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.

Mi Pueblo - Authentic Mexican

A friend of mine was back in town visiting and we spent a couple of hours cross country skiing at Chapin Forest in Kirtland (website is here), which is the best place I have found locally with really nice groomed trails, affordable rentals and a great staff. After finishing we felt like Mexican for lunch and neither my friend or I had been to Mi Pueblo in quite a while, so we hopped on the highway and headed to University Circle. The restaurant at 11611 Euclid, Cleveland 44106 (see map here) is the second location of this very authentic Mexican restaurant which started on Lorain Avenue. The University Circle location is a nice converted steakhouse with a narrow bar upfront by the windows and two larger dining areas decorated in very nice Mexican style, resulting in a nice Catina feeling. Although a bit dark, the atmosphere is upbeat without being over the top. My friend mentioned that when he was single and lived in the area, Mi Pueblo was one of his regular date places and I can see where it would be a fun place to hangout and get to know somebody better or just have some big Margaritas. Once seated we were quickly served with chips and two salsas along with the carrots, onions and jalapenos. The green and red salsas were good and very flavorful and a little milder then I remembered, which is good because they used to be pretty hot. The vegetables are one of my favorites, with the carrots picking up enough heat from the jalapeno and getting a little bit of pickling result in a wonderful slightly sweet, a bit hot and crisp combination. Despite the heat, the carrots disappeared quickly leaving only a lethal looking jalapeno. As always, small free food is always appreciated, but it is even better when it tastes this good and it cleans off the taste buds so that everything tastes more vivid. Mi Pueblo is noted for having some of the most authentic Mexican food in this area. At lunch there is a separate menu with some very good deals. My friend had the Pollo en Mole Poblano, the chicken in mole sauce (I did like the suggestion to get pictures of the food, but I missed out since we were hungry) which he said was very good. I had the Shrimp Fajitas, which were good, but not great. I should have known better and gone with the Chile Rellenos, which have usually been among the best in town. While nice, in this case the Fajitas were pan sauteed and therefore missing the wonderful sear you get from the high heat pan. The shrimp were nice, although the bell peppers were cut a bit larger then anything else. As I said, not a bad dish, but not up to what I usually expect from Mi Pueblo. Although the dinner menu has gotten a bit expensive, the lunch menu has some very good buys, especially when you consider the high quality and wonderful tastes. While not everything is spicy, be careful, since when something is spicy it can be very hot. Mi Pueblo is one of the best Mexican Restaurants in Northeast Ohio and it is good to see that they are keeping things going. I will be heading down for lunch again soon. Give them a try.

La Pizzeria - Little Italy's Newest

During this year's Feast of the Assumption in Little Italy, they were handing out coupons for La Pizzeria, which was suppose to be open by Fall 2009; well it has taken a bit longer then that, but it is finally open this week. Located at 2188 Murray Hill Road (the corner of Murray Hill and Cornell) (see map here) across from the Baricelli Inn, they have taken the corner space that used to be a gallery and transformed it into a nice little spot to pick up some reasonably priced good food. Walking inside you will find a nicely set up small space with four tables and a service counter. The old space nicely mixes the old such as the tin ceiling with modern fixtures and a green and red paint scheme to provide a warm inviting feel. The place is obviously set up for mainly takeout and delivery, but eating at the shop is just fine. The menu is based around pizzas, calzones, subs and gellato with some salads, wings and pastas thrown in. The prices are reasonable and while nothing seems terribly innovative or new, if done well this kind of food is very popular. I had a small mushroom pizza and was very pleased. Cut into 6 slices the pizza was excellent with a thin crust that was turned up at the edges to make it seem almost deep dish. The crust was probably the highlight of the pizza, with a good crisp to the bottom and a very pleasant flavor, no flavorless bread here. The sauce was a nicely balanced tomato sauce, with a fresh tomato flavor that complimented the pizza. The cheese mix covered the pizza nicely and had just the right cheesy bite from the provolone mixed with the mozzarella. The overall pizza worked well together, it was cooked just right with all of the elements coming together well. I probably should have waited on the first piece, since I had a bit of a cheese slide, but once everything had set the other pieces were no problem. There is a gellato case up front, but it will be a little while until they have any to serve. La Pizzeria is an interesting idea, but seems to duplicate a lot of what is available in the area; put this up in Beachwood, or Shaker instead of in Little Italy and it would be fairly unique. As it is, this seems well set up to appeal to the neighborhood and to the Case Western Reserve students, but has a lot of direct competition. They seem committed to high quality food at a reasonable price, here's hoping they succeed and thrive.

