2024 was a quiet year for me. My weight loss journey has stalled, but my health has improved so that’s a bonus. I am not organizing big dinners with friends anymore and have been dining out alone a lot (just me and my Kindle, which is fun). But I still enjoyed several Best Bites in 2024.
First of all, I’ve been on a quest to find the best tuna melt. I have been ordering a tuna melt whenever I see it on the menu. And there are a lot of restaurants that serve tuna melts (but also especially during the Lenten season). A good tuna melt to me has a nice toasted bread and good flavor. The tuna should also be warm throughout. So far, my favorites have been at Chelo’s Kitchen in South Euclid and Old Brooklyn Cheese Company. Chelo’s tuna melt (left) is a Lenten lunch special, and it is so good I went back and ordered it three times during Lent this year. Chelo’s tuna melt is made with grilled onions, American and Swiss cheese on seeded rye bread. I love the pairing of American and Swiss. Old Brooklyn Cheese Company’s absolutely delicious tuna melt (right) also has a great combination of cheeses. It features tuna, mayo, diced dill pickle, onion, Old Brooklyn Mustard’s lemon preserve and a blend of mozzarella, raclette and cheddar on grilled sourdough from Leavened Bakery. Amazing flavor! It was an outstanding tuna melt, and I hope they serve it again soon.
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I became a regular at Chelo’s Kitchen this year. It is located at the corner of Mayfield and Green and is run by a really nice married couple. Sarah runs the dining room and handles takeout orders, while Chelo cranks out great food from the kitchen. Since he is from Uruguay you can’t beat the empanadas and other Latin American dishes. They have great breakfasts and advertise different dinner specials on Wednesday and Friday nights (when they are open for dinner). I have had a lot of great meals here, from fall-off-the-bone ribs to stuffed cabbage and chicken parm to fish fries, but my Best Bite is the Chelo Burger. Not only is it impressive to look at, it is tasty to boot. The Chelo Burger features a large homemade hamburger topped with cheddar cheese, bacon, BBQ sauce, lettuce, and tomato topped with two hand-battered onion rings.
Speaking of good burgers, everyone knows I appreciate Gunselman’s burgers of the month. Their French Onion Dip Burger was so delicious that I couldn’t put it down. If you love French onion soup this burger was the epitome. It was the burger of the month in April, and I can’t stop thinking about it. I highly recommend it if they offer it again. It features a fresh baked onion bun from Sauced Pizza of Fairview Park as well as an 8 oz brisket/short rib/chuck burger patty, balsamic carmelized onions, bacon, Swiss cheese and garlic aioli. It was served with a bowl of delicious French onion soup. The two together was cheesy, oniony goodness!
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In addition to Gunselman’s french onion soup, undoubtedly the best soup I had this year was the New England Clam Chowder at Bruno’s. It was served as part of their clambake and was probably one of the best clam chowders I have ever eaten. I liked it so much I got a pint to go to enjoy the next day. It was chock-full of chunks of potato and bites of clam with a heavenly herby flavor (I think it’s thyme among other seasoning). Absolute heaven!
I also couldn’t get enough of the poké bowl at Corner 11 Poké and Ramen in Strongsville. It is a suburban offshoot of Corner 11 in Tremont. I am a huge fan of Hawaiian poké, which is diced fresh fish over rice with a variety of toppings. Corner 11 was the first Cleveland poké place that let customers choose their portion size, type of rice or salad greens, proteins, toppings, and sauces. It’s in a non-descript strip mall, but the quality and portions are outstanding. I prefer the poké over the ramen. My go-to there is a medium poké bowl with salmon and tuna. The toppings are unlimited, allowing for endless customization and ensuring each bowl is perfectly suited to your taste at that moment. I usually order the white rice and as many vegetables and fruit as I’m in the mood for (as well as avocado, ginger and roasted sesame seeds). I then usually top it with Yum Yum and teriyaki sauces. Heaven. And the fruit teas, milk teas, and Vietnamese ice teas and coffees aren’t bad either.
