Noisy Oyster - Akron in the Valley

So I'm riding my motorcycle out through the Cuyahoga Valley National Park along the canal and looking for a place to get a quick lunch. Just as I hit Akron, I noticed a little bar in a small strip that has the interesting name of the Noisy Oyster and says fresh Seafood. So I figure why not give it a try. The outside is not terribly impressive, but inside the place is actually bigger then you would have guessed. A bar with a number of TV is on one side with a glass walled dining room next to it. Decor is nothing special, but acceptable. The menu is medium sized, but does offer a bunch of Seafood you wouldn't expect. I tried the Seafood Chowder and the Steamed Clams. Lets start with the Chowder. A Manhattan style, ie tomato based soup is loaded with small shrimp, fake crab and fish. And it is good. Thick with seafood and vegetables, there almost isn't enough room for the soup part. And nicely seasoned with just enough heat to keep it interesting. The bowl was not huge, but definitely filling and well priced at $4.95. The dozen clams came out on a metal platter with a bowl of butter to dip and a lemon wedge. The clams were nice sized, cooked very well and tasted just right. At $6.95 a dozen I thought this was a good value. I did see the guy down the bar get a dozen fresh oysters and they looked very nice, both in size and freshness. The service was good and friendly. Daily specials are available, and my new friend down the bar was saying the steak special was good. A good place to go if you are out in the Cuyahoga Valley and looking for a place to catch a nice bite and possible some libations at a reasonable price. I know that I will back to try some more of the menu. Noisy Oyster 1375 N Portage Path Akron, OH 44313 (330) 864-7500

Great Bar Food - Kirtland City Tavern

On Friday went to the Kirtland City Tavern for their all you can eat fish special. I've been there a couple of times before and the food is always good. KCT is located at 10015 Chillicothe Road (Rt. 306) in Willoughby, near the back entrance to Chapin Forest. From the outside it is a fairly nondescript bar, but the inside has a classic and authentic road house feel to it. Nothing fancy and plenty of beer signs, but it has the feel that these were collected over the years, not bought by some consultant. The menu is fairly extensive with the usual hamburgers, sandwiches, salads and some good Italian items (I have tried the Eggplant Parmigana and it is good). But where they really pack them in is for the daily specials. Friday is all you can eat fish. For $9.99 you get coleslaw, freshcut fries and fried fish with tarter sauce. The coleslaw is fresh and mild with a crisp bite. The fries are a bit limp but very tasty, but the fish is where this deal shines. Large filets of whitefish is coated in a medium batter and then fried to perfection. The fish was perfectly cooked with a very crisp, slightly sweet shell. Although the 3 fillets that came in the original portion should have filled me up, I had to get another since they were so good. I would call the Kirtland City Tavern a hidden gem, but they appear to be well known in their area with the place filled and a short wait up front for tables to clear. The service was good considering the crowd. Give them a try.

Richie Chan's - Hidden Gem

There seems to be a little Chinese takeout place on every corner of Cleveland. They range from ok to pretty good. Most have a very similar approach and food; many even seem to use the same menu and menu board with just the restaurant name changed. At first glance Richie Chan's at Cedar Lee (13181 Cedar Rd) in Cleveland Heights, may fit in with all the rest, but a closer look will reveal something completely different. This is not your average Chinese takeout place. Walking in to Richie Chan's there are 3 tables out front, using the Goldilocks approach, 1 small, 1 medium and 1 large. The difference from most takeout places is that you will frequently find these tables filled. That's right, this is not just takeout. An especially good sign is the frequently the customers are Asian. The decor is not much, some old Chinese prints right out of most older Chinese Restaurants, hang high on the walls. The floor is covered with industrial runner carpets, but they try to make the place feel homey and while a bit run down it is clean. Now when you look at the menu you will notice that Richie Chan's has its own menu. All of the standards are there Chow Mein, Egg Foo Young, Lo Mein Fried Rice and Combination Plates; and all done very well. But in addition, you will notice other options, including some very good noodle dishes, fish dishes and others you won't see at most takeouts. Then in addition to the menu there are additional items that are posted in Chinese, you can ask for an explanation, but the best option is to watch the other tables and ask what they have. The food that comes out is generally very good to excellent. Among my favorites is the Shrimp Lo Mein, the Singapore Chow Mei Funn and the Shrimp Chow Mein Cantonese style. Let me talk about the last Cantonese Chow Mein. At Richie Chan's you get a large serving of fresh fried noodles (think similar to pan fried noodles, but with bigger noodles) with good sized shrimp and baby bok choy in a delicious white sauce. Overall food quality and taste is excellent. In addition there are a number of items that are definitely not take out style. There are several fish dishes and I have tried the Salty Peppery Shrimp special which is excellent. The shrimp are fried in a very light batter which has a real peppery kick. The large portion of delicious shrimp are served over a bed of lettuce and topped with slices of very small, very hot green and red peppers. A spicy, slightly sweet red dipping sauce is served on the side. Wonderful, especially if you want something that will wake up your tongue with a lot of heat. Service is an interesting point, depending on what you order, you may be served in Styrofoam or on traditional plates. That's right a "takeout place" that serves on regular plates. Also you will usually get a choice of hot or cold tea and a little plate of fruit. Finally I would recommend you check out the special board, for a very inexpensive price, usually about $4.75 at dinner, you get a combination plate with the special entree, plain fried rice and a shrimp egg roll. A very good sized portion of very tasty food at a great price. At lunch the combinations are similarly priced and they are one of the best values in town. To summarize the experience, the decor and setting is takeout, but the food and the friendly family approach is a winner. This is not the place to take someone to impress them, but if you want very good Chinese food at a reasonable price, this is the place to go. A definite winner and worth trying, even if just getting an order to go on your way home from downtown.

Introduction and Mission Statement

Cleveland is a great city to eat in. Recently we have started to get more national and regional attention. There is good reason for this, we have some great restaurants. As part of this we have some very good resources for finding restaurants. You can get great food reviews from Elaine T. Cicora at the Scene magazine. There are some very good bloggers, who cover the Cleveland area. What I want to cover is some of the lesser known local spots, dives and little ethnic places. Who am I to give my opinion. I am a corporate attorney living on the East Side. I eat out quite a bit. In addition I have worked in quite a few restaurants over the years. I was primarily a waiter but at various times I have been a busboy, host, assistant manager and bartender. I still am friends with quite a few restaurant people. As for my food preferences, by my choice I do not eat meat or foul. I have no moral issue for me, this is strickly a personal dietary choice. I am fine with what anyone wants to eat. Because of my diet I favor ethnic places over traditional American Restaurants. I like spicy foods and love trying new things. What kind of place do I like, well it depends, but I much prefer locally owned places to chains, especially little family places. I enjoy fine dining, but really love to find little out of the way places that may not be in the best neighborhood, but do serve good authentic food. OK, what about some of my favorite restaurants (all of which I will cover more fully in future posts): Shuhei, for Sushi and Japanese, both because of the quality of the food and great service and because Sonya and Hiroshi are good friends and great people. Chinese take out - several are good, but Richie Chans at Cedar Lee is the best, with consistently good, reasonably priced food with a wide variety of uncommon dishes. Korean - Seoul Hot Pot is a wonderful little spot on Payne with great food and an improved decor. Cambodian - Phnom Penh, I know most people around Cleveland know how good they are, but I started going when it was a little 3 table place on Detroit. So let me know what you think. Drop me a comment about a restaurant I have reviewed or leave me a suggestion of one of your favorite places. Eat well.