Michele & Jim's
Restaurant Reviews
As promised, the following reviews are
entirely
biased. The opinions are ours alone, and represent no agenda other than
our personal opinions. No restaurant has asked us to write these items,
and certainly no restaurant gives us any discounts or free
meals.
The only thing we guarantee is that we have eaten at these
places.
Bon apetit.
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Greater
Cleveland/Akron
Area
Casa D'Angelo
9385 Mentor Ave., Mentor, Ohio
440-974-1914
Casa D'Angelo
This inconspicuous
little place is worth
looking for. The menu is surprisingly varied; prodigious quantities of
classic Italian fare is prepared from family recipes and served
scaldingly hot. The food is very good, aside from an unfortunate
tendency to overcook the pasta (even though their web site offers "made
to your exact specifications," it is nearly impossible to get pasta
prepared al dente). Daily
specials are better values and just enough different to be worth
varying from the menu. Service is
excellent; they even remember preferences for regular customers. Oh,
and the ENTIRE restaurant is non-smoking--very nice!
Dino's III Restaurant & Lounge
East 305th St., Willowick, Ohio
This restaurant serves the best
Fettuccini
Alfredo around. We'd like to talk about more dishes, but every time we
went there the place was filled with so much cigarette smoke, we
haven't
been back . They serve meals to go, but it's not the same ...al dente
loses its body when you schlep the food home in those little
containers.
A real shame.
Don Pablo's Mexican Kitchen
145 Montrose West Ave., Akron, Ohio
216-666-0239, fax 216-665-1241
"The Real Enchilada"--here you
will find delicious, freshly prepared food served piping hot and tasty.
Strictly home-made fresh, you are greeted with crispy, light
warm-from-the-oven
chips and spicy, fresh-chopped salsa. Thirsty? The bar is open, serving
a nice variety of beers, wines, mixed drinks and tempting "special"
drinks,
frozen and refreshing.
The "party" atmosphere is uplifting;
quaint
wood-and-old-signs decor, high open ceilings, ceramic tiles, massive
wooden
booths, and festive music set the mood for a fun and tasty experience.
The food is plentiful and reasonably
priced.
Each dish is individually prepared and has its own distinctive taste.
Sizzling
platters under the fajitas are really sizzling--hot enough to
caramelize
the succulent onion slices and soften the fresh red and green peppers
before
you heap them onto the freshly-made (you can watch the cook pass them
through
the machine and cook on the open grill as you enter the restaurant!)
soft
flour tortillas and add the shredded lettuce, chopped tomato, two
cheeses
and sour cream. Quite a feast! Outstanding taco salads, tasty soups,
and
fresh-tasting guacamole are a few of the staples available on the
extensive
menu. Various combination platters are available to satisfy any
appetite.
For the health-conscious diner, heart-healthy (low-fat) choices are
clearly
marked on the menu. Grilled chicken parilla is excellent. We could go
on
and on, but you should go ... to Don Pablo's!
The Hoagie Shop
1440 Mentor Ave., Painesville, Ohio
352-5353
This unassuming little storefront eatery
serves the closest thing to a genuine-from-Philadelphia Philly Steak
Hoagie
that you'll get this side of the Liberty Bell. Don't be scared off by
the
garage-sale table and chairs--the hoagies are terrific! Cold hoagies
also
are served (they can be ordered heated) and are made with
freshly-sliced
(really!) coldcuts of unusually good quality, including genuine
Prosciutto
and ...well, you get the idea. Each sandwich is built fresh to your
order,
and the many available toppings include the sweetest sweet peppers
you'll
ever eat. For fans of TastyKakes (you know who you are), they're sold
here
on an "as-on-hand" basis. Try washing it all down with a Birch Beer,
Sarsaparilla,
or Old Fashioned Cream to drink and you're all set.
