Barrio

After enjoying the tacos at Barrio at the Taste of Tremont earlier in the week, despite the last taco swimming from the downpour as we sat alone out in the open, as hundreds of people around us scampered in all directions to take cover. Half an inch of rain collected in our platter within 5 minutes. Bug still enjoyed the wet taco (that sounded awkward).

Conditions were much better on our first visit to Barrio -- low 70s (°F), dry, and windy. We don't normally select patio dining, but we invited Bear and Bear's dad to join us. With it being such a lovely day, dining outdoors in the shade couldn't have been more splendid. 

Tacos are $3 each and made to your specification by selecting from printed checklist slips of paper available at each table. You choose:
1) the type of shell (flour, corn - hard or soft);
2) protein (various meats, fish, beans, or tofu);
3) numerous cold vegetables;
4) cheeses (queso fresco, manchego, chihuahua); and
5) an abundance of salsas and sauces.

Pre-set tacos are not offered except for the taco(s) of the day, which were $4 each on the day we went. 

Chorizo and tofu tacos

I ordered two tacos, one that I was positive I would enjoy and another was an experiment:
1) hard shell with chorizo, lettuce, tomatoes, queso fresco, and Barrio secret taco sauce ("mucho caliente")
2) soft shell corn tortilla with tofu (yes), lettuce, tomatoes, manchego, and guajillo sauce (tomatoes and dried guajillo peppers)

The order slip noted their chorizo is made at the restaurant. It was fantastic -- salty, smoky, spiced, and peppery -- and went well with the crisp lettuce, tomatoes, nutty hard shell, and salsa. There was a nice tickle to the sauce but by no means caliente.

The tofu taco, on the other hand, was a big miss. I don't know if it was the tofu, guajillo sauce, manchego, or the combination, but the sweet barbecue type sauce was unexpected and wasn't my thing. I'll try tofu again, but with more straightforward ingredients, especially if it is not served automatically with that sweet sauce.

Bug created two tacos:
1) flour tortilla with chorizo, lettuce, queso fresco, and chipotle crema
2) flour tortilla with pulled chicken, jicama with strawberries, manchego, and Barrio secret taco sauce

Chorizo and chicken strawberry jicama tacos

I can't think of an application where great tasting chorizo would taste awful. Perhaps dessert, then again I can't knock it if I haven't tried a serious effort. Tomato soup and grilled cheese cupcake was incomprehensible until I tried it at A Cookie and a Cupcake. The chipotle crema added a sultry smoky flavor to the smoky spiced sausage. I haven't decided which chorizo taco was better, mine or his.

The jicama and strawberries were an interesting blend to the pulled chicken taco. I had never knowingly had jicama before so I was looking forward to trying it. It has a texture of daikon with a subtle flavor. The strawberries didn't really contribute much.

BLT and Korean BBQ were the special tacos this evening. Both tacos were made with very thick cuts of pork belly. I love mayonnaise in many things, so I knew these were going to be nifty tacos as both were accompanied by different mayo based sauces. Adding a zestier oomph, the BLT taco was better than an actual BLT sandwich. 

BLT and Korean BBQ tacos

Marinated in Korean barbecue sauce prior to grilling imparted a slight sweetness to the pork, not cloying like many American barbecue sauces. Pickled vegetables mimicking kim chi provided a nice crunch and tartness. The creamy spicy mayo was fantastic binding all the flavors together.

Barrio was much better than we expected for being a new establishment during the heart of dinner rush on a Friday night sandwiched between two parties of 10 and 12 on the patio. I've had a lot worse tasting food and service at other restaurants with much fewer customers. I look forward to our next visit to Barrio.

- Cassaendra

Barrio
806 Literary Rd
Cleveland, OH 44113
Tel: (216) 999-7714

Taste of Tremont 2012

The Taste of Tremont took place on a rather warm day that could have been worse. The midday rainstorm that flooded the area was fun.

SouthSide's Home Wrecker

We walked the entire length, extended from last year, of the festival first to get an idea of what we were going to spend our $20 on, if anything. The extension was made up mostly of food trucks.

I've wanted to try Michael Symon's famous macaroni and cheese at Lolita's stand ($5). It was a lot like alfredo. We washed down our food with Lolita's mint lemonade ($2). 

Lolita's mac and cheese

Barrio, a taqueria that opened recently, was one of the busiest stands serving three types of tacos for $4 each or three for $10.

From left to right:

House made chorizo -- Thai basil summer slaw, Asian barbecue sauce, flour tortilla


Barrio black beans -- Thai basil summer slaw, Avocado goat cheese spread, flour tortilla
Cilantro lime grilled chicken -- Thai basil summer slaw, queso fresco, spicy mayo, flour tortilla

Barrio's taco trio

Since the Thai basil summer slaw was mixed with raw red onions and the chicken had a cilantro sauce, I took a small bite of black beans and chorizo.  I am typically underwhelmed by black beans, but these were tasty (perhaps cooked in broth and garlic or onions) but a bit salty. It left an impression on Bug to encourage him to want to go to Barrio when, previously, he was disinterested at least for another few months.

