Food/restaurants

CEBARS TAVERN: Where good friends have been meeting for 33 years.  

In this day of instant communications, everyone is consumed with putting things in tidy, convenient, google-friendly boxes. What label do you put on CEBARS TAVERN? CEBARS is at times a restaurant. Tues., Wed & Friday, we’re serving wings, burgers and a year-round fish fry prepared by a real-life Slovenian! On select weekends, the place turns out clambakes, Cajun food, pork chop dinners and tailgate food, influenced by that week’s Cleveland Browns opponent.  

CEBARS is also a Sports Bar, featuring multiple flat screens and the area’s largest projection screen. If there’s a big sporting event, then you need to get here early to get a seat! Unfortunately there hasn’t been too many of those featuring Cleveland teams, lately! CEBARS is a live-music nightclub where you can hear many of the area’s best bands. All types of music including polka, rock, blues, country and even ghetto metal, have graced the accoustically-friendly room on 185th Street. The Sunday Night, open-mic jam session has been happening for over 12 years and affords people the opportunity to enjoy musicians from all over the city as they hone their craft. CEBARS transforms into a party center for multiple fund raisers, birthdays, reunions, anniversaries, showers, etc. One lucky couple tied the knot at the bar, while another couple decided that since they spent so much time at the bar, why not renew their wedding vows there. The space is free to rent and many accommodations can be made to make your event cost-effective.

One of Euclid’s newest eateries is Southern Fusion at 26598 Lake Shore Boulevard.The menu features a delightful blend of southern family cooking, nouvelle cuisine and a chef’s attention to detail. The décor is pleasant featuring both table and booth seating with an expansive front window that fills the service area with natural light.

My wife and I recently stopped in for a sit down dinner, though carry out is also available. I tried the barbecued ribs and chicken special which were both tender and mouth-watering with a sweet and spicy glaze. As a side, I had the fried sweet potatoes which were pan fried, a healthier alternative to standard French fries. Margaret’s dinner was the blackened catfish. Her comment was that it was well-spiced but not overpowering. She also had the southwest vegetable medley which was a crisp mix of zucchini, summer squash, broccoli and peppers with a distinctive blend of southwestern seasonings. Southern Fusion provides a distinctive chef-prepared menu at home-style prices. Try it and you will include this new neighborhood institution on your list of regular stops.

Hospitality is also a signature feature provided by a helpful wait staff and owners Ed and Murial Riggings. Stop in for lunch or dinner and you won’t be disappointed.

 

You’re invited to explore the world through global cuisine with Chef Robin Blair.

Dinners are offered the fourth Friday of every month. Located in Shore’s Euclid Culinary Bistro, dinners include fun, interactive cooking demonstration, culturally themed cook books provided by Euclid Library, cultural presentation and delicious meals.

March 23rd: A Culinary Journey to India

6:30-8 p.m.

Culinary Bistro located on Shore’s lower level.

$10 a person or $25 for a family. Call Shore to register! 216.289.8578

291 East 222nd Street Euclid, OH. 44123  www.ShoreCulturalCentre.com

Steve’s Grill, a new restaurant on the corner of Lakeshore Boulevard and East 266th Street in Euclid, has opened with rave reviews. Fabulous Black Angus burgers, mouth-watering baby back ribs, roasted turkey sandwich and his signature “Monster” grouper fish sandwich are just some of the menu items that are certain to keep customers coming back again and again.

Steve Barker, who grew up in the Grovewood neighborhood, has a family that loves to cook and entertain. At a young age, Steve was at his father’s side learning the secrets to excellent barbecuing while his mother taught him the art of cooking and baking. Steve is thrilled to open his new business in the community he grew up in and offer the excellent food he loves to make.

Steve’s Grill is open seven days a week, Sunday through Thursday from 10:30 a.m. until 11 p.m.; Steve’s Grill is open until 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.

 

The "Golden Lunch Bunch," a group of seniors who originally got acquainted at the Euclid YMCA, have scheduled two more get-togthers. On Thursday, April 7, they will sample the menu offerings at Gus's Diner on East 185th Street, beginning at 11:30 a.m. And on May 5th, they will meet at Andoloro's Ristorante on Lake Shore Blvd. in Willowick.

I have been visiting Kulinars restaurant, located at 823 East 222 Street, for many years. The new ownership took over in February 2005, and they've been cooking ever since.

 

There are daily specials, ethnic specialties such as wiener schnitzel, roast pork, fried chicken and also good old fashioned spaghetti. The servings are huge and as tasty as my mother used to make. The price is right too.

Going to a local establishment and being greeted by your name is not the norm. Today’s fast food service and quick take outs have made personalization rare, that is until you become a Perkins regular and find a new method of old fashioned service. For those who’ve not been there, Perkins is located at 22780 Shore Center Drive in Downtown Euclid.

Adding to the comfort food is the ambiance created by owner and servers who know your name and your favorite choice from the menu; personal service for customers is an added treat.

How would you like to rent a restaurant?

College students typically hold down all sorts of summer jobs to earn money to help pay expenses once they return to campus. In Mike Emser’s case, that has meant hawking hot dogs from a cart parked near the Euclid Public Library.

Mike, who will be returning to The Ohio State University on Sept. 20 to begin his sophomore year, can thank his father, Jim Emser, for lining up his summer stint. Jim established a relationship with Cleveland Classic Dogs & Catering, an entrepreneurial business that operates two carts in Euclid, in order to make sure that his son would have a summer job. From time to time, Jim has worked alongside Mike during busy parts of the day to ensure that customers would be well served.

Cheesecake. Rich, luscious and indulgent! A favorite for my family is my mother-in-law's cheesecake. For us, the good news is that she taught me to make it almost as well. Now it’s my turn to teach you.

I love stuffed cabbage so much that last year I had my first “Great Stuffed Cabbage Roll Off” party. Many friends came to my house with their favorite recipes already prepared and we ate them all! So, when I heard that Gostilna at Knezak at 768 E. 200th Street had good cabbage rolls, I hurried there to try them out.

Perhaps, Euclid is too far north to attract major franchise restaurants. And, maybe that’s a good thing. We seem to give the space and opportunity to would-be restaurateurs to build their dreams. A great example of this is the Paradise Restaurant and Pub at 830 Babbitt Road, just north of the freeway.  Euclid residents and owners Srini and Babu Madala have totally renovated their building to put in a wonderful place to meet friends and share a meal or a drink.  

The kids came over at two last Saturday afternoon. They were looking hungry from a workout and I am always hungry. I suggested going out to eat and they jumped at the offer. Where can you take two starving twenty-somethings and not pay an arm and a leg? The Kebab House in Downtown Euclid, on Lakeshore Blvd., that's where. I had been there before and wanted the kids to try it too.