Chester’s Legacy Tavern – Painesville Tavern

Just like Hannibal from the A-Team, I love it when a plan comes together.  I have been sitting on a Groupon (Groupon Site is here) for Chester’s and with fall having come it was Clambake time.  So I was very pleased when on visiting Chester’s  website  I noticed that they were doing Clambakes on the weekends in October.   Sounded like a good way to spend a Friday night, chowing down on some tasty bivalves. 

Chester’s is easy enough to get to, located at 11 Chester Street, Painesville, Ohio 44077 just a stones throw from the Painesville exit of Route 2, the location is convenient, if nothing else.  The outside is a fairly nondescript building, but there is a decent sized parking lot and a small patio on one side.  Walking in I was quickly greeted and then seated at a high two top next to the windows and right at the transition between the bar area and the dining room.  The decor is clean and comfortable, heavy on wood and earthtones, but looking very well kept and timeless.  This is the kind of place you would think of as nice, but probably wouldn’t be able to remember anything specific.  A long bar with a lowered ceiling presents a comfortable area to grab a drink and settle in.

Chester’s menu (go here to check it out) is a nice selection of American and Tavern classics, with an emphasis on fish and seafood, a good sign for me since that is my wheelhouse. Also included was the specials with several variations on the Clam Bake (Clams, Clams & Chicken & Clams & Steak). I settled on the Clams & Clams which included 2 dozen clams, chowder and sides.  I also ordered the Shrimp Chester appetizer.

First up was a cup of the New England Clam Chowder.  This was a very nice rendition of the classic recipe, thick, but not over loaded with cream, the mild soup was stocked with chunks of potatoes and plenty of tender fresh clams.  Very satisfying and a good way to get my seafood taste buds going.

Next up was the Shrimp Chester ($10), good sized fresh shrimp smothered in a wonderful garlic sauce and cheese and baked to perfection.  Sided with garlic bread, this was a cannot miss treat.  Simply presented, the aroma got me as soon as this was set in front of me.   The shrimp were perfectly cooked, tender and firm and wonderfully complimented by the garlicky cheesy goodness, that managed to get even better as it cooled and set up.  With the bread there to soak up the extra sauce, this was a very well thought out and executed dish.

Next up was the main course and the reason I made the trip East.  The two dozen clams came out in the classic fiber bowl with melted butter and extra clam broth for dipping.  Sides were the ear of corn and I substituted sweet potato fries for the regular sweet potato.  Portions were large, with the clams generally coming in about half dollar sized and steamed in their shells.  The clams were mild and tender, each a mouthful of the goodness of the sea perfectly complimented by the drawn butter.  Out of the 2 dozen clams, I had 3 that didn’t open (and you should always leave these be), but I had more then enough to satisfy my hunger.  The corn was sweet and fresh and the sweet potato waffle fries were crispy on the outside and sweet and delicious on the inside.  At $26 for the Clams and Clams bake, not cheap, but considering the amount of food and the quality, I think they give you what you expect.

Service was good and friendly, although there seemed to be a bit of a lag on the time for food to come out of the kitchen, it might be that I was there early and they hadn’t hit there groove yet, but I would hope they would be more on top of things when most of the tables were empty.

Chester’s is a place worth checking out, especially if you are in the area.  The food is good, well prepared and presented nicely.  There is not a lot of flourish or trendiness here, but that can be a very good thing.  The biggest thing working against Chester’s is location, if they were located a couple miles North in Fairport Harbor or Grand River I think that they would be more well known, but as it is this a great place to get some good solid food.  Chester’s is trying to push their presence with some of the Groupon and radio and TV station offers, so if you look around you might be able to get a deal.  Check them out.

Umami – Chagrin Falls Asian Bistro

I have been looking forward to trying Umami Asian Kitchen in Chagrin Falls for quite a while now; I picked up a Groupon (Groupon Site is here) in March and finally got to use it just before it expired.  Located in a

prime location at 42 North Main Street in Chagrin Falls, Umami has earned a great reputation as a wonderful little Asian Bistro in an area know for its All American feel.  With a small low key storefront, you walk in to find a wonderful little place set up in a narrow building with the kitchen in back and a small narrow dining room which feels both modern and Asian while still being restrained and elegant.  

