Cheap eats – Page 16 – Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Eats

Frederick’s Wine & Dine

Frederick’s Wine & Dine was recently named one of the Top 100 Restaurants in Cleveland by Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Friday magazine, so some friends and I wanted to check it out. We dined there on a Tuesday night. It is located near Thistledown at the corner of Emery and Northfield Roads. It is located in a run-down strip mall, but don’t let that scare you off. The inside is cavernous, and I can see how live music would liven things up.

The food was good (although some of my fellow diners were less enthused about their meals – the southern fried chicken and the southern fried pork chops), but the service was abysmally slow. They might have just had an off night, but if you expect good service from a restaurant (especially when there are only a couple occupied tables) you might want to go elsewhere. From the bartender behind the bar when we were the only four people sitting there (apart from one lone woman down a few seats from us) to the overwhelmed waitress who had problems taking our order in the first place (running around helping the three or four other tables that were seated in the restaurant) and remembering things we ordered (even forgetting to bring one latecomer’s salad until after her entree was served), the service was just lacking. But if you go to a restaurant for the food and not the service you might be okay.

Once we finally got some bread it was delicious – a loaf of herb bread served piping hot with lots of soft butter. We really enjoyed the bread.

The salad was fresh but nothing special – lettuce with a couple cucumber slices, croutons and shaved carrot and red cabbage. The dressing, which came in a cup on the side, was slopped over the side.

I ordered the grouper dinner and chose to get it grilled. It was well seasoned with a slight Cajun kick to it. The fish was also moist and perfectly flaky. I also enjoyed the garlic mashed potatoes (with a Cajun seasoning sprinkled on top) and the cole slaw. I tried a bite of my friend’s fried grouper, and it was also delicious.

There weren’t a lot of desserts to choose from, and they were out of a couple of them. The chocolate confusion one wasn’t available, so I ordered the Apple Betty, which was a nice Brown Betty made from apples and sweetened bread crumbs. It was a sweet ending to my meal that I enjoyed a couple bites of and then took home and had for breakfast the next day. I forgot to take a picture.

I’ve tried it. I honestly don’t think I’ll be going back any time soon and neither will my other five dining companions. We just weren’t wowed by the place. I honestly don’t know how it got in the Top 100 or was voted an OpenTable Diners’ Choice. Then again, we might have just had a really bad waitress and come on an off night. If you like grouper or Cajun food you should give it a visit.

Contact info:

Fredrick’s Wine & Dine
22005 Emery Road
Warrensville Heights, Ohio 44128
(216) 581-5299

Superior Pho

Pho (pronounced “phau”) has become very popular in the last few years. Pho is a Vietnamese noodle soup consisting of broth, linguine-shaped rice noodles, a few herbs, and meat. Pho originated in the early 20th century in northern Vietnam. In the aftermath of the Vietnam War, Vietnamese refugees brought pho to many countries.

The consensus among foodies is that Superior Pho is the number one place for slurping pho in Cleveland. It has been voted Cleveland’s Best Asian Restaurant in Scene Magazine and has an average rating of 4.5 stars from 217 reviews on Yelp. It is located inside a rather unassuming shopping plaza off of Superior that features several other ethnic restaurants (including a Korean restaurant), and the best way to enter is from the parking lot in the back. It is not visible from the street (look for No. 1 Pho and turn down E. 31st to park). You really have to look for it. Superior Pho was one of the first pho houses in Northeast Ohio and still remains one of the best.

Superior Pho without a doubt has excellent pho, but I also like some other things off their menu. I started my meal with a Vietnamese coffee. Water percolates through strong coffee grounds into a cup with condensed milk. It definitely gives you a caffeine jolt – and is fun to watch.

The spring roll is made with delightfully fresh and crisp ingredients, including shrimp, carrots, cucumber, Thai basil and mint, wrapped in a rice paper wrapper. It is served with a lovely peanut-chili dipping sauce that gives it a little zing.

