eat hearty.

Sicilian Pizza.  Antonio’s Pizza. 

In addition to the classic Antonio’s crust and the deep dish, the latest offering is this gem.  Relatively thick and square cut, this pie’s crust is so good it brought MeatMan back from sabbatical to fire up the blog about it!  It’s crispy and crumby and flaky and all around awesome.  It must be tried to be believed.  This batch with the greatest sausage you can get on a pizza could’ve used a tad more sauce, so it’s recommended you ask for extra.  Right now, it’s only $6.99 so jump on this deal and get to your local Antonio’s!

Gaelic Benedict.  The Harp.  Cleveland.

Brunch.  It’s one of those tweener meals, like dinnefast and lupper.  With their split sample of lunch and breakfast menu’s, you may have a small number of options, depending on which meal you’re in the mood for.  Fortunately, at the Harp, there’s some unique options that can sway even the staunchest lunch guy to sample something on the breakfast side of things, and vice versa.

Situated off the Shoreway with a lovely view of downtown and Lake Erie, the Harp’s patio is arguably the best spot to enjoy brunch in Cleveland.  What better way to start a summer day than enjoying the breeze of the Great Lake with some quality grub? 

The Gaelic Benedict is constructed with a split English muffin topped with Irish bacon, poached eggs, and hollandaise sauce.  While the eggs were a bit over-poached, leaving the yolk too firm for my preference, the combo was remarkably delicious.  My biggest problem was not enough Irish bacon, but then again, I’m a glutton for bacon of all countries.  Harp’s hash browns…oh the hash browns.  Soft with a gentle fry on the outside, they just beg for your customized amounts of salt and pepper to flavor them to perfection.  And they give you some fruit too, whatever. 

Whether you’re looking to break your weekend routine or showcase the beauty of Cleveland to an out-of-towner, brunch on the Harp’s patio fits the bill. 

BLT Double Grilled Cheese Ranch Burger.  Eddie George Grill.  Columbus, OH.

A “half pound burger stuffed between two grilled cheese and bacon sandwiches.”  Sounds absolutely incredible, right? 

Unfortunately, the execution was a bit off on this gimmicky burger at the EGG27.  I expected two grilled cheese sandwiches as the bookends.  Instead, it was a standard burger bun, and a grilled cheese “sandwich” was made by adding a bottom bun to each existing bun on the burger.  The entire thing was altogether entirely too dry, and just not the satisfying experience I expected from the menu description.

Pretty sure we could make a much better one at home on a George Foreman.  Get some white bread and American cheese and make two grilled cheese sandwiches, and put a burger between it.  That’s how the EGG27 should’ve done it. 

Quite disappointing, which is too bad, because it could’ve been special!

Buffalo Spring Rolls.  Steak Christopher.  Cabin Club.  Westlake, OH.

Cabin Club has always been one of those hoity-toity joints where I’ve never had the priveledge of enjoying a meal.  Well, I am a Cabin Club virgin no longer!

As the name implies, CC is log cabin in appearance, equipped with white table clothes and exposed beams inside.  The walls are adorned mostly with old golf themed portraits, giving it a splash of country club.  A country club themed log cabin….Cabin Club…GENIUS!

The first thing that jumps out at you is the volume.  Apparently, all these yuppies had a lot to say and had to say it louder than everyone else!  So much for a quiet little dinner at an upscale restaurant on a Sunday night.

First, the bread came out, warm, with soft butter to spread.  Then, the iceberg wedge arrived, equipped with smoked bacon, onion, and 1,000 Island for dressing.  Neither were anything special, but were solid and tasty. 

As an appetizer, the top picture display the buffalo spring rolls.  Imagine a delicious and creamy buffalo chicken dip as the filling for a spring roll, dipped in (what I thought was) the best ranch dressing around.  I need to get a couple gallons of that ranch, because it was awesome. 

The main course was Steak Christopher, which the menu touted as a “Cabin Club Classic.”  The twin tournedos of filet mignon were cooked to a perfect medium rare as requested, and were absolutely exquisite.  My only problem was there were not a couple more tournedos on the plate. 

As a topper were a few grilled shrimp, which were skewered with the asparagus and covered in a tasty bearnaise.  Everything sat atop a generous portion of garlic mashed redskin potatoes, which went great with the bearnaise as a makeshift gravy. 

High quality food and an upscale atmosphere that still accomodates the casual diner.  That defines the Cabin Club.  Sure, it’s a tad on the pricey side, but compare that $28 Steak Christopher to anything of that variety elsewhere and I’m confident you’ll be continuing to choose to chow down at the Cabin Club!

Beef and Cheese Explosion.  Burrito Buggy.  Athens, OH.

Is there anything better than a big honking burrito at 2:30am on your way home from the bar? 

No.  The answer is no. 

This burrito hit the spot.  Big time.  That’s about all I can say about it. 

Sorry for partying. 

Bettie.  O’Betty’s Red Hot.  Athens, OH.

Just off of Ohio University’s thoroughfare, Court Street, lies the mecca of tubed meats known simply as O’Betty’s. 

Ordering is done at the tiny counter of three or four seats, though more seating is available in the back.  O’Betty’s is BYOB, so you can enjoy a few wobbly pops with your dog. 

With a plethora of toppings for your dog, O’Betty’s gives the customer the capability to fully customize his or her order.  I went with the Bettie, a grilled Sheboygan bratwurst, and added chilli and cheese as my “Show Stoppers” of choice. 

The bun wasn’t your typical hot dog variety, and was a tad larger and more like a Kaiser customized for the brat.  The cheese was your standard shredded cheddar, and was placed on top, instead of under the chili which would’ve allowed it to melt.  As for the chili, it was the Cincinnati cinnamon variety, which is tasty and weird all at once.  Fortunately, it was a conversative serving, so it didn’t overpower the flavor of the brat itself, which was absolutely awesome. 

