Nauvoo Family Market–Best Donuts Ever

First off sorry I haven’t posted in a while, I have been very busy with working and going through the Casino Dealer Academy, with that over and starting at the Casino I will be back to trying to find the gems in NE Ohio dining.  I will start back with a real Amish Delight (thank you Weird Al) and

a top find. 

This started a while back when I was at an event where someone had brought some unbelievably good doughnuts that they got in Middlefield, Ohio; so I have stopped out that way a number of times looking for the elusive home of these culinary gems.   Finally I was shopping at the Middlefield Flea Market and one of the vendors suggested a little market down the road as the place to go for doughnuts – and she was so right.

Located at 15979 Nauvoo Road, Middlefield, Ohio 44062, around the corner from Middlefield Cheese and just past the Middlefield Market (the flea market), it could be easy to miss the small market on the South side of the road, but you would be missing some major league doughnuts.  The small, clean market has a sign out front and one on the front of the building.   Pulling in to the small parking lot you will see some spaces to park in front and a parking area for the Amish buggies off to the side.  There is a covered porch area with a couple of chairs.  Walking in to the market you will find that the grocery side is to your right and the hardware side is on the left. 

Going to the right and all the way back you will find the bakery at the back wall, with three display cases, first a large display of fry pies in almost every variety you can imagine.  I have tried a couple and they are very good, the kind of pastry that the old Hostess pies wanted to be.  On the other end is a case that usually has several pies in assorted sizes and flavors along with some other assorted baked goods, all of these are usually outstanding as well, with a special mention for the molasses cookies with the creme in the middle.
Now we get to what is the true highlight for me, the doughnut case in the middle.   Here are the best doughnuts I have ever had.  Big sugary bombs of goodness that should be a National Treasure.   Admittedly, the variety is somewhat limited, usually several variations on creme stick topped with chocolate, maple or powdered sugar, glazed rings, cinnamon sugar rings and then variations of those.  Occasionally I will find the creme sticks with Pastry Creme and there will be chocolate topped glazed, but I have never seen any jelly doughnuts or fruit variations; the truth is that these doughnuts are so good, they don’t need more variety.

Let’s start with the Creme Sticks, these are bigger than your hand sticks of perfectly cooked doughnuts that are filled with a perfect creme filling and then topped with a chocolate glaze.  Not only are they delicious, they are filled so full that almost every bite has creme.

The giant glazed rings are bigger than any other place I have ever seen and as delicious as you could imagine.  A bit lighter in texture than the other doughnuts, they still have enough weight to fill you up with a single doughnut, but the taste may make you want to go back for another.

The real revelation to me are the Cinnamon Sugar Rings, harkening back to a simpler time when doughnuts were just fried rings of dough with a simple topping these taste better then any other simple doughnut I have tasted.  The texture is great, substantial without being heavy and somehow the cinnamon sugar just pops my taste buds awake every time.  Probably the only place, this side of the Café Du Monde Beignets from New Orleans that you will taste anything this simple and good.

Prices are very affordable, especially considering the size and quality of what you are getting, last time I checked a dozen glazed doughnuts were $9.   The sticks were slightly more.  In addition there are a variety of breads and other baked items you can buy.  It is also worth shopping the small aisle for bulk food items; I usually pick up popcorn at great price and will see what else hits my fancy.

I would strongly recommend stopping out and trying these doughnuts if you are anywhere in the area.  For that matter you can make a trip of it; stop at Middlefield Cheese and get some great Swiss or other cheese and imported items; shop through the stalls at Middlefield Market and see what obscure item you can find; of head to Headwaters Park or Swine Creek for a very nice hike.  Of course there is a lot more interesting things to do in Amish country so stop by and visit.  Remember the Market is closed on Sundays.

I will warn you that these doughnuts can become habit forming; I brought a couple dozen in for the instructors at the dealers academy to welcome them to the Cleveland area and I started to get frequent requests to bring them more, I ended up making a couple more runs over the academy and they were always a big hit.

Doughnuts from Nauvoo Family Market get my highest recommendation, well worth the drive.

Aladdin Baking–Great Pitas and More Update

A couple of years ago I did a quick post on the Aladdin Bakery's store downtown (link if here) and I wanted to update it since they have done a major remodeling both inside and out.  Aladdin Bakery is located at

1301 Carnegie Avenue, Cleveland Ohio just a block from both Progressive Field and the Wolstein Center.  While I will stop at Aladdin when I am in the area to stock up on pitas (check out the day old rack by the center column for a bag of pitas for about 1/2 of a buck) , there is a lot more here then just that.  There is a very nice menu of middle eastern foods at incredibly reasonable prices, with stuffed pies, such as spinach, cheese or meat; pita pizzas; stuffed sandwiches including a very good falafel, gyros and chicken shwarma; and salads such as humus and baba ganoush. Also there is a nice display case of middle-eastern deserts including a variety of baklava and cookies. With the new face on the building and the new front room, the atmosphere has gone from a bit grubby to clean, a bit more spacious and more organized.  For a fast, tasty and affordable bite, especially if you are headed to an Indians game, check out Aladdin.