Pho is available with a number of different meats, including tendon and tripe. I always order the Number 10 combination because it features a banh mi and a large pho of my choice. I usually order the Phở tái chín, which is a combination of well done brisket and eye round steak). The pho is always piping hot and plentiful. To make pho, a small mound of vermicelli noodles is topped with beef or chicken, then covered with ladlefuls of fragrant pho broth. The steaming bowls are served with a plate piled with fresh bean sprouts, sprigs of Thai basil, slices of jalapeno peppers and slices of fresh lime, which are used to adjust your pho to taste. Purists don’t add hoisin, Sriracha or fish sauce to the pho (they prefer to put it on a plate and dip the meat in), but I like to mix a couple squirts of Sriracha hot sauce. There is no wrong way to eat pho. The piping hot broth cooks the meat and vegetables as it is being brought to your table. I made the mistake of ordering pho to go once. The broth had cooled too much to properly cook the meat. Never again.

Superior Pho’s banh mi is also excellent. It features roast pork, pate, cilantro, jalapeno slices, and shredded cucumber and radish on a crispy roll. The roast pork is not char-grilled like at Saigon Grille, but it IMAG4951 is still a nice sandwich. I have never had a bad one here, and I have eaten here quite a bit.

They also offer Combination Meals that give you a bit more bang for your buck. Shown here to the left is Meal #1, which is a spring or summer roll (your choice), small pho of your choice, and a beverage for $11. I usually order the Meal #10, which is a bahn mi, a large pho of your choice, and a beverage for $13.50.

Try to come at off-times, because there are lines and it is often standing room only during peak times. Come hungry and be prepared to bring leftover pho home, because even the small pho is quite large.

Contact info:

Superior Pho
3030 Superior Avenue E
Cleveland, Ohio 44114
216-781-7462

Dim Sum at Emperor’s Palace

There’s a new place in town for dim sum, and it is fabulous. I’ve been here for dim sum four times now, and it has yet to disappoint. My friends Diane and Nancy were the first people to tell me about it, and they were there within 24 hours from when it opened. I was so glad they talked about it, because it is now one of my favorite places downtown. The staff is friendly, the food is delicious (and plentiful), and the prices are almost criminally cheap.

Emperor’s Palace opened in Cleveland’s former Chinatown area, on Rockwell Avenue between E 21st and E 24th Street. The restaurant seems like it spans the entire block, but there’s only one set of doors to enter through (and hint: the right door is always locked and is the one I always go to first). Free parking is available along the street as well as in the huge parking lot across the street, which is lined with statues of the Chinese zodiac. The decor is ornate, with lots of gold trim and chandeliers. They used to have a buffet table in the center, but they seem to have decided to focus on their dim sum and made-to-order food.

The dim sum here is served differently. Most dim sum places serve their dim sum from carts that are wheeled around the room, but Emperor’s Palace chooses to bring the entrees fresh from the kitchen, ensuring that the food is piping hot. The food is ordered and then brought out as soon as it is ready.

Dim sum is always best when shared with several people – and especially fun when shared with a larger group because you can try more things and send them around on the lazy Susan in the center of the table. I met several friends today for lunch. We feasted on eight different dim sum plates, and splitting the bill (including a generous tip) between the four of us gave us a grand total of $9.50 a piece – and we brought some leftovers home with us.

My favorite things on the menu are the steamed shrimp dumplings, the turnip cakes, and the sticky rice with preserved meats. The BBQ pork buns were also requested by a member of our table, and my Chinese-American friend G. and the waitress decided on several other plates for us (in Chinese so we were pleasantly surprised with some new things).

We started off with the pineapple buns, which were something that G. didn’t realize she had ordered, but were loved by everyone at the table. The dough was light and pleasantly yeasty, and the crust was flaky and delicious. The pineapple was not overpowering and simply delightful. I will definitely be ordering this again – perhaps as the finishing touch for dessert. The waitress also brought out a Century egg porridge/congee that G. requested since her grandmother used to make it. The waitress was unsure we would like it, and – although we assured her we would gladly try anything – she was right. It was deemed too bland by the rest of us, so I don’t think I would order this again. G. got to take several servings home with her to enjoy for breakfast this week.

