I write about local eats in the Cleveland area and my struggles of trying to make it as a full-time writer.
Are you in the mood for some fried fish?
If the answer is yes, you should check out these places in the Columbus area (this list is not at all exhaustive!).
Marino's Seafood Fish & Chips
If you find yourself in Grandview, you should check out the fish and chips at this place. Their fish is covered in a light batter before being fried to crispy perfection. You can't go wrong with their classic fish and chips combo, which comes with two pieces of their fish, thick-cut chips, and two hushpuppies. In addition to fried fish, Marino's offers fried clams, smelts, and shrimp plus crab cakes. If you're aiming to eat a lot of fried fish, you should come here on Saturdays and check out their all-you-can-eat special. Not only does the special include unlimited quantities of fish, but it also includes all-you-can-eat chips, hushpuppies, slaw, and fountain drinks.
Marino's Seafood Fish & Chips is located at 1216 W 5th Ave, Columbus, OH 43212.
Located in Merion Village, this joint offers great fried fish. Check out their fish meal, which comes with two pieces of your choice of fried tilapia, whiting, or cod plus their flavorful Cajun fries and two hushpuppies. Shrimp Lips also serves fantastic catfish and - of course - shrimp.
Shrimp Lips is located at 1624 Parsons Ave, Columbus, OH 43207.
If you want great fish and chips, you can't go wrong with this local chain. Check out their famous fish and chips, which consist of Atlantic cod that's battered by hand, steak fries, coleslaw, and their signature tartar sauce. The fish typically comes fried, but you can also have it blackened or pan seared by request. If you want a bit of heat, ask to have the fish and chips "Eddie style," and they'll add some spice to the batter. And if you like Reuben sandwiches, you might want to check out their Reuben-style fish sandwich.
Old Bag of Nails has several locations in central Ohio: Bexley (18 N Nelson Rd, Columbus, OH 43219), Clintonville (4416 N High St, Columbus, OH 43214), Hilliard ( 4065 Main St, Hilliard, OH 43026), Old Worthington (663 High St, Worthington, OH 43085), Upper Arlington (2102 Tremont Center, Upper Arlington, OH 43221), Westerville (24 North State Street # 26 # 26, Westerville, OH 43081), Pickerington (797 Hill Road North, Pickerington, Ohio 43147), and Whitehall (4661 E Broad St, Whitehall, OH 43213).
I write about local eats in the Cleveland area and my struggles of trying to make it as a full-time writer.
Are you looking for great Italian food in Greater Cleveland?. If the answer is yes, you should check out these great restaurants (this list is not at all exhaustive!). Located in the eastside suburb of Euclid, this family-owned restaurant has been serving delicious Italian food since 1989. To start, try their pepperoni bread (which is made with homemade dough and served with marinara sauce), bruschetta (which consists of their homemade bread topped with fresh tomatoes, garlic, fresh basil, and grated pecorino), and/or arancino (risotto filled with tomato sauce, braised beef, peas, hard-boiled eggs, and fontina cheese). As for entrees, you can't go wrong with one of their pastas covered in their puttanesca sauce (a spicy red sauce made with sautéed garlic and Kalamata olives), pasta con Pepe e’ Cacio (pappardelle that's tossed in olive oil and garlic with pancetta, and that's topped with pecorino romano, black pepper, and truffle oil), and chicken marsala.
If the answer is yes, you should check out these restaurants in Greater Cleveland (this list is not at all exhaustive!). Located in the westside suburb of Avon, this upscale restaurant serves delicious steaks. Strip uses exclusively USDA prime beef for their steaks, which are aged for a minimum of 3 weeks to ensure fantastic flavor. Customers strongly recommend the Cowboy steak (a big 22-ounce bone-in ribeye), Boilermaker (a 10-ounce center-cut ribeye that's covered with sugar and spice before being cooked in a cast iron skillet with a dash of Irish whiskey), and aptly named Big Daddy, which is a 24-ounce porterhouse steak that's flavored with sea salt, fresh garlic, and lemon. If you want, you can have your steak served with a compound butter or sauce of your choice. You can't go wrong with truffle butter, apple honey bacon butter, horseradish cream, or bernaise.
Are you looking for a delicious way to start your morning?. If you're in the Columbus area, you should check out these restaurants, which all serve delicious breakfasts (this list is not at all comprehensive!).