What About Bob's - Sub Shop Supreme

Willoughby we have a real sub shop! What About Bob's may be the question, but the answer is that this is one of the best and most affordable sub shops in Northeast Ohio. Bob's is located at 38233 Glenn Avenue, Willoughby, Ohio (map is here), just off of Erie Street in downtown Willoughby. It is easy enough to miss, but you should make extra effort to find it. Located in a little storefront, you have a long counter with the menu above and a bunch of extras underneath. The dining area has a bunch of patio furniture and one flat screen TV on the wall; overall the look is clean and simple, but you come for the food, not the atmosphere. The menu (as you can see to the right) lists a nice variety of subs, wraps and a couple of salads. If you don't see what you want, ask; after I inquired they did have tuna subs available even though not on the menu. Pricing is easy and cheap, a small sub or wrap (12") is $3.99, a large sub or wrap (24") is $6.99 and salads are $1.99 and $3.99. You might want to check out the sides and accouterments, since I found them to be reasonably priced, something I usually cannot say for most takeout places. The sub I got was excellent, one of the best I have had and easily better then any of the chains that litter the landscape. The bread is great, a crispy loaf that is a little smaller then some places, but gives just the right texture and base for the sandwich. The tuna was good, light in the mayo with no unnecessary add ins. The cheese was a shredded provolone with a nice cheesy bite. Topped with lettuce, tomato, onions, some very nice hot pepper slices and a very good sweet dressing the whole was better then the sum of its parts. I will warn that the biggest problem was that the sub was overflowing, but that is what should happen with a sub. This was a just about perfect balance with the crusty bun setting off the crisp vegetables with the sweet dressing and bite of the cheese and peppers. Bob's delivers in a very big way; they have excellent food in big portions at cheap prices; add in that it is local and you couldn't ask for much more. The perfect cure for the chain sub shops, this much more a throw back to what sub shops used to be. I would very strongly recommend that you head out to Willoughby and try What About Bob's for yourself; I don't think you will be disappointed.

Gamekeepers Tavern - Chagrin Falls Mainstay

Some family were in town for a Bar Mitvah and so we decided to go out to Gamekeepers in Chagrin Falls for lunch. Gamekeepers is located near the falls at 97 West Street, Chagrin Falls, Ohio (map is here). Gamekeepers has been around for quite a while and seems to have hit on a winning formula. The restaurant is made up of a number of rooms all decorated in classic American outdoors; lots of fishing and hunting decor, the feeling is casual, but in an old fashion way. The menu at lunch runs from $10 to $15 and is made up of classic American fare (a PDF of the menu is here). I had the Grouper sandwich and it was very nice. Two fillets of the fish were battered and perfectly deep fried. Served on a bun with lettuce tomato and a good tarter sauce it perfectly hit the spot. The chips that accompanied the sandwich were a little disappointing in that they seemed to have come out of a bag and not even one of the upscale kettle chips at that. Everyone else enjoyed their meals as well. I did want to mention that it was a real pleasure to have a waiter who actually seemed to know the menu and was able to answer questions and make suggestions. In addition, when he was not sure of an answer he went back and checked (bacon in the chowder and the answer was yes). Gamekeepers offers well prepared American fare in a nice setting without a lot of fuss or muss; it serves up quality food in nice portions. If you are looking for cutting edge or fancy presentations, this is not the place; however if you are looking for a place to deliver a good meal in a comfortable atmosphere, put Gamekeepers on your list.

