The wife and I went to Spice last night and had a thoroughly enjoyable meal. The decor was very tasteful with nice touches in the details. The art-deco bar was still in place and filled with a lively crowd. We sat in the middle dining room next to a large window that looked out onto Detroit Avenue. Very pleasant.
The wife ordered a drink with gin and st. Germain, which was well made. I had a Troeg's Mad Elf on draft. The Mad Elf was a steal at $6 for a pint. We started the meal with squash soup and the mushroom beignets. Both were perfectly prepared and presented. The soup was incredibly rich but was provided a nice balance by the accompanying chili oil. The beignets were by far my favorite. Deep fried, yet light, and filled with a rich mushroom flavor. Absolutely fantastic.
The entrees were also great. We got the special cauliflower ravioli in brown butter and the buckwheat noodles with mushrooms. The ravioli were also very rich, but not in a cloying way. The flavor was outstanding. The filling was velvety, and the pasta nicely browned. The noodle entree was also very good. The noodles were properly chewy, and the mushrooms were earthy and fragrant. Nice broth also. Service was very prompt and knowledgeable.
All in all, the meal was perfect for a winter night in Cleveland. As I understand, the menu will change from season to season, so I hope I can look forward to enjoying this new addition to my neighborhood year round. (Hopefully the new management plans on retaining the excellent patio)