In that department, our Bar Manager, Dave Hridel, has you covered. Sure, you can come enjoy our farm-to-bar cocktails on the Spice patio anytime…

This Spring’s list.

…but if you’d like to DIY our drink list for your next patio party, we can help you there too!

Introducing our Farm-to-Bar cocktail classes, where you’ll learn learn THREE different cocktails with ONE seasonal ingredient, including practical tips + tricks that you can take home to truly impress your guests.

DIY this drink!

Weather permitting, we’ll host our summer series classes on the patio. You’ll enjoy an entertaining tutorial on three preparations, followed by a largish sample of each cocktail, and some small plates to snack on.

Each class will have its own seasonal fruit theme:

June 23rd: Strawberries
July 21st: Blackberries
August 25th: Peaches
September 29th: Apples

…and feature herbs from our edible landscaping.

Class up your cocktails with a sprig of Summer!

Why not learn a little something new while you drink? Join us for one or more of our Farm-to-Bar cocktail classes. Classes are $40 and space is limited – call 216.961.9637 to reserve your seats!

Make your next party punch a conversation piece.

A room of their own.

It’s a Plated Landscape dinner, circa Mackenzie Creamery, Spring 2012. This shot actually turned out much better than the previous year, which had us scrambling for a rain plan. We packed into Jean’s charming farmhouse, and were rewarded for our temporary inconvenience during third course.

Oooohs and aaaaahs all around.

There’s always a story to be made at a Plated Landscapes event.

Open-toed adventure.

A rain plan hoop house.

A walk in the gardens.

We’ve been throwing these farm parties for seven years now to celebrate the growing season.

A shot of summer in every glass.

Grill season, Spice style.

It’s also a chance for guests to get to know the farmers, and learn about their land.

…and special visitors.

Once seated, guests settle in. Surrounded by the richness of the landscape, they toast with strangers, dine under the sunset, then finish the last bite by lantern light.

Not quite twilight.

We hope you’ll join us for our 2013 season, when we’ll feature a collection of six of the region’s most well-planted farms, hand picked for culinary adventure.

We could be here…

…or here

…or here

…or here.

We’ll announce 2013 Plated Landscapes locations to our mailing list on the first day of Spring, March 20th. Or, look for the schedule on our website during the first week of April.

Regulars – and those who’d like to be – please call us anytime to hear about our Plated Landscape season pass!

We can tell you that we’re switching it up this year, complete with new possibilities to explore. And maybe a scavenger hunt or two. As usual, the menus will be a surprise, planned only a few weeks in advance to coincide with what will be growing in our dining room that evening. We also have a fresh music line up for your listening enjoyment.

We hope you’ll join us! Stay tuned for the 2013 schedule and reservation instructions via email or website.

At the end of the day, there are few things more fun than dozens of well-fed folks laughing under the stars.

Dinner at dusk.

Read more about Plated Landscapes over the years.

“The food was extraordinary, the setting charming, the spirit friendly, and when darkness wrapped itself around our gathering something kind of magical took hold.”
-Laura Taxel, Cleveland Magazine

“Wide cracks in the plank siding barely keep the chilly winds at bay as guests warm themselves with sips of hot cider spiked with dark rum and French ginger liqueur.”
-Michael O’Malley, The Plain Dealer

“Fueled by kinship, boozy cocktails, wholesome foods, and the fading summer sun, guests seem to loll about in a blissed-out stupor.” -Doug Trattner, Scene Magazine

Editor’s note:
Special thanks to these photographers for capturing our memories…
the illustrious Paul Lender
the awesomeness Keith Berr
the totally terrific David Hornek
the ever-great Christina Bright
the uber-talented Tess Smith
the visionary Kayla Westfall
the guy-with-a-great-eye Mr. Borcherds

Rebecca believes that you always take out what you put in. Hard work has led her to be Spice Kitchen + Bar’s Sous Chef, and she’s an important part of what makes the end product so sensational.

Becca cheffing at Spice.

Q. You’ve worked in some pretty great kitchens in your career. What’s different about working in the Spice kitchen? What’s a typical day like?

A. As a chef you strive to put the best food out, but it’s hard when you don’t have the best ingredients. It’s so nice to have access to fresh-picked fruits and vegetables, because it makes the food that much better. Typically, I work the line side-by-side with Executive Chef Brandon (Walukas). It’s good team-building for all of us. Everyone is working the same – very hard.

