Category: Good eats

Clambakes 2023

This year money has been really tight, as the translation industry is being decimated by machine translation and AI. So I only attended two clambakes at restaurants this year and was treated to a tasty clambake at a friend’s house.

Gunselman’s Tavern

I attended the clambake at Gunselman’s Tavern with several friends who organized a table of six. It was my fourth year in a row. We were seated inside this time, because it was rainy and cold out. They were still cooking the food outside, but under the cover of their garage and a large tent.

The clambake was, as always, delicious. They started by serving us clam broth as a starter, followed by clam chowder at 1 o’clock on the dot. One of my friends saved his broth to add to his clam chowder. This year’s clambake included clam broth, New England clam chowder, a dozen clams, a small portion of both sweet potato and roasted potatoes, corn on the cob, 1/2 chicken or steak and a small roll. No cole slaw this year, Two of the folks at our table ordered extra clams, while one didn’t like clams and let three of us share her portion. The chowder was once again packed with clams and potatoes. I once again ordered the Steak Bake, and the steak was perfectly medium rare, which allowed me to take it home and reheat it for leftovers. I ate all the clams and the corn and took the potatoes and steak home for later. 

Willoughby Elks

Since tickets for the Willoughby Elks’ clambake have to be purchased in advance because they sell out and I had bought my ticket in the summer, I only had to shell out some money for my beverages at the bar. I had attended a tea in Burton and drove down side roads through the countryside to Willoughby. It was a beautiful day for a drive, and I got to admire the changing leaves. I had to wait for my friend Kerrie to arrive, but it was nice to catch up with her. We lined up outside in the then-drizzling rain (luckily not too heavy) and waited for the folks under the tent to assemble our meals. The clambake includes clams (or mussels) with the choice of 1/2 a chicken or steak along with sweet potato, corn on the cob, coleslaw, and clam chowder. Kerrie got the Chicken Bake and extra mussels, while I got the Steak Bake. We grabbed a table inside and enjoyed our meal, chatting with the folks around us. The corn is usually the highlight for me, but my corn this year was pretty dried out. And they had issues with the butter. I still enjoyed the clams and chowder and brought home the steak and the sweet potato for lunch the next day.

SweetBerry Fresh Market

One of my good friends had me over for a clambake she purchased from SweetBerry Fresh Market in Wickcliffe. We all contributed to the potluck dinner. One guest brought rumaki and a goat cheese and fig spread appetizer. I brought a s’mores cake made with German chocolate and marshmallow cream in a graham cracker crust in my Quick Cooker/InstantPot. Our host ordered 100 medium-neck clams from SweetBerry and made a delicious vegetable and seafood soup, some side dishes and a berry trifle for dessert, while another attendee brought beautiful steaks for each of us. The fourth guest brought some bottles of wine. I ate a ton of the rumaki (who doesn’t love bacon?), and we all gorged on the clams. One hundred clams divided between 4 people goes a long way. I took my steak home for a steak sandwich the next day. Everything was impeccable. Definitely a highlight of the year.

Contact info:

Willoughby Elks
38860 Mentor Avenue
Willoughby, OH 44094
(440) 942-2747

Gunselman’s Tavern
21490 Lorain Road
Fairview Park, OH 44126
(440) 331-5719

SweetBerry Fresh Market
30022 Euclid Avenue
Wickliffe, OH 44092
(440) 569-1042

The Lobster Pot

I appreciate and regularly crave good seafood. Unfortunately that is not easy to satisfy in northeast Ohio. Red Lobster is okay in a pinch, but I prefer an independent to ensure that the quality is there. My favorite seafood restaurant in the Cleveland area used to be The Lobster Trap on Ravenna Road in Twinsburg. They used to serve a special featuring two whole lobsters, green beans and rice. My parents and I were regulars when I lived near there, but unfortunately they soon went out of business. The Lobster Pot in Willoughby is a good successor. Apparently it used to be in South Euclid and moved to Willoughby Hills in 2017. It is located near the intersection of SOM Center and Chardon Roads.

The restaurant is loosely modeled after a traditional New England-style lobster house. The space is decorated with nautical artifacts like wooden buoys and floats, fishing nets, and the namesake lobster pots, and there is a wooden dory suspended above the dining room. There are also tanks filled with live lobsters and fish. There is a bar with a casual atmosphere as well as a dining room that features white tableclothes and cloth napkins. The patio is also tucked next to the building away from the street and is a great place to relax when the weather is nice

The first time I went there I was craving lobster roll. They have an entree with two lobster rolls on the menu. The rolls were authentic, and the lobster was succullent, with big chunks of tail and claw meat. They were not too heavy on the mayo and had a perfectly buttery taste.

The lobster bisque was ok, but (unlike the lobster rolls) did not contain a lot of lobster. It had a nice creaminess to it. They serve Manhatten clam chowder on the regular menu, but I prefer New England chowder. The New England clam chowder accompanied the clambake. It was a decent chowder. It’s not the worst, but also not the best I’ve had. A decent chowder is still a plus in my book.

