It's been a lucky month for me. I recently won tickets to the Autism Speaks Chefs Gala from the fabulous Cleveland Chick. I found out at work and I literally had to control myself and not jump up and down. Who wouldn't be excited about getting to eat food from tons of great #CLE chefs. You throw in our local super star Michael Symon and Mario Batali and it's sure to be an extra special bash. And it was.
There was so much great food - you could tell that the chefs all wanted to make something extra special for the occasion. The museum was gorgeous and So. Much. Yum.
My favorites of the night were:

Anna Harouvis - Anna in the Raw
Her Icarian Salad with Raw Vegan Greek dressing and Raw Vegan Gluten Free Kalamata Cracker was our first bite of the night and it set the bar high. She continually impresses with her ability to make raw food so good that you don't even notice it isn't cooked.  I may have gone back multiple times for shots of her famous juice...

Karen Small – Flying Fig
Her lamb polpette (meatball) was juicy and packed full of flavor. We really loved the sauce and the crunchy za'atar pita chips. The smoked yogurt, feta and Cornichon complimented the lamb perfectly. I would love this as an entree.

Dion Tsevdos – Cheese Shop, Urban Herbs, & Classic Seafood
WOW~ this Goat Cheese Sundae was a stunner! Gorgeous, super creative and soooo good! The touch of micro basil was a tasty surprise.  I wish this was on every menu in Cleveland!

Jeff Jarrett – AMP 150
Jeff is consistently one of my favorite chef's in CLE. He never disappoints and makes me like things I swore I never would. LOVED the Bison Tartare with Duck Egg Gribiche (fancy egg salad,) shiso puree and spiced salt. 

Chris Hodgson - Hodge's, Cibreo, Driftwood Catering, Bin 216
This tart was a huge hit. The fig and duck confit took this tasty treat to a whole new level. The portion was HUGE but that didn't stop us from eating every last bite.

Fabio Salerno – Lago & Gusto
This Scallop Crudo with grapefruit, edamame, cucumber and mint oil was soooo fresh and light - perfect for a summer night.

Matt Mytro – flour
And here's the rest of the good eats:

Last week was a great week for the Indians. They unveiled their plans for an upgraded fan experience next year. Lots of changes are coming ...

One of the things I was most excited about working downtown was the ability to go to Walnut Wednesday . When you don't work downtown, i...

Have you ever been to a Friday night bridal shower? My friend Julie 's shower was my first, and hopefully not my last! The Mexican Fies...

First I need to congratulate Kristian C. He is the winner of the Locavore tickets! If you didn't win, you can still get your tickets h...

Locavore. Are you wondering what in the world that is? You may be one and don't know it!  The quick definition is one that pays attent...

On Monday I started working downtown. What a change from working at home and driving around all day! I'mm really looking forward to bei...