I never really enjoyed turnip cake until I tried the one at Emperor’s Palace. Now I’m hooked. I’m always tempted to order a second order to go at the end of the meal to enjoy at home. Their “turnip cake country style” features dried shrimp and pork, which makes it extremely flavorful and fresh. The turnip is delicate and flaky with a nice seared crust on top. The size tends to vary every time I’ve been here (the cakes are getting smaller), but the flavor has never disappointed me. They also reheat really well at home.

The Emperor’s steamed shrimp dumplings are addictive. I seriously crave them after I leave as well as the next day. They are little delicate clouds of rice dumpling encasing a succulent shrimp filling. I can’t even begin to describe them without swooning. They are *that* good!

Another favorite of mine is the lotus leaf wrapped sticky rice. I love the delicate scent the lotus leaf gives to this dish and have always enjoyed it at other places that serve dim sum. The one at Emperor’s Palace is just bursting with a variety of meats, including pork, shrimp, chicken, and sausage. It is extremely filling, and three of us split one of the two wrapped packages in the order. I took the second one home to reheat for dinner tonight.

Their “Sao mai” (aka sui mai or shu mei depending on the translation) is dense and flavorful. It is a two-bite dim sum delicacy. I have enjoyed it both times we have ordered it.

Everyone loves the BBQ pork buns, but I have never been a huge fan. The BBQ pork buns here are light and fluffy, and the filling is flavorful. If you love them I’m sure you will be delighted. I am not including a photo here (my photo came out blurry), but you can see them in the photo below peeking out from behind the Shanghai juicy buns.

We went early today, because G. really wanted the Shanghai juicy buns and they have always been out of them when we’ve been there later in the day. We met at 11:30 (they open at 11) and were able to enjoy these little round nuggets. Emperor’s Shanghai soup dumplings are golf ball-sized buns that contain a filling of pork (and sometimes crab) and about a tablespoon of broth. When properly made, Shanghai juicy buns are really juicy, so they are definitely to be enjoyed in one bite. The proper way to eat it is to bite off the top of the bun and blow into the hole to cool off the soup, then either pour some of the accompanying gingered rice vinegar (be sure to say yes when asked if you want the sauce with it) into it. Or you can do as I did and dip it in the sauce and stuff it into your mouth so that when you bite into it the juice doesn’t spurt out all over the front of your shirt. Shanghai juicy buns are very labor-intensive and it’s not easy to make the skin paper-thin and stuff the dumpling so full of juice, so if they have it that day I highly recommend giving them a try.

Other dim sum plates I have enjoyed here in the past (but didn’t take photos of) include the scallion pancakes, pan fried pork dumplings (which we were given by mistake because it was supposed to go to another table – our gain!), fried cruller rice crêpes, sesame pork buns, tofu skin (surprisingly delicious!) and pumpkin cakes. We are always too full to order the egg custard tarts at the end. For more photos of Emperor’s Palace, check out my friend Edsel’s photostream on Flickr. My go-to person for excellent Chinese food, Nancy of Fun Playing with Food, also has some great pictures of some other dim sum dishes and entrees on her blog post on Emperor’s Palace.

Maybe one of these days I will actually order an entree here, but when the dim sum is so delicious and flavorful it is hard not to stick with what I love.

Contact info:

Emperor’s Palace
2136 Rockwell Avenue
Cleveland OH 44114
(216) 861-9999

Kuhar’s Arabica

Kuhar’s has been serving its authentic Eastern European cuisine to Northeast Ohio for more than 30 years. I recently discovered Kuhar’s Arabica when a friend recommended it to me. Kuhar’s Arabica is located in Richmond Heights near the corner of Richmond Road and Wilson Mills Road. It is tucked away at the back of a strip mall behind La Fiesta. It has a couple of small tables, but they primarily focus on carry-out. There is also a carry-out store in Mentor on Broadmoor Road. Kuhar’s is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

I have stopped here twice and look forward to frequenting it more often. The first time I ordered the House Platter, which features a combination platter of Wiener Schnitzel, Paris Schnitzel and smoked sausage served with sauerkraut, choice of potato (I ordered mashed) a side salad and a slice of soft white bread for only $11.75. Having lived in Salzburg, Austria for a year and Germany for six years I know my Schnitzel. This is among the best Schnitzel I have found in Cleveland. Pounded thin with a light coating of breading, this Schnitzel was delicious. I couldn’t decide which of the two I liked better, because they were both excellent. The sausage was also quite good, and the sauerkraut was soft and silky and not too bitter.

