Jill (@bonnjill)

Sweet Pork Wilson’s

Nothing says summer like good barbecue. I first heard about Sweet Pork Wilson’s on the All Things Food in Cleveland Facebook group and was very impressed by how they handled a complaint in the group. The person complained about their visit, and the owner responded and apologized and urged them to come back. A week later the person posted a glowing review. Every restaurant can have a bad day. This is why I write about restaurants here after two or three visits. But the way a restaurant handles complaints says a lot. My friends and I were impressed and decided to give them a visit.

We met for lunch. It’s located on the corner of Madison and W. 117th. I parked across the street in the RTA parking lot, not realizing that there is a parking lot in the back. But there are also a few parking spots in front on the street. There is a big parking lot in the back where the smokers are, but you have to walk to the front to enter. The first thing we noticed after walking in was the really nice antique wood bar (there is a framed photo of it when it was new when you walk in). It is impressive. There is bar seating as well as tables to the right.

I started my meal with the Back Porch Lemonade (vodka, organic grape, blueberry, and cherry punch, grape liqueur and lemonade), which was really refreshing and delicious. I would definitely get it again.

I need to be honest and admit that I’ve never been a huge fan of barbecue (and especially the sides, which tend to be afterthoughts at BBQ places), but man, everything was really GOOD. I ordered the two meat/two side meal with ribs and brisket and collard greens and smashed potatoes. Those smashed potatoes are probably the best mashed potatoes I’ve ever had, and I’ve had a lot of mashed potatoes in my day. Little pools of butter floating on creamy mashed red skins. Collard greens are usually hit or miss for me. These were delectable. They use smoked turkey necks to make them. They add a nice flavor to the collard greens. The smoked brisket was tender and succulent, and the ribs were great (warning: if you prefer fall-off-the-bone ribs these aren’t for you, but if you love some pull you’ll be pleased). You can sauce it up however much you’d like from the bottle of BBQ sauce that is on the table.

Everyone thoroughly enjoyed their meals. I had a bite of the smoked turkey, and we shared a big bowl of fried pickles. The fried pickles were fun – and were served with ranch and buffalo ranch dipping sauce. I really enjoyed the buffalo ranch.

Several of my friends enjoyed the brisket sandwiches, and one of my friends loved their Grand Slam sandwich (which is smoked chicken, coleslaw, mayo, pickles topped with BBQ sauce). Unfortunately the Grand Slam did not photograph well.

It was just an enjoyable meal from start to finish, and the owner, who came out to thank us for coming, and our server could not have been nicer. The owbner told us about thinking about implementing a Smoked Seafood Saturday – featuring smoked walleye, smoked salmon, smoked shrimp cocktail and smoked lobster tail. One of my friends went back the next day and loved the seafood. The honey glazed corn bread is moist and wonderful and worth the trip alone

I also stopped there on my own when I was craving some good meat and wanted to treat myself to an early dinner. I started with a happy hour $5 cocktail, which did not skimp on the alcohol. I only ordered one because I was driving and then pivoted to iced tea. I ended up ordering the smoked ribeye with a side of mac n cheese and those smashed potatoes. Both sides were excellent. The mac n cheese is creamy and delicious, and the potatoes were just as good as I remembered. The ribeye was perfectly cooked to my medium rare specification. Just a tasty steak.

I also got a pulled pork sandwich with french fries and cole slaw to go because I wanted to try the pulled pork. I heated it up the next day in the air fryer, and it was quite tasty but I’d probably get a brisket sandwich next time. The brisket is phenomenal. I wish I lived closer, because I would frequent this place a lot. One thing is for sure, I will definitely be back. I’d rank this place among the top barbecue places in Cleveland. Great meals, great barbecue, great sides, great people. And as I’ve said, for me it’s all about the sides.

Contact info:

Sweet Pork Wilson’s
11634 Madison Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44102
(216) 938-5673

Crostata’s Pizzeria

Crostata’s is a Quagliata family restaurant. The Quagliatas have 50 years of history in the restaurant business here in Cleveland. Crostata’s is a wonderful spot to enjoy Neopolitan-style pizza. I was most recently here on a Tuesday night, and it was full, which is very telling. The staff always makes you feel welcome. It is tucked in the middle of a semi-residential area and is located at the corner of Bishop Road and Wilson Mills Road.

The wine is served in juice glasses. I have become a fan of Sangiovese wine, so started off by ordering a glass of Sangiovese. The waitress also brought me a glass of water. As Wikipedia explains, “Sangiovese’s high acidity and moderate alcohol makes it a very food-friendly wine when it comes to food and wine pairings. One of the classic pairings in Italian cuisine is tomato-based pasta and pizza sauces with a Sangiovese-based Chianti. Varietal Sangiovese or those with a smaller proportion of the powerful, full-bodied Cabernet blended in, can accentuate the flavours of relatively bland dishes like meatloaf and roast chicken. Herb seasoning such as basil, thyme and sage play off the herbal notes of the grapes.” If you haven’t tried it you might want to give it a try.

I can recommend the soups. First of all, the Italian wedding soup is a great wedding soup, and the New England clam chowder was a special that I enjoyed during my most recent visit. The clam chowder was refreshing and had a lot of clams and potato chunks. The wood-fired bread stick that comes with the soup was a nice touch.

First off, if you like arancini then you have to order the arancini here. They are the best I have had. Arancini are Italian rice balls that are stuffed, coated with breadcrumbs and deep-fried. Crostata’s arancini are delicious. They have meat, mozzarella, and peas in them. Truly delicious with a great tomato/basil sauce. I ate one and saved the other for lunch the next day.