Nauti Mermaid - Warehouse District Dive

I've been meaning to check out the Nauti Mermaid in the Warehouse District for a while and luckily I was downtown on Thursday so I figured I would see what is up. Well I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. Usually I get an idea of the place from what I hear and the website, somehow I got the idea that the Mermaid was a nice little fish place, fortunately I was wrong. Located at 1378 W. 6th Street, Cleveland, Ohio (see map here), the Mermaid is a great little dive bar that serves up some good affordable seafood. Only one storefront wide the Mermaid has a shotgun feel with a bar on one side and a row of booths on the other. A couple more table sit in front of the small kitchen. The whole place is decorated in authentic sea stuff, with lobster traps, life preservers and even a pretty good sized boat over the bar. A bit dark and old, it feels like one of those authentic seafood shacks you only hope to find. Much more of a bar that serves food than anything else. I really like the feel and decor, but of course you mileage may vary. Since it was Thursday I was lucky enough to get the $1.50 fish taco special; you have to order a minimum of 3, but at that price you cannot beat them in this area. Also it being happy hour, I had them add a crab cake for $1. The fish tacos were excellent with fresh fried corn tortillas filled with grilled Mahi Mahi, with some tomatoes and a little lettuce and then topped with a wonderful chipolte sour cream. The fish was well cooked and flavorful enough to hold up to the toppings, with the sauce being especially good, just the right amount of heat to balance everything. While a bit messy, that is what you expect from fish tacos. The crab cake was nice and thick with good flavor and balance, if a little light in crab, but for the price one of the better ones I have had recently in this area. I should note that the remoulade sauce that came with it was really very good and complimented the crab cake nicely. Not necessarily an item that I would order off the menu, but certainly worth getting during happy hour. Service was very good by the bartender. Food came out within a reasonable time, although the Mermaid was pretty quiet, so during busy times it could take a bit longer. I was able to watch the food being prepared and it was nice to see things like the tortillas being fried fresh to order. The menu is pretty extensive, although I was told that they are changing it soon; you can check it out here on their website. I would strongly recommend the Nauti Mermaid if you are looking for a place to grab some good seafood at an affordable price or if you are looking for a place to grab some cheap drinks downtown. You should check out the daily specials and happy hour specials as they are great deals. I especially want to compliment the Mermaid on feeling authentic as a dive, they aren't looking to go upscale, they have found their niche and are fitting in it quite nicely.

Georgios - Cheap Pizza

I wanted to mention Georgios, a local pizza chain that has a deal going on pizzas. Currently you can get a Large Cheese Pizza for $4, a Large Pepperoni for $5 and a Large Sausage and Pepperoni for $6. The pizzas are what they call their Fresh and Ready, which means they have them precooked and ready to go in a hot box. I actually have been picking pizzas up from the Georgios at the Richmond Heights location which is in the little strip mall on Highland Road near the intersection with Richmond Road, since they have been offering the Cheese or Pepperoni pizza for $4 for a while. I find these pizzas to be pretty good, the crust is medium thin, OK without anything really distinctive. The cheese is good, with a nice texture and mild flavor. The best part of the pizza is the sauce with a nice slightly sweet tomato sauce that gives the pizza a nice zing. Also I have to give them credit, the pizzas have been nicely cooked, just at the stage where all of the elements cook together to make something more than the seperate parts. In addition, I have gotten both pizzas right out of the oven and those that have been in the hotbox, and the pizzas are remarkably consistent. They seem to have figured out a method to hold the pizzas for a period that keeps them hot without overcooking them. For $4 you get a 14" pizza with 10 good sized slices. While this is not the best pizza in town, it certainly is a great way to fill the pizza urge when you are on a tight budget. Certainly a good value.

