Category: Cleveland favs

Funshi Sushi Ramen Boba

Funshi has recently established itself here in Cleveland. This locally owned restaurant puts the “fun” in sushi. Funshi opened Funshi Sushi, Ramen and Boba in Rocky River in early 2025. It was so successful that it opened Revolving (conveyor belt) sushi locations in Avon and now Beachwood.

There were two things that we were impressed by (besides the service). The tables have built-in drawers for utensils and chopsticks, which saves servers from having to run back and forth and allows you to not have to wait at their mercy. The other fun addition is the robot that delivers your beverages and appetizers to the table.

I initially got a few friends to gather at the Rocky River Funshi. The tea menu is overwhelming in a good way.

I like that you can customize the tea to your exact specifications – light or no ice, sugar level (50% is just fine) and add-ins like boba, lychee, coffee or crystal jelly or popping strawberry boba. I prefer jelly over boba, but to each their own. I initially ordered the Grape Peach tea, which was very refreshing. My friend ordered the Strawberry Peach tea, and it had chunks of fresh strawberry in it. She liked it as well. When I finished my tea I then ordered a Mango Coconut Foam tea with light sugar (75%). It was really tasty as well.

We then ordered appetizers. I was blown away by the Crabby Pringle and Takoyaki. The Crabby Pringle is exactly as it sounds – crab salad nestled on a Pringle. The creaminess of the crab salad paired with the crisp Pringle is delightful. Takoyaki are Japanese octopus balls that are crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. The filling held small chunks of octopus. They are then drizzled in eel sauce and mayonaisse (most likely Japanese mayo). There are several other appetizers that sound intriguing, but don’t skip the Crabby Pringle.

I wanted a nigiri and a sushi roll on my first visit because I wanted to judge the freshness of the fish, but was also intrigued by the curry chicken. The nigiri had a generous portion of salmon draped over a sushi rice cake that held up well. You can barely see the rice because it was so large. As for my roll, the Triple immediately caught my eye, which features three generous chunks of fish (tuna, salmon and yellowtail) wrapped with a generous chunk of avocado in seawood and drizzled with spicy mayo. I loved it. I was impressed by the size of the fish compared to the rice. As you can see, there is mostly filling and less sushi rice than at most places. The curry chicken was also a nice choice. The chicken cutlet was nicely fried and it was served on a bed of rice and steamed broccoli. The soy egg was also a nice touch.

My friend ordered the Chashu Pork ramen. I think she went with Tonkatsu broth. She was leery of the black fungus, but I encouraged her to try it and she liked it. However, she was less impressed with the pickled bamboo shoots. They were not at all to her liking.

I tried to be a bit more adventurous on my second visit and didn’t have quite as good of an experience, but that was only because the rolls I ordered didn’t wow me as much as on my first visit. I ordered the Sweet Heart because I liked the optics. The spicy tuna, asparagus and “crunch” (probably tempura?) wrapped in a thin layer of rice and then fresh tuna in the shape of a heart. But it was just okay. My other choice was the Volcano. Maybe I was expecting the Volcano to be like a normal volcano roll, which seems to be the Dynamite here, but it was just kind of bland despite the spicy mayo and wasabi mayo drizzles. It just didn’t wow me. My other friend who ordered it had the same opinion.

Once I heard they were opening a revolving/conveyor belt sushi location near me in Beachwood I knew I had to give it a try. It opened on December 15th. If you’ve never experienced it, a conveyor belt travels from the kitchen loaded with small plates, then winds its way past the tables through the restaurant and back to the kitchen again. The sushi is on white or black plates, indicating raw and cooked items. The dishes leave the kitchen covered and remain that way until removed from the belt by the diner. Everything is $3.50 based on portion size. Some plates hold just one item or two or three items, depending on the ingredients. The plates arrive in groups, preceded by a sign with the name of the dish and the ingredients, which is especially helpful if you have dietary issues or want to know what is in a certain roll. There is also a tablet at each table to order items from the tea bar or kitchen and a call button if you need a server (to the left of the bow in the video below).