Hundred Flowers Chinese Restaurant
28898 Lakeshore Blvd., Willowick, Ohio
440-943-0850 or 440-943-0904
Once again under new management, this
very good Chinese restaurant still has very good food--but it's obvious
that there is a new chef in the kitchen. The former "crispy shrimp with
walnuts," now "honey walnuts," still is terrific. Generous portions of
lightly battered fried shrimp or chicken are served over a bed of
chilled
shredded lettuce, topped with a unique sweet sauce and crunchy
honey-toasted
walnuts. Lemon chicken still is lemon chicken, with a new sauce that is
a bit darker and less lemony, but still tasty. Happy Family, Delightful
Wonton, Chicken with Cashew Nuts, Pineapple Chicken ...all are tasty,
too.
Spicy dishes, although not a personal favorite, are available here, too.
Kluck's Restaurant
21313 West 117th St, Cleveland, Ohio
216-226-9765
Kluck's Restaurant
Interesting
decor; lots of wood and
fishing trophies. Tiny non-smoking area (four tables) is sandwiched
between smoking dinner tables and the bar. With the exception of
unrefilled iced tea, the service was excellent--salad immediately
following soup, main course whisked onto the table as soon as salads
were finished. Cold foods were served cold, hot foods hot. As far as
the food itself went, however... maybe it's just that a couple of
Italian diners weren't quite in sync with the Germanic chef. Veal
à la Holstein (a breaded
veal with fried egg and anchovy) was tasty, but accompanied by plain,
soggy spaetzle and some truly strange-tasting red cabbage whose
sauce
had run out into the plate to infiltrate the flavor of the veal. Shrimp
Newburgh was served with a minimal quantity of strongly-flavored shrimp
drowning in a truly odd sauce which bore little resemblance to any
Newburgh sauce I've ever tasted. This place will not be on our "revisit
list."
Longo's Pizza
Euclid Ave. (Rte 20) at Rte. 91 in Willoughby, Ohio
This little place has very good pasta
dinners (we haven't tried their pizza) and claims to be non-smoking,
but
on a "to go" order we returned some garlic bread that had cigarette
ashes
on it, and at the restaurant the smoke smell is so bad near the
beverage
machine that it's obvious the staff is indulging back in the kitchen
...real
appetizing. We don't go there anymore.
Mama Primozz Pizza
34659 Vine St., Eastlake, Ohio
216-951-9773
This small business gets extra points
for being a "real" non-smoking restaurant ...there is no smoking inside
the building, including dining room, kitchen and rest rooms. Quite a
relief.
The reasonably-priced menu offers a
few
ordinary pasta dishes and soups, some pretty good salads, calzones,
submarines,
daily lunchbox specials, and a very very good (the best available
locally) freshly-made pizza. When we say "fresh" we mean that the
homemade-from-scratch,
hand-stretched dough is mixed up, raised and baked within a day. The
pizza
sauce, while not exactly the same every time, ranges in taste from
"good"
to "excellent." Not a bad range to be in.
Outback Steakhouse
The Greens Shopping Center
Lyndhurst, Ohio
Not a cheap place to eat, but an
excellent
one. Don't fear the fat content--just skip the (admittedly delicious,
but
fat-and-calorie-laden) fancy appetizers and go right for the crisp
salad,
fresh-from-the-oven multigrain bread, and truly outstanding steak. This
is the only restaurant in the area where your steak will be served
exactly
as you order it--medium well will not be overcooked, medium rare will
have
a warm center, and both styles will be served to the table at the same
time. That's quite a trick. Juicy steaks are served hot, on cold plates
(no sitting on warming shelves here!). They offer liquor, wines, and a
nice selection of beers. Soft drinks and brewed iced tea are refilled
before
they are empty--no searching for servers.
Pizzazz Ristorante
839 S.O.M. Center Road, Mayfield Village, Ohio
216-461-2233
Where else can you go for
reasonably-priced
homemade-style pasta with authentic Italian tomato sauce? ...And
excellent
fresh, made-to-order pizza, salads, calzones, submarines, sandwiches,
full
liquor service, wines, soft drinks (including a flavorful,
crystal-clear
brewed iced tea) ... This is a very good place to eat! Its parking lot
is smaller than tiny, and the restaurant itself does not seat many--you
may have to sign in and wait for a table. But the wait won't be long,
and
it will be worth your time.
