Category: Cleveland institutions

The Winking Lizard/Lizardville Beer Store & Whiskey Bar

The Winking Lizard is another local Cleveland-based chain. The original Winking Lizard Tavern officially opened its doors three decades ago, in 1983, and is located on Miles Road in Bedford Heights. It was recently rebranded to Lizardville Beer Store & Whiskey Bar, which is an offshoot of The Winking Lizard restaurants. There are three Lizardville locations – in Bedford Heights, Brunswick and Copley. The food at these locations is a bit more upscale than The Winking Lizard (think flatbreads, shrimp and crab appetizers and mini-sandwiches or dinners in addition to a few Winking Lizard favorites).

The Winking Lizard now operates 21 restaurants across Northeast and Central Ohio. I have visited numerous locations, including the one on Miles Road, and each location has consistent food and a world-class beer list. There is a bar area with lots of televisions showing games and displaying the available beers as well as dining areas that don’t have as many televisions as in the bar, so you can ignore them if you need to. The Winking Lizard used to house an actual lizard, but they have been rehomed during and after the pandemic. When you walk in you are welcome to help yourself to fresh popcorn in a popcorn machine.

Speaking of the world-class beer list, several of my friends have done the world tour of beer and earned a quality jacket for their troubles. The program is in its 38th year (in 2024). It costs $20 to sign up and you have a year to drink some beers and earn some prizes. The first Tuesday of the month is Tourist Tuesday, when the beers are $1 off. Each beer is worth 1 point. You get a t-shirt after drinking 25 beers. There are also gift certificates once you hit certain milestones. Fifty beers gets you an insulated cooler and attached beer opener, 100 beers gets you a $20 gift card (essentially refunding your sign-up fee) and a Tour Jacket, and 150 beers gets you the Jacket and an insulated vest. You can also donate your “coat” to Coats for Kids. Instead of receiving your coat, Winking Lizard will make a donation to Coats for kids in the amount of $50.00. How cool is that? I don’t drink enough to make it worth it, but I do enjoy the fact that the beer list features quite a few of my favorite European beers. New beers are added all the time, with featured beers each month.

Do you know what pairs well with beer? Wings. And The Winking Lizard is known for its wings. The wings are meaty and always great. You can choose traditional bone-in or boneless wings, and there are 19 different sauces to choose from with varying spice levels. I am a fan of the BBQ, Honey Mustard and Bourbon Barrel sauces, but there are plenty of hotter sauces if you prefer a hot wing. The traditional wings are $0.90 a wing on Mondays after 3 PM. The specials are available in orders of five and are dine in only. There are no special orders that day. Wings are only available as traditional or crispy. Boneless wings are $0.85 a wing on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Another thing that pairs well with beer is pizza, and pizza is on special on Mondays and Tuesdays after 3 pm (and also dine-in only). You can order a cheese pizza for $7 and add toppings (up to 4) for $0.60 each. The pizza is a decent pizza, with a nice doughy crust and a fair amount of cheese. I recently ordered one with sausage and spinach and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Ribs are on special on Wednesdays for $13 for a half slab and $20 for a full slab. The rib dinners are served with their delicious garlic cheese bread and two sides. The ribs have a nice amount of meat on the bone and are nicely sauced. They aren’t fall-off-the-bone, but you also don’t have to work hard to tear off the meat.

One of my favorite items on the menu are the Bo-Man’s sandwiches. The Bo-Man’s Chicken Sandwiches are served on garlic bread and come with a side of steak fries. My favorite is the Bo-Man’s Honey Club. It’s a breaded chicken breast that is tossed in the honey mustard sauce and topped with mozzarella, applewood bacon, lettuce and tomato. There is also a Bo-Man’s Bacon Cheeseburger. Many of the other chicken sandwiches and burgers are served on brioche buns. There is something for everyone’s taste.

The Winking Lizard is also known for its clambake in the fall. The clambake menu is available at select locations every weekend starting in mid-September and running through October. It is available Fridays after 3pm and all day Saturday and Sunday, while supplies last. You can choose a barbecue chicken breast or order a bake that features a strip steak, a half slab of ribs, clams & clams, or twin lobster tails. The bakes all come with clam chowder, a dozen clams, corn on the cob, garlic cheese bread, and your choice of baked or sweet potato. You can also customize it using the ala carte menu. The clambakes range from $26 for the chicken to $40 for the twin lobster tails. The chowder is one of the better ones I have enjoyed, and everything is always delicious.

Contact info:

The Winking Lizard
Find the closest location at here

Vienna Distributing

Founded in 1950, Vienna Distributing Company of Ohio is a family-owned and operated deli serving Northern Ohio. When I moved to Cleveland Heights 14 years ago I would drive by when driving down Carnegie to the highway and thought it was a printing company for the longest time. I eventually learned that it was THE place to buy corned beef. Vienna Distributing makes the corned beef that supplies all the best restaurants serving corned beef in Cleveland. The line can be long, but it is absolutely bonkers on the day before St. Patrick’s Day. The parking lots is full and people even park across the street.

