Mad Greek

Just What the Doctor(s) Ordered
By Lowell Chang, MD and James Tarbox, MD

The Mad Greek
2466 Fairmount Blvd
Cleveland Heights, OH 44106
(216) 421-3333
http://madgreekcleveland.com/

Outside of the usual gyro shop, it is hard to find Greek food here in Cleveland. If one is near the Clinic, there is actually a place close by in Cleveland Heights, The Mad Greek. The restaurant has been around in the area for many years, but has had trouble with the food until recently.

At first glance, you will see a vast menu and realize it’s not only Greek food, but also Indian food. Although you will not find a fusion of the two ethnic foods, there’s plenty of choices for your taste buds. We visited this restaurant to test out the new items on the menu and started out with the three dip combination (hummus, tzatiki, baba ganouj) for appetizer. Overall the dips were fresh, but not as strong in flavor as other places. For main entrée, I ordered the gyro house plate consisting of herbed lamb meat, grilled vegetables, pita, and tahini. The lamb was fresh and had good flavor. The grilled vegetables improved on the usually raw onions and tomatoes for gyros. The tahini did not go well with the gyro, but I still had the tzatiki sauce from our appetizer to accommodate. For dessert, we tried the baklava, which was excellent and probably one of the best I’ve had in Cleveland. The baklava was slightly warm, moist, with a good nutty flavor, and not too sweet, drizzled with some chocolate sauce.

Overall, the atmosphere was comfortable with airy seating area and friendly service. Quantity of the food may be lacking a bit given the price that we were paying. I have not tried their Indian cuisine, but Dr. Tarbox can speak more about it.

Scale of 0 to 5 (0 equals “Naan of your business”, 5 equals “Opa”)
Food and drink: 4 (Overall fresh and solid in flavors)
Atmosphere: 4 (Comfortable)
Service: 5 (Friendly)
Bang for the Buck: 3 (Gyro quantity is not as much as one will get at other places)
TOTAL: 16/20

-Dr. Chang

Dr. Tarbox's two cents:
Back when I first moved to Cleveland, I probably ate at this restaurant at least once a month for two years. I showed up mostly for the Indian food, and would occasionally eat Greek food for variety. Sadly, it seemed like their quality of food started to decrease, thus I went on a two year sabbatical. I’m glad to have since returned. I’ve enjoyed two meals there in the last month and plan to add Mad Greek back onto the rotation.

Scale of 0 to 5 (0 equals “Naan of your business”, 5 equals “Opa!”)
Food and drink: 4.5 (The roast leg of lamb was tender with every bite, and the tomato red wine sauce on top complimented the dish well. From the Indian perspective, I went with an old stand by, the lamb curry, and I wasn’t disappointed. The tender lamb was in a spicy, flavorful tomato curry sauce that compares favorably with the traditional Indian restaurants in town. Awesome baklava as mentioned above. The Greek menu is more expansive now as well.)
Atmosphere: 4 (Two spacious dining areas, and a nice bar if you need it.)
Service: 5 (Always cheerful, helpful, and promt.)
Bang for the Buck: 3 (A little on the expensive side, but well worth it when the quality is high.)
TOTAL: 16.5/20

If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or ideas for restaurants to visit, please e-mail us at: tarboxj@ccf.org and changl@ccf.org. Also, you can visit our blog at starboxmd.blogspot.com. Thank you.

I received several request on Lucky's Cafe. I also decided to post Vine and Bean as well since it's the sister restaurant. Enjoy.

Just What the Doctor(s) Ordered
By Lowell Chang, MD and James Tarbox, MD

Lucky’s Café
777 Starkweather, Cleveland, OH 44113
(216) 622-7773
http://www.luckyscafe.com

In a world full of Starbuck's on every corner and at your workplace, it’s nice to get something a little different. Take a gamble and perhaps you’ll find something different at Lucky’s Café in Tremont.

Here is some background why this place differs from other cafes. The owner and chef of Lucky’s is Heather Haviland who has trained in the art of pastry making in various locations around the country. Prior to her stint as owner and chef in her own establishments, she worked as the pastry chef at Fire, Food, and Drink in Shaker Square. Now one can find her pastries at her own restaurants

Our misadventure began when we were looking for a burger place in Tremont. After finding out our original target served only at dinner time, we made a detour. When we walked into this cafe, it appeared to be the standard coffee and pastry stop. However, upon closer examination of the menu, we found some great selections. Since we were still in the mood for burgers, we decided on ordering the Lucky Burger. This was one mean burger with a nice thick burger patty, topped with a sunny-side up egg and nice smoky bacon. This may seem strange, but you basically get brunch more efficiently. It also comes with fresh chips and coleslaw.

Even more impressive than the burger was the mac-n-cheese. This is not your ordinary microwave mac-n-cheese because this one comes with four different types of cheese all baked together in gooey goodness. We also opted for the optional bacon, enhancing an already great dish.

The "icing on the cake" for our food adventure this time was literally the desserts. After all, this is the chef's forte.

Overall, the food tasted fresh and aligned more on the gourmet side of cuisine rather than café. The chef also makes it a point to use locally grown produce. The atmosphere is comfortable and homey providing both comforts of indoors and outdoors. While indoors you are provided a great place to study along with wi-fi access, and, if the weather is nice, the picnic area provides a good place to kick back and enjoy a tasty meal. We rolled the dice on this adventure and hit the jackpot.

Scale of 0 to 5 (0 being the odds are against you and you will not win, 5 means time to go all in on a royal flush)
Food & Drink: 5
Atmosphere: 4
Service: 4 (Limited number of staff, but friendly)
Bang for the buck: 4 (prices for the food tend to be higher, but portions and taste are good)
TOTAL: 17/20

-Dr. Chang

Dr. Tarbox’s two cents:
I never thought macaroni and cheese could taste so good, the bacon on it was superb. The fried egg on the burger was a nice addition and dang tasty.

