Fat Cats--Tremont, Cleveland (W. 10th St.) [$$]

On this peculiar January day, we nearly got lost trying to find our restaurant this week.  We saw views of Cleveland we didn't know existed!  So many bridges, and parts of bridges, and tons of gravel piles!  After many twists and turns, we found our destination, Fat Cats!  "That cat isn't very fat," said Grace, regarding the sign.  No matter.  We entered the slightly slanted red brick building and were whisked away to the farthest corner to dine.  We browsed the specials menu, the regular menu, and the wine list, and something was ordered off every one!
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Shannon:

Grace and I had been wanting to have lunch in Tremont, so Fat Cat's was where I decided we should go.  The online menu assured me there were several vegetarian options, and a co-worker of mine got me very excited when she proclaimed how much she loved eating there.  I cannot actually remember being in Tremont before, so getting there was largely due to Grace's reading aloud the directions on my phone.  We finally arrived, I parked across the street, and upon entering I saw that a friend of mine works there.  He brought us to our table in a cozy yellow room at the very back of the restaurant.  There was artwork on the wall that you could buy, though they were a bit pricey.  Classic rock oozed from the speaker in the opposite corner.

There was a pasta dish on the specials menu I contemplated, however, the Crispy Tofu sounded so intriguing I decided upon that.  "Crispy tofu atop cumin scented black beans, grilled zucchini, chili sauce, and pickled green tomatoes."  After some deliberation, we decided we would also like to order glasses of wine, so I asked for a Riesling.  Minutes before our food arrived, our waiter brought us each a slice of bread and accompanying oil garnished with olive relish.  Just as we were finishing our food was placed in front of us.  Mine looked like art.  The tofu was perched on top of the piled zucchini and beans, everything was smothered in the sweet and spicy absolutely delectable sauce, and the plate was garnished with two pickled cauliflower.  This was what I first bit into, and those cauliflower had a bite!  I gobbled this all right up, taking large gulps of water when the sauce was a bit spicier than sweet.  The black beans were my favorite component because they absorbed the sauce so spectacularly.  I was quite pleased with my choice.

After devouring my lunch, I focused on my Riesling, which was just the right amount of sweet to offset the food.  We sat and chatted for a while, and our waiter never stopped checking on us.  The staff was exceedingly friendly and helpful, and I hope my friend enjoys working there!  It certainly has a nice view of Cleveland out the side window!  I'd like to go back for dinner, after being told there was a tofu sandwich on the dinner menu.  This was a very neat place everyone should try out!
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Grace:
I always love the Tremont area! It's so quaint and, for lack of a better word, hip. When Shannon told me she had chosen Fat Cats, I immediately checked out the menu while I was at work. I saw some interesting things, but figured I would just have to wait since I saw a review online that said people should check out the specials before anything else. I ordered a Cabernet and I also put that off until I was done with my sandwich. At least Shannon and I got to talk over some wine after our lunch. I didn't want to be in-and-out, but it seemed that it would have been that way when our food came within a few minutes of ordering. I perused the lunch specials, and the normal lunch menu, but my eyes kept going back to the Crab Cake Sandwich on the specials list. I decided on the Crab Cake Sandwich, and when it came just a half a minute after the bread and "olive relish," I frantically placed the rest of my bread in my mouth because I was so delighted by the sight of my sandwich that I became anxious. I noticed that my golden-brown, perforated chips were very much homemade and unique. I've kind of been put off by french fries and potato chips lately, but these babies were AH-MAZE-ING. Some chips were even soggy, while some were crisp so it was a nice balance.

My sandwich was honestly incredible. It consisted of a crab cake with herbs, with a cabbage slaw and a remoulade sauce. Not knowing what this sauce was despite my French minor, Shannon had the decency to look it up for me because I'm too lazy, apparently. The creamy sauce was a mixture of mayo, mustard, horseradish, and is often used to accompany seafood such as crab cakes. There was also this other condiment on the side, but I didn't know if it was to be used on my chips or my sandwich, so I sort of just dipped a few chips in there and it was good. I learned later that this was their house ketchup, but I've never been one to dip my chips in ketchup, so I kind of just let that be.

I absolutely loved Fat Cats! It was delectable. I suggested to meet my other college friend who lives on the east side for lunch at Fat Cats since it's equidistant. I'm so looking forward to coming back! :)
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Bar area

Crab cake sandwich

Bread and oil/olive relish

More tables

Outside Fat Cats

Fat Cats A-Frame sign

Even more tables

Fat cats hanging sign/neon sign

Crispy Tofu

More seating, but with a view of Cleveland that failed to show up.

