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Wow. Wow. Wow. Sunday supper!
I went with a date on a whim one Sunday evening. The place had a beautiful atmosphere. No reservation, but we were seated promptly.
I was impressed with the vast beer selection -- they had old favorites and mysterious microbrews. I was also surprised at how large the selection of entrees was for a prix fixe dinner.
After his first bite, my date's eyes got all bug-eyed. He put his fork down and paused dramatically, "This is the best thing I've ever eaten."
I must go back and try the traditional menu. But in the meantime: salad, steak, peas, potatoes and pumpkin crisp for $25. Wow.
Just as a reminder to people that are unfamiliar with my reviews, I rarely discuss the food. I usually only eat niblets for the purpose of keeping the booze in my stomach. Also, I am in no way qualified to talk about food.
Booze, talent, and atmosphere on the other hand... that is my "core competency" as they say in corporate America.
Crop is very cute and very classy. The place has a "Berkley -esque" feel with an ever rotating menu featuring local food stuffs and produce. The apps we had were terrific and did not disappoint.
The main reason to go here is the cocktails. The "new fashion" maker's cocktail with cinnamon and cherry was a delight. The half dozen other cocktails we had were also ungodly good and did a fine job of making my morals and feelings go dead for the evening. Currently, this place has the second best cocktails in Cleveland after Velvet Tango Room in Ohio City. (A distant second by the way)
We had a chance to sit and talk with the wine manager Abram while we where there. The guy knew his stuff and the passion he had about his chosen selections was obvious. He also has some very exciting events coming in the near future. If you get the chance, chat him up.
Sadly, this is kind of a talent dead zone filled with married couples tolerating each other till death parts them and awkward first daters. The bar had lower talent then I would expect, but maybe happy hour is better. The moral of the story, is import the talent. (i.e. bring a date).
Crop Bistro is a fairly new establishment, but quickly rising among the ranks of elite Cleveland Food destinations and rightly so.
First off, I must comment on the dining room. It really is a destination to be marveled. Upon entering, you are instantly convinced in what you are about to experience is going to be special. Everything from the huge chandeliers, the intricate ceiling, food photography on the walls, the velvet booths, the open kitchen and the woodwork. It's a great space with an even better vibe.
Now onto the food & libations. The menu is said to consist primarily of locally sustained ingredients that are modified to reflect that season's bounty. Everything on the menu, both food and beverage seemed appropriate for the season.
The beer and wine list was plenty adequate. The beer offerings consisted of plenty microbrew varieties. The cocktail list had an abundance of creative alcoholic blends. Probably one of the most extensive and well varied cocktail lists I've seen at a local restaurant. Some of my favorites include the Bloody Devil Martini, Makers New Fashioned and the Arnold Palmer.
As an appetizer, we started with the Warm Balsamic Popcorn & the Cherry Bomb. The Popcorn was a heaping goodness of light, airy and freshness, topped with a balsamic glaze, red onion and sun dried tomatoes. All of the flavors worked wonderfully together. The Cherry Bomb was a cheese and chorizo stuffed plum tomato drenched in cherry flavor, wrapped and fried in a wonton skin.
For dinner, I had the Cherry & Black Tea Ribs with Hominy & Poblano Sweet Potatoes. This dish was well seasoned and looked like a work of art when positioned on a plate.
For dessert, I had the "Some Like it Hot". (Warm Flourless Chocolate Cake with Lime Sable, Jalapeno Ice Cream & Mango Coulis). Again, the chef knocked this dish out of the park. A beautiful looking dish and well flavored.
Overall, Crop was an amazing experience and it is plenty deserving of all the high accolades it's receiving. I can't wait to go again to try something new off the menu.
If you don't eat here, you're a dummy. That's right I said it.
I was staying at a hotel around the corner from Crop, and asked the concierge for a kickass lunch that's healthy. They said that I should check out Crop. A vast majority of their ingredients come from a stone's throw of Cleveland (on purpose) and they accommodate any dietary needs. That was recommendation enough for me.
