Zocalo–E.4th Street Yummy Mexican

E.4th Street downtown has become a culinary destination with some of the best restaurants in Northeast Ohio and a diverse spectrum of culinary styles and cuisines.  Zocalo holds down the Mexican cuisine aspect with well prepared and presented food, a classy décor and an unusual menu. 

Located at 2071 E. 4th Street, Cleveland, Ohio you enter Zocalo through the side door off of a small alley.  Once inside you find a very nicely decorated restaurant with a warm golden glow about it.  The decor is relaxed, but classy with a feeling that someone spent a lot of time and attention to create a welcoming atmosphere.  A circular staircase leads to the lower level, but we were seated in a nice table in the back corner.  The one downside of our location was there were several bachelorette parties near us so the sound level was a bit louder then I would have expected, but it was clear that people were having a good time.

The menu for Zocalo (which you can see here) offers a diverse array of both the familiar Mexican faves as well some more diverse representations of Mexican cuisine that we don’t usually see around here.  Noted Latin Chef Aaron Sanchez was brought in and his influence shows in the menu and how the food is prepared and presented.

We started with some adult beverages and the chips and salsa, which give a good indication of what is to come; the chips are fresh and hot and have a more tortilla like texture, the salsa is nicely balanced and has a bit of complexity with just enough heat to make it interesting.

I ordered the  Shrimp Tacos, which came out beautifully plated on a triangular plate.  Each of the 3 soft taco shells had a beautifully grilled shrimp skewers, sided by Tomatillio and mild Habenero sauces to perfectly compliment the succulent shrimp.  This was one of the best shrimp tacos I have had and definitely the classiest version I have ever encountered.  On the side were portions of a flavorful and moist Mexican rice and wonderful refried beans.  The beans were a bit of a revelation, clearly freshly made and with a deep and almost smoky flavor that makes you realize how wonderful a simple dish can be.

My friend ordered the fish special which was perfectly prepared and beautifully presented  on a black plate which made the bright vegetables pop.  The fish was tender and flakey with subtle seasonings that complimented the mild fish.  Accompanied by sautéed vegetables and  a nice portion of rice, this was a very pretty and satisfying plate of food.

Service was friendly, knowledgeable and good with the food coming out in timely fashion, despite the restaurant being filled. 

Although it may not get all of the critical raves of some of its 4th Street neighbors, Zocalo more then holds its own.  The décor is a significant step above most Mexican Restaurants, the food is excellent and unusual and the service is good.  Zocalo provides a very upscale experience at a reasonable price.  My only reservation was the noise level and it is hard to fault a restaurant for drawing large crowds and people enjoying themselves.  Definitely a place to check out if you have an urge to eat some South of the Border food, also it seems to be a great place for a celebration.

Cabanas–Just OK

I have often written about how I prefer local restaurants over the chains, generally the food is better and the atmosphere has a more genuine feel; then I run across a place like Cabanas in Mentor, a locally owned place that has all of the problems I have with chains.  Recently relocated to 9055 Mentor Ave., Mentor, OH 44060,

Cabanas has the potential to be so much more then it is a place with mediocre food and lots of generic Islands decorations. 

Cabanas has recently moved from another location in Mentor, so the restaurant was recently remodeled and as you would expect it has an Islands theme, unfortunately it comes across as a bit cheap and tacky, but not in the good dive place kind of way.  Rather it just feels like they went out and found the least expensive nautical and island decorations and used them. 

The menu (which you can review here) is described as American and Island cuisine and while it is heavy on fish and seafood it seems to be missing any kind of genuine Islands influence, especially since while there is plenty of grouper, shrimp and other seafood on the menu, nothing is at all exotic or unusual.  I would love to see some conch or some Island Chowder, but instead there are the usual Americanized versions of seafood.  

We started with the Coconut Shrimp Appetizer and while the shrimp were plump and nicely deep fried they were a bit sweet, especially if dipped in the orange mango marmalade that accompanied the shrimp.  The portion size was ok, but as I would notice throughout the meal the food was simply presented on the plate with no garnish.