I introduced my niece and her boyfriend to conveyor belt sushi when they were home from college in early January, and they really enjoyed it. Unfortunately there was a mix-up, and they went to the Rocky River location while I was in Beachwood. My niece texted me and then stressed out about the mistake, but I assured her it wasn’t a problem. It was a Monday afternoon, and the staff couldn’t have been lovelier about the fact that I took up the table while I waited for them to drive the 40 minutes between locations. I ordered a honeydew milk tea with lychee jelly and pulled up my Kindle app on my phone. I pulled two orders of Crabby Pringles to ensure we had a good start about 30 seconds before they walked in (good timing on my part). They were a hit and my niece grabbed another plate off the conveyor belt later, but if I were to do it again I would order them fresh from the kitchen to ensure they are crisp and not lightly soggy. They were still tasty, but a little soggy nonetheless.

I didn’t take photos once they arrived because I wanted to concentrate on getting to know him, but they enjoyed everything. We had gyoza, various nigiri (I especially liked the scallop nigiri), some rolls, and my niece grabbed a Tamago egg omelette nigiri and the Inari. The boyfriend enjoyed the steak nigiri. There was also a brisket roll and chicken nigiri for those who don’t like fish (my youngest niece probably would have enjoyed them if she had been able to join us). They were nicely surprised by the sweet potato roll I suggested they try. My niece burned her mouth on a somewhat molten fried red bean paste pastry but liked the taste a lot. We sat there for two hours talking, and they did not rush us out. The servers came by occasionally to make sure we were okay and assured us there was no rush.

I went back by myself about a week later. Once again, I recommend the Crabby Pringles be ordered from the kitchen. They were cold and soggy and are phenomenal when the crabmeat is warm and the Pringles are crisp. I am adding a table with several choices off the conveyor belt so you can get an idea of what to expect. It is a good way to try a lot of different sushi. I really enjoyed the Yum-Yum roll, which features shrimp tempura, cream cheese, asparagus, spicy crab and ‘crunch’ topped with a mango sauce and coconut sauce. The rice fell apart under the red clam (bottom right), which leads me to believe it had been on the belt longer and had lost some moisture, and the avocado on the dragon roll had turned brown. So definitely take a close look before you grab anything off the belt. Because once you’ve taken a plate off the belt you can’t put it back. The sushi is good but not great, but conveyor belt sushi is not about gourmet sushi – it’s about the experience. The only phenomenal sushi I’ve had off a conveyor belt is at Kura, which is worth driving to Columbus for. For phenomenal sushi in Cleveland go to Issho Ni, Pacific East or Omizu. For a fun time check out Funshi.

When you are ready to settle the bill you ring the call bell, and the server will count your plates and bring you your bill. Quick and easy.

Contact info:

Funshi Sushi Ramen Boba


Funshi Sushi Ramen Boba (Rocky River)
21605 Center Ridge Road
Rocky River, OH 44116
(216) 712-4240


Funshi Revolving Sushi (Avon Commons)
35918 Detroit Rd Unit Y-3
Avon, OH 44011<br(440) 695-0330


Funshi Revolving Sushi (Beachwood – La Place)
2101 Richmond Road, Suite 871
Beachwood, OH 44122
(216) 342-4012

The Best Bites of 2025

It was another quiet year. I am not organizing big dinners with friends anymore and have been dining out alone a lot (just me and my Kindle). And I attended a couple Dinner in the Darks, which are always an adventure. But I still enjoyed several Best Bites in 2025.

I’m going to start with the appetizers, because who doesn’t appreciate a good appetizer? There were three appetizers/starters that blew me away this year: the seafood stuffed mushrooms at Blue Heron Pub in Medina, the Crabby Pringles at Funshi in Rocky River (I’m so excited for the Funshi conveyor belt sushi place that just opened in Beachwood, because I can now get this closer to home), and the mushroom tartlet at The Friars’ Table downtown. First of all, my niece works at Blue Heron Pub on college breaks, and we ordered several orders for our family get-together there in June on her recommendation. I could not stop eating them. They feature large white mushrooms that are hand stuffed with diced shrimp, crabmeat, cream cheese and scallions and then topped with Parmesan cheese and a Dijon aioli. If I lived closer I would be there all the time for these, and they would be my main meal. They are creamy and delicious. Second, I’m sensing a pattern because the Crabby Pringle features a crabmeat salad made with baked real crab meat, crab stick, fish roe, green onion, and mayonnaise on top of Pringles potato chips. Just delicious. And to round it out my third choice is another mushroom dish. The mushroom tartlets at The Friars’ Table is a puffed pastry topped with sauteed wild mushrooms. Simple, yet absolutely delicious. I’ve ordered them every time I’ve dined there.

