Hiroshi’s Pub–Sunday Brunch

You should all know how much I love Hiroshi’s Pub, as it offers a unique blend of comfort food and sushi in what I consider one of the coolest places in town, well they have made some changes to keep things moving along.  First they have simplified the menu, while it is still big, it is now readable; they have kept most of the favorites and it still covers a pretty wide swatch. 
Second, Hiroshi’s is now open for Sunday Brunch from 11:00am to 4:00pm every Sunday.  They have designed a really nice menu of hearty breakfast and lunch faves (go see the

whole menu here) that includes such delicious items as Apple Cinnamon French Toast, Lemon Blueberry Pancakes, Corned Beef Hatch made with their in-house smoked Corned Beef, big Omelets and a Lox and Bagel plate.  What I like about the menu is that it falls in that nice middle, where you can have a leisurely brunch of food prepared to your order in a relaxed atmosphere without all of the aggravation of the diners and deli breakfasts or the high cost and mediocre food of the buffet brunches.  Big portions of well prepared food with bold flavors always sound good to me. 
Hiroshi’s Pub is located at 3355 Richmond Road, Beachwood, OH Building B, across the parking lot from Moxie. 

Hiroshi's Pub - the review

One of the hard things about writing a blog like this is if you want to like new local places, especially if they are owned and run by friends, luckily Hiroshi's Pub more then lives up to the advance billing. I have given you a couple of previews of the Pub, but after attending the opening party and stopping by for dinner I can report that the food and service more then live up to expectations.  Located at 3365 Richmond Road, Building B, Suite 130 (map is here) across the parking lot from Moxie and Red, Hiroshi's is the place to be.

As I have previously described, the decor is a mix of a modern upscale pub with some Asian touches, that all comes together in a great feeling, especially when filled up with people.  The Pub seems to have already found a growing audience, as we stopped in at 6:30 on a Wednesday and it was almost full, by the time we left there was a full house.  Despite this, sound levels were reasonable and service was good.

We started with a couple of draft beers, I tried the Goose Island Honker Ale, which was a well balanced full bodied ale; the taste was smooth and made a nice compliment to the food.

The menu at Hiroshi's is huge, with a long list of appetizers, salads, sandwiches, burgers, sushi, BBQ and entrees.  The sushi bar turns out a list of tasty items ranging from the usual sushi to complex rolls, cervices and fusion futomakis.  Some of the most impressive looking plates that went by were the sushi plates.  The BBQ side produces ribs, briskets and other meats that come in a wide variety of forms.  It may take you a while to get through the menu, but you should be able to find something for almost every taste.

I was pleased to hear that the soup of the day was a Tortilla Soup that could be either vegetarian or have chicken added; a very nice idea to allow vegies to have the option.  Even better the large bowl of soup was very good, with a very a good mix of vegetables in a soup with a very nice level of spiciness.  The tortillias had already merged into the soup by the time it got to me, but still added a nice crispness and a little sweetness.  An excellent bowl of soup which is always a great way to start a meal (excuse the mess around the bowl, the waiter bobbled at the table and I didn't want to wait while he went back and got a new bowl).

For my main course I had the Calamari appetizer, which was one of the better versions I have had in Cleveland.  Fresh squid is lightly floured and quickly fried and then served over a light garlic butter with homemade tarter sauce and marinara.  The squid was tender with just a hint of chewiness, the garlic butter was a perfect compliment.  With big flavors, both the tarter and marinara were a bit much for the delicate squid, but overall a very good dish.

My friend Dan had the Smoked Brisket dinner with baked beans and coleslaw.  He thought the brisket was very good, tender with a slight smoke flavor.  I tried a little of the BBQ sauce and it was very good with a nice balance of hickory and sweet, although I could of gone for a bit more hot spice.  Dan also liked the sides and all of the food on the table quickly disappeared.

As you can see, food presentation is very well thought out and portions are good sized.  Service was good and the staff seems to be coming together well.  Despite having a full restaurant, food came out at a good pace, which is nice to see as often newer restaurants will have issues with getting food out, not so for the Pub.