So I wandered down to Crop, which wasn't very busy at the time, and had a seat. It's a bit of an upscale bistro in the sense that it has a great ambiance with rich woods and yuppie lighting. But it had a lot of charm so I was anxious.
The servers dress with white shirts and ties, and the ambiance is as mentioned above, but I quickly came to find that (thankfully) the place isn't pretentious at all. I looked over the menu a bit, but after a brief chat felt pretty comfortable with my server and said 'I'm not eating meat and I'm more than a little hungry. Order for me'. And what a job she did!
I ended up with this insane flatbread that had carmelized onions, some roasted veggies, feta cheese, and just a touch of maple syrup. It had me spinning cartwheels it was so good.
The entree was an asparagus ravioli in a pesto sauce with roasted fennel, and it was equally as good.
But here's the best part. Crop has a history and a drive based upon good, local food (when possible) prepared in an innovative and tasty way. The co-founder and head chef, Steve, is a wizard in the kitchen. I wasn't really able to chat it up with him, but his wife and co-owner Jackie was there and entertained my company for a bit, explaining the ethos behind the restaurant and the drive behind the vision. I appreciated it so much!!
Even if you don't end up in Cleveland, you should check out http://www.cropbistro.com to learn a bit about what's behind the restaurant and see if you can find something like that in your area.
I recently read Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle like many other hipster douchebags and I'm starting to find more and more that where the food originates is just as important (if not more than) what it is. It takes a lot of diesel fuel to haul a tomato from California to Maine.
Eat here. NOW. You're welcome.
Crop is one of the few restaurants in Cleveland I've been to repeatedly. Usually I am so busy trying to plow through a list of must-try restaurants that I'm hesitant to go back somewhere I've already been. But Crop is worth the return. (Some of this surely has to do with location, as it is perfectly situated for those of us who live and work downtown.)
I've done Crop many different ways: at the Chef's table, out on the patio, in booths, for workday lunch, for Friday night date, for Sunday Supper at the bar, for Restaurant Week prix fixe, and for ladies night bday celebration. Across all those events, Crop has been enjoyable. I love the idea of Crop for sure, using local food, having a visible proprietor, etc. The theatrics of the open kitchen, the herbs growing out front, and the weekend late evening band concerts all make eating there fun.
As for the food, it doesn't always blow my socks off, but it is consistent, and often downright yummy. I've never had a bad dish, just some that didn't pack the punch I was hoping for. For instance, loved the idea of the balsamic popcorn, but it just came off a bit soggy and odd. Even when I don't love a dish, though, I am always intrigued by the combination of flavors. It's rarely bland and often imaginative. Generally what Crop does best, it seems, is throw things together - which means the special salads and pastas. These are generally fresh, abundant, lively, and satisfying. I'd trust them on the specials.
And even though a full-on weekend dinner there can add up in price, there are a ton of affordable options, which I really appreciate. Work lunches are light and summery and delicious, for around $10-12, a few more if you add soup or a salad. By far the best eating experience I've had is the Sunday Supper, with heaping glorious salad and seafood pasta and dessert all for $25.
Support Crop. It's one of the best and most interesting dining options in the Warehouse District for sure.
We couldn't get in to Lola's so we came here and were thrilled that we did.
Food/menu - delicious, interesting, beautiful, eclectic - this chef has an inspired sense of food humor.
Service - fabulous--our cute young waiter actually knew a lot about wine and didn't just push the most expensive stuff on the very extensive list.
Atmosphere - casual, hip, friendly, colorful--loved the weird food photos.
