There’s just so many good restaurants in town, we can’t pick where to takeout from. Also, it’s good to support local restaurants. At the beginning of November, we decided to highlight 24 local restaurants each week during the pandemic. Here’s the 25 for this week.

Balaton 13133 Shaker Square, Cleveland Talk about underappreciated. When Balaton opened a half-century ago on Buckeye Road, the primary language spoken in the dining room was Hungarian. But word of the modest restaurant’s remarkable goulash, Weiner schnitzel, and paprikash wriggled out, at first to the immediate neighborhood, and later to the city and region as a whole. Come to the lovely restaurant at Shaker Square, where Balaton has now resided for 20 years, and you won’t be awash in Old World shtick. Photo via Scene Archives
Bearden’s 19985 Lake Rd., Rocky River Bearden’s is offering the Peanut Burger which takes their famous Bearden’s Burger topped with melted peanut butter and sweet pickles. Photo Provided by Restaurant
Ruchi 7205 Aurora Rd., Aurora “A lot of interesting nuances about THIS Indian restaurant. Stopped in for their lunch buffet – on Saturday! Most others don’t do buffet on weekends. Dishes were a little different than mainstream Indian restaurants. Their flavors were deeper and more diverse. They brought fresh naan to the table. They also brought their signature rice dessert to the table as well. This place’s food and service is really 5-star,” Mark C. on Yelp Photo via Ruchi Indian Cuisine/Facebook
Maxi’s 12113 Mayfield Rd., Cleveland “If you haven’t been to this Little Italy spot with a cult following, you’re truly missing out. Family style is the way to go here. Order tons of appetizers (especially fried mozzarella, the tomato/mozzarella salad, escarole, calamari, stuffed peppers and escargot), get a couple of pastas for the table – the cavatelli bolognese is the best pasta dish in Cleveland and maybe the country, the flavia and farfalle are great too – and prepared to be wowed,” Louis Z. on Yelp Photo via Maxi’s In Little Italy/Facebook
Corner 11 2391 W. 11th St., Cleveland The first poke bowl spot made its way to town this past February with the opening of Corner 11. Customizing your own bowl has never been more fun than at this Tremont spot, where you choose what type of raw, sushi-grade fish you want in addition to seaweed salads, sauces, veggies and much more. Photo via Corner 11/Facebook
Otani Noodle 11472 Euclid Ave., and 234 Euclid Ave., Cleveland Otani Noodle, from the same owners of long-standing Mayfield Heights hibachi restaurant Otani, recently opened their second location, this time in the heart of downtown in addition to their University Circle home, and if you haven’t been yet, you’re missing out. The tonkotsu broth they use for their ramen is delectable. Photo via Scene Archives
Nora 2181 Murray Hill Rd., Cleveland Nora upends the Little Italy stereotype of the spag-and-ball joint by applying classic French technique to Italian ingredients to come up with dishes that are in synch with the season, if not the surrounding restaurants. While you won’t be dabbing red sauce off your shirt, you will be awash in the Old World charm that attracts us to the Hill in the first place. Beneath a pressed-tin ceiling and behind a wall of windows, diners dig into creamy burrata, crunchy polenta fries, wild mushroom stuffed agnolotti, and fettuccine carbonara topped with crispy matchstick potatoes and a buttery poached egg. Photo via Scene Archives
Prosperity Social Club 1109 Starkweather Ave., Cleveland Cozy and retro, this former workingman’s watering hole serves up delicious food, booze, and a bowling machine along with the live music. They have a kitchen that stays open nightly until midnight and brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. Photo via @ProsperitySocialClub/Instagram
Pho and Rice 1780 Coventry Rd., Cleveland Heights For a quick and convenient bowl of pho, you should definitely consider Pho & Rice. There are more than a dozen phos with the usual noodle, beef and poultry fillings. The broth is made in house and the soup is served with a handful of bean sprouts, a bunch of basil, and a few jalapenos and lime wedges. Photo via @MimiRuth123/Instagram
