accompanying wines (we bought a bottle of each so I could really enjoy post baby, like the 09 Billaud Simon Chablis, 07 Molnar Family pinot noir and 07 Chateau Richard Saussignac). But of course there were standouts, including my favorite course – the first course: Sawyer’s Ohio Chevre salad and Michaud’s wild Maryland shrimp with this amazing guanciale and zolfini bean ragout. Now, I have had this Chevre salad countless times and I just can’t get enough. I wish it was permanently back on his menu. I’ve been a fan since he first shared it at a pre Greenhouse tasting and Brooklyn Beer dinner at Viking.

Other standouts included the whole salt roasted veta la palma sea bream (equally as enjoyable was watching this fish come out baked in this massive tomb of salt then witness the chef delicately carve it out and serve), and the pan braised qual with faro, hedgehogs, porchinis, morely, baby peas, asparagus and fiddleheads. This dish gets you excited for spring!

For desserts, I was quite smitten with Michaud’s velvety polenta budino with gianduia mousse and candied hazelnuts. I have never sampled anything close to this, and hope I don’t have to wait another 34 years to do so again. It was silky and sweet, but not overly so. Of course, I also enjoyed his taleggio fonduta with porcini frittelle. Another unique dish that I couldn’t help but force-feed a few more bites of (literally, at this point everyone was beyond Thanksgiving-style full).

Granted, aside from a few sips here and there, I didn’t get to fully enjoy all the accompanying drinks with each course (though Jamie did, as he continues to fully ambrace having a 9-month designated driver). The one drink that made our table chuckle, and watch as one guest downed, was the Jersey Speed Ball, a concoction of espresso and Coke, marking the first time Coke has ever been served in the Greenhouse.

What a great evening this was. We saw some familiar faces and made some new friends. We tried dishes that were firsts for both of us and saw two great chefs and their teams demonstrate what it’s like to truly love your craft and have passion for great food. It was a well-executed night that was no doubt enjoyed by all who attended, especially these two.

(photos courtesy of Chef’s Widow and Greenhouse Tavern. For more, click here).

“When Jonathon Sawyer opened the Greenhouse Tavern, he was pleased to see Cleveland’s foodies come out in droves. But that wasn’t enough. “I wanted the whole city to embrace Greenhouse,” says Sawyer, an F&W Best New Chef 2010. So he tweaked the menu to appeal to every kind of eater, from carnivore to vegan. Main courses now range from a curried spaghetti squash–and–chickpea dish (prepared without meat or dairy) to a ravioli filled with a luscious blend of braised lamb shank and house-made fromage blanc. For the extreme carnivore, there’s Fifth Quarter, a daily-changing dish featuring the tasty bits left over after a pig has been butchered and quartered (hence the name). Here, F&W streamlines some of Sawyer’s eclectic recipes for omnivores.” – written by Kate Heddings

Sawyer shares three recipes: Grilled steaks with onion sauce and onion relish, farro with artichokes and herb salad and curried spaghetti-squash and chickpea toasts. In each of the recipes, found here, there’s the chef’s way and the easy way.

Half Roasted Chicken in Brioche Bread w/ fresh black truffle, petit wood ear mushrooms & natural jus

Purchasing and Prep

1)    The simplicity of this recipe is foil for how much of a show stopper this dish is. It is a combination of two of my favorite things in the world: whole roast chicken and fresh baked bread. The presentation is just stunning.

2)    This recipe relies on the high quality sourcing of tasty local ingredients.

3)    So, in a mixing bowl combine butter, mushrooms, herbs, vinegar and S&P.

4)    Preseason chicken twenty minutes before you are going wrap and cook it. This helps ensure even seasoning.

 To wrap and bake

1)    Roll dough out to 1/8^th inch thick circle on a lightly floured surface

2)    Use egg wash (egg & water equal parts) around the edges of the dough

3)    Center chicken in middle of the dough with an inch of leg sticking out of the dough. Add mushroom butter to top of chicken

4)    Work clock wise wrapping chicken in dough. Ensuring it is completely wrapped. No holes in the dough.

5)    Cook for 60 mins at 350

6)    Allow bird to rest for 15 minutes and allow juices to redistribute themselves. Carve and Enjoy!

For a side dish, Sawyer shares this simple but tasty veggie with a couple preparation ideas.

