Middle Eastern Food in Cleveland

[torakris]

I had a wonderful dinner last night as Aladdin's Eatery in Cleveland Heights (Cedar-Fairmount). I can't believe I have never been there before.

The menu is incredible at about 10 pages long and the prices are some of the cheapest I have seen, for any restaurant. My sister and I shared an appetizer combo with 5 appetizers and pita bread for $8.95 and were full before our meals even made it to the table. I went with a spicy kafta rolled (then grilled) pita that was one of the most delicious things I have ever tasted.

I am going to try to make it back there once more before I leave, this place in my opinion, is one of the best values for the money in this area.

On the topic of Middle eastern food, I have been trying to find a couple of ingredients to take back to Japan and am having a bit of a problem locating them anywhere. Does anyone know where I can buy pomegranate molasses and aleppo pepper?

[Palladion]

Hi Kristin. Hope you're enjoying your time here in Cleveland.

I have a few friends that live very close to that restaurant, so I've been eaten there twice since returning to Cleveland. I've been impressed both times. Well, more the first than the second, but the second time we were getting takeout, which hurt the quality of the food a little. But eating in was cheap and delectable.

The handsome selection of cakes in the display case in the front is a little incongruous with the rest of the food served.

On a related question, you've mentioned a really good gelato shop in that area... is that Le Geleteria, a few shops down from Aladdin's? I haven't stopped in yet, but I'm sure it's only a matter of time.

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Alex Parker

[RagallachMC]

There's a small grocery store that's attached to the West Side Market (the name escapes me right now). I know I've seen pomegranate molasses there before, and I'm pretty sure they carry aleppo pepper. If they don't, Asian Spices and Sauce inside the Market would be a good place to check.

Also, there are a couple of Middle Eastern grocery stores on W 117th near the I90 exit that might be worth a shot (and they're near Luchita's if you want to grab a great Mexican meal. MMMmmmmm......Luchita's).

[Redbeard1969]

Hi Guys, you're talking about my neighborhood here!

Yes, there is a gelato place here, La Gelateria. It's absolutely wondeful! The choices are usually pretty extensive (though in colder months they make less since there's not so much a demand), and best of all, you can sample anything you want. Usually there's one cooler full of fruit gelatos/sorbets, and then a cooler with the more decadent ones. Some of the flavors have been "americanized," but everything is really good. For a small dish, which you can have 2 flavors in, it's $3, which seems a lot at first, but they pack A LOT into that small dish. They also have a shop at Legacy Village in Lyndhurst. The place is owned and operated by Valerio Iorio, who runs Valerio's restaurant in Little Italy. Apparently he missed the gelaterias of his homeland, so he opened one here. And since it's opened, several places in Little Italy have also added gelato to their menus (though as much as I like gelato, nothing tops the lemon ice from Corbo's Bakery in Little Italy).

As for Aladdin's, avoid the fancy-looking cakes in the case. It's my experience that usually they've been sitting around for a few days, so they dry out. But if you have a good dinner at Aladdin's, you won't have room for dessert!! Definitely go for appetizers; the hummus is good, as is the baba, but I've really grown fond of the foole m damas (though lately the Heights Aladdin's has really been overdosing on the garlic in their foole), and the loubie bezeit (green beans). In terms of their menu, the shwarmas are good, as is the shishtawook. My fiancee and I lately have gotten into their "pitzas," she prefers the Farah's Favorite, and I like the chicken pitza. We eat there so often that we can usually get in, get seated, give our orders without even reading the menu, eat, and get out faster than if we were at a fast-food joint. And the food's always fresh and delicious!

[torakris]

Another bump.

Anyone have anything new to add?

[danf]

Nate's on west 25th has great food, I especially like their hummus, and is convenient if you're down at the west side market.

Dan

[Palladion]

It doesn't look like it's been mentioned, but Aladdin's Bakery, which is not affiliated with the Aladdin's Eatery chain, has some great food. It's not a restaurant... it has prepared food and takeout as well as middle-eastern supermarket fare (sauces, dried beans, herbs, rices, pastes, cheeses, and the like). They've even got a small olive bar.

The food there is cheaper and more strongly flavored that the food from Aladdin's Eatery. I really like their spinach pies, rich with feta cheese and lemon. They also sell various pita sandwiches, "pita pizzas", salads, kibbeh balls, and other assorted dishes.

A lot of the Cleveland supermarkets sell pita bread from Aladdin's Bakery, but it's fresher and cheaper to buy it from the source.

The Bakery is located very close to Downtown, on Carnegie, near East 13th (across Carnegie from Paterson's nut shop).

Edit: Wrote the wrong street...

Edited July 5, 2006 by Palladion (log)

[NancyH]

For Middle Eastern food, I've become very fond of 5th Ave Deli & Grill in Eastgate (Mayfield and SOM). Their hummos and baba are exquisitely fresh and chicken schwarma was to die for.

Another recent addition to the Cleveland scene is Anatolia Cafe, which is in Cedar Center, and features Turkish food. It gets raves on the Cleveland Food Forum, and I've been dying to try it (hint, hint).

[torakris]

For Middle Eastern food, I've become very fond of 5th Ave Deli & Grill in Eastgate (Mayfield and SOM).  Their hummos and baba are exquisitely  fresh and chicken schwarma was to die for. 

Another recent addition to the Cleveland scene is Anatolia Cafe, which is in Cedar Center, and features Turkish food.  It gets raves on the Cleveland Food Forum, and I've been dying to try it (hint, hint).

←

Hint taken.

Has the 5th Ave Deli been there long? I don't think I recall seeing it before.

Eastgate is just a short hop from 1/2 price books in Golden Gate, where I spend quite a bit of my trip sitting on the floor of the cookbook section...

[NancyH]

Hint taken.

Has the 5th Ave Deli been there long? I don't think I recall seeing it before.

Eastgate is just a short hop from 1/2 price books in Golden Gate, where I spend quite a bit of my trip sitting on the floor of the cookbook section...

←

[sweintraub]

Taza recently opened in Eton Collection, and is a somewhat upscale version of Aladdin's. I think the food there is quite good, the atmosphere is appropriate for a nice dinner out, and I don't think the prices are outlandishly higher than Aladdin's, tho I haven't actually done a comparison.

The do have a few things on the menu that Aladdin's doesn't. These tend to have a little more of a gourmet twist. Also, the hot fresh pita they serve at the beginning (ask for more if you want them, otherwise you get standard pita) are amazingly good.