- Cassaendra

Lolita
900 Literary Rd
Cleveland, OH 44113
Tel: (216) 771-5652

Barrio
806 Literary Rd
Cleveland, OH 44113
Tel: (216) 999-7714

Nacho Tacos

Bug has been excited about this dinner for some time now using items from our first and second CSA bounty: pasture raised chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, and chorizo from Newswanger Meats from Shiloh, Ohio, ~1-1/2 hours southwest of Cleveland, just north of Mansfield.

I was woken up Sunday morning by Bug asking me if I would like to take Akemi out for a walk so he could start roasting the chicken early. What? I lifted my head to look at the time, then to him in glazed bewilderment to see if he was actually standing beside me, stumbled to the bathroom, complained about some things, then stomped back after I realized it was 05:30. He walked Akemi alone.

Day 350/365

After the roasted chicken was cooked, Bug dismantled it into two containers, separating white and dark meat. I love dark meat, he prefers white.

For tacos, Bug further seasoned the chicken with black pepper, sea salt, garlic, and onions. I could have eaten a bowl of that chicken as is. The taco to the left includes the chicken, lettuce, and salsa made with tomatoes and jalapeno peppers. The taco to the right is even simpler -- chorizo and queso blanco. Our taco shells were from Trader Joe, which were too thick for my preference and dry.

Nachos were made with some of the leftover chorizo, queso blanco, more of the salsa Bug made up, and corn chips. The chorizo is one of the best I've had. It was salty, nicely spiced for "medium" heat, and smoky. This would have been great to eat over rice, too.

Day 350/365

Bug also made a few flautas, which were gobbled up within a few minutes. His meal included all the cilantro. The FFM parcel was put together very well.

- Cassaendra

Fresh Fork Market

Taco Loco

Bug had a serious craving for American Mexican food, so we went to Don Ramon. I gladly agreed, despite not being a fanatic of the cuisine like he is.

I just wanted a picture of their Taco Loco.

Day 110/365 - Taco Loco

The last time we were at Don Ramon, I grudgingly walked through the doors and ordered the Taco Loco just to see how loco this taco was.

When the platter was brought to my table, I was astonished at the size. It was easily a foot long, stuffed with chicken, beef, shrimp, zucchini, mushrooms, tomatoes, lots of cheese, and Mexican rice.

I wouldn't be surprised if the taco weighed in at 2 pounds. Unfortunately, it was saltier this time around, so Bug inherited my leftovers. Oh, no.

- Cassaendra

Don Ramon
6278 Pearl Rd
Parma Heights, OH 44130-3062
Tel: (440) 886-0566

Tacoma

It seems like a shame to say tonight's dinner was a gut buster, because I think of "gut busters" as nasty slop that merely fills you up. Tonight's tacos were superb and deceivingly filling. I'm quickly succumbing into a taco-induced coma -- Tacoma?

Day 046/365

The taco dinner ($9.99) offers 3 tacos of your choice, along with rice, refried beans, and salad. A few of the numerous filling choices are barbacoa, carne asada, avocado, tripe, lengua, and chorizo. Tonight, I ordered picadillo, avocado, carne asada, and lengua.

The picadillo was slightly sweet, a somewhat unusual complement with meat and potatoes. Avocados were served fresh. Carne asada, the hidden one of the four, was good; however, compared to the other three this evening, it was my least favorite. It suffered from being the boring one of the lot because it was neither spicy, hot, sweet, or tender. My favorite is lengua, pillowy soft and tender strips of meat.

Bug, the night owl, lies contentedly, sprawled across the bed. His deep, even respiration is like a metronome, beckoning me to that head-nodding, watery land of dreams.

- Cassaendra

Mi Pueblo
12207 Lorain Ave
Cleveland, OH 44111
Tel: (216) 671-6661

Stuffed

If I sound delirious, it's probably because I'm falling asleep as I type this. Bug crashed out an hour ago! I just typed "delicious" instead of "delirious" - twice.

Bug was in the mood for Mexican food tonight. He wasn't in the mood for Mi Pueblo Mexican, but Don Ramon Mexican.

Mi Pueblo is where I get my fix of birria (steamed goat) and lengua tacos (beef tongue), while Don Ramon's clientele tend not to be Mexican. The servings are good and filling, and margaritas are everywhere.

Bug ordered the Special Dinner ($12.30), a sampler dish that arrives in two platters.

The first platter has a chalupa, chile relleno, and a hard shell ground beef taco.

Day 038/365

The second platter comes with a beef enchilada, tamal, refried beans, and Mexican rice.

A good variety when you're in the mood for Mexican food, but can't decide which item. The kitchen is consistent and provides comfort...comfort in knowing exactly what you're going to get each time you order.

Day 038/365

I decided to try something new, so I ordered the Camarones al Chipotle ($13.25), shrimp with a creamy tomato chipotle sauce. Mexican rice and a salad of shredded iceberg lettuce with pico de gallo.

The sauce was a creamy spiced tomato based sauce. I do not have any complaints, but I don't feel compelled to order it again. It wasn't what I expected, which was a more smoky spicy sauce.

Day 038/365

I ate half of the shrimp and all of the Mexican rice. The remainder was packed away for Bug to eat for lunch tomorrow.

Before my forehead rests too long on the space bar, buenas noches.

