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.
This is going to be a weird post, because it was a weird day. Well, a weird week really… I was sick all week with norovirus, and today was the first day in four or five days that I actually felt hunger. After not eating all week I should have known things would not go well.
I started off the day intending to enjoy one last tuna melt at Old Brooklyn Cheese Company before it closes on the 19th. I’ve been a fan of OBCC from the very beginning and fell in love with their tuna melt a year or two ago. Sadly, the tuna melt was not on offer today. I bought some cheese and mustard and then headed out to pick up my taxes, deciding not to have a big meal since I was meeting friends at Pokrova at 5. I may or may not try again before they close. Thanks for the memories, OBCC! I wish you luck on your mustard journey.
I was tempted to get a fish sandwich at Cleveland Heights’ new Arthur Treacher’s Fish and Chips, which is the site of an old-school Arthur Treacher’s from the 1970s-1990s. The new Arthur Treacher’s opened on 4/1 to much excitement (right after they opened Cedar Road back up after starting to demolish the burnt down apartment complex), but the place had some major traffic heading in and out today. I opted for an egg salad sandwich from Swenson’s instead. The small parking lot was packed each time I drove past, and they are serving a very limited menu for now (just fish, chips, hush puppies and coleslaw). The building itself is still behind construction barricades, but it is so nice to have an Arthur Treacher’s only 5 minutes from my house. I will no longer need to drive to Garfield Heights, and the residents here are excited. I was in Garfield Heights a few weeks ago and am looking forward to popping into the Cleveland Heights location in the future.
I had attended the Pokrova fish fry in 2021 shortly after the pandemic restrictions were lifted. It is located on Broadview Road past Snow/Rockville Road close to the North Royalton border (just past St. Columbkille). The church is set back quite far from the road. Look for the signs. Everyone there was really nice, but I won’t be going back. We got in line to order our meal from two ladies sitting behind a table with a cashbox between them. We were given a number on a stand, and someone eventually brought out our food to the table. In the meantime we bought beverages and desserts from the table in the back of the somewhat crowded room (they had a much larger space and much better distancing in 2021).
Pokrova is known for the pierogi (spelled “pyrony” (пироги) on the menu (my friend was not aware of that) – they sell it all year), and since I am trying to get some pierogi after several pierogi-less meals I was really excited for this one. Unfortunately it was pretty terrible. There was no fried fish – just pan-fried or baked. The pan-fried fish looked good, but it did not taste good. We tried to figure out what the taste was – and it was omelette. It was very eggy. The breading was like a thin omelette coating the fish. It didn’t stick to the fish very well. The fish itself was moist and well-cooked. The pierogi were boiled but lacking in buttery goodness and a good sear. I took them home to sear them off tomorrow. I enjoyed the pouch of applesauce, but I can buy those at Aldi. I had ordered applesauce instead of coleslaw to get some vitamins, and it is the only item I actually finished. I had a couple bites of fish and ate one pierogi and half of the roll and boxed the rest up to take home.
Pokrova is one of the few churches that serve borscht. For those who are not aware of what it is, borscht is usually a hearty beet soup with cabbage, potatoes, and garlic that’s popular in Eastern Europe. The borscht, which, again, I was looking forward to, was terrible. It was basically pink chicken broth. In the past there have been chunks of beet or cabbage in it, but after fishing the bottom for some heft we were sad. My friends made fun of me for taking mine home. I am on the fence whether I am going to fry up some cabbage to add to it or just dump it down the sink. The gastro stuff from the norovirus kicked in once I got home, so we’ll see how I feel tomorrow. I had been so excited to share Pokrova with my friends, but I was horrified. At least we could laugh about it.
The core meal was $15, which came with one side, choice of applesauce or coleslaw and bread and butter. Beverages and desserts were extra. The desserts were obviously made by the parishioners. I bought a weird little peach dessert, which was okay but gave more orange than peach flavor. Some of the cakes looked amazing. I also bought my dad a Ukrainian pashka ($10), which he enjoyed in 2021 and said transported him to his childhood. It’ll be a nice treat for him for Easter.
The fish fry runs from 4-7. They had run out of cabbage and noodles by the time we got there at 5, and they explained to my friend that they had made too much last week and cut back. If you run out of a side by 5 that’s a problem. I had the cabbage and noodles in 2021 and it was quite good, so it surprises me that they had a week in which it didn’t sell like crazy. The photo below is from 2021. Hopefully next week will be better and I will be feeling better and up to more substantial food. I hope you all enjoyed your fish fries.
