Fish Fryday #5 2026: The Village Butcher and St. Mary’s Romanian Orthodox Church

Despite being overwhelmed with work (it’s a good situation to be in, all things considered), I decided to go out for lunch and dinner anyway today. I wanted something light, so I headed out to The Village Butcher in Mayfield Village. The Village Butcher has an amazing battered cod sandwich that I have been looking forward to having again, and since the Fridays in Lent are running down I knew it was now or never. The Village Butcher is a small butcher shop is located in a strip mall next to Heinen’s on SOM Center Road near the intersection with Wilson-Mills Road. They have a range of beautiful looking meats, prepared foods, and sandwiches that are made to order. I ordered my sandwich and then chose a couple of things from the cooler as sides and to enjoy over the weekend. I chose a pint of fresh cucumber and tomato salad and a “cup” of something they called Parmesan “glop.” I also ordered an individual-sized bacon-wrapped meatloaf and an eggplant parmesan (topped with angelhair pasta) and grabbed a quart of bacon cheeseburger soup from the freezer area. I waited about 10-15 minutes for my sandwich before heading home.

I heated up the Parmesan glop in the microwave, which made the cheese melt and solidify a bit. It was tasty and very garlicky, but I really enjoyed the fresh tomato and cucumber salad. It was very refreshing. Obviously the cod sandwich was the star. It is a hefty slice of cod that is lightly battered and fried and topped with a slice of cheese. It came with the housemade tartar sauce/dressing on the side. It was perfection and just the right amount of food to fortify me so I could focus on my work afterward (close-up photo from last year).

I wasn’t really feeling like going out for dinner due to feeling tired, but I pushed myself to check out St. Mary’s Romanian Orthodox Church because I had heard good things about it. After battling traffic on I-90 W (we stood still longer than we moved due to construction bringing it down to one lane), I got there right at 5:00. The parking lot was fairly full and there was already a line out the door. They had one line, but take-out could skip the long line and get in the take-out line to the left of the dine-in line. I queued up and waited 30 minutes until I finally reached the cashiers. I amused myself by recognizing a college friend’s brother who I hadn’t seen in 30 years and chatted with the couple behind me.

We were pleased to see a cash bar. Those in the know came in, bought their beverage(s) and returned to the line. So keep that in mind for next time.

I decided to order the combination dinner, with 1 pike, 1 code and 4 breaded shrimp and 2 sides (I chose cabbage and noodles and coleslaw but they also had fries and mac and cheese) for $18 and a cup of chowder for $6. Once I paid one of the two cashiers I was greeted and shown to a table. They were very fast bringing out the food, first a plate with a slice of bread and butter pat (the bread was tasty), followed by my clam chowder. The chowder was really tasty, even if the portion was pretty small for the price. It was chockful of clams and had a nice creamy taste.

The fish was moist and nicely fried, and the shrimp came with cocktail sauce and was tasty. The cabbage and noodles were a little overdone in some spots, but quite tasty. I also really enjoyed the creamy coleslaw. One of the runners offered to run to the bar and get me some water, which I appreciated. And they had carts circulating with free coffee or tea as well as desserts (pie or cake for $4 or a cookie for $1). I managed to get a to-go box from the dessert cart and packed up half of my dinner for later. I popped the coleslaw in my chowder container. I enjoyed my cup of tea and then headed home. All in all, it was a good fish fry. Not the best this year, but definitely not the worst. The fish was really nice, and I liked that they use real plastic plates. And when I got home I saw on Facebook that several acquaintances were there who I never saw.

We’re getting close to the end of fish fry season. There are so many fish fries to choose from and only six or seven weeks, depending on whether you go to a church or go out on Good Friday. It was hard to narrow them down this year. Oh well, there’s always next year. And maybe I’ll post some during the year that serve fish on Fridays outside of Lent. In any event, I hope you all enjoyed your fish fries as well.

Contact info:

The Village Butcher
818 Som Center Road
Mayfield, OH 44143
(440) 565-7330

St. Mary’s Romanian Orthodox Church
3256 Warren Road
Cleveland, OH 44111
(216) 941-5550

Fish Fryday #4 2026: Yours Truly and Communion of Saints Parish – St. Ann

With the high wind warning lasting the entire day today, I decided to stick close to home. I have been hearing wonderful things about Yours Truly’s fish fry for a while now and I already love the tuna melt, so I headed there for an early lunch today. I ordered a coffee and the fish fry and was asked if I wanted one, two or three pieces of fish. Since I knew I would be going to another fish fry tonight, I opted for the one-piece (small fish fry for $14), but I soon regretted it because it was a phenomenal piece of fried fish. The fish was flaky and moist and just perfect. It may look burnt in the photo, but I can assure you that it was not and didn’t taste like it. If anything, there was a small pool of oil underneath, but that just proved its freshness. I had opted for the red skin potatoes when offered the choice of fries, red skin potatoes, hash browns or sweet potato fries (another option for my friend with the potato allergy!), and they were really tasty as well. The homemade tartar sauce was also next level, with clear chunks of what is probably some kind of pickle relish. I didn’t even touch the lemon, which I probably could have added to water if I had asked for one. It was probably one of the best pieces of fish I’ve had in a while. Yours Truly offers their fish fry year round on Fridays, so even if you don’t make it during Lent you should keep it on your radar.

