I left my Ferrari at home

I've been hearing for months (quite possibly since January when it opened) about Hinoki & The Bird.  NPH tweeted about it.  Bon Appetit Magazine named it one of the 50 best new restaurants in the US.  And recently during LA's Food & Wine Festival when asked what was his favorite restaurant in Los Angeles, Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto refused to name a favorite as he has too many friends, but mentioned Hinoki.  So a night with The Bird was in order.

Their online reservations are through Urban Spoon and not my typical Open Table so when my husband asked what the dress code was I deferred to Yelp which said it was "dressy."  Yelp lied.  If the servers are wearing chambray shirts, rolled up jeans and Converse Chuck Taylors, and the chefs are wearing slate blue henleys, the restaurant is not "dressy."  I wouldn't say its casual either as you will be hobnobbing with LA's self-professed finest, so wear nice jeans and a nice shirt for guys, and heck, even for ladies.  Its not your clothes that will make you stand out - its your car.  Upon arriving at the restaurant there was a bright red Ferrari waiting to parking, and when we were waiting at the valet stand for our car it was an endless parade of BMWs, Porsches, Land Rovers, Range Rovers, and so on.  But personally I think the valet enjoyed driving my sporty Volkswagen.

We were seating outside on their spacious patio and I immediately starting looking up to see if they had a heating system installed in the rafters, and they do not.  This left me wondering how the restaurant will operate in the winter when most of its seating is outside.  One nice feature of the patio is the retractable awning which opened up as we were dining allowing us to "dine under the stars."  Though I have a feeling there were a few stars in the restaurant with us.  If for nothing else, I saw Meathead (aka Rob Reiner) at the valet.

Retractable patio awning

The menu is similar to the latest trend of small dishes, but they have small, medium and large.  Our server's advice was to get two or three small, maybe one medium, and then for us to each pick an entree and then share sides.  We decided to go with three smalls, two mediums, and one large with two sides.

First up was the marinated tuna which we were told was served sashimi style and is marinated in ginger and something else for about an hour.  That said, the tuna did not have much flavor and was overpowered by the accompanying items on the plate.  A disappointing way to start the meal.



marinated tuna, lemongrass salad

 

Next up was their famous lobster roll.  The exploding with lobster roll is server in a charcoal-enriched brioche bun.  The charcoal has little to no impact on the flavor, but makes the color of the roll unique.  Full of flavor, little to no mayo, bursting with lobster.  Looks like we're heading in the right direction.
 

lobster roll, green curry, thai basil

I won't deny it - I love crab.  I love crab more than I love bacon.  So whenever I see a crab dish, I order it.  And this crab dish was fantastic.  The crab was juicy and full of flavor, with mild spice, atop a nice crunchy toast.  Can I have three more please?
 

chili crab toast, spicy cucumber, coriander

Now it was time for the namesake dish.  Hinoki is a prized wood in Japan from a type of a cypress. The wood of this tree is nicely lemon-like scented and distinguished by its light color and straight grain. In order for the cod to absorb the scent of the hinoki, a sliver of wood is served atop of the dish smoking from a recent fire that was just put out.  Its a beautiful presentation and who doesn't love their meal being served on fire.  Once you put out the smoke, you get to enjoy the subtle flavor of the cod that has just the right amount of fat to keep it tender and juicy.  I personally found the sweet potato to be rather bland (though, see my thought on the roasted yam later), and was not a fan of the mushroom it was served with.  But the cod.....heaven.

Oh, and P.S., added bonus: during breaks between courses you can stick your hinoki into the votives on the table and enjoy more of the sweet smoke.  Our server told us this was a common occurrence.
 

hinoki scented black cod, sweet potato, pistachio

This next dish can only be described in one simple phrase: heaven on earth.  Now yes, I love pork.  And yes, I love pork belly.  But this, this is something completely different.  I will no longer be able to view any other pork belly the same way.  All other pork bellies will be compared to this.  This was so good that I started to cut it into small bites that I chewed as slowly as possibly to enjoy every scrumptious bite.  The greens are a waste of space on the plate, as are the radishes and sesame brittle served on top, and the sauce on the plate is bitter.  But the pork I will dream about for years to come.
 

