Unexpected Cleveland: Cultural, Culinary, Viticultural

By Emma Krasov, photography by Yuri KrasovMy early Cleveland awareness came from Howard the Duck movie, and I quote, “Hey, if I had some place to go I certainly wouldn’t be in Cleve-Land.” (Thank you, George Lucas!) From the more recent 30 Rock TV series I learned that NYC women all look like models in “The Cleve” (Thank you, Tina Fey!) Now, what with all these distortions to a perfectly normal name? The legend has it that a local newspaper lost an “a” from [General Moses] Cleaveland’s last name to fit it into a masthead back in the day… Today, there’s a visitors bureau’s new slogan, “Discover the Unexpected Side of Cle+” So, on my recent trip to C-Town I was ready to make some discoveries, and the unexpected side of Cleveland turned out to be rather spectacular.The Cleveland Museum of Art (http://www.clevelandart.org/) presents its enormous even on an international scale permanent collection admission-free. Both buildings of the Museum – Beaux-Arts 1916 and Marcel Breuer’s 1971 are included in an ongoing renovation and expansion project to better accommodate its riches. While a full exploration would take more than one day, I enjoyed Rodin sculpture gallery in a glass-walled modern section; a good number of Post-Impressionist paintings, and Picasso’s masterpieces from his Blue and Rose Periods.
Cleveland Botanical Garden (http://www.cbgarden.org/) is located nearby in the same University Circle neighborhood. Among its many wonders there is Glasshouse with Madagascar and Costa Rica exhibits, hosting not only plants of these biodiverse regions, but also butterflies, birds, and other fauna.
There are several theatres, filled out every night, in beautifully restored historic buildings of Playhouse Square (http://www.playhousesquare.org/).The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum (http://www.rockhall.org/) on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland provides a full-immersion experience into the iconic world of popular music genre with a massive collection of records, sheet music, instruments, costumes, press and photo archives, interactive programs, film, video, and concert series.Firmly putting Cleveland on a culinary map is a surprising number of excellent restaurants. From a classic no-frills breakfast at The Ritz-Carlton’s (http://www.ritzcarlton.com/) Muse (eggs, cereal, muffins, OJ, fresh berries, coffee) to Lucky’s Café’s fanciful Rueben sandwich with house-cooked beef, house-pickled sauerkraut and house-made Thousand Island dressing on house-baked bread, and vanilla bean buttermilk waffles with rhubarb compote, honeyed whipped cream and caramel sauce – there are too many choices to consider them all.(Don’t miss Lucky’s in artsy Tremont though: http://www.luckyscafe.com/).The ultimate brunch destination can be found at Fire Food and Drink (http://www.firefoodanddrink.com/) in historic Shaker Heights neighborhood. Chef-owner Doug Katz operates his wood-fire ovens, pours Hollandaise sauce over mushroom eggs Benedict, and greets his regulars all at the same time, and with great ease. While I was devouring Doug’s crispy fried chicken livers (just like my grandma’s – long ago) I’ve learned that he presides over Cleveland’s Independents – restaurateurs who unite to support local farmers and each other in a concerted effort to promote their trade.At Light Bistro in Ohio City (http://www.lightbistro.com/) you can choose from 160 great wines from all over the world, and pair them with house-baked parmesan baguette, Valdeon cheese and almonds- stuffed bacon-wrapped dates or chicken paillard.Dinner at Chinato (http://www.chinatocleveland.com/) on East Fourth Street (entertainment district) can surprise and delight you with beef tongue topped with beets and greens, delicately fried skate wing alla Milanese, and real Italian desserts, like airy and creamy tiramisu, or miniature connoli.A neighboring The Greenhouse Tavern (http://www.thegreenhousetavern.com/) is a rather large and well-oiled operation, and