I had planned to go to the Donauschwaben’s fish fry, but decided to attend the fish fry at Communion of Saints Parish – St. Ann’s (2 or 3 minutes by car from my home) at the corner of Coventry and Cedar instead. Usually the parking lot is the bane of my existence, since the Cleveland Heights police sit there with their radar and have popped me twice for speeding (once for 5 miles over the speed limit and one I successfully fought in court because I was going the exact speed limit).

First of all, they get points for the signage. As regular readers know, signs directing you where to go are very important in my humble opinion. Not everyone is a parishioner and knows where to go. I got there shortly after they opened at 4:30 (it runs from 4:30 to 7), and the parking lot was about half full. I got a fairly close spot to the door though. After climbing down the stairs (I think there is a entrance for the disabled, because someone in a wheelchair was leaving as I was and came out another entrance), I was greeted by a young man and directed to the order tables. There was a table for credit cards (and Venmo!) as well as one for cash. I had brought cash but not enough for my meal, so credit card it was. I did have enough cash to buy a Sam Adams, which was a welcome addition to my meal. After I paid, my order form was handed to a runner, who seated me and took my order to the kitchen.

I asked to be sat near the beverages and was seated near the free beverages as well as the Beer Garden. I bought my beer from the Beer Garden and mixed up an Arnold Palmer from the table with free lemonade, tea and water.

I had the most enjoyable evening. The fish fry was good, but the company there was the best. I met a fellow fish fry enthusiast who had announced his presence on Facebook and came to meet me when I commented with my table number. I met a nice couple and his mother and a group of three women (one of whom had never been to a fish fry or had walleye before despite being a native Clevelander). She had seen the News 5 feature on St. Ann’s fish fry a few weeks ago and decided to check the fish fry out. All three were from Cleveland Heights. After the couple and his mother left, a gentleman was seated with us whose wife is in the Clinic for a double lung transplant. He’s from Rochester and said he might know my friend from college when I asked him. And then I ran into another friend, who is a German who lives here and was in my German Meetup group. She was there with her children, and her youngest (who was in a stroller when I met him) is now a tall young man who attends Benedictine. And apparently I just missed my friend Emil, who was there getting takeout when he saw my Facebook post. I love Cleveland Heights. The photo below is of the priest who said a prayer mid-meal.

Another nice addition was the accordian player. How Cleveland can you get? I love Cleveland Heights.

Anyway, you are here for the food, so… I ordered the fried walleye, and it came with fries or pierogi. I obviously went for the pierogi because the pierogi are just as important as the fish if you ask me. I also ordered a side of mac and cheese, which was the highlight of the meal for me. It was a nice baked mac and cheese. The walleye was great and nicely fried. The pierogi were good. I missed a side of sour cream, but the cole slaw worked with it. And the free cookie was a nice surprise – and so moist it fell apart easily.

The runners brought our food to the table written on the order form, which was apparently a new system they were implementing. By the time I left, it was packed and they were running about a half hour to an hour behind. They apparently hold their fish fry every other week, so only three times during Lent. I think that is definitely a way to ensure the volunteers don’t get burnt out. It was a nice fish fry that was run by the Knights of Columbus (and some student volunteers). I missed the raffle, and apparently they had another prayer after I left, according to Emil.

Before taking half of my dinner home with me, I stuck around to see what one of the women thought of the walleye (and told them not to order it at Sts. Constantine and Helen when they go in a couple of weeks since it has been too salty to the point of being inedible in the past). We also gave the gentleman from Rochester some restaurant suggestions in the neighborhood too (Zhug, Vero, Stone Oven, Anatolia, etc.). By the time I left at around 6 it had gotten pretty crowded. I headed home and stopped to pick up my neighbor’s bins from the middle of the street and my next-door neighbor’s shingles that had blown off into our back yard. I’m looking forward to reheating the leftovers tomorrow evening. I’m meeting friends for dim sum at Spice Spring tomorrow, so the small amount of leftovers will be perfect. This is what fish fry season is all about – community and good fish. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend filled with good food and good community.

Fun fact: Humphrey Bogart and Paul Newman got married at St. Ann’s. How cool is that?

Contact info:

Yours Truly
Go to the website and use the location feature to find one closest to you
Available year round

Communion of Saints – St. Ann Church
2175 Coventry Road, Cleveland Heights
(216) 321-0024
February 27, March 13, March 27 4:30PM until 7:00PM

Georgian Bakery Tiflis

I’ve been hearing about how good khachapuri is for years. A Georgian bakery opened in the fall of 2025, and I had to check it out. Georgian Bakery Tiflis is located on Pearl Road in Parma Heights. It is small, but there are a few tables to dine in. They have a table with plastic silverware and napkins and bring the food out to you.

I have to say, khachapuri is indeed phenomenal. Probably the most well-known is the Adjaruli Khachapuri, which is shaped like a boat. It’s a wheat flour bread filled with two different Georgian cheeses and some seasonings and topped with a raw egg. Mix the egg into the cheese, rip off bites of bread and dig in. It was a definite highlight for me, and I can’t wait to enjoy it again. I might even order the Adjaruli with Mushrooms.

I also really enjoyed the Pkhlovani Khachapuri (a spinach khachapuri) and my friend’s Khabidzgina Khachapuri (a potato and cheese khachapuri). I am a huge spinach fan, so it was right up my alley. The dough was flaky, and the filling was savory and delicious with cheese, spinach and fresh herbs (parsley, dill and coriander).