As a side, the chili cheese fries were a disappointment.  My batch was overcooked, so the fires were far too crisp, nor was there enough of the chili smothering the fries.  It was tasty, but it wasn’t as good as it could’ve been.

It’s easy to understand why the OU alumns I dined with chose O’Betty’s as our first stop for food.  Cheap, delicious food with seemingly unlimited options is a no brainer.  O’Betty’s is outstanding, and if I ever visit the Harvard on the Hocking in the future, I’ll be making another visit. 

Cheddar Fries Deluxe and New Jersey Chicken Melt.  Danny Boy’s Pizza.  Rocky River.

When the delivery guy pulled out the box for the cheddar fries, I thought for sure he screwed up and grabbed a large pizza.  Nope.  Just the biggest order of bacon cheese fries you’ll ever see.  Ever.  They were quite good, especially for a delivery, which tends to lead to cold and soggy fries.  I imagine they’d be exquisite in a dine in environment, so I’d wait for that before trying them again.

The New Jersey Chicken Melt is under the “Woogie Melt” category, which is essentially a sandwich in wrap form, but the wrap is actually a thin layer of pizza dough.  This guy was stuffed full of chicken, pepperoni, ricotta cheese, basil, tomatoes, romano and pizza cheese.  Then, they tinkle a wee bit of Italian dressing on it, before wrapping it up in the dough and baking it. 

Obviously, it’s awesome.  Cut in half and easy to manage, there no mess thanks to the pizza dough housing.  The ricotta jumps out at you and is the dominant flavor, complemented by all that other deliciousness inside.  They don’t over do it either, so you finish and don’t feel like you just housed something legendary.  A solid, satisfied feeling post-woogie melt is what you can expect. 

Danny Boy’s rebounds nicely from that little hiccup with the last sub experience.  As predicted, it was an aberration and you can expect high quality, tasty things from oh Danny Boy!

Chicken Crisp.  Mezza. 

If you don’t know Mezza, you don’t know shit.  It’s that simple.

The chicken crisp is like the world’s greatest quesadillah, but better.  Take two pitas and fill them up with chicken (not just chicken, Mezza’s secret recipe marinated chicken) chunks, jack-cheddar cheese, bacon, tomatoes, and onion.  Then, crisp up those pitas and melt that jack-cheddar and you’ve got it. 

MEATMAN TIP:  two sides of ranch for dipping.  Mezza also has the world’s best ranch, and it pairs with the chicken crisp like you wouldn’t believe!

Sausage Grinder.  Antonio’s. Westlake.

With an Antonio’s location finally in close proximity to my home, I’ve been able to explore the menu beyond the world class pizza pies.  Sausage has always been a mandatory topping for me here because it’s the best around, so it seemed like a no brainer that I’d give this grinder a try.

After unwrapping this thing, I now have a better sense of what Mandingo’s co-stars feel like upon witnessing it for the first time.  It’s long and girthy and absolutely awe-inspiring!

I added the cheese and expected it to have your standard onions and peppers, but it was simply sausage and toasted cheese on a bun.  Don’t get me wrong: it was absolutely delicious, but I wish I’d have known just how plain it would have been, as I’d have added a side of marinara to dip it in.  In fact, there’s your MeatMan Tip:  order a side of marinara!

Another tip:  this bad boy is big enough for two, provided you’re getting a side or two.  It may just be too much sausage for one man to take, so cut it in half and share this sensational sausage sub!

Pierogies, Crab Cakes, and The Stripper.  Strip.  Avon, OH.

Take an old barn, keep the vintage charm and add some modern classy touches and you’ve got Strip. 

Don’t let the exterior deceive you: this is a classy joint.  Well-dressed folks dine on big steaks and classic sides with flair at white tablecloths.  There’s an intimate ambience in the upstairs dining area, with the high ceiling of the barn and the dim lighting.  Strip justfeelslike an awesome place to dine. 

Downstairs, you’re greeted by a S-shaped bar with the open kitchen behind.  The flurry of activity in the kitchen juxtaposes with the low-lit bar’s inviting leather chair lounge area, and screams of a rich man’s happy hour locale. 

After wading through the menu and a flurry of daily specials from our waiter, we opted for the pierogies and crab cakes as appetizers.  The crab cakes were surreal, with an amazing sauce and seemingly all crab meat.  I wasn’t quick enough on the pierogies, and only got a small bite that was left over.  To quote my dad, “those might be the best pierogies I’ve ever had.”  The man knows his pierogies, so take heed. 

For a main course, I went with The Stripper, a 12-ounce strip topped with sauteed onions and mushrooms.  There’s a variety of compound butters and sauces you can choose for your steak, and I chose the Apple Honey Bacon Butter.  The steak was cooked medium-rare to perfection, and a heaping portion of the butter topped it.  Even though the butter was delicious, I’m not too sure about it on the steak, and would rather it on some bread.  The only complaint about the steak is the miniscule offering of onions and mushrooms.

The side dishes are family style and are absolutely enormous.  I absolutely, positively, unequivocally, cannot stress enough how freaking amazingly delicious the creamed corn was.  This is undoubtedly the best creamed corn on the planet.  It’s cooked with bourbon and tastes so damn good you’ll just want to eat the entire heaping portion. 

Strip is definitely pricey.  If this were a guide with one of those $$$$ rating systems, it would get the most $’s possible.  However, you’re paying for the environment and the quality, which are both top notch.  I’ve seen Morton’s.  I’ve been to Hyde Park.  I can positively say that Strip is a step above on the steakhouse step ladder.