It was a bare-bones deli and catering company for the longest time, but recently it is actually advertising with banners (I made a comment once on social media that I thought it was a printing company – coincidence?). It has also expanded what it sells. They have added coolers, a wall of chips, a wider variety of mustards, ketchups, and condiments, and a pick-up counter with hot dogs and the like.

There is no seating. It is purely a take-out place. Be prepared to wait because they are always busy, but trust me its worth it!! The wait during the lunch hour can be quite extensive. I usually go there on “off” hours – like 4 PM on a Thursday. It’s open from 9 am-6 pm Monday through Friday and 9 am-4 pm on Saturday, and it’s closed on Sundays.

I learned many of those “in the know” would stop by to buy Reuben fixings and make fresh Reubens in the parking lot during their lunch hour. So I used to stop in and buy Swiss cheese and corned beef (sliced hot) from the counter, a loaf of seeded rye bread, a jar of sauerkraut, mustard, and Thousand Island dressing. Most corned beef is too fatty for me, but Vienna’s corned beef is nice and lean, which I appreciate.

It also used to sell cheesecake on a stick, which I got a huge kick out of. Think a slice of cheesecake covered in chocolate on a stick. You can check out the PDF menu of available items here. You can order ahead and pick up at the counter on the right – or get it delivered through DoorDash or UberEats.

I stopped there recently because I was hosting a fire pit get-together where we roasted hot dogs and s’mores over the fire. They also sell Five Star real casing hot dogs as well as various packed hot dogs and kielbasa. They used to be in the middle cooler at the counter, but now they are stored in a cooler when you are in line. I stocked up on a 2 lb. package of (16?) natural casing hot dogs and 8 cheddar franks.

Contact info:

Vienna Distributing
8110 Carnegie Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44103

(216) 361-4500

Cavotta’s Garden Center

Cleveland in the summer absolutely rocks. Cavotta’s is a great place to enjoy it. I almost don’t want to write this post and keep this place a secret!

Cavotta’s is a locally owned family business established in 1930 located on Nottingham Road in South Collinwood just north of Euclid Avenue. I used to drive past it all the time when I headed to Euclid to visit my friend. Cavotta’s has been selling annuals, perennials, produce and everything decorative for your garden – as well as and more than 150 varieties of tomato – for more than 80 years. In the spring and summer, Cavotta’s is a garden center selling soil, flowers, plants and garden statues and decorations. They sell pumpkins in the fall and Christmas trees and decor and chocolate goodies in the winter. But the reason I am writing about it on a food blog is because of the secret back garden. Think speakeasy meets garden center. With chickens and goats. The goats are very entertaining!

One of my friends invited me to join her and a couple of friends at Cavotta’s last summer. She knew some of the guys in the band who were playing that night. Parking is tight, with a larger lot to the north of the garden center, but I’ve always been able to park across the street. Walk through the garden center entrance into the backyard and be amazed. The space is beautiful, and they have live music on the weekends (highly recommend). The band plays near the entrance under the shelter and tables with umbrellas line the patio and garden. You must be 21 years old to enter during bar hours (Friday from 4-8 and Saturday and Sunday from 12-6).

They have your basic wines and beers and some picnic style food featuring luscious tomatoes and fresh herbs. You can go to the little drink hut (photo from Yelp until I can go back and include one I’ve taken) or sit on one of the tables on the patio and get waited on. You can also sit throughout the garden on benches and chairs sprinkled throughout. The people and the atmosphere is great. Everyone, from the staff to the patrons, is chill and easygoing. You can settle your bill at the hut. They take credit cards and of course cash.

The first time I was there I ordered the caprese skewers. I am a sucker for tomatoes, mozzarella, and fresh basil drizzled with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. These skewers did not disappoint. They were literally bursting with flavor (and the cherry tomatoes burst in my mouth). I enjoyed a Leinenkugel shandy and several cans of ginger ale. We were celebrating one of my friend’s birthdays, so one of my friends had ordered a cannoli cake from Mama Catena’s. Even though the website says no pets or outside food or drink, the servers were extremely accommodating and didn’t blink an eye at the cake. We gave them some leftover cake, and they were thrilled.

I was there recently and ordered a margherita pizza (which is a common go to pizza for me). The pizza was simple and delicious. The dough had a nice chew, and it was topped with a refreshing red sauce, fresh tomato slices, fresh basil, and slices of fresh mozzarella and drizzled with a balsamic glaze. It was damn good and just like I make at home (minus the drizzle even though I can do it if I think about it). I ate half there and took the rest home to reheat the next day for lunch.

They have several pizzas to choose from (white pizza, margherita, sausage or pepperoni and even a Nutella dessert pizza with berries) – as well as an antipasta plate, a summer salad and a caprese salad, an Italian wrap (with salami, capicola and pepperoni as well as roasted red peppers and provolone), and a BLT wrap. Two of my friends split a bottle of the house red wine and filled my glass after I finished my glass of wine. It was really good.