Whole Grilled Spring Peas

This recipe, “Ohio Edamame,” can be done in two ways:

“Pot sticker” Style:

• Toss peas in olive oil and salt to coat.
• Place peas on hot flat griddle or cast iron pan. Add 2 ounces of water and cover.
• Allow steam to evaporate for about four minutes; peas should be a bright vibrant color with a pliable shell.
• Remove from heat, toss in bowl with salt, lemon juice and olive oil to coat.
• Place on serving platter, garnish with sliced radishes, finely grated horseradish root, olive oil and lemon zest.

Grilling method:

• Bring an 8 quart pot of salted water to a boil; add peas blanch for about two minutes.
• Remove from water and shock in ice water; peas should be a bright vibrant color with a pliable shell.
• Toss in bowl with salt, lemon juice and olive oil to coat.
• Place on hot grill, until outsides are browned.

• Remove from grill, place on serving platter, garnish with radishes, finely grated horseradish root, olive oil and lemon zest.

This post is sponsored by Heinen’s. When making this dish at home, Laurie, the wine expert for the Avon store, says if she had to pick one wine for both dishes it would be the Mer Soleil Silver Chardonnay.  This is an unoaked Chardonnay she says, that would be delicious with chicken – especially with the Chablis vinegar, fresh herbs and mushrooms.  Since the wine does not see oak it has a clean and bright flavor profile and complements the vinegar and herbs, she adds.  There is butter in the recipe and the cleanness of the wine would cut through the butter. The wine would pair with the peas and tame the heat from the horseradish. The lemon in the vegetable dish would pair with the citrus in the Chardonnay. This wine is regularly $29.99 but currently on sale for $19.99.

In an effort to promote its Fresh Market package, The Ritz-Carlton Cleveland invited us to spend the night and experience it firsthand. The package includes overnight accommodations on Friday, followed by breakfast with the chef at Muse Saturday morning, then a guided trip to The West Side Market to pick out lunch, complete with a return trip to the restaurant for a four-course feast of your market picks.

After checking in, we headed straight to The Greenhouse Tavern for dinner. Actually, that’s not true. First we stopped at Chinato for a pre-dinner cocktail. And how cool is this – for checking in on Foursquare, I got a free drink of the day, the delightful Sangria Flora. Then we went to Greenhouse, which continues to easily be one of this city’s best restaurants.

Over a bottle of wine, we enjoyed the clams foie gras, wings (Jamie can no longer step foot on E 4^th without ordering these), pork chop saltimbocca and Ohio corn carbonara, Now, I loved my meal, especially the strong sage flavor in the chop. But Jamie really loved his dish. In fact, I have only seen him this giddy over a plate of food one other time and that was the short ribs at Crush in Seattle. Jamie likes food, but he does not share my enthusiasm or need for constant profession of greatness during the meal. But this pasta was a different story. He wouldn’t shut up about how great it was and joked that he was going downstairs to give Jonathon a big kiss for making a near perfect meal.

The eating continued when we met at Muse the next morning. We were greeted by 6 fellow foodies who were participating in the package and chef Constantine Vourliotis plus his two sous chefs, Josh and Andrew. The chefs ate with us and explained how the day would go. We would shop, explore and share with them what we’d like to eat for lunch. And that could be anything – anything at all you’re craving, they will make. It’s actually a rather daunting question and kind of hard to think about what you’d like to try – especially when you’re already full!

With mimosas in hand, we headed to the market. The chef talked about how he shops for the restaurant and how he’s been coming to the market with his dad since he was 6. I asked how much of his menu is local and he said 25% with a lot coming from The Chef’s Garden and stands throughout the market. He explained that he’d like to utilize more local food, but is bound by strict Marriott guidelines. Perhaps he should talk to Ellis Cooley and figure out how he’s been able to get around that. His favorite stands include Kate’s Fish, Ohio City Pasta, Judy’s Oasis, the Mediterranean Store and Dohar Meats. He also loves the falafel at Maha’s and we all sampled of which I happily concur.

I love the market and spend a lot of time here. But it was my first time walking and shopping the aisles with chefs. It was truly a fun learning experience – chatting, eating and gaining new knowledge.