Hiroshi's Pub is a great place to get some excellent and diverse food in a really nice environment.  The food is presented in a very modern and upscale manner; flavors are big and bold, this is a place where taste counts.  Service is good and the bar is already becoming a great place to hang out and relax.

Give Hirsoshi's Pub a try, and you will find that their motto of "Casual Dining with Seriously Good Food" is true.  An easy place to give a high recommendation.

Hirioshi's Pub - Update & Photos

Update 7/12/2010 - The Pub is open for business.  The opening party was Saturday night and the place was jumping.  A large crowd of friends and family showed up to check the place out and to enjoy some incredible food.  The menu is huge, with appetizers, sandwiches, sushi, cerviches, salads and lots of BBQ.  The sushi was great and everyone was raving about the  BBQ.  The bar was already hopping and I expect it to be one of the hot places to hang for quite a while.

Congratulations and the best of luck to Hiroshi, Sonya, Mike, Shuhei and all of the staff.  Go and check them out.

------------------------------------------------
Last week I told you about Hiroshi's Pub (see previous post here), well I have news and pictures.  Having seen the nearly completed restaurant, I can tell you that Hiroshi's looks awesome and that it will be opened to the public starting July 12, 2010.  The tag line is Casual Atmosphere - Serious Food, and they seem well on the way.  The menu is coming together and the staff is hired and being trained.  So mark your calendars and plan on checking it out.

The sign to look for and the new patio that will be one of the best on the East Side.

The Patio will be a great place to enjoy the hotter weather and get some seriously good food.

Two traditional Foo Dogs guard the entrance and protect all patrons.

The main dining room and the kitchen line show the mix of influences.

The smoker will be turning out some serious BBQ with some Texas flavor

The Sushi Bar will feature non traditional and fusion items.




Each dining area has unique art and atmosphere

The back room with TVs and more cool art.

The lounge area with comfy couches and chairs.  This will also be used as a stage for bands and other performers.


Cool are and a great bar will be a happening place and a center of activity.

Premium beers on tap and a great atmosphere in the bar area.
 

Hiroshi's Pub - Coming Soon To Beachwood

 For those of us who used to hang around the Cedar Lee area in the late 80's and early 90's, Hiroshi's Pub was a favorite hangout with a comfortable atmosphere, good affordable food and some great people.  Well its been quite a while, but a new version of Hiroshi's is coming to Beachwood in the next month or so.  Located at 3365 Richmond Road, Building B, Suite 130 (map is here) across the parking lot from Moxie and Red, Hiroshi's has taken over a former Japanese restaurant and is in the process of converting it into what should be one of the areas most interesting spots.

As with the original spot the people in charge are the same, Hiroshi and Sonya from Shuhei are the owners and the vision behind everything and Mike will be running things day to day.  They bring a wealth of experience and success in the Cleveland restaurant and bar scene. 

I stopped by recently to see how things were coming along and the place is starting to really come together.  They have kept quite a few Japanese elements from the previous place, but the overall feeling is going to be a lot different.  To start, they are laying down a large patio out front that will provide some very nice outside dining, the patio was just being finished and the high quality outdoor furniture was being assembled. 

Once through the double doors and the large Foo Dogs on either side, you will see a large bar to the left and the small sushi bar to the right.   A number of smaller rooms will be set up, one with couches, another with traditional Japanese seating.  They had a ways to go, but it looks like there will be flat screen TVs throughout.  The overall look is warm browns and oranges, with high industrial ceilings.  I get the feeling this is going to be a real eye catching place.  When they get further along I will try to get you some photos.

The huge kitchen is in the middle, with the massive smoker and grill area facing the bar.   The menu sounds like it is going to hit some of the current food trends.  There will be the American classics, made with high quality ingredients, some serious long smoked BBQ, and an eclectic sushi bar with some cervices' flavors and even some meat based sushi.  It looks like the menu will be large and diverse, which should be very interesting.

