Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Eats

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

Szalay’s Sweet Corn Farm & Market

There’s a magical time of year in Ohio called “corn season.” At least in my opinion. My all-time favorite food is corn on the cob, but corn is best when it is in season. Sweet corn season in Ohio begins July 1, usually spreading from southern Ohio to the north. It continues until the first frost in late September or early October.

This means I get to enjoy corn on the cob on my birthday every year. I request it with whatever else we are eating for the birthday dinner. It goes with everything – fried chicken, ribs, burgers, kebabs, etc. It’s even good as a meal on its own. People have been doctoring up corn recently to make elote/Mexican sweet corn, but I like it just with butter and salt. Growing up our church would host a corn roast at one of the member’s homes. They would soak the corn in buckets and throw them husk and all on the fire to get the perfect char.

Szalay’s Sweet Corn Farm & Market is open 7 days a week from 9 am-7 pm, but it is an event on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in August. The sweet corn farm has a market where you can buy lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, bread, strudel, etc., but it features weekend food stands that offer sandwiches and hot dogs, corn, homemade lemonade and canned pop, and soft serve ice cream and fruit sundaes with ice cream and fruit. There are swinging picnic tables to eat at, but they turn over quickly. They have a bouncy house and other play stuff for the kids, and later in the season they have a corn maze in the parking lot across the street.

Word of warning: they only take cash or checks. Not just the food stands, but also the market. They have an ATM on site if you need to withdraw cash.

I’ve been coming on my own on the spur of the moment for several years, but decided to organize a lunch on the second Friday the food stands were open. There is usually live music on the weekends. Things were crazy, but not as crazy as it usually is on Saturday and Sunday. I sat at the table while my friends hit the food stands. We feasted on pork loin sandwiches, corn on the cob, lemonade and delicious fruit and soft serve. I chose blueberries with vanilla ice cream that tasted like fresh cream. The corn was absolutely perfect. They roast it and dip it in butter before handing it over wrapped in husk and foil. The pork loin sandwich was okay. The pork loin was pretty thin and the tomato kind of overshadowed it.

After we ate, we hit the market to stock up on corn, nectarines, peaches, melons, tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbage, etc. We then all headed our separate ways to run errands, go back to work, or just go home.

Contact info:

Szalay’s Corn Farm & Market
4563 Riverview Road
Peninsula, OH 44264
(330) 657-2727

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 Sat	3:00 PM – midnight
Sun	12:00 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)

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.

Contact info:

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

Spudnut Donuts in Berea

Spudnuts are not just any doughnut. Spudnuts are fresh, delicious donuts made from potato flour. Berea’s Spudnut Donuts became one of the first franchised dealers in the nation in 1949 and is one of the few original Spudnut shops remaining. The parent company no longer exists, but there are only a few independent franchise shops left – with two in Ohio. One in Berea, and one in Mentor.

Bob and Al Pelton were looking for a recipe that would make a better doughnut and started experimenting with potato dough in 1946 at their doughnut shop in Salt Lake City, Utah. They came up with a combination of ingredients that included mashed Idaho potatoes, mountain grown wheat flours and spices from all over the world. The result was a consistently light, fluffy, tender potato doughnut with a unique delicate flavor.

I grew up one town over from Berea, and everyone always raved about Spudnuts. I’m sure I ate my share of spudnuts back in the day. To this day it remains my favorite doughnut. The location moved three times in the past – from Front Street to Riverside Drive and now to Prospect Road.

The Spudnuts in Berea always has a throughly stocked counter. Whenever I have gone to the one in Mentor (no matter what time it is) it is always fairly bare with a serious lack of fun doughnuts. I prefer a yeast doughnut, but even Spudnuts cake doughnuts are moist and delicious – unlike most other cake doughnuts (no coffee for dunking needed here!).

I love a good glazed doughnut, but the custard and jelly filled doughnuts are also a treat. I bought a huge box for my girlfriends in St. Patrick’s Day in March and they were a huge hit. They loved the sprinkles.

Contact info:

Spudnut Donuts (Berea)
650 Prospect Street
Berea, Ohio 44017
(440) 234-4249

Spudnuts Shoppe (Mentor)
6930 Center Street
Mentor, OH 44060
(440) 255-7257