Flemings Steakhouse–East Side Class

I have to say I was surprised to receive an offer of a $50 gift card from Flemings in the mail.  I am always a little skeptical about these type of offers, but after a careful review this was on the up and up.  It did require going to the Flemings website and registering, but other then making a reservation there were no other strings attached.  Now a high end steakhouse is not my usual hangout, I prefer the more casual and affordable eateries, and since I haven’t eaten meat since 1978, steak is not high on the list; but this was free food and Flemings has plenty of fish and seafood on the menu.

Located at 28869 Chagrin Boulevard, Woodmere, OH 44122 in the Eaton Square shopping center, Flemings is easy to miss as its fairly nondescript building is next door to the flashier Bravo.  Once inside you find a classic atmosphere, the dining room is a large high ceiling room with lots of wood, with most of the accents coming from high end wine bottles arranged around the room.  The tables are set in a simple high end manner.  The overall atmosphere is upscale and timeless.  Pretty much what a high end steakhouse should be. 

Service is also high end, with my server and the rest of the staff, being friendly and knowledgeable, yet extremely professional.  This is what service should  be and makes dinner at Flemings an truly enjoyable experience. 

With $50 to play with and my own dietary restrictions, I decided to go with 3 appetizers and a side.  You can see the menu (without prices) at Flemings Menu.  Prices are not cheap, especially when you consider entrees come ala carte, but the food quality is top notch.  

I started with the Sweet Chile Calamari ($11.50), which was a generous portion of nicely fried squid with a Asian flavored sweet chile sauce.   The squid was perfect with nice chewy pieces of the mild rings and tentacles having a nice tender chewiness and a mild flavor, the sauce was good, but I thought it lacked a bit of a punch, to my taste concentrating the flavor and adding a bit more heat would have taken this up to the level I would have expected from a upper tier restaurant.

Next up were my other two appetizers, the Lobster Tempura and BBQ Shrimp Appetizers.  The Lobster Tempura ($18.95) was a nice portion, with 4 potions of half a lobster tail split out of the shell, but still attached lightly battered and fried along with a variety of tempura vegetables.  While both the lobster and vegetables were very nice, unfortunately the nice thin batter came out overly greasy; I don’t know if the oil wasn’t hot enough of if the tempura wasn’t properly drained, but this was  bit of a disappointment, especially after the nice fry job that had been done on the calamari.

The BBQ Shrimp ($12.95) appetizers was the biggest disappointment of the meal.  Four medium large shrimp were baked in a casserole with a sauce that contained none of the spiciness, sweetness or smoke I would expect from BBQ sauce.  I was a bit taken aback with the portion size, especially compared to the generous portions on the other items I got.  The sauce and preparation did nothing to elevate the shrimp and may have even taken their quality down a little.  This is not only an item I would  not recommend, but unless Flemings makes some major changes, this shouldn’t be on their menu.  I usually say your tastes may vary, but I have a hard time thinking anyone would enjoy this dish, especially at this price.

Finally I ordered the Chipotle Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese Side ($7.95) which was a more then generous bowl of beautifully flavored comfort food goodness.  This was the clear highlight of the meal, and with most of this nestled in my refrigerator for another meal I look forward to eating it again.  The perfectly cooked pasta was smothered with a rich cheddar cheese sauce with a subtle hint of chipotle heat to keep it interesting.  I have a feeling this is more representative of most of the Flemings menu, classic American fare made with high quality ingredients and with a classic flavor profile.  

Flemings impressed me with their ambiance, service and the Mac and Cheese, among the other food, the Calamari and Lobster Tempura were both good, but fell a little short of greatness.  The BBQ Shrimp was a true disappointment.  At the price points Flemings charges, this should not be happening.  Of course, I am not the target audience that Flemings is going for, their overall reputation is that they have some of the better steaks available in the area, so your visit may be quite different.

