It's All Longitude To Me

Last Friday brought an excursion to the west side for dinner at Latitude 41°N and some Made In The 216 action. The Gordon Square Arts District was hoppin', but we easily scored parking in Latitude's parking lot- which was appreciated. It was my first time dining there, and immediately I liked the comfortable atmosphere. Plush couches, bookcases, and the "do-it-yourself" ordering method all create a casual setting for a meal with good friends.

Six of us settled into a long table and started to look at the menu. I think that everyone had been there before, except for "R" and I, so they quickly made their selections. I spied a dish that reminded me of a Panini's sandwich, burger-style: “Wait Until Next Year” ($8.95)- half a pound of ground chuck or chicken breast BBQ’d and grilled with sharp cheddar, cole slaw, and Lat 41°n Fries all smashed under a toasted sandwich roll and served with a knife and fork. I was sold. "R" and I both decided to start with a cup of their signature Tomato Bisque ($3.5)- topped with crumbled bleu cheese and homemade croutons. The soup arrived first, and I stirred in the blue cheese before taking a spoonful. This was a mistake. Once blended, the soup lost any hint of blue cheese flavor. The soup was decent, and clearly homemade, but I felt underwhelmed and began looking forward to my entree. Again, I think I made a poor menu choice on the burger. The tower of food arrived just as described, and it was clear that I really was going to need a knife and fork for this dish. I dug in and quickly realized that my "medium" burger was very well done and dried out. The slaw was almost non-existent. With this being the only "wet" component, it left the entire burger dry and flavorless. As if this wasn't bad enough, the french fries were extremely salty and I could barely eat any. This is coming from a self-proclaimed salt lover. And french fries are one of my top five favorite foods! It pained me to leave them behind.

On a lighter note- the Southern BBQ pizza with BBQ chicken, bleu cheese, shredded mozzarella and provolone cheeses, red onion and snipped cilantro atop the savory/sweet BBQ sauce that "R" ordered was very good. It was even good the next day as leftovers! I also had a bite of one of their famous pasta bakes, which left me wishing that I had ordered one of their rich and creamy creations.

While my soup and entree choices left me very disappointed (and literally a bad taste in my mouth), I'd love to go back and try their brunch. I'd even venture to say that I'd go back for dinner. I am always open to giving second chances. I'll just have to be a little smarter with my selections!

Latitude 41°N
5712 Detroit Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44102
(216) 961-0000