I’m not always healthy. I met friends at The Palazzo on Detroit Avenue near Edgewater and was blown away by the Quattro Stagioni there. I fell in love with Quattro Stagioni when I was living in Germany, and they actually do a proper Quattro Stagioni. Oftentimes a Quattro Stagioni here has the toppings, but they are jumbled together over the entire pizza. Quattro Stagioni is a very popular pizza in Italy. It means Four Seasons. The pizza is prepared in four sections with diverse ingredients, with each section representing one season of the year – artichokes represent spring, tomatoes and basil (the sauce) represent summer, mushrooms represent autumn, and prosciutto and olives represent winter. Palazzo’s Quattro Stagioni features artichoke hearts, mushrooms, olives and sausage. I was so thrilled to find a pizza with delineated sections!
I enjoyed several other great pizzas on a beautiful day in early August at In Forno in Avon. It was definitely worth the drive. In Forno’s wood-fired oven churns out amazing Neapolitan pizzas with great char and flavor. I first enjoyed the pizzas when the chef was crafting pizza in the wood-fired oven on a trailer at pop-up pizza events (outside the Olde Wine Cellar in Olmsted Falls). This time some friends and I spontaneously decided to meet there when they posted a photo of their special Peach Pizza on social media. The peach pizza was a taste treat. It is made with thinly sliced fresh peaches, walnuts, smoked bacon (my vegetarian friend ordered it without bacon and it was just as tasty), mozzarella and a drizzle of honey. I wish it was closer, but it is always worth the drive.
Italian seems to be a favored cuisine for me this year. In addition to Mama Catena’s on Babbitt Road in Euclid, I have been frequenting Scotti’s Italian Eatery on E. 185th in Cleveland whenever I want to treat myself to a nice lunch/early dinner. Scotti’s is cash only, so I always make sure I have enough with me. I love the fresh-baked herb focaccia bread. I found a new favorite this year when I had a hankering for ravioli. I ordered the Mushroom Ravioli and started second-guessing myself after I ordered it. I’m glad I didn’t call the waitress back, because it was perfect. The portion was perfect, with a tasty mushroom sauce (no canned mushroom here). I usually take leftovers home, but this was so good I stuffed myself until it was all gone. I couldn’t stop enjoying each bite. One of my friends met me here a couple of months later and ordered it because I had raved about it. She was just as pleased as I was.
Levant Shawarma has become a favorite this year as well. It is in the Little Arabia neighborhood right off I-90 near the intersection of W. 117th and Lorain Avenue. It has rotating spits of chicken or beef ready to shave and top with a variety of fresh toppings. The quality is outstanding. It does primarily take-out, but there are a few tables in the back if you want to eat in. I enjoy getting a shawarma bowl. I’m a fan of the rice pilaf (although jasmine rice and mixed greens are options as well) and add 2 spreads (I always choose their delicious hummus and baba ghanoush) and 5 toppings (the pickles and turnips are a must). My sauce of choice to top it is the toum (whipped garlic sauce). It’s a huge portion – enough for two meals – and absolutely delicious.
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And last but not least, the chorizo risotto balls (Chorizo Funky Balls) at Funky Truckeria in Norton are amazing. One of my caterer friends highly suggested them when we were out and about one afternoon, and I’m glad she did. One order contains two deep-fried risotto balls filled with chorizo, goat cheese, and chihuahua cheese and topped with poblano crema, queso fresco and cilantro. It sounds like it would be spicy, but it isn’t. It’s just delicious. Funky Truckeria used to be a food truck called Wholly Frijoles Mexican Street Foods. Plus, I don’t usually like tacos, but their tacos were fantastic. I had the tequila lime chicken and Korean BBQ pork loin tacos, and definitely plan to go back to try some more the next time I am in the area. There is a Salted Turtle Nacho Sundae that looks and sounds amazing when it’s warm out again.
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What were your favorite bites in the past year? What should I try in 2025? I am open to suggestions. Here’s hoping we all have a delicious 2025.
Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Eats 