A Mega Weapon in the Barbecue Arsenal

Faster than a speeding bullet...

I hate sitting at a grill (or in front of a stove) with heat rapidly escaping while the meat thermometer slowly makes its way toward its temperature reading. I mean, how many times have you sat there while the reading slowly comes to a stop like that wheel on The Price is Right? When you finally do get the ready you still don't feel comfortable that it's what it says is.

Like a lot of people who cook at home, I have a kitchen gizmo fetish. Actually, I've gotten away from a lot of the frivolous less versatile stuff and delved into the more practical workhorse type items. Fed up with the temperature guessing game I decided to make the leap. Kenji Lopez-Alt who writes for the Food Lab on Serious Eats, has been raving about the Thermapen for a while. His praise of this thermometer couldn't be much higher.

This devise is absolutely off the chain. Temperature readings arrive in 3 seconds with a tolerance of .7°F with a range of -58°F to 392°F. With a regular thermometer you're never really sure exactly sure what the final temperature is because the reading never seems to stop moving. With readings that are within a .1° tolerance, if the number moves a little you're basically splitting hairs on a 1/10th of a degree. You really have to see it to believe it.

This is a barbecue mainstay. Next time you watch BBQ Pitmasters (how funny was last week's episode with the BBQ Pimp?), there's a very good chance you'll see these being used. Nothing sucks works than cooking pork shoulder or chicken watching your pit temperature plummet while the cheap-o thermometer does the "number dance". In three seconds you've got your reading and the lid shut. Done deal.

You're probably wondering, "Well that's great, but why would I spend $100 on a thermometer?" Currently, the older models are going for about 80% of their new value on Ebay. My thought is that between the retention of value and the cost of a couple of ruined pieces of meat from using a shitty thermometer - I think the Thermapen is a no brainer.

This whole thing is obviously predicated on whether or not you've got the spare change to blow on such things. Since I have no children I'm able to use my daycare money on stuff like this. You may even like what you have already - which is fine, too. However, if you are thinking about getting one now is the time to do it. For a limited time the price has been reduced to $89 with free shipping. Up to this point, it's the cheapest price I've ever seen on one of these new splash-proof models. Here is the link.

This is Food Lab's Take Here.

The 'Dog Day Afternoons

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Sorry, but this isn't a post about a guy robbing a bank to fund a sex change operation. (Attica! Attica! Attica!). I'm actually writing about the beloved tube steak.

Back in my b cup days I used to order these things by what seemed like the gross. As my waistband continued to expand it became increasingly obvious that I needed to cut things back a little. So I did - big time. Bread and red meat (among other things) were cut out of my diet while I started the march toward the coveted 34 inch waist.

Forty-five pounds later (that's another post(s)), I began to include the beloved hot dog back into my diet. I prefer to have one at lunch time when I'm running errands. My new rule is that I can only get one. While I'm not Kobayashi, I can down three or four without even thinking about it. Here are a few places (not including my experience at Tucky's) that I've stopped at on the west side.

Old Fashion Hot Dog
4008 Lorain Ave
Cleveland, OH 44113
(216) 631-4460



Since I happened to be over in this neighborhood to rummage through the wares at Antiques in the Bank - awesome selection of odd ball house parts - I figured I'd stop in at Old Fashion Hot Dog. This is one of those places I usually drive by, but have already eaten so I keep on driving. Since I hadn't had lunch I dropped in. OFHD is old school. I'm guessing it looks very similar to the way it did thirty years ago. I'm not implying that it's dirty or ugly, it's just a popular breakfast and lunch counter that serves its local neighborhood. The hot dogs, hamburgers, fries, etc. are nothing fancy it just a straightforward, middle of the road dog that isn't boiled or sitting on rollers. Friendly service, cooked on the flat top, that'll be $1.25.

The right window looks like it says, "Cheap Fat Zone"

Hot Dog Diner
4407 Brookpark Rd
Parma, OH 44134
(216) 335-9050
www.hotdogdiner.com



This was another "in the neighborhood" stop. Located in an an old Taco Bell just west of the Ridge and Pearl Road intersection, Hot Dog Diner has a large variety of different hot dogs, hamburgers, and soft serve flavors. The dogs are very reasonable in price ($1.07 for your regular, $1.99 for the jumbo, $1.99 for a corn dog, another "Calvin the Fatty" favorite. I am a corn dog whore.) They have crispy, non-soggy fresh cut fries.

