This morning while dining at Kristina’s Family Restaurant it was a pleasure to make the acquaintance of the Reverend (left) of The Cleveland Christian Chapel. A spritely and talkative man, the Reverend welcomed the opportunity to be photographed as he spoke of the sanctity of life and population control. His buddy accented the conversation with the occasional nod of agreement and was a proud supporter of the American Red Cross.
If you enjoy making new acquaintances and moderately priced diner food, then be sure to visit Kristina’s on West 65th and Lorain. It has a great atmosphere, friendly staff, and above average homemade biscuits and gravy.
SGS loves Cleveland breakfast haunts for their translucent atmospheres, architecture and neighborhood camaraderie. But even more important is the quality of grub. Many eateries around town dare to place Eggs Benedict on their breakfast menu, but few can actually measure up to our expectations.
After months of research dining at various greasy spoons and fancy pants establishments, the crew has finally declared a winner. There were some formidable challengers (see West Side Market Cafe) but the Eggs Benedict from Diner on Clifton is a cut above the rest. Some places claim they have Eggs Benedict, but you get Dave’s Supermarket Deli Ham on top of egg-beaters topped of with Miracle Whip. At one spot to remain anonymous, we actually received Eggs Benedict smothered in nacho cheese.
If you’re ready for Cleveland’s Eggs Benedict knockout punch, head on over to the Diner on Clifton located at 11637 Clifton Boulevard. Tell them Dale Caruso sent you.
Shopping on the corner of SE corner 55th and Cedar means only that you are a person who appreciates variety in life.
For example, on today’s visit to Biggie’s we encountered two tradesmen debating the merits of Trinidadian soca over that of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Children and adults shared pint sized bicycles as dining patrons spoke of Middle Eastern politics.
The mood was pleasant and the art was vicious. This is where the action is, no trip to Cleveland is complete without a visit to Biggie’s you won’t regret it.
Recently SGS attended a fundraiser for the Chinese Women Association of Cleveland. The dinner was held at Li Wah restaurant on Payne Ave. The jam packed program included music, belly dancers, raffles, and Chinese Folk dance. Much of the evening was entertaining and the food was a solid B+.
SGS has witnessed many great Asian music acts in the past, the clip above is not an example of one of them. We felt that any group that dares to rock the accordion against an Asian female power trio deserves to get notice. Even though this song may have made us wince, SGS will still be back next year to witness another year of good food and good people celebrating.
There is little to say about the image above other than it features four hard working Cuyahoga County law enforcement officers enjoying a hearty meal at the Bo Loong Restaurant. What happened next reaffirmed our faith in the artistic abilities of Cleveland area law enforcement.
As the last set of karaoke was winding down, Officer Clarkson (pictured right) performed a beautiful rendition of YT’s Lemonade in perfect Ji Lu Mandarin while Officers Sanchez, Borkowski, and Hopcraft backed him up with the meanest Midwest jerkin’ we have ever seen! It just goes to show that you can’t judge a deputy by his utility belt.
The Cheese Shop (stand H-9) and Anne Marie’s Dairy (Stand H-4) located at the West Side Market are two of our city’s best shops to purchase artisan cheeses. If you are new to the cheese game trying to figure out what to choose can be overwhelming at a place such as the Cheese Shop.
Luckily for the uninitiated the Cheese Shop employs two lovely chessemongers. Pictured above are Nicole Bryson and Lisa Seppi. Nicole told SGS that she and Lisa both worked previously in the restaurant industry but prefer their current profession. Nicole was knowledgeable about all of the cheese we asked about. She explained the best way to eat various cheeses and offered samples.
She scoffed when I asked her to cut a raclette cheese into slices — but after a bit of pleading she begrudgingly did so even as she proclaimed that this was tantamount to sacrilege.
Be advised that once you veer from your superstore cheese aisle and buy cheese from the West Side Market you will never return to Colby and Hydrogenated American Cheese. You will find yourself skipping other meals just so you can purchase a quarter of a rare Selles-sur Cher.
The pairing of image and sound is something Cleveland SGS takes very seriously. After a long heated debate we felt that Cobra’s War off of Dancehall Xplosion ‘99 was the perfect match for this picture. Domino’s pizza is ferociously average and the young man shielding his identity is definitely a mean master-blaster.
Normally Sunday morning is a joyous occasion for Cleveland SGS, however today we morn the loss of one of Cleveland’s premier nightspots. The Lancer Steakhouse on 77th and Carnegie was destroyed by fire around 5:30 AM today, the cause has yet to be determined.
The fire is truly a great loss for Cleveland because the Lancer is the anchor point for one Cleveland’s last standing historic entertainment districts, a district that retains the flash of our glorious past. Music, fine dining, beauty salons, and billiards can all be found in this stretch of Carnegie. While the rest of the Carnegie and Cedar has been swallowed by Clinic development, this district still shines and proudly caters to the majority population of our city.
This SGS member fondly remembers the hustle of the Lancer. On any given night one could see The Lancer packed with Cleveland politicians, hustlers, and common folk just looking to escape the monotony of the daily grind. Their Perch dinners were the best in the city and were always served with a smile.One can only hope that the owners of the Lancer can survive this tragedy and rebuild on the same location to carry on this neighborhood’s rich tradition of entertainment and self-love.
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