The salad was very fresh and was a nice mesculun mix with a couple slices of cucumber, a couple cherry tomatoes and slivers of carrot. I also enjoyed the warm bread was served before meal.

The oysters are super fresh. You can order them raw, baked or as oysters Rockefeller. There is a minimum three per order. I have had them raw and Rockefeller. I have thoroughly enjoyed them every time.

The Lobster and Shrimp Newburg is made with fresh lobster meat and shrimp sautéed with shallots, celery, mushroom, tomatoes, garlic, finished with a lobster cognac cream sauce with a choice of one side. It can be served over rice or pasta. I chose pasta, and it was quite filling. It reheated nicely the next day. I really enjoyed it, despite being made with angel hair pasta, which is not my favorite.

This is a great place to enjoy the clambake or fish fry. I have enjoyed the clambake both inside in the dining room and outside on the patio. I love pairing it with a chardonnay. The clambake comes with a dozen clams, drawn butter, corn on the cob, red skin potatoes and cole slaw. Since I’m a sucker for lobster I usually add the whole lobster. Everything is always perfectly cooked and super tasty. I even enjoy the red skin potatoes.

I also really enjoy the Admiral’s Platter, which features a half pound of snow crab, one lobster til, two jumbo scampi and is served with your choice of two sides. It usually scratches my itch for fresh seafood. If you are craving fried fish, the Fisherman’s Platter is for you. It comes with breaded and fried haddock, shrimp, hush puppies, fries and coleslaw.

Overall, it is a good representation of a seafood restaurant. The parking is convenient. They have great happy hour (Haffey Hour) specials at the bar on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 4-6 pm. The Happy Hour menu features a nice assortment of dishes (calamari, firecracker shrimp, fish or shrimp tacos, shrimp bruschetta, and mussels plus a few non-seafood options) at $7 each, oysters are $2 each and shrimp are $1 each.  They also offer discounts on drinks and wine. The food and service are consistently great. You are greeted warmly when you walk in and I’ve never had a bad server. They have always been attentive and responsive to my needs.

Contact info:

The Lobster Pot
2749 Som Center Road
Willoughby Hills, OH 44094
(440) 569-1634

Zoma Ethiopian Restaurant

Zoma Ethiopian Restaurant opened on Lee Road in Cleveland Heights in 2016. Back then Empress Taytu had my heart, but I was willing to give Zoma a try. It didn’t disappoint. Ethiopian cuisine is characterized both by its unique flavors and known for its communal presentation, a family-style approach with multiple items arriving on a large platter. Ethiopian food centers around vegetable, meat and fish-based stews, some of which are spicy, that are scooped up and eaten with small pieces of injera, a spongy flatbread made from fermented teff batter. It is eaten with your hands.

We went as a large group right in January 2017 after it opened and had a great time. They do not take reservations, but appreciate the heads up if there is going to be a big party. The dining room isn’t as homey as Empress Taytu, but it is still decorated nicely and has plenty of seating. They serve lunch from 11:45 to 2 and dinner from 4 to 9 (3 to 8 on Sundays). The lunch special is quite a good deal – two vegetarian entrees (not including the tibs) for $10.99, and you can add an extra veggie entree for $4. Extra injera is $2. The spicy beef stew and one veggie entree is $12.99.

I ordered the mild chicken stew, which is made with chunks of chicken breast simmered in a tumeric sauce and seasoned with ginger, garlic, onion and an herb butter. It is also served with a hard-boiled egg. It was quite tasty. It could have used a touch more heat, but I am not a spicy fan. The spicy chicken stew (dorowat) is simmered in a red pepper sauce and seasoned with the ginger, garlic, onion and herb butter. Dorowat is the signature dish of Ethiopian cuisine.

They have a wide variety of tib dishes, which are meat (chicken, beef or lamb), mushroom or tofu marinated with a special sauce and fried with onion, rosemary, jalapeno pepper and fresh garlic served in a sizzling pan. My favorite Ethiopian dish is without a doubt the chicken tibs. Their tibs are quite tasty. Unfortunately I can’t order it with a side of tikil gomen. The meat and veggie combo features only beef stew. I haven’t gotten the nerve to ask if I can sub it out. The meat combo features the stew and your choice of 2 veggie entrees.

They have a large variety of options for vegetarians and vegans. One of my friends couldn’t decide which vegetarian option she wanted, so she ordered the veggie combo. There are two veggie combo options available – 3 or 4 entrees. The Zoma Special Combo features beef tibs, spicy beef stew, home made cottage cheese and all 6 of the veggie dishes.

The fun part about Ethiopian food is they often serve the food on communal platters, which allows everyone to share several options. Ethiopian portions may look small at first, but the injera will fill you up. You will never leave hungry.