the first certified green restaurant in Ohio. Acclaimed chef-owner Jonathon Sawyer brings a whole beast from the city market and diligently uses every part of it in his cuisine; ferments his own vinegars, and relentlessly follows his own commitment to recycling and green living. The Tavern’s specials and favorites are many. Among them – veal gravy fries with mozzarella curd; crispy chicken wings with jalapeno, garlic, and lemon juice; pork skins with parsley, and absolutely amazing Erie walleye in light tomato broth.Rigatoni with woodear mushrooms come in a festival of tastes with pancetta, corn, and roasted red peppers, and my favorite beef tartar is served with 2-minute egg, red jalapeno, Dijon, and cornichons.No matter how full you might be, never leave Greenhouse Tavern without Jeni’s ice cream. From cherry with Belgian beer to salt water caramel the flavors are varied, and nothing short of divine.I couldn’t leave The Cleve without a visit to the mother load of all culinary advancements here – West Side Market (http://www.westsidemarket.com/) in Ohio City neighborhood. The largest market in the country, it was built in 1912 with indoor and outdoor areas, overflowing with farm-fresh fruit, vegetables, meat and dairy; freshly baked breads, and ethnic foods. Its 180 booths contain everything from Lake Erie fish to Hungarian sausage and French pastries.
On the eve of my departure, my friend and colleague Sarah Jaquay, who writes for The Wine Buzz, took me on a delightful side trip to Lake County wineries. I admit, as a California Wine Country regular, I was rather ironic at first. However, the beauty of natural settings, and especially the unadulterated quality of Ohio wines made me ashamed of my own arrogance.Pinot Noir grown from Dijon clones is a specialty of St. Joseph Vineyards (http://www.stjosephvineyard.com/) owned and operated by Art and Doreen Pietrzyk. Tight-clustered and delicate grapes that grow on hills are hand-picked and sorted once in the field, and then again when they come in boxes. The Pietrzyks limit their tonnage per acre to secure richer nutrient content in a smaller crop. They also grow sauv blanc, char, pinot gris, shiraz and merlot, and produce the most delicious German-style semi-dry Vidal blanc, and ice wine made from frozen-on-the-vine grapes, icy and sugary with concentrated juice.South River Vineyard (http://www.southrivervineyard.com/) is located in a salvaged 1892 building formerly of a Methodist-Episcopal church – cathedral ceiling, colored glass windows, pews, and all. It’s a successful enterprise of first generation winemakers Gene and Heather Sigel whose best wines come from the vineyards on premises overlooking the Grand River Canyon. The spouses implement their vision of a destination winery not only with their wines, but also with recent additions of an outdoor fireplace, a wine cave, and a Greek-style pavilion with stunning sunset views.South River’s best seller is sweet reserve Riesling, but after a thorough tasting I couldn’t identify any of their wines that would not be superb. Rich dry reds have site-relevant names like Exodus (excellent 100% merlot), Trinity (a blend of cab franc, pinot noir, and a versatile hybrid chambourcin), and Karma (cab sauv, cab franc, and merlot). Sweet wines are called Creation and Temptation.Dear Sarah organized our good-bye dinner at a historic Brennan’s Fish House in Grand River (http://www.brennansfishhouse.com/) – the best place to try Lake Erie famous walleye and yellow perch. The shallowest and warmest of all the Great Lakes, Erie supplies both tasty fish in abundance.
Next morning, when I was checking out from a hospitable Doubletree Hotel Cleveland Downtown/Lakeside (http://www.clevelanddowntownlakeside.doubletree.com/) to catch my early flight back to SFO, a smiley clerk at the registration desk asked me, “What, no time for breakfast?” and put a couple of warm from the oven oatmeal-chocolate chip cookies into my hand. More information to plan you Cleveland visit at: http://www.positivelycleveland.com/.

