Groupon and other Deals

As you may have noticed, I am a big believer in some of the discount deals that you can find, especially with the economy the way it is.  I have subscribed to the Cleveland feed for Groupon and have already made a couple of purchases, Luxe and Cafe Tandoor (which should have reviews once I get out to check them out) and the Cleveland Rock Gym.  Groupon (link is here) is an interesting concept, they only have one offer each day and it is only available for that day.  The offer is only good if a certain number of people buy it, but I haven't seen that being an issue.  The offers are usually for more than 50% off of a service or gift certificate to a restaurant or store in the area.  A couple of things I really like about it, once the deal goes through and they process your order, you just download the pdf file and then print it out, so no mailing, no waiting, other then they usually require you to wait at least 1 day to use the certificate.  There are no additional or handling fees, the price listed is what you pay.  They have featured a nice and interesting array of local businesses, no national chains so far.  Once you sign up and give them an email, you will get daily emails in the morning so you can keep up with what is being offered that day. Definitely worth checking out at this link. 

You might also want to check out the sale going on at the WNCX website, where they are offering a bunch of $50 certificates for $15.  There are some additional fees and you have to read the terms of each offer carefully, but there are some good deals here and I have used this to get some really good food at a discount.  The link for the sale is here.

Give these discounts a try and let me know what you think.

La Mexicana - Tremendous Tamales

I was out East this weekend, so I figured I would check out this Mexican Grocery I had heard about in Painsville (credit to www.eatingcleveland.com). Located at 170 E. Washington Street, Painesville, Ohio (map is here), just a couple of blocks from the Painesville town square, this is an easy place to overlook, but worth finding. The store itself is cramped and well stocked with Mexican foods, so if you need some specialty items, this is a place to check out. Right near the door, are some large pots with lids, inside are tamales; you will have to ask what is in each pot since there are no signs. On the Sunday I was there they had Pork with Red Sauce, Pineapple, and Cheese and Green Sauce. I went for a couple of the cheese tamales and picked up a couple of baked goods in the nearby display case. The prices were excellent, with tamales at $1.50 each and the baked goods at $.60 each. If you are not familar with tamales, they are made of masa (corn flour) made into a batter and then filled with ingredients, rolled in a corn husk and then either steamed or boiled. The results can be spectacular and this was certainly the case with the tamales I tried here. Although at room temperature, the tamales were excellent, the masa dough perfectly cooked to have a soft texture and wonderfully subtle corn flavor with just a hint of natural sweetness. The cheese was good, but what made the tamales was the green sauce; it was hot and spicey, but still well balanced and flavorful. The sauce perfectly set off the milder flavors of the masa and cheese to make a lip smacking package of goodness. The baked goods were nice, although the portions were very large for the price; I had a soft bun topped with a cinnamon topping that reminded me of the Asian desert buns I have had. I also tried a nice white cake with a nice frosting. The baked goods were well balanced and a little less sweet then most of what we get around here which was a very nice change. In addition to the market there was a very small restaurant up front, which looked to be serving very authentic and cheap Mexican food. La Mexicana is well worth checking out, especially if you are in the Painsville area. If you have not tried tamales or are a real fan, then you should really check them out; although I think the tamales are only available on weekends. Yet another culinary adventure without going too far.

Notes - Triple D, Melt, Rachel's, Angie's and Lancer

Just wanted to cover a number of different topics. Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on the Food Network finally aired the piece on Melt; it was a very nice segment and the place came off great, although I think they could have shown more of the feel of the place. If you get a chance catch it. Also Melt is coming along with their Cleveland Heights location, so look for an opening in the next couple of months. My mouth is watering at the idea of them being just a couple of miles away; YEEHAW!! Unfortunately it looks like Rachel's Caribbean in South Euclid has closed, the sign is down and there is a small sign in the door for a new place that will be taking over the spot. Rachel's was a great place with excellent food and a nice friendly staff, it will be missed. Angie's Soul Cafe (see review here) has moved closer to downtown at 3894 Superior Avenue. Haven't been down to check out the new location but as long as the food is still the same it will be worth a trip no matter where it is located. Taking the spot that Angie's vacated at 7804 Carnegie Ave is the Lancer Steakhouse which got burned out of its original location across the street. Lancer's has been around seemingly forever, I remember that it was there when I was a kid and my father's material handling business was right across the street. Lancer's is a mainstay of the neighborhood and very popular with our professional athletes. You can get more information at their facebook page here. I will try to get down and give a full review.

Mario's Bar and Grill

This is going to be a short review, but I had a gift certificate for Mario's (formerly Mario's Fish Bowl) at 3962 Mayfield Rd., Cleveland Hts, OH, 44121 (map is here) near the intersection with Warrensville Road and I finally stopped in. Mario's is a cheery neighborhood bar with a large bar with HiDef tvs on one side and a smaller room with a fireplace and some lounging space on the other. The menu is fairly basic, with some nods towards some interesting items. I was impressed with the Mussels, which was a large serving with a spicy broth with onions and jalapenos. The peppers had given up most of their spice to the broth which made for a nice contrast to the meaty mussels. I also tried the clams, which while small, were tender and just the right amount of salty goodness. The Friday soup was Manhatten Clam Chowder, which was good and loaded with clams and vegetables, however I was less then happy to find that it was also loaded with sausage. I understand the flavor advantage of pork products, but a heads up would be nice when ordering what I thought would be a seafood soup. I was less impressed with some of the other items such as the pizza, which was ok, but nothing special. Mario's is a nice place to stop in and get a drink and pick up some decent food; nothing worth a special trip, but certainly worth considering if in the area.

Ohio City Burrito - Funky Mexican

Over the weekend I headed out to the IX Center to check out the Motorcycle Show, overall not bad, but was a bit disappointed that there was no BMW display. On the way home figured I would stop in Ohio City and check out the new Tanqueria. I have a soft spot for good cheap Mexican and ever since Que Tal folded, I have had to head out to Oberlin when I got the urge (see Agave Review here). Ohio City Burrito is located at 1844 W. 25th Street, Cleveland, Ohio 44113 (map is here). Just a small storefront with a small patio area out front, but the skeleton holding a burrito certainly seems promising in an offbeat manner. Inside is a narrow shop set up with tables up front, with the counter in the middle and a walled off prep kitchen in the back. The decor is funky Mexican with warm golden brown walls, a white tin pressed ceiling and just enough decor to make the place look inviting. The large front windows let in a lot of light and the promise continues. The menu is quite simple and straight forward, even for this type of place, a meat burrito, a veggie burrito, tacos, taco salad, nachos, chips and salsas. The meat items come with a choice of chicken, beef or pork, but I of course went for the veggie burrito. I ended up with a big burrito stuffed with both black and refried beans, rice, veggies, sour cream, guacamole, lettuce, cheese and salsas. A nice touch is that items such as the fajita veggies and the guacamole are included in the price, where some places charge extra. The burrito was very tasty and well balanced, although a bit milder then I would have expected based on the medium salsa, although I was of course able to spice it up with hot sauce. The guacamole was fresh and had the right mild taste and umami feel. The refried beans were especially good, with a warm earthy taste without being overpowering. The rice was moist and mild to allow a nice base to the burrito. About the only thing disappointing were the fajita vegetables, which were OK, but could have used some more carmelization and probably a bit more salt. What I ended up with was a very good meal at a reasonable price. While not quite as memorable as the burritos from Agave or Que Tal, OTC provides a very good product at a good price. This is a major upgrade over what you would get at Chipotle or any of the other Mexican Chains and hopefully OTC will do well.