I met a vegetarian friend for lunch there a little while later, and we sat at one of the basket tables. We enjoyed the samosas (small vegetarian pastries filled with sauteed whole lentils, onions, and jalapeno pepper and served with a sweet chili dipping sauce) as well as the tim-tim fit fit, which is made with pieces of injera bread mixed with chopped fresh tomato, onion, jalapeno and Ethiopian herbs. The fit fit is obviously quite spicy, but it was really tasty. We both ordered vegetarian combos that day. I ordered my beloved tikil gomen (on the menu as simply “cabbage”), the collard greens and green beans and carrots, while she ordered the cabbage, green beans and carrots and split red lentils. The split red lentils are simmered in a medium hot berbere garlic and onion sauce, while the split yellow lentils are milder and simmered with onions, garlic, and turmeric.

Ethiopian offers a little something for everyone. They serve a wide variety of wine, including honey wine (Tej). The honey wine is light and refreshing, but also not overly sweet. I like the tea because it has a nice spice note. You can also get amped up on their coffee service. They roast the beans right in front of you and it is quite an experience for the senses.

Contact info:

Zoma Ethiopian RestaurantZoma Ethiopian Restaurant
2240 Lee Road
Cleveland Heights, OH 44118
(216) 465-3239

Tita Flora’s

Cleveland does not have many Filipino restaurants. For the longest time, the only choice was Nipa Hut, a store on W. 130th in Parma that serves takeout during the week and had a buffet on Saturdays until COVID hit. Tita Flora’s is a welcome addition to the dining landscape. This sit-down restaurant can seat 60 and is located on Brecksville Road in Independence (in the former Babushka’s Kitchen location).

The restaurant serves Filipino staples like chicken or pork adobo (braised in soy sauce, vinegar, onions, garlic, and pepper), crispy vegetable or pork lumpia (similar to fried spring rolls), pork or tofu sisig served on a sizzling platter, pancit made with rice or wheat noodles, and longsilog, the all-day breakfast dish of sausage fried rice topped with a fried egg. They are still working out some kinks and were not serving the buttery garlic shrimp or the lunch specials that have since been taken off the menu.

We started off being greeted by our server and having any questions we had answered. She was very knowledgeable and took good care of us. We ordered beverages and Pik Pik (starters) to start. I had a taste of both lumpia, and they were both quite tasty and perfectly fried. The vegetable lumpia are filled with carrot, cabbage, and green bean and are served as two long rolls. I preferred the pork lumpia (Lumpia Shanghai). They just had more flavor and are served with a delicious chili dipping sauce. Another one of my friends enjoyed the fish balls. He was on the other side of the table, so I didn’t get a chance to sample them.

She highly recommended the pork or chicken adobo. My friend ordered the Bistek (thinly sliced beef and onions braised in soy and citrus – see above), but sent it back because it was too salty and ordered the pork adobo instead. I highly recommend getting the pork adobo. I had a piece of it and fell in love. It is made with pork belly and just has a ton of flavor. They were little nuggets of deliciousness.

Several of us ordered the Chicken Inasal. Billed as a “famous Ilonggo dish,” it is a quarter chicken marinated in a unique blend of spices and fire-grilled. It was served with a tiny side of tomato and cucumbers and little dipping sauce dishes to add to taste. One of us loved it, while the other had difficulty eating it.

One of my friends ordered the Ginataang Gulay, which is a creamy coconut milk stew made with squash and green beans. You can add shrimp to it. I had a taste of it and also loved it. It reminded me of the coconut milk stews I have enjoyed at Batuqui and Sergio’s Sarava. I will definitely order this the next time if the garlic shrimp still isn’t available.

All of the dinners come with white rice, but you can upgrade to garlic fried rice for an extra $2. We all chose to upgrade. I thought the garlic fried rice was good, but it was a little overpowering when paired with some of the more flavor-forward items. I ordered the white rice on my second visit with my chicken adobo, and it definitely hit the spot as I drizzled the sauce over the rice and paired it with a bit of chicken.

I went back a week later, hoping the garlic shrimp would be available, but it still wasn’t. I ordered the pork lumpia and chicken adobo and took half of both home for leftovers. The chicken adobo had a similar flavor profile as the pork adobo since it uses the same spices and marinade. The chicken flaked apart with my fork and was tasty, but I definitely prefer the pork adobo.

I have tried both desserts on the menu – the Turon and the Halo Halo. The Turon is a deep-fried banana rolled in a spring roll wrapper. It is normally served with ube ice cream, but they were out of the ube ice cream so I was served vanilla ice cream with an ube drizzle. It was perfectly fried with no residual grease and absolutely delicious. I shared it with my friends, and everyone agreed that it was tasty.

Halo Halo is Tagalog for “mix-mix.” The Halo Halo is a mix of crushed ice, evaporated milk, and various ingredients including coconut strips, sago, gulaman, sweet beans, and yams, and topped with a scoop of ice cream. I enjoyed it except for the clumps of ice that overwhelmed at times. It is kind of like a shaved ice with several toppings. I prefer the shaved ice at Koko Bakery over Halo Halo, but it is a nice ending to the meal if the Dairy King on the other side of the street is closed for the season.