Wines

Cool swinging doors

Franklin Castle, which we stopped to see on our way home.

Creepy Franklin Castle

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It was nice to take advantage of the warmer weather today by getting out and even seeing a creepy haunt on the way home!  Fat Cats was delightful and half of us already have plans to go back!  Check this out for lunch, or go at night and let us know how Cleveland looks all lit up!

Loco Leprechaun--Westlake, Ohio (Center Ridge Rd.) [$]

On the coldest day since 2009, we braved the blistering wind and snow to get some "Irish-Mexican" food in Westlake.  This was Grace's choice, after a few deliberations, and also her turn to drive.  We arrived a little later than we normally lunch, due to Shannon's traumatic morning of trying to get her car to start.  We sat ourselves in between the booths against the wall and the bar.  There were a few people at the bar and a couple of ladies in another booth.  We like to think the other visitors also had car problems that day, and decided to have a day of comfort instead.  After our waitress stopped fixing her hair in the wall-length mirror, she brought us lunch and drink menus.
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Grace:

We decided to get drinks because of the stressful morning, so I chose the Loco Light, which tasted exactly like Coors Light. I was debating between the guacamole burger and the special that day, Mexican Fish Tacos, but I decided on the tacos since I knew I'd be having a burger at home in a few hours. While waiting, I noticed the decor was a blend of Irish and Mexican cultures--like the wall painting of a sombrero-wearing leprechaun sitting on a cactus. My tacos came pretty quickly, and were accompanied by tortilla chips and salsa. The chunky salsa was nothing special, and probably from Trader Joe's. I was surprised when I saw three fairly large tacos on my plate, seeing as the special was only $8, and included the chips and salsa!

The fish that came in the taco's was also nothing special, and I would have preferred if they had a little seasoning because, after all, they were supposed to be Mexican, right? The other ingredients in the tacos were what, in fact, made them Mexican--green peppers, tomatoes, lettuce, onions, sour cream, and bits of tortilla chips. After eating my first taco, I had told Shannon that I wished I had ordered guacamole on my tacos, because we should all know by now--I'm obsessed with avocado. The waitress really seemed to know her regulars, so that was nice to see. The menu was really diverse and I would gladly try some other things on there someday, but over all, it seemed like a "I just turned 21, let's go to this rinky dink bar really fast" kind of place. It would be really fun to stop in on St. Patrick's Day, but I cannot part from my traditional rinky dink bar for March 17th, Irish Kevin's in Lakewood.
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Shannon:

Upon arriving, Grace and I were somewhat surprised that our destination was much more "bar-like" than we had been expecting.  I had briefly looked at a menu online, so I knew there were vegetarian options though, unlike most "bar fair."  We sat ourselves, and were by ourselves for a while before being brought menus.  It felt like lunch was a secondary part of this business, that if we were not at the bar then we would likely wait longer.  No matter, once we decided on drinks, those came pretty quickly.  Being recently turned onto whiskey sours by my boyfriend, I ordered one as Grace ordered her beer.  Sipping on these, we browsed the menu.  I have a handful of options, and chose the portabella wrap.  This option was least like the other Mexican type foods I've had in the past few weeks.

The wrap came with green peppers, onions, tomatoes, portabella mushrooms, and chipotle hummus on a white wrap.  The only downside to the wrap was how messy it was to pick up and eat.  Though, since the reason it was so messy was because of the large portion of ingredients, it was not terribly disappointing.  I ate it carefully and used my fork to devour what fell out.  The hummus was my favorite part of the wrap.  It gave the steaming vegetables a very exciting accompaniment.  My dish mostly fell under the category of Mexican, although they did come with potatoes!  Crispy, seemingly double-fried french fries took up half of my plate.  The fries are generally what I leave to bring home, if I think I won't eat it all, but I had to have all these fries, despite my shrinking hunger.  I took the rest of my wrap home to enjoy on another occasion.

The decor was clever enough, mixing Irish and Mexican, though I would say it weighed heavier on Mexican than Irish.  Loco Leprechaun, for as far as I could find, does not have a website.  I was expecting something a little different than the overwhelming bar atmosphere it exuded, though I had a fine time here just the same. If I were to go back, I would probably go later in the day for drinks rather than a meal.  If you stop in, definitely get an order of fries, whatever you do!
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Bar area

View from front door

Menu art

Menu art

Outside

Loco Light and whiskey sour

Wall art

More wall art, and computer area?

