Chowder House Café–Cuyahoga Falls Eclectic Greatness

I have to admit that I am a very happy guy, for a while it seemed like I was in a bit of a rut, hitting places that were ok, but nothing special, but I seemed to have found my mojo, and Chowder House Café was o

ne of the major reasons why I got my groove back.  I have to give credit on this one to Groupon (the link is here), since I had not  heard of CHC when it came up on the Akron/Canton Groupon listing; I liked the menu and figured that I would give it a try since during the summer I get up to Cuyahoga Falls for the Friday Concerts  and the Gorge Park.  I have to say that I found CHC to be exactly the kind of place I am looking for and exactly what this blog is all about.
Located at 2028 Chestnut Blvd., Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio 44223, just off of State Road (old Route 8), it is easy to miss CHC unless you are looking for it, since the building is not very visible from State Road.  The outside starts to give a hint of the eclectic wonders that await inside. with some funky painting, little twinkle lights and a patio that must be a nice place to hang in the summer.  Once inside you find a couple of small dining areas with the kitchen in the middle.  The Chowder House name may invoke images of New England and you may expect lobster pots, nets and other nautical gear, but CHC has gone a completely different way.  The décor is what I would describe as funky eclectic, with brightly colored and quite complicated murals on the walls, comfy tables and chairs and just a wonderful friendly atmosphere of organized chaos.  To me the place feels like something you would find in New Orleans or the hip part of a big city, not in the middle of suburban sprawl across from a drugstore.
I was seated at a high table next to the window, which of course had a winter wonderland display; my server told me that the decorations change seasonally.   A quick perusal of the menu (which you can see at the CHC website here) reveals the eclectic extends to the food selection as well.  There are influences from different cuisines such as New England (Clam Chowder, Lobster Rolls, etc.), New Orleans (Étouffée, Muffuletta), French (Cassoulet, French Onion Soup) mixed with Fish Tacos, Walleye, and just anything else that the chef finds interesting.  Putting together a menu like this can be fun and exciting, but the test is whether the food actually delivers on the diverse range of flavors.
I made the tough choice and started with a the Lobster Bisque, deciding to save the namesake Chowder on another trip.  I got a nice sized bowl of some of the best bisque I have ever had.  The soup was creamy, without being thick, perfectly balanced with just a touch of sherry for acid and loaded with sweet and tender pieces of lobster.  Sided with a thick slice of bread, that was a bit softer then I would have guessed, this was a perfect start to my meal.
Next up I had the walleye sandwich, with a nice fillet of baked walleye on a nice bun with a herbed mayo.  I think this is the first time that I have had walleye that wasn’t fried.  The fish was moist and expertly cooked, with most of it tasting wonderful.  Unfortunately as I have found with walleye, there is part of the fillet that can be a bit more fishy, in this case it wasn’t bad, just a  bit inconsistent.  The portion is nice and with the big mound of chips and pretty filling meal.

Since I had $30 of Groupon to spend, I ordered a Lobster Roll to take home for the next day.  A generous portion of lobster and shrimp is mixed with some quality mayo and served in the classic split top hot dog bun.   The salad was excellent, with just enough mayo to hold it together without overpowering the subtle flavors of the lobster.  A great taste of New England at a reasonable price which was a perfect lunch the next day.
With a couple of bucks left on the Groupon, I decided to see what was in the desert case and was seduced into a slice of the chocolate cake.  Layers of a moist cake alternated with rich frosting and then topped with delicious chocolate ganache resulted in a great end to one of the better meals I have had in a while. 
My waitress was wonderful, knowledgeable and friendly, but not afraid to check on something when she wasn’t sure (I asked about meat in the Etouffee and sure enough, they do add sausage into their version).  She seemed to be happy to be working at CHC and provided the right level of attention without being overbearing.
Chowder House Café is a real find, I cannot recommend it more highly.  This is clearly a place where the chef has a vision of what he wants and has the skills to execute the food properly.   With a menu as diverse and eclectic as CHC has, it would be easy to have some major miscues, but I did not see any in my visit.  The atmosphere is funky but has an energy and verve that I like, the food was excellent and very well priced for the quality and flavor that you get.  If you are near Cuyahoga Falls or Akron, you should try CHC out, but I would go further and recommend that you consider making a trip to give CHC a try even if you are not nearby.

