Bon Appetit in Cleveland

   My family and I stumbled upon a darling little cafe called "Le Petit Triangle Cafe" while looking for a place to grab dinner before the show one night.  If you have ever been to Cleveland, it is in the same neighborhood as the West Side Market.  It looked adorable from the outside and was even more adorable once inside.  It's name comes from the triangle shape of the restaurant.

   They cook everything in a little, open air kitchen right inside the restaurant.  From our table we could see everything they were cooking in their tiny kitchen.  I love when you can actually see how the food is prepared and watch the chefs create your meal.  I ordered the special of the day which was duck in a red wine reduction sauce, braised greens and mashed sweet potatoes.  

     I don't order duck a lot, for fear of it tasting too "gamey".  But this duck came highly recommended by our server, so I thought I'd give it a try.  I'm SO happy I did because this was hands down the best duck I have ever had.  The duck was cooked to perfection and very tender, full of flavor and very moist.  I'm not sure what they used for the outside of the duck, but it was crispy and salty and was the perfect accompaniment to the tender inside of the duck. The red wine reduction was lovely and added a very nice, fruity note to the duck. 

   The greens were delicious and cooked with a little garlic and salt.  The mashed sweet potatoes were fluffy and flavored with cinnamon.  Yum!  I was so pleased and impressed with my meal.  My parents both thoroughly enjoyed theirs too.  The environment was very romantic and warm inside the cafe and our waiter was very nice.  I would love to have gone back one morning for a cappuccino and crepe and enjoyed it with a good book.  If you are feeling a bit European or just looking for a romantic little spot, I highly recommend Le Petit Triangle Cafe.