March, 2017.
The nice weather of February was a welcome respite from our typical windy deep freeze with piles of snow and icy streets. This early ‘spring teaser’ allowed for ease of travel and increased dining out opportunities! Never one to shy away from gathering around a table with friends and family I can report that I made the best of the invites! From breakfast to dinner and late night snacks there was much to appreciate.
originalpancakehousecleveland.com
I had the opportunity to dine at both locations of Original Pancake House this past month. It is such a treat to be able to order pancakes with a bacon and eggs breakfast! At one of the breakfasts I tried the Bacon Pancakes instead of having the bacon and eggs. They were super but I’ll confess that I missed my eggs. For some reason I’ve missed the pancake options on the menu in earlier visits but I noted this past time that there are options for blueberry, strawberry, bacon, chocolate chip….. I asked if they would do the g-f pancakes as ‘Pigs in the Blanket’ option and was assured that they could do that as well. I didn’t have them on this visit but……… next time:) Oh yeah, and don’t neglect to get yourself a frequent dining punch card. I only just found out about this feature and am now one punch towards a free pancake breakfast:)
This months dining out included two visits to Skye Bistro in Mentor – MENTOR’S BEST KEPT SECRET
As is often the case for those of us needing a g-f diet the option of where to dine will often fall to us. I was thrilled to choose Skye Bistro for its large selection of gluten-free options that accommodate a g-f diet. The regular menu options offered in g-f preparation were varied in all categories, apps/salads/entrees/sides/and desserts! They even offer Redbridge – a Budweiser brew that is a fully g-f beer! The dining room is comfortable, the staff is skilled and attentive. On my first visit this month a family celebration brought us to dinner. I was thrilled to have the options of Crispy Calamari and Shrimp Tempura from the appetizer menu – by adding one of the entree style salads I rounded out my dinner options. On my second visit to Skye our server was Steve, who is friendly and knowledgeable and who has been a part of the Skye staff for it’s many transformations. I chose to start with Beet Salad with maple dijon dressing on the side. The salad was perfect! It is a large salad, as it is an entree salad, but it fit perfectly with my entree choice. The evening of our visit the special options for the evening included Fish and Chips which were offered in a g-f option. The fish was excellent, the kettle chips crisp and perfectly salted. My meal was accompanied by an ice cold Redbridge beer. My fellow diner enjoyed the Seared Scallop entree with a side green beans and almonds. We finished our meal by sharing a chocolate dessert that was just lovely!
harvestsolon.com
I’ve written about Harvest Kitchen in previous posts at our site but I really cannot stress enough how much I appreciate the menu, the preparation and the service of Harvest Kitchen staff! Truly, it is the best kept secret in Solon. This month my husband and I celebrated our 37th Anniversary and we chose Harvest as our destination to celebrate. I am so very grateful for the opportunity to enjoy the bountiful offerings at Harvest and include in my selections a cold Bard’s beer. On this particular evening the kitchen was offering a range of special menu items – three of which were gluten-free including Poutine and Duck Confit. So, what can I say, if you ever dine with me you know that I adore Poutine (which is nearly impossible to access in a g-f version in Cleveland) and I always order Duck Confit when it is available to me. This was a dilemma easily solved – I ordered both! My husband, who is ever so gracious when it comes to dining within the confines of my g-f diet, shared the Poutine with me as an appetizer! Solution realized – I was able to fully enjoy the Duck Confit served with brussels sprouts and an amazingly flavorful rice preparation. Tim chose the Hangar Steak (very rare and perfectly prepared and also a g-f menu option) served with a side of asparagus. While we were definitely full enough we decided to indulge in dessert and shared the g-f waffle with salted caramel gelato. The entire meal was extraordinary! Just to note: the third option for the specials selections for the evening was a Pan Seared Trout accompanied with rapini.
As I’ve mentioned before, but which is never out of date to mention, always be your own advocate in every dining out setting. Make your needs clear and ask about anything you are not sure of!