Cocky’s Bagels

Cocky’s Bagels is a successful local chain with three locations in the Cleveland area and one in Columbus. Keene and Natalie Cockburn opened the first Cocky’s location in North Olmsted in 2019. The brand has since expanded to add locations in the East Bank of the Flats downtown, Columbus, and University Heights. The University Heights shop is similar to the locations in North Olmsted and Columbus rather than its bar-centric Flats location. The Flats location obviously serves cocktails as well. Since I live on the East Side I obviously am basing this on my visits to the University Heights location. That location and the North Olmsted one are more fast-casual restaurants with a coffee shop aesthetic. It’s a bold choice considering Bialy’s is one street over. If you want an awesome bagel, go to Bialy’s or even Cleveland Bagel or Nubeigel. However, if you want a sandwich on a bagel, Cocky’s is a choice. Cocky’s is known for their loaded bagel sandwiches with breakfast and lunch options. Lots of breakfast meats, and they also offer vegan sausage and bacon on their sandwiches if you are into that or are watching your cholesterol.

The bagel that immediately appealed to me was The Frenchie, which features sausage, eggs, cheddar, hashbrown, and maple syrup on a maple bagel. I really, really enjoyed it. The bagel was soft enough to pair with the delicious fillings, and the maple bagel was just a fun variety. I really enjoy a good sausage sandwich in the morning, and this hit the spot with its combination of sweet and savory.

During my first visit I asked the woman working the counter what her favorite bagel is, and she told me she order The Sunrise, which has eggs, cheddar, garlic herb cream cheese, cheddar, lettuce, tomato, onion and “Cocky’s sauce,” which has a hint of hot sauce heat, and adds bacon. So obviously that was the one I tried on my second visit. I felt healthier due to all the veg on it, but still prefer The Frenchie to wake me up. I ordered it on my beloved sesame bagel because I wanted to taste the fresh fillings.

And of course I had to order The Lox at some point as well, because bagels and lox go so well together. Plus, it’s their number one seller according to the DoorDash interface. The Lox features smoked salmon, plain cream cheese, tomato, onion and capers. The photo on the website shows it with a nice hunk of avocado, but it doesn’t come with it. Pro tip: I added avocado the next time, but it was not worth the extra $2 and they didn’t put it on (I had to drive back for it and it was meager). Save your money and buy your own avocado at the grocery store and add as much as you want. I ordered it on an Everything bagel, because it seems the most fitting choice for the lox of it all. It was definitely a tasty bagel sandwich.

Does this look like it was worth an extra $2?

The Big Daddy is also a fun choice. It has both bacon and sausage as well as egg, the garlic herb cream cheese, American cheese, Cocky’s sauce and a hash brown. It’s like a big breakfast in one bagel. Just look at that cross-section. I really enjoyed it and will definitely order it again.

The counter helper also raved about the buffalo chicken dip. She offered to get me a sample, but it was too early in the morning to have buffalo chicken dip. I did order it on top of fries on a later trip (see below). I enjoyed the iced coffee, but it wasn’t anything that knocked my socks off. It was a nice caffeine boost, and I drank it down quickly. The cappucino was the world’s smallest coffee for a large price, so either skip it or run through the Dunkin’ drive-thru.

I’ve stuck with the breakfast bagels so far, but the University Heights location is open until 3, so I definitely intend to try some of the more lunch choices in the future. The Cocky’s features grilled turkey, salami, fried egg, provolone, lettuce, tomato, onion and Cocky’s sauce. The Cocky’s Club, Dirty, and Philly bagels also sound and look tasty. They even have a grilled cheese bagel (the Grilled Cheesus). I ordered the Dirty on a recent afternoon visit. It is made with grilled turkey, cheddar, bacon, herb cream cheese, lettuce, tomato and onion. The herb cream cheese really is quite tasty and made it shine. I’ve also heard good things about their regular cream cheese.

I ordered a small fry to go with it and topped it with the buffalo chicken dip. That small fry is a meal unto itself. The fries are fresh cut, and the buffalo chicken dip was indeed tasty. They didn’t skimp on the shredded chicken either. I ended up eating it with a spoon, because the fries were kind of limp by the time I got it home. They were still tasty, but being fresh cut there was no snap and couldn’t scoop the dip very well.

