Cheap eats – Page 4 – Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Eats

Tita Flora’s

Cleveland does not have many Filipino restaurants. For the longest time, the only choice was Nipa Hut, a store on W. 130th in Parma that serves takeout during the week and had a buffet on Saturdays until COVID hit. Tita Flora’s is a welcome addition to the dining landscape. This sit-down restaurant can seat 60 and is located on Brecksville Road in Independence (in the former Babushka’s Kitchen location).

The restaurant serves Filipino staples like chicken or pork adobo (braised in soy sauce, vinegar, onions, garlic, and pepper), crispy vegetable or pork lumpia (similar to fried spring rolls), pork or tofu sisig served on a sizzling platter, pancit made with rice or wheat noodles, and longsilog, the all-day breakfast dish of sausage fried rice topped with a fried egg. They are still working out some kinks and were not serving the buttery garlic shrimp or the lunch specials that have since been taken off the menu.

We started off being greeted by our server and having any questions we had answered. She was very knowledgeable and took good care of us. We ordered beverages and Pik Pik (starters) to start. I had a taste of both lumpia, and they were both quite tasty and perfectly fried. The vegetable lumpia are filled with carrot, cabbage, and green bean and are served as two long rolls. I preferred the pork lumpia (Lumpia Shanghai). They just had more flavor and are served with a delicious chili dipping sauce. Another one of my friends enjoyed the fish balls. He was on the other side of the table, so I didn’t get a chance to sample them.

She highly recommended the pork or chicken adobo. My friend ordered the Bistek (thinly sliced beef and onions braised in soy and citrus – see above), but sent it back because it was too salty and ordered the pork adobo instead. I highly recommend getting the pork adobo. I had a piece of it and fell in love. It is made with pork belly and just has a ton of flavor. They were little nuggets of deliciousness.

Several of us ordered the Chicken Inasal. Billed as a “famous Ilonggo dish,” it is a quarter chicken marinated in a unique blend of spices and fire-grilled. It was served with a tiny side of tomato and cucumbers and little dipping sauce dishes to add to taste. One of us loved it, while the other had difficulty eating it.

One of my friends ordered the Ginataang Gulay, which is a creamy coconut milk stew made with squash and green beans. You can add shrimp to it. I had a taste of it and also loved it. It reminded me of the coconut milk stews I have enjoyed at Batuqui and Sergio’s Sarava. I will definitely order this the next time if the garlic shrimp still isn’t available.

All of the dinners come with white rice, but you can upgrade to garlic fried rice for an extra $2. We all chose to upgrade. I thought the garlic fried rice was good, but it was a little overpowering when paired with some of the more flavor-forward items. I ordered the white rice on my second visit with my chicken adobo, and it definitely hit the spot as I drizzled the sauce over the rice and paired it with a bit of chicken.

I went back a week later, hoping the garlic shrimp would be available, but it still wasn’t. I ordered the pork lumpia and chicken adobo and took half of both home for leftovers. The chicken adobo had a similar flavor profile as the pork adobo since it uses the same spices and marinade. The chicken flaked apart with my fork and was tasty, but I definitely prefer the pork adobo.

I have tried both desserts on the menu – the Turon and the Halo Halo. The Turon is a deep-fried banana rolled in a spring roll wrapper. It is normally served with ube ice cream, but they were out of the ube ice cream so I was served vanilla ice cream with an ube drizzle. It was perfectly fried with no residual grease and absolutely delicious. I shared it with my friends, and everyone agreed that it was tasty.

Halo Halo is Tagalog for “mix-mix.” The Halo Halo is a mix of crushed ice, evaporated milk, and various ingredients including coconut strips, sago, gulaman, sweet beans, and yams, and topped with a scoop of ice cream. I enjoyed it except for the clumps of ice that overwhelmed at times. It is kind of like a shaved ice with several toppings. I prefer the shaved ice at Koko Bakery over Halo Halo, but it is a nice ending to the meal if the Dairy King on the other side of the street is closed for the season.

I also hear that they serve silvanas, a traditional layered Filipino cookie from the southern region of the Philippines made by Silvanas Kitchen, a local Filipino artisan who started making them during the pandemic and selling them at local farmer’s markets. Be sure to ask about them and try one or two.

