Eating BIG in Cleveland - Part 2

Eating like a local:
Regional food specialties
- Return to The Land

We spent a couple nights in Cleveland last Thanksgiving. The reason for our visit was to spend the holiday with some of Erica’s family that resides in Akron but we always choose to stay in Cleveland since there’s a bit more going on in terms of the food and fun. It’s a trip we’ve made before though it had been a few years since our last visit. From what I could tell the local food scene seems to be getting better with each passing visit. I had quite a few spots on my radar but it was a pretty short trip. We drove up early morning on Thanksgiving day and spent two nights at the Kimpton in downtown Cleveland. I always enjoy these little jaunts to the Land as nicknamed by local hip hop artists and the one and only LeBron James who could be scheming a return home to finish off his career. If so that would make for a fun story and an interesting roster of both old and new which is also how I would describe the dining scene in Cleveland right now. There's a nice mix of both old and new to explore.

Pics from Cleveland
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Ferris Shawarma

We rode into Ohio early Thursday morning so there wasn’t much open as far as restaurants go. That said one of my favorite food stops in Cleveland was open last time I was here on Thanksgiving and that would be all I needed. Ferris Shawarma serves up Syrian style shawarma that just might be the best I’ve had in the States. You can tell this place is the real deal as soon as you walk in and see their tall and pristinely kept cones of meat which are clearly made from scratch as you can see it’s stacked layer by layer. They serve their shawarma wraps “Arabic style” which is mixed with garlic sauce plus pickles and cut into smaller bite sized pieces. I love this place. The Northeast Ohio area actually has some very good Middle Eastern food which is likely a spillover from nearby Dearborn Michigan.

Chicken Shawarma at Ferris Shawarma
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European's Best Restaurant & Bakery (Strongville)

The day after Thanksgiving is actually one of my favorite days of the year. It’s kind of holiday in and of itself and it’s always on a Friday so there’s good vibes to go with it. I like to get up early and go treat myself to a nice breakfast. I made sure to scout a spot before we left and I found exactly what I was looking for in the suburb of Strongville. European's Best Restaurant & Bakery is a real locals type of place that regulars call “Cheers without the beers” - the type of spot where everyone knows each other. I could feel this on my visit where there were a few groups of older guys scattered about and they all seemed to know one another stopping to chat as they passed each other. The menu here has all the stuff you expect to find at a diner as well as some Old World Eastern European plates. I was there for the pork schnitzel breakfast plate made with a lightly breaded and fried pork loin topped with house made paprikas sauce served with two eggs plus home fries and toast and it really hit the spot. This is the type of place where you get a paper placemat with advertising from local businesses and you go up to the front counter to pay. That’s also where the pastry case is strategically placed. I took a few Hungarian mini strudels to-go and was on my way back into the city. But not before taking a minute to take in what was probably the most NE Ohio dining experience I’ve ever partaken in. 

Pork Schnitzel Breakfast Plate at European's Best Restaurant & Bakery
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Martha On The Fly

Next I had to get the wife fed so I rolled back to the hotel to grab her and we were on our way to Martha on the Fly. This micro diner is known for their breakfast sandwiches which some say are the best in Cleveland. She opted for “The Pearl” which is made with a Mushroom sausage patty, avocado spread, American cheese, Martha's Sunshine Sauce and a fried egg. All sandwiches here are served on soft and semi sweet brioche buns which aren’t my favorite but I did enjoy the bite I tried. The made on site mushroom patty was very good. We also got a potato crispie which is a golden skillet fried hash brown served with Sunshine Sauce - it was nice and crisp if a bit oily. Cute spot to start the day. 

Breakfast at Martha On The Fly
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Mama Santa's Pizzeria

I took a ride into Cleveland’s historic Little Italy to try the pizza at the locally loved Mama Santa’s. I walked in around 12p and there was a line 25+ deep with a few large families in it - usually a good sign. After about a 15 minute wait I was led into a long, narrow and dimply lit dining room where every table had pizza and pastas on it. I went ahead and placed my order as soon as I sat down - one small sausage pizza with green pepper and an order of the made on site cavatelli with meatballs. No Great Lakes Christmas Ale here so I got a bottle of their Dortmunder German Lager instead. Loyalists of Mama Santa’s mention the crust and the dough as its strengths and the deeply dark cheese is also of note but the pizza here is kind of its own thing. It’s interesting bc Cleveland is a big pizza town with lots of options, both old and new, but there isn’t a specific regional style so it’s never mentioned among the country’s best pizza enclaves. That said Mama Santa’s is Cleveland’s most popular pizzeria so there do seem to be a few copycats out there. The pasta had good texture and came mixed with a standard red sauce and two medium sized meatballs - not bad. Overall a satisfying old school Italian American meal in that warm you up on a cold winter day sort of way. Since 1961. 