I love a good breakfast and enjoy going to the Original Pancake House when I’m in Woodmere. Their thick-cut bacon is amazing, but I finally ordered the Apple Pancake with the bacon and will probably never order anything else again. The Apple Pancake is one of their most popular dishes, and I can see why. The Apple Pancake really isn’t much like a pancake at all. It’s more a like an oven baked Dutch Baby on steroids or really, really moist bread pudding that is topped with thin slices of fresh Granny Smith apples and pure Sinkiang cinnamon glaze. If you want to make it at home, you can find the recipe here.

I finally made it to Doink’s again after having attended a pop-up at The Wine Spot several years ago. The brick and mortar location on Waterloo churns out awesome smash burgers, but the item that blew me away and has me repeatedly coming back is the Wedge Salad. As I wrote in October, “I love a good wedge salad, and this is definitely a great wedge salad. The pickled onions are a great addition. The lettuce has always been fresh and crisp. The blue cheese dressing is divine and pairs well with the pickled onions, and there is just enough bacon to make it sing.” It is a unique side offering that pairs well with the unctiousness of the burger.

I fell in love with Ohio Pie Co pizza pies this year – specifically the Basic B. I went to Ohio Pie Co in Brunswick to try the Crabby Rangoon special pizza of the month in May and ordered a Basic B because I love spinach on pizza and it sounded good to me. Ohio Pie Co makes “Ohio Style Pizza,” which they explain is a round pie with a mid-thickness crust that is square-cut and has cheese to the edge. They finish their pizzas with a “signature Ohio Style sweet sauce,” but the Basic B is a white pizza. It features a white sauce and is topped with a cheese blend, spinach, and ricotta. Big dollops of lovely ricotta. I took the pizzas home and started eating them in the car and could not stop. I think I might have only had a few pieces of Basic B left by the time I got home. Their Thanksgiving pizza was also a fun monthly special, but I don’t have a photo of that. If you love stuffing it is a definite must try next November. In the meantime, I am happy with the Basic B and am glad they opened a location in Parma, which is closer to me than Brunswick.

I finally got a chance to try khachapuri at Georgia Bakery Tiflis on Pearl Road in Parma Heights. The name khachapuri comes from the Georgian words “khacho” (meaning cheese curds) and “puri” (meaning bread), so it translates to “cheese bread.” Tiflis offers several different khachapuri flat breads like imeruli khachapuri, penovani khachapuri, gehruli khachapuri or megruli khachapuri. My favorite is their classic adjaruli. Adjaruli khachapuri is a delicious boat-shaped Georgian cheese bread that is filled with a mixture of flavorful cheeses and herbs and topped with an egg. You mix the egg into the cheese and tear off pieces of the bread and dip it into the mixture. Khachapuri is the national dish of the country of Georgia.

I found myself repeatedly going to Geraci’s this year for their lasagna. It is an individual serving in a gratin dish (I know because I own a set of gratin dishes LOL). I know most people rave about Geraci’s pizza, but I regularly crave the lasagna. I can usually only finish half and take the other half home for later. The lasagna is an ooey gooey baked lasagna made with ricotta, mozzarella, chopped meatballs, and Geraci’s sauce. I can’t even count how many times I have had a craving this year and popped in for a fix.

