Bakery – Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Eats

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

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

Tous les Jours

I appear to be on a bakery kick at the moment.

Tous les Jours in Lyndhurst is a French-Asian bakery in a former flower shop building on Mayfield Road. It is a franchise of a national chain, but it is owned by a local South Korean family. It’s charming, has lots of seating options in the front, back and side, and the baked goods are excellent. They offer a wide variety of breads, cakes and pastries. One online detractor complained they use frozen dough, but honestly most grocery stores and bakeries (even in Europe) do the same. As long as it tastes good and is fresh, I don’t care. I used to work at Bakers Square back in the 1980s, and the fruit pies came frozen and were baked in the restaurant. No one complained.

You grab a tray and tongs, choose your poison and then get it rung up. On my first visit I chose a spinach danish, croque monsieur, mushroom and onion tart, strawberry and cream croissant, ube cream donut, and blueberry and sweet cream danish. I got mine to go and enjoyed them over several days.

The spinach danish was great. I enjoyed how flaky and flavorful it was. Out of all the pastries I tried, the ube cream donut and strawberry and cream croissant were the standouts. Especially the ube cream donut. I like a nice yeast-raised donut, and it was crammed full of ube cream that shot out of the side when I bit into it (thank goodness for the cardboard sleeve).

I also ordered a large iced Tiramisu Latte and was surprised by how smooth it was.

There’s plenty of parking and an entrance in the back. They must be doing well, because my first visit was on a Wednesday at almost noon and I was order #596. In French, Tous les Jours translates to “all the days,” and it seems to be doing booming business on all the days. On my second visit I was order #63 shortly before noon on a Tuesday. The parking lot was full, and I was lucky enough to get a spot from someone pulling out. There was also a line for the cash registers (there were two in operation). This time I tried a vanilla cream donut (which was divine) and a bunch of pastries I hadn’t tried yet (including a garlic cream cheese bun, milk pillow bread, a slice of cloud cream cake, and a crookie [a flaky croissant topped and filled with soft, chewy baked chocolate chip cookie dough]). The savory sausage and onion pastry was a nice warm lunch option to nibble on during the drive home. I preferred it over the Croque Monsieur [(ham and cheese), which I also enjoyed. The milk pillow bread reminded me of yeasty dinner rolls, but it was a bit softer and fluffier. The garlic cream cheese bun was just okay. It didn’t wow me, but it was decent. They packaged everything up nicely for me to take with me. For example, they have little plastic covers for the filled croissants that they just pop on top of the cardboard container.

This time I ordered a large iced matcha latte. I usually make them at home because I have flavored matcha, but this was a nice, not-too-sweet option to start my day. Matcha is made from crushed green tea leaves. As a result, you actually consume the entire tea leaf when you drink it. The antioxidants it contains are said to lower blood pressure, reduce your risk of heart disease, and even boost your metabolism. And although matcha contains more caffeine than regular green tea, but it doesn’t give you a buzzy rush and precipitous energy drop like coffee. In fact, I add matcha to my morning coffee because it provides a sustained boost in energy and concentration for four hours. If you want it a little sweeter, ask for a shot or two of flavored syrup.

The cloud cake was light and delicious. I ordered a slice of the fresh cream cake and found it very reminiscent of a Cleveland-style cassata cake (the lightness of the cake base and whipped topping). I will definitely be ordering one again soon. It was carefully packed, as you can see below.

Be sure to give it a try! I’ll be back. I could easily get addicted to the cream donuts, because that was my focus this morning. According to the Tous les Jours website, the strawberry and cream croissant is apparently the top seller, with the vanilla cream donut being the second. I also need to try the Japanese cheesecake…

Contact info:

Tous les Jours
5268 Mayfield Road
Lyndhurst, OH 44124
(440) 566-0166

HoneyBirch Bakehouse

The HoneyBirch Bakehouse has been on my radar for a while, but I hadn’t gotten around to trying it. I’ve been following their Facebook page for a while, and when they posted a tuna melt as a lunch special I knew the day had come to finally check them out.

HoneyBirch is a locally owned bakery on Larchmere Avenue in Cleveland, offering pastries, sandwiches, bread, a grocer’s pantry, and catering. It is in the former Gray House pies storefront. Bakeries have come and gone on this street, but I really hope they can be successful. Their sandwiches and baked goods are incredible. The yellow facade and tables outside make it an inviting and welcoming space.

