Tour de Bruell

I did it! Mr. H and I tasked ourselves with completing the official Tour de Bruell for the first time this summer. And...we did it!

Cleveland restaurateur Zack Bruell annually launches the Tour de Bruell. Diners receive a punch card at one of his signature restaurants, and then you have between Memorial Day and Labor Day to visit each of his six signature restaurants.

You must order an entree at each, and you receive a stamp on your card to mark your visit at that restaurant. If you complete the tour before Labor Day, you're entered to win a raffle for a four-course dinner prepared in your home for 8 guests by chef Bruell himself. Also, everyone that completes it is invited to a complimentary VIP party in the fall. This year marked the seventh year of the Tour de Bruell, and we did it! His restaurants are some of my favorite in Cleveland, so we had quite a lot of fun getting to all six this summer.

We started at Parallax, and I had the seared ahi tuna with lemon puree, sushi rice, and shishito fried vegetables. This was probably my favorite dish of the Tour, and a great way to kick it off. I was dreaming about that lemon puree for weeks.

Next up was Chinato, and I ordered the braised lamb with sweet potato gnocchi, Brussels sprouts and Parmesan.

Alley Cat was the perfect next stop, because of its riverfront views and summery vibe. I ordered the grilled octopus with succotash, bacon and smoked paprika aioli.

Our most disappointing meal was at Cowell and Hubbard. I had the strip steak with roasted baby potatoes and creamed leeks in a foie gras jus.

Then, we dined at Table 45, and I enjoyed the plancha seared scallops with miso glazed scallops, bamboo rice, bok choy, sweet tamari gastrigue, and shiso cream ($28) from the new chef Matthew Anderson.

We saved the best for last. Our favorite of his signature restaurants, L'Albatros. The lighting was poor, so I don't have a picture of the delicious duck confit with a crispy duck leg, sweet potato puree, and braised cabbage ($24). Of course, we had to end the meal there with the famous cheese service. It was the perfect ending to the tour, and right in time. We dined there just days before Labor Day!

Phew, it was a whirlwind of a summer, but thanks to the Tour de Bruell...it was a tasty one. Nothing to disclose here, we chose to do the Tour on our own, and had a lot of fun challenging ourselves to complete it. You can almost never go wrong with food from Bruell's group, and so we really enjoyed completing the Tour. Don't miss out next summer!