Becca towing the line.

Every day changes so drastically at Spice. One day you’re working at a Plated Landscape dinner and the next you’re picking your own produce to throw in a salad. I’ve never worked anywhere like this. The continuous change pushes you to work harder and better.

Becca in the field.

Q. Many of your products are crafted from scratch. Tell us about that! What are some of the house favorites?

A. Everything that we do is from scratch, but our Kombucha is amazing and I think everyone else would agree. We do rotating cocktails with it. The Grape-Apple Kombucha is my favorite. We use local apples from Rittman Orchard and grapes that have been growing right here behind the parking lot! It’s nice that we can feature something on our menu that was there before we even moved in.

Becca’s frothy Kombucha. Chug it.

We also do a lot of beer and wine-based vinegars at Spice. My love for fermentation has really grown since I started working here. I get a lot of inspiration from Sandor Katz – he’s got a wild fermentation book. I went to his fermentation workshop back in 2009 at Oberlin College*. Anyone can pump co2 into a container, but I prefer the natural, slow way. It’s become my passion to create my own products from scratch through a lot of reading and research.

Q. As an artisan chef, what other sources of inspiration do you draw from?

A. Reading and researching is definitely my biggest source of inspiration. My house is full of cookbooks. The Internet is also a nice shortcut, but I prefer sitting down with a stack of cookbooks and digging through them to come up with my own recipes.

Q. Did you ever have a moment when you realized that you were meant to be a chef? If you weren’t doing this, what else would you be doing?

A. I blame and love my mom for being a chef. She’d always take the time to teach me. I would stand on a stool and we’d make breads, pastas and all sorts of things. I’ve known since then that I wanted to be a chef. It’s really why I am where I am today. If I weren’t doing this, I’d have some aspirations to get back into farming.

Becca at the farm.

Blueberries, anyone?

Editor’s note: Sandor Katz continues to do wild fermentation clinics across the region, so be sure to check one out before your next pickling adventure. Becca will join him in Oberlin on March 12th, but he’ll also make an appearance at the Root Cafe on March 14th.

*Brian + Jess, sittin’ in a tree…*

Q. Jess, congrats on your engagement! Who’s the lucky guy?

A. His name is Brian. We’ve been together for four years. We met when I was bartending in Tremont and become instant friends. He’s the funniest person I’ve ever met in my life. He teaches Special Ed at PEP (Positive Education Program) so he deals with some pretty tense stuff on a daily basis. But he’s still able to come home and make jokes and laugh, so I think that’s pretty awesome.

*What’s so funny, guys?*

Q. Will you be planning the event yourself or will you have some backup? And who’s going to be running the show on the big day?

A. On the wedding day, I REALLY don’t want to feel like I’m working. I’m taking that very seriously. It’s just like second nature to me to go into “work mode” when I’m in that environment. And even if this is my own day, it might be hard to turn that off. I know I’m in really good hands, though. A friend of mine, Erin, who also works as Spice as a service captain, will be running the show that night.

But I’m definitely doing all the planning. I can’t imagine not planning it! For the last five years, I’ve been working with the best vendors on every aspect of the wedding experience – spaces, flowers, photography, bakers, stylists, you name it. It’s so cool combing through ideas and choosing the ones that are just right for our day. My favorite part is styling the space. We’ve got an amazing venue for the reception at 78th Street Studios.

Little pops of color will brighten the tables…

A handmade touch to liven up the room…

These little details can make all the difference.

Another big thing I’ve learned is to request help with setup and take down.  I can’t tell you how many times, at the end of the night, I’ve seen a buzzed up bride and groom trying to un-decorate the space. They should never have to worry about that…and neither will I!

Q. What sources do you look to for inspiration?

A. Pinterest has definitely been a source for me. It’s a great idea starter for sure. I love to craft. I love being able to make things, and I’ve found some really fantastic ideas from that site.

Always a bridesmaid? Not a bad gig in these lovely dresses.

My wedding will be hodge podge of every wedding we’ve ever catered. I’ve had some really generous brides give me a bunch of vintage china or a bunch of vintage cloth. After you collect all this stuff for your wedding, you never want to see it again, so people are just throwing stuff my way – it’s great! Vintage is definitely the theme and the look. But we’re really just trying to keep it as simple as we know how.