If you're in Ohio, you should consider visiting these local joints (this list is not at all exhaustive!). If you want a simple burger that's executed to delicious perfection, you should check out this bar in Northeast Ohio. Johnny's "World Famous Burger" has a half-pound patty that's made with fresh beef, lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickle, and served with the bar's homemade chips. For a small upcharge, you can add cheese (options include provolone, American, cheddar, bleu, Swiss, and pepper jack), mushrooms, onions, bacon, and/or jalapenos.
If the answer is yes, you should check out these local places in the Akron area (this list is not at all comprehensive!). If you want a great example of Barberton fried chicken, you can't go wrong with this place, which has been serving delicious food for decades. A popular option is Whitehouse's classic chicken dinner, which comes with 4 pieces of their famous chicken, their signature "hot sauce" (a spicy tomato-rice mixture), vinaigrette coleslaw, and fresh fries. They also offer flavorful chicken tenders, wings (traditional and boneless), and buckets of chicken.
If the answer is yes, you should check out these local joints in the Cincinnati area (this list is not at all exhaustive!). If you find yourself downtown craving wings, you should check out the great wings at this popular sports bar. Patrons love their smoked wings, which you can get plain or tossed in one of their delicious sauces, which are made in-house. Heat levels range from mild to extra hot. They also offer BBQ, honey BBQ, hot BBQ, bourbon pineapple, and spicy garlic ranch sauces. As you wait for your wings, you can munch on the bar's complimentary popcorn.
The other day, I wanted to start my day with a hearty breakfast. To satisfy my craving, I went to Bay Diner, a local restaurant in the westside suburb of Bay Village. Because I'm kind of a caffeine addict, when my server asked if I wanted some coffee, I immediately said, "Yes please." The coffee was decent, hot, and strong.
If the answer is yes, you should check out these local joints in Ohio (this list is not at all exhaustive!). If you find yourself in northeast Ohio, you can't go wrong with the delicious barbecue at this place. They cook their meats with a wood-fired smoker, which gives their food plenty of great flavor. Check out their smoked St. Louis ribs, which are served with a sweet and tangy Kansas-City-style BBQ sauce, coleslaw, and fries. They also have fantastic brisket, pulled pork, and chicken. Customers also love getting their Reuben sandwiches with their brisket and their club sandwiches, which come with smoked turkey, bacon, ham, Havarti, lettuce, tomato, mayo, and sub sauce on grilled sourdough bread. If someone in your party is in need of a vegetarian option, Landmark also offers vegan burgers with house-made black bean patties and salads.
If you're in Greater Cleveland, you should visit these local businesses (this list is not at all exhaustive!). Located on the westside in the suburb of Westlake, this takeout place specializes in great seafood. They have delicious soups including New England clam chowder, lobster bisque, and crawfish corn chowder. Customers also strongly recommend their lobster salad sandwiches, crab cakes, and fried oysters. And if you're in need of a clambake, you can't go wrong with Lobster Bros. The shop's clambakes feature cold water middle neck clams, which come from Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island.
If the answer is yes, you should visit these places in Ohio (this list is not at all exhaustive!). In addition to great beers that are brewed in house, this place in Northeast Ohio offers some of the best chicken wings in the area. They use chicken that contains zero hormones and zero antibiotics. You can get their wings covered in tasty sauces such as miso-honey with scallions, gochujang garlic with sesame seeds, beer-b-q, buffalo, green house hot (which is made with jalapenos and poblanos), and Nashville (their Nashville sauce packs a ton of heat). They also have great dry rubs including zesty, everything bagel, green chili, spicy Cajun, and lemon pepper. If you have trouble deciding, you can also tell the kitchen to surprise you.
If the answer is yes, you should check out these places in Greater Cleveland (this list is not at all exhaustive!). If you find yourself on the eastside, you can't go wrong with this place in Shaker Heights. Banter offers great food, including tasty hot dogs. They have great chili cheese hot dogs, which come with all-beef hot dogs topped with cheddar, onion, spicy chili, and yellow mustard. The restaurant also serves delectable corn dogs that are fried in a cornmeal batter and come with yellow mustard and ketchup. If you want something with more of a kick, check out their Mexican street corn dog, which comes with aioli, queso blanco, Tajin (chili lime seasoning), and cilantro. If you just want a basic hot dog, get the kid's hot dog, which just comes with the all-beef hot dog and bun plus ketchup on the side. And if you're in need of a vegetarian option, Banter's menu has a veggie sausage sandwich and veggie corn dog.