It’s a nice place to sit back, have a cold beverage and some tasty tomato-forward food and enjoy a live band. The bar patio is open from late spring to early fall (this year until October 13th – check the schedule in the link below). And I hear the clambake in September is always a treat and sells out in July. Maybe I’ll be organized and manage to buy a ticket next year…

Contact info:

Cavotta’s Garden Center
19603 Nottingham Road
Cleveland, OH 44110
440) 897-1497

Scotti’s Italian Eatery

After being in business for over twenty years, Scotti’s Italian Eatery has gone through a lot of rough times recently and has come out on the other side. In July of 2019, the owner was ready to call it quits due to the road work that closed the I-90 exit at East 185th Street. His loyal customers rallied around him, and he changed his mind and decided to stay open. Then Covid hit, and he pivoted to takeout only. The restaurant then had to suffer through the lengthy Water Pollution Control project that tore up the street and then the Streetscape Improvement Project. I am happy to say that the endless construction is finally over and business is starting to pick back up, but it wasn’t easy.

Scotti’s is cash only, which doesn’t help bring in customers since most people have stopped carrying cash. But that is also the reason that prices stay low. He also rolls with the punches and offers added bonuses like a Tesla charging station and “affordable Pet Shots” at the location. But, most importantly, the food continues to be made from scratch and is top-notch and affordable. And now that the weather is getting nicer it will be patio season, and Scotti’s has a great back patio.

The restaurant itself features a long bar, an open kitchen and a comfortable dining room with tables and booths with tables that are not bolted into the floor.

I started frequenting Scotti’s during the pandemic. Since then I have only dined here by myself in the middle of the day (so I haven’t been able to order an appetizer like the much-loved and intriguing stuffed hot peppers), but service has always been great. You are greeted warmly and told to take a seat. I was even greeted by a back of staff worker (the cook?) in addition to the server on my most recent visit. Each meal is accompanied by a house salad with tomato, cucumber, olives, walnuts and shaved cheese (get the house dressing!) as well as a basket of soft, warm, house-baked herb focaccia with a dipping sauce of herbed balsamic vinegar and olive oil. You can also just order butter to enjoy the flavor of the bread without the overpowering vinegar and oil. The bread is soft and delicious and worth the trip alone! 

Doug Trattner reports that Scotti recommends the veal dishes, but for me the star of the show here are the calzones. The dough is light and crisp, and I love the combinations. A dish/cup of warm marinara for dipping is served on the side. My absolute favorite is the Bocconcini, which features fresh mozzarella, plum tomatoes, spinach, provolone and the house dressing. The Caprese is similar to the Bocconcini (with fresh mozzarella, tomato, fresh basil and provolone cheese) but also includes proscuitto. I found it to be very salty from the proscuitto, but if you love proscuitto you’ll love it. The Florentine intrigues me, because it contains scrambled egg and cheddar cheese in addition to spinach, tomato and provolone. But I just adore the gooey fresh mozzarella and provolone combo so much in the calzone.

The pizzas are hearty and use all fresh ingredients. The Classic Deluxe features pepperoni, sausage, black olives, fresh mushrooms, green and red pepper, onion and anchovies. I recently ordered a small pizza with sausage, mushroom and green pepper to go and enjoyed it reheated in my air fryer. The green pepper was very fresh and a little overpowering, but the sausage and mushroom was perfect.

I am definitely a creature of habit. I had a photo of the lasagna as carryout during the pandemic and unwittingly ordered the lasagna again on a more recent visit. The lasagna is really good – gooey, flavorful and filling. It layers meat sauce and ricotta and provolone cheese in between fresh pasta sheets and tops it with more sauce and some parmesan.

I was in the mood for something different the other day and ordered the Scallop Fettucine Dinner with a sundried-tomato, basil and alfredo sauce. The large sea scallops are sauteed in garlic and olive oil and set atop a bed of perfectly cooked fettucine coated in the delectable sauce. It was delicious.

Scotti’s is open during the week from 11:30 to 9 pm and 4 to 9 on Saturdays. If you follow the restaurant on Facebook, Scotti often posts that he is there on a Sunday or for special events like the Super Bowl or Christmas Eve making pizza and other food, and you can tell he really loves and remembers his customers.

If you’ve been paying attention at all, I literally live at the top of the hill to Little Italy. I prefer to drive to Scotti’s on E. 185th in North Collinwood or Mama Catena’s in Euclid for a more authentic and better experience. Do yourself a favor and give them a try!

Contact info:

Scotti’s Italian Eatery


Dim sum at Li Wah

As most of my long-time readers know, one of my favorite meals is going out for dim sum with friends. Li Wah has been one of my favorite places because it has the dim sum served from carts. Dim sum (otherwise referred to as Yum Cha) is considered to be brunch in the Far East. Dim sum is usually served for breakfast and lunch (10am – 3pm at Li Wah). The baked, fried, or steamed goods usually come with 3 or 4 pieces to an order. Dishes are expected to be shared. Asians consider the concept of ”that plate is yours  and this plate is mine” as impolite. Sharing is essential to developing a better relationship with your friends and family.  Dim sum carts roll past every table throughout the restaurant, and guests can pick from different dim sum items as the carts roll by. You generally just point at what you want and/or nod if you recognize the name of the item. Shumai are always a good place to start – or the black bean spare ribs.