Lunch at Mama Santa's
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Clubhouse Restaurant + Bar

As you probably know by now I like to seek out the regional food of whatever area I’m in. The Northeast Ohio region is home to quite a few Old World Eastern European dining destinations. You’ll find a handful of them in the suburbs of Parma and Parma Heights including Clubhouse Restaurant + Bar. It's described as a modern European bar and restaurant but it felt old school to me. Stepping inside felt like going back to the 70’s / 80’s. It was dimly lit with a round bar and worn down walls with a nostalgic feel to it. Clubhouse is locally loved for a mix of things like their fish sandwich and a few Eastern Euro dishes too including their signature Chicken Paprikash which many call the best in the area. It’s rich and creamy with thick strips of white meat chicken and chunks of spaetzle mixed in. 

Chicken Paprikash at Clubhouse Restaurant + Bar 
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Amba

We were in town for two nights but one of those nights was Thanksgiving so we really only had one night to go out. As far dinner goes there were two spots I wanted to check out so we went ahead and did a 1-2 punch. First stop: Amba, a very stylish restaurant ran by Douglas Katz’s Edgewater Hospitality Group - he was nominated for James Beard ‘Restauranteur of the Year’ award not long after our visit. Diners indulge in shareable Indian inspired plates and unique cocktails in a cozy and intimate setting. We started with an order of the clay bread and added some dipping agents like a cool and creamy raita and some nice and chunky chili crunch too. We also got the namesake Amba which is a delightfully tangy condiment made from pickled mango. From there we moved on to an order of the crispy pani puri which at Amba is a mix of potato salad, zhug raita, tamarind, and green onion placed into a Crisp puri shell. Head Chef / Owner Douglas Katz also has a Middle Eastern small plate restaurant and you can tell that it rubbed off on the food at Amba. From there we moved onto the Pilau which is made up of basmati rice, quinoa, saffron, almonds, raisins, herbs, fried onions. The rice was cooked really well which is half the battle with a rice focused dish. We found all of the sauces we ordered with the pita to work really well mixed into the rice as well. We ended with a plate of Ghee Basted Shrimp which were described on the menu as having ginger, garam masala, lime, and coconut. This dish was a winner and a great way to end a good meal. The shrimp were plump and there was a lot of flavor in the sauce. I would gladly go back and spin the wheel on the menu again.

Dinner at Amba
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Cordelia

Our second dinner of the night was at another James Beard nominated place - Cordelia. We met up with some of Erica’s cousins at this hip and happening spot located in the middle of the downtown entertainment district. Cordelia is helmed by Akron native Vinnie Camino who was included in a 2025 Food & Wine list naming the best new chefs in the country. He was also a 2024 finalist in the 'Best Chefs: Great Lakes' category of the James Beard awards. Camino and his team mix heartfelt hospitality with community-rooted cooking with the menu at Cordelia being an ode to the chefs Midwestern roots - it's been described as “modern Midwest grandma cooking”. They use local farmers and push the regions food legacy into a modern setting with dishes like popcorn gnocchi and the signature Jojos - a regional type of seasoned, deep-fried potato wedge very popular in parts of the Midwest (and Portland Oregon too). The menu switches up based on the seasons so most of what we ate is no longer available but we all enjoyed apps of smoked whitefish and house fried rinds with ranch. We also got a salad geared after the extra large ones you find at old school pizzerias across the Midwest. I heard very good things about the burger box which is what they call their White Castle inspired burger served on an everything-spiced Japanese milk bun that can be separated into four pieces making it a good appetizer. It’s a double smash creation also inspired by Hamburger Station, an old school spot serving sliders in Akron. The burger is dressed with smoked cheddar cheese crust, pickle, onion, house sauce. As far as higher end burgers go this was a good one! All in all Cordelia is a great pick if you got one dinner in Cleveland and want to eat at a spot that personifies the city. 

