Yelp Cleveland’s Gourmet Italian Cooking

This December, Yelp Elites refined their gourmet Italian cooking skills at Architectural Justice Gallery in Strongsville. Architectural Justice is Cleveland’s first redefined space for experiencing artisan living. It is a European inspired place to shop, dine and be inspired. Architectural Justice also features chef-led culinary classes focused in its state-of-the-art kitchen.Upon arrival, enjoyed a complimentary glass of wine and explored the restaurant and brilliantly designed kitchen. The chef-led cooking class began with an introduction from Chef Leland, Head Chef at Architectural Justice, who explained the evening’s menu. After a welcoming introduction, Elites split into groups to actively create eggplant caponata on crostini, herb arancini, chicken piccata and florentine cookies. With assistance from Chef Leland’s team, each group worked around the kitchen amid the sound of chopping, sizzling and chattering. Chef Leland and assistant Xavier assisted as drool-worthy smells filled the space, the eggplant group sautéed and topped, the arancini group rolled and filled, the chicken group coated and seared, and the florentine cooks mixed and melted.As the groups finished their dishes, Elites munched on eggplant as Chef Leland instructed how to make pasta from scratch. He then gave Elites the opportunity to knead, roll and cut the pasta to perfection. While dishes completed Elites wandered throughout the two-floor gallery filled with incredible European-inspired home goods. As Elite Matthew F. wrote, “Architectural Justice is a magical space. They stock everything from little trinkets and craft soaps to designer pieces that will stop your guests in their tracks.” Several Elites even walked away with holiday gifts!After enjoying the gallery, Elites were welcomed back into the transformed the kitchen. The elegant dining area boasted a marble, family-style table where Elites gathered for dinner. Architectural Justice staff then served the artfully plated meal in several courses. Our meal began with mozzarella-filled arancini paired with fresh local greens. The second course was chicken piccata and fresh pasta. The decadent handmade pasta perfectly complemented the delicate white wine sauce on the chicken. Lastly, Elites enjoyed florentine cookies atop creamy gelato. Despite some burnt batches of cookies, the surviving nutty, crispy and orange-flavored treats were a delightful finish to the meal.As dinner ended, Elites beamed with pride over their expert dishes and the care given by staff. As Elite Morgan T. wrote, “I liked that the menu had varying levels of cooking skill, and that we were all able to try each others’ dishes at the end. Again, it did not go unnoticed how much care was put into the staging of the event: that table was absolutely impeccable, and it made the meal feel very sophisticated. Architectural Justice is now a place I can recommend with full confidence to others, and I can’t wait to be able to frequent their stunning venue again soon.”

Check out the outstanding reviews and photos here. For more information about the Yelp Cleveland Elite Squad, visit yelp.com/elite. To register for an upcoming class or culinary event at Architectural Justice, click here.

Special thanks to our sponsors:
Architectural Justice Gallery & Cafe • Elizabeth Sturm Photography