It definitely has a hipster hangout kind of vibe with the huge flower wall. I had ordered (and paid) ahead on the website (through DoorDash apparently) during one of my visits, and once the folks in front of me got served I was able to pick up my order, which was waiting for me when I got there. I wasn’t thrilled about the DoorDash of it all, so I’ll probably stick with ordering at the counter and waiting. They have seating to accommodate that and have a nice dispenser of water in the corner.

Contact info:

 

Cocky’s Bagels

North Olmsted
26703 Brookpark Extension
North Olmsted, OH 44070
(440) 455-1205
Open M-F: 7 AM-3 PM and S+S: 8 AM-4 PM

 

University Heights
13898 Cedar Road
University Heights, OH 44070
(216) 400-7875
Open M-F: 7:30 AM-3 PM and S+S: 8 AM-4 PM

 

Flats location
1127 Old River Road
Cleveland, OH 44113
(216) 353-9400
Open M-W: 7:30 AM-3 PM, T+F: 7:30 AM-3 PM and 8 PM-2 AM, SAT: 7:30 AM-2 AM and SUN: 7:30 AM-6 PM

Since this is a Cleveland blog I’m leaving off the Columbus location, but you can google it if you want.

The Souper Market

The Souper Market is a small local chain (with five locations) that specializes in hand-crafted soups, stocks, salads and salad dressings, made from scratch using the finest ingredients. I drove past the location on Carnegie (Midtown location) for years and had even thought it had closed because the store front on Carnegie was closed. It turns out that the entrance moved to the side of the building off their generous parking lot. The location in Ohio City is also quite popular, and the Downtown location on St. Clair Avenue is near the Justice Center. they also have a location in Kamm’s Corner and Lakewood. Most locations are only open Monday through Friday, although the Ohio City, Lakewood and Downtown locations are also open on Saturday afternoons. None of the locations are open on Sundays.

There are a few soups that are available every day (Tomato Ginger, Potato Spinach & Swiss, Jambalaya and their beloved Chicken Paprikash, Pulled Chicken Noodle, Tuscan Vegetable and Creamy Wild Mushroom and a chili that varies weekly), but the menu also changes weekly as well as seasonally, offering heartier soups in winter and lighter options in summer, alongside a variety of salads and chilled soups. The soups can be purchased as 8 oz., 12 oz., 16 oz. and 32 oz. servings.

They offer a way to enjoy a soup flight by offering a three pack of soups. You can order three DIFFERENT 8 oz. soups of your choice with 2 pieces of bread for just $14. It’s a great choice if you can’t decide on just one soup.

My go-to order is a grilled cheese paired with one of their delicious soups. It’s only $10 for a large panini pressed grilled cheese and an 8 oz. cup of soup and $11 for a 12 oz. soup. Most recently I enjoyed the Beefy Mushroom & Swiss soup and grilled cheese. I love mushroom and Swiss together, so I loved it.

They also have two deals that feature salads and soup. Deal #1 is an 8 oz. cup of soup and any salad for $13, Deal #2 is a 12 oz. cup of soup and any salad for $14. I have heard great things about the asparagus salad as well as the sweet lemon vinaigrette.

You can also buy stock in quarts or gallons. The stocks, which are the foundation of the soups, are simmered with meats, vegetables, and herbs, creating rich, additive-free, gluten-free, and low-sodium broths.

Contact info:

The Souper Market

Midtown
7501 Carnegie Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44103
(216) 361-1355

Downtown
87 W St Clair Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44113
(216) 929-1054

Ohio City
2528 Lorain Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44113
(216) 737-7687

Kamm’s Corners
16804 Lorain Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44111
(216) 303-9240

Lakewood
14809 Detroit Ave
Lakewood, OH 44107
(216) 712-7292

56 Social

I have always enjoyed the “56” family of restaurants and met one of the owners years ago through Meetup and found him to be a stand-up guy, so I’m happy they are so successful. The 56 restaurants offer great healthy choices, with really nice salads, and use fresh ingredients. They are located primarily on the east side (56 Kitchen in Solon and Mayfield, 56 Tavern in Aurora, and Elle in Solon). In fact, the Mayfield location’s schtick is that it serves 56 salads, which I think is fun.

