Restaurant Review: B Spot

I'm a big fan of Michael Symon - you may know him as the first winner of The Next Iron Chef, but he was a well-known and well-loved member of the Cleveland food scene long before his Food Network fame.  His restaurants Lola and Lolita revitalized downtown Cleveland, with the new Lola setting the stage for 4th Street to evolve into a hub of the city's nightlife.  Since Andrew and I currently live about 20 minutes outside of Cleveland, we have personally enjoyed 4th Street's vibrant atmosphere and have also had the pleasure of eating at Lola.

Recently, I enjoyed Michael Symon's newest restaurant - B Spot - a burger joint with a twist.  Check out their menu to get the full concept.  This was a fun place for a girls lunch - Ann, Auntie Judy, and I enjoyed a welcome respite from shopping to refuel with some fantastic food.

All the food is a la carte - you order your burger separately from your sides - which worked out great for us, as we could barely finish what we ordered as it was!  Ann, a mushroom lover, opted for the "Shroomage" - a burger piled with portabellas, blue cheese, caramelized onions, and more!  Auntie Judy chose the very safe yet very delicious "Cheeseburger", and I opted for a Cleveland favorite - the "Chili & Cheese Brat".  I'm usually not one for bratwurst, especially piled with stuff, but for some reason, this really appealed to me that day.  Of course, I skipped the roll, as meat on bread is still a no-no for me in most situations.  As it was, I couldn't finish the brat, so I can't imagine what would have happened if I tried to eat the bun! 

We opted to share two sides - the "Lola Fries" and the simple "Chips".  Let me tell you, the parmesan fondue that came with those chips?  I could roll around in it and lick it off myself.  It's that good.  Seriously.  The picture above somehow manages to capture all the food we ate - my brat is in front, the sides are in the middle, "Shroomage" is off to the left, and the Cheeseburger is in the background.

The piece de resistance of this meal was by far the Bad **s Shakes.  Ann drove, and she insisted that Judy and I could get a little tipsy since, after all, it was already 2 in the afternoon and we didn't have to drive anywhere, so why not?  She didn't have to twist our arms too hard - we both got one!  Auntie Judy opted for the Chocolate Banana Marshmallow Shake with Dark Rum.  It tasted like those bananas you wrap in foil with chocolate chips and marshmallows, then stick in the campfire, only WAY better!  We even got that little "char" taste, because the marshmallows were torched so they were toasty.  See?

I opted for the extremely enticing Vanilla Bean Apple Pie Bacon Shake with Bourbon.  That's right people.  Vanilla Bean + Apple Pie + BACON.  I swear, that milkshake gave me super powers.  (Maybe that was the bourbon?)


B-Spot is a fun place to go for lunch - the decor is awesome, the food is fantastic, the service was good, and it's a nice way to experience Mike Symon's vision without paying big bucks at one of his other restarants.