The menu, especially at lunch is rather limited, but the choices sound wonderful (you can see the menu here at Umami’s website).  My friend and I started with soup, he had the Miso, I tried the Corn and Ginger Soup that was the special.   Both came out in large square bowls, with a generous portion of soup.  The Corn and Ginger was nice with subtle flavors, but I thought the corn kernels, while incredibly sweet, were just a touch undercooked.

Next up were the Spicy Tuna and California Rolls; the Tuna was very good, although not nearly spicy enough for my tastes, the California Roll was a bit overpowered by the real Crab which tended to mute the other flavors.

My friend had the Seared Salmon and I had the Sea Scallops.  The two chunky Scallops were nicely cooked with a crisp sear and soft middles and served over a cucumber salad that nicely complimented them.

My overall impression of Umami is that I was a bit underwhelmed; the decor and the food presentation is lovely, the service was good and friendly, while the food was fresh and nicely prepared with high quality ingredients overall there was a lack of excitement or boldness.  I have a lot of experience with Asian cuisine especially Japanese cuisine and I just found Umami’s food to be a bit flat in the flavor profiles.  With a very limited menu and the prices for the amount of food I expected some fireworks, instead I got a nice, but not sensational lunch.  As always, your experience can vary.

Metro Burger - Akron Premium Burger Joint

Metro Burger would not be one of my first choices for a meal, in fact just a couple of weeks ago I picked Zub's across the street (see review here), but when it came up on Groupon I checked out the website (located here) and they claimed to have award winning veggie burgers so I figured for half price it was worth a chance; and that is a great thing about Groupon, you get to take a chance without the full outlay of money (check Groupon out here).  Located at 845 W Market St. Akron, OH 44303 in the Highland Square area of Akron (map is here) is an attractive modern premium hamburger joint. 

The decor is modern funky with bright colors and steal tables and chairs.  A long counter holds the menu sheet that you fill out and present to the cashier, a slightly different approach and it can be a bit daunting with all of the choices, but at least they are clearly presented. 

While it may take a while to work through, the menu is fairly easy, you pick the kind of burger you want (beef, vegie, chicken or turkey), the size and whether you want a combo or not.  Then you work through the toppings, sauce, cheese and how its presented.  In my case I got a double veggie combo on a pretzel roll with smoked gouda, mushrooms, onion straws, red peppers and jalapenos.  Add in sweet potato fries and a drink and the $10 was gone. I also ordered the BBQ sauce and Basil Pesto Mayo to top the burger with.

After a couple of minutes wait, my electronic buzzer went off and I picked up the order.  I immediately noticed that they forgot the BBQ sauce, which they quickly remedied and later figured out they gave me the Horseradish Mayo, which actually worked out well for dipping the fries.  But I would make sure that you get the right order, especially if they are busy.   The 1/3 pound veggie burgers were huge and if I had to do it all over again I would order a single and get another side.   The veggie burger was interesting with a beef like texture, if I had to guess I would venture that it was a combination of soybeans and some other bean.  My personal preference would be for the patty to be a bit moister inside with a bit of a crust on the outside, but this was much better than most of the commercially available veggie burgers.  Taste was mild, without a lot of distinct flavor notes, good to use to build a sandwich around, but not a burger that I would crave.   The pretzel bun was nice, except it started to fall apart once the burger was fully dressed and sauced.  The toppings were good with the roasted jalapenos being the standout player, spicy hot with plenty of flavor and punch.  The gouda was lost between the two big patties.  Topped with BBQ sauce and some hot sauce the burger overall was good, but it had more to do with all of the accouterments then the "meat" of the sandwich.  The sweet potato fries were OK, nicely fried, but without much sweetness; luckily the horseradish mayo that I got by accident proved to be a great dip for the fries, with enough horseradish punch to set off the fries, but not enough to blow your nose off.