56 Social is an all-day cafe located in the former J. Pistone Market on Warrensville Center Road. It is open every day but Sunday from 8:00 AM – 9:00 PM. J. Pistone was in business for 25 years, but I feel 56 Social has a better vibe. The open dining room is less cluttered, and the tables are nicely spaced throughout the dining room, and there is a bar with high top chairs if you like that. I also like the convenient parking in back with the back entrance. I started going after a really bad snow storm this summer and the lot and walkways were always well-cleared of snow and well-salted. If you have mobility issues you should enter from the front, because there are a couple of steps down at the back entrance. Once I entered, I was warmly greeted by the hostess to the right just as you enter and was quickly shown to a table after asking my preference of high top or table seating. The servers I have had have been friendly and communicative when there was a delay.

The all-day menu is an approachable mix of American, Mediterranean and Jewish deli foods. They have a lot of sandwiches and salads that are quite lovely. Obviously I immediately gravitated toward the “Original Pewter Mug” salad. It was really great, made with chopped iceberg lettuce and topped with strips of turkey, “turkey ham” and Swiss, diced tomato, and a creamy garlic vinaigrette. I enjoyed the combination of toppings, but I really adored the pretzel bread that came with it. It is light and fluffy and super tasty. And served warm enough to slightly melt the cheese under it. I will probably order salads in the near future agian just to enjoy one of the pretzels.

I was also tempted by what was described as a creamy egg salad served on house-baked Japanese milk bread. I enjoy a good egg salad sandwich, so I was intrigued. I have to be honest and say it isn’t to my taste. I love the idea of a pillowy egg salad, but this one is bland as hell. I prefer a zippier egg salad. I usually add a bit of horseradish or brown mustard to the egg mixture. Or it would be fine if the bread was more flavorful to offset the blander egg salad. I took half of the sandwich home, sprinkled on a healthy shake of my Pampered Chef dill mix and did enjoy it. The chips were fantastic though.

The BLT is fantastic. It is made with crispy thick-cut bacon, sliced heirloom tomato, creamy avocado, and fresh basil served on toasted sourdough. The drizzle of garlic aioli really made it stand out as well. A little garlic aioli might be a good addition to the egg salad. I ordered the BLT with a side of delicious soup of the day (it was a corn chowder that day) for a slight upcharge. The chowder was chock full of chunky potato and nice corn kernels and was well-seasoned. Overall, it was a nice light lunch.

Since you all know my love of a good tuna melt, I obviously had to order the tuna melt here. The tuna melt is made with house-made albacore tuna salad that is topped with heirloom tomato slices and Swiss and grilled on marble rye. It was a tasty tuna melt. Not the best I’ve had (the honors so far go to Chelo’s Kitchen, Yours Truly and the now-defunct Old Brooklyn Cheese Company and Katz Diner), but certainly not the worst. I liked the inclusion of tomato, and the marble rye was nice, even if I prefer a seeded rye. I will definitely be ordering it again. Again, I ordered a cup of soup, which was a delicious lobster bisque. The pairing would be a nice Lent lunch or supper alternative.

As for beverage choices, I really enjoyed the match-chai latte, which I have never seen anywhere else. The spicy chai pairs really well with the earthier matcha. It has a nice zip to it and warmed me up nicely on a cold and snowy day in February. I tried to order a smoothie the next time, but was told they are only served before 3 pm. When I went again, I ordered the Pink Dragon (see in above photo), which is made with oat milk, yogurt, ube, pomegranate, raspberry, strawberry, dragon fruit, and agave. It was innocuous enough, but for $10 I expected something that wowed me and that unfortunately wasn’t it. They do have a bar, so one of their cocktails will definitely be one of my next choices.

The dessert choices also sound great. I ordered the white vanilla bean cake to go to enjoy later, and it was absolutely delicious. I ate it over two sittings, because it was quite large. It would be perfect to share with someone.

Contact info:

56 Social
3245 Warrensville Center Road
Shaker Heights, OH 44122
(216) 283-3663

The Hot Dog Diner & Burger Co.

