Quick Bites in the Heights

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Lately I've been more inclined to try places that I've driven past a hundred times, but never actually stopped at. I've heard about the patio at Lopez Bar and Grill as being an exceptional place to enjoy a margarita on a balmy summer evening. A Touch of Italy sits across Chagrin Blvd from the Heinen's I go to every week - yet I've never stopped. Mama Joyce's Soul Food serves daily lunch specials during the week with prices that give you serious pause for thought. Clyde's Bistro & Barroom has - to the dismay of some and the glee of others - received a face lift. All worthy candidates, yet repeatedly jilted.

There are no more excuses. Step aside Menu 6 (some big time restaurant.com deals here). You'll have to wait Dante. Chinato? Back of the line.

It's time to roll up my sleeves, crawl into the mine, and dig up some diamonds.

Clyde's Bistro & Barroom is an old dining car that has been recently updated and perhaps gussied up a bit from its past incarnations. Judging by what I had read there were some mixed opinions on what they had done to the old lady. Admittedly I had never seen the building dressed in the clothes of her former self, but I will say that the food here does match the decor. Clearly the whole diner thing was not working at the location. In the end it is about making money.

Clyde's serves a similar menu to what you might find at Champp's (yeah, they're special - they get two p's). The menu is a full on mixture of american and comfort foods. Portions are large enough to where a normal person is able to finish their entree and not feel like they just gained ten pounds. Not that there are to0 many patio kind of days left, but Clyde's does offer a patio that is pleasantly guarded from the traffic noise on Lee Rd.

On the night we went, the median age appeared to be somewhere in the range of 60-65. This isn't an dig on the establishment - just an observation. I'm hoping the place isn't empty in the winter when they all go to FLA.

I recommend the Cubana Panini. Should you feel so inclined to go there is a good deal on restaurant.com gift certificates for Clyde's here.

Clyde's Bistro & Barroom
1975 Lee Rd
Cleveland Heights, OH 44118
(216) 321-7100
www.clydesbistrocleveland.com



I'm not sure why I've never felt the need to go to Lopez Bar and Grill at Cedar Lee, but the beautiful summer night presented the prime patio weather. Feeling the need to try something new, Regina suggested going to Lopez. She had never been - and neither had I - so Lopez it was.

The first thing I noticed as we walked through the front door was the decor. A southwest color scheme is put forth, but without all of the kitschy touches one would typically expect at a Mexican restaurant. The patio is integrated into the physical restaurant via opened doors and windows. Typically in Cleveland, the dining room and the patio are two very separate areas due to the cold weather we have here, but Lopez does a nice job of combining the two.

I don't remember her name but our server was very attentive. (You'd know her if you saw her because her arms were incredible for a woman her age. Just sayin'.) If I had any gripe it was that the margarita was a little skimpy for the price (half off from 5-9 on Tues. + Thurs). What wasn't skimpy was the unbelievable size of the guacamole sampler. This behemoth of an appetizer consists of traditional, bacon + pineapple, and blue cheese + sage - my favorite being the bacon + pineapple. This could easily be shared by four people.

Arriving with eyes bigger than my stomach and ordering my entree before I saw the size of the appetizer, I went with the pulled pork "wet burritos". This combination of spicy pork, black beans, and jack cheese was presented in such a way that there was a good ratio of meat to tortilla. Nothing makes a carnivore angrier than an out of whack M:T ratio that is heavily skewed toward T. Combined with the appetizer and a skimpy margarita, the burritos tested my stomach's bounds and made for a beautiful summer night.

Lopez Bar and Grill
2196 Lee Rd
Cleveland Heights, OH 44118
(216) 932-9000
www.lopezonlee.com

Trattoria on the Hill

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First a pet peeve of mine: small parking lots where they insist on valeting the car and then park it ten steps away from the entrance to the restaurant. I understand if you want to charge me to park. That's fine, parking is at a premium in this area (not quite as bad as the North End of Boston), but they should be allowed to charge for the parking. BUT, when I finish dinner and have to wait behind two other parties when my car is so close I could fart on it - I get irritated. Just put somebody at the entrance to the parking lot (like they do at L'Albatros) and charge what you need to charge and be done with it .

I ordered the breaded veal special of the evening with a side of veg and pasta. The veal spent way too long in the fryer or pan or whatever they cooked it in. (Judging by the way it was breaded I'm guessing fryer.) Very tough and greasy. The pasta was cooked just the way I like it, but there was a TON of sauce on it. In general I think most of what they serve here is sauced with a very heavy hand. Giving them the benefit of the doubt; perhaps that's the way their customers prefer it, which in the end does have a major affect on what stays on the menu and how it's served.

Dessert had quite the selection: Cannoli, Cassatta Cake and the ubiquitous Tiramisu. With the wide variety at Presti's and the gelato at Anthony's (I recommend trying both), we decided to walk our dinner off and get some gelato.

My guess is the attraction at Trattoria on the Hill or Roman Gardens is that the food is your typical red sauce Italian American fare that everyone here in the US equates to as "Italian". Admittedly, Trattoria does serve up monster portions for a very affordable price. If you like that sort of meal then I think you will most certainly enjoy your visit here. I found the service to be very cordial and attentive - the waiter had the accent to boot If you're looking for something similar to what you'd find in Italy I'd keep looking. I'm always happy when a place is packed. It means some sector of the dining public is very happy with the food that's being served - even if it isn't my thing.

Trattoria on the Hill (Roman Gardens)
12207 Mayfield Rd
Cleveland, OH 44106
(216) 421-2700
www.trattoriaromangarden.com

What about Bob's? (Yeah, that's the name of the business.)

Baby Steps

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I've heard nothing but great things about a little sandwich shop in Willoughby. They were pretty busy when I visited, so I didn't want to bother someone about the genesis of the establishment's name. The only thing that comes to mind is Bill Murray's OCD character in the '80's movie What about Bob.

Though the menu has 10 different sandwiches on it and 10 different wraps the prices are pretty easy to remember: $3.99 for a 12" $6.99 for a 24". As is my usual custom when trying a place for the first time, a straight forward signature sandwich like the Bob's Ultimate Original Sub was ordered.

The crew of four or five work together like a well oiled machine to crank out these monsters. WAB's? does a huge lunch business so efficiency is an absolute must. Probably two minutes after I placed my order the sandwich was wrapped and ready to go. I had to get back home, so I didn't stay there and eat. They have 3 or 4 tables that have a lawn furniture look to them (so do the chairs), with a television running in the corner.