Forgive me for posting this on Saturday, but a long chat with my best friend in Baltimore took precedence over writing about the absolutely perfect Fryday I enjoyed that day. As I noted last week, I had not enjoyed any pierogi with my fish fries yet this year, and I value a good pierogi just as much as a good fried fish. I set out to rectify this.
I had a delectable fried fish lunch at Larder Delicatessen & Bakery. Chef and owener Jeremy Umansky is a multi-year James Beard Award nominee, so I knew I was in for a good fish fry. Larder also has a vegan fish fry on offer, featuring fried tofu. The community table had some fun activities for kids (including a fun community cookbook from the kids who attend activities at Lake Erie Ink and some flash cards).
I’d like to start off by saying that I absolutely hate the parking situation in Hingetown. And this was at around 12:30 and closer to 1. I had to drive around the block before I found an available spot near Larder – and that was because I was lucky enough that someone pulled out of their spot just as I was nearby. I lived in Germany, so I am a parallel parking pro but I know a lot of people who aren’t. The street parking situation is hit or miss. However, Larder posted that there is a parking garage at @livechurchandstate that is just 20 steps from the building and is easy to access. I missed it. Consider that info filed for next time.
Larder is open from 11am-6pm Tuesday thru Saturday. They stop serving hot food at 5:45 p.m. The place was packed when I got there shortly before 1, but it was manageable. I was able to place an order for the fish fry, gave the cashier my cash (and stumped him when I gave him enough to give me a $10 bill and change), was given my number and took a seat at a larger table that seems like a community table. At least we turned it into one. The group that sat down with me after I ordered had planned a trip to the Rock Hall, but had to pivot when the power went out and it closed for the day. We talked a bit about Minneapolis and chatted about the Rock Hall and Cleveland.
Of course I ordered the Lake Erie Fish Fry, which changes every week and this week featured fresh Lake Erie fish, fresh cut French fries, a biscuit, coleslaw made from red cabbage and the most delectable sauces. Larder gets its fresh fish out of Lake Erie from Kate’s Fish Market in the West Side Market. It seems that lunch is different from the dinner fish fry. I read somewhere that one of the fish are smelts, and the size and shape of the fish tend to lead me to believe that my lunch was fried smelt. Whatever it was it was delicious. I particularly enjoyed the sauces, and the fries were tasty as well. It was the perfect size for lunch. I was tempted to try the bread pudding or one of the tasty-looking desserts, but decided against it to save room for the evening.
As I said above, I knew I needed pierogi with my dinner. My friend who is an Elk suggested the Berea Elks Lodge, because they serve pierogi as well as a wide variety of changing offers. I knew where the Lodge was, because I used to drive past it all the time growing up. The fish fry is served from 6-8 p.m. I ended up heading there later in the evening to avoid the post-work traffic from the Cleveland Clinic. I got there at about 6:15 p.m. The Lodge has a smaller parking lot, but there were several parking lots nearby to handle to overflow. I initially tried to enter through the front doors, but they were locked. Apparently we had to enter through the back door and head down a stairwell to the basement. I think I was one of the last diners to show up. They were able to make room for me at the bar. They can only serve alcohol to Elks members, but that didn’t bother me. I ordered a lemonade and then later a Shirley Temple, which I haven’t had since childhood. They had just run out of the lobster ravioli, but the nice gentleman sitting next to me gave me a couple of suggestions, specifically the scallops, the salmon (Salmon Citron Chou-Fleur) and the ahi tuna nachos.
I ended up ordering the Scallop Symphony, which featured pan-seared scallops on a bed of crispy fried creamy polenta with southwestern corn and a roasted red pepper sauce as well as a side of pierogi (available as 2, 4 or 6 pierogi) and the Walleye Bites. The scallops won’t be available next week, so I thought it sounded fun. The fish and chips are always available. The scallops were delicious. The red pepper sauce had a bit of heat to it, but I did not find it that spicy at all compared to the Indian or Thai food I usually enjoy.
