Bob's Hamburg for breakfast

Bob's  Hamburg is known for their amazing, greasy burgers in Akron, however they have an excellent breakfast as well.  I love this little diner which has been here for years (and believe me, it looks like it has been here for years).   This intimate diner is small, has about 5 booths and some additional seating at the counter.  Everything is cooked to order on the small 4' x2' grill.

 

 

Bryan ordered  Bob's Breakfast Burger, which consisted of a burger, homefries, bacon, egg and cheese $4.50.

Very yummy, and yes it screams heart attack with all that meat. 

 

I wasn't as adventurous today, and ordered the my traditional breakfast food  - Everyday Special (two eggs, toast, bacon and homefries).  All that food for $4.75.

 

Love this place!  The service is friendly and the food is fresh.  Breakfast is served until 11:00 am.  This is a must try for both breakfast and burgers.

Empress Taytu Ethianopian Restaurant

We visited the only Ethiopian restaurant in Cleveland for my birthday, Empress Taytu, and had a wonderful experience.    



Located on the East side, in an area which some may consider "shady," there is no concern to be concerned, as they have gated parking. 

 

We arrived early,sat at the bar drinking a glass of Sheba Tej, a transitional Ethiopian honey wine. 

 

 View of the bar and sitting area beyond. 

 

Our table under the thatched roof, created a nice, intimate setting.

 

We were fortunately to sit at the limited quantity of traditional type sitting, with lower chairs and tables.  

 

Appetizers! Note  the table is recesses a bit, in to accommodate the tray of food. 

 

Ambasha- skillet baked bread served with home made spiced cottage cheese.  The cheese had a consistency and taste similar to ricotta cheese.

Yetesenega Karya- jalapenos mixed with peppers and spices, served with bread.  Very hot jalapenos.

 

 

 No utensils!  Part of the fun is eating with your hands, the way the Ethiopians eats. 

 

Indian beer. 

 

 Our entrée.  The meal is served on Injera bread, which is a light, spongy, pancake-like  sourdough flatbread made of Teff flour.  The flour is mixed with water and fermented for a few days, then baked. The bread is torn and used to scoop up the food.  Extra bread is served on the side

 

We ordered and shared the Meat and Veggie Combo dinner for $17.50.  Ordering two appetizers and sharing an entrée was enough food for two.

 

This entrée included:

 

Tiki Gomen (Top of plate): vegetable stew of cabbage, carrots and potatoes.

 

Dorowat Chicken: Ethiopian ceremonial dish.  Chicken marinated in lemon, sautéed in spiced butter, stewed in berbere sauce (mild blend of dried ground chilies) with onion, garlic and ginger root.

 

Kai Minchetabish: Chopped beef cooked in tasty combination of seasoning and spices.

 

Misir: Red lentils cooked in berbere sauce, herbs and onions.

 

Kik-Alicha: Yellow split peas flavored with turmeric, green pepper, and various spices.

 

In the center was a salad.  Not sure why this was included in our entrée as the menu listed Gomen, which is collard greens cooked in onions, garlic, ginger, and jalapenos. Perhaps they ran out?

 

My only complaint is the very slow service, we were forewarned, and we expected it to be slow, but wasn't prepared for it to be this slow.  Receiving drinks took forever, and we had to ask for water. We had hoped to experience the Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony, however they seemed to forget about us for about 20 minutes.  When they finally came to the table, we decided it was time to ask for our check.

Although they were very slow, they were apologetic, and the service was friendly.  I  would like to go back and try the Tibs which is a stir fry, and try the Coffee Ceremony.   Overall, this was an amazing experience.

Superior Pho

We visited Superior Pho in Cleveland 2 weeks ago, for brunch on the way to the CIFF (Cleveland International Film Festival).  If you've never attended CIFF, you need to go and experience the energy, and watch some amazing films.  I could spend hours talking about this amazing event.  Anyway, this blog is about food! Bryan visited this place with his friend a few years back.  Our friend who is Vietnamese, says this is the best pho in Cleveland.  Pho (pronounced "fuh") is a Vietnamese soup with noodles.

 



Above is the Goi Cuon, which are rice paper summer rolls with shrimp, fresh herbs, vermicelli noodles, served with an awesome peanut sauce. They were large, and you only need one, or you will not have enough room for your pho!

 

The pho is served with a side platter of fresh basil, mung sprouts, lemon and jalapeno peppers. Perfect for adding some additional tastes, crunch, or spice to your pho.