They serve specials every day, and I have been looking forward to trying their Tuesday special, stuffed cabbage. It isn’t as “tomatoey” as Sokolowski’s stuffed cabbage, but this stuffed cabbage was delicious. The meat and rice filling was perfectly seasoned, and the cabbage and sauerkraut were not overpowering. I once again ordered the mashed potatoes and got a side of peas and carrots with my meal. For only $8 I received two reasonably sized stuffed cabbages, a generous scoop of mashed potatoes and stuffed cabbage gravy, peas and carrots, a side salad and a slice of their white bread. Yum! And even though I am not a huge fan of peas and carrots these weren’t half bad.

I can’t wait to try the St. Moritz Schnitzel and the Goulasch, and I have a good friend/fellow German translator who will be thrilled to hear about their Rouladen. It’s her favorite, and I plan to surprise her with an order of it at her baby shower in a few days.

But I would be remiss if I didn’t mention their desserts. They offer a special dessert every day as well as strudel. I had the choice of apple, cherry or cheese strudel. I ordered both the cherry strudel for $2.25 and the custard square for $2.95 to share with my friend the first day. The strudel was delicious. Flaky and light with a delicious filling. I am usually pretty picky when it comes to strudel (again, living in Austria will do that…), but this strudel is again some of the best I’ve had in Cleveland. Usually the strudel here is a little tough and difficult to cut with a fork. Not this strudel! The custard square was also absolutely divine. The custard held up well and wasn’t too runny, and the pastry dough was flaky and delicious.

Contact info:

Kuhar’s Arabica
5115 Wilson Mills Rd # 1
Cleveland
(440) 449-4100

Luna Bakery

Whenever I want to give myself a little treat I stop by Luna Bakery and buy myself a ham and Swiss croissant and a coffee. Luna Bakery is located on Fairmount just after the intersection with Cedar. It is located a door or two down from The Mad Greek (it’s on the end so just turn into the parking lot behind the stores). Luna Bakery IMAG5004 has proven to be so popular that they have already expanded seating to accommodate the throngs of people. This is a great place to meet some friends for coffee and pastry or enjoy one of their outstanding crepes (I recommend the Nutella and banana crepe, but any of them are a good choice).

One of my friends who is a particularly picky eater swears that their cheddar herb scones are one of the best things she has ever ate. One particularly popular breakfast item is the Nest Egg (a sunny egg nested in semolina toast topped with cheddar (ham is optional) – an egg-in-a-hole with a twist), but be sure to get there early because they stop serving it once breakfast hours have finished (11 a.m. on the weekend).

The pastry counter has lots of good choices. They offer a gluten-free / flourless chocolate cake, tarts, and raspberry bars, and their whimsical sugar cookies puts smiles on the faces of children and children-at-heart.

But my favorite treat is the ham and Swiss croissant. It is exactly like the ham and Swiss croissants I used to buy in Germany. The ham and cheese is rolled up in the croissant dough and gets all crispy and melty. It’s divine. But get there early. They usually sell out really quickly. A ham and cheese croissant and a cafe au lait can really brighten up my day. They are also available at The Stone Oven on Lee Road.

Contact info:

Luna Bakery Café
2482 Fairmount Boulevard
Cleveland Heights, OH 44106
(216) 231-8585

Sokolowski’s University Inn

Sokolowski’s is a Cleveland institution. My father used to eat there all the time with his co-workers from Richman Brothers, and I grew up hearing about his lunches at Sokolowski’s, Sterle’s and the Hofbräuhaus. I finally got a chance to check it out for myself about ten years ago and have been a fan ever since. I was craving comfort food this afternoon, so I called some friends and we headed out to Sokolowski’s. We got there at around 11:30 to avoid the lunch rush, and got in line just in time because Lolly the Trolley let off a big group there just behind us.

Established in 1923, Sokolowski’s University Inn is one Cleveland’s oldest family owned and operated restaurants. Specializing in Polish and Eastern European cuisine, this Cleveland institution has been feeding its bratwurst, kielbasa (my dad’s favorite), pierogi, stuffed cabbage, cabbage and noodles, chicken paprikash, etc. to its customers for over 87 years.