The pierogi and the Walleye Bites were definitely the stars through. They were both phenomenal. The pierogi were perfect and stuffed with the requisite potato and cheese filling and served with sauteed onions and sour cream. The pierogi were absolutely bursting with filling and with flavor. The Walleye Bites were also amazing. I could have eaten both of them as a meal and been happy very happy. The scent of the onions tormented me the whole drive home. There is no better smell than sauteed onions (well, maybe sauteed onions and mushrooms…)
The gentleman next to me had ordered the scallops and his wife ordered the salmon and they shared the cabbage and noodles, which they proclaimed was also delicious. When I saw her salmon I ordered one to go to eat later this weekend. I of course tried a bite of the salmon and asparagus with the lemon pepper sauce, and it was fantastic.
I was almost afraid to share this fantastic fish fry find, but the Exalted Ruler and my server/bartender assured me it was ok (I outed myself so that I could get their permission after I had received my food). The fish fry is staffed by volunteers (the kitchen team as well as servers, bussers, dish washers, and runners), and it isn’t like a church fish fry. I didn’t want to overwhelm them, but I also don’t think I have so much clout that there will be long lines. If you are a group of eight like the one last night you might have to wait, but they definitely can handle it. So if you want a fantastic fish fry with different choices than the usual fried fish, be sure to check it out! They will be offering it every Friday until April 18th. I’d rank this up there with St. Joseph’s Parish in Avon Lake and St. Gabriel in Concord for the variety of choices. And the pierogi is right up there with St. Josaphat, Pokrova, St. Vladimir and St. Andrew. I felt very welcome there and had a wonderful time. And I can’t wait to tuck into my leftovers tonight! This was two wonderful fish fries in one day! Best one this season so far.
After last week I needed a church fish fry. I met some friends at Savour at Polaris Career Center for lunch, and we were celebrating my one friend’s birthday (I was going to bring a cake but didn’t get moving in time). But dessert is included with the entrees, so it wasn’t needed. She had the apple tart and several of us had the raspberry cheesecake.
Savour is the Career Center’s restaurant for high school students. It is open for lunch from 11:45 am – 1:00 pm on Wednesday – Friday (most weeks except when school is not in session) in September-May. You need to make a reservation. We had a noon reservation, and the place was so packed that they sat us at a folding card table, knowing we are regulars and would not mind. There was a bus or two of senior citizens here that day. We didn’t mind at all, being not quite senior citizens, but my friends are retired (I delivered a translation and ran a bit late today). We eat here a lot when we can, because the food is delicious and very affordable.
Our server was competent and very friendly (it can sometimes be hit or miss), and we got a couple of extra bialy as a thank you for being accommodating. The bialys are always a highlight. The chef changes the menu every week. In addition to several two soups, two salads, a pizza or flatbread and a Reuben sandwich. They also offer three prix fixe meals that include a bialy, a beverage, an entree and a dessert. This week they had Crispy Beer Battered Cod with herb rice pilaf, Basil Chicken over cous cous or Shepherd’s Pie (with ground beef and lamb).
I had ordered the cream of asparagus soup to start. I love a good spring soup, and asparagus is a favorite. It had lots of fresh asparagus pieces in a delicious creamy soup. It was really nice soup, and I was tempted to get a quart of soup to take home. I have taken home their soup in the past and enjoyed it later.
Most of us ordered the Crispy Beer Battered Cod while one of my friends had the pecan chicken salad, which she ended up taking most of home. The cod fillets were dipped in a house made beer batter then rolled in crispy Panko breadcrumbs. They were crisp and delightful. The fish is then fried and served with herb rice pilaf, fresh vegetables (today it was asparagus), a delightfully sweet vinegar coleslaw, and their house tartar sauce. The meal was delightful. The fish was crispy yet moist and tender inside. I always enjoy their rice pilaf, and I love asparagus and it was perfectly cooked. The coleslaw was also a nice surprise. I usually don’t like vinegar-based coleslaw, but this one was tasty and well-seasoned. I ended up bringing one of the three fillets home with some rice and a couple of spears of asparagus. I’m looking forward to popping the fillet in a hot dog bun for a little snack over the weekend. We sat around talking until most of the place cleared out, knowing the kids would be heading out at the end of the school day. I paid using the QR Code on my bill, but my friends braved the long line.
I was tempted to head straight to St. Mary of the Assumption after lunch because I got home at around 3:00 (the fish fry is from 3 to 7 PM on Fridays in Lent). I decided to do take out, because I was full from lunch despite taking half of everything home as leftovers. I ended up stopping at home for a bit to check my email and headed out shortly after 4:00. I drove down Monticello and down North Taylor to Coit Road and E. 152nd Street, because I try to avoid as much of East Cleveland as possible and drive around it when I can. Too many traffic cameras and speed traps. One visit to the East Cleveland traffic court was enough for me.
