Good eats – Page 14 – Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Eats

Black Box Fix

I have a new favorite sandwich, and it comes from Black Box Fix. It’s called the OMG Philly, and OMG is it good! People were sad when Sweetie Fry closed last year, but Chef Eric Rogers has opened Black Box Fix and it no longer hurts. The 1,200-square-foot restaurant opened this past March and serves gourmet sandwiches, soups and dishes with a Creole and Cajun flair, all served in black boxes (hence the name “Black Box Fix”). The restaurant’s name refers to the black, recycled, compostable boxes the food is served in. The restaurant also seats about 15 for customers who want to eat in. Black Box Fix was just voted Best New Business and Best New African American Owned Business in the 2015 Future Heights Best of the Heights Awards.

The OMG Philly ($13) is a chicken philly sandwich with grilled chicken and jumbo shrimp with sautéed mushrooms, onions, peppers and melted Swiss cheese on a toasted brioche roll and drizzled with yum yum sauce. This sandwich is delicious. Every bite is well-seasoned and full of flavor. The cheese is nicely melted and holds it all together. The sandwich is served with a side of garlic-parmesan fries, which were good, but I was all about the sandwich. Try one as soon as you can. You won’t regret it.

I also tried the Hibachi Burger ($13) several days later. It features seasoned beef topped with mozzarella and provolone, sautéed mushrooms, onions and peppers and 4 jumbo hibachi grilled shrimp on a Kaiser roll with yum yum sauce. I ordered it medium and it had some pink but not as much as I expected. It was a delicious burger. Again, it came with a side of the garlic-parmesan fries. The shrimp were huge and succulent and every bite of the burger was soul-satisfying.

Their Creole Soul Roll ($3) is so popular that it is only offered Thursday through Saturday. It is a deep-fried egg roll filled with smoked turkey, collard greens, andouille sausage, and jambalaya rice. It was really good. The rice was fluffy, and the “stuffing” had a really good flavor to it. It comes with a dipping sauce that is reminiscent of a sweet chili sauce.

I was less impressed by the Mr. Martin ($9), which features a fried chicken breast dipped in agave BBQ sauce and topped with sweet onion vinaigrette slaw. Despite arriving after the 15 minutes specified on the phone the sandwich and fries were a little soggy from condensation (and the bun from the BBQ sauce and slaw). If you are going to order it I would suggest eating it in the restaurant. I also didn’t love the BBQ sauce; it was sweeter than I expected and not zippy.

Chef Rogers also believes in giving back to the community. I hear $1 from every Lee Road Hobo ($8.50 – the Black Box Fix version of Cleveland’s Polish Boy) is donated to the Ginn Academy Youth Support Program, which provides programs for inner-city children in Greater Cleveland. Paintings by local artists are exhibited on the restaurant’s walls. He’s happy to be in Cleveland Heights, and we’re happy to have him.

Since it is a locally owned, true “mom and pop” store, Black Box Fix is closed on Sundays and Mondays.

Contact info:

Black Box Fix
2307 Lee Road
Cleveland Heights, OH 44118
(216) 383-8130

Bombay Chaat

Bombay Chaat offers Mumbai street food to Clevelanders, and CSU students in particular. It is located on Euclid Avenue next to JB Mack’s at the intersection with E. 21st Street. The signage is terrible. Look for black awnings with ‘BC’ on them.

The term chaat refers to a wide variety of delicious roadside snacks that are served throughout the Indian subcontinent. The menu offers a variety of dishes hailing from New Delhi to Mumbai, with roughly 75 different items in all, much of it finger food. They also offer an amazing weekday lunch buffet featuring two vegetarian curries, two non-veg curries, Dal, Naan, rice, yogurt and dessert for $9.99. When I was there recently for lunch they had a paneer in a cashew cream sauce that was simply delectable, an entree with potato and what looked like okra, butter chicken and some other meat curry. The lettuce in the salad was a little brown from being cut with a knife, but it tasted fresh enough. I was pleased to see the place so full during lunch on a Tuesday. We got the last table, although there were seats available in the tall communal table in the middle.

