Conforti

When Conforti opened in January in Tremont, we knew that we'd have to try it because as chef David Kocab has made his way through kitchens like Trentina, The Black Pig, Ushabu, and Bar Oni...we've become big fans. 

Chef/owner Matt Spinner and Kocab are focusing on takeout only, Thursday - Monday. Delivery is available from Uber Eats. 

Immediately their Meatballs started hitting my Instagram feed. They did not disappoint!

But our favorite of the meal (and Kocab's personal favorite combo) was the Tomato Braised Cod with red sauce, capers, olive tapenade and parsley salad and a side of the Grilled Rapini with fried garlic, red chili flake, and lemon.

The Fried Arancini is served with garlicky pesto aioli for dipping.

The Gulf Shrimp are cooked in caper butter served with parsley and grilled lemon.

The menu changes slightly, so you want to keep your eyes peeled. There's more that we plan to try (hello, Personal Pan Lasagna and Gnocchi Alla Romana), but that Cod, the Rapini, and Meatballs will be hard to resist ordering over and over again.

Conforti
2173 Professor Avenue
Cleveland, OH
(216) 334-9746 

Apparently I've Lost My Mind

Maybe it's a sign that I've been blogging too long, but something happened that has never happened to me before. I forgot that I had previously been to a restaurant. 

And it gets worse...

I named that restaurant to my 2021 To Dine Challenge list of 10 restaurants to dine at this year. *face palm*

As Mr. H and I drove to Han Chinese Kabob & Grill to pick up our takeout order, I got a gut feeling and sure enough...before we even pulled in, I knew I had already been there (in 2014, to be exact, if you'd like to read more about that visit).

The good news? Only one of the five items we ordered was something I'd had before (Lamb Kabob).

We had asked our friends (thanks Joe and Laura!) for recommendations, and got several things from their list: Dry Chili Chicken ($14.95), Fried Chinese Potstickers ($5.95), and Wonton with Chili Oil ($5.95). We had wanted to try the Salt and Pepper Prawns they suggested, but the restaurant was out of them that night.

The last dish we tried was the Spicy Duck Dry Pot ($15.95). This dish was a huge bust for us. Every piece of duck had multiple small shards of bone in it that were impossible to eat around. There's no pulling the meat off the bone on your plate, there's too many small pieces to navigate around in your mouth if you're attempting to chew the meat off and remove the bone...am I missing a logical way to eat this??? Help! 

My favorites were the Wonton and the Chicken (although it's very spicy so beware). 

So, it wasn't my first visit there as I had intended when I added it to the Challenge. Does it count? Do I replace it with another restaurant? I'm stuck. New waters here on this old blog, haha.

Han Chinese Kabob and Grill
3710 Payne Ave #110
Cleveland, OH 44114
(216) 769-8745

Gyro Guys

Surprisingly, there are still a few eateries in our neighborhood that I haven't tried yet, and Gyro Guys was one. Right on Pearl Road and owned by two brothers, I've driven by countless times. Mr. H had been a long time ago, but it was time for a Saturday lunchtime visit after being inspired by our friend and neighborhood Kate Warren (who is running for Cleveland City Council, yo!) when she posted a picture on Instagram of her favorite order.

It was much larger inside than I expected, with plenty of seating for dine-in. You order at the counter (he was so nice and helpful for this newbie!) and get to watch your food be made.

I had to go right for the Original Greek Gyro ($6.95) with layered beef and lamb served on a warm pita with onion, tomato, lettuce (which I omitted), and their homemade tzatziki/cucumber sauce. Kate's pro tip: Add feta cheese!

Their slogan is "It's All About the Sauce!" and honestly, it doesn't do it for us. The thicker, creamy texture I do appreciate. I hate when tzatziki is watery and runs all over. But, theirs doesn't pack the bold flavors of garlic, herbs, and an acid that we really love. We like it pretty extreme, and Mr. H has mastered a recipe at home. 

Otherwise, the meat is flavorful and moist. The pita was lovely, and there was a generous portion of all toppings without being excessive. The only real miss for me were the Fresh Cut Fries ($2.75 for Small), as they were too crispy and seasoned with a very heavy hand. I like 'em salty, but these crossed that line for me. 

While it may not quite have stolen the title of "top gyro" for us (Fergie's will forever be #1), it was a solid gyro that I'll happily order again. But I'd love to try more of their menu. Thanks for the reminder that we needed to check this spot out, Kate!

Gyro Guys
4348 Pearl Road
Cleveland, OH 44109
(216) 739-3033

Skyway Drive-in Restaurant

You know, sometimes you try a new-to-you restaurant and it just isn't for you. Unfortunately, that happened for us with an impromptu lunch stop at Skyway Drive-in Restaurant in Akron when we scooted down there for our second COVID-19 shot. 

I've followed Skyway on Instagram for a while, and I felt like they are very similar to our beloved Swenson's. The classic drive-in setting with runners coming out to your car is just fun! So we were happy to give it a try.

We started with an order of the Mini Corndogs ($2.99) with ketchup for dipping. What's your corndog sauce of choice? They were definitely the best thing we ordered.