The first time I was here I ordered a pasta dish. They apparently make their pasta in house. It was okay, but if you want a truly outstanding meal order one of their pizzas. It is prepared in an authentic Italian style wood burning oven, which is a feature in the open kitchen behind the counter. The prices for the pizzas are also quite reasonable.

I’ve been here a couple times now and have tried a few of the pizzas. I love a good wood-fired Napolitano pizza. I love the char and appreciate being able to enjoy it with a knife and fork. The Quattro Stagioni has the four toppings, but they are mixed together on the pizza. The artichoke hearts were a little unwieldy to eat, but they were tender enough. I really enjoy the Margherita con Bufalo D.O.P., and the arugula-topped pizzas were really delicious as well.

Contact info:

Crostata’s Rustic Pizza
558 Bishop Road
Highland Heights, OH 44143
(440) 449-7800

Fish Fryday #7 2025: Eugene Kitchen at the Bottlehouse Brewery & Meadery

It’s Good Friday and officially the last Friday of Lent. This means the blog will be going back to posts every two weeks. To all of you who have recently found me by searching about fish fries in Cleveland: I hope you have enjoyed my posts and maybe will consider sticking around. I had been thinking about shutting the blog down because I wasn’t sure if people were reading it, but the traffic on Fridays have really be heartening for me. So thank you.

I enjoyed a final tuna melt at Chelo’s Kitchen for lunch, but I won’t bother posting a photo or writing about it since I have talked about it frequently in the past. If you want to see a photo just scroll down to last week’s post. I added a cup of New England Clam Chowder and a side salad today, since I knew my dinner would be fried fish and French fries.

I decided to go to a restaurant fish fry since most churches have Good Friday services today. Eugene at The Bottlehouse has been on my radar all season since I heard about it on Ash Wednesday at Voodoo Brewing, so I was looking forward to finally giving it a try. There are two locations (in Lakewood and in Cleveland Heights), and I chose the one five minutes from my house in Cleveland Heights. I got a parking spot on the street right in front and got there shortly after 4 when they open. The weather was in the 70s, and I was tempted to sit outside on their patio on the first official warm day of spring.

The Bottlehouse holds a special place in my heart. I used to come here when it hosted the Bread and Soup Experiment just before the pandemic, and I have met friends here for beverages on occasion. It has a nice floor plan and is a great place to get together with friends (they have games available and large tables that accommodate groups). They have a nice selection of beer, mead, cider and non-alcoholic beverages. Families and kids are welcome. Eugene Kitchen has been a welcome addition to provide food for its guests. Eugene is known for its Tinman Burger, which I enjoyed back when the food hall on W. 25th (Ohio City Gallery) opened. The Tinman Burger is a “drippy double smash burger with American cheese, special sauce, and sweet and spicy pickles on a brioche bun.”

Eugene is a little enclosed kitchen just inside The Bottlehouse. I walked to the order window and ordered the fish fry, which features Lake Erie walleye, fresh cut French fries, hush puppies and cole slaw for $22. I paid cash, so it was several dollars cheaper than the initial price the employee at the window quoted, which reflected the credit card price. She gave me a beeper (see above), and I then walked to the bar to order a beer. After I asked for a lager, the employee recommended I order the Community, which is a Czech / Bohemian Pilsner that tastes more like a lager than a hoppy pilsner. It paired nicely with the fish fry, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I can see myself going back to enjoy one again soon.

The fish fry was fantastic. The slab of walleye was nicely fried, and the fish itself was very moist and flaky. I tore off pieces and dipped it in the nice tartar sauce that came with the fish fry. The French fries were nicely salted and perfectly cooked, and the hush puppies were nice as well. The coleslaw was okay, and if you prefer a less creamy coleslaw you will enjoy it. The sweet, spicy pickles were a nice surprise. I’m not a huge fan of bread and butter pickles, preferring dill, but these were flavorful enough to not be too reminiscent of sweeter pickles. The lemon wedge was also a nice touch to squeeze over the fish. It was a great way to end the Lent season. Thank you for accompanying me on my journey this year.

Contact info:

The BottleHouse Brewery & Meadery
2050 Lee Road
Cleveland Heights, OH 44118
(216) 214-2120

Fish Fryday #6 2025: Chelo’s Kitchen and St. Joseph Parish

Since it is the last official Fryday of the Lent season and after the boondoggle of last week I wanted to focus on my favorite things. It is the official end of church fish fries, because most churches do not serve on Good Friday (but I plan to visit a restaurant next Friday).

I literally started my day by stumbling out the door to be at Chelo’s at 11:30 so that I could have my appetite back later in the day. I parked in the back lot and got a really good spot, ordered a cup of coffee and some flavored coffee creamer from their lovely helper, and was greeted by Chelo’s wife Sarah asking if I needed to look at a menu or if I wanted the tuna melt. Ah, she knows me so well. I eagerly ordered the tuna melt and a cup of their soup of the day, which was Loaded Potato. Chelo’s tuna melt is great, featuring American and Swiss cheese and grilled onions – and the tuna is browned before being added to the griddled bread. It truly is one of my favorite things, and today’s tuna melt did not disappoint. It was perfect.