Even though it’s been in business since 2005, I first visited the Hot Dog Diner just before it announced it was closing in February 2025. I was bummed because I had been wanting to try it for a while, but at least I had been able to eat there once. Well, luckily the neighborhood convinced the new owner to stay and not relocate it to Brunswick. This customer-centric approach extends to the menu, which evolves based on customer requests. For example, the first burger I tried was the pierogi burger (how could I not?). And it was great. They serve BLTs with local tomatoes in the summer during tomato season. This is your basic hamburger and hot dog spot (as well as chicken sandwiches).

This restaurant is housed in an old 1970s-era Taco Bell, which is pretty cool. It’s a small place with multiple tables and booths. Several people have complained that there is no restroom, so keep that in mind. They also have a drive-thru if you don’t want to eat in the restaurant. The employees behind the counter were friendly, and you can see them prepare the orders. Once I ordered I took a seat while they freshly prepared my order.

In the mood for something traditional? They have have Coney Dogs, Slaw Dogs and Windy City (Chicago) Dogs. They have a spicy hot dog with jalapenos, cream cheese and red pepper flakes called the Hellish Dog. When it comes to the basic hot dogs, you have your choice of hot dog: a classic dog (think Ballpark), a “snappy dog” in a natural casing, a jumbo 1/4 lb. all-beef hot dog, or even a 1/4 lb. kielbasa. Sometimes you need a kielbasa for kraut and brown mustard, and this will scratch the itch nicely (although my absolutely favorite kraut sandwich is at Mama Maria’s Kitchen next to State Meats). I’m not a huge coney/chili fan, so I can’t speak to those. I prefer a snappy dog. I can make a classic dog at home. There are a wide variety of choices to cover anyone’s taste. The photo below is the Windy City on the left and Diner Dog (topped with chili, sauerkraut, onions, and mustard) on the right. They were okay.

One of my absolute go-tos when it comes to hot dogs is a Slaw Dog, and Hot Dog Diner serves a great one. My snappy Slaw Dog was tasty and came with a generous portion of creamy cole slaw, which I appreciated, and a generous drizzle of mustard.

Plus, the Hot Dog Diner introduced burgers a few years ago. In fact, Cleveland Magazine named their burgers some of the “Best Burgers in Cleveland.” In honor of Parma’s Polish community, their best-selling burger is the Pierogi Burger. It’s a 1/3 pound fresh beef patty topped with a potato and cheese pierogi, grilled onions, sour cream and cheese sauce on a toasted, fresh buttered bun. I really enjoyed it. I loved the combo of burger contrasted with the grilled onions, pierogis and melty American cheese. I’m not sure where they source their pierogi, but it would be nice to know if they use a local pierogi like Rudy’s or State Meat’s (or even Pierogi Lady). But it definitely hit my pierogi and burger combo button. The only other time I’ve had a pierogi on a burger is at Buckeye Beer Engine in Lakewood. It’s definitely an indulgence worth trying.

Hot Dog Diner’s french fries are hand cut. The fresh onion rings are quite tasty and perfectly fried. And who doesn’t love tots? You can turn your meal into a combo for only $4 more. The combo includes a regular fry and a regular drink and you can upgrade to tots or onion rings for $1 and upsize your side and drink for $2. They serve Coke products, iced tea (sweet and unsweetened), lemonade, and milkshakes.

The drive-thru isn’t the speediest, but the food is obviously made once you order. In that case I don’t mind waiting at all at the window. The diner operates six days a week, closed only on Sundays, serving from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Contact info:

Hot Dog Diner & Burger Co
5494 Pearl Road
Parma, OH 44129
(480) 440-2109

Lehman’s Deli

Lehman’s Deli and Bakery is a deli on Detroit Road in Westlake. Lehman’s Country Store started in the 1940’s and has evolved into Lehman’s Deli. It has been operating as a deli since 1983. Lehman’s serves coffee and tea, baked goods, soups, salads, and hot and cold sandwiches. In fact, Lehman’s makes over 140 different soups (several soups a day and they change every day – you can also buy quarts from the cooler) and nearly 100 different sandwiches. They also say you can invent your own sandwiches as long as they have the ingredients on hand. You can also just get half a sandwich if you want. Lehman’s cooks its own roast beef, corned beef, pastrami, chicken breast and turkey breast and bakes almost all of the desserts. It serves Cleveland Bagels and Rising Star Coffee.

