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.

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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.

Parkview Niteclub - Fieri Find

Part of what inspired me to start C-Town Eats was watching Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on the Food Network; Guy Fieri finds restaurants around the country and spends some time in the kitchen and tasting the food. The places are usually a bit funky and the food is homemade and usually in big portions. Not too long ago Guy finally hit Cleveland and taped some segments at local places; Melt (see my review here), Geraci's (long time Eastside Italian), Lucky's Cafe in Tremont, Momoco in Ohio City, Frank Sterle's Slovenian Country House on E.55th and Parkview Niteclub. I had a passing familiarity with all of them except for Parkview so I took a look at their website (located here). I had not seen the episode, but saw online that Parkview smoked their own Salmon (video link is here) so I had to try it out. Looking for a place to have a casual dinner with a couple of friends on Saturday, this seemed like a great opportunity, so we headed west and had a great meal.

Parkview is located at 1261 W.58th Street in Cleveland, a couple of blocks North of Detroit Ave. and not far from the Gordon Square neighborhood. Parkview is on a corner where the neighborhood ends and has a view of the Lake and Downtown; the outside is a classic Cleveland neighborhood bar with a brick first floor and a wooden second story. A little alcove out front serves as a wind break for the couple of steps up to the front door.

Inside is even more of a classic Cleveland dive bar feel. A large wood bar covers one wall with a good sized dining room spread around a small dance floor. The decor is old school eclectic with enough stuff to keep you looking for quite a while. One interesting new touch is the electronic frame with pictures from Guy's visit on the middle of the bar. The overall feeling is casual and friendly.

After ordering a couple of draft beers (and Parkside has a nice selection of drafts) we took a look at the menu (see here) which has some great items and variations from the typical bar menu. We decided to start with the fried asparagus and they were sensational. As you can see from the picture they come arranged on the plate with the dipping sauce in the middle. The asparagus were wonderful with a very crisp but thin batter that acts as a perfect

isp but thin batter that complimented the fresh vegetable, then dipped into the chipotle ranch sauce they were a wonderful mouth sensation. The sauce had a wonderful hot and smoky taste that perfectly complimented the asparagus. About the only thing I could think to complain about is how quickly they disappeared off of the table.

Next up were the entrees, I had the Caesar Salad topped with the smoked salmon and it was excellent. The Caesar Salad was a very nice sized portion with a very good dressing; the real surprise was the Salmon. Hot smoked and served hot, the portion was quite large and very flavorful. Instead of the delicate flavor I am used to from Lox, this fish tasted more of cooked salmon, but the smoke flavor came through, especially as it cooled off. This was one of those exceptional meals that got better the more I ate of it. Dan went with the Smoked Salmon BLT which was a very large piece of the salmon served on a Ciabatta Roll with bacon. Dan said it was excellent and mentioned that the mayonnaise tasted especially good. Paul had the Walleye sandwich which was also very good. Prices were very reasonable and we had a great time. Parkview is a real find and worth the trip, this is a neighborhood bar that serves up exceptionally good food at bargain prices. Add in the funky atmosphere, some good bands on Wednesday and Saturday nights and I will be heading back to try more of the menu. Not only do I recomend it, but Guy Fieri does as well.

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.