Busy Busy

Well, again, it's been quite awhile since I've posted. I've gotta get in the habit of updating more often.

It has been very busy at North End. We do a lot of catering, so with the holidays upon us, we are in full catering mode along with cooking for a busy restaurant.

Over the last couple months, we have changed a few things on the menu, done 4 charity events (The Liver Foundation dinner and the March of Dimes dinner being the biggest), and are working on changing things around in the kitchen after the first of the year.

We work with one oven and six burners on a nightly basis. It gets really tough after awhile, so we are looking into getting a 10-burner with 2 ovens and moving the dish area around, to make more room for actual cooking. It can't happen soon enough.

I was also invited to the "Rise of the Cleveland Food Scene" discussion held by the Cleveland Professional 20/30 Club . It was an open discussion on how the food scene in Cleveland has taken off over the last 5 years or so. You can read a summary of it here: http://northernohio.localfoodservice.com/ Thanks to Joe for posting that.

A few thoughts and new menu items:

-Striped bass, local tomato confit, tri-color fingerling potatoes, basil vinaigrette, candied lemon

-Pepper crusted NY strip steak, pomme frites, creamed spinach, brandy cream sauce

- Cedar roasted salmon, potato latkes, mustard greens, crab cream sauce

-It is always great to have a capable, smart, and talented sous chef. Thanks Mark for everything you do.

-The "Rise of the Cleveland Food Scene" discussion was great. Nice to see so many people that "get it" and realize what Cleveland has to offer food-wise. Nice to see Matt Mytro, Nancy Heller and Rachael Stentz-Baugher again, and finally meet Michelle over at http://clevelandfoodie.com/ I loved the passion that everyone talked about when it came to the topic of local food and farmers. We truly are blessed here in NEOhio to have the food and farmers that we have.

-If you haven't already checked them out or bought their stuff, please check out my friend Wendy at http://acookieandacupcake.com/ in Tremont. THE best pastries around.

-Remember, please support your local businesses and buy local.