Food & Drink: 5 (Everything I had was great, the homemade pie ala mode for dessert was the clincher).
Atmosphere: 4 (Dang bee kept on trying to eat our food while sitting outside).
Service: 4 (Seemed like the cashier was the wait staff and the busboy all rolled into one. Very nice though and the chef also greets people at their table).
Bang for the Buck: 4 (Great food at prices a little higher than usual for lunch, but worth it).
TOTAL: 17/20


If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or ideas for restaurants to visit, please e-mail us at: tarboxj@ccf.org and changl@ccf.org. Thank you.

Vine and Bean

Just What the Doctor(s) Ordered
James Tarbox, MD & Lowell Chang, MD

Vine & Bean Café
12706 Larchmere Blvd
Cleveland, OH
216-707-3333

Wednesday - 11am to 8pm
Thursdays - 11am to 8pm
Fridays - 11am to 10pm Live Music!
Saturday - 9am to 10pm Live Music!
Sunday - 9am to 4pm

Heather Haviland's Lucky Brunch
Saturday and Sunday 10am to 2pm

You may have remembered a review we did last fall on Lucky’s Café over in Tremont. I can still remember the macaroni and cheese with bacon and the Angus hamburger with a fried egg like it was yesterday. So when I heard that Heather Haviland was opening a café over near my neck of the woods, I couldn’t wait to dine in, and I have on multiple occasions.

So where to begin? If you get a chance, they have an awesome brunch on weekends. This includes the aforementioned baked mac & cheese, you have to remind them about the bacon. There are also some vanilla bean waffles topped with roasted peaches, honey whipped cream and striped with house-made caramel sauce. I’ve had the gingerbread waffles here and they were some of the best I’ve ever had, I’m sure the vanilla would be par excellence as well. Michelle and I were too full to try the Shipwreck which is a concoction of eggs, hash brown, bacon, cheddar, and veggies, but with those ingredients how can you go wrong.

Two things that Vine & Bean prides itself on are utilizing local ingredients and having a plethora of vegetarian options for those of that persuasion. The Shipwreck can magically turn into a Canoewreck with curried tofu instead of bacon.

Other dishes I have tried include the Egg pie… or is it another name for quiche? It included black forest ham, local (there’s that word again) bacon, Swiss and green onion. This was as good as any quiche that I’ve ever head. Nice, soft fluffy egg with a tasty mixture of ingredients. Now if I just had a farm to go maintain. This dish was served with banana bread and honey fruit salad.

I also tried a meatloaf special one day. This dish had a nice peppery flavor with less tomato sauce influence, and a delicious au gratin in the form of a triangle. These potatoes tasted really good in the accompanying smoky gravy.

If you happen to venture to Vine & Bean on a weekday, you still have options for hot paninis, breakfast sandwiches, chopped salads, and a very nice beer selection (of which I have yet to try). On a final note, the restaurant is located in a renovated house with many styles of chairs and tables to sit at, a nice alternative atmosphere.


Scale of 0 to 5
0: “A writer is like a bean plant - he has his little day, and then gets stringy.” EB White
5: "Fill every beaker up, my men, pour forth the cheering wine: there's life and strength in every drop, thanksgiving to the vine!" Albert Gorton Greene

Food & Drink: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 4.5 (can be a little slow if busy, otherwise very friendly and helpful with suggestions)
Bang for the buck: 3 (a little expensive, but for the quality of food and use of local products, you definitely get what you pay for)
TOTAL: 17.5/20

- Dr. Tarbox

Dr. Chang’s two cents:

This is another good establishment from the folks who brought you Lucky’s Café. Food is fresh and flavorful. I personally have only tried the lunch items, but hope to try their brunch menu at some point. Be sure to check out some of the pastries also.

Food & Drink: 5
Atmosphere: 5 (What you expect from a typical café)
Service: 3.5 (Only two wait staff at most, so the busier they are, the slower the service. A cashier during one of my visits had trouble with their math.)
Bang for the Buck: 3 (Costs a little more than the usual café style foods)
TOTAL: 16.5/20

If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or ideas for restaurants to visit, please e-mail us at: tarboxj@ccf.org and changl@ccf.org. Thank you.

The Joys of India

Just What the Doctor(s) Ordered
By James Tarbox, MD and Lowell Chang, MD

Two [trips] in a [month], I bet you think that’s pretty clever don’t you boy.

Having returned from a trans-hemispheric trip to Peru, I laid down to rest for a few hours. I then dumped out my suitcase and replaced my missionary worn clothes. After being in Cleveland for fifteen hours, Michelle and I were off to India.

During the 15 hour flight from Newark to New Delhi, yes this really occurred and no it didn’t take 23 hours or a layover in Frankfurt, Heathrow or Abu Dhabi as I was asked several times, I made a decision that I would both relish and regret. The stewardess asked if I would want American or Indian cuisine for my meal before landing. Indian food of course, and whoever is Continental’s chef for international cuisine, I give props. The paneer (cheese) and aloo (potatoes) were very tasty in a nice tomato curry. They didn’t hold back on the spices much to my surprise and enjoyment. As I ate it, I thought I would’ve been happy to have eaten this at a good Indian restaurant in the US.

Our flight was scheduled to land at 8:40pm India time and I didn’t know how long it was going to take to get through customs or if our airport shuttle would be on time to enjoy dinner at The Great Kabab Factory. One of my friends from Delhi says he goes there all the time when he returns home, which sounded like good advice to me. Lo and behold, we arrived at the Radisson by 9:30pm and I tipped the driver 100 rupees for what was considered a complimentary ride. I haven’t seen someone with a smile that big since I last watched Jim Carrey in a movie years ago. I later learned that I probably doubled the driver’s salary for the month with that tip. Too bad I didn’t learn this until arriving in Kolkata four days later for my friend’s wedding after dispensing several thousand rupees worth of tips. Consider me a goodwill ambassador.

After we checked in, the first question I asked the Radisson was if The Great Kabab Factory was still open. They responded happily by pointing us in the right direction. Some cheerful hostesses and waiters greeted us, and we sat in an elegant, vast dining area with a vaulted dome ceiling and black pillars. An overly persistent waiter finally twisted my arm into ordering a bottle of wine. Another waiter took our order in which I got the non-vegetarian feast, Michelle the vegetarian.