I also hear that they serve silvanas, a traditional layered Filipino cookie from the southern region of the Philippines made by Silvanas Kitchen, a local Filipino artisan who started making them during the pandemic and selling them at local farmer’s markets. Be sure to ask about them and try one or two.

Contact info:

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

Quisqueya Latin Cuisine

Quisqueya Latin Cuisine (also called Quisqueya La Bella) specializes in Puerto Rican and Dominican dishes like sopa, mondongo (tripe soup), empanadillas, tostones, fried pork with plantains, camarones con mofongo, and stewed beef with rice and beans. It was located in the Clark-Fulton area for seven years, but moved to Denison Avenue a few years ago. It is one side street (east) down from W. 25th/Pearl Road (if you pass W. 23rd you just missed it). Ample parking is available. This is the side view from the parking lot. You can access it from the side road just to the right of the building or from Denison. I have heard a lot of Cleveland Indians – I mean Guardians – eat here because the food reminds them of their homeland. Owner Dulce Hunt is just the sweetest person and has greeted my groups twice now.

The first time I ate at Quisqueya I was part of a Culture.CLE Dinner Series dining event. Culture.CLE is a monthly dinner series that helps Clevelanders experience cultures and cuisines from around the world. Every month they visit a new country through a fun ethnic dinner series centered around highlighting local immigrant and refugee-owned culinary businesses. They met on a Wednesday, when the restaurant is normally closed. I decided to attend on my own without knowing anyone and sat with a friendly group of friends. We were introduced to the Dominian cuisine during this event.

During this event, we had our choice of 1 protein – stewed beef, stewed chicken or a fried pork chop with either a side of white rice + pinto beans or yellow rice + pigeon peas. I chose the stewed chicken with the yellow rice and pigeon peas. I had never heard of pigeon peas and was intrigued. The pigeon pea is widely cultivated in tropical and semitropical regions around the world. In English they are commonly referred to as pigeon pea which originates from the historical utilization of the pulse as pigeon fodder (f00d) in Barbados. Fresh pigeon peas offer a nutty taste and crisp texture, similar to edamame. The young pods will be bright green, maturing to a dark brown-purplish color, with brown splotching or striations. Everyone was pleased with how flavorful everything was.

We were given tastings of two national drinks: Morir Soñando and Parcha/Chinola, a cooking demonstration of an empanadilla (and samples), and enjoyed a conversation and Q & A with the owner and chef. I liked the Morir Soñando so much I ordered one from the bar. It is a cold drink that is usually made of orange juice, milk, cane sugar, and chopped ice. It was very refreshing. Parcha is passion fruit juice and was equally refreshing and tasty.

I later organized a dinner with my dining out group on a a Monday night. We had a group of 9 and were the only ones there. I had called ahead to warn them, so there was plenty of staff to fawn over us. Dulce also came out to greet us. My friends ordered various dishes such as Bistec Encebollado (steak and onions), Camarones al Ajillo (shrimp in garlic sauce), Camarones en Salsa (shrimp in a tomato sauce) and Guisado de Pollo (stewed chicken). Several of my friends are huge fans of goat, so they tried the Cabro Guisado (stewed goat) and loved it. I ordered the stewed beef and mangu and really enjoyed it. One of my friends declared it “winner dinner” but liked the goat even more.

Each entree came with one side and a little lettuce and tomato. You can choose from Arroz Blanco y Habichuelas (white rice and pinto beans), Tostones (fried plantains), Maduros (sweet plantains), the previously mentioned Moro/Arroz de Gandulez, Mangu (boiled plantains that are then mashed with butter, margarine or oil in the water in which they were boiled, then finally topped with sautéed red onions that have been cooked with vinegar), Mofongo (fried green plantains that are mashed with garlic and mixed with pork cracklings, then shaped into a ball and served in a ball), or French fries.

Row 1: Stewed beef with mangu, shrimp in tomato sauce with tostones
Row 2: Steak and onions with rice/pigeon peas, stewed goat with rice/pigeon peas
Row 3: Shrimp in garlic sauce with rice/pigeon peas, stewed chicken with tostones

One of my friends at the other end of the table ordered several different Empanadilla and raved about them (unfortunately I couldn’t take photos from where I was sitting). She is a huge empanada fan and quite a picky eater.

We also ordered the flan for dessert. One of my friends declared it was the best flan he had ever had. The menu depicts a circular flan, but we were served a proper slice as if it were a flan pie.

Contact info:

Quisqueya Latin Cuisine
2317 Denison Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44109
(216) 651-3410


Choukouya Resto-Bar

If you’re looking for traditional African fare, this restaurant features dishes from the Ivory Coast and additional West African nations. I have not eaten a lot of food from Africa, so I was intrigued when I heard it had opened in the former Nazca Bar & Grill location at the corner of Richmond Road and Emory. It is on the exact opposite end from Cafe Avalaun.

