Yeast Meets West

Those huzzahs that you hear may be coming from East Side patrons of Great Harvest Bread Company, who were left high and dry when the company's Shaker Heights location on Van Aken Boulevard closed its doors last summer. But now, folks who have been pining for thick slices of dense Honey-Whole Wheat or seed-coated Dakota breads need travel no farther than the West Side Market (1995 West 25th Street), where bakery manager Jason Dubeansky and owner Randy Verdi have recently opened an outpost of their Lake County Great Harvest location. Their booth (D-6) is presently open only on Fridays and Saturdays, and on the Wednesdays before major holidays, although Dubeansky says more hours may be added later. Selections include all the old favorites -- Cherry Walnut, Sourdough, Apple Crumb, Lemon Blueberry, and Old-Fashioned White breads -- as well as the scrumptious, award-winning Honey-Whole Wheat. Beloved for its handmade loaves crafted from freshly milled whole-wheat flours, the company is headquartered in Montana, with more than 140 franchised bakeries around the country, including Verdi's Mentor location (8720 Mentor Avenue, 440-205-8199) and stores in Stow and Boardman.

The market report continues . . . Clevelander and veteran restaurant-industry insider Anibal Colon Jr. has recently opened up shop at the West Side Market. Colon and partner Roberto Rodriguez (chef at D'Vine Wine Bar on St. Clair Avenue) are offering a tasty lineup of prepared heat-and-eat Mexican foods at their market place, Orale! (booth F-7, 216-781-7248). The freshly made items are based on recipes that Rodriguez gathered near his family home in Puebla, just outside Mexico City. Standouts include a colorful salad of black beans, with bits of red, green, and yellow peppers tossed in a sleek and sparkling herbed vinaigrette; a crunchy and refreshing jicama, cactus, and papaya salad; and an updated enchilada of savory portobello mushroom and rich caramelized onion. Colon is also looking for a West Side location to launch a sit-down restaurant.

Beefy business . . . Akron's new Hyde Park Grille (4073 Medina Road, near I-77 in Montrose; 330-670-6303) opened last month, much to the delight of area beef eaters. The 180-seat restaurant serves dinner daily, with live entertainment in the lounge on weekends. This makes the seventh Ohio location for the restaurant group, which got its start in 1988 when co-founders Richard Hauck and Joe Saccone set up shop in Cleveland Heights. Since then, the steakhouses have honed a reputation for outstandingly tender and flavorful dry-aged USDA prime steaks, as well as for a hearty selection of chops, seafood, and poultry, served in an elegant, white-tablecloth setting. An eighth location -- and the first one out of state -- is scheduled to open in New Orleans next year. (As if Hauck and Saccone didn't have enough on their plate, rumor has it they will be trying out a new non-steakhouse concept in Chagrin Falls this spring, when they open a spot overlooking the falls in space formerly occupied by Leonetti's.)

Tips are encouraged. Contact Elaine T. Cicora at [email protected].