Food is served cafeteria-style. There is always a crowd, but don’t worry – being cafeteria style the line moves fast. You line up, grab a tray and silverware and work your way down the line. I couldn’t help but start dancing when I grabbed my tray and heard the polka music. The first stop is salads (as well as beet salad and a delicious cucumber-dill salad) served on ice and saran-wrapped pies and cakes, followed by alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages either from bus tubs or the fountain (and they offer several beers on tap – today they had my favorite, Reissdorfer Kölsch on tap for $5 for a pint, but I went with their ‘house’ brand grape soda). After that you are confronted with the hot foods. Every lunch and dinner is served with a roll, so they have a sign telling you to take one. You have to be quick with your order because they move quickly. Hot food is constantly being brought out from the kitchen behind them. All lunches and dinners come with two sides, and they don’t give you a lot of time to think about it. Some of the available sides include pierogi, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, green beans, and cabbage and noodles. You can also order soup and/or sandwiches (which come with a pickle and potato salad). Friday lunch and dinner features lots of fish choices – as well as mac and cheese.

Have a heart for those behind you and try to pay in cash if you can. It keeps the line moving. They have a $10.00 limit for credit cards. They have guys waiting at the cash register to carry your tray and escort you to a table. Normally I ask to sit in the room with the piano player. Tom “Mr. T at the Keys” Ballog plays during Wednesday through Saturday hours. It adds a nice ambiance to the meal. Dad also taught me to unload your tray onto the table when you sit down so they can quickly reuse them, but I don’t know if that is necessary anymore.

My choice today was the fresh bratwurst with a side of pierogi and corn. The woman behind the counter gave me corn and green beans. When I corrected her she slapped some pierogis on a plate for me and told me to tell the cashier (who is one of the owners) that it was a mistake. Well, I didn’t have the heart to do that and paid for the pierogis extra. They’re worth it. But you do need to be vigilant at the counter, because they managed to screw up each of our three orders somehow. In the end I was really pleased I had the corn and green beans (if you are a fan of canned green beans you will be thrilled. Yes, yes, when it comes to green beans I have no taste…), because I walked out of there this time not feeling overloaded with carbs. Sokolowski’s can be quite carb-heavy, as my friend who had the pierogi lunch with potato pancakes and mashed potatoes and gravy can attest. He ended up boxing half of his meal and bringing it home.

Since this is a Cleveland food blog, let me just talk about the pierogi for a second. Sokolowski’s pierogi may be small and only come filled with mashed potatoes and cheese, but they pack a flavorful punch. They are served in a pool of melted butter and sautéd onions. I dripped some of the butter on my t-shirt today and can still smell the onion and butter as I type this. About a year ago I did a taste test, going to Babushka’s Kitchen one night and Sokolowski’s for lunch the next day. I ordered the same thing – stuffed cabbage and pierogi. Babushka’s Kitchen’s pierogi are bigger and there are a lot more choices to choose from, but Sokolowski’s won my heart hands down. Babushka’s definitely gives them a run for their money, but you just can’t beat the flavor of Sokolowski’s pierogi. But for the record, Sokolowski’s stuffed cabbage blows Babushka’s away. It isn’t even a contest in my book. It may not be haute cuisine, but it tastes just like my Ukrainian grandma used to make it.

I had enough room for a bite of the coconut cream cake, which is one of my favorite desserts there (if they don’t have the rice pudding). It looks really heavy, but you wouldn’t believe how light and airy it is. It’s like biting into a cloud of moist cake, whipped cream and coconut. I also had a bite of my friend M.’s carrot cake, and it may have replaced the coconut cream cake in my favorites list. Whatever your dessert favorite, be it rice pudding, cherry, apple or blueberry pie (or whatever other flavor they have), chocolate cream pie, coconut cake, or carrot cake, you won’t go wrong grabbing it at the top of the cafeteria line – even if you have to box it up and bring it home with you, which is what I usually do.