- Cassaendra

Don Ramon
6278 Pearl Rd
Cleveland, OH 44130-3062
Tel: (440) 886-0566

Huevos Time

We didn't really need a purpose for another trip to Mi Pueblo. This time, Bug wanted to try one of their huevo platters. (Our previous trips: 1) birria estilo Michoacan 2) carne asada and pollo en mole poblano)

When Bug looked over the menu, it took 0.285 seconds of scanning the huevos con... section to determine what he was ordering.

Huevos con chorizo

Chorizo is a spiced, peppery, somewhat tangy ground pork sausage that, when cooked up, looks like ground meat instead of sliced sausage rounds. It is the closest to Hawaiian Portuguese sausage when compared to the sausages widely available here like kafta, kielbasa, and wursts, from the spices and chili peppers used. I haven't tried linguiça, however.

Bug also ordered the barbecue pork tacos in an attempt to balance his meal with some cool, crunchy vegetables.

I didn't try either of the dishes, so this entry is probably of little use for someone trying to find out what these taste like so I offer a visual. The only thing I could get out of Bug was the huevos con chorizo was "all right...it wasn't earth shattering. All it really is is chorizo and fried eggs with some seasoning." I guess he liked it for what it was.

Barbecue pork tacos

Bug has always liked Mi Pueblo's fresh tortillas. With barbecue pork, onions, lettuce, tomatoes, cilantro, and a squirt of lime, while it was good on its own, he enjoyed this more for the change in temperature and texture. I don't recall if the pork is shaved from a spit then grilled or if it is marinated then grilled.

With "Birria..." scrawled on the whiteboard stand at the entrance, I wasn't going to deny myself a plate of bliss.

Birria estilo Michoacan (goat stew)

As always (meaning 2 out of 2 times), the goat stew was excellent. I have written about it before and don't want to appear too much like a 13-year-old fangirl.

Also described previously, the salsas and pickles are more complex, not your run-of-the-mill salsas that you find at chain restaurants. They are worth the trip. Oh, and the horchata (sweetened almond-rice drink)!

Delicious salsa and pickles

Next time I'll explore the other treasures on the menu, unless birria is on the whiteboard.

- Cassaendra

Mi Pueblo
12207 Lorain Ave
Cleveland, OH 44111
Tel: 216 671-6661

Birria

Since my first visit to Mi Pueblo on Lorain Ave, there has been one elusive menu item: birria estilo Michoacan.

During our previous trip to Mi Pueblo on a Sunday, they had run out. On previous trips, the dish was not prepared.

It came to my attention while reading a community post on Serious Eats that Mexico's bicentennial independence celebration was to take place on September 16th. While I was joyful of the occasion, I felt a tinge of guilt as my immediate thought was that this event could be my ticket to finally eating birria.

Birria estilo Michoacan with tomatillo sauce ($13.95)

Bug admitted several minutes after my initial "oohs and aahs" that he was nervous for me, more likely himself, as the expectation one builds after waiting months for a dish may be too great.

Bug and I have eaten together for many years. Goat is normally served bone-in. He isn't fond of goat - he doesn't hate it, he just isn't all that in to it. Yes, this is leading somewhere. When I order a dish that I'm not very fond of, he is often stuck holding the bag.

Imagine his relief as I gleefully sucked out marrow from the lone bone in my magnificent serving. That white circle in the middle of the photograph was the only bone served. This was a massive serving of meat. Of course, this is one of a scant few times I really wish I had more bones; well, more melty marrow.

Mi Pueblo's mole is different from your average Mexican place. As it arrives, you notice that the sauce is black, a still unusual trait in most western cooking. Next, the scent is meaty and toasty. Finally, the flavor is intense - bitter, sweet, and spicy - and relentless, so it is a perfect union with a red meat like goat. The texture of the goat was perfect, firm yet yielding.

With its impactful flavor and large serving size, the leftovers substantially and quite happily fed me for 2 more meals!

- Cassaendra

Mi Pueblo
12207 Lorain Ave
Cleveland, OH 44111
Tel: 216 671-6661

Enchiladas

Bug enjoys interesting food preparation, Mexican food, especially enchiladas, and Rick Bayless' show, One Plate at a Time. One night, he caught an episode that showed Bayless preparing enchiladas using a green sauce made with spinach. Yes, spinach!

A dish of enchiladas Popeye would love

Adapted from Rick Bayless' recipe, Enchiladas Especiales Tacuba Style

Ingredients
1-1/2 lb boneless chicken breasts or your preferred chicken pieces to yield 3 c of shredded chicken
chicken broth (~4 c)
1 Tbsp adobo seasoning
2 fresh poblano chiles
2 c chicken broth
2 c milk
6 Tbsp butter
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 c flour
salt
1 c chopped spinach leaves
12 corn tortillas
vegetable oil
Mexican cheese
cilantro or parsley (optional)

Directions
1. Place chicken in a pot and add enough chicken broth to generously cover completely (at least an inch above) and 1 Tbsp adobo seasoning. Bring to boil then simmer for 1 hour. Meanwhile, the rest of the dish can be put together or this step can be done earlier. Chicken should be removed from the pot and the meat chopped and shredded.

