Jill (@bonnjill)

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 mayonaisse 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

The Friars’ Table

Located in the former Cowell & Hubbard space (1305 Euclid Avenue), The Friars’ Table is located at the intersection of Euclid Avenue and E. 13th Street. It is a collaboration between Brandon Chrostowski of EDWINS’ fame and Cleveland Capuchin Ministries. The Friars’ Table opened this past winter and features “a seasonal menu inspired by monastic cuisine,” and its focus is on simplicity and community.

I ended up driving down E. 13th trying to find affordable parking (spoiler alert: there was none) and ended up using the Friars’ Table’s valet because it was the same price as a parking lot a block away. At zero degrees it was worth my not having to walk to and from my car to the restaurant. My friends parked on Chester and walked. When I met friends there this winter it was freezing cold, but one friend kept walking up and down Euclid Avenue trying to find it. I finally had to step outside and wave her down. The signage was definitely lacking at the time. They have since added a large sign. She was freezing when she finally found us, so she ordered hot tea and it came in a nice French press. She chose Earl Grey, but there were several other choices (a Jasmine Green, Peppermint and Decaf Earl Grey) as well.

Once you enter, the restaurant itself is stunning. This beautiful space features a lovely fountain in the center of the front dining room as you walk in, and both dining rooms feature simplistic tables and tableware. The food they serve is simple and wholesome food “to nourish both the body and the soul.” The tableware is very rustic (for example, the water and wine are served in ceramic cups).

The Elixirs are tasty non-alcoholic options. I order the Cloister and loved it. It’s made with pineapple juice, orgeat, fresh lime and soda. The water glass is the green cup, and the wine glass is black (see below).

The server brings out a small basket of complimentary bread with an herb spiral and some olive oil for dipping shortly after you are seated. It is quite tasty. Very fresh and herbacious but not overly so. The bread is definitely a nice touch. I didn’t even use the olive oil.

We ordered three different appetizers, which were all absolutely stunning and delicious. I ordered the wild mushroom tartlet, one friend order the Claufotis St. Abraham (similar to a spinach and goat cheese tart), and the surprising dark horse was the caramelized turnips, which were super flavorful, and I couldn’t stop nibbling on them. The tartlet was flaky and quite tasty. It is a puffed pastry topped with sauted mushrooms. The claufotis is more like a gratin (or one server explained it is similar to a quiche). It was also quite delicious. Both are very popular.

Since it was so cold I was craving warm comfort, so I ordered the beef stew in a bread bowl. I was surprised by the curry profile of the stew. The bread was so hearty that it was somewhat difficult to eat. I definitely enjoyed it. It paired excellently with a Duvel (Belgian beer). I would have loved it if it were served in a proper tulip beer glass, but I definitely enjoyed finding one of my favorite beers on the menu. For it being so small, they have an excellent beer selection (a La Trappe, Weihenstephaner Hefeweizen, Reissdorfer Kölsch and a Clausthaler non-alcoholic beer as well as my beloved Duvel).

My friend K. ordered the Pork Roulade and very much enjoyed it. I enjoyed the bite she shared. It wasn’t as rolled as the roulade I am used to, but it is served with a stuffed fig, olive, and almond sheeps’ milk potato gratin (as you can see it isn’t rolled). But it was quite tasty. K. also thoroughly enjoyed the Borscht. Again, it hit the spot on a cold night.

The absolute star, however, was the Salmon St. Celestine. It is a simple preparation, but the cream sauce prepared with leeks, mushrooms and sorrel was absolutely divine. My other friend shared a bite with us, and I loved it so much that I ordered it when I went back. If you like salmon, it’s a must try!

The desserts were also tasty, but the absolute standout were the Orange Blossom Beignets. They were puffy little balls of doughy heaven. I had the Mixed Berry Napoleon, featuring a mixed berries compote, mascarpone and spiced biscuit crumble, and it was tasty. However, the Napoleon was less a stacked pastry and more like a crumble. But if you can only order one dessert the Beignets are a must.