The place is split into two different entities – the deli counter and the bakery/coffee bar and dining area. If you want a coffee or baked good take the entrance on the right. The deli counter and coolers are to the left. My doctor is just down the road, so I order on my phone from the parking lot and drive there to pick it up. I may have to chill in my car for a few minutes, but I have also been known to go into the bakery and grab a coffee.

Lehman’s got on my radar when I started my tuna melt quest. People recommended it, saying the Lehman’s tuna melt is up there among the best tuna melts in Cleveland. It was indeed fantastic. The tuna was warm, and the cheese was nicely melted. I paired it with a cup of Italian wedding soup and a Lehman’s vanilla cream soda, which was a total treat. You don’t see cream soda much anymore. The Italian wedding soup was pretty much perfect – with just the right amount of meatballs, pasta and spinach (escarole is ideal, but spinach is a perfectly fine substitute and more commonly found in most non-Italian restaurants).

I ordered a turkey reuben on my next visit and paired it with a bag of chips and an order of deviled eggs. The eggs were a little tougher than I like, but the filling was great. The turkey reuben had a decent amount of smoked turkey along with sauerkaut and Thousand Island dressing on grilled rye. And the bread was perfectly grilled. I also really enjoyed the Calypso Island Wave Lemonade, which blends pineapple, banana, mango, passion fruit and orange with the tartness of lemonade.

They also offer a nice selection of sub sandwiches. The one pictured here is the Italian sub, but I’m intrigued by the idea of a clam strip sub (“super sized clam strips on a grilled hoagie roll with tartar sauce, lettuce & tomato”). The Poor Boy also sounds tasty with bologna, hard salami, American cheese, shaved ham, onion, pickle, tomato, lettuce, cole slaw & mayo. I grew up calling them hoagies, but I like the addition of cole slaw. The Italian sub could easily be held up against any Italian sub. It features hard salami, Provolone cheese, shaved ham, pepperoni, onion, tomato, pickle & lettuce that is topped with zesty Italian dressing. It had a nice zesty punch to it between the Italian dressing and the salami and pepperoni.

I’m looking forward to my next doctor’s visit in March so I can explore more of the menu. The deli is open 6 days a week (Monday through Friday from 7 am to 8 pm, Saturday from 7 am to 5 pm and closed on Sunday), while the bakery is open 7 days a week (from 6-4 Monday through Friday, 7 am to 5 pm on Saturday and 7 am to 1 pm on Sunday).

Contact info:

Lehman’s Deli
24961 Detroit Road
Westlake, OH 44145
(440) 871-3445

Fish Fryday #7 2026: Johnny’s on Fulton and the Donauschwaben German-American Club

We’ve made it to Good Friday and the end of the Lenten season. I had every intention of writing a slightly unhinged post for today’s lunch, because I had decided to drive to Woodmere for the tuna sub at Jersey Mike’s. The one in Woodmere is the only one in the area worth going to, because their subs are delicious compared to the boring output at, say, South Euclid. I don’t know if it is because their oil and vinegar is tastier or they use a decent amount, but I can tell the difference (after having the same sub two days in a row from both locations). In any event, last night Johnny’s on Fulton posted on Facebook that today was the last day for their Friday fish lunch. I haven’t been to Johnny’s on Fulton in years (and usually am there to enjoy the backyard seating) and their photo intrigued me, so my plans changed.

Johnny’s on Fulton is about as old-school Cleveland Italian as you can get. It’s been in business for 100 years, having been renamed Johnny’s in 1952. Before it was Johnny’s Bar on Fulton, it was Louise’s Gardens, a grocery store started by the current owner, Bo Santosuosso’s grandmother, in 1924. Since then, four generations of the family have worked at the fine-dining location, making it what it is today.