The first thing you notice about these sandwiches is the heft. As I opened the wrapper the next thing that jumped out at me was the beautiful french baguette they serve. I don't know if they make their own bread or not, but the quality of the bread is almost in the same league as Sarcone's Deli and Primo's Hoagies in Philly. (Both make their own bread so it's not out of the realm of possibility that WAB's? does as well).

How in the HELL am I going to eat all of that?

WAB's? follows its wonderful french bread prelude with the guts of the sandwich backing up the promises made by the beautiful bun. On the first bite there's a little bit of everything ...meats...cheeses....vegetables....sauce. Everything makes its presence known as you make your way through this very filling sandwich. The onions are finely sliced so that their essence is evident but not clumsy and overpowering. The meat and cheese is generously spread throughout so as to not end up with empty bread on the last few bites. (Or worse yet, have a quarter of the bun left when you suddenly feel that last bit of meat squirt into your mouth like a small turd.)

I can't say that I understand the name, but the next time I stop I'll ask about it. As far as hoagie style sandwiches go, WAB's? pretty much smashes everything else I've had in Cleveland. If there IS a better sub, I'd like to see it.

What about Bob's?
38233 Glenn Avenue
Willoughby, OH 44094
(440) 951-9700

No false advertising at Compola's Tasty Pizza

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As far as I'm concerned the west side has the east side beat hands down in pizza. Up until last Saturday, Geraci's was really the only pie on this side of town that I would put in my Cleveland top five. (I don't count Crostatas because they're Neapolitan.)

Ever the optimist, I've soldiered on and continued the pizza quest here on the east side. Since we were staying in and wanted to watch the newly arrived Paris, Je T'aime from Netflix (great movie BTW twenty different five minute short films about love in Paris), we wanted something that would hold up to the drive home. I had heard nothing but good things from people about Compola's Tasty Pizza on Mayfield Rd so we decided to give it a try.

Tasty Pizza, as it's commonly referred to, has dine in as well as carryout and delivery. The dining room is a a series of tables with wooden benches and chairs. While certainly not the kind of place to park your ass for hours on end, it is by no means a dive.

Mushroom, Onion, Bulk Sausage on left
Pepperoni, Bulk Sausage and Bacon on right

After paying $15.25 for a 12" with three toppings on each side (pepperoni, bulk sausage, and bacon on my half - onions, mushrooms, and bulk sausage on Regina's half), I hopped in the car and sped home. As is always the custom, I place the pizza in the boot of the car to keep any pieces from falling out during the drive back. I don't know what is, but I usually find one or two slices missing if the box sits on the passenger seat. Don't let this happen to you. Secure that stuff!

We queued up the movie and dug into the box. I like Geraci's a lot, but this pizza had much of what I like about Geraci's and none of what I don't like about them. For me it all starts with the crust. If the crust sucks it doesn't matter what you put on top - the whole thing is going to taste like supermarket dreck.

Tasty makes a dough that has a moderate chew to it, but doesn't have the crunchy edges that destroy the roof of your mouth. (Think age 10... bus comes in five minutes... you wolf down an entire bowl of Cap'n Crunch in three...you spend the entire ride to school tonguing the tattered remains of skin hanging from the roof of your mouth.) The bottom has a brown crispy coating that lends a little bit of crispiness to the pleasantly chewy dough.

The cheese and the sauce are moderately applied. Some people like pizza that is loaded with cheese that when lubed with a lot of sauce slides right the crust - leaving you with a big old hunk of cheese and pepperoni dangling past your chin. Tasty puts enough cheese and sauce to where it clings to the dough anchoring the toppings in place - nice and clean-like.

The toppings were actually very good, too. The mushrooms are fresh (not out of can), which Regina doesn't typically like due to their chewiness, but these were really thin and may have been sauteed. The onions were quartered and thinly sliced which evenly distributed the flavor throughout the slice. My slices were decidedly salty which has a tendency to happen when you have that much cured meat you're half the pie.

I absolutely loved this place. If you look at the list on the upper right you'll see that Compola's Tasty Pizza is the new #2 on my list of "Best Pizza Americana in Cleveland". If you're within striking distance of Richmond and Mayfield Rds in Lyndhurst, you have got to try this little pizzeria.

Update: October 15th, 2010
We ordered a 12", and 14" was accidentally made. Perhaps it was an off night, but the crust was a bit out of control (very thin toward the middle and very puffy and doughy around the edges). I think the 12" might be the best incarnation of this particular pizza. If you do order their sausage, make sure you order the bulk sausage. The regular sausage is thinly cut and tucked under the cheese. I thought the bulk was above average.

Update: November 3rd, 2010
We ordered the 12" and the world balance was restored. The crust was king and the pie disappeared in 20 minutes flat. While waiting for my pizza I noticed the row of coolers against the wall. Tasty has a rather extensive lineup of conventional beers as well as craft beers from, but not limited to, Dogfish Head, Founders, Tröegs, Flying Dog, and Great Lakes ($3 a bottle). If there's one thing nearly every pizza shop across the country lacks, it's a decent selection of suds that aren't created by the Evil Empire. Just one more reason to head over to the this gem on Mayfield Rd.

Compola's Tasty Pizza
5101 Mayfield Rd
Cleveland, OH 44124
(440) 449-1252
www.compolastastypizza.com

The 'Dog Day Afternoons

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Sorry, but this isn't a post about a guy robbing a bank to fund a sex change operation. (Attica! Attica! Attica!). I'm actually writing about the beloved tube steak.

Back in my b cup days I used to order these things by what seemed like the gross. As my waistband continued to expand it became increasingly obvious that I needed to cut things back a little. So I did - big time. Bread and red meat (among other things) were cut out of my diet while I started the march toward the coveted 34 inch waist.

Forty-five pounds later (that's another post(s)), I began to include the beloved hot dog back into my diet. I prefer to have one at lunch time when I'm running errands. My new rule is that I can only get one. While I'm not Kobayashi, I can down three or four without even thinking about it. Here are a few places (not including my experience at Tucky's) that I've stopped at on the west side.

Old Fashion Hot Dog
4008 Lorain Ave
Cleveland, OH 44113
(216) 631-4460



Since I happened to be over in this neighborhood to rummage through the wares at Antiques in the Bank - awesome selection of odd ball house parts - I figured I'd stop in at Old Fashion Hot Dog. This is one of those places I usually drive by, but have already eaten so I keep on driving. Since I hadn't had lunch I dropped in. OFHD is old school. I'm guessing it looks very similar to the way it did thirty years ago. I'm not implying that it's dirty or ugly, it's just a popular breakfast and lunch counter that serves its local neighborhood. The hot dogs, hamburgers, fries, etc. are nothing fancy it just a straightforward, middle of the road dog that isn't boiled or sitting on rollers. Friendly service, cooked on the flat top, that'll be $1.25.