I knew I had to stop at St. Joseph Parish in Avon Lake this season (Hi Lois and Don!) and met a couple of girlfriends for their fish fry to end the season with a bang. I picked up my one friend who lives nearby, and we met my other friend, who drove up from Fairlawn, at the church. My pre-order was for 4:30, and my friends ended up pre-ordering for 5:00 and 5:15, respectively. It wasn’t a problem to all pick up our pre-orders at around 5. They both were thoroughly impressed by the organization of the fish fry (it is definitely a well-run machine from the parking lot to the check-in tables, seating and food and beverage service) and the quality of the perch. As we were leaving, my friend (who had never been to the fish fry despite her neighbors attending the church) commented that it was a good thing we got there at 4:45 and pre-ordered (I believe her exact quote was “pre-ordering is the way to go”).

We bypassed the walk-in line and quickly got our pre-order tickets. Once our friend joined us, we stepped into the parish gymnasium and were quickly seated at an available table. We dropped off our stuff and glasses of complementary lemonade and iced tea and headed to the food line to pick up our meals. We grabbed a tray and were handed some coleslaw, our pre-ordered fish (in my case salmon and in their case perch) as well as our sides. I ordered a bunch of sides and brought a Tupperware container for my leftovers. I was able to bring the tomato bisque home because the container came with a lid.

The salmon was once again the highlight for me. One of my friends is a caterer and was impressed because she says it is difficult to prepare salmon for that many people. The chardonnay dill sauce was as lovely as ever. I love the pastor’s tomato bisque and very much enjoyed the yeasty dinner roll and creamy coleslaw this time around. The sweet potatoes were small, but perfectly roasted and very tasty. The mac and cheese is homemade and plentiful creamy goodness. The only “okay” item were the pierogi and onions. They are apparently also homemade, but weren’t Parma pierogi. They were okay. Just kind of small. The onions were nice though. We also enjoyed the musician playing at a good decibel level, which was soothing. My toes were tapping to his rendition of Harvest Moon. After leaving the fish fry we spent a couple hours at my friend’s house enjoying tea and good conversation. All in all, it was a perfect day that I very much needed.

Contact info:

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

St. Joseph Parish
32929 Lake Road
Avon Lake OH 44012
(440) 933-3152

Fish Fryday #5 2025: Pokrova Ukrainian Catholic Church and goodbye Old Brooklyn Cheese Company and hello Arthur Treacher’s

This is going to be a weird post, because it was a weird day. Well, a weird week really… I was sick all week with norovirus, and today was the first day in four or five days that I actually felt hunger. After not eating all week I should have known things would not go well.

I started off the day intending to enjoy one last tuna melt at Old Brooklyn Cheese Company before it closes on the 19th. I’ve been a fan of OBCC from the very beginning and fell in love with their tuna melt a year or two ago. Sadly, the tuna melt was not on offer today. I bought some cheese and mustard and then headed out to pick up my taxes, deciding not to have a big meal since I was meeting friends at Pokrova at 5. I may or may not try again before they close. Thanks for the memories, OBCC! I wish you luck on your mustard journey.

I was tempted to get a fish sandwich at Cleveland Heights’ new Arthur Treacher’s Fish and Chips, which is the site of an old-school Arthur Treacher’s from the 1970s-1990s. The new Arthur Treacher’s opened on 4/1 to much excitement (right after they opened Cedar Road back up after starting to demolish the burnt down apartment complex), but the place had some major traffic heading in and out today. I opted for an egg salad sandwich from Swenson’s instead. The small parking lot was packed each time I drove past, and they are serving a very limited menu for now (just fish, chips, hush puppies and coleslaw). The building itself is still behind construction barricades, but it is so nice to have an Arthur Treacher’s only 5 minutes from my house. I will no longer need to drive to Garfield Heights, and the residents here are excited. I was in Garfield Heights a few weeks ago and am looking forward to popping into the Cleveland Heights location in the future.

I had attended the Pokrova fish fry in 2021 shortly after the pandemic restrictions were lifted. It is located on Broadview Road past Snow/Rockville Road close to the North Royalton border (just past St. Columbkille). The church is set back quite far from the road. Look for the signs. Everyone there was really nice, but I won’t be going back. We got in line to order our meal from two ladies sitting behind a table with a cashbox between them. We were given a number on a stand, and someone eventually brought out our food to the table. In the meantime we bought beverages and desserts from the table in the back of the somewhat crowded room (they had a much larger space and much better distancing in 2021).

Pokrova is known for the pierogi (spelled “pyrony” (пироги) on the menu (my friend was not aware of that) – they sell it all year), and since I am trying to get some pierogi after several pierogi-less meals I was really excited for this one. Unfortunately it was pretty terrible. There was no fried fish – just pan-fried or baked. The pan-fried fish looked good, but it did not taste good. We tried to figure out what the taste was – and it was omelette. It was very eggy. The breading was like a thin omelette coating the fish. It didn’t stick to the fish very well. The fish itself was moist and well-cooked. The pierogi were boiled but lacking in buttery goodness and a good sear. I took them home to sear them off tomorrow. I enjoyed the pouch of applesauce, but I can buy those at Aldi. I had ordered applesauce instead of coleslaw to get some vitamins, and it is the only item I actually finished. I had a couple bites of fish and ate one pierogi and half of the roll and boxed the rest up to take home.

Pokrova is one of the few churches that serve borscht. For those who are not aware of what it is, borscht is usually a hearty beet soup with cabbage, potatoes, and garlic that’s popular in Eastern Europe. The borscht, which, again, I was looking forward to, was terrible. It was basically pink chicken broth. In the past there have been chunks of beet or cabbage in it, but after fishing the bottom for some heft we were sad. My friends made fun of me for taking mine home. I am on the fence whether I am going to fry up some cabbage to add to it or just dump it down the sink. The gastro stuff from the norovirus kicked in once I got home, so we’ll see how I feel tomorrow. I had been so excited to share Pokrova with my friends, but I was horrified. At least we could laugh about it.