I arrived at 12:30 and after climbing a couple small stairs rimmed in yellow and entering the establishment, I was greeted by a couple guys sitting at the bar telling me “she’ll be right back” to seat me and was then after a minute or so escorted to a table in the back of the dining room up a cute little Art Deco-ish stair. I sat with my back to the wall and immediately sank into the banquette booth so deep that I was almost lying down. Since I was there to eat and not wear my food I moved to the chair opposite the wall. With my back to the wall, I enjoyed hearing a table of Cleveland police officers enjoying their lunch.

I ordered the fish fry, which came out so fast my head spun. The server explained that they have them queued and ready to go. The lunch special is served until 3, when the close to prep for dinner. The fish was good, hot, well-breaded and fried, but the star of the show was the French fries. They were really tasty. I didn’t enjoy the cole slaw as much, because I found it to be pretty bitter. I was going to order a glass of white Bordeaux with my lunch because that is my absolute favorite, but the shipment hadn’t arrived yet and they were out of it. She talked me into a small split of prosecco paired with Chambord for a tasty Kir Royale. Since it was the last fish fry of the season I decided to splurge and celebrate it. The meal cost me $41 plus an $8 tip. Pretty pricy, but I was splurging at a historic restaurant in Cleveland so it was okay.

I was very excited to go to the Donauschwaben tonight. I grew up a mile from the Club in Olmsted Falls. My parents were members, and we swam and played tennis there a lot. I celebrated many a swim birthday party at the Club, swimming in the pond with the fish and the snapping turtle. I remember the old farmhouse with the rickety floors where they used to host the fish fries, special dinners and Oktoberfest. My sister and I worked the parking lot during the Oktoberfest, being paid in pitchers of beer as underage teens and directing folks to park on the soccer fields. My how times have changed, with the paved parking lot, the new chalet, and the pond being fenced in with no swimming due to liability issues. I taught German to fourth graders there back in 2020 before and during the pandemic. The Donauschwaben is in my veins. I’ve been to the fish fries there so many times, but never documented my visits or can’t find the photos of the ones I did. It was high time to change that.

Since I had a larger lunch than I had originally planned I decided not to hit the evening fish fry at the Donauschwaben German-American Club when it opened at 4:30. Instead I showed up at 6:30 expecting to see the usual line out the door (this is a popular fish fry), but there was no line. I walked straight ahead to the dining room (the line to the left in the lobby was for take-out). I was shown to a table, wrote my name on a placemat to save my spot, and queued up for food served from chafing dishes in the center of the room. In the past they have brought the meals to the table, but this is an efficient way. You line up, fill your plate with your choices and then head to the cashier and the condiments table for condiments, napkins and utensils. Even with the mac and cheese, streusel cake and Coke the dinner was cheaper than my lunch at $32.

I wanted the fried fish and shrimp combo and couldn’t decide between the basic fried shrimp or coconut shrimp. The line server encouraged me to mix and match, so I ended up with 4 coconut shrimp and 2 fried shrimp and a piece of fried fish. The baked lemon pepper fish looked delicious too. I enjoyed the fried portion on the meal immensely. The coconut shrimp were plump and had a nice hint of tropical flavor. The fried fish and shrimp were not dry at all. I almost regretted only getting 2 fried shrimp. I also added a mac and cheese because the pierogi looked awful (photo from a friend).

Since it was later in the evening I think they were running out. The mac and cheese was really cheesy and tasty. I brought it home to heat up later, along with the streusel cake, which I will have for breakfast tomorrow. I enjoyed chatting with my table mates, talking about the old times at the Donauschwaben and the upcoming Easter dinner festivities. I was tempted to pop into the Prost! bar for a Stiegl, but I had gotten a translation in just as I was leaving that I had to finish tonight. Another day…

So, thanks for keeping me company on this year’s Fish Frydays. I hope some of you stick around and subscribe. I try to post every two weeks and usually talk about a place after several visits, not the single visits for the fish fries. If not, I’ll see you next year! For some reason the blog is getting quite a few visitors during Lent. Thanks!

