Good eats – Page 13 – Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Eats

Citizen Pie – Waterloo

copy_imag0533 Sorry for the lack of posts here. I have not been going out very much lately, and when I have I have been going to places I have already posted about. Money has been somewhat tight with some travel and a very expensive vet bill. I’ll try to be better, but I can’t promise anything.

I have been a fan of Vytauras Sasnaukas’ pizza for a while. I had been hearing about his pizzas back when my friends would gather on the patio at Americano for pizza night. When Americano closed and before Citizen Pie was born, he did some pop-up pizza nights in a gas-fired pizza oven at The Velvet Tango Room, where he started conceiving plans with Claudia Young and Paulius Nasvytis. He got his start making pizzas when he was growing up in Lithuania (his story is really interesting and worth a read) and has been experimenting with various fermented doughs for a while now. His dough really makes his pizzas stand out from the crowd! He bought a wood-fired brick oven and opened Citizen Pie in the Waterloo District across from the Beachland Ballroom. Citizen Pie makes napolitano pizzas and is definitely one of the best pizza places in Cleveland. The pizzas come out fast and hot. They aren’t laden with toppings. There is just the perfect balance for a taste explosion.

I recently met some folks at Citizen Pie to try their Summer pizza special, which featured sweet Ohio corn and poblano cream, Andouille sausage, cherry tomatoes, and green onion finished with a spicy honey drizzle. This pizza was absolutely out of this world. The thing I like most about the pie was the corn cream balanced with the honey drizzle. It was just a great pizza.

My second favorite was the Cacio e Pepe pizza, which is topped with mozzarella, pecorino and straciatella cheese, garlic, black pepper and basil. It is a very simple pizza, but it explodes with flavor. I can’t wait to have it again.

I had been wanting to try the Americano pizza for a while as well. Named after V’s Bratenahl restaurant Americano, the Americano features mozzarella, pistachio cream, Italian sausage, red and green onion and Calabrian chiles. It has a bit of a kick to it, but I love the idea of pistachio cream and it goes really well with the sausage.

The mushroom pizza is also a crowd-pleaser. It is topped with mozzarella, brie, porcini duxelles, bacon, red onion and truffle oil. I love mushrooms and brie, and the truffle oil was not as off-putting as I usually find it. Again, it is just a well-balanced pie. I took a piece of this one home to enjoy later that night.

One of the group ordered a Tartufo, which I was familiar with from the Italian restaurants in Germany. It is a ball of frozen dark chocolate with rum and amarena cherry. As you can imagine, it is delicious. We passed it around the table, and everyone swooned. Claudia is also known for her Migliaccio, which is a ricotta cheesecake with lemon, orange and vanilla. She worked hard to come up with the perfect cheesecake, which Michael Ruhlman has raved about.

I was also extremely excited to see that they serve Stiegl beer here. Stiegl is brewed in Salzburg, Austria and the monks have been brewing it there since 1492. It is a nice smooth lager and goes very nicely with the pizza. I was also pleased to see San Pellegrino, Illy espresso drinks and cane sugar Coca Cola. It’s the little touches like that that just impress me.

Chef V is constantly coming up with new and exciting pizza ideas, like a recent eggs benedict pizza. So if you like good pizza be sure to make a trip to Citizen Pie. They will be opening a second location in Ohio City in the near future – bringing Pizza to the People.

Contact info:

Citizen Pie
15710 Waterloo Road
Cleveland, OH 44110

Taj India Palace

This little unassuming restaurant in a strip mall by Richmond Square Center blew us away the other night. I chose to eat there because it had ample parking close to the restaurant (I’m currently on crutches). I’m so glad I did, because the food was absolutely delicious. They serve both south and north Indian dishes, and there are lots of choices (both veg and non-veg) to choose from.

We started out ordering some appetizers. My friends ordered the Vegetarian Platter, which features samosa and potato, cauliflower and eggplant pakoras. I jokingly referred to it as the big plate of fried stuff. Well, they certainly fry things well. My friends raved about the vegetable samosa, so I ended up ordering a serving and eating one and taking one home. They also let me try a pakora, and it was lightly fried and not at all greasy. It had a crisp exterior and a light and fluffy interior.