The right window looks like it says, "Cheap Fat Zone"

Hot Dog Diner
4407 Brookpark Rd
Parma, OH 44134
(216) 335-9050
www.hotdogdiner.com



This was another "in the neighborhood" stop. Located in an an old Taco Bell just west of the Ridge and Pearl Road intersection, Hot Dog Diner has a large variety of different hot dogs, hamburgers, and soft serve flavors. The dogs are very reasonable in price ($1.07 for your regular, $1.99 for the jumbo, $1.99 for a corn dog, another "Calvin the Fatty" favorite. I am a corn dog whore.) They have crispy, non-soggy fresh cut fries.

If there was one thing I didn't like it was the soft serve. I ordered the malted cone. When took the first taste it just tasted like vanilla ice cream. If there was a malted taste I didn't recognize it, but that might have been because it went from it's semi frozen to liquid state in about one minute. This cone melted so fast I had to throw it in the trash. I'd go back - I'd just skip the ice cream.

Happy Dog
5801 Detroit Ave
Cleveland, OH 44102
(216) 651-9474
www.happydogcleveland.com



I've actually been here a few times. In my opinion, Happy Dog has the best Hot Dog I've had in Cleveland. Their menu is simple: Hot Dogs (or Veggie Sausage) with your choice of as many of the fifty toppings as you want, Fries, Tater Tots and booze. That's it. The dogs are of the large 1/4 lb. variety. "B Cup Cal" would've eaten two of these with no problem. "Rational Cal" now realizes that one of these with an order of potato du jour and a beer or three, makes for a very satisfying dinner. I have to be in the mood to come here because I don't typically like eating a hot dog for dinner, but the twenty+ draught selection certainly has the power to draw me in. The toppings are also very good - I had the applewood smoked bacon and bourbon baked beans. I was skeptical (and still am) that these hot dogs would taste good with some of the toppings that are offered. Fruit Loops? Peanut Butter? Seriously? Well...."7 year old Cal" would've been all over that.

Out and Around Cleveland

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The last two months have been an absolute ball buster in terms of travel. It's been pretty much one week home, one week gone. While it sounds fun in theory - especially with trips at or near New Haven, CT, NYC, and Boston - it is a bit of a drag since you're alone. That being said, I have been in Cleveland long enough to try some pretty good food.

No, that ain't sugar

I don't live on the west side so I don't typically get to Blackbird Bakery very often. If you haven't been there I would recommend dropping in and trying some of what they're serving up. Unlike On the Rise in Cleveland Heights, Blackbird has a fairly large seating area for enjoying coffee and bakery (and waiting in line). The one thing I always have to buy when I go is their chocolate chip cookies. I know they're not the first bakery to think of this (I haven't seen others in Cleveland doing it), but they lightly sprinkle some kosher salt on the bottom of the cookies. More likely, I think they just sprinkle the salt on the sheet and then set the dough on top of it. I guess how they do it doesn't really matter - these damn things are good.

Blackbird Baking Company
1391 Sloane Avenue
Lakewood, OH 44107
(216) 712-6599
www.blackbirdbaking.com



We finally stopped at Grotto Wine Bar in Shaker Square after driving past it...oh...fifty times. While I wasn't all that thrilled about my short rib with mushroom risotto, I thought Regina's Duck with blackberry frangelico glaze, goat cheese & candied walnuts was exceptional. It is a wine bar. There isn't much of a beer selection, but I will definitely go back.

Grotto Wine Bar
13101 Shaker Square
Cleveland, OH 44120
(216) 751-9463
www.grottoshakersquare.com



Lastly, I have to include a plug for Humble Pie Baking Company. I'll be the first to admit that I'm not much for pie. Give me a southern style cobbler with a pie crust topping and I'm happy as a clam. I say this not because I consider Diane Sikorski a friend, but because I really think her pies are very good. These pies have a very clean and light taste to them that doesn't sit in the pit of your stomach. You can go here to here on Facebook to "like" Humble Pie's profile and find out where she'll be serving up these suckers.

Barbecue and Soul Food

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If you read this page with any regularity you know I have great affection for both pizza and barbecue. Food of the people? I think so - and maybe that's why it appeals to me so much. While the regional variations of pizza (Slice counts over twenty different varietals) far outnumber that of barbecue (four: Texas, Memphis, Kansas City, and Carolina) there certainly is a varying degree of quality when it comes to Cleveland.

I've been combing the "mom and pop" places for the last couple of months for a diamond in the barbecue rough. If you haven't read Smokestack Lightening by Lolis Eric Elie then you really are missing out on what it means to appreciate these spartan outposts that dot most every urban area across the entire country.

While I've found that most everything I've visited has had glimmers of sparkle hear and there, I have yet to see the entire package. People can make fun of Famous Dave's (a chain) all they want to but if we're talking Cuyahoga County, they are the best in terms of an entire meal.

Red Walter Bar-B-Q
8425 Cedar Ave
Cleveland, OH 44103
(216) 791-1420

One huge irritation of mine is the amount of half-assed fried fish and fried chicken these "barbecue" places do. This place was selling fried fish like it was going out of style. In the half an hour a waited for my shoulder sandwich I bet I saw fried fish orders outnumber cooked meat 4 to 1. Is that an indictment on the store? I would say no, they're apparently giving the customer what they want (which doesn't say much for the customers I'm afraid).

Red Walter is carry-out only, but don't worry I don't think you'll be going there. Cole Slaw that was pre-made (the finely chipped kind they serve at Arthur Treacher's), severely soggy fries (a common theme with all three of the places I went to), and a pork shoulder sandwich that represented the word "bland" about as well as it could have ever be expected. The place was doing a bang up business in the late afternoon. I don't know why - but they were.



Mt Pleasant BBQ
12725 Kinsman Rd
Cleveland, OH 44120
(216) 561-8722

I stopped in here on a Saturday afternoon. Mt Pleasant BBQ is actually the site of the first Whitmore's. The shop has been here since 1942 and for being there so long is surprisingly clean. I talked to the guy at the counter about how they cook their ribs. By the sounds of things it's just straight charcoal for two hours and their done. Thinking that it didn't really sound like my thing I opted for the Po Boy deluxe. The deluxe has shredded pork or beef on it (whichever you want). I ended up eating the sausage, pork, and cole slaw which I thought were all good. I didn't care for the baby food-like candied yams or extremely soggy fries. I'm not rushing back, but at least I didn't have to see fried fish flying out the door.