Contact info:

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

Szalay’s Sweet Corn Farm & Market

There’s a magical time of year in Ohio called “corn season.” At least in my opinion. My all-time favorite food is corn on the cob, but corn is best when it is in season. Sweet corn season in Ohio begins July 1, usually spreading from southern Ohio to the north. It continues until the first frost in late September or early October.

This means I get to enjoy corn on the cob on my birthday every year. I request it with whatever else we are eating for the birthday dinner. It goes with everything – fried chicken, ribs, burgers, kebabs, etc. It’s even good as a meal on its own. People have been doctoring up corn recently to make elote/Mexican sweet corn, but I like it just with butter and salt. Growing up our church would host a corn roast at one of the member’s homes. They would soak the corn in buckets and throw them husk and all on the fire to get the perfect char.

Szalay’s Sweet Corn Farm & Market is open 7 days a week from 9 am-7 pm, but it is an event on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in August. The sweet corn farm has a market where you can buy lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, bread, strudel, etc., but it features weekend food stands that offer sandwiches and hot dogs, corn, homemade lemonade and canned pop, and soft serve ice cream and fruit sundaes with ice cream and fruit. There are swinging picnic tables to eat at, but they turn over quickly. They have a bouncy house and other play stuff for the kids, and later in the season they have a corn maze in the parking lot across the street.

Word of warning: they only take cash or checks. Not just the food stands, but also the market. They have an ATM on site if you need to withdraw cash.

I’ve been coming on my own on the spur of the moment for several years, but decided to organize a lunch on the second Friday the food stands were open. There is usually live music on the weekends. Things were crazy, but not as crazy as it usually is on Saturday and Sunday. I sat at the table while my friends hit the food stands. We feasted on pork loin sandwiches, corn on the cob, lemonade and delicious fruit and soft serve. I chose blueberries with vanilla ice cream that tasted like fresh cream. The corn was absolutely perfect. They roast it and dip it in butter before handing it over wrapped in husk and foil. The pork loin sandwich was okay. The pork loin was pretty thin and the tomato kind of overshadowed it.

After we ate, we hit the market to stock up on corn, nectarines, peaches, melons, tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbage, etc. We then all headed our separate ways to run errands, go back to work, or just go home.

Contact info:

Szalay’s Corn Farm & Market
4563 Riverview Road
Peninsula, OH 44264
(330) 657-2727

Euro Wafel Bar

UPDATE: Euro Wafel Bar has moved to Coventry Road in the space next to Bodega. The hours have also changed, from 3 PM until 10 PM during the week and midnight on Friday and Saturday. Sundays they are open from noon until 10 PM.

The Euro Wafel Bar is a late night cafe (5 pm to 1 am) that just recently started serving brunch from 10 am-2 pm on the weekend (as of July 1, 2023). It is closed on Mondays. They also have special hours during Ramadan. Euro Wafel Bar is located on Mayfield Road off Euclid Avenue at the Huntington Bank Building on One Triangle Plaza (parking lot available in front and behind the building). It is close to Case Western Reserve University and caters to the college crowd. The place is usually packed with co-eds.

The Euro Wafel Bar serves sweet and savory Belgian waffles and crepes as well as milkshakes, coffee, tea and handmade Hawaiian lemonade. You can order a Liege, Brussels or bubble waffle or a crepe. You can order them savory or sweet.

Their savory offerings include chicken, brie, Swiss, spinach or tomato – for example, The Parisienne features brie, honey and walnuts, while the Spicy Vegetarian features hummus, spinach, avocado, olive oil and red pepper. They also have a Honey Dijon Chicken with chicken, a dijon mustard dressing, cheddar and tomatoes. Their sweet offerings feature an array of fresh fruits, candy flavors like Ferrero Rocher, chocolate, Oreo, Nutella and cookie butter, and even ice cream.

I ordered the Bananas Foster waffle with ice cream on my first visit. My friend ordered the Bananas Foster without ice cream. The portion was huge and the fillings were generous. The Bananas Foster waffle features banana, caramel, cookie butter and whipped cream. It was super-sweet, and I was not able to finish it, which was a shame. But now you can order a mini-waffle of any of the choices for $5.50.

One of the fruit waffles on a Liege waffle had so much fruit in it you couldn’t see the waffle! This waffle with bananas, strawberries and mango totally hit the spot, and every single bite was delicious.