I ordered the Garlic Naan, and my friend’s husband ordered the Peshwari Naan. He enjoyed it, but I can’t say anything about it since I didn’t try it. I was all about my Garlic Naan. The bread was fried light and thin and was very garlicky. I went home reeking of garlic and had plenty left over for the next day.

While looking at the menu online I noticed they had my favorite, Chicken Saag, on the menu, so I knew what I would be ordering. I liked the saag, which is chicken cooked with spinach. It was billed as medium hot, but there was no spice to it at all. I think I will ask for them to bring it up one notch next time. It was kind of bland and boring without any spice.

However, I was also in the mood for a mushroom dish and was dining with some friends who are vegetarians, so I decided to also order the Peas and Mushrooms, which are fresh peas and mushrooms in a “mildly spiced creamy sauce.” I am so glad I did, because this particular dish was mouthwateringly good even without the spice. My friend kept sneaking spoonfuls of it because she liked it as well. In return, I was able to get a bite of her Bombay Potatoes and try the sauce from her husband’s Malai Kotta (which was slightly sweet and very creamy).

We were hell bent on leftovers, so my friend also ordered the Masala Dosa. Honestly I have never been a fan of dosa. I have several friends who are crazy for them so I’ve had them before at several places. I have found the crepe to be somewhat dry and the filling quite meager in the Indian restaurants that serve them here. I now understand the love for Masala Dosa, because this dosa was so delicious. The potato and onion filling was plentiful and extended almost all the way through the dosa. The filling was also extremely buttery in flavor, with the onion almost carmelized and sweet. The bite I had was moist and delicious, and I was thrilled to learn they serve them along with the lunch buffet.

I don’t know what spices they use, but everything was extremely delicious. My friends, who love Indian food, were extremely impressed with the place, and so was I. I was so excited about the leftovers that I ended up eating them for breakfast the next day and enjoyed every single bite.

They also offer a lunch buffet for $8.99, which I went back for several days later. The lunch buffet on the day I went there included tandoori chicken, butter chicken, a peas and saag dish, chana masala, utthapam (the pancake-looking bread), a cabbage dish (hidden under the utthapam and naan) that I very much enjoyed, naan, rice, some yogurt-based salads, a delicious rice pudding (kheer) and several other options. They also have a Grand Buffet for $10.99 on the weekend.

So if you are on the east side and are looking for some good Indian food, definitely be sure to check this place out!

Contact info:

Taj India Palace
5156 Wilson Mills Road
Cleveland, OH 44143
(440) 461-3737

Bialy’s Bagels

Bialy’s Bagels is a little circle of NYC heaven right here in Cleveland. Located in an unassuming strip mall on the corner of Silsby and Warrensville Heights Roads in University Heights, Bialy’s has been pumping out bagels and bialys for over 30 years. It is a grab and go place. Go in, buy a half dozen or dozen bagels, and head home to stuff your face with carby goodness. There are no tables. There are no cutesy bagel sandwiches. There are no schmears. Just bagels. If you need cream cheese or smoked salmon they have it in coolers, but bring your own knife to assemble it in your car.

The bagels are available in a variety of flavors, from plain, egg, poppy seed to Mish Mosh (everything) and everything in between. I think I remember seeing cinnamon and blueberry as well. Obviously the fresher the better, but they just keep making bagels all day so they are fresh no matter what. If you are lucky you’ll catch a batch right as they come out. When that happens they have a warm outer crust with a chewy inside. You won’t be able to not eat one in the car. Even when they are warm the bagels are nice and chewy – just as a bagel should be. There is some debate as to whether a bagel should be toasted. New Yorkers say only bad bagels should be toasted. These bagels are great untoasted.

If you are wondering what the difference between a bialy and a bagel is, bialys are round with a depressed middle filled with cooked onions and sometimes poppy seeds and then baked. The outside of a bialy is therefore matte, not shiny. Bagels are boiled, then baked. The bialys are only available in onion, garlic, and mish mosh flavors. They also sell longer salt sticks, but I usually stick with my mish mosh and sesame seed bagels.

Also, please note that they don’t take credit cards, so be sure to bring cash with you. That said, your order won’t break the bank. Plan on about $1 a bagel.