caramel braised kurobuta pork belly, radish, mustard greens

 

My favorite cuts of beef are skirt steak and hanger steak, so we obviously had to order the skirt steak and I have to say, I was disappointed.  Now true, being served after the pork belly was an injustice to the steak, but even if I hadn't just had heaven on earth I think I still would have found the steak to just be, in a word, Eh.

miso marinated skirt steak

So its a good thing that we ordered the roasted Japanese yam. The texture was gummy, but in a good way, with a slight sweetness. It was served in a Japanese take of a traditional American style with lardons that better resembled thick bacon bits and crème fraiche instead of sour cream.  It also had julienned slices of a mild chili on top.  To me, the toppings were unnecessary as the yam could stand on its own.  And the roasting made a perfect bark of the skin that wasn't too hard to cut through, but gave the yam a campfire taste.
 

roasted yam, crème fraiche, lardon

As for the mushrooms, I found them chewy and not very good, but my husband enjoyed them.  It was served with a yuzu koshu which is paste made from chili peppers, yuzu peel, and salt, which is then allowed to ferment.   It had a very strong flavor and reminded me of a mild wasabi both in color and taste.
 

braised shitake mushroom, yuzu koshu

When our entrées were complete we were greeted by the manager, Nick.  Normally I wouldn't point this out as I often find the manager stopping by to be an unnecessary disruption, but Nick handled it differently from any other restaurant manager I have seen.  Nick approached us and asked us if we had any favorite dishes, which got us talking about the pork belly and he told us that the chef orders a special cut that has less fat, but more flavor.  Since we had been seated next to the pastry kitchen we had watched desserts being assembled all night and he asked us which appealed to us.  With that he was able to explain why the cotton cheesecake was called just that (whipped egg whites folded in in a traditional Japanese style giving it more of a texture of a sponge cake but still with the cream cheese flavor).  Only once we decided on our dessert and he said he would place it for us did he then introduce himself and offer to be of any other assistance.  Not a disruption at all, and quite a pleasure.  In fact, Nick made sure to deliver the cheesecake to our table himself. 

As I said, we had been watching the desserts being assembled all night, so we were anxious to find out what made up every little bobble on the plate.  The cheesecake was exactly as Nick had described, and it was covered with a crumble that I'm assuming was intended to resemble a graham cracker crust.  It was served with fresh strawberries and rhubarb, and two pieces of thinly-sliced dried rhubarb which I wish I could buy in bulk.  There were three dollops of raspberry cream and a dome of a raspberry mouse.  But the strawberry Greek yogurt ice cream was quite simply the icing on the cake. 

cotton cheesecake, rhubarb, raspberry cream, strawberry yogurt ice cream

All in all the meal was a good experience.  A couple of misfires, but also some dishes that were some of the most amazing food I have ever had.  We will likely go back again as the pork belly is calling to both of us, but probably not for a while as too many other restaurants are calling for our attention.  Of course next time I might arrive in our Toyota just to really mess with all of the socialites.

Burgers, baby!

Michael Symon's last restaurant in Cleveland is a chain of casual dining restaurants specializing in burgers.  Most of the locations are in the suburbs of Cleveland, but there is one location in downtown Cleveland in the food court of the Horseshoe Casino.  I've heard that the menu is limited, but I didn't notice that as there were many options to choose from.  The downside of this location is that to enter the casino your bags are searched and you must prove that you are of age to gamble, so I'm not sure how you would be able to enjoy the food court if you're traveling with children.

In looking over the menu it was hard to decide which burger to choose, so I decided to go with the signature Lola Burger.  What's nice about the restaurant is that you can make any burger a turkey burger for an extra dollar which was great for me as I don't eat ground beef.  That said, this was the best turkey burger I have ever had as the patty alone was full of flavor and not bland as ground turkey is known to be.  The moment I bit into the burger the yolk of the egg broke and spread its yummy goo all over.  This was quite the filling burger and I should have probably only eaten half, but I didn't want to miss one decadent bite.

Lola Burger (burger with sunny side up egg, bacon, pickled red onions, cheddar cheese)

My husband, on the other hand, ordered the less traditional Kojak Burger topped with gyro meat and tzatziki.  I didn't try it as he went for the traditional ground beef option, but he told me it was amazing.  If I recall correctly there was an Mmmmm that emitted from his mouth as he chewed his first bite.