Soon our table was surrounded by joyful staff bring all assortments of kababs. At this restaurant, dishes included Galouti kabab (minced lamb…or mutton as Indians say infused with spices), Peshawari Murgh Tikka (succulent chunks of chicken coated in spices), Macchi Tikka Khada Masala (luscious fish), Logan ki Boti (a mutton dish that I will mention more of below), Prawn Hara Dhaniya (shrimp), and Barrah Kabab (cubed lamb chop).

I sampled some of Michelle’s vegetarian kababs which included a Tandoori Paneer Tikka and Dakshini aloo among others. Michelle started tasting the non-vegetarian dishes since they did not contain beef. The waiters caught on and soon our plates were filling up with all sorts of tasty morsels.

I sat there as the waiter now supplied the Logan ki Boti sampling from the kitchen. The sumptuous lamb stewed in a fiery hot red-orange curry would soon melt away in my mouth. I tried to remember the last time I ate something that spicy, yet I wanted to eat more despite my mouth and stomach threatening to strike. The mutton was so tender; I could cut it with the handle of my fork. The spices were almost overpowering, yet invigorating. Apparently, the mutton is braised in a sauce containing chilies, onions, saffron, coriander, cashews, and a dash of mint. I’m sure my dopamine receptors were on full throttle.

Two more delectable kababs to go, then onto the main course, I thought. Not so fast my friend. The waiters kept showing up at our tables offering more of these finest meats. The kabab appetizer is all you can eat!!! Why didn’t I know this?? Why did I have to eat that scrumptious entrée on the plane??!! No offense to Continental, but The Great Kabab Factory definitely lives up to their phrase: “Where the kabab is king!”

After eating a few more kababs, I’m succumbed to the main course wondering if I could finish it as well. They served each of us a biryani (a rice dish with spices and chicken in my case) and two types of dals (spiced lentils). That biryani was the best I’d ever had; no wonder my friend from Gujarat had such a tough time explaining how different they were in the US and from home. I had to hold off on the aloo toori because there were four different desserts still to arrive which included: jalebi with rabri, pista phirnee (rice, sugar, water, almond, and pistachio mixture), rasmadhuri (soft cheese in a creamy, sweet milk sauce and almonds), and tinka kulfi (like an ice cream popsicle). The jalebi seems like India’s alternative to a funnel cake, except the fried dough is of thinner circumference and the design more ornate and circular.

After eating one of the most delicious and tasty meals of my life, I was finally able to appreciate why all my friends from India had a hard time explaining what real, authentic Indian food is like. The complexity of flavors that hits your mouth is like nothing you’ve probably ever tried before. I used to not understand when my Indian friends would downplay the spice level of food in the US, keep in mind I’m discussing flavor and not hotness per the Scoville scale. To put it in perspective, every dish I had was probably three to ten times the amount of spices as the domestic fare. In the US, you can ask for your Indian food to be spicy, but there’s a catch. It may get hotter due to the addition of red peppers or other chilies, but it’s not the same as the taste explosion you get from adding ten times the amount of onions, ginger, garlic, turmeric, coriander, butter or oil. Yes… oil, that’s when I knew I was getting the real deal. When I got to the bottom of the bowl of one of my murgh (chicken) dishes, and the entire bottom of the bowl has a centimeter layer of oil. Man… that is good. Do keep in mind, if you want your food to be hot as well, India will happily oblige with more red and green chilies that you ever thought possible in a meal.

The next morning in Delhi, we rented a taxi for the day and saw the Qutb Minar, Bahai lotus temple, and Humayan’s tomb. We ate at a local restaurant called Pindi for lunch which served some excellent murgh, sag (spinach) paneer, and stuffed naans. Then, off to the India Gate, Parliament, Raj Path, Red Fort, and the Jama Masjid.

After that tour de force in sightseeing, we arrived at Bukhara a little before 7:00pm which is located in the ITC Maurya Sheraton Hotel. The door wasn’t even open yet, so we rested in a sitting lounge that had nice carpets and interesting Renaissance paintings on the ceiling.

Once entering the restaurant, we were greeted by more cheerful hosts and waiters. The walls are made of stone and there are dark red columns and carpets everywhere. Our table consisted of two semi-low set chairs with cushions and two knee high tree stumps. I was ok with this because at times I do eat like a Tyrannosaurus rex perched over my meal.

Bukhara is famous for being rated as the top Asian restaurant in the world, as well as, one of the Top 50 restaurants in the world by Restaurant Magazine a few years ago. They also relish the fact that Bill Clinton stayed at the hotel just to eat at this restaurant, the waiter mentioned this twice. Little did he know I already knew this bit of information. He also mentioned that they have the best dal and lamb in all of Delhi. Check off round number 2 for me.

When I first perused the menu, I immediately ordered the dal bukhara. I next wished to get the Sikandari raan which is a braised, whole lamb leg, but the waiter said it was too much food for one person, even two. Did he not know who he was talking to??!! Well, I took his advice and ordered the lamb seekh kebab (note the slight change in spelling) which I would later lament as my second poor food related decision on this trip. Michelle ordered paneer tikka and tandoori aloo which are cooked in an Earth oven.

The dal is a mixture of black lentils, ginger, garlic, tomatoes, cream, and butter simmer overnight (or 24 hours per the waiter) and arrives at your table in a good size ceramic bowl. After eating this delectable morsel of artery clogging goodness with keema (mutton) stuffed naan, I can honestly say that I have never had better dal…EVER. The extraordinary thick, creamy, roasted texture and the perfect combination of spices all brought together by the slow cooking make this dish one not to miss. I sometimes wonder why I didn’t purchase some bottles to bring home, apparently they sell the stuff.

I next bit into the seekh kebab expecting life’s goodness to continue to flow through my digestive track. I chewed, swallowed, and ate some more…and some more. I couldn’t get the lamb kebab from The Great Kabab Factory out of my head!! Theirs was better, plain and simple. The lamb at Bukhara tasted slightly overcooked and wasn’t as complex in flavor. The dish was good, don’t get me wrong, but possibly my expectations were too high. Maybe the raan at Bukhara is the answer, but I won’t be able to answer that question until another time. The paneer and aloo were also passable, but not memorable dishes. They didn’t have enough flavor and both tasted slightly overcooked as well. This surprised me since we were part of the first group of customers for the night.

