Cork and Cleaver Social Kitchen

I love it when I am so excited about a place that I just can't wait to share it with you. I know that I gave you a little sneak peek of the newly opened Cork & Cleaver Social Kitchen from my post about the CLEDinnerClub event that we attended a couple of weeks ago, but "R" and I made it back in to dine there from the regular menu this week...and it was just as awesome.

Rose, our bubbly and chatty server, helped us navigate the menu and made suggestions based on her personal favorites and popular dishes. She first pointed us towards the Chicken Wings- confit wings with cilantro, scallion, honey, and chilies ($8 for five big wings).

These wings were simply outstanding. "R" deemed them "the best wings he's ever had" and he's had quite a lot of wings. Greenhouse, who? They start with a sugar and salt brine, then confit them before dredging them in a buttermilk batter. The end result is crispy, moist, fall-off-the-bone meat. The sweet honey and kick from the jalapenos just help round out this dish. Go get them, like now!

It was a hard act to follow, but we both really enjoyed our entrees as well. "R" ordered The Omelette with chorizo, goat cheese, guacamole, sweet pepper bruschetta, and crispy potatoes ($14).

I don't usually photograph other people's dishes, but the presentation of this was so pretty that I had to snap a shot before he dug in. I stole two bites of the fluffy omelette, and a bite of the crispy potato pancake. I'm not a breakfast-for-dinner kinda person, but this was delicious and I'd happily eat that for brunch any day. "R" was hooked, and Chef Adam told us that it's his favorite dish on the menu. Why don't more restaurants offer breakfast food options on their dinner menu?

I went for the Gnocchi with braised lamb, a cucumber and radish slaw, and tzatziki ($18).

A bite that combined all of the components had nice balance of flavor and texture, and it certainly reminded me of a gyro. The lamb meat on its own was a little boring, but that sauce really made this dish for me. A little more slaw and a bit more sauce maybe would have made this a little bit better, in my opinion. Overall, I liked it and I would order it again.

As if we weren't full enough, my buddy Chef Adam surprised us with a complimentary dessert. This Root Beer and Malt was a nice sweet treat to the end of the meal.

The malt ice cream was divine, and I loved the chocolate covered crushed pretzels. Rose suggested just smashing the root beer meringue from the center, and that did the trick. It crumbled into the ice cream, and a bite of all three components was very tasty. I'm not even a fan of root beer flavor, and I enjoyed this! It was mild enough to not offend my soda-free palate, but had nice flavor that worked well with everything else on the plate. All of their desserts are playful and interesting.

I couldn't have been happier with the meal, and with two drinks thrown in as well--- the bill only came to $59.

I left thinking "Damn, we are so lucky that Brian Okin and Adam Bostwick teamed up to open Cork & Cleaver." No joke. "R" asked if every Wednesday could be "Cork & Cleaver Day." Now get in there and try it for yourself.

Cork & Cleaver Social Kitchen
8130 Broadview Road
Broadview Heights, OH
440-627-6449