Hint: if you like spinach salads,
don't
order one as a side dish--it's a meal by itself. The always-fresh and
clean
spinach is served in a deep bowl, topped with mushrooms and
shredded
provolone--be sure to get it with their delicious, unique warm
pepperoni
house dressing. Dine with a friend, split a spinach salad and a pizza
or
a pasta entree a la carte ...even including a half carafe of wine
and a tip, two can have a feast for under $20. That's not the only
surprise
when you pay up, though ...bring cash or a check; they don't take
plastic!
Red Hot & Blue
Memphis Pit Bar-B-Que
2855 W. Market St., Fairlawn Ohio
330-865-6666, Fax 330-865-6400
Here you find the "best
bar-b-que you'll ever have in a building that hasn't already been
condemned."
This place was a real find (courtesy of Del's Folks) where the food
actually
lives up to the great atmosphere. A bluesy decor is enhanced by
background
music (available on tape) that blues and jazz fans will recognize as
coming
from true greats, and some nights feature live performances from
current
artists. The food is genuine, too ...and very good. Note to
northerners:
if you're not accustomed to eating "real" smoked ribs, it can be
disconcerting
to be served pink pork (it's safe, really! ...and tasty if you can move
beyond its appearance). Ribs come wet--glazed with "Mojo Mild sauce" or
dry--rubbed with their "secret blend of dry spices." Try them both
ways;
you can order yours half-and-half to compare (we did not dare to risk
the
"Hoochie Coochie hot sauce"). Red Hot & Blue Nachos are a knockout
appetizer--if you can't decide between the chicken or pork toppings,
order
half-and-half here, too: delish! Smokehouse Chili will send
diners
with tender palates running for a fire extinguisher, but it has a truly
excellent flavor; RH&B is missing a good bet if they don't enter it
in this year's chili cookoff. Beef brisket sandwich must be tasted to
be
believed. Pulled Pig and Pulled Chicken sandwiches are a delight, with
the meat's unique texture enhanced by a delicate smoke flavor, and
perfectly
complemented by the slightly spicy sauce. Portions are generous (with
the
exception of small baked potatoes, on which "loaded" means sprinkled
hints
of toppings), and sides are superb. If you don't order potato salad
anymore,
you must try it here: it's as if your grandmom showed them how to make
her best homemade recipe...and then they improved it. The "famous
bar-b-que
baked beans" are just different enough to make you smile. The cole
slaw,
which in most restaurants just kind of takes up space, is truly
excellent
..."comes with" many menu items, but is good enough to order separately
if not. If you have a few minutes to spare, fill out the comment card;
but do yourself a favor and really read it--the categories are a hoot!
NOTE: We've lost this restaurant; it closed and that's a darn'
shame--it was a favorite, and its absence leaves a great big blank
space for really good BBQ.
Skyline Chili
The Greens Shopping Center
Lyndhurst, Ohio
Who says you have to go to Cincinnati
for Cincinnati-style chili? If you've never had it, you must try it. If
you have had it and didn't know where to get it this far north, go to
this
hidden treasure spot in Lyndhurst. As far as we can tell, this is the
only
Cincinnati-style chili to be had for many miles.
For the uninitiated: this is not a
Tex-Mex
kind of chili. Don't expect anything like Wendy's here. The chili is
closer
to a Mediterranean than a Southern taste. It's not chunky; closer in
texture
to a thick sauce than a crumbly burger. It's served over a bed of firm
spaghetti, and topped with your choice of beans, onions, and/or a
mountain
of shredded Cheddar cheese. You've got to try it. Once you're hooked,
you'll
find yourself making a special trip here at lunch or for a quick bite
for
dinner. Enjoy!
Wallaby's Grille and Brewpub
Westlake, Ohio
We visited this newly-established Aussie
restaurant and pub on a whim one Saturday afternoon, having seen a sign
for it while on the freeway (Rte. 90, westbound). What a pleasant
surprise!