Inspired by vintage colors + patterns

Q. In your experience as an event planner with Spice, is there anything you’re trying to avoid from past events?

A. Here’s one thing I’m avoiding….the wedding DJ! That works for a lot of people and there’s certainly nothing wrong with having one. But for us, we really wanted to choose the music that would set the tone and reflect our personalities. So we hired our friend, Chuck, who has a show on WRUW 91.1 called “On the One.” He plays a lot of funk, groove and jazz – just really fun stuff. Every time we go to see him play, we can’t stop dancing. We’ll tell him 10 songs that we’d really love to hear and we trust that he’ll play really awesome dance music all night. That’s so important. Music is the soundtrack for the whole event.

Q. So, here’s the million-dollar question: What’s on the menu?

A. I’ve been working with Ben and Brandon on the menu and it will be a little more casual than a traditional buffet-style wedding. The main dish is called a Piadina, which is an Italian taco. We’re doing grilled chicken and pulled pork as the fillers. The guys do this huge platter of beautiful of fresh spring greens, pickled veggies and fresh salsa, so you can just do it up however you want. The side dishes are seasonal, of course. I think we’ll do some grilled sugar snaps with mint and basil and somehow we’ll get asparagus on there, which is just beautiful in early summer. We’re also going to have cumin-roasted carrots as a side. Those things will definitely round out the plate and fill people up.

*Nothing but the farm freshest for this couple.*

That’s kind of where we’re headed, although nothing is set in stone. Brian has been such a good sport with all this stuff. He’s like, “If it tastes like what it sounds like, let’s do it.” And we can’t wait because we know it’s going to be great!

Cheers to Brian + Jess for taking the plunge this year!

*Editor’s note: All pictures noted with an *asterisk* are taken by Full Bloom Photography, who has also been commissioned as the couple’s wedding photographer.

Now we’re running full speed, but not without help! Here are the twelve things we’ve been most grateful for in 2012 – our very first year as restauranteurs.

12. The Deerbuster’s fence.
Until this year, Spice Acres suburbia has been a veritable salad bowl for the freeloading deer population. We called Deerbusters after numerous failed attempts to save $1,000s in lost produce. Now, a massive 7ft. fence protects the leafy greens so that they can grow and flourish for tomorrow’s menu.

Spice Acres Circa 2011: A Deer Feast

Spice Acres circa 2012: Take that, Deer.

11. Chickens + Eggs
After exploring some dead-end chicken coop options via Craigslist, Chef Ben Bebenroth built one from scratch using the wood from the old restaurant patio fence. Now, nine hens produce 5-8 eggs a day and sneak under the Deerbusters fence to explore suburbia in their free time. Look for a special Spice Acres egg on the 2013 menus.

Renegade chicken on the loose in suburbia.

10. A very handy boss.
When you open a restaurant on a shoestring budget, resourcefulness is key. Our catering truck runs on fryer oil from the kitchen, saving us hundreds of dollars on diesel fuel each month. In theory. It runs, well, most of the time. On those off days, our chef must trade his knife kit in for his tool box to get our truck back on the refried road.

He might be smiling but he’s cussing on the inside.

9. Fun, festive times.
New Years Eve Prix Fixe Night. Dyngus Day Polka. Our annual Smashing Pumpkins Party (literally, not musically). Spice Lunch with Santa.  We’ve had a blast hosting memorable events that help make the CLE a great place to be.

Putting our tomato cages to work in the off season.

 8. A totally awesome neighborhood.
Speaking of “places to be,” let’s talk about Detroit Shoreway + Gordon Square Arts District. We feel so fortunate to have such supportive biz neighbors and community leadership. Next time you’re in town, make a night of it! We hope you’ll include us in your plans for dinner and a movie, pre-theatre cocktails or tapas hop.

 7. A city of local food.
This year was Sustainable Cleveland 2019‘s Year of Local Food, which happily coincided with the West Side Market‘s 100 year anniversary. The perfect storm of culinary greatness. Ten years ago, standing alongside a handful of farmers market vendors at the chef demo stand in Shaker Square, we would have never imagined local foods would become such a huge force in this region. We’re proud to be part of it.

Our first year of oh-so-local dinner specials!