The Hawaiian lemonades are great. I haven’t been able to order a coffee or tea because I like to be able to sleep at night. They also serve Turkish coffee, which would make me jittery and keep me up all night. I guess if I were still in college that would come in handy. I used to work as a night guard from 11 pm to 7 am and developed a serious Mountain Dew addiction back then. Caffeine was king. Now I have to stop drinking coffee before 4 pm. Getting old sucks.

Mon, Tue, Wed and Thurs	3:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Fri and Sat	3:00 PM – midnight
Sun	12:00 PM – 10:00 PM

Contact info:

Euro Wafel Bar
1854 Coventry Road
Cleveland Heights, OH 44118
(216) 280-8037
theeurowafelbar@gmail.com (preferred contact method)

Spudnut Donuts in Berea

Spudnuts are not just any doughnut. Spudnuts are fresh, delicious donuts made from potato flour. Berea’s Spudnut Donuts became one of the first franchised dealers in the nation in 1949 and is one of the few original Spudnut shops remaining. The parent company no longer exists, but there are only a few independent franchise shops left – with two in Ohio. One in Berea, and one in Mentor.

Bob and Al Pelton were looking for a recipe that would make a better doughnut and started experimenting with potato dough in 1946 at their doughnut shop in Salt Lake City, Utah. They came up with a combination of ingredients that included mashed Idaho potatoes, mountain grown wheat flours and spices from all over the world. The result was a consistently light, fluffy, tender potato doughnut with a unique delicate flavor.

I grew up one town over from Berea, and everyone always raved about Spudnuts. I’m sure I ate my share of spudnuts back in the day. To this day it remains my favorite doughnut. The location moved three times in the past – from Front Street to Riverside Drive and now to Prospect Road.

The Spudnuts in Berea always has a throughly stocked counter. Whenever I have gone to the one in Mentor (no matter what time it is) it is always fairly bare with a serious lack of fun doughnuts. I prefer a yeast doughnut, but even Spudnuts cake doughnuts are moist and delicious – unlike most other cake doughnuts (no coffee for dunking needed here!).

I love a good glazed doughnut, but the custard and jelly filled doughnuts are also a treat. I bought a huge box for my girlfriends in St. Patrick’s Day in March and they were a huge hit. They loved the sprinkles.

Contact info:

Spudnut Donuts (Berea)
650 Prospect Street
Berea, Ohio 44017
(440) 234-4249

Spudnuts Shoppe (Mentor)
6930 Center Street
Mentor, OH 44060
(440) 255-7257

St. Barnabas in Northfield

Did I save the best fish fry for last? I enjoyed an outstanding fish fry at St. Barnabas in Northfield tonight. It was one of the few churches offering a fish fry on Good Friday. Most pull back to focus on the Good Friday services, but this fish fry is put on by the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts and hosted by the church. They serve from 4:30 to 7 PM every Friday. The new priest arrived at the same time I did and was asked by the guy holding the door open for guests how the service went.

Finding it was pretty easy. My GPS brought me straight to the parking lot and the signs pointed me where to go. The fish fry was being held in the Gynasium. It was easy enough to find, and there wasn’t a line at all. They had two cash registers taking the orders, and I was able to pay with my debit card, which was nice because I had just spent my cash earlier today at State Meats getting the fresh kielbasa and lamb butter for our Easter dinner. I ordered a little bit of his and a little bit of that, so it added up.

The cafeteria was a good choice for it. The food was being served out of the kitchen at the back wall, and the drinks and cake were along the right wall. The Boy Scouts were conscientiously roaming the room with rolling carts, collecting trays, empty dirty plates and running to grab condiments as needed.

Let’s talk about the meal. They advertise the fish fry by talking about serving “pub style” Icelandic cod and fresh squeezed lemonade. They should also emphasize that they have a different special every week. This week they were serving Baja fish tacos. I decided to get a fish dinner with two pieces of fish and a crab cake and pierogi as sides. The Icelandic cod was flaky and moist. I ate one piece and saved the second one for tomorrow. The crab cake was great – served with a special mustard and more crab than breading. The pierogi were probably Mrs. T’s but they were cooked perfectly and had a nice amount of carmelized onions. Even the cole slaw was tasty – fresh veggies with a creamy sauce. But let’s talk about the real star in my eyes – the French fries. The fries were amazing! They are billed as “premium long cut french fries”and were crunchy on the outside but soft on the inside. There was no additional flavoring – just pure potato goodness. They were honestly the best fries I have eaten in a while. I also really enjoyed the fresh squeezed lemonade. It was totally worth the cost.

