Washington Place Bistro & Inn

On Monday, Mark and I attended an advanced preview tasting dinner at the new Washington Place Bistro & Inn, formerly The Baricelli Inn. Located at 2203 Cornell Road in Cleveland, Washington Place is a part of the fabulous Little Italy and University Circle neighborhoods. Whether you're in Cleveland to take in a performance by the Cleveland Orchestra at the beautiful Severance Hall or a show at the Cleveland Play House, Washington Place Bistro & Inn is the perfect place to experience a lovely to look at and delicious dinner, then head upstairs to a comfortable and charming room to rest for the night.


Stairs leading to the Inn upstairs




View of the bar


View of the kitchen

When we got to the preview dinner, we were greeted with some lovely hors d'œuvres, all of which were delicious:



Shrimp and Grits: perfectly grilled shrimp with tons of flavor nestled in a spoonful of creamy cheesy grits. Our favorite.

Hanger Steak Crostini: medium-rare thinly sliced hanger steak with bleu cheese on a crispy crostini.

Goat Cheese Strudel: piping hot delicious goat cheese and chorizo enveloped in a crispy, flaky triangle crust. YUM.

Cheese Puffs: crispy on the outside and like a warm pillow of fluffy cheesy goodness on the inside. Perfect with beer.


Restaurant owner, Scott Kuhn and me

Next, owner Scott Kuhn said a few words about Washington Place and what it means to him:



We then found our seats in the dining room and enjoyed the following six courses:

We started with some Dortmunder Gold Cheddar Cheese bread and peasant bread served with a roasted garlic butter and smoked salt. Delicious.



Mark and I decided to try a couple of the cocktails off of the drink menu and we enjoyed both. Mark had the Moscow Mule (Stoli vodka, ginger beer, splash of soda, lime):



I had the Basil Julep (Bulleit bourbon, limoncello, splash of soda, chef's garden basil):


Courses:

Roasted Beet & Goat Cheese Salad: Three types of beets... red, golden, and candy-striped. So fresh and good. Served with a fresh creamy herb dressing and watercress.



Oxtail Pierogies: Truffled potato filled flaky pierogie served with an oxtail ragout, caramelized onions, and topped with a horseradish crème fraiche. Loved the flakiness of the pierogie and the rich flavor of the oxtail ragout.



Dayboat Scallops: Broiled scallop served on top of a butternut squash risotto accompanied by an apple cider beurre blanc. The risotto was cooked perfectly and the tanginess of the beurre blanc was just perfect. We loved this dish.



Braised Pot Roast: A straight forward traditional preparation of an American pot roast, served with garlic mashed potatoes, a red wine reduction, and a steamed carrot. This dish wasn't quite my style, however it was good.



Pan Seared Wild Pacific Salmon: This medium-rare perfectly cooked salmon smelled of ginger and fennel, was topped with a few very crispy wood ear mushrooms, and was served with a sweet, buttery, creamy cauliflower gratin and basil oil. The fish had a nice crispy crust and was sprinkled with a bit of course salt. Very nice dish.



Housemade Chocolate Brownie: Crusty on the outside, moist and deliciously chocolaty on the inside warm brownie with sea salt served with a chocolate ice cream and a bittersweet chocolate drizzle. I'm a self-proclaimed chocoholic and loved this dessert. It was so good it just made me giggle.




Me, lost in chocolate bliss


Mark wondering if he should leave me and my brownie alone :-)

After dinner, we were led up the stairs to check out the rooms of the Inn...



Here are some pics of the room we checked out and some information on the Inn from the Washington Place website:

Our well-appointed 7-room Inn, adjacent to the Washington Place Bistro offers first class ameneties, a complimentary continental breakfast and weekend guests receive a complimentary Sunday Brunch.





In Room Ameneties —
• WiFi
• 40" Flat Screen Televisions
• Coffee Machines
• IPod-compatable Alarm Radios
• in-room Safes
• Glass Showers
• Hair Dryer/Iron
• Work Desk*
• Vanity Room*
• Seating Areas*

*Not available in all rooms.

We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves that night and wish owner Scott Kuhn, and Chef Jonathan Guest the best of luck in their new venture. Big thanks also to Michelle V of the blog, Cleveland Foodie for inviting us to such a fun and delicious event.