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Now I have a confession to make, I first heard about this place on
the Food Network…yes, that’s right, I watch foody tv like an old
lady with 40 cats watches the Jesus channel. When the Guilty
Pleasures episode of a show aired and the first guest was Chef Symon
I remembered back ten years ago when he reported his personal then
was the Roman Burger. Apparently the guilty pleasure has gone
upscale. He had something new on his mind and EKG, the gravy frites
at the place right next to his on E. 4th in Cleveland. Watching the
care taken to prepare these “fries” I knew eventually I would have
to sample. Well friends, 8 of us spread 8 tasting menus around the
table so this may take a while. The dining room is sort of swanky
but this was not for us. We descended into the basement, into the
kitchen, and dined on the table upon which our meals had been
butchered in house hours before. We were assured they had been
sterilized. To be honest, I am more comfortable in the loud,
smokier, kitchen with the help. Plus it reminds me of what I enjoyed
in kitchens without having to endure long grinding services to
remember what makes it so tough. |
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Our server was knowledgeable and efficient. We are a group who is very chatty and while our server was busy and we were annoying, it’s his job to hide that until he’s in the walk-in or loading dock which he didn’t have the patience for this night. The whole place, however, is a nice mix of very good to excellent food in a relaxed atmosphere. If you are downstairs the sound track is from the chef's ipod, tonight mostly the Beatles and Michael Jackson. Okay, just so you have some grasp of my hedonistic gluttony for the evening here is what I either tasted or devoured, like I said, this will take a while.
House
Made Fromage Blanc
w/ fresh thyme, olive oil & grilled bread; |
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Crispy Chicken Wings
Confit
w/ roasted jalapeño, lemon juice, scallions & garlic; Braised Lamb Shank Ravioli w/ fromage blanc, soft herb salad & bread crumbs; Half Roasted Chicken in Brioche Bread w/ sliced garlic, garlic chives, parsley & jus; Steak Frites w/ ohio beef bistro steak, pommes frites & bordelaise or béarnaise; Pan Fried Pork Chop Saltimbocca w/ sage, country ham, pommes purée & red eye gravy; Whole Roasted Ohio Lamb Crepinette w/ wild ohio ramps, yogurt, lentils, crispy lamb skin, cumin & fresno chilies Deep Breath...
Roasted Small Tomatoes
w/ tomato
butter, toasted bread crumbs & parmesan; |
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 Frisee Salad |
 Fabulous Wings |
 Devils on Horseback |
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Carmel Milk Chocolate Pot de Crème Valrhona jivara lactee chocolate, chocolate mousseline, caramel, chocolate straw & fleur de sel; Carmel Apple Rum Raisin Crepe Olive oil crepe filled with vanilla bean infused house fromage, caramel apple rum raisin compote & browned almonds; Vegan Grapefruit Sauvignon Blanc Granita Fresh berries, candied citrus peel & mint.
That's
it...I think. Things got a little fuzzy. |
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 Roasted Tomatoes |
 Lamb Ravioli |
 The Infamous Gravy Frites |
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I
am beginning to worry not just for my blood
pressure, but for my soul. First off, there were items that were
simply excellent. The braised olives were beautifully balanced, the
Devils were a surprising mélange that made delicious sense, the
wings were spicy-crispy-perfect, the chop and lamb were both
exquisite, and the crepe and granite were great finishers. Both
market seafood haddock dishes resonated with haddock and additional
flavors and both were exceptionally prepared. |
 Animal Frites |
 Haddock Tail |
 Gift Wrapped Yard Bird |
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Falling
just shy of expectations were the artichokes which were lost in a
tasty but overpowering mix that was best described as the pan
drippings from a roast. The lamb shank ravioli had no discernable
lambiness. The chicken, while perfectly done and juicy, lacked a
depth of flavor, although my dining companion said different
portions had varying seasoning. Now one more thing, Michael Symon
highlighted the gravy frites for the aforementioned show. I tried
both the gravy and the animal offerings which were both very good.
After trying them however, and this is hard to put into words, I
felt like I had missed the fries. Both are absolutely loaded with
curd and awesome gravy making me think of poutine. Having had taters
fried in duck fat and knowing the connection with the word glory, I
wished I had ordered simply duck frites. I mean it's delicious, but
at the end I really had a hankerin' for a fry. |
 Steak...Oh dear...There are the Fries! |
 Crispy Skinned Lamb |
 Contender Chop |
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Saving
the best for now, the top two items for me were the absolute
standouts for the night. First the 5th quarter which consists of
rotating “throw-away” cuts, tonight consisting of chicken necks and
crispy chicken livers, was a revelation. To take items most would
regulate to the bin and coax such flavor from them shows a great
respect to the sacrifice of the animal in addition to skill. The pot
de crème was magically majestic. Classic flavors, impeccable skill
elevating them to new levels, just something to relish. |
 The Night's Market Haddock |
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The seating made conversation a little rough, but we had a great night. The addition of some new comrades made for a widely varied and satiating experience. If you are in for a little adventure I would definitely recommend The GHT. In the growing push to refine cuisine in Ohio, Cleveland in particular, I would say Chef Sawyer has not quite settled into Chef Symons consistently bold and flavorful story telling, but Michael had better not rest on his laurels. There is serious competition next door, maybe that's why he is stopping by for snacks so often Both appear ravenously devoted to serving excellence without the pretentious trappings and varying affordability. Both deserve their accolades and are doing something special in Cleveland. Just looking around E. 4th, it seems to be taking on the shine of Beale Street in Memphis, the Strip District or Carson St. in the Burgh, maybe even a little Vegas Strip. So many choices. As for you, if you have managed to make it all the way through these pictures and my nonsense and aren't hungry, I suggest programming 911 into your phone. You are going to need it. Okay, I'm done, I promise...for now. |
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| Ratings | |||||||
 Food |
 Service |
 Ambiance |
 What's Best |
 What's Worst |
 Overall |
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| A- | B- | B+ | A+ | N/A | A- | ||
| Smile at me then roll your eyes somewhere else. I'll pretend if you will. |
To Many to List | There were no Complete Misses |
Great for such High Expectations |
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