They are a member of a chain just starting out in this area (rumor is
that
one will be in the Flats soon) and you can expect delicious food and
some
very tasty private label micro brews (a la Great Lakes Brewery, etc.).
The only problem we had was choosing
something
from the varied menu--we saw at least four items each that were
tempting.
We settled on a lamb stew served in a sourdough-style bread bowl, and a
prime rib sandwich. They were great. The accompanying salads were
available
with a unique mandarin-orange-something dressing that was exceedingly
tasty.
During weekday sports events, they serve bargain-priced mussels
appetizers
in the lounge, and there are various special events/deals and souvenirs
that you can check out for yourself. This is definitely a "will go
back,
and you should, too" place.
Other States
Bojangles Chicken
Along the Interstates in GA, NC & SC
The fried chicked was greasy, the cole
slaw was in some kind of vinegar sweet/sour dressing, and the
indigestion
was hours long. Enough said.
The Claim Company
Oakbrook Mall, Oakbrook, Illinois
Go here for good, plentiful food and
superb,
friendly service. We used to have a bit of fun counting the seconds an
empty plate was allowed to sit on our table--we could not get past
three
seconds! A tad pricey for the simple menu, but all the food is
well-prepared
and tastes wonderful. What they call a salad buffet is definitely a
multi-course
meal, with more variety than you can possibly need. But save room for
very
good entrees and, if you're really ambitious, some fabulous desserts
(well,
maybe in a separate visit!). On a hot summer day you can't beat a Claim
Kicker for crisp refreshment, and there's no shortage of other
specialty
drinks to keep you happy.
When in the Chicago area, stop in
here
for a fun meal, and give yourself a bit of time to wander the stores in
the beautifully landscaped two-story outdoor mall--Nieman Marcus, I
Magnin,
Nordstrum's to name a select few--you certainly can find a thing or two
to pique your shopper's interest!
Ippolitto's
Several locations (we were in Gwinnett) Georgia
This little place hiding in an
ordinary-looking
strip shopping center about half-an-hour's drive from downtown Atlanta
was a real surprise. The truly excellent, New-York style Italian
cuisine
is as tasty as it is bountiful. Modest salads are the only
"ordinary"
food you'll get here. They are served with homemade, fresh-baked rolls
brushed with olive oil and liberally dusted with parsley and a truly
outstanding
Locatelli-type spaghetti cheese. They could be a meal in themselves,
but
resist overindulging in them ...the entrees arrive in serving-bowl
sized
portions and are great. Linguine was all but hidden under the hefty
portion
of tender, tasty clams in white sauce, Fettucine Alfredo was so tasty
it
was a crime to leave some, but we were guilty--no leftovers while out
of
town!
Surprising for this geographic area
(smoking
is considered darn-near patriotic), the dining room is entirely "non-."
There is a small bar area where the usual drinks, wines and beers are
served.
This place is popular--you may wait a bit for a table during prime
dinner
hours. If you're anywhere nearby, skip lunch and bring a healthy
appetite
here. You will be happy.
Sunnyside Restaurant
850 N. Hanover Street
Carlisle, PA 17013
717-243-5712
This modest-looking restaurant fools
you--it
looks small outside, but has plenty of seating in many rooms inside.
We're
not sure how a really good Greek restaurant ended up in this small
Pennsylvania
town, but the food is very good! Classic lamb shanks in a Mediterranean
sauce and the French onion soup were excellent. Chicken Parmesan was
very
good and pasta, while a bit overdone, was very tasty. As a side dish,
onion
rings were surprisingly good--done to perfection, with just the right
amount
of crispy breading. If you're having a birthday in your party, feel
free
to order a birthday cake--ours was very good, with some of the best
frosting
we've had since Hough Bakery closed (that's a local Cleveland
reference;
if you're not from here, don't worry about it--just believe that this
is
a compliment). The service is competent and friendly, too--they
didn't
even get snippy when our party of 8 turned out to be 5 (oops!). We are
in Carlisle every year, and keep going back to this restaurant.
Would
you like to contact us?
[Last
Updated: 5/13/04.]