The core meal was $15, which came with one side, choice of applesauce or coleslaw and bread and butter. Beverages and desserts were extra. The desserts were obviously made by the parishioners. I bought a weird little peach dessert, which was okay but gave more orange than peach flavor. Some of the cakes looked amazing. I also bought my dad a Ukrainian pashka ($10), which he enjoyed in 2021 and said transported him to his childhood. It’ll be a nice treat for him for Easter.

The fish fry runs from 4-7. They had run out of cabbage and noodles by the time we got there at 5, and they explained to my friend that they had made too much last week and cut back. If you run out of a side by 5 that’s a problem. I had the cabbage and noodles in 2021 and it was quite good, so it surprises me that they had a week in which it didn’t sell like crazy. The photo below is from 2021. Hopefully next week will be better and I will be feeling better and up to more substantial food. I hope you all enjoyed your fish fries.

Contact info:

Arthur Treacher’s Fish and Chips
13216 Cedar Road
Cleveland Heights, Ohio 44118
TBD

Pokrova Ukrainian Catholic Church (Покров Пресвятоі Богородиці)
6812 Broadview Road
Parma, Ohio 44134
(216) 524-0918

Fish Fryday #4: Larder and The Berea Elks Lodge

Forgive me for posting this on Saturday, but a long chat with my best friend in Baltimore took precedence over writing about the absolutely perfect Fryday I enjoyed that day. As I noted last week, I had not enjoyed any pierogi with my fish fries yet this year, and I value a good pierogi just as much as a good fried fish. I set out to rectify this.

I had a delectable fried fish lunch at Larder Delicatessen & Bakery. Chef and owener Jeremy Umansky is a multi-year James Beard Award nominee, so I knew I was in for a good fish fry. Larder also has a vegan fish fry on offer, featuring fried tofu. The community table had some fun activities for kids (including a fun community cookbook from the kids who attend activities at Lake Erie Ink and some flash cards).

I’d like to start off by saying that I absolutely hate the parking situation in Hingetown. And this was at around 12:30 and closer to 1. I had to drive around the block before I found an available spot near Larder – and that was because I was lucky enough that someone pulled out of their spot just as I was nearby. I lived in Germany, so I am a parallel parking pro but I know a lot of people who aren’t. The street parking situation is hit or miss. However, Larder posted that there is a parking garage at @livechurchandstate that is just 20 steps from the building and is easy to access. I missed it. Consider that info filed for next time.

Larder is open from 11am-6pm Tuesday thru Saturday. They stop serving hot food at 5:45 p.m. The place was packed when I got there shortly before 1, but it was manageable. I was able to place an order for the fish fry, gave the cashier my cash (and stumped him when I gave him enough to give me a $10 bill and change), was given my number and took a seat at a larger table that seems like a community table. At least we turned it into one. The group that sat down with me after I ordered had planned a trip to the Rock Hall, but had to pivot when the power went out and it closed for the day. We talked a bit about Minneapolis and chatted about the Rock Hall and Cleveland.

Of course I ordered the Lake Erie Fish Fry, which changes every week and this week featured fresh Lake Erie fish, fresh cut French fries, a biscuit, coleslaw made from red cabbage and the most delectable sauces. Larder gets its fresh fish out of Lake Erie from Kate’s Fish Market in the West Side Market. It seems that lunch is different from the dinner fish fry. I read somewhere that one of the fish are smelts, and the size and shape of the fish tend to lead me to believe that my lunch was fried smelt. Whatever it was it was delicious. I particularly enjoyed the sauces, and the fries were tasty as well. It was the perfect size for lunch. I was tempted to try the bread pudding or one of the tasty-looking desserts, but decided against it to save room for the evening.

As I said above, I knew I needed pierogi with my dinner. My friend who is an Elk suggested the Berea Elks Lodge, because they serve pierogi as well as a wide variety of changing offers. I knew where the Lodge was, because I used to drive past it all the time growing up. The fish fry is served from 6-8 p.m. I ended up heading there later in the evening to avoid the post-work traffic from the Cleveland Clinic. I got there at about 6:15 p.m. The Lodge has a smaller parking lot, but there were several parking lots nearby to handle to overflow. I initially tried to enter through the front doors, but they were locked. Apparently we had to enter through the back door and head down a stairwell to the basement. I think I was one of the last diners to show up. They were able to make room for me at the bar. They can only serve alcohol to Elks members, but that didn’t bother me. I ordered a lemonade and then later a Shirley Temple, which I haven’t had since childhood. They had just run out of the lobster ravioli, but the nice gentleman sitting next to me gave me a couple of suggestions, specifically the scallops, the salmon (Salmon Citron Chou-Fleur) and the ahi tuna nachos.

I ended up ordering the Scallop Symphony, which featured pan-seared scallops on a bed of crispy fried creamy polenta with southwestern corn and a roasted red pepper sauce as well as a side of pierogi (available as 2, 4 or 6 pierogi) and the Walleye Bites. The scallops won’t be available next week, so I thought it sounded fun. The fish and chips are always available. The scallops were delicious. The red pepper sauce had a bit of heat to it, but I did not find it that spicy at all compared to the Indian or Thai food I usually enjoy.