Khinkali are soup dumplings on steroids. Note that the beef khinkali do contain 10% pork. The dough wrapping is quite a bit thicker than most dumplings you might get such as soup dumplings or gyoza. The filling is made of the meat mixed with fresh herbs like coriander and parsley. They were quite toothsome and filling.

Very enjoyable meal. Cheesy carb goodness. I will definitely be back (after I finish my leftovers – LOL). I will have to try some of the meat skewers. The staff was extremely welcoming and helpful. It is closed on Mondays, but open Tuesday-Thursday from 10am-8pm and Friday-Sunday from 10am-10pm. Be sure to check out this hidden gem!

Screenshot

Contact info:

Georgian Bakery Tiflis
6440 Pearl Road
Parma Heights, OH 44130
(440) 638-8485

Fish Fryday #3 2026: Chelo’s Kitchen and St. Barnabas

I had already planned to go to Chelo’s Kitchen for lunch today to enjoy what I think is the best tuna melt in Cleveland. I was thrilled when a friend reached out yesterday to see if I would join him there, so it felt like fate. We met there at 1:00, and it was surprisingly empty. The breakfast and lunch rush had cleared out, and it was just us and the restaurant staff. I was greeted by everyone as I walked in, and our server came right over. I ordered the tuna melt, while my friend ordered the one piece fried fish special. He asked if they would be willing to make a pierogi appetizer from the dinner menu, and they happily agreed since I am a regular and it was empty. The pierogi app was three homemade potato & cheddar pierogi topped with grilled onions (he didn’t want the side of sour cream). He let me have one, and it was quite tasty. I also ordered a cup of Italian wedding soup (because I am not Catholic and can eat meat if I want). The Italian wedding soup was as delicious as always (no photo because it isn’t relevant here). The tuna melt was as exceptional as always. I love that Chelo heats it on the flat top before adding it to the bread – and that they add grilled onions and American and Swiss cheese, which I really feel elevates it from most tuna melts. My friend really enjoyed his fish lunch and the pierogi, and we shared a slice of their Oreo cake, which is always delicious. We paid our bills and were out of the restaurant by 2 PM, allowing them to prep for dinner, which starts at 3:30 on Wednesdays and Fridays.

After I left Chelo’s I stopped in at Harden Auto Body to get my car repaired, because I didn’t want to have my dragging wheel liner rip off on the highway when I drove to St. Barnabas in Northfield for the fish fry there. Because I was so preoccupied I failed to pre-order the lobster mac & cheese ahead of time, and it sold out online. I decided to venture down there anyway in the hopes that they had set some aside for walk-in dine-in orders, and they had! I was thrilled (but would have been fine with their Icelandic cod and delicious french fries).

They started serving at 4:30 (apparently there were already quite a few people waiting to get in). I got there at 4:45 and was greeted by the Girl Scouts selling cookies in the lobby. I unfortunately had to explain that I still had several boxes left from last year. I got in line to order at the register and handed the woman at one of the two registers my $21 in cash for the lobster mac & cheese and hand-squeezed lemonade. I was then directed to the food line to the right and the drink/lemonade area to the left. The hand-squeezed lemonade is always a treat for me, and this one was great (if you look closely at the photo below on the left the lemon press is to the right and there are rows of fresh lemons on the surface). Luckily the food line was fairly manageable. The Scouts serving the food did a good job keeping it moving. They had steam trays of fried fish, shrimp and french fries ready to go thaat were constantly being replenished. The salmon and lobster mac & cheese dinners were prepped in the kitchen behind them. The salmon looked great, with veggies and mashed potatoes.

My lobster mac & cheese was in a large gratinee plate and came with a nice salad of mixed spring greens and a slice of garlic bread. I grabbed my lemonade and got a seat. I enjoyed chatting with everyone around me. One woman came up from Akron to dog/cat/chicken sit for her daughter. She raved about the Heath Bar Cheesecake, saying it was the best thing there. I kind of regretted not ordering one, but didn’t need the calories. We were also greeted by the priest, who looked like he was twelve, but he was very personable and thanked us for coming. I grabbed two small to-go containers to bring half of my salad and lobster mac & cheese home. I drove home and admired the sunset on Cedar.

I hope you all enjoyed your fryday as well. I think I’m going to hit the Donauschwaben next week. Maybe I’ll see you there!

P.S. Unlike most church fish fries, since the St. Barnabas Fish Fry is run by the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts and hosted by the church in the parish center it will also be offered on Good Friday.

Contact info:

Chelo’s Kitchen
4446 Mayfield Road
Cleveland, OH 44121
(216) 382-4490

St. Barnabas Catholic Church
9451 Brandywine Road (carry out is at
9200 Olde 8 Road) Northfield, OH 44067
(330) 800-6804

Fish Fryday #2 2026: Muldoon’s and St. Dominic

One of my friends was asking about panko-breaded fish the other day, and someone responded that Muldoon’s has great panko-breaded grouper. So I knew my first Fryday lunch had to be at Muldoon’s Saloon & Eatery today. I haven’t been to Muldoon’s in years, but the parking lot is always packed when I drive past it (especially on Fridays). Being an Irish eatery, I knew their Lent specials would be great. I was seriously tempted to order the seafood pizza (pizza brushed with garlic butter topped with crab, shrimp and mozzarella cheese or the tuna melt, but since I had driven there focused on the grouper I stuck to my plan. But I have a feeling I may be stopping there again this season for that pizza.