The storefront is small, and the sandwich list is well curated. The website claims “Sandwiches are available until we sell out. We recommend calling ahead to order after 2:00pm to make sure we still have what you want!” That tuna melt wasn’t a true tuna melt in the classic sense, but it was an absolutely delicious tuna and chees sandwich. I was particularly impressed by the roll it came on. In essence, it was a damn fine tuna sandwich. The roll is light and crusty, yet soft and delicious. The tuna was flavorful. I enjoyed it very much. The sandwiches are served with a little veggie salad, a mixture of chopped cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, onions and peppers. And my tuna melt came with pickles whose juices unfortunately bled through the box. My second sandwich choice was also a delicious one. I ordered the Jakob (picture below on the right), which features turkey, bacon, avocado (a spread not slices), mixed greens, tomato, and mayo. I think I might have a new favorite sandwich, but I am curious to try some of the other sandwiches they feature. In any event, I highly recommend trying a sandwich from here. Many of them feature tapenade, so I’m sure those are also delicious.

Being a bakehouse, they are also known for their baked goods. They offer a wide array of sweet and savory treats, and the choices vary daily. It seems their cardamom knots and cinnamon knots and rolls are fixtures though. They also had a peach, feta and mint focaccia that they advertised as a special. It was good, but I think I was expecting more topping flavor. But the bread itself was crusty and good. Their breads are also available, and I will definitely be buying the rolls to make sandwiches at home. The chocolate bun with vanilla custard was phenomenal. Lots of chocolate on flaky pastry rings with a little island of vanilla custard in the middle. I also really enjoyed the orange creamsicle cheesecake bar. The quiche was one of the most flavorful quiche I’ve ever had. The filling was super tasty and well-seasoned, and the crust was flaky and delicious.

I am going to go on record to say I adore their bourekas. Apparently they serve both savory and sweet bourekas. I’ve only had the savory bourekas so far, but have been very pleased with them. The first time I got the roasted mushroom boureka. The filling was extremely flavorful, and the puff pastry crust shatters when you bite into it. Overall it is a tasty pastry. The spinach, artichoke and smoked gouda boureka was also good (and it was a puffy boy – see below left), but I definitely prefer the roasted mushroom.

In any event, I will most likely be a frequent customer here. The bakery has a lot of unique offerings. I can’t wait to try a muffin and the apple, brie and fig baguette.

Contact info:

The HoneyBirch Bakery
12204 Larchmere Boulevard
Cleveland, OH 44120
(216) 407-4274

Michael Angelo’s Bakery

It’s almost Pączki time. Celebrate at the Winery this year from noon-6 pm on January 28th, but you can stock up on pączki at the Bakery until February 13th this year.

My favorite pączki are made at Michael Angelo’s Bakery. The Bakery has been open for 20 years and is located on Broadview Road in Broadview Heights Ohio just to the north of Wallings Road. The same owners opened Michael Angelo’s Winery during the pandemic. It is located down the street on the corner of Boston Road and Broadview Road in Richfield, and I have heard nothing but good things about it. I haven’t made it there yet though.

As I’ve said, Michael Angelo’s Bakery (not to be confused with Michaelangelo’s (the restaurant in Little Italy) or Michael Angelo’s Winery) is my go-to bakery for pączki (pronounced poonch-kee). For those who don’t know, pączki are made from especially rich dough containing eggs, fats, sugar, yeast and sometimes milk in the month or two before Lent (but definitely on both Fat Tuesday and Fat Thursday). They feature a variety of fruit and cream fillings and can be glazed, or covered with granulated or powdered sugar. Michael Angelo’s pączki are generously stuffed with filling and are light and airy while also being heavy in weight. It is a must-visit for me every pączki season. I go during the day during the week, but you have to get there early before they run out (or you will be stuck with prune) – or order them ahead of time. The lines are long during pączki season – especially on the weekends. If they run out of a certain flavor and they still have the pastries they will run and fill them for you. But once they are out they are out.

Their bread is also very good. They make bread for St. Sava. It looks like it would have a firm crust, but it is really quite soft. It is a tasty bread, but my favorite is their Buttercrust bread. It is their Italian bread topped with butter and baked in a loaf pan. It’s so good! Pictured here to the left is the Country Grain. It reminds me a lot of European bread – a harder crust with a soft center.