Patterson Fruit Farm - Applepalloza

Sorry things have been a bit quiet on the blog, been fighting the flu and combined with hitting some old favorites just not that much too post. although it is a little late in the season, I did want to mention Patterson Fruit Farms. Located at 11414 Caves Road, Chesterland, Ohio (see map here), this is one of the fun local places to stop and check out. Patterson is primarily an apple farm and they have quite a variety of apples available. Even better they have cut samples out so you can figure out what suits your taste. Of course there is cider and very good cider at that available. During the fall, they have all sorts of other things going on as well, with kettle corn being made, pumpkins being sold and plenty of stuff to keep the kids busy. Patterson also has a very good bakery with fresh fruit pies, donuts, apple dumplings and apple fritters. The fritters are amazing, about the size of a small moon, with big pieces of apple scattered throughout the fried dough all of which covered with a sweet glaze. For just under $2 this could be a meal onto itself. I did want to mention that the golf course behind Patterson has been converted into a public park as part of the Geauga Park system (link to the park site is here) which provides a very nice place to take in some rolling hills. If you are looking for something to do on a beautiful Fall day, consider heading over to Patterson Fruit Farms and checking it out.

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.

Fathead Brewery - Westside Saloon

I have been meaning to give Fathead Brewery a try for a little while, have heard good things about it; so I managed to get across town this weekend and see what is going on. Fathead is located 24581 Lorain Road, North Olmsted, Ohio (map is here) at the intersection with Columbia Road, not far from Great Northern. The space used to be a large farm market that has been made over into a spacious restaurant and brewery. The bar is in the front with a big dining room taking up the back room. The feeling is one of lots of space with the beamed ceiling and room between tables. Overall the look is nice and clean with a warm feeling. Of course there are TV's with sports playing, but less then at most bars around town. I sat at the bar, unfortunately since I was on the motorcycle I had to pass on having a beer; they offer a wide selection on tap, including both their own house brewed beers and other specialty beers. Instead I took a look at the menu of starters, pizza and sandwiches (go here to take a look). I settled on the Walleye sandwich; while there are some items, this menu caters to the carnivores. The walleye was an 9" sub bun with a couple of nice sized pieces of the fried fish lettuce and tomato served with a very good tarter sauce and a large helping of homemade potato chips. The fish was good, although some parts had a bit of a fishy taste which can happen with walleye. The overall portion was large and as I said the tarter sauce was one of the better ones I have tasted, with some nice bright flavor notes to compliment the fish. The chips were ok, unfortunately not that crisp despite being quite well cooked. For $9 a very big portion and quite filling and that seemed to be the norm here, watching other food come out Fathead seemed to tend towards the Flintstone's style portions of food, big and meaty. Overall a nice place, being a Pescatarian, I am probably not their key demographic. A good place to head if you want some quality beer and large portions of food at decent prices. Hopefully I will get back there and try some of the beers. Once again, I will remind you that if you like the blog, please consider making a donation to Bowl For Kids Sake for Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters; any amount would be welcome and more information is available at this post. Thank you.

La Dolce Vita - Little Italy Bistro

I know that it has been a little while since my last post; been back to some favorites (Tom's for Dim Sum, Ritchie Chan's for Chinese) and been doing some cooking at home. But I was down at Case Law School, my Alma mater for a CLE and I figured I would use the gift certificate I had for La Dolce Vita in Little Italy. I was lucky enough to pick up some discounted gift certificates from one of the radio websites a little while back, so I had $25 to spend, which is a good thing, since LDV is very good but a bit expensive. Located at 12112 Mayfield at the intersection of Murray Hill Road, LDV has expanded over the years to occupy several connected storefronts. Walking in the corner store I was quickly greeted a seated, by my choice, at the bar. The decor is a an eclectic mix of Italian, Opera, a mask collection (which really agrees with me) that all comes together into an welcoming combination of relaxed and romantic. The atmosphere is unique and I liked it a lot. The bartender was friendly and helpful, knowledgeable about the menu and the specials. After looking through the menu and the specials (menu can be seen here), I decided on getting the Lentil Soup and the Clams Tarantino. The soup took a while to come out, but when it did it was a nice bowl of lentils, carrots, onions and cherry tomatoes in a nice vegetable broth; a bit underseasoned, but a nice light bowl of soup. The Clams Tarntino was even better; a large portion of fresh pasta was topped with baby clams, thin slices of zucchini and the cherry tomatoes. The pasta was excellent, the clams were beautiful little (about fingernail sized) that were tender and delicious with the zucchini and tomatoes offering a nice contrast; I might say that the dish was a bit underseasoned, but considering how delicate the clams were more seasoning could have overpowered them. Then interesting thing was that while often the first taste is the best, in this case the flavor seemed to build the more I ate, with the last forkful and the sop afterwards being even more satisfying then the start. Accompanying the meal were a couple of fresh baked rolls and butter. With the soup being $5 and the pasta $19, this is certainly not the cheapest place in town, especially considering that salads and other sides are Ala carte, but the food is very good and distinctive, not your everyday Italian, the atmosphere is very good, especially if you are looking for some romance. While I wouldn't be hitting La Dolce Vita on a regular basis, this is certainly a restaurant that I would recommend especially for the right ocassion or if you are in the mood for some very good Italian food and the cost is less important. Finally, I will remind you that if you like the blog, you consider making a donation to Bowl For Kids Sake for Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters; any amount would be welcome and more information is available at this post. Thank you.