I was also faced with the choice of clam chowder or lobster bisque. This was actually a pretty hard decision, but I was in the mood for chowder. I ordered a cup since I was getting a sandwich. Soup and sandwich is always a nice lunch pairing. It came out very quickly (I hadn’t even taken a sip of my iced tea after adding my sweetener) and definitely hit the spot. It was creamy and had nice chunks of potato and clams.

Onto the sandwich… this is a huge sandwich. It filled the plate with just enough room for some fries. It was served with a lemon wedge and container of tartar sauce and topped with shredded lettuce and thin slices of tomato. I ended up cutting it in half. Honestly it was pretty bland even with the addition of the lemon and tartar sauce, but the fish itself was super light and not as filling as some denser fish are. Grouper is always a treat, since not many restaurants serve it. They do offer a fish and chips dinner that features beer battered white fish, but the grouper dinner can be panko breaded, beer battered or pan fried with Cajun or lemon seasoning. They also offer a panko breaded shrimp dinner.

I parked in the large parking lot, was greeted by servers telling me to choose where I want to sit, and served very quickly. I was there shortly before the lunch rush, so they were getting ready to be very busy. I was told to pay at the bar, where they use the honor system: tell the cashier what you had and she rings it up. I left wondering why I don’t eat there more often.

Now onto the evening event…

I met a friend at St. Dominic just off Van Aken Boulevard for dinner. I had been planning on heading to St. Mary’s Romanian Orthodox, but a friend asked if I would join her and she loves St. Dom’s. She is allergic to potatoes, so most fish fries really aren’t good for her because they serve fries or baked potatoes or potato and cheese pierogi or some other variation on potatoes. St. Dom’s offers a sweet potato, so she can enjoy her meal without worrying about stomach pain later. This is definitely one of the cheaper fish fries out there. My dinner was $12 not including the sides, which were $5 each, while my friend’s dinner was $15 (dessert included). It is credit card only, probably for speed as well as security. I remember St. Adalbert getting their proceeds stolen from their safe a few years ago.

The fish fry is held in the school. I got there at 5:45 and managed to get a spot in the parking lot off Van Aken, but people were parked on the side street (Norwood) as well as in the RTA parking across the road. We met up at the entrance and walked into absolute chaos. Someone in a local fish fry group on Facebook said there were a lot of kids at St. Dom’s – boy he wasn’t kidding. The placed was packed – and not just with screaming children. We stood in a long line in the foyer to order (there were 3 of them! and it was credit card only); we then climbed down a flight of stairs (not sure if there is an elevator) and had to walk to the opposite corner to stand in a long line to get the food. It was not the fastest moving line. Once we got to the cafeteria window, there were three volunteers collecting our forms to pass to the folks putting together our plate of food.

They had a table with bins of condiments as well as a beverage station to the left of the cafeteria windows (one serving dine in and one serving carryout). Runners brought folks their carryout as they waited in the foyer. There was a dessert table stretched down the middle of the room. I managed to get a slice of tasty cream cake with fruit topping. They also had lemon squares, chocolate cake and brownies and towards the end brought out slices of cassata cake.

I ordered a small dinner (2 pieces of fish and sweet potato) because I ordered sides of clam chowder and mac & cheese. My friend ordered a large dinner with breaded shrimp and sweet potato. Two ladies at our table ordered the salmon, and it looked amazing (it came with mashed potatoes and green beans). The fish was nicely cooked and tasty (as you can see below on the right). The sweet potato was delicious. Great chowder. The mac & cheese is definitely for the kiddos. It was soupy and Stouffer’s-like. Alas, the rolls are standard dinner rolls, but they were tasty enough. I did miss Zoss’ bread rolls, but since he retired it wasn’t that surprising.

The volunteers did a good job clearing tables and setting up place settings with disposable dinnerware for new diners. The screaming children running around cleared out at some point after 6:30. Overall the food was good, but my nerves are shot. We were thanked by the schoolchildren for coming and supporting their fundraiser as we left, which was nice.

Contact info:

Muldoon’s Saloon & Eatery
1020 E 185th Street
Cleveland, OH 44119
(216) 531-3130

St. Dominic
3450 Norwood Road
Shaker Heights, OH 44122
(216) 991-1444

Bonus Fish Fry (Saturday) 2026: Mish Mosh Eclectic Eatery & Spirits

I was still craving fish and heard Mish Mosh in Solon was serving their fish fry on Saturday too, so since I had the best clambake I’ve ever had there a few years ago I headed there tonight. It’s a small place, so I got there before 5 (reservations recommended). It’s at the corner of Brainard and Miles tucked behind Capriccio’s (old Fisher’s American Tavern). I pulled into the parking lot off Brainard, which was filling up when I left about an hour later.

There was one table of three in one half of the space along with me and a few people sitting at the bar taking up the other half. I ordered an Orange Mule off the cocktail list and the fish fry special.