Angie's Soul Food
Harvard + Lee Road
Cleveland, OH

I'm going to make this short, there's one reason I would come here: the specials. I had the neck bone stew and loved it. While it was probably too salty for most people, I thought it was great. Did I mention that people love to eat fried fish in Cleveland's inner city? Fried food was all I saw going out the door.

If there is a case to be made for the value of good ventilation this Angie's outpost is it. When I walked in there were five people waiting for their to-go orders. Why? Probably for the same reason I was - the air was so full of frying grease it damn near pushed you out the door. It was thick and it was bad.

I thought the collard greens were okay and the fries were extremely soggy. Their specials are very atypical and that is what will bring me back. I recommend calling ahead so that you don't smell like grease after waiting for your food.

ABC Tavern

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It seems that lately people have been raging hardcore against Melt. New York and San Francisco have dealt with small unknown restaurants having their original customers crowded out due to national media exposure or just straight up local popularity for years. In Melt’s case I think Guy Fieri put the final nail in the coffin for a lot of Clevelanders. Waits even at ridiculously stupid hours of 3 in the afternoon – during the week – can leave you faced with a 45 minutes to burn until your table is ready.

I was very curious to see what impact, if any, would be felt on Detroit Rd. once the east side location finally opened up. If there’s been a reduction in volume – I haven’t seen it. Having eaten most of what I want off of the regular menu, I’m more inclined buy the soups or specials “to go”. I encourage you to become a fan on Facebook. They send out a list of their specials every morning.

I’m actually happy that Matt Fish has struck gold with this concept. It’s good to see someone besides The Cleveland Clinic cranking the money machine on the North Coast. Anyone who can get 100+ people and counting to get Melt inspired tattoos permanently stained on their bodies is clearly onto something.

My normal Melt alternative – since I won’t go there to sit down and eat – is Buckeye Beer Engine (review here). I love the 20+ draft beers on they have on tap. For craft brew fans it’s a great place to go to try something you may have seen at the store but didn’t want to buy an entire six of. Actually, this is how I found my 2010 favorite – Tröegs Nugget Nectar. I love drinking this stuff with barbecue. Like Melt, I also love their specials. The fact that any burger BBE makes can be offered up as a beef patty, chicken breast, or portabella mushroom is a nice touch, too.

ABC Tavern

I have heard a lot of people say some great things about the food at this small bar/restaurant on West 25th St. in Ohio City. Not really knowing what to expect we decided to give it a go this past Saturday night.

In a word – awesome. The menu is fairly small (not like Hiroshi’s Pub). Have seen that menu? Holy shit. That thing makes Cheesecake Factory look like the Wendy’s Value Menu. Anyways….the menu at ABC is very thoughtful and creative. They aren’t being different simply to be different. It’s different good….real good.

We are suckers for calamari. I know most kitchens cringe at the thought of this brain dead little appetizer but ABC throws it down. A very light breading with a lime and something sauce that was so good I saved what was leftover for my fries. Regina had this lamb, cucumber, pita thing that is not what you would normally expect. The pitas were more like flatbreads that had a buttery crispness to them. Very good. I ordered the Atomic Hot Dog which consisted of a jalapeno stuffed hotdog, wrapped in bacon, deep fried, placed on a hot dog bun with chili oil, and topped with a Srachia aioli. Loved it. Spicy. Crispy. Salty. Delicious. I wanted another one right after I finished it. (Deep fried hotdogs kick ass. See: Hot Dog Johnny’s, Buttzville, New Jersey.)

After we finished our dinner (and a couple of Heavy Seas Pale Ales- aaard!), we were talking to the bartender. He said that they have another place opening in October in the Gordon Park neighborhood called XYZ Tavern. This new incarnation is going to be a little more dining and a little less bar than ABC. I can't wait to try it out.

I walked out satiated and smiling. An appetizer, two entrees, two craft beer drafts, and a tip ended up being all of $35. I guess that’s the one thing I wish we had more of on the east side is places like Buckeye Beer Engine and ABC Tavern. I think one could make an argument for Brennan’s Colony, but I think BBE has everyone beat on beer selection, ABC wins out on food, and Melt wins out on concept and a combination of food and beer. I enjoy them all.

ABC Tavern
1872West 25th Street
Cleveland, OH 44113
(216) 861-3857

Some Pizza Places

I am an admitted barbecue and pizza fanatic. Whenever I travel, these are usually the two main food groups I look into when visiting. Barbecue is actually pretty easy to scope out; the problem is that you have to pretty much sample their chicken, ribs/pulled pork, and brisket in order to be able to properly judge the pitmaster's abilities. With pizza, you can pretty much after one slice just how good - or bad - their product is. Very rarely is a second or third visit required to give it a thumbs up or down.

As far as Cleveland goes I think I've pretty much had what people routinely call their favorites. I don't typically find myself in the Akron/Canton area all that much, so I really can't say that I've sampled the notables there. Here is a small list of pizzerias I've been to in the last month or two with a brief description of what I thought.

Upper Crust Pizza, Chicken & Ribs
15631 Puritas Ave
Cleveland, OH 44135
(216) 267-0500



This was a recommendation from my brothers-in-law. With the amount of pizza that is ordered by the two of them I knew I had to try it. While over a friend's house that lives in the neighborhood we decided to give them a try. As with the other pizzas in this review, this is what Peter Reinhart calls pizza americana (a catchall term for mainstream American pizza). We ordered a pepperoni and sausage that held up pretty well to delivery. I would describe it as moderately greasy, with a thinner crust under the cheese than you find with most pizzas of this genre. Upper Crust Pizza certainly qualifies as a decent neighborhood pizzeria, but nothing to go out of your way for.

La Pizzeria
2188 Murray Hill Road
Cleveland, OH 44106
(216) 229-9050
www.lapizzerialittleitaly.com




The name seems to suggest that it's somehow Italian, hence closer to a napoletana style. Don't be fooled. LP is americana all the way. Thankfully they sell it by the slice - so this little experiment only set me back a couple of bucks. It could have been that the person making the pizzas was being entirely too generous with the cheese, but the dough underneath was borderline cooked. Could it have been an isolated incident? Maybe. Even so, cheese aside, I think La Pizzeria is an average pie in the Unversity Circle/Little Italy area.