Unexpectedly Slavic Cleveland

By Emma Krasov, photography by Yuri KrasovFollowing Positively Cleveland’s suggestion to discover the unexpected side of the city, I found out that it’s heavily populated by my fellow Eastern Europeans. From Slavic-sounding surnames to familiar-looking faces, the city, located between Midwest and East Coast, seemed trying to meet this Ukrainian turned Californian half-way… By the end of my short trip I felt like parting with an old neighbor, or a new friend.My first nostalgic visit was to The Ukrainian Museum Archives (www.umacleveland.org). Located in a former orphanage building, opened during the influenza epidemic of 1918, the museum was founded in 1952 to preserve the legacy of several waves of immigration from Ukraine. Ukrainians started coming to the area in time of the American Industrial Revolution to work at steel mills, and continued to immigrate to escape wars and revolutions that were tearing their native land apart in the 20th century.The museum carefully preserves and displays rare artifacts, like a map of Ukrainian Diaspora published in 1920; a photograph of Ukrainian WWI veterans visiting the White House in 1922 to meet President Harding, the Ohio native; and an enormous archive of Ukrainian periodicals, private letters, photographs, journals, and other written and printed materials. In the museum library I found early editions of many familiar from my school years poetry books by Taras Shevchenko, Lesya Ukrainka, Ivan Franko, and collections of songs, forever prevalent in Ukrainian folklore.An amazing collection of Ukrainian folk art, from painted Easter eggs to full costumes and room interiors, is presented in great style in a few available galleries, offering a glimpse directly into live history. Many artifacts, books, and archival materials were supplied by the members of a vibrant and active community, consisting of approximately 20 thousand ethnic Ukrainians, and 20 thousand Ukrainian Jews who call Cleveland home.A visit to The Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame and Museum (www.clevelandstyle.com) revealed details of Slovenian cultural history and the original polka music, later intertwined with German, Austrian, Polish, Slovakian and Romanian styles. Since Slovenians first arrived in America in the 1880s, polka absorbed American influences, like gospel, jazz, and swing. In Cleveland, Chicago, and Milwaukee, polka used to be very popular before the advance of rock-n-roll, back in the mid 1940s to mid 1950s. Loved by the Big Bands and Hollywood, and brought by television into every household in the nation, until today, the uplifting and energizing music (nothing in polka is written in a minor key) plays in restaurants and breweries during widely celebrated Oktoberfest. The museum holds music archives, records and photographs of the polka performers-Grammy award winners, button accordions and stage outfits of polka stars.Slavic Village in Cleveland is a traditionally Polish neighborhood with the Neo-Gothic ornate Church of St. Stanislaus at its center (www.ststanislaus.org). From first immigrants at the end of the 19th century to more contemporary arrivals Polish community settled around the “Mother Church of Cleveland,” forming a neighborhood with its own cultural and political character. Today, third and forth-generation parents bring their children to classes here to keep up with the language and their roots.In a grandiose Rockefeller Park and the Cleveland Cultural Gardens, there are about 25 uniquely designed spaces dedicated to the ancestors of various ethnic groups that define the city’s diversity. There are Armenian, Azerbaijanian, Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Ukrainian, and Hebrew gardens among others.For a culinary Slavic experience, there is hardly a better place to dine in than restaurant Europa (www.restauranteuropacleveland.com), well-attended by local Russian-speakers and Russian vodka lovers. Chef Asta, originally from Lithuania, puts on the table an array of Russian delicacies, like borsch, beef Stroganoff, and stuffed cabbage.A nod to French cuisine, highly esteemed by Russian diners, comes in a plateful of foie gras creatively garnished with sautéed green grapes, and in various Provencal specialties.Europa’s big attraction is Vodka Room, (formerly known as freezer, I guess) where guests are invited to wear fur hats and coats before downing a shot of Russian vodka. Painted on the wall glaciers are supposed to provide the necessary atmosphere. More information at: http://www.positivelycleveland.com/.

World of Painted Poetry Unfolds on Japanese Screens at Asian Art Museum

By Emma Krasov
From laconic black and white depictions of reeds and snowy mountains to bursting with color detailed representations of nature’s bounty, “Beyond Golden Clouds: Five Centuries of Japanese Screens” is strikingly diverse. New exhibition at the Asian Art Museum (curator Melissa Rinne), jointly organized by the Art Institute of Chicago (curator Janice Katz) and the Saint Louis Art Museum (curator Philip Hu), brings to San Francisco most impressive and sometimes unexpected examples of household items turn precious pieces of art. The show ties together the ancient and the contemporary, from earliest ink-on-paper screens by Sesson Shukei, dated 1560s – to the 1990 Sasayama Tadayasu’s stoneware with metallic and selenium glazes rendition of a screen that doesn’t fold, yet stands as a symbol for the ever-popular art form. All screens in the exhibit are presented without Plexiglas vitrines that usually separate viewers from artworks. This proximity allows for better appreciation of various media used to narrate poetic landscapes and fairy tale scenes often supplemented with written poetry – each fragment visible from another angle or temporarily hidden in the folds of a screen. Ink, natural color and gold leaf on paper have been used by generations of artists to express their fascination with changing seasons, animal kingdom, plant world, and historic legends known through literary sources. On a pair of six-panel Chinese-style landscape screens from 1602 by Kaiho Yusho, distant mountains are depicted in washed-ink outlines, while scarce vegetation, fragments of dwellings peeking through a fog, and barely visible boats on perceived water come into being through sharp minimalist strokes of a brush. Another pair of screens, purely Japanese-style, by Hasegawa Soya (1650) is titled “Willow Bridge and Waterwheel,” and presents a solid shiny surface, richly covered with gold leaf squares; torn gold pieces (to convey rippled clouds and water), and exquisite paintings of willow trees framing the arched bridge over the Uji River in Kyoto prefecture. A great example of the traditional art form’s infinite possibilities comes with a 1921 creation of “Blue Phoenix” by Omura Koyo. Color-rich, full of light, and very detailed, the paining uses ink, color, and gold on silk, offering a close-up of marvelously feathered blue-headed tropical birds among flaming red and orange blossoms and lush tropical greenery.
The Museum does a great job educating the public on the basic screen techniques, and explaining the intricacies of format, materials, subject matter, design and composition, used throughout centuries in a series of leaflets, brochures, and associated programs. More information: http://www.asianart.org/. Image: courtesy Asian Art Museum, San Francisco

