In Bizarre Foods Cleveland, part of the Delicious Destinations series featuring Andrew Zimmern, the host and his crew visited numerous restaurants in the city, showcasing a variety of unique and delicious dishes. Here is a convenient list of all the addresses and dishes highlighted in this exciting exploration of Cleveland’s food scene.
ANDREW ZIMMERN CLEVELAND DISH – Chicken Paprikash
WHAT IS IT?
Chicken Paprikash is a dish featuring tender chicken smothered in a creamy sauce infused with paprika. To prepare the sauce, butter and olive oil are used to season the chicken, allowing the fat, skin, and bones to enrich it. Onions and celery are cooked in the chicken’s juices, along with a mesh bag of Hungarian hot peppers, water, and seasonings, before paprika is added. To prevent curdling, sour cream and heavy cream are blended together.
WHERE IS IT?
Sokolowski’s University Inn
1201 University Rd, Cleveland, OH 44113, United States
Cleveland, United States
Unfortunately, this restaurant has since closed its doors.
NOTES – DELICIOUS DESTINATIONS CLEVELAND
Throughout the early 20th century, a significant number of Hungarian immigrants arrived in Cleveland, seeking work in the steel mills and factories. By the mid-1950s, nearly ten-thousand Hungarians had settled in the area, bringing with them their traditional cuisine, including the beloved dish of chicken paprikash.
DISH – Fish Fry
WHAT IS IT?
The dish consists of crispy white fish that has been battered and fried. The beer batter used in the dish is prepared in-house and made with a golden lager, which imparts a light texture to the batter without overshadowing the flavor of the fish. The batter is made by mixing flour with water until it reaches the desired thickness, and the haddock fillet is coated in the batter before being deep fried. The dish is accompanied by sides of sweet potato fries and coleslaw.
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WHERE IS IT?
Prosperity Social Club
1109 Starkweather Ave, Cleveland, OH 44113, United States
Cleveland, United States
NOTES – DELICIOUS DESTINATIONS CLEVELAND
In 1938, the bar opened its doors under the name Dempsey’s Oasis and quickly became known for its fish fries which remained popular for almost 70 years. In 2005, Prosperity took over the bar and has since continued the tradition of serving deep fried haddock that has left many customers with an unforgettable experience.
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ANDREW ZIMMERN CLEVELAND DISH – Slovenian Sausage
WHAT IS IT?
To make Slovenian sausage, deboned pork is ground with garlic and spices like sugar and salt, then stuffed into natural pork casing and smoked for six hours. The sausages are then grilled and served with homemade sauerkraut that has been griddle fried in bacon grease.
WHERE IS IT?
Jaworski Meats
7545 Pearl Rd, Middleburg Heights, OH 44130, United States
Cleveland, United States
NOTES – DELICIOUS DESTINATIONS CLEVELAND
Mark, the current owner of Jaworski’s Meats, proudly continues the traditions of his father who opened a meat stand in Cleveland’s historic Slavic village in 1935. The village was home to many Czechs, Poles, and Slovenian immigrants. Mark’s father, Fred, earned the nickname “The Kielbasa Kid,” a crown that Mark proudly wears to this day. Jaworski’s Meats is located in the suburbs of Middleburg Heights and is a popular Polish butcher shop.
BIZARRE FOODS ANDREW ZIMMERN CLEVELAND DISH – Polish Boy
WHAT IS IT?
The Polish Boy sandwich consists of a hotdog or Polish sausage on a steamed bun, topped with coleslaw, french fries, and barbecue sauce. To make the sandwich, a quarter-pound beef hotdog is briefly fried and then grilled while the coleslaw is prepared. The coleslaw is slightly sweet and heavily mayonnaise-based. Seti’s original barbecue sauce, made from scratch, is the standout element of the sandwich. The hotdog is then fried again and served on a steamed bun with the coleslaw, french fries, and barbecue sauce.
WHERE IS IT?
Seti’s Polish Boys
4242 Lorain Ave, Cleveland, OH 44113, United States
Cleveland, United States
NOTES – BIZARRE FOODS DELICIOUS DESTINATIONS CLEAVELAND
The dish known as the Polish boy, despite its name and the Eastern-European heritage of many of Cleveland’s foods, actually originated in local barbecue joints. It is believed that the original sandwich contained a combination of hotdogs and Polish kielbasas, which inspired the name. One innovative barbecue establishment decided to stack their special sauce, fries, and coleslaw on top of the sausage and serve it on a slice of white bread, creating a beloved Cleveland classic.
BIZARRE FOODS DELICIOUS DESTINATIONS CLEAVELAND DISH – Sauerkraut Balls
WHAT IS IT?
To make sauerkraut balls, sauerkraut and pork are combined with bread crumbs to create bite-sized snacks. First, the pork is ground, followed by the sauerkraut. The mixture is then rolled in bread crumbs and refrigerated overnight before being formed into balls. These balls are then coated in flour, egg wash, and bread crumbs before being deep fried.
WHERE IS IT?
Der Braumeister Restaurant
13046 Lorain Ave, Cleveland, OH 44111, United States
Cleveland, United States
NOTES – BIZARRE FOODS DELICIOUS DESTINATIONS CLEAVELAND
Der Braumeister is situated on the serene Tree-lined streets of Cleveland’s West Park neighborhood. Every week, they prepare more than a thousand hand-rolled sauerkraut balls. Although sauerkraut balls were invented in Akron, Ohio, they are said to have originated with Pennsylvania Dutch immigrants who migrated to the state in the late 1600s. When some of these individuals moved to Ohio, they came up with a novel way to combine two of their favorite inexpensive foods – pork leftovers and sauerkraut.
BIZARRE FOODS DELICIOUS DESTINATIONS CLEVELAND DISH – Buckeyes
WHAT IS IT?
To make Buckeyes, a delectable chocolate peanut butter treat, high quality chocolate blocks are melted and poured into a tube-shaped mold. Next, peanut butter chips are melted and dispensed into a separate mold. The melted peanut butter is then poured into a plastic mold, followed by a layer of milk chocolate and a dollop of peanut butter confectionary. The candies are then cooled for 15 minutes and meticulously examined one by one.
WHERE IS IT?
Malley’s Chocolates
14822 Madison Ave, Lakewood, OH 44107, United States
Cleveland, United States
NOTES – BIZARRE FOODS DELICIOUS DESTINATIONS CLEVELAND
According to the legend, in 1964 a woman from Ohio was trying to make regular chocolate-covered peanut butter balls, but due to a fortunate mistake, they ended up looking like the nut from Ohio’s state tree. She shared her mishap with friends, and the popularity of buckeyes grew, especially among Ohio State football fans, as the buckeye is their mascot.
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