b spot

So I know I have been a bad bad blogger the last 4/5 months. There has been a lot going on at home and with my family so blogging and cooking has unfortunately taken a backseat. But I hope to win you back with some pictures from a recent restaurant visit. Enjoy!

A couple of months ago I went to Cleveland to visit family, and while I was there I stopped by Iron Chef Michael Symon's newest restaurant endeavor, B-spot, on two different occasions. The menu boasts a variety of Burgers, Brats and Beers.. hence the B in B-spot. Its a quaint burger joint with exceptional fare.

On each table you can find the restaurants "rules" or as they call it "Symon Says." The rules are a reminder to the patrons that B-spot is a relaxed atmosphere, where you can come and enjoy some great food and a few drinks with friends. Stuffy and pretentious are not traits welcome at B-spot (we are in the Midwest afterall).

Shoestring fries fried in LARD and tossed in fresh rosemary and seasalt.. Oh.My.God. I dream about these fries. They were that good.

I'm not a huge burger eater so I opted for The Chick Magnet. A fried chicken breast with arugula, avocado, tomato and mayo. So good. The chicken was perfectly fried, crispy and still juicy. The bun was toasty but still soft. The buttery avocado and the peppery arugula were the perfect complement to the sandwich.

One of the unique aspects of the B-spot was the pickle bar. The bar features pickled green tomatoes, red onions, dills, red pepper relish, banana rings and jalapenos. All of which are Michael Symon's recipes made at a 3rd party location solely for the purpose of being served at the B-spot.  

On each table there was a caddy of sauces. Shasha sauce, coffee barbecue, balsamic steak sauce, stadium mustard, regular ketchup and lola ketchup. The shasha sauce is named after Michael Symon's mother in law. Its a hungarian pickle relish made with banana peppers. I love homemade ketchup but the lola ketchup had way too much cumin for my taste. The coffee barbecue is my favorite. A little sweet, a little smoky, a great barbecue sauce. You don't really pick up on the coffee but you can tell there is something extra in the background. 

Michael Symon has done a great deal for the food scene in Cleveland. He is kind of the unofficial mayor in that he shamelessly promotes his and all of his friends restaurants on TV and in food magazines, and I for one do not mind one bit. I visit Cleveland as often as I can to visit family, and now that the food scene has been revived by Symon and chef Eric Williams (owner of Momocho and Happy Dog) all the more reason to travel the distance.

If you are ever in Ohio check to see if there is a B-spot where you are, its definitely worth the visit!