I follow them on Facebook, and they advertised “Freshly Beer Battered Dayboat New England Haddock | Old Bay Hand Cut Fries | House Made Slaw | Dill Tartar Sauce | Fresh Lemon.” I have to say, this fish fry is phenomenal! Moist and flaky fish (haddock) that fell apart. I thought I tasted cinnamon in the beer batter, but it turns out I was tasting honey. The beer batter also uses rice flour, so it’s super light. I was planning on bringing half home, but it was so delicious I ate it all – even the (creamy) cole slaw. The Old Bay fries weren’t overwhelming and were served with a bottle of malt vinegar in addition to ketchup. It was $28 and worth every penny. Unbelievably good. Be sure to put in on your list!

They will be serving the fish fry every Friday and Saturday through March, so you have plenty of time to check it out.

Contact info:

Mish Mosh Eclectic Eatery & Spirits
5020 Brainard Road
Solon, OH 44139
(440) 349-7300

Fish Fryday #1 2026: St. Mary Catholic Church in Hudson

It’s been a while since I have been thoroughly impressed by a fish fry. I had a continuing education event in Kent this morning/early afternoon, so I did some research to find a fish fry in the area. I was going back and forth between SS Cosmas and Damian Church in Twinsburg and St. Mary Catholic Church in Hudson. The lobster bisque and Pierogi Lady pierogi at St. Mary’s sold it to me. I also briefly toyed with the idea of stopping at the British-American Club on Ravenna Road, but, when I drove past, the sign indicated their hours started at 6:30. It was shortly before 5, and St. Mary’s serves from 5-7. They had their first fish fry last week.

St. Mary’s is just off Darrow Road just north of the square, and it has great signage and lots of helpful and informative volunteers. It is a well-run and efficient operation. I was greeted by several friendly volunteers and directed to the line to order. Pro tip: the way to go is apparently to order online. I got there a couple of minutes before 5, and they had already received 50 online orders. I originally had no intention of gettingdessert, but they had banana cream pie on offer. I dutifully ordered a dinner with 2 fried filets (which come with what they call sidewinder fries), a side of pierogi, the lobster bisque and a slice of banana cream pie. It ran me $30.50. I stepped from the order taker to the cashier, who printed out my order for me to hand to a runner, and I headed to the opposite corner to wait for my carryout.

If I had decided to dine in, there would have been plenty of seating (despite billing “limited seating”), but I imagine it gets crowded from 5:30 to 7. Because there was already quite a crush of people picking up carryout orders or dining in. They even had high chairs available for the little ones. If I had ordered a beverage, I would have collected it from the beverage table. As it was, I was directed to the dessert station for my pie. They had lots of boxed pies and large white and chocolate sheet cakes. When I asked if the desserts were from a bakery or made by a parishoner, I was told it was a bakery in North Canton (I think? He was quite soft-spoken).

I enjoyed sitting there and people watching as I waited. I had felt dumb because I wasn’t wearing a coat and it was cold out (it had been 50 when I left that morning and was now down in the mid-30s), but the guy in a t-shirt and flip flops!!! made me feel better. LOL! I also enjoyed talking with a woman from California who had moved here with her husband a few months ago. (Hi! Thanks for finding the blog!)

Once my food was ready, I was told to bag up a dinner roll (from the blue bucket with the metal tongs perched above it in the above photo) and choose from small sides of cocktail sauce, tartar sauce or lemon packets. When I asked whether there was sour cream, I was told “no, you’d think we would…” No worries. I had it at home. After not even getting butter at St. Sava because they are so strict during Lent, I was fine supplying my own at home. I drove 45 minutes home on I-271 north being tortured by the delicious smells emanating from the bag.

At that point I was so impressed that I told myself I didn’t even care whether it was good, but luckily it was. The lobster bisque was smooth and delicious. The Pierogi Lady potato and cheese pierogi never disappoint. Unfortunately, I was not as impressed with the fish because my filet was tough, but it looks like real fish instead of processed fish, so yay? It wasn’t tough because of the cooking process. I think that particular filet was tough. I hope the other piece isn’t as tough and reheats well. They have grilled lemon pepper filet, grilled crab cakes or breaded shrimp that I’d probably opt if I go again. Although maybe not the lemon pepper if these are the filets they use. I had to pull out the tough part again on filet #2 (see bottom of the one on the left).

I’ll enjoy the banana cream in the morning for breakfast and have half of everything to eat later. Post-script: not a single slice of banana in the pie. It was a nice cream pie, but no fresh bananas. Save your money or get a slice of fruit pie that actually contains fruit.

And I have to say that the guy who giddily exclaimed “I love this time of year” as he was leaving with his carryout and I was walking to the entrance absolutely charmed me. Same, dude, same. Welcome to fish fry season!

Contact info:

St. Mary Catholic Church
340 North Main Street
Hudson, OH 44236
(330) 653-8118

Ohio Pie Co.

Ohio Pie Co. bills itself as the “Home of the Original Ohio Style Pizza!” Their pizzas feature scratch-made medium-thick crust, edge-to-edge cheese and toppings, a sweet red sauce spiral on top, and a garlic oil drizzle. The pizzas are cut into squares. You can can design your own pizza from a list of toppings or go with a specialty pie like the double-pepperoni Heartburner, the Firebird starring Buffalo chicken and blue cheese, and the monthly Nick’s Pick. The flagship location in Brunswick opened on Feb. 9, 2019 and did so well a second location soon opened in Rocky River in 2021.

