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

The Best Bites of 2025

It was another quiet year. I am not organizing big dinners with friends anymore and have been dining out alone a lot (just me and my Kindle). And I attended a couple Dinner in the Darks, which are always an adventure. But I still enjoyed several Best Bites in 2025.

I’m going to start with the appetizers, because who doesn’t appreciate a good appetizer? There were three appetizers/starters that blew me away this year: the seafood stuffed mushrooms at Blue Heron Pub in Medina, the Crabby Pringles at Funshi in Rocky River (I’m so excited for the Funshi conveyor belt sushi place that just opened in Beachwood, because I can now get this closer to home), and the mushroom tartlet at The Friars’ Table downtown. First of all, my niece works at Blue Heron Pub on college breaks, and we ordered several orders for our family get-together there in June on her recommendation. I could not stop eating them. They feature large white mushrooms that are hand stuffed with diced shrimp, crabmeat, cream cheese and scallions and then topped with Parmesan cheese and a Dijon aioli. If I lived closer I would be there all the time for these, and they would be my main meal. They are creamy and delicious. Second, I’m sensing a pattern because the Crabby Pringle features a crabmeat salad made with baked real crab meat, crab stick, fish roe, green onion, and mayonnaise on top of Pringles potato chips. Just delicious. And to round it out my third choice is another mushroom dish. The mushroom tartlets at The Friars’ Table is a puffed pastry topped with sauteed wild mushrooms. Simple, yet absolutely delicious. I’ve ordered them every time I’ve dined there.

I love a good breakfast and enjoy going to the Original Pancake House when I’m in Woodmere. Their thick-cut bacon is amazing, but I finally ordered the Apple Pancake with the bacon and will probably never order anything else again. The Apple Pancake is one of their most popular dishes, and I can see why. The Apple Pancake really isn’t much like a pancake at all. It’s more a like an oven baked Dutch Baby on steroids or really, really moist bread pudding that is topped with thin slices of fresh Granny Smith apples and pure Sinkiang cinnamon glaze. If you want to make it at home, you can find the recipe here.

I finally made it to Doink’s again after having attended a pop-up at The Wine Spot several years ago. The brick and mortar location on Waterloo churns out awesome smash burgers, but the item that blew me away and has me repeatedly coming back is the Wedge Salad. As I wrote in October, “I love a good wedge salad, and this is definitely a great wedge salad. The pickled onions are a great addition. The lettuce has always been fresh and crisp. The blue cheese dressing is divine and pairs well with the pickled onions, and there is just enough bacon to make it sing.” It is a unique side offering that pairs well with the unctiousness of the burger.

I fell in love with Ohio Pie Co pizza pies this year – specifically the Basic B. I went to Ohio Pie Co in Brunswick to try the Crabby Rangoon special pizza of the month in May and ordered a Basic B because I love spinach on pizza and it sounded good to me. Ohio Pie Co makes “Ohio Style Pizza,” which they explain is a round pie with a mid-thickness crust that is square-cut and has cheese to the edge. They finish their pizzas with a “signature Ohio Style sweet sauce,” but the Basic B is a white pizza. It features a white sauce and is topped with a cheese blend, spinach, and ricotta. Big dollops of lovely ricotta. I took the pizzas home and started eating them in the car and could not stop. I think I might have only had a few pieces of Basic B left by the time I got home. Their Thanksgiving pizza was also a fun monthly special, but I don’t have a photo of that. If you love stuffing it is a definite must try next November. In the meantime, I am happy with the Basic B and am glad they opened a location in Parma, which is closer to me than Brunswick.

I finally got a chance to try khachapuri at Georgia Bakery Tiflis on Pearl Road in Parma Heights. The name khachapuri comes from the Georgian words “khacho” (meaning cheese curds) and “puri” (meaning bread), so it translates to “cheese bread.” Tiflis offers several different khachapuri flat breads like imeruli khachapuri, penovani khachapuri, gehruli khachapuri or megruli khachapuri. My favorite is their classic adjaruli. Adjaruli khachapuri is a delicious boat-shaped Georgian cheese bread that is filled with a mixture of flavorful cheeses and herbs and topped with an egg. You mix the egg into the cheese and tear off pieces of the bread and dip it into the mixture. Khachapuri is the national dish of the country of Georgia.

