Cleveland

DVM C. wrote:
>
> Robert S. wrote:
>
> >
> >I will be in Cleveland for a conference, and was wondering
> >if anyone had any suggestions for restaurants. They don't
> >necessarily need to be fancy, but should have outstanding food :)
> >(and/or a good beer selection).  Anything within walking distance
> >(or a short cab ride) of the Stouffer hotel is especically appreciated...
> >Also, does anyone know where the brewpub in Cleveland is (Great Lakes ?)
> >
> >Thanks!
>
> 	The Great Lakes Brewing Co. is very near the corner of Lorain
> Ave. and West 25th. It is indeed worth the effort. Multiple rich, full
> bodied brews and good food to go with it. Also right accross the street
> is the West Side Market, an ethnic farmers market for all kinds of
> produce and meat; worth a trip just to see it. Also, you can get some
> fruits to put in your hotel room for breakfast.
> 	Perhaps the best place in town is Sammy's on W. 10th near the
> Flats. Really uptown and great quiet jazz. Expensive.
> 	Piccolo Mondo is good, a bit pricey.
> 	Johnny's Downtown is old, rich Italian ambience. The original
> Johnny's on Fulton Rd. is just excellent, but the new one is still
> working on it.
> 	Sans Souci in Stouffer's is quite good.
> 	There is a very nice, very good Italian restaurant in the Galleria
> on 9th Street. Cannot think of the name, but it is not the 9th St. Grill which
> is the other one there.
> 	If you want a more neighborhood place with down-home delights, try
> Snicker's on W. 73rd near Madison.
> 	Piperade just behind the Terminal Tower is supposed to be quite
> good but I haven't been there yet.
> 	Go to the Flats for fun.
> --
> 			DBC   (aka D.B. Cameron, DVM  aa266)
>
> 			"Take your work seriously, but not yourself."
>

Here are phone numbers that might be handy.
Convention and Visitors Bureau (can order thru them) 621-4110 Toll free visitor info  1-800-321-1004 Fun phone (weekly events)  621-8860
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The following is a collection of Cleveland Restaurant recommendations from local residents.  Some are repeated as no attempt has been made to produce a unified list.  Directions and addresses can be supplied upon request.

******************************************************************************* [email removed]   Larry Fishbach @ NASA Lewis Cleveland Ohio "Everything here is my own opinion"   Quoth the Maven "Evermore"
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>Chinese
>Hunan on Coventry
>Gourmet of China
>Bo Long
>Golden Dragon
>
>Thai
>Paul's Siam
>
>Japanese
>Shujiro
>
>Greek
>Mad Greek
>
>European
>Sutters
>
>American +
>Proud Pony
>
>Gourmet
>Classics
>
>Seafood
>Watermark
>
The absolute best, IMHO, is Luchita's on W.117th just south of Lorain (NOT the Luchita's in Rocky River).  They have great moles, both dark and green.  It's tough to find mole on a menu around here, let alone a good one.  But everyone seems to have their own favorite.  You might also try El Xochimilco, somewhere on West Blvd. (also south of Lorain).
>
>

Actually El Xochimilco is on W. 105th after it does a wierd "X" intersection with West Blvd.

Another good one is El-Jacal at 10010 Madison Ave. They serve Mole! Also try Villa Y Zapata at 8505 Madison Ave. There is an excellent Indian Restaurant on (thank heaven) the West side.  It's Bombay Express at 26709 Brookpark Road Extension in North Olmstead.  It looks inside like a fast food place but close your eyes and *taste* (this IS a food SIG-not a decorator's SIG.)

It's open ONLY on Friday, Saturday and Sunday or limited hours. Not exactly Indian,  but have you tried Ali Baba's at about W 120th & Lorain??  Vegetarian and Lebonese food, all freshly prepared, also take-out is available.  The food is great, and the prices are very very reasonable.