I organized a group of vegetarians and meat eaters to eat there on a recent Saturday morning. The staff was very accommodating and explained anything we had questions about. We feasted on dosas, pani puri and all kinds of Indian delicacies. The dosas in particular were a huge hit. Most college kids are hung over on Saturdays, so we had the place practically to ourselves. Later on the place started filling up with people in gorgeous saris because there was an Indian concert nearby that afternoon. People were eating and then going to the concert.

I ordered the pani puri ($4.99) to share with everyone, because I have been hearing about it from friends and really wanted to try it. Pani puri are puffy fried dough balls (puri) are filled with “flavored water” (pani), which is a chutney-like gravy with yogurt, chickpeas and cilantro. They came with the pani and chopped onions on the side to dress as you saw fit. They were really good, very vegetarian-friendly, and were the perfect one-bite starter.

I also ordered the Chicken Manchurian ($6.99) off their Indo-Chinese menu. It was well-flavored and I really loved the sauce. It was just the chicken and sauce. If I had known I would have ordered a side of rice to go with it.

The Veggie Manchurian was also quite nice. It features fried vegetarian balls in the Manchurian sauce. I liked it a lot and didn’t miss the chicken.

They have a huge variety of dosas to choose from – both plain and masala dosas. Dosas are huge, wafer-thin, griddle-fried crepes filled with things like potato curry, egg or onion. The Rava Dosa (pictured to the left), which is made of rava and rice, was gorgeous and very flavorful. Many of my friends ordered the Masala Dosa with potatoes and onion or the Onion Dosa. They were very good as well.

With such an extensive menu to choose from you certainly won’t get bored. And the prices are affordable. Sure, they aren’t Indian street food prices, but we aren’t in India and they have downtown rent to pay. I will happily support them when I can.

Contact info:

Bombay Chaat
2044 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44114
(216) 815-3950

Tommy’s

Tommy’s on Coventry is a Cleveland institution. It has been in business since the 1970s (even the Coventry fire in 1988 couldn’t shut it down) and many of its menu items are named after its regulars who ordered them. It isn’t haute cuisine, but it doesn’t claim to be. Instead, it is a good place for vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores to get together. Because it specifies vegan, gluten-free, etc. on the menu it is a great place for those with allergies or dietary issues. They have a separate gluten-free fryer and strict gluten-free kitchen practices, so I can eat here with my mother without worrying that she is going to get sick afterwards. It’s also great if you are on a juice fast and still want to get out and meet your friends. The food can be a little bland depending on what you order, so be prepared to season it.

If there is a bit of a crowd waiting be sure to add your name to the clipboard on the counter and wait for them to call you. The place stretches pretty far back, so the wait isn’t too obnoxious.

Tommy’s is famous for its milkshakes. They are rich and smooth with a wide variety of flavors. I can vouch for the chocolate and chocolate mint milkshakes, but my favorite is the banana – made with fresh bananas and vanilla ice cream. One of my friends swears by their chocolate peanut butter milkshake. It’s best to order them in the restaurant, because you get lots of milkshake with the glass and the metal mixer full. If you order one to go you just get a small plastic cup sealed with plastic.

I go to Tommy’s for comfort food. My go to comfort food is the broccoli risso. It’s a casserole with broccoli, rice, mushrooms, and cheese. It’s served in a bowl with a warm IMAG5661 piece of pita. You can also order a cup if you don’t want a big bowl of it or want it as a side. It is just warm, comforting goodness.

I also absolutely love Tommy’s French onion soup. It is vegetarian and made with shitake mushrooms, onions, kombu, veggie broth, tamari, garlic, a slice of French bread and topped with Swiss cheese. I adore it and order it almost every time I go.

I’m not a big fan of the pita sandwiches or escarole pies, but that’s a personal choice. They certainly are unique and come with a wide variety of fillings. My sister loves the Capetown spinach IMAG5315 pie with cheese, raisins and mushrooms. I usually stick with the basics – plain grilled cheese (Judy), Sharpy Burger, burgers, grilled chicken breast sandwich or any of their delicious salads (pro tip: deconstruct it on the plate because you won’t be able to eat it in the heaping bowl it comes in). Vegetarians rave about their vegetarian choices like the hummus, falafel, tempeh and seitan.