For dinner I ordered the Fish Tacos, which were actually not Tacos at all; rather this was a flour tortilla wrapped around some grouper with a small serving of lettuce and some cheese then cut in half.   The lack of presentation was really bad on this plate as it was just the two halves of the wrap on a plate with nothing else; it looked kind of lonely and sad, with noting to make the plate appealing to the eye.  The fish was cooked alright, but there was nothing to indicate that it had the promised Caribbean spice and it certainly was as far from a fish taco as I have seen.  

Service was ok, but nothing exceptional and our server seemed to be learning the menu as she was going along.  The noise level was pretty high as the place was busy. 

My overall impression of Cabanas was that they have what I call PAF – perfectly acceptable food, but I look for more then that in a place I want to frequent.  There seems to be a lack of passion, like they are trying to create an atmosphere where as long as the food is OK, people will come for the excitement.  A few tweaks here and there, especially in how the food is prepared and presented and they could present a much better experience then they currently do.  Of course your mileage may vary.

Battiste & Dupree Cajun Grill – New Orleans Greatness in South Euclid

B&D is a small place located in a small strip mall at 1992 Warrensville Center Road, South Euclid, OH 44121.  It has been around a while now and while there are lots of raves about the food there are also a lot of comments about the pace of service.  I headed over with a group of friends and had let them know that service would be “leisurely”, what we ended up with was a meal where the food was great, the service was a bit ragged, but always friendly and the pace was a bit too slow for most of my friends.  While we were a party of 5 and arrived at about 7:00pm on a Saturday, we managed to snag a table in about 15 minutes.  

My older brother lived for quite a while down in New Orleans and I was lucky enough to get down to visit him and experience the New Orleans style.   My trips included great food and drink, a welcoming party atmosphere and a slow pace that was great for a short while, but one that I couldn’t take for long periods of time.  Battiste & Dupree Cajun Grill has managed to bring a small slice of genuine New Orleans to our neck of the woods, with all of the great food, great atmosphere and slow service that you might encounter down in the Big Easy itself. 


The small dining room is up front by the windows and is decorated with posters, photos and other New Orleans decorations.   It has the feel of someone's collection jammed into a room just a little too small, the result if heartfelt and welcoming, but a little crowded. 

We finally got menus, although we had to share, since our waitress said they only have 4 menus for the whole place. The menu is a nice mix of cajun and creole favorites, although as we went through we found out that B&D was out of a couple of items.  This was explained to us as it was late on Saturday and they are closed on Sunday and Monday.   To me a place that occasionally runs out of an item means that they are using fresh food and I treat that as a good sign, but that’s me.  Our waitress was a fill in who was just helping out, so some of the problems we encountered may have to do with her not being familiar with the job.  We ended up ordering and then had to wait about 45 minutes for any of the food to come out. 


First up was a salad, which unfortunately was the wrong salad; instead of getting the house salad that was ordered we got the Steve’s Chef Salad.  Junior the owner explained that they were out of some of the ingredients for the house salad and took the salad off the bill, but left the salad for the table.  The salad was a wonderful mix of field greens and fruit with a spicy dressing that really woke up my taste buds, in my opinion a great start, but it will not be to everyone’s taste.

After this food started coming out slowly and individually; at B&D each dish seems to be prepared sequentially rather then consecutively, which results in some great food, but a bit of a disjointed dining experience.  My order of Crawfish Etouffee was wonderful, with a mess of the sweet crawfish tails swimming with some vegetables in a tomato sauce around a pile of jasmine rice.  The presentation was much nicer then I expected, the portion size was good and the aroma was enticing.  Upon digging in I found the dish to be perfectly seasoned, with a spicy heat that snuck up on me after the first few bites.  The crawfish were tender and flavorful, with just the right contrasting  texture from the vegetable bits.   With the tomatoes in the sauce, this was a bit of a different version of Etoufee then I am used to, but it felt right and genuine none the less.