Contact info:

Bialy’s Bagels
2267 Warrensville Center Road
University Heights, OH 44118
(216) 371-1088

Boiling Seafood Crawfish on Lee Road

Boiling Seafood Crawfish opened on Lee Road last fall to little fanfare. One of my friends drove past and noticed it, which is how it got on my radar. I’ve been trying to get there since I heard about it. It is located on the east side of Lee next to Two Brothers (straight across from Dewey’s Pizza). Due to the road improvements, on-street parking is not available, so plan to park behind the strip in the Cedar-Lee parking lot/garage. Bring lots of quarters. We were there for an hour and a half, and my meter had just run out a few minutes before I got to my car. Luckily I didn’t get a parking ticket, which is a miracle in Cleveland Heights. One of my friends had to run out and feed the meter while in the middle of eating, so be sure to be generous with your time estimate. Better to spend an extra quarter than pay a $10 or $15 parking ticket.

Unless you can pound down several pounds of seafood in one go this is definitely a place for a group. The seafood is boiled in a flavorful broth, tossed in a seasoned spice mixture of your choosing and heat level, and delivered to the table in clear plastic bags. The seasoning options are Juicy Cajun, Garlic Butter, Lemon Pepper or Homemade Juicy (which is a combination of all four seasoning) and four spice levels ranging from Baby Spice (which has almost no heat) to Spicy (five chili peppers).

Note: this is not a “first date” kind of place. You get messy and it’s hard to look dainty when you are tearing off shells and pulling off heads or cracking crab legs. This is a place to dress down and be prepared to get covered head to toe in seasoning and juice – especially from your neighbor. They do give you plastic bibs and plastic gloves though. I was happy for the bib since I tend to wear my food even at the most gentile places, but found the glove only got in the way. I ended up going Michael Jackson-style and wearing only one glove, leaving my right hand more control of the cracking and picking out of meat. Guests can pour the contents out onto the white-paper table toppers or eat straight out of the sack. We chose to eat ours out of the bags, but I accidentally let one side down and a river of red seasoning suddenly ran down the table towards my friend and her white pants. We were able to avert disaster with lots of paper towels, which are conveniently available on the table.

I ordered the corn fritters as an appetizer for the table and an order of Hawaiian sweet rolls to mop up the sauce. The corn fritters were creamy and perfectly fried with a nice dipping sauce. I had to force myself to stop eating them to save room for the seafood. As for the sweet rolls, they added a nice sweetness to the sauce and I’m glad I ordered them. They came three to an order, so we shared them as well.

The Handful ($31) features a pound of shrimp, a pound of crawfish, a half pound of clams, a handful of andouille sausage slices, two ears of corn and two new potatoes, so it’s perfect to share between two people. My friends who can stand some heat ordered this between them and ordered it Medium. They really enjoyed it. I tried one of the shrimp, which wasn’t as spicy since they are boiled in the shell and the seasoning doesn’t penetrate. It’s best to peel or unearth the seafood and dip it in the sauce.

Diners can also build their own experience by ordering seafood by the pound and add-ons like corn and potatoes. I chose to go with that option since I wasn’t sharing. I ordered a whole lobster and snow crab legs with Baby Spice and Homemade Juicy. It had a really nice flavor to it, but no heat at all. I would probably get the Mild option next time. I had ordered a half pound of shrimp as well, but that hadn’t printed out in the kitchen. I was glad it didn’t because I was comfortably full when I finished. The shrimp probably would have taken me to the side of “too stuffed to move.” The lobster ended up to be a little over a pound, but one of the claws was deformed, so I ended up paying $7 for one claw on top of the $25 for the lobster tail. I’d probably opt for the tail by itself next time.

One of my friends ordered a shrimp Po’Boy, and it definitely looked delicious. She said it was very flavorful with a nice remoulade sauce and chopped green peppers, onion, tomato, and lettuce. I will definitely be trying that next time as perhaps a carry out order with some etouffee. The Po’Boys feature shrimp, crawfish, catfish, cajun chicken, soft shell crab, fried oysters and lobster. They come with or without fries.

Since we met for lunch on Sunday we ordered no alcohol, but they do have a small list of alcoholic beverages to quench your thirst. I was happy with my lemonade, which came in a large styrofoam cup and was happily refilled. The server was friendly and attentive. He removed the shrimp from my order in the computer without complaint when it was pointed out to him that the order hadn’t come with any. He had offered to have them make some, but at that point I had realized that I had just the perfect amount.

But look at the size of that crawfish!