Kojak Burger (burger with gyro meat, tzatziki sauce, lettuce, tomato, onion, feta chees)

One order of Lola Fries (just like how they taste at Lola's) is more than enough for two people.  In fact, with us each eating our burgers in their entirety and sharing a milk shake, we couldn't finish the fries.

Drinks and an order of Lola Fries

We ordered the vanilla bean apple pie bacon shake because, where else are you going to get a milkshake made with apple pie and bacon?!  The shake is so thick that its served with a wide straw traditionally used for boba drinks.  The wide straw is also needed with this particular shake so that the actual bacon bits don't get lodged in the straw.  That's right - the shake isn't flavored with a bacon syrup, but rather with actual chunks of bacon.  Chef Symon, when are you expanding into California?  Of course as I type that, I think about my expanding waistline as a result of this trip and Chef Symon.

Vanilla Bean Apple Pie Bacon Bad A** Shake

I would highly recommend seeking out a B Spot Burger location if you're in the Cleveland area.  Heck, I would seek out any of Chef Symon's restaurants and am looking forward to our trip to Michigan next June for what will be labeled as a family wedding, but will really be an opportunity to try out his steak restaurant Roast.

Another Night, Another Meal

Our second meal on our Michael Symon vacation took us to Tremont, an artsy suburb of Cleveland, to his second restaurant, Lolita, which stands in the original location of Lola.  Lolita is a more casual restaurant than Lola, but we decided to wear the same clothes that we wore to Lola thinking "who would know?"  We checked in at the hostess stand and were told that our table would be ready shortly.  While we waited our original hostess stepped away and her backup appeared at the station.  She looked at us and asked "Were you at Lola the other night?" to which I could only reply "Yes, last night.  Are we total losers?"  She generously replied that we were not and told us that she would do the exact same thing.  After explaining to us that she primarily works at Lola, but covers shifts at Lolita when needed, she told us that she would only ever work for Michael Symon's restaurants as its simply a great place to work and he treats his staff well. I was not at all surprised to hear this.  That said, our plan for no one to catch us wearing the same outfit was a complete bust.

Once again there were two appetizers that we felt we absolutely must try, and yes both involved pork.  The first was the roasted dates.  Admittedly I expected the dates to be wrapped in bacon and not accompanied by lardons, but I'm not complaining.  The dates melted in my mouth and the bacon was the perfect accompaniment.

Roasted Dates (almonds, bacon, chili, parsley)

As for our second appetizer, not surprisingly we chose the pig ears and tails hoping for a repeat of the fabulous pig ears we had had the night before.  These were good, but they were a little too thin for their flavor to really stand out.  As for the tails, they were not at all what I expected.  I thought they would be thin and curly, but rather they were kinda thick.  The tail had been cut at each space between the bones and we were advised to eat them like chicken wings - as a finger food.  It amazes me how every time I try a new part of the pig I love it more and more, especially since the tails were as tender as pork belly.

Crispy Pig Tails & Ears (fennel-onion agrodolce, pickled chile, cilantro)

I knew when I ordered the macaroni that it wouldn't be anything like what you get from a Kraft box, but I was definitely surprised when I saw the shape of the pasta.  Okay, I wasn't expecting elbow, but I also wasn't expecting rotini.  The serving was large enough for two and I was sorely disappointed that our hotel room did not have a refrigerator as I wanted desperately to be able to take home the leftovers.  The sauce was luscious as only a sauce made with goat cheese could be and the chicken was moist and succulent.  That said, after eating close to half of the dish I started to tire of its simple taste and was envious of my husband's extremely flavorful hanger steak.

Macaroni (chicken, goat cheese, rosemary)

Tonight was my husband's turn to have the hanger steak and I was thankful that I got to take a bite of it.  As good as I had thought my steak at Lola the night before was, I quickly learned that this was so much better.  Lolita is considered to be a Mediterranean restaurant and the Mediterranean flavors accentuated the steak to elevate it to its highest flavor potential.  And it also made my macaroni taste bland in comparison.