Reddi's Pizza Parlor
5781 Dunham Rd
Cleveland, OH 44137
(216) 663-6652



One of my wife's friends was pimpin' this place. Reddi's Pizza Parlor is your classic neighborhood sit-down pizza place that you remember from your childhood. Serving up a classic pizza americana, Reddi's turns out an above average product. The crust (or cornicione as it's technically called) is not large like Antonio's but has a similar feel to it, but smaller. The sauce and cheese are properly portioned to where the grease doesn't get out of control. The staff was also really friendly - with the cashier being way above average in beauty. I think Reddi's is actually above average for the area. Should you have a reason to be in the Garfield Hts, Walton Hills area I would recommend giving them a try.

Miscellany
I met my sisters at AMP 150 for a few drinks and was very surprised at how good the Mushroom Flatbread was. While I'm not even going to pretend like it was pizza, the cracker-like appetizer was absolutely delicious. It was essentially a shit load of diced up Killbuck Vally Mushrooms with some sort of citrusy flavor to it on top of an oblong cracker thing. I don't like mushrooms, but this was the best thing I've eaten with fungi since the scrumptious steak at Downtown 140. If you go, you must try.

Tucky's (rhymes with "Yucky's")

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I was driving down Mayfield Road and decided to grab a quick bite while I was out. Always up for an afternoon dog, I decided to give Tucky's a try.

As I walked up to the front door I noticed a sign thanking Clevelanders for voting them "Best Cheap Eats". This is a good sign, no? I mean, if the good people of Cleveland voted them the best, they've got to be right, right?

I walk into the store and I'm absolutely waylayed by a massive wall of frying oil smell. I'm being completely serious, the place was filled with the heavy odor of deep fryers. I knew if I didn't get in and out quickly I was going to need a shower when I got home.

I hurried up and ordered a Chicago that consisted of a skinless Old Vienna hotdog on poppy seed bun, with sports peppers, emerald relish, diced onions, tomato wedge, pickle spear, yellow mustard and celery salt. What can I say? The hot dog would have been fine sans toppings. The tomato, pickle and peppers are not easy to eat when laid on top of a hot dog. Come on man, if it's worth eating, dice it up so I don't get a solid mouthful of tomato, pickle, or pepper. I hardly thought there was $3.50 worth of effort put into this thing.

Ringing endorsement? Hardly. I don't know what the Cleveland Magazine readers like, but this visit was hardly Silver Spoon worthy. I don't normally pan places outright, but Tucky's isn't even in the same country as Seti's Polish Boy or Happy Dog. As for the CM readers - What were you thinking?

Tucky's
6232 Mayfield Road
Mayfield, 44124
440-460-3871
http://www.tuckyshotdogs.com

AMP 150

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Over the years I’ve been to enough “in hotel” restaurants to know that unless you’re in the middle of nowhere or staying in luxury accommodations, the menu is going to be pretty pedestrian. In most cases the only thing blander than the food is the décor. When I look for a place to eat while traveling, the hotel restaurant is something I avoid like the plague.

You can imagine the lukewarm response I initially gave when a friend of mine suggested we go to AMP 150 on West 150th and I-71 in the *gulp* ….Marriott. Exciting buzz about a new chef in town putting out great food – yes. Dinner at a hotel in Cleveland not named Ritz Carlton or Baricelli Inn – no thanks.

As we walked through the lobby toward the restaurant it was fairly typical in terms of the open style of the layout. A stylish bar area with a well stocked bar packed with unwinding hotel patrons sits off to the left of the dining room. The seating is comprised of a spacious mixture of tables and booths. (The semi-circular booths in the center of the space are prime real estate.) The bones of the interior architecture still tell the story of a hotel restaurant, but the décor certainly has an updated feel to it.

Enter Chef Ellis Cooley.
This is where the idea of the chain hotel restaurant and the predictably bad menu diverge. If I had to sum up Cooley’s approach, it would be an undeniable commitment to using high quality ingredients while offering an affordable menu. His strategy is to keep the entrees under $20, while not cutting corners on the quality produce and proteins. . The greater vision is to appeal to both guests at the hotel, as well as the Cleveland dining scene.

The last time I was there Ellis was talking about putting in a garden in the back of the hotel. When I contacted him through Facebook asking him about the planned garden, this is what he had to say:

“The garden is underway it is going to be huge…about a 1/4 acre for the vegetable garden and the herb garden will consume our courtyard. KJ Greens’ owner Jeremey Lisey will be helping get everything started and teaching me as we go. Also Jorgensens Apiary will be donating some bee hives to put on the roof of the hotel to help with pollination.”

So what is the food like? My heart was won over when I ordered the Double Bacon Cheese Burger (complete with unbelievably awesome Benton’s Bacon, Ohio Cheddar, and house made pickles). Their unconventional Chicken Paprikash is really good. I actually think it would work well as an entrée (just a bigger portion size and price). I’m also a fan of the Sweet Soy & Peanut Chicken Wings with Kim Chee. Craft beer is the only thing you’ll find on tap here; a wide variety (and by that I mean over 100) of both imports and domestics are offered in a bottle.

Amp 150 is on OpenTable so make sure you get your 100 points. For parties of 4-6, I would highly recommend the aforementioned booths, (tables 31, 32, 33). One the amazing things I learned is that the kitchen is open every day until midnight! When I fly into Hopkins Airport my routine is usually picking up pizza from Donte’s in Berea. With these late night hours, though, I think the new routine is going to be a stop at AMP 150.

It would be very easy for Ellis to simply mail it in and run a typical hotel restaurant that offers up middling food and charging business travelers inflated prices. It would also be easy to qualify himself as using local by sprinkling a couple of local sourced ingredients on the menu and calling it a day. Cooley has made a tremendous amount of progress in a relatively short period of time of wiping away the stigma of the typical hotel restaurant. I look forward to watching AMP 150 grow as the seasons change in the upcoming year. Whatever you do, don’t let the hotel scare you off.

AMP 150
4277 W 150th St
Cleveland, OH 44135
(216) 916-0104

www.amp150.com

Neighborhood spots - East and West

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As much as we’d like to believe that every meal we have is going to be a memorable one, the truth is that many of them are just good. Is it a crime to not have a restaurant that makes it onto Travel Channel or the Food Network. The chef may not be a well known James Beard nominee or even award winner. I’m a fan of the little places that serve their local neighborhoods and put out a good product every night, just as much as those grabbing national headlines.

I’ve pulled out a handful of short reviews that I think warrant a mention. Two are pizza places and two are small restaurants. Enjoy.

Brennan’s Colony
If there’s a definition of neighborhood restaurant/bar, this is it. You can walk into this place on any given night and it will be full or very close to full. The regular menu offers a wide array of appetizers, salads, sandwiches, etc. The beers on tap had a wide variety from domestic piss to imported piss to a few craft beers. (I got DH 60 minute).