And in case you are unsure or don’t know how to eat the crawfish:

Contact info:

Boiling Seafood Crawfish
2201 Lee Road
Cleveland Heights, OH 44118
(216) 459-7777

Russo’s Kitchen

Russo’s Kitchen is a unique restaurant that straddles the border of Peninsula and Cuyahoga Falls on State Road (aka Akron-Cleveland Road) near the intersection with Seasons Road (Route 8 is close by). I learned about it from a fellow diner at a wine dinner at The Blue Door. He and his wife raved about the food and said they were there every Saturday. Sure enough, when I went there they were sitting at the bar around the open kitchen. We were sat at the counter and felt lucky. The place was packed so there really weren’t many available tables (it seats 97), but the counter overlooks the open kitchen.

Russo’s has great food and friendly service, but it can be quite loud and hard to hear your dining companions when it is busy. The food theme is Italian/New Orleans fusion, so there is something for everyone. In the mood for seafood? They have some amazing seafood choices like perch and oysters or grouper. Want pasta? How about cavatelli pomodoro with meatballs or meat or spinach and cheese ravioli?

I love New Orleans. It is my favorite city in the U.S., and I’ve been there several times (and going again in September). I went to Russo’s with a friend who used to live in New Orleans, so naturally we focused on the Creole menu.

Of course I had to order a Hurricane. It is my absolute favorite drink, and this one was made without mixes and syrups. It was absolutely delicious and packed a wallop. It was possibly even better than the Hurricane at Pat O’Brien’s.

The bread service is a homemade foccacia with olive oil dip. You could tell it was fresh and was very flavorful. It had a nice consistency to it and was toothsome on the outside and soft on the inside.

My friend started off with the Gumbo Ya-Ya, which was very flavorful. She said it rivaled the gumbo down in NOLA. I had a house salad that featured fresh greens and a delicious White French dressing. The waitress offered fresh cracked black pepper, and I couldn’t resist.

I decided to order the New Orleans BBQ Shrimp appetizer to save room for dessert. The appetizer was filling all on its own. The BBQ sauce was thick, silky, and absolutely delicious with a peppery bite and a hint of sweetness. It had a great flavor to it and was not too spicy. The shrimp were a decent size and perfectly cooked. I also really liked the grilled foccacia garlic bread they served with it to sop up the sauce. I would order it again in a heartbeat.

In fact, my friend enjoyed the meal so much she went back a week or so later and ordered a variation on the same meal, this time lake perch and scallops with smokey baked 3-cheese macaroni, grilled seasonal vegetables, and chipotle tartar sauce.

We splurged on dessert and ordered the bread pudding. It was deliciously creamy and luscious. I would order this one again too, but I also hear the peanut butter pie is delicious.

In addition to the main restaurant there is also a more casual eatery with 60 seats called Bacchus in the back. It serves pizza, fried chicken and burgers as well as a few Creole and Italian choices. It is open for lunch and dinner, unlike the main restaurant which is only open for dinner service. Bacchus has a happy hour Tuesday through Friday from 3-6 PM. They have some drink specials (including some $5 cocktails) and select food choices ranging $3 for a slider to $6 for wings with hot pepper relish.

My only word of advice is to not go here if you are in a hurry. Service is also very southern, and they give personal but slow service. It didn’t bother us because we had made a special trip there, but if you are stopping there on your way to Blossom plan to get there really early and plan for maybe 1 1/2-2 hours depending on how many courses you order.

Contact info:

Russo’s Kitchen
4895 State Rd
Peninsula, OH 44264
(330) 923-2665

Greenbridge Tea House

Cleveland has a new tea house. It opened in October 2015. Located in a recently renovated century home in Twinsburg, Ohio, the tea house overlooks the town square. In fact, I almost missed it. It is on the southwest corner of the square. Parking is available on the street facing the square. The tea house is open Wednesday through Saturday from 11-3. It seats 25. The staff was very friendly and accommodating, and the place smelled delicious.

I came here with several members of my tea group recently. We enjoyed it very much and look forward to coming back soon. As a mostly vegan tea house I did not even miss the dairy or meat! My vegetarian friends were like kids in a candy shop. They said it was so refreshing to be able to order anything off the menu instead of only have one or two items to choose from.