Dinner at Cordelia
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Patron Saint

Drinks and snacks at Patron Saint ended up being a real pleasant surprise. They offer an all-day menu of Italian-inspired cafe dishes paired with espresso, spritzes, and warm Midwestern hospitality. The menu isn’t entirely vegetarian but it’s mostly veggie with just a couple of meat offerings. Erica had an excellent broccoli melt made up of roasted broccoli, provolone, giardiniera, and Calabrian chili aioli on a leavened sesame seeded hoagie roll. The bread was really good as was what was inside of it. I tried the chickpea piadina and it was also excellent. They mix ground chickpeas with fresh snow peas, and sun-dried tomatoes, wrapped in a warm pita with aioli + eggplant conserva. This was one of the best vegetarian meals I ate all year. It was Italy quality in that all of the ingredients were top notch. 

Broccoli Melt

Chickpea Piadina
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Larder Delicatessen and Bakery

Cleveland is a corned beef town but I had my sights set on some pastrami this trip. The last time we had visited Cleveland I stopped in at what was then a newly opened deli called the Larder Delicatessen and Bakery. It’s a new school deli that set up shop in old city firehouse. My initial visit was just ok. I left underwhelmed, but they were also new and a lot can change over a three or four year period so I returned on this trip as I had heard good things from people that would know what’s up. I came back to a packed restaurant - it’s not that big to begin with but this is clearly a popular spot with Clevelanders. While they do have a deli case with different stuff to pack up and put in your fridge the crowds are mostly here for the made to order food such as the pastrami melt. The first time I tried the pastrami from here it was a bit too tough resulting in a tough to eat sandwich but my return visit was a different story completely. The pastrami was much more tender this time around. It was exceptionally spiced and the sandwich as a whole was near flawless with excellent bread and a perfect toasting job to boot. As good as the sandwich was, and it was awesome, the fresh cut fries were an even bigger surprise. Simply put some of the best fries I’ve ever had. Now I can see why this place is so popular. Word on the street is they’re also a big part of the community too. Cool spot!

Pastrami Sandwich and Fries at Larder Delicatessen and Bakery
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Marie's Restaurant

The four-decades-old Marie's Croatian restaurant in the St. Clair-Superior area is what it is, and what it has always been: a no-frills Eastern European restaurant. I had a hard time deciding what to get at this Cleveland timewarp serving old world favorites like cabbage rolls, cevapi, city chicken. In the end I got the house goulash with dumplings which some say is the best goulash in Cleveland and beyond. The beef was fine but the dumplings were a textural pleasure. Next time I'd try the cabbage rolls.

Beef Goulash with Dumplings at Marie's Restaurant
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Farka's Pastry Shoppe

Last stop before heading home was Farka’s Pastry Shoppe for a couple of their signature Napoleon Pastries. There’s a handful of fantastic European bakeries in the Greater Cleveland area including this terrific Hungarian spot specializing in Napoleons or Krémes as they’re commonly called in Hungary. These tasty squared treats consist of layers upon layers of crisp and golden puff pastry with a hefty amount of vanilla custard sandwiched in between. Make sure you wipe your nose off after eating one of these so that you’re not mistaken for a rabid cocaine user. That’s it for this trip!

Napoleons at Farka's Pastry Shoppe
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Previous Posts You Might Like -

Eating BIG in Cleveland (2021)

Eastern European Food in Northeast Ohio (2018)

The Burgers of Akron (2015)
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See ya next time @chibbqking

Eating BIG in Cleveland

Eating like a local:
Regional food specialties
- Where to eat in The CLE 

I have another post that's been a few years in the making. Cleveland is a classic Midwest city. My trips there have reminded me of visits to other Midwest meccas such as Milwaukee and Detroit, even St. Louis in some ways like each of those cities respective Italian neighborhoods feeling similar. One thing that Chicago is lacking in compared to those cities I just mentioned is old school charm. Chicago looks and feels very different than it did when I was a kid in the 80's and 90's. I know this bc visits to places like Cleveland sometimes remind me of the old Chicago I grew up in. I'm not saying Cleveland is comparable to Chicago or that it's as bad as Joakim Noah said it was. I'm just saying it's an interesting place to me, a lifelong Midwesterner by way of Chicago. Surprisingly this is the first report I've posted on an area we get to for Thanksgiving due to some family on my wife's side that live out here. Though Ohio hasn't been covered as much as other Midwest states like Wisconsin and Indiana there's still been some interesting stuff I've done up including this 2018 post about the Eastern European food scene in NE Ohio or there was also this 2105 post featuring the burgers of Akron. There's been reports out of Cincinnati and Columbus too as well as random stops like spots along Lake Eerie for lake perch. Click 'Ohio' under tags to see all previous posts from the Buckeye State. 