A really memorable meal during a quick visit to Cleveland.
it's rare that i would give anything five stars because i'm a perfectionist and you know nothing is ever perfect, but this would be difficult to top.
we sat outside to get a beautiful view of downtown cleveland (haha) and listen to a jackhammer all evening. oops. anyway, it didn't really matter because it was a nice night. originally we had attempted to go to sushi rock but it was crowded, loud, full of d-bags and had an hour wait. no thanks. we walked down the street and ended up at crop.
i had the arnold palmer cocktail which is my dream summer libation - lemonade, iced tea, fresh mint, citrus vodka and grand marnier. it was so good, i am going to try and copy it on my own time.
the cornbread and cracked pepper honey butter was very good, though i'm more of a dry cornbread fan than a spongy tiramisu ladyfinger type, but hey, it was free. i ate it regardless so i don't know what i'm really complaining about.
entree wise i had the chicken fried chicken, string beans, bacon and waffle as a tribute to one of my favorite restaurants in atlanta, gladys knight's. this was definitely its high end cousin, but it was very very good. it was an excellent combination of sweet and savory - not too heavy, and the right portion (even though i ended taking some of it home to enjoy it again the next day.) my mom had the summer tart which she raved about the entire time.
not somewhere i'll be often because i can't break the bank, but it is definitely one of the best restaurants i've been to in cleveland and i will be back for more.
My friend and I ate at the "chef" bar ( which is a cool experience- watch the food being cooked and get samples of treats from the menu) here on night and then we returned on many subsequent occasions as the food will pull you back. The plates are generous sizes and the menu is constantly revolving to represent the fresh local ingredients that are the spotlight of each dish. The food is therefore manifestations of delight, simple flavors that highlight the best qualities of their food companions. The last time I ate here I had the lamb and my friend had some kind of game dish, both were quite good. I would love to see what new entrees are featured on their menu tonight.
My new favorite restaurant and i'll definitely be back. I went for Sunday Supper, although I wasn't aware that Sundays were limited. No matter, the food and service was still kickass. My experience has me excited to go back on a regular night.
My husband and I are from the San Francisco Bay Area and were in Cleveland last weekend to visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and eat at Lola's, which was fantastic. We're foodies. My husband is a cook. I found Crop on Yelp and made a reservation for last Friday night, 10/16/09. Have to say that we had a perfect dining experience. The food, service, and ambiance were perect. One of the best dining experiences we've ever had. First off, you can get lost in the bread and butter that they put in front of you. The bread is a soft corn bread and the butter is sweet and creamy and light. We shared the scallops which were fantastic. Fresh, flavorful, delicious. The best I've ever had. I had the fettuccini with root vegetables, fennel, celery root, and wild mushrooms- as good a pasta dish I've ever had. It was served in a light miso infused sauce of some kind and was seasoned perfectly. My husband had the lamb, which was cooked perfectly. I had a glass of alberino, which was delicious and reasonably priced. We were too full for dessert. I'd go back in a second if I was ever again in Cleveland. We enjoyed dinner at Crop more than we did at Lola's, and we greatly enjoyed Lola's, it's just that Crop was a better overall dinning experience- food, service, and ambiance. It was about $100 for our meal- I had a glass of wine and my husband had 1 beer. Just to give you an idea.
This Crop is ready for harvest!
The Up-Side: I've been avoiding the Warehouse District at night for a while now. It is simply overrun with cheesy and vapid people that mistake loud music and racy outfits for a "classy" time. However, upon meeting somebody for lunch the other day at Crop, I was pleasantly surprised by the daytime Warehouse District vibe.
Crop provides a fun mix of healthy and tasty food in an open and pleasant atmosphere. The hostess and server were very friendly, and the food was delivered quickly, and with a nice presentation. I had the "Willie Bird Smoked Turkey on Cornbread." It was excellent.
The Down-Side: Gotta be honest, I didn't notice any downside to Crop.
The Sum-It-Up: If you're like me, and need to revive your faith in the Warehouse District being more than just a nighttime hangout for the cheese, try Crop for lunch or dinner. It's quite fun and healthy.
I'll be back!