Hiroshi's will be hitting an area that Beachwood has been missing, a neighborhood tavern with good food and casual atmosphere.  I will fill you in with more as the process moves along.  If you are looking for work, Hiroshi's is hiring, you can get more information at hiroshispub.com.

Piero's Pasta House - Geneva Gem

Over the years I have heard rumors about this amazing pasta place in Geneva on the Lake that was only open during the summer season. Well the rumors are true. I rode up on a Thursday night and was very impressed. Located at 5367 Lake Rd E, Geneva, Ohio on the East end of the commercial strip, Piero's doesn't look like much from the outside. The inside is another story. The room is relatively small with tables packed close together, so I would guess the place seats less then 50. The decor is faux Mediterranean, with with the ceiling decorated to look like a vineyard and a mural on the back wall. But overall it feels like someone had a vision and has followed through. Of course the thing that will really strike you about the room is the open kitchen with the large menu board above it that runs across one side of the small room. You get to watch and even better smell the dinners being prepared. The menu board gives you the full menu. A couple of appetizers and salads are available, but everything else on the menu is pastas ranging in price from $9 to $17. The selections sound yummy and include plenty of seafood, vegetable and meat dishes. I tried the seafood combination pasta and it proved a winner. A generous portion of Shrimp, Mussels and Squid were perfectly cooked and served in a perfectly seasoned sauce with wine, capers and red peppers over al dente pasta. I do want to let you know that the chef takes such pride in his dishes that when I requested grated cheese for the pasta he came out of the kitchen to ask me to try it first. I will admit that the dish was so perfectly seasoned, that I passed on the cheese, the way it was prepared it needed nothing. The portion size was good and based on the flavor and the quality this was a good value at $16.95 (and the most expensive thing on the menu). My only regret about the meal was that I ate one of the pieces of crusty italian bread before the pasta came; take my advise and save all the bread to use to sop up the sauce, it is good enough that you will not want to leave a drop on the plate. This is some seriously good authentic Italian food. About the only downsides are that there is no airconditioning and Piero's is only open for dinner Wednesdays to Sundays from May through October. I would highly recommend that you head to Geneva on the Lake and give Piero's a try.

Jalapeno Loco - Mentor the Hunt Continues

In my ongoing hunt to satisfy my inexpensive Mexican food craving, I headed out to Jalapeno Loco in Mentor. Located at the end of the shopping center at the intersection of Route 306 and Mentor Avenue, Jalapeno Loco was one of my reliable stops for good, cheap Mexican food; the food was good if not terribly innovative and the prices and portions were right. The trip this time was made with some trepidation, as I had heard that the restaurant had been raided in April by Immigration for having illegal workers (see the PD story here: http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/120842112261840.xml&coll=2). I liked the place, but didn't want to support a business that is using illegal immigrants, plus losing a sizable portion of your employees will usually hurt the food. Walking in, the decor remains the same, standard Mexican Restaurant/faux Cantina style. Nothing wrong and the place is kept clean and in good shape. Well the raids have certainly had an effect. The wait staff has changed radically with most of the current servers being cute young American girls; my server was very nice and seemed aware that the food is not what it once was. We start with the chips and salsa, overall good, the chips if not fresh made are at least served warm and are crisp with a good taste; the salsa is ok, if a bit mild, but has a nice flavor. I ordered my usual favorite, the Chili Rellenos (although they are called something else on the menu) which are Poblano Peppers stuffed with cheese, battered and fried. The plate comes out with 2 nice looking peppers with rice and beans. The first hint of change is that while I am warned that the plate is hot, it is at best warm and everything on it is just warm. In addition, while the peppers are nice sized, the batter barely covers them and there is a dab of the red sauce that is suppose to cover them completely. The peppers are very mild, which happens from time to time, the cheese is good, but the overall balance of the dish is thrown way off without the proper covering and sauce. The rice is ok, if a bit bland; the refried beans have a decent flavor, but nothing special. My overall impression is a major step down from past visits. So once again I remain disappointed. The decor is nice, the service is good and the prices are right; but the food is a major disappointment, especially for a place that used to be a reliable, if unspectacular kitchen. Clearly some of those who were deported or arrested were key hands in the kitchen. The quest will continue, if you have a place you think has good affordable Mexican food, let me know so I can give it a try. Thanks for reading.

