We recently had launched a poll on the new restaurants in the Cleveland area. Your votes were tallied and you voted The Bistro On Lincoln Park as the best new restaurant in the area. Executive Chef Pete Joyce took time out of his busy schedule to answer some of our questions.

What is the dining concept at the Bistro?
We are a Mediterranean bistro featuring fair from France, Italy and Spain. We concentrate on the most local (when available ), freshest products. Quality is first at the bistro. Our focus is on great food, great service in a warm inviting atmosphere.

When I was very young, I remember watching late night Golden Gloves, WBC, and IBO  fights with my father. I would sneak out past my bedtime to the dismay of my mother and immerse myself in the undoubtedly male-dominated world of professional boxing. I have been a fan of the sport ever since.

Once in awhile, a fighter captures the hearts and souls of boxing fans and takes them to new and exciting places. Manny Pacquiao is such a fighter. In his native country of the Philippines, Pacquiao's notability is proven by his role as a pacifier. The centuries old civil war is temporarily put on a standstill while the so-called, "People's Champ", fights for his constituents. Crime and most military operations are literally put on hold for this 30 year old slugger, whose fights attract not only the average joe, but celebrities such as Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Jay-Z, and Jeremy Piven.

A Berry With a Miraculous Effect

In 1725 the explorer Reynaud des Marchais observed that a West African tribe obsessively chewed an unfamiliar red berry before meals. Brazenly, he decided to try one himself without knowing the strength of the effect.  The effect was staggering.  I know this because I recently chewed the same berry at the B-side Liquor Lounge in Cleveland Heights, Ohio.

The “miracle berry” contains a protein, called miraculin, that bamboozles sour and acid receptive taste buds into thinking they are sensing sugar, thus making sour foods taste like candy.  When I bit the grape sized fruit, it tasted mildly sweet, until the seed cracked and released its bitter tannins.  Still, I swished the pulp around my mouth for a minute, as instructed by the “Flavor Tripping” party hosts chef Matt Mytro (Stove Monkeys, Crop Bistro, Paladar, Boulevard Blue) and promoter Reuben Kutash.

My nightlife drug of choice has always been House music.  For many years I smoked the synthesized sounds, injected the electronic precision, and drank the danceable drums.  Recently, though, someone slipped me something different that took me on an unforgettable ride. Searching only for warmth and friends one windy and cold winter evening, I did not expect to find a new addiction: Drum and Bass music.