Michael Mondavi Family Winery Puts up Harvest Moon Party Rain or [Moon] Shine

By Emma Krasov, photography by Yuri KrasovWell-attended Harvest Moon Party at Michael Mondavi Family Winery (formerly Folio Winemaker’s Studio) happened to fall on the first, and what could be the worst, rainy stormy night in Northern California yesterday. Unfazed, the party-goers came to celebrate not only the winemaker’s harvest, but the winery’s newest release of Spellbound (boo, I guess?) and the new name of the popular and well-loved enterprise. Its founder and winemaking couch (and a family man, of course) Michael Mondavi was present at the festivities, along with his family members – among them his son Rob – the winemaker.Besides the newly released 2007 Spellbound Reserve Petit Syrah, the guests enjoyed richly-colored I’M Rose – 2008 Isabel Mondavi Deep Rose Cab Sauv; delightfully tannic 2006 Emblem Oso Single Vineyard Cab; melting-in-your-mouth 2006 Medusa Lover’s Lane Zin (exceedingly more mellow than the mythical heroine who gave it her name) and this wine-lover’s favorite – 2005 Oberon Cabernet-Magnum – really magnificent and deeply satisfying. The long list of presented varietals also included Oberon Sauv Blanc, Hangtime Char, I’M Char, Oberon Merlot, Spellbound Cab, a barrel tasting of a strong 2008 Cab from Animo Vineyard, Atlas Peak, and a sweet finale of 2007 Medusa Old Vine Zin Port.Wonderful Mondavi wines were complemented by fit-for-a-rainy-night food prepared by Smoke Grilling Company (Chef Morgan Robinson, Rachel Baronian-Powell, and Grant Wood). There were two kinds of Italian sausage on the menu – sweet and hot, grilled by the courageous chef on an outdoor grill, under a gazebo, despite the pouring rain; white Corona beans in a simple yet delicious soup/sauce of water, garlic, and olive oil; Ceasar salad, focaccia bread and house-made green pesto.For dessert, the guests indulged in decadent chocolate espresso pot de crème. Live band was playing in the candle-lit wine barrel cellar, and for the adventurous there was a great opportunity to participate in a traditional grape stomping – just to get a real taste of winemaker’s life.Michael Mondavi Family Winery is located at 1285 Dealy Lane in Napa, California. For more information, or to order wines, call 707-256-2759 or visit www.mbymichaelmondavi.com.