Sights from Cleveland

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George's Kitchen

George's has been our Thanksgiving morning stop the last couple times we drove to Cleveland on Thanksgiving day. It's west of the city so it's a place you can stop at pretty easily on the drive in. Cleveland and the rest of the rust belt in general has a ton of options like this. The Greek owned diner type spots where you can score an assortment of different dishes. George's makes their corned beef hash in house and seeing how CBH is maybe my favorite breakfast it's the main reason why I decided to stop here. So I could try their version. It's a finely ground blend with about equal parts potato and hash. I've never met a housemade corned beef hash that I didn't like but there was better yet to come. On the other end of the spectrum of what brought me into George's Kitchen was the fact they also serve lake perch sandwiches, another popular regional treat in the area. I cant remember if she asked if I wanted cheese or not but you usually don't see cheese on a lake perch sandwich but I'm also not opposed to cheese on a more typical fried fish sandwich so this wasnt a problem for me. 

Breakfast at George's Kitchen 
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Ferris Restaurant 

Here's another good option for a meal on your way into Cleveland (provided you're coming from Chicago). Ferris Shawarma is one of the best shawarma spots in the States by my estimates. They had large spits of shawarma the size you usually see in other countries. They must sell a ton of shaved meat based off both the size of the spit and also the quality of it. Don't sleep on Cleveland! 

Shawarma at Ferris Restaurant 

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Mazzone & Sons Bakery 

I always have to stop at a spot like this wherever it is I am. The old Italian delis and bakeries and pizzerias of yesteryear are a dying breed here in the States. It's not that Italian spots aren't opening anymore but the older spots like Mazzone & Sons have a look and atmosphere all their own. You cant just create it overnight. This spot has been a part of the city since 1937. They make a variety of things but the bakery pizza is what keeps Clevelander's coming back. It's served at room temp and I tried a slice of sausage and it was pretty good. I'll always appreciate the unique spots like this place. 

Pizza at Mazzone & Sons Bakery 
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Hot Sauce Williams Barbecue

It's not a complete trip to Cleveland without at least one Polish Boy. It's the city's signature regional snack and Hot Sauce Williams Barbecue is always mentioned when discussing where to find the city's best Polish Boy. It's a locally made smoked kielbasa that's put into a bun and topped with lots of coleslaw and fries and then slathered with barbecue sauce. A specialty the city calls it own and many residents will lead you here not just for a Polish Boy but bbq too. You have to indulge in at least one.   

Polish Boy at Hot Sauce Williams 
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Mister Brisket 

There seems to be a ton of spots like Mister Brisket in and around the Cleveland area. It's an old school business that sits in an old Cleveland building which they rehabbed for retail purposes. This is a common theme that gives the city that old school feel I mentioned above. Mister Brisket is a butcher shop / deli and it's the type of place I can tell you isn't in existence in Chicago anymore. Yet there's quite a few places like this in Cleveland. The corned beef sandwiches are sliced to order. Excellent. 

Corned Beef Sandwich from Mister Brisket 
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LJ Shanghai

There is no Chinatown in Cleveland, or Little Vietnam etc. But there is an Asiantown with quite a few interesting options including this spot pushing food from Shanghai. I decided to go with a couple Shanghainese classics in the scallion oil noodles and the made to order xiao long bao (soup dumplings). Both were much better than I was expecting but I probably sold the place short. It’s pretty cool seeing the American perception of Chinese food inching closer to the real thing. No way you could get XLB in the Rust Belt twenty some years ago. So what’s next? Donkey Burgers?

Noodles and Dumplings at LJ Shanghai 
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Salt +

We went to Salt + in the Lakewood neighborhood on our first trip and made it a point to return on our visit a year later. I imagine we'll stop through next time we're in town too if we're staying a couple nights. It's a small plates chef driven spot that always has an interesting menu which is more than you can say for alot of other trendy places in town. It's location away from downtown assures this isn't a spot catering to folks going to a sporting event. The menu is broken down into vegetable, fish, meat and it changes by the seasons. So even though what you see below is likely long gone from the menu I can assure you that this is the type of spot I'd be happy to have in my neighborhood so consider it pretty good for Cleveland and really just a nice meal in general. Not a ton to choose from out here. 

