Cleveland Restaurant Week - Spice Kitchen & Bar

Attention people who are A) trying to save money, B) interested in gourmet food and fresh ingredients, or C) extremely sick of the burgers, sandwiches and fries that seem to be ubiquitous around the Cleveland food scene.  It's Cleveland Restaurant Week 2014 through this Sunday!  It's one of my favorite times of the year because it's an opportunity to sample multiple courses at expensive restaurants that I normally would not step foot into unless it was a special occasion or for a happy hour cocktail.  You get 3 full-size courses, an appetizer, entree and dessert, for $33.  A glass of wine isn't included, but I consider it mandatory.  This past Saturday, Howie and I went to Spice Kitchen & Bar, and amazing doesn't even begin to describe our experience!

Spice is a restaurant that let's you "eat with the seasons," which means that everything on the menu is constantly rotating based on local produce.  The food was not only fresh, but perfectly seasoned and accompanied with impeccable service.  What was on the menu?  An amazing glass of Malbec, potato garlic soup topped with crunchy grilled leeks for the first course, chicken confit with sage, smashed potatoes, fresh broccoli and pan gravy for the entree, and and absolutely to-die-for dessert: carmelized apples laid upon a soft, fluffy puff pastry, topped with a drizzle of homemade caramel sauce for dessert.  Literally if I ever get invited to go on Food Network's "The Best Thing I Ever Ate," I'm totally going to describe the apple puff pastry.  HEAVEN ON EARTH.  Howie got the same first course and dessert as me, but got a butternut squash risotto topped with apple cress salad and blue cheese for his entree.  If only we could afford to go there every weekend!  You have to try Restaurant Week this weekend!