Larchmere Tavern on Larchmere Blvd. in Cleveland.
At approximately 4:30 PM on Thursday 20 November 2008 a colleague and I decided to go to the Larchmere Tavern for an in-between work and Open House dinner. We walked the six blocks or so to help us keep more awake for the two hours to come, but enough on that.
The place is very quaint. It has probably been used for the same thing since the twenties or so and looks it. One can imagine a speakeasy or gin joint, as they were called at various times in our history. The heavy wooden doors on the front of the building gave entrance to the relatively spacious foyer and two rooms of nearly the same size. To the rights were about four tables and four or five booths and the bar, on the left was a room with only tables and booths. It took a few minutes before anyone acknowledged us, but when the young man did, he was friendly enough and told us to sit where we liked, motioning toward the bar side. It appeared as though we were too early to sit anywhere but in the bar area. I chose the first booth near the entrance, and, unlike the last thing of which I wrote; there were no untoward breezes to make you freeze when someone entered the premises.
We were asked for our drink order to which my companion requested coffee and water. I opted for only water. Our server, and bartender as he was the only person on the floor, filled them with ease and speed. He left us menus. Cardboard and not very classy if I may say so, not that I am really asking anyone’s permission. The dinner menu was relatively small but quite well appropriated with thirty-four choices including salads and appetizers running the gamut from wings to lobster bisque to Maple Leaf Duck Breast. They also had a 50 bottle or so wine list that was nice for those of you in that wine (o) category. Sorry, I just can’t seem to stomach that crap. Anyway, we said that we may have a third join the party but decided to order anyway, good thing because she didn’t make it.
I ordered the Simple Salmon, which came with a Red Wine Risotto, Shiitake Mushroom Marmalade Balsamic at $15.95. My coworker ordered, first, the Maple Leaf Duck Breast, then, when he realized it was duck and not chicken, even though he actually did SAY duck, changed it to the Chevre Stuffed Chicken Breast. We were given a basket of very crusty bread that must have been a ciabatta but it seemed a bit more airy. It had a wonderful taste, though would have been better served with an infused olive oil rather than the tasteless butter in accompaniment. My companion had to ask for water more than once, as our server was busy with other things. We even asked for the pitcher to stay on the table and were told that, “I’m really not supposed to do that.” I cannot imagine any reason as to why that would be the case, and, truthfully, I was somewhat offended to think that we couldn’t be “trusted” with a water pitcher.
It took very little time for the meals to arrive. They came out steaming and actually stayed hot throughout the entire meal. A very nice touch and something I have not seen in quite some time. Mine was wonderfully presented and looked scrumptious. My companion’s came out looking good, but certainly not like chicken breast. I looked more like duck but was stuffed as the chicken on the menu stated. It was the size of a duck breast, or maybe Cornish hen. Maybe it was a “chuck”, I don’t know. He said it tasted more like duck than chicken, but…. Anyway, my risotto was the perfect consistency but incredibly bland. The glaze was out of this world and indescribable. The salmon was, I shit you not, the best I have ever eaten. The flavor was no different than ever really except for the Mushroom Marmalade but it was done to absolute perfection. You know I hate to use that word ever, but, in this instance, it fits. The fish was flaky and moist with no hint of the usually dryness associated with most salmon one might get at another place. I figure it was fresh which allowed for it to be done without thawing or “pre-cooking” by microwave thaw.
I would highly recommend this place for an upper end dinner when you want to do something a bit special. I want to put out just a bit of warning to the server, though. You were only OK at best. Considering there were only about four people at the bar and your other table left, we should have been better served. We had to ask, twice, for more water, and you made us sit for too long before bringing us our check. This is my perennial bitch, so I do not understand why servers and managers don’t get it. It is not only you, but certainly, this does not put you above the crowd. Keep up the good work on the food and do some more work on service.
The place is very quaint. It has probably been used for the same thing since the twenties or so and looks it. One can imagine a speakeasy or gin joint, as they were called at various times in our history. The heavy wooden doors on the front of the building gave entrance to the relatively spacious foyer and two rooms of nearly the same size. To the rights were about four tables and four or five booths and the bar, on the left was a room with only tables and booths. It took a few minutes before anyone acknowledged us, but when the young man did, he was friendly enough and told us to sit where we liked, motioning toward the bar side. It appeared as though we were too early to sit anywhere but in the bar area. I chose the first booth near the entrance, and, unlike the last thing of which I wrote; there were no untoward breezes to make you freeze when someone entered the premises.
We were asked for our drink order to which my companion requested coffee and water. I opted for only water. Our server, and bartender as he was the only person on the floor, filled them with ease and speed. He left us menus. Cardboard and not very classy if I may say so, not that I am really asking anyone’s permission. The dinner menu was relatively small but quite well appropriated with thirty-four choices including salads and appetizers running the gamut from wings to lobster bisque to Maple Leaf Duck Breast. They also had a 50 bottle or so wine list that was nice for those of you in that wine (o) category. Sorry, I just can’t seem to stomach that crap. Anyway, we said that we may have a third join the party but decided to order anyway, good thing because she didn’t make it.
I ordered the Simple Salmon, which came with a Red Wine Risotto, Shiitake Mushroom Marmalade Balsamic at $15.95. My coworker ordered, first, the Maple Leaf Duck Breast, then, when he realized it was duck and not chicken, even though he actually did SAY duck, changed it to the Chevre Stuffed Chicken Breast. We were given a basket of very crusty bread that must have been a ciabatta but it seemed a bit more airy. It had a wonderful taste, though would have been better served with an infused olive oil rather than the tasteless butter in accompaniment. My companion had to ask for water more than once, as our server was busy with other things. We even asked for the pitcher to stay on the table and were told that, “I’m really not supposed to do that.” I cannot imagine any reason as to why that would be the case, and, truthfully, I was somewhat offended to think that we couldn’t be “trusted” with a water pitcher.
It took very little time for the meals to arrive. They came out steaming and actually stayed hot throughout the entire meal. A very nice touch and something I have not seen in quite some time. Mine was wonderfully presented and looked scrumptious. My companion’s came out looking good, but certainly not like chicken breast. I looked more like duck but was stuffed as the chicken on the menu stated. It was the size of a duck breast, or maybe Cornish hen. Maybe it was a “chuck”, I don’t know. He said it tasted more like duck than chicken, but…. Anyway, my risotto was the perfect consistency but incredibly bland. The glaze was out of this world and indescribable. The salmon was, I shit you not, the best I have ever eaten. The flavor was no different than ever really except for the Mushroom Marmalade but it was done to absolute perfection. You know I hate to use that word ever, but, in this instance, it fits. The fish was flaky and moist with no hint of the usually dryness associated with most salmon one might get at another place. I figure it was fresh which allowed for it to be done without thawing or “pre-cooking” by microwave thaw.
I would highly recommend this place for an upper end dinner when you want to do something a bit special. I want to put out just a bit of warning to the server, though. You were only OK at best. Considering there were only about four people at the bar and your other table left, we should have been better served. We had to ask, twice, for more water, and you made us sit for too long before bringing us our check. This is my perennial bitch, so I do not understand why servers and managers don’t get it. It is not only you, but certainly, this does not put you above the crowd. Keep up the good work on the food and do some more work on service.
posted by johnathan e at 6:57 PM
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