I had been hearing good things, but didn’t have one close to me so it wasn’t really on my radar. For example, they serve brunch pizzas every Saturday and Sunday from 9 am to noon. All of the brunch pies made with their signature “everything” [bagel] crust and cream cheese-based white sauce and are topped with a cheese blend, scrambled eggs and garlic oil and other breakfast toppings like potato, bacon or ham. I am seriously tempted by the idea, but the chances of me making it out the door before 11:00 to drive a half hour to forty minutes before they close are slim to none.

That was until I heard that they were doing a Crab Rangoon pizza for Lent. They will probably be doing this again this year, so keep it in mind starting on February 18th. The Crab Rangoon pizza is made with what they call “Goon mix” (imitation crab, cream cheese, soy, sweet chili), cheese blend, sweet chili, chow mein noodles, green onion, and of course some more sweet chili on the side for dipping. It is only available as a medium and was only available through Lent. Again, I was intrigued, so I made a point to head to Brunswick when I was somewhat close in Broadview Heights. I phoned in an order for the Crab Rangoon pizza and a pizza called the Basic B from my car and headed out. The Crab Rangoon pizza was very sticky and very sweet, but also very tasty. It didn’t have as much goon mix as I thought it would, but it still hit the spot.

The Basic B is a white sauce pizza that is topped with their cheese blend, fresh spinach, and dollops of fresh ricotta. I had ordered a small just to try it and almost ate the entire thing in one go. I tried a slice of each in the car as I drove home and absolutely fell in love with the Basic B. In fact, I counted it among my best bites of 2025. I now order it as a medium because I know I can enjoy it over several days that ways. Their pizzas reheat nicely in an air fryer.

It turns out my sister lives near the Brunswick location, so I once again ordered a Basic B as well The Heart of it All, which is basically a Deluxe. The Heart of it All features pepperoni, crumbled sausage, mushroom, onion, and green pepper on their signature red sauce. It was a tasty pizza as well, but my heart still belongs to the Basic B.

Ohio Pie Co. opened a third location in Parma in May 2025, which means it is closer to me than the other two locations. The Nick’s Pick recently was a Vodka Ziti Pizza, so I wanted to give it a try. It features a delicious Vodka sauce, ziti noodles, cheese blend, and crumbled meatballs. I ordered it from the parking lot at PlayhouseSquare and headed out. They quoted me 20 minutes, and my GPS told me it would be 22 minutes. I knew it was on Ridge, but wasn’t sure where on Ridge. Imagine my surprise when I saw it is in the strip mall just past my old orthodontist’s office (from the 1980s). I laughed. And then realized it is located right next to Omizu Sushi, which is one of my favorite sushi places in Cleveland.

Unfortunately there was a mix-up, and I was given a Vodka Pizza, which apparently right next to the Vodka Ziti pizza on the order screen. My first clue was the lack of ziti noodles. And pepperoni and pesto sauce. I called to ask about it when I got home and discovered the error, and the employee could not have been nicer. She offered to redo it, but I explained I was a half hour away and not driving back in the snow. She then put me on a list with a credit. She offered me a large specialty pizza, but since I had ordered a small ziti I told her I only needed a small and would be by some time that week. How a restaurant handles mistakes really tells you a lot, and Ohio Pie Co. handled it right. The vodka pizza was definitely delicious. That vodka sauce is killer. However, I then tried to use my credit for a Vodka Ziti pizza and was given a Ziti pizza instead, which was boring without the Vodka sauce. I am giving up and not trying to rectify the situation again. The Parma location is not close enough that I can just pop by before that pizza stops.

They also sell cookies. I got a banana pudding cookie and was completely blown away. It was soft and flavorful. So be sure to get a cookie or several for dessert.

HOURS OF OPERATION for all 3 locations
Closed Monday
Tues. – Thurs. – 11am-10pm
Fri. – 11am-11pm
Sat. – 9am-11pm
Sun. – 9am-10pm

Contact info:

Ohio Pie Co.

Ohio Pie Co. Brunswick
1315 Pearl Road
Brunswick, OH 44212
(330) 741-4117


Ohio Pie Co. Rocky River
19565 Detroit Road
Rocky River, OH 44116
(216) 353-7777


Ohio Pie Co. Parma
6847 Ridge Road
Parma, OH 44129
(440) 888-3000

Yours Truly Restaurants

Yours Truly is a long-standing local chain that has been in operation since 1981. In fact, they are celebrating their 45th anniversary this year. Yours Truly is an ideal choice for a great breakfast, lunch or dinner. I have been going to Yours Truly restaurants for probably 25 years. My first experience was at the Yours Truly on Rockside Road in the Cuyahoga Valley. I have visited several Yours Truly locations over the years, but I have been frequenting the one on Chagrin Boulevard since I moved to Cleveland Heights. This restaurant with a smaller footprint offers the same burgers, sandwiches & omelets as other YT locations, but tables are at a premium here. The few tables and counter stools are usually full during peak hours; carryout is a reasonable alternative. There are locations in Beachwood, Chagrin Falls, Hudson, Medina, Mentor and Solon. Your Truly in the Halle Building in the PlayhouseSquare district is also a popular choice.

They serve breakfast all day. I met a Meetup brunch group there years ago, but it is simply not on my radar for breakfast. However, I do stop in during non-peak hours for either a late lunch or early dinner (off-hours ensure I can usually get a seat quickly). The Killet Skillet (two eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns with onion, green pepper, and mixed cheese) and the Notso Omelet (three eggs, hash browns, cheese, chopped bacon and sour cream) are all very popular, but the #1 selling item is their Eggs Benedict. The Notso Fries™ are also extremely popular. Yours Truly’s menu explains: “They’re notso common. Golden brown cottage fries with melted cheese, chopped bacon and a dollop of sour cream.” They come in three different sizes. The one shown here is the small.

