Cajun Joe's again! This time, some honey spicy wings with some crisp, delicious french fries, ALