Phnom Penh - West 25th Street in Ohio City

On Friday, I convinced the lady to join with me on a journey back into my prodigal youth.  A few years back, I was fortunate enough to spend a summer in Cambodia with my college roommate Mike, who works at an orphanage in Phnom Penh.  For most people, Cambodia does not really scream gourmet food.  Or much of anything else, for that matter.  Before I left the States, I had more than one person wish me “good luck in Africa.”

If someone is familiar with Cambodia, it is usually because of the atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge in the 1970’s – more specifically, genocide.  Again, this does not exactly set the tone for a satisfying dining experience.  But one of the great tragedies of Cambodia, besides the sheer loss of human life in its history, is that the people and their culture have so much to offer; the world just doesn’t seem to know it.

Sadly, because of the amount of poverty in the country, too large a number of Cambodian’s themselves are unable to enjoy their national food in what we would consider a “restaurant-style” fashion.  Many ingredients, most prominently a reliable supply of protein, are simply beyond the budgets of many families.  In spite of this, the country has developed a rich culinary tradition that can only be described as nuanced, if you are lucky enough to have the means to experience it.

Despite what many people may believe, this is a nation with a long and proud history.  As one author has noted, while Cambodia was raising the great temple of Angkor Wat, to this day the largest religious building in the world “England was not yet a nation, and the isles fell to Viking invaders. At the same time, Muslim armies occupied nearly all of the Iberian Peninsula that would later become Spain.  France was just forming as a nation.”  So yeah, they’ve had plenty of time to keep up with, or rather ahead of, the likes of Europe.

My favorite dish during my stay in Cambodia was chicken amok.  And the best place to get it was a small, dimly-lit restaurant in the backpacker district of Phnom Penh.  The backpacker district used to be a lovely little area on the shores of Boeung Kak Lake, consisting of the expected bars, restaurants, and guesthouses.  It is difficult to imagine a calmer night than having the warm Southeast Asian breeze brush against your face while sipping on an ice-cold Angkor Beer.  Of course, it being Cambodia, the moment was occasionally punctuated by a shady individual peddling all manner of illicit contraband.

Sadly, the lake was recently filled in, and most of the backpacker district displaced, in order to make way for business complexes and condos.  I guess that’s what they call progress, but my favorite amok restaurant was among the casualties.  Along with it went much of my hope for ever finding the dish of such quality again.  If I could no longer find that such masterful amok in Cambodia itself, surely I would never find it in Cleveland.

Following my return from Cambodia, most of my years in the CLE confirmed my worst fears.  Cleveland has long had a celebrated Asian food scene.  Clevelanders still argue whether the top Vietnamese is Superior Pho or Number One Pho (Number One, in this guy’s humble opinion), and the AsiaTown neighborhood has long harbored Chinese gems such as Li Wah.  Cambodian, though, that was a far rarer breed.  To my knowledge, there are currently only two Cambodian restaurants in the Cleveland area: Cuisine du Cambodge on Lorain, and Phnom Penh in Ohio City.

To my great disappointment, neither Cuisine du Cambodge nor Phnom Penh offered my beloved amok on their respective menus.  And while the siren song of Cambodian cuisine called to me from time to time, I could never bring myself to return to it in the absence of my favorite dish.  Luckily for me, a few weeks ago, Mia and I were trying to decide on a restaurant in Ohio City.  While scrolling through the nearby restaurants in the Urbanspoon app, I decided to check out Phnom Penh’s menu on a lark.  Even though in my heart I knew we wouldn’t choose to eat there, my curiosity got the better of me.

Imagine my excitement when I realized the amok-sized hole in my heart had been there all these years on account of a spelling error!  Yes, the Urbanspoon menu for Phnom Penh has “smok” listed, not “amok.”  Those years past, when I first checked the menu, I didn’t put two and two together, and so deprived myself of some truly delicious offerings.  While we didn’t eat at Phnom Penh that night (opting instead to try the new TownHall), I vowed to get there at some point in the near future, and find out once and for all if Cleveland amok is up to snuff.

So that, yes all of that, is how I found myself on a typically-packed West 25^th last Friday night.  Walking through the doors of Phnom Penh offered a welcome retreat from all the bustle that pretty much characterizes everywhere else in Ohio City on the weekend.  Only a single table in the relatively Spartan space was occupied.  “Was this a sign?” I wondered ominously.  Surely there would be more people here if the food was anything to write home about.  I’m glad to say though, the relative emptiness in Phnom Penh was not on account of its food.  It simply seems that, like me, most of Cleveland has just missed the boat on this hidden treasure.

Phnom Penh’s menu is big, and so it can be a tad overwhelming at first glace.  Even with my passing familiarity with Cambodian food, I was a little uncertain what to make of it all initially.  Besides the many Cambodian dishes, there are also ones from various other Asian countries, including Thailand and China.  In my experience, ethnic restaurants that try to specialize in too many nationalities are jacks of all trades, and masters of none.  But I decided to focus on the Cambodian fare (that was the whole reason I was there, after all) and reserve judgment until I was actually served.  It proved a wise decision.

As per usual, we began with a split appetizer.  Typically, at Asian restaurants, we like to begin with some form roll, be it a Chinese egg roll or a Vietnamese spring roll.  Tonight, though, we just weren’t feeling it.  Along the side wall is a large flat screen television that helpfully cycles through pictures of the restaurant’s many dishes.  And boy, did the various rolls you could order look appetizing.  The mini spring rolls ($3.75) looked especially good.  But as I said, we just weren’t in the mood that night.  We had a taste for something a bit lighter – not that spring rolls are all that heavy – but hey, it is what it is.

We decided to try the Salad Phnom Penh ($4.85), and we could not have been further from disappointed.  The dish can only be described as fresh – seriously, this thing tasted like a mouthful of springtime air after an evening thunderstorm.  Consisting of chicken, cabbage, onion, bean sprouts, carrots, basil, and crushed peanuts, the salad was generously topped with an outstanding house-made garlic sauce.  One could argue I embarrassed myself by sipping the wonderful leftover sauce with my spoon, but luckily I have no shame.  The only complaint I can muster is that a little more chicken might have been nice, but then again, this potentially would have messed with the perfectly balanced medley of flavor.  And in any case, the protein often plays a key supporting role for other featured ingredients in Cambodian cooking.

For our entrée’s, we went, of course, with the amok.  Our second selection was the Kuy Teav Chha Kreoung Tek Trey Phem (whew, say that again Tikki Tikki Tembo).  I was disappointed to learn that the amok at Phnom Penh is only served as a seafood option, and not with chicken.  In the end though, I was okay with it – I wasn’t here for chicken, I could get that anywhere, I was after the amok’s prized sauce.  Amok is curry based, and while still hot, as compared to Thai or Indian curry, it is layered with an additional sweet-gingery flavor that makes it so unique.  For me, it’s unlike anything else I’ve ever tasted.  The sauce can be tossed with pretty much any kind of meat, and then is steamed inside a banana leaf.

As I said though, at Phnom Penh, you can only order amok of the seafood variety.  Their ingredients include shrimp, scallops, imitation crab, and catfish.  Oh, the anticipation once the beautifully plated dish arrived.  We eagerly dumped the whole banana leaf basket over our serving of rice and dug in!  The sauce itself, while not quite what I remembered, was very good.  It may have lacked some of the flavors evoked at my favorite Cambodian, Cambodian restaurant, but it was certainly savory enough to order again.  And as anyone who has been to France or Italy knows, once you’ve been spoiled by the real deal, it can be hard to replicate the experience back stateside.  I will say the dish was a little heavy on the imitation crab.  The amount of shrimp was perfect, but the scallops and catfish were especially flavorful, so a bit more of them would have been nice.  Imitation crab tends to taste like imitation crab no matter what you do to it.  But all things said, if you make your way down to Phnom Penh (and you should), this one should be near the top of your list.

The Kuy Teav Chha Kreoung Tek Trey Phem (when you order, just say the letter and number helpfully listed next to the menu item and save yourself a lot of embarrassment) also looked quite elegant.  The dish consists of a kreoung sauce served atop spring rolls, onion, lettuce, and chopped peanuts, all over a healthy bowl of steaming vermicelli noodles.  Kreoung is really just a fancy term that can be used for a base Cambodian sauce made from varying spices.  In short, it’s very similar to curry in flavor, but also has its own distinct taste.  You can get the dish with different proteins of your choosing, but we went with the chicken.  The chicken was complemented by the sauce very well, and was generously portioned, but the real champion here was the onions.  Their sweet-but-still-oniony flavor was the perfect foil for the fiery kreoung sauce.  I never had this dish in Cambodia, so I can’t compare it to what you might experience there.  But that being said, it would be difficult for me to imagine someone producing an even more flavorful version of this dish.

 

Some other observations on Phnom Penh.  Yes, the food is great.  But for me, one of the prime attractions was being in Ohio City without the sheer crush of people.  In my book, save the “bar scene” for the bar.  Four or five other tables did wander in while we were eating, but the place never really got full.  Probably, this is because some people think Cambodian food simply isn’t for them. One couple was even seated, and after viewing the menu, left.  But I promise you, if you’re adventurous enough for Thai or Vietnamese, you will love Cambodia’s take on Southeast Asian faire.

Also, some additional notes on the food.  Mia and I both enjoy spicy food (she can take it a tad hotter than me).  Most of the entrees at Phnom Penh are cooked to order in terms of spice level.  We went with medium for both dishes and found it perfect – it packed a glowing kick, but not to such a degree that it destroyed the flavor.  In my experience, ordering something “hot” at an ethic restaurant is usually a mistake, but proceed at your own peril.  Furthermore, portion sizes are generous, but far from the heaping mounds that you usually find at most American restaurants.  We were only mildly hungry, and finished all of the appetizer, and about three quarters of the entrees.  If you’ve brought your appetite, you’ll probably want to go with two smaller appetizers, or one of the larger “basket” options.  Finally, there is no booze on the menu here, so do your drinking ahead of time at one of the many nearby bars, or bring your own.

So what are you waiting for?  How often is it that you can have a new, and I mean truly new and novel dining experience in Cleveland?  Mama Santa’s may have the best lasagna in town, but how many other places are there to get this dish?  Sokolowski’s may serve up the meanest pierogies this side of the Atlantic, but this town has some serious Eastern European roots.  Cambodian on the North Coast – now that’s something special.  And trust me, the amok alone is worth the trip.

The Plain Dealer's Review of Phnom Penh 

Urbanspoon Profile of Phnom Penh

Porco Lounge & Tiki Room - West 25th Street in Ohio City

Date night brought us for after dinner drinks to Ohio City's Porco Lounge and Tiki Room. The lounge is not on the main strip of Ohio City; rather it is a little drive down W. 25th.  This was our second trip to Porco, and as I told the bartender when we left, we will be going back.  After finishing our scrumptious dinner at Phnom Penh, we wanted an after dinner drink.  However, being in Ohio City, the land of beer, I knew I couldn't handle a hearty, belly-filling beer after just eating to my heart's content.  I whined that I couldn't possibly drink a beer and pondered where we could go for a lighter cocktail.  Dan thoughtfully suggested Porco, and away we went. 

Don't let Porco's off-the-beaten path location fool you - this place was packed on a Friday night.  We had to park across the street in what other Porco patrons were clearly treating as an impromptu overflow parking lot, since Porco's own parking lots were at full capacity.  While its outside appearance seems quite underwhelming, once you step through the doors, or should I say the "beaded" curtain made of wine corks, you instantly forget and are transplanted into a tiki wonderland.  While I can't say with any accuracy since I am too young, stepping into Porco's Tiki Lounge feels like you are traveling back in time.  This feeling is no accident.  The bar top consists of old school drink stirrers set in polyurethane, preserved for one to peruse while enjoying the most carefully crafted delectable libations. The decor perfectly suggests a simpler time, where the tables are lit by candlelight, and the walls are lined with quirky and charmingly creepy Tiki attire. 

My personal favorite of the bar's fun decorations include the Christmas light "Porco" pig carefully hung from the ceiling.

 And the vast collection of tiki mugs rested high on shelves above your head. 

The bar has recently opened an extensive outdoor patio, which provides the perfect secluded oasis for one to sip their heavenly drink concoction.  Sadly, the patio was packed, so we headed inside.  My only complaint on this particular trip was that we initially found a small high top table and waited for several minutes for a waitress to come by and take our drink order, to no avail.  Being impatient to wet our palettes, we found two open seats at the bar and sat down.  Porco immediately redeemed itself when we sat at the bar.  The bartenders provide phenomenal service to those sitting at the bar, promptly greeting you and asking if you have any questions.  Considering that the menu is rather long, and does not explicitly state each cocktail's ingredients, asking questions is both encouraged and sometimes necessary.  Our bartender instantly recognized us from just one previous visit, which was rather impressive.  But, I have to say, the absolute biggest perk to sitting at the bar occurs when the bartender mixes a tad too much of another customer's drink and gives you whatever wouldn't fit in the glass for a little taste.  This happened both times we came to Porco, and it allowed us to try many more cocktails.  Today's "free sample" was a drink I likely would have never ordered, but it was amazing.  The Back Flip, it tastes like a smooth not overly sweet chocolate milk shake (it contains an entire egg shaken right in).  It's silky smooth consistency is tastefully served to the customer in a champagne flute.    

The next best thing about sitting at the bar is being able to sit back and watch the artful bartenders at work.  This bar is nothing like your favorite corner watering hole slinging beers by the dozen.  Instead, each drink is artfully mixed, precisely measuring out each ingredient.  Porco's appeal is really in the details, from the hand-grated cinnamon and nutmeg as a finishing ingredient of some drinks, to the eerie smoking of some others, and finally, to the cutesy plastic drink garnishes, including plastic monkeys, pinwheels, and my personal favorite, the classic tropical parasols. 

 

Now, finally, the drinks we actually ordered: I went for the classic Singapore Sling, and Dan went for the Painkiller, Level III (he wasn't messing around).  Last time I ordered the Mare Blu, and much like last time, I have a tendency to lean towards the fruity and sweeter drinks.  Perhaps I go in there afraid to try one of the more stronger sounding drinks and then wishing I had after the fact.  While I certainly was not disappointed with my drink, in the future, I think I will go with one of the more daring choices.  Don't let my review fool you either; all of the drinks are strong.  With the high prices, these are surely not the kind of drinks you order one after the other all night long.  One drink, maybe two, is typically enough to please your craving, and even get you feeling a little warm.  The Singapore Sling was a perfect balance of sweet, refreshing, and tart, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a classic tiki style tropical drink.  

While I really enjoyed my Singapore Sling, I admit I much preferred Dan's choice of the Painkiller Level III.  My best advice is do not be scared away by some of the daunting names sprinkling Porco's menu, such as the Painkiller, The Zombie, The Suffering Bastard, or the Heart of Darkness.  Even at the Level III, the Painkiller was not too strong to turn me off, and I certainly am not the whiskey pounding type of gal.  The painkiller had a smooth, mellow taste, much less tart and fruity than the Singapore Sling.  The coconut flavor was more rich than sweet, Dan and I suspected it could be from using a coconut milk mixer as opposed to a coconut flavored rum.  Honestly, of all the drinks I've tried to date, which is only 6, this could be my favorite (with the Back Flip coming in a close second).  

While Porco does have a very small food menu, I have not tried any of their savory offerings, so I cannot attest to their quality.  I would, however, like to try the food, hopefully on another subsequent trip.  Porco is the type of place that keeps me wanting to come back for more, to try more and more; it seems as though no two things are the same.  I think I will come for the bar's super limited happy hour next time.  While the bar offers a more substantial happy hour for beer and wine, it provides a small 30 minute happy hour window where one can come enjoy any of the cocktails for $3 off (weekdays from 6:30 - 7:00).  Next on my Porco bucketlist is the Scorpion bowl - I'm intrigued by the cocktail meant to be shared.

I wanted to finish this entry with giving Porco major kudos for its unique promotion of responsible alcohol consumption.  While this may sound like a square compliment to give to a bar, I mean it in all sincerity.  Porco gives each of its customers a tall glass of water and provides a carafe of water to each table.  This practice is unheard of in a typical bar, because let's be honest, there's no money to be made in your customers drinking water.  Furthermore, while Porco provides many potent drinks, such as the notorious Tiki's Bob's Concussion, its still with an air of saving it's customer's dignity over padding their own pockets.  The Tiki Bob's Concussion is a drink so strong it costs $25, but will only be served to a customer once a night, and will not be served after 10 pm.  Porco's menu also provides a suggested lighter cocktail for the DD of your group.  While at around $13 a drink the risk of becoming inebriated is low, I find Porco's dedication to responsibility both refreshing and classy.  Although, considering their island type location, maybe their intentions are more selfish and less altruistic than I am giving them credit for, but when the drinks are this good who really cares!

Happy Dog - West 58th Street and Detroit Avenue in Gordon Square

Few Cleveland establishments offer as big a bang for your buck as Happy Dog.  Along with Luxe, XYZ, Spice, and others, the restaurant is part of the exciting renaissance Cleveland’s Gordon Square neighborhood is currently undergoing.  Happy Dog can always be counted on for three things: incomparable hot dogs, cheap booze, and oh-so-good tater tots.

We first got the idea of returning to Happy Dog when we heard that DJ Kishka was going to be playing there.  For those of you who aren’t familiar with the Kishka, you really should find an opportunity to check him out.  His love of polka is borderline troubling, but his enthusiasm is infectious.  Even those who swear they can’t stand the genre find themselves happily swept away on a current of accordion and frenzied shrieks.  Often featured at local events and festivals, DJ Kishka also appears at Happy Dog on a fairly regular basis.  For just a taste of what he has to offer, take a look at his YouTube video below.

  

Unfortunately, our evening with DJ Kishka was not meant to be.  We really wanted my parents to try Happy Dog (we had been talking to them about it for ages), but decided that such a night would be too crowded.  When DJ Kishka is in the house, the place is totally packed.  You would be lucky to find a single seat at the bar unless you arrived pretty early.  Next time, Kishka!

Happy Dog can actually be pretty crowded any evening of the week.  On several occasions, we have been there on a weeknight and still had some difficulty locating seats.  Bands play often, and the restaurant even hosts a few other events, including a college lecture series and competitive pin ball league.  So not knowing what to expect, we arrived fairly early (around sixish).  This was convenient for those getting off work, and also guaranteed us easy seating.

As we were hoping, there was plenty of space, but that’s not to say there wasn’t a fair number of customers already there.  Our waitress was attentive, and took drink orders right away.  Happy Dog’s happy hour lasts from four to seven on weekdays, and most domestics are only two bucks.  As such, much of our party began with a round of Yuenglings.  For those of you who don’t wish to visit during happy hour, or don’t want to be limited to domestics, Happy Dog also has a full bar, as well as an extensive beers list.

Ordering at Happy Dog can be a somewhat odd experience if you’ve never been there before.  If not, don’t worry.  Your server will be sure to ask you’re a Happy Dog virgin, and lay out the process for you if need be.  But just to be safe, we’ll walk through it here.  In the middle of every table is a pad of papers that will take you back to your SATs.  This is Happy Dog’s “menu,” and it’s what you use to place your order rather than speaking it to a server.  Each of Happy Dog’s offerings is listed, along with a bubble for you to fill in to select that item (pencils are provided).

First, you choose your dog.  This is the only “entrée” you can get at Happy Dog - but fear not, you will not be disappointed.  This is the whole reason people make the trek here, after all.  You may choose between the regular dog and the veggie dog (both $5).  I would never dream of trying a dog constructed of vaguely identifiable bits of meat, but my father assured me the veggie dog is quite good.  Now, it’s time to choose the toppings for your dog.

Happy Dog has over fifty toppings to choose from.  In theory, you may choose as many you like, but bear in mind that the rules of physics still apply here.  In addition, the more toppings you choose, the less of each you get - in order to ensure there’s room.  There is a selection of pre-chosen dogs, if you find the list a bit daunting, but where’s the fun in that (in fairness, they do sound pretty tasty).  The honest truth is that if you want to build the dog that’s perfect for you, you’re going to have to mix and match over the course of multiple visits (what a misfortune, right?).  Many topping have somewhat ambiguous sounding names, so don’t be afraid to ask your server for clarification if you need to (every single time I seem to forget the “alien” relish is just regular relish dyed a bright color).  For each topping you want, fill out the bubble next to it (same will go for your tots).  Pencils are provided.  When everyone’s order is ready, your server will collect your party’s sheets and briskly whisk them off to the kitchen.

Here’s what I went with.  For my meat topping – the chorizo chili.  This one is hard to beat.  I get it on my dog every time I go.  I lightened this selection up a bit with blue cheese coleslaw.  It was my first time ordering this topping, and while it was quite good, I think I would stick with one of the other “cheeses” in the future.  Both the nacho cheese or cheddar pair very well with the chorizo chili.  I rounded these out with caramelized onion, a dill pickle spear, and the aforementioned alien relish.  I also get the pickle and relish every time I go.  Even though it’s served in the dog, I like to pull the pickle out and eat it on the side.  The relish, well, I just really like relish (and it is pretty good relish).  And you can never go wrong with onions, am I right?

For my more “sauce-like” toppings, I opted for the house made ketchup, black truffle honey mustard, and thai chile and garlic sauce.  I vacillate between the house made ketchup and the chipotle ketchup, but the house made usually wins out.  I think its sweetness usually compliments the other ingredients a bit more nicely.  Neither Mia nor I are fond of the Bloody Mary ketchup, but different strokes for different folks.  In my opinion, the black truffle honey mustard is the best item on the menu.  I always get it for both my dog and my tots, and I’m not even that big a fan of honey mustard.  This was the first time I tried the thai chili garlic sauce on my dog.  I love it, and it always goes with my tots, but for some reason, I always thought it might not go well with the dog.  I stand corrected, and will certainly have it among my ragtag band of toppings in the future.

For her meat topping, Mia went with the Applewood bacon (like onion, never a bad option).  She complimented this with Spaghetti O’s and a fried egg.  I typically prefer to save the Spaghetti O’s for my tots, but no judgments here, because you can’t ever really have too many Spaghetti O’s.  The fried egg isn’t really my thing, but I’ve heard more than one person insist this is what really makes the dog, so if sounds appealing, go for it.  Along with this, she added cheddar cheese, caramelized onions, siracha, and chipotle ketchup.  All solid choices.

After you fill out what dog and topping you want, you turn your paper over to order your tots.  Full disclosure: you can also order fries, but really, who is going to get fries when tots are in the equation? (both $3).  “Toppings” are $1 extra each, but you can choose as many sauces as you like for dipping.  As per usual, we had our tots topped with Spaghetti O’s.  Call it our inner school child.  You probably don’t want to choose more than one topping, as they can tend to make the tots soggy (my family did go with two toppings on their tots though).  My father also wanted to state, on the record, that any topping destroys the integrity of the tots.  Ever the Manichaean.

 

As I said before, you are welcome to choose as many sauces for dipping as you like.  You are on the honor system here though, so try not to go overboard.  But in fairness, I’m not the sauce police.  Some people will order every sauce available, which your server will happily provide.  In my opinion, this is a bit much, so I try to limit myself to a mere eight or nine selections.  While initially horrified at seeing me choose so many, my mother added a few more bubbles to her sheet, after seeing such a range of choice is acceptable per Happy Dog etiquette.

 

Everyone at our table thoroughly enjoyed their dogs (and my parents stated they are sure to return).  But I have some more broad comments on the Happy Dog experience as well.  I can’t believe I haven’t addressed this yet, but the hot dog itself is delicious.  I suppose this is a dish that’s rather hard to mess up, but rest assured that no matter what toppings you choose, the dog will shine through.  For your meat topping, the chorizo chili simply can’t be beat.  The sloppy joe is pretty darn good, and the bacon is, well, bacon, but there’s a reason I go with the chorizo chili every time.  And for my money, you gotta go with the black truffle honey mustard on anything you order here.  It can be a bit pungent in a clear-your-sinuses kind of way, but the favor is unlike anything you’ve ever tasted before.

With all that being said, what’s stopping you from getting down to Happy Dog?  I don’t care if you’ve never been, or are a regular customer.  This is simply one of the best meals you can get in Cleveland, and all for less than around ten bucks.  On second thought…I should probably figure out a time to make it back myself.

The Gust Gallucci Company - Euclid Avenue in Midtown

My post for today is about one of my favorite Cleveland food gems, not a restaurant!  The Gust Galluci Co. has been in Cleveland for over 100 years.  Located in a semi-rough neighborhood at Euclid Ave. and 66 Ave., its location does not exactly suggest the gourmet. However, visit Galluci’s during the week around lunch and it will be packed with employees from all over Cleveland grabbing some of its delicious hot lunchtime treats.  These offerings change daily, but include typical Italian favorites, such as lasagna, pizza, and spaghetti.  The store offers plenty of outdoor seating to accompany the lunchtime visitors.  Its popularity is directly attributable to its deliciousness, and you really get a lot of bang for your buck.  With a hearty Galluci’s lunch, you may not be too hungry come dinner time.

However, today’s visit was not for lunch, but rather for the store’s myriad market offerings, looking for a nice, yet affordable, birthday gift for Dan’s mother.  The store contains an extensive deli counter complete with the best array of Italian meats and cheeses and pre-made dishes such as pasta salads and antipasto.  A bakery counter provides an adequate selection of traditional Italian desserts, nothing compared to that which you would find in the bakeries of Little Italy.  However, my favorite items in the store include: the comprehensive collection of Italian spices, varieties of olive oil and balsamic vinegar including bulk purchase options, and the frozen foods.  The frozen food section provides many of Galluci’s homemade foods for you to easily take home and make yourself.  These include tortellini, manicotti, ravioli, meatballs, homemade pastas and sauces, and entire pan lasagnas (both meat and vegetable). The veal tortellini and roasted red pepper and goat cheese ravioli had me salivating. We wandered the store debating between upscale oils and vinegars, traditional Italian coffees, and the frozen foods.

Finally, Dan decided on a pizza theme.  He purchased a frozen pizza dough, pepperoni, mozzarella cheese, and Mama Galluci’s own pizza sauce, all coming in for around $11.00.  Dan’s mother was delighted to receive the gift and said she wanted to use it for pizza made on the grill…a wonderful idea!

As we reached the checkout Dan couldn’t leave without these items for himself, so he purchased the exact same items for himself.  Tonight we made the pizza.  Results? …. Two thumbs up!

Our ingredients:

We read up on the proper way to use a pizza stone.  First we placed the stone in the oven while it preheated.  When we were ready to build the pizza we pulled it out of the oven and liberally sprinkled cornmeal on the stone:

Then, we spread out the defrosted dough on the stone:

Next, we added the sauce (we both like saucy pizza):  The sauce was very good, while I typically like a spicy pizza sauce, this was definitely the best pre-made sauce I’ve ever had; I would eat this sauce from the jar with a spoon!

Next, the mozzarella (Galluci’s tall mozzarella container is the perfect amount for an average sized pizza):

Finally, we added our desired toppings: As the picture indicates, Dan the strict meat-eater opted for the pepperoni on his half of the pizza.  I went for my favorite, simple onions and green peppers.  Dan reported that the pepperoni was the best pepperoni he has ever had.  Coming from a person who spent a semester studying in Florence, Italy, I’d say that’s saying something!

The finished product: 

We cooked it at 400° for 15 minutes.  We found this left the dough slightly underdone and doughy.  We put it in for an additional 7 minutes after it cooled, and it was … delicious! … BUT, still a little too doughy.  When I’ve made pizza from scratch in the past I’ve cooked it for closer to 30-45 minutes, I think in the future I would adhere to a longer cooking time.  However, I will say this is the first time I have used the cornmeal underneath my pizza, and I will never fail to do so again.  There was no issue with the dough sticking to my pizza stone, and it has no effect on the flavor; although, it did turn my kitchen into a slight mess with cornmeal everywhere!

Of course, I'm always a fan of a little side of ranch dressing with my pizza.  If you've never tried it, try it! I promise you will not be disappointed!

No entry concerning Galluci’s could be complete without discussing its extensive wine selection; it takes up practically half of the store.  It’s a great place to pick up a nice Italian wine.  While we didn’t pick up any wine there, since we usually keep it pretty cheap with the wine, we did make sure to have a glass with our dinner.  As a tribute to my vivacious Grandma Mary: “the doctor said I should have a glass of wine every day…he never said how big of a glass.”

