On our second night in Cleveland, we had reservations at Kosta's. Kosta's is located in the Tremont neighborhood, which was only five minutes from the Clifford House by car. Tremont is aptly called "gentrifying". It boasts many good restaurants, including Lola Bistro and Fat Cats, which is mentioned in the September issue of Bon Appetit. Tremont also features many art galleries, though we did not have time to get to any of these (plus we couldn't find any when we did look; apparently they are often parts of people's houses in the area). However, Tremont also features many rundown homes and many downcast people. We hope the improvements continue for the entire area.
We first heard of Kosta's on the FoodTV show "Cooking Live Primetime" (no longer on the network, which is a shame, since it allowed guest chefs to cook and promote their restaurants) where chef Brandt Evans appeared (along with Michael Symon of Lola). Evans is a young guy with a great deal of energy, and we expected his food to be bold and surprising.
When we arrived at Kosta's, we were immediately surprised at the formal feeling of the bar and restaurant. The dark green walls and dark trim yield an old, stuffy supper club atmosphere, which is sharply contrasted with the very modern artwork that hangs on the walls. While there is an outside patio, we sat inside, where the tables are situated in strict rows, so that you tend to be obvious when you look around at others. This fact did not stop many of the diners in the mostly full room from staring around at many people, and there were some *very* uppity folks there, adding to the less-than-warm atmosphere.
All of this "rich" feeling is in great contrast to the food and to Evans and his staff. Our waiter was attentive and clearly enjoyed food, quite willing to give you his opinion on the dishes. Evans himself was exceptionally present--cooking, seating people, consoling a bus-girl who smashed a glass, and talking with customers--and I get the impression that were this his restaurant from the start, it would appear differently, more to his personal style. (Apparently, Evans was not the chef from the start, but since his arrival Kosta's has taken off.)
It must be the food then, and the appetizers were a solid start. I had lobster mousse wrapped in a cucumber slice and garnished with caramelized onions. The onions were outstanding, but the mousse was a tad bland. Nancy ordered the "grilled cheese and tomato soup", which wins for the most understated title; it was actually chilled tomato soup served in a huge Martini glass topped with a fried wonton wrapper and a grilled brie and foie gras sandwich. The soup was excellent, with strong garlic overtones, but we didn't quite get the fried wonton wrapper (we're pretty sure that's what it was) with cinnamon and sugar. The sandwich was good, but it was difficult not to wish for some seared foie gras on the side--we missed the texture.
For our main courses Nancy had beef tenderloin with beets, mashed potatoes, asparagus--all very good--and I had the special of the evening: tuna towers with risotto. The tuna towers were a good idea, just not executed exactly right; the tuna was overdone and the egg roll wrappers it was deep fried in were just too much. The tuna flavor got lost somewhere. The risotto was very good, with a nice horseradish bite.
I must add that the portions at Kosta's are very large, so by the time dessert came along, we were pretty stuffed. Still, we decided to share a coconut macaroon with crème anglais sauce. The macaroon was gigantic, and was skewered with a large spun-sugar wedge. The sauce was especially delicious, but we were just too full to fully enjoy it (although we did get the leftovers and were very happy to eat the macaroon as road food on our way out of Cleveland; it held up very well in the fridge).
Drinks-wise, I was very happy with the champagne cocktail they made, even though they weren't quite certain how to make one at first. The Robertson Chardonnay was adequate, and the Leapin' Lizard Cabernet Sauvignon was very good.
In the end, we enjoyed Kosta's, and I think that with time, Evans will get to put his own stamp on the entire place. I also think that, over time, his food probably hits more than misses, and if we lived in Cleveland, we would be certain to eat there frequently.
Before we departed, we asked our waiter for a recommendation of a bar to go to after dinner. After some consultation with other staff, he recommended the Velvet Tango Room, which he had never been to. Read on to find out about this amazing bar.