Store bought [Goya] adobo seasoning was used. I've seen several adobo seasoning recipes online. The standard blend utilizes paprika, black pepper, onion powder, Mexican oregano, cumin, chile powder, and garlic powder. Some recipes may add salt, MSG, achiote (annatto) powder, brown sugar, and/or saffron.

2. Roast poblano chile then set aside.
a. Preheat oven to 425°F or use the broiler, setting the rack 4-5 inches from the heat source.
b. Place chiles on a baking sheet lined with foil, then place into the oven for ~20 minutes or in the broiler for ~10 minutes, until peppers darken or appear blistered.
c. Remove from oven or broiler when ready and wrap the chiles in foil for 10-15 minutes or when the peppers are cool enough to handle.
d. Remove the blackened skin by gently rubbing; cut open to remove the seeds and stem, then rinse. If chiles are hot, i.e., high Scoville scale, please use gloves.

3. In a saucepan on low heat, add milk and chicken broth. Make sure the milk does not scald.

4. In another saucepan, melt butter. Turn heat to medium, add garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes or when the garlic becomes aromatic. Increase heat to medium-high and slowly add flour. Stir until fully incorporated.

5. Add the chicken broth mixture to the flour mixture and stir until it comes to a boil, reduce heat to simmer for a few minutes, then set aside.

6. Add chopped chiles, spinach, and pour approximately half of the flour-broth mixture into a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour blended mixture back into the sauce pan with the remaining flour-broth mixture. Stir. Salt to taste.

7. Warm tortillas in your desired manner (oven, stove top, microwave oven).
Stovetop method: Heat a skillet and add 1-2 c of vegetable (neutral) oil. The oil just needs to be warm, not screaming hot. With tongs, quickly submerge each tortilla into the skillet for a few seconds then remove. Stack tortillas and cover so they remain warm.

8. Heat oven to 350°F. Add 1 c of the spinach sauce to the shredded chicken, then mix. Spread 1/4 c of the spinach sauce along the bottom of a 13"x9" baking dish. Roll shredded chicken into the tortilla so they are cylindrical, open on both ends, and place them in the baking dish with the tapered, sealed end down so they are tightly adjacent to one another. Spread another layer of the spinach sauce over the layer of enchiladas, scatter a layer of cheese on top. Bake for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro. If you are averse to the flavor of cilantro as I am, parsley should be fine.

Ug ug ug ug!

Bug had made more shredded chicken to make flauta. Instead of baking the rolled tortilla, he deep fried them in vegetable (neutral) oil using tongs to hold the end together for a minute to seal, after which he flipped the flauta and cooked the other side.

Bug's prior experiments making flauta were unsuccessful because the tortilla would split. Quickly frying them helped immensely.

Flauta

The shredded chicken was seasoned well, thanks to the adobo seasoning, and moist. Despite being cooked for over an hour, it wasn't bludgeoned into mushy nothingness. The spinach sauce was surprising. I wouldn't have guessed spinach was in it. The thick texture and color could have fooled me that it had avocado. I can't wait to have this again!

- Cassaendra

Mi Pueblo

I woke up last Sunday morning with a craving for dim sum and Chindian, which is why we found ourselves at the entrance of Mi Pueblo for dinner.

Ten years ago, we went to their east side location on Euclid Ave near the Euclid Tavern and Case Western Reserve University. Bug wasn't impressed at the time so we didn't return until just a few weeks ago to the west side location on Lorain Ave. We have patronized the mercado adjacent to the west side location over the years, however. This is where I discovered that fresh chicharrones are so buttery!

Mi Pueblo storefront

When Bug finally woke up at 4 p.m., we drove over to the mercado and bought Mexican chocolate, dried guajillo and ancho chiles, then popped in next door for dinner.

We walked in and slid into a booth. There was a large party in full swing, so a feeling of dread washed over me. Rojo and verde salsa arrived with a basket of chips and our menus a couple of minutes later. The chunky tomatillo salsa is piquant and complements the spicier, earthy (from ?cumin) and a touch grainy red sauce.

Tortilla chips

On our previous visit, we were served a small platter of pickled carrots and onions. The carrots were vinegary, rubbery-crunchy as expected from slices of thick-cut pickled roots. Its absence was mourned on this trip.

To tame the slow burn, horchata ($1.95), a nutty, sweetened rice water, was helpful. The drink is thicker and smoother than the glass I drank at Ohio City Burrito, the only other place I've tried horchata.

Three special dishes are served on Saturdays and Sundays only:
:: Menudo ($7.95) -- tripe beef soup served with cilantro, onions, and tortillas
:: Birria estilo jalisco ($9.95) -- goat soup served with cilantro cebolla and tortillas
:: Birria estilo Michoacan ($10.95) -- steamed goat served with mole, tomatillo sauce, Spanish rice, and refried beans

Birria estilo Michoacan piqued my curiosity so I ordered this. A minute later, the waitress returned, informing me they were out. Being Sunday, I considered the possibility so I had already picked a 2nd choice; their delicious carne adobada ($13.95), a dish I enjoyed the first time we ate there several weeks ago.

Bug and I typically avoid ordering the same dish at restaurants so we can share. He was apparently so impressed with my carne adobada last time, he ordered it. I scampered to find a 3rd choice -- pollo en mole poblano ($10.95) was an immediate 3rd. I love the choices here!

