Flour: Funghi and Friends... Italian Dining in Moreland Hills, OH

Over the holiday break, I met up with a long-time friend of mine, Jen.  We made plans to have dinner months in advance of my visit to Ohio, but we waited until the last-minute to choose a location.  Earlier in the day, Jen texted me a couple of options, and I decided we should try a place I'd never been to before - Flour Rustic Italian Kitchen in Moreland Hills, OH (about 30 minutes or so from where I grew up).  The restaurant had 3.5 stars on Yelp!, and the reviews were detailed and positive.  Not to mention that the menu offered delicious options, and the wine list had a great selection!After a few failed attempts to find reviews on a couple of wines, Jen and I decided to share a bottle of the Justin Cabernet, which we both agreed was a fine choice.  Smooth and tasty.We also decided to share a few appetizers and see where the rest of the meal took us.  We asked our server about a few of the appetizers and went with her recommendations.  Here's what we shared:My favorite was definitely the Whipped Burratta.  It was creamy, and flavorful, but didn't feel like a "heavy" appetizer.  The stuffed peppers were good - we each had one, but in my opinion, they lacked a little flavor.  I tend to like things on the spicier side of life, so mine may not be the popular opinion.Where I think the appetizers really fell a bit flat was in the Fried Goat Cheese Stuffed Olives.  Our server sold these as "amazing", yet there was barely a hint of goat cheese flavor to them.  Jen and I both felt a bit disappointed with this choice, though we didn't stop munching on them!Where there was no disappointment was with our choice to have the Funghi Pizza to finish off the evening.The crust was almost like a Naan bread, and the flavors of the mushrooms, shallots, and goat cheese worked beautifully together.  The char-grill and mushrooms gave the pizza an earthy element, and the goat cheese's creamy texture and slightly tart flavor was a perfect complement.We weren't able to finish the pizza, but Jen was more than happy to take leftovers home!All in all, we had a really nice experience at Flour.  It's got a chic atmosphere, solid service, and good food.  It's also always nice for me to spend time with a good friend!  Once again, I failed to take a photo with Jen.  I'm the worst about that!If you're in the CLE area and are looking for a good twist on Italian food, I do recommend visiting Flour. And, if you like mushrooms and goat cheese, definitely give the Funghi pizza a try!Cheers!Ker