If you have dietary issues they are pretty accommodating. You can order a gluten-free bun or no bun at all (they bill it as a carb-conscious choice), and their salads can be customized. The cottage fries aren’t gluten-free, but I hear the hash browns are. They are known for their Fish Fryday, serving filet of cod as a dinner or sandwich. Clam chowder is the soup of the day on Fridays, and it was extremely tasty and full of clams, potatoes, etc.

They are also known for their chicken and tuna salad, and you can get them by the scoop on a salad, as a ‘Temptation’ with a hard-boiled egg, as a sandwich, as a platter with fruit, or as a Melt. As regular readers know, I am a sucker for a good tuna melt, and they do a great tuna melt here. It features two scoops of tuna with a tomato slice and topped with melted cheddar on a toasted English muffin. A tuna melt on an English muffin is in fact my preferred form of tuna melt. The tuna salad was warmed up just enough and the cheese was nicely melted.

On my most recent visits I tried to focus on a little bit of everything. I absolutely fell in love with the chicken noodle soup. The noodles are hearty, the broth is extremely well-seasoned, and it is chock full of chicken, veggies and noodles. It has become my go-to chicken soup since The Red Chimney closed after a fire.

Their burgers are made with fresh certified Angus beef, and there are nine different burgers to choose from. If you order the Deluxe it comes with coleslaw and cottage fries. The Sweet Deluxe comes with coleslaw and sweet potato fries. I love a good mushroom and Swiss burger, and the Special Delivery burger here did not disappoint. It features an 8 oz burger patty topped with Swiss cheese, sautéed mushrooms, grilled onions and a dollop of sour cream on a seared brioche bun. I ordered the cup of soup picture above, so I didn’t get it with any sides.

There are seven different chicken sandwiches to choose from. The chicken is marinated and then fire-grilled. I ordered the Buckeye Bacon Broil, which features American cheese, bacon strips, lettuce and tomato on a seared brioche bun. I was particularly struck by how huge the chicken breast patty is. It hangs far over the sides of the bun.

The Monte Cristo is also a really nice choice. It is made with their lovely cinnamony French toast and is filled with Swiss, natural fresh turkey breast and ham. It is served with a side of our homemade tango sauce, which was kind of like a honey mustard. I will probably order it again, because I loved the cinnamon French toast paired with the savory sandwich fixings and the dipping sauce. I also really enjoyed the slice of cantaloupe, which was perfectly ripe.

They also have a well-stocked bar and a vast array of beverage choices. They serve coffee (regular and flavor of the day), several espresso drinks, fresh squeezed juices like tangy and diet limeade, orange juice and grapefuit juice as well as hot chocolate and bottomless lemonade, iced tea, Arnold Palmers or fountain drinks. I enjoyed a Dirty Snowman on a particularly cold, snowy day near Christmas – gotta love a boozy hot chocolate topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The photo is blurry, but I didn’t feel blurry when I left because I stuck to just one.

Yours Truly restaurants are open Mon-Thurs from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Fri-Sat, 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sun from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. They have longer hours in the summer. The downtown Yours Truly in the Playhouse district is a nice choice after a show at PlayhouseSquare.

Contact info:

Yours Truly
Go to the website and use the location feature to find one closest to you

Funshi Sushi Ramen Boba

Funshi has recently established itself here in Cleveland. This locally owned restaurant puts the “fun” in sushi. Funshi opened Funshi Sushi, Ramen and Boba in Rocky River in early 2025. It was so successful that it opened Revolving (conveyor belt) sushi locations in Avon and now Beachwood.

There were two things that we were impressed by (besides the service). The tables have built-in drawers for utensils and chopsticks, which saves servers from having to run back and forth and allows you to not have to wait at their mercy. The other fun addition is the robot that delivers your beverages and appetizers to the table.

I initially got a few friends to gather at the Rocky River Funshi. The tea menu is overwhelming in a good way.

I like that you can customize the tea to your exact specifications – light or no ice, sugar level (50% is just fine) and add-ins like boba, lychee, coffee or crystal jelly or popping strawberry boba. I prefer jelly over boba, but to each their own. I initially ordered the Grape Peach tea, which was very refreshing. My friend ordered the Strawberry Peach tea, and it had chunks of fresh strawberry in it. She liked it as well. When I finished my tea I then ordered a Mango Coconut Foam tea with light sugar (75%). It was really tasty as well.

We then ordered appetizers. I was blown away by the Crabby Pringle and Takoyaki. The Crabby Pringle is exactly as it sounds – crab salad nestled on a Pringle. The creaminess of the crab salad paired with the crisp Pringle is delightful. Takoyaki are Japanese octopus balls that are crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. The filling held small chunks of octopus. They are then drizzled in eel sauce and mayonaisse (most likely Japanese mayo). There are several other appetizers that sound intriguing, but don’t skip the Crabby Pringle.