Hanger Steak (greek yogurt, shishito peppers, feta, charred onion vinaigrette)

Again we needed a side for our entrees, especially mine since it was just pasta.  I tried to tell my husband that these were the worst brussel sprouts that I had ever had, but there was no way to hide the truth so I eventually told him that if I could, I would leave him for these brussel sprouts.  They were perfectly fried and when combined with the capers and anchovies they exploded with flavor.  I must find this recipe as I must have these again.

Fried Brussel Sprouts (caper, anchovy, walnut)

The dessert menu at Lolita is not as expansive as the one at Lola and for us there was only one choice: the trifle.  It was so creamy and succulent.  The only flaw was that the pound cake crumbled under the moisture instead of just becoming soggy and the texture, to me, was not enjoyable.

Peach Amaretto Trifle (almond pound cake soaked in amaretto, layered with creme fraiche custard and peach compote)

When dinner was complete we stepped outside the restaurant to find our way back to the hotel when I looked up and saw this sign, the perfect summary to our expedition.

If I had to tell you which I preferred between Lola and Lolita, it would be Lolita.  I much preferred the stronger flavor profiles of their dishes to those of Lola.  That said, its like comparing gelato to ice cream - both are heavenly, but each unique.

Her name was Lola....

When we told our friends we were spending Labor Day weekend in Cleveland there were a lot of questions.  Do you have family there?  No.  Do you have friends there?  No.  Why are you going to Cleveland?

A few times we responded that we were going to see the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but people know us too well to know that we would never travel for just that.  Not that we wouldn't go there, not that we didn't go there, just that we aren't that into rock and roll to travel most of the way across the country to go to a museum dedicated to it.

We finally had to admit the one and only reason that we were going to Cleveland: Iron Chef Michael Symon.

For years we have watched Chef Symon decimate his competitors on Iron Chef America and have drooled over the food he prepared and wondered just how good could it be.  I bought his cookbooks and the recipes were delicious.  Even the pie crust recipe for his Pork Pie is better that any other pie crust recipe I have ever used.  But no matter how good of a home cook I might be, we needed to know just how good his food was if he (or one of his trained chefs) had made it.  The only problem is that almost all of his restaurants are in Cleveland with the two remaining being in Detroit (Roast) and the Pittsburgh Airport (Bar Symon).  I have to admit I admire his dedication to his hometown by growing his restaurant empire there instead of expanding to Los Angeles, New York or Las Vegas like other celebrity chefs.  So we only had one option: a trip to Cleveland was in order.

First stop: his flagship restaurant, Lola, located in downtown Cleveland on 4th street which is a pedestrian only street lined with restaurants, clubs and even a bowling alley.  To us this seemed like the place to be in Cleveland, and judging by the four bachelorette parties we saw walking through, we weren't the only ones to think this.

We arrived at our hotel earlier than we had expected and were starving from our day of traveling, so we walked over to the restaurant an hour early hoping that they could seat us and if not, we would just sit at the bar.  They weren't able to seat us inside, but we were able to grab a table outside and since it was a beautiful night, it was the best option available.  We perused the menu and decided that there were two appetizers that we had to try: the beef cheek pierogi and the pig ears & belly.  Michael Symon and the pig are a marriage made in heaven so there was no passing that up!

Things were a little off in the kitchen that night, and before we even noticed it, a long time had passed before we were served our appetizers.  We were so busy filling ourselves with bread and butter, and enjoying the atmosphere and the people watching on the street that we somehow let time slip by, but our server was on it and the next thing we knew the manager was apologizing to us and telling us our appetizers were on the house.  Talk about service!  We hadn't even complained or even questioned where the food was and now it was complimentary!

The meat inside the pierogi was perfectly tender.  I regretted sharing the appetizer with my husband as I was limited to just one pierogi.  The dish was so flavorful and rich.

Beef Cheek Pierogi (wild mushrooms, horseradish creme fraiche)

Next up was the Pig.  These were the best pig ears I have ever had in my entire life.  Period.  The best.  Often times pig ears are too crispy or too thin to be able to really get any flavor out of them, as if their only purpose was to provide some crunch to the dish.  But these were cooked for enjoyment.  Not too thick, not too thin.  Crispy, and yet tender, and full of flavor.  The rest of the salad was a wonderful accompaniment to the pig ears, but nothing could overshadow their decadence.