Angie's Soul Cafe - Soul Food Nirvana

So Thursday night proved that sometimes you can really turn it around when things start heading way downhill. I headed down to Case Western Reserve University for a lecture that I wanted to hear; unfortunately I looked at the wrong thing on my Calendar and got to CWRU just before 5:00 for a 6:30 lecture. My first thought was to head over to the Art Museum and check out the new building; I have been meaning to get there since they reopened and this seemed like a good time. Of course, my luck held true as the Museum closes at 5:00 on Thursdays. So its now on to the next plan, luckily I remember that I have a gift certificate for La Dolce Via in Little Italy. I manage to wend my way through rush hour traffic to Little Italy and find a spot not too far from the restaurant. Of course it can't be that easy, I get to the restaurant a little after 5:00 to find out that La Dolce Via doesn't open until 5:30. I just don't feel like waiting and don't want to rush through dinner to make the 6:30 lecture, so its time for a new plan yet again. Feeling foolish, frustrated and a bit tense I am almost ready to just head home and call it a day. I've manged to find two different parking spaces in University Circle and Little Italy, no easy task even with the motorcycle; at this point I want a sure thing, something easy, quick and good. Then I remember that I've been heard some very good things about Angie's Soul Cafe and I have been wanting to give it a try for a while. Despite rush hour traffic I manage to make it to 7804 Carnegie (map here) with no major problems and that is when everything started going really right. Angie's has been around for a while and received some very good reviews. Fairly recently they moved from on Cedar to a nice storefront on Carnegie near East 79th Street. For me this is almost like a homecoming as my Father used to have his office a couple of doors down this very block. Its probably been more then 40 years, but the block has not changed that much, the buildings are still the same and Lancer's is still right across the street. So its with a nice little feeling of nostalgia that I pull into the little lot next to Angie's. Angie's is a nice clean place with a couple of big windows looking out at street. There is a small steam table and counter where you order. The menu is straightforward and reasonable (go here to view it). Looking at the menu, I wish I was there on a Friday or Saturday for the Fish and Waffle special (and I will be heading back to try that), instead I decide on the Catfish Dinner which comes with 2 sides ($10.50). I choose mac and cheese and collard greens and settle into to my table for the short wait while they make my fish. What comes to my table is one of the best plates of food I have had in quite a while. The catfish is two large fillets, cornmeal breaded and perfectly fried. The fish is exceptionally good, with a nice crisp exterior that doesn't overpower the moist slightly sweet fish inside. I don't think that Catfish could be fried any better than this. I have been trying fish at a couple of the soul food places around town (The Seafood Place Plus and CJ's Carryout on Noble Road) and this is the kind of fish I have been dreaming of. The Mac and Cheese was just what I wanted a classic prepared in the traditional way. Tender elbow macaroni is blanketed in a nicely balanced cheese sauce and baked so that the middle is still soft while the outside is crispy. The cheese sauce was excellent, with a clear taste of natural cheese balanced to not be too heavy. I have never had Collard Greens before, luckily they were made without any meat in them (I checked) and were a great compliment to the other items on the plate. The greens were cooked low and slow, resulting in a deep mellow taste with just a hint of bitterness, yet still retaining much of their texture. A really nice contrast to the fish and the mac and cheese, I finished my nice sized portion of greens. Also on the plate were two very nice corn muffins. I passed on the desserts which are displayed by where you order, but they looked homemade and very good. Maybe next time. Service was friendly and efficient, the room is simple and clean, the food is outstanding. Not at all a fancy place, but they make you feel welcome. Angie's is not just a easy place to recommend, but exactly the kind of place that inspired this blog in the first place. I know a lot of people might have second thoughts about going to eat at 79th and Carnegie, but the neighborhood is not that bad and Angie's is well worth it. You really should consider giving Angie's a try. They also have a second location located in the Plaza at the intersection of Lee and Harvard Roads. Try something different and homey you will enjoy it.