Is Bukhara “arguably the finest Indian cuisine on planet Earth” as their website, bukhara.com, proclaims? I’ll give them finest dal recognition, but I honestly thought that The Great Kabab Factory had better lamb kababs, as well as an overall meal.

We would later go the Taj Mahal which is one of the most magnificent structures in the world. I still laugh when one of my friends remarked that it was just ok. Afterwards, we were off to Kolkata to celebrate one of my longtime friend’s marriages. It was the main reason for the trip and a great experience, the rest of the vacation was a bonus.

Now if I venture into Indian restaurants in the US, I can always recall the great food I had in India. Also, I can finally judge a meal and truly understand what flavors and spiciness really are.

A few additional thoughts:
1. When was the last time I had yellow cake with chocolate icing? This decade?
2. For those wondering, the lyrics at the start are modified from a Radiohead song.

- James Tarbox, MD

I would like to thank my friends who helped to review this article. If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or ideas for restaurants to visit, please e-mail us at: tarboxj@ccf.org and changl@ccf.org. Also, you can visit our blog at starboxmd.blogspot.com. Thank you.

Day (or night) in the life of a nocturnist

Ahh the sunny beaches of Seychelles. Why did I wait so long to get here? (buzz buzz buzz) Is that a fly? Surely, not here. Not on this pristine slice of beautiful Earth. (buzz buzz buzz) Dangit, fly??!! Ohh wait is that my pager? Is that the General Internal Medicine Triage Officer (GIMTO) sending me another patient? A nurse who is asking for a sleeping pill? Pain medicine that should have already been ordered? (buzz buzz) Ahh, it was only my cell phone. 2:00pm and I am still at home. Time to wake up and eat cereal.

Boy I love driving to the hospital at 4:30pm. Everyone else is trying to drive away. No rush trying to find a parking spot. What service am I working again today? Admitting would be sweet. No cross-cover, just me and my ideas on how to care for patients. Not having to worry about anyone else forgetting pain meds, zofran, or colace. Pulmonary is usually pretty nice, unless a patient goes downhill. Then, one hour of my night disappears with them. The non-teaching general internal medicine (GIM) pager has been hit or miss. Lately, the service is ballooning to 60 patients. Good for the hospital, bad for shotgun pages at 6:00pm, 10:00pm, and 4:00am. I sometimes wonder why we get 20-30 pages between 5:30 to 7:30pm. It’s an exercise in efficiency and Zen. Lastly, Kaiser, Bone Marrow, Pall Med, GI and whatever other service decides to utilize us. This pager has not been too bad in the last month. Bone Marrow seems to be coordinating their calls more often and the fellows and PAs appear to remember to adjust pain meds. I wish they would have pre-orders for fever though.

Ahh, I get to carry the GIM pager. I wonder how many pages I am going to get tonight asking if I cover GIMTO patients. Do they not realize those two little letters mean so much? (buzz buzz buzz) The first barrage of pages, and of course all the teams have signed out by 5:15pm. This patient is agitated, in restraints, and no haldol prn? The patient got switched to percocet at 3:00pm and already wants their dilaudid? A family meeting now? (buzz) First admission from the Emergency Department (ED). Nice to see they are cleaning house. Time to go to the ED. (buzz buzz) Do I know if the patient will go home tomorrow? Maybe, though I will not decide. Yes, the patient can have an extra dose of dilaudid and benadryl. Why is she not on a patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) pump? Need to transfer her to GIM 3. Well, done admitting that 90 year old for altered mental status and a history of metastatic pancreatic cancer on tube feeds and severe dementia. The only person I could contact was her granddaughter who firmly believes the patient would want everything done... ok.

It is about 8:00pm. Time to eat dinner. Normally, I would bring a few sandwiches, but tonight I will make a McDonald’s run. (buzz) A sleeping pill at 9:00pm? Sure. Dinner time is usually interesting depending on who is around. Lowell is probably one of the best Asian chefs in the hospital. Another colleague always has some interesting pita sandwiches filled with Middle Eastern delights.

I’ve got some time to review cross-coverage sign out. Let’s see only 7 subspecialties notes to review, 6 BMPs, 5 chest… x… rays. 4 hemoglobins, 3 cardiac enzymes, 2 line placements, and a restraint order to be signed at 4:00am. (Using the tune from the Twelve Days of Christmas)

(buzz) You called an AMET on chest pain? Are the vitals stable… yes? Ok, I guess. I will be right there. Stat EKG, enzymes, CXR, and nitro. The patient is fine after the nitro? Let us see how the enzymes turn out.

The midnight hour approaches. 2 hours later, oh there are the stat cardiac enzymes which are negative. Should I go to the call room now, or wait for my next admission? Admitting and Kaiser still are waiting. (buzz) Am I Orange? Not since last year. Also, why does the GIM pager always get paged when Orange is asked for? No, I do not cover Kaiser. No, I do not distribute admissions, call the GIMTO.

Let us see, it is 1:30am. I wonder if I will get 3 hours of sleep. (buzz) Another patient who can not sleep? Why do they not put ambien in the water? (sleep… buzz) Yes, did someone page GIM? General Internal Medicine? (hold) No one paged me? Ok… did anyone page anyone? Yes… yes, you can give an extra dose of dilaudid.

As I nod of to sleep again, I think about all of the flexibility this job offers. I must have spent half the months of February thru April in airports while on the interview trail. Due to the great flexibility offered in scheduling shifts, by the month of May I had caught back up in work hours. I wonder how many other staff could pull that off, at least those without Audi A8s. I wonder if I’ll ever buy an Audi A8. I wonder if the chairman will ever get one. Why have I spent the last 30 minutes thinking about cars?

Time to catch some more Zzzzzzs. (sleep… … buzz) Am I covering H81-12? I don’t know. Who is the staff? Dr.? He is the GIMTO right now, not the staff. Who wrote the last note? Yes, the last primary team note in Epic. You don’t know? Look in the computer? You are not near a computer? Ok... I’ll wait. It’s Tucker? Try calling them.