I found myself repeatedly going to Geraci’s this year for their lasagna. It is an individual serving in a gratin dish (I know because I own a set of gratin dishes LOL). I know most people rave about Geraci’s pizza, but I regularly crave the lasagna. I can usually only finish half and take the other half home for later. The lasagna is an ooey gooey baked lasagna made with ricotta, mozzarella, chopped meatballs, and Geraci’s sauce. I can’t even count how many times I have had a craving this year and popped in for a fix.

One nice surprise this year was the Chopped Cheese sandwich at the CleaveLand Grill, which took over Rumi’s at 83rd and Carnegie (about 5 minutes from me). I organized a dinner with friends to have the Tikka Boti Platte (a chicken kebab with rice). Several of my friends ordered their smash burger, which I have had in the old Parma location that closed due to a fire and found to be really great. However, the surprise standout that night was the Chopped Cheese. The difference between the Chopped Cheese and the Cheesesteak is that the chopped cheese is available with the chicken, beef (hamburger) or lamb patties and the cheesesteak is sliced ribeye or chicken. One of my friends ordered it with beef on the paratha wrap, and it was outstanding. Cleaveland Grill is the exclusive HFSAA certified establishment (Halal) in Ohio, and all of the meat is seasoned very well. It may not look all that appetizing, but it blew all of us away with how tasty it was.

I was thrilled when Gunselman’s brought back the French Onion Burger for Burger Week in June. As soon as I saw it was one of the burgers I rushed right over to Fairview Park to enjoy it. It was just as good as I remembered. Probably one of my all-time favorite burgers – and that’s saying a lot since it seems this year a lot of my best bites involved burgers. Although if Gunselman’s were to bring back the Christmas Dinner (1/2 pound burger made with brisket, chuck and short rib topped with an amazing prime rib topped with horseradish aioli, rosemary au jus, Muenster cheese, argula and tomato on a weck bun – probably the best burger I’ve ever had) or the Coldwater Lobster Love (their burger topped with Cajun butter coldwater lobster meat, smoked bacon, Muenster cheese, arugula and tomato) I would be a very happy girl… (hint, hint)

Last but not least for main courses was the Salmon St. Celestine at The Friars’ Table. It is a simple preparation, but the cream sauce prepared with leeks, mushrooms and sorrel is absolutely divine. I tried a bite of my friend’s and loved it so much that I ordered it when I went back. The salmon is now more of the slab salmon you see at most restaurants. The star is the sauce though, so the shape of the salmon itself is secondary.

I also enjoyed several delicious desserts this year. Most surprising was the Shokupan (a classic Japanese toast that is a blend of sweetness and texture)—basically a croissant bowl—at You&I Tea Bar on Aurora Road in Solon (right across from the Chipotle). I met my tea group there to enjoy their range of matchas and fruit teas (with or without boba). I was a little peckish, so I ordered the Bananas Foster Croissant Bowl on a whim to go with my iced matcha lattee. It was FANTASTIC. The croissant was flaky and absolutely delicious (it is a square bowl made out of croissant dough), the bananas were fresh, and the ice cream and drizzled topping was a great pairing. If you are in or near Solon, be sure to check You&I Tea Bar and try one.

Two other desserts worth mentioning are this year’s birthday cake (the Cleveland cassata cake from Baraona’s) and the tiramisu at Chelo’s Kitchen in South Euclid. The cassata cake never disappoints and was loaded with custard and strawberries and topped with fresh whipped cream. The tiramisu that Chelo’s wife Sarah makes is probably the best tiramisu I have ever had. It is creamy and moist. Simply divine.

So that is my recap of my favorite bites this year. While I have your attention, I was wondering if I should keep doing this. I don’t get many comments, but I do have hits on my statistical analysis. It seems my most popular posts are the Stouffer’s Thrift Store and Lawson’s Chip Dip posts. Are you enjoying my restaurant recaps? Please comment and interact with me here so that I know what I am doing is worthwhile to someone. Other bloggers seem to be blowing up while I simply chug along. Should I switch to videos/reels? I prefer to be anonymous though, so that kind of goes against my vibe. I’m open to ideas.