Parkview Niteclub Sunday Brunch

A couple of months back I told you how much I enjoyed the Parkview Niteclub (full review is here); I just wanted to post a short update since we stopped by recently for Sunday Brunch.  On Sunday from 11:00am - 3:00pm, Parkview serves a limited Brunch Menu (you can see the menu here).  I went for the Crab and Aspargus Scrambler, which was fresh Asparagus and imitation crab with eggs over english muffins with a Champagne Creme Sauce.   The portion was nice and everything was well cooked, with the Sauce being especially bright and flavorful.  The hashbrowns were nice sized cubes of potatoes which had a good crisp exterior and soft fluffy interior.  My impression was that the food was very good and the portions were fine, with the items a bit overpriced, but made worthwhile due to the creativitiy of the chef on the sauce.  Overall, not a bad place for Sunday Brunch, but probably not worth making any special efforts; I am much more likely to go back for the regular menu than the bruch.

The Lancer Steakhouse - Cleveland Institution Returns

The Lancer Steakhouse has been through a lot, but continues to serve up good food at affordable prices.   For those unfamiliar with Lancer, it has been a Cleveland institution for over 50 years.  Located on Carnegie between E.77th and E.78th it has been the center of one of the only real areas of activity between Downtown and the Cleveland Clinic for as long as I can remember.  Lancer is one of the favorites of many of Cleveland's professional athletes and the African-American community.  I have personal history with Lancer, as when I was a young kid, my father had his office in the small strip of shops across the street, so when I would come down to put together catalogs for him, Lancer's was there and already well established.

Recently Lancer's burned down and even worse, due to tight money, the owner had let the insurance lapse, so what came next was up in the air.  I am happy to say that Lancer's has reopened across the street from its former location (the space that had Angie's Soul Cafe) and they have plans to rebuild on the original sight with a new and bigger restaurant.   So I figured I would check them out in their temporary quarters at 7804 Carnegie Ave.
(map is here). 

The outside is nothing special, a plain brick building with some nice front windows, a small lot sits next to the entrance.   Once inside you see that the space is relatively small, but clean and neat with a slightly upscale feel from the red tableclothes covered with white.  During the day, the windows let in lots of light, making the place feel inviting.  While I was there the flat screen over the bar area was showing college basketball.

Lancer's menu (which can be seen here) is pretty straightforward with meat and seafood well represented.  I choose to go with one of the $5 lunch specials, the perch sandwich; you can also get a burger, chicken or catfish sandwich for the same price.

As you can see, what I got was two very nice pieces of ocean perch, lightly floured and perfectly fried with coleslaw and french fries.  While there was a single piece of wheat bread underneath, this is not so much a sandwich as it is a great lunch.  The fish was excellent with some spiciness in the coating and then expertly cooked; it was tasty and really well prepared.  The coleslaw and french fries were both good and everything came out fresh and flavorful. 

Lancer's is a great place to get good wholesome food at reasonable prices.  It will be interesting to see what will come next with the new building, keep an eye out and consider stopping by the next time you are passing by.  Lancer's has a webpage at www.thelancersteakhouse.com and a facebook page at this link.

La Strada - E.4th Bistro

A while back I picked up some discount gift certificates from one of the local radio stations and the one for La Strada on E.4th Street in downtown Cleveland was going to expire at the end of the month so I headed down to check it out. La Strada is the sister restaurant to La Dolce Vita in Little Italy (see review here). Located about halfway down the very happening E.4th Street, the outside is relatively plain, although there is room for a nice patio in the summer. Once inside, which was too dark to get a good picture, I found a very elegant room with a balcony over the bar and the back half of the room. Decor is very nice and upscale without being too formal, a bit dark but a good feeling room with some very nice touches. I got there at the end of lunch, so the place was quiet, but I did get very good service at the bar and the food was exceptional. I ordered off the lunch menu (you can see the menus here). I ordered the Calamari Valencia and the Pesto Omar, unfortunately they have taken the risotto off of the lunch menu, because I was looking forward to trying it. The Calamari was excellent, a very nice portion of squid, lightly battered and then pan fried so that they were tender and flavorful; the tomato sauce with some sauteed squash that topped the dish had just a hint of heat to add to the flavor experience. I would rate this as one of the better calamaris in town. The Pesto Omar is described on the menu as an errorless dish and it was very close to meeting that high standard. The bowtie pasta were cooked al dente and then topped with a wonderful complex pesto sauce. The pesto was excellent, not oily and not coarse, which can be a problem with a pesto. This was earthy and rich tasting, the kind that you have to sop up the sauce at the end. The portion was large for a lunch serving, although probably right for the $12 price. Lunch came with a couple of slices of excellent crusty bread and butter, which is always welcome. The dinner menu is similar to the lunch with some items, such as pastas and entrees going up in price, while others such as the appetizers seem to stay the same. La Strada is a very good place to hit if you are downtown and looking for some excellent food presented in a happening atmosphere. This would be a great place for a romantic dinner and considering the portions and the quality of the food, the prices are not too bad. I may not hitting La Strada regularly, but it is a great place to keep in mind for the right dinner.