Tommy’s was recently voted the Best Fries in Cleveland. I don’t know if I would go that far (Bar Cento gets my vote), but they were better than average. They are 12816775_812473705554691_556600846_n intentionally unsalted so you can salt them however you want.

Tommy’s also has great breakfasts. I get a kick out of seeing young college-age men stuffing their face with waffles buried in strawberries and whipped cream. One interesting choice is the Elsie Combo, which features two fried eggs, two strips of bacon, mayo, American cheese, and their homemade peanut butter made into a triple decker sandwich on your choice of toast. The first time I ordered it I was really scared, but the waitress assured me I would like it. And she was right. The mayo and the peanut butter actually went really well together and complemented the eggs and bacon. If you want to try something different, give it a try. Their omelets are also delicious and plentiful.

They also turn the restaurant over to the Heights Arts group from 10-2 on January 1st for an annual all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast benefiting Heights Arts. Volunteers serve the masses pancakes, eggs, sausage patties and links and vegetarian options as well as juice, coffee and tea for around $10. Tommy’s has been hosting the benefit pancake breakfast since 2001, when owner Tom Fello first offered to help raise funds for the Coventry Arch, located at the intersection of Coventry Road and Euclid Heights Boulevard. It’s a fun time and a good local cause. Consider checking it out this week.

There’s something for everyone at Tommy’s.

Update (2023): I really admire how Tommy’s handled the pandemic. They pivoted to curbside carryout and had three parking spaces in front of the restaurant dedicated to curbside. They also rented the patio from Panini’s across the street to allow outside dining. I took advantage of both.

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Contact info:

Tommy’s
1824 Coventry Road
Cleveland Heights, OH 44118
(216) 321-7757

Dan’s Dogs in Medina

I love a good hot dog, so I was dying to try Dan’s Dogs in Medina. The only problem is that the only time I’m in Medina I am usually visiting family and eating with them. I had my chance recently when my niece had a play she had written performed at her school by an acting troupe, and I needed a place to have lunch afterwards. Dan’s Dogs immediately came to mind. The place is adorable. Very 1950s retro with a diner flair. It opened in 1991 and is located just northwest of the Square. It’s not The Happy Dog, nor does it try to be. It is just a good, old-fashioned hot dog diner.

Dan’s Dogs uses all beef hot dogs, grilled to order and served on a signature buttered and toasted split-top New England style bun. This bun was really amazing. The menu is extensive with 41(!) hot dogs to choose from and over 50 toppings if you want to build your own. If you don’t want a hot dog (but come on, why wouldn’t you order one?), they also offer grilled cheese sandwiches, grilled burgers, chicken sandwiches, salads, and more. I had trouble narrowing down what I wanted to order.

I started off with a root beer, because they make their own old-fashioned root beer and I’m a sucker for a good root beer. It was really good and quenched my thirst. If you like root beer floats, this would be the place for one. They also apparently make their own ice cream.

I was in the mood for a nice soup, and the soup that day was a chicken and rice soup. The broth was well-seasoned and the soup had chunks of carrot, celery and strings of chicken, so I could tell it was homemade. It was very good, although the rice had broken down a bit since it was later in the day after the lunch rush. My only complaint was that the server didn’t clear the soup bowl when she brought my dogs, but that is truly a minor complaint.

Now the big dilemma – what hot dogs to order. I ordered while I was still hungry, so I ordered three different “regular size” hot dogs. You can also order jumbo dogs if you are so inclined. Three dogs and soup was definitely too much, and I ended up taking half of each one home for later. My choices were The Mac Attack (smothered in their homemade five-cheese mac & cheese), the Top Dog (topped with grilled bacon and melted cheddar cheese), and a Firehouse Dog (“Red Hot” chili coney dog topped with homemade cole slaw). All three were really good, but that cole slaw was delicious – super creamy just the way I like it. It was a great pairing with the coney sauce.

