Literary Tavern

In the quest to still work through the restaurants on my 2020 To Dine Challenge list, we ordered carry-out from Literary Tavern in Tremont.

Luckily, we had already experienced their atmosphere when we stopped in for drinks with friends back in January. 

It honors the historic elements of the 150-year-old building, while feeling chic and a bit sexy. The intimate tavern only seats 45 guests, and has some killer craft cocktails in addition to beer and wine. With a chef-driven menu and not far from home, this is exactly the type of place that will be in regular rotation for us. Stupid pandemic.

We're trying to do our part to support our favorite local restaurants through this, so we decided to go ahead and order takeout since we'd already experienced inside of Literary Tavern. At that point, I was still holding out hope that late summer or fall would bring some level of comfort with dining out for us.

We started with the Roasted Mushrooms ($9) of cremini, shiitake and oyster mushrooms with goat cheese, chili oil, and crostini. I'm a sucker for mushrooms, and this was enjoyable even as takeout so I can imagine the good and hot version being excellent.

Then we split the Muffuletta ($8) with olive bread, mortadella, soppressata, porchetta, olive tapenade, provolone, and pesto.

And Charred Corn Carbonara ($12) with charred corn, leeks, crispy ham, pecorino romano, leek ash, and house made linguine.

Both were delicious, but I didn't expect anything less from the same owner as Cantine and D'Agnese's in Broadview Heights, as I've always had good meals at both places. 

I hope this newish tavern makes it through the pandemic, because I foresee many more meals and plenty of cocktail visits in our future. 

Literary Tavern

1031 Literary Road

Cleveland, OH 44113

(216) 862-1916

Dreamz Cafe

In looking to support more black-owned businesses, we didn't have to go far because there are several wonderful restaurants, retail shops, and services right in our own neighborhood of Old Brooklyn. 

A newer business to the area, Dreamz Café, was one we'd been meaning to try. So after a recent morning hike, we placed a DoorDash lunch order. 

The restaurant had just opened for Saturday service and the estimated wait was 35-45 minutes. However, it took 1 hour and 15 minutes before the food arrived (just 2 miles away). It's hard to say whether it was entirely on DoorDash (we went through two drivers and another delivery on the way) or the restaurant (our first driver had sat and waited for a while). So I did privately reach out to the restaurant to share our experience, and the response was very apologetic and appropriate. It's always best to communicate any feedback, so that issues can be addressed. 

We shared the Breaded Shrimp ($9) with fries and an upgraded $1 side of Mac & Cheese. The shrimp were very small and the breading was way too thick, so we really didn't care for these at all. The mac & cheese was a bit sweet for my personal taste, but it was nice and creamy.

Not pictured was an order of the Catfish Bites ($7 for 8), which Mr. H scarfed right down before I could get a picture. But I did snag one, and it was much better than the shrimp. Only complaint? It didn't come with a dipping sauce, but that may have been an oversight since it was takeout.

Overall, this experience didn't leave us with the best impression. However, several neighbors have spoken highly of their own experiences so we'll definitely give it another try.  

Dreamz Café
4912 Pearl Road
Cleveland, OH 44109
(216) 303-9125

Independence Dairy King

When I posted at the end of last summer about finally finding a Flavor Burst in Northeast Ohio (and that it was a disappointing version), you all rallied and shared a couple of additional ice cream stands that also carry this Central NY childhood favorite of mine.

One that wasn't that far from home is Independence Dairy King (thanks, Alexa!), but it took me until this summer to get there.

Cash and to-go only (a couple of outdoor picnic tables available), they have all kinds of sundaes, malt, custard desserts, milkshakes and other frozen sweet treats.

But I was there for the Flavor Burst! For just $1 extra, add a swirl of flavor to the creamy, rich vanilla custard. I chose Black Cherry (Small- $3.75). IT WAS ALMOST AS GOOD AS THE ONES AT HOME! *Rejoice*

We've been back 3 times already this summer. Mr. H continues to try a variety of menu items...

