Toledo and Cleveland

[Note, there are several threads already on LTHForum on Toledo and Cleveland, a few referenced in this thread. Because there is in fact, no one thread on these places, I've made a fresh thread. I do thank all the posters on these places in the past, your opinions helped guide our eating, and while I never made it to Lola, I may never forget MJN's description: "Basically like if your polish grandmother had a food love child with charlie trotter."]

It was a few weeks ago that the VI family visited Cleveland, the ancestral home of the Condiment Queen (at least on her Pop's side). I figured I better get my post in before Tony Bourdain does his number on the Travel Chanel tonight. BTW, word on the street is that Tony and his sidekick Ruhlman positively swoon over some Cleveland butcher, but Tony was not so happy with the Cincy chili he found in Cleveland.

Our route to Cleveland took us to Toledo for the night. As has been noted on this board

No trip to Toledo is complete without dining at the Beirut

. On the other hand, our law student , al-pastor chasing friend, Rich4, who seems to have disappeared from this forum, also recommended the Toledo Market. The two places reminded me, that to paint with broad strokes, there are two types of Chowhounds out there. There are persons who want to feel safe, comfortable while eating. Beruit is for them, a clean, dim lighted place. On the other hand, there are places where the whiff of danger, the near failing grade on the food sanitation report, the secret menu that is the menu, some instantly love these kinda places. Toledo Market is more of the former.

All that said, I would say that our reaction of Beruit mimicked that of MikeG when he visited its sister restaurant, Byblos

Wow, you say, what a trip, a 1971 cocktail lounge with Naugahyde captain’s chairs and mock-Tiffany skylights, serving Lebanese food. Where could you find a wacked-out combination like that?

Beruit was the kinda place that while we were stewing over the menu, the very Midwestern waitress suggested to us that we might like the Italian food. Now, a couple of the things at Beruit were good. The pita was fresh baked, the tomatoes in the fattoush salad seasonally good, but aside from the discordant atmosphere, and some crappy kabobs, what put us was that the prices seemed high for what we got. Our meal for four came to almost $80.

Toledo Market is a decent, not great Middle Eastern store, like about anything you could find in Albany Park, but attached to it is a cafe with great looking food. I say great looking because I really did not try anything beyond a fresh made falafel sammy. I would, however, be happy to return.

This is where I would really be happy to re-visit:

Rich4 aside, Tony Packo's is the most famous restaurant in Toledo. Granted, I'm always happy where lunch comes with a side of dumplings and gravy, plenty of pickles (not pictured, a whole 'nother bowl of pickles) and you have house made cherry strudel for dessert (kinda washed out).

The dog


is the main attraction. It has a tight bite, pleasant surface grease, and coney sauce not that different than Cincinatti. I likey.

No one from M.A.S.H. came from Cleveland, so no one talked up the West Side Market. This, however, is one of the top (top) foodie destinations in the USA. MikeG shows some of what makes it good here. Here's another pic:


I guess I could spend days talking about the market. I could spend days at the market (and I really love my family who let me spend an inordinate amount of time at the market). Beyond all the full-fat cottage cheese, the bloody-fresh lake fish, the Cambodian food next to the Slovakian sausages, what really stands out at the market was the preternatural friendliness of the operators, a real, genuine friendliness, not a welcome to the Casbah kinda friendliness.

See this lamb:


OK, a bit gross, I know, but soon, it was reduced to parts.

And the nice butchers at Bistricky's showed me how to do it.

Even though there's so much good food in the market, the attached cafe is worth a stop too. Cleveland is the kinda place where the blintz's come with a side of potatoes.


It's a bit outta focus, but those potatoes were really worth the calories. This is a GWiv dish for sure, those tiny cubes exceedingly crisp and a strong onion flavor (too strong for me) pervading the dish. He'd of course, want some giardinara.

Elsewhere in Cleveland (area)...

TonyC loves-loves the lemon ricotta pancakes at the Inn on Coventry. Me, I liked them, but I'm not quite sure if they are worth the schlep from Beachwood.

Ann Fisher put in the good word for Corky and Lenny's in Woodmere. It seems that Uncle Art is near royalty here. We spent two meals at his deli. It reminded me a bit, in quality and style of Max and Benny's in Northbrook. Still, it had a much better schmooze, panache. For whatever reason, the Jews in Cleveland seem a bit more comfortable with their presence then us here in Chicago. It shows in Corky and Lenny's. Very good soups.

JeffB, maybe, poopah'd the Primati's inspired Panini's in Cleveland. I've never had the original, but I would return to Panini's fer sure. Who can resist a sammy with fresh made fries in the middle?

Finally, Mitchell Brothers is a small chain of ice cream in Cleveland. If you find one, get a scoop or two.

Thanks again for all the Ohio posts in the past. I expect to make a bit more use on another Cleveland trip soon.

Thanks for the post, Rob. Seems like the theme is that if it comes with french fries, or some other form of fried potatoes, it was good. You may be the first to prefer Tony Packo's to Beirut, but you always have been a hot dog lover.

I disagree pretty strongly with your brief dismissal of Beirut. I like the kitschy atmosphere, and your quote from Mike G about Byblos is really not apropos - the decor of the two places is very different. The food is generally very good, and $20pp does not strike me as at all excessive for a place that serves excellent Lebanese food in a sit down restaurant with alcohol. On the other hand, I do not think I have sampled their shish kebabs, as there always seemed to be more interesting and unusual options on the menu.

I do agree that if one chooses to stick with the middle east standbys, the main things that differentiate Beirut from a number of Albany Park places are the fresh pita and the prices.