Swensons Driveins - The update

I know that I just posted my review of Swensons Driveins a week ago, but after going back on Sunday after another hike at the Gorge Park, I tried and saw a lot more of the menu, and I am even more impressed. After yet another very nice hike in the Gorge, we headed over to Swensons with 4 people and 3 vehicles (2 cars & 1 motorcycle). Thanks to this we ended up with a much wider variety of food. Let me comment on what we had. I had the shrimp sampler, which was a very nice sized portion of fried shrimp. The shrimp were nicely breaded and well fried, they were hot and tasty. An interesting thing to note is that while most places, the fried shrimp is fairly uniform, here the shrimp had a bit of variety to them almost as if Swensons is doing their own shrimp rather then using a large commercial product. Good popcorn type of shrimp and a filling portion. I also had the Mint Whip drink, which is a combination of phospate water, mint syrup and ice cream then blended. The result is lighter then a regular milkshake and had a frothy texture with a refreshing minty flavor. A real winner. The steak salad was another winner. A large green salad came in a large bowl, topped with tomatoes, eggs, cheese and chopped steak. Of special note was the peppermill brought carside for fresh ground pepper, a very nice touch and not something I have seen at any other fast food place. Swensons seems to take their salads seriously, making them fresh to order and serving a very nice salad. Among the other items we had was a very nice looking sloppy joe and Watermellon and Key Lime milkshakes. I got to taste the Watermellon and it reminded me of the watermellon Jolly Rancher. Mindy, thought it was a different watermellon flavor and said that while she was not impressed at first, the flavor of it grew on her the more she drank. The shakes were clearly hand made, no soft serve machine here. I saved the best for last; the fried zuchini were exceptionally good. Strips of zuchini were breaded with Italian seasoning and then fried. The results were excellent, with the Italian seasonings perfectly setting off the delicate flavor of the zuchini. Mindy liked it with the ranch dressing, I thought that while the ranch was very good, it overpowered the delicate flavor combination that had been created. I will definately get more of the zuchini in the future and look forward to trying the mushrooms. After another visit to Swensons I am even more impressed. The menu offers alot of choices and the food is made fresh to order. Add to that a place that isn't afraid of adding flavors and spices to its food and you have a winning combination. Once again the young and friendly staff make the visit enjoyable. What more could you ask for from a fast food restaurant?

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.