Friday nights I can highly recommend the meatloaf. The slice of meatloaf almost hangs over the plate and has a nice tomato-chipotle glaze. One of the best meatloaves I have ever eaten in a restaurant. IMAG0602

The Innerbelt Bridge project has made it a little more difficult to find it, but the long line at 11:30 shows that it hasn’t killed business. Coming from the east, we got off at the Abbey Avenue exit, took a left on Fairfield Avenue, turned onto W. 11th and pulled into the parking lot on Abbey. Luckily there were signs to Sokolowski’s with arrows that we could follow. Sokolowski’s has directions on its website, but they should only serve as a guideline. If you head to Parallax and South Side you’ll find Sokolowski’s. And I promise it’s well worth the extra aggravation.

I had been debating between Slyman’s and Sokolowski’s today, but Slyman’s sandwiches are $11.00-12.00 and my bratwurst lunch with two sides at Sokolowski’s was $8.00. Sure, I paid extra for the cake, drink and side of pierogi, but I was very happy with my decision to eat at Sokolowski’s. Slyman’s will be there another day. Sokolowski’s is open Monday-Friday 11 am – 3 pm and Friday and Saturday from 5 pm – 9 pm and 4 pm – 9 pm respectively.

Contact info:

Sokolowski’s University Inn
1201 University Rd
Cleveland, OH 44113
(216) 771-9236

And did I mention that Anthony Bourdain ate here for his show “No Reservations”? The website also features Michael Symon talking about Sokolowski’s pierogi in “The Best Thing I Ever Ate.” Like I said, it’s an institution…

Tree Country Bistro on Coventry Road

Tree Country Bistro is just down the street from me, and I had no idea it was there for almost a year. That was a real shame, but I’m making up for lost time. Right in the heart of Coventry, this tiny little restaurant is an Asian food haven. Tree Country Bistro offers a large variety of menu selections ranging from Japanese entrees and sushi to Korean such as Bi Bim Bab and traditional Thai curries. Located so close to Pacific East I never thought to go to Tree Country Bistro for sushi, but their sushi is equally fresh and delicious. When I order sushi for delivery, Tree Country Bistro is my first choice, because they offer a wide selection of sushi and some other warm appetizers like shumai (steamed or fried shrimp dumplings with a soy ginger sauce – I prefer them steamed as in this photo).

You can’t go wrong with the spring rolls (as seen in the top photo behind my melon smoothie) or the gyoza (pork dumplings), but if you want to try something different I highly recommend you try the soft shell crab tempura as an appetizer. The dish features lightly breaded and perfectly fried soft shell crab and vegetables with a light dipping sauce. Wow! Talk about different and delicious!

My favorite roll is their Ebi Mango Maki, which features cooked shrimp, fresh mango, tempura crumbs and a special sauce. The flavor is bright and delicious. The tempura crumbs were a nice contrast to the smoothness of the mango.

If you prefer trying their Korean dishes you will also not be disappointed. Their Bulgogi and Bi BimBap are definite must-tries. Bulgogi is a Korean dish that usually consists of marinated barbecued beef, chicken or pork. It is listed at number 23 on the World’s 50 most delicious foods readers’ poll compiled by CNN Go in 2011. Bulgogi literally means “fire meat” and is made from thin slices of beef. Before cooking, the meat is marinated to enhance its flavor and tenderness with a mixture of soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, garlic, pepper and other ingredients such as scallions, onions or mushrooms.

The day we ate there most of my friends ordered the various versions of BimBap, which features chicken or beef. It is made with bulgogi-style meat and deliciously marinated vegetables. Tree Country Bistro serves their traditional BimBap with a cooked egg on top (see photo on left). They also serve Okdol Bi BimBap (on the right), which is served in a sizzling hot stone pot. Everyone loved their choices.

The service was attentive (considering we were a large table and they had quite a few additional tables to take care of at the same time). Drinks were refilled, and the attention to detail in the food was really remarkable. In fact, one of the plates of sushi was served in the shape of a heart, which was a cute touch. The owners brought out a beautifully cut plate of fresh fruit (watermelon, honeydew melon, grapes and orange slices topped with hand-carved carrot butterflies and flowers) for us on the house, which was a lovely surprise. Unfortunately my photo of it was blurry, so I can’t share it. It was the perfect ending to a delicious meal.