If there was one thing I didn't like it was the soft serve. I ordered the malted cone. When took the first taste it just tasted like vanilla ice cream. If there was a malted taste I didn't recognize it, but that might have been because it went from it's semi frozen to liquid state in about one minute. This cone melted so fast I had to throw it in the trash. I'd go back - I'd just skip the ice cream.

Happy Dog
5801 Detroit Ave
Cleveland, OH 44102
(216) 651-9474
www.happydogcleveland.com



I've actually been here a few times. In my opinion, Happy Dog has the best Hot Dog I've had in Cleveland. Their menu is simple: Hot Dogs (or Veggie Sausage) with your choice of as many of the fifty toppings as you want, Fries, Tater Tots and booze. That's it. The dogs are of the large 1/4 lb. variety. "B Cup Cal" would've eaten two of these with no problem. "Rational Cal" now realizes that one of these with an order of potato du jour and a beer or three, makes for a very satisfying dinner. I have to be in the mood to come here because I don't typically like eating a hot dog for dinner, but the twenty+ draught selection certainly has the power to draw me in. The toppings are also very good - I had the applewood smoked bacon and bourbon baked beans. I was skeptical (and still am) that these hot dogs would taste good with some of the toppings that are offered. Fruit Loops? Peanut Butter? Seriously? Well...."7 year old Cal" would've been all over that.

Out and Around Cleveland

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The last two months have been an absolute ball buster in terms of travel. It's been pretty much one week home, one week gone. While it sounds fun in theory - especially with trips at or near New Haven, CT, NYC, and Boston - it is a bit of a drag since you're alone. That being said, I have been in Cleveland long enough to try some pretty good food.

No, that ain't sugar

I don't live on the west side so I don't typically get to Blackbird Bakery very often. If you haven't been there I would recommend dropping in and trying some of what they're serving up. Unlike On the Rise in Cleveland Heights, Blackbird has a fairly large seating area for enjoying coffee and bakery (and waiting in line). The one thing I always have to buy when I go is their chocolate chip cookies. I know they're not the first bakery to think of this (I haven't seen others in Cleveland doing it), but they lightly sprinkle some kosher salt on the bottom of the cookies. More likely, I think they just sprinkle the salt on the sheet and then set the dough on top of it. I guess how they do it doesn't really matter - these damn things are good.

Blackbird Baking Company
1391 Sloane Avenue
Lakewood, OH 44107
(216) 712-6599
www.blackbirdbaking.com



We finally stopped at Grotto Wine Bar in Shaker Square after driving past it...oh...fifty times. While I wasn't all that thrilled about my short rib with mushroom risotto, I thought Regina's Duck with blackberry frangelico glaze, goat cheese & candied walnuts was exceptional. It is a wine bar. There isn't much of a beer selection, but I will definitely go back.

Grotto Wine Bar
13101 Shaker Square
Cleveland, OH 44120
(216) 751-9463
www.grottoshakersquare.com



Lastly, I have to include a plug for Humble Pie Baking Company. I'll be the first to admit that I'm not much for pie. Give me a southern style cobbler with a pie crust topping and I'm happy as a clam. I say this not because I consider Diane Sikorski a friend, but because I really think her pies are very good. These pies have a very clean and light taste to them that doesn't sit in the pit of your stomach. You can go here to here on Facebook to "like" Humble Pie's profile and find out where she'll be serving up these suckers.

Barbecue and Soul Food

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If you read this page with any regularity you know I have great affection for both pizza and barbecue. Food of the people? I think so - and maybe that's why it appeals to me so much. While the regional variations of pizza (Slice counts over twenty different varietals) far outnumber that of barbecue (four: Texas, Memphis, Kansas City, and Carolina) there certainly is a varying degree of quality when it comes to Cleveland.

I've been combing the "mom and pop" places for the last couple of months for a diamond in the barbecue rough. If you haven't read Smokestack Lightening by Lolis Eric Elie then you really are missing out on what it means to appreciate these spartan outposts that dot most every urban area across the entire country.

