Category: Hipster hangout

Mochinut

Mochinut is an American restaurant chain specializing in mochi donuts, boba, and Korean-style hot dogs with locations in the U.S. and South Korea. It was founded in California in 2020. A location opened on Detroit Road in Westlake near the Columbia Road exit on I-90 in August 2022. The next closest location is Ann Arbor, Michigan and then another is in southern Indiana. It is open 7 days a week from 11 am to 8 pm.

My friend Judi is obsessed and stops there whenever she is in the area. Her daughter lived in Japan and got her hooked. She took me there after a tea presentation at Bay Village Library. I of course had to try the boba (bubble tea) and mochi donuts. The dining area was very clean, and the staff was very friendly and helpful. 

I ordered a Thai Tea boba, which was perfectly made. They have a cool plastic can with a metal lid that they make the tea in. It was not super environmentally friendly though, and they don’t recycle them (I asked). The milk and sugar ratio in the tea was just right. If you want more sugar order the brown sugar ones.

The mochi donuts are made with rice flour, making them flexible and recognizable due to their distinct shape of eight small balls connected as a circle. Mochi doughnuts have a crispy exterior, due to being fried or baked, and a chewy interior thanks to the use of sweet rice flour. Apparently some of the donuts are gluten free, since they use rice or tapioca flour rather than the conventional wheat variety. Be sure to ask, and they encourage you to do so with some signage. The flavors change daily and they serve eight different flavors each day.

I ordered a chocolate donut with chocolate sprinkles on my first visit (in the first photo – this one on the left is Blueberry Lychee). The donut is light and chewy. I really enjoyed it. I ordered three donuts ($10) on the second visit and enjoyed all three. I liked the Matcha donut I ordered on my second visit even more. I stopped here with a couple friends after meeting them for sushi just down the street at Yuzu King. Being a huge fan of matcha is was a no-brainer the minute I saw it on the board. I also ordered the Milky Fruity Pebbles and Chocolate Funnel Cake donuts. The Matcha donut and Funnel Cake ones weren’t as sweet as the chocolate one, and I really enjoyed them a lot. And who doesn’t enjoy Fruity Pebbles? My friend thought the Pina Colada one was too sweet, so I got to take it home with me and enjoy later. It was sweeter but still enjoyable. I do prefer the less sweet ones though.

They are also known for their Korean hot dogs. The Korean hot dogs  are wrapped in a bun similar to a corn dog. You can get a hot dog or mozzarella cheese or a half/half (hot dog and cheese) on a stick. They are then dipped in batter, coated in potatoes, ramen, Hot Cheetos or “Blue Heat” (apparently covered by crushed Takis rice cakethat is a blue hue) toppings, and deep fried. I ordered the half mozzarella half hot dog coated in ramen. I would have prefered it if the mozzarella and hot dog were next to each other sharing space instead of one on top of the other. I still enjoyed it though. It was a crunchy delight. My friend enjoyed her potato-covered mozzarella one.

Look at that cheese pull!

I definitely look forward to my next visit. I can’t wait to see what will be on the board then. And I need to try the Ube boba.

Contact info:

Mochinut
26161 Detroit Road
Westlake, OH 44145
(440) 455-1028

Ice or Rice Cafe

Ice or Rice Cafe attempts to fill the Japanese food void in Asiatown (and dabbles in Hawaiian too). I have been looking forward to the opening of Ice or Rice Cafe for a while. I first got to know Andy and Jessie at the AsianTown Night Markets and their YouTube videos. I even attended a ramen class that Andy taught. Andy and Jessie were the co-founders of the early Ice or Rice, but are not the owners of Ice or Rice Cafe. Andy’s brother is. Knowing that the Cafe is run by Andy’s brother, who is a health inspector, makes me confident that the restaurant and kitchen will always be immaculately clean and the food top-notch.