The Feast of the Assumption Festival - Mayfield Road and Murray Hill Road in Little Italy

In keeping with our newly formed blog’s aim to cover all things in Cleveland food, or at least the highlights, I had no choice but to make my annual trek to one of my favorite Cleveland foodie spots for the Feast of the Assumption in Little Italy.  This event is easily the pinnacle of the Cleveland summer food fests, often rounding out the summer in the tastiest way.  I have been going to “the Feast” every year since I was a little girl, and I have never lost my sense of excitement when it rolls around each year. 

While I know if you are from the Cleveland area, you are most certainly familiar with the Feast, considering this was its 116^th year, so I will keep my background brief.  While the gluttony, debauchery, and carnival may indicate otherwise, the Feast is a 4 day religious festival in observance of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, and includes nightly masses and a parade where a statue of Mary is carried through the streets.  And now, for the aforementioned gluttony and debauchery: many Little Italy restaurants, as well as outside vendors, set up stands on the shut-down streets of Little Italy and offer the best in Italian food to be found on this side of the Atlantic; bars are set up outside and in many of the restaurants to libatiously celebrate late into the night. 

A little caveat about the Feast: it is popular, verryyyy popular.  If you choose to attend the Feast Friday or Saturday evening, it will be absolutely packed; I mean across the street, shoulder to shoulder packed.  So maybe think carefully before packing the kids up in a stroller, as it will be very difficult to maneuver.  In fact, since my “old-soul” significant other is not much for crowds, I employed my fellow Feast-loving best friend Sarah to accompany me.  We chose to go for lunch around noon on Saturday afternoon to avoid the crowds, and as you can see it was still very busy, even at that time. 

Now for my personal highlights and favorites:

Immediately walking up into Little Italy from the University Circle area you first come upon the Holy Rosary Church on Mayfield Road.  If cavatelli with meatballs is your personal Feast favorite, then none is better than that made by the real professionals: that’s right, the old church ladies.  All you need to consider is that these women have learned their cooking from the generations before them, and nothing beats that traditional taste.

This year, I tried something that is not a Feast regular for me, and I was not disappointed!  While venturing around trying to see which stand had the best looking piece of pizza, Sarah and I stumbled upon a Feast foodie gem: the loaded pizza from Anthony’s Restaurant.  The name is somewhat misleading.  We expected the basic equivalent of a deluxe pizza loaded with sausage, peppers, and onions.  Instead, this gem is essentially an Italian sausage sub sandwich where a slice of pizza serves as the bun – A-MAZ-ING.

I balanced out my something new with a Feast favorite, stromboli.  While the stromboli are not from a Little Italy restaurant, they are a Feast regular, and they are delicious.  The stromboli are similar to a calzone, but much smaller, also served with a side of marinara for dipping.  With several different varieties available, choosing just one can be difficult.  Since I was reaching a level of severe fullness, I opted to take one home for later.  I went with the original with ham, salami and mozzarella, and brought a Roni-boli (pepperoni and cheese) home for the bf.  

No trip to the Feast is complete without something to satisfy your sweet tooth.  The Feast offers all of the best traditional Italian desserts: cassata cake, cannoli, biscotti, tiramisu, sfogliatelle, gelato, and lemon ice.  This is an area where I refuse to venture from my tried and true favorite: the chocolate shelled cannoli.  For those of you not familiar, a cannoli is a traditional Italian pastry with a rolled shell tube filled with a sweetened ricotta cheese mixture.  Cannoli’s are a favorite of mine, because they are not overly sweet, but can be mixed up with the shell dipped in chocolate.  For me, it’s a toss-up between Little Italy legends Corbo’s and Presti’s for the best cannoli.  This year, I went with Presti’s, although I think Corbo’s may win by a hair. 

Well, that about sums up one of Cleveland’s best summer festivals.  I’ll say goodbye with one final caveat: do not attend the Feast hoping to get some of your favorite food from Little Italy’s best gem: Mama Santa’s.  I suppose the restaurant does so well, it chooses not to deal with the mayhem of the Feast, and the whole restaurant takes a vacation and closes up shop during the Feast.  In fact, please make sure that you also make a non-Feast trip to Little Italy, sans commotion, for the best impression.