Monday, April 19, 2010

Taste Restaurant- Cleveland

This is one of Michelle and I's favorite restaurants. We go there at least once a month and enjoy their event tastings and wine samplings. Michelle wrote this great review. Hope you enjoy.


Just What the Doctor(s) Ordered
By Michelle Tarbox MD and James Tarbox MD


Taste Restaurant
www.tastefoodwine.com
2317 Lee Road
Cleveland Heights, OH, OH 44118
(216) 932-9100
Open Tue-Sat 5pm-10pm; Sun 5pm-9pm


Taste . . .
A simple word that conjures many different meanings. Scientifically it denotes the unique process of chemoreception by which the body reacts to the chemical composition of a food particle. On a more esoteric level it relates the flavor of a food, its culinary essence if you will. In other usages it can mean to eat a small portion of one or many things in order to sample them. It can also imply style and sophistication…oh and one more thing, it is the name of one of my all-time favorite restaurants in Cleveland.


My husband James and I first ventured into Taste (located on Lee road between Cedar and Fairmont) while we were waiting for a table at Morota’s (a absolutely fantastic Italian restaurant in the same area of Lee…but I digress). We had run into Lowell and Chen and while they hadn’t planned to join us at Morota’s, they were in for a little pre-game show if you will, so we found our way into Taste. When we walked in we were greeted by a warm and sophisticated décor with a comfortable intimate floor plan and by an equally pleasant and classy hostess. She showed us to a cozy corner booth and brought us our menus. Now of course since we were already on the waiting list at Morota’s (restaurant pager in hand) we settled on just getting drinks and a dessert. One item on the menu particularly caught our fancy: the red bell pepper cheesecake. This intriguing combination was too tempting to turn down. The friendly attentive waiter brought us our cheesecake, a coral colored fluffy triangle garnished simply with a mint leaf and without hesitation James and I dug in. The red bell pepper cheesecake was a gamble that paid off. It was sweet and fluffy like most cheesecake, but with smokiness and a depth of flavor contributed by the bell pepper which is roasted and pureed in preparation for the dish that rounded off the taste in a sophisticated flourish. We knew instantly that we would be back.


I can’t even count the number of times James and I have visited Taste since that first mouth watering meeting. Taste hosts theme dinner nights paired with wine tastings that is one of our favorite date night activities and a great opportunity to try a sampling or taste of many of the different dishes and wines available at the restaurant. The wine courses are selected by Larry Weider who co-owns the restaurant with his partner Raj Singh. Larry is a friendly, amicable host, and a passionate wine aficionado who truly enjoys introducing people to new varietals and types of wine. The dinners are thoughtfully prepared to match the wine course by Chef Anthony Vicente, who was born in Paris where he also trained. Chef Vicente draws from all cultures of cuisine for his offerings so while there are many French influenced dishes available; there are also flavors from Asia, Britain, and even local home–grown fare. A host is always present at the dinners and provides entertainment and information.


Chef Vicente changes the menu frequently to allow for the best use of fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables, and to keep things novel for his regular (and devoted) patrons, of which there are many. There are some dishes that are so popular that they stay in rotation including the red beet carpaccio, thin slices of red beets with spinach, curry dressing, goat cheese, and smoked bacon, the scallops and creamy leeks which are always the perfect texture and seasoning, and of course the red bell pepper cheesecake.


There is a Prix Fixe menu which offers three courses and two glasses of wine per person for $49 per person which James and I take advantage of fairly regularly. An average dinner for James and I goes something like this. For the first course James might get the parmentier d escargots with garlic-parsley butter (which is a rolled parchment filled with perfectly seasoned and prepared escargot) while I might get the chicken-stuffed crispy raviolis with sweet chili sauce (one of my favorites). For the second course James might order the rack of lamb with mashed carrots and mint emulsion while I might enjoy the grilled veggie alfredo with yellow squash, zucchini, carrots, and parmesan. For dessert James might have the chocolate mousse with hazelnut ice cream while I might go for the caramel and banana jam with Belgian chocolate and vanilla ice cream. During the course of the dinner James and I would each have been brought two glasses for wine from their wide selection to complement our meal.


Taste has something for everyone’s preference or taste, a wide range of culinary offerings and a broad wine selection. The Prix Fixe menu and the theme dinner nights offer a simple way to sample or taste the many flavorful dishes and full palate of wines offered. The sophisticated tasteful décor provides a comfortable relaxed atmosphere to unwind and enjoy your meal. It’s definitely worth your time to stop on by and have a taste of Taste.


Scale of 0 to 5
0: “When birds burp, it must taste like bugs.” – Calvin and Hobbs
5: “The purpose of life, after all, is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experiences.” – Eleanor Roosevelt


Food and drink: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Bang for the Buck: 4
TOTAL: 19/20 . . . I told you it was one of my favorite restaurants ;o)


Dr. J. Tarbox's two cents: I learned long ago never to disagree with my wife, sometimes compromise, never disagree. Her review is spot on. We enjoy going to Taste several times a month, especially for the great wine tastings. Check out the Events section on their website for monthly updates.


Food and drink: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Bang for the Buck: 4
TOTAL: 19/20


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 or visit the blog at starboxmd.blogspot.com. Thank you.