One nice surprise this year was the Chopped Cheese sandwich at the CleaveLand Grill, which took over Rumi’s at 83rd and Carnegie (about 5 minutes from me). I organized a dinner with friends to have the Tikka Boti Platte (a chicken kebab with rice). Several of my friends ordered their smash burger, which I have had in the old Parma location that closed due to a fire and found to be really great. However, the surprise standout that night was the Chopped Cheese. The difference between the Chopped Cheese and the Cheesesteak is that the chopped cheese is available with the chicken, beef (hamburger) or lamb patties and the cheesesteak is sliced ribeye or chicken. One of my friends ordered it with beef on the paratha wrap, and it was outstanding. Cleaveland Grill is the exclusive HFSAA certified establishment (Halal) in Ohio, and all of the meat is seasoned very well. It may not look all that appetizing, but it blew all of us away with how tasty it was.

I was thrilled when Gunselman’s brought back the French Onion Burger for Burger Week in June. As soon as I saw it was one of the burgers I rushed right over to Fairview Park to enjoy it. It was just as good as I remembered. Probably one of my all-time favorite burgers – and that’s saying a lot since it seems this year a lot of my best bites involved burgers. Although if Gunselman’s were to bring back the Christmas Dinner (1/2 pound burger made with brisket, chuck and short rib topped with an amazing prime rib topped with horseradish aioli, rosemary au jus, Muenster cheese, argula and tomato on a weck bun – probably the best burger I’ve ever had) or the Coldwater Lobster Love (their burger topped with Cajun butter coldwater lobster meat, smoked bacon, Muenster cheese, arugula and tomato) I would be a very happy girl… (hint, hint)

Last but not least for main courses was the Salmon St. Celestine at The Friars’ Table. It is a simple preparation, but the cream sauce prepared with leeks, mushrooms and sorrel is absolutely divine. I tried a bite of my friend’s and loved it so much that I ordered it when I went back. The salmon is now more of the slab salmon you see at most restaurants. The star is the sauce though, so the shape of the salmon itself is secondary.

I also enjoyed several delicious desserts this year. Most surprising was the Shokupan (a classic Japanese toast that is a blend of sweetness and texture)—basically a croissant bowl—at You&I Tea Bar on Aurora Road in Solon (right across from the Chipotle). I met my tea group there to enjoy their range of matchas and fruit teas (with or without boba). I was a little peckish, so I ordered the Bananas Foster Croissant Bowl on a whim to go with my iced matcha lattee. It was FANTASTIC. The croissant was flaky and absolutely delicious (it is a square bowl made out of croissant dough), the bananas were fresh, and the ice cream and drizzled topping was a great pairing. If you are in or near Solon, be sure to check You&I Tea Bar and try one.

Two other desserts worth mentioning are this year’s birthday cake (the Cleveland cassata cake from Baraona’s) and the tiramisu at Chelo’s Kitchen in South Euclid. The cassata cake never disappoints and was loaded with custard and strawberries and topped with fresh whipped cream. The tiramisu that Chelo’s wife Sarah makes is probably the best tiramisu I have ever had. It is creamy and moist. Simply divine.

So that is my recap of my favorite bites this year. While I have your attention, I was wondering if I should keep doing this. I don’t get many comments, but I do have hits on my statistical analysis. It seems my most popular posts are the Stouffer’s Thrift Store and Lawson’s Chip Dip posts. Are you enjoying my restaurant recaps? Please comment and interact with me here so that I know what I am doing is worthwhile to someone. Other bloggers seem to be blowing up while I simply chug along. Should I switch to videos/reels? I prefer to be anonymous though, so that kind of goes against my vibe. I’m open to ideas.

So, what were your favorite bites in the past year? What should I try in 2026? I am looking forward to checking out Batuqui’s new location in an old church on Larchmere and am planning on checking out the Funshi conveyor belt sushi place with my niece, who has never had sushi off a conveyor belt. Plus, I would like to check out Never Say Dive on Broadview Road in Cleveland and Down the Block in Kirtland. I am open to suggestions, and who knows what the new year will hold. Here’s hoping we all have a delicious 2026.

The Friars’ Table

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Contact info:

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

Leavened Bakery

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

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

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

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

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

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

Contact info:

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

Doink’s Burger Joint

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

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

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

I love a good wedge salad, and this is definitely a great wedge salad. The pickled onions are a great addition. The lettuce has always been fresh and crisp. The blue cheese dressing is divine and pairs well with the pickled onions, and there is just enough bacon to make it sing.