Contact info:

 

Johnny’s on Fulton
3164 Fulton Road
Cleveland, OH 44109
(216) 281-0055

 

Donauschwaben German-American Club
7370 Columbia Road
Olmsted Falls, OH 44138
(440) 235-2646

Fish Fryday #6 2026: Muldoon’s and St. Joseph’s Parish

I was tempted not to go our for lunch today because I had so much work, but I found myself further along than I thought I would be. I had originally thought to stay closer to home and go to Sophie La Gourmande on Lee, but they only do Friday dinners during Lent (and unfortunately tonight is the last one for the year). I had also considered heading out to the Rowley Inn, but when I read that their Lent specials are available year-round I decided to go after Lent. That left Muldoon’s on my list. It helped that I had not been able to get the Seafood Pizza out of my head. When I got there I grabbed a booth and it just happened to be the booth with the framed Woodstock ticket. Very cool memorabilia.

I was greeted by the server and ordered an iced tea, the lobster bisque and the seafood pizza. The lobster bisque was pretty good. I could have done without the croutons, but I’m weird because I don’t like eating crackers with soup as it is. It’s most likely a texture thing and entirely my peccadillo. And there are no chunks of lobster or even rock lobster in it. But the flavor profile was tasty.

When I mentioned I came in for the seafood pizza, the server commented that it is available year-round as well and explained that the only Lent Specials that aren’t served year-round are the Cajun shrimp tacos and quesadilla because they aren’t breaded. I had to laugh. So much for me trying something unique.

That said, the seafood pizza is indeed a unique and tasty choice. The pizza is brushed with garlic butter and topped with crab, shrimp and mozzarella cheese. It had a nice chewy dough, and the garlic butter and seafood toppings (and green onion) were really nice. It was fairly innocuous, and I am going to try a Keith’s Hot Sauce on it when I heat up the leftovers. I think I’ll probably try the chicken one (Keith’s Hot Sauce comes in three different varieties: Burger Sauce, Taco Sauce, and Chicken Sauce). It definitely had a nice flavor to it, and I will definitely order it again when and if I crave it. I had three slices and boxed up the rest for later. It was fairly filling so I was tempted to just get my dinner at St. Joseph’s to go, but I had already ordered and didn’t want to mess their organized system up. They have a car line for dine in and one for carry out and probably two separate systems. Since it is the last church fish fry Friday I knew I definitely had to make it to St. Joseph’s Parish in Avon Lake this year.

St. Joseph’s is probably my favorite church fish fry in the Cleveland area. Certainly my favorite on the west side. For more detailed write-ups visit my first post on St. Joseph’s Parish in 2023 (with a second visit in 2023 on St. Patrick’s Day and then in 2025). I battled the construction on I-90 and arrived shortly after five. There was no line, but I had preordered on the website yesterday so could have skipped the regular line. I checked in and was given my color-coded index cards for the salmon with chardonnay dill sauce (my favorite), cabbage and noodles and tomato bisque soup. I dropped my coat and purse off at a table and got in the long line, which was wrapped around the gym and took about 20-25 minutes from start to finish. There was a guy playing guitar to entertain the masses, which was nice.

Once I got to the food station I grabbed a tray, grabbed a cole slaw and popped my index cards on the tray. Dinners now just come with cole slaw and all the sides have to be ordered extra. I guess no one ate the green beans. 🙂 I was given a china plate with salmon and scooted down so that the cabbage and noodles could be scooped onto my plate. The sauces, dinner rolls and soups were just down the line towards at the end. I got the chardonnay dill sauce ladled onto my salmon and grabbed a lid for the soup since I knew I wouldn’t be able to eat it. I thoroughly enjoyed my meal as well as the company at the table. We traded fish fry and restaurant tips and reminisced about Midway Mall in Elyria. It was an enjoyable evening. Unfortunately Lois and Don weren’t there. I hope they were having an enjoyable evening elsewhere. I love St. Joseph’s. It is definitely a well-organized fish fry. If you haven’t been you should definitely put it on your list for next year.

Contact info:

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

 

St. Joseph’s Parish
32929 Lake Road
Avon Lake
Fry time: 4:30 to 7 p.m. Fridays in Lent (no fish fry on Ash Wednesday or Good Friday).