I had a particularly difficult time trying to figure out what I wanted from the specials menu because it had so many things that sounded good. After being told how good the ribs were, I compromised and ordered the pulled pork sandwich. All I can say is that it was reasonably priced, good size, and tasted good. How can you complain about that? There’s a lot of competition that has cropped up in the area in the last few years and it’s still going strong. They have good food at a good price. Probably not worth a drive across town from the west side, but if you’re in the neighborhood it’s a great place to stop.

Brennan's Colony
2299 Lee Rd
Cleveland Heights, OH 44118
(216) 371-1010



Papa Santi’s
This is a new takeout/delivery pizza place that opened about 3 or 4 months ago in Woodmere. (It sounds eerily similar to another popular pizzeria in Little Italy that I think is highly overrated.) Housed in the old Pizza Hut To Go space (near Kinko’s on Chagrin), Papa Santi’s fills a pizza void in the Woodmere/Orange/Pepperpike area.

On a night that I was flying solo I decided to give them a shot. On their website they’re described as “Sicilian Style”. When I think of Sicilian style I’m thinking square pizza, square pieces, and a butt load of dough. This is not that kind of pie. (Not that I’m complaining, as I think no human should consume that much dough in one sitting). I would describe it somewhere between bar style and Midwest style. The pizza I had (pepperoni and sausage) tasted fine but nothing I would make a special trip for. My guess is that it will fill the immediate area's need for birthday parties, football games, and sleepovers for years to come.

Papa Santi's
27521 Chagrin Blvd
Beachwood, OH 44122
(216) 896-9855
http://www.papasantis.com/



Johnny’s Little Bar
A couple months ago I stopped in and grabbed a burger with a friend. I think in my mind I may have romanticized the quality of the food there to better than it was. It wasn’t as good as I remembered it being. Had the quality dropped off? Was there something wrong with my brain that I didn’t know what good food tasted like?

I recently stopped in again to make sure I wasn’t crazy. It was while I was waiting for my burger that I realized the problem, the quality hadn’t slipped – I think Cleveland’s restaurants have just raised their burger game. There are now a lot of places that offer a high quality and imaginative hamburger now (even in the downtown area). Little Bar will never want for customers. The menu is a good value and the food is solid. If I could change anything it would be that they add one more server. I have always felt as if there are too many customers for the waitstaff to adequately handle.

Johnny's Little Bar
614 Frankfort Ave
Cleveland, OH 44113
(216) 861-2166



Big Guy’s Pizza

This Tremont pizza place is actually a takeout place that will serve pizza at Hotz’s Café (directly next door), if you want to sit down and eat. They effectively use Hotz’s as a shared dining room. I’m guessing that Hotz’s doesn’t mind this since it seems to be more bar than café.

I think the surrounding neighborhood represents the lion’s share of Big Guy’s business. Again, the pizza is in that Midwest/Bar Pizza genre. They do put what I remember them calling a “Garlic Bomb” (used to be a whole bulb, but now a half bulb of roasted garlic) in the middle of the pie. It smells awesome when you open the box, but you aren’t quite sure what to do with it once it comes time to eat. Are you supposed to squeeze the roasted garlic out of the skins onto the pizza? I don't know. It’s a decent pizza, but nothing I would make a special trip for.

Big Guy's Pizza
2539 W 10th St
Cleveland, OH 44113
(216) 436-8888

'Stino da Napoli

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My wife and I have a mutual admiration for many things food related, one thing we don’t agree on is a love for eggplant. She loves it. I detest it.

She’s constantly in search of the latest and greatest preparations whether it’s Antonio’s Eggplant Stack in Parma, Allegro Grille's Eggplant whatever in Philadelphia, or the Eggplant sandwich at Primo’s Hoagies, (found all over SE Pennsylvania and South Jersey). For her, happiness is finding a new eggplant dish to place into the Eggplant Pantheon.

Food favorites are the stuff road trips are made of. We didn’t really have to travel all that far, (from east side to west) but it isn’t exactly around the corner. On Friday night we went to ‘Stino da Napoli in Rocky River, for dinner. Friday wasn’t just any night; it was the only night they serve the eggplant special. As far as food favorites go, eggplant is a top five food favorite for Regina.

‘Stino (short for Augustino) da Napoli is nestled in the same cozy little strip as one our favorites – Tartine Bistro. The front door opens in the central portion of the restaurant with the kitchen directly behind the hostess stand. This central area (where they also process take-out orders) is flanked on both sides by dining rooms. The décor itself is fairly minimal without being too stark. The tables are fairly close together, so if you have a loud neighbor there is the possibility that you will hear every word they have to say. (We had the fortune of having such a party and now we know their opinion on what the Cavs’ chances are of keeping LeBron James.)

Since we had someplace to go afterward we knew this was going to be a quick dinner for us. As the entrees were being delivered to the surrounding tables, we realized the portions were fairly sizable. For this dinner we decided just to stick with entrees. Regina went with the Friday Special Eggplant Parmigiana, which consisted of baked eggplant slices with light tomato sauce, parmigiano and fresh mozzarella cheese ($13.50). She thought it was good, but in Stino’s defense there is a particular kind of eggplant dish with minimal breading and very thin slices that she tends lean toward. This particular eggplant is a very traditional preparation (a tad bit more breading with thicker slices) that draws rave reviews from all over the city.

I opted for the Spaghetti Al Fumo Del Vesuvio, (a traditional Neopolitan tomato sauce with smoked bacon, onion, and fresh cream). I thought I’d be feeling the bacon a little more, but it wasn’t meant to be. This was definitely a case of my eyes reading the description and ignoring what my stomach likes.

If I had one regret, it's that we didn't have time for dessert. As we ate dinner these wonderful lemony looking desserts were staring right at me as they were escorted to their awaiting suitors.

Italian is many things to many people. ‘Stino da Napoli, I think, falls into traditional Italian group. The entrees are certainly in the affordable range; most, if not all, of the entrees fall in the under $20 price point. This little restaurant is much loved by the surrounding area. When we went to leave there were a number of people waiting to be seated. ‘Stino da Napoli offers good food at a good price.

'Stino da Napoli
19070 Old Detroit Rd
Rocky River, OH 44116
(440) 331-3944
www.stinodanapoli.com

In Defense of the Food Truck

This is a letter to the City of Cleveland in support of Christopher Hodgson and Jeremy Esterly in their quest to (I assume) allow food trucks the ability to park on the street. As I understand that under current rules they are sequestered to only private property.

