Quick Bites - Hiroshi's Pub, Koko Bakery, Nate's Deli, and more

I know the reviews have spaced out a bit, sorry, but it's been hard with Labor Day (a great trip to by Mont-Tremblant, Quebec for the Mosaic Outdoor Clubs International Event), the Jewish Holidays and before that I was nursing a twisted ankle which kept me close to home.  The good news is that I should be picking the pace back up; starting with a review of Daddona's in Westlake and then I have a couple of Groupons I have to get used soon, plus I am always on the lookout for new places to try.  Remember suggestions are very welcome.

I did want to give a couple of quick updates on some previous places I have reviewed that I was back at recently.

Hiroshi's Pub (review here) continues to shine and seems to be establishing itself as a Beachwood favorite.  On a recent visit I got to try a couple more items.  The highlight was the Tuna Avocado bruschetta; a wonderfully balanced spicy tuna tartare topped crisp toast with fresh slices of avocado.  Rich and fatty with a perfect level of heat and a nice texture contrast between the crisp toast, lush avocado and firm tuna made for a triumph that I may have to have on every visit.   I had the Caesar Salad with the smoked Salmon, a very nice representation of this classic, good thick dressing and a generous portion of high quality Salmon; if I were going to nitpick, I would have preferred more smoke flavor in the fish, but that is a personal preference.  We also had a Futomaki, which as you would expect was expertly prepared with fresh ingredients, what was surprising was the large portion.  Another great visit and Hiroshi's has seemed to hit its groove very quickly, a high recommendation to give them a try and let me know what you think.

I have stopped by Nate's Deli (review here) a couple of times over the last few weeks and nothing has changed except the kitchen may have gotten even faster.  The food is still great, classic representations of Greek and Deli classics, the prices are low and the portions are generous.  What did strike me as funny was going through the West Side Market right after the Cleveland Man v. Food episode was shown and seeing waiting in line for the Gyro stand in the market for quite a while as the line was out the back door of the market; those same people could have gone a block down to Nate's, sat down and had a gyro and still have gotten back before they would have gotten through the line.  Plus at Nate's you get the pickled radishes and pepperochinis.  If you are in Ohio City pick up some very good food cheap at Nate's.

Finally I stopped by Koko Bakery (review here) on the way back from downtown for some treats.  The place was jumping and the newest treat they are offering is homemade ice cream.  Made in small batches of Taro Root, Red Bean Paste and Green Tea and costing only $2.50 for 2 scoops I couldn't resist.  They are still working the kinks out, as the Red Bean came out with a consistency closer to marshmallow sauce and the Taro was very hard, but the flavors were right on.  I will warn you that you need to be ready for a different texture experience, as the Red Bean had the genuine grainy bean texture and bean skins, while the Taro the starchy potato texture.  I liked these two together quite a bit as the Red Bean was a bit sweeter and softer which gave a nice contrast to the more subdued Taro which was also much firmer.  Your experience may differ, but if you want to try a much different ice cream in Cleveland I would strongly suggest getting to Koko and giving them a try.  If not, still stop by and get some great baked goods, wonderful drinks or even a nice light meal.

Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream - Columbus Delicacies

So the weather was good on Saturday and I headed down to Columbus on the motorcycle to check out the motorcycle superstores and to try Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream.  I saw Jeni's on Food Networks The Best Thing I Ever Ate and I have to say that it ranks right up there with some of the top ice creams I have had.

For those who don't know Jeni's, it is a local Columbus ice cream chain that has 5 locations and is making some excellent ice cream with quality ingredients in unusual flavors.  I stopped at the Dublin, Ohio store which is located in a nice corner space in the heart of the historic downtown.  The shop is clean and crisp, feeling like a modern dairy.   The flavors are a bit more adult and sophisticated then most ice cream places, and if you go to the website here you can see the flavors available.  The guy behind the counter was incredibly friendly and helpful and willing to guide me through the flavors and supply plenty of small tastes to help.

Overall, the Ice Creams I tried were excellent, they had a good texture and the flavors while fairly aggressive were well balanced with subtle characteristics and some clear thoughts of the aftertaste.  I would almost compare the flavor compositions to that wines and the descriptions seem to have that feeling.  To give Clevelanders a reference for comparison, comparing Jeni's to Mitchells Ice Creams, Jeni's is a bit more subtle and balanced, where Mitchells Ice Creams tend to be close to overload in sweetness and fat content, Jeni's manages to taste really good and have a wonderful texture without being excessive.

Now to the flavors, first the couple I tried but go for the full scoop: the Thai Chili packs a real spicy wallop that hits you right up front and lingers a bit, tasty but a bit intimidating and the Dark Chocolate which packs a rich smooth Chocolate flavor and dense consistency, but was a bit more one note then the other flavors.  Now the three flavors I picked (pictured above): the Queen City Cayenne, a rich chocolate with a bit of spice then the heat builds on the aftertaste; this was a unique ice cream for me and the heat plays well with the chocolate, I finished this one first to allow the other mellower flavors to cool my palate.  Savanna Buttermint with white chocolate pieces, the richness of the butter flavor works to temper the strong mint flavor which might otherwise be overwhelming, the white chocolate flakes add a lushness and extra punch to the flavor; this was a great counterbalance to the spiciness of the Queen City.  Finally the Salty Caramel, which has a wonderfully mellow caramel that pops from the salt and then ends with a very mild burnt sugar aftertaste; this was probably the most surprising I tried since the actual flavor profile should be simple, yet they managed to make a complex and satisfying flavor profile.

Cones or dishes are $3.75 for 2 flavors, $4.25 for 3 flavors and $4.75 for 4 flavors.  While the portions are not huge, given the high quality local ingredients and unique flavors, this is well worth the price.

I will visit Jeni's again when I am in the Columbus area, plus , Miles Market does carry Jeni's Ice Cream, unfortunately it is very expensive there.  If you have the chance and are looking for something different and a bit more adult in your ice cream, I don't think you can go wrong with Jeni's.