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

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

Contact info:

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

Baraona’s Bakery

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

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

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

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

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

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

Contact info:

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

Mary Yoder’s Amish Kitchen in Middlefield

Mary Yoder’s Amish Kitchen opened in 1987 and is owned by the Miller family. Located in Middlefield, which is apparently in the center of the fourth largest Amish community in the world, Mary Yoder’s features a full-service restaurant serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner; a bakery; a private banquet room; and a gift shop. It’s not necessarily Cleveland, but Cleveland-adjacent and close enough to be a fun road trip. In fact, I took a spontaneous road trip out there for the dinner buffet in July. I drove out there a lot when I lived in Solon. It’s about an hour’s drive from Cleveland Heights either down South Woodland or on 422 to 700 (scenic drive over LaDue Reservoir and down some side roads past Amish homes and farms). I also love driving there in the fall to enjoy the changing leaves (I recommend the hot apple cider in the fall – see photo below). It’s definitely a tourist location and a tourist restaurant. That being said, you will see locals dining here as well as the occasional Amish or Mennonites dining here (but to be fair I saw a table of them at Cowboy Food and Drink in Bainbridge last month).

Mary Yoder’s isn’t necessarily “amazing” food (like Der Dutchman or other restaurants near Millersburg and Berlin – and not to be confused with Mrs. Yoder’s), but it is extremely comforting fare. It has its good days and bad days – for example, the dressing that I usually adore was too salty last week. But the food is hearty and hits the spot. It’s made by Amish women in their kitchen, and the buffet ($17.99 for the dinner buffet and $12.99 for the salad bar) is constantly stocked from 11:30 am to close (8 pm) Monday through Saturday (the restaurant is closed on Sundays). There is also a breakfast buffet (for $12.99), but I have only had the breakfast buffet once and there are no photos from that visit. It opens at 6 am and is available until 11 am. If you have a hankerin’ for something not on the buffet, they have an extensive menu to choose from. Some favorites include the ham, pork chops, roast turkey or roast beef or a hot roast beef or turkey sandwich. They even have a trail bologna sandwich, which is just Troyer’s Trail Bologna and Middlefield Swiss on a fresh roll. Easy enough to buy and make at home by buying the Trail Bologna from the cooler in the gift shop and grabbing some Middlefield Swiss from Rothenbuhler Cheese Chalet (formerly Middlefield Cheese), but definitely a unique offering to order there (just be sure to pull off the plastic casing before biting in – true story). There is ample seating available, and it has a banquet room for large groups. When you walk in head to the front of the building to your left.

I adore a good old-fashioned salad bar, and the salad bar contains all my favorites – a nice selection of greens, hardboiled egg, peas, beets, red onion, tomato, cucumber, etc. There is always a decent wet salad or two to choose from. I love cottage cheese, broccoli salad or macaroni salad to pair on my salad, which allows me to use less salad dressing. It is always the highlight of the meal for me, which I then follow with a couple of selections on the lunch/dinner buffet for a couple of bucks more. I got a side of cottage cheese with a to go meal the other day and was amazed by how creamy and delicious their cottage cheese is. So much so that I called to find out who they get it from.

I usually only fill up one dinner plate with my choices, but others take several trips. The buffet offerings do vary by the day, but there is usually always baked or broasted chicken, mashed potatoes, dressing and a nice vegetable on offer. Not to mention a dessert or two like a pudding. Last week one patron was sad that only the “blue jell-o” was left. But you can always order a piece of their excellent pies if you have room (or get a piece to go to enjoy later at home). I always enjoy the broasted chicken and chicken or beef noodles. The mashed potatoes are hearty and tasty. Be sure to not take too much, because there are no to go containers for the buffet (well, technically there are, but they charge $7.99 per pound).