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing to you in regards to the notable absence of food trucks here in Cleveland. Over the last ten years we have seen the culinary landscape bloom into what can only be described as one of the best cities in the Midwest to enjoy great food. We really are blessed to have such a great collection of independently owned restaurants.

If you go to any of the truly great food cities across the country there is one common denominator – the presence of food trucks. When going to places like New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Portland, and even smaller cities like New Haven, CT; you will notice they all have a large presence of food trucks.

Why do people love these mobile kitchens so much?

1. You can go to the food, or the food can come to you. If I live in Shaker Heights that truck might be in University Circle a couple days out of the week. This is much closer than if say it was a free standing restaurant in Westlake. When it coincides with other local happenings such as the Cleveland Film Festival, sporting events, or concerts it makes for a great night out.

2. It expresses the local tastes of the city. The city of Los Angeles has numerous Mexican inspired trucks which showcase the city’s proximity to, and appreciation for, Mexico and the food of its people. What would Cleveland’s be? Well, the only truck I know of in Cleveland (Seti’s Polish Boys) has managed to make it on the Food Network’s “The Best Thing I Ever Ate”. People come to cities seeking these things out because they are so unique. The hot dog carts that are downtown do not reflect anything about Cleveland. You can plop that cart down in any city across the country and it’s still just a hot dog cart.

3. They’re an affordable luxury. These are hard economic times in Cleveland. Not everyone can afford to eat at the nice restaurants. The items sold from a truck represent the same thoughtfulness and craftsmanship you would get at a restaurant, but at a fraction of the price. It can even be as simple as a $3 snack in the middle of the afternoon. Even though budgets are tight, there is a joy that comes from taking a walk with a coworker and sharing something as simple as a quick sandwich.

4. Much cheaper to open than a restaurant. Most sous chefs and line cooks dream of one day opening their own restaurant someday. The dream however requires massive investment in kitchens, dining rooms, equipment, etc. A food truck allows for a much leaner operation. This creates an opportunity for people that otherwise could not afford to finance an entire restaurant.

5. The possibilities are much greater in a truck than a cart. In defense of the hot dog carts, this is Cleveland; the elements don’t allow for much creativity when you’re being blown around by wind, rain, snow, and cold air. A truck allows an owner to shelter themselves and the food from the elements. I’ve been to trucks in New York City who are perfectly comfortable in the middle of December. They can also have a variety of different foods without worrying about limiting themselves to what they can fit in a food cart.

6. It adds to the pedestrian experience. This adds instant buzz to the area immediately around the truck. This is the kind of thing that piques people’s curiosity. They can easily see a truck. If there is a line of people waiting next to it then they really get curious. (They might just drive by and decide to park their car to see what all the commotion is about.) With the viral nature of social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook, trucks are able to generate buzz around the city just by announcing where they’re going to be that day. If orchestrated to coincide with a local event it offers a symbiosis for both the truck and the event.

I’ve seen enough of these things work successfully to know that this is an idea that would be absolutely huge in a town with a hankering for good food at good prices. There is no doubt in my mind that if allowed on the streets of Cleveland many more would follow. With startup costs that are a fraction of what a medium to high end restaurant, there is no doubt in my mind that the talent in our city’s kitchens would soon follow. Take care in your consideration – the city’s kitchens are watching.

Regards,

Dineomite

Cleveland.com Food & Wine

I’m going to say it was about a year ago that I made the decision to stop posting on the Cleveland.com Food + Wine forum. While some of the topics, such as locating certain products around town, upcoming events, and reports of lesser known eateries, were helpful; I found that the overall tone of the forum was way too negative.

Personal attacks, childish banter, and the general belittlement of others who are not as well versed in all things food as others, are almost daily occurrences on this website. Those who eat at chain restaurants are treated like a card carrying member of al qaeda. Arguments prattle on line after line about something as simple as a restaurant having nitrates in their hot dogs. Believe me when I tell you – this is a nasty lot.

You would think something like this would be moderated by someone, wouldn’t you? Well, actually, it is (and it isn’t.) You see, Linda Griffith is technically the moderator, but she’s also an active participant in the disputes. Did you ever see referee Mills Lane team up with Mike Tyson to try and take out Evander Holyfield? That’s kind of what happens here – opinions are stated that seem to exacerbate the problem and then it becomes a no holds barred free-for-all.

On a couple of occasions I’ve actually heard out-of-towners stumble upon this forum and ask why the people on that forum are trying to tear down the image of their own city’s restaurant scene. What do you say to that? I don’t know; it really is embarrassing when you think about it. Our city, with all of its warts, can boast that it has a lot of good restaurants at many different price points. Why do so many on this forum feel so compelled to tear down the reputations of these restaurants and their chefs? I’m absolutely puzzled.

I think the single most damaging thing I’ve seen on that forum is people who go on there and complain about XYZ at such and such a restaurant and then give the play-by-play of everything that went wrong. So what’s the problem with that you might ask? Well, the problem is that you’re giving your own account of what happened. Right or wrong, you’re implicating the restaurant as a whole on a public forum and, intentionally or unintentionally, branding them as having poor service, unsanitary conditions, etc. Your hiding behind a screen name and making accusations that may, or may not, be true.

So the post goes up, what’s a restaurant owner supposed to do? Are they expected to apologize on the forum and make things right with the upset customer? Should they ignore the fact anything has been posted at all and just wait for the post to go to the next page? How do you prepare a rebuttal without drawing more attention to an already inflamed topic? The restaurant is in a no win situation. The fact is that the original poster is an asshole and shouldn’t be rewarded for their bad behavior. Often times you’ll see the owner or chef of the restaurant post a “call me, we want to make things right.” That’s total bullshit. If the food, service, or cleanliness was so bad, why didn’t they call over a manager right then and there and settle the issue?

So how would I improve what would/should be a really fun and interesting community?

Give the moderator the power to immediately delete material that violates posting etiquette. As it stands now, the moderator has no power to immediately delete anything, so it stays up for an inordinate period (measured in days) of time and perpetuates more nasty comments. One person says something snotty and then the snowball begins to roll.

The moderator should either moderate or be a contributor, but not both. They’re called moderators for a reason. I don’t see how someone who heads up the Slow Food Convivium here in Cleveland is going to see Joe Bag of Donut’s point of view on why Olive Garden is his favorite restaurant. There’s a fundamental conflict there – and it shows.