There’s no parking lot here, so you have to park on the street out front, which usually isn’t too busy, or on the side street. The inside is new and renovated. Everything is made to order, which means it’s fresh. You can watch the cold dishes being made right at the counter, while frying and grilling seems to occur behind the curtains in the back. After ordering at the counter, you can take a seat and food is brought directly to your table. 

I gained an appreciation for onigiri in San Francisco, so I was excited to hear they would be featured on the menu. I very much enjoyed all four onigiri (tuna, salmon, pork sung and picled plum) on my first visit, but my favorite was the tuna. My least favorite one was the vegetarian pickled plum onigiri. Onigiri are a “triangle rice ball sandwiching a layer of seasened tuna / salmon / pork sung / pickled plum and wrapped with seaweed with an optinal drizzle of sweet soy sauce or spicy sriracha.” It is a simple yet tasty concept. The rice vs. filling ratio is well-balanced.

The iced milk tea was perfect. The counter workers were efficient and super friendly. They even offered the table next to us a onigiri for them to try when they asked about what I was eating.

My friend ordered a spicy tuna roll, an eel roll, and an onigiri and enjoyed them. The rolls were rolled tightly, which is always a good sign.

The sushi prices are reasonable compared to some other places I have been ($14.99 for a Hawaiian plate lunch with Curry or Katsu Pork Cutlet (the most expensive items on the menu), $9.99 for a Dragon Roll and the spam musubi and onigiri are $4.50 each as of 10/2023).

The staff was friendly and welcoming. I treated myself to a spam musubi and shrimp okonomiyaki the other day. The spam was not salty, but rather was a sweet treat. The rice was firmly packed, topped with a slice of spam with a sweet sauce and wrapped in a sheet of nori. I actually really enjoyed it. It was warm and pliant and definitely hit the spot while I waited for my okonomiyaki, which I was told would take 15 minutes to prepare.

Okonomiyaki is a Japanese cabbage pancake made of shrimp, pork belly or carrots (billed as the veggie okonomiyaki) and topped with okonomiyaki sauce, mayo, powdered seaweed, scallion and bonito flakes. It was so hot that the bonito flakes were curling up and seemed to be waving at me. It was absolutely delicious and the leftovers made my home smell awesome. I couldn’t wait for breakfast the next day (I had eaten half of everything and brought the rest home – they were conveniently served in styrofoam containers. Environmentally unfriendly but I understand why. I wonder if I can bring my own container next time?).

I was also excited to see Ramune Japanese soda ($4). Ramune is a Japanese carbonated soft drink. It is sold in a “Codd-neck bottle” (a heavy glass bottle whose mouth is sealed by a round marble due to the pressure of the carbonated contents). I’m partial to the lychee, but melon is probably also awesome. The photo here was taken at Sushi Train (a conveyor belt sushi restaurant) in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

I have loved everything I have tried here. I’m going back soon for a Hawaiian plate lunch with mac salad and rice. I just need to decide if I want a pork or chicken cutlet or the Loco Moco (a hamburger patty smothered in beef gravy served with two sunny side eggs). I thoroughly enjoyed the Loco Moco and mac salad while in Hawaii and can’t wait. I can see this becoming a favorite spot for me.

Contact info:

Ice or Rice Cafe
3713 Payne Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44114
(216) 539-9092

 

Euro Wafel Bar

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.

MonClosed
Tue7:00 PM – 1:00 AM (Next day)
Wed7:00 PM – 1:00 AM (Next day)
Thu7:00 PM – 1:00 AM (Next day)
Fri7:00 PM – 1:00 AM (Next day)
Sat10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
7:00 PM – 1:00 AM (Next day)
Sun10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
7:00 PM – 1:00 AM (Next day)

Contact info:

Euro Wafel Bar
One Triangle Tower
11433 Mayfield Road
Cleveland, OH 44106
(216) 858-9443
theeurowafelbar@gmail.com (preferred contact method)

Fiyah Korean BBQ & Hot Pot

For nearly three years, diners eagerly awaited the arrival of Fiyah, the contemporary Korean eatery that opened on E. 55th just north of St. Clair in March 2023. Fiyah offers both Korean BBQ and Asian hot pot experiences in a spacious, attractive setting.

