The Spread–Cleveland Horseshoe Casino Buffet

With my birthday coming up on Thursday, I got a great early present; the dealers were invited down to try the Spread Buffet at the Cleveland Horseshoe Casino and it was spectacular. 

Located in the lower floor of the Higbee Building on Public Square the Spread refers to both the amount of glorious food that is presented and the layout.  Tastefully decorated seating areas are located in front of long wall of food stations with a wide variety of choices.  Although the spread will seat about 400 at a time, they have managed to make the arrangement feel warm and inviting with the food being the star.

There are seven different food stations, each with a open kitchen immediately behind it so that food is a fresh and flavorful as possible.  Dishes will be rotated in and out so that they can take advantage of seasonality and local products.  I will highlight some of the favorites that I was lucky enough to try, but you will have to see what is there when you go.

The Asian station is the furthest to the right when facing the Spread, it provided a mix of different Asian cuisines done in an upscale manner; the Sweet and Sour Shrimp I tried were expertly prepared with large tail on jumbo shrimp in a sauce that was not overly sweet, but could have used a sour counter-point.  I do have to admit that I did go back for seconds on the shrimp, as they were juicy and succulent.

The next station over was the carving station, not eating meat or foul, I had to pass on the wonderful looking game hens that they were roasting, but I did try the vegetable sides and they were outstanding.  Golden breaded Okra was tasty and the creamed spinach was as good as I have had.

Next we come to the Shuffle station which allows them to mix things up.  On one side they had a do it yourself Taco Bar, which I passed on, on the other they were featuring some Cleveland favorites, fried perch and pierogies.  The Pierogies were artfully presented in a small cast iron casserole with purple cabbage on the bottom one nice sized potato pierogi topped with sour cream, showing a nice balance of care and appreciation for one of our local culinary favorites.  The fried perch were one of the real highlights of the meal.  Two beautiful small fillets were corn meal breaded and then expertly fried so that the coating was crisp with the fish inside mild and flakey; the fillets were topped with a sweet and hot sauce that made my taste buds dance with delight.

The American section had a nice variety of well prepared favorites, including clam chowder, fried chicken and salmon along with plenty of sides.  The Salad station provides a nice variety of fresh produce in nice variations, all very well done, but I was hunting for more exotic fare.

The Italian station provides great pastas, a variety of pizzas and flatbreads and another of the highpoints for me were fresh clams in a nicely seasoned broth with garlic bread sopping it up.  The clams were tender and delicious, an feat that is not easy on a buffet, while the broth soaked bread provided the perfect way to finish the savory side of the meal.

Located in the center of the Spread as you enter and exit is the desert station and it is a stunner and is probably worth a trip all by itself.  Featuring everything from woppie pies to panna cotta and gelato to bread pudding, you can be a kid in a candy store with all the choices.  What will catch your eye is the circular cooler case with about a dozen varieties of Gelato that revolve to allow them to be scooped.  I tried 4 different small scoops, with the fresh banana being the highpoint; there is a topping station if you want, but with Gelato this good there is no reason to cover it up.  Other highpoints (and there were nothing I tried that wasn’t delicious) were the Panna Cotta, providing a nice soft custard topped with fruit and a classic rendition of bread pudding with a nice cream sauce on the side.  If you really want to go into kid mode there is cotton candy machine for some spun sugar goodness.  The only downside was that I was full before I could try all of the many cakes and delicacies available.

The Spread will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and should prove very popular with anyone who wants a wide variety of expertly prepared high quality foods.  I have been to upscale buffets before, including the Seafood Buffet at Deer Valley in Park City, Utah, and this would rank at the top of my list for quality, taste and variety.  You will want to get a Total Rewards card as this will knock a couple bucks off the buffet price, plus it is the best casino rewards card available and is well worth having. 

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the great service we had at the Spread, everyone is incredible friendly and upbeat, ready to insure that you have a great meal.   The Spread is a wonderful addition to the Cleveland dining scene and there will be people coming to the Casino just for the buffet, but you should also check out the gaming upstairs, it will knock your socks off.

Fat Fish Blue–Downtown Hot Spot

What happens when you take a former car repair facility in a parking garage near Public Square and turn it into a restaurant and bar featuring New Orleans flavors, party decor and add a

calendar of different music?  Well in Cleveland’s case you get Fat Fish Blue which has been a mainstay of Downtown for a couple of decades.  I know Fat Fish pretty well, when I worked downtown I parked in the garage above it and still use this garage when heading to Gateway events; I also used to come down on Wednesday nights when Fat Fish would feature Blues Legend Robert Lockwood and his band, so when Fat Fish came up on Groupon (the link is here)I was only to happy to check out how Fat Fish has held up over the years.

