Waypoint

Chef Michael Scelfo has done it again. Get yourself to his new restaurant Waypoint and without a doubt order the Uni Bucatini and the King Crab. There are some dishes that manage to get an entire city buzzing, and these are two of them. 

In an unassuming, sort of hidden subterranean industrial space on Mass Ave between Harvard and Central squares, Waypoint lures fans of Alden + Harlow with contemporary seafood focused plates and an absinthe centric bar menu. There's so much more than two of us could try in one visit - like crudo and caviar and clam pizza. It is an experience much like the Choose Your Own Adventure Books that the checks come delivered in; no matter which way the menu inspires you to tailor your order, you won't be disappointed! 

The interior is warmly lit by a distinctive neon green fish sign and a parade of hand blown glass lamps. Large and small booths tuck perfectly into cozy spaces, while communal high tops front the area between the bar and the open kitchen. Creamy marble table tops and gorgeous herringbone inlaid walls catch my eye. It is a space that is both buzzing and soothing all at once.

As far as the aforementioned dishes go - the intensely comforting Uni Bucatini ($18) offers thrilling heaps of sweet uni, a runny smoked egg yolk, pecorino crumbles and bottarga shavings among hollow strands of the al dente pasta. Plump and fresh King Crab ($22) is piled atop a heavenly chili garlic oil, a creamy brown butter aoili and toasty black rice; lending playful, contrasting textures and harmonizing flavors. 

Meanwhile, our other two dishes are not to be overlooked: Grilled Monkfish Cheeks with squid inked eggplant and kohlrabi salsa verde, along with a Squid Ink Gemelli ($17) featuring benton's ham, swordfish lardo, smoked pignola + pecorino crumble prove all of Waypoint's alluring coastal cuisine dishes shine. 

Being on a mezcal kick I passed up the tales of absinthe section and went with a house original called Portside ($12) with mezcal, manzanilla sherry, pickled cherry pepper, honey + lime. It was smokey yet balanced with a little fiery kick. Later on, a really funky, seafood-friendly wine appropriate for fans of sour beer, the Denavolo "Dinavolino" ($15) from Emilia-Romagna, Italy is a delicious, unexpected discovery. 

Waypoint
1030 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138

The Greenhouse Tavern | CLE

"For us, Cleveland is at the beginning of its glory and we love a good Renaissance."

Chef / owner Jonathan Sawyer, a passionate Clevelander who moved back to his beloved hometown from NYC in 2007. In 2009 he opened The Greenhouse Tavern in what is now the hip and bustling East 4th Street dining district. 

".....at a time when everyone thought we were nuts. Cleveland was getting killed by the economy and our friends in the bigger cities thought we were secretly drunk. We knew something they didn't. We knew that the spirit of Cleveland was back and bigger than ever. We took the risk on Cleveland." 

This year, Sawyer took home The James Beard Award for BEST CHEF: GREAT LAKES!

This was our last night in the CLE and we went out with a bang. As we made our way through a majority of this innovative menu, there were some hits and some misses. 

The crispy chicken wings confit with roasted jalapeno, lemon juice, scallion and garlic were a hit all around. Later on though, the chef sends out a bucket of Tabasco chicken and it's game on. This is the chicken you want to be eating for sure. It's crispy, juicy and fall off the bone ridiculously good fried chicken. 

The animal style frites with bacon, fried eggs, whole grain mustard, mozz curd and brown gravy and the fried brussels sprouts with maple aioli, lemon, fresh mint and raw onion were my favorites. The crispy sprouts have outstanding flavor and the frites are basically a glorified poutine. These are the dishes I simply can not stop eating.

Those of us who drank cocktails found them lackluster. They don't have a bar menu online, and I can't recall all the ingredients - there was one featuring Aperol that barely has any trace, and mine (pictured) had me searching for the bourbon. Local brews seem to be the best bet, a can of New Cleveland Palesner - a part pale ale, part pilsner gets the job done. 