You can choose all kinds of weird and wonderful hot dogs, like the Hula Dog with baked beans and crushed pineapple; the Junkyard Dog with freshly chopped veggies, melted mozzarella cheese, sour cream sauce and fresh diced tomato; or the Deputy Dog with peanut butter and jelly, or your classics like the Old Yeller with mustard, relish and diced onions; the Chicago Dog with its mustard, relish, onions, cucumber, hot pepper pickle and celery salt; or Hound Dog with caramelized onions and grilled mushrooms. There is literally something for everyone – or you can make your own.

They are closed on Sundays, but now accept credit and debit cards (they used to be cash-only). So the next time you are in Medina and want to try a good dog, check this place out. It’s family-friendly and locally owned and operated.

Contact info:

Dan’s Dogs
111 W Liberty Street
Medina, OH 44256
(330) 723-3647

Miega Korean BBQ

Miega Korean BBQ is located on the second floor of Asian Town Center just off E. 38th and Superior. Korean BBQ is a lot of fun with a bunch of people and I plan on having my dining out group here soon, but I wanted to report on my past couple of visits by myself.

I went here for supper before a recent vacation and ended up eating the leftovers on the road. There’s always a great variety of different banchan, which fill you up even before you get your entree. The banchan here weren’t as varied as the ones at Seoul Garden, but they were still delicious. I enjoyed sigeumchi namul (parboiled spinach dressed with sesame oil, garlic, and soy sauce), jap chae (stir fried glass noodles), sweet potato, ojingeochae muchim (dried squid), sukjunamul (marinated mung bean sprouts), rice cakes, boiled peanuts in a sauce, Kim chi, oi sobagi (cucumber kim chi), and miso soup. I enjoyed all of them, but my absolute favorite was the jap chae.

The Kim bob (pictured with the banchan) were a fun take on a Korean sushi roll. It was much sweeter than Japanese sushi rolls, but I enjoyed the flavor a lot. The pickled vegetables and meat were very good together.

I ordered Kalbi (marinated beef spare ribs) that came out of the kitchen grilled for me. At that point I was so full that I ended up taking most of them home with me. They were good cold and reheated.

I also enjoyed the barley tea they serve and ordered a glass of plum wine based on the server’s recommendation. The plum wine was very refreshing. The bill with tax and tip ran me $39.00. Not bad for all that food.

Some of the tables have a bell on them to ring for your server. This is a great little feature, and the Korean people do not think it is rude at all. I also really liked the metal chopsticks. They were definitely much fancier than anything you get at a Chinese restaurant. Most Korean chopsticks are metal. Unless you are there for lunch, then you get the wooden disposable chopsticks.

Lunch is a great deal here at Miega. You can order a lunch box featuring one of their six entrees and it comes with fried rice, jap chae, salad, two fried dumplings and the ever-present banchan. I ordered the bulgogi, which was nicely prepared, thinly shaved, with some nice vegetables, and in a light marinade. The fried rice was nice and warm, with fluffy chunks of scrambled egg and fresh vegetables. I loved the Gun Man Du (the Korean dumplings). They were crispy with some kind of meat filling. I would definitely order those again! I was extremely pleased with my lunch here and was not able to finish it completely. Although the web site specified that the lunch box was $10.95, they charged me $12.95, so do not rely on the website for recent prices. It was still cheap though; my bill was $13.99 ($17 with tip).

Contact info:

Miega Korean BBQ
3820 Superior Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44114
(216) 432-9200

#1 Pho

#1 Pho is open 365 days a year, which is comforting to know when I am craving pho and Superior Pho and Minh Ahn are closed. It is also helpful when you are craving pho on New Year’s Day, because they are sure to be open. I usually choose the other pho places because they serve bahn mi, and I am bahn mi’s bitch. Like seriously love it. Unfortunately #1 Pho does not serve bahn mi. They do, however, have lots of other tasty items on the menu.