The place clears out by seven when the theater crowd heads out to their shows. It’s open until 9 PM during the week and 10 on Friday and Saturday nights. If you want a quiet meal get there after the rush.

Contact info:

The Friars’ Table
1305 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44115
(216) 230-2017

Leavened Bakery

I fell in love with Leavened Bakery’s sourdough after ordering and delighting in Old Brooklyn Cheese Company’s tuna melt, which featured their sourdough. A good tuna melt is my obsession, and this one blew me away. I considered it the top tuna melt in town until they closed, which made me sad. The bread toasted up nicely and had a nice crunch. But I was determined to make my own tuna melt, even if it won’t measure up, so I sought out Leavened Bakery. Leavened is located on Auburn Avenue in the Tappan Building at the intersection with Scranton Road in Tremont. My father grew up right around the corner off Starkweather (they tore down his childhood home to put in the I-71 overpass). He wouldn’t recognize the neighborhood, which he grew up in the 1940s-50s. Leavened is located in one of the newer buildings there.

It is a locally owned and operated artisan bakery and cafe that features high quality rustic loaves and pastries as well as coffee(they use beans from Duck Rabbit Coffee), sandwiches and soup. I’ve been there several times to carry out their baked goods. I do plan to find the time to sit and chill soon and order a sandwich and soup. The sandwiches vary and are available daily starting at 10 a.m. They serve a vegan charred tomato soup every day as well as specialty soups occasionally, depending on ingredient availability.

The Classic Sourdough is made using a blend of white flour and local whole wheat and features a thick, dark crust with a creamy and chewy interior. It is phenomenal and stands up well to a variety of toppings and/or fillings. They can slice it for you in the bakery if you prefer that. I prefer to cut my own at home because it doesn’t dry out as quickly.

In addition to their various baguettes, sourdoughs, and foccacias (only available Friday through Sunday), which caught my eye, they serve delicious and huge hand pies as well as various croissants, cruffins, pepperoni rolls, and cardomom and cinnamon buns. I’m a sucker for their spinach and feta hand pie (photo below top left is on a dinner plate). The pastry is flaky and delicious, and the filling is plentiful and fresh. The hand pie in the middle row is a tofu paprikash, which was also really tasty. The coffee cake croissant (middle row left) was a unique choice and had a delicious filling. And they are known for their cruffins (bottom row), which are a combination of croissant dough and muffin. Made with croissant dough, this buttery pastry (which is shaped like a pointy muffin) is filled with seasonal jams made by local producer The Home Pantry and topped with confectioner’s sugar. As the website says, it’s “like a jelly donut but better.” The cruffin below was an apple butter cruffin and it was delicious. The jam was quite creamy consistency and had a great spiced apple butter flavor. If you try nothing else be sure to get a cruffin or two. They are phenomenal.

And pizza on Fridays from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., which I managed to try recently. They serve whole pies and slices to-go every Friday: cheese, pepperoni, and spicy pickled veggie available weekly, with weekly specials available while ingredients last. I called that morning and ordered the weekly special, which was a pepperoni, sausage and banana pepper pizza. I’m not a huge fan of banana pepper so I picked most of them off but wanted the hint of banana pepper that would remain so that I could try the overall vibe of the special. Honestly, I actually didn’t mind the flavor from the cooked juice or the small pieces I overlooked. The crust was actually really tasty, and I enjoyed the leavened dough (see what I did there? LOL). If you are in the mood for a good pizza on a Friday give them a try. I will definitely be ordering one again.

Leavened is closed on Mondays and only open from 6:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday as well as from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. They are open from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Fridays.