I went home with a butterscotch pie last week and special ordered a peach pie yesterday, which I picked up at the drive through window to the right of the building. I was in Burton for a tea, and it was only a ten-minute drive to Middlefield. I worked at Baker’s Square and am not a fan of pie crust (one summer I ate a piece of French Silk a day but would scoop out the filling and throw out the crust…), but I eat the crust on Mary Yoder’s Pies. That is a huge testament to them and makes me believe the crusts are homemade using lard or butter. The pies are pricy, but worth it. The whole butterscotch pie below was $16.99 and the whole peach pie (slice on the right) was $19.99. They last a while and are worth the quality of the ingredients.

They also serve family style dinners, which are a nice option if you have a group. You can choose one, two or three of their meats, and the dinners include beverages, the salad bar, mashed potatoes, gravy, dressing, a vegetable and homemade rolls (which are fluffy and yeasty). Everything is served in bowls to pass around. The price is per person depending on the meat selection (kids are a much lower per person price), and there is a minimum of 15 guests. Everyone at the table has to order it.

The gift shop is full of various tchotchkes that make a nice souvenir if you are a kid or a tourist. I always enjoy buying some fresh Amish baked goods like their breads or dinner rolls, cookies or pies. One of my friends swears by their raisin puffs (a kind of cookie). Order ahead if you want to ensure your favorites are available. The only doughnuts left at 4:30 on a Tuesday were their cream sticks.

Mary Yoder’s also caters to the local Amish community and has a hitching pad for the horse and buggies to the back of the parking lot. Watch out for horse and buggies on the roads too and give them a wide berth. The Whoa stop sign as you leave always cracks me up.

Contact info:

Mary Yoder’s Amish Kitchen
14743 N State Avenue
Middlefield, OH 44062
(440) 632-1939

In Forno

This post is not going to be typical for my blog. I just learned that the owners of In Forno have sold their business and will be transitioning the pizzeria over the next few months to the new owners. They are staying to train the new owners, so hopefully the quality will stay consistent. George worked in New York City as a remodeling contractor and decided to regain his profession as a chef. He and his family moved to Cleveland in 2009.

I have been a fan of In Forno for quite a long time. I first heard about it from a friend who lives in my hometown of Olmsted Falls. They would do pop-ups at farmers’ markets as well as at Ye Olde Wine Cellar at Olmsted Falls when it was in the old Master Cleaners’ storefront. As I said, as a remodeling contractor, George built a wood-fired oven and installed it on a trailer for maximum mobility. They would tow their portable wood-fired pizza oven to the various locations and created delicious Neapolitano pizza. Their pizzas are thin crust and are around 12-13 inches in diameter. Once they earned enough capital they opened a brick and mortar pizzeria in Avon.

Since I live on the east side I did not make it out to them as often as I would have liked. I followed them on Facebook for many years and remember the excitement when I read about their special peach pizza, which featured fresh peaches, their white sauce and fresh basil, several years ago. I met several friends for that pizza, which was just as good as I had hoped. It was a great summer-forward pizza – as was the Celeste (featured below on the right), which features truffle and artichoke paste, grated and fresh mozzarella, mushrooms, arugula and olive oil. The Celeste is my friend’s favorite.

When we heard that In Forno was sold, we knew we had to go there one last time and met last Friday. We got there quite early to make sure we had a table for our group. The other early bird friend and I ordered appetizers for the table – the Burrata Plate and the Caprese. The Burrata Plate featured fresh, creamy burrata on a bed of arugula that is served with grape tomatoes, black olives, coppa and fire-roasted garlic bread. It definitely hit the spot! In fact, I liked the burrata so much that I ended up ordering a burrata pizza instead of my usual margherita. It was great and another friend ordered it with fresh garlic added. She loved it. Another friend ordered the pepperoni pizza, which was also delicious. I took home half to have for lunch the next day and the slices reheated well in the air fryer.

Who knows what the future will hold. I wish George and his wife Bianka well in their future endeavors (I hear George will be opening up something on Broadway in Lorain) and am crossing my fingers that the new owners continue the success of In Forno in the future! Be sure to keep patronizing them and show them some love. Transitions are never easy. George and Bianka, thank you for bringing us delicious pizza for the past 10+ years.

Contact info:

In Forno Pizza
35840 Chester Road
Avon, OH 44011
(216) 394-9784

Sweet Pork Wilson’s

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Contact info:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Contact info:

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

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