Portabella Wrap

Mexican Fish Tacos

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This lunch was a great reprieve from the cold.  It was certainly a nice change from jumping the car, which was the activity directly prior to lunching.  The mix of cultures is a fun idea, and the food is pretty well priced.  Definitely check it out at night, and tell us what you think!

Heck's Cafe--Ohio City (Bridge Ave.) [$$$]

Last lunch we decided we should venture east of Lakewood, since we've visited several locations westward.  It was Shannon's turn to choose, so having looked for a few cool places, she landed on Heck's cafe.  We parked on a side street a few streets away from the cafe, and we strolled along looking at the amazing houses on our way.  We entered and were seated in a jiffy.  There was a fairly large lunch crowd that thinned out as we ate.  The room we were seated in reminded us of a greenhouse.  There was an ornate spiral staircase lined with flower pots with various flowers and plants.  We mulled over the drink menu in great length, and shortly after decided upon our meals.  The service was impeccable and checked up on us extremely regularly.  Our drinks came and shortly after, so did our food!
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Shannon:
When I was researching restaurants in Ohio City, Hecks Cafe's website featured pictures of the room we were seated in today.  I was so excited because this was a big factor in my choice.  The staircase is so beautiful and the light streams in from above.  It's so light and airy and green, but also very warm.  We decided to get cocktails, which proved to be a difficult task in choosing.  I went back and forth between the Cucumber Smash and what I eventually ordered, the Apple Pie Martini.  I've recently been dabbling in mixed drinks, and thought this sounded exciting.  I was however disappointed that the cinnamon flavor was so overpowering that it burned my throat.  I watered it down a bit, which helped, but it just wasn't my drink of choice.  Next time I'll definitely go for the cucumber option, for a more neutral palate.

Choosing my meal was much easier when I saw there was falafel on the menu.  I ordered the Falafel burger, which came with tahini-lemon sauce and tomato relish on a wheat bun, accompanied by Hecks fries.  The wait for our food was relatively short, and as soon as I cut the sandwich in half for easier eating, I found myself enjoying the best falafel I think I've ever had.  It was absolutely divine.  The tahini-lemon gave it zest, the cool tomatoes sublimely blended with the crisp fried outside of the patty, the toasted wheat bun brought it all together for an out of this world experience.  I would otherwise have taken some home, but I really needed to eat it all right then and there.  Afterwards I ate a few fries, which were fried to brown and crispy perfection.  Although the sandwich was very filling, so I took most of the fries home with me.

Hecks Cafe was spectacular.  I would love to go back and try their other vegetarian options.  I would also like to sit in some of the warmer colored rooms, or see what the greenhouse room looks like at night.  I would definitely recommend this restaurant, especially if you're visiting on a warmer day than today.  Grace and I fell in love with so many houses in the area, so it would have been nice to stroll around a bit more if it wasn't so frigid.  I think I'll probably dream about that sandwich tonight.
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Grace:
I had been to Hecks Cafe a few times during my childhood, so I was pretty excited when Shannon mentioned she was thinking about going there. When I was little, I would order a burger at every single restaurant I went to, so I figured I'd conjure up my old ways and order one today. After looking over the drink menu with Shannon, I finally decided to order the Cherry Explosion, which was a combination of cherry vodka, champagne, and 7-UP. There was a single cherry placed in the glass, and the bubbles were enjoyable. I finally picked the Ohio City Burger, which was a 1/2 pound burger "grilled with herbs of all nations" with a slice of mozzarella cheese.

The burger was really juicy and plump. Since the Ohio City Burger is only $1.50 more than the Heckburger, I'm glad I chose the burger with a little more flare! I haven't had a good burger in a long time because my boyfriend is obsessed with fast food and I'm basically pressured into having that crap all the time. Since Hecks has won so many awards for their burgers (and I had forgotten the excellence from 10 years ago), I was really excited about this burger. The lettuce and tomato were incredibly fresh and the patty was placed on a toasted and fluffy brioche bun. Shannon and I both ate our pickles first and we seemed to be giving our sandwiches the extent of our attention. I gave Shannon my left over fries because I knew for a fact I would forget about them and that my mom would bug me to get them out of the fridge.