The pierogi and the Walleye Bites were definitely the stars through. They were both phenomenal. The pierogi were perfect and stuffed with the requisite potato and cheese filling and served with sauteed onions and sour cream. The pierogi were absolutely bursting with filling and with flavor. The Walleye Bites were also amazing. I could have eaten both of them as a meal and been happy very happy. The scent of the onions tormented me the whole drive home. There is no better smell than sauteed onions (well, maybe sauteed onions and mushrooms…)

The gentleman next to me had ordered the scallops and his wife ordered the salmon and they shared the cabbage and noodles, which they proclaimed was also delicious. When I saw her salmon I ordered one to go to eat later this weekend. I of course tried a bite of the salmon and asparagus with the lemon pepper sauce, and it was fantastic.

I was almost afraid to share this fantastic fish fry find, but the Exalted Ruler and my server/bartender assured me it was ok (I outed myself so that I could get their permission after I had received my food). The fish fry is staffed by volunteers (the kitchen team as well as servers, bussers, dish washers, and runners), and it isn’t like a church fish fry. I didn’t want to overwhelm them, but I also don’t think I have so much clout that there will be long lines. If you are a group of eight like the one last night you might have to wait, but they definitely can handle it. So if you want a fantastic fish fry with different choices than the usual fried fish, be sure to check it out! They will be offering it every Friday until April 18th. I’d rank this up there with St. Joseph’s Parish in Avon Lake and St. Gabriel in Concord for the variety of choices. And the pierogi is right up there with St. Josaphat, Pokrova, St. Vladimir and St. Andrew. I felt very welcome there and had a wonderful time. And I can’t wait to tuck into my leftovers tonight! This was two wonderful fish fries in one day! Best one this season so far.

Contact info:

Larder Delicatessen and Bakery
1455 W 29th Street
Cleveland, OH 44113
(216) 912-8203

Berea Elks Lodge #1815
<626 N. Rocky River Drive
Berea, OH 44017
(440) 234-1604

Metroparks maple syrup event: Tree to Table brunch

In addition to fish fries this time of year, I’m usually all about pancake breakfasts in March, but I’ve only been to one pancake breakfast so far this year. However, I attended a lovely brunch at the Cleveland Metroparks yesterday. I follow the Metroparks on Facebook in addition to getting their email newsletter and have attended several of their cooking classes in the past. I signed up for this event as soon as it was announced, and I’m glad I did because another attendee told me her mother wanted to go but waited four days only to find out it was sold out so she came on her own. The menu sounded amazing, and the price of $35 was good for the amount of food. They also offered vegetarian options, switching mushroom for the pork and tofu instead of the shrimp.

I had gotten a fish fry at the Emerald Necklace Marina during Covid and enjoyed it, so I knew the brunch would be a treat. I got there about 15 minutes before the 11 a.m. start time and was able to quickly check in, grab a maple-inspired cocktail using my provided drink ticket (I opted for coffee with Bailey’s and maple syrup) and grab a seat. I sat with a bunch of lovely people who made me feel welcome despite being by myself (again, I wasn’t the only one). One of the women had tried all three cocktails and stated that the Maple Syrup Mimosa was the best of the three, but they were all good. The other drink on offer was a Maple Syrup Old Fashioned, and there was a mocktail (below) as well as beer and wine to choose from.

The atmosphere was cozy on a cold and gray day. There was a fire burning in the fireplace, and there were three long tables to choose from. I chose a spot near the coffee. Priorities. There was a PowerPoint presentation running on a screen with lots of fun facts about maple syrup and maple sugaring.

To start, the servers came around with small shot glasses of sap water, which was a refreshing start. Sap water is more water-like than syrup-like, and the ‘sap water’ that is collected from maple trees is boiled down to make syrup. It takes 40 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of syrup. There is a long tradition in Ohio of collecting sap that started with the Native Americans in the area. We were told that we are lucky enough to live in an area that is ideally suited for maple syruping. The snowy cold weather (and it started snowing a bit as I was driving to the event) after several days of warmer weather encourages the sap to flow from the roots to the leaves in the trees our area, and Ohio is ranked fifth in maple syrup production. We live in the 0.005% of the earth that produces sap and maple syrup (I’m fairly sure that percentage is correct, but I could be wrong – but it is a very miniscule percentage of the earth’s land). So our ‘Cleveland winters’ are good for maple syrup production.

The starters were served quickly and professionally. The food was served on small biodegradable plates (it is the Metroparks after all). We started with homemade focaccia bread with a maple cinnamon butter, quickly followed by roasted butternut squash soup with goat cheese, chili-infused maple and pepita. Both were delicious. The bread was fluffy, yet tender and was a nice delivery for the butter. The butter was so good I made sure to eat it all, and the soup was excellent. Everything in the soup was extremely well balanced, with nothing overpowering the other ingredients. The crunchy pepita were an excellent foil to the creamy soup.

We weren’t sure what to expect with three entrees listed. Would they be served together on a plate or served individually? I was most looking forward to the roasted garlic and herb pork tenderloin, which ended up being the first entree served despite being second on the menu. It did not disappoint! The “spinach, bacon and apple bread pudding” was a fantastic complement to the pork, which was perfectly cooked. It was topped with a delectable cider and maple butter sauce and crispy fried onions. I’m glad they served it first because I still had room to enjoy every single bite of it. I picked a bit at the next entrees, and one of my fellow diners asked for a box for hers. There was not a single thing on the plate I did not enjoy. I would go to a restaurant to order it!

The brussels sprouts in the Sambal and Maple Shrimp entree was my favorite ‘bite’ in the second entree served, although the plump shrimp were also really great and not too sweet. Each diner was served three perfect shrimp. The vegetables were chopped very small and roasted together. The puffed rice were also fun, it was nicely seasoned, and the entire dish as a whole was quite tasty.

