87 West at Crocker Park--Westlake, OH [$$$]

Opting for something a little different, we decided to go to a later opening restaurant, 87 West at Crocker Park.  Very hungry due to waiting until 2 instead of noon, we showed up and took our seats as the only customers at the wine bar.  There was a sign inviting us to sit anywhere, so we made our way to sit directly in front of the fireplace to keep warm.  We waited for a while until waited upon, and soon after chose drinks off the Happy Hour menu, and then our late lunches.

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Shannon:

Last week my boyfriend and I stopped in 87 West for a drink after a shopping trip to Crocker Park.  I noticed how many vegetarian options were on their menu so I inquired when they opened.  Since they opened at 2, I was slightly put off based on our usual routine, but soon after I consulted with Grace she said she had looked at their menu recently and decided we should go for it.  Grace noticed that during Happy Hour martinis were $6, so I chose the Blood Orange martini.  This was zesty and vibrant, and the fire helped keep me warm despite how chilly the drink was.  My favorite component was the slice of orange I nibbled on after finishing the dregs of my drink.

I decided on having almost every vegetarian option before finally settling on the Wild Mushroom flatbread.  I was uncharacteristically hungry due to the later hour and wanted to ensure my choice satiated this.  After chatting over our martinis for a bit, our food arrived.  My flatbread sat on a white glossy plate with warped edges, reminiscent of art-deco.  The flatbread had melted mozzarella and asiago cheeses, roasted garlic aioli, wild mushrooms, topped with crisp arugula.  The mixture was perfection.  The aioli was buttery and softened the plump mushrooms while the cheeses melted around the arugula, keeping everything together for a perfect bite every time.  I unabashedly finished the whole thing, having after all been very hungry and was found quite satisfied.

After finishing our lunches, Grace and I decided to sit over another drink and soak up the warmth from the fire.  We both chose the Strawberry Shortcake martini, which was frothy pink and syrupy sweet.  I preferred this martini, as it tasted just like its namesake.  I will definitely be ordering this again when I go back!  87 West is a very cool place to lounge over a drink after running some errands.  I suggest any of the flatbreads, they all sounded amazing!

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Grace:

I had looked at the 87 West menu weeks before actually choosing it, but I had eliminated it because I didn’t think Shannon would be up for a luncheon starting at 2:00. When she told me she had gotten a drink at 87 West after shopping one day, and also suggested I look into it, I realized I had already looked at it! I found the menu online and, since I gave up meat for “Lent,” I figured the many vegetarian options would be fabulous for both of us! Shannon told me she would gladly eat a late lunch and that we would just blog another day since our boyfriends would be off work nearly soon as we were done. Once the waiter finally peeled his eyes away from his laptop screen and came over to us, he gave us the menu I had already seen online. Let me put it this way: everything sounds so good at 87 West. From the deviled egg plate that the ladies by us ordered, to the flatbreads—literally, everything sounded good to me. Since Happy Hour started at 2:00, Shannon and I decided to indulge and get martinis. I ordered the one called French Pear, and after some time, decided to try the Grilled Four Cheese Sandwich.

The drinks came and mine was a little tart because of the champagne, but other than that, what you would expect a pear-flavored martini to taste like. When we were waiting for our food, I saw our waiter climb a wall ladder in the back part of the preparation zone for employees and saw him enter into what must be a loft-like room. I wondered, verily, what that secret room was! After around fifteen minutes, our waiter brought us our delectable plates. I really liked the very modern décor and the dining-ware. The silverware was really bulky and thick and my plate was triangular and the sides folded up slightly, like a bowl. I didn’t end up using my silverware, but I still remarked on how cool the fork and knife were.

Being from Lakewood, I am used to extravagant grilled cheese sandwiches (like those from the incredibly innovative and Food Network-famous, Melt Bar and Grilled). My sandwich consisted of four cheeses: gruyere, goat cheese, smoked gouda, and Irish cheddar. I could not WAIT to please my taste buds with this meal. The “frites” on my plate were thin, lightly fried, and also covered in the melted cheese from my sandwich since my sandwich was placed on top of them. The bread of my sandwich was very panini-like and, undoubtedly, burnt to a crisp. I always have an apprehension when eating food that burnt, but this time around, I understood that it was definitely supposed to be like that. The bread added a very smoky flavor with every bite and paired very well with the cheese, especially the smoky gouda. I was absolutely in love with everything about this meal.