Tea is considered to be an essential part of the dim sum experience. The Cha in Yum Cha stands for tea. Tea is automatically served when you are seated, and you are expected to serve your dining companions before serving yourself. Li Wah carries 6 different blends of  tea. The tea charge varies from .80 cents per person to 1.00 per person  depending upon tea selection. I like the basic oolong they serve, but you can also order jasmine tea or chrysanthemum tea (which are made with actual chrysanthemum blossoms. When your tea pot is  empty or needs to be refreshed, simply leave the teapot lid open. They also serve beer, wine, various cocktails, sodas, lemonade with popping pearls, milk tea, bubble tea and smoothies. But if you are splitting the bill in the end it might be a good idea to order them separately.

My favorite dim sum items at Li Wah are primarily dumplings as well as the steamed buns with Peking duck, the shrimp, Har Gow and tofu skin rolls. Chinese people have been raised on a diet of predominately pork, poultry (duck and chicken), and seafood. Many Asians are  lactose intolerant due to the lack of cows in the  region. Roast duck, Peking duck, and roast pig are  wonderful meats to try, but they tend to be expensive additions. Likewise, the Chinese vegetables such as Chinese broccoli (Gai Lan), bok choy, pea pod leaves (dao mu), or Bittermelon (Foo Gaw) can be expensive additions as well and take longer to make so order them early if you want some greens with your dumplings. I can also recommend the cucumber salad.

The weekends tend to be the busiest, and they tend to roll out some of the better items later in the day like the mussels or salt baked prawns. The more adventurous eaters might want to try the chicken feet or the tripe or jellyfish, but I tend to order the less adventurous things when I am dining out with friends who are new to dim sum. It helps that I am not the biggest fan either.

If you have a larger group it is a good idea to make sure you get a table with a rotating glass lazy susan. It’s a good idea to have one of the more experienced diners be in charge of ordering and in charge of the bill, because otherwise chaos ensues. As the items are set on the table, the server will mark it on your bill depending on the price of the item.

Most dim sum are served as three or four to a plate. It’s also good to order enough so each person either gets their own bite-sized item or cut the item in half with a chopstick or fork. Knives are considered bad energy, a cutting force, in feng shui. It is not proper to eat a Chinese meal with a knife and fork. If you can’t handle chopsticks, use a spoon and a fork. Li Wah can also give you children’s chopsticks, which are held together with a rubber band. The Chinese don’t cut food on the table – although we have been brazen in the past and asked for a knife. If you want something like the turnip cakes cut up into smaller servings the server will be happy to do so for you. But using a knife to cut up the dim sum really is frowned upon.

The desserts are sweeter dim sum as shown above. It’s a good idea to order one or two items like the mango pudding, egg tarts or my favorite egg custard bun for a sweet ending. Even the sesame balls (the round balls coated with sesame seeds in the center of the photo on the right) can be considered sweeter because the red bean paste filling is sweeter than some of the savory items.

Once everyone is full (which is easy to do) you ask one of the servers to total up your bill and then you divide it by however many diners were at the table. It is best to make sure everyone has enough cash to cover themselves and then just hand the cash to the server. Too many credit cards can throw the server off their game. I have an app that calculates the tip (Li Wah is now tacking on an automatic gratuity of 18% though, so be sure to doublecheck whether the tip is already included) and divides the total by the number of diners. Most of the time we end up paying $20-25 a person (unless a roast meat or vegetable dish has been ordered, then it is more like $30). Unfortunately the price per item has risen in the last few years, and the quality has become hit or miss. Nevertheless, it’s still a fun experience that everyone should have at least once, and it’s a great way to share a meal with friends.

Contact info:

Li Wah
2999 Payne Avenue, Suite 102
Cleveland, OH 44114
(216) 696-6556

Mama Maria’s Ukrainian Kitchen

One of the first Ukrainian-owned businesses in Parma, a Cleveland suburb that’s been home to Ukrainian immigrants for the better part of a century, Mama Maria’s has been a local staple for about half that time. It serves excellent and authentic Eastern European food. It was run by Mama Maria until her son George took it over. George also State Meats next door. State Meats is my favorite place to buy Ukrainian delicacies like fresh and smoked kielbasa (try the double-smoked – wow), frozen pierogi, German potato salad (oil-based with bacon) and Russian salad (Olyvie, which resembles a potato salad, with the addition of other cooked vegetables like peas and carrots and meat.). You can obviously get that here too, but the pierogi are freshly made and hot. Mama Maria’s is known for its homemade jumbo pierogi, cabbage rolls, pelmeni (smaller Russian pierogi with a meat filling), German schnitzel, chenaky (stewed pork, potatoes, and carrots), and savory borscht (beet soup with pork and vegetables). They make authentic Ukrainian food that you cannot really find anywhere else.