The Pain Perdu with poached apple and smoked bleu cheese with pecan crumble was also quite delightful. Essentially a small square of French toast, it was perfectly prepared and well balanced. Bleu cheese can be quite overpowering, but this was the perfect amount to cut through the eggy french toast and complemented the poached apple. You could definitely taste the fennel in the maple/fennel reduction that was drizzled over the pain perdu, but it was also not overpowering and just offered a hint of fennel.

One of my tablemates had to leave to go see & Juliet at the Playhouse, which is fantastic and I was so happy that she got to see it (and it turns out about four or five of my friends were also at that show yesterday from the posts of Facebook), but she was able to enjoy the pain perdu and the crème brulee before she had to leave early to make it on time. I gave her fiancé my business card because I enjoyed talking to them so much. The Maple Crème Brulee with berry sauce and whipped cream was a delightful finish to an excellent meal. We then enjoyed a presentation on the history of maple syruping and maple syruping in the Metroparks, complete with props like collection bags and buckets, filters and a yoke that they wore to carry buckets of sap (an lots of photos of kids wearing the yoke). I would not have been surprised to see me among the photos of kids learning about maple syrup, because my mother took my sister and I to many educational events at the Metroparks when we were little and I definitely remember maple syrup production being one of them. We are so lucky to have the Metroparks for all of the educational as well as recreational activities!

Hopefully they will offer this event again, because it was fantastic. Be sure to follow the Metroparks on Facebook or get their email newsletter. And sign up as soon as you see it, because it sells out quick. All of their cooking events are also a fun time (I’ve attended a pie iron class and a pot pie class, among others), so keep an eye out for their events. They offer lots of different free and fee-based events (crafts, hikes, recreational classes, camping trips, etc.) in addition to cooking and food events, so if you haven’t checked them out be sure to do so! The Cleveland Metroparks rocks! Don’t be afraid to attend on your own, because everyone was very friendly, and we chatted the whole time about various topics. I left shortly after 1:00 to meet some girlfriends at Sangria y Tapas (I ordered a sangria and soup) and was full the entire day. The entire day! This meal (and specifically the pork tenderloin) will definitely be among my Best Bites in 2025.

And be sure to check out the Cleveland Metropark fish fries! Guests can dine-in at Big Met or get carry-out at Sleepy Hollow and Emerald Necklace Cafe. Merwin’s Wharf will also have fish fry specials every Friday. The Fish Fry takes place on Fridays from 3 to 7 p.m. through April 11 this year.

Contact info:

Emerald Necklace Marina
Rocky River Reservation
1500 Scenic Park Drive
Lakewood, OH 44107
(216) 226-3030 ext. 1

Fish Fryday #3 2025: Savour at Polaris and Church of St. Mary of the Assumption in Collinwood

After last week I needed a church fish fry. I met some friends at Savour at Polaris Career Center for lunch, and we were celebrating my one friend’s birthday (I was going to bring a cake but didn’t get moving in time). But dessert is included with the entrees, so it wasn’t needed. She had the apple tart and several of us had the raspberry cheesecake.

Savour is the Career Center’s restaurant for high school students. It is open for lunch from 11:45 am – 1:00 pm on Wednesday – Friday (most weeks except when school is not in session) in September-May. You need to make a reservation. We had a noon reservation, and the place was so packed that they sat us at a folding card table, knowing we are regulars and would not mind. There was a bus or two of senior citizens here that day. We didn’t mind at all, being not quite senior citizens, but my friends are retired (I delivered a translation and ran a bit late today). We eat here a lot when we can, because the food is delicious and very affordable.

Our server was competent and very friendly (it can sometimes be hit or miss), and we got a couple of extra bialy as a thank you for being accommodating. The bialys are always a highlight. The chef changes the menu every week. In addition to several two soups, two salads, a pizza or flatbread and a Reuben sandwich. They also offer three prix fixe meals that include a bialy, a beverage, an entree and a dessert. This week they had Crispy Beer Battered Cod with herb rice pilaf, Basil Chicken over cous cous or Shepherd’s Pie (with ground beef and lamb).

I had ordered the cream of asparagus soup to start. I love a good spring soup, and asparagus is a favorite. It had lots of fresh asparagus pieces in a delicious creamy soup. It was really nice soup, and I was tempted to get a quart of soup to take home. I have taken home their soup in the past and enjoyed it later.

Most of us ordered the Crispy Beer Battered Cod while one of my friends had the pecan chicken salad, which she ended up taking most of home. The cod fillets were dipped in a house made beer batter then rolled in crispy Panko breadcrumbs. They were crisp and delightful. The fish is then fried and served with herb rice pilaf, fresh vegetables (today it was asparagus), a delightfully sweet vinegar coleslaw, and their house tartar sauce. The meal was delightful. The fish was crispy yet moist and tender inside. I always enjoy their rice pilaf, and I love asparagus and it was perfectly cooked. The coleslaw was also a nice surprise. I usually don’t like vinegar-based coleslaw, but this one was tasty and well-seasoned. I ended up bringing one of the three fillets home with some rice and a couple of spears of asparagus. I’m looking forward to popping the fillet in a hot dog bun for a little snack over the weekend. We sat around talking until most of the place cleared out, knowing the kids would be heading out at the end of the school day. I paid using the QR Code on my bill, but my friends braved the long line.

I was tempted to head straight to St. Mary of the Assumption after lunch because I got home at around 3:00 (the fish fry is from 3 to 7 PM on Fridays in Lent). I decided to do take out, because I was full from lunch despite taking half of everything home as leftovers. I ended up stopping at home for a bit to check my email and headed out shortly after 4:00. I drove down Monticello and down North Taylor to Coit Road and E. 152nd Street, because I try to avoid as much of East Cleveland as possible and drive around it when I can. Too many traffic cameras and speed traps. One visit to the East Cleveland traffic court was enough for me.