Contact info:

Leavened Bakery
1633 Auburn Avenue, Suite 1
Cleveland, OH 44113
(216) 260-1666

Clambakes 2025

Clambakes became quite the rage this year. Our clambake tradition was featured in Food & Wine, reporting that “Cleveland’s appetite for clams outpaces anywhere else when the weather cools” (duh) and was a hugely popular topic online with newbies asking food forums where to find a clambake. The hearty Cleveland clambake menu reflects the Midwest appetite and the cooler climate, making it less of a seaside delicacy and more of a harvest celebration. Hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of clams are consumed in Northeast Ohio during the early fall, when the harvest is at its peak. Cleveland fish purveyors claim that they sell more clams to Cleveland from August through September than to any other city in the country, thanks to all the clambakes that are held here. Kate’s Fish at the West Side Market claims, “We go from selling about a thousand clams a week to 10,000 in September and October.” As the owner of Salty Mary’s Oyster Bar (which is on my list for next year) reported in the Food & Wine article, “It’s like fish fries during Lent or Browns games on Sunday — it’s one of those Cleveland traditions. It’s comforting to come back to something every year.”

I jumpstarted the clambake season back in mid-September at Chelo’s Kitchen as a Friday special. I was there on the Wednesday before with a friend who wanted their Prime Rib special and ordered mine for that Friday as soon as Sarah told us the specials. Their specials sell out quickly, so I reserved one immediately. I have become a regular at Chelo’s. It’s a great restaurant operated by a really nice young couple. Chelo (pronounced ‘cello’) consistently puts out some tasty food. The clambake included one dozen clams, a 1/4 chicken (bbq or plain – I ordered bbq), sweet potato or baked potato (sweet potato for me with their cinnamon butter!), a cup of clam chowder, a mini corn cob and a dinner roll. It cost me $46 including a generous tip.

My friends ordered tickets for two of the clambakes at Gunselman’s Tavern. I’ll be out of town for the second one, but was able to join them for the first one. Gunselman’s Tavern in Fairview Park is always a favorite, and I have attended their clambake for five years in a row. The clambakes sell out quickly and early. The clambakes are dine-in only and we had a table reserved inside (if you order patio seating you may get rained out, but the weather was perfect this year). The Browns were playing in London that day, but the volume wasn’t on. I got my usual steak bake. They start serving clam broth and clam chowder at 1 PM and serve the clambakes at 2 PM. The clam broth was sufficiently spicy. I added a couple dashes of pepper to mine, but some of my friends added pepper and hot sauce. Irish Kevin’s New England clam chowder was a treat. The chowder had chunks of redskin potatoes and was nicely seasoned with a lot of thyme, which gave it a unique and delicious flavor. The clams were great – tender and not gritty. I had a couple bites of my redskin and sweet potatoes and ended up taking them home along with half of my steak. We were sad that the woman who made the cheesecake is no longer working there. I wasn’t the only one who had been looking forward to the cheesecake. The price of the clambake ($45 with steak) does not include the gratuity or any beverages or add-ons.

I also enjoyed a phenomenal clambake at Square Bistro in Chardon, which are served every Friday & Saturday for dine-in and take-out in the month of October. It was worth the 45 minute drive from Cleveland Heights. It was a nice drive through the countryside with the changing leaves. I had a reservation for 7:30 because they were booked solid when I went to reserve my table that morning. The clambake is available every Friday and Saturday in October (for dine in or carryout). I was tempted to get the sushi bake ($42 for 1 futo maki and 1 maki roll and the clambake) because it’s so unique, but ordered the lobster tail ($45) instead. The chicken option is $39, the steak is $55 and the crab crusted red grouper bake with lobster cream sauce (!!!) is $50. I was extremely pleased with my choice, but it was a hard decision to make. The lobster tail was my favorite part because it was delicious, but there wasn’t a bad component in the bunch: fresh baked bread with brown sugar cinnamon butter, smoky clam chowder with some corn kernels in it, a dozen perfectly steamed Cape Cod middleneck clams, butter poached lobster tail, rosemary and garlic roasted mashed redskin potatoes and applewood smoked bacon braised brussel sprouts. I was taken aback by the small portion of mashed potatoes and brussel sprouts, but it was honestly perfect and super flavorful. I paid a total of $59.80 for the clambake with lobster and a glass of wine plus $12 for the tip in cash. Honestly, it was one of the best clambakes I’ve ever had.