You can choose your own vintage tea cup from the wall shelf. They serve fair trade, organic teas and had a nice selection to choose from, including black teas, herbal teas and tisanes, and green teas. An especially nice touch: the owner brought around samples of the Moroccan mint tea that day, which I had already decided to order. It is a green tea with a nice mint flavor. I found it very refreshing.

I ordered a bowl of the golden mushroom and potato soup with thyme because it made the place smell divine. It was as delicious as it smelled. The soup was chock-full of mushrooms and potatoes. The mushrooms were thinly sliced and flavorful, and the soup had a creamy consistency despite not having any cream in it. I was glad I ordered a bowl instead of a cup.

For my entree I ordered the quiche in a “crustless’ version with eggs, Swiss cheese with onions and chives (not vegan but oh so good). A vegan version is also available. The savory quiche was extremely flavorful and hit the spot (I especially loved the side of garlic bread). I was able to choose a side dish and I chose the broccoli salad with sunflower seeds, sweet onions in vegan mayo base. I enjoyed it a lot.My friends raved about the desserts. They loved the Twin Square Minis (above), which were little fudgey squares of goodness topped with coconut, and Lemon Tea Bread topped with a blueberry sauce (below). I was full from the bowl of soup and entree, so I did not even try a bite.

We look forward to coming back and trying other things on the menu. I need to try the trio of tea sandwiches next. The idea of tempeh salad with rosemary and sage is intriguing. Also, I tried a bite of my friend’s deviled chickpea salad and enjoyed it.

Contact info:

Greenbridge Tea House
9036 Church Street
Twinsburg, OH 44087
(330) 405-9381

Cafe Avalaun

Cafe Avalaun is Ohio’s first entirely gluten-free cafe, bakery and crêperie. They also offer some dairy-free, soy-free, and peanut-free options, and everything is clearly marked on the menu board. It is located on Richmond Road just off I-480 near the I-271 split. The Doyles switched to gluten-free diets for their son and for their own health, so they are extremely knowledgeable. Brian Doyle has worked in numerous kitchens in Cleveland, including the Beachland Ballroom, and offers his catering services through Sow Foods.

This place has made my mother extremely happy, and that is all that matters to me. My mother developed ulcerative colitis about six years ago and cannot eat any gluten or dairy without having severe problems. She is thrilled to have a totally gluten-free restaurant that is sensitive to other dietary issues. My mother loves being able to go here and confidently order off the menu without worrying that there is some butter or gluten hidden in it. I took her here for the grand opening, and she has gone back numerous times since then. My father has no dietary issues and has had to suffer through the early years of gluten-free food because my brother-in-law has celiac disease. Even my dad, who complains about the gluten-free and dairy-free food at the family dinners, loves their paninis, so those without sensitivities will also enjoy the food.

We recently met friends for their Lenten Fish Fry, which was great. They opened special hours for it, and the place was packed. We had to fight for a table, despite my arriving there first. Seating is tight since it is so small. I decided to order the lobster bisque and a small fish dinner, which came with a side salad and a small gluten-free roll. The side salad came out first. It featured mixed greens, cucumber and tomato, and it was lightly dressed with a light vinaigrette of some sort. The lobster bisque was delicious, even if the lobster meat was largely absent. The bisque had a very nice flavor to it, and was my favorite part of the meal. Everyone also raved about the fish dinner. The fish dinner featured gluten-free battered perch, french fries, a delicious hush puppy and housemade cole slaw in addition to a remoulade. We got to watch Brian fry up the orders in the kitchen as we stood in line to order. Everything was extremely fresh and flavorful.

I am thrilled that this little cafe is so successful. At the grand opening there were so many enthusiastic people who were overwhelmingly overjoyed that they finally had a truly gluten-free restaurant. The place was jam-packed. I could not tell you how many people literally had tears of joy that day. The enthusiasm has not waned. The bakery items and cafe items are delicious as well as being tailored to special needs.

They are best known for the crepês and crepêritos, which are crêpes that are rolled up like burritos and stuffed with delicious fillings. The crêpes and can crepêritos be made blonde, buckwheat, or dairy free coconut. Some of the crepês cannot be made into crepêritos, but they are clearly marked.

I ordered the Clevelander crêpe at the grand opening (which is why it is shown in foil and with plastic utensils), and it was delicious. It was a nod to a pierogi, with cheddar cheese, caramelized onions, and mashed potatoes wrapped up in a light crêpe with crème fraiche on the side. If you like pierogi you will love this crêpe.