But that lingering question remains – what to have for lunch? See, each couple could have anything they’d like. One gentleman requested rabbit and wanted something that reminded him of how he’d enjoy it in his youth. The rest of us were all over the place. I talked about clambakes and fall flavors in general, fish (we saw some nice sea bass at Kate’s – I know it’s on the list, but we were all tempted), pasta and just about everything else. In the end, the rest of us were in agreement that he could surprise us. They said they were listening to all of us talk and point and had several dishes in mind.

We had two hours until we had to meet back for lunch. Jamie and I took this opportunity to walk around downtown. Five years ago we lived on W 9^th in the Bingham and did so for two years. Not much has changed. More bars I suppose, which they don’t need. It was actually kind of sad. I know it was Yom Kippur so maybe that had something to do with it, but such a beautiful day in the city and downtown was empty, much like it was when we lived there. But where would the people go? All around the Warehouse District is bars – not much retail for them to enjoy. Then we quickly walked through Tower City. What a pathetic space that has become. An area once filled with such promise (and much better stores). I thought about the countless shopping trips I’d take with my mom as a child downtown and how there is nowhere for me to take my daughter now. It’s all gone. I know this is nothing new and has been covered over and over. And we still regularly come downtown to eat and over to University Circle for the obvious. And I get that just like many before us (and hence part of the problem) we moved out. And though I do firmly believe our city is in the middle of amazing change and moving in the right direction, this two hour break got to me. But it also got us hungry once again. Which was a good thing because we had a lot of goodness awaiting us.

The chef made us four courses, plus champagne and wine. Course 1: warm peach soup with cardamom (his favorite spice) served alongside a brioche-type bread with peach preserve salad, lemon oil and foie gras (which he said is his favorite thing to make and explains to people that you can’t think of it as liver or put it in the same category). Course 2: apple and lavender fennel cake with greens from The Chef’s Garden, candied pecans and Maytag Blue. Course 3: sea bass with pomegranate and mango salsa over tapioca (yes, tapioca) and veggies from The Chefs Garden.

The foie gras was without a doubt the best I have ever had. Truly. The soup, something we shared we were craving on the tour, was the perfect compliment. We poured a bit of the soup per his suggestion over the foie gras and it was that much better. A perfect dish.

The best way to describe the salad is fun. I have never – and would never – think of a funnel cake as part of a salad. But I’m sure glad he did. The blue cheese was a perfect addition, too. Great texture and flavor all around.

The sea bass was another winner, especially the pomegranate salsa. And I loved the tapioca, it really made the dish. Desert was simple, pound cake with vanilla ice cream, strawberries and balsamic. I was a happy women. The chef and I were talking earlier about balsamic and how good it is on strawberries and ice cream. Being Italian, it was how we did dessert growing up.

When lunch was over, the chef gave everyone treats to take home, including cheese and chocolates (many of the same cheeses that were in our room upon check-in). The only other item that would have made this night perfect would be recipe cards and tips to make these dishes at home.

I can’t even tell you how much we enjoyed this experience and staying downtown in general. Yes, the quick break did get me a bit sad, but that wasn’t the first time and it certainly won’t be the last. I think we all share that. We see the promise and potential in our city but get momentarily taken back when we recall what once was or that things seem to be taking a bit longer than we’d like. But we’ll get there!

Even though we were 25 minutes from home, we felt like we were away and made the most of it. Dinner was that much better knowing we didn’t have to drive home. Waking up in the morning and looking at the lake. It was perfect and a night I’d gladly do again. And a package I’d highly recommend experiencing yourself, or consider for an upcoming gift (people in our group were there as a Christmas gift and anniversary). The team behind this really goes above and beyond to make it a memorable and fun adventure.

Other things worth pointing out. This is the first time I’ve stayed at a Ritz (we’re fairly loyal to The W and Kimpton Group). It’s true what they say – service here is unbelievable. We were quite impressed. From everyone you encounter, top notch all the way. I was also intrigued to learn that they still offer noon tea on the weekend and a special teddy bear tea for kids around the holidays. When Natalie is a little older, we’ll participate for sure.

Want to Dine at Muse?

Have you dined at Muse? It’s quite different from Century (both in terms of food and atmosphere) which I feel they made a big mistake by closing. But after getting to know these chefs and trying the food first-hand, I know you’re in for a treat if you go. If you haven’t been to Muse and would like to, I have an opportunity to experience their Farmers’ Market dinner for two. To be entered, tell me what you would do in Cleveland if you were a tourist for the day. I’ll pick a winner via random.org Thursday at noon.

