In a land, not known, across the river exists a lovely old and historic town called Edwardsville. Cleveland- Heath, a Napa Valley inspired restaurant found themselves a home in the heart of downtown, along with a cute wine shop, and a video game bar, Unkle Munkey’s Coin Club.
Joe and I met four of our friends at Cleveland-Heath for dinner on a Saturday night, thinking it would be a low-key evening with great friends and full bellies. Little did we know we would visit a wine shop that was right up our alley and a video game bar. We arrived at Cleveland-Heath around 5 p.m., and even this early, had a thirty-minute wait. We enjoyed a Sicilian Sour and an Old St. Nick at the bar, while waiting for our friends and our table.
The Sicilian Sour consisted of blood orange liquor, St Germain, vodka and sour mix. It tasted like a beautiful spring day, and I just had to have another one later with my meal. The Old St. Nick had gingerbread infused rye whiskey, and gin-barrel aged orange bitters with cherries. Joe’s drink was very similar to a classic Manhattan; the orange bitters gave this old school libation a twist to the palette.
The atmosphere at Cleveland-Heath is chic and casual with a combination of brick walls, wood seating, and modern lighting. The owners of Cleveland-Heath, Jennifer Cleveland and Eric Heath, both worked at prestigious restaurants in Napa Valley. Eric Heath worked at French Laundry, which is on my bucket list to visit, when we make it to Napa. Cleveland-Heath gives us a glimpse into West Coast fine dining, but with Midwest prices. With our multiple cocktails, wine with dinner, an appetizer, entrees and dessert our bill was $100.
Deciding which appetizer to order was a tough choice for me, because I have made a commitment to myself to try new foods and expand my palette. The appetizer menu featured Foie Gras, Lamb tongue, Japanese Pancakes with shrimp, deviled eggs, chips and salsa, and wings. I went with the Japanese Pancakes because my friend Kelsey had them a few weeks ago and raved about the flavor. I definitely made the right choice. It is a pancake, with barbeque sauce, Kewpie mayo, cabbage, shrimp, and shaved tuna on the top. The dish frightened at first because it appeared to come alive when it was brought to the table. The shaved tuna waived at you, as if a fan was on it, or like a flag blowing on a windy day. Our server, Mel, was great and he let us know the heat of the dish makes the shaved tuna move that way! It was really crazy to see. When I finally dug in my mouth thanked me. The combination of flavors made me so happy. My husband did not care for it at all. Where as I love mixing different flavors at once, Joe does not. If you are adventurous and love different flavors, this dish is a must have.
Throughout dinner oldies music playing in the background, and people were snapping their fingers and moving to the beats of “Runaround Sue” by Dion and The Belmonts. Three of the six of us ordered the tacos, but we also had cannelloni, pork chop, and the pulled pork sandwich. We had sides of mac and cheese and brussel sprouts. I had a bite of all the food!!! The tacos were yummy, and I loved the french fries. They were a combination of regular and sweet potatoes, and were skinny shoestring fries, which are my favorite. The pork chop had a fried egg on it with a jalapeño cheese batter pudding. You could really taste the jalapeño it was delicious. I was so full from the pancakes, I only managed a few bites of the cannelloni, but it was scrumptious. So much so that Joe ate it when we got home that night because he couldn’t wait until morning. The mac n cheese was creamy and delicious. The brussel sprouts were roasted with capers, shallots, topped with shredded cheese, and were outstanding. I can’t wait to cook them like this at home.
We all shared two desserts: the marmalade cheesecake and beignets. The beignets were moist and tasty, but the cheesecake stole the show for me. My husband had to distract me so I wouldn’t cry, because the flavor reminded me of my Grandad. He would eat marmalade on toast for breakfast all the time, and he would have loved this dessert. It was the perfect combination of flavors and textures: creamy and smooth without occasional bites of crunch.
After dinner we found an adorable wine store, Bin 51 Wine and Spirits. You can buy a bottle of wine and enjoy it there, on this picnic table and bench located inside the store. The selection of wine was wonderful. We bought a bottle of The Prisoner, previously owned by Orin Swift, for a very affordable price! It was very intimate and cozy. We can’t wait to go back, share a bottle of amazing wine and have fabulous converstation.
We ended the night at Unkle Munkey’s Coin Club. It was a hoot. It is a fun and unique bar perfect for anyone who loves video games and having a drink with friends. The bar is surrounded by video games such as: Baby Pac Man, Ms Pac Man, Space Invaders, Jurassic Park, Terminator 2, Guitar Hero arcade, Baywatch, Golden Tee Live 2014, and so many more. They serve food: such as wings, hot dogs, pizza, and burgers. They also have local beers; Four Hands, Urban Chestnut, Six Row and more on tap. They make this huge drink, called the Junky Munky, that has multiple liquors in it and three coronas, that are died different colors. I couldn’t resist ordering one, to experience it for myself. It had everyone at the bar talking. It was very sugary and sweet and too much for us, so we gave it away to a group of people standing near us. Joe played a shooting game, and had such a fun time. He noticed the Decepticon’s logo on a door at the back of the bar, and it was a room for the guys who service and work on the games if they are out of service. The artwork and décor alone is worth visiting Unkle Munkey’s. You can see for yourself below.
Living in St. Louis, we are blessed to have so many wonderful restaurants, bars and places to go to be entertained. It was really nice to escape our city for an evening and try somewhere new.
If you are looking for a little excitement for a date night with your loved one or even a nice family meal, the land, not known, across the river is a great place to check out.
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