When I finished my last fry, I sighed because of how pleasant and filling that meal was. We decided to have just one more martini, and this time we got the same one. The Strawberry Shortcake martini was a fabulous end to a fabulous meal. I’ll definitely remind myself to come back to 87 West whenever I have time to take a break from shopping at Crocker Park.

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Cool chandelier

Bar and kitchen area

More cool chandeliers

Fireplace keeping us warm

Neat icons on the back wall

French Pear and Blood Orange Martinis and our cucumber waters

Wild Mushroom Flatbread

Grilled Cheese and Frites

Strawberry Shortcake Martinis

Neon sign with our goofy reflections

Side sign

Outside 87 West

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87 West is aptly located and should be frequented often.  What we had was amazing and what we haven’t ordered yet sounds too enticing to stay away for long.  We’ll definitely be back in the summer when the side windows can open up and let the warm air flow through!

Der Braumeister--Cleveland, OH (Lorain Ave.) [$$]---

After much deliberation between three menus that were not entirely vegetarian friendly, Shannon chose Der Braumeister.  We had not visited a German restaurant yet, and there were a few appetizers that could be made into entrees, to make up for the one vegetarian entree available.  The German Bier Haus was full of dark wood and stained glass.  It's interior immersed us in a homey European atmosphere that we instantly fell in love with.  The waiting staff was extremely friendly and accommodating in deciphering what was vegetarian and what could be made as such.
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Shannon:

My stomach was so ready to indulge in pierogies or sauerkraut, especially having had dined almost solely on saltines yesterday, because of an upset stomach.  I was really looking forward to making a motley meal out of the appetizers I could have, since the one vegetarian entree was described as a lasagna dish.  The dish sounded tremendous, however, I was hoping to enjoy a more characteristic German meal.  Unfortunately the sauerkraut balls appetizer I had my eye on was not vegetarian.  The waitress was so helpful in checking with the kitchen for what I could and could not eat.  Eventually I decided I would make a sandwich vegetarian by asking for them to remove the ham, and I ordered the pierogi appetizer.

The waitress seemed uncertain what pierogies were on the menu that day.  She informed me potato was the only option, so when she handed me the cheese pierogies I was delightfully surprised.  The pierogies were fried crispy on the outside with sauteed onions and sour cream to accompany.  The cheese was soft, mild, and almost sweet.  Mixed with the salty onions and cool sour cream, I was in utter heaven!  I may just end up getting multiple orders of these next time!  For my entree, I ordered the Bavarian Pretzel Sandwich, without the ham.  The sandwich included melted Swiss, lettuce, tomato, and German mustard on a warm Bavarian pretzel.  Grace had mentioned the cranberry mustard on the menu, so upon ordering I asked if I could have this mustard instead.  I had the choice of a side, so I picked applesauce.  I had not even finished my appetizer when the sandwich arrived in all its glory.  The pretzel was my favorite part, it being speckled with sea salt and warmed to perfection.  The cranberry mustard came on the side, along with the German mustard.  Not being a huge mustard fan, the cranberry mustard was a good choice, as the cranberry was the overpowering flavor.  The saltiness of the sandwich paired very well with the sweetness of the applesauce.  It was all very filling, so I ended up taking half the sandwich and some of the applesauce home with me.  Two meals for one!