Lopez - the Mexican Food Hunt Continues

OK, so my hunt for good inexpensive Mexican food continues. I had a coupon for 20% off food on Mondays so I decided to give Lopez on Lee Road in Cleveland Heights a try. First off I have to tell you that I am a little confused about the name. On the web I have seen this restaurant referred to as Lopez on Lee, Lopez Bar & Grill and Lopez Southwestern Food Club; for ease I will just refer to as Lopez. It is located at 2196 Lee Road in Cleveland Heights, near the Cedar intersection and the Cedar-Lee Theaters. Walking in one knows right away that this is not your typical Mexican restaurant. The room is done in warm tones and feels classy and southwestern. The feeling is inviting and upscale, but fun. The chips and salsa are good, the chips come in a small paper bag, the salsa is good with a nice flavor. The menu is also upscale, so I decide to go for a couple of smaller items. I picked the Puffy Fish Taco and the Calamari. The taco was good, although the shell was not very puffy. The walleye on the Taco was excellent, well cooked and flavorful. I had trouble finding the lime cilantro yogurt sauce. The portion size was a little off balance, there seemed too much fish for the small taco shell and vegetables. Make this in a larger shell with more sauce and they would have a clear winner. The Calamari was excellent, lightly fried and served over shredded cabbage with a senstional red pepper dipping sauce. Really well done and a nice if not huge portion. Overall Lopez does not disappoint, the food is very good reinterpretations of Mexican and Southwest food. Unfortunately, this is a bit more upscale; the prices and portion sizes mean that while a place I would recommend, this is not the place for inexpensive Mexican dining. Of course if I am going to be disappointed, this is the way to go; keep Lopez in mind for when you want to go a bit fancy or to impress that certain significant other.

Cowboy Food - Update

Was out to Cowboy Food in Bainbridge with a group of friends and have to say that the food was excellent. Where last time I had the Fish Tacos, and they were only so-so, this time I had the Blackened Grouper Sandwich and it was near perfect. The nice sized portion of Grouper was grilled very nicely, it had the nice spicey sear on the outside, with the middle being moist and tender large flakes of fish. Served on a bun with a side of lettuce, tomato and onion to put onto the sandwhich, it was tasty. So good no extra sauce was needed. The sweet potatoe fries were perfect, crisp with a great flavor of the sweet potato coming through. Friends had the 1/2 slab of baby back ribs and the BBQ Sundae (pulled pork, coleslaw and baked beans layered in a Mason jar and everyone enjoyed their food. About the only thing I could find to fault was that the pickle spear was only OK; if you are going to serve pickles, get some good real Kosher ones, but this is just nitpicking. Great food, good portions, friendly service and reasonable prices. Well worth checking out.