St. Mary of the Assumption is a Roman Catholic church located on Holmes Avenue just off E. 152nd just before the Rail Yards overpass. I got to the church at around 4:30, found a parking space in a very crowded parking lot (there are several lots around the church as well as street parking) and followed the crowd. The fish fry is in the Parish Hall. There was not much of a line, but it was a bit chaotic. As we walked in several people informed us that they had run out of the soup – at 4:30. No soup for you! It must be good. If you want to get soup, brave the 3:00 crowd. The line had died down a bit by the time I arrived, but I’m sure it gets crazy from 5 to 7.
I headed to the Take Out sign thinking the line was for take out, but initially was in the line on the left wall that was for dine in (they serve the dinners on trays through a serving window – runners can help carry your tray if needed). I then headed towards the bar area (behind the crowd of people to the right of the big Take Out sign) to get in what I thought was the line, but it turns out it was just people standing around waiting for their take out meals. We were also obstructing the bar/beverage traffic, so that was fun. You actually need to order from the ladies sitting down at a table behind the dine-in condiments table (in the middle of the photo). Obviously you need to bring cash – no credit cards here. They need to do something about the logistics because it was a mess. I then was finally able to order my fried fish dinner and a side of mac n cheese to go. As we stood around waiting, one woman’s order was misplaced (but not really – it was just waylaid in the kitchen, but she quickly made a stink after her friend’s meal came up), and while they were trying to find it some other dinners were still coming out and put on a table to be bagged up. One woman who ordered after me got her meal while mine sat on the table waiting to be bagged up for me. There isn’t much of a consistent system. But hey, it’s a church fish fry with volunteers. After another minute or so I grabbed my bag and headed back to my car for a quick drive home.
As for the food, the fish is obviously the star here. I ordered the “fried perch” dinner, but they also offer baked cod, shrimp, crab cake, mac n cheese, or combo (choice of two: fish, shrimp or crab cake) dinner options. The dinners come with your choice of home fries or french fries and coleslaw or applesauce as well as a slice of bread and a dessert (slice of strudel). You can also order strudel to go. What I thought was mashed potatoes on some dine-in trays were actually the home fries. They were white and mashed potato-like and I was afraid they were going to be bland, but they had a nice flavor to them. The fried fish was actually quite tasty, and it was perfectly cooked. The fish was nice and moist and the batter was crisp. There were three fillets of fish, and they were a decent size. I really enjoyed it, but they didn’t canoe up too much. The curl indicates if it is real perch or pike or zander. The most obvious way to tell Great Lakes perch from other fish of approximately the same size and shape (other than taste) is that Great Lakes perch is always joined at the belly. Perch also curls up (or as I call it canoes) quite a bit when it is fried. These did not curl that much, but they were nicely cooked and reheated well.
Get the applesauce. The coleslaw was pretty bland (especially after the coleslaw at lunch). The apple strudel was decent. It was a lot of food for $14. I also really enjoyed my side of mac n cheese, which added $3 to my total. It was cheesy and delicious. I tried a bit of everything and popped everything in the refrigerator to reheat later.
I can’t believe it is week 3 and I have yet to have pierogi with my Friday fish. I will definitely be remedying that in the next few weeks. In my opinion pierogi are the highlight next to a good fried fish.
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!
I first visited Chelo’s Kitchen a little over a year ago when someone posted a photo of their special tuna melt on a Facebook food group I am on. That tuna melt was absolutely amazing, one of the best I’ve had in Cleveland. I have since become a regular there – so much so that when Chelo’s wife Sarah saw my name in their Facebook feed she thought I would be requesting the tuna melt. But I have also had their fried catfish and eggs breakfast special in the back of my mind. When I saw they were serving it today, I jumped at the chance and ordered it. It was even better than I expected. The catfish was moist and tender with a crispy cornmeal crust. Just a light press with the fork was all I needed to get the perfect bite. I ordered my eggs over easy and added a side of home fries to my order. I enjoyed every single bite and finished the whole thing. I highly recommend it, so order it if you see it. That said, I will definitely also be going back for the tuna melt while it’s on offer.