Eastside Farmers Market - Wicklife Source for Good Stuff

After opening, closing and reopening, Eastside Farmers Market has seemed to find its groove as a good source for fresh produce, baked goods, meats and other foods. The location at 30022 Euclid Avenue, Wicklife, OH 44092, hosted an open air farmers market during the summer and finally they built a building. The current operation is nice and they seem to be trying hard. Although not a big store it is is clean and well stocked. The vegetable and fruit selection is good, probably a little smaller then you will find at some supermarkets, but they seem to concentrate on finding local produce where available and they try to keep the prices down where they can. I have gotten good produce from them and try to stop by when I am in the area. Quite a bit of the store is devoted to the fish, meat, prepared food and deli sections. The meats look good and they have a very nice selection. I have had some of the prepared food and they are pretty good and certainly reasonably priced. One real highlight is the bakery section in the back of the store. The baked goods I have had range from good to very good. I can recommend the pumpkin pie (currently $3) and the donuts. I have also picked up several different breads on special and they are a great value. Once again the prices in this department are quite good and I have gotten some real values here especially the sale items. There is a dairy section and some groceries as well. I will compliment the market on the fact that there are often samples out to try different offerings. The workers in the market are friendly and helpful and the overall feeling is bright. Eastside Farmers Market is not quite in the league of Miles Market (review is here), but they do provide a nice alternative to the supermarket for those who are in the area. Stop by and give them a try or just grab some samples.

Raised and Glazed Donuts - Bainbridge Bakery

Donuts can be the perfect breakfast food, and pretty darn good most other times of the day. In Bainbridge there is a nice little bakery that supplies good donuts and other baked goods. Raised and Glazed Donuts is at 17800 Chillicothe Rd, Chagrin Falls, Ohio, which is in the little strip mall at the intersections of Chillicothe (Route 306) and Bainbridge Roads, just South of Route 422. The frontage is very small and the sign above just says "Donuts", but that is enough. Once inside you find a cheery pink space that widens out for several cases and displays of donuts and other good looking sweets. The nice variety of donuts are good sized and look very attractive. I tried the Creamstick and the Apple Fritter and both were very good. The Fritter was nice with a touch of Cinnamon and little bits of apple throughout. The Creamstick was a very large donut filled with a good vanilla creme and topped with chocolate. The donuts seemed to find a nice balance, sweet without being teethrattling (although I am a sucker for that), with nice firm textures and good clean flavors. These may not donuts you will dream about, but they will certainly fill the donut urge if you are in the area. In addition to the donuts, there was a large selection of other baked sweets, including brownies, tea biscuits and cookies. There is also a display case for samples of the kinds of cakes that they will make. Another nice touch that I like is the samples on the counter, a great thing for a bakery to do, getting a small taste is a very nice gesture and usually makes me hungry for more. Raised and Glazed is probably not worth a special trip, however if you are in the area, check them out, they are friendly, have a nice selection and the baked goods are very nice. Probably a Four Drools out of Five on the Homer Simpson Donut Scale.

Koko Bakery - Asian Delights

If you are looking for a bite, something sweet or just something a little bit different in Asiatown (http://www.asiatowncleveland.com), give Koko Bakery a try. Located in a small plaza at 3710 Payne Avenue, Cleveland, OH right across the street from Seoul Hot Pot, Koko provides a wide variety of choices. Set up more like a coffee shop or cafe there is an attractive little dining area and plenty of choices. Walking in you will notice a large bakery self serve display to your left. Here you can pick from a variety of sweet or savory buns (think similar to donuts or danish) at a very reasonable price ($.90 to $1.25 each). Among my favorites are the chocolate creme stick and the egg custard. These pastries show a nice balance between sweet and flavor and are rich and chewy. If you feel adventurous you can pick up a taro root or bean paste bun. The flavors and textures may be a bit different, but they are delicious and a nice change from what you would expect. For those looking on the savory side there are a number of meat based buns. The bakery cases in the counter show off the fancy pastries that Koko provides. These are some of the nicest looking delights available in the Cleveland area. Carefully prepared and arranged, they resemble the displays I saw in Vienna. Most are garnished with vivid fruit and splashes of color. Koko has a limited menu of Asian sandwiches, rice bowls and steamed buns. On this last trip down, I tried one of the steamed green vegetable buns. The greens inside of the soft bun were nicely spiced and flavorful. Finally, Koko offers a wide variety of beverages, from expresso to fruit smooties. My personal favorite is the Bubble Tea. A very sweet milk tea is flavored with your choice of flavoring, I go for the taro root as it provides a slighly less sweet flavor and a nice purple color. Served over ice with sweet tapioca pearls you get an interesting drink with sweetness, some texture and something to chew on. Give Koko a try it will give you a different perspective.

Aladdin Baking Company Store

Aladdin Bakery's store may not contain 1001 thieves, but there is some treasure to be found here. Most of the the outlet and factory stores around now are just marketing tools, I long for the days when such stores were located at the factory; well Aladdin Bakery Company at 1301 Carnegie Avenue, Cleveland Ohio provides exactly that. Located between Progressive Field and the Wolstein Center, Aladdin has been there a lot longer. When I am in the area, I will stop by and stock up on pitas, and the selection here is staggering. You will find pitas in different sizes, styles and flavors. The best deal is usually stacked up and when I was down last week, these were bags of large pitas for $1.20 each. In addition to the pitas, the store offers a wide variety of middle east foods and spices. You can stock up on anything you need for your middle eastern feast. Finally, Aladdin offers a very nice menu of middle eastern foods at incredibly reasonable prices, with stuffed pies, such as spinach, cheese or meat; pita pizzas; stuffed sandwiches including a very good falafel, gyros and chicken shwarma; and salads such as humus and baba ganoush. You can finish it off with a desert from the bakery selection which includes a variety of baklava and cookies. The atmosphere is a bit grubby and there is no place to eat, but if you want to pick up something fast, tasty and affordable, Aladdin is a great stop downtown or on your way to a game.