Some of my friends absolutely adore the Mexican Drinking Chocolate, which is made with 64% dark chocolate, cinnamon, and dash of chipotle. It is seriously good! They serve lots of coffee drinks with custom-roasted Crooked River Coffee, Storehouse Tea, and something called Keto Coffee, which is an Americano blended with grass-fed butter and coconut oil.

I would also be remiss not to mention their amazing gluten-free baked goods. As their website explains, “Café Avalaun’s in-house bakery offers daily selections of classic American and French-inspired baked goods. Every item is completely gluten free and made from scratch, under the expert supervision of Pastry Chef Maggie Downey.” Maggie most recently worked at Coquette Patisserie before joining Brian at Sow Foods. My mother loves chocolate chip cookies. Like seriously loves them. She missed them when she could no longer eat them. Now she comes in and gets a dozen whenever she can. She bought the last one at the Fish Fry and ate it after her meal. The brownies have been described to me as “crack.” Especially the ones with chocolate ganache. One of the stylists at my salon down the street is gluten-free and absolutely adores the brownies. The lemon bars are bright and delicious, as is all the other baked goods Maggie makes every night. Also, Maggie made my parents a gorgeous gluten-free cake for their 50th Wedding Anniversary in July as well as a little gluten-free/dairy-free cake for my mother. You can order gluten-free bakery items and bread in advance as well using their order form on the website.

Thanks to the Doyles and Maggie Downey for opening this little oasis for people with food sensitivities. My mother appreciates being able to confidently order anything on the menu and knowing it will be gluten-free and dairy-free. And that is priceless.

IMG_20170720_125652

Contact info:

Cafe Avalaun
4640 Richmond Road, Suite 200
Warrensville Heights, Ohio 44128
(216) 245-6666

Campus Grille

in-memoriam-graphic

Closed in December 2021

I’d been hearing good things about the Campus Grille, so I knew I had to check it out. The restaurant is located in the old Pizza King building on Seminary Street in Berea. I met some friends there on a dark and rainy night and was happy to have a parking spot so close to the building.

They had a lot of Puerto Rican sodas to choose from, so I ordered the Pineapple and the Lime sodas. Both were good, but I preferred the Pineapple soda. It also paired really well with my Coco Tropical, which is a split rotisserie chicken served over coconut rice and topped with spicy pineapple and mango chutney. The chicken was perfectly cooked, the coconut rice was delicious and the chutney had a little kick to it but not too much that I couldn’t enjoy it. It was also a lot of food, and I ate the other half for lunch the next day.

One of my friends ordered the tostones (fried plantains) and guacamole and let us try some. It also happened to be the last order of the night because they ran out after our order. The plantains were nicely fried and not too greasy. They were definitely enough to share among those of us at the table.

I was able to try a bite of my friend’s vegetarian mofongo, and I LOVED it. So much so that I went back and ordered one for myself. I actually prefer it over the mofongo at Rincon Criollo. It is really flavorful. The plantains are fried and mashed with garlic and chiccarones (although I think they omitted those in the vegetarian mofongo too). I didn’t even miss the pork in the vegetarian mofongo, but it sure was nice in the one I ordered. Mofongo is their most popular dish, and I can see why. It is served with a side salad, and the greens were fresh.

Another friend ordered the pork shoulder with yellow rice and Spanish-style beans. He ate the entire thing, which was pretty amazing. It must have been good.

The restaurant is vegetarian-friendly and can customize most of their dishes to accommodate vegetarian and gluten-free customers. One of my friends ordered the Farmer’s Plate, which features lime-infused cilantro rice, black beans, baby spinach, tostones & Monterey Jack cheese. She also enjoyed it and took home leftovers.

The empanadillas also looked good, and they are available savory or sweet. The desserts are a little pricey, but they are big enough to share or to take home and eat for several days. One of my friends did just that, bringing a flan home.

I highly recommend the Campus Grille. The ambiance leaves a little to be desired, but the food is fresh and delicious as well as inexpensive and plentiful.

