justink's Profile
Marvin--New Restaurant in Shaw
My girlfriend and I went to Marvin last night and had quite a mixed experience. The place was really crowded, both upstairs and down, with a 45 minute wait for a two-top around eight o'clock. Luckily, we had a reservation and were seated right away.
The interior looks great, like a true bistro with mirrors and banquettes against two walls running the length of the room, and a crowd of tables only inches apart throughout the middle. The semi-open kitchen against the back wall makes the place feel almost like an upscale diner, and there's a real sense of "chic" informality, which is a welcomed change to the DC dining scene.
The main problems we had were with the service, specifically timing issues. There were a few missteps from the kitchen, too.
Almost immediately after sitting down, and before catching even a glimpse of the menu, the server was over trying to take our drink order. This really set the pace for the rest of the night, as we were rushed time and time again.
The appetizers arrived a suspiciously short amount of time after they were ordered (a few minutes). We had Belgian cheese croquettes and a dandelion salad. Considering their delivery time (very short) and temperature (the room’s), it's hard to imagine how the croquettes could have been cooked to order. The dollop of creme fraiche added superfluous heaviness to the already-rich cheese filling, making for a poorly thought-out and rather bland dish. The dandelion salad, on the other hand, was perfectly dressed and looked and tasted extremely fresh. Raw dandelion isn't very tender, but its chewiness wasn't off-putting in this case. The shaved fennel and radish were crisp AND moist, and the acidity of the lemon really brought out the subtle flavors of all the salad’s components. This one is was a keeper -- too bad the plate was whisked away before we could finish.
Entrees arrived immediately following our salad’s untimely departure. In fact, we could see them waiting under heat lamps as we crunched our greens. I had the sole fillet, which I'll get to in a minute. My girlfriend had the moules frites; which variety, however, we don't know, and apparently neither did the kitchen. See, the menu lists several variations on mussels, one of which includes shallots, white wine, and garlic, and another with bacon, fennel, and beer (there are at least three others). What was delivered seemed to include fennel and wine and not much else. That's not to say they weren't tasty -- they definitely were, and the portion was more than generous – they just weren’t exactly what we ordered. The accompanying fries were overcooked and soggy, made edible only by a flavorsome trio of sauces (wasabi mayonnaise, catsup, and curry).
Now about that sole fillet. It (actually they, there were two) was breaded, fried, and served atop a mound of collard greens, grits, and a (baffling) crosshatch of white asparagus spears. The fish itself was fine, if tasteless. The greens were tender, smoky, and juicy without being swampy -- perfect. The grits, on the other hand, were clumpy and dense, likely a function of their being room temperature. Bad, but not as bad as those mysterious asparagus spears. Never mind that they’re way (way) out of season. Perhaps their appearance was an attempt by the chef to meld -- as he does in many other dishes -- ingredients from the American south with some from Belgium. Perhaps it was yet again another example of his tendency to add one ingredient too many. Whatever the reason, they were a poorly-executed -- and ultimately the decisively detrimental -- element of a dish taken a little too far. The fish and the greens alone – kind of like that black bass I had the last time I was at Hook – would have been perfect.
The server asked twice to clear our table before we were done with the entrees. I was surprised to be invited to stay for dessert, seeing as they seemed so anxious for us to finish our meal, but we decided against ordering anything. Our meal, from seating to finish, took barely forty minutes.
And that’s how it goes at Marvin. Several kitchen mistakes redeemed by as many pleasant surprises. Clumsy service and poor timing saved by an awesome room and atmosphere.
Would I go back to Marvin? Absolutely. In fact, I’m really looking forward to it. However, it isn’t likely to emerge as a destination restaurant for folks outside the neighborhood. And that’s just fine with me.
Best Korean in Cleveland?
I haven't had much Korean food (other than Momofuku in NYC, but that doesn't really count), and have never had it in Cleveland. Does anyone have any recommendations for good Korean in Cleveland? Does it exist!!?!?!
Anthony Bordain in Cleveland
... for a taping of his Travel Channel show, "No Reservations". Here's a link to the Plain Dealer article from this past Friday; the episode airs in August.
http://www.cleveland.com/living/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/living/1169803837140120.xml&coll=2
Parallax (Cleveland)
Thanks for your imputs, stuart and luckygirl.