I decided to stay closer to home for the next clambake, deciding to try Poppy on Larchmere. I had been there when it was Felice, but hadn’t been to Poppy yet. Since it is run by the women behind Salt+ (RIP) I knew I would be in good hands. Poppy serves its clambake special every Friday through November 14. I arrived shortly after they opened at 5 without a reservation, but they were able to accommodate me on the large converted front porch (and the early arrival ensured street parking close to the restaurant). The hostess and my server were both lovely. I was given a carafe of water, which I appreciated. I tend to drink several glasses of water when I’m out to dinner. I ordered the PCP, which is made with Bacardi dark rum, pumpkin spice syrup, coconut cream and tropical juice. It was a nice start. The clambake came with the choice of clam chowder or a wedge salad. Since I love both and couldn’t decide, I ordered both and had her add it to the bill. The clam chowder was phenomenal. It was a small portion, but I enjoyed every spoonful. The wedge was not the typical wedge salad. It features romaine instead of iceberg. The salad came as two baby romaine wedges topped with crispy pancetta, polenta crisps, shallot fennel relish, buttermilk and french vinaigrettes & gorgonzola. It was quite tasty. I’m not quite sure what to say about the clambake. It came served in a big bowl holding a dozen clams, a quarter roasted chicken, a small grilled corn on the cob, and crispy fingerling potatoes. The broth was red in color, and I suspect it had harissa in it due to the color and kick of spice. When my server asked, the kitchen said they used Old Bay. I’m not a huge fan of chicken quarters (as you can see from the other choices on this page), and I missed the drawn butter of it all. The fingerling potatoes, on the other hand, were great – crispy and nicely salted. I’m glad I tried it, but I don’t know if I will put it on my clambake rotation. I’ll probably be back to try some other things at Poppy since it is so close. Because I ordered a cocktail, a glass of wine and an extra starter, my bill was around $74.50, making it the priciest clambake this season.

I ended the season at Fat Cats with Rosie’s Clambake, a fundraiser for St. Joseph Academy. It’s an annual one-day event, and there are three seatings – at 4 p.m., 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. As seems to be the case this year, by the time I called to reserve a spot only 6 and 8 p.m. seatings were available. Since I didn’t want to have to sit at a high bar stool, I decided to choose the 8 p.m. seating even if it was a little later. I have/had been working overnights for the past 2 weeks, so my sleep schedule was/is already whacked out, and 8 p.m. didn’t seem that much of an issue. There were three clambake options to choose from — the basic clambake for $40, one featuring St. Louis ribs for $45 and a 10-ounce steak dinner for $50. The steak came with potato salad, and the ribs came with baked beans. The potato salad was tempting, but I was in the mood for ribs when I called to reserve a spot. The clambake features a dozen clams with lemon butter, corn on the cob with sage burnt butter and parmesan (yum!), New England clam chowder, and a roll. It was as phenomenal as I expected. The clams were the tenderest of all the clambakes, and the chowder was delicious with lots of tender clams. Considering I was at the last seating, the tender and perfectly cooked food was a nice surprise. I also really enjoyed my Arnold Palmer and buttery chardonnay. The only negative was that the corn was cool, but I still enjoyed it with the sage burnt butter and parmesan – and it was grilled. Fat Cats always knocks it out of the park.

In summary, it was a very delicious clambake season.

