"Lifting Our Spirits" In the Company of Friends

 

Zoom gathering on March 26 brings ‘cheers!’ and good cheer

By Elaine T. Cicora; Screenshot courtesy of Beth Davis-Noragon

Nine smiling faces, cocktails firmly in hand, beamed into homes across Northeast Ohio last Thursday at 6:30 p.m., as Cleveland chapter president Beth Davis-Noragon hosted our first virtual happy hour. (One additional member joined us by phone, for a total of 10 intrepid Dames in attendance.)

We “Zoom”-ed in from such Ohio locales as Seville and Canton to the south, Geneva to the east, and Rocky River to the west, all brought together by a chance for some (virtual) face-to-face time, an opportunity to share some mutual support, and – just maybe – an excuse for some communal happy-hour sipping.

During our 45-minute “gathering,” the conversational gambits ranged from the light hearted (“What are you drinking?” answered by a show of libations that included Negronis, espresso martinis, perfect Manhattans, and M Cellars Reserve Pinot Noir, among others), to the serious (“How’s your work situation?” with answers that ranged from furloughs and slow-downs to “no effects yet”).

Other timely topics included the vagaries of InstaCart (expect a wait), proper washing techniques for leafy greens (a little soap is okay), and “takeout: yay or nay?” (mostly “yays”).

No, we definitely did not solve many of the myriad challenges created by the coronavirus pandemic. But at least for a while we had this: We were in the company of friends.

Please join us for Virtual Happy Hour #2 at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 2, on Zoom; look for a LDEI-Cleveland email with sign-in information.

Cheers!

C’mon, Get Happy!

By Elaine T. Cicora
Photos by Elaine T. Cicora and Bob Bohach

A dozen dames and three esteemed guests spent a recent Tuesday afternoon at Lakewood’s Salt+, sharing refreshing drinks and conversation during our 2018 Happy Hour celebration.

The communications committee chose Salt+ as our location for several reasons, not the least of which was the fact that Chef Jill Vedaa, the restaurant’s co-founder, was a 2018 nominee for a James Beard Award. But there was also the compelling menu of creative small plates – including a superlative chicken liver pate and a delightful dish of caramelized baby carrots, ginger-carrot puree and crispy carrots – that left many of us eager to return for more at this casually sophisticated restaurant.

As would be expected from such a diverse group as ours, conversation topics ranged from programming at the Culinary Vegetable Institute (thank you, Marci Barker!) to the state of Cleveland’s independent restaurants (it’s good!). Dame Bev Shaffer also raised a toast to Dame Elaine Cicora, and her recent Grand Prize win in the annual LDEI MFK Fisher Awards for Excellence in Culinary Writing; the award includes roundtrip transportation to the annual LDEI conference, this year in Seattle, where she will accept her prize.

We also enjoyed a chat with the vivacious Jesse Parkison, Salt’s sommelier and co-founder; and received outstanding service from FOH staffer Allison Stavnicky.

From left to right, guest Ann Loparo, Salt's Jesse Parkison, and guest Rebecca Ferlotti.

On behalf of the communications committee, many thanks to all who joined us for cocktails and conversation, as well as to Jill, Jesse and the wonderful staff at Salt+.

We hope to see you at next summer’s Happy Hour!

Happy Hour at Pier W's New Rooftop Patio

By Shara Bohach

On Monday evening, Cleveland Dames and guests were the first to test drive Pier W's new patio and its spectacular lakefront view. We enjoyed a relaxing evening and the cool breezes of the lake, while lounging in comfy deck chairs and sipping summery beverages, such as the refreshing Vodka Cucumber Lemonade and Mojitos. Pier W treated us to a wonderful outdoor buffet of appetizers: Lobster Spring Rolls, Basil Risotto Cakes, Fresh Tomato Bruschetta, and Shredded Beef Empanadas. Everything was absolutely delicious. Thank you to General Manager, Mark Kawada, and his staff for the wonderful hospitality!

Pier W's patio is slated to open to the public next week and is going to be a stunning place to take in summer sunsets. The landmark Cleveland restaurant has been serving a critically acclaimed seafood menu since 1965. The unique building that houses Pier W is uniquely designed to resemble the hull of a ship cruising along Lake Erie.