One of my friends who attends St. Paul’s Episcopal Church sent me a notice about their Fish Fry, which is a one-day event featuring EDWINS and their special fish fry batter. The fish fry is prepared onsite by EDWINS students and graduates. Walk-ins are also welcome, but reservations are preferred for planning purposes. I pre-ordered the large fish and shrimp combo to go, which cost $18 and featured 5 fried shrimp, 1 piece of fried cod and French fries as well as cocktail and tartar sauces, to mark the start of Lent. I added a hot cross bun for $2 to my order and look forward to enjoying it tomorrow morning with a cup of coffee. All profits support the EDWINS Leadership & Restaurant Institute. I have enjoyed their fish fry at EDWINS Butcher Shop and Church of the Gesu in University Heights in the past.
I stopped there this evening to pick up my meal. I parked in their parking lot off Fairmount Boulevard and walked to the church and simply followed the smell of fried fish through the rear entrance. There were stairs to climb down for the fish fry, so if you have mobility issues you might need to see if they have an elevator. I didn’t see one, but I didn’t look too hard. We had to order ahead of time, and I chose carry-out. There were plenty of tables in the room for dine in though. There was a bit of a wait when I arrived at 5:30. I ended up getting my fish at around 6 and the runner apologized for the wait. Apparently they were running behind packing the food.
I eagerly tucked into my meal when I got home. I enjoyed every bite. The fish was a pillow of moist fish in a crispy batter, and the tartar sauce was as scrumptious as always. The fried shrimp were also perfectly fried and delicious paired with the included cocktail sauce. The fries were also quite tasty, although I had to add my own ketchup. They did have ketchup packets on the tables for those dining in. The fish was phenomenal, and I really enjoyed the shrimp a lot too. In short, EDWINS never disappoints.
Yesterday was Ash Wednesday, and to kick of the Lenten season I decided to head to Voodoo Brewing Company on Lee Road in Cleveland Heights to try their fried walleye. Voodoo has been on my list of Lenten places to try, because numerous people in the neighborhood groups have raved about the fish. This review differs from my usual reviews, because I usually write about a restaurant after I have visited several times. This was my first visit to Voodoo. It opens at 4 PM on Wednesdays, and I got there shortly after 6 PM.
I parked in the large lot behind the strip and entered through the back entrance. I had done a little research, so I knew I needed to order my food at the bar and pick it up at the kitchen window I walked past as I entered through the back.
I took a seat at the bar and was greeted by a friendly bartender. I ordered a Melon Executioner, which is made with vodka, Liquid Death Convicted Melon (apparently a Voodoo creation) and lime juice. It was a refreshing start. I then ordered my food and was given the above pager that notified me once my order was ready for pick-up.
They started serving the fried walleye dinner and shrimp po’ boys today and will continue to offer them on Fridays (until 4/18) during Lent. The fried walleye is a 1/2 pound walleye and a ton of housemade fries. It was available from 4-6 PM tonight. The shrimp po’ boy special for the week features battered fried shrimp, lettuce, tomato & bayou sauce on a toasted hoagie roll. The po’ boy is served with house-cut Old Bay fries. I have to say that I was happy I ordered the walleye, because Old Bay can be a bit much in my opinion. The slab of walleye was perfect. The batter coating was crisp and not greasy (I forgot to grab a fork, so I ate it by breaking off pieces with my hands and dipping it in the tasty tartar sauce), and the fish was flaky and moist. The fries came with a little container of malt vinegar, but I opted to enjoy ketchup with them. I was extremely pleased with the walleye, which is usually not a go-to fish for me.
Wednesday night is apparently also Trivia Night starting at 6:30 PM, and I didn’t plan on staying for it but ended up talking to two guys next to me at the bar who happily let me join them for the first half. When I asked what they recommend on the menu since they are regulars, they suggested the burgers and sandwiches, not so much the pizzas. Good to know. I gave them a fist bump when I left and we/they were ranked 8th. I may just go back another Wednesday night and seek them out, because I really enjoyed talking to them and playing trivia. Quelle surprise., but I guess it isn’t *that* surprising…
I ordered their MOSA, which is a Belgian ale with orange, after my meal. The bartender gave me a sample of it first because it is too sweet for some people, but I thought it was great. The bill was delivered tucked in the front of a book, which made me chuckle. Definitely a unique delivery option. A lot of previous visitors added notes to it. My only complaint is that my feet didn’t reach the metal supports on either the bar or the tall bar chair, which caused my feet to repeatedly fall asleep. I was afraid I was going to fall on my face walking back to grab my fish. But I didn’t.