Parkview Niteclub - Fieri Find

Part of what inspired me to start C-Town Eats was watching Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on the Food Network; Guy Fieri finds restaurants around the country and spends some time in the kitchen and tasting the food. The places are usually a bit funky and the food is homemade and usually in big portions. Not too long ago Guy finally hit Cleveland and taped some segments at local places; Melt (see my review here), Geraci's (long time Eastside Italian), Lucky's Cafe in Tremont, Momoco in Ohio City, Frank Sterle's Slovenian Country House on E.55th and Parkview Niteclub. I had a passing familiarity with all of them except for Parkview so I took a look at their website (located here). I had not seen the episode, but saw online that Parkview smoked their own Salmon (video link is here) so I had to try it out. Looking for a place to have a casual dinner with a couple of friends on Saturday, this seemed like a great opportunity, so we headed west and had a great meal.

Parkview is located at 1261 W.58th Street in Cleveland, a couple of blocks North of Detroit Ave. and not far from the Gordon Square neighborhood. Parkview is on a corner where the neighborhood ends and has a view of the Lake and Downtown; the outside is a classic Cleveland neighborhood bar with a brick first floor and a wooden second story. A little alcove out front serves as a wind break for the couple of steps up to the front door.

Inside is even more of a classic Cleveland dive bar feel. A large wood bar covers one wall with a good sized dining room spread around a small dance floor. The decor is old school eclectic with enough stuff to keep you looking for quite a while. One interesting new touch is the electronic frame with pictures from Guy's visit on the middle of the bar. The overall feeling is casual and friendly.

After ordering a couple of draft beers (and Parkside has a nice selection of drafts) we took a look at the menu (see here) which has some great items and variations from the typical bar menu. We decided to start with the fried asparagus and they were sensational. As you can see from the picture they come arranged on the plate with the dipping sauce in the middle. The asparagus were wonderful with a very crisp but thin batter that acts as a perfect

isp but thin batter that complimented the fresh vegetable, then dipped into the chipotle ranch sauce they were a wonderful mouth sensation. The sauce had a wonderful hot and smoky taste that perfectly complimented the asparagus. About the only thing I could think to complain about is how quickly they disappeared off of the table.

Next up were the entrees, I had the Caesar Salad topped with the smoked salmon and it was excellent. The Caesar Salad was a very nice sized portion with a very good dressing; the real surprise was the Salmon. Hot smoked and served hot, the portion was quite large and very flavorful. Instead of the delicate flavor I am used to from Lox, this fish tasted more of cooked salmon, but the smoke flavor came through, especially as it cooled off. This was one of those exceptional meals that got better the more I ate of it. Dan went with the Smoked Salmon BLT which was a very large piece of the salmon served on a Ciabatta Roll with bacon. Dan said it was excellent and mentioned that the mayonnaise tasted especially good. Paul had the Walleye sandwich which was also very good. Prices were very reasonable and we had a great time. Parkview is a real find and worth the trip, this is a neighborhood bar that serves up exceptionally good food at bargain prices. Add in the funky atmosphere, some good bands on Wednesday and Saturday nights and I will be heading back to try more of the menu. Not only do I recomend it, but Guy Fieri does as well.