Contact info:

Campus Grille
10 Seminary Street
Berea, OH 44017
(440) 243-4229

Buckeye Beer Engine

Buckeye Beer Engine has to be one of my favorite places in Cleveland. I’m shocked I haven’t written about it. It opened in 2007 and is located in Lakewood on Madison Avenue. It is a locally owned, neighborhood brew pub that prides itself on gourmet burgers and gourmet, award-winning beer from Buckeye Brewing Company. If you are looking for a place to explore specialty craft beers, this is one of the better places in Cleveland to do it. In addition to 27 premium draft beers, Beer Engine also features two authentic cask conditioned ales, and 100+ bottles to choose from. I like that the draft beer list tells you what glass the beer will be served in. Not enough places do this, and the shape of the beer glass really does play a role in the enjoyment of a beer. Belgian beers should be served in round glasses, pilsners in long, tall, thin glasses, etc. There is nothing I love more than a good Belgian beer. This one was the “EPIC Brainless on Peaches,” which is a Belgian blonde ale aged in French Chardonnay casks on peaches. With just a hint of peach underlying the delicious blonde ale, I was a very happy camper and savored every drop. And with an ABV of 10.80, I walked out of lunch with a very slight buzz, so be forewarned. Or be prepared to call Uber.

The food is always good. With a small kitchen they limit their menu to items that are primarily grilled or fried. And let’s face it, if you are drinking beer you don’t really care about calories. They offer lots of appetizers that are perfect for sharing, like fried pretzel sticks and beer cheese and mustard dips, wings, “beer caps” (deep fried jalapenos), battered Andouille sausage bites, mac n cheese bites. etc. They feature 20 half-pound burgers as well as sandwiches, salads, platters, many appetizers, and weekly specials. All of the burgers can be easily switched to a Portobello mushroom cap, grilled chicken breast, or homemade spicy black bean patty that makes my vegetarian friends very happy. They feature a burger of the month, a monthly “wildly improbable burger,” and frequent specials.

IMG_20170307_122839 They also have a pretty wide selection of entrees that aren’t listed on the website, such as beer cheesy cheesesteak, meatloaf, a sausage platter, a schnitzel platter, a gouda pork & gravy fries (similar to poutine), and salads. For example, for the entire Lent season they are offering New England clam chowder, conch and crab hushpuppies, linguini frutti di mare (after 5 PM), a beer battered cod hoagie, beer battered fish and chips and drunken mussels. I also saw a sign for a salmon burger.

The first time I came here I ordered the Kobe beef hot dog in a pretzel-bread bun. It’s no longer on the menu, but I loved the fact that they served Kobe beef hot dogs. They now serve Angus beef, but kudos for going for quality from the starting gate.

My absolute favorite burger is the West Side Burger, featuring caramelized onions, sour cream, cheddar cheese and one cheddar potato pierogi on top of a juicy half-pound patty. If I am in the mood for a great burger this is my go-to. The onions are always perfect and the pierogi is just such a fun addition to a burger. The burgers are served with chips, but you can upgrade to a side salad, sweet potato fries, tater tots, or other choices for a couple bucks more. The chips are light and crisp and perfectly salted, so I highly recommend trying them first before you start upgrading. Every burger is also served with a fried dill pickle spear, which is a whimsical little addition.

Their everyday soup is the Chicken Cheddar Ale soup. It is a homemade soup made with chicken-ale broth loaded with cheddar cheese, roasted chicken, red peppers, and onions and topped with crumbled bacon, scallions, cheddar cheese, and served with mini pretzel sticks. I had a bite of it the other day when they mistakenly gave it to me instead of the clam chowder. The soup is surprisingly thick and very flavorful. The roasted chicken is shredded, and the soup is loaded with it.

The New England clam chowder is a total winner, and I was glad that I didn’t just keep the cheddar ale soup. It is in the white chowder base and has lots of clams and small potatoes. I was delighted with the flavor, which was almost buttery to my palate. I almost regretted ordering just a cup and was tempted to order a bowl to go. If you love clam chowder be sure to give this one a try. I have to say it is one of the best chowders I have enjoyed in a restaurant. They comped my chowder due to the mix-up, but I would have happily paid for it. Mistakes happen, and they more than made up for it.

I could not resist the house-made conch and crab hushpuppies when I saw them on the Lent Specials menu. I told my waitress I would probably be taking them to go. She gave me a to go box before they came out, and served the dipping sauce with its lid. That’s service! The hushpuppies were perfectly fried, not too oily and with a crisp coating. The inside was soft and delicious and loaded with seafood. The filling was a mix of crab and conch meat, corn, and scallion. It was served with the Beer Engine whole grain mustard aioli, but I was perfectly happy eating them straight without the aioli. I had one and boxed up the rest.