See the blog for long review:
After a classy yet (typically) boring graduation and myriad proud feelings for my sister we arrived approximately 15 minutes early for our reservation and parked at the affordably $5 valet (you certainly don't get that in the big city.) Entering the restaurant I was somewhat surprised at how busy the place was at 6:15, but our hostess was quite gracious and quickly showed us to our place at the chef's "table" - a bar peering directly into the intimate workings of the kitchen. With reservations made a month in advance I must admit that despite looking forward to our meal at Crop I had been a tad reluctant given my recent return from a culinary masterpiece of a visit to San Francisco and upcoming trip to New York City - I wondered if I'd simply walk away from Crop with that same "blah" feeling I've had at most eateries in the mid-west. From the moment we were seated, however, my fears were abated.
Watching the young man in front of us flash extremely professional knife skills and an award-worthy personality we were quite amused as we received the first of two amuses bouche directly from his hand - a Chile Deviled Egg with Crisp Pork, Beet, and Balsamic. While I am the only die-hard egg fan of our group, the amuse was a smash with everyone and particularly interesting to myself in the creaminess of the piped yolk puree's sharp contrast with the spicy and crispy prosciutto. Complimenting the soft yet textural egg was a light earthiness from the beat and a strong spice from the (if I'm not mistaken) fig based balsamic - things were off to an excellent start.
Before I could even finish my first (of about 10) cornbread we were brought another gift from the chef, himself. Approximately 1/3 the size of the appetizer portion (a steal at $7) we were each presented with a cup of the house made lobster latte - essentially Crop's take on Lobster bisque but instead of butter heavy made with a seafood stock and crème fraiche whipped to a froth. Absolutely packed with whole chunks of lobster claw and much less "heavy" than a traditional bisque I found this to be a very interesting take on a classic dish - unexpected, unique, and delicious.
Appetizer next was a must - something rare in Ohio and something I order whenever I see it on the menu - foie gras. Entitled simply Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras with Toasted Challah and Gingered Apricots I will say flat out that the portion and quality was the best "bang for your buck" foie I've tasted outside of San Francisco's One Market. The soft and ample portion of perfectly prepared liver was contrasted beautifully by the toasted challah which I had the opportunity to witness the chef carve out of a large loaf in a single motion. Per usual, the addition of an acidic citrus worked wonders for enhancing the flavor while the ginger added a very intriguing taste I've not experienced before. To all the foie lovers out there - it was better than Gary Danko's or The Dining Room at the Ritz, two much hyped preparations.
The final main, ordered by both myself and my mother, was the Park Farms Chicken Fried Chicken with String Beans, Savory Ohio Maple Waffles. Super thinly pounded breast coated with panko and cornmeal on both sides, quickly flash fried in the deep fryer and finished in the oven the chicken's taste and texture were wonderful and second to only Boulevard and Momofuku Ssam in quality. Textural and tasty the chicken's savory components were well tempered by the soft and sweet waffle with ample maple syrup and perfectly crisp yet well done string beans. A fine dining take on "comfort food" that actually works - unlike so many other's vain attempts at mac n' cheese, meatloaf, and pot pies.
The final dessert, Crop's signature "Crop Circles" with Hot Coffee Sorbet, Mocha Meringue, Espresso Blondie, Vanilla cream, Espresso Syrup was ordered by my sister and wowed on every level. With a sorbet that topped Jeni's Black Coffee Icecream, Meringue that tasted better than Starbuck's Mocha, and a Blondie with heavy hints of coffee flavor the whole dish was like a deconstructed/reconstructed tiramisu and appealed as much to the palate as the eyes - a definite must-order for anyone who likes coffee.
Finishing the meal and paying the bill (less than $60 per person with drinks, tax, tip) I must admit I was absolutely stuffed - but not to the point of discomfort - but lets just say I'm glad there wasn't a course of mignardises or candies. Brilliant food in a lively setting, a chef who is as willing to support the local markets as he is to take risks, and a friendly amicable staff - plus prices that make "fine dining" accessible. While others will prattle about Lola and Symon, I've been to enough casual and fine dining establishments to definitively say that with Crop in town I'd never give Lola a second thought or chance - better food, better prices, better service, and no pretense whatsoever.