6. The awards circuit.
We were honored with a few fantastic accolades this year, including Cleveland’s Best Caterer (Scene Magazine) and Cleveland’s Best Restaurant Garden (Cleveland Magazine).  We’ll work hard to continue to earn your vote for 2013 awards (Best New Restaurant, anyone?) with an intense commitment to serving up an incredible dining experience every time.

5. An urban hoophouse.
Thanks to Gardening for Greenbacks, a little grant from the city, we built a large, rainwater-catching hoop house from Tunnel Vision Hoops behind our parking lot. In doing so, we’ve extended our season by at least three months so keep everything growin’ while it’s snowin’. If you’re curious about what’s coming up this time of year, just ask your server for a tour before dinner.

Chef Ben took the kids for a hoop house tour on Lunch with Santa day.

4. Trusty investors
Here’s a little secret. Unlike most restauaraunts in town, Spice is not bank funded.  Instead, we have a handful of private investors who believe in the importance of buying local and building our economy at a grassroots level. Thank you, investors.

3. Ego-stroking reviews
This year’s positive reviews and feature stories really put some wind in our sails when the going got tough. And aside from a couple of cranky Yelpers and a woman named “PickyEater” on Urban Spoon, we were pretty pleased with the feedback from guests and bloggers alike.

We love this line, penned by Mr. Trattner.

2. The best staff in town
Our people rock. That is all.

Rachel, Ben + Jeanna rocking out.

Burning the midnight oil.

The lovely ladies of Spice.

1. Your good taste.
Thanks to your patronage, we’ve been able to pour over a quarter million dollars back into the marketplace in and around Cleveland – building our culinary ecosystem and our regional economy. When you choose to bring your money to Spice, or many of the other independently owned restaurants in this town, you truly make a difference in creating a vibrant community that benefits all of us.

Cheers to a bright and prosperous 2013!

Q: Which local food gifts would you want to unwrap this year?

A: Liz, Office Boss
I would love a gift basket from Market at the Fig. A bottle of wine, meat and cheese. Not too fancy, but that’s what I would like!

Great gifts galore at Market at the Fig in Ohio City.

A: Jess, Executive Event Planner
A gift certificate to Nature’s Bin would cheer me right up!!  Oh, and some of our hot sauce or house-made Kombucha!  Does that just sound like i’m trying to sell “us?”

For sale on the December lunch menu! (And by the bottle, by request)

A: Andy, Director of Operations
After giving it thought, although it’s not really food, I would want beer from a local brewery, such as Fat Head’s, Indigo IMP, or even Brew Kettle.  It would be great to give or receive in 6 packs or going to the breweries and getting growlers.  Maybe if someone is feeling up to it, brewing beer at some breweries that are set up to and giving that out as Christmas gifts!

For the beer lover in your life, choose a little local brew that wins big national awards – like Fat Heads Headhunter IPA (2012 Grand Champion at the National IPA Challenge)

A: Brandon, Executive Chef
The cheap: $10 qt. Jenis Ice Cream!
The med: $20 gift certificate to progressive dine or drink in Tremont
The super expensive: A Vita-prep

This isn’t Chef Brandon, but it should be.

A: Ben, Owner/Chef
Maple syrup or big containers of local honey. Stores forever at room temp. Great for the body and will be more expensive next year so stock up.

Look at these cute little stocking stuffers! Available at a farmers’ market near you.

Or, for the maple-loving wino in your life – check out this new maple-infused dessert wine from Auburn Twin Oaks!

A: Jackie, Director of Marketing

I hope Santa knows that I’ve been very good this year and I’m almost out of SOHO hot sauce, which was also very good this year.

A little “spice” for home.

Editor’s note: If you are interested in Spice gift certificates, be sure to order online by December 19th for December 25th delivery. You last-minute procrastinators can stop in anytime to pick them up at the bar!

From Spice staff to you and yours – all the best for a happy, healthy holiday season!

This particular popcorn recipe is from Chef Ben‘s personal kitchen. It was a strong contender for the fall menu, but our farmers tell us that popping corn is very climate sensitive and didn’t yield the best harvest this season. We’ll keep our fingers crossed for next year.

For those of you who can’t wait, here it is – 8 1/2 easy steps to Sweet Hot Bacon Popcorn.

A taste sensation!