Fraîche Brunch Bar

I drive down Mayfield Road all the time and kept noticing the sign for Fraiche Brunch Bar during the construction and façade repair (I’m going to keep spelling it without the î because it’s easier). I had always wondered what Bill’s Coffee Shop was like and never got around to checking it out, but the name Fraiche intrigued me. I love creme fraîche, so it was a good mental image, and it also implies “fresh” in English. I definitely had it on my list of places to try once the façade work on the building was finished and it opened. It opened on November 7th. It’s a small place, with several two-seater booths along the wall, one or two larger tables and seating at the counter.

Well, I finally checked it out and am happy to report I really like it. I learned there was parking and an entrance in the back, so that took some of the stress off trying a new place. Every time I have walked in I have been immediately greeted by friendly employees. One employee even made me a fresh pot of coffee since I came in after the breakfast rush (they are open until 3). I also like the fact they have a hazelnut flavored coffee creamer. My coffee was served to me piping hot with steam coming off of it.

I could not decide what to order on my first visit, because everything looked so good. I definitely wanted to try a waffle, but couldn’t decide which one so their Waffle Flight was a perfect choice. It features all four of their waffles – Strawberry Shortcake, Georgia Peach, Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Biscoff cookie butter (in that order in the photo from front to back). I liked the Biscoff one the best, but they were all tasty. I didn’t even need syrup. You can also get those toppings on pancakes instead of waffles.

I also prefer savory over sweet breakfast choices, so I was debating between the steak bites or something else. My server recommended the salmon patties, so I ended up getting the Salmon Patty Grits Bowl. Wow, wow, wow! That was definitely an amazing choice. The gouda grits are creamy and just the right amount of cheesy but not overpowering. The potatoes were a perfect foil with the grits and were perfectly cooked. And the salmon patties and Fraiche sauce were amazing. I will definitely be ordering it again. Or something else with those grits, because they are fire. Since I had ordered two entrees I got boxes to take everything home and enjoy later. Everything reheated nicely in my air fryer.

Since it is one of the newest brunch spots to hit the Cleveland area, it was also a given to get together with some friends for my annual Christmas Eve Day brunch this year. We have gone to Fire and Inn on Coventry in the past, and a fancy breakfast out on Christmas Eve morning has become an annual event my friends look forward to. Fraiche has mocktails instead of cocktails, and we were okay with that at 11 am on a Wednesday. I had a strawberry Fraiche Fresher, which was a tasty soda water with strawberry sauce (the metal straw is mine), and my friend enjoyed her Cranginger Mule Mocktail.

Fraiche has a very meat-heavy menu (think chicken tenders, steak, breakfast meats and even lamb chops), but my vegetarian friends easily managed to find things they enjoyed on the menu (I almost got some sausage links out of the deal, but the waffle without meat was cheaper 🙂 ). My friends were thrilled with Fraiche’s waffles, and one friend raved about his veggie omelet and potatoes.

I ordered the Biscoff chicken and waffles, which was recommended by my same server. It was a great choice. The sweetness of the cookie butter was a nice accompaniment to the nicely fried chicken tenders.

I like to try a place several times before writing about it, so it usually takes a while for me to post about a place here. However, Fraiche is close enough and tasty enough that I happily came here several times within a month. I obviously had to order the lamb chops at some point, and they did not disappoint. The lamb chop bowl serves everything together (see below), while the lamb chop breakfast serves everything separated. If you like lamb chops you need to check it out. And that sauce was everything. So good!

The waffles, lamb chops and chicken and waffles are the crowd favorites, but I honestly don’t think there is a fail on the menu. I’ll be back to try the garlic butter steak bites soon because they intrigue me (edit: they were just okay – the steak and eggs comes with potatoes too and is not a half portion). When I posted about it on Facebook at All Things Food in Cleveland, many people who live nearby chimed in saying they weren’t even aware of it or that it was within walking distance so they would check it out soon. This place should definitely be on your list if you like unique breakfast places.

The owner is the chef and pumps out delicious food. Fraiche is open until 3 pm every day – and opens at 7 am during the week and 8 am on the weekend.

Contact info:

Fraîche Brunch Bar
3954 Mayfield Road
Cleveland Heights, OH 44121
(216) 400-6582

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: Dean Martin, Paul Newman and Humphrey Bogart 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