(buzz) Constipation? How long has this been going on? It’s 5:00am? He’s had it for 3 days? Sure, I guess the colace will help. (buzz) The patient lost IV access. How many times have you tried? Has another nurse tried? Another nurse? Any important medications needed? Ok, wait for SWAT. (buzz) The patient is confused? I think I’m confused. Reorient. It’s 6:30am. Time to get up and make sure my patients did ok. Only paged every 30 minutes since 1:00am.

Hmm… do I want to page the GI fellow at 7:00 or 7:15am. Signout to pall med went fairly smoothly. It’s time to go home. I wonder if my driving is worse than a blood alcohol level greater than 0.1. Finally, I arrive home to my bed. I’m glad I have a four day weekend to look forward to. I can’t wait for some rest and relaxation. Five hours of sleep in the daytime, then trying for seven hours of sleep tonight. This job does have its benefits. Even if I have two tough shifts a week, I still have the weekend to recover. It seems like many colleagues are able to spend plentiful times with their families. The combination of salary, benefits, and free time is tough to beat. Plus, my pager will spend the next few days off.

Speaking of time off, visions of the beach are entering my consciousness. Hear the waves softly crashing against the shore. That sure is nice music in the background. The world is slowly fading away. Wait a second. What is that I hear? (buzz… buzz… buzz)

Das Schnitzel Haus

Just What the Doctor(s) Ordered
James Tarbox, MD & Lowell Chang, MD

Das Schnitzel Haus
5728 Pearl Rd
Cleveland, OH 44129-2850
(440) 886-5050
www.dshparma.com/

http://www.bereaoktoberfest.com/
http://www.derbraumeister.net/

It’s that time of year again. The leaves are starting to change color. The evening air has a slight tinge of coolness to it. You wonder if your car can make it through April without a checkup. For those of the beer persuasion, it’s also time to remember that October can also be spelled with a K.

For as long as I’ve been in Cleveland (about 4 years) every Labor Day has been a time to remember the impact of German beer on our lives. I still remember sitting in Munich’s City Center in 2006 enjoying a glass of Palauner Dunkel Weiss and some great Weisswurst...but I digress. It is memories like this that make me yearn for what good beer tastes like and to enjoy some nice schnitzel and wurst. Sure, it’s still 4 weeks from when the Germans across the pond will start their festivals, but we’ll take the good weather as reason to celebrate when we can.

I headed off to Berea (a vibrant community just south of Cleveland) around 3:00pm in a car with Lowell, Eddy, Yi Ju, and Olivia. Not to worry, Olivia will not be influenced by or remember any of this… I hope. I hadn’t eaten lunch yet in anticipation of this event, thus upon arriving I was eagerly searching for food vendors. Fortunately, Eddy reminded me that Hofbrauhaus Oktoberfest was on tap, so a slight detour was made. You could pay extra to get it in a plastic mug, but I have plenty of real glass mugs from Winking Lizard. The Hofbrau pours as light amber and has a nice balanced malty, hoppy taste. Sure it doesn’t have the complexity or fullness of a nice Paulaner or Augustiner, but considering the location, I’ll take what I can get.

We next found the Schmidt’s of Columbus booth which Eddy highly recommended for the Bahama Mama. It wasn’t a standard bratwurst or frankfurter, but I was able to add some delicious sauerkraut. This was a tasty brat with nice spiciness and robust flavor, yet not overpowering. Well, if you know me, you know one brat is just a starter. I was off to search for more sustenance when I noticed several people walking around with shirts proclaiming Cleveland’s only true German restaurant with 120 imported beers. After looking closer, I realized the shirts were advertising for Der Braumeister.

The Der Braumeister makes a very nice knackwurst, which means the veal/pork sausage has been smoked as opposed to a brautwurst which is grilled and flavored with nutmeg and coriander. They have apparently been on Cleveland’s Westside for over 80 years. I made a mental checkmark to definitely visit this restaurant in the future (likely right after submission of this review).

After enjoying this great German fare, some more beverages, and a Chef’s Choice Meats cooking session, we ventured home. Yet, German food was still on our mind, which led us to Das Schnitzel Haus. Why did we venture here even though I was salivating over Der Braumeister? Mostly due to the closer proximity and so we could try the buffet (only $7.95). Do not worry Der Braumeister, I will be there soon enough.

We arrived at Das Schnitzel Haus at 1:30pm and noted that the parking lot was not too full. Hopefully, this was due to the lateness of our lunch hour. Upon entering the door, we were greeted by a cheerful hostess. Little did we know that she would soon be our waitress and cook. Rather than sit out in the covered Bier Garden (the only one with a fireplace in Cleveland), we chose to sit indoors closer to the buffet.

After perusing the beer menu, I asked for one of their specialty beers. Apparently, they were out. I asked for another, they had stopped selling it due to poor sales. I finally settled on a nice, very smoky beer which still manages to be well balanced, Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Marzen for those who are interested.

We were then off to the buffet. I by habit tend to avoid the salad bar; this one was pretty limited anyway containing a house salad, potato salad and cabbage. After scooping some veal schnitzel, chicken cordon bleu, kartoffel kuegeln (potato pancake), and goulash on my plate, I returned to my table. The buffet wasn’t quite as large as I was expecting.

The first thing I noticed about the schnitzel was that it was much thinner than what I was served in Europe. However, the flavor was fairly good considering the slender coating of batter. The chicken cordon bleu and goulash were a little dry, but passable while the kartoffel kuegeln was oily and only tasted of potato.

Our waitress said we would soon have fresh entrees available. We also ordered some cevape (Eastern European skinless sausage) since they are known for this. Then, off she went to the kitchen. Soon we had fresh chicken cordon bleu and goulash which were definitely more tender and tasty than before.

We had to remind her on the cevape, and once it was brought forth I was interested in the eggplant and red pepper spread it was served with. This was definitely different than the pita and cheese that I ate it with in Europe. Fortunately, the cevape went quite well with this spread.

After having another helping from the buffet, we were definitely content with life. It was nice having some fairly authentic German food at Das Schnitzel Haus and hopefully next time I’ll be able to find a beer I like better.

Scale of 0 to 5
0: “I fear the man who drinks water and so remembers this morning what the rest of us said last night.” ~ Greek proverb

5: “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” ~ Benjamin Franklin (could I have used any other?)