If I had it to do again, I would have probably gone with a single and gotten the onion rings or the fried pickles.  Metro Burgers was good, its a bit pricey, but you get a lot for what you pay, especially when you consider the premium toppings and quality ingredients.  The veggie burger is better then most, but lacks a bit in the crave-ability department.  Using the Groupon I was very happy with my visit, but for me, Metro Burgers is not high on the list for a return visit any time soon, but the carnivores among us should enjoy it.

Cafe Tandoor - Nice Indian Food in Aurora

Wanted to give a quick review of Cafe Tandoor in Aurora, where I had dinner on Saturday.  Cafe Tandoor started on Taylor Road in Cleveland Heights and has been one of the better Indian restaurants for a while.  With the opportunity to eat there using a Groupon (link for Groupon is here) it seemed like a good opportunity to check out how they are doing.

I choose the Aurora location because I was meeting a friend from Akron.  Located at 96 Barrington Town Center, Aurora, OH 44202 (map is here) in the shopping center at the intersection of Routes 43, 82 and 306, this location of Cafe Tandoor has a nice if fairly unremarkable decor in its medium sized space.  The service was very good and friendly.

The menu is the same at all three locations (you can see it here), with a nice variety of dishes.  We ordered the Bombay Fish Curry and the Aloo Gobi along with sides of Saffron Pullao and Nan.  The Bombay Fish Curry was nice, with a slightly sweet flavor, although the fish had a slight fishiness that is unusual for catfish.  The Aloo Gobi which is Cauliflower and Potatoes in a nicely seasoned sauce, was expertly cooked and very flavorful.  We had requested that these come out Medium spicy, unfortunately, we found them rather mild to our palates.  The Saffron Pullao was nicely cooked basmati  rice, but I had trouble detecting any of the promised saffron.  The Nan was good, with a nice contrast between the crispy and chewy sections.   Portions, especially on the main entrees were a bit small for the prices charged, especially since you have to pay extra to order the rice and bread on the side.

Based on what I had heard, I had high expectations for Cafe Tandoor, unfortunately Cafe Tandoor fell a little short.  I had a nice meal with wonderful company.  The flavors were good, but not outstanding or packing the impact I was hoping for.  In my opinion, Cafe Tandoor, while good, is not quite worth the prices they are charging.  Maybe it is the Aurora clientele, but they went very light on the hot spices and I expect Indian food to pack a punch.  If you have an urge for Indian food and Cafe Tandoor is nearby, it is a decent choice, but given some of the other options around Cleveland, it would not be tops on my list.

Cafe 56 - Holding Up Very Well

I have a long history with Cafe 56; when I worked downtown it was one of my favorite lunch spots.  C56 was located on the corner of E.4th and Euclid (long before E.4th became the hip place to eat and be seen).  Originally the idea was to offer 56 different salads (that's were the 56 in the name came from) with large portions and quality ingredients.  C56 has gone through expansion and contraction, but has managed to keep itself a good place to get quality food at an affordable price.  Now located at 1433 Som Center Road in the Eastgate Shopping Center at the corner of SOM Center & Mayfield Roads (map is here), C56 is low key, but worth looking for.

Once inside I was very pleased to see that C56 had been recently redecorated and looked sleek and new.  The decor is shades of gray with stainless steel accents, but the feel is softened by the free form art and tree branches on the wall.  The overall feel is modern but welcoming. 
I also noticed that they have come up with a new menu that is closer to their sibling restaurant 56W which I was very impressed by (the review for 56W is here).  The menu features rice bowls, salads, sandwiches, soups and large plates where you get to pick your protein, sauce, salad and side for $10.  Not quite as diverse or quirky as the menu at 56W, but still some solid choices available.  Since I was using a Groupon (try it here), I had $15 to spend, which meant planning to take some home.  

I picked the soup and salad combo for $7 and a Salmon sandwich for $8.  Starting out with the Portobello Bisque which was excellent.  A large bowl was filled with a rich and luxurious cream soup studded with firm mushroom pieces and accented by onioney chive pieces.  The soup was just the right thickness and had a wonderful balanced flavor with just a hint of acidity to balance out the creaminess.  Combined with woody mushroom flavor it was a great start to the meal.