Pork Belly & Pig Ear (watermelon, tomato, feta, jalapeno, cilantro, red onion)

My husband ordered the pork chop, and from what he tells me, it was delicious.  He said that this was the best polenta he has ever had.  I'll have to take his word for it as I don't like polenta in any of its forms.

Smoked Hampshire Pork Chop (chiles, cheesy polenta, bbq onions)

Since all I had eaten that day was a tasteless small hot dog in the airport that morning, I was hungry for beef and I love hanger steak.  The steak was delicious with the right amount of acid.  It was exactly what I needed.

Beef Hanger Steak (pickle sauce, chiles, lola fries)

And thankfully, to further curb my hunger, it was served with their signature Lola Fries.  Lola Fries are thin sliced, twice friend and seasoned with rosemary and sea salt.  These perfectly crispy fries were served with house ketchup which had a unique taste and appeared to contain cinnamon.

Lola Fries

Because we were so hungry from our travel and you never know for sure how large or small a portion size will be, we ordered one of their side dishes.  I'm a big fan of both corn and mushrooms, but I have to say that I only ever want to eat corn again if its prepared like this.  So sweet, so buttery, so much flavor.

Sweet Corn, Chanterelle Mushrooms

While there were many unique tasty desserts to choose from, we decided to go with the one that piqued our interest the most.  I mean, how often do you see a dessert item labeled as a cheesecake that is served with chorizo?  Manchego cheese is a sheep's milk cheese from Spain that is slightly tart and creamy - not what you would expect to be used in a cheesecake, and yet this was delicious.  Was it your traditional New York Style cream cheese cheesecake?  No.  Was it delicious?  Yes.  In fact, it had the exact texture one should expect from a New York Cheesecake.  The chorizo was the perfect accompaniment, but admittedly, I was too busy filling my very stuffed belly with the braised pineapple.  It was the perfect not too savory, not too sweet way to end our first Michael Symon meal. 

Manchego Cheesecake (chorizo confit, braised pineapple, pineapple, buttermilk sorbet, micro cilantro)

With our meal complete, we stumbled through the streets of Cleveland with our bellies full and dreaming of the other meals we would experience over the weekend.  And the pig ears.  Could not stop thinking about the pig ears.

Brunch in Rutherford

Before our trip I researched the best brunches in Napa Valley and found the restaurant at the Auberge du Soleil in Rutherford.  Unfortunately I didn't do my research well enough to realize that brunch does not begin until 11:30am as I made our reservations for 9:00am and we simply had breakfast.  I must not have been the only one who did their research as as we left the restaurant there was a fancy black car with a suited security guard standing outside.  Our best guess just by looking at him was that he was Secret Service, but for whom we don't know.

According to the restaurant's website "The Restaurant at the Auberge du Soleil features rich interiors accented with abstract paintings, exposed beams and warm wood furnishings.  Tables on the famous terrace are some of the best and most sought-after in Napa Valley where one can enjoy panoramic views of the neighboring vineyards and stunning sunsets." Couldn't have said it better myself.   

We were fortunate to be seated on the heated terrace and spent our morning looking out over the quiet countryside.  It was so quiet and so peaceful that I would almost consider staying at the Auberge on our next visit to Napa Valley.  Oh wait, just looked at the prices.  I think I'll just visit.

The view from the restaurant

Upon being seated and served our first cup of coffee we were presented with complimentary coffee cake to begin our meal.  It was the perfect serving for two and just enough to whet our palates but not fill us up.

Complimentary cherry coffee cake

My husband decided to go with the traditional American breakfast, which he said was fantastic.  And you know how much we love bacon and this bacon was heavenly - he shared a slice with me.

à l’ Américaine (two farm fresh eggs, crisp sauteed potatoes, applewood smoked bacon with toast)

Having eaten so much over the past two days, I thought I would try a lighter breakfast with the egg white omelet which was also just fabulous.

En Bonne Santé (egg white omelet with spinach, mushrooms, onions, seasonal berries, and toast)

In all, it was a fantastic breakfast.  I regret that we didn't get to try their brunch, but it just means that we'll have to go back some day.