A River Full of Fire

For those not in the know, Cleveland might be known as "that place where the lake caught fire" or even more recently as the most miserable city . To them I say, don't knock us until you've tried us.

There is however, a river in Cleveland that is full of fire from time to time. Just like our city, it might not be much to look at from the outside to the untrained eye. If you didn't have a reason to do so, you might pass it by without a second glance.

Mekong River in Cleveland Heights offers diners a wide selection of Cambodian and Thai dishes, ranging from mild and sweet, to a those that provide a lip-tingling burn. Their "heat index" ranges from Level 1 all the way up to 15 - a level many of the servers there have told me is usually enjoyed by staff, or their regular Cambodian and Thai customers. On my last visit the server reminded me that heat can always be added on, but cannot be taken out!

Both the exterior and interior of the restaurant are sparse, with little more than a few neon signs on the outside, and only a few paintings and plants on the inside. I've learned through experience however that a pretty restaurant (and even pretty food) do not always equal good food. Seating is abundant, both in the main dining area and around the bar - where there's almost always a Thai or Cambodian television show playing.

Mekong River offers a full bar, as well as beer and wine. The bubble tea is not to be missed, with its thick and slushy texture that differs from the thin, milky bubble teas you find elsewhere. They also offer Jasmine tea as well as black iced tea. I tried the Jasmine tea on this visit and was not impressed - mostly because the hair product I love from Lush Cosmetics contains Jasmine. They were far too similar for me.

We order the Tom Kha Kai (red) soup every time we go. The slightly spicy, coconut milk and galangal infused broth is luxurious. The soup also contains chicken, button mushrooms and cilantro. One bowl is usually split between my husband and I, but the serving size is certainly not overwhelming if you wanted one all to yourself.

My husband's favorite dish is their Cambodian Curry, which contains beef, yams, green peppers, potatoes, and onions, cooked in a curry sauce. He normally orders it with a heat level of 3 (remember, out of 15) which is plenty spicy for the both of us.

I ordered the Tangerine Tilapia, which was a generously sized tilapia filet that had been lightly breaded and fried. The breading was so crisp and light with no trace of oil. It was topped with a sweet tangerine ginger sauce, which I spiced up to a level 2 (it was not intended to be spicy at all(. It came with a small side of steamed broccoli and whole tangerine slices. The flavor combinations were phenomenal, and there was enough to spare. We always take home leftovers. It's not unusual to see diners eating family-style - it might even be the ideal way to experience Mekong River's food when dining with a group of several people. The menu is so vast that you can eat there several times and not even make a dent in the selections they offer.

There are many vegetarian/vegan options - and I'm sure that most meat dishes could be made vegetarian with a request to your server. If you still happen to be hungry after your soup, tea and entree - there are always a few dessert selections, including a housemade coconut ice cream and sticky rice cake with mango.

Mekong River is our traditional stop the night before my husband heads off to a neuroscience conference that takes place annually. It is truly a hidden gem that you cannot judge based on appearance alone.

Carbs, Luxurious Carbs

Living in Little Italy, I am no stranger to Italian food. My favorite on Mayfield is Etna, but La Dolce Vita's Pasta Fellini is a Fall/Winter favorite of mine. The bartenders at Maxi's are wonderful, and I really like the staff at Presti's - many of the people there have been working there (at least) as long as I've lived here, and it's kind of nice to get my pepperoni bread and iced coffee from the same folks, three years in a row.

When I first moved here, I really didn't know too much about the area. I picked my apartment online, and actually had my (then) boyfriend check it out for me. I didn't see it for the first time until I drove a U-Haul to Cleveland with everything I owned in tow. It should come as no surprise then, that I didn't really know that there were some amazing things on Murray Hill, which intersects with Mayfield. When Jeff and I were dating, the Cornell Rd. bridge was closed and he lived closer to The Triangle, so we rarely went in that direction. The street has evolved quite a bit since I moved here, with the more recent additions of the Murray Hill Market, La Pizzeria, and Washington Place Bistro.

My first stop as I was getting my sea legs on Cleveland's culinary waters, was Cleveland Foodie - a blog that I consider quintessential to navigating the diverse food culture of Cleveland. I remembered seeing her talk about Michaelangelo's in Little Italy, but I didn't really know where that was. It's been a while, but I may have discovered it while on a walk down Murray Hill. You can't see the restaurant too well from the street or sidewalk unless you're really trying, so Michaelangelo's remained shrouded in mystery for me until about a year ago.

As of last week, I have now been there a total of three times. On the first and most recent visits, my husband and I ordered multiple pasta dishes to share. It's not advertised on the menu for dinner, but you can get half orders of any of the pasta dishes (or the risotto), so we got three half orders of pasta and shared them. Last week we tried the Sacchetti (A ricotta and black truffle stuffed pasta in a black truffle cream sauce), the Raviolini (Lobster ravioli, rock shrimp and a vodka-tomato cream sauce), and the Gnocchi (Potato gnocchi with hazelnut pesto). I should also add that this was our pre-time trial "carb-up" - we participated in a (bicycle) time trial the following morning!

The half order of Sacchetti comes with 7 "purses" of pasta/stuffing, and this was the one I would have wanted all for myself. I tried it on my first visit, and the only reason I didn't get it on my second visit was because they were out. This pasta is the whole reason I love truffles. The flavors are balanced well, and the sauce is velvety and luxurious without being too heavy, something that seems nearly impossible for a cream sauce.

Lobster ravioli is something I've had elsewhere, and it's never really been a favorite of mine. That's not to say that Michangelo's version isn't amazing - it's just not really my sort of thing. The experience of eating this pasta is without a doubt, oceanic. The taste of the lobster and rock shrimp are left untouched, and speak for themselves. There is a brininess to the meat that brings back fond memories of sandy beaches and salty air.

I really loved the Gnocchi. I'd thought about it on my previous two visits, but it never made the cut. The basil is not overpowering, and the parmigiano really makes it tart and creamy. The hazelnuts were not obvious to me, aside from a textural thing. It was fun to eat, and really enjoyable.

The staff at Michaelangelo's has always been wonderful, from the moment we walk in the door. I've never been disappointed with a single thing on any of our visits, and I look forward to going again in the future. I'm almost considering it for my birthday dinner (I have it narrowed down to four restaurants - honest!)!! I hope that you consider them for your next special dinner (or lunch) if you haven't already.

I Less Than Three Cleveland (that means LOVE)

Yea, verily... Happy are we in Cleveland.

The parks, the fantastic music venues, the countless amazing chefs and restaurants - oh, and the bloggers...These and many other things make Cleveland a great place to live and visit. I am so in love with this city. That's right Alexa... This is an EDA - for CLEVELAND. Yep, I'm madly, madly in love with the 216.

Some people don't think so, and that's okay, because most of us know better. It is up to us who really believe in Cleveland to help make this city a better place for those who might disagree with us. If that means volunteering, supporting local businesses, or showing friends and loved ones who may not know how awesome this place is, then so be it.

I will be at the Literary Cafe in Tremont this Friday from 9:00 to whenever as a model for the pretentious artists in the Literary Cafe Drawing Club. Stop by, if you're not snowed in already. If you are, please be safe and make some hot chocolate.