We also had some of the sweet potato fries and they were hand cut, sweet and delicious.  The couple of Shrimp Po Boys at the table were large and looked great, I will be heading back to B&D to give them a try.  It did take quite a while for these to come out, but it looked like they were worth the wait.

After we had finished dinner and several of my friends had left because of the time crunch, Junior did bring over a massive slice of his German Chocolate Cake to make amends for the slow service.  Not one of the deserts I associate with the Crescent City, this was the best version of a German Chocolate Cake I have ever had.  The cake was moist with a thick topping of gooey frosting packed with coconut and wonderful pecans that danced across my tongue.  It was sticky, sweet, crunchy and utterly delicious.

I have to mention the owner of B&D Junior who was an incredibly gracious host.  He makes you feel welcome and as if you are his friend.   He handles each of the issues with class and understanding, obviously a man who loves his work.  B&D is a clear reflection of him, the food is excellent with a huge amount of time and attention paid to getting thing right.  The food is excellent, without the type of compromises you see most places when they do a “Cajun” dish in such a way that it is a pale reflection of the real thing. 

I am willing to wait for food that is this good and is priced reasonably for what you get, you will have to make your own decision on whether it is worth it or not.  My suggestion is to head over on a night when you are in no hurry and just want some really good food, however if you have no patience, can't handle bold flavors and spiciness this is probably not the place for you.   Within these parameters, this is a very high recommendation, give them a try.

Luxe–Gordon Square Bistro

Gordon Square (the Detroit-Shoreway area) has become one of Cleveland’s most happening neighborhoods.  Starting with Cleveland Public Theater the area has developed into an attractive neighborhood and is one of Cleveland’s biggest successes.  One of the key steps in the development of this area was when Marlin

Kaplin, one of this area’s most respected restaurateurs decided to open Luxe in the heart of Gordon Square.  Having a Groupon in hand (the link for Groupon is here), I was excited to check Luxe out to see if it lived up to the hype.  Located at 6605 Detroit Avenue a block away from the Theater, Luxe offers a warm friendly face to the neighborhood.  The front windows are decorated with culinary quotes, which gives a feel for the interesting combination of whimsy and style that Luxe presents.
The inside is striking, with a Art Deco bar, tin ceiling and well chosen pieces throughout.  While pieces are eclectic, they are used with restraint, creating a pleasant slightly upscale feeling.  You feel welcome, but you know that this isn’t a hash house.
Service is friendly and attentive with a young, but knowledgeable staff.  Once settled out came a very nice artisanal bread bowl with some yummy pieces of crusty bread to start.   The menu (which you can see at the website here) contains a nice mix of interesting items.  I settled on the Calamari small plate and an order of the Lobster Risotto from the evening specials.

The Crispy Calamari was very well prepared with a light breading on the fresh squid and a quick fry, sided with some marinara and a lemon aioli.  The dish was well prepared and the sauces provided just the right punch to compliment the slightly sweet and tender squid.  When the plate was first put down I thought the portion was small, but part of that was being presented on a large plate; while certainly not huge, the calamari made a very nice appetizer.

Next up was the Lobster Risotto which was beautifully presented and had a wonderful aroma that made you want to just drink in the smell.   Topped with two large perfectly prepared grilled shrimp, the risotto was studded with lobster, shallots and asparagus.  The one quibble I had with the dish is that it wasn’t quite as creamy as I expect from a risotto.  As has been discussed in a recent Top Chef episode, where Tre was sent home, the rice should be creamy while maintaining their individual grains, here they were a bit more toothsome and could be molded into a shape rather then spreading out on the plate.  Even with that caveat, the dish was delicious.
Overall I found Luxe to be an excellent place to get some high quality food.  The portions are not huge for the price, but premium ingredients are used and are generally very well prepared.  Not the place to go if you are looking for a budget meal, but if you are headed to the Gordon Square it’s a great place to check out, with one of the nicer decors in Cleveland, great service, a relaxed atmosphere and some great bistro fare.