Winemaker’s Harvest: Landmark Vineyards

by Emma Krasov, photography by Yuri KrasovSpending a day in the sun in Sonoma Valley mid-October is comparable to an ideal getaway in mythical Arcadia. Between the blue sky and the golden-green vineyards with peeking here and there purple grapes, gaining sugar, the air is sweet, and the life is good. Especially if you partake in the Day on the Farm harvest celebration at Landmark Vineyards – a historic third-generation family-owned-and-operated winery in Kenwood.Fall festivities last Saturday at Landmark featured tastings of acclaimed handcrafted wines and a cornucopia of other earthy delights, like peak-of-the-season heirloom tomato salad, whole roasted pig, and a variety of brick oven pizzas, coming out piping-hot straight from a movable oven delivered by Rosso Pizzeria from Santa Rosa.Among the noble wines presented to the discerning public there was award-winning Damaris Chardonnay, named after the founder of Landmark Vineyards – Damaris Deere Ford – great-great granddaughter of the most famous American blacksmith and the largest agricultural and construction equipment manufacturer, John Deere.
The wine list also included creamy Overlook Chardonnay; rich Grand Detour Pinot Noir; Grenache, and Steel Plow Syrah – all 2008 vintage.After enjoying al fresco lunch by the fountain and a metal sculpture of a charging horse, the guests were invited to a real horse-drawn wagon tour of the estate vineyards.Two teddy bear-colored Belgian draft horses, Cindy and Daisy, accompanied by two docile dogs that were obviously enjoying the ride, took our group through the chardonnay and pinot noir vineyards, where the leaves were just starting to turn color.There, we learned from our knowledgeable guide Pat that pointing the grape plants north-south helps them shade themselves from the hot California sun; that bluebirds are encouraged to nest close to the vines, since they are taking care of the insects, and that Landmark is now switching to becoming a certified organic winery.Bocce ball court on premises surely attracted a number of hastily assembled teams in various stages of excitement, and Ma Vie en Rose played live by Laurent Fourgo & His Ensemble prompted more than one couple to dance between the dahlia flower pots and the festively decorated tables. Set in the beautiful foothills of Sugarloaf Ridge in the Mayacamas Mountain Range, Landmark Vineyards is now owned and operated by Damaris Deere’s son and daughter-in-law, Mike and Mary Colhoun. A veteran winemaker Eric Stern and associate winemaker Greg Stach create all the Landmark’s distinguished wines – many thoroughly enjoyed by the harvest celebration crowd.Hospitable Mary Colhoun was present at the festivities greeting her guests – newcomers as cordially as regulars – and welcoming out-of-towners and California dreamers from near and far. Landmark Vineyards is located at 101 Adobe Canyon Road, Kenwood, California. For more information or to join the wine club, call 707-833-0053 or visit http://www.landmarkwine.com/.

Go Fish at Chez Papa Bistrot

By Emma Krasov, photography by Yuri KrasovNo matter what strikes your fancy on Chez Papa Bistrot’s titillating dinner menu, you can’t go wrong with fish.The popular Potrero Hill restaurant’s new chef Shawn Paul, hand-picked by a prominent San Francisco restaurateur Jocelyn Bulow, adds notable creative touched to the traditional Southern French cuisine. With international Michelin-starred venues and domestic landmarks like The French Laundry, Fifth Floor, and Michael Mina in his background, Chef Paul is surprisingly modest and understated, expressing himself in creative combinations of tastes and textures that evolve into some magical experiences on his grateful customers’ dinner plates.Mild and creamy pan-seared day boat scallops are enhanced with a sweet crunch from white corn fricassee studded with bright-green lima beans. Precious black truffle shavings add just a hint of earthiness, harmonized by mache greens.Grilled Local Sardines (a real cat people’s food – must be consumed whole, with all their calcium-rich bones) turn into a little culinary masterpiece accompanied by chickpea salad with pungent green pesto (or rather, pistou) sauce, and crispy parsnip chips.Pan-roasted sockeye salmon brings along a symphony of sophisticated garnishes – meaty heirloom tomatoes, sweet-sour chewy purslane, higher-note-sour green sorrel, and a briny underlayer of black olive tapenade (the latter, served with fresh baguette, precedes any meal at Chez Papa).Another big fish, pan-roasted branzino, comes with roasted salsify – a fish-friendly root; artichokes poached in white wine, and the most satisfying lobster nage – so good, it can be eaten with a spoon.That’s not to say that Cher Paul’s meat dishes are anyhow inferior to fish. Seared Sonoma foie gras is succulent and well-balanced by blackberry ginger compote, onion brunoise, and baby greens, and classic French lamb daube is nicely complemented by rosemary-red wine sauce and root vegetables.Chocolate lava cake and lavender crème brûlée are sure-fire crowd-pleasers at Chez Papa Bistrot. An extensive list of sophisticated libations (wine director Mark Thompson) contains everything necessary for an enjoyable dining experience, including French and Californian good labels, cocktails, beer, and dessert wines, like an excellent sauterne, a match made in heaven for abovementioned foie gras.
Chez Papa Bistrot is open for lunch and dinner, and is located at 1401 18th Street in San Francisco. For more information and reservations call (415) 824-8205 or visit www.ChezPapaSF.com.