Pollo en mole poblano

My eyebrows jumped when my platter arrived. Yikes, that's a lot of mole! The thick sauce is a bit overwhelming at first, not in spiciness but in its complexity and strength; smoky and slightly bitter, then peppery, followed by a subtle sweet and nutty flavor.

Their Spanish rice is faintly salty and sweet. I like the refried beans because it has some texture to it since the beans aren't completely pulverized and isn't as sweet. With the sprinkle of tangy cheese, perhaps cotija, the refried beans are an experience if you're used to the almost peach puff (pink) mash, with a mild sweet tone, and covered in "Mexican cheese."

Polle en mole poblano

Four fresh corn tortillas were brought with my order. They aren't the typical flat, dry, and chewy tortillas, but thick, soft, and moist flaps of corn with a little char on the skin. On both visits, I discovered myself eating one by itself.

Three moist, grilled breasts rested cozily under the blanket of mole. I was only able to finish 1-1/2, stuffed in tortillas with beans, and rice. Bug had an amazing midnight snack with my leftovers. Salad greens and cucumbers would have made this dish perfect for a variation in texture and temperature.

Bug's platter of carne adobada arrived. Grilled leeks, salad, tomatoes, cucumbers, raw onions, Spanish rice, refried beans, chunky guacamole, and tortillas accompany the grilled 10 oz steak. The beef is marinated in what tastes like a sauce composed of tomatoes, garlic, cumin, chiles, citrus, pepper, and salt.

Carne adobada

The steak is cut to about 1/4" and served folded in half, transforming itself from a hunk of meat into a tender, slightly tangy, peppery, and smoky grilled steak, when rolled in the fluffy tortilla with lettuce, cucumbers, and rice, makes a wonderful meal in just a bite washed down with horchata.

The other half

The party had wrapped up 3/4ths through our meal. Service did not suffer at all. I am hopeful that we'll be returning on a Saturday so I can try the Michoacan dish. Perhaps I'll try one of 4 of their desserts! Pastel de 3 leches, cake made with 3 kinds of milk (usually condensed, evaporated, and whole milk), sounds luscious.

- Cassaendra

Mi Pueblo
12207 Lorain Ave
Cleveland, OH 44111
Tel: 216 671-6661

Mad Cactus

For several months, we have been questioning why there aren't any Mexican buffets. Recently, we passed by an "express lunch buffet" banner hanging at the Mad Cactus and had to check out the food that "made [them] famous."

We understand that buffets are often not as good as real food because there's only so much control over quality one can have over a dish sitting under a lamp, even at buffets where we have paid $30-40/person.

I do find buffets, when offered, an inexpensive way to explore how the restaurant is run without having to make a commitment.

On the day we went, for $6.75 we got:
- tortilla bowls, hard shell tacos, tortillas
- salad lettuce
- shredded lettuce
- jalapeno slices
- black olive slices
- diced tomatoes (mashed up)
- shredded cheese
- sour cream
- salsa
- celery sticks
- ranch dressing

Hot stuff:
- seasoned ground beef
- shredded chicken with peppers and onions
- cheese enchiladas
- enchiladas
- churros
- chipotle chicken wings
- refried beans
- rice pilaf

The plates were oval, 3" x 6" at the widest points, so I made 3 trips to the buffet, eating 1 scoop of cheese enchilada, 1 chicken wing, 1 scoop of rice, 1 hard shell taco, 1 soft taco, 1 churro.

It's hard to make melted cheese and corn tortillas look appetizing, especially sitting in a pan at a buffet. At any time there seemed to be 0-3 cheese enchiladas...flat, crusty, and spread out. I cut out a piece like I would lasagna. It tasted like, well, cheese and tortillas.

Each time I went up, the beef enchilada pan was empty. Bug was able to get some. Apparently, they were displayed 3-4 enchiladas to a pan, sliced in small bite-sized pieces. According to Bug, they were "edible," but "nothing to write home about."

The wings weren't bad considering they looked a bit leathery from sitting under a lamp. I am also not a big wings fan because of the skin+work to meat ratio. The batter was peppery.

If you love frozen tv dinner rice pilaf, you'll love their rice.

The shredded chicken for tacos was pretty tasty and what you'd expect since it was simmering in broth, onions, and peppers.

I'm sure the churros would have been great if they were fresh out of the fryer. Since we walked in at 12:45 p.m., an hour after they opened their buffet, they were hard-shelled, dark brown, 1" nuggets of dough. The texture was off, but they were edible - crunchy and sugary with a touch of cinnamon.

Service was poor. Bug ordered soda and saw the server in the area twice the entire time we were there. Once, 2/3 through the meal after he waved her down when his glass had been empty for 10 minutes, and the second time was to drop off the check, ignoring Bug's empty glass.

I'm not sure what we expected from a Mexican lunch buffet. Bug didn't feel the need to ever return.

- Cassaendra

Mad Cactus
9175 Pearl Rd
Strongsville, OH 44136-1401
(440) 234-7427

Ohio City Players

While cruising around yesterday, a new storefront painting of a skeleton with a hat holding a burrito caught our eye. When we arrived home, Bug tried to find a menu online for Ohio City Burrito. Their website was new so it only advertised basic information.