Der Braumeister was an amazing choice.  I loved the decor and even though there wasn't a ton in the way of vegetarian options, the waitress helped make sure I had something delicious!  I was very pleased that she checked so thoroughly what I could and could not eat, I really appreciated feeling comfortable and welcome, and that they were willing to accommodate.  I would love to go back and try the pasta entree, or perhaps just get more pierogies!  I had a wonderful lunch here today!
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Grace:

As a girl of German descent, I was so excited when Shannon chose Der Braumeister! I've never been a fan of sauerkraut, though, so I knew off the bat that I wouldn't be getting that. We sat down, and I noticed there were only two other people in a booth across from us, so I found it weird when the waitress said they didn't have the cheese and potato pierogies that day. Since today is Mardi Gras and I was definitely in the mood to eat a ton, I browsed the menu for a good ten minutes before landing on the sandwich, soup, and salad combo. $9.50 for all of that food seemed like the best deal for a struggling post-grad. Although I wanted a German beer (because, well...when in Rome, right?) but I decided not to since Shannon's stomach was still sensitive. I didn't see the point in indulging if my lunch partner couldn't. I ordered the Grilled Turkey and Havarti Sandwich and tossed salad, with the day's soup special, German Potato. Usually, when you order a combo it's either half a sandwich and half a salad, or half a salad and half a soup, but this combo contained all three! Surprisingly, even the sandwich had both halves, so you could imagine how pleased I was when I got all of this food for less than $10!

My German Potato soup came first, so I was happy when Shannon placed an order for pierogies so I didn't have to eat in front of her. The bacon in the soup was really subtle, and the potatoes weren't chunky like they are in, say, a stew. About ten minutes later, the rest of my combo came. The shaved turkey on the sandwich was delicious and paired well with the lettuce, tomato, and cranberry mustard. I hadn't even heard of cranberry mustard before this outing, so I had been really intent on trying it. The semi-hard, multi-grain bread was really thin, but it actually did a great job of holding the contents of the sandwich together. Although the sandwich juices were dripping onto my salad, and I'm a bit OCD about my foods running into each other, it was so remarkable.

I've driven by Der Braumeister loads of times, and I have always wanted to try it. Needless to say, I was excited to try it for my first time with Shannon! At the end of the meal, we received a complimentary oatmeal raisin cookie after we had gotten our coats on to leave. Our waitress told us to have a seat while we enjoy our cookie and that she would be right back with our credit cards and receipts. We were confused about how we were to go about paying, so getting the cookie was a nice way to tell us we were still welcome and accommodated. I wholeheartedly enjoyed Der Braumeister, and I loved seeing the German heritage so proudly represented throughout. :)
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Bar area

More bar area

Even more bar area

Quaint niche-booth

Doorway between dining room and bar

More seating

Decorative wall

Glimpse of the party room

Shannon's pierogies

Bavarian pretzel sandwich and apple sauce

German Potato soup

Grilled Turkey and Havarti sandwich with tossed salad

Free cookies! :) :)

Outside/Patio area

Front door

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Der Braumeister was spectacular to say the least!  Our bellies are satisfied and already looking forward to a return trip!  Maybe we'll stop back in the summer and sit on the patio to soak up some sun!  This is a really fun place, let us know if you stop in for a brew!  There's so many to choose from!
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AMP 150--Cleveland, OH [$$$]

For this outing, we were excited for our weekly distraction since we both have been feeling under the weather. It was Grace's turn to choose, and she did her research and picked AMP 150. The online menu looked really snazzy, but the website said nothing about it being a hotel restaurant. After finding a parking space that was not an ideal distance from the hotel entrance, we used the revolving doors and veered to the right towards AMP 150. We were asked whether we wanted restaurant or lounge, and we chose restaurant because neither one of us was up to day drinking this week. When we got to our table, we couldn't help but feel slightly under dressed and not-so-corporate. We both wanted a lunch on the healthier side this week, which worked out because the main entrees were a bit pricier than what we chose.

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Grace:

Upon arrival to our table, I noticed the really cool, shiny red chairs. When I sat down, I immediately started looking at the menu that was waiting for me on the tables. I was perusing each section of the menu, but kept going back to the soup and salad portion 1) because I'm sick and 2) because I get paid tomorrow. The waiter brought us some water. After some time, I decided on the chicken soup and the chopped salad--because both had avocado (and we know I can't pass that up).