If you choose to get your meal as a carryout meal, you can phone in your order starting at 2:00 p.m. each Friday at 330-800-6804 (Note new phone number) or order online at http://www.mkt.com/575fishfry. I asked for a to-go box (biodegradeable!) as soon as I sat down and took half of my meal home for tomorrow. This fish fry is going on the rotation next year for sure. I enjoyed every single item on my tray.

Contact info:

St. Barnabas Catholic Church
9451 Brandywine Road (fish fry is at 9200 Olde 8 Road)
Northfield, OH 4406
(330) 800-6804

Fish Fry Friday #7 2023 – St. Adalbert in Berea

I had been here before COVID and loved it. Any place that serves Dick’s Bakery is Aces in my book. Dick’s Bakery has amazing baked goods, but their Date Nut cake is the thing of legends. My high school graduation cake was a Date Nut sheet cake from Dick’s Bakery. That was way back in 1987, and I still love it. Well, things have changed post-COVID, and now, instead of including a dessert with the fish fry, the youth have a baked goods sales (free with donation) to support the group’s summer retreat to Steubenville. I can totally respect and support that.

Fish fry entrance is on the left; carry out on the right past the overhang.

Even without a dessert you still get a lot of bang for your buck here at St. Adalbert’s fish fry. It costs $13 and is all you can eat. It’s $11 for Seniors 60+ and $7 for kids 3-12. Cash or check only. The dinner includes baked breaded cod, cole slaw, mac n cheese, cabbage and noodles, three kinds of pierogi (kraut, potato and cheese – you can get up to four on your first go-around, then they limit you to two at a time), fresh cut french fries and coffee, water, lemonade or iced tea. I skipped the french fries and got one each of the pierogi. They ask that you limit what you choose, since the money goes to charity. I knew I wouldn’t be partaking in the all-you-can-eat feature, so I wanted to make sure I finished everything I chose. If you do choose to get more you just need to go to the right of the serving tables and they’ll take care of you.

The fish fry starts at 4:30. I got there shortly before 4, and the parking lot was almost full. I got into line at 4:15, and the line spanned down the hall and into the church foyer. And the line never subsided the whole time I was there. They have some bench seating along the sides, but if you have problems standing that long you may want to skip it or get carry out. One woman almost collapsed from low blood sugar and had to be carried to a bench. She was stubborn and got back into line after a few minutes. Her husband ended up seating her at a table as soon as they entered the hall and continued in the line to get dinners for them both. Because the line wrapped around the back and side of the hall as well.

They opened the hall doors at 4:30, and it took 45 minutes to work our way to the serving tables. It was fun looking at all the old photographs from the history of the church. One photo featured the first baptised baby from the 1830s!

Carry out is open from 4:30 to 6:30 and is in a completely separate area on the right side of the building. The choices include the fish dinner, a pierogi dinner, a fish sandwich and a kids’ meal. You can dine in from 4:30 to 7:30, but I was told they will lock the doors sometimes at 6:30 or 6:45 if they think they are going to run out of food. So the long lines were not just because it was their last fish fry of the year. It’s because the food is EXCELLENT and a total bargain!

Let’s start with the fish. It was delicious. They only serve baked breaded cod, so if you are looking for gluten-free options you are out of luck. But folks, this was one of the tastiest pieces of fish I’ve enjoyed all year – and I really loved St. Joseph’s. I don’t know what made it so tasty, but paired with the tartar sauce each bite was an absolute delight. I ALMOST went back for a second piece, but decided my diet and body wouldn’t appreciate that. I have been taking a semiglutide for the last 3 weeks, which is changing my tastes and what my body can handle. My digestion is slowing, and I will soon be unable to handle fatty, fried foods and sugar. But hey, I’m already down ten pounds.