The Flat Iron Café–Heart of the Flats

Over the years, Cleveland’s flats have gone through a lot of changes: t

he East Side is hot, then empty; the West Side gets the Powerhouse and Shooters; condos are built and filled; heck even the famous Cuyahoga River fire, but through it all the Flat Iron Café just keeps going, dishing out welcoming food and drink in a warm atmosphere.  It had been a while since I had checked the Flat Iron out, so when a Groupon (Groupon Site is here) came up for it, I grabbed it and have been waiting to use it for a while. 
The Flat Iron is located at 1114 Center Street, Cleveland, Ohio 44113 right across the street from the Center Street Bridge (the swing bridge) and underneath the Detroit Superior Bridge.  The nicely kept triangle shaped brick building is a perfect reflection of the comfortable Irish tavern inside.  Once inside you find a comfortable bar and restaurant with lots of dark wood, plenty of green highlights and just enough decoration to feel welcomed without being overwhelmed.  As opposed to some of bars around town which feel a need to show how Irish they are, the Flat Iron is comfortable in its own skin.  The bar along one wall provides a nice place to grab a beer and just relax.  The two slightly raised dining areas along the windows are comfortable, with plain wooden chairs and tables.  
Service is friendly and attentive, without being overly familiar.  My waitress was helpful and seemed to know just the right level of attention to give her customers.  The menu quickly arrived (you can see the menu here), and is filled with the items you expect at an Irish Pub, done very well.  With $20 to spend on my Groupon, I figured on getting the Perch Sandwich (especially with my waitress recommending the Perch), a side of the Pierogies, and from the special board a cup of the Seafood Jambalaya. 
If you have been reading C-Town Eats, you might have noticed that I like my soups, they are a chance for a place to really hit you with some nice flavors or a bit of a different twist.  After checking that it didn’t contain any sausage or other meat, I was very happy to order the Seafood Jambalaya which was one of the highpoints of my meal at the Flat Iron. First I have to say that the portion size (I ordered a cup rather then a bowl) was extremely generous; with a nice sized crock stuffed full of a thick and spicy goodness.  The Jambalaya had nice portions of fish and shrimp and an overabundance of bay scallops, all of which were tender and flavorful.  With some nice bits of vegetables for contrast and the perfect level of spiciness, this was a great way to start my lunch. 
Next up was the Fried Perch Sandwich, with a side of pasta salad.  Once again the portion size is very generous, with 5-6 fillets of perch served up a couple of slices of rye bread and a large heaping of pasta salad.  The perch were wonderful, with the mild white fish lightly breaded and perfectly fried, set off with a very nice tarter sauce and a squeeze of lemon, this is one of the better fish sandwiches in town.  The pasta salad is surprisingly good, nothing unique, but the flavors are nicely balanced and there is enough acidity to add a bit of brightness.
Finally we come to the Pierogies, which the menu describes as the best in Cleveland according to AOL Guide in 2004 (which may say something about online guides as much as anything); while the Pierogies are good, they come nowhere near those at Babushka’s Kitchen (http://c-towneats.blogspot.com/2009/03/babushkas-kitchen-polish-powerhouse.html) or Sokolowski’s (http://c-towneats.blogspot.com/2008/10/sokolowskis-university-inn-cleveland.html).  What I did get was four nice sized hand made pierogies topped with grilled onions and cheese with sour crème on the side.  The dough for the pierogies, was good and tender with a nice potato and cheese filling that was a flavorful, but a bit dense.  My personal preference would have been to leave the onions in longer strips rather then the fine chop that the Flat Iron used, as they tend to stay a bit moister and add a better texture to the dish.  While I wouldn’t rate these Pierogies as tops in the city, they are certainly better then most and they will fill you up without a doubt.
I left the Flat Iron very satisfied and very well fed; this is a place that is doing standard food, but doing it with care and some obvious culinary skill.  The portions are large and the flavors are bold and well balanced.  The atmosphere is comfortable and friendly, there is not much more you can ask for.  Billed as the oldest Irish Pub in the flats, the Flat Iron should continue to be a long running Cleveland success.  Rather then trying to ride some trend or fad, the Flat Iron provides a perfect example of what an Irish Pub should be.  This is an easy and strong recommendation to give the Flat Iron a try.