St. Mary of the Assumption is a Roman Catholic church located on Holmes Avenue just off E. 152nd just before the Rail Yards overpass. I got to the church at around 4:30, found a parking space in a very crowded parking lot (there are several lots around the church as well as street parking) and followed the crowd. The fish fry is in the Parish Hall. There was not much of a line, but it was a bit chaotic. As we walked in several people informed us that they had run out of the soup – at 4:30. No soup for you! It must be good. If you want to get soup, brave the 3:00 crowd. The line had died down a bit by the time I arrived, but I’m sure it gets crazy from 5 to 7.

I headed to the Take Out sign thinking the line was for take out, but initially was in the line on the left wall that was for dine in (they serve the dinners on trays through a serving window – runners can help carry your tray if needed). I then headed towards the bar area (behind the crowd of people to the right of the big Take Out sign) to get in what I thought was the line, but it turns out it was just people standing around waiting for their take out meals. We were also obstructing the bar/beverage traffic, so that was fun. You actually need to order from the ladies sitting down at a table behind the dine-in condiments table (in the middle of the photo). Obviously you need to bring cash – no credit cards here. They need to do something about the logistics because it was a mess. I then was finally able to order my fried fish dinner and a side of mac n cheese to go. As we stood around waiting, one woman’s order was misplaced (but not really – it was just waylaid in the kitchen, but she quickly made a stink after her friend’s meal came up), and while they were trying to find it some other dinners were still coming out and put on a table to be bagged up. One woman who ordered after me got her meal while mine sat on the table waiting to be bagged up for me. There isn’t much of a consistent system. But hey, it’s a church fish fry with volunteers. After another minute or so I grabbed my bag and headed back to my car for a quick drive home.

As for the food, the fish is obviously the star here. I ordered the “fried perch” dinner, but they also offer baked cod, shrimp, crab cake, mac n cheese, or combo (choice of two: fish, shrimp or crab cake) dinner options. The dinners come with your choice of home fries or french fries and coleslaw or applesauce as well as a slice of bread and a dessert (slice of strudel). You can also order strudel to go. What I thought was mashed potatoes on some dine-in trays were actually the home fries. They were white and mashed potato-like and I was afraid they were going to be bland, but they had a nice flavor to them. The fried fish was actually quite tasty, and it was perfectly cooked. The fish was nice and moist and the batter was crisp. There were three fillets of fish, and they were a decent size. I really enjoyed it, but they didn’t canoe up too much. The curl indicates if it is real perch or pike or zander. The most obvious way to tell Great Lakes perch from other fish of approximately the same size and shape (other than taste) is that Great Lakes perch is always joined at the belly. Perch also curls up (or as I call it canoes) quite a bit when it is fried. These did not curl that much, but they were nicely cooked and reheated well.

Get the applesauce. The coleslaw was pretty bland (especially after the coleslaw at lunch). The apple strudel was decent. It was a lot of food for $14. I also really enjoyed my side of mac n cheese, which added $3 to my total. It was cheesy and delicious. I tried a bit of everything and popped everything in the refrigerator to reheat later.

I can’t believe it is week 3 and I have yet to have pierogi with my Friday fish. I will definitely be remedying that in the next few weeks. In my opinion pierogi are the highlight next to a good fried fish.

Contact info:

Savour at Polaris Career Center
7285 Old Oak Boulevard
Middleburg Heights, OH 44130
(440) 891-7600

St. Mary of the Assumption
15519 Holmes Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio 44110
(216) 761-7740

Fish Fryday #2 2025: Gourmand’s Deli and Tita Flora’s

In the past I have had my Friday fish fries mapped out in advance, but this year I only have a couple places in mind that I plan to visit before Lent is over. Today just proves that being flexible is a good plan. My original plan for today was to get a tuna melt at Chelo’s and visit Church of St. Mary of the Assumption in Collinwood, but a Facebook post this morning changed my plans. Tita Flora’s posted they were serving Ginataang Langka with Shrimp for their Friday special. I really enjoyed the taste of their Ginataang in the past, which is a creamy coconut stew with vegetables. So I decided to head there for lunch. I had taken today off and was running errands anyway.

I arrived at Tita Flora’s for lunch only to find they open at 4 PM. Oops. I had driven 25 minutes without even considering they wouldn’t be open for lunch. I briefly considered heading to South Euclid for the tuna melt, but then decided that since I was already there I would stay in the area. I adore Gourmand’s Deli and Coffee, frequently making a special trip if I have time during the day (it is only open from 7 AM to 2 PM Mondays thru Fridays), so it was a no-brainer to go there instead. In my humble opinion Gourmand’s serve some of the best sandwiches in Cleveland. Usually they encourage phoning orders in advance, but I decided I would eat in and wing it. They do a lot of carry out for the business workers in the area. I was surprised that it wasn’t packed at noon on a Friday. There was a sign on the door asking for patience because they only had 3 employees working. They also recently announced they are retiring and looking for a buyer so maybe that played a role, but there were plenty of folks coming in to pick up their orders.