“What kind of wine do you like to drink?” asked Jim Clendenen, named winemaker of the year in 1991 by Food & Wine and in 1992 by the Los Angeles Times for his Santa Barbara winery, Au Bon Climat. “Usually cabs – heavy, full-bodied, cabs,” I replied. “Oh. Then I’m afraid I’m not going to make you very happy,” he quickly answered.

Jim was seated at our table for the Au Bon Climat wine dinner at The Greenhouse Tavern last week. Actually, we had quite the table. In addition to Jim, was one of my best gal pals, Lori, Charity (I Heart Cleveland and Chartreuse), Ruth (Gatherings Kitchen) and Drew Neiman of Neiman Cellars. The company and conversation, coupled with the perfectly-paired courses and wine made for an exceptionally fun evening.

Chef Jonathon Sawyer prepared five courses for the dinner based on wine his team sampled and selected prior to:

1. Potato crusted monk fish (poor man’s lobster) with herb salad / paired with Au Bon Climat pinot blanc
2. Corn roasted pork with spicy soubise and fresno chilis / paired with Sanford & Benedict Chardonnay
3. Ratatouille with zucchini flower, Chevre de Provencal, tomato broth and fresh herbs de Provence / paired with Santa Barbara Pinot Noir
4. Fatted calf with poached cherry, proper polenta and filbert (hazelnuts) / paired with Isabelle pinot noir
5. Pinot noir granita / paired with Dogfish Head Red & White

It’s true, I like heavy wines. I can’t even tell you the last time I intentionally ordered a white wine out (best guess late ‘90s). So truth be told, I was fully expecting to walk away with another ridiculously good meal from Greenhouse and sample a few wines, but not really be impressed by any of them.

I’m really beginning to enjoy when I’m wrong. I was really taken back by how much I liked the wine. While I still don’t think ordering white out or picking up a bottle is in my near future (unless for company), I certainly appreciated the whites we sampled, especially the chardonnay (even more so with the fried hominy in the pork). But what really won me over were the pinot noirs. I have tried to like this wine before and sampled plenty. But it just never did it for me. So I expected more of the same here. Not even close. These were light – but also rich. I was smitten. First with the Santa Barbara pinot but then came the true gem of the night, the Isabelle pinot named after his daughter (actually, the original name of this wine was Isabelle Morgan but he dropped Morgan from the name after his divorce – you learn a lot when seated with the winemaker!). Of course it was also the most expensive wine of the night at $55 a bottle, but it was worth it. In fact, I bought a bottle that night to enjoy with Jamie, and suspect more bottles are in our future.

Jim, a native of Akron, moved to California in the ‘60s. His winery, which means a well-balanced vineyard, was also listed on Robert Parker’s Best Wineries of the World in 1989 and 1990. He’s also recognized by Food & Wine as a master cook for sharing several published recipes with the magazine.

In between each course and prior to the start of our dinner, both Jim and Jonathon would talk and explain their approach. The two of them had great delivery and obvious enthusiasm for what we were about to experience. I actually learned quite a bit, without feeling like I was just schooled.

Jonathon explained that he is fairly picky with the wine dinners and only interested in holding them when the winemaker is willing to come in and represent themselves. He explained that his goal is for the quality of the wine to enhance the quality of the food and to peacefully coexist. When this can happen, he shared, is when they thoroughly enjoy putting together these types of dinners for people to experience food and wine in a way they might normally not.

When talking about his wines, Jim shared that his winery was the first to get rid of asbestos, long before wineries were told they had to. He shared that he makes healthy wine – not because he “cares” about our health per se, but because he drinks more wine than anyone he knows and wants to be healthy. His wines, he added, have low alcohol content and low acidity. He joked that he likes to drink early and drink often, and with his wines, he can (low alcohol or not, I did have to take a few Excedrin in the morning!).

As for his favorite wine, that would be pinot noir – whether it’s his or someone else’s. He explained that it goes with absolutely everything. Especially duck with crushed raspberries and maybe a little garlic and ginger, his favorite pairing.