I absolutely adore their kielbasa sandwich on a soft bun. The kielbasa is fresh and steamed to perfection. It is perfectly seasoned with just the right amount of garlic. You can get it with or without sauerkraut. I’ve been known just to stop and get a kielbasa sandwich when I get a craving for it. It always makes me think of my Ukrainian grandmother, who always served fresh kielbasa on Easter. And she lived in the area, so it probably came from State Meats – just like Mama Maria’s does. We now serve fresh kielbasa at Easter and Thanksgiving in her memory.

I met several girlfriends here for a quick dinner before an event at the public library on Snow Road. They loved their meals, which ranged from the schnitzel with a pierogi to stuffed cabbage and pierogi. The schnitzel was perfectly fried. It doesn’t seem to be hand-pounded like I am used to in Austria and Germany. They tend to be huge and hang over the plate, but this was a very serviceable option. The stuffed cabbage was also tasty and the pierogi were little pillows of potatoey heaven.

It’s a really small space with not a lot of seating. Our table was tight and had to be moved to accommodate us. They do most of their business as carryout. It is open from 9:30 am to 6 pm every day but Sunday. Mama Maria’s doesn’t even have a website and its Yelp listing is sparse. It’s definitely a Cleveland secret that shouldn’t be.

Contact info:

Mama Marie’s Ukrainian Kitchen
5342 State Road
Cleveland, OH 44134
(216) 661-2225</p

Century Village Museum Pancake Breakfast

The Century Village Museum, located in Burton, Ohio is an authentic representation of a Western Reserve Village from 1798 to the turn of the 19th century. It’s also the host of a fantastic pancake breakfast. In addition, they offer free tours of the Maple Museum on Pancake Sundays. The museum and store just reopened a couple of days ago (March 15) after being closed for renovations.

The Century Village Museum is located just off of Burton Square. My GPS directed me to the parking lot off of Park Street. I knew how popular this pancake breakfast is and just how small the parking lot is, so I took advantage of St. Patrick’s Day to ensure I could avoid the crowds, who I knew would be either at the parade downtown or at one of the many bars and restaurants serving green beer, kegs and eggs and corned beef. Anyone who knows me know I am not a fan of corned beef. This seemed like the perfect way to spend the morning/afternoon. I woke up at 10 am and headed out shortly after 11. The drive was gray and cloudy, and it started to sleet and then snow. I seriously questioned my decision, but in the end I am so glad I decided to brave the weather this morning. It was totally worth it!

The pancake breakfast is served every Sunday in March from 9 am to 2 pm. They also have signs directing cars through a drive-thru. I got there shortly after noon and had to drive around the small parking lot until someone left. I felt lucky to get a spot. Other people parked on the square, crossed the road, and walked a bit. By the time I left (probably at around 12:30 or so) there were some spaces open. I am also happy that I am walking better now, because it was a bit of a walk to the Bond Building, where the pancakes are served. I followed the signs, and because there was no line I had to ask someone at the door where to go. They have a cordoned off line along the inside of the building to the right. I followed the cordoned area down to the ladies sitting at the cashier’s table and handed over my money. They also take debit and credit cards.

The cost for the all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast is $10 for adults and $6 for kids aged 6-12. The meal includes all you can eat pancakes (buttermilk, blueberry and apple – and they also had gluten free pancakes!!!), 2 sausage links, scrambled eggs, milk, orange juice and apple sauce. I also purchased extra sausage links for $1 each and extra orange juice for $1 (it said $0.75 on the sign, but they probably rounded it up to avoid dealing with quarters). Extra milk and water was also $1 each. I was glad I ordered the extra sausage and orange juice, because the sausage was fantastic. I didn’t remember about the milk and apple sauce being included in the price. Oh well, next time.

I grabbed a tray with a plate and plastic ware and grabbed my orange juices (and probably should have grabbed a container of apple sauce and container of milk). When I got to the serving window they had steamer trays filled with pancakes, eggs and sausage. I chose to get one of each pancake, asked for another half-scoop of scrambled eggs and ended up with four sausage links.

After I left the window, a nice gentleman asked if he could “buy me a cup of coffee” and poured me a cup from the urn. He made me smile. They also had hot water and decaf coffee. I grabbed some sugar and creamer and headed into the seating area to find a seat. The table had jugs of real maple syrup and bowls of individual butters and salt and pepper packets. They also had paddles to hold up high if you needed more pancakes or more coffee. I got a refill on my coffee, and the thermos of coffee was nice and hot.

The coffee was quite good – and strong, which was appreciated. The orange juice hit the spot (and wasn’t still frozen like at West Geauga). As for the food, it was fantastic! The scrambled eggs were just how I like them, and the sausage links were also outstanding. The pancakes themselves were fantastic – even the buttermilk, but the star of the show was definitely the apple pancakes!! These are definitely my favorite pancakes at any pancake breakfast so far. The smell was divine, and the taste was even better. The apple pancakes had a nice amount of cinnamon and were delicious.

I finished the eggs and ate half of the pancakes and sausage on my plate. I moved the pile away from the puddle of maple syrup on the plate and carefully carried my plate of pancakes and sausage to my car.