There are more than two dozen booths featuring built-in gas grills, allowing groups to enjoy the interactive art of tabletop grilling. Fiyah is going with two different all-you-can-eat models that offer different selections of meats and seafoods. There’s also a massive wraparound porch and rooftop patio. The big garage-door-like windows will be great in the summer. Drive around the building for plentiful parking and the entrance. The hostess booth is along the wall opposite the bar.

My friends and I met there shortly after it opened. I always try to review a restaurant after visiting twice, but I think I can give it a fair review after our oe visit. The reason being that it is pricey, and I don’t see a second visit in the cards soon enough. Fiyah has several rules. First of all, everyone at the table has to order the same all-you-can-eat tier. This means if one of your friends isn’t that hungry and just wants a soup or something they are out of luck. Also, if one of them insists they want something from the pricier tier like steak you all have to order that. It’s only a $10 difference, but you all have to be on board.

Secondly, there is a two-hour limit and you cannot bring home leftovers. Lastly, groups of 5 or more have an automatic gratuity added. Two of these rules tripped us up, because one of my friends ended up not staying and I still had the automatic gratuity in my head when I calculated what everyone owed and added 2% to the bill. I had to go back the next day and leave our server the missing 18%. Don’t be me. I really hope our server got the money from her coworker.

Anyway, we loved Fiyah. The dining room is industrial but “prettied up” with fake cherry blossom trees. We easily ate our fill of the great items in the AYCE Classic tier, which includes assorted veggies, beef brisket, spicy pork, pork belly and spicy (marinated) pork belly, head-on shrimp, teriyaki chicken and beef bulgogi to grill and rice for $36.99. You also get leaf lettuce to make little Korean leaf cups along with Fiyah sauce and some banchan (pickled veggies and oddly enough a fairly decent potato salad).

Everything was very fresh. I particularly loved the asparagus, shrimp, beef bulgogi and teriyaki chicken. One of our group loved all the pork belly, and the spicy items were not as spicy as you might think. So there was something for every taste. Everyone ate their fill, and we did a good job of finishing everything with minimal waste. If you have a lot of leftover food you will be charged $15.99 per pound, so just order what you can eat and order in small waves.

The AYCE Premium includes everything in the AYCE Classic menu as well as ribeye (1 per customer), salmon, spicy salmon, spicy chicken, Galbi, garlic shrimp and mussels as well as “corn cheese,” which appears to be a creamed corn and cheese dish made with corn, mayo, cheese and seasoning like mustard and doenjang.

They have a wide variety of bubble teas, fruit teas and sodas available, but if you are looking for something really special you should order the Soju Tower. It is a huge tower filled with soju (a clear and colorless distilled alcoholic beverage like vodka), yogurt and fruit. It doesn’t have a super-high alcohol content, because I had probably three or four glasses and wasn’t buzzed in the slightest. But it was super delicious and should be ordered if you are a group.

We really enjoyed our meal at Fiyah despite all the rules. The rules are completely understandable to avoid waste and people cheating the system. Since we were there in April we didn’t get to witness the patio or rooftop bar. We also didn’t notice a ventilation problem (see: Yelp) since it wasn’t that busy when we were there. There is one glaring error that I hope they fixed. I didn’t see any handicap accomodations or entrances, so if you are in a wheelchair or have mobility issues you might want to call to see if they have fixed that.