Latin Corner 12123 Lorain Ave., Cleveland This small Honduran cafe in Ohio City is certainly worth checking out, especially if you’ve never tried the cuisine from the Central American country. Photo via Latin Corner Restaurant/Facebook
Olesia’s Taverne 3960 Broadview Rd., Richfield Out in Richfield, this Ukranian landmark is offering family meals for 2 for $26, 4 for $48 or 6 people for $60. They come with house salad, bread and butter and either beef stroganoff, schnitzel with mashed potatoes and mushroom sauce, stuffed cabbage with mashed potatoes or grilled chicken kebab with mashed potatoes. Photo via Scene Archives
La Placita 2511 Clark Ave., Cleveland At this Hispanic-themed open-air market in the Clark-Fulton neighborhood, street food vendors sling tacos, empanadas and more. Tacos that are cooked up in front of you are a staple here. Enjoy it with a side of plantains and live music. The plan or La Placita is to evolve into a permanent indoor, year-round operation that houses micro-retail businesses within La Villa Hispana – which means tacos in every season. Photo via La Placita/Facebook
Los Arcos 2175 South Green Rd., University Heights “We ordered here tonight for dinner and the food was great. Process was really easy with ordering online, paying online, and pick-up was quick. My wife ordered the veggie option number 1 and could barely finish it with how much she got. I ordered the burrito Cancun and the cheese sauce on top was a great fit. Food was hot and well flavored. Highly recommend you to try it!” Woody D. on Yelp Photo via Los Arcos Mexican Restaurant/Facebook
PJ Marleys 119 Public Square, Medina Sometimes, simple is better, and if you want old school, traditional french fries and a delicious burger, head out to Medina. Also try the Marley Fries, smothered in cheese, bacon and green onions. Pair these bad boys with one of their signature burgers and enjoy. Photo via Scene Archives
Lox, Stock and Brisket 3401 Tuttle Rd., Shaker Heights The Van Aken Market Hall is in the throes of adding great option after option. Count another one with the recent opening of Lox, Stock and Brisket. For the coming days and weeks, diners will find a slightly abridged menu compared to what originally was offered in University Heights, but it will expand, says chef Anthony Zappola. Of course, from Day 1, fan faves like the Lincoln Park (chicken schnitzel), Upper East Side (smoked brisket) and Ridge Lane (house-cured lox) will be available. Photo via Scene Archives Credit: Scene Archives
Mitchell’s Fish Market 28601 Chagrin Blvd., Woodmere “Excellent food excellent service. The charbroiled oysters were fabulously covered in cheese and butter and garlic. The stuffed crab left you wanting more. The lobster melted in your mouth. The impossible meatballs were very good. Fish and chips were flaky and tender. The creme brûlée was delicate. The shark fin desert was huge and covered in peanuts. The blueberry cheesecake was out of this world,” Tamara W. on Yelp Photo via @TorkArts/Instagram
Osso 9145 Old State Rd., Hambden Osso is a restaurant on a 40-acre farm outside of Chardon. It’s a one-of-a-kind dining experience. Nose-to-tail cooking means that once the prime steaks, chops and loins have been extracted, the real fun begins. Hams are hung to cure into prosciutto, jowls into guanciale and shoulder muscles become coppa. The experience eating in is one of a kind but the food is plenty good to go too. Photo by Douglas Trattner
Parkview Nite Club 1261 West 58th St., Cleveland Layers of mystery lie just beneath the surface of this rustic, aggressively unpretentious corner bar on Cleveland’s near West Side. Start with the decorative motif: How can the Rat Pack poster mingle with the framed Three Stooges photo? If this is the Parkview, where is the park — or the view? How can a bar tout its live blues bands, even as it advertises the birthday of a regular patron named “Disco Dicky”? Most of all, how has a bar with wood paneling on walls, floor, and ceiling managed to keep from burning down this long? These are matters that require intense study from the barstool and a thorough interrogation of the help. Photo via Scene Archives

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