They also sell lots of packaged coffee, boxed or bagged cookies and bagged chocolate-covered treats like Oreos or pretzel rods. Their chocolate chip and oatmeal cranberry cookies are great. I had a friend buy them for one of our tea events. The last time I went I also bought a bag of their peanut butter cookies with mini Reese’s pieces, and they were moist and delicious. I’ve also heard good things about the macaroons but can’t attest to them because I’m not a fan. They do look pretty though!

They are also known for their special order cakes. The cakes I have seen people pick up here are spectacular, from kid’s birthday cakes to special events like bachelorette parties or baptisms. They also have smaller individual cakes in a display case to the left of the store.

The only thing I haven’t enjoyed here are the ham and cheese croissants. They are too doughy, and the ham is not good. Croissants should be light and flaky. These are not.

They also sell coffee and tea, which is helpful when you need a jolt of caffeine or a soothing hot tea.

Contact info:

Michael Angelo’s Bakery
8035 Broadview Road
Broadview Heights, OH 44147
(440) 526-0499

Davis Bakery

Brothers Ben, Julius and Carl established Davis Bakery in 1939, opening their first location on South Taylor Road in Cleveland Heights. They were also the first bakery to incorporate delicatessens into their retail outlets. They currently have two locations – one in Woodmere and one in Warrensville Heights. The Woodmere location is open 365 days a year, while the Warrensville Heights location is open Monday-Friday 9 am – 4 pm. Known for Jewish rye bread (made with a 75 year old starter), Russian tea biscuits, coconut bars, and chocolate chip cookies, they also offer sandwiches featuring hot corned beef, a turkey off the bone, and the self-proclaimed best tuna salad in Cleveland. The bread is always fresh and delicious, the meat is fresh, lean and tasty, and the baked goods are great.

When you walk in, the first thing you see is a wall of bags of chips – snack-sized and regular-sized. The right side is dedicated to the deli, while the left side is filled with display cases of baked goods, whether they are fresh loaves and rolls of bread, cookies, pastries, and biscuits. The center divider contains small cookie plates, rolls, t-shirts and condiments.

The first time I went, I pored over the menu and decided to order a grilled roast beef and Swiss sandwich. You can get a “King sized” sandwich for $3 more. I can’t even imagine what a King sized sandwich looks like. Each sandwich gets a pickle and a cookie. The chocolate chip cookie was so moist, and I’m a sucker for a good dill pickle. I also ordered the Matzo ball soup (which is served every day in addition to a soup du jour) and a side of macaroni salad. I loved every bite of everything. The Matzo ball soup was comforting, and the macaroni salad became my official favorite macaroni salad in Cleveland. It was perfect in my mind – not too sweet, yet really creamy.

I also love their soda fountain. It isn’t filled with the typical Pepsi or Coke products (except Diet Coke). It features natural cane sugar flavors like Root Beer, Lemonade, Southern Sweet Tea, Ginger Ale, Black Cherry, Cream Soda, and Cola. I like mixing the flavors for a unique soda.

On the next visit I splurged and ordered the Cavs specialty sandwich. It is my perfect sandwich. It features hot roast beef, melted Swiss cheese, coleslaw, and a special Bistro sauce on grilled rye bread. I have a hard time going there and not ordering it again and again, because I love it so much. The coleslaw is creamy and just goes so well with the crispy bread. I love that they name some of their sandwiches after our sports teams (note: the Tribe is still the Tribe, which features hot corned beef, pastrami, Swiss, coleslaw, and Thousand Island dressing. Shhh! Don’t tell them.).

On my most recent visit, I ordered the Tuna Melt (I obviously had to try the best tuna in Cleveland). It came with the requisite pickle and cookie, but I had to get Dr. Brown’s soda in a can because the soda fountain was out of order. I also ordered a side of potato salad and a side of macaroni salad in addition to some egg salad to take home and eat later. The deli worker told me he would deliver my choices to the dining area while I chose my drinks and paid at the register.

I got my Dr. Brown Black Cherry and Cream Soda sodas in cans. They also have Faygo soda, Arizona green tea, juices, and lots of other choices. I also ordered an Apricot French stick (I think that is what they were called – made using puffed pastry, it is kind of like a snoogle or bear claw). The Tuna Melt was indeed fantastic. It seemed to be made with Swiss instead of American cheese, which was just fine by me since I love Swiss. The potato salad was a decent potato salad for a deli potato salad. I prefer a tangier, less creamy potato salad, but I would not complain if served this at a party. The macaroni salad was just as divine as always. The chocolate chip cookie literally melted in my hand – and not just because it was 88 degrees outside.