As far as entrees go, the pig head comes coated in bbq sauce with a raw vegetable salad, brioche buns, lime and lettuce. I struggled with this one! It was prepared well but the meat being particularly fatty, I wasn't crazy about it. Others however, devoured it. I had really high hopes for my house made black pepper bucatini with Ohio beef jerky, pecorino and grated farm egg bottarga. The hollow pasta noodles were cooked to a satisfying al dente but they got lost in the heavy beef jerky sauce. The dish was lacking balance, the sauce was simply too smoky. The Smoked Pork Tonkotsu Syle Ramen with white cabbage, scallion and crispy pork chashu didn't actually look like a ramen noodle soup. One dining companion cleans her plate while another barely touches it, remarking, "it's not ramen." Overall, the appetizers nail it while the entrees leave us wanting. 

The buttered popcorn pot de crème with caramel and sea salt is smooth and creamy with bold flavors, ending our meal on a high note!

The Greenhouse Tavern
Gateway District / E 4th St
2038 East Fourth Street 
Cleveland, OH 44115 

Cleveland Makes a Comeback

There was a grim point in time in the city of Cleveland, Ohio, marked primarily by the decline of the steel and iron industries in the 1970's. The urban environment was largely forsaken and you can sense it in certain city districts where abandoned warehouses are slowly starting to come back to life. The recession didn't help matters, in fact it hit them pretty hard. 

As one local put it "You just had to grind it out - we grind till we shine, there's always a struggle, we always get through it."   

This sense of resilience and pride emanates from all the Clevelanders I mingle with; and in this gritty meets sophisticated Ohio city situated on the banks of Lake Erie, now is the time of revitalization and renewal. Said abandoned warehouses are being transformed into loft apartments, restaurants and retail space. Downtown districts are coming back to life, seeing a 98% full occupancy housing rate, the demand has skyrocketed. Local entrepreneurs are sinking roots, while Blue Collar neighborhoods remain true to theirs, and a vibrant spirit emerges. It is an exciting time to live in Cleveland and an exciting time to visit. What this city has to offer is sure to surprise you if you give her the chance. 

Getting Here: Jet Blue is now offering direct flights from Boston Logan and Fort Lauderdale, Florida into Cleveland Hopkins International. Bostonians - with flight time clocking in at less than an hour and a half, it makes for an easy getaway!
Getting Around: A light rail system known as The Rapid connects the airport with downtown, Ohio City, and University Circle area. The downtown districts are walkable. A rental car is a worthwhile option to reach other neighborhoods. 
Pictured Above (in order): The Flats District | Bridge crossing the Coyahoga River | Market Garden Brewery | Ohio City Neighborhood | The Arcade on Euclid | Fried Brussels Sprouts @ The Greenhouse Tavern | Playhouse Square (Theater District) | Carrot Agnolotti @ Lolita | World's largest outdoor chandelier(!) | Gateway District | Bacon wrapped Pork Loin @ Prosperity Social Club |
Where to Eat & Drink: This Midwestern cities food scene has long been influenced by its Eastern European roots - notably hearty fare like perogies, kielbasa and sausage. Today the culinary renaissance is largely accredited to Cleveland born Celebrity Chef Michael Symon (James Beard Award Winner, Iron Chef America Fame). Look to future posts that will individually highlight quintessential neighborhood restaurants and bars. 
Pictured Below (in order): The Arcade take 2 | Bar Cento | Black Pepper Bucatini @ The Greenhouse Tavern  | Ohio City take 2 | The Mayweather Building | East 9th & Euclid Avenue | Pretzel Crusted Chicken @ Great Lakes Brewing Company | Market Square | Gateway District accommodations |

I visited Cleveland on a press trip and I am thrilled to have been given this opportunity. I can't wait to share with you guys some of the fun things to do here!!

This trip was sponsored by the awesome crew @ Destination Cleveland; they covered all expenses including round-trip airfare on Jet Blue, accommodations at the Downtown Residence Inn Marriot, meals, and transportation throughout the city. I am not obligated to write about this trip, all opinions are my own.