Shuhei Update - Beachwood Star

You may have read my previous review of Shuhei Restaurant (review is here), but it has been a while since I have had a full meal there; luckily with some family in town for my Niece's Bat Mitvah, we ended up there after quite a bit of discussion. So I wanted to update my previous review and mention some new things. Based on the discussions, many people have strange ideas of what is served at a Japanese restaurant. While Shuhei has the best Sushi Bar in town, the rest of the menu is even more extensive and has something for everyone. Japanese food is generally lighter and simpler then Chinese or other Asian foods. The Japanese like to take high quality ingredients and prepare them in ways that accent their flavors and then compliment those with simple flavor combinations. Even though I was told that "we don't eat Japanese", everyone found a number of things that they could have, and the meals that we had were all exceptional. The prices at Shuhei are actually fairly moderate; sure you can spend a lot if you want, especially if you order Sushi al la carte, but most of the meals on the menu are priced under $20 and that includes, soup, salad, rice, vegetables and tea. Considering the portions are generous and the food is excellent, this is what you call value. So Mom had the Kogani Age (Soft Shell Crab) dinner, her long time favorite. The tasty little critters are lightly floured and then quickly fried to a delicious state. Served over fried rice with sprouts, carrots and green beans, a very wonderful meal. The crabs are perfectly prepared and sided with a simple rice vinegar sauce for dipping. Aunt Helen had the Shrimp Tempura dinner, and if you haven't tasty tempura at Shuhei, you are missing something special. The shrimp and vegetables come wrapped in a perfecly light and crispy tempura batter that is fried to perfection. The crust is a light golden with the insides cooked perfectly. Save the fried banana as a special little treat for the end. Mort has the Kushiyaki, skewers of shrimp, scallops, salmon and vegetables covered in Shuhei's home made teriyaki sauce. A great and classic combination, expertly prepared and cooked. I had the Chirashi Sushi dinner; Chirashi is gathered sushi, with a large bowl of the sushi rice topped with slices of some of the freshest seafood you can find. The fish was impecible, fresh and clean tasting. The tuna was especially good, with each slice just melting in my mouth. Shuhei remains one of the finest restaurants you will find. The decor is excellent, the atmosphere both sophisticated and relaxed. The food is truly outstanding. The servers are friendly and knowlegable, willing to guide you through any questions you may have. Plus you get a lot for you money. What more could you ask for? Give them a try.

Shuhei - Best Restaurant Ever

I have been promising for some time to give my review of Shuhei Japanese Cuisine and Sushi Bar, well here it is. I do think that I have to start off with a bit of a disclaimer, Hiroshi and Sonja who own Shuhei are very close personal friends and I worked at Shuhei and Shijuro (its predecessor) while putting myself through law school. I will try to give a objective view, but at least I am upfront about any bias. Shuhei is located at 23360 Chagrin Blvd, close to Green Road in Beachwood. The restaurant is in the back of a set of a small colonial style office building. There is a small sign out front and plenty of parking in the back. The entrance is under the awning Once you enter the restaurant it is a different story. Tan walls with ash wood accents set off Shuhei's impressive collection of prints and other art. Among the highlights is the display case in the waiting area which shows off a beautiful and highly detailed wedding kimono. The overall feeling is of classic Japanese style. The dark tables and chairs present a nice background for the simple table settings and the wonderful food. The servers wear traditional Japanese clothing, with the waitresses in kimonos and the men in "happy jackets". Shuhei has an experienced and knowledgeable wait staff that do a great job of taking care of their customers. The food, well that is hard to beat. Having spent a lot of time in the kitchen here I can tell you that the vast majority of sauces and dressings are made fresh from scratch. The ingredients are of incredibly high quality and are carefully prepared. What would shock most people is the amount of prep time that goes in a Shuhei, they work hard all day to be ready to make the best food possible. For the most part food preparation and presentation stays close to the traditional Japanese style, which is a good thing when it is done as expertly as this. Lets start at the sushi bar where the highly skilled sushi chefs combine the freshest fish and seafood with rice, seaweed and other vegetables to make the best sushi in the area. Whether you order a simple maki roll up to the large assorted sushi and sashimi platters, presentation is carefully considered and the plates are works of art. One of the tests of a good sushi bar is how they do on the simple straight forward nigiri sushi, where the fish is presented on top of a rice pellet. At Shuhei the freshness of the fish along with the skill of the chef shines through, the fish melts in your mouth with a nice contrast from the vinegared rice and the wasabi. Some of my favorites and suggestions to try are the scallop sushi, large fresh scallops served raw allow you to experience the slightly sweet taste and the wonderful texture; the spider roll, taking a perfectly fried soft shell crab and rolling it with lettuce and slightly spicey mayo for a great flavor combination; and the Nippon Kai Salad, an assortment of raw fish and seafood cut up into smaller pieces and served over a light vegetable salad with special miso flavored dressing that allows you to try a wide variety in an appetizer. You cannot go wrong with any of the sushi dinners, but if you want something a bit different try the Chirashi dinner. Instead of individual pieces of sushi, you will get a very nice assortment of fish and seafood on top of a bed of the sushi rice. The rest of the menu is perfectly prepared Japanese food presented simply, but elegantly. Japanese cooking tends to emphasize simple flavors using the freshest foods available. It is hard to go wrong with anything on the menu, but once again some of my favorites. The tempura at Shuhei is how I think tempura should be. Shrimp and vegetables are battered and then deep fried in such a way as to result in an incredibly light and flavorful, but cruchy outside with the inside being perfectly cooked; you cannot go wrong with any of the tempura items. The fish dishes are all incredibly fresh and perfectly cooked and then mated with an appropriate sauce. The hot pot meals come out in a large iron pot steaming hot and loaded to the brim with goodness. The salad entrees and noodle dishes are outstanding, especially as a lunch. If your idea of Ramen is the little packets you buy at the Supermarket, you should try Shuhei's version. A bowl of noodle with a slightly spicy broth is topped with shrimp or beef and stir fried vegetables. If something on the menu sounds good, give it a try since it should exceed your expectations. Shuhei is certainly not the cheapest restaurant and with the number of Japanese restaurants that continue to open in the area there are a lot of choices, but Shuhei shows that value comes from excellent food expertly prepared and served in a well designed restaurant. The food, service and ambience are all top notch and there is a reason that Shuhei has remained one of Cleveland's top restaurants.

