Bites: Bon Bon Baking

The newest player in the bakery boom is Courtney Bonning, who
is in the process of opening Bonbon Bake Shop (6421 Detroit
Ave., 216.375.8437, thebonbonbakeshop.com). Located
behind Gypsy Beans, in the buzz-y Gordon Square Arts District, the
small retail bakery will service both walk-in customers and
special-order clients. Bonning attended the prestigious Culinary
Institute of America at Greystone, the Napa Valley campus of the famed
New York academy. She presently serves as the pastry supervisor at the
Ritz-Carlton, a position she intends to keep. Bonning anticipates that
much of her business will come from wholesale customers like
restaurants, bed and breakfasts, and private clubs. Though Bonbon will
maintain no regular business hours, Bonning promises that her door will
always be open. “I will always have cookies and pastries available,”
she says. “I want people to walk into my kitchen, see what is going on
and get to know me.” Look for a pre-Thanksgiving opening.

Said Ouaddaadaa says that he is in the process of purchasing
Boulevard Blue (12718 Larchmere Blvd., 216.721.5500, boulevardblue.com) from chef-owner
Kurt Steeber. Last December, Steeber purchased the restaurant
from original owner Andy Himmel, who operated it for five years.
Ouaddaadaa, who also owns Bodega (1854 Coventry Rd., 216.932.3060,
bodegaoncoventry.com),
intends to briefly close and retool the restaurant before reopening it
as a prime steakhouse. “There is not a single place in this area to get
a decent steak,” he says. “Right now, anybody who wants a steak has to
drive over to Morton’s or Red.” In addition to USDA prime steaks and
chops, customers can expect a raw bar and plenty of fresh seafood, as
well as other house specialties. The interior will be freshened up to
give the room a warm, upscale feel. Steeber did not return a call
seeking comment in time for publication.

Cleveland Restaurant Week, a promotion organized by
Cleveland Independents, has developed into a two-week-long
annual tradition. Running from Sunday, November 1, through Saturday,
November 14, the popular event takes the form of special three-course,
prix fixe dinners that can be enjoyed at over 50 independent
restaurants area wide. The dinners cost $30 per person and do not
require any prearrangement or enrollment, though reservations are a
good idea. Some restaurants will also be offering special lunch deals.
The list of participating restaurants can be found online at clevelandindependents.com.

dining@clevescene.com

This article appears in Nov 4-10, 2009.