OK, moving on to the sides. The mac n cheese was really good – not too goopy and not too sweet. The cheese clung to the pasta very well. The cabbage and noodles were great. The cabbage was cut up into small pieces, and the noodles and cabbage were easy to eat with a fork (which is not always the case). I chose one of each of the pierogo choices. The kraut and potato were great – very savory, nicely flavored without too much filling. I saved the cheese pierogi as my dessert, because it was filled with a sweet farmer’s cheese. I can’t say anything about the fries, but the guy sitting next to me enjoyed them a lot. I paired my meal with an Arnold Palmer (half lemonade, half iced tea). I can highly recommend St. Adalbert’s fish fry! Put them on the list for next year.

Contact info:

St. Adalbert Church
66 Adalbert Street
Berea, OH 44017
(440) 234-6830

Fish Fry #6 2023 – St. Sava on Wallings Road

This is a story of two churches. St. Sava Cathedral and St. Sava Church are both Serbian Orthodox churches that are located south of Cleveland. One (the Cathedral) is located at the border of Seven Hills and Parma on Broadview Road, while the other one (St. Sava Church/Hall) is located on Wallings Road in Broadview Heights. You can see where the confusion is almost guaranteed. According to a parishioner we spoke with today, there was a falling out in the church that cleaved them into two churches years ago. Things are better now, but they are still two distinct churches with a similar name.

Last year I went to St. Sava Cathedral’s fish fry on Broadview Road. It was very Orthodox. I didn’t love it and heard the St. Sava Church’s fish fry was very different and better. I wanted to compare the two, so I planned on eating at St. Sava Church this time around. I learned from my mistakes last year and brought butter with me. Because they are very Orthodox and it is Lent, so no dairy is allowed. Although they served sour cream with the pierogi today, so color me confused.

First of all, the church is located on W. Wallings Road about 1 mile past the intersection of Broadview Road and W. Wallings Road. You can’t miss the signs. I got there right at 4:30 and met a friend there. Two other friends planned to meet us a little later on and had no trouble finding us. There were already lots of people coming out carrying take-out containers at 4:30. The fish fry is held in the Main Hall behind the church. Enter through the doors on the right and get in line. I just followed a group from the parking lot. There was already quite a line at 4:30. We chit-chatted a bit until we got to the front of the line. They have it running like a well-oiled machine. Tables are positioned two together so there is a lot of space between you and the person sitting across from you. Long tables with serving chafing dishes line the back wall.

There were signs advertising three different dinners – $12 for 1 piece of fried fish, 6 fried shrimp and 2 sides or 6 pierogi, $14 for 1 piece of fish and 3 shrimp and 2 sides or $15 for baked salmon and 2 sides. All dinners come with coleslaw and a dinner roll. They don’t advertise the sides, because they vary every week. This week we could choose from something called O’Brien potatoes, steamed mixed veggies or pierogi. I chose the potatoes and the pierogi, then opted to get the bean soup ($3) and a Lenten stuffed cabbage roll ($2). The bean soup was really good. I brought it home to eat later.

I didn’t think about the fact that the Lenten stuffed cabbage roll contained no meat. It was essentially rice, tomato sauce and carrot stuffed in a cabbage leaf. It was different, but I don’t think it was worth an extra $2. It would have been a fun and different side. Unless you really love rice and cabbage, save your cabbage.

The salmon looked amazing, but I decided to try the fish and shrimp. They were both moist and tasty. The potatoes were weird. I guess they roast them with red and green bell peppers and onion until they break down to mush and mix them with some kind of Serbian vegetable paste (?). They were okay, but the baby food consistency turned me off. There is nothing wrong with roasted chunks of potatoes.

The pierogi were decent, but they didn’t strike me as homemade. They were too uniform. I also ordered a cherry strudel, because I remember the strudel last year was magical. It was definitely flaky, but I think it might have been flash-fried. I definitely tasted fried oil. I preferred the Cathedral’s strudel and rolls. I also shelled out another $2 for two cans of pop (you can also buy bottled water). The coffee is free, but I don’t drink coffee this late in the day.

The place was packed from the moment we got there at 4:30 until we left at 6:30. They serve from 4:30 to 7:00 every Friday in Lent from February 24th to April 7th – dine in and carry out. They were also really pushing their Bake Sale on April 8th. It’s supposed to be amazing. I have to say that I am tempted to go to Bingo Night there one Tuesday or Thursday. Just because they take it so seriously. They have a huge light-up board and professional machines to mix the balls. It puts my little metal Bingo spinner and wooden balls from my grandparents to shame.

