Vegan Sweet Tooth

We had the opportunity to try Vegan Sweet Tooth - once at a birthday party where we sampled many different flavors and types of cupcakes, and again at The Cleveland Veg Gala where we sampled cake pops and brownies. We were so impressed that we decided to have them make our wedding cake. Let me tell you, we made the right choice! We got a chocolate cake (rich, dense and moist), with raspberry filling (WOW), espresso simple syrup (adding to the moistness and rich flavor), and vanilla bean frosting (YUM). The flavors all worked so well together. There were a million other combinations we could have tried, too, making it hard to decide! They were so great and simple to deal with too. I emailed them a color swatch and picture of a cake's decor that I liked, and our cake was made in a similar motif and it was beautiful. The best part was that our guests could not believe the cake was vegan. Everyone raved about how delicious it was. We are so glad we went with Vegan Sweet Tooth for our special occasion!

Cleveland Veg Gala

The Cleveland Veg Gala, held Sunday October 14, 2012 was one of the best food events we've ever been to. Sure there were a few snags, but in its first year, this event exceeded expectations. And we LOVE that a vegan event in Cleveland SOLD OUT!

Over 28 restaurants, bakeries, and other food vendors showcased their finest vegan cuisine (usually two items at each station), and the results were just delicious. Really, if you didn't think about, you might not have even noticed that everything was meat and dairy free. Some highlights were Deagan's Kitchen's mushroom-potato "Meatballs" with spicy Marinara, Root Cafe's Raw Lasagna (zucchini layered with marinara, hazelnut-walnut pesto and cashew-based 'ricotta'), Pura Vida's Chili with such an intricate level of spices and seasoning, Lion On Lorain's Cubano Vegano with steamed seitan, vegan ham, and vegan cheese, Luxe's Chick Pea Patties, Orale Kitchen's Potato Empandas and Enchiladas, and Grovewood Tavern & Wine Bar's Ohio Black Bean Ragoût served over polenta cakes.

And then the desserts! Decadent creations from so many sweeteries. Tremont Scoops' buckeyes, Vegan Sweet Tooth's moist cake pops covered in dark chocolate, and those amazing deep dark chocolate truffles covered in toasted coconut from Grovewood were stand-outs. But seriously, the selections were abundant and overwhelming.

There were some outstanding beverages as well. Muddy Paw Wines were fabulous. This local winery in Grand River Valley donates proceeds to the Geauga Humane Society. Love it!! Dandy Blend Herbal Coffee Substitute, a tasty caffeine-free herbal coffee substitute served with rice milk was perfect with dessert. And E-3 Live, such a healthy concoction that aids with digestion, was a great idea after indulging all night on plentiful vegan fare!

We applaud the effort of many participants who went the distance to show off really creative vegan fare that surprised and delighted. We overheard a few people saying "And the best part is, we can eat everything here. We don't even have to ask about the ingredients!" Indeed.

The Veg Gala was rounded out with a wonderful cruelty-free silent auction, and live music throughout the evening. Proceeds are going toward the upcoming Cleveland Veg Fest this summer. Surely an event not to be missed!

Unity Design is a print and online design firm that specializes in the restaurant and culinary industry.

Istanbul Grill in Tremont

We've been meaning to check out Istanbul Grill in Tremont for a long time, and finally, thankfully did! From the tasty authentic Turkish cuisine, to the charming decor and friendly, accommodating service (thanks Andrew and Greta!), this will be a new regular spot for us.

The ambiance is cozy and inviting with lovely Turkish ornamentation throughout. A beautiful brick archway leads you to a raised up dining area, where all the tables feel very private and intimate. The patio out front would be the perfect people-watching place for dessert and a cup of coffee.

We started at the bar with a couple of appetizers and wine during happy hour. We had Hummus (rich and creamy - yum!) and Ezme (a fresh tomato dip) with the most amazing, warm and delicious grilled pita bread. The Sigara Boric were really good – delicately deep fried phyllo rolls with house-made feta cheese inside. We will probably order these on every visit!

For entrees, he had the Chef's Chicken Burger which had great flavor and was served with a yoghurt dill sauce. Next time he would order the burger on the pita bread, because it was so amazing. The deliciously crispy fries tasted like they were battered in a little chick pea flour, giving them extra flavor and crispness.

I had the Kuru Fasulye Pilav (white bean stew with rice), which was mild in flavor but nice, and healthy-tasting (in a good way!) There were tons of vegetarian and vegan options on the menu. It will take a while to work my way through it!

Note: If you check it out on the website, don't let that mislead you. It does not do the setting or intimacy justice, and the food imagery on it looks sort of cafeteria-like, when it is actually quite delicious.

Wente Vineyards Wine Tasting

Enjoyed meeting Karl Wente, Fifth Generation Winemaker from Wente Vineyards this weekend at a wine tasting at West Point Market in Akron. Their limited production showcase wine The Nth Degree is OUT OF THIS WORLD. Karl was in town for an achievement award and stopped in at WPM for a wine tasting and bottle signing.