While I've found that most everything I've visited has had glimmers of sparkle hear and there, I have yet to see the entire package. People can make fun of Famous Dave's (a chain) all they want to but if we're talking Cuyahoga County, they are the best in terms of an entire meal.

Red Walter Bar-B-Q
8425 Cedar Ave
Cleveland, OH 44103
(216) 791-1420

One huge irritation of mine is the amount of half-assed fried fish and fried chicken these "barbecue" places do. This place was selling fried fish like it was going out of style. In the half an hour a waited for my shoulder sandwich I bet I saw fried fish orders outnumber cooked meat 4 to 1. Is that an indictment on the store? I would say no, they're apparently giving the customer what they want (which doesn't say much for the customers I'm afraid).

Red Walter is carry-out only, but don't worry I don't think you'll be going there. Cole Slaw that was pre-made (the finely chipped kind they serve at Arthur Treacher's), severely soggy fries (a common theme with all three of the places I went to), and a pork shoulder sandwich that represented the word "bland" about as well as it could have ever be expected. The place was doing a bang up business in the late afternoon. I don't know why - but they were.



Mt Pleasant BBQ
12725 Kinsman Rd
Cleveland, OH 44120
(216) 561-8722

I stopped in here on a Saturday afternoon. Mt Pleasant BBQ is actually the site of the first Whitmore's. The shop has been here since 1942 and for being there so long is surprisingly clean. I talked to the guy at the counter about how they cook their ribs. By the sounds of things it's just straight charcoal for two hours and their done. Thinking that it didn't really sound like my thing I opted for the Po Boy deluxe. The deluxe has shredded pork or beef on it (whichever you want). I ended up eating the sausage, pork, and cole slaw which I thought were all good. I didn't care for the baby food-like candied yams or extremely soggy fries. I'm not rushing back, but at least I didn't have to see fried fish flying out the door.



Angie's Soul Food
Harvard + Lee Road
Cleveland, OH

I'm going to make this short, there's one reason I would come here: the specials. I had the neck bone stew and loved it. While it was probably too salty for most people, I thought it was great. Did I mention that people love to eat fried fish in Cleveland's inner city? Fried food was all I saw going out the door.

If there is a case to be made for the value of good ventilation this Angie's outpost is it. When I walked in there were five people waiting for their to-go orders. Why? Probably for the same reason I was - the air was so full of frying grease it damn near pushed you out the door. It was thick and it was bad.

I thought the collard greens were okay and the fries were extremely soggy. Their specials are very atypical and that is what will bring me back. I recommend calling ahead so that you don't smell like grease after waiting for your food.

Toy Cow Creamery

To travel across Pennsylvania on I-80 is to pass through an absolute culinary desert - until now. No, Danny Myer didn't open up a Shake Shack in Clearfield (home of Denny's Beer Barrel Pub where they have the 6 lb. pants shitting hamburger challenge) or DuBois (pronounced DOO-boyz, true story), but there is a gem of a farm that sits to the north of the interstate called Toy Cow Creamery.

You're probably thinking, "Hey, why no link to Toy Cow Creamery?"

Why? Because there is no link. This place is U-N-D-E-R-G-R-O-U-N-D. Not underground like the railroad (which when I was a kid thought was some 19th century engineering marvel, where slaves bought tickets in the Deep South to ride up north of the Mason Dixon line - all underground. Sorry, I went to public school.) But underground, like not only is there not a website, you can't even find a phone number.

Who does that? Amish - that's who.

So how do you find a place like this? It all started with a yogurt container.

My wife eats yogurt EVERY morning. If we go on vacation or travel somewhere there's inevitably going to be some sort of yogurt search. I used to get annoyed by it, but now it's just become a fact of life. When we went to the The Great Chef's Event in June we headed back on the Ohio turnpike. Not by accident, we stayed in Kennett Square and were going to go to Pequea Valley Farm to pick up - what else - yogurt. That morning we stopped at Talula's Table (awesome place by the way) where Regina bought some stuff, including Toy Cow Yogurt.

"This is as good as Pequea!", she chirped.