I had the Salmon Club sandwich ($8) with avocado subbed for the bacon and it was very good.  A large portion of salmon was grilled perfectly, then separated into smaller pieces instead of being a single fillet.  The avocado, lettuce, tomato and aoili (think fancy mayonnaise) formed a welcome platform for the flavorful, but mild fish.  The portion of fish was so large that I put some on the salad I had to take home.  After having many poor versions of home made potato chips, C56 gets it right with crispy chips that were not overcooked.

The Caesar salad that came as part of the combo was smaller then the main menu salads, but still a large portion of crisp fresh romaine lettuce, crunchy croutons, shaves of Romano cheese and a wonderful thick version of Caesar dressing.  Since there was so much food, this went home for lunch the next day and it was a great salad.  All of the ingredients were fresh and flavorful, the dressing was nicely balanced and is one of the better interpretations of the Caesar flavors.   Accompanied by the pretzel bagel and topped with some of the Salmon from the sandwich, it was a good light lunch.


C56 has managed to tweak its menu and decor over the years to keep up with changing tastes, the current Cafe is a great place to get high quality food at an affordable price.  Flavors for the most part are simple and straightforward, but bold enough to work.  A great place to get some good food.

Glenwillow Grille - Just Good

When I get a Groupon offer (check it out here), a number of things go into whether or not I buy it; how good is the deal, where the place is, what the menu is like, and just a general feeling.  When Glenwillow Grille came up I was intrigued since I had passed it on Pettibone Road (29765 Pettibone Road
Glenwillow, map is here) a number of times and always thought that it look like it was worth checking out.  Glenwillow is a cool little town just south of Solon, with a number of old small company town buildings, with the Grille being the highlight.  Looking at the menu I saw some interesting items so I figured I would give it a chance.

From the outside, the Grille is neat and trim, with a small porch and a patio seating area out front.  Once inside you see that there is a cozy dining room and a welcoming bar.  Both have a nice mix of natural materials set up in a way that is warm, welcoming and just a bit clubby, but with an overall casual feel.  I settled in at the bar and perused the menu (you can download it here).  I had originally planned on getting the calamari and the Shrimp De Johng, but since they were out of squid, I switched my plans around.

First up was the Lobster Bisque, which was an additional $1.50 with the entree and it was well worth it.  The bisque was thick and creamy without going too far with a nice portion of real lobster meat shredded in.  The taste was wonderful with the  sweet lobster balanced with the lightest touch of sherry.  A wonderful start to the meal.

Next up was the Firecracker Shrimp, and while there were some nice things here I think this just was a conceptual failure.  Six good sized shrimp were nicely deep fried, however they were drenched in creamy sauce that actually dulled the shrimps flavors.  The greens were also overdressed in an indistinct dressing, with only the sirancha squiggles adding any real flavor.

The main course was the Eggplant Parmigiana, which ended up being a nice sized portion of pasta topped with three thick slices of fried eggplant with marinara and cheese.  While not a bad rendition, nothing on this plate had any snap or distinctive flavor.  What was needed was some garlic and herbs to really make this plate sing.   Especially at a price of $15, I expect more.

Service was excellent and very friendly.   As someone who has eaten at bars quite often, I did want to commend the Grille for having a smart and unique idea, a wooden board with feet designed to fit over the bar so that the food is closer to you and easier to eat.  This is something that should be copied by more places.

My overall impression of Glenwillow Grille is that this is a nice upscale, but casual place.  While the Lobster Bisque was superb, the rest of the food was just OK.  They are clearly using good, quality ingredients and the presentations are nice, what is lacking is a real culinary viewpoint and a chef who brings some flavor fireworks.  Prices are a bit higher then I prefer, but if the food delivered what the menu promises, it would be worth it.  If you are looking for a nice place by Solon and aren't that worried about flavors, this might be for you.