Contact info:

St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church
2151 W. Wallings Road
Broadview Heights, OH 44147
(440) 237-2260

Kenston High School Pancake Breakfast

The Pancake Breakfast at Kenston High School on Bainbridge Road in Chagrin Falls is hosted by the Bainbridge Civic Club and co-hosted by the Bainbridge Women’s Club during the first three Sundays in March. This year was the 71st Annual Pancake Breakfast. It’s closer to Cleveland than any Geauga county pancake breakfast, and they also serve killer pancakes and real maple syrup (they have a big box in the corner that they used to refill the syrup dispensers). Unlike Geauga county breakfasts, they don’t serve every single weekend. This year the breakfasts were held on March 5, 12 and 19 from 8-1. I love that they serve until 1 PM. That allowed me to slowly wake up and still head over there in plenty of time for pancakes.

I know I joke about the lack of signs sometimes, but I certainly can’t say it about Kenston High’s Pancake Breakfast. There are signs leading you to the breakfast from the I-422 highway exit, down Bainbridge Road and to the entrance of the high school and then all the way to the entrance doors. A++++ for the signage!

Once you enter the gymnasium, there are two tables to the right and left selling raffle tickets and Kenston gear. The table straight ahead is where you pay. They accepted credit cards for the first time this year, but it was quicker and easier to pay in cash. The funds they raise are used to support the Bainbridge Area Food for Friends Food Pantry, provide scholarships, and fund the club’s local community driven, philanthropic endeavors.

$11 for an adult breakfast will get you sausage, coffee, milk, syrup, butter & applesauce, orange juice and unlimited pancakes (plain, blueberry, and buckwheat) and/or French toast. They direct you down the hallway to be seated when a seat becomes available. They definitely keep things moving. Community volunteers seat you, take your order, and bring your freshly prepared, hot food to your table. I was immediately asked for my beverage order (orange juice and coffee), and then I ordered a Combo and sausage with applesauce. The Combo comes with two pancakes (buttermilk and blueberry) and one French toast, but I was given all three pancakes along with a French toast (probably because it was getting close to the end and they had a surplus of buckwheat). The sausage patties were also generous and perfectly cooked. The sausage is an exclusive recipe, ground and made fresh each week by Mazzulo’s Market. Best of all, the meal is served on china plates, with china mugs, and metal silverware!

The tables had little two-sided paddles if you needed more coffee or pancakes. If I needed anything else (like more sugar, more syrup, or my applesauce that wasn’t delivered) I asked someone and was immediately given it. It was a lot of food for $11, and I savored it. It was a special morning sitting in the gym watching the snow fall outside. What more could one want? Generous signage directing me where to go, real plates and silverware, and all I could eat? Add some eggs (protein) and this would be the absolutely perfect pancake breakfast. Once I got back to my car I decided to pop over to my parents’ house to say hi since I was so close. All in all, a great Sunday.

Contact info:

Bainbridge Civic Club Pancake Breakfast
Kenston High School
9500 Bainbridge Road
Chagrin Falls, OH 44023

Parkman Community Center Pancake Breakfast

Most pancake breakfasts are served on Sunday mornings in March when the maple trees are being tapped and the sap is flowing, although a couple run into mid-April. If you look you can find several maple syrup making events. Geauga County is known for its maple syrup, and the pancake breakfasts in the area serve genuine Geauga County maple syrup, freshly tapped and boiled. This pancake breakfast has their maple syrup in water pitchers.

I first attended the Pancake Breakfast in Parkman with my old neighbors from Solon in 2017. I met them at their place, and we drove out 422 to Parkman. I always love driving across LaDue Reservoir. It always brings me peace. Anyway, the patriarch and I somehow got turned around and drove in a circle for a few extra miles. I hadn’t realized how easy it was to find from 422. It’s a straight shot on 422, just past the Welshfield Inn. The Community House was built in 1863 as a cheese factory. It’s currently the social hub of this tiny town. We stood in line and got seated quickly along the large serpentine table. The table was built to allow the servers to easily walk back and forth and wait on the visitors requesting more sausage, more pancakes, more coffee, more milk, etc. That was pre-Covid.