LM Chinese - Mentor Takeout Plus

So if you've been reading the blog for a while you may know that I have a thing about Chinese takeout places; there are a ton of them, but I am always on the lookout for good ones that try to do things a bit differently. Two good examples are Richie Chans (review here) and Happy Buddah (review here). Well it looks like I have another one, LM Chinese at 7537 Mentor Avenue, Mentor, Ohio (map is here). Located in one of the strip malls near Great Lakes Mall, a couple of things attracted me to LM; I thought the name was a good sign, as in that it didn't have any dragons, China Gates, Lotus or other stereotypical names for these types of places. The sign was also good, as you can see from the menu it is a bit different and appears a bit more upscale. Once inside, the impression deepens as they obviously spent a bit more money and time on this place then the typical takeout. The front of LM is set with a few high quality tables and chairs, the walls have been paneled and a mirror runs along one wall. If not for the fact that the only thing that seperates the front from the kitchen area is the counter, I would probably consider this a very small Chinese restaurant rather than a takeout place. The menu itself is a bit different, with a bit more emphasis on each dishes, with the food grouped by protein. I have been there twice, trying the Kung Bo Shrimp and the Shrimp Lo Mein, with two very different impressions. Both dishes were well cooked and very nice portions, served on real plates with an eye towards presentation. However I found the Kung Bo to be a bit overpowering, not from a spiceness factor, but more from the sauce seemed a bit too concentrated in flavor and a bit one note. It seemed like it had been overreduced and the result was a very strong soy sauce flavor. On the other hand the Shrimp Lo Mein was excellent, with large shrimp stir and noodles stir fried to perfection. The dish came out dry with very subtle flavors, the addition of some chile oil I requested from the kitchen, made everything sing. It was the type of dish I would find in the finest Chinese Restaurants. So I am not quite sure of where LM is headed, I would like to see more of the approach I got in the Lo Mein, a subtle touch to the seasoning and a light touch all around. It is clear to me that LM is trying to serve a high quality product at affordable prices. Hopefully they can find an appreciative audience in the Mentor area.

Swensons Drive Ins - Akron Classic

So I was out in Cuyahoga Falls to take a hike in the Gorge Metropark, which by the way is a really nice park and well worth checking out (see the website here) and I was looking for a place to eat nearby. Well with Chapel Hill Mall and the other shopping centers nearby I figured it should be no problem; but I try to stay away from the usual chains. Luckily I noticed that there is a Swensons right by the entrance to the park, so since it had been a while I thought give them a try. For those who don't know Swenson's is a small Akron based chain of drive-ins that have been around since 1934. Swensons is a true drive-in; you park the car, or in my case motorcycle, a server brings you the menu takes your order and brings you the meal on a tray. That's right curbside service and eating in you vehicle still lives and thrives. Not only that but Swenson's actually has a fairly diverse menu (go here to see it) with burgers, other sandwiches, salads, fries, onion rings and lots of drinks, including some very unique ones. The menu and the place has a 50's feel, but they have added more modern things as well. I ended up getting a fish sandwich and an order of onion rings. For under $5 it was a nice meal. The fish was an actual filet nicely fried and served on a standard bun, overall freshly cooked and tasty. The onion rings were nice sized rings with a medium breading; tasty without being overly oily; a very good old fashion onion ring. I will be heading back when I am in the area to try the shrimp basket and some of the other sides like fried mushrooms or zucchini. I also want to try some of the different drinks; with 17 flavors of milkshakes, smoth-eees, phosphates and even drinks called California and Florida, it could take me a while to get through this menu. Some how the Mint Whip seems like it might be first on my list. The servers at Swensons are friendly and seem to be having fun, despite having to run alot to keep up. If you want to get away from the usual chains, or you want to get something a bit different, or heck you just feel like reliving Happy Days, give one of the Swensons locations a try (list of locations is here).

