Bone-in Rib-Eye @ Urban Farmer
777 St. Clair Ave., 216-771-7707, urbanfarmercleveland.com
This downtown newcomer offers a primer on steak, with plenty of porterhouses, strips, tenderloins and flatirons. But it was the 24-ounce grain-finished, bone-in Ohio rib-eye that delivered the ultimate mix of char, fat and flavor.
Oxtail Stew @ Ocho Rios
1007 Ivanhoe Rd., 216-249-6246
What this Jamaican joint lacks in ambiance it more than makes up for in authenticity. The oxtail stew tastes like the pot roast of one’s dreams, with the pudding-soft meat swimming in a rich and deeply flavorful gravy. It’s served with rice and beans and warm cabbage slaw.
Spicy Shrimp @ Han Chinese
3710 Payne Ave., 216-769-8745
The name “spicy shrimp” is an awfully bland descriptor for the mind-blowing dish to come. Fat-ass prawns are butterflied, deveined and flash-fried before getting doused with Szechuan red-chili oil and sprinkled with hot peppers. Eat ’em shell and all.
Seafood Tower @ Grove Hill
25 Pleasant Dr., 440-247-4800, Chagrin Falls, grovehillchagrin.com
The only thing more celebratory than a platter of shimmering seafood is an entire tower of it. This multi-tiered showstopper is loaded with raw oysters and clams, king crab, plump shrimp, wild salmon tartar and scallop sashimi.
Baby Back Ribs @ Oak and Embers
8003 Mayfield Rd., Chesterland, 440-729-4030, oakandemberstavern.com
I could eat my weight in barbecue, and I’d start with a few slabs of baby back ribs from this place. The owner leaves a bit of the loin attached when butchering them and lets them sit overnight in the dry rub. A long, slow smoke in the pit leaves them smoky, firm and sweet.
Crab Cakes Benedict @ Dante Next Door
2247 Professor Ave., 216-274-1201, danteboccuzzi.com
Brunch is all about indulgence – when else is morning drinking accepted behavior? This upgraded version of an already extravagant dish slides in sautéed crab cakes between the ham and poached egg. Of course, the whole stack is drenched in lemony Hollandaise.
Mint Chocolate Chip @ Piccadilly Artisan Creamery
11607 Euclid Ave., 216-563-1992, piccadillyartisanyogurt.com
Yes, ice cream made to order in a mixer with liquid nitrogen sounds gimmicky, but the results are anything but. Because liquid nitrogen is so cold, ice crystals have no opportunity to form, resulting in the creamiest texture and richest flavor possible.
Tacos @ El Señor’s
170 East Washington St., Painesville, 440-354-3896
The pitch-perfect tacos at this tiny cantina-in-a-grocery are built atop a pair of warm, fragrant, griddle-fried corn tortillas. They’re topped with beef tongue, carne asada, al pastor or chorizo. Diners add their own fresh-squeezed lime, chopped cilantro, diced white onion and heavenly salsas.
Chile Bajji @ Hot or Mild
1446 SOM Center Rd., Mayfield Heights, 440-446-8200
If you truly love spicy food. I recommend these: finger-long hot peppers that are stuffed, spiced, breaded in chickpea flour and deep fried. The only way to counter the heat is with a side of cool raita.
Chicken Cracklings @ Peachtree Southern Kitchen
200 North Main St., Hudson, 234-380-1789, peachtreesouthernkitchen.com
Like any self-respecting Southern eatery, Peachtree dishes up large portions of soul-satisfying comfort foods. But this particular snack left me pining for more. Chicken skin is cleaned, deep fried in lard, seasoned, drizzled with honey and served with Sriracha dipping sauce. The resulting crisps are crunchy, salty and addictive.
Pork Belly @ Jack Flaps
3900 Lorain Ave., 216-961-5199, jack-flaps.com
This small, funky, seat-yourself café is anything but ordinary – and that applies to the house bacon, which is some of the best in town. Pork belly is slow-cooked until it is melt-in-your-mouth tender. It’s glazed with a syrupy Mexican Coca-Cola and sliced into fat, smoky slabs that go great with everything on the menu.
Shrimp and Grits @ The Standard
779 East 185th St., 216-531-9643, thestandardcleveland.com
The Standard knows how to straddle a fence. Its location teeters between Cleveland and Euclid; the interior blurs the line between cozy pub and swank bistro; and the dishes land right between small plate and entrée. That’s great news when the dish is shrimp and grits, with fat shrimp perched atop rich and creamy polenta dotted with chunks of bacon.
Pupusa @ Pupuseria Katarina
4848 Broadview Rd., 216-331-6624
A city can never have too many pupuserias. That’s why we were thrilled to learn that one opened closer to town. This quaint, spare eatery serves up all the classics, including a crisp, corny and gooey version with cheese, refried beans and pork. Don’t forget the curtido, a cool, bright and crunchy cabbage slaw.
This article appears in Nov 19-25, 2014.
Almond tea is strangest recommendation at Koko’s bakery.