"Good. Hopefully it's closer to my house than Pequea.", I thought.

She saved the container and decided she would investigate it when she got back. After numerous phone calls between Telula's Table, the Lancaster Farm Fresh Food Co-op, and finally the actual Toy Cow Creamery - I was given my marching orders. I was to pick up as much yogurt as could be stuffed in the cooler bag.

The Cell Block: Home of Death Row Pizza

*As an aside I drove through Williamsport in hopes of eating at Death Row Pizza - I couldn't help but want to try it. I love the name. When I got to the address, it turned out to be a night club called The Cell Block. Housed in a 19th century prison, the overwhelming smell of Cleveland Municipal Stadium (urine and stale beer) was enough to curb my appetite. I immediately got back out the front door before anyone saw me.*

As I made my way up some rather large hills - or possibly mountains - I arrived at a long narrow drive with a handmade sign at the end. Once you make it down the gravel entrance you see some pens with some little jersey cows and some hutches with Silky chickens.

A Toy Cow?

The store for the farm is located near where the pens are. Once inside you notice that they work on the honor system. There's a little box to put your money in once you've decided on what you're going to be purchasing. When I went Levi was working nearby and talked to me awhile about their products.

Toy Cow's offerings include eight kinds of yogurt, pasteurized and raw milks, cream cheese, sour cream, raw milk cheeses, cheese curds, and cottage cheese. If you would have told me I was on an Amish farm I wouldn't have believed it judging by modern store. Levi basically said that everything at the farm is done organically. When I asked about the chickens, he told me that his son raises them for a producer. (From what I was able to gather they're usually used in Asian restaurants.)

Silky Chickens

I have to say, If you you're making the mind numbing trip along 80 through Pennsylvania, a visit here would definitely break the trip up a little bit.

Peppered Wings with Caramelized Soy and Blackberry Glaze

Peppered Wings with Caramelized Soy and Blackberry Glaze

Anyone that knows me has a pretty good idea that I love my Big Green Egg. For the home barbecuer I don't think ease of use gets any better. Since getting the BGE this past winter there has been a decent learning curve. On the whole I'd say most of the issues I've faced have been controlling the pit temperature. With the help of the BBQ Guru, most of the temperature issues have been ironed out. (A post in the coming days will address some of my favorite tools for cooking out.) I'm now able to carry a high consistent temperature without too much BS. The BBQ Guru takes care of stoking the fire while you can concentrate on everything else.

These wings are about as easy as it gets - once you get past maintaining your heat. This recipe is a fantastically easy weekday dinner. It's a low fat recipe that's long on flavor and cheap as hell to make. I typically make a batch of the glaze and store it in the fridge for up to a month. This, like many of the recipes out of the Big Bob Gibson Cookbook, are easily adaptable to free-styling. (If there is one "must have" barbecue book, this is it.) From building the fire to cooking the wings (if the glaze is already made), this recipe will take you about an hour.

Before you do anything make the glaze first!

Caramelized Soy and Blackberry Glaze
by Chris Lilly from Big Bob Gibson's BBQ Cookbook

Makes: 1-1/4 Cups
Cooking Method: Stove
Cooking Time: 30 Minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups Mirin (Sweet Rice Wine)
• 1-1/4 Cups Soy Sauce
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 1/2 Cup Blackberry Jam

In a small saucepan, combine all the ingredients and mix well. Place over medium-low heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce is ready when bubbles rise to the top of the pan. Remove from the heat and set aside until needed. After cooling, transfer to a tightly covered jar or plastic container and store refrigerated for up to 2 weeks. Serve immediately or reheat before serving. I keep it for up to a month and haven't died yet.

Peppered Wings
Serves: 4 to 6 Cooking Method: Indirect Heat
Suggested Wood: Hickory, Cherry, Pecan
Cooking Time: 30 minutes (I don't go much past 25 minutes but they are the smaller wings.)

Dry Rub

• 2 tspn Salt
• 2 tspn Brown Sugar
• 2 tspn Black Pepper
• 1 tspn Paprika
• 1/8 tspn Cayenne Pepper
• 1/8 tspn White Pepper
• 14 Whole Chicken Wings, cut into wings and drumettes (28 pieces total)
• Caramelized Soy Glaze

Stir together the dry rub ingredients in a small bowl. Season the wings with all of the rub for extra-hot wings or half of the rub for spicy.