Back of building

Contact info:

FIYAH Korean BBQ & Hot Pot
1253 E 55th Street
Cleveland, OH 44103
(216) 862-4267

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

Mango Mango

My friends and I are obsessed with Mango Mango, the new Asian dessert shop on Payne Avenue (just down from Wonton Gourmet). Fruity, sweet desserts and drinks are the focus at Mango Mango. The New York-based chain opened its first Ohio location in April of this year. The first location opened in 2013, and it has since expanded to have 30 locations in 13 states. It definitely fills a need that was only being filled by Koko Bakery. It has been packed since it opened.

Some of the most popular items at Mango Mango are, unsurprisingly, mango-focused: mango and sticky rice desserts, mango pancakes, mango mochi and mango Mille crepe cakes are crowd favorites. The menu is formidable, featuring cold and hot desserts, crepes and waffles, cakes, flavored (bubble) teas and smoothies. I am a huge (HUGE) fan of the quintessential Thai dessert mango and sticky rice.

That said, on my first visit I ordered the mango juice and watermelon with rice balls. I figured since it was a seasonal item I would take advantage of the fact that I could order it. I really liked it. The mango juice and watermelon were refreshing, and the rice balls were reminiscent of sticky rice but it wasn’t the same consistency and lacked the condensed milk.

My friend ordered the strawberry mango juice sago and lychee jelly with mango ice cream. I really liked this as well because the lychee jelly was simply heavenly. My friend didn’t really love the mango ice cream, but I felt it added a nice flavor profile to the dessert. I obviously ordered this the second time I visited.

A bunch of my girlfriends gathered here one Saturday evening after dinner at Sichuan Hot Pot. I had been at a luau at the Willoughby Elks Lodge, so I joined them for dessert. We all ordered a dessert each and shared them. I absolutely fell in love with the Matcha Crepe Roll. The crepe, which is soft and tender, is stuffed with a mildly sweet red bean whipped cream. It is super light and airy. Definitely a showstopper.

Cleveland’s very own Andy Ng of Ice or Rice made a video on how to make one and makes it look so easy.

I had ordered the Mango and Black Rice dessert, which tasted almost exactly like a mango sticky rice dessert. The black rice had a slightly different texture, but the flavor profile was the same.

Two of my friends recommended the mille crepe cakes and the brown sugar cream puffs. The brown sugar cream puffs were good, but tasted a little burnt. I’ll have to get them again to determine if burnt sugar is the flavor profile they are going for.

The Mango Mille Crepe Cake was also a fan favorite. A mille crepe cake is a cake made up of many crepe layers, with freshly made milk, custard, or sauces sandwiched between each layer. Flour, eggs, sugar, and milk are used to make the crepes themselves. The word mille means “a thousand” in French, and it refers to the crepe cake’s several layers. You can choose between the Mango Mille Crepe Cake, Mustang King Durian or the Green Tea Mille Crepe Cake. It too was very light and not too filling.

Another time I was there I ordered the strawberry and mango dessert with lychee jelly and a Brown Sugar Boba Milk Tea (their signature tea). The milk tea was very refreshing, even if I’m not a huge fan of boba. I definitely enjoyed it to the very end.

Mango Mango is open Monday – Friday from 12pm-9pm and Saturday – Sunday 11am-9pm. The menu is so extensive that I imagine it will take a very long time to try most everything. I’m looking forward to trying some of the hot soups and maybe a waffle when it gets colder. It definitely has something for everyone (inluding dairy-free, gluten-free and vegan choices).

Contact info:

Mango Mango Cleveland
3133 Payne Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44114
(216) 417-8833

Zhug

Zhug is a new concept by chef Douglas Katz that offers “Middle Eastern Mezze” in a casual, high energy urban space at Cedar Fairmount. Low tables with pillows surround the space filled with tables. There is no hint of its past as a Liquid Planet. The kitchen is tucked in the back right corner. Esquire magazine named it one of 23 Best New Restaurants in America in 2020. Michael Symon visited town a few months ago for the birth of his new grandson and praised it on Instagram as “insanely good .. one of the best and most thoughtful restaurants in the country right now IMHO.“ The praise, combined with a serious lack of parking and the fact that they don’t take reservations, made the restaurant pretty difficult to visit (even though I live very close).

