Heights Eats

I have been going to Tommy’s since before I was born. It’s home to my first memories of experiencing pita bread. Ben and I met the minister that married us there and we’ve been to Tommy’s many times since.

The restaurant itself is plain, and the décor consists of the work of local artists (for sale) and plants. Natural light abounds during the day. The menu has not changed in decades — but this is a positive attribute. Although known for being vegetarian, their menu does not exclude meat. Some of the more popular items on the menu include milk shakes, french fries, toasted cheese (served on pita), salads with Louie dressing (a take on Thousand Island).

One of our favorites is the unusual pairing of hummus, toasted cheese and fresh vegetables. Warm hummus with melted cheese sounds odd — but tastes really good. Jonathan gave the dish the kid stamp of approval. Our only minor complaint is that there should have been … continue reading

Last night I had the opportunity to cook dinner, but I had no recipes in mind. So I came up with the following to add to some simple sauteed chicken breasts and kale.

Ingredients:

goat cheese or cream cheese approx. 4 oz
handful of sliced almonds or other kind of nuts chopped (optional)
handful of dried cranberries or other kind of dried fruit
last few crackers & crumbs or any kind of bread/cracker crumbs
olive oil 1–2 swishes around the pan

Directions:

mash up goat or cream cheese in a bowl with nuts & fruit
pre-heat olive oil in a medium fry pan
shape one spoonful of the mixture into a patty like shape, then roll it around in the cracker crumbs
repeat until all cheese mixture is gone
when olive oil is hot enough drop the cheese patties into the oil, cook for about 30 seconds then flip and cook another 30 seconds. Don’t cook too long because the cheese will start getting to soft.
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We recently were asked for suggestions for great cheese in Cleveland, below is our list (not in any particular order).Where do you like to buy your cheese?

Whole Foods — University Heights — There is always at least one person manning the cheese counter and they seem pretty knowledgeable. They also have a decent variety both at the cheese counter and in the nearby cheese cooler. They have Manchego cheese as well as some higher priced and hard to find cheeses.

West Side Market — there are a number of cheese stands with varying degrees of variety.

Shaker Heights Farmer’s market — Goat cheese (Mackenzie Creamery) and non-pasteurized cow milk cheese — sounds sort of weird, but tastes delicious.

Trader Joes — great prices, moderate selection. if you like brie this is the place to be!

Heinen’s & Zagara’s — depending on the location they have a generous selection in their cheese island. Zagara’s … continue reading

Tommy’s

Crispy Cheese — an easy way to make dinner yummy

Best Cheese in Cleveland?