I volunteered to bring a dessert to my niece’s high school graduation party last month. I decided a cookie and bar platter would be perfect. I made Rice Krispy Treats with Sweet Vanilla Matcha for my gluten-free relatives and then hit Davis Bakery for the good stuff. I had fun picking out several different cookies, bars, and brownies as well as a large selection of kolache. My family members are hard-core and picky kolache connoisseurs, because my maternal grandmother used to make them from scratch for holidays like Christmas and Easter. Needless to say, the dessert tray was a huge hit.

Contact info:

Davis Bakery
28700 Chagrin Boulevard
Woodmere, OH 44122
(216) 292-3060

Warrensville Heights location:
4572 Renaissance Parkway
Cleveland, OH 44128
(216) 464-5533

Koko Bakery

Edit: I’m thrilled to announce they have opened a second location at the end of my street on Coventry. Great bubble teas and all the goodness of the Payne Avenue location.

I’ve been frequenting Koko Bakery for a while now and have written about it during my dim sum crawls, but thought it might be nice to write a separate post about it. Koko Bakery is located in a small strip on Payne Avenue with Han Kabob Chinese Grill and Map of Thailand (and across the street from Seoul Hot Pot). The storefront is quite unassuming. One wouldn’t know by looking at it that it produces some amazing food and beverages. During a recent dinner at Map of Thailand I watched the people stream by heading for Koko. The Case Western Reserve University students on Yelp talk about how authentic it is and how it is exactly like bakeries you would find in Taiwan. Koko offers a wide variety of choices, ranging from savory to sweet. The case to your left as you walk in features hot dogs wrapped in pastry dough and the larger case next to it contains all kinds of buns, from green onion buns, pork buns, ham and egg buns, pineapple buns, buns with cut up hot dogs to egg tartlets and custard buns. There is a cooler and a freezer filled with buns to take home and finish baking yourself. My friend from Akron always stocks up with a ton of buns when he is up here. He then takes a bun or two out of the freezer and steams them for a quick and delicious meal. They sell all kinds of breads, cookies, buns, etc. to take home with you. The green tea cookies in a bookshelf on the right-hand wall near where you wait for your order caught my eye, and I am tempted to get them next time.

The cooler cases flanking the cash register feature the most beautifully decorated cakes, tarts, mousses, and tiramisu. Every single one of them that I have tried – ranging from a chocolate mousse topped with a chocolate covered strawberry to the mango and passion fruit mousses and the mango cheesecake – has been delicious. Sufficiently creamy without being cloyingly sweet, the flavors hit all the right notes. The board behind the register lists a number of rice bowls, entrees like pork katsu or steam buns, and sandwiches as well as coffee, tea, milk pudding tea, smoothies, and their most popular item, the bubble tea. Several reviewers on Yelp have claimed that Koko has the best bubble tea in Cleveland.

My first foray into the wonders of Koko started with the mango mousse. I got it to go and still have the neat container in my cupboard to use if I feel like fancying up a pudding. The mousse was light, airy and flavorful. This mousse was delicious and I didn’t even miss the chocolate, which desserts usually have to contain in my world. I love the artful decoration of the fresh fruit atop the mousse. It looks whimsical but adds a nice artistic touch to an already amazing dessert.

During part one of the dim sum crawl I was full and was considering just ordering a chocolate covered strawberry until the chocolate mousse topped with a chocolate covered strawberry caught my eye. The chocolate mousse was fluffy and delicious, the strawberry was perfectly ripe, and the chocolate coating was the perfect thickness to balance out the acidity of the strawberry. I also really liked the little chocolate curls adorning the sides. I ended up eating half and taking the other half home for later.

One of my friends was less impressed with the passion fruit mousse. It was layered with a thick layer of white chocolate, which she doesn’t like, so it wasn’t as appreciated as it could have been. That said, the passion fruit mousse itself was absolutely delicious and she loved every bite of that part of it. Another friend ordered the triple chocolate mousse, while another ordered a green tea bun and another ordered an almond bun. Everyone walked away from Koko thoroughly impressed.