...but I just go for my fix of Flavor Burst. Suddenly, this pandemic summer isn't so bad.

Independence Dairy King

6484 Brecksville Road

Independence, OH 44131

(216) 524-1040

Zanzibar Soul Fusion

With a commitment to support more black-owned businesses in Northeast Ohio, we've been discovering additional restaurants to try and also knocking a few off of the mental list that I carry around. Zanzibar Soul Fusion has been on that "list" and we recently ordered dinner through Uber Eats. 

We started with the Soul Rolls ($9.95) that are egg rolls stuffed with chicken, greens, black beans and roasted corn and a spicy remoulade sauce. It was like a full Southern-style meal packed into a crispy, golden wrapper. We enjoyed the entire dinner, but this dish was my favorite! 

We shared their Shrimp & Grits (both Teaser and Entrée sizes available) with grilled shrimp, onions and peppers marinated in creole sauce and served on a bed of creamy grits. The shrimp were cooked perfectly, and the dish had wonderful flavor without the spice level being too high. 

Lastly, we split their Honey Glazed Fried Chicken ($16.95). A 1/2 chicken deep fried and finished with a sweet honey glaze. It comes with their House Potato, and we added a side of Baked Macaroni & Cheese ($5) because duh.

The House Potato is a winner. As stated on their menu "Thinly sliced potatoes, baked in a savory cream sauce. These are not au gratin!" but...it sure looked and tasted like au gratin to me. Just one of the better versions I've ever had!

While we didn't get to experience dining in, the takeout experience was really darn good and we'll certainly be dining here again. You have two dine-in options (takeout and delivery also available), Downtown Cleveland and Shaker Square. A Euclid location is available for takeout and delivery on Saturdays and Sundays only. This southern cuisine restaurant is owned by the founder of Angie's Soul Café. 

Zanzibar Soul Fusion

627 Prospect Avenue E

Cleveland, OH 44115

(216) 862-5772

13225 Shaker Square

Cleveland, Ohio 44120

(216) 752-1035

Capo's Steaks

Always on the hunt for a good cheesesteak, Capo's Steaks made it to my 2020 To Dine Challenge list.

It was an Uber driver that originally told us about this spot on St. Clair Avenue, but I quickly learned that they've been recognized with several awards and honors over the years.

Their 100% ribeye and steak rolls are both shipped in from Philly, home of the true cheesesteak. Located in a strip, there's plenty of free parking available. There also appeared to be plenty of indoor seating here. 

We're not dining in during the pandemic, so we placed an order by phone (available on DoorDash too) and swung by for takeout on our way to a park. I didn't want to stray too far from the Original Cheesesteak (grilled onions + white American cheese), but we love mushrooms so we split the Mushroom Steak ($8.99) with the same toppings of the original but a hearty helping of mushrooms. *Dining Deal Alert*

We also split the Famous Sweet Steak ($8.99) with the same toppings as the Original but the addition of sweet red peppers and Capo's original steak sauce. 

You can also get a Junior size for around $5.99 (some vary). 

First, it was a really good roll. That's important! Because a good cheesesteak can be a wet, creamy mess and it must hold up. While I enjoyed them both, we preferred the Sweet Steak version. You can add on toppings, so I'd probably throw some mushrooms on this one next time. I think we leaned towards the Sweet Steak because it did have more flavor. The meat itself wasn't overly flavorful. 

Now, this is personal preference, but I love Cheese Whiz on my cheesesteaks over sliced and melted cheese. So I did kind of miss it at Capo's. I think it's great when a cheesesteak joint offers both. 

I'd happily recommend Capo's, as it was a better than average cheesesteak for sure. However, The Original Steaks and Hoagies still claims the top spot for ones I've tried in Northeast Ohio.

Capo's Steaks

10509 Saint Clair Avenue

Cleveland, OH 44108

(216) 721-3219