The first time I went I ordered pho. I think it might have even been my first time trying pho. It’s good pho. The broth is a well-balanced bone broth with subtle flavors. They serve the usual meats – rare beef, meatballs, brisket, tendon, etc. The meat is always tender and melts in your mouth a bit. They serve lime here, which is a plus, in their side dish of add-ins (bean sprouts, Thai basil, lime, and jalapenos). I have also had the chicken pho (Pho Ga – pictured on the right), which is also good. It features a rich chicken broth and pulled chicken along with the rice noodles. The last time I was here it was very apparent that there are many regulars, who are greeted like old friends and were asked if they wanted their usual. I like that.

I have also tried their wonton noodle soup with roast pork (H5) and really enjoyed it. It has both egg noodles and wontons and thick strips of roast pork in a nice broth. I would definitely order it again if I was in the mood for a fun noodle soup. It was filled with all kinds of noodley and dumplingy goodness, and I loved the wontons, which were perfectly cooked.

The appetizers also have some good choices on the menu. The crispy spring rolls (A4) are filled with pork and mushrooms and served with a dipping sauce and some fresh vegetables. My niece, who is a serious shrimp addict, really loved the crispy shrimp (A3), which came with a sweet and sour dipping sauce and veggies. I am less impressed with the fresh spring rolls. The filling just tastes bland, and I need a lot of savory peanut dipping sauce to brighten it up. That said, the pork spring rolls (A8) with charbroiled pork, lettuce and bean sprouts are a bit more flavorful than the shrimp spring rolls. I learned how to make these in a Viking Vietnamese cooking class, and mine tend to be much more flavorful. Probably because mine include fresh mint leaves and a few things other than just lettuce and vermicelli.

They have a very nice selection of vegetarian choices, which makes life easy when you go out to eat with vegetarian friends like I do. The first time I went my boyfriend at the time, who was a vegetarian, he ordered the stir-fried clear noodles and really liked them.

I like their iced Vietnamese coffee and they serve a variety of bubble teas. I tried to get my nieces to try the bubble tea, but they were not as impressed with it as I was. It is apparently an acquired taste. They also serve a wide variety of juices and smoothies, including fresh orange, fresh coconut, jack fruit, mung bean and durian.

Contact info:

Number One Pho
3120 Superior Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44114
(216) 781-1176

Seti’s Polish Boys

Cleveland’s original food truck has been serving up Polish boys and grilled dogs since 2000. They have been at their current location, the parking lot of Dean Supply on the corner of E. 34th and Woodland Avenue, for the past nine years. Edit: Seti’s has moved to in front of the Thomas F. McCafferty Health Center, on Lorain Avenue near W. 42nd Street. They are parked there Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The truck is equipped with a grill, deep fryer, steam table, 3 prep tables, 2 refrigerators, 4 sinks with hot and cold running water, exhaust system, and serving window. They serve magic. Having been featured on the Food Network and lauded by folks like Michael Symon on The Best Thing I’ve Ever Ate, Rachel Ray and Andrew Zimmer of Bizarre Foods, I knew I had to try it.

The Polish Boy is Cleveland’s iconic sandwich. It features a slow-grilled and then fried jumbo style hot dog and is topped with cole slaw, french fries and BBQ sauce. Seti’s is known for having the best in town, and Food and Wine Magazine said their Polish Boy is one of the best dogs in the United States.

It was a total mess to eat, but it was worth it. I bit in and the hot dog had a great snap. The creaminess of the cole slaw, the perfect buttery french fries and the sweet BBQ sauce melded together to the perfect meal. I used every single one of the four napkins they gave me and then cleaned up with a wet wipe I had brought with me. Next time I’m bringing a new shirt to change into too.