The pandemic changed that for me. Doug wanted to keep the restaurant operating, so he decided to switch to takeout – with curbside pickup and delivery. Doug himself delivered the meals and waved to me on his way back for the next delivery order as I sat in my car waiting for my order. This allowed me to try the delicious choices in the comfort of my own home. I went a little crazy that night – as you can see in the photo below. I ordered the hummus, curry fried chicken, buttered shrimp, crispy brussels sprouts, grilled asparagus, and a cocktail to go (in that cute little jam jar). The cocktail was a lot of fun, and I have reused the jam jar several times to store leftovers. I must have a type of favorite cocktail, because I ordered it when we sat down to eat in the restaurant.

The location doesn’t have the best parking or wait-for-a-table options, but Parnell’s Pub, Starbucks, and Appletree Books are neighbors and allow folks to chill and wait for a table. The dining area is somewhat austere and industrial, with benches piled with pillows lining the walls. The servers are super friendly and knowledgeable, and Doug tends to make the rounds in his restaurants, greeting diners and making them feel like friends.

I adore the Yemenite curry fried chicken (gluten-free). I could eat it every day. Hunks of tender chicken are coated in a curry fried chicken batter and drizzled with harissa honey. It is super flavorful and one of the best chicken dishes in Cleveland at the moment if you ask me. The dipping sauce is also ridiculously delicious.

I also ordered the butter roasted shrimp (see above). I was less impressed with that one. Don’t get me wrong – it was very tasty. It is made with garlic and pil biber chili and is served with toast points. I think I got 5 shrimp for the $18 price tag. Yes, that is fairly normal, but I can just as easily roast shrimp in butter and spices myself. There is no way I could recreate the blissfulness of the fried chicken.

Zhug is also known for its hummus. It serves two kinds of hummus – curried lamb and apricot hummus and nigella seed and burnt onion hummus. I chose the curried lamb and apricot for my first venture and loved it. The hummus is creamy, the curried lamb was fork-tender and I loved the pairing of lamb and apricot. When I met some girlfriends at zhug when things opened up this spring we ordered both. I still preferred the lamb and apricot hummus, but the nigella seed and burnt onion hummus was also a very interesting choice and some of my girlfriends preferred it over the lamb hummus.

One mezze that we went nuts for was the leeks and feta. It is such a simple dish, but is executed so well that I adore it. The leeks are prepared in a scallion-pistachio pistou with roasted shallots and drizzled over a block of feta. I love, love, love it, as did my other friends.

We also very much enjoyed the smoked octopus. It was made with purple potatoes and olives in a tomato-based sauce and decorated with dabs of saffron aioli. My friends and I also chose a simple tomato salad as well. It featured cherry tomatoes cut in half and served with shaved parmesan and torn basil. I’m sure Doug put his own spin to it somehow, but it came across as simple yet delicious.

We ordered all of the desserts and shared them. They were all fantastic. I was skeptical about the tahini sundae, but the flavor blew me away. Topped with pistachios and chocolate sauce, the ice cream itself tasted like a mix between vanilla and chocolate ice cream. The mango sorbet just tasted like a fresh mango, which was so refreshing after our big meal. And although the spiced apples looked kind of dry, it was like spiced apple crisp and was not dry at all. It is made with lebnah, oat streusel, orange blossom and citrus zest. I’d be very hard pressed to pick a favorite; they were all really, really delicious. A really tasty end to a delicious meal.

zhug went back to curbside service during the Omnicron surge, but reopened for in-house dining again on the 1st. I’m really proud of how Doug responded to the pandemic. He was one of the first restaurant owners to go to curbside service, because he was already doing pop-ups and running a ghost kitchen (Chimi) from the diner on Lee. He ended up closing Fire on Shaker Square, which I miss, but he seemed to be keeping his head above water during the pandemic with a second ghost kitchen, Amba, which will soon be turned into a brick and mortar  Indian-fusion restaurant in Hingetown. For now, he is focusing on zhug and Amba.