Both of our soups came out before our salads so I was glad Shannon wanted to get soup and salad, too, so I wasn't the only one eating. Most people think of chicken noodle soup as "chicken soup," but I read the description beforehand and was completely sold. The chicken soup consisted of avocado, radish, these crazy spicy peppers, corn dumpling, cilantro, and tomato. There was a lime wedge on the rim of my bowl, so I spritzed that in the soup to liven it up even more. The chicken soup was really great and was only $6! It was the right temperature and the perfect amount of soup to be considered a meal with the salad to come later.

As previously mentioned, I also ordered the chopped salad. It consisted of avocado, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, onions, olives, and green beans. The dressing was a white balsamic vinaigrette which was very sweet and different, because I've only ever really had raspberry vinaigrette. Every single bite of this salad was fresh and crunchy! My salad was a dollar more than Shannon's, so I got more food on my plate, which made me feel bad--but luckily, we did finish eating at the exact same time. 

I really liked AMP 150! It is located in the Marriott on W. 150th Street. AMP 150 is good for what it is, but I felt Shannon and I were the odd, young women there solely for the food and not for a budget meeting. Based on the food, it was success, but because it seemed more for business-oriented people and/or hotel guests, I probably won't find my way back there in the foreseeable future. 

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Shannon:

Grace informed me that the restaurant was in a hotel shortly before picking me up, so until I arrived at AMP 150, I was uncertain of what I'd find.  The hostess booth was to the right of the front door, off the lobby.  We were seated in the restaurant section, as opposed to the lounge, which were seats dispersed into the lobby area.  Some of the booths were very intricately decorated and there were several rooms off the main restaurant area for private meetings/parties.

Upon scanning the menu, I found that the squash soup I saw on the online menu was nowhere to be found.  Saddened by this, I scanned the entrees, however the one vegetarian option seemed too pricey for lunch.  Having my heart set on soup, I ordered the tomato, and the spinach salad.  The soup arrived first, which was a thick creamy bisque topped with creme fraiche and a Gruyere crouton.  I devoured the soup, glad that I ordered the bowl over the cup.  Soon after, my salad arrived.  This was a bed a spinach with chopped onions, Lake Erie Creamery Feta cheese, topped with a sunny side egg and vanilla vinaigrette.  The salad did come with bacon, which I asked the waiter to hold.  I have many salad recipes I've wanted to try that are topped with an egg, although unless they are scrambled or over hard, eggs that I make do not turn out correctly.  I was excited to try this accompaniment.  I chopped up my salad so the egg ran into the bed of spinach and mixed with the sweet vinaigrette.  This was the ultimate clashing of cold and warm, the egg still warm from the pan mixing with the cool lettuce and dressing.  The feta was truly spectacular and the crispy sweet onions tied it all together perfectly.  The waiter brought us complimentary bread, which I used to soak up the remaining egg and dressing once I had finished my salad.  I was very pleased with my choice, and was satisfied without being overwhelmingly full.

Other than feeling slightly out of place among the other patrons who seemed to be meeting here over their lunch break, it was a lovely place.  Since AMP 150 is in a hotel, I do not think I would have thought to stop in if I had been driving past.  I am glad, however, that somewhere I do not think I would end up on my own was somewhere Grace and I went to enjoy together.  I would like to make it back whenever the squash soup is in season, so I can give it a try!

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Outside of AMP 150, from hotel lobby.

Seating area

More seating

Cool booth

Chopped salad

Chicken soup

Spinach salad

Tomato soup

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We had noticed there were unidentifiable objects stuck to the ceiling above the bar while we were eating, so on the way out we investigated.  The hostess saw us looking and taking pictures, so she insisted that we get a card of our own.  She walked around the bar to find the bartender, who came over and gave us instructions. We had to pick a card and write our names and the date on the sides.  We picked the 4 of spades.  He came back and shuffled the cards a billion ways, showing us as he went, then he rubber-banded them all together and told us our card will stick to the ceiling once he throws the deck in the air.  And so it did!  The rubberband stuck to it as well.  We were amazed!  That was definitely a new experience, lunch and a show!

Our card

Our card on the ceiling

Many cards on the ceiling!

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