I would definitely recommend checking out Voodoo Brewing Company if you want a good slab of fried fish and tasty fries as well as a refreshing beer.
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.
Chelo’s Kitchen is a family-owned traditional American breakfast and lunch diner that also serves authentic Latin cuisine (Chelo is from Uruguay). It is located in the strip mall at the corner of Mayfield and South Green Roads. It is open until 2:00 pm everyday but Monday and then from 2:30 to 7 pm Wednesday and Friday nights, where they serve several specials. You need to order the specials through their Facebook page or by email (Cheloskitchencle(AT)gmail.com) in order to ensure they are available at the time you specify, because the specials are limited and can quickly sell out. They do A LOT of take-out, so you need to specify the time and whether it is for dine-in or take-out. The food is made from scratch, the service is attentive, and the family atmosphere permeates the place. The servers recognize me as a regular now and remember whether I like cream and sugar with my coffee or sugar and Sweet and Low with my iced tea.
There is plenty of parking in the lots behind the strip mall, and there is a rear entrance. You can also enter from the front, but it is easier to enter from the back because the hallway funnels to the cash register/host seating area and dining room. The kitchen is at the front of the restaurant and the dishwashing area is at the rear. The bathrooms are in the very rear where you enter but before a second door.
The menu is simple and straight-forward, and they are very accommodating to special requests. On my last visit a guy a few tables over ordered an eggs benedict and subbed white toast for the English muffin, changed the meat and asked for hollandaise on the side. The server laughingly told him it wasn’t eggs benedict anymore but a breakfast sandwich, but happily took his order.
Chelo’s wife Sarah runs the dining room and is a whirling dervish, taking orders, clearing tables, running food and cashing customers out. You can use a credit card, but if you intend to add a tip you need to tell them as you hand them your receipt so they can run it. There is a sign on the plexiglass, but it is easy to overlook so be forewarned. She also makes the amazing desserts. More on them below.
I had been meaning to check them out for a while (I had eaten here when it was Kalie’s), but a post on All Things Food in Cleveland advertising their tuna melt at the start of the Lent season prompted me to check it out. Their tuna melt is in my opinion the best in Cleveland (with Old Brooklyn Cheese Company’s tuna melt a close second). It features grilled onions and American and Swiss cheese. The tuna is briefly grilled on the flat top, and the rye bread is perfectly grilled as well. You can sub out the bread, but rye on a tuna melt is my favorite. I ordered the New England clam chowder, which was the soup of the day during Lent. It was creamy and delicious with nice chunks of clams and potato.
My friend K. had also seen the post and called me, and we decided to check them out on the following Friday. It’s a funny story. She had been thinking/obsessing about the tuna melt all week and was stunned to see a patty melt placed in front of her and insisted she had ordered a tuna melt. I promptly informed her that she had indeed ordered a patty melt. I think the fact that they talked about onion rings as her side (Chelo made them specially for her because they weren’t available that day) threw off her thinking. I gave her a quarter of my tuna melt and got a quarter of her patty melt in exchange. I love a good patty melt and usually order it as one of the first things I try at a new place. It was an excellent patty melt, perfectly grilled and the burger cooked to her specification (which honestly should have clued her in, but again… she was thinking of the onion rings).
I came back here several Friday evenings to try some of the delicious looking specials (they post the specials a day or two ahead of time on their Facebook page). The fish special features cod and is not just served during Lent. It is available every Friday night, and you can order it fried or baked. It comes with two sides. It’s a lot of food for $13.99.
The first special I tried was a half slab of ribs. It came with a grilled half ear of corn and one side. The ribs were perfectly and easily separated from the bone. To be honest, it has triggered a craving for ribs in me. I ate half and took the other half home for the next day. I of course devoured the small ear of corn, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
I then decided to share my find with some friends and started organizing a Friday night dinner, to be followed by frozen drinks at DaqFac. The next Friday most of them couldn’t make it, but I came here with a friend. I preordered the prime rib special, which she enjoyed, and ordered one of the fish fries for myself. My friend is allergic to potatoes, so she was somewhat limited in her choice of sides. She ordered the steamed vegetables and cole slaw, which she enjoyed. She was surprised that it only cost $19.99 because it was a lot of food and cooked nicely.