The menu is understandably extensive. You can check it out by clicking on the restaurant name under Contact info. I’m confident everyone you dine with will be able to find something to satisfy them.

Contact info:

Tree Country Bistro
1803 Coventry Road
Cleveland Hts. OH 44118
(216) 321-0644

An Ode to Smoked Prime Rib

Now being served in the dining room of Frank Sterle’s on Friday nights.

Oh, smoked prime rib, you complete me… your tender, juicy meat, your marbling, your smoky flavor, your crispy crust…
Served with creamy garlic mashed potatoes and the tenderest, butteriest ear of corn I’ve eaten in a long while…
Walter and Scott from Fat Casual BBQ in Macedona (later Tavern of Solon, now Frank Sterle’s) have outdone themselves – truly…
I don’t think I shall ever forget you.

Luckily I won’t have to, because they are starting to serve it again since the weather is starting to cool. Get your own smoked prime rib by visiting ~~Fat Casual BBQ in Macedonia~~ ~~Tavern of Solon~~ Frank Sterle’s Slovenian Country House on Friday nights. The smoked prime rib is ready to serve at 5 and sells out quickly. The day I bought mine it sold out by 6:15. I got mine to go and ate the other half of the prime rib on a crispy baguette from Stone Oven for lunch the next day. If they’ve run out, you won’t go wrong ordering anything off their menu, such as the ribs, the smoked turkey, the brisket, the sweet potato salad, the deep fried potato salad…

Le Petit Triangle in Ohio City

IMG_20190209_122318 Update (2024): Le Petit Triangle is expanding and they are planning to expand the menu with it.

Update (2019): I was thrilled when they expanded into the space next door to seat 55 guests. When they added the front patio, that number climbed to 75 when it is nice outside.

This place is tiny (as in only maybe 8 tables – tops – in the winter and a few more on the sidewalk), but it serves up some heavenly crepes and French bistro fare.

20200126_145006 This is my go-to place whenever I want to have a leisurely breakfast or lunch featuring a good cafe au lait and feel like I’m back in Europe sitting in a little corner bistro. My first meal here was a memorable fondue dinner featuring the most amazing White Bordeaux back when it was Le Oui Oui Cafe. A friend from grad school invited me here to enjoy an authentic French meal. Our table was situated in the front window of the original pie-shaped space – le petit triangle. It was more a small open kitchen with a few extra seats than a dining room. Le Oui Oui Cafe was known for their crepes, and Le Petit Triangle continued the tradition. For such a small place and “limited” menu, the food is simply outstanding. I have never had a bad meal here.

nicoise They serve a delicious Salad Nicoise (featuring a pan-seared salmon filet, redskin potatoes, green beans, olives, tomato, hard boiled egg, and a peppercorn dressing), Croque Monsieur (ham, Gruyere and Bechamel sauce served warm on grilled challah with a side of potatoes), Croque Madame (the same sandwich but topped with a fried egg) and crusty baguette sandwiches. They are also known for their savory and sweet crepes and a delicious and filling French onion soup.

I was craving a baguette sandwich after watching Martha Stewart make one on her show, so I decided to enjoy a late lunch recently. I started with the French Three Onion Soup, which is topped with Gruyere and is vegetarian-based. Life just seems complete when you are eating a nice steaming bowl of French onion soup. Digging through the melty Gruyere cheese, tearing off some of the hunk of bread at the bottom of the bowl and getting the perfect amount of onions and broth is decadence at its best. In fact, I couldn’t wait to let it cool a bit before I dug in and burned my mouth. Do yourself a favor and let it cool just a bit.

For my baguette sandwich, I was torn between the Pan Bagna, which features Swiss cheese, ham, tomato, artichokes, spinach, olive tapenade on a baguette and served with a side of couscous-lentil salade, or the Caprese (fresh mozzarella, sliced tomato, spinach with pesto on a baguette). The server (who also happened to be the owner) recommended the Pan Bagna, so I went with her recommendation. Wow, it was great! The olive tapenade really made the sandwich shine. As you can see from the side shot of the sandwich it was just packed with cheese, ham and veggies. And have I mentioned the olive tapenade? Soooo good!

