Category: Cleveland favs

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Contact info:

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

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

Prosperity Social Club

Prosperity Social Club has been part of my family’s lore since before I was born. I have heard the story about my father being sent to what was then Dempsey’s to buy the G.I.s at the shower house next door a bucket of beer and a pack of smokes. At age 8. And he proudly claims that they gave him a dime and asked for the two cents change back, and he was proud to do it. He probably knew the guys in the photo on the website. He grew up in Tremont and spent a lot of time in Lincoln Park and Merrick House on Starkweather, just a few doors down from Prosperity. It opens at 4 PM during the week, closes at midnight Monday thru Thursday and 1 AM on Friday and Saturday. They also serve brunch on Sundays, so they open at 10:30 AM and close at 10 PM. I haven’t made it there for brunch, but it’s on my list. They have late night specials from 9p to midnight.

Residing in the original 1938 barroom (the aforementioned Dempsey’s Oasis, which was in operation from 1938-2005), Prosperity Social Club is open to the public, being a social club only in a figure of speech, behavior and attitude. The bar room is cozy and eclectic, with its Art Deco influences, dark chestnut walls and vintage beer memorabilia recalling a bygone era. Plus the food is killer. It proudly declares it is “The Clevelandest Bar in Cleveland.” I enjoy sitting in the back room, but lots of people sit at the bar or at tables throughout.

I have been here several times during Lent for the fish fry. The fish and pierogi are top-notch here, so the place is always packed. Reservations are a must. It gets so busy on Fridays during Lent that they have a limited menu, serving nothing but the fish fries and pierogi and a couple other entrees. The kitchen just cranks them out. Apparently they can do the beer battered fish using hearts of palm if you are vegan, but I don’t know if that is possible during Lent. It doesn’t hurt to call to ask. I highly recommend the “Gotta Haddock” Fish Fry, because you get the fried haddock, coleslaw, potato and cheese pierogi, homemade mac n cheese, and a cup of New England clam chowder. The pierogi are pictured above with the brown caramelized onions on top. The “Big Fish” comes with the fish, coleslaw and the mac n cheese. You can always add pierogi for an upcharge. And you’ll want to have the pierogi. They are amazing.

Prosperity is also known for its Eastern European food, such as the aforementioned pierogi, one Hungarian-style stuffed cabbage, one potato pancake and cabbage and noodles with “kielbaski.” If you order the Ethnic Platter you get a little bit of everything. They serve apple-cranberry chutney and sour cream to accompany the potato pancake (and pierogi if you’d like – there are no rules). Everything is filled with flavor, particularly the cabbage and noodles, but my favorites were the stuffed cabbage and the pierogi. That said, it is very heavy and filling and features no veggies. I took half of the dinner home for lunch the next day to eat with a small salad. It heated up nicely and did not disappoint.

They have a great beer and cocktail menu. Unlike during my recent visit to The Friars’ Table (stay tuned), Prosperity serves their Belgian beer in a proper Belgian beer glass! European have specific glasses for their specific beers. Belgian beer glasses are shaped like tulips, and the wide bowl and tapered mouth develop a thick head on the beer that captures each aromatic note. I was very pleased to get a Chimay glass for my Chimay beer.

My friends also really enjoyed their meals – although one friend complained about the lack of chicken in the Chicken Paprikash (see center photo) and was given a small bowl of it in response. My vegetarian friend really enjoyed her Harvest Salad (with tofu – see the photo on the right) and was pleased by how low her bill was. The photo on the left is the Stuffed Cabbage.

One of my friends ordered the housemade potato chips and French onion dip for the table to share, and they were a big hit. If you like crispy chips be sure to try them.

You don’t get much more old-school Cleveland than Prosperity Social Club. If you haven’t been there yet, be sure to check them out.

Contact info:

Prosperity Social Club
1109 Starkweather Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44113
(216) 937-1938