They serve lunch Monday through Friday from 10 to 4. The service is fast and courteous, the price is right and the food is delicious. If you haven’t been there yet what are you waiting for? Just be sure to bring wet wipes.

setis_official — Seti’s various offerings – official photo by Seti on Yelp

Contact info:

Seti’s Polish Boys
E. 34th & Woodland Avenue
At Dean Supply
Cleveland, OH 44115
(216) 240-0745

Patterson Fruit Farm

Patterson Fruit Farm in Chesterland is great year-round, but it really shines in the fall. Families flock there for the pick-your-own apples, pumpkins, apple cider, doughnuts and apple fritters in a fall wonderland of changing leaves, corn stalks and bales of hay. One of my friends raves about the apple fritters. The place gets packed on the weekends, and they have overflow parking across the street. I made a spontaneous decision to check it out on a Tuesday to see what all the hype is about, and I’m so glad I did. I enjoyed every minute of drive out to Chesterland amid the colorful leaves and crisp air. Driving home through Gates Mills I even got to enjoy the smell of a bonfire. It truly is a quintessential fall experience and is just one more reason that Cleveland Rocks!

There are a ton of pumpkins to choose from outside, along with stands offering fresh kettle corn and lemonade. Inside the barn you can find all kinds of local culinary delights, from apple butter and Amish jams and jellies, pies, doughnuts, apple fritters, dried soup mix, pancake mix, maple syrup, popcorn toppings, and all kinds of cooking implements. The doughnuts, pies and apple fritters are made fresh using the fruit from the farm.

I ended up buying six doughnuts, because I couldn’t choose just one. They all looked amazing I ordered the maple bacon, apple cider, pumpkin roll, Samoa, chocolate glaze and salty caramel. I loved the maple bacon and apple cider doughnuts. The maple bacon doughnut was a nice blend of savory and sweet and the apple cider doughnut had a hint of autumnal spices to it. And the apple fritter is indeed divine – soft on the inside, crispy on the outside and with chunks of apple in the dough.

But the apples are the star of the show. Refrigerated cases hold apple cider, honey crisp apple cider (apparently only available for a limited time), milk and other refrigerated meats and cheeses. Hot apple cider is also available for purchase. You can buy their apple cider in most grocery stores in Cleveland, but there is just something special about drinking a hot apple cider at the farm.

If you are looking to buy some apples there are a ton of kinds to choose from, ranging from Winesap and Honey Crisp to Macoun and Jonagold and everything in between. They let you sample all of the apples available for purchase. They also offer big bags of seconds, which are great to use for apple sauce. I bought two kinds to make some apple sauce. I was so excited about trying the different kinds I forgot to take photographs. I bought winesap and honey crisp apples. I will use the winesap together with my apples from Fresh Fork Market to make the apple sauce. The honey crisp are just because they are my hands-down favorite apple to eat plain.

The orchard allows you to pick your own apples as well and features almost 20 different kinds. Not all varieties are available at once, but there are always several to choose from. They also offer pick your own strawberries and blueberries in season. The pick-your-own location is just down the street from the farm market at 8765 Mulberry Road.

Contact info:

Patterson Fruit Farm
11414 Caves Road
Chesterland, OH 44026
(440) 729-1964

Geraci’s Restaurant

Geraci’s is family-run restaurant with fresh Italian cooking from scratch. They have been in business since 1956, so they must be doing something right. It is also popular with John Carroll students, and they have a special section on the menu for them (billed as “late night dining” – although they are only open until 9 PM and 10 PM on Fridays and Saturdays). Geraci’s is known for its pizza, so much so that it was featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.

The bread service features crusty and soft Italian bread with a dusting of sesame seeds on the crust and packets of soft butter. The House salad dressing is a good choice if you like red wine vinegar. It’s pretty overwhelming. You can order it with and without grated mozzarella on it.

The only thing I have ordered here that disappointed me was the spaghetti and meatballs. I thought the meatballs and sauce were pretty bland. I’ve learned not to order spaghetti and meatballs in Italian restaurants around here. However, they offer a lot more than spaghetti and meatballs. They are known for their Geraci’s sauce, which is a red sauce. You can also order spaghetti with fresh mushrooms, meat sauce or marinara and upgrade with a meatball or Italian sausage. They also offer gluten-free pasta and whole wheat pasta for an upcharge.

The spinach ravioli are absolutely fantastic. The ravioli are large and the sauce is a tomato cream sauce that really complements the cheese ravioli. It is a creamy delight. I didn’t even miss the meat.