20200126_145114 If you still have room, I highly recommend ordering one of their sweet crepes. They are absolutely divine. My favorite is the Nutella crepe.

My friends and I enjoyed a delicious brunch here back in 2019. Their Raspberry and Mango French toast made with challah was the highlight. I ate it several times when it was the featured French toast on the menu in 2019, and I consider it one of the things I ate that year – if not the best French toast I have ever eaten.

They are open Monday and Thursday from 10 am-10 pm, Friday and Saturday from 10 am-11 pm and Sunday from 10 am-9 pm.
20200126_145114

Contact info:

Le Petit Triangle
1881 Fulton Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44113
(216) 281-1881

Hot Sauce Williams

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Edit: All Hot Sauce Williams locations are now closed.

1297095070-hot-sauce-williams — Photo from the Cleveland Scene

Hot Sauce Williams is a Cleveland institution. I drive past it all the time and had heard so many good things about it that I finally decided I needed to try it. If you love fried food that is slathered in hot sauce, then this is your place. We went to the main restaurant on Carnegie, but they have additional locations on Lee Road and Superior Avenue. The restaurant has a “divey” feel to it, which I always enjoy (I still miss the old Suds Maguire in Olmsted Township). The tables are covered in plastic and the place looks somewhat run-down. Just don’t come here expecting fast or friendly service. In fact, the major negative about our visit to Hot Sauce Williams was that the service was slower than molasses and was not particularly friendly, but we quickly forgot about that after digging into the food. But if you go in knowing it’s a bit of a dive and that the food makes it worth the trip you’ll be ok. One thing I can say is that you get a massive amount of food for a great price. It just took an hour to get it. If you don’t want to wait that long, order whatever is in the warmers behind the counter.

Hot Sauce Williams’ fried chicken was highly recommended as being amazingly good, so I went there intent on fried chicken. I ordered the 2 piece fried chicken breast dinner and received two massive bone-in chicken breasts. They needed to make it in the back and took their good old sweet time doing so. It came out so hot it melted the styrofoam. I could barely finish one breast and took the rest home. It came with cole slaw and French fries and slices of white or wheat bread and cost a whopping $5.99.

The wing dinner was $5.00 and also came with French fries and coleslaw, white or wheat bread. My friend upgraded and ordered three different sides, which she absolutely raved about – mac and cheese, collard greens and candied yams. True Southern comfort food!

Another friend ordered a full slab rib dinner for $19.50 (it also comes with French fries, cole slaw and white or wheat bread). He let me try a couple bones while I waited for my food and watched everyone eat. They don’t fall off the bone, but they are nicely smoked and slathered in an absolutely delicious sauce. After all, Hot Sauce Williams is known for the BBQ sauce.

They gave our group a mess of French fries for free to compensate for our wait. We got an industrial restaurant aluminum pan brimming full of fries (you can see it at the top of the photo in the center of the table). The fries are actually store-bought Ore-Ida brand fries, but they were good – especially drenched in the hot sauce, which wasn’t all that hot (as in spicy).

We weren’t all that impressed with the desserts though (I was so unimpressed that I didn’t even take photos of it), so unless something really tickles your fancy just keep gorging yourself on the dinners. No one walked out of here hungry. In fact, we all left with lots of leftovers.

Hot Sauce Williams has been featured on Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations and Man vs. Food. The menu item that was featured on Man vs. Food was the Polish Boy IMG_20170625_193149 sandwich. It is a whopping $3.50. According to Man vs. Food, the Polish Boy is Cleveland’s signature menu item. I must not be a true Clevelander (although I was born in Parma and grew up in Olmsted Falls), because I have never had a Polish Boy. Pierogis? Yes. Kielbasa? Yes. But a Polish Boy? I had never heard of one until a few years ago. The Polish Boy at Hot Sauce Williams is made up of an all beef kielbasa, French fries, cole slaw, bbq pork shoulder, and hot sauce on a bun. I’ll be sure to get one next time.

Contact info:

Hot Sauce Williams
3770 Lee Road
Cleveland, OH 44128
(216) 921-4704

12310 Superior Ave.
Cleveland, OH 44106
(216)249-0710