I plan to run through the drive-thru next week after the Burton Fire Department’s pancake breakfast and get all apple pancakes for later in the day. And I will probably start making apple and cinnamon pancakes at home, because they were a revelation.

Contact info:

Century Village Museum
4653 E Park Street
Burton, OH 44021
(440) 834-1492

Fish Fryday #6: The Fairview Tavern and Church of the Gesu

Lunch at The Fairview Tavern

One of my friends recommended I check out The Fairview Tavern when I talked about going to Gunselman’s last week and recommended their perch dinners. One of my girlfriends wanted to check it out, so we went for lunch there today. I am originally from Olmsted Falls and dated a guy from Fairview in high school. I had never heard of it despite it apparently being in business since the 1940s. It is located in the Fairview Shopping Center close to the intersection of Lorain Road and W. 220th. It is a tiny little sports bar with not much marking it by way of signage. New owners took over in 2006 and have been producing some excellent food since then. This place is the epitome of a hole-in-the-wall hidden gem.

When you enter, you are greeted by a long bar that extends its way into the establishment. There are a couple of high top tables to the left. We had to walk through the bar to get to the dining area with the tables and several booths.

We were greeted by a friendly server, and upon asking what was on tap I was given a list of the draft beers. I was tempted to order a Guiness because the place was festively decorated for the upcoming holiday, but I just bought a four pack so ordered a Samuel Smith’s Nut Brown Ale. It is a clear dark amber beer with a slightly syrupy taste and was a tasty accompaniment to my meal.

I was intrigued by their regular menu and will definitely be going back. One thing I knew I needed to order was the bacon-wrapped kielbasa bites. How very Cleveland. These small coins of kielbasa were nicely prepared and were doused in a maple bourbon glaze. They were a tasty appetite whetter. I will definitely be back from the mini beef wellington – and I failed to order the New England Clam Chowder today, so that will need to be remedied as well.

Both my friend and I ordered the perch dinner. You can get three or four pieces of perch with fries and slaw. We chose the perch and pierogi dinner, which also came with fries and slaw as well as a side of sour cream and a side of tartar sauce. I know I have said this before, but I don’t understand the appeal of perch. There isn’t enough meat to be satisfying. And perch is easy to overcook, which these were hovering on the edge of. They were okay, but the cod sandwich that was served to the patron at the next table definitely looked more my speed. The fries and pierogi were lovely. The pierogi were served with large slices of onion that were grilled and a tasty addition. The slaw was just okay. Knowing I would be hitting Gesu tonight, I ate a pierogi and one of my three perch and got a box for the dinner and a box for the kielbasa bites. I’m sure they will reheat well.

Dinner at Church of the Gesu

I finally made it to the Gesu fish fry tonight. The Gesu fish fry is run out of the Gesu Catholic School’s basement cafeteria and catered by EDWINS. All proceeds go to support Gesu’s Families in Need Fund and EDWINS Leadership & Restaurant Institute. I’ve been meaning to try it all season and finally made it. It took me a minute to actually find it though. What is it with Catholic schools and the woeful lack of signage?

I drove through several mobs of sorority girls and college kids in green from John Carroll walking to parties or the bars, and once I pulled onto Miramar and into the Gesu compound I drove behind the buildings to where most of the cars were parked near a building that had a sign visible through the windows indicating it was the Gymnasium. I asked two ladies who were walking in the lot where the fish fry was, and they pointed to the inside corner of the building. A sign on the door indicated there is a handicap entrance (an elevator) at the back of the building. If you have mobility issues, plan ahead and park close to the handicap entrance.

I entered the building and walked down the stairs to be greeted by a friendly woman at the door of the cafeteria. Once I told her I was a walk-in without a pre-order, she pointed me in the direction I needed to go (straight ahead). Pre-orders and to-go orders veer to the right, and there are rows of chairs available to wait for your order. I filled out my form and paid my money and was told to go to table 18. Table 18 didn’t work for me, so they easily managed to amend my order to table 4. It was brought out to me as I was sitting down. I sat with a delightful older couple with whom I enjoyed talking. They and their friends tried to recruit me for the choir. It was sweet, but the chances of this Lutheran making it to a Catholic morning mass (let alone an hour before mass to practice) are slim to none. But they definitely made me feel welcome.

I ordered the fish and shrimp dinner. Both were perfectly fried. The cocktail sauce for the shrimp was tasty, and the tartar sauce was indeed as good as the mayor of University Heights claimed it is. I ate two shrimp, nibbled on a few fries and had a couple bites of the fish as I chatted with my tablemates. I ended up taking most of it home to reheat tomorrow or Sunday.

Someone was lamenting on my Facebook food forum about a two-hour wait at the fish fry they were at. I got to Gesu shortly after they started serving (which is 5-8 pm) at 5:15 and left at 6. There were no lines and lots of tables with available seating. The fish fry is phenomenal (come on, it’s EDWINS), so if you want a great fish fry with no waiting be sure to check it out. If you pre-order a couple days ahead of time you also don’t have to worry about them running out. Pre-orders open at noon on the Saturday before the fish fry. Next week is the last chance for the 2024 Lenten season.