I have had their Flipper’s Revenge tuna fish sandwich in the past, but wanted to try something different. I asked the owner Scott whether he recommended the Cajun Redfish sandwich or the Tuna Steak, and he suggested the Tuna Steak because it is a thick slab of sushi-grade ahi tuna. I placed my order for the Tuna Steak along with a cup of their corned beef and cabbage soup and grabbed a table and a fountain drink from the back corner. About 15 minutes later my order was ready. They asked me to let them know what I thought of the soup because it was a new offering. Their soups never disappoint, and this one didn’t either. I am not Catholic, so eating corned beef today didn’t bother me. The chunks of corned beef were also nice and lean and paired nicely with the potato chunks and shredded cabbage, so I enjoyed every bite. The Tuna Steak sandwich was delicious. It was cooked perfectly rare and was extremely tender. It was dressed with Cajun seasonings, pesto, and roasted onions and topped with coleslaw on toasted farm bread. Amazing. It was so filling that I took half of it home with me. Everyone there is really friendly and welcoming. I will miss Scott and his wife when they retire, but I hope someone can continue this special business. If you haven’t tried it yet, I urge you to get there soon. I highly recommend the Hawaii Five-Oh, the Chicken and Cheeses or the Mandalicious, but they offer something to suit everyone’s taste, from vegetarian, chicken, beef, seafood and pork and even salads. Also, the fish sandwiches are offered every day – not just on Fridays in Lent.

I was pretty full from lunch, but luckily I didn’t have to get to a church fish fry early like I had planned so I headed back out to Independence a little later in the evening to avoid the Cleveland Clinic rush hour traffic. Tita Flora’s is in a strip mall off Brecksville Road close to the water tower and several doors down from the post office. It was the first dine-in Filipino restaurant to open in Cleveland several years ago.

I was able to get there shortly after 6. I ordered a juice to start off, and the server recommended a juice that is popular in the Phillipines called Calamasi, which is a sweet, sour, citrusy flavor like a mix between a lemon, an orange, and a lime. The can was small, and I sipped it to savor it. I used my metal straw instead of the plastic straw they gave me.

I was able to order the Ginataang Langka special, which featured full head-on shrimp, green jackfruit and big chunks of ginger. It was tasty, but I didn’t love it as much as I enjoyed the vegetarian Ginattang. It wasn’t as creamy and coconutty as I remember it being. I don’t know if it was the jackfruit or shrimp that changed it. I did enjoy it, but not as much as I had built it up in my head. It was also really messy getting the heads and shells off the shrimp. I ate half and took the rest home for tomorrow.

I wish I had been more hungry, because their desserts (Halo-Halo, ube ice cream, and fried bananas) are great. On the plus side, I got some driving in and soaked up lots of Vitamin D and fresh air. I own a Prius, so I get good gas mileage. I hope you all had a good Fryday as well!

Contact info:

Gourmand’s Deli & Coffee
5345 Canal Road
Valley View, OH 44125
(216) 328-0942

Tita Flora’s
6531 Brecksville Road
Independence, OH 44131
(216) 232-4303

Fish Fryday #1 2025: Chelo’s Kitchen and EDWINS at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church

I first visited Chelo’s Kitchen a little over a year ago when someone posted a photo of their special tuna melt on a Facebook food group I am on. That tuna melt was absolutely amazing, one of the best I’ve had in Cleveland. I have since become a regular there – so much so that when Chelo’s wife Sarah saw my name in their Facebook feed she thought I would be requesting the tuna melt. But I have also had their fried catfish and eggs breakfast special in the back of my mind. When I saw they were serving it today, I jumped at the chance and ordered it. It was even better than I expected. The catfish was moist and tender with a crispy cornmeal crust. Just a light press with the fork was all I needed to get the perfect bite. I ordered my eggs over easy and added a side of home fries to my order. I enjoyed every single bite and finished the whole thing. I highly recommend it, so order it if you see it. That said, I will definitely also be going back for the tuna melt while it’s on offer.

One of my friends who attends St. Paul’s Episcopal Church sent me a notice about their Fish Fry, which is a one-day event featuring EDWINS and their special fish fry batter. The fish fry is prepared onsite by EDWINS students and graduates. Walk-ins are also welcome, but reservations are preferred for planning purposes. I pre-ordered the large fish and shrimp combo to go, which cost $18 and featured 5 fried shrimp, 1 piece of fried cod and French fries as well as cocktail and tartar sauces, to mark the start of Lent. I added a hot cross bun for $2 to my order and look forward to enjoying it tomorrow morning with a cup of coffee. All profits support the EDWINS Leadership & Restaurant Institute. I have enjoyed their fish fry at EDWINS Butcher Shop and Church of the Gesu in University Heights in the past.

I stopped there this evening to pick up my meal. I parked in their parking lot off Fairmount Boulevard and walked to the church and simply followed the smell of fried fish through the rear entrance. There were stairs to climb down for the fish fry, so if you have mobility issues you might need to see if they have an elevator. I didn’t see one, but I didn’t look too hard. We had to order ahead of time, and I chose carry-out. There were plenty of tables in the room for dine in though. There was a bit of a wait when I arrived at 5:30. I ended up getting my fish at around 6 and the runner apologized for the wait. Apparently they were running behind packing the food.

I eagerly tucked into my meal when I got home. I enjoyed every bite. The fish was a pillow of moist fish in a crispy batter, and the tartar sauce was as scrumptious as always. The fried shrimp were also perfectly fried and delicious paired with the included cocktail sauce. The fries were also quite tasty, although I had to add my own ketchup. They did have ketchup packets on the tables for those dining in. The fish was phenomenal, and I really enjoyed the shrimp a lot too. In short, EDWINS never disappoints.

Contact info:

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

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
2747 Fairmount Boulevard
Cleveland Heights, Ohio 44106
(216) 932-5815