Adopt Chowhound's rules of etiquette. I can’t think of a more respectful place to read about food than at Chowhound. Their rules are pretty simple: Keep the site informative, friendly and hype-free. If a post violates any of these three expectations - it gets deleted. On the FF all of these expectations get violated routinely. I just don’t see the problem with someone having an opinion if it’s a positive one. So someone doesn’t buy organic vegetables, are you going to pay their grocery bill? Too often I see people marginalized because the vocal minority tells them about how wrong they are. Shut up and cook your own goddamn food, and let them cook theirs.

Delete the accounts of repeat etiquette offenders. It’s pretty simple. I know some would say that they’ll just re-register. Yeah. So? Do you not spray for roaches because they’ll just keep coming back? If their comments are being deleted in an appropriate time period it becomes too much of a hassle after a while. Maybe if they’re treated with respect in the first place they won’t make such nasty comments.

I think this forum could be a lot of fun, but in its current form it’s an absolute joke. There’s a good reason novice home cooks, restaurant owners, and chefs don’t contribute to this site – they get beat on. Until the negativity halts this problem is going to persist.

The B Spot

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As has been the custom in the past, I called Cheesecake to go out and try a place my wife doesn’t typically like to go – a burger place. On this occasion we decided on Michael Symon’s B Spot.

If there’s a restaurant interior that seems to really fit Symon’s persona, at least from an aesthetic standpoint, it’s this place. Decked out in a range of black, chrome, and shiny, the décor seems to be inspired by the opening credits in his Dinner Impossible days – complete with faux stamped motorcycle parts hanging above the bar and a studded bathroom door. The U-shaped bar sits in the middle-rear of the room, while being surrounded by an assortment of free standing tables, booths, and high boys.

Our server Amy, who was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, took our orders on a pda type device. When I tried to order a Bear Republic Hop Rod she was able to see that they were all out of it. It was then that I opted for the $1 PBR (vast departure I know). Cheesecake went with his usual Bacon Cheeseburger. Being a creature of habit myself, I opted for whatever appeared to be the hottest thing on the menu in this case the Red Hot Burger (with pulled pork, pickled tomato, hot peppers, pepperjack cheese, siracha mayo.) We decided to share an order of the Lola fries.

The place was packed; it was prime dinner time so I expected things would take a while. Surprisingly the food came out in no time at all.

I would estimate that the burgers were slightly taller than they were wide. As I bit into my burger I noticed to things: 1) The meat was juicy as hell 2) There was nothing hot about this thing.

I’m not as “in the know” as some people are, so I wasn't sure who the hell Pat La Frieda was (or maybe I knew, but I don’t know it). It turns out this meat company from NYC cranks out top notch product.

When I bit into the burger juice spewed from the patty. High marks for the burger patty itself.

Some people have complained about the bun. Is it my style? No. I’m partial to the softer more generic type bun like they have at Buckeye Beer Engine (which is Shake Shack-esque but a little more substantial.) The Shake Shack bun is my favorite of all time; but it wouldn’t work with the burgers here at B Spot; the patties are too thick for that type of bun. I think they DO call for a thick bun like they’ve got. I just wasn’t all that crazy about it. I think it was a little crumbly in the top part of the bun?

Whenever I order something hot, my nose is the gauge for just how spicy a dish really is. This burger didn’t register a single nose wipe - not even twinge. Perhaps the spicy stuff was cut by the beef and pulled pork. I don’t know, but hot it wasn’t.

The Lola fries were good but a little shy of what I would pay $3 for.

In the end I’m not as high on it as some (here, here and especially here, and I’m not as down on it as here), but I don’t know that I’ll be rushing back. Symon has obviously done his homework and positioned himself in an area that is absolutely starved for this type of dining option. My guess is that he will never be short on customers at this location. I can’t speak for lunch, but dinner can have a half hour to hour wait. Thankfully they are pretty good with their time estimates, so Barnes & Noble, Trader Joe’s, etc. are the perfect place to spend that time.

Update
I hear that the bun has been altered so as to not get as soggy from the juices emanating from the burger patty. I cannot personally attest to the new version, since I haven't eaten it, but apparently the kitchen has responded to this situation.

Michael Symon's B Spot
28699 Chagrin Boulevard
Woodmere, OH 44122
(216) 292-5567
www.bspotburgers.com

Caffe Roma

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I had to drop Regina off at the airport last week so we figured we’d try someplace on the west side for lunch. We had driven past Caffe Roma a few times and weren’t quite sure what it was all about.

If it’s one of those places that is a bit of a mystery due to just opening, to lack of grapevine info, or not having a website, we’ll generally test drive it at lunch. The strategy has seemed to have worked pretty well because the time and money investment is lower than dinner.

Located at the intersection of West 130th and Lorain, Caffe Roma occupies the end unit of an old shopping strip. There is parking around the back and on the two side streets that straddle the block wide shopping strip.

As you walk inside you notice that the décor is fairly spartan. Sicilian and Italian National football team photos and Italian artwork adorn the walls. The acoustics aren’t particularly inviting nor is the draftiness of the space, but the regulars who were eating there didn’t seem to mind much.

Looking at the menu one thing really stands out – lack of lighter options. There is no antipast0, fresh veggies, or grilled anything. The lion’s share of the menu is either deep fried, pasta, Italian Sausage, or Sicilian style pizza. When asked if there were any veggies, our very accommodating server told us that she could give us a side of the peppers and onions that they use for the Italian Sausage.

I like pizza, but Sicilian is my least favorite kind. I just don’t like the doughy heaviness of that particular crust. It seems like 80% of a single piece is bread.

If Caffe Roma does anything well, it’s Sicilian Pizza. With the ability to order by the slice, which is cool, I ordered a slice of pepperoni and one with sausage.

Fresh out of the oven, the crust had the hallmark thick Sicilian crust. I thought to myself, “Oh boy, here’s another heavy piece of pizza.” But when I bit into it, the crust was actually really crispy and airy. If you come here I would try the pizza. It’s actually pretty good.

Desserts consist of gelato from La Gelateria, assorted Bindi offerings, as well as house made tiramisu. Since it was lunch we decided to skip the dessert.

They don't have a liquor license, so needless to say - no vino. One thing that does suck is Ohio's lack of a BYO law that legally permits you to bring your own wine. Perhaps you might call ahead and see if they'll let you bring some on the sly.

I can’t say that it’s anything that really reminded me of Rome, per se (maybe Caffe Palermo). I do think the very reasonable prices and down-to-earth service fill a niche in the surrounding West Park neighborhood.

Caffe Roma
13000 Lorain Ave
Cleveland, OH 44111
(216) 889-9999