Trader Jacks Riverside Grill - Chagrin River Hangout

We went kayaking on the mouth of the Chagrin River (the livery website is here) and after a very enjoyable couple of hours paddling around exploring the marinas, the islands and the houses we headed over to Trader Jacks for some lunch. Located at 35901 Lake Shore Blvd, Willoughby (see map here), Trader Jacks sits just beneath Lake Shore Blvd as it heads over the Chagrin River and has a great view from its patios. For those familiar with most of the Chagrin River, you almost wouldn't recognize it at its mouth. The last mile or so this is a big river and it has marinas, large and small houses and just a whole different feel; sort of what you would expect from a South Florida area along the intercoastal. Trader Jacks kind of continues that feeling with a nice relaxed feel and attempts at upgrading the quality of its menu. Of the items we tried, everything seemed pretty good, the portions were large, the prices reasonable. The onion rings were good sized rings of onions with a breaded coating and deep fried. The Calamari was fresh cut and breaded before being fried as advertised. While all of this was just fine, there were not any exceptional flavors. I was a bit disappointed that the food, while well prepared, just didn't taste better. Don't get me wrong, nothing was bad, but by the same token nothing was exceptional. Especially with the amount of fried items, you just want that feeling of eating something that sends your taste buds into orbit. Service was interesting to say the least, while the food came out in a reasonable time, I had to request the mayo sauce to go with the Calamari, soup was sent out twice. Our server was a bit frazzled and seemed to have trouble understanding my question about what kind of broth was used to make the vegetable soup. The bottom line for Trader Jacks, really good location and they are obviously trying hard; giving big portions of pretty good food at reasonable prices. What I think they really need is someone with some culinary chops in the kitchen. If they could improve flavors, this could be a real gem. In any case I can highly recommend finding a nice day to paddle the Chagrin River.

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Confluence of Greatness

Last week I noticed that the new Five Guys (review is here) has opened up on Richmond Road across from Tri-C East in the same strip as DiBella's Subs (review here) (map is here). If you have read the past entries you will know that DiBella's is one of my current favorites for subs and that I have raved about Five Guys, especially the french fries. Well now I can easily combine the two; I can grab a tuna sub with hot and sweet peppers and then walk a couple of doors down and grab an enormous bag of hot, fresh tasty fries. Well that is of course what I did and it was really good. The cool tuna is nicely set off by the spicy hot peppers and complimented perfectly by the fries. Of course the one downside is I have to try to resist having this combination too often as I will end up fatter then I already am. I will have to work on it; in the meantime, we have another Five Guys open on the East Side and so far it is not as crowded as the Mayfield Heights location, plus there are some good subs just down the way if you are not in a burger mood. A great place to grab a lunch or a quick dinner.

Around the Corner Saloon - Lakewood Bar

I probably should have put this up sooner, but I was trying to figure out what to say about Around the Corner Saloon in Lakewood. We ended up there kind of by default; as we were headed out to see Little Shop of Horrors at the Beck on a Saturday. Unfortunately our first choice, Melt (review here) had an hour wait and then one of my friends did not want to Indian so India Garden was vetoed (review here). By this time we were just looking for something decent and fast, and that is pretty much what we got at Around the Corner. ATC is a bar right near the Lakewood/Rocky River border at 18616 Detroit Road (see map). They do have a very nice and big patio out in the back, so the setting was nice, even if the furniture was a bit rinky dink. The menu (see it here) is pretty much what you would expect, burgers, wings, bar foods, etc. There are a couple of surprises, such as the lettuce wraps with your choice of beef or chicken, but pretty much a Cleveland bar menu. So the question becomes how is the food? Well, it ended up being fairly typical bar food. I had the fish sandwich with fries; the fish was a nice sized portion of frozen fish, deep fried and topped with cheese. Pretty decent, but nothing memorable. The fries were crisp and well made, yet nothing special. My friend had the lettuce wrap and while there were alot of interesting possiblities, including jicima and a couple of sauces, nothing was really distinctive or special; a real questionable choice was to provide a pile of small Romain leaves as the lettuce wraps, not easy to wrap and just a bit wrong for the dish. The only item that stood out was the Tomato Florentine soup; a rich and thick soup with some nice flavoring and a good presentation; it almost seemed to come from a different kitchen. I should mention that sevice was OK, but that the kitchen sent the soup out twice and the lettuce wraps were about 15 minutes behind the rest of the meal. Things like this happen, but it is not good when you have to try really hard to get your waitresses attention as she is lounging by the bar to correct this. If you don't deliver your own food to your table, you should always check in to see that everything is right and there are no problems. Overall ATC is a nice bar, with a very nice patio; I would guess a great place to get you drink on, however it is probably not the best choice for dinner, especially given the other alternatives that are nearby. While nothing major to complain about, on the whole the food was just average. Just because a place is doing a fairly standard menu, does not mean that the food cann't be good.