I initially scheduled a dinner with my dining out group there. We arrived at 6:30 PM on a Tuesday and were the only diners there. We were greeted by a friendly server who it turns out was also bartending. We were also entertained by a group of ladies in a line dancing class. One of my friends joined the class.

We were given a plate of grilled bread, and several of us ordered appetizers. I ordered the Meat pie, which is stuffed with meat and vegetables and deep-fried like an empanada. The African flavor really made it stand out from an empanada. It was quite tasty. A vegetarian version of the meat pie is also available.

To start off, I ordered the Chi Chi Watermelon – “five different rums with watermelon and pineapple juice served inside a watermelon fish bowl. (To Be Shared)” Oops. I didn’t share. I drank the whole thing and enjoyed every drop. The watermelon and pineapple juices were very refreshing. That said, they either served me a non-alcoholic version or I have a hella tolerance because I was not tipsy or buzzed after drinking it. It doesn’t appear to be on the menu anymore.

There are a wide variety of dishes to choose from – from soups and appetizers, to salads, stews, chicken (quarters or thighs), beef, lamb (rack of lamb or lamb shanks), steak (ribeye or t-bone), rabbit, fish (catfish, red snapper, or salmon) or seafood (scallops, shrimp, or lobster tail) to vegetable side dishes, FuFu and rice dishes to desserts. The choice of FuFu includes Eba (“gari” stirred in hot water and slowly cooked in plastic wrap – see photo to the left along with Egussi), pounded yam, pounded banana plantain, steamed rice, Jollof rice (rice cooked in a tomato sauce), Wake rice (rice steamed with black eyed beans) or Riz mosaique (rice mixed with vegetables). Other sides include Attieke (cassava (manioc) couscous), couscous (Moroccan couscous steamed in a tomato sauce) or mashed potatoes as well as starchy or vegetable sides such as Pomme lyonnaise (listed under Appetizers, but it’s fried African potatoes mixed with sautéed onion and choukouya seasoning), sweet potatoes, French fries, banana plantains, green beans, broccoli, asparagus, grilled zucchini, sauteed mushrooms and sauteed spinach.

Diners can choose from a variety of meats and vegetables and even two pasta dishes for the less adventurous. There are three African stews that are the focal point of the menu. They can be served with your choice of meat (lamb, goat, fish, chicken, or beef) or with none at all (vegetarian or vegan) and come with one side. The Peanut Sauce is made with groundnut (peanuts) cooked in a mild tomato soup with garlic and black pepper. There are 10 levels of spiciness to choose from. Egussi features West African melon seed cooked with fresh cut spinach in a spicy (or not spicy) broth with palm oil. Sauce feuille (see above photo with Wake rice) is made with well-seasoned fresh cut spinach and collard greens cooked in a red sauce with palm oil.

The shrimpy sauce (left) is delicious and the same sauce is used with the scallops. It seems to be a tomato-cream sauce that is simply scrumptious. I ordered the steamed rice (to truly enjoy the sauce) and a side of asparagus for a nice meal that I will also enjoy the next day. The asparagus was nicely grilled and tasty as well.

Thiebou Dienn is a popular dish from Senegal that is only available on the weekends. Served with fish, chicken or lamb, it is cooked in a red tomato sauce that is well-seasoned with a lot of veggies including cassava, carrots, eggplants, and other vegetables and served with its own rice.

I chose the Fruit de mer (above), which steams shrimp, scallops, and salmon together with organic leek, peas, mushroom and carrot in parchment paper. When the paper is opened, the seafood and vegetables are perfectly cooked and very delicious. I ordered the Riz mosaique with it, which was tasty. The dish is pricy, but definitely worth it!

One of my friends ordered the red snapper (Poisson braise), which is available either grilled (25 min) or fried (10 min) with some fragrant spices and topped with a salsa of vegetables. You can order it as a fillet, headless or with the head. My friend chose a grilled, headless red snapper with a side of Jollof rice and a side of banana plantains. The snapper and salsa was extremely fresh and delicious. I would definitely order it again.

One of my less adventurous friends ordered the Poulet Roti, which features a rotisserie chicken quarter with flavorful seasoning served atop a sauce of sautéed mushrooms and white garlic. It comes with a brick of its own rice. I can imagine ordering this myself for the mushroom and garlic sauce alone!

The service was a little slow, but I have a feeling it was because she was the only one there. Things got better once another employee arrived. We enjoyed the vibe and loved the food. It is worth noting that the food takes a little bit of time to prepare, but the times are stated on the menu and you expect a bit longer if they are busy, but the wait is worth it.