Located at 21 Prospect Avenue East (corner of Ontario), Cleveland, OH 44115, Fat Fish is close to Public Square, Tower City, E. 4th Street and Gateway. Presenting large glass windows and blue shades to the street, Fat Fish announces it presence and invites you in.  Once inside you are presented with a crescent shaped room  with a bar against the inside wall and a stage by the corner windows.  The found space features very high ceilings, exposed ductwork,  a nice assortment of plants, streamers and decorations.  The overall effect is festive and busy, with the greenery and the large windows to the street soften the effect somewhat.  On a Saturday afternoon I arrived and was quickly seated at a window table behind the stage.   The tables are simply set, they still have the wrapped cutlery with a little toy surprise inside combined with the crayons and paper topping to the table you now this is a place that wants people to have fun. 
The menu (which you can see here) describes the food as American Bisto Fare with a New Orleans Flair, which seems about right.  I figured I would sample a couple of different things to get an overview so I ordered the Buffalo Tails, a Shrimp Po Boy and a side of the Mac & Cheese.

First out was the order of Buffalo Tails, crawfish deep fried, tossed with a “hot sauce from hell” and served up with a blue cheese dip.  The portion size was ok, but the crawfish themselves were very small which when deep fried meant that they had almost no real taste of their own, the buffalo sauce was ok, but not nearly as hot as describe and the blue cheese dip was creamy and rich but lacking a bit of the blue cheese flavor you would hope for.  What resulted was a dish that was just ok, but certainly not one that I would order again.

Up next was the Shrimp Po Boy with French fries and the side of Mac and Cheese.  The Sandwich was pretty good with the best part being the large fried shrimp.  Were the crawdads were a disappointment, the shrimp were succulent and tasty with a nice crunchy breading.  The bread, lettuce and tomato were what you would expect, while the Cajun Mayo was a bit lacking both in amount and flavor; when I order a Po Boy I expect a real punch from the remoulade.  The fries were nothing special, but were hot and crisp.

Probably the most satisfying thing I tried was the Mac & Cheese, which was rich and creamy with some bread crumbs for textural contrast.  Instead of elbow macaroni Fat Fish uses a spiral pasta that really holds the rich mix of cheeses with a nice hint of smokiness. 

I came away from Fat Fish very impressed with the décor, the atmosphere, service and the entertainment they offer; the food is a bit uneven, with some items a bit disappointing, others are good solid renditions.  I had nothing that I would describe as a home run, but Fat Fish has developed a formula that works , if you check it out you may not get a gourmet experience, but you will probably have a really good time.

Aladdin Baking–Great Pitas and More Update

A couple of years ago I did a quick post on the Aladdin Bakery's store downtown (link if here) and I wanted to update it since they have done a major remodeling both inside and out.  Aladdin Bakery is located at

1301 Carnegie Avenue, Cleveland Ohio just a block from both Progressive Field and the Wolstein Center.  While I will stop at Aladdin when I am in the area to stock up on pitas (check out the day old rack by the center column for a bag of pitas for about 1/2 of a buck) , there is a lot more here then just that.  There is a very nice menu of middle eastern foods at incredibly reasonable prices, with stuffed pies, such as spinach, cheese or meat; pita pizzas; stuffed sandwiches including a very good falafel, gyros and chicken shwarma; and salads such as humus and baba ganoush. Also there is a nice display case of middle-eastern deserts including a variety of baklava and cookies. With the new face on the building and the new front room, the atmosphere has gone from a bit grubby to clean, a bit more spacious and more organized.  For a fast, tasty and affordable bite, especially if you are headed to an Indians game, check out Aladdin.

Update on Watami Buffet and Wendy Park

Just wanted to drop in a quick update on Watami Buffet in Parma (the full review is here); I dropped by this Saturday lunch with my new little brother and have to say that I was impressed.  I had liked Watami before, but I actually think that it has improved since then, which is especially impressive for a buffet.

The decor is still the same, nice and clean in the Japanese style, the upkeep of the place looks very good as the dining room and buffet areas are neat and clean with no signs of wear.

The buffet seems to have improved a little bit, with a bit more variety and an improvement in food quality, especially on the hot side.  Part of this may have been being in when they were busy, but the hot food was well prepared and tasted very good.  Even some items that I found lacking were much better, such as the tempura shrimp were far better.   The sushi side was still pretty good, with the emphasis on combination maki rolls, but the fish seemed fresh and while still not real sushi bar quality, this is a good deal for the money.

I do have to mention that I was especially happy to see that they have added the small custard pies that I usually get at Dim Sum to the hot line as a desert item, so that was a nice suprise.  Overall Watami has held up well and actually slightly improved its food quality; while still not at the level of a real Japanese Restaurant, it is one of the top buffets I have tried in the Cleveland area and certainly a good value if you are looking to fillup on Japanese food at a reasonable price.

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I wanted to also mention that I stopped by Wendy Park on Whiskey Island later in the day on Saturday.  With the weather warming up, I managed to get the motorcycle out and headed downtown to check out this new park at the mouth of the Cuyahoga.   For those unfamilar with this park it is a nice little potential jewel that came about mainly through citizen action and some generosity from Ed Hauser.  You can get more information at the website here.  The park is a work in progress right now, but it does have some spectacular views of the Cuyahoga, the old Coastguard Station and Downtown Cleveland.  I have included a couple of pictures I took, but you can see more at this link.