Build a charcoal and/or wood fire on one side of the grill, leaving the other side void. This will create an area for indirect cooking away from the coals. When the cooker temperature reaches 450 degrees, place the wings on the grill away from the coals and close the cooker lid. Cook for approximately 30 minutes, flipping each wing once. (I point the bone end of the drumsticks toward the fire and place them closest to the coals and place the other halves of the wings skin side up and furthest away from the coals for the first 15 minutes.)

The wings are all pointed in the same direction

When the wings are brown and crisp, remove them from the grill and drizzle with warm Caramelized Soy and Blackberry Glaze. (I prefer to toss them in the glaze so it doesn't run all over the plate onto my other food.)

Glazed tossed with wings and ready to go

Pizza, Pizza, Pizza

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I’ve been pizza mad as of late. The search continues here in Northeast Ohio for some straight up, out of this world pizza. Cleveland on the whole has very middling pizza parlors. While I think it’s fairly safe to say they aren’t as bad as Columbus (I don’t know anything about Cincinnati), it doesn’t hold a candle to what you find in New England and New York.

There are three hallmark signs that you are onto a good pizzeria:

1. They’ve been in business for over 30 years.
2. The original owner or their relatives still run the place (preferably making the pizzas; thus progeny of the pizza making genius).
3. They’re cash only. (I don’t like this third hallmark sign, but it’s a theme that occurs over and over again in my pizza quest.)

Luigi’s (meets criteria 1 + 3, and probably 2 but I’m not sure)
105 N Main St
Akron, OH 44308
(330) 253-2999
www.luigisrestaurant.com/Home.html



The Jack Johnson concert had us heading out to the greater Akron area so we figured we’d go to Luigi’s beforehand. Whenever I hear about Akron and food, Luigi’s always seems to come up.

Luigi’s has been serving up pies for over fifty years. After all this time, all the accolades, and the lines out the door, everything is still very inexpensive. While waiting for our pizza I began to suspect that affordability is a very large allure for Luigi’s customers. I thought the serving sizes were huge for the price. I found that the quality of the ingredients looked very “out-of-the-can”. My guess is that Mama isn’t busy slaving in the back making sauce.

I’m not going to hammer the pizza too hard because it’s a very doughy Sicilian style-esque pizza which does not appeal to me in the least. Me judging Sicilian pizza is like a vegan judging a best hamburger contest. There was just so damn much dough. I don’t care for it. The sauce, cheese, and pepperoni were things you’ve tasted a hundred times. If you into dough (lots of it) give it a try, otherwise I’d skip it.

Wedgewood Fernando’s Pizza (meet criteria 1)
6200 South Ave
Youngstown, OH 44512
(330) 726-2010



Last week I happened to be coming back from a business trip and decided to stop and try Wedgewood Fernando’s Pizza for the hour trip home. This place had a long ass wall of pizza ovens. All together they totaled ten all together; cranking out tons of pizza.

The crust is completely devoid of any taste, and the sauce has some sort of spice in it that made me continually thirsty. Belleria Pizza (a Youngstown powerhouse) is miles (nautical) ahead of this place. I think it’s safe to say that if efficient production was the sign of a good pizza – Wedgewood would win. I suspect that the high production is more than likely its downfall.

Guido’s Pizza Haven (cash only, don’t know about the other two criteria word is it's a family affair that has been in business since 1962. That fills all three criteria. Bonus points for only being open for dinner (a la Sally's, Frank Pepe's))
12775 Chillicothe Rd
Chesterland, OH 44026
(440) 729-9666



This little pizzeria is highly touted by those in the West Geauga area. With the bride working late, I was on my own for dinner. I took the drive out to Chesterland to see what all of the talk was about.

Did I mention I hate Sicilian style pizza? Well, as I walked toward the back of the store to pick up my pie all I saw were stacks and stacks of well seasoned, deep, square pans. Not happy. I paid $11 for a small pepperoni and sausage. It actually ends up being more like a medium when you figure in the “dough factor”.