 

I ordered a Tai Chin Pho which included brisket and eye round steak.  A small portion was plenty for me.  I enjoyed the freshness of the ingredients and loved adding additional items from the side plate to my liking.  If you don't know how to eat pho, just look around at others and observe.

 

This place had a lot of energy and was very busy.  The line went out the door, however, it moved quickly.  The service was great, and the food was excellent - another place I can't wait to go back.

Doug's Dinner Bucket

 Bryan and I discovered our new favorite weekend breakfast spot - Doug's Dinner Bucket.  We have driven past this place on old Route 8 in Peninsula, too many times to count.  We've both have been curious about this tiny, simple building, and the type of food they serve.  I will admit, I was afraid to try it.  I assumed this was one of those local places, where any non-local wasn't really welcome, and they would make it known.  Sad to say, years ago I had been to one of those type of places, and was extremely uncomfortable the entire time.  How wrong was I, as before we left, we felt like part of the family.

 

Doug's is small, has about 4 booths, 2 tables, and additional counter seating.  There are two staff members, our server (and owner), and her son the chef.  Everything is cooked to order, as the proof lies in seeing the kitchen through the window visible from the small dining area.  A variety of food is served (breakfast & lunch), at a great value.   Breakfast is served until closing, which is a bonus for us, as we like brunch. 

 

Coffee is brewed fresh, at one pot at a time.  I don't mind waiting a few minutes for fresh coffee.  Everything is served on disposable products, utensils, plates, and even coffee. 

 

 

 I can't remember the last time I saw disposable coffee cups like this.  This place seems to be stuck in time, in a good way.

 

There is something to be said about having fresh, cooked to order food.  You might wait a little longer, but you know it's fresh.  I orders eggs, bacon & toast.  Bryan ordered the breakfast burrito.  We both split an order of homefries.  Our food was . . . perfect.

 

The service was amazing.  Our server was not only warm and friendly, she engaged in conversation with us and the regulars.  We learned about the history of the restaurant, and some local news. You didn't feel like a stranger here.  This casual, friendly, "mom and pop" place, is a nice break from the chains.  It makes me happy to know places like this still exist, you just have to look a little hardier, and not be afraid to get out of your comfort zone.

Ray's Place

 While in the Kent area today, we stopped at Ray's Place for lunch. We ordered burgers, of course, as that is was Ray's is known for, and what was featured on the Food Network.  My burger came with pepper jack cheese and jalapeno peppers, and Bryan's Mexican burger included guacamole and salsa.  I ordered "the works" with mine, which included all the fixins, and made one huge burger.  We both ordered single patties, and shared an order of fries.  We left stuffed.  The juicy burgers must be cooked on an open flame, as they taste as if you are at someone's backyard BBQ cookout.  Yum!  Decent price and great service.

 

 

Writing on the brick walls (and benches) add character to this place, and reminds one this is a college town territory.  Family place by day, college bar by night.  I can remember coming here back in my college days, and it wasn't for the food.

Happy Fat Tuesday

Happy Fat Tuesday! I love this time of year when New Orleans's cuisine can be found at various places through out the area. Takes me back to our NOLA trip a few years back.  This past Saturday, we purchased a king cake from Westside Bakery in Akron. Decorated in the traditional colors of purple, yellow and green, along with beads, and the baby on the side. The baby goes inside the cake, and whoever receives the piece with the baby, provides the cake for next year. 

 

Nothing like a cafe a lait and beignet. Reminds me of  the time sitting at Cafe du Monde in New Orleans, having a fresh, steaming hot beignet. I must admit, they are best when fresh.  This is from yesterday, when I stopped at Westside Bakery before work.

 

 

Here is the real deal - Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans from our trip a few years back. . . all that powdered sugar! 

 

Ah . . .reminiscing about my favorite NOLA treat - the  muffuletta sandwich.  Below is the muffuletta sandwich Bryan and I shared tonight at Ido's in Akron. 

 

 Again, here is the real deal from Central Grocery Store in New Orleans.  Funny to think the best muffuletta comes from a grocery store. Central Grocery store sells out of these sandwiches daily - Bryan and I were lucky to grab one of the last sammies of the day

 

Note, although the above muffuletta served warm is a great variation, the original is served cold.

 

 

Slymans Corned Beef

Been wanting to try their famous overstuffed corned need sandwich forever. However, they were only open during the week. Now they carry Saturday hours, I was able see what all the hype was about. The portions are large. My husband and I split one sandwich, and were quite full. The corned beef is lean, and if you order a rueban, you receive a bottle of their sauce on the side. Service was fast and pleasant. I watched the owner personally greet each customer as they walked in. Love this place!