Contact info:

The Fairview Tavern
1867 Lorain Road
Cleveland, OH 44126
(440) 799-4200

Church of the Gesu
Gesu Catholic School
2470 Miramar Boulevard
University Heights, OH 44118
(216) 932-0617

West Geauga High School Pancake Breakfast

It’s Pancake Breakfast season! The holiest of Nature’s holidays. When the sap starts running in Geauga County and the calendar flips over to March, it is time for pancake breakfasts throughout the area. Spring is the time of the most activity when the syrup is being made and most of the harvest work is done. Most of the local pancake breakfasts feature real maple syrup, and you can’t throw a stone around Burton without hitting one. I attended my first pancake breakfast season today and chose to try the breakfast at West Geauga High School in Chesterland. I had heard a lot of good things, and it was my first time there. We pulled into the high school parking lot and followed the crowds of people. The entrances and exits were well-marked. We just followed the signs. We got there at 11:30. It starts at 8 am and runs until 1 pm. The cafeteria was packed, but the line wasn’t very long and moved fast.

West Geauga High School pancake breakfast is run by the Kiwanis Club and relies on community volunteers. The place was swarming with Kiwanis, Boy Scouts, Pixies, Brownies and Girl Scouts. There were lots of folks collecting money at the cashier table, making the food in the cafeteria kitchen, restocking silverware and beverages, and most importantly running around the cafeteria with thermoses of regular and decaf coffee and trays of pancakes and sausage. Insider tip: the sausage is from Kocian Meats at E. 40th and St. Clair, and we heard several people raving about the sausage.

For $10, you can enjoy all-you-can-eat buttermilk, buckwheat, chocolate chip, and blueberry pancakes, French toast, Geauga County’s Pure Maple Syrup, sausage, juice, coffee and milk. Children 6 and under are $6 and there is an early bird special from 8-9 a.m. for even less (but if you’ve been following me you know that I am not a morning person and will never be up and moving for an early bird special unless I haven’t gone to bed yet – which was the plan for this Saturday’s pancake breakfast at Abundant Life Ministry Center in Burton, but I decided at 5:30 a.m. that I would rather go to bed than power through until 7 a.m.). I’ll hit it later in the day later in the month. That one is on Saturdays in March from 7 a.m. to noon.

My friend joined me because she was looking forward to the buckwheat pancakes. Unfortunately she said there wasn’t as much buckwheat as she prefers. She prefers the Burton Fire Department’s buckwheat pancakes. But she still enjoyed them.

I grabbed a plate of blueberry pancakes and a plate of French toast and got several sausage patties. I liked that they asked if I wanted them well-done or regular. I told the server that I didn’t care, so he gave me two regular patties. My friend loved the well-done sausage because they were crispy and just how she likes it. I like that they give you a choice.

We found a clean spot for two and tucked into our food. The volunteers kept coming around and topping off our coffee and clearing half-empty creamer pots and syrup jars and switching them for full ones. We didn’t need refills on pancakes or sausage, but if we had wanted them all we had to do was hold up paint paddles to call for more. There was always someone close by with more. They had big urns of coffee with which they refilled the thermoses.

I was thrilled to see my friends (and former neighbors) who introduced me to the idea of pancake breakfasts just a couple people down from me. I gave them all big hugs and caught up. Not bad for a West Sider who found herself on the far East Side. My friend and I drove back home with full bellies and happy hearts. It was the perfect start to the syrup season.

We were even served some coffee by The Cat in the Hat. He was just a spot of sunshine. Everyone there was efficient and very friendly. It was great seeing families enjoying themselves, and we enjoyed chatting with the folks around us.

Contact info:

West Geauga High School
13401 Chillicothe Road
Chesterland, OH 44026
(440) 729-5950

Savour at Polaris and The Buckeye Room at Lorain County JVS

Growing up in Olmsted Falls I am very familiar with Polaris Career Center and its job and training courses, which offer hospitality and cosmetology services to the community such as the restaurant and bakery, hair salon and the now-closed audiovisual services. Polaris offers courses designed to help junior and senior high students and adults from the surrounding cities prepare for meaningful careers, update job qualifications, or develop a personal interest. Students who were not college-bound attended Polaris in the afternoons. The only reason I was familiar with the Lorain County JVS, which is in Oberlin, is because I know someone who works there and used to run the Culinary Arts program there. The Culinary Arts program trains students in all areas of the demanding and competitive world of food service. Basic cooking techniques, baking, salad preparation, cafeteria operation and advanced culinary skills are taught by chef instructors and guest chefs. The Buckeye Room is a full-service restaurant run by students in their senior year. They also learn to cater functions before, during and after school.