Pictured left to right – Linda Fletcher (Wine Consultant, West Point Market), Karl Wente Winemaker, Wente Vineyards) and Shara Foldi (Owner, Unity Design).

The Barrio in Tremont

Upon recommendation of trusted foodie friends, we checked out The Barrio in Tremont. Our friends did not steer us wrong!

The Barrio is located in the old 806 Winebar on Literary Avenue. They redecorated with fun Day of the Dead murals on the walls and a grunge-goth vibe on the menus.

You are provided menus and pencils to check off toppings to build your own tacos, and to choose from starters such as guacamole (4 creative variations), tortilla soup, salad and sides. The ingredients are fresh and eclectic and mix and match makes the taco options seem endless.

They brought us chips and salsa to start. The salsa roja was muy caliente – actually a little too hot for us – so we moved onto guacamole. We ordered the Tuscan guacamole which was finished with a balsamic reduction and pine nuts. It was fresh, generously portioned, and an interesting mix of sweet and spice. I was also tempted to try the mango guacamole, but that will have to wait until next time.

We built our tacos knowing we'd be back to try other varieties, because the options sounded so intriguing (ie: jicama slaw with strawberries, cilantro pesto, chipotle honey…)  Also there were plenty of vegetarian options with tofu and black beans on the protein list. The tacos are actually small, but so is the price of $3. We wished after so carefully choosing the toppings for each taco that there would have been a larger version for a few more dinaro.

They have quite a happy hour – daily from 5-7pm and then reverse happy hour later on – in fact only a few hours in the evening are not "happy"! Tequila and whiskey seem to be the house drinks, but we didn't indulge as we stuck to our usual wine.

Overall, we loved the vibe and concept, and look forward to returning! Oh, and of course they inherited the nice patio from 806 with an open air fireplace for those chilled evenings.

Unity Design is a print and online design firm that specializes in the restaurant and culinary industry.

Taverne of Richfield

We visited the Taverne of Richfield for dinner on a beautiful Tuesday night, so we took advantage and dined on the patio. Our whole experience from atmosphere to drink to food to service was excellent. This is our second dinner outing at the Taverne of Richfield, and it gets better every visit.

The patio is very large and nicely landscaped and sectioned with stepped up areas, trellises, and a fountain surrounded by foliage. The fountain wasn't running but I imagine it is on more crowded evenings. It seems like this would be a fabulous happy hour or night out on the weekend.

Our evening started off with a glass of Chardonnay with their complimentary warm house-made bread. An amazing blend of crusty on the outside and moist and buttery inside. This was accompanied with with a bright, lemon-basil olive oil dip. We would come back just for the bread and dip alone! Next we had an equally refreshing green apple / cabbage salad with goat cheese – a frequent and welcome ingredient on their menu. He had a generous portioned, pecan-crusted chicken with goat cheese on top.  Served with thinly sliced, crispy fingerling potatoes and baby carrots with a tasty butter-sage sauce. Moist and delicious, with nice presentation. I had gnocchi which was super flavorful and lemony with roasted tomatoes. My only criticism is I wish there were more vegetables in the dish to offset the denseness of the gnocchi. Don't get me wrong – they were very good, but another texture and flavor would have been welcome to lighten it up – especially as the only vegetarian entree.

As always, we asked many questions about the line up of evening entertainment, menu items and happy hour deals to which our server josh, never flinched. He was very knowledgeable and attentive and clued us into all the happenings so that we will surely return to try them out.

For those living in the surrounding areas of Richfield, this is a gem right in your backyard. Embrace it. The restaurant is located at the corner of Rt. 303 and Broadview Road with great parking and old inn vibe. Definitely worth the drive from anywhere. Enjoy.

The D.C. Pasta Company

We recently checked out The D.C. Pasta Company in Strongsville with a group of friends and had a wonderful time. We've been to Dante's other restaurants and were excited to try his Italian concept.

D.C.'s wine list has a great variety and features an extensive selection of "under $25" bottles. We started with the Rubus Zinfandel (lush) on the menu, but our server alerted us to a special bottle of Tempranillo (El Cortijillo) that was out of this world. It has the most amazing cherry finish. D.C. had bought the last 2 cases of this vintage, and after a glass, several of us bought bottles to take home!

The food menu is an adventure, in that there are many ways to mix and match. Pastas come as a $5 taste, $10 appetizer, or $15 main course. There are soups, salads, antipastos, and various meatballs (even ricotta for us vegetarians) to add in. Everyone at our table pretty much started with a Tuscan bean soup, ordered 2 pasta "tastes" with a "meatball", and ended with dessert. This seemed to be a good way to order and was plenty of food with great variety. The pastas were all perfectly al dente and flavorful and the desserts were fabulous. We will definitely return to try more combinations!

The wait staff was incredibly friendly, knowledgeable, and accommodating - especially to the various dietary needs in our group!