Al Fresco Dining at Rialto

In 1992 Esquire Magazine named Jody Adams one of America’s best young chefs to keep your eye on. Four years later Bon Apetit named Rialto one of the top 25 hotel restaurants in the country. In 1997 she won a James Beard Award. Clearly, people took Esquire's advice because that list goes on. And on. And present day, over fifteen years later, this amicable chef is still delighting restaurant goers and Charles Hotel visitors with her simple yet sophisticated approach to Italian cuisine. Inside Rialto's peaceful dining room with sweeping gauze curtains and soothing color tones you overlook Harvard Square. It was here where I first experienced not only Jody's cooking by way of a three course lunch; but her warmth and generosity as a person and prowess as a chef through a demonstrative cooking class. This time around, I was joined by my friends Amy, Emily, Megan and Bianca for dinner on the terrace. Equally as relaxing and relatively new to the scene (opened last spring) is the shaded outdoor space defined by an orange awning, those same wispy curtains and strands of small white light bulbs. We started off with cocktails, I ordered an Equinox ($11) made with Hayman’s Old Tom Gin, Aperol, grapefruit & lemon bitters.Aperol is my latest go-to, this Italian Aperitif delights with its presence in various cocktails both in taste and in presentation (that bright orange color, swoon!) In addition, we were greeted with a glass of bubbly poured by Rialto's Wine Director, Allie Foote. To eat this evening we shared a little bit of everything. The appetizers began with Lourdes’ Burrata ($15) served with pickled greens, sliced fava beans and spiced anchovy. I love the understated whimsy to the presentation, the colorful elements forming a little circus ring around the burrata.A salad appropriately named Simple Lettuce ($12) consisted of frisee and pickled melons coated lightly in a lemon chardonnay vinaigrette. I do think $12 seemed overpriced for a small salad, but I did enjoy this as a light starter. When our waitress described the Cod Cheeks special we quickly added it to our order. A delicate batter encases morsels of fresh cod served with a creamy elevated tartar sauce, radishes and ramps. This was one of my favorites!

The Prosciutto di Parma ($16) was excellent, beholding a soft stinky blue cheese, arugula, thinly shaved beets and walnuts.Off the bar menu we couldn't pass up some Crispy Fried Calamari ($7) with pepperoncini, lemon and olive oil.

I am so glad Bianca convinced us to order the Roasted Duck Sandwich ($12) loaded with Gruyère, gingered figs and hand cut fries. The fries are chips, but they are truly sensational, as is the sandwich. On the other hand, $12 was a pretty reasonable price for this sandwich, proving the bar menu extremely worth while if you're dining on a budget!

The chef sent out three complimentary side dishes. The first was Local Barley ($8) which I didn't care for - I guess I'm just not a huge barley fan?

However, I loved the Pan Seared Mushrooms ($8) flavored with herbs, shallots, white balsamic and served in the cutest mini cast iron cauldron.

I was also a fan of the Spring Vegetables ($8) which were cooked until tender in shallots and parsley.

Rialto's pasta dishes are remarkable. They are offered in half portions, ideal for those of us who like to sample and share. The Lobster Bucatini ($16/$30) is made with green and red tomatoes and seasoned with chilis and saffron.

The Orecchiette ($15/$28) has greens, garlic scapes and house made sausage. The pastas embrace a delicate elegance and both prove incredibly satisfying.

You will want to linger over dessert at Rialto, where pairing fresh seasonal fruits with expertly constructed pastries and a dusting of nuts are the main focus. The Rhubarb Rose Meringue ($12) with pistachio and strawberry-rhubarb sorbet was a flawless example.

Sfogliatelle ($12) was sent out with the chef's compliments. The raspberry mint sorbet and pine nut sauce was a refreshingly unique combination.

The Summer Fruit Crostata ($12) with brandied blackberries and a peach ice cream to finish off the trio was equally as exciting.

Rialto proved tonight why it continues to stand out among a crowd, whether you narrow it down to the Harvard Square scene, broaden the scope to include Cambridge and Boston dining alike, or look to the vast category of Hotel Restaurants and Bars nationwide. As with my lunch and cooking class last November, I will fondly remember this summer evening on the patio!

Rialto Restaurant + Bar

1 Bennet St

Cambridge, MA 02138