Several friends who had only eaten at the first stop of the first dim sum crawl and were sad that they missed such beautiful desserts wanted to try it when they saw photos, so we stopped at Koko Bakery after part two of the crawl. The couple split the mango cheesecake, which again was absolutely delicious and beautifully adorned with fresh fruit. However, it took forever to get the coffees they ordered because the people behind the counter seemed more concerned with making smoothies and bubble teas for the young Asian girls who came in after us.

Meanwhile, I wanted something light after eating so many dumplings. I had noted during the previous stop that they served two different kinds of shaved ice – Taiwanese and Korean shaved ice. Since the Korean shaved ice mentioned ice cream I decided to try the Taiwanese shaved ice because I figured it would be lighter. The price includes 3 toppings of your choice, and you can add additional toppings for an additional $0.90. I stuck with 3 toppings and chose lychee, kiwi and mango. The ice is shaved, topped with fruit and then condensed milk is poured over it. It was actually really good. The fruit tasted fresh. The mango and kiwi were diced fairly small. As the ice melted down it mixed with the condensed milk. This dessert was extremely refreshing, and I can foresee myself coming here in this summer quite often to cool down.

Contact info:

Koko Bakery
3710 Payne Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44114
(216) 881-7600

Coventry location
1767 Coventry Road
Cleveland Heights, OH 44118
(216) 465-1022

The Blue Door in Cuyahoga Falls

The Blue Door Cafe and Bakery in Cuyahoga Falls began as a micro-bakery in 2009. They then bought the restaurant they were working out of and now consistently produce some of the most delicious food you will ever eat. The folks at The Blue Door pride themselves on using local and healthy ingredients and having a seasonal menu that changes specials frequently. In addition to the standard breakfast and lunch menu the specials are created based on what delicious and special ingredients they are able to purchase that week, using carefully chosen shrimp, salmon, bison, etc. They are closed on Monday and Tuesday, but open for breakfast and lunch Wednesday through Sunday from 7 AM to 3 PM. They recently started expanding to include dinner service on the weekend. Dinner is served Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights from 6 to 9 PM. Reservations are recommended. The dinner service feature four entrees, and each includes freshly baked breads and rolls and specially created non-alcoholic cocktails that utilize fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables.

I love the fact that the Blue Door has a more European atmosphere. In fact, news of a German breakfast week was the first meal to tempt me to drive down to Cuyahoga Falls. The fact that they had made my favorite German cake, Bienenstich or Bee Sting Cake, into a French toast convinced me that I needed to get down there right away. It was divine, featuring custard and honey with their Challah bread. I couldn’t decide and also felt the need to have a typical German Frühstück too, so I also ordered the bread roll with various cheeses and jams as well as fresh fruit. I don’t know where they get their fresh fruit, but it is amazing and consistently perfectly ripe.

I then started following them on Facebook, where they frequently IMAG4498 post their specials for the week. My friend Tom is completely hooked and lives closer, so when he posted one day that the special was a Nutella and Chantilly Cream French toast I called my friend M. and picked her up within 15 minutes to make the drive down there. She had the egg sandwich on one of their house-made croissants (I dare you to have one and not want to take several home with you!). We shared both entrees. Her sandwich was good, but my French toast was exquisite. Funnily enough that day the person sat at the table next to us was one of my good friends and a fellow German translator (who lives in Kent), so we pulled the tables together. Then IMAG4502_1 about 20 minutes later another translator colleague (who lives in Pepper Pike) walked in. I guess we translators know where the good places to eat are!

The two photos with the paper were recent to-go orders – a lobster ragout crepe and a New York bagel with lox, house-made cream cheese and capers. Both were fantastic!

IMAG0817 This is not an easy place to go on the weekend for breakfast, because it is so popular. Expect a wait. I tend to go during the week instead. I met a dining group from Meetup.com here for brunch last month. We were told the wait would be an hour and a half. It ended up being shorter, because several of our members managed to get their own tables and the group managed to snag the seats at the counter. Not the most comfortable place for a group breakfast, but everyone was happy with their meals. The service was great, and the coffee was flowing. They also have fresh squeezed orange juice that is just delicious. I ordered a bison burger on this day. It was perfectly cooked, and the leftovers were just as good IMAG2143 later for dinner. The homemade cole slaw really convinced me to order it, and the slice of tomato was extremely fresh. You can see the potato croquette behind the burger in the photo. I love a good croquette, but was expecting something a little more delicate. This was more a potato fritter. Even though this wasn’t quite what I was expecting it was still quite delicious.