Subject: ALL YOU CAN EAT
Date: Wed Sep 26 01:23:07 1990

So far I have:
  Ponderosa
  Country Buffett
  Ground Round        fish wed and fri
  Olive Garden        dinner salad
  Duff's
  Wendy's             salad bar
  Big Boy             seafood bar
                      breakfast bar - not at breakfast,
                                      in the middle of the night,
                      salad bar - but I wouldn't get it
  Arby's              salad bar?

drinks:
  Taco Bell
  Burger King
  Subway
  Denny's             iced tea.

RAX - south of cleveland in northfield center on route 8
      on wednesday and friday's all you can eat for $3.95

Varga's Pizza Shop - monday nights in richmond hts
      $3.95/all you can eat pizza and salad bar
      best kept secret in town - not anymore!

I've eaten in Italian restaurants across the country, in Northeastern Canada, and Norther Italy and am pleased to say the best Italian restaurant is in my own humble town of Cleveland, Ohio.  It's called Johnny's Bar, and is a small, dark place in w working class section of the city.  Deceptively expensive considering the outside, but the seafood and pasta dishes are tremendous.  Cherry walnut duck appetizers are great, and I don't think you could go wrong on the menu at all. WE HAVE FOUND THAT THE BEST THAI CUISINE IN THIS AREA IS AT "PAULS SIAM CUISINE" ON LEE ROAD IN CLEVELAND HTS. WE HAVE VISITED THAILAND AND THIS IS AS AUTHENTIC AS THAI FOOD CAN GET. THERE PHONE NUMBER IS 371-9575 THE ADRESS IS 1918 LEE RD.
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Here is my recommendations:

Thai food:
---------
If your friend is also from Columbus, the Thai rest. here in Cleveland will be at best--mediocre--compared to the ones in Columbus. There aren't that many Thai rest.; so the best will be: Paul's Siam Cuisine, Cleveland Hts. (Warning: I have never been there since they changed ownership in this past 2-3 months, used to be the best though, and crowded on weekends!)

Another one to try: Taste of Thailand, 5136 Mayfield Rd.-- little less expensive than Paul's.

Indian food:
-----------
My Indian friend only goes to:
The Mad Greek restaurant at the corner of Fairmount and Cedar.
	(moderate to expensive)
Saffron Patch, 20600 Chagrin Blvd. -- expensive

Chinese food:
------------
Bo Loong, downtown location, authentic Chinese food (including dim-sum)
	slightly expensive
Hunan Gourmet at downtown Tower City location -- expensive There's one small rest. at the corner of E 32 and Payne -- serve good
	authentic Chinese food, and not expensive
	(unfortunately, never remember the name, it's in downtown!) For American type Chinese food: look at the yellow pages, they're
	all pretty much the same :-)

I'd like to recommend also a small Vietnamese restaurant:
	Minh Anh, at Detroit Rd. (west side), cheap, good food.

Continental cuisine:
-------------------
That Place on Bellflower, University Circle area -- moderately priced. Pier W, food is good, nice location, and moderately expensive.

Italian food:
------------
Mama Santa, in little Italy, the food is okay, but it's cheap! Porcelli's, in little Italy also, moderately expensive, but good food.

First off - the chinese. I have a Chinese friend, whose parents have tried to find good, AUTHENTIC Chinese food in Cleveland.  Mind you, good food and authentic food are not necessarily the same to many people.  With that in mind there are three recommendations that she would make if she were here.

1) Foo Do
2) Le wa's
3) Bo long's

For my tastes the food is INCREDIBLE.  However, I am afraid to go without this friend of mine. She is able to order food within the bounds of reason- ie. not TOO wierd.  Most of the clientelle is asian, and i'm sure that most of the waiters would be much happier with cantonese than with midwestern.

There are a couple of other recommendations that I would make.  Try "The Pearl of the Orient" at Van Aken shopping center in Shaker hts. They are VERY popular.  Also try Peking, in the shopping center near the intersection of Cedar and Warrensville.