My most recent burger was the Bob’z Big Boyz Burger, which was a nod to the Big Boy. It was a burger of the month, but is now on the regular menu. It is a 1/3 pound burger topped with American cheese, crinkle cut dill pickle slices, and their homemade Bob’z sauce on a sesame seed bun. It also seems as if it was topped with a lot of chopped up lettuce mixed in the sauce. It was a fun burger and probably better than a Big Boy is nowadays. With the soup and a hushpuppy I got full quickly and took half of my burger home for dinner. The eyes are always bigger than the stomach.

Beer Engine is open every day of the year from 11AM to 2:30AM. I hear they have a great Sunday brunch too. They have a great little patio that is very much in demand in the warmer months. I spent one lovely summer evening on the patio enjoying a West Side Burger and a couple brews with friends. I’m glad that I live so far away from it, because I would be here all the time.

Contact info:

Buckeye Beer Engine
15315 Madison Avenue
Lakewood, OH 44107
(216) 226-2337

Momo’s Kebab

Momo’s opened last year on Lee Road in the space that I think used to be Golden Dragon. The chef/owner prides himself on using the freshest ingredients and buys his vegetables every day. It is also halal, which adheres to Islamic law. My Muslim friend appreciated this a lot. The quality just shines through. The first time I went I met some friends for dinner. The decor is warm and inviting, with two couch areas with Moroccan seating covered with Moroccan textiles. It invites you to sit and relax with a pot of tea and enjoy some good food.

I ordered the mint tea and was completely blown away. It is strong and hot while also being perfectly sweetened (using organic sugar). The tea is extremely refreshing and addictive. A small pot is enough for two, but I could easily drink it by myself. They had no problems IMAG4956 refilling it for us either.

I ordered the chicken kebab (one piece is missing in the photo because I shared it with my friend before taking the photo). The dinners come with Moroccan bread, salad, basmati rice, and grilled vegetables. The bread is a homemade flatbread. It is an unleavened circle of bread cut in half. It was quite nice. The salad has some mint in the light dressing and chopped up radish, tomato, cucumber, crumbled feta, and black olives. It was not overly dressed and was a nice start to the meal. The kebabs were perfectly grilled and came with a spicy dipping sauce. The rice and grilled vegetables were a great complement to the kebabs and were also perfectly cooked.

The beef kebabs were just as delicious and just as tender. The chef marinates all the meat overnight, so the marinade tenderizes the meat and then the grill puts on the finishing touch.

When I saw that the Saturday special is tagine I knew that I had to come back with my friend who introduced me to tagine. She had made it in her own tagine pot and we ate it with our hands. I remember what a special evening that was and remember how amazingly delicious the tagine was. She makes hers with preserved lemon. The Saturday special is “beef and veg,” which was carrots, potato and olives. It tastes like an amazing beef stew. The meat was tender and fell apart with the fork. The flavor was delicious. The vegetables were also perfectly cooked – not too hard and not too soft. I loved every bite.

My friend ordered their second tagine of the day – a sweeter tagine with lamb, caramelized onions, stewed prunes, honey, cinnamon, sliced almonds and sesame seeds. She offered me a taste of the lamb, which was amazingly tender and had a delicious sweeter taste. She loved it and said the tea and the tagine brought her back 15 years in time when she and her Moroccan boyfriend drank mint tea and made tagine. She also spoke with the owner about her visits to southern Morocco, while he is from the north.

I highly recommend Momo’s Kebab. The food is fresh and delicious – and super-affordable. The chicken kebab was $9, and the beef kebab platter was $9.50. My tagine was $12.50, M’s tagine was $15, and our tea was $5. Not bad for a Saturday night dinner. Word to the wise: they don’t serve alcohol, but that doesn’t bother me a bit. The hours are also extremely generous for a Mom & Pop restaurant. They are open every day from 11 a.m. to midnight except Monday when they are open from 4 to 11 p.m. and Sunday when they close at 11 p.m. too.

Contact info:

Momo’s Kebab
2199 Lee Road
Cleveland Heights, OH 44118
(216) 932-3512