I've been to Crop several times for lunch and dinner since it opened a year or so ago. This place has never failed to be wonderful. It is a foodie paradise. Today I went with my best foodie buddy for lunch. Now I sit, stuffed to the gills and happy.
THE FOOD: Fresh, local, seasonal and healthy.
There is a continuum of duck On one end, there is greazzy, mushy undercooked slime, on the other stringy, tough, oily twine. There is a tiny and beautiful area of canard perfection, where the duck is tender and juicy, yet still firm. Crop owns that tiny slice of perfection. Ditto for the lamb.
Today we could not decide what we wanted so we each started with a bowl of tomato, chipotle and bleu cheese soup until we could decide. If we could have gotten away with licking our bowls in public, we would have. The soup tasted of fresh tomatoes and smoky chilis, not salt. We ordered two lunches and split them-- the Pig Mac and the beef Cropicana bowl. The Pig Mac is a porky bit of heaven comprised of pork loin, pulled pork and bacon with special sauce and fresh pickles all on a sesame seed bun. Yes, Lisa, the pig is a magic animal. It was accompanied by a creamy, sweet encini de pepe waldorf salad. The Cropicana bowl is a Domme version of what Chipotle wishes it could be-- bbq beef, black beans, cilantro sour cream, rice, cheese lettuce and love. Thank God we've been friends for years, so we could forgive and even appreciate the utter gluttony that ensued.
I've been there when I was on my best manners. I had the corn chowder and a chicken/apple/camembert sammich. It took the utmost restraint not to make obscene little moan-y noises whilst eating. My companion had the Willie Bird-- the coolest take on a turkey sammich you will ever eat. I didn't know him well enough to eat off his plate. Dang.
THE ATMOSPHERE: It is a nice, wide open area with comfy velvet booths. The kitchen is open. Decorations are hip takes on the notion of crops-- macro photos of fruit, wheat sheaved chandeliers...
THE SERVICE; Very good, friendly, helpful but not intrusive. The waiters are all foodies. Take their advice.
I need a nap, now.
Crop was the second stop on our restaurant week tour .... Nice atmosphere - like the decor - and like that it departments from the vapid, faux sense of chic that is the warehouse district. ... But, despite this, it didn't start out well..... For those of you who aren't in the know, during restaurant week a select set of restaurants offer an appetizer, entree and dessert for 30. It was a big thing in DC where we moved from, but here it is strangely hidden. In fact, at Crop, there was absolutely no indication it was going on, and asking for the r.w. menu was very uncomfortable, and I had the distinct feeling that the server was irritated that this would be only a $60 dinner for two. Yuck.
Anyhow, what saves crop from my wrath, is that the food was very good! Very flavorful, well done quality ingredients. We both loved our entrees, however the star was really the dessert - an apple cheddar buckle, which I didn't think I wanted based on this description, which was exceptionally, phenomenally good ....
I warn others that all our food (appetizers, entree and dessert) had the same flavor combination - sweety, salty & sour - which I happen to love ... The chef here seems to have a vinegar fetish (basalmic, apple cider, you name it), which I absolutely love when done right (and it was) ... Maybe that's just what I ordered? Dunno.... but I will be back to try again.
I had a really great time at Crop. I saw a good review for this restaurant on a travel/foodie blog as one of Cleveland's best restaurants.
It definitely puts a unique spin on Midwestern-type food. I'm not a huge fan of the menu items' names as they seem a little forced (trying hard to be clever), but the food is definitely delicious. Very round/full/layered tastes.
My brother and I went and we had the Lobster Latte, which was a delicious smoky bisque with lobster claw topped with truffle oil. We also ordered an arugula salad that had crisped capers, goat cheese, and lemon vinaigrette... delicious combination of the vinaigrette & spicy arugula. I also had the Cherry Bomb, which was interesting -- chorizo in plum tomato wrapped in fried wonton skins under corn polenta.