As I said, they recently started serving dinner service. He managed IMAG2144 to win over the chef from Dante’s Akron restaurant, Torsten Schulz. Another German! (Did I mention the owner speaks German fluently?) The two photos of small bites (smoked trout with horseradish cream and Maultaschen – a veal stuffed dough pocket in broth) were from a recent German wine dinner that was simply outstanding. Be sure to check out Tom’s Flickr feed to see the weekly creations. His photos do the food much better justice than mine do, so be sure to click on the links below.

To be honest, I wasn’t as impressed with the regular dinner service as I wanted to be. The Ohio Strawberry non-alcoholic cocktail was divine. I enjoyed IMAG0841 the first course, the Avocado Puree, very much. The avocado puree paired really well with the grapefruit slices. My grass-fed beef was good, but it had a little too much fat. I liked that there were two variations and couldn’t decide which I liked better. The potato and spinach sides were really small, which was disappointing because I love mixing a bite of spinach with steak. The vegetarian entree (Variations of Ohio broccoli) had a high price point that my vegetarian friends did not feel was warranted. They used four different kinds of broccoli and pureed them together, serving them with Japanese rice, almonds and a lemon vinaigrette. The dessert, the Marillenknodel (apricot dumpling), was very good. It is a take on a standard Austrian dessert that I love, featuring a Viennese dumpling, vanilla sauce and pistachios. The souffle (see photostream) looked super-inviting as well.

Although dinner was a nice change and I hope they are successful, I think I’m going to stick with their breakfast and lunch service, since that is my favorite meal of the day anyway. However, if you are looking for a restaurant for a special occasion, consider trying The Blue Door.

Contact info:

The Blue Door Cafe & Bakery
1970 State Road
Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44223
(330) 926-9774

Fragapane’s Bakery & Deli

When I want the best potato salad in Cleveland I drive to Fragapane’s Bakery & Deli on Lorain Road in North Olmsted. The location in Bay Village is their flagship store. The family bakery, which began in 1971 when brothers Nick and John Fragapane opened their doors in Bay Village. They also used to have a storefront in Olmsted Falls, but it closed. This family-owned bakery and deli is a West Side staple. Every birthday and graduation party I attended growing up had a big bowl of Fragapane potato salad. Their paczki sell out on Fat Tuesday and are ordered weeks in advance (they make them one day a year).

I drive from Cleveland Heights to buy a pound or two of potato salad. In fact, this is the ONLY place we will buy potato salad or I make my own, using my mother’s recipe of half sour cream/half mayo. IMAG0982 Fragapane’s potato salad features slivers of carrot, onion and celery, and is a mayo-based potato salad. It’s not too sweet and is very smooth. It is simply delicious and very addictive. I have learned that if I need this for an event I need to call and order it ahead of time to ensure they have set some aside for me. I have driven over several times only to be disappointed that they have sold out.

Their deli subs and sandwiches are amazing. They come with one meat or three-meat combos for $8.99 with a choice of mayo, mustard, horseradish, lettuce, tomato, onion, and your choice of cheese. The subs are made with Boars Head meats, which are all natural and one of the best lunch meats out there. These suckers are stuffed full. My favorite is the Fragabomb (to the right), which features ham, turkey and spicy capicola and provolone cheese. The photo at the bottom is half of a roast beef sub with Swiss cheese as well as a healthy portion of potato salad and a smaller portion of the pasta salad at the top of the plate.

I also buy the mayo-based pasta salad, but (word of warning) it is a very sweet pasta salad. It is made with mini shell pasta and also contains carrots, onion and celery. I usually toss in a can of tuna and some frozen peas and make a light summer pasta salad with it. Others swear by the pizza slices, smokies, tuna salad, crab salad, antipasti salad, etc. They feature a daily IMAG0984 lunch special that sells out quickly. This place is very popular with local workers.

I don’t necessarily go there for their baked goods, so I can’t really say anything about them. I had a custard-filled doughnut there once. It was jammed with custard and very heavy to lift. Unfortunately it also seemed a little undercooked. The eclairs there are always favorites for dessert trays. I’ve seen mixed reviews online. I did, however, pick up a couple cans of fire-roasted diced tomatoes and tomato sauce to make some unstuffed cabbage rolls tonight. They have several small rows of Italian staples like pasta, pickled vegetables, olives, etc. It saved me a trip to the grocery store!