We didn't want to eat out tonight and normally don't impose so close to closing (30 minutes). Having read a review that the food was amazing and inexpensive, we decided to give it a try.

The storefront

The store opened its doors 5 days ago so everything still smells and looks new, with dainty utensil holders, and that awkward new store vibe.

There are ~7 black tables with cute, bright, and cartoony Day of the Dead themed artwork of flowers and skeletons painted on the lacquered tabletops amongst the sunny walls and white embossed tin ceiling.

Menu

There were 6 people in line when we slipped in. The line moved pretty quickly, so it took ~10 minutes for us to order.

Bug ordered the Barbacoa beef Brother's burrito ($6.15) and I ordered the shredded chicken Brother's burrito ($6.15). The format is like Que Tal, a Mexican style Subway, where your burrito is sent along an assembly line and you decide which ingredients will go into your burrito, taco, or salad.

Building a burrito

Ingredient choices include sour cream, guacamole, white rice with cilantro, black beans, refried beans, shredded lettuce, shredded cheese mix, 3 types of salsa, and pickled jalapeno peppers.

We ordered our burritos with sour cream, guacamole, rice, shredded lettuce, and cheese. Not knowing the heat rating, we stuck with a medium heat salsa to be safe.

Barbacoa beef Brother's burrito

I preferred the chicken burrito over the beef burrito. The beef had a subtle smoky flavor and was a little dry; whereas, the chicken was moist and a bit tangy. The sour cream and guacamole was timidly smeared and the cheese was given a light hand. The center of each grain of rice was crunchy. The refried beans were all right. The salsa wasn't spicy at all.

Bug was irritated with the rice as well as the disparity in serving sizes. The person in front of us had the same order, but was served twice as much beef.

Shredded chicken Brother's burrito

I ordered horchata ($2.00), a rice drink I've never tried before. It was a sweet, chalky, malt-nutty flavored milk with a cinnamon accent. I could have drank a quart!

Bug ordered a pineapple cocktail that was dispensed self-serve with the usual sodas. Jarrito brand drinks are also sold. I overlooked the selection because I figured it would be more expensive than purchasing them at the grocery store.

Bug wasn't impressed and does not want to return. I didn't think it was horrible and would give it another try a few months from now. When I do, I'll order my meal with fiery hot salsa.

- Cassaendra

Ohio City Burrito
1844 W 25th St
Cleveland, OH 44113
(216) 664-0908

Bug vs the Volcano

We were driving the scenic route to Giant Eagle along Brookpark Road (Cleveland) to get some provisions for beef stew when we noticed a sign in front of Union House advertising fish fry and pierogi. Bug became excited and immediately turned the car around. I'm surprised the wheels didn't squeal.

We entered the restaurant and stood at the front waiting to be seated. The decor was dive bar first, restaurant afterthought, with POW-MIA and US Armed Forces flags hung along the far wall. I also noticed that we were easily 25 years younger than the next oldest person there.

Five minutes later, a busboy (younger than us), the only person who bothered to speak to us while we were waiting, mentioned we could seat ourselves. We really should have suspected the outcome.

With two roving servers, checking on ~15 tables of diners, we walked out after sitting 10 minutes without receiving even a nod of recognition or the ability to make eye-to-eye contact. Not sure how this was possible, but the backs of the servers' heads were always facing us. Why bother having a seat-yourself policy, if the servers aren't proficient enough to handle the job?

If you want something to eat or drink, you won't get it there. Lesson learned.

It was probably a good thing that we left, since we planned on sharing an order of fried fish, a shrimp basket, a bunch of pierogi, a cup of clam chowder, and something to drink (~$35.00). Can we rasp heart attack?

After shopping for groceries, we picked up a quick and healthy dinner...wait, let me wake up from my dream.

Bug was ravenous and wanted to take home something quick to eat before prepping and babysitting a pot of beef stew for 4-5 hours. Taco Bell was nearby.

Dinner is served...

Bug ordered a Volcano Big Box meal, 10 crunchy tacos, and 2 chili cheese burritos ($18.60).

Heh.

The Volcano Big Box includes 1 Volcano burrito, 1 Volcano taco, 1 hard-shelled taco, 1 order of Cinnamon Twists, and a large soda (Mountain Dew Baja Blast).

Baja Blast is reminiscent of those green, lime-flavored popsicles that come linked in slender, plastic rectangular packets, except carbonated and with a bit more concentrated citrus flavor.

Magma

I gobbled up two crunchy tacos and the Volcano taco. I've had the Volcano taco before and "spicy" never entered my mind. My taco was LOADED with Volcano cheese that, by the last bite of my taco, I was thinking, "WTF?" The heat had built up to the point that I required something cool to quell the burning.

Bug ate a few crunchy tacos and 1 burrito. As we munched on the Cinnamon Twists, we became aware of a pair of dark orbs belonging to a patiently seated shiba, staring longingly at each slightly sweetened cinnamon puff as they floated from packet to mouth.

They look like chicharrones, don't they?

Akemi was entranced. I gave in to her Jedi mind tricks -- is it a mind trick if I am cognizant? -- and offered her a morsel. She quickly attacked the spiral as if it were Styrofoam, by first dropping it from her mouth, followed by a few investigative licks. She then glared at it for a couple of seconds, picked it up, dropped it again, and finally gobbled it.