My fish fry came with two large pieces of fried fish and two sides. I chose the mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables and enjoyed it a lot. That said, the table next to us ordered a baked fish special and rice, and it looked delicious as well. I’ll definitely order rice the next time I have a choice of sides. The half I took home reheated nicely in my air fryer (fish) and microwave (mashed potatoes and veggies) the next day.
I also tried the beef and ham and cheese empanadas. They were nicely fried and not greasy at all. The filling was plentiful. The beef empanadas are stuffed with ground beef, peppers, onion, hard-boiled egg, cheese, and Spanish olives, while the ham and cheese empanadas have diced ham and American cheese. They are good and filling.
The soups are also homemade. The beef and barley soup had huge slices of beef in it, and the creamy chicken and gnocchi was chock-full of fluffy gnocchi and hunks of chicken.
We finally got together for dinner the next Friday at 5:30. They tend to get busiest at 6 and do a lot of takeout. Two of my friends ordered the fish fries, one ordered the surf and turf (6 oz strip steak & blackened shrimp – served medium rare as specified), and one ordered a club sandwich off the menu. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed their meals. I ordered the tuna melt because it was on special (unadvertised) and a club sandwich to go because I had intended to order one that night.
The club sandwich was really good. It is properly cut in quarters and secured by toothpicks. It is so fresh that the filling can easily slide out from the bread, so be sure to keep those toothpicks in and nibble around them. I learned to slather my club sandwich with thousand island dressing when I worked at Bakers Square a million years ago and always order a side of dressing. No need here! They slather the club with the thousand island dressing inside the sandwich, and it is quite generous and adds to the tastiness.
We went for drinks afterwards at DaqFac (short for Daquiri Factory), which serves delicious and potent frozen drinks and opens at 4 pm. We enjoyed our beverages on the patio along Mayfield. Yes it was a little loud, but the weather was great and the beverages were tasty. I had the Hennessy colada and my friends enjoyed their drinks as well. They use fresh juice and lots of alcohol. It was a quick walk just across South Green next to the CVS, so keep that in mind!
Chelo’s also makes some great breakfasts. I am not a morning person, so the likelihood of me making it there early is pretty low. That said, I wanted to try their breakfasts. Being located across from Eat at Joe’s makes it a good alternative if Eat at Joe’s is packed. The breakfasts are just as good and affordable. I ordered a skillet the first time I ate breakfast here. I was tempted to get the Chelo Skillet, which is a bed of home fries topped with peppers, onions, sausage links, two eggs and mixed cheese and drizzled with a spicy mayo and scallions, but had a craving for sausage gravy that day. So I ordered the Southern Skillet instead. It also features home fries topped with peppers and onions, but it also contains mushrooms and is topped with a two egg omelet with your choice of meat, cheddar cheese and sausage gravy. Because there are a lot of older customers I highly recommend using salt and pepper to season your food to your taste. It was pretty bland without the added salt and pepper. But if you are on a low-salt diet you’ll be okay.
I smelled the pancakes when I was there (a kid ordered one the next table over and they had a strawberry shortcake pancake on special that first morning), so I ordered a pancake combo and added blueberries on my next visit. The combo comes with eggs and your choice of meat. I went with scrambled and bacon. Again, add salt and pepper to the eggs. The bacon was nicely cooked but a little softer and chewier than I prefer. If you also prefer bacon crispy, be sure to order them cooked crispy. The pancakes were a delight, fluffy and delicious, and I was glad I ordered the blueberries, which were plentiful (I flipped the pancake over to show the added blueberries).
Also worth mentioning is that they have little containers of flavored creamer if you ask for it.
I promised to talk about the desserts. I had heard good things about the tiramisu and got one to go on one visit. It did not disappoint! It was great. My friend ordered the Alfajor for dessert, which is a South American cookie that is somewhat like shortbread with a dulce de leche filling and rimmed with coconut. I had kept seeing it on the Facebook page, but am usually too full to order dessert. She gave me a bite of her cookie, and it was absolutely divine. It was moister than I expected and the combination of dulce de leche and coconut was great. I can’t wait to try the Chaja, which is a vanilla cake with layers of Dulce de Leche, meringue, whipped cream, and peaches and looks absolutely divine. I’m keeping an eye out for it.
I ate at Chelo’s again for lunch today and you’ve already seen the photos (their amazing tuna melt with grilled onions and Swiss and American cheese and clam chowder), so I’m just writing about tonight’s dinner.