The staff there is always friendly and helpful. One time when they were out of potato salad the woman waiting on me called the Bay Village store to see if they had any left. Unfortunately they did not, but I appreciated that she made an effort to find out for me.

Contact info:

Fragapane Bakery & Deli
28625 Lorain Road
North Olmsted, OH
(440) 779-6050

Fragapane Bakery & Deli
626 Dover Center Road
Bay Village, OH 44140
(440) 871-6340

On the Rise Bakery

I have been on a quest to find the perfect sandwich in Cleveland. Let me qualify that – the best sandwich on a European-style baguette. Ever since I saw Martha Stewart make a ham sandwich with some kind of aioli on a crusty baguette on her show I’ve been looking for a similar sandwich. I think I may have just found what I have been looking for.

One of the best parts of living in Cleveland Heights for me is all of the excellent bakeries that bake crusty European style loaves that I loved so much in Germany. Between Zoss the Swiss Baker, The Stone Oven, On the Rise and Luna Bakery we are pretty darn lucky. The Cleveland Scene’s most recent survey asked for the best bakery in Cleveland, and Stone Oven, On the Rise and Luna were three of the four choices. It was a really hard choice to make!

I love On the Rise. Their sticky buns are amazing, the breads are fresh, and a warm Jennifer cookie (their signature cookie made of oats, nuts, and chocolate) just out of the oven is an orgasmic experience. But now they have started to serve sandwiches and soups on Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10:30-1:30, and I am done for. I have been wanting to try their offerings for a while now, and today was my chance. I popped in there this morning to buy some bread for a dinner party I am having tonight. Nothing fancy, just a couple vegetarian friends to share a veggie curry recipe I’ve been wanting to try.

I decided to treat myself to two of their sandwiches because I couldn’t decide. I chose the Banh Mi and the Roasted Chicken. I cut them in half when I got home and saved the other halves for tomorrow. They may or may not make it that long.

The Roasted Chicken sandwich was like spring on a baguette. A soft yet crusty and delightfully thin baguette. It features roasted chicken, fresh greens, fresh asparagus tossed with pickled onion, herbs and olive oil, an egg salad spread and aioli. It was delightful. Fresh and bright and very flavorful. The flavors melded well together, and the asparagus kept falling out of the sandwich. The asparagus was perfectly crisp and not roasted within an inch of its life. And the egg salad was a great addition to a roasted chicken sandwich. I enjoyed it very much.

And then I tried the Banh Mi. Oh, the Banh Mi! I think I moaned on the first bite. According to their menu, it features New Creation Farm braised pork, Vietnamese pate, jalapeno and cilantro. But it is obviously much more than that. It was flavorful and juicy. I have no idea where the juices came from. The juices dripped down my hand and made the sandwich an absolute delight because it was perfect and not dry. It could give the banh mi from Superior Pho and Saigon Grille a run for their money. The braised pork was yummy and the pate was not overwhelming like the one I had at The Black Pig. The pickled vegetables were crunchy and perfectly seasoned. It made me wish my hands were all thumbs so I could give it ten thumbs up instead of two. If you like a good banh mi, please try it for yourself and let me know what you think.

IMAG3891 — Chocolate cherry panini (mini-loaf)

The ham and gruyere baguette is also very good. It features New Creation Farm ham, thinly sliced gruyere and herb butter. I picked one up just after they started serving their lunch menu at 10:30. It made a great European-style breakfast. I sliced some fresh Roma tomato and added that. I loved the bites with and without tomato equally. It was just a solid sandwich.

I can’t wait to try their other sandwiches. Vegetarians will be delighted with the Burrata sandwich on one of their rustic rolls – featuring house made burrata from Snowville Creamery cream. IMAG4412 The pulled beef baguette with maple slaw and Prosciutto Americano with honey butter and arugula also sound delightful. The menu changes with the season, because all of the sandwiches use fresh, locally sourced ingredients. They particularly thank New Creation Farm, Miller Livestock and Wolff Farm.

They also make awesome bread. I buy a loaf of Pullman whenever I’m there. I also love their epi and baguettes. They have special breads all week, including stuffed fougasse and bacon gruyere bread. They make a chocolate cherry bread that I love so much I don’t go there on Wednesdays because I will eat the whole loaf.

Contact info:

On The Rise Artisan Breads & Pastries
3471 Fairmount Boulevard
Cleveland Heights, OH 44118
(216) 320-9923
http://www.facebook.com/ontherise
http://twitter.com/ontherisebreads