La Gelateria

One of the best places in the Cedar-Fairmount district is La Gelateria. Cedar Fairmount is a great place to walk around and look at shops, get a bite to eat, and enjoy the beautiful scenery of the area. Parking gets a little dicey, but if you park in the lot behind Aladdin's you should be fine.

For those who have not had gelato before, it's a lot like ice cream, except thicker and richer. My friend and I split the small size and it was plenty for both of us. There are tons and tons of flavors: we enjoyed the chocolate and the strawberries and cream. The decor is cheesy, adorable and romantic: there are pictures on the walls of famous paintings with a gelato twist. It's a very cute place: friends of mine used to skip class in high school and come here.

Liquid Planet - Cleveland Heights

The best thing about Liquid Planet in Cleveland Hts is the big tank of water and free water cups. Their location (Cedar-Fairmount District) is a fashionable part of town home to students, doctors and professors.

$6 for a toasted pita isn't bad, but it's not exactly cheap fare either. It's a good place to get smoothies in Cleveland, I'd say. Located across the street from Aladdin's, Bruegger's Bagels and Starbucks, they have a lot of competition for light lunchy-food, but they seem to be doing a decent business.

I can't help but wonder if they hire people to work their based on their looks; because the ladies behind the counter are all young and conventionally pretty. (That's not really something I'm cool with, as everyone deserves an equal shot at a job no matter what they look like, but it could be a fluke so I won't make any accusations.)

Oh, they have free Wi-Fi, by the way!

La Fiesta Restaurant

According to a bunch of other reviews, this is a love-it-or-hate-it sort of place, although I'm not really sure why. The food seemed quite on-par with Mi Pueblo's and my enchiladas were tasty. There was plenty of food for me to take home, too.

I thought the decor and the bathrooms were just awesome. Excellent ambiance.

The waitress, Josephin, was adorable and super-helpful and attentive.

Jack's Deli

Looking for good Jewish food in Cleveland? Jack's deli is really great (and it's pretty near my home in South Euclid!). I got their Chicken Schnitzel and it came with a bowl of matzoh ball soup and a dish of kugel. Yum!

They're famous for everything you'd expect... bagels lox and cream cheese, matzo ball soup and corned beef sandwiches. Their full menu is here.

Beachwood Place Mall

Where do the wealthy people go shopping in Cleveland? Or, where do you go if you want to see people walking around in the latest fashions? Beachwood Place. Their directory is here.

 

They recently remodeled. The architecture is now quite lovely. It's a good place to walk and shop... and spend, if you have the money.

Big Fun - Coventry

If you were born in the 80s, chances are you'll find something nostalgic in this store. If you're a trekkie, hippie, old school gamer, liberal, queer or just amused by plastic stuff, you will probably find something here.

There's also an old-school photobooth.

The stuff they have isn't cheap; but you'll find things you thought were lost forever, like Atari cartridges and old election pins.

Golden Dragon Chinese Restaurant

The Golden Dragon Chinese Restaurant is located right across the street from the China Buffet. It's a little more of a high-end restaurant, with menus that come in the neat little menu folders.

They have a full bar and a menu full of alcoholic and nonalcoholic treat beverages; Pina Coladas and Daiquiris. I got the China Sea ($3.95) and it was so very good! It took me the length of the entire meal to finish it and it was delicious and fruity.

On a recommendation I ordered the General Tao's Chicken; I've heard people say it's the best entree they have.  You get a LOT of food for the price. The veggie subgum is also crunchy and delicious.

Rain Tree Restaurant, Chagrin Falls

Authentic is the first word that comes to mind when describing Rain Tree. An expensive local gem, the Rain Tree has been in Chagrin Falls for what feels like an eternity; it was a favorite of my late grandmother's. She passed away in 1987.

Entering the restaurant you are first greeted with by the great double doors with their brass handles; it is worth checking out the restaurant for its decor alone. It is beautiful; with English collectible glass and ceramics adorning cabinets inside; oil paintings on the wall; curious lamps and marble tables.

The atmosphere is dark and rich, much like the food. The signature menu item is the Dublin Lawyer, a thick soup of cream and whiskey with large chunks of lobster served over rice pilaf. Also good is the grilled salmon.

In my opinion, this is the most romantic restaurant in Cleveland.

E. 30th Cafe - Dim Sum

While we're on the subject of amazing Chinese restaurants, I ought to mention this one, which comes up whenever anyone asks me where to get Dim Sum in Cleveland.  They have a huge purple chandelier (picture below) and a bubbly thing by their bathroom (also pictured below). And just look at that bean curd: it's making me quite hungry already.