The other day, since it was a cold day - like, a teeth-chattering, whole-body-shivering kind of cold - I was in the mood for a nice hot bowl of soup. As a resident of a westside suburb, I admit I don't often venture to the eastside. I don't particularly like driving, and I try to avoid long car drives as much as possible. Also, have you seen the price of gas nowadays?
If the answer is yes, you should check out these places in and around Cincinnati (this list is not at all exhaustive!). Since 1960, this family-owned restaurant has been serving some of the best fried chicken in Cincinnati. Their chicken is juicy and tender on the inside while being crunchy on the outside. Check out their fried chicken dinners, which come with two sides of your choice (customers highly recommend the hot bacon slaw, coleslaw, or German potato salad). You can't go wrong with the half-chicken dinner, which comes with a perfectly cooked chicken breast, thigh, leg, and wing. Patrons also enjoy the fried chicken livers and chicken & waffle, which come with a chicken breast and made-to-order waffle with syrup and butter. The restaurant also has a great chicken sandwich with a hand-breaded chicken breast, lettuce, tomato, and mayo inside a toasted bun.
If you're in the mood for some tasty corned beef, you should check out these local joints in Greater Cleveland (this list is not at all exhaustive!). If you're craving corned beef, you can't go wrong with this pub in Cleveland's Ohio City neighborhood. Check out their hot corned beef sandwiches, which include slices of their house-prepared corned beef plus Swiss cheese between toasted slices of rye bread. They also have great Reubens; in addition to Swiss and corned beef, the Reubens come with sauerkraut and Russian dressing. They also offer egg rolls filled with corned beef, sauerkraut, and Swiss. Customers also enjoy their corned beef boxty (an Irish potato pancake that's folded over and filled with corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and Russian dressing).
If you're in the Akron area, you should check out these local places (this list is not at all comprehensive!). If you want a tasty burger, you can't go wrong with Lock 15. Check out their Lock 15 burger, which has a beef patty, lettuce, red onion, house pickles, cheddar cheese, and confit tomato aioli between brioche buns. Customers also enjoy the black and blue burger, which is topped with arugula, red wine onions, gorgonzola, and bacon. They also offer a gluten-free bun. If you have room for dessert, check out the carrot cake, chocolate silk pie, or panna cotta.
Are you looking for a nice restaurant to go to with your significant other on your next date night?. If you're in Ohio, you should consider visiting these local restaurants.
Are you looking for a bakery with great baked goods?. If you're in Greater Cleveland, you should check out these places (this list is not at all comprehensive!). This bakery in Cleveland's Tremont neighborhood offers wonderful treats that are made from scratch with high-quality ingredients. Check out their delectable cupcakes. You can find flavors such as strawberry cassata (vanilla cake with vanilla buttercream and pastry cream plus strawberry preserves), chocolate fig and cheese (devil's food cake with fig and wine compote plus cream cheese filling), and lemon raspberry (lemon cake with lemon curd and raspberry jam). They also have great brioche donuts that are made fresh every day and frequently sell out, so if you want one, try to come to the bakery early in the morning. If you don't have much of a sweet tooth, check out their croissants and breakfast sandwiches, which come on their brioche bread.
As a resident of a westside suburb, I tend to stick to neighborhoods near me: Parma, Westlake, North Olmsted, Middleburg Heights, et cetera. But the other day, when I saw that this one movie was playing at only one theater in Greater Cleveland, and that movie theater was all the way in Willoughby - a 35-minute car drive away from me - I decided to make a day of it and also get some food on the eastside.
Are you looking for delicious Italian food in Greater Cleveland?. If the answer is yes, you should visit these local restaurants (this list is not at all exhaustive!). If you find yourself on the westside, you should check out this restaurant, which is located at a strip mall in Middleburg Heights. For decades, Santo's has been offering great Italian food with great portions that won't leave you hungry. Patrons can't get enough of their homemade spaghetti, linguini, and fettuccini. You can't go wrong with the linguini with alfredo and fresh broccoli, chicken marsala (which incorporates a freshly made and delectable mushroom, onion, and marsala wine sauce), and baked manicotti, which are sweet crepes stuffed with seasoned ricotta and topped with either red or alfredo sauce. Their pizzas and Stromboli are also delicious and use homemade dough that's freshly made on a daily basis.