Best chowder: Fat Cats, second place to Poppy
Best clams: Fat Cats, second place to Square Bistro
Best entree: Square Bistro, second place to Gunselman’s
Best side: Square Bistro, second place to Fat Cats (corn)
Best beverage: Gunselman’s, second place to Chelo’s because they keep my unsweetened iced tea topped up
Most affordable: Chelo’s

Contact info:

Chelo’s Kitchen
There’s no website but follow them on Facebook to see the Wednesday and Friday specials
4446 Mayfield Road
Cleveland, OH 44121
(216) 382-4490

Gunselman’s Tavern
21490 Lorain Road
Fairview Park, OH 44126
(440) 331-5719

Square Bistro
205 Main Street
Chardon, Ohio 44024
(440)279-0101

Poppy
12502 Larchmere Boulevard
Cleveland, OH 44120
(216) 415-5069

Fat Cats
2061 W 10th Street
Cleveland, OH 44113
(216) 260-9430

Doink’s Burger Joint

Doink’s has been on my radar for a while. I got to know Bonn when he worked at Citizen Pie, so I was thrilled to be able to support his new business venture. My friend Kris and I attended a pop-up at The Wine Spot in Cleveland Heights back in August 2022 and were blown away by the burger. We thought it tasted like an adult Big Mac, with the sauce and the patties. Now known as the OG, it features shredded lettuce, pickles, caramelized onions and Doink’s sauce.

It took me a little longer to make it to the brick and mortar location, although I can’t really say why. It’s only a 14-minute drive from my house, which is not much in Cleveland. The brick and mortar location is located on Waterloo Road, smack dab in the middle of the Waterloo Arts District. The space itself is really cute, with a fun vibe and great music. I’ve come at off-hours, so I don’t know how crowded it gets during dinner hours. The cashier and service staff are polite and quick. The burgers are exquisite, with crispy edges, juicy in the middle, and well-balanced toppings. The fries and onion rings have always been perfectly fried and tasty.

My first visit to the burger joint I ordered the Po Boy, which is topped with shredded lettuce, pickles, the house slaw, BBQ sauce and Doink’s sauce as well as French fries. It’s a riff off a Cleveland Po Boy using burger patties instead of kielbasa or sausage. It was a phenomenal burger. I ordered the onion rings and was thrilled to see a wedge salad as a side choice. Other sides include fries, kimchi mac n cheese and spicy cucumber salad.

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.

I have also been pleased with the OG. It continues to delight. I also hear wonderful things about the Bonn Mi, which features an herb mix, cucumbers, kimchi, pickles, jalapenos and a spicy Doink’s sauce. It may be a bit too firey for my palate though. But if you enjoy a bit of heat you should try the Sweet Heat (features bacon, onion rings, house BBQ sauce, jelly (get it? sweet?), jalapenos and spicy kraut) or Bonn Mi. They also offer several hot dogs, and people rave about the ube cheesecake, but I haven’t had room for it after the filling burgers and sides.

So if you are looking for an excellent burger or a great wedge salad, look no further than Doink’s on Waterloo Road just off I-90. There is street parking around the corner as well as a parking lot just to the left of the building. It’s open Tuesday-Saturday from 4-10 p.m.

Contact info:

Doink’s Burger Joint
15519 S Waterloo Road
Cleveland, OH 44119
(216) 417-0211

Baraona’s Bakery

Baraona’s Bakery is a family-owned bakery in Garfield Heights on Libby Road just off Lee Road that has been serving the Cleveland area since 1949. They are known for their cakes. It is being run by the third generation. The bakery was originally named Giaimo’s and was located at 119th and Kinsman. Baraona’s bakery moved to its current location in 1970.

It is THE place to buy cassata cake or strawberry whipped cream cake. Their cassata cake is known as the best in town among those in the know. Baraona’s finished with more than 49 percent of more than 5,000 votes cast making it Cleveland.com’s People’s Choice cassata cake award winner in 2023. Baraona’s sells an average of 200 to 250 Cleveland cassata cakes a week. Cleveland cassata cake is not like Italian cassata cake. The Italian cassata cake (only available by special order) features layers of sponge cake filled with ricotta cheese, chocolate chips and maraschino cherries, and iced in whipped cream, while the Cleveland cassata cake features layers of sponge cake filled with custard, strawberries in a glaze and iced in whipped cream. The strawberry whipped cream cake does not contain custard – just strawberries and whipped cream. I prefer the cassata cake, because I love a good custard. The whipped cream frosting is light and airy, the custard filling is creamy and delicious, and the strawberries are always fresh! Baraona’s signature cassata cake was my birthday cake this year and was just as good as I remembered. You can get flowers or sprinkles on their cakes, but I just went with a plain “Happy Birthday” since I was sharing the birthday party with another friend. Everyone loved it.

