Cleveland, located on the shores of Lake Erie midway between New York City and Chicago, is a city built by immigrants. In the late 19th century, Poles, Czechs and Slovenians were drawn to work in the city's steel and woolen mills. In the 1970s, refugees from Vietnam and other southeast Asian countries found a home on the North Coast. More recently, Russian immigrants have settled in greater Cleveland. Like those before them, many have opened restaurants to remind them of the food of their homeland.
Located in the eastern Cleveland suburb of Pepper Pike, about 40 minutes from downtown, Restaurant Europa specializes in Russian cuisine, including a number of Jewish favorites. The restaurant, opened in 2008, serves dinner daily. Menu highlights include blinis, Russian-style pancakes; borscht, traditional beet soup; and Russian schnitzel, thinly-pounded and lightly-breaded pork filets. Restaurant Europa offers live music most evenings and adventurous dinners can try the chilly (35 degree) Siberian vodka room. Don't worry; the management will lend you a fur coat. There's also a ceviche bar, which serves the Baltic marinated fish dish in a variety of ways.
Also on Cleveland's east side is Anatolia Cafe in Cleveland Heights. This large restaurant features fine dining in the southern Russian and Turkish styles, complete with a wine bar that pours vintages from Russia, Georgia and Turkey, as well as several new world offerings. Standouts on the extensive menu include shavarma, marinated beef and lamb cooked on a spit; stuffed eggplant; and chicken adana, spicy ground chicken with onions, peppers and paprika. Anatolia Cafe serves lunch and dinner every day except Monday, as of January, 2011.
The Odessa Deli serves up Ukrainian and Russian food in the heart of downtown Cleveland. Located in the historic Old Arcade building, this eatery is much more casual -- and affordable -- than the two restaurants mentioned above. The Odessa Deli specializes in stuffed cabbage, potato pancakes, borchst and pelemi, house-made, Russian-style meat. As of January, 2011, this restaurant is open for lunch only, Monday through Saturday, and offers a variety of daily specials.