Fifty Six West - Lakewood Eclectic

This is the first of my Groupon deals that I have used and I am glad I did.  In this case, I got a $20 coupon for $9; using the coupon was easy, I gave it to my friendly server when I was seated and ended up not even seeing a check, all I had to do at the end was leave a tip.  Nice, easy, a very good deal and about the only downside was I may have had too much food.  You might want to give Groupon a try, they will email you a different deal each day, you just look until you find something interesting.  If you want to try it the link is here.

56W is located in two small storefronts on the corner of Detroit and Westlake Avenue, with the address being 16300 Detroit Avenue (Map is here).  The small brick building has a nice light blue awning over the door, with the 56W logo.  Once inside you find two nice clean rooms, with the majority of the tables in the dining room on the left.  The decor is modern and comfortable, the word that came to mind for me was tidy.  Tables are clean with a limited number of condiments.  Overall the feeling is relaxed and comfortable. 

The menu is an interesting mix of items, with 5 basic proteins served up as salads, sandwiches and large plates.  Add in some interesting appetizers and sides, plus some unusual sauces and you have an mix of the familiar and the exotic.  I found the food to be very good quality and well prepared.  Items are dominated by one or two major flavors, but those are usually interesting.

In this case I thought the food was very very good, especially for the price, but each item seemed like a small tweak here or there could have moved it up to excellent, this may just be my taste, but with a place this good you want to see them take the next step.

I started with a cup of the Veggie Chili which was one of the two soups available.  For $3 the portion was nice, but could have used some crackers of some kind on the side.  The Chili itself was more of a cross between a regular chili and a vegetable soup; a slightly thickened chili was loaded with vegetables and made a nice hearty start to the meal.  As chilies go this had a nice flavor, although a bit one note and definitely milder then I prefer.  A couple of shots of hot sauce woke it up, but I could have used some kind of meat substitute to make it feel like a real chili.

Next up was the fried pickles appetizer and this was the highlight of meal.  I received a very nice portion of dill pickle wedges beer battered and served with a nice dipping sauce beautifully presented in a modern white bowl.  I have been wanting to try fried pickles for a while now and if this is a what I can expect, I will have them more often.  The slightly sweet beer batter were nicely fried and wonderfully set off the salty flavor of the pickles, added to that was the nice contrast between the texture of the batter and the cooked pickles.  I might have cut the pickle slices a bit thicker so that there was a better balance with the batter.  I did not detect the hot spice that the menu promised and found the red curry dipping sauce to be nice, but nothing special.

My main course was the Seared Tuna sandwich with a side of sweet potato fries.  The tuna were two thin pieces of tuna, seared on the grill and stacked on top of each other with Asian Slaw and a Wasabi Mayo.  The tuna was well cooked, and still moist which was impressive since it is easy to dry out on the grill.  I think the sandwich would have been better with one thicker piece of tuna, which would allow for a sear while keeping the center rare.  Also a marinate before cooking could have deepened the flavor of the fish.  The Wasabi Mayo seemed to be concentrated in a small portion of the sandwich,with a couple of bites having a nose clearing blast and the rest having no Wasabi flavor; I would think making the mayo a bit milder and spreading it more evenly would solve this.  The slaw was crisp and mild, but I didn't get any flavor profile that made it Asian.  The side of sweet potato fries were excellent, with a nice sweetness and a very good and slightly spicy homemade ketchup.  I did not detect the promised chili rub on the fries which would have been a nice contrast.  For the most part the food presentation was nice and modern, but I had no idea why they stuck a big steak knife in the tuna sandwich; I could understand if I had gotten the steak or if the sandwich was so bit it needed to be cut to be eaten, but neither was the case here.

Service was friendly and attentive and it was clear that my waitress knew the menu well, which is always appreciated.

I would give 56W a strong recommendation, this is a place to get some flavorful high quality food at a reasonable price in a relaxed atmosphere.  This is a place that highlights one or two unusual flavors for each item, while not always delivering the punch the menu promises, they still do better than most places in the area.  I have been a bit more critical in this review, because I think 56W has such great potential and is so close.  I look forward to getting back and trying more of the menu.