Food & Drink: 4 (Make sure the buffet is fresh if you order it.)
Atmosphere: 4 (The indoors are fairly ordinary, but the bier garden looks awesome.)
Service: 3.5 (Hopefully due to our late lunch.)
Bang for the buck: 4 (The buffet is a great price, though we had to order another entrée to expand our tasting.)
TOTAL: 15.5/20

Lastly, I’d like to give a quick shout out to Taste on Lee. They serve great French seasonal cuisine and host monthly events including the latest where I had one of the best wine pairing dishes in recent memory. The braised short rib with mushroom and leak frittata with a Barbarian 2003 from Meeker Winery in Sonoma was outstanding.

- Dr. Tarbox

Dr. Chang’s two cents:

I have not been to any other German buffets, so it’s hard to compare Das Schnitzel Haus. Again, the fresher the batch of food, the better the food tasted. I would have liked to see some German sausages in the buffet, but none was found on this visit. The atmosphere is overall quiet, but maybe because we visited during the latter half of the lunch hour.

Food & Drink: 3.5 (Not as many choices as other types of buffets.)
Atmosphere: 4
Service: 3.5 (Friendly, but only one person managing both kitchen and tables during lunch.)
Bang for the Buck: 4 (It’s the usual buffet price.)
TOTAL: 15/20

If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or ideas for restaurants to visit, please e-mail us at: tarboxj@ccf.org and changl@ccf.org. Also, feel free to leave any comments here. Thank you.

8 pack of beer and wine 2008

After discussing beer and wine with a friend from Texas earlier this evening, I have decided to post some of my quick reviews on beer and wine that I had from 2008. Hope you enjoy these as much as I did... they are all 8 or higher on my scale of 1-10. I'll try to be more detailed in the future.

Beer
1. Scaldis- Belgium 12% warm caramel, smell & taste, clean refreshing, could drink every day though need to be careful with the alcohol content- 8.5/10

2. Harviestoun "Ola Dubh" 30 yr reserve ale- 11.2 oz 8% black oil aged in whiskey caskets, chocolate notes & roasted. Definitely dark in color. Thick texture, definitely not your standard beer. Taste of dark fruit, slightly bitter, yet somehow a refreshing aftertaste. I still have the bottle, heck it's 30 years old. I also bought a few for some friends after celebrating finishing residency.

3. Brasserie des Rocs Grand Cru Special Brown- 11.7 oz 9.5% Belg amber, dark brown, smells of cherries, taste is light hoppy slight caramel, roasted malt, drinkable- 8/10

4. Koningshoeven Quadrupel- one of my favorite beers that Winking Lizard served in 2007 and 2008, why did it have to go. 10% Trappist. Dark brown in color, with vanilla overtones by smell. Above standard sweet malt with dark fruit taste. If I ever needed a backup beer after experimenting on something different, this always hit the spot. 9/10

Hmm... I think I'll try using a slight modification on the Beer Advocates template for rating. A:appearance. S: smell T: taste D: drinkability O: overall

Wine
1. Blackstone Sonoma Reserve Rubric Vintage 2006- Hyde Park- 8/10
A: nice dark red
S: slight chocolate
T: dark fruit with slight chocolate at the end
D: very smooth
O: quite an enjoyable wine, especially with a nice filet or prime rib

2. Norman Conquest Cab 2004- Lola- 8/10
A: very dark red
S: dark plum
T: dark fruit with a hint of chocolate again (hmm... looks like I'm a fan)
D: smooth, slight tannins
O: another nice wine that goes well with meals or cheese

3. Bogle Phantom syrah/zin/mourvedre- Clarksburg, CA 2005- 9/10
A: dark red
S: hints of cherry
T: berry, vanilla, pepper, smoky aftertaste
D: full bodied wine, yet easy to drink
O: wow... excellent blend, goes well with a long meal

4. Elsa bianchi malbec 2006- 8.5/10
A: very dark purple
S: flower smell
T: dark plum with very little smoke, slight burnt sugar
D: full body, very smooth
O: nice example of a good Argentinian malbec

If anyone wants to comment on which style they prefer, I would appreciate it.

Le Petit Triangle

Just What the Doctor(s) Ordered
By James Tarbox, MD and Lowell Chang, MD

Le Petit Triangle Café
www.lepetittrianglecafe.com
1881 Fulton Rd
Cleveland, OH 44113
(216) 281-1881

When I first heard about Le Petit Triangle, my first thought wasn’t that this restaurant serves some of best French bistro food that you’ll find in Cleveland, but a greatly underappreciated Weezer song.

Anyway…upon entering the restaurant, it reminds me of quaint European café with the kitchen and pastries in clear sight. And I think it may have really been in the shape of a small triangle.

We started off with a wood smoked trout plate. It consisted of smoked trout served with capers, red onion, spinach, crackers, and herbed cheese. The combination was very tasty, especially if you can fit everything on one cracker. If the crackers were devoured too quickly, they were also bringing by plenty of hot out of the oven French bread.

I next partook in the French Onion soup. While in a French restaurant, why not try their namesake, and it doesn’t disappoint - a nice mixture of sweet onions in a semi-thick broth. Plus, there’s nothing like good ol’ Gruyere to top off this selection.

My main entrée was a cassoulet (French for casserole…tough one) of slowly simmered duck, chicken sausage, white beans and vegetables. It was very good though leaning towards the beans more than meat. Thinking back on the menu, there’s plenty of vegetarian options. The cassoulet can also be ordered as an appetizer if you just want a small portion, thou I wonder if it’s still in a ceramic pot.

They offer a plentiful selection of both savory and sweet crepes (there’s not many places in Cleveland that are good at this.) The wine list was very tempting with a wide range of very reasonably priced selections from France to California, but I had to work later that day (should that have really stopped me).

I’ll definitely return in the future to try more selections from this excellent restaurant in Ohio City.