So, what were your favorite bites in the past year? What should I try in 2026? I am looking forward to checking out Batuqui’s new location in an old church on Larchmere and am planning on checking out the Funshi conveyor belt sushi place with my niece, who has never had sushi off a conveyor belt. Plus, I would like to check out Never Say Dive on Broadview Road in Cleveland and Down the Block in Kirtland. I am open to suggestions, and who knows what the new year will hold. Here’s hoping we all have a delicious 2026.

The Fairview Tavern

The Fairview Tavern in Fairview Park is a hole in the wall bar that serves great food. It is located in a strip mall on Lorain Road and is open every day of the year from 11 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. (and opens at 7 a.m. on Sundays). There is a basic menu, but the Blue Plate Specials and Chef’s Specials change weekly and a happy hour that runs from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. They also serve breakfast on Sundays from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. If you live nearby that might be a fun option, but since I live 40 minutes away it isn’t one for me.

There is plenty of seating in the bar area, but I have always sat at the dining area at the back of the venue. There are plenty of tables that can accommodate any number of diners.

The Friday special is their perch dinners. I met a chef friend here when we heard about their perch. They use real perch because it curled up perfectly. The perch filets are perfectly fried. They are $14 for 3 filets and $17 for 4. They come served with fries and slaw, but we were able to upgrade to pierogi, which were really well prepared. One of my friends ordered a perch sandwich on another visit. The sandwich only has 2 perch filets. It would have been perfect with 3. He ended up cutting the sub roll in half and only eating half a roll with both filets. So if you want a good perch sub ask to add another filet even if there is an additional charge.

The appetizers are also tasty. I have had the kielbasa coins, which were stellar, and another friend recently ordered the pepperoni rolls, which featured phyllo dough. He also raved about their fresh made pork rinds. So if an appetizer appeals to you by all means order it.

My friends who live on the west side and appreciate a good bargain turned me on to the place. The Blue Plate Specials are $10 and include a generous side salad. They also haven’t charged us for non-alcoholic beverages. We initially met there for the Tuesday burger and pint special (for $10 – $8 for the burger and 2 for a domestic beer). The burger patties are generous and you can get whatever burger fixings you want.

The burgers and sandwiches are served with housemade kettle chips, which are quite tasty, but the star of the show is the chip dip. I ordered a Patty Melt most recently and was quite pleased with it. I ended up taking half of it home to eat later.

The clam chowder is great – with lots of big chunks of potato, clams, celery, etc. If it’s on the menu definitely get it. I ordered a bowl along with my Patty Melt. The serving was huge. The chowder was creamy and not at all lumpy. I enjoyed every bite.

The pizzas are also quite large. I haven’t tried one yet, but my friends who did enjoyed it. One ordered the Mediterranean and the one below is mushroom and pepperoni. The mushrooms are fresh and not canned, which is always appreciated. Both had several slices but had to get boxes for later. I will probably order one the next time I go and none of the Blue Plate Specials appeal to me.

The schnitzel and spätzle were quite nice on another visit. They were supposed to come with a lemon basil sauce, but the waitress happily substituted brown gravy instead when my friends asked for the sauce on the side because it was extremely lemony on a previous visit. It was a lot of ofod for only $10 0 with two pork cutlets and lots of fresh made spätzle.

The servers have all been friendly and accommodating every time I have been there. We tip generously when we order the Blue Plate Specials because they run around a lot for a $10 tab, bring out salads and then the entrees, refilling our beverages (which they don’t charge for), etc.

It isn’t fine dining, but it is quite tasty for a hole in the wall bar. I’d go so far as to call it a diamond in the rough. And the food changes often enough that you won’t get bored. I’ve only been there for lunch, but the live music apparently can bring in the crowds. I can’t wait to try their clambake.

Contact info:

The Fairview Tavern
21867 Lorain Road
Cleveland, OH 44126
(440) 799-4200

Smokehouse 91

Smokehouse 91 opened in March 2025 and is located next to The Village Butcher on SOM Center Road near the intersection with Wilson Mills in the small strip mall next to Heinen’s. Smokehouse 91 and Village Butcher actually share a fairly large kitchen now, which means the menu at Village Butcher is also larger. It features “Texas barbeque” and is the next iteration of Smokin’ Q’s, which closed in January 2024. Smokehouse 91 is operated by Smokin’ Q’s owners Carl Quagliata and Zach Ladner. Smokehouse 91 is a fast-casual concept with several tables if you want to eat in-house.