I have heard about the shrimp fry at Church of the Good Shepherd in Lyndhurst for several years, and I finally got a chance to give them a try tonight. The Good Shepherd Shrimp Fry is special. Unlike most church fish fries, the Church of the Good Shepherd serves fried shrimp or mac n cheese and only holds it once a year on the last Friday before Good Friday, which is coincidentally traditionally the last fish fry of the season (unless you are orthodox). St. Ann’s near me also holds their fish fry tonight, but I decided I wanted to have some fried shrimp. Tonight’s shrimp fry (March 22, 2024) was from 5-7.
I’ve been to the Church of the Good Shepherd once over ten years ago for their blessing of the pets service. They used to hold it in the parking lot, but now they hold it at the South Euclid Dog Park on Monticello and South Belvoir. The church is set back from the road on Cedar near Legacy Village. It was not crowded, and I was able to get a good spot close to the church when I arrived shortly after 5:30.
As I was driving there tonight I tried to stop at the ATM, but it was out of service. I figured I could use my debit card there, but they don’t accept cards. They only accept cash, check, Cash App or something called Tithely. Dinners can also be preordered here. The pastor opened the door and greeted me, and also tried to help me scan the QR code and then walked me through downloading and using the Cash App app. Once I had it downloaded on my phone and my debit card entered I was able to easily pay my $15 for my shrimp dinner and headed on into the church hall. I was able to watch them frying the shrimp in the courtyard as I entered.
I was greeted warmly by everyone and also as I left later on. I had decided to get the dinner in a to-go box but sit down and enjoy the atmosphere for a bit. I gave the lady at the serving station my ticket and was told to take a seat. There was a table offering canned soda and homemade baked goods for $1 and $2 respectively. Coffee and water were free at yet another table. I purchased a couple of cans of soda for $1 each and sat down, only to be told to go up to the serving area to get my dinner because the shrimp was finished. I got them straight from the fryer as they refilled the serving tray. It doesn’t get any fresher than that! There was some confusion, because they told me to go back up there but they usually bring the dinners to the diners at the tables.
I grabbed some (real!) silverware, got my dinner, and grabbed a couple small containers of cocktail sauce (although they have squeeze bottles full of cocktail sauce available). The shrimp dinners come with eight pieces of shrimp, a generous ladleful of smashed potatoes (and the melted butter was glistening on the top of the serving pan), a generous scoop of cole slaw and a slice of Brownberry bread and wrapped pats of butter and, if you want, a small hunk of lemon.
I sat down and was joined by a friendly gentleman who explained the history of the shrimp fry. He explained that the first year they did it they had almost 100 diners and the line was wrapped around the sanctuary because they hadn’t worked out all the kinks (they could only fry 30 shrimp at a time and had to wait for the oil to come back up to temperature for the next batch). Someone started playing Beatles tunes on the piano and someone else ran home to get a propane burner. Now they use a propane burner to fry the shrimp and things go much smoother. He also told me about the church and about the trees and wildlife behind the church.
We had a nice chat as we tucked into our dinners. I was still full from lunch, so I ate three of the eight shrimp and a couple forkfuls of potatoes and cole slaw. The shrimp were delicately fried and absolutely perfect. I also really enjoyed the smashed potatoes. They were creamy and buttery. The cole slaw was on the bland side. I had to doctor it with salt and pepper and may add a couple of dashes of vinegar to it tomorrow when I eat the rest of my meal for lunch. Bob enjoyed a side of mac n cheese with his shrimp. Another parishioner who joined us also had the mac n cheese as part of her $15 side dishes meal (mac n cheese, smashed potatoes, cole slaw and bread), so it seems like those in the know get the mac n cheese as a side. The kid’s meal is $8 and features mac n cheese, smashed potatoes, cole slaw and bread).
I was on autopilot as I left and realized as I was almost home that I had forgotten to sign the petition against gerrymandering in the church lobby. I had toyed with the idea of grabbing a fish fry dinner to go at St. Ann’s, but it was getting late and I would have gotten there close to 7 when they closed. So I decided the petition was more important and turned my car around and drove back. I have been meaning to sign it for the last month, so I was super pleased that they had a table at the event. I might try to do both St. Ann’s and Good Shepherd next year (St. Ann’s starts at 4:30). Keep them in mind on the last Friday before Good Friday next year!
Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Eats 