The restaurant at Polaris is Savour and the bakery is Indulge. The restaurant at the JVC is The Buckeye Room. I had never eaten at either restaurant before. I have eaten at both twice now and look forward to more visits in the future. The food is amazing and the kids take great pride in what they are doing. You can also order online for take-out at Polaris. Finding the restaurant at Polaris was easy from the visitor parking lot on the right side of the complex (the last driveway on Old Oak Boulevard). Finding the Buckeye Room was a little more difficult. I entered the main entrance and parked in the lot to the right. I then had to walk to the entrance on the right of the photo and turn right as I walked in. There was a sign pointing me to the right, but the doors to the restaurant are not marked. Once you turn to the right, if you don’t know that the restaurant is hidden behind the double doors on the left just inside the cafeteria you will walk past it and have to ask someone where it is.

The bakery is open on Wednesdays through Fridays (most weeks from September to May) from noon to 2:00 p.m. and coincide with Savour’s hours of operation. The baked goods are quite good, and I can highly recommend the cookies, eclairs, individual cheesecakes and pastries such as the tarts and croissants. The bakery usually has a long line and it is SLOW. If you have a reservation at 12:30 you’d better get in line before noon because you will still be in line at 12:30 (even if you were towards the front). If you have a 11:45 am reservation grab your table and then put your order in with a friend as you queue up. Not only do all the elderly patrons slow things down, but the girls working behind the counter were not efficient either time I was there. One writes down your order while the other puts the baked goods on the tray – then they get taken to be boxed and then ring the sale up. I know they are students, but the slow pace is not doing anyone any favors. I’ve worked in restaurants and they are very high pace environments. They also tend to sell out of things quickly.

Both restaurants require reservations because demand for tables is high since they are only open a couple of days a week and only a couple of weeks a month. My friend makes several reservations at once as early in the season as she can for the lunches. I always joke that I am one of the youngest ones dining here, but there has always been one table of twentysomethings eating here as well.

Savour is open for lunch from 11:45 am – 1:00 pm. The schedule is posted here. Each table gets a basket of bialys for your party, and you can order more to go if there are extra. A bialy is flat bagel-like roll with a depression in the center typically seasoned with an onion and poppy seed mixture. The more well-known bagel refers is a round roll, typically with a hole in the center. Unlike bialys, bagels are boiled and then baked, giving them a chewier texture. On our first visit they had not taken the number of reservations into account, and our table was shorted two bialys.

First row: Walleye, Short Ribs, No-Bake Nutella Cheesecake
Second row: Clam chowder, Pot Roast, Maryland Crab Cake
Third row: cross-section of the Crab Cake, NOLA Bread Pudding, Pot de Creme

You order off the limited menu here. There are two soup choices, two salad choices, a Reuben, two flatbreads, three entrees and two desserts to choose from. All the entrees include a complementary dessert for around $16. The servers are also learning to work front of house, but they have all been fairly competent. Our beverages have been refilled and food brought out efficiently. We had one case of the shrimp in the soup being overcooked, so we let the program manager know to tell them not to cook the shrimp in the soups for so long. Other than that everything has been excellent. The clam chowder on my second visit was so good that I ordered a quart to take home. They did not overcook the clams, and the potatos and seasoning were perfect. I absolutely fell in love with the Chicken Rockefeller on my first visit, and it was one of my Best Bites of 2023. The chicken, hollandaise and rice were perfectly cooked and the sauteed zucchini was also delicious. My crab cake on my second visit was moist and delicious (see photos in the table above – including the cross-section). And the chocolate pot de creme was exquisite.

The Buckeye Room is open for lunch from 10:45 am – 1:00 pm Monday thru Friday on certain dates throughout the year. All prix fixe menus are $17.00 for a 4-course meal and a drink. The dining room here at the Buckeye Room is very small, only seating maybe 50 people. On our first visit we were seated promptly, but they had taken too many reservations on the second visit and the kitchen was in the weeds, so we had to wait a while for our table. They had some seating for waiting guests, but people were standing in the small hallway for quite a while. The clientele here tends to skew a little younger.

Just a selection of the meals
First row: Cheese & sausage stuffed mushrooms, Calamari, Potato & leek soup
Second row: Herb roasted turkey breast with sage stuffing, mashed potatoes, glazed carrots and corn; Spiced vanilla trifle; Arancini
Third row: Winter chop salad, Chicken pot pie; Cherry pie

I can never finish the full 4-course meals here. I tend to enjoy the appetizer and soup or salad and then half of the entree, and tend to ask for a to go box. The cherry pie was easier to take home than the tiramisu, so I opted for the cherry pie even though the tiramisu looked amazing. My favorite bite here so far was the Surf & Turf on my second visit. The 4 oz. filet was perfectly cooked to my medium rare specification with a delicious demi-glace. The shrimp skewer was delightfully charred and served on a bed of roasted tomato risotto that was extremely flavorful. They had run out of the brussel sprouts, but the zucchini they substituted was also delicious and I didn’t miss the brussel sprouts. Another Best Bite of 2023.

I look forward to my meals here in 2024 and beyond.

Contact info:

The Buckeye Room
15181 State Route 58
Oberlin, OH 44074

Savour Restaurant
7285 Old Oak Boulevard
Middleburg Heights, OH 44130