1. Start your day with bacon and eggs. Cook up the whole pack in a frying pan, then pour the fat into a small bowl and save a few strips of bacon for later.
2. Heat a large stock pot on high. Combine a tablespoon each of bacon fat, olive oil, and butter. Wait until this combo starts to smoke a little. Pour 1/3 cup of popcorn seeds* in the smoking pot (we’re big advocates of smoking pots). Cover the pot, but kick the lid to the side to vent the steam.
3. As the popcorn pops, turn down the heat to medium high. Shake the pot back and forth quickly on the stove as the popcorn pops. It’s kind of a pain, but it helps ensure even heat distribution to prevent burning.
4. Once popped, pour your popcorn in a largish bowl (or two if you care to share) and drizzle with another tablespoon of warm bacon fat.
5. Combine equal amounts of salt and sugar in a separate bowl.
5 1/2: Optional – grind the salt/sugar combo with a mortar + pestle – this will make it stick to the corn better.
6. Sprinkle the salt/sugar combo over the bacon-y corn and take a big deep breath – ahhhh, the scrumptious smell of sweet hot bacon popcorn.
7. Garnish with crumbled bacon pieces for that extra crunch.
8. Grab a shovel and dig in.

Lazy variation: Use microwave popcorn – but beware; it might suck.
Vegetarian variation: Use olive oil in lieu of bacon fat.
Bonus variation: Add a tablespoon of sugar during step #2; this will caramelize the corn as it pops to give you a kettle corn effect.

*We recommend Covered Bridge Gardens popping corn, typically found at the Countryside Conservancy Farmers Markets.

Editor’s note:  This popcorn makes you want to drink beer. Lots of it. So be sure to pick up a six pack for the perfect pairing.

So here’s the deal. We’ve had no three-phase power for the last four days. Cleveland Public Power has not given us definitive answers about when we’ll be back on line (hopefully by next week!). It’s been a little challenging but, considering the circumstances, I think we’ve faired well. We’re offering these items as our “Storm Survivors Menu” with the old catering mentality of “Make do or do without; make it work or work without.” Thank you to Andrea our farm manager for bringing that phrase into our vernacular.

We have a cook outside on the wood grill (so we don’t smoke out the restaurant) firing off steaks and chicken to order. It’s going to be a great time, so sit back, warm up, and enjoy! Thank you for supporting local businesses in these trying times. – Chef Ben Bebenroth

The Storm Survivor Menu

SOUPS + SALADS
Curried Pumpkin Soup – $8
Market Salad – $8
Cheese + Pickle Plate -$15

SUBSTANTIALS
Pumpkin Risotto -$15
Wood-grilled Chicken -$21
Wood-grilled Steak -$27

SWEETS
Cappuccino + Chocolate for Two -$15
Cider House Toddy -$9

Here’s Chef Ben Bebenroth, busting it out in the basement of a Parma bungalow.

…and then we grew into a restaurant.  Usually, it’s the other way around – restaurants open, then offer catering to make an extra buck. But because we started with an event planning mindset…well, we know how to party. Every single day, our core staff works with our clients to help them celebrate life’s greatest occasions with incredible, memorable events.

We’re ready to party.

We don’t host our own parties very often, but when we do, we bring out all those crazy ideas that may not be entirely appropriate for our catering clientele.  Some of you may recall our pre-opening Halloween bash last year (check out the pics) - the promo actually posted a year ago today! It was spooky and fun. We’re doing it again – bigger, badder, but with a few less decorations and more fun to be had.

Join us for The Smashing Pumpkins Party (literally, not musically)

Wednesday, October 31st, pack up that leftover candy and put your kids to bed, then come on out for one last fright on Halloween night!

Wear your costume. Because you can’t bear to part with it just yet.

Bring your jack-o-lantern. Make the climb to the rooftop, launch that sucker onto our patio, and enjoy the satisfying SPLAT! Your pumpkin will love the send off, and our gardens will love the compost.
**Editors note: Rain plan – We will be chucking those pumpkins out the 2nd story window. You will have a chance to hit one of three targets, resulting in a killer prize of some sort.

Order from a frightfully delicious menu. This year, we’ll feature the “Ghosts of Spice’s Past” with menu items named after all the restaurants who’ve come before us (may they RIP).

Don’t sweat the cash flow. There’s no cover – just bring enough to cover bar tab that gets cheaper through the night – it’s reverse happy hour, starting at 8pm!

No reservation required – just show up and spook out.