Contact info:

Choukouya Resto-Bar
4620 Richmond Road, Suite 292
Cleveland, OH 44128 (Beachwood)
(216) 245-6660

Geraci’s – Pepper Pike

Geraci’s is a casual dining, Italian restaurant that serves traditional entrees and local favorites from recipes that have been passed down through many generations. Everyone raves about the pizza, and even Guy Fieri enjoyed himself here. The flagship location is located in University Heights, but they have been recently expanding, with a location in Mayfield Heights on Wilson Mills and SOM Center Road, one on Chagrin Road between Eton and Pepper Pike (where Mallorca used to be located), and a slice shop downtown on Prospect Avenue (where Vincenza’s was). I have been to the Geraci’s on Chagrin Road several times now, as one of my friends likes celebrating her birthday there. It is more spacious than the flagship location and has a quite romantic atmosphere. It reminds me of half-timbered restaurants in Europe.

Finding the entrance to the restaurant can be a little tricky. You have to enter the office building (there are a couple steps, but there is also a handicapable ramp to the right) and then walk into the foyer. The entrance is on your left just past the elevators. Once you walk in, you are greeted by the hostess stand, and there is a nice U-shaped bar to your left. There are two dining areas as well as a private room (where we enjoyed our meal during our first visit). The second visit we were in the main area at a long table in front of the fireplace. They also have a patio in the summer. The menus appear to be identical with the University Heights location, offering appetizers, handhelds, pasta and pizza pies.

The table first ordered several appetizers and passed them around. The standout for me was the breaded artichoke hearts. They are served with a spicy 1000 Island dipping sauce. They were crispy on the outside and lovely on the inside. The dipping sauce had a nice zip to it. Several other of my fellow diners enjoyed the fried ravioli and fried mozzarella.

The Italian wedding soup was very good (one of the better versions I’ve had). There are so many versions of Italian wedding soup out there, with variations on the pasta, greens and other ingredients. This one is fairly classic with the small acini de pepe, flavorful meatballs and spinach. I liked the percentage of onions and carrot too. It was a tasty soup.

The salad was nothing to write home about, with a lettuce mix, cherry tomatoes and some shredded mozzarella. The house dressing is an oil and vinegar based Italian, but I prefer the creamy Italian more because the house dressing has to be shaken up to mix.

I fell in love with the Honey Pie on my first visit – so much so that I ordered one for the table as an appetizer on our second visit. The Honey Pie features pepperoni, sausage, hot habanero honey, mozzarella and Romano cheese. There is something about the combination of the meats and the honey that just make it stand out for me. I love a thicker crust, and it was nice and chewy and toasty on the edges. The sauce was a decent sauce. The first time I ordered it, it was well-cooked (with some black spots – see below), but it did not taste burnt at all.

I was in a mood to continue the artichoke love on my first visit, so I ordered the Chicken Piccata, which is made with tender bites of chicken breast sautéed in garlic, butter and white wine and served with artichoke hearts, capers and lemon. It was very lemony, but hit the spot.

The only misstep was on my second visit. I ordered the Chicken Florentine, because I love spinach and was in the mood for it. It is billed as being “Marinated, grilled and served atop spinach with tomato & lemon.” I was not a fan. It was dry, dry, dry. I especially disliked the spinach, which was flash-fried and crispy. I was hoping for a nice mound of soft spinach or even a creamy spinach. It was served with a side of spaghetti and a side salad.

I recently went there for lunch and ordered what is undoubtedly now one of my favorite things I have ever eaten at an Italian restaurant. First, I have to eat a little crow. For years I have stated that I do not like angel hair pasta. Well, I was wrong. The waitress passionately suggested the angel hair instead of spaghetti, so I ordered the Angel Hair Balsamico, which is angel hair, artichoke hearts, diced fresh tomato and basil in a butter and white wine sauce. I added chicken for protein. The angel hair was coated in the butter and wine sauce, giving it an amazing buttery taste that just popped. I don’t think I will order anything different there ever again. I couldn’t finish the lunch portion, so I can’t even imagine how I’ll do with the dinner portion.

Our server on the first visit was extremely attentive, even though we were isolated from the rest of the dining areas in a private room, and I’m sure he had other tables besides ours. Our beverages were refilled quickly; our food was delivered promptly and it was delicious. The server on our second visit was overwhelmed, and it manifested in the service. She needed help and messed up a couple orders. To be fair, the restaurant was busy, but it was not so busy that people who were seated after us were served and left.

I do prefer this location over the flagship location, because of the ambiance and larger dining area. It doesn’t come across as cramped, like the University Heights location. Even if the flagship location is closer to me, we gladly drive to Eton/Pepper Pike to dine here.

Contact info:

Geraci’s of Pepper Pike
29425 Chagrin Boulevard
Pepper Pike, OH 44122
(216) 831-1595

Euro Wafel Bar

UPDATE: Euro Wafel Bar has moved to Coventry Road in the space next to Bodega. The hours have also changed, from 3 PM until 10 PM during the week and midnight on Friday and Saturday. Sundays they are open from noon until 10 PM.