Small Plates at Salt +
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Steve's Diner 

Steve's Diner is alot like the coney shops that inhabit SE Michigan. It's a spot open around the clock where you can get anything from breakfast to hot dogs with chili fries and such. I stopped through in the after hours one night and the crowd was similar to those I've seen at the Detroit style coney diners. Chili dogs with mustard and onion or topped cole slaw have been the main draw since 1955. 

Chili Dog and Slaw Dog at Steve's Diner 
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Big Al's Diner 

Cleveland seems to be a great breakfast city. There's lots of spots for it's blue collar workers to fill up for the day. Big Al's Diner was a common result when I went searching online for the city's best corned beef hash. It's a popular breakfast dish in these parts as you can imagine. Big Al's sits in one those renovated buildings I mentioned upthread. It's a quaint sized spot and popular on the weekends. You already know what I was here for and it was some of the best corned beef hash I've come across. I tend to include green pepper / jalapeno in mine at home so this was right up my alley. 

Corned Beef Hash at Big Al's Diner 
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Frank's Bratwurst 

Like seemingly every other major Midwestern city, they have an old public market in Cleveland. Save for Chicago you can find one of these in pretty much all urban cities in the Midwest. Historic buildings that have housed vendors of some sort for decades on end. The West Side Market is to Cleveland as Soulard Market is to St. Louis or the Eastern Market is to Detroit and so on. Frank's Bratwurst was the stall that I most wanted to try (they had some good looking butchers and stuff too). They've been selling fresh grilled brats here for 40 years and they make a terrific all pork brat. Wisconsin quality. 

Bratwurst from Frank's Bratwurst 
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Nate's Deli & Restaurant 

Like SE Michigan Cleveland and Northeast Ohio has a decent sized Lebanese and Syrian population and Nate's Deli caught my eye with it's menu featuring Cleveland favorites like corned beef and shawarma. Another item that caught my eye were the non-vegan grape leaves which you rarely see in Chicago though are a favorite of mine when in Dearborn Michigan outside of Detroit. They're rolled with a very small amount of ground beef on top of the standard rice and served warm as opposed to cold. I love this dish and try to order it whenever I see it offered somewhere. These hit the spot. 

Grape Leaves at Nate's Deli 
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Superior Restaurant 

All due respect to Detroit and Milwaukee but Cleveland is the Capitol of Corned Beef, USA. You need more than two hands to count all the spots out here specializing in it. I haven't been able to get over to the more well known Slyman's Restaurant and Deli due to the fact when we visit they're always closed on both Thanksgiving and the following day which is always a Friday and then it's standard they're closed on the weekend. But there's plenty of other spots where you can get a corned beef sandwich that takes two hands to hold. Not just that but I feel like most of them serve a pretty similar product or at least it looks that way from pictures. I chose to check out Superior Restaurant due to good reviews and also just the looks of the place which from up above doesn't really look like a diner but it's a full fledged breakfast shack that feels from another era. It's reminiscent of similar eateries in Detroit as far as looks and menu goes. The corned beef sandwich was excellent. Will return for sure. 

Corned Beef Sandwich at Superior Restaurant 
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Sabor Miami Cafe & Gallery 

Regular readers probably know I'm picky when it comes to Cuban sandwiches. It's hard to find a great one outside of Florida. So I usually just make my own a couple times a year. Well my wife wanted a sandwich or something before we headed home on one of our visits and I found this cute little Cuban spot in a random part of town for her. The sandwich was pretty good, not great, but better than many. 

Cuban Sandwich at Sabor Miami Cafe & Gallery 
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Old Fashion Hot Dogs

Sadly I just learned that our final stop here in Cleveland recently closed and that's too bad bc Old Fashion Hot Dogs was a classic stand that I enjoyed visiting on both of my visits. The type of place where the grease was forever embedded into the windows and the walls. They had the hotdogs on a roller in the front window just like so many other old time spots did and still do. The chili dogs were the big draw to this 24 hour diner that served folks from all walks of life. It opened in 1928 and was the type of place that most people who live in Cleveland had visited at least once. But like so many other spots it's going the way of condos. At a time you could find a spot like this in every Midwest town. 

Chili Dog and Slaw Dog (with chili) at Old Fashion Hot Dogs
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See ya next time @chibbqking