Contact info:

zhug
12413 Cedar Road
Cleveland Heights, OH 44106
(216) 862-2508

The Rowley Inn

Open since 1906, The Rowley Inn is a neighborhood pub with great food, craft beers, reasonably priced drinks, and good service. Whenever I am here I picture my grandfather eating and drinking here way back then (my dad grew up in Tremont). It has a casual neighborhood vibe and a Cleveland-focused menu of comfort food and drinks. After all, it is located across the street from the Christmas Story House, so it gets a lot of tourists as well as locals. The Rowley also serves a great brunch. I just wish it were bigger because getting a table can sometimes be difficult.

The first time I came here I had seen a video of the grilled cheese pull on social media and decided I needed one asap. I was hooked from the moment I walked inside. I grabbed a little table to myself and ordered Cleveland’s Best Grilled Cheese with fries and a hard orange soda. It was a grown-up version of a beloved childhood meal. The grilled cheese features smoked gouda, mozzarella and provolone with a touch of mayo on grilled sourdough. I had never had mayo on grilled cheese before, but I am now a fan. The fries may not have looked like much, but they were some of the tastiest fries I have had in a while. I don’t know what kind of seasoning salt they use, but it makes the fries delectable. The hard orange soda made me chuckle. I felt like I was being so decadent.

The second visit I decided to try something completely different and ordered the Loco Moski. I loved the Loco Moco in Hawaii, and this is a decidedly Cleveland take on the Hawaiian rice, burger patty, gravy, and fried egg. It features pierogi instead of rice that are topped with a burger patty, fried onions, eggs and pepper gravy. It was a lot of food piled up, and I struggled to finish it. It was definitely a very unique choice – and quite a delicious one. I paired it with a Be Sure To Drink Your Ovaltine, which is made with Pinnacle whipped cream vodka, Kahlua, cream and ovaltine. I very much enjoyed the creamy drink, which was reminiscent of a mudslide and/or White Russian.

I was with my dining out group on the second visit, so we were able to try a few things and share them. We ordered the fried pickle spears, the pretzel bites, the kielbasa corndogs (no longer on the menu). Everyone really enjoyed them. Most everyone went with a burger.

Obviously, on my next solo visit I had to try the Rowley’s version of a Patty Melt. The Rowley Melt features a burger (it came out a perfect medium rare) topped with Swiss, sautéed onions and mushrooms, and an egg on grilled rye. I ordered mine without an egg, because I need to limit my egg intake and I had overdone it the day before. It came with it anyway, but I just removed it. No big deal. The fries were once again a highlight. I ordered a Paloma (Espolon, lime, simple syrup, and sparkling grapefruit) to go with it. Refreshing!

I was lucky to get a seat at the bar one Taco Tuesday. I ordered a couple tacos, which were actually pretty good (I’m not the biggest taco fan), and a margarita, and then a Meatloaf Sandwich (one of these days I will order Randy’s Meatloaf Dinner and try eating it Randy-style for a free t-shirt. But I will have to have a designated driver in order to loosen up enough to do it.) The meatloaf sandwich was really, really good. I loved the glaze on it. The tomato slices were a little weird, but I got over it. When I make a meatloaf sandwich it is usually just a slab of meatloaf and ketchup – no tomatoes, no lettuce, no fried onions.

Finally, brunch at the Rowley is amazing. One of my friends made a reservation for our large group – and it was a good thing he did. People were enjoying Bloody Marys and coffee. I ordered a mimosa and the Everything But The Bagel Breakfast, which features 3 pierogi, kielbasa, cheddar cheese, Everything Bagel seasoning and is topped with sausage gravy & 2 over easy eggs. It was quite tasty and very filling. What’s not to like about pierogi and kielbasa?