Lolita is probably my favorite restaurant in Cleveland, as well (yes, I like it better than Lola), and it wasn't listed on my original post because I know for a fact how good it is.
I'll check out the fire website. I've never been, but am familiar with the area and a few of the other restaurants on the 'Square.
My doubts about Parallax didn't stem from the lack of entrees in the price range I had in mind -- in fact, if the menu on their website is up to date, they're one of the most reasonably-priced restaurants in their class. Rather, a few skeptical reviews found on this board (albeit a few years old) made me think that Parallax might be a bit hit or miss.
Battuto also seems like a good choice. As far as I can tell, they don't have a website, so I might have to drop by to check the place out first.
Thanks again for the input.
Parallax (Cleveland)
I have some guests coming into town this weekend and am trying to figure out a nice, reasonably-priced restaurant to take them.
Initially, I thought Parallax seemed like a good option because it has more entrees in the upper-teens and low-twenties than other comparable establishments; but after a little digging I've found that it may not be the best option. Does anyone have any opinions or comments to share about this place?
[Other options I'm considering ar Momocho (been there once and loved it), Blue Point Grille (heard good things, but is a bit pricier), and Farenheit (doesn't seem to have as many options on the menu as the others).]
Cleveland Sunday Brunch Buffet Style
If you're into Dim Sum, check out this recent thread:
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/355694?query=cleveland&user_name=
Venison in Cleveland?
Anyone know where to buy venison in the Cleveland / Northeast Ohio area? For home cooking, not at a restaurant.
CLE - New Year's Eve?
Lolita is a good choice. Atmosphere-wise, it's a bit less fussy than Lola, but the food is of the same caliber -- just a bit dressed down. Do let us know how it is.
What restaurant in Cleveland OH shouldn't be missed for a great dinner?
I ate there soon after the most-recent chef left, and had some really good short ribs (which replaced the pork belly on the menu). I've had some bad meals at GLBC, too, though, so it's not highly recommended for food (even the burger isn't consistent).
vegetarian in Alexandria and/or DC??
Sunflower Vegetarian on rt. 123 in Vienna is the best vegetarian in the DC-area. http://www.crystalsunflower.com/
What restaurant in Cleveland OH shouldn't be missed for a great dinner?
It's like TGIFriday's dressed up, isn't it?
Duck Leg Confit
Most of the folks that work at the Chipotle I frequent (the one on Coventry) would probably have no clue what I was talking about, considering it's hard enought to get them to make a burrito correctly! But yeah, I think they do use Niman Rach pork (and free range chickens, too!).
Duck Leg Confit
Thanks for the info -- I was thinking about calling them and asking about retail but just haven't gotten around to it yet.
I'll check with Omaha Steaks in Beachwood. Trader Joe's sells Niman Ranch bacon but I've never seen any of their other products there, unfortunately.
Duck Leg Confit
You have to ask for the duck fat (not on display), but the legs are usually right there in the front. In fact, I'm not even sure the place I'm thinking of sells whole ducks (just the legs). However, you could render your own fat -- just buy a whole duck and you'll have more than enough to make confit a couple times over.
Duck Leg Confit
At least one of the poultry stands in the West Side Market sells individual duck legs, as well as duck fat. Also, there's a guy at the North Union Farmer's Market that sells duck, and some times has just the legs.
A bit off topic -- I found on the Niman Ranch website that a place called Euro USA in Cleveland sells their meat. Does anyone know anything about this place? As far as I can tell, it's just a distributor, but perhaps there's a retail store.
CLE - New Year's Eve?
I'm not sure what places you like to frequent, but I would try Blue Point Grille, Lola or Lolita (the latter has a new menu -- see this week's FreeTimes), Lago (Tremont), Parallax (Tremont), or Battuto (Little Italy). Some fairly obvious choices, but hopefully this will help.
Momocho - Cleveland
The food at Momocho is great, though I think it's just slightly overpriced. They're now doing a weekday Happy Hour between 5:00 and 6:30 (I think) with half-priced tacos ($8 instead of the $16 menu price), and cheap beers ($2).
We sat upstairs during our visit a couple months ago; while the downstairs seemed to have a better overall atmosphere, the kitchen is upstairs and is open enough for viewing.
The chef certainly seems comfortable pulling together non-traditional flavors, escpecially in the guacs. One complaint -- the tortillas (corn) didn't seem to be handmade and were a bit spongey and chewy.
