Academy Tavern - Larchmere

Unpretentious and Old School, we went there on a Thursday night when there just happens to be live jazz! The Academy Burger was delicious, and rumor has it this place hasn't changed in ages.

 

Our waitress had a hairstyle that I've never seen in person before - only in 1960s movies. The overall aura of the place is ancient and dive-y... they have after-dinner drinks like Brandy Alexanders and beers served in frosty mugs.

I really enjoyed my food but let me warn you: if you come here seeking gourmet, you've missed the point.

Mama Santa's - Little Italy

People in Cleveland think that the Little Italy area is lovely and romantic, but having lived there for three years, I think it's kind of overpriced and bigoted. There's definitely a dark side to Little Italy, including but not limited to a racist mob and some super gentrification going on.

Most of the restaurants in Little Italy are overpriced and vermin-infested. One of the cheaper places to get something to eat is Mama Santa's; and it's where we got pizza from while we were in college.

I went with my friend to Mama Santa's for a walk down memory lane, and both of us being visibly queer, we were treated with some condescension (weird looks, snippy remarks) from the waitress. The food was the same ordinary food we enjoyed during college; nothing special.

Note well that they don't serve pineapple on pizzas here... the waitress made it clear to us that we'd need to go up to Hippie Coventry to get something so outlandish as that.

Melt Bar and Grilled - Lakewood

The original location of Melt is on Detroit Avenue in Lakewood, and it got so popular that they built one on the East side as well.

Let me warn you: it's always busy. Go here for innovation and creativity, not gourmet-ness. The decor is interesting, and I love their menu/branding art. This restaurant is recieving national attention and while most people are just ga-ga over it, there are some who walk in with great expectations and leave without them having been met.

Anyways, my friend and I got our sandwich to go, took it to the park and split it. It was plenty of food for both of us. The Monte Cristo is DELICIOUS! The fries are just OK. You can check out the full menu here.

Buckeye Beer Engine - Lakewood

 

The Buckeye Beer Engine in Lakewood is one of those places where the beer list is a small novel and the food menu is full of gourmet burgers.  I enjoyed delicious homestyle pierogies with my burger and it came with a delicious breaded pickle. The portion sizes were enough for two meals.

The service was slow but I didn't mind: it was a busy time and it took me long enough to eat my food. Their vast menu is available online if you'd like to check it out before going.

 

We enjoyed a Lambic Framboise: a very low alcohol beer that's more like a fruit juice.

Appletree Books - Cedar Fairmount

  There are so few local bookstores left in the world, what with Amazon and other Internet retailers pushing out even the big-box in-person stores. Appletree books is a tiny bookstore with a good local flavor. They're right near La Gelateria and Liquid Planet so if you're out on Cedar-Fairmount for a night out you can go browse in here and find something unique.

 They have books and cards, a nice childrens' section, and most importantly, that small-bookstore feel.

Daystar Boutique - Lakewood

Wondering where to buy incense in Cleveland? Liberal bumper stickers? "Tobacco" pipes? Hippie clothes? Handmade candles? Hemp jewelry? Incense holders that are shaped like dragons?

You know the kind of shop I'm talking about. That particular kind of boutique that is frequented by a particular kind of person. These places harken back to my childhood, as my friend when I was younger was an entrepreneur of one called Fire & Earth, back in the early 2000s, in the Great Lakes Mall. It was there I first learned to use a cash register and talk to customers.

So let's just say that the smell of incense and batik dresses will always remind me of my happiest days of youth.

Anyways, I digress. Daystar Boutique sells a great selection of things at a decent price. They sell incense for a cheaper price than the local dollar store in Rocky River does. Their bumper stickers are awesome to look at, even though using one might make you 100x more likely to get pulled over by the cops. And I could just spend all day there smelling candles.

So yes: I recommend it!

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.