They focus on the brisket, although other meats are also available. The meat is smoked low and slow, and you can add barbeque sauces, which are made in house. The sauces include sweet chili, hot & spicy, sweet & tangy mustard, Carolina vinegar, Alabama white, sweet & smokey and Texas-style. I liked the mustard and sweet & smokey the best because those are my preferences. The chopped brisket sandwich was pricy at $18, but it contains a ton of delicious brisket and it is high quality. I love that it is lean, because I’m not a huge fan of fatty meat. I got it topped with pickles and coleslaw, which I highly recommend if you enjoy coleslaw on barbecue. The pickles and coleslaw cut through the richness of the brisket and are a great pairing.

I usually don’t enjoy barbeque, because the sides are usually disappointing because they are an after-thought. Not here. Their sides include barbeque classics like mac n cheese, collard greens with pork, coleslaw, seasonal potatoes and more. The mac n cheese can be topped with a garlic crumb mix and is incredibly cheesy (and garlicky with the crumb topping). In fact, I find it to be too cheesy and never thought I’d say that. When I reheated it it was very dense and hard to spoon from the container to the bowl. The cornbread is quite nice and is served with a pot of honey butter. I like cornbread and have made my own for 30 years. This one is right up there. It was moist and had small bits of corn in it. I wasn’t a huge fan of the collard greens, but I rarely find collard greens in a restaurant that I enjoy. I think I’ve only found one or two that I enjoy, but others might find it enjoyable. I like the addition of pork. I usually use a ham hock when I make my favorite recipe at home.

The standout for me was the banana pudding. I don’t think I’ve ever had a more delicious banana pudding – and my gold standard was Walter Hyde’s at Fat Casual. I savored every last bite over the two days I ate it. It is creamy and has the perfect amount of sliced bananas and whipped cream to pudding ratio.

Smokehouse 91 is open from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. Unless they run out of meat earlier. Be sure to check it out if you are in the area. I’m only a 20 minute drive, which is enough for the food to not cool down too much to enjoy at home. I need to try the smoked turkey next.

Contact info:

Smokehouse 91
822 Som Center Road
Mayfield, OH 44143
(440) 565-7160

YYTime

YYTime opened in February 2024. It was a much-awaited addition to AsiaTown. The owner put a lot of work into renovating an old NTB tire shop located catty-corner from Li Wah and Asia Plaza at Payne Avenue and E. 30th. There’s parking in the front and the back as well in the large lot across the street. That lot is packed during dim sum hours on the weekends, but I have never had a problem getting a spot. Turnover is quick.

YYTime features Asian street food favorites and Dagu Rice Noodle soups (the owner owned Dagu and shut it in preparation for opening YYTime). Dagu was located next to Koko Bakery on Payne and was known for its Crossing the Bridge soup (more on that below). We had a nice meal at Dagu in the past, so I was looking forward to YYTime opening. Unfortunately, the first few times I tried to go I was thwarted by getting sick or some other unfortunate event necessitating me from having to bow out. I was thrilled once I finally made it.

The restaurant is quite spacious and can easily accommodate groups. They have three kitchens, so food comes out very quickly. You can either order using the QR code on the table or from one of the friendly servers, who thoroughly answered all of our questions and were very helpful.

Once I was there I was pleased to see the wide range of fresh fruit and milk teas and coffees. The Dalgona Matcha Latte (available hot or cold – I ordered it hot) was an absolute revelation to me. Dalgona is a whipped foam for coffee or tea, using instant coffee or matcha, sugar and boiling water. It is then added to the prepared coffee or tea. When mixed in with some milk, it’s honestly just an incredible and tasty experience. Any of the foam options sound fun – like the Jasmine Green Tea with Matcha Foam.

On my second visit I hosted a meal with my tea group, because I knew they would appreciate the variety of tea options. I thoroughly enjoyed my Cream Brulee Thai Tea Slush with Amber Pearl (above right – with the fun kitty ears lid). There are so many choices you could try a new one every week and spend several years with a new beverage. I also really like that you can vary the level of sweetness. I’ve found 50% sweetness is perfect for me.