The bottom of the Volcano Big Box, when it was dropped as I took it out of the bag. Oops.

We have enough left over for breakfast and lunch tomorrow! The cool thing about Taco Bell's tacos is that, while the shell may not remain crunchy, they are still pretty good cold the following day. Fully prepped homemade and Mexican restaurant tacos never taste good cold or the next day.

Update: Bug ate the gigantic Volcano burrito for breakfast, describing it as lackluster, preferring their beef and bean burrito instead. Apparently, there were tortilla strips inside the burrito that were soggy by the time he consumed it. Also, he didn't experience the heat I did, because there was only a quarter-sized dollop of Volcano cheese in his entire burrito. Poor thing.

- Cassaendra

Taste of Tremont

Today, our neighborhood held a food fest, the Taste of Tremont. This is the first time we've exerted an effort to attend the event, having lived here nearly 15 years. In previous years, we stayed in and were oblivious, finding out a week even a month after it took place.

Parking

We noticed people parking 3-4 blocks away from the festivities, as well as parking illegally along the sidewalk. The police didn't nitpick.

It appears there was a fairly strong turn-out.

The crowd at 15:00

We decided to cap our spending to $10, so we had to be judicious and agree where we would spend our money. We could have easily spent $100 trying something from every food vendor. There were 23 booths serving food out of 54.

Chef Whalen and crew grilling behind the tent

Fahrenheit had an impressive presence, with two areas to buy food - their tent and taco truck.

Yes, taco truck! (I'll talk about the tent in my next entry.)

Rocco's taco truck

This sounds silly but the large chrome taco truck was unassuming and therefore missed by many people.

Taco truck food prep

I happened to mention the tacos to Bug as we were sitting in the shade after rounding the entire circuit. He looked at me quizzically and stammered, "Tacos?! Where?!" I pointed to the truck. We walked over to the little window and ordered two tacos, chili beef and roasted chicken, for $5 total.

Chili beef taco served

Both tacos came with two amazingly thin, soft, and strong tortillas, packed with pickled cabbage, jack cheddar, and pico de gallo.

Chili beef taco

The tart, crunchy cabbage blended beautifully with the cheese and rich, spicy beef. No chintzy meat servings here!

Roasted chicken taco served

The roasted chicken was tender and nicely textured. Again, the pickled cabbage and cheese went well with the juicy chicken.

Roasted chicken taco

Which taco was better? They were both fantastic. Yes, I ate them even with pico de gallo! I remarked to Bug that I would like these tortillas at home. The tacos were definitely the best deal around.

Ever since I saw Dish Deli recently while walking the dog, I've been interested in trying their food.

Chef Chriszt and the Dish Deli crew

The rosemary lavender cookie stood out as the one thing I wanted to try of all the menu items I saw from everyone. Something so simple as a cookie? Certainly Michael Symon's Lolita had something, Lago, or Fat Cats? Actually, I wanted to check out Fat Cats' spicy Korean style ribs, but I just had the real thing a few nights ago.

Rosemary lavender cookie from Dish

The chorizo kebab at Southside sounded pretty good too. However, I've never had a rosemary lavender cookie. The cookie had an intriguing flavor, in a great way. While I've read about putting lavender in cookies, I've never actually tasted it before.

I carefully opened the clear gift bag the cookie was wrapped in, as if it were a golden ticket. The bag opened like a blossom and out wafted the scent of lavender.

I believe I would have elicited stares if I walked around with a bag around my nose while eating a cookie, so I decided to conform to societal norms and gobbled the buttery, slightly bittersweet cookie. We need to pay Dish Deli a visit in the near future for more.

Dish also had pomegranate lemonade that sounded pretty good in the heat. Lolita had mint lemonade that I wanted to try, but I forgot about it when it came time to decide.

Oh, speaking of golden tickets, Bistro had an ingenious hook. Select french fry cups were marked. Winners received a $25 gift certificate to their restaurant.

We left before the Michael Symon commemoration because we needed to walk the dog before she snacked on her poop.

- Cassaendra

Fahrenheit
2417 Professor Ave
Cleveland, OH 44113-4629
(216) 781-8858

Dish Deli & Catering
1112 Kenilworth
Cleveland, OH 44113
(216) 523-7000

Cozumel

We were in the mood for Mexican but wanted something a little cheaper than Don Ramon, our usual go-to Mexican restaurant in Cleveland, which is very reasonably priced.

It's hard to find this restaurant sometimes. I'm not sure why. It's painted yellow and red, but it is!

The staff is warm and the interior of the restaurant is cutely done. It's probably cheesy to most people, but I think it's cute. It's like you're sitting outside near a stucco house with a thatched overhang.

The chips were on the thicker side, crisp, warm, and lightly salted. I prefer it close to unsalted, but it was still very good. What I did like was their salsa served in a lava looking bowl. Again, I know this sounds cheesy, but I freaking love it! I like salsa pureed versus diced tomato, onion, and cilantro chunks. I think it takes the edge off the raw onions and cilantro, which I detest. The salsa tasted fresh, the tomato flavor was sharp, and it had just the right spiciness.