Scale of 0 to 5 (0 equals “I can speak French but I cannot understand it.”- Mark Twain",
5 equals“I went to a cafe that advertised breakfast anytime, so I ordered French Toast during the Rennaisance.”- Stephen Wright")

Food and drink: 5 (best French food in the area unless you want to drive 1.5 hours west to Vermillion… and that’s not even the tough part, it’s driving home after all the… well…)
Atmosphere: 5 (quaint, comfortable atmosphere and it’s shaped in a triangle)
Service: 4 (pleasant waitress, but messed up the order; the chef made sure that the mistake was corrected)
Bang for the Buck: 4 (not too expensive, especially for great French food, the crepes are reasonably priced as well)
TOTAL: 18/20

-Dr. Tarbox

Dr. Chang’s two cents:
In a city that does not boast much selection of French cuisine, this place will offer a decent sampling of the genre in a comfortable and geometrical setting. Personally, I tried the garlic pork shoulder, which was satisfying comfort food on a cold day.

Food & Drink: 4.5 (Good selection of entrees for a small operation)
Atmosphere: 4.5 (Comfortable and conversation easy)
Service: 4.5 (Friendly service overall)
Bang for the Buck: 4 (Decent portion size)
TOTAL: 17.5/20

If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or ideas for restaurants to visit, please e-mail us at: tarboxj@ccf.org and changl@ccf.org. Thank you.

Anatolia

Tonight I will share two recent reviews that Lowell and I published. One is Anatolia, a fantastic Turkish restaurant in Eastern Cleveland. The other is Le Petit Triangle in Ohio City, a great French bistro.

Just What the Doctor(s) Ordered
By Lowell Chang, MD and James Tarbox, MD

Anatolia Café
2270 Lee Rd.
Cleveland Heights, OH 44118
216-321-4400
www.anatoliacafe.com

Here in Cleveland we’re fortunate to have many options for Middle Eastern food, but it’s difficult to distinguish one place to another. One restaurant that stands out in terms of flavor is Anatolia Café. Turkish cuisine differs from other Middle Eastern food with its use of tomatoes and paprika found in their stews and sautés.

The original Anatolia was located opposite Whole Foods off of Cedar Road in University Heights. Although the food was always good, the dining room was small, being problematic in getting a table on busy nights. Anatolia has been at the new location on Lee Road for about 7 months now and offers the same great cuisine with a larger dining room and a nicer décor.

I have been to this restaurant several times and cannot think of a time that I had a bad experience. Probably the best way to start out each meal is with the mixed appetizer plate. Out of the various dips, one of my favorites is the babbagannush which has a smooth, smoky flavor. Of the main entrees, the standout dishes include the mixed grill, the lamb okra, and the döner (seasoned lamb strips-equivalent to gyro meat). One thing that can improve is probably the desserts with a mediocre baklava.

Overall, Anatolia offers great tasting Middle Eastern food at a location with a nice atmosphere that can accommodate large parties.

Scale of 0 to 5 (0 equals “Cold turkey”, 5 equals “Turkish delight”)
Food and drink: 4.5 (Great appetizers and main entrées, but lacking in the dessert category)
Atmosphere: 4.5 (Comfortable)
Service: 5 (Always friendly)
Bang for the Buck: 3.5 (Costs a little more, but worth the cost)
TOTAL: 17.5/20

-Dr. Chang

Dr. Tarbox's two cents:
Overall, I could eat at this restaurant every week if budget and family/friends allowed. It’s tough to beat that doner when it’s fresh off the carving wheel. They have a nice variety of combination platters and most appetizers are excellent.

Scale of 0 to 5 (0 equals “Cold turkey”, 5 equals “Turkish delight”)
Food and drink- 4.5/5 (The adana with yogurt is one of the best Middle Eastern dishes I’ve had. It rocks my dunya…I hope that means something. Quality of the appetizers may vary, but most are great.)
Atmosphere: 5/5 (The new location has a great atmosphere, vibrant background, and not too loud that you can’t carry on a conversion. While it is always busy, there never seems to a long wait if any. The patio is great in warmer times. )
Service: 4/5 (Always friendly and usually prompt)
Bang for the Buck: 4/5 (You’ll pay a little more than a sidewalk kebab stand, but it’s well worth it)
TOTAL: 17.5/20

If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or ideas for restaurants to visit, please e-mail us at: tarboxj@ccf.org and changl@ccf.org. Thank you.

Chicken and Bowtie Pasta with Asiago Cream Sauce

Made this nice recipe tonight. Very tasty, I modified it a little from Big Oven by adding more asiago, prosciutto, garlic, and mushrooms.

The wine was a Ménage à Trois (Zinfandel-Merlot-Cabernet) is a Red wine from Folie à Deux Winery in Napa Valley. It went very well with the dish.

Chicken and Bowtie Pasta with Asiago Cream Sauce
http://www.bigoven.com/recipe161444

"A tasty mix of chicken, garlic, mushrooms, prosciutto and pasta are complemented by a thin but flavorful Asiago cream sauce." Original recipe yield: 6 servings.

Yield: 6 Servings
Main Ingredient: Chicken
Cuisine: Italian

Tags: Brunch Main Dish Liked Saute Italian Chicken Dinner Spring Creamy

Ingredients:
INGREDIENTS:
1 (16 ounce) package farfalle (bow tie) pasta
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound skinless boneless chicken breast halves - cubed
2 1/4 cups heavy cream divided (consider just 2 cups)
1/4 cube chicken bouillon crumbled
3/4 cup grated Asiago cheese (1 cup) ~ 0.25 lbs
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup chopped prosciutto (7 strips)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh garlic (used 5 cloves)
1/4 cup sliced mushrooms (~1 cup of wild mushrooms)
1/2 tablespoon parsley flakes

DIRECTIONS: Bring a large pot of lightly salted water (1 gallon) to a boil. Cook pasta for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain, and set aside. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (I used EVOO… this is an Italian recipe after all) in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir chicken cubes, reducing heat if necessary, until no longer pink in center and juices run clear. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, bring 2 cups cream to a simmer, stirring often. Whisk in bouillon and cheese until well blended and bouillon has dissolved completely. Dissolve cornstarch in 2 tablespoons water, and whisk into mixture. Cook and stir 2 minutes more, then remove from heat and set aside.