As I got in the car I opened the box and ate a piece. These small pieces –it’s cut into 9 squares – are very filling. This pizza actually seems fairly airy for Sicilian style. The fact that they put the toppings under the cheese seems to lock everything in place while you bit into it. Typically when they put too much cheese on it, everything wants to pull off as you bite into it. Their sausage was like ground beef which really seemed to spread out the flavor, rather than being confined to one bite of sausage here and there. This is the best Sicilian I’ve ever had. The one caveat is that I try to avoid this kind of pizza so I haven’t eaten a lot of it.

ABC Tavern

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It seems that lately people have been raging hardcore against Melt. New York and San Francisco have dealt with small unknown restaurants having their original customers crowded out due to national media exposure or just straight up local popularity for years. In Melt’s case I think Guy Fieri put the final nail in the coffin for a lot of Clevelanders. Waits even at ridiculously stupid hours of 3 in the afternoon – during the week – can leave you faced with a 45 minutes to burn until your table is ready.

I was very curious to see what impact, if any, would be felt on Detroit Rd. once the east side location finally opened up. If there’s been a reduction in volume – I haven’t seen it. Having eaten most of what I want off of the regular menu, I’m more inclined buy the soups or specials “to go”. I encourage you to become a fan on Facebook. They send out a list of their specials every morning.

I’m actually happy that Matt Fish has struck gold with this concept. It’s good to see someone besides The Cleveland Clinic cranking the money machine on the North Coast. Anyone who can get 100+ people and counting to get Melt inspired tattoos permanently stained on their bodies is clearly onto something.

My normal Melt alternative – since I won’t go there to sit down and eat – is Buckeye Beer Engine (review here). I love the 20+ draft beers on they have on tap. For craft brew fans it’s a great place to go to try something you may have seen at the store but didn’t want to buy an entire six of. Actually, this is how I found my 2010 favorite – Tröegs Nugget Nectar. I love drinking this stuff with barbecue. Like Melt, I also love their specials. The fact that any burger BBE makes can be offered up as a beef patty, chicken breast, or portabella mushroom is a nice touch, too.

ABC Tavern

I have heard a lot of people say some great things about the food at this small bar/restaurant on West 25th St. in Ohio City. Not really knowing what to expect we decided to give it a go this past Saturday night.

In a word – awesome. The menu is fairly small (not like Hiroshi’s Pub). Have seen that menu? Holy shit. That thing makes Cheesecake Factory look like the Wendy’s Value Menu. Anyways….the menu at ABC is very thoughtful and creative. They aren’t being different simply to be different. It’s different good….real good.

We are suckers for calamari. I know most kitchens cringe at the thought of this brain dead little appetizer but ABC throws it down. A very light breading with a lime and something sauce that was so good I saved what was leftover for my fries. Regina had this lamb, cucumber, pita thing that is not what you would normally expect. The pitas were more like flatbreads that had a buttery crispness to them. Very good. I ordered the Atomic Hot Dog which consisted of a jalapeno stuffed hotdog, wrapped in bacon, deep fried, placed on a hot dog bun with chili oil, and topped with a Srachia aioli. Loved it. Spicy. Crispy. Salty. Delicious. I wanted another one right after I finished it. (Deep fried hotdogs kick ass. See: Hot Dog Johnny’s, Buttzville, New Jersey.)

After we finished our dinner (and a couple of Heavy Seas Pale Ales- aaard!), we were talking to the bartender. He said that they have another place opening in October in the Gordon Park neighborhood called XYZ Tavern. This new incarnation is going to be a little more dining and a little less bar than ABC. I can't wait to try it out.

I walked out satiated and smiling. An appetizer, two entrees, two craft beer drafts, and a tip ended up being all of $35. I guess that’s the one thing I wish we had more of on the east side is places like Buckeye Beer Engine and ABC Tavern. I think one could make an argument for Brennan’s Colony, but I think BBE has everyone beat on beer selection, ABC wins out on food, and Melt wins out on concept and a combination of food and beer. I enjoy them all.

ABC Tavern
1872West 25th Street
Cleveland, OH 44113
(216) 861-3857