   The E. 30th St. Cafe is located right next to Park to Shop in the Asia Plaza on Payne Avenue. There's a bunch of other stuff in there, including little gift shops and another restaurant (which is more expensive.)

China Buffet, Mayfield Heights

I'm not going to lie, this is my favorite restaurant. The China Buffet in Mayfield Heights has a secret. A delicious secret. Ready? Here it is:

Honey Chicken and Lo- Mein Noodles. The likes of which you will never get anywhere else. Come at peak dinner time so it will be hot and fresh. Then load up a plate, close your eyes, and prepare for heaven.

Plate after plate, until you can eat no more.

Atmospherically, this is the Wal-Mart of restaurants. I would probably feel comfortable coming here in my fuzzy bunny slippers.

Find it at 5866 Mayfield Road, Cleveland, OH 44124-2903
Phone: (440) 684-3020
Hours: 11am-10pm

Pacific East, Woodmere

Listen, if you were thinking of going to Sushi Rock, in Beachwood, go here instead. Sushi Rock is overpriced, less authentic and the quality is not that good.

  East of Cleveland you'll find some ritzier suburbs like Shaker Heights, Beachwood and Woodmere. There's a lot of corporate presence here so naturally the ritzier shops pop up there as well. If you're looking for fancy restaurants in Cleveland, consider taking a drive up and down these streets.

Eaton Square is one of these, boasting a Trader Joe's, Anthropologie and a fistful of high-end restaurants. One of these is Pacific East, one of Cleveland's better known sushi spots.

 

The sushi is pricey but authentic and fresh. And less pricey than Sushi Rock.

  Yum!

The Inn on Coventry - Beautiful Brunch

If you're in the Coventry area of Cleveland Heights early in the morning, the place to get breakfast is at the Inn on Coventry. Find it at 2785 Euclid Heights Blvd # 2, Cleveland, OH 44106. Their hours are 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday ; 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Friday; 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

As for parking (and parking for Coventry in general), you can pay out the nose for parking in the garage or on the meters, but your best bet is to park on Edgehill road, a five minute walk away. If you choose the meters, NEVER let them run out of money. Cleveland Heights police run a tight ship. They will grab you within two minutes of your meter running out. Seriously. (p.s: never ever speed in Cleveland Heights. This includes going 27 in a 25.)

This morning we walked over from Madeline's house to grab some brunch at the Inn on Coventry. Their walls were plastered with awards they've won from local newspapers. The food was good and fairly affordable; but the portion sizes were small. After my plate of french toast I was still a bit hungry.

 

It was delicious anyways. Madeline got toast with two eggs; the 'two eggs' looked more like one and a half.

 

The decor is quite cozy. The last time I was here was New Year's Day 2008; it was the perfect atmosphere for... well... let's call it recovery. 

We had a lovely little breakfast, for cheap.

Park To Shop - Asian Market in Cleveland

There are lots of Asian grocery stores in Cleveland.  My new favorite is Park to Shop, in the Asia Plaza on E. 30th Street and Payne Ave.

If you want to make a day of it, it's easy: there are tons of cute shops and Asian restaurants in the nearby area.

 

It's a bright place, and going there makes me happy. You'll find everything from fresh tofu to seaweed snacks to supplies to make your own sushi!

 Unless you're fluent in Chinese, Japanese or Korean, you might end up picking up some snacks that you don't really know what's in them. Which is not a problem (unless you have food allergies), because there's a cute character on the package! Kawaii!

 This is where we go to pick up our favorite curry mix, Golden Curry! The store has a sizeable collection of housewares, restaurant wholesale, and fresh items as well.

   E. 30th street is near enough to Downtown to hop a bus or bike on down if you're staying there. I used to bike to Asiatown when I lived in University Circle; it took me 45 minutes.

Abandoned Building Near E. 59th and Euclid

Cleveland used to be a center of industry and manufacturing. When the jobs left, the buildings remained.

Most people will tell you that the abandoned factories are a blight and an eyesore, and many of them are coming down. Those of us who find urban decay to be beautiful, however, find a certain kind of charm in them.

My friend and I went down to E. 59th Street and Euclid to look at an abandoned building there. It was really quite lovely!

 

We were not able to go inside because the building was boarded up, but by sticking my camera inside holes in the board I got some decent interior shots.

I don't know anything about the building's history; a little research shows that it might be the old Ohio Knitting Mills building. If anyone has a clue, please let me know.