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| - I was introduced to Felice through an email flier for a happy hour in the Shaker Square region. Not precisely easy to find, hue of the building and the understated nature of the signs outside set the mood of a more private location.
Smartly printed happy hour menus were arranged on the bar top, and I sat myself at a corner, and ordered Calamari, a lamb burger, and an orange inspired Manhattan. Short pleasantries were exchanged with the waitstaff who were friendly and brisk.
Outside on the patio seating, a group of four ate and chatted. During my time, a couple additional parties came and went. The happy hour crowd never showed.
I would have left at this point, and bid adieu to this charming, slightly dimly lit house nee restaurant, except that the owner, Margaret, decided to say hello.
After she introduced herself, we exchanged many a story -- which I won't recapitulate here -- they are, after all, her stories. However, it's important to note that she's an amazingly energetic octogenarian. We had some chats about politics, life in Cleveland, travel and the like.
Suddenly, the personality of Felice made more sense to me.
3 glasses of Malbec, An order of short ribs, shoestring fries and shrimp (Thanks to the Chef!), I had a completely different impression. The head chef is from the Culinary Institute of America and an affable fellow.
The new order was excellent.
So:
Calamari - included mature squid parts as well as baby squid; both fried in a light batter and served with a lemon-heavy dipping sauce. Relatively light for Calamari -- didn't make one feel particularly heavy when finished.
Lamb Burger - served with a bernaise sauce. I had mine cooked medium. Tender, not too gamy. Tasty.
Short ribs - a tiny bit on the drier side, but still very flavourful. Great taste. They were served on very tasty fries.
Shrimp - not sure how to describe these, but they were an hors d'ouvres kind of preparation, served on a bread wafer. Very tasty.
I had a great time here. Will definitely go back. Intimate environment.
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