Unique Greens

     I am always on the lookout for green, local farmer supporting restaurants.  Not only are they better for the environment and economy, but the food always tastes so much better!  The proximity of where the food is grown and the quality in which it is grown truly makes all the difference in the world.  If you've ever grown your own produce or herbs, you know what I am talking about.  Once you have tasted a tomato straight off the vine, you can never go back to the anemic, flavorless tomatoes at the grocery store.  That being said, I stumbled upon a restaurant in downtown Cleveland named "The Greenhouse Tavern" and it seemed right up my alley.   
    The Greenhouse Tavern is an amazing restaurant that runs their business off of two principals: the idea that the proximity of the farm and soil to a restaurant correlates to the quality of its food and that environmentally conscious or green business practices are fundamental.  They offer a list of local farms where all their food comes from and also a list of all their "green" practices on the back of the menu.  I loved this place before I even ordered.  And once I did order, they continued to impress me!
  
    We started off with an order of "Devils On Horseback".  These are bacon wrapped dates stuffed with almonds, bitter chocolate, and roasted fresno pepper:
 

    These little devils covered just about every taste and texture there is.  You have your sweet, salty, bitter, spicy, crunchy, juicy, gooey, and creamy all in one bite.  It's a lot going on, but I think these are pretty much as close to perfect as a bite can get.  They were delicious!!



 

   For my entree, I chose the Stuffed Provencal Pepper with heirloom tomatoe sauce.  It is stuffed with ratatouille rice pilaf and topped with toasted chevre breadcrumbs:

     It was absolutely delicious.  The red bell pepper was cooked just enough that it still had some crunch too it and the ratatouille filling was incredible!  It was slightly sweet from all the eggplant and other veggies, but hardy and filling from the rice pilaf.  The chevre breadcrumbs were excellent and added just the right amount of spice and texture.  But the heirloom tomato sauce really brought the whole dish together.  It was sweet and creamy and helped mold each bite together.
 
    I would recommend The Greenhouse Tavern to anyone in the Cleveland area.  A very chill and cool atmoshere, the staff was all very friendly and knowledgable about the food they were serving, and it's a great place to get a unique twist on everyday vegetables and meats.  Enjoy those seasonal, organically grown veggies!!