I can only name the Indian restaurants. I'm not quite capable enough to make recommendations.  As far as I know there are six restaurants that have indian food in the area: Bombay Bistro - nothing incredible - but Indian food can't be BAD. Saffron Patch - Also in shaker hts.  its on Chagrin Blvd. in a
	building designed by Walter Gropius. I've only been there once
	myself, but I hear good things about them from other people Taj Mahal - on mumble mubmle South Taylor.  I remember thinking highly
	of them.
The Taj Mahal is actually on Coventry on Mayfield.  I'd give it a so-so review.

The Indian restaurant on South Taylor is Cafe Tandoor.  I've never been there but have consistently heard good things about it.

If you're on the west side, there is Bombay Express on Brookpark Ext. (near Great Northern Mall).  _Excellent_, but a bit pricey IMO.

As far as Thai, there is Taste of Thailand on Mayfield Rd. (nothing to shout about) and Paul's Siam Cuisine on Lee at Superior (I've heard inconsistent reviews).  Unfortunately, Cleveland is not a mecca for Thai food.  It ain't even a minor shrine.

Other Cleveland area restaurants I'd recommend in other categories:

  -- Piccolo Mondo, West 6th at St. Clair.  "South American Italian"
is how they describe themselves; I call them just plain GREAT.  Pasta dishes and wood-grilled entrees and pizzas.  Super desserts.  And reasonably priced, too.  My current favorite Cleveland eat.

  -- If you want straight ahead Italian, Mama Santa's in Little
Italy (Mayfield Rd.) is my choice for homemade pasta.

  -- For great Mexican, go west.  Luchita's on W 117th just south of
Lorain is closely followed by El Jacal on Madison at W 100th.

  -- And if you want to do it up all the way, the Ritz-Carlton has the
greatest restaurant in town.  Forget Sammy's. ----------------------------------------------------------------------

1) Go to the flats (an area in downtown Cleveland) that has a large selection of bars,
   restaurants and night-life.  You can find everything from a 50's style diner to seafood,
   to fancy restaurants.

2) Go to Ohio City area and you can find a good selection of ethnic (especially german)
   restaurants.

3) Murray Hill (Little Italy) has many Italian places of course.

4) If you venture outside of the city proper into the suburbs there are many choices, Mimi's
   for ribs, Corky & Lenny's for deli, Friday's for continental, and many more.

>The BEST restaurant in the area is The Barricelli Inn at the corner of

I had dinner at the Barricelli last month, and agree that it is excellent. We spent > $100/person, but we went no-holds-barred on the wine selections.

You might also consider En Provence on Cedar at Lee (Cleveland Heights), which I can't speak for it personally, but which has a strong reputation in the provincial French area.

If you're willing to venture into the city, have dinner at the Ritz-Carlton. I'd give the Ritz an edge over the Barricelli.  Right downtown in Tower City.  Be sure to check out the port selection.

Giovanni's Ristorante  in Beachwood----quite close to Shaker Hts.

Piperade--continental and truly different--downtown Cleveland

Greetings. Of course there is Lopez y Gonzalez (Lee Rd at Washington, Cle Hts), which to me is the ONLY place doing REAL Mexican food (altho I haven't been to many others around town)...their former head chef and the gentleman responsible for setting up their menu was Rick Bayless, now of Chicago, who with his wife wrote "Authentic Mexican", a FANTASTIC Mexican cookbook, compiled from when they lived in Mexico, many of the recipes are straight from street vendors and restaurants down there.

Been a while since I was there, but remember the food was great.  I do remember tacos al carbon, with huge flour tortillas...excellent.  Will have to get back there sometime, but I look forward to trying Cantina as well. A couple other good restaurants

Cafe Brio - Mayfield Rd. just west of Brainard, Lyndhurst. Italian. Expensive.

100th Bomb Group - Grayton and Brookpark, just off 480 and across from NASA and the airport, Cleveland. Moderate. I *love* this restaurant -- it's one of a kind.

Reservations recommended at both places.

******************************************************************************* [email removed]   Larry Fishbach @ NASA Lewis Cleveland Ohio "Everything here is my own opinion"   Quoth the Maven "Evermore"
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