Wonton Gourmet & BBQ - Asiatown Hidden Gem - Updated

I headed down to Asiatown for lunch on Saturday and wanted to try someplace new. Had heard mention of Wonton Gourmet and noticed it had taken over the spot at 3211 Payne Avenue in Cleveland's Asiatown. Under a previous name and ownership this used to be just another smaller average Chinese restaurant in the neighborhood, ate there once and was neither very good or very bad, just kind of average. Pulling up to Wonton Gourmet I was not particularly impressed, although there is a good sized parking lot next door, the outside of the building is a bit run down. But walk inside and it is a complete 180 degrees. Decorated in a very modern and clean style Wonton Gourmet looks the complete opposite of its exterior. The place virtually gleams and there is very little decoration. On the far wall a large flat screen shows presumably Chinese shows; along the walls hang small Chinese signs listing menu items with their prices. Luckily there are printed menus with English. The tables are simply set, but in a good sign in addition to the ubiquitous soy sauce there is a container of the hot chili oil. Very nice black plastic chopsticks are brought upon request. The menu lists very standard items; Chow Mein, Fried Rice, Egg Foo Young, Lo Mein and similar items at very reasonable prices. Although I didn't order anything from them on this trip, looking at other tables, the food looked good with very well sized portions. What immediately caught my attention was the separate menu on the table with the Hong Kong style items; Noodles in Soup, Congee and Chow Fun, Delicasies and other dishes. I tried the Shrimp Wonton soup with Egg Noodles. For $4.95 I got a large bowl with a light but well seasoned broth, a large portion of thin noodles, greens and 5-6 large shrimp wontons. The soup was excellent with the Shrimp Wontons being the highlight. Adding just a few drops of the chili oil added the needed punch and it was excellent. Overall I was very impressed; the decor is excellent, very restrained and modern; the menu has plenty of interest while still touching on a lot of what we are familiar with. The prices are very reasonable, especially considering the portion sizes. Bringing a taste of everyday Hong Kong style to Cleveland, this is definitely a place that I will be hitting again, especially at lunch time. Update: I stopped at Wonton Gourmet for a quick dinner and was once again impressed. The dinner menu is extensive and has some items that are new event to me. I was in the mood for squid so I tried the Salt and Pepper Squid. It was a good sized portion of well prepared deep fried squid with a nice salty batter and plenty of hot pepper slices to get my tounge tingling. This is a great addition to the Cleveland Chinese food scene. A very nice place, with an interesting menu of well prepared food and reasonable prices. Go and try it out.