They don’t usually sell the cakes by the slice, but you can always get them as a cupcake. The cassata cupcake is always a nice alternative.

They also make a variety of other mouth-watering, made-from-scratch bakery products like doughnuts, cookies, nut rolls, poppyseed rolls, cannolis, pastries, pies, cupcakes and turnovers. While I was in line to pick up my cassata cake, I chatted with several customers and ended up buying a chocolate chunk cookie and a slice of banana cake. Both were good, but that chocolate chunk cookie was one of the best I’ve had. The guy who recommended the cookies got a red velvet cookie. If you like coconut you’ll love the Almond Joy cookie. There is basically a cookie for everyone’s taste, and they are all great.

I need to try their datenut cake to see if it is as good as Dick’s Bakery in Berea, which is my ride-or-die cake. I had a Dick’s datenut cake for my high school graduation years ago and have been known to buy the datenut cupcakes. If you like Italian baked goods like 7-layer bars, pignoli (a cookie made with almond paste, granulated sugar, and egg whites), Italian spritz cookies, cannolis, etc. you will find it here. I also bought a bunch of kolachky recently. They aren’t as light and fluffy as kolachky from a Eastern European bakery like Rudy’s or Michael’s. I got lemon, cheese, apricot and raspberry and passed on the nut filling. The cheesecake, however, was absolutely heavenly. No topping needed. It was creamy and delicious just plain.

Baraona’s is open every day of the week but Sunday. Monday they are open from 7:45 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Tuesday – Friday from 7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., and Saturday from 7:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Try to pay in cash if you can.

Contact info:

Baraona’s Bakery
15842 Libby Road
Maple Heights, OH 44137
(216) 662-8383

Fredibertos

Fredibertos is a family-owned Mexican restaurant located in Slavic Village with 3 franchises in other Ohio cities. A lot of people who appreciate authentic California-style Mexican food from little hole-in-the-wall taquerias rave about it, so I wanted to give it a try. As soon as I saw a TikTok about it I immediately knew where it was. It is just down the street from the Red Chimney at the intersection of Fleet Avenue and Broadway Avenue and used to be a hot dog place. It features a drive-thru and a walk up window with a few outdoor tables. Since it is close to home I will use the drive-thru.

The first time I went I rolled through the drive-thru. It took a little while to get my food, but the food is made to order and super fresh. I ordered a Pollo Asado street taco (served with onions and cilantro), an Arizona burrito and a horchata. The street taco was really flavorful, but I would probably add a dollop of sour cream to it. The Arizona burrito was loaded with steak, pico de gallo, potatoes & cheese. I love a good burrito, and this definitely hit the spot. I would definitely order it again. It was extremely flavorful – espcially when I squeezed the lime slice (served in a bag with two sauces and several lime slices) on it. The horchata was delicious. It had a nice cinnamon flavor and quenched my thirst. I’ve made horchata in the past, so I can appreciate a good horchata.

I’ve heard good things about the breakfast burritos. They are available all day, even though the menus say until 2 PM. I met a friend here to enjoy the last of the good weather at 1 PM on a Wednesday. I ordered the ham, egg and cheese burrito and a watermelon agua fresca (sandria) and was full for the entire day. The burrito was stuffed full of goodness. The watermelon drink was not sweet at all, and I really enjoyed it. Very refreshing. My friend, who was a Spanish interpreter, ordered the Machaca and Eggs, which is on the breakfast menu. His breakfast came with a medium drink, and he ordered the Horchata. Machaca is a shredded beef. The refried beans looked delicious. He enjoyed it a lot – and so did the honeybees. They swarmed him and left me alone.