Geraci’s also offer veal and chicken entrees. The Chicken a la Tosca was out of this world. I wasn’t expecting such a large portion. It came with three chicken cutlets dipped in egg batter and lightly fried and served over a bed of garlic spinach and diced tomatoes. The chicken was really moist and tender.

The heavenly smell as they were frying it permeated the restaurant (I was the only table left after their lunch rush), which made me really anticipate the meal. It was served with a side of spaghetti. I was able to upgrade it to the meat sauce for an extra dollar. I had been wanting spaghetti that day, but didn’t want a huge plate of it. This was perfect – and I was able to bring two of the three cutlets home for later.

Everyone raves about the pizza, however. I have friends who travel all the way from the far west side for a Geraci’s fix. Reading all the suggestions for the pepperoni pizza on Yelp I felt the need to order one even though I am not a huge pepperoni pizza fan. My friend who loves it suggested I get the large with extra pepperoni, because she feels it is their best one. It was okay, but it didn’t thrill me. The sauce is a little sweeter than most, and the crust is a little stiff (I prefer a little doughier, chewier crust). And it was more burned than I like. I’ll stick with the chicken and pasta here in the future.

Make sure you come with cash though. This is a true Italian restaurant. Cash or check only.

Italian wedding soup, zucchini fries, and spaghetti with Italian sausage

Contact info:

Geraci’s Restaurant
2266 Warrensville Center Road
University Heights, OH 44118
(216) 371-5643

Pop-ups at the Katz Club Diner

When the Katz Club Diner Bar Car burned down many of us thought that would be it for the lovely old-fashioned diner cars on Lee Road. After the arsonist was incarcerated, Doug Katz focused his energy on rebuilding. They tore down the bar car, which was a total loss, and landscaped the area. He had originally bought the cars for the spacious kitchen, so I wasn’t surprised to hear he was going to use the space for his catering gigs as well as hosting pop-up dinners. His pop-up dinners have been quite popular so far, so it seems like a great decision on his part.

He has hosted a Vegetarian pop-up, Indian Street Food pop-up and Fried Chicken and Corn on the Cob pop-up, to name a few. I have attended the Lobster Rolls & Blueberry Pie pop-up and the Clambake pop-up so far. I am also looking forward to several upcoming pop-ups including an Oktoberfest, Spaghetti & Meatballs, a French Bistro, and Dim Sum. The food is amazing from start to finish. There hasn’t been a bad choice yet. He elevates even simple smashed potatoes into something delicious.

The dinners include tax and gratuity. Beverages are a la carte, and there are several wines and beers as well as a featured cocktail and some sodas to order separately.

The first pop-up I attended, entitled Lobster Shack, featured popcorn spiced with housemade old bay seasoning, Maine lobster roll on a housemade buttered bun, smashed red potatoes, sweet and sour pickled slaw and local blueberry pie with housemade vanilla ice cream. I loved the Blueberry Thyme Collins, which was the cocktail selection for the evening. The blueberry thyme syrup was refreshing paired with gin, lemon and soda water – and I’m not normally a fan of gin. The lobster roll made me swoon. The bun had the perfect amount of butter and was an ideal carrier for the lightly tossed lobster filling. The smashed red potatoes and pickled slaw were great accompaniments. The pie – although not actually pie but more of a buckle – was delicious, as was the homemade ice cream.

The most recent pop-up featured spiced peanuts, lobster bisque made with huge chunks of fresh Maine lobster, corn bread, steamed clams, local sweet corn on the cob, pan seared potatoes, housemade chicken garlic sausage and a bittersweet chocolate whoopie pie. Although I loved every course, my favorites were the bisque and that amazing whoopie pie, but even minor sides like the cornbread and simple pan-seared potatoes were sublime. I enjoyed the sparkling clementine soda to start and a Sauvignon Blanc with my meal. We also got to enjoy an amazing sunset.

You can buy tickets for the upcoming pop-ups here and keep an eye on their Facebook page for announcements when the next pop-up is available to book. Tickets go on sale about one month beforehand and have sold out quickly, so act fast.

Contact info:

Katz Club Diner
1975 Lee Road
Cleveland Heights, OH
(216) 932-3333