First two photos borrowed from Eat*Drink*Cleveland

This year was the first time back in two years, and it has made some changes. They offered takeout in lines in the parking lot. There is no more serpentine table; they are socially distanced dining tables instead. There are still plenty of all-you-can-eat buttermilk pancakes and sausage from Charlanne Farms and several beverages to choose from. They still use real dishes and flatware, which is a nice change after having to eat off styrofoam at fish fries and other pancake breakfasts. Still the same great maple syrup in drinking pitchers (we finished that pitcher among the 7 of us). And the water was drinkable (it’s been Crystal at Eat*Drink*Cleveland’s biggest complaint)! I would have happily paid extra for orange juice, but the milk hit the spot just as well.

The pancake breakfast runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. I arrived there at 12:10. I pulled into a great parking spot right at the entrance and had very little wait time to be seated. They said they had served about 350 meals that day. I handed over my $10 and walked to the door to be seated. I was seated with three couples. We were quickly served plates of pancakes and sausage, and we helped ourselves to the coffee in the thermos and the butter, creamer, sugar and maple syrup on the table.

I was full after finishing my plate, and after drinking a second cup of coffee and having a nice chat with my tablemates I got up at 1 and headed home.

Contact info:

Parkman Community Center
16295 Main Market Road
Parkman, OH 44080
440) 548-2904

It’s Fish Fry season again (2023)!

Hold onto your hats. It’s about to get busy here! It’s fish fry (and pancake breakfast) season. I spent some time planning this year’s visits yesterday. I don’t like going with big groups, but if you’d like to join me you are welcome. I go at the beginning of service to avoid the crowds (I’m still wary of catching the coronavirus) and make sure nothing runs out. I might decide to get take out, so if you are going to show up let me know.

Here is my tentative schedule:
2/22 (Ash Wednesday LUNCH): West Park Station at Kamm’s Corner
2/24: St. Joseph’s in Avon Lake (you need to order ahead). The baked salmon and baked cod both sound amazing – and they have breaded perch!
3/3: St. Charles Borromeo in Parma (takeout only) Fry time: 4 to 7 p.m. Fridays Feb. 24 to April 7 except for March 17, St. Patrick’s Day. St. Vladimir Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral. Fry time: 4:30 to 7 p.m. Fridays through April 7.
3/10: No Fish Fry -meeting friends for a birthday dinner, lunch St. Joseph Byzantine Catholic Church in Brecksville
3/17 (St. Patrick’s Day): St. Joseph’s for corned beef and fish dinner
3/24: St. Sava on Wallings Road (but I’m bringing butter and salt&pepper with me just in case!)
3/31: Ss. Robert & William Catholic Parish in Euclid
4/7 (Good Friday): St. Barnabas Fish Fry in Northfield (Icelandic cod and fresh-squeezed lemonade)

I also need to try out the American Slovak Club in Lorain. The fish fry during Lent will start Friday February 24, 2023, serving from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM. Their fish fry runs all year long, not just during Lent.

I also plan to eat at Melt Bar and Grilled, but not on Friday. I wish the one in Cleveland Heights hadn’t closed! Melt is offering seafood and meatless options every day from February 22nd – April 6th with their new Seafood Spectacular Menu. The menu will offer a fish fry with panko crusted cod fillets and hush puppies and some of their most requested fan favorites from the past and some awesome new items!

If you are planning your own visits and haven’t been to St. Gabriel’s or St. John Bosco yet, I suggest you put them at the top of your list. St. Gabe’s in Concorde is worth the drive and serves an all-you-can-eat buffet with 3 kinds of cod (battered, crumb coated and baked), shrimp, mussels, homemade seafood chowder, and sides like pierogi, mac n cheese, fries, pizza, and rigatoni from 5pm to 6:30pm ($20 preorder and $23 at the door – preorder ends at 2 PM on Friday). Get the seafood chowder and dessert as quickly as you can – they run out. Located in Parma Heights, St. John Bosco’s dinners are catered by Bruno’s Ristorante and include a lot of great Italian options, including eggplant lasagna and manicotti. There is a $1 early bird discount from 4-5. Adult dinners ($11.50-$13.50) include an entree (fried fish, broiled fish, eggplant lasagna, or pierogies), a side, coleslaw, rolls & butter, dessert (brownie or carrot cake), and choice of coffee, tea, or soft drinks. The fish is Alaskan Pollack that they beer-batter themselves. Beer and wine are available in the dining hall. Extra sides (cabbage and noodles, manicotti, mac n cheese, vegetables, pizza) can be added to dinners for $1.50.