I ordered camarones alla diabla ($12) and Bug ordered Mexican tacos and added chorizo ($7 + 1).

Bug was hoping for hard shell tacos but expected soft shell tacos. Three double-wrapped soft shell tacos piled with beef and chorizo arrived in a large, heavy ceramic plate along with a sectioned rectangular platter with chopped white onions in one section, cilantro in the second, and pico de gallo in the third. His opinion was that it was all right, but he isn't concerned about getting it again. This isn't to say it was bad.

My camarones arrived in a large ceramic platter with rice and beans, along with another plate with chopped lettuce and guacamole, and a small plate with 3 wrapped tortillas. The camarones wasn't spicy at all. I was a bit disappointed since I was used to flaming hot 'diabla.' The flavor was good, since I don't normally know what the other diabla dish tastes like. lol It had a "Hey, I'm a Mexican red sauce" deal going.

Service was good.

The first time we came, we got sopapilla. It would have gone really well with vanilla ice cream, I think. It was my first time trying the deep fried tortilla dessert dusted with sugar and cinnamon and honey drizzled on top. It wasn't extremely sweet, despite the description, nor was it extremely crunchy. It was a bit messy to eat.

The next time we come here, I'll probably try something else just to check out what else they have. I have a feeling that most of the dishes are all right to good, but nothing OMG. Flavor, price, quantity, and service makes this a great place.

- Cassaendra

Cozumel Mexican Restaurant
16311 Brookpark Rd
Cleveland, OH 44142
(216) 898-1200

Run for the Border

Bug used to make enchiladas the traditional way, by dipping a tortilla in scalding enchilada sauce, followed by rolling meat, refried beans, and cheese into a cylinder, like sushi (ha!), and then placing them one-by-one in a rectangular casserole dish to be baked.

One day, he made the enchiladas like lasagne, in horizontal layers. It was four times faster and he didn't have burnt fingers from the heat and spices. The difference in flavor was negligible and was, in fact, easier for me to eat.

We're on a tight budget these days, and this goes a long way. We looked in our cupboards and fridge to see what ingredients we already had. We had all but a few ingredients. Yay! This is also a great exercise in teamwork and leave-alone while gaming dish. :)

Without further ado, our dinner this evening - Enchilada Casserole à la SicklyBug

Preparation: 20 minutes
Baking Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:
3 lb ground beef
2 packets taco seasoning
32 oz refried beans
1/2 cup salsa
12 oz enchilada sauce
10 large flour tortillas (~9" diameter)
12 oz cheese, finely shredded monterey jack, cheddar, asadero, queso blanco mix
oil

Makes 10-12 servings

1. Cook the ground beef in a large pot. No oil is used to cook the meat.

2. Once the ground beef is thoroughly cooked, drain grease for a few minutes in a colander, and then return beef to the pot and add taco seasoning.

3. Add the refried beans and salsa to the beef. Cook until well incorporated.

4. Set oven to 200F.

5. Coat 13" x 9" casserole dish with oil.

6. Coat two whole tortillas with enchilada sauce on both sides and place in casserole dish so the tortillas reaches the left and right edge of the dish lengthwise. The tortilla diameter should suffice to cover the dish width.

7. Tear one tortilla into quarters to form a wedge, then coat the tortilla wedges on both sides with enchilada sauce. Place each sharp edge in each corner of the casserole dish. There should be a contingous tortilla layer.

8. Evenly spread a half-inch layer of the meat-bean mixture.

9. Sprinkle a thin coating of cheese.

10. Repeat steps 7-9. There should be just enough meat-bean filling.

11. Repeat step 7. Tear one tortilla in half. Coat the tortillas on both sides with the enchilada sauce. Slide the straight edge of each half into the two lengthwise edges of the casserole dish so the straight edges are wedged into the sides as far down as possible.

12. Add enough enchilada sauce to evenly distribute a light coat over the top layer of tortillas. Cover with foil and poke holes in the foil, then place dish in oven.

13. After 45 minutes, take the casserole out of the oven and cover evenly with cheese. Place the dish back in the oven, foil off, for 15 minutes to melt the cheese.


Cost:
3 lb ground chuck -- $2.12/lb = $6.36
2 packets taco seasoning -- $1.00/packet = $2.00
32 oz refried beans -- in cupboard ($0.49 x 2 cans = $0.98)
1/2 cup salsa, hot -- in fridge ($1.99)
12 oz enchilada sauce -- in cupboard (anywhere between $0.79 for a regular can - ~$3.00 for Trader Joe's bottle)
10 large flour tortillas -- $1.50
12 oz cheese, finely shredded -- in fridge ($1.99/8 oz = $3.98)
oil -- in cupboard ($2.00)

Total cost was $10.00, which will be good for 5-6 meals. If all ingredients had to be purchased, this dish would have cost $20-22.

Bug is a mega carnivore, so he was happy with the dish as is. I needed something cool and crisp to accompany this dish with it being so dense and warm. I added one shredded leaf of head lettuce and 2 grape tomatoes. No dressing was needed. To further spike the enchilada, as well as give it a tang, I added a teaspoon of Cholula hot sauce.

As I am writing this, I'm enjoying a bowl of cool almond agar for dessert. A refreshing cap to this meal.

- Cassaendra