Seoul Hot Pot - Can Not Miss

Ok, you have been watching Anthony Bourdain on the Travel Channel and you want to have a culinary adventure, but you are in Cleveland and have tried the well know Asian restaurants. Well I have a suggestion for you; head to the Near East Side of Cleveland and enjoy some of the best and most authentic Korean food in the US. After having the urge for some good Korean food for a while, I finally got back down to Seoul Hot Pot and it is as great as ever. I have been going here for quite a while. A Korean friend introduced me to it and I think it is the best Korean food around. This is one of my favorite restaurants and I don't understand why it doesn't get more attention. While the local reviewers and Zagat always cover and rave about Phenom Phen (which is also very good and a favorite) not a word is mentioned of Seoul Hot Pot. Seoul Hot Pot is located at 3709 Payne Avenue in Cleveland. If you are not familiar with the area it is part of the Cleveland Chinatown area, with Asian shops and residents moving in. Across the street is a little strip with a Chinese Restaurant and Koko Bakery where you can get wonderful Chinese bakery and good Bubble Tea. Part of the fun for me has been watching the place evolve. The story is that the Korean owners bought an existing Pizza place and kept it running, but as Korean friends would come in they would cook Korean home style food for them. Eventually they switched over and stopped serving the pizza menu, but when I started eating here the Pizza Sign was still out front (you can still see it painted over on the front of the building). They also used to have the Pizza Menu board still up on the wall of the front room; it used to hang over the Turtle tank that is also gone. Over the years the restaurant has evolved; grill tables were put in up front and the decor has been revised several times. Now while the exterior is ok, the interior is nice with wood paneling half way up the walls and nice decorative Asian touches on the walls. The tables and chairs are solid if unspectacular, with just a napkin dispenser on top. The front room has the grill tables with hoods, the back room is regular tables with a view into the kitchen. Many times the TV in the back room will be showing Korean shows. Once you are settled, you will get the menu and some barley tea (hot or cold depending on the season). Which has a wonderful nutty flavor. You can also get a Beer, domestic or Asian or Soju, a Korean rice distilled drink that can knock your socks off. The menu is fairly extensive, with much of it favoring the carniovers among us. For those unfamilar with Korean food it is far different from Chinese, with most dishes prepared simply and with bold flavors. Among my favorites are the Pajun (Seafood Pancake) which is a savory batter of egg and rice flour with green onions, small shrimp, pieces of squid and an occasional oyster pan fried to deliciousness and served with a soy sesame sauce. I also enjoy the Jap Chae, a rice noodle and vegetables dish (make sure that you let them know if you want it without any meat) and the squid in hot sauce. Be warned, the hot sauce dishes push hard on the heat, with the squid or rice cakes in a bright red sauce that will tingle the tongue. In fact be careful because any Korean food that is spicey will be extremely hot, including the Kim Chee and other spicey Banchan. Having brought my meat eater friends, I can tell you there are a number of very good meat dishes, including the beef spare ribs and the bulogi, which is a marinated beef. The beef is marinated in soy, sesame oil and garlic and brought to the table raw and you grill the meat yourself. Fun and from what I am told, delicious. There is also a good selection of soups and hot pot meals. When you get your meal you will be served a bowl of white rice and banchan, which are small side dishes to accompany your meal and my favorite part about eating Korean. The banchan at Seoul Hot Pot are especially good, most made fresh at the restaurant and delicious. You will usually get between 6-8 of these which usually include Kim Chee (marinated spicy cabbage), daikon chunks in hot sauce, marinated been sprouts, potatoes, a plain gelatain and pickles. I go to Seoul Hot Pot as much for these side dishes as I do for the main course, they are good enough to make a meal out of on their own. The food here is home style cooking, but consistently excellent. The service is good and friendly, although the kitchen can slow down when they get busy. There is usually only one server so it may take a bit to get your food, but it is worth it since everything is cooked fresh to order. I highly recommend that you give Seoul Hot Pot a try. The food is excellent and reasonably priced. The atmosphere is nice and it will be an adventure you will want to try again.

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.