I wanted a nigiri and a sushi roll on my first visit because I wanted to judge the freshness of the fish, but was also intrigued by the curry chicken. The nigiri had a generous portion of salmon draped over a sushi rice cake that held up well. You can barely see the rice because it was so large. As for my roll, the Triple immediately caught my eye, which features three generous chunks of fish (tuna, salmon and yellowtail) wrapped with a generous chunk of avocado in seawood and drizzled with spicy mayo. I loved it. I was impressed by the size of the fish compared to the rice. As you can see, there is mostly filling and less sushi rice than at most places. The curry chicken was also a nice choice. The chicken cutlet was nicely fried and it was served on a bed of rice and steamed broccoli. The soy egg was also a nice touch.

My friend ordered the Chashu Pork ramen. I think she went with Tonkatsu broth. She was leery of the black fungus, but I encouraged her to try it and she liked it. However, she was less impressed with the pickled bamboo shoots. They were not at all to her liking.

I tried to be a bit more adventurous on my second visit and didn’t have quite as good of an experience, but that was only because the rolls I ordered didn’t wow me as much as on my first visit. I ordered the Sweet Heart because I liked the optics. The spicy tuna, asparagus and “crunch” (probably tempura?) wrapped in a thin layer of rice and then fresh tuna in the shape of a heart. But it was just okay. My other choice was the Volcano. Maybe I was expecting the Volcano to be like a normal volcano roll, which seems to be the Dynamite here, but it was just kind of bland despite the spicy mayo and wasabi mayo drizzles. It just didn’t wow me. My other friend who ordered it had the same opinion.

Once I heard they were opening a revolving/conveyor belt sushi location near me in Beachwood I knew I had to give it a try. It opened on December 15th. If you’ve never experienced it, a conveyor belt travels from the kitchen loaded with small plates, then winds its way past the tables through the restaurant and back to the kitchen again. The sushi is on white or black plates, indicating raw and cooked items. The dishes leave the kitchen covered and remain that way until removed from the belt by the diner. Everything is $3.50 based on portion size. Some plates hold just one item or two or three items, depending on the ingredients. The plates arrive in groups, preceded by a sign with the name of the dish and the ingredients, which is especially helpful if you have dietary issues or want to know what is in a certain roll. There is also a tablet at each table to order items from the tea bar or kitchen and a call button if you need a server (to the left of the bow in the video below).

I introduced my niece and her boyfriend to conveyor belt sushi when they were home from college in early January, and they really enjoyed it. Unfortunately there was a mix-up, and they went to the Rocky River location while I was in Beachwood. My niece texted me and then stressed out about the mistake, but I assured her it wasn’t a problem. It was a Monday afternoon, and the staff couldn’t have been lovelier about the fact that I took up the table while I waited for them to drive the 40 minutes between locations. I ordered a honeydew milk tea with lychee jelly and pulled up my Kindle app on my phone. I pulled two orders of Crabby Pringles to ensure we had a good start about 30 seconds before they walked in (good timing on my part). They were a hit and my niece grabbed another plate off the conveyor belt later, but if I were to do it again I would order them fresh from the kitchen to ensure they are crisp and not lightly soggy. They were still tasty, but a little soggy nonetheless.

I didn’t take photos once they arrived because I wanted to concentrate on getting to know him, but they enjoyed everything. We had gyoza, various nigiri (I especially liked the scallop nigiri), some rolls, and my niece grabbed a Tamago egg omelette nigiri and the Inari. The boyfriend enjoyed the steak nigiri. There was also a brisket roll and chicken nigiri for those who don’t like fish (my youngest niece probably would have enjoyed them if she had been able to join us). They were nicely surprised by the sweet potato roll I suggested they try. My niece burned her mouth on a somewhat molten fried red bean paste pastry but liked the taste a lot. We sat there for two hours talking, and they did not rush us out. The servers came by occasionally to make sure we were okay and assured us there was no rush.

I went back by myself about a week later. Once again, I recommend the Crabby Pringles be ordered from the kitchen. They were cold and soggy and are phenomenal when the crabmeat is warm and the Pringles are crisp. I am adding a table with several choices off the conveyor belt so you can get an idea of what to expect. It is a good way to try a lot of different sushi. I really enjoyed the Yum-Yum roll, which features shrimp tempura, cream cheese, asparagus, spicy crab and ‘crunch’ topped with a mango sauce and coconut sauce. The rice fell apart under the red clam (bottom right), which leads me to believe it had been on the belt longer and had lost some moisture, and the avocado on the dragon roll had turned brown. So definitely take a close look before you grab anything off the belt. Because once you’ve taken a plate off the belt you can’t put it back. The sushi is good but not great, but conveyor belt sushi is not about gourmet sushi – it’s about the experience. The only phenomenal sushi I’ve had off a conveyor belt is at Kura, which is worth driving to Columbus for. For phenomenal sushi in Cleveland go to Issho Ni, Pacific East or Omizu. For a fun time check out Funshi.

When you are ready to settle the bill you ring the call bell, and the server will count your plates and bring you your bill. Quick and easy.

Contact info:

Funshi Sushi Ramen Boba


Funshi Sushi Ramen Boba (Rocky River)
21605 Center Ridge Road
Rocky River, OH 44116
(216) 712-4240


Funshi Revolving Sushi (Avon Commons)
35918 Detroit Rd Unit Y-3
Avon, OH 44011<br(440) 695-0330


Funshi Revolving Sushi (Beachwood – La Place)
2101 Richmond Road, Suite 871
Beachwood, OH 44122
(216) 342-4012