We all commented that we felt like we were on a cruise ship on the open water. What a treat, for happy hour to feel like vacation!

Holiday Happy Hour

By Cynthia Schuster Eakin

Chef Nolan Konkoski’s SoHo Kitchen and Bar in Ohio City had just the right ingredient to spice up Les Dames d’Escoffier Cleveland Chapter’s Holiday Happy Hour on December 12.

Chapter members gathered to raise a toast to Les Dames’ 2012 accomplishments. The opportunity to sample Konkoski’s southern cuisine provided added incentive for the festive meeting.

Cleveland Dames dined on appetizers of Carolina peanut soup with sweet potatoes and apples, and duck gumbo, made with six different components of duck and topped with crispy duck cracklings. The culinary highlight of the evening was the chef’s weekly “Chicken Scratch” menu, featuring all-natural, Ohio-raised birds, southern-fried to order. Side dishes like smoky macaroni and cheese, deviled eggs, jalapeno hushpuppies, mashed potatoes with bourbon gravy and cornbread waffles with Ohio maple syrup, wrapped up the perfect Les Dames holiday treat.

Happy Hour Fun at Grovewood Tavern & Winebar

By Shara Foldi
Photos by Beth Segal

We had a small turnout but big fun last night at Dame Beth-Davis Noragon's Grovewood Tavern & Winebar in Collinwood. The sweltering heat changed over to pleasant breezes just in time, so we enjoyed dining al fresco on the patio while discussing everything from CSAs to theatre to summer vacations to the upcoming Julia Child event.

We shared some happy hour specials and regular menu items, sending them around the table until every last bit was gobbled up - literally! The Bruschetta was out of this world, with red and yellow tomatoes bursting with flavor tossed with the most fragrant basil and sweet balsamic, and served with buttery crostini. Also enjoyed were a Grilled Pita Flatbread topped with arugula pesto and finished with an organic, local, fried egg which oozed perfectly when cut into; Portabello mushroom-filled Potstickers with big mushroom flavor inside; and a delightful Apricot Crisp with Vanilla bean ice cream. These apricots tasted as if they just came off the tree and we found out that, in fact, they did! All of the delicious produce is local and had just arrived from Fresh Fork.

We also indulged in a variety of cocktails from Grovewood's extensive beverage menu. The pretty and fragrant Aviation, with Bombay Saphire and finished with Creme de Violette was the star. Also enjoyed were the lush Tierra Divina Old Vine Malbec, the Pink Paintbrush Dry Rosé, and a Sparkling Wine.

Overall it was a beautiful evening with great conversation and delightful tastes of food and drink. We hope more Dames will join us on our next adventure!

Happy Hour Fun at Spice

By Kim Hall and Shara Foldi

Ten Cleveland Dames met up this week for our first happy hour adventure. We had intended to visit a few establishments in the Gordon Square Arts District, but were having such a great time at our first stop, the new Spice Kitchen and Bar, that we never left!

We were warmly welcomed by general manager, Amelia Ammann, who set aside several tables for us, and joined us for a bit. Our tables were quaintly set with Ball jar water glasses and dried flower arrangements. The bar area was beautiful with intriguing hanging light fixtures that, (if we got the story right,) were made by chef/owner Ben Bebenroth using driftwood that had come from Lake Erie. What a nice, local touch!

We tried most items on the creative happy hour menu - delightful polenta chick pea fries served with a spicy remoulade, creamy mushroom beignets, fragrant spiced lentil soup, and the 41st flatbread complete with fried eggs on top. One Dame ordered a salad as well. We all tried each other's appetizers and everything was very much savored and devoured. Most enjoyed the happy hour wine specials and a few tried a refreshing Caipirinha and a "girly" martini.

It was a truly nice evening, as Dames mingled and got to know each other better. There was never a shortage of things to chat about. We talked about everything from what we thought of the food, to each other's businesses, to books we're reading, to families, to things we never knew about each other (ie: Linda's ballerina days and Shara's rock band days), to the upcoming fundraiser.

We stayed later than any of us planned, and stayed put at Spice (as previously mentioned)! Amelia, a long time restaurant professional, was delighted to learn about our group and we will invite her to a future meeting! Stay tuned for our next adventure...