One of my vegetarian friends ordered several vegetarian appetizers, and they were really tasty. I always enjoy garlic cucumbers, but the black fungus appetizer was a nice surprise. It has a nice vinegary broth and lots of roasted peanuts. If you like that kind of flavor profile I highly recommend trying it. The cauliflower under the Vegetables section was also a tasty choice – arriving grilled on skewers, but I didn’t get a photo of it. The lotus root was also a unique choice that I enjoyed. It had the same vinegary broth as the black fungus.

As I said above, YYTime is the next iteration of the Dagu Rice Noodle restaurant that used to be located next to Koko Bakery on Payne. Dagu Rice Noodle is a Shanghai-based franchise and was one of only a few here in the U.S. They offered lots of Chinese street food-style options, but the real reason to come here was/is for the array of crossing-the-bridge noodle soups. Served alongside an enormous bowl of soft, tangled noodles and a platter of uncooked add-in spices, herbs, vegetables and protein such as bamboo shoots, tofu, pork or beef slices, crab, quail egg, bok choy, seaweed, ham, corn, fish ball, etc., you can build your soup to your liking.

The soups arrive in large bowls of boiling hot broth in heated earthenware bowls. The broth of each soup is served at a boiling 300 degrees. When I say boiling I mean it. It comes out boiling and bubbling. It is a good idea to add the veggies and meats and then let it sit for a little while to cool down while they cook. Pictured below is the Original Crossing The Bridge Rice Noodle Soup. It comes to the table as a steaming bowl of pork-based broth and is essentially a hot pot for one. One of my friends swears by the tomato-flavored base soup.

I ordered the Rice Noodle Soup with Coconut Red Curry Chicken on my first visit. It was quite tasty and I ended up bringing about half of it home to heat and eat the next day. The rice noodles didn’t quite hold up, so if you plan on bringing leftovers home you might want to pack the rice noodles up separately. I’m a huge fan of the yellow curry profile, but red curry is a close second for me.

The fried dumplings were highly recommended in a reel I saw on social media, and they did not disappoint. The photo on the left is the Pork with Water Chestnut. One of my friends raves about the Vine Pepper Shrimp dumplings (right), and it was as good as she said it was. I don’t know what the crispy golden brown crust is made of, but the dumplings are fried together because you have to break the crust to eat them. The dumplings were really juicy and tasty.

I ordered the Vermicelli Scallops when I was out with my tea group. It is pricy and small, but was a nice splurge and quite tasty. The powdered spice on top is no joke – it can pack a punch of heat.

The meat and vegetables on skewers were also a highlight. I ordered the chicken skewer and loved it. The flavor was really great, and the chicken was still quite juicy. As I said, the cauliflower on skewers is also surprisingly one of my favorites. The char just complements the taste of the cauliflower. The squid skewer (squid shall?) was also quite meaty and substantial. They are served with scissors to aid you in cutting off pieces. My friend dunked them in the soup to warm them up when they got cold.

My friend was not impressed with the fried rice, but she doesn’t like and didn’t add yum yum sauce, which I felt added to it. I tried it and it didn’t wow me, but it also wasn’t a bad choice. I think if you go to YYTime you will probably be better off trying something very unique.

Another friend ordered the Crispy Chicken Cutlet and wasn’t blown away. Then again, I’m fairly sure he didn’t use any of the accompanying sauces. One of my friends ate the tea egg (top of the photo in front of the cucumber slices) that came with his entree and enjoyed it a lot. They said it was “deliciously jammy.” The flavor is a burst of salty soy with a creamy yolk.

I was also not a huge fan of the grilled eggplant. It was just mushy and didn’t really wow me taste-wise (they were pretty bland despite having ordered them with mild spice. But on a positive note, my one friend said the egg rolls were some of the best he’s ever had (and the presentation is really nice).

I am looking forward to going back soon. I need another Dalgona Matcha Latte. Whether I get it hot or cold will remain to be seen. You can’t go wrong with any of their beverages choices. And dumplings and bao as well as the cold appetizers are fantastic. And now that it is soup season, you need to enjoy their rice noodle soups to warm up on a cold winter day. Plus, any place that has large groups of Asian diners is always a good choice (even if he is giving me the side eye for taking a photo of our table). It is open from 11 AM – 9 PM every day but Tuesday.

Contact info:

YYTime
3004 Payne Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44114
(216) 291-7533