Hecks was lovely in atmosphere and very pleasing to my eyes, belly, and taste buds. I will definitely be coming back here soon. Hopefully I can talk to my boyfriend into a healthier and tastier alternative to his beloved Big Mac.
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Cherry Explosion and Apple Pie Martini

Bar area

Ohio City Burger

Falafel Burger

Stained glass light fixture

Greenhouse Effect (haha)

Spiral Staircase

Outside Hecks Cafe

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Hecks was a satisfying, extremely satiating and gratifying, not to mention lovely place to dine!  Go on a warm day and walk some of your meal off on the surrounding streets, or grab a beer across the way at Great Lakes Brewery.  There's a lot of neat places around Hecks, and it will definitely be frequented by us!  They certainly deserve all their awards!

Taco Tonto's--Lakewood, OH (Madison Ave.) [$]

We're back, folks! After three weeks of not seeing each other due to holiday festivities, we finally jumped back into our newest and most rewarding hobby. It was Grace's choice this time around so she suggested a place she's driven by many a time, Taco Tonto's in Lakewood.  The place was pretty crowded (there weren't a ton of tables to begin with) so we gathered the food must be really good.  We deliberated over the menus and specials board, ordered and paid at the bar, and sat in anticipation of our lunches.
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Shannon:
As soon as we walked in, Grace and I were directed to the specials, one being a Winter Vegetable special.  This included parsnips, potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, squash, and onions.  I chose to have this as a "burrito bowl," so the vegetables came on a bed of lettuce, diced tomatoes, and shredded cheese.  I ordered a side of guacamole and chips and a side of the citrus cilantro sauce.  The guacamole and chips came first.  The chips were still warm so they melted the guacamole.  This was a delightful experience!  The sauce came with the chips as well, which was slightly sweet with a definite kick to it.  A few minutes later, our names were called from the kitchen window and we picked up our plates.

The winter vegetables were steaming and spicy, which paired really well with the crisp cool lettuce.  I added the sour cream, which melted, like the cheese had also done.  This plate was honestly like nothing I've had before.  The mixture of the vegetables on top of typical burrito fixings was so different.  The hot and cold temperatures made for a refreshing experience, and the melted sour cream and cheese was just divine.  I tried dipping various vegetables into the citrus cilantro sauce, which I found quite good, although it certainly didn't need anything else to make it better.  The vegetables were cut very large so I sliced some in half in order to taste more than one at a time.  I would get a couple vegetables, scoop up some lettuce and cheese, dip it in either sour cream or the citrus sauce, and gobble it up!  I found myself forgetting about the chips and guacamole, until I was mostly too full to eat any more.  I ended up taking the sauce, guacamole, chips, and half my burrito bowl home with me.  I'm excited to enjoy it later!

I really liked Taco Tonto's.  The decor was super cool and the food reached you really fast.  I would definitely go back, and probably take my Mexican cuisine-loving sister!
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Grace:
When we walked over to the bar area to get menus, my eye caught the BLT burrito special. Then I came to my senses and figured a burrito with bacon would be really weird, so I basically just ordered what I get from Chipotle to play it safe. I got a chicken "burrito bowl" with rice, cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, and sour cream. I ordered guacamole on the side to toss on top of my bowl. When my name was called, I noticed that the burrito bowl was actually a burrito plate. However, the plate was really vibrant and totally the type of dinnerware I will choose for my own place (if I ever move out). Taco Tonto's chicken was pretty good, but it was also pretty dry. The marinade and spices slightly reminded me of Barroco's chicken. Whereas Barroco gave too much chicken in their arepas, Taco Tonto's gave a scarce amount. Don't get me wrong, it was still really good for the low price! I just wish the chicken was juicier and more prominent. I kind of wish refried beans came with the burrito bowl option, but I think you have to order that on the side. Since the chicken was pretty spicy, I needed a water refill but no one came around. I had to go up to the bar and ask her to refill it, which was different for a place that served primarily spicy food.

The decor was pretty cool. The wall by the food pick up was really bizarre and you can tell a local artist was commissioned to do it. Another wall consisted of multicolored geometric squares with the colors being really complementary, which reminded me of another thing I would do to my place (again, if I ever move out of my parents' house...). The tables were kind of squished together, which made us feel that everyone there was listening to what we were saying.

Overall, it was a good experience! The "burrito bowl" fixings were nothing out of the ordinary so part of my wishes they did something original and a little bit more novel. I will go back, but next time, sit at the bar and brush up on my Spanish.
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Chips and guacamole

Grace's food

Shannon's food

Food pick up area

Bar area

Cool wall!

Shirts for sale

Awesome corner

Old sign

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It was wonderful to finally get back to our lunches, and this was a nice, inexpensive and neat place to start up again!  Check it out.  We suggest trying the tacos, though we haven't yet, we will next time.