We got a side of Aunt Ruth's Famous Homemade Onion Rings ($3.49), and my apologies to Aunt Ruth...but I've had much better onion rings. They were cut so thin and over-fried that I just didn't find them all that enjoyable. 

I had to go with their Sky Hi Sandwich ($3.99), which is "Our Signature Burger with two of our Jr. patties, middle bun, cheese, lettuce, pickles and our famous Sky Hi Sauce!" It sounded like their version of a Swenson's Galley Boy, which is my go-to order.

A Galley Boy it was not. The bun didn't have that buttered and toasted loveliness that I expected, it was dry overall, the middle bun made the ratio of bread to fillings just off, and the Sky Hi sauce was a watery and bland mess. I was sooooo disappointed. 

Now, Mr. H's Aunt Ruth's Onion Ring Burger ($6.99) with two 1/4 lb. patties with cheese, lettuce, onion rings and famous Sky Hi Sauce was much better than mine. The bun looked buttered and hit on the flat top grill, the meat was juicier, and the sandwich overall had more flavor. But it still didn't live up to my Swenson standards. 

For us, this was a miss. I cheated on my favorite fast casual burger spot, and I paid the price. 

Skyway Drive-in Restaurant
951 East Turkeyfoot Lake Road
Akron, OH 44312
(330) 896 - 9350

Mister T's Wonderfreeze

After a hike at the Twinsburg Ledges at Liberty Park the other day, the sunshine and warmer temperatures had us craving a frozen sweet treat. We weren't very family with the area (and many of our favorite ice cream shops aren't open for the season yet), but with a quick search online we found Mister T's Wonderfreeze in Oakwood.

It had all the charm of a roadside ice cream shop.

And they even had a wide selection of flavored soft serve, which is right up my alley. I went with a Blackberry (one size only, $2.75). The vanilla base wasn't as rich and creamy as I prefer, but it satisfied my sweet tooth for the moment.

Mr. H went right for the big guy, an Oreo Indulgence sundae that only came in a large and included four pieces of brownie, Oreo crumbles, chocolate sauce, and whipped cream. 

Again, the soft serve vanilla ice cream didn't have as much flavor or richness to it as we like. But the sundae was tasty overall, with the highlight being the moist brownies. I may have snagged a whole one! 

What's your favorite local ice cream shop and your go-to order?

Mister T's Wonderfreeze

26048 Broadway Avenue

Oakwood, OH 44146

(440) 232-2277

Martha on the Fly

There's a new breakfast sandwich pop-up on the scene, and you'll want to run (not walk) to get some. Martha on the Fly is inspired by chef and co-owner Ryan Beck's grandmother's cooking. All I can say is that my grandmother did not cook like this! 

You pre-order online (website linked above) for Saturday or Sunday pickup at Good Company. We selected two of the more unique sandwiches from the lineup of 7. First, the Shirley ($14) with house-made beef baloney, caramelized onion, tomato jam, American cheese, egg patty and Martha’s Sunshine Sauce. Also, the Ruth ($14) with fried pork tenderloin, bread and butter pickles, shaved onion, stadium mustard, American cheese, egg patty and Martha’s Sunshine Sauce. 

Pictured here is the Ruth, which ended up being our favorite.

Just look at that gorgeous bun, the crispy pork, schmear of Sunshine Sauce, and BEAUTIFUL and functional packaging. 

We also tossed in an order of Karleen's Cornmeal Fries ($6) with herbs and Sunshine Sauce, and another new-to-us local find of the live fermented hot sauce from Black Cap Hot Sauce.

The thicker shape and soft texture of the fries reminds me of the French Toast Sticks from Burger King (minus the sweetness). And that's said with love, because we don't eat much fast food but those are probably my number two breakfast order behind McDonald's Egg McMuffin when we do have fast food for breakfast. Give them a try.

The pre-sale tends to sell out in advance right now, so jump on it. I know I'm already dreaming of our next sandwiches. 

Martha on the Fly
(844) 4-pie-love

Squash the Beef Catering

It was time to hit another restaurant on my 2021 To Dine Challenge list. I knew that Squash the Beef would be a perfect choice to try as we're still not comfortable dining in at restaurants (but we're close!).

You can find this vegan comfort food caterer around town doing pop-ups and events. A foodie friend, CLEfoodies, had tipped us off that the Burger Night was worth tracking down. So I watched their social media for announcements and marked my calendar for the March date. We pre-ordered because sometimes they sell out, and it paid off!

This pea protein patty didn't have us missing meat at all, and it's topped with lettuce, tomato, vegan cheez sauce, pickles, fried onions, and their special comfort sauce on a pretzel bun. Just look at that thing!

You can get chips or fries with it, and I highly recommend the Seasoned Fries. They were delicious!

Also, don't sleep on the Kale Lemonade. We both loved it. 

Who knew vegan food could taste this good? I'm only kidding. But seriously, this was some of the tastiest full vegan food that I've had in a while. 

I'd love to try more of their theme nights (Taco Tuesday, Soul Food Sunday), but you can catch April's Burger Night on 4/23 in Euclid. 

Squash the Beef Catering

(216) 245-2128