La Strada - E.4th Bistro

A while back I picked up some discount gift certificates from one of the local radio stations and the one for La Strada on E.4th Street in downtown Cleveland was going to expire at the end of the month so I headed down to check it out. La Strada is the sister restaurant to La Dolce Vita in Little Italy (see review here). Located about halfway down the very happening E.4th Street, the outside is relatively plain, although there is room for a nice patio in the summer. Once inside, which was too dark to get a good picture, I found a very elegant room with a balcony over the bar and the back half of the room. Decor is very nice and upscale without being too formal, a bit dark but a good feeling room with some very nice touches. I got there at the end of lunch, so the place was quiet, but I did get very good service at the bar and the food was exceptional. I ordered off the lunch menu (you can see the menus here). I ordered the Calamari Valencia and the Pesto Omar, unfortunately they have taken the risotto off of the lunch menu, because I was looking forward to trying it. The Calamari was excellent, a very nice portion of squid, lightly battered and then pan fried so that they were tender and flavorful; the tomato sauce with some sauteed squash that topped the dish had just a hint of heat to add to the flavor experience. I would rate this as one of the better calamaris in town. The Pesto Omar is described on the menu as an errorless dish and it was very close to meeting that high standard. The bowtie pasta were cooked al dente and then topped with a wonderful complex pesto sauce. The pesto was excellent, not oily and not coarse, which can be a problem with a pesto. This was earthy and rich tasting, the kind that you have to sop up the sauce at the end. The portion was large for a lunch serving, although probably right for the $12 price. Lunch came with a couple of slices of excellent crusty bread and butter, which is always welcome. The dinner menu is similar to the lunch with some items, such as pastas and entrees going up in price, while others such as the appetizers seem to stay the same. La Strada is a very good place to hit if you are downtown and looking for some excellent food presented in a happening atmosphere. This would be a great place for a romantic dinner and considering the portions and the quality of the food, the prices are not too bad. I may not hitting La Strada regularly, but it is a great place to keep in mind for the right dinner.

Koko Bakery - Asian Delights

If you are looking for a bite, something sweet or just something a little bit different in Asiatown (http://www.asiatowncleveland.com), give Koko Bakery a try. Located in a small plaza at 3710 Payne Avenue, Cleveland, OH right across the street from Seoul Hot Pot, Koko provides a wide variety of choices. Set up more like a coffee shop or cafe there is an attractive little dining area and plenty of choices. Walking in you will notice a large bakery self serve display to your left. Here you can pick from a variety of sweet or savory buns (think similar to donuts or danish) at a very reasonable price ($.90 to $1.25 each). Among my favorites are the chocolate creme stick and the egg custard. These pastries show a nice balance between sweet and flavor and are rich and chewy. If you feel adventurous you can pick up a taro root or bean paste bun. The flavors and textures may be a bit different, but they are delicious and a nice change from what you would expect. For those looking on the savory side there are a number of meat based buns. The bakery cases in the counter show off the fancy pastries that Koko provides. These are some of the nicest looking delights available in the Cleveland area. Carefully prepared and arranged, they resemble the displays I saw in Vienna. Most are garnished with vivid fruit and splashes of color. Koko has a limited menu of Asian sandwiches, rice bowls and steamed buns. On this last trip down, I tried one of the steamed green vegetable buns. The greens inside of the soft bun were nicely spiced and flavorful. Finally, Koko offers a wide variety of beverages, from expresso to fruit smooties. My personal favorite is the Bubble Tea. A very sweet milk tea is flavored with your choice of flavoring, I go for the taro root as it provides a slighly less sweet flavor and a nice purple color. Served over ice with sweet tapioca pearls you get an interesting drink with sweetness, some texture and something to chew on. Give Koko a try it will give you a different perspective.

Aladdin Baking Company Store

Aladdin Bakery's store may not contain 1001 thieves, but there is some treasure to be found here. Most of the the outlet and factory stores around now are just marketing tools, I long for the days when such stores were located at the factory; well Aladdin Bakery Company at 1301 Carnegie Avenue, Cleveland Ohio provides exactly that. Located between Progressive Field and the Wolstein Center, Aladdin has been there a lot longer. When I am in the area, I will stop by and stock up on pitas, and the selection here is staggering. You will find pitas in different sizes, styles and flavors. The best deal is usually stacked up and when I was down last week, these were bags of large pitas for $1.20 each. In addition to the pitas, the store offers a wide variety of middle east foods and spices. You can stock up on anything you need for your middle eastern feast. Finally, Aladdin offers a very nice menu of middle eastern foods at incredibly reasonable prices, with stuffed pies, such as spinach, cheese or meat; pita pizzas; stuffed sandwiches including a very good falafel, gyros and chicken shwarma; and salads such as humus and baba ganoush. You can finish it off with a desert from the bakery selection which includes a variety of baklava and cookies. The atmosphere is a bit grubby and there is no place to eat, but if you want to pick up something fast, tasty and affordable, Aladdin is a great stop downtown or on your way to a game.