My neighbor ordered the Corned Beef Hash and enjoyed it. Everyone else seemed to enjoy their meals as well, which ranged from a caesar salad, avocado toast to a breakfast burger. We split an order of beignets. Since the kitchen is small they brought the food out as it was finished, which meant that everything was fresh and piping hot. One thing to note is that a 20% gratuity is added to the checks for parties of 5 or more. I have no problem with this practice at all. I only wish our waitress had reminded us of it when we cashed out. She got a 43% gratuity out of me. It was her lucky day.

Contact info:

The Rowley Inn
1104 Rowley Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44109
(216) 795-5345

Poké Fresh

Poké Fresh is a small local chain with locations in Akron (N. Hawkins Ave.), Cuyahoga Falls (Portage Trail), and Highland Heights (Wilson Mills near the entrance to I-271). I fell in love with poké in Hawaii a few years ago and love sushi, so I was excited to find this place. I discovered it when I was picking up my peaches from The Peach Truck. I’ve been back several times already.

My friends and I enjoyed the poké at the 2nd and High Poke House + Bar, but the volcano started erupting on Hawaii and the chef had to fly home to help his family and it closed. We also ate at Corner 11 Bowl & Wrap in Tremont, but as much as I enjoyed it I never think to eat there. This is the first poké that is in my neck of the woods.

​The word Poké (pronounced “PO-kay”) is Hawaiian for “to slice or cut”. Having been served on the islands since the early 1970’s, this delicious dish has finally made its way to the mainland! It is set up like a Chipotle, Piada, or any other fast casual food place. You can order one of their suggested bowls (there’s a vegan one and a cooked chicken one) or you can make your own. You start by choosing your rice base (white jasmine and brown available) or a bed of Ohio grown organic greens. Then you pick your protein. The choices include ahi tuna*, salmon*, shrimp, chicken, tofu, crabstick and more (*raw). You then choose your toppings. You can choose from edamame, furikake, corn, cucumber, pickled ginger, sweet onion, and more. I really like the pineapple. Seaweed salad, avocado, and masago are a dollar more. Lastly, load up with one of their signature sauces and top it off with something a little crunchy! Halé sauce is their house sauce, similar to a soy sauce.

The first time I went I ordered the ahi tuna and have them put every topping on it but jalapeno, edamame, and masago. I topped it with the Halé sauce and citrus ponzu and toasted sesame seeds. I enjoyed the cucumber, seaweed salad, pineapple, cilantro and avocado a lot. The portion was very large, and I ended up quitting with just a couple bites to go.

I loved it and was back two days later with a friend to whom I had raved about it. The guy behind the counter remembered me and suggested I get a loyalty card (and gave me two punches). The second time I asked for half ahi tuna and half spicy salmon. I once again had the same toppings on it and topped it with just Halé sauce. We sat inside and there was only one other table occupied. She enjoyed it a lot and took the menu since she lives in the Akron area.

The last time I was there I ordered for curbside pickup and discovered the popping boba in their bubble tea. I was a little more discerning with the toppings this time. I went with ahi tuna and added crabstick. I left out the seaweed salad and pickled ginger as well and only had the green onions, carrots, cilantro, sweet onion, cucumber, pineapple, fire roasted corn, and avocado. My sauces were the Halé sauce, citrus ponzu and wasabi aioli with sesame seeds and furikake as toppings. I especially liked the kick of the wasabi aioli. I was finally able to finish the entire portion.

I ordered the Honeydew Boba Tea with popping blueberry boba. The blueberry added a nice flavor kick, but after a little while they just deflated and moldered at the bottom of the cup. That said, the honeydew boba tea was very refreshing.

Contact info:

Poké Fresh
6319 Wilson Mills Road
Highland Heights, OH 44143
(440) 421-9121