The Euro Wafel Bar is a late night cafe (5 pm to 1 am) that just recently started serving brunch from 10 am-2 pm on the weekend (as of July 1, 2023). It is closed on Mondays. They also have special hours during Ramadan. Euro Wafel Bar is located on Mayfield Road off Euclid Avenue at the Huntington Bank Building on One Triangle Plaza (parking lot available in front and behind the building). It is close to Case Western Reserve University and caters to the college crowd. The place is usually packed with co-eds.

The Euro Wafel Bar serves sweet and savory Belgian waffles and crepes as well as milkshakes, coffee, tea and handmade Hawaiian lemonade. You can order a Liege, Brussels or bubble waffle or a crepe. You can order them savory or sweet.

Their savory offerings include chicken, brie, Swiss, spinach or tomato – for example, The Parisienne features brie, honey and walnuts, while the Spicy Vegetarian features hummus, spinach, avocado, olive oil and red pepper. They also have a Honey Dijon Chicken with chicken, a dijon mustard dressing, cheddar and tomatoes. Their sweet offerings feature an array of fresh fruits, candy flavors like Ferrero Rocher, chocolate, Oreo, Nutella and cookie butter, and even ice cream.

I ordered the Bananas Foster waffle with ice cream on my first visit. My friend ordered the Bananas Foster without ice cream. The portion was huge and the fillings were generous. The Bananas Foster waffle features banana, caramel, cookie butter and whipped cream. It was super-sweet, and I was not able to finish it, which was a shame. But now you can order a mini-waffle of any of the choices for $5.50.

One of the fruit waffles on a Liege waffle had so much fruit in it you couldn’t see the waffle! This waffle with bananas, strawberries and mango totally hit the spot, and every single bite was delicious.

The Hawaiian lemonades are great. I haven’t been able to order a coffee or tea because I like to be able to sleep at night. They also serve Turkish coffee, which would make me jittery and keep me up all night. I guess if I were still in college that would come in handy. I used to work as a night guard from 11 pm to 7 am and developed a serious Mountain Dew addiction back then. Caffeine was king. Now I have to stop drinking coffee before 4 pm. Getting old sucks.

Mon, Tue, Wed
and Thurs		3:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Fri and Sat3:00 PM – midnight
Sun12:00 PM – 10:00 PM

Contact info:

Euro Wafel Bar
1854 Coventry Road
Cleveland Heights, OH 44118
(216) 280-8037
theeurowafelbar@gmail.com (preferred contact method)

Pho Sunshine

We now return to our regularly scheduled (or in the current situation not so regularly scheduled) blog. I have been undergoing some dietary changes since March 10th and have lost 20 pounds and significantly changed my palate and portion sizes. I have been eating at home more often and eating more smaller meals. It also doesn’t help that money is tight, and I have to watch my voluntary spending. Expensive meals just aren’t in the cards at the moment. I will still try to go out, but I can’t promise it will be as regular as it has been in the past. Maybe more like once a month instead of twice a month. I’ll try to write up some of my older backlog of photos/visits to make up for it. I try to visit a restaurant at least twice before blogging about it, but that might not always happen. Anyway…

There’s a new pho place in town. The restaurant takes the spot of Szechuan Café, which recently closed in the back of Asia Plaza in Asiatown (E. 30th between Payne & Superior – in the plaza with Park to Shop) and opened in February 2023. The parking lot there is always bustling but has plenty of free parking. I’ve managed to park close to the entrance twice now. I can’t say how busy it is on the weekend though. The dining area itself is bright, airy and clean.

It serves a wide variety of Vietnamese dishes, from spring and summer rolls to broken rice and cold or stir-fried rice noodles, ramen, phos and soups, and a half dozen choices of banh mi, including a vegetarian version. In fact, there are eight different versions of pho, including two assembled with chicken broth and chicken meat. The restaurant also serves the spicy beef noodle soup known as bun bo hue or various fried rice dishes. You can choose from grilled pork, grilled shrimp and grilled chicken or a combination of them as well as lots of choices for vegetarians. The banh mi can be made of grilled meat, ham or BBQ pork or a combination.

My friends gathered here shortly after it opened, and some of them brought their mothers who had never had Vietnamese food or were at least not very well-versed in it. I recommended the broken rice and pork chop to one of the mothers, so she ordered the House Special Rice Plate (C5 Cơm Đặc Biệt) because she liked the photo, and she loved it. It features a combination of pork chop, shredded pork, pork cake, fried egg, cucumber, tomato, and broken rice. She especially enjoyed the pork cake.

The service at Pho Sunshine was also excellent. Our server was super personable as well as friendly and attentive and made sure that we had everything we needed throughout our meal. We kept him on his toes but made sure he was well-compensated for it.

I started off by ordering honeydew smoothie. It was delicious. I miss the honeydew smoothie at Panera.