Melt butter (I used EVOO) in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Stir in prosciutto, garlic, and mushrooms and cook until mushrooms are tender, about 3 minutes. Add chicken, reduce heat, and continue cooking until chicken is heated through. Return sauce to the stove and add remaining 1/4 cup cream and parsley flakes. Heat through. To serve, place pasta in a large mixing or serving bowl. Add chicken and mushroom mixture and pour in cream sauce. Toss well, and serve.

World Tour: Peru Trip

As I was walking up the winding trail to the Sun Gate at Machu Picchu, several thoughts were percolating at about the same time. Foremost, when was the last time I suffered a heat stroke? I foolishly went to this Lost City of the Incas without a water bottle. Fortunately, two of my great colleagues brought an extra bottle, and I had drunk half of it with my lunch... which they had also graciously provided. This reminded me of an age old wilderness survival question. If you are asked how important a cooking pot is while stranded in the Arctic, never underestimate the importance of being able to boil snow (quick shout out to Ken on this one).

I also recalled the fantastic week that I had spent in the Sacred Valley region of Peru. Working with a group of ambitious, adventurous, and benevolent staff, medical students, and their relatives at a clinic in the small, rural town of Lamay is an experience that I will always remember. Also, the hospitality and service shown to us by the staff and manager, Edwin González Muñiz, at our hotel, the LaQuinta Eco-Hotel, was second to none. I kept on thinking that filling a bottle with the chilled, luscious agua from the water cooler in our dining hall might have prevented some heat exhaustion.

After walking for 40 minutes up the trail in the late day sun, my thoughts started turning towards the meals I had in Urubamba, the town we stayed at while in Peru. The name Urubamba is a Spanish alteration from a Quechua word for good farmland, not flat land of spiders as noted on Wikipedia, yet another reason not to trust everything off of there.

And without further ado, my mind started thinking of Urubamba’s finest meats and cheeses. This wasn’t an exaggeration by the way, since the best way to find vegetables in their diet was on a veggie deluxe pizza (more on this later). Otherwise, this land seemed to be raised on your typical meat and potatoes diet.

Dateline: 29/6/09, a Monday… yes, in my delirious state, I started utilizing the non-American way of dating. After spending 8 hours in an airplane and 8 hours on lay-over in Atlanta and Lima, it was time to head into town for some authentic food. Our first stop was a quaint restaurant called Sol de Mayo off of the Pintacha Square. Our group of fourteen commandeered a table on the second floor and after perusing the menu, I knew I was ready for a cultural gustatory delight. A multitude of parrilladas (BBQ or roasted meats), including the highly recommended anticucho de corazon were in order. If you know a little Spanish, you know that this involves eating the heart of some animal, a cow in this case. As luck would have it that day, 3 of us wished to try this dish, and only two servings were available. Now you might consider it lucky not having to eat a cow heart, yet the 3^rd person would end up ordering cuy. This famous Latin American delicacy involves roasting one of your childhood companions, a guinea pig. While I greatly enjoyed my cow heart which wasn’t quite as tough as I was imagining (and yes you could see remnants of the valves,) I only ate a little cuy which had the consistency of quail.

The next meal I thought of during my state of semi-consciousness occurred on Thursday, 2/7/09… see, this is getting more confusing. This was the third day in a row I had eaten lomo saltado, a Peruvian concoction of beef strips, onions, tomato, vinegar, soy sauce and since we were in Peru, both rice and French fries. I think this dish would do quite well in the US since it covers the two main food groups: meat and potatoes, maybe consider serving it at a football game or in a bar. I think the lomo saltado at our hotel was the best, despite some good competition from two local restaurants. Maybe the beef was a little more tender, the potatoes a little crunchier with more flavors, or the extra onions. I highly recommend anyone in Peru to try this Latin American staple.

I finally reached the Sun Gate after 50 minutes of hiking up a semi-steep incline. I thought to myself that I needed a minimum of 20 minutes of pictures and recuperation to survive the hike back down to the main city. I thought of all the times I should’ve exercised in the last 9 years, but hadn’t. I realized that jogging 5 minutes, 3 times a week wasn’t going to cut it for all day hiking expeditions. I wondered how Federer was going to do in the French Open final.

Speaking of Federer, I could almost taste the pisco sours from the Greenhouse restaurant the previous night, a Friday. Pisco is a Latin American brandy apparently made from grapes which is then mixed with sweet & sour, egg whites, and a dash of lime. This is quite a tasty drink, almost too easy to drink. Apparently, there has been bickering between Peru and Chile over the last 300 years trying to decide the rightful origins of pisco. So how is Federer involved in this? Well, I won a bet on the Federer vs Haas match, thus I enjoyed a pisco sour as the reward. A nice trivia fact is that Federer won the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship award from 2004 to 2007. Anyway, another nice menu item at the Greenhouse was their varieties of pizzas. The veggie mix pizza has tons of toppings on a paper thin crust. There were also a meat lovers, Hell’s pizza, supreme, double ham and cheese, among many others. The fresh toppings and light crust were a delectable combination, and you could probably eat 3 whole pizzas by yourself easily.

While walking back down the path to Machu Picchu, I asked one of the staff who decided to go on this intrepid march with me if she heard a sound. At first she questioned what I was talking about. A bird? A llama? The wind? Then, she refrained as we both stood still on the trail. And the beating grew louder, louder! Could it be… a VII/VI heart murmur? Surely not, those in the medical field profess, the scale only goes to VI. Then, how could my colleague hear my heart from almost 4 feet away. On a side note, a nice question to ask your cardiology juniors is how high the scale for diastolic murmurs goes. You might be surprised on the percentage that answers correctly.

After taking the bus back to Agua Calientes, the small town at the foot of the mountains nearest Machu Picchu, I enjoyed one of the greatest tasting Gatorades I’d ever had in my life. Nothing beats suffering and deprivation to magnify the taste of a product. Like the double cheeseburger I ate at Wendy’s after being stuck in the rapids of the Guadalupe River in Texas for 12 hours without food. It takes one heck of a burger to beat that one.

Thus, this was the latter part of my trek thru Machu Picchu. For those who haven’t been, I highly recommend it. It definitely deserves to be on the list of 1,000 things to do before you die. Next month’s article will continue my globetrotting to India. Happy eating.

- James Tarbox, MD