Luxe Kitchen & Lounge
Linda Eisenstein shares her "Secret Place" with CC Readers

Imagine you are on a European vacation, and you just hit the foodie jackpot: the perfect little bistro. You know, the don't-miss "secret place" they rave about in Frommer's or Fodor's, where the ingredients are fresh, the place is unpretentious and inexpensive, the proprietor and staff are friendly, and food is, well, simply divine. "Oh, man," you think, "I can't wait to brag about this place to my friends, but I am going to flippin' die when I get back home and can't have this meal again."

Then the friendly gods intervene and DING DING DING! You discover that your perfect bistro has been teleported to Cleveland, a block and a half from your house. Now you have just a hint of why I am truly, madly, deeply in love with Marlin Kaplan's Luxe Kitchen & Lounge, the Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood joint that is also arguably the region's best restaurant.

Luxe, a 90-seat spot with a hip lounge and a cozy dining area, is facing the perfect storm of challenges right now: the economic turndown, bad weather, and butt-ugly street repairs right outside its door.

But get over there even once and like us, you will likely find yourself a steady return customer. The food is varied enough that you can have a belt-busting four-course feast or a light snack -- a small pizza, or calamari with beer, or a bowl of saffron-cream mussels with bottomless baskets of home-baked focaccia and Cuban bread.

We've found ourselves over there a couple of nights a week for the past six months, and we still haven't worked our way through the menu because it's so easy to fall back on cherished favorites. It's murder trying to pry my husband away from the cornflake-crusted chicken livers, or the gnocchi with short ribs.

In cold weather, I love Marlin's creamy bowl of fettucini carbonara, with huge chunks of bacon and a sunny-side egg on top – a better version of the dish than any we ate in Rome or Florence. The lamb patty melt, an open-faced sandwich with ground lamb, goat cheese, and chopped eggplant coulis, is also terrific.

The menu, which changes seasonally, reflects Marlin's whimsical sense of humor. Imagine a corndog, made with Kobe beef, set in a cone of perfect French fries. I miss the now-absent vanilla parfait dessert, rich swirls of pomegranate and cream, that resembled a version of my childhood comfort food favorite -- Jello with Cool Whip -- that had grown up and then ascended into heaven.

The drinks are superb, too, made with their own infusions. I've never tasted anything quite as delicately delicious as the signature "Bloom", citrus vodka with lavender, blueberry, and homemade lemonade. And once in a while, we drop in just for dessert – a scoop of the best vanilla ice cream in the city, sitting in its own butter cookie.

Last week we tried Marlin’s daily "chef surprise", a three-course prix fixe meal served family style. First there was a perfect spinach salad with goat cheese, tomato, and fresh mushroom.

"We're back in Crete," we swooned, where the vegetables were delivered to the seaside restaurants twice a day from the farms via kids on motorbikes. Then came a magnificent balsamic-marinated skirt steak on a bed of roasted potatoes and broccolini, followed by a sampler of home-baked desserts.

"That was the best meal we’ve had in five years that wasn't denominated in Euros," I told Marlin. The bill came, and my husband exclaimed, "Marlin, you are insane. You need to double your prices."

"Naw," Marlin replied. "Come twice as often."

I'm on my way there now. You should come, too.

Luxe Kitchen and Lounge, 6605 Detroit Ave. http://www.luxecleveland.com.

From Cool Cleveland contributor Linda Eisenstein lindaATcoolcleveland.com

 (:divend:)