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05/21/2008

Latitude 41N menu lets you eat healthfully to any degree you want

Dried Mushroom All the stars of the healthy-eating universe were in line on a recent Friday night visit to Latitude 41N. My wife has been directing our at-home menu away from big servings of meat toward more vegetables and fruits. A friend had just taken the plunge and declared himself a vegetarian. Now, the menu at this near West Side restaurant is certainly not vegetarian. It is filled with sandwiches, salads, pizzas and breakfasts that will satisfy most omnivores. But there are plenty of interesting choices for the vegetarian-curious. Guess what? Most of the less-meaty dishes we sampled were very good and I didn't find myself compelled to engage in any behavior that would be mocked by conservatives afterward. The only chanting I did was the occasional "Let's go, Cavs!" during the playoff game with the Celtics. We started with the Mexican tequila shrimp salad ($9). The large serving of greens, peppers, tomatoes and onions was topped by a half-dozen delectable, sweet shrimp flamed with tequila. The cilantro vinaigrette was zesty and fresh-tasting. Next came the 16-inch Island of Lesbos pizza ($20) and a barbecued portobello sandwich ($8.50). The thin-crust pizza - topped with pesto sauce, grilled artichoke hearts, spinach, three cheeses and oven-dried tomatoes - was a gem in both taste and appearance. The portobello sandwich was the only real clinker in our two visits. The mushroom was undercooked and fairly tasteless. The thick focaccia needed more toasting and ended up soggy. The restaurant, which does not have a liquor license but will provide free corkage if you bring your own wine, was less than half full on our Friday visit. We decided to return for a weekday lunch. I sidled up to the counter (diners place their own orders) and asked for a cup of tomato basil soup ($3), a steak sub ($8.50) and the Southwest quesadilla ($8). The soup had a nice, tart tomato taste, but no basil flavor. The sub was covered with sweet, concentrated caramelized onions. It had good beef flavor, but would have been better with a more tender cut of meat, and not greasy. Fries on the side were light, crisp and remarkably free of grease, some of the best I've ever tasted. The quesadilla filled the plate, and my belly. Two crisped tortillas are packed with scrambled eggs, mild chorizo, avocado, black beans and cheddar cheese, and topped with tomato salsa. The restaurant's name comes from the owner's love of maps, which adorn the tabletops. Cleveland is located at latitude 41 degrees north. A Google search revealed that is also where the Titanic sank. But this fun, creative restaurant is certainly no sinking ship.