I would definitely recommend the chicken-fried duck and the lamb. The chicken-fried duck is a play on chicken-fried steak... the seasoning was terrific, and I believe the duck also had an orange glaze. Lots of layers of taste. The lamb was cooked tenderly & perfectly as well. I found the combination of lamb & beans to be a little salty for my taste, but I still finished the whole thing.
The service wasn't bad either. Got checked on, but not too much.
I also enjoy that Crop purchases the produce / meats locally. Gotta keep on lovin Cleveland.
I really like crop.
It's actually been about a month since we've been there, and ever since I've been telling myself I need to write a review. We actually ended up there sort of by accident. We were trying to hit up a family restaurant a little too late on a Sunday and they were closing as we walked in. Instead, a friend I was with suggested that we try this new place called Crop. They had a Sunday menu which was a flat $25 for a multiple course meal, including dessert (yesh!). Also, there were choices for the entree, as opposed to a set menu.
The owner and chef is serial restaurateur Steve Schimoler, who apparently has started a bunch of restaurants across the country, is self taught, a former big industry food exec and a creative chef. I read most of that on their website, haven't met him. A big plus for this restaurant is they have a dynamic menu and they are a big proponent of buying local.
Anyway on to the food. The two things I like most about this menu were the high class comfort food they offered and the portions of the food.
High class comfort food: Looking at the Sunday Menu, they had items like Ribs and Mac and Cheese, but still expertly prepared (my friend got the ribs). They base the idea of Sunday dinner on available ingredients after the weekend rush, so that menu changes at the last minute and can have some great surprises. I ended up getting NZ lamb and my gf got swordfish and gnocchi, so there is still a lot of great food left on Sunday for all!
Portions of the food: If you look at the prices of the normal stuff on the menu, you'd probably assume you'll be eating smaller, European style portions, like at most fancy restaurants (you know, where you eat all the garnish, even if it isn't edible?). But that really isn't the case. The salad is family style and generous, the main course was too (my gf had probably about 1/2 lb of swordfish on her plate) and there are also tons of fresh veggies as a side dish (or whatever they are serving that meal, we happened to have tons of delicious zucchini and asparagus). Then after you're full from all that, there's great dessert (we had a no-bake cheese cake...the crust was amazing).
My favorite (and the rest of our parties' favorites) was by far the salad. Like I mentioned above, it was a family style serving, with so many different types of produce, it was hard to keep track. Let me tell you, everything in it was delicious. This is where I believe a good portion of the buying local comes in, and I will say "Go Ohio!" (or wherever that stuff was from). I'd go back just for that salad and my fellow diners would agree with me.
The only downside to the entire evening was the drinks. 10 for a mixed drink is a bit much for me, even if they are "signature". They were good, but not $10 good, so we stuck to one round. Bonus though, was that the waitress ended up inventing a drink for my finicky friend.
Overall, very impressed with Sunday dinner. I think this might be the only time I could afford to go to Crop, but I will definitely be back for it soon.
To be honest, I have had better food in my day. Going here I expected quite a bit but I was actually pretty disappointed. The atmosphere is appealing and the location is nice, so that was a plus - but still, I felt as if something was missing.
While I can't say that I didn't finish my meal - it has good flavor - it just wasn't all it was cracked up to be. The chicken was just average and the presentation wasn't there.
Needless to say, I will probably have to go back again with all the positive reviews it has gotten, but my first experience was not up to par.
i have been to Crop 3 times. Once for lunch this past spring, and twice for dinner the past month -August. I was not to impressed with the lunch I had 6 months ago, but the place was fairly new. It was OK, but not that memorable. Now I am glad to report that we do have a winner here! I had the Crop Prix Fixe. Sunday dinner that rivaled any place in town. $25 for a 3 course meal. A lot of places use Sunday brunch and other such "specials" for what is known as "garbage day" in the restaurant biz, where all sorts of odds, ends, and leftovers are re-plated and piled onto a buffet for mass consumption. (Some are really gross)
It does not appear that Crop is of that school. Fresh, creative, and delicious. Dinner 2 nights ago was terrific. I had the fried green tomato appetizer with a designer bleu cheese. Very good. Light, fresh and tasty. My date had the stuffed date appetizer, stuffed with prosciutto and goat cheese. This one was out of the park good. Sweet, salty, and most importantly, well balanced. Entrees were very good as well, Tasmanian Salmon was a hair overcooked for me, but any salmon over medium-rare would be for too well done for me. Very fresh, delicate and tasty. I had the chicken-fried duck breast with black beans. It was good, but I'll try some other items next time instead of re-ordering the duck. It was OK, but a tad bland for me. The black beans, however, were deliciously seasoned. Service was fine. My biggest bone to pick is that the sidewalk seating allows smoking. Both times the table next to us smoked through our meals. Both cigarettes and a cigar. That was nasty.
I went to Crop for lunch and cannot wait to return. It is a very pleasant place to eat. It's fairly quiet (at lunch anyway), and it's a very comfortable, stylish space. More importantly, the food was delicious. I had the pig mac with the waldorf cous cous thing. I love pork so I was pretty excited about the sandwich, and it was better than I expected! Excellent flavor combinations. They really know how to cook a pig (a couple different ways) at this place. The salad was cool, crunchy, and the right sweetness and tangyness. I also loved the corn bread I was given at the beginning of the meal.
I read about Crop in Continental's in-flight magazine http://magazine.contin... the feature came in handy as I was somewhat concerned about the availability of food options in downtown Cleveland. It turns out, I need not have been -- I ended up eating at the Bistro for much of my stay in Cleveland. They are closed on Monday which forced me to try Lola's, a dining and service experience that made me appreciate Crop Bistro even more.
I started with a Sunday Supper -- a three course prix-fixe.
The corn bread merits a word or two. The cornbread at the bistro shares the shape and texture with a perfect macaroon. It is moist and perfectly balanced, and comes with cinnamon butter.
The summer salad is a treat -- a heap of fresh greens with finely grated cheese surrounded by helpings of goat cheese, apricots, red and gold beets, artichoke hearts, fresh cucumbers and sun dried tomatoes arranged along the circumference of the plate. Fennel adds an interesting note to the taste.
The skirt steak in my entree came with grilled mushrooms and onions as well as hash browns baked in a pie with crunchy crust. I am not sure if there is such a thing as food that is too flavorful -- I like potatoes that taste like potatoes -- but I thought there was a distinct possibility that someone got carried away with the rosemary in the potato pie.
The desert was a peach crumble with vanilla ice cream. Both the ice cream and the pastry were light and did not overwhelm the flavor of the fruit.
Over the week that I spent in Cleveland I tried nearly everything on the menu and it was uniformly spectacular. Among the appetizers, the figs and the foie gras were particularly memorable and in my next lifetime I hope to develop a sufficient metabolism to try the entire desert menu.
What makes Crop a great place to eat in addition to the outstanding ingredients (they get their own custom pasta from the Ohio Pasta company) and the food is the staff and the service. At another restaurant, my rolling in close to closing time on Sunday might have meant less than friendly service. At Crop, it meant that I got to get to know the owner and the kitchen staff and get there votes for the best pirogies in Cleveland -- Ohio City Pasta Company stand at the West Side Market.
The casual friendly atmosphere permeates the place -- the staff go out of their way to make sure that you are having a good experience. Every time I was there, Scott, the bartender, went out of his way to be attentive -- despite my protestations, he comped me on a drink when the cranberry juice I ordered was not expediently forthcoming . One night I blanked on the fact that prosciutto is made out of pork which I don't eat until the Gorgonzola stuffed figs were already on the table. As I was offering the appetizer (or the prosciutto) to my dining companions, the appetizer was whisked from the table and Jeff from the kitchen remade the dish for me from scratch.
Cleveland, OH
Category: Restaurants
Cleveland, OH
Category: Restaurants
Cleveland, OH
Category: Hotels
Cleveland, OH
Category: American (New)
Cleveland, OH
Category: Restaurants
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