I then split the summer rolls with one of the mothers so we could enjoy both and not have to decide. We ordered one order with grilled pork and one order with pork and shrimp. We both agreed that the shrimp one was superior. Probably due to the peanut dipping sauce. Love that dipping sauce!

Summer rolls – Shrimp and pork on the left, grilled pork on the right

I have several things I enjoy at Vietnamese restaurants, and I ordered all of them on the first visit. In addition to the summer rolls, I ordered a grilled pork banh mi, which was absolutely delicious, as well as a pho and a vermicelli bowl.

Grilled pork bahn mi – Visit 1 on the left, visit 2 on the right

The bahn mi I chose (A10 Bánh Mì Thịt Nướng) was chock full of grilled pork, pickled veggies and a deliciously light sauce. The French bread has a nice crust, and they use a good amount of meat and veg fillings. I picked off the two jalapenos, but didn’t tell them to hold them because I like the subtle juice that is left on the bread, but not the crunchy pepper itself. I honestly couldn’t wait to go back and order it again and went to lunch a week or so later.

Rare beef pho – Visit 1 on the left, visit 2 on the right

I ordered the pho with rare beef (Pho Dac Biet). I wasn’t in the mood for fatty brisket and don’t like the texture of pho meatballs. The pho came out piping hot with a little cap of raw beef peeking out. I added the mung beans and basil leaves and gave it a deft squeeze of lime. The beef was tender and juicy, the noodles were perfectly cooked, and it had a deliciously savory broth. The broth was so good that I didn’t need to add any sriracha or hoisin to it, like I usually do. I enjoyed as much as I could and packed the rest up to go. One of my fellow diners taught me the trick of packing up the noodles separate from the broth so the noodles don’t disintegrate.

I also ordered a vermicelli bowl with grilled pork and spring rolls (B7 Bún Thịt Nướng Chả Giò) as well on my first visit. I poured the delicious fish sauce dressing over a small portion of the veggies and really enjoyed the freshness and lightness of the dish. I added the rest when I ate it for lunch the next day so it didn’t get soggy.

I got lots of to go boxes and enjoyed my meals for the next few days. When I returned at lunch a few weeks later I ordered the exact same things, except this time I ordered an iced Vietnamese coffee and didn’t get a vermicelli bowl. The visit was just as good, and the server was attentive since I was sitting by myself and only a few tables were occupied.

I look forward to my next visit. I’m intrigued by the Bún Riêu Crab Vermicelli Noodle Soup (B15), which is a combination of pork, shrimp, crab meatballs, and vermicelli noodles in tomato soup. And I’m craving a grilled pork bahn mi – although maybe I’ll try it with grilled shrimp or grilled chicken this time. And has anyone tried Bánh Mì Xíu Mại – the Shumai Sandwich (2 meatballs)? I’m curious what shumai meatballs served in tomato sauce with French bread on the side is like. Lots of good choices to choose from – and vegetarians have a full page of choices.

Contact info:

Pho Sunshine
2999 Payne Avenue, Suite 142
Cleveland, OH 44114
(216) 515-1111

Bonus Fish Fry 2023: Ohio City Provisions

I have always been a big fan of Fresh Fork Market, a weekly subscription farm buying club. I was a subscriber for several years until I realized I was throwing out too much produce (even with a small share), so I quit and started shopping at their store in Ohio City – Ohio City Provisions. I get the same products, but I can pick and choose what I need. From meat and cheese to produce and baked goods, the quality of Fresh Fork and Ohio City Provisions is amazing – and so are their special meals. Their sit-down Thanksgiving dinners for subscribers pre-COVID were amazing. I have also ordered special meals from them such as fried chicken or other carryout meals. So I knew a fish fry from OCP would be something special. They serve their fish fry all Lent, from February 24 to April 7. Pre-order required. I ordered it on March 24th for the 31st. Order as soon as you can, because they do sell out. OCP is located on Lorain Road just past St. Ignatius High School (same side of the street). You can park in front of the building or on the side of the building on a side street.

The dinner did not disappoint. The fish dinner was $18. It featured beer-battered Atlantic cod, housemade coleslaw (cabbage, carrots, apples, beets), handcut-russet potato fries topped with a generous sprig of rosemary, and housemade tartar sauce made with mayo, candied jalapenos, fresh dill and chives. I chose the earliest pick-up time so that I could still attend a fish fry in the evening. I had to wait a few minutes while they fried up my dinner. It doesn’t get any fresher than that.

I couldn’t resist and tucked into one of the pieces of fish in the car. It was probably the best battered and fried piece of fish I’ve eaten in a long time. The batter contained a hint of lemon and it puffed around a generous piece of moist and flaky cod. I also had a few fries, which were perfectly cooked as well. I reheated it on Saturday for a nice lunch. It reheated perfectly in the air fryer. You still have one more Friday if you want to try it. Order here.

Contact info:

Ohio City Provisions
3208 Lorain Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44113
(216) 465-2762