As for what we ate, once again the chef and his team made me a very happy woman. Seriously, these people can cook and have yet to disappoint me. These types of dinners are fun because you get to sample things not typically found on the menu and I would imagine it gives them an opportunity to play around and get creative. My favorite of the night though was the fatted calf – hands-down. As Sawyer put it, this animal lived a wonderful life, not as long as their parents perhaps, but still enjoyable.

Thanks again to GHT for inviting me to this dinner and for allowing me to give away a pair on the blog. Now seeing first-hand the time that goes into planning and executing these events, and how seriously the team takes them, I highly recommend checking out the next one for yourself. You will not be disappointed.

For the past 8 years, The Culinary Vegetable Institute and The Chef’s Garden host a fundraiser to support and promote Veggie U. This year we were lucky enough to attend the Food & Wine celebration with over 30 participating chefs and wineries offering tastings throughout the night on the grounds of the farm under one big (read: HOT) tent. Despite the heat (and bugs), it was a simply outstanding event. We ate, drank, ate some more, made some new friends, reacquainted with old ones, and then ate and drank once again. Truthfully, this was a fabulous event and evening – we had a ball and will continue to attend and support Veggie U and its mission of helping kids make better food choices and understand where their food comes from for years to come.

In between all the good eats, chatter and laughter, we learned a  little Cleveland  food scoop.

I ran into the ladies behind The Lounging Gourmet.

After meeting and briefly talking with Jeni Britton Bauer of Jeni’s Ice Cream, she shared that she’s working on a cookbook that will spill all her delicious little secrets and is actively scouting out Cleveland for a location (maybe by this spring?). Speaking of cookbooks, you may have heard that the Sawyers are working on one too – and getting fairly close to sharing plans for restaurant #2. Finally, ran into a former classmate of mine, Scott Kuhn, who shared that he’s in the process of a major renovation of an old building on the other end of Chagrin Falls (was formerly private property up until now) for a microbrewery (he’s hoping it will mirror some of his favorites in Portland). Much more to come on this.

My favorite dish of the night was a tie between the braised pork belly from chef Craig Deihl at  Cypress in Charleston (I’m heading outside Charleston for vacation this August, will have to make a trip to check out his restaurant) and squash blossoms stuffed with sweet corn, Chevre and spicy peach chutney via chef Michael Delligatta from The Inn at Verailles. Wow. Wow. Wow. I was not familiar with him or this inn, but what an impression this dish made. I also enjoyed the watermelon and cucumber salad from Three Birds and bison flank steak bahn mi with foie gras butter and your choice of toppings from chef Beej Flamholz. Best in show would have to go to Ann Blackwood of Kalahari. She had at least five beautifully decorated desserts with amazing detail. Personally, I didn’t care for the taste of the sweets but Jamie sure did, making a few stops for these tiny chocolate ganache bites with lavender flowers. Chef Jonathon Sawyer of The Greenhouse Tavern demoing his Ratatouille Provence along with Jay (also pictured above with chef Lee Ann Wong, Jay and Amelia) was also fun and informative.

Thanks to Michelle Demuth-Bibb of The Chef’s Garden for sharing some of the pics.

The 4^th annual Bastille Day Celebration for Slow Food will take place on the eve of Bastille Day – this Tuesday, July 13^th, beginning at 6 p.m. Participating chefs and farmers include: Thaxtons Garlic (look for a q&a with them soon), Crepes du Luxe, Bar Symon, L’Albatros, Jeni’s Ice Creams, On the Rise, Flying Fig, ABC Tavern, Erie Island Coffee, Moxie/Red and more. Tickets are $75 for non-members and help benefit Slow Foods Northern Ohio.

A little later this month on July 22, chef Sawyer and team will be hosting the Au Bon Climat (which stands for well-exposed vineyard), or ABC wine dinner. Founded in 1982, ABC produces internationally recognized pinot noir, chardonnay and pinot blanc wines from grapes grown in California’s Santa Barbara county. The 5-course dinner is $60 pp. Visit here to see each course and wine pairing.

The Greenhouse Tavern has given me four tickets to giveaway, two for Bastille Day and two for the wine dinner. On Tuesday at noon, I’ll pick two winners via random.org. If you’d like to go, and are free to attend either, please leave a comment to be considered. Since most of us are still talking about recent events, er decisions, leave a comment telling us why you are loyal to the great city of Cleveland and you’ll be automatically entered.

Good luck –and a big thank you to The Greenhouse Tavern for giving away these tickets to readers!