Seoul Hot Pot - Can Not Miss

Ok, you have been watching Anthony Bourdain on the Travel Channel and you want to have a culinary adventure, but you are in Cleveland and have tried the well know Asian restaurants. Well I have a suggestion for you; head to the Near East Side of Cleveland and enjoy some of the best and most authentic Korean food in the US. After having the urge for some good Korean food for a while, I finally got back down to Seoul Hot Pot and it is as great as ever. I have been going here for quite a while. A Korean friend introduced me to it and I think it is the best Korean food around. This is one of my favorite restaurants and I don't understand why it doesn't get more attention. While the local reviewers and Zagat always cover and rave about Phenom Phen (which is also very good and a favorite) not a word is mentioned of Seoul Hot Pot. Seoul Hot Pot is located at 3709 Payne Avenue in Cleveland. If you are not familiar with the area it is part of the Cleveland Chinatown area, with Asian shops and residents moving in. Across the street is a little strip with a Chinese Restaurant and Koko Bakery where you can get wonderful Chinese bakery and good Bubble Tea. Part of the fun for me has been watching the place evolve. The story is that the Korean owners bought an existing Pizza place and kept it running, but as Korean friends would come in they would cook Korean home style food for them. Eventually they switched over and stopped serving the pizza menu, but when I started eating here the Pizza Sign was still out front (you can still see it painted over on the front of the building). They also used to have the Pizza Menu board still up on the wall of the front room; it used to hang over the Turtle tank that is also gone. Over the years the restaurant has evolved; grill tables were put in up front and the decor has been revised several times. Now while the exterior is ok, the interior is nice with wood paneling half way up the walls and nice decorative Asian touches on the walls. The tables and chairs are solid if unspectacular, with just a napkin dispenser on top. The front room has the grill tables with hoods, the back room is regular tables with a view into the kitchen. Many times the TV in the back room will be showing Korean shows. Once you are settled, you will get the menu and some barley tea (hot or cold depending on the season). Which has a wonderful nutty flavor. You can also get a Beer, domestic or Asian or Soju, a Korean rice distilled drink that can knock your socks off. The menu is fairly extensive, with much of it favoring the carniovers among us. For those unfamilar with Korean food it is far different from Chinese, with most dishes prepared simply and with bold flavors. Among my favorites are the Pajun (Seafood Pancake) which is a savory batter of egg and rice flour with green onions, small shrimp, pieces of squid and an occasional oyster pan fried to deliciousness and served with a soy sesame sauce. I also enjoy the Jap Chae, a rice noodle and vegetables dish (make sure that you let them know if you want it without any meat) and the squid in hot sauce. Be warned, the hot sauce dishes push hard on the heat, with the squid or rice cakes in a bright red sauce that will tingle the tongue. In fact be careful because any Korean food that is spicey will be extremely hot, including the Kim Chee and other spicey Banchan. Having brought my meat eater friends, I can tell you there are a number of very good meat dishes, including the beef spare ribs and the bulogi, which is a marinated beef. The beef is marinated in soy, sesame oil and garlic and brought to the table raw and you grill the meat yourself. Fun and from what I am told, delicious. There is also a good selection of soups and hot pot meals. When you get your meal you will be served a bowl of white rice and banchan, which are small side dishes to accompany your meal and my favorite part about eating Korean. The banchan at Seoul Hot Pot are especially good, most made fresh at the restaurant and delicious. You will usually get between 6-8 of these which usually include Kim Chee (marinated spicy cabbage), daikon chunks in hot sauce, marinated been sprouts, potatoes, a plain gelatain and pickles. I go to Seoul Hot Pot as much for these side dishes as I do for the main course, they are good enough to make a meal out of on their own. The food here is home style cooking, but consistently excellent. The service is good and friendly, although the kitchen can slow down when they get busy. There is usually only one server so it may take a bit to get your food, but it is worth it since everything is cooked fresh to order. I highly recommend that you give Seoul Hot Pot a try. The food is excellent and reasonably priced. The atmosphere is nice and it will be an adventure you will want to try again.

Cowboy Food Drink - Chagrin Falls

When I got off work the other day the weather was too nice to sit around so I got on the motorcycle and cruised out to Chagrin Falls figuring I would check out Cowboy Food Drink. Cowboy is at 8586 E. Washington in Chagrin Falls, right at the intersection of E. Washington and Route 306. Its been about a year since I had been out there and it seemed like a good time to check it out. Cowboy has been through some changes over the past couple of years, there has been a change in ownership, in the kitchen and a 2nd location in Mentor has opened and closed. Still with all that the changes have been minimal. For those who have not been, Cowboy is a restaurant and bar all in one. The decor is a mix of western theme and sports bar, with plenty of TVs tuned to sports, mostly hightop tables and a menu that features Southwestern and BBQ favorites. The overall atmosphere is fun and friendly and there is a stage for bands to play on during the weekend. The concept is to serve high quality food at a reasonable price in a fun manner. This time around I found the food to be generally good, although possible a step below what I remember. I had the fish tacos, 2 soft shell tacos with grilled white fish and the usual salad and sauce. The tacos were ok, with some of the fish, which was cut into small cubes tasting a bit fishy. The sauce and guacamole was good, but lacked distinctive tastes. Definitely needed some hot sauce which zipped them up. I got to pick 2 sides, in a carbo loading mood I got the Sweet Potato Fries and the Mac and Cheese. The fries were wonderful, fresh crisp, tasty and just sweet enough. The mac and cheese was good, although I was disappointed that it was a wet version rather then a baked version, still it was cheesy and thick. Overall a good meal at $10. For those carnivores, I have heard that the Pit Smoked BBQ is very good. With Pork, Ribs, Chicken and Brisket available there is a good variety. Service was friendly and prompt. The menu has seemed to stay basically the same for several years with the prices largely unchanged. I think overall Cowboy food is a great alternative to Chili's, or Ruby Tuesday's with good food, a great atmosphere and enough to keep you busy for a while.

Noisy Oyster - Akron in the Valley

So I'm riding my motorcycle out through the Cuyahoga Valley National Park along the canal and looking for a place to get a quick lunch. Just as I hit Akron, I noticed a little bar in a small strip that has the interesting name of the Noisy Oyster and says fresh Seafood. So I figure why not give it a try. The outside is not terribly impressive, but inside the place is actually bigger then you would have guessed. A bar with a number of TV is on one side with a glass walled dining room next to it. Decor is nothing special, but acceptable. The menu is medium sized, but does offer a bunch of Seafood you wouldn't expect. I tried the Seafood Chowder and the Steamed Clams. Lets start with the Chowder. A Manhattan style, ie tomato based soup is loaded with small shrimp, fake crab and fish. And it is good. Thick with seafood and vegetables, there almost isn't enough room for the soup part. And nicely seasoned with just enough heat to keep it interesting. The bowl was not huge, but definitely filling and well priced at $4.95. The dozen clams came out on a metal platter with a bowl of butter to dip and a lemon wedge. The clams were nice sized, cooked very well and tasted just right. At $6.95 a dozen I thought this was a good value. I did see the guy down the bar get a dozen fresh oysters and they looked very nice, both in size and freshness. The service was good and friendly. Daily specials are available, and my new friend down the bar was saying the steak special was good. A good place to go if you are out in the Cuyahoga Valley and looking for a place to catch a nice bite and possible some libations at a reasonable price. I know that I will back to try some more of the menu. Noisy Oyster 1375 N Portage Path Akron, OH 44313 (330) 864-7500

Great Bar Food - Kirtland City Tavern

On Friday went to the Kirtland City Tavern for their all you can eat fish special. I've been there a couple of times before and the food is always good. KCT is located at 10015 Chillicothe Road (Rt. 306) in Willoughby, near the back entrance to Chapin Forest. From the outside it is a fairly nondescript bar, but the inside has a classic and authentic road house feel to it. Nothing fancy and plenty of beer signs, but it has the feel that these were collected over the years, not bought by some consultant. The menu is fairly extensive with the usual hamburgers, sandwiches, salads and some good Italian items (I have tried the Eggplant Parmigana and it is good). But where they really pack them in is for the daily specials. Friday is all you can eat fish. For $9.99 you get coleslaw, freshcut fries and fried fish with tarter sauce. The coleslaw is fresh and mild with a crisp bite. The fries are a bit limp but very tasty, but the fish is where this deal shines. Large filets of whitefish is coated in a medium batter and then fried to perfection. The fish was perfectly cooked with a very crisp, slightly sweet shell. Although the 3 fillets that came in the original portion should have filled me up, I had to get another since they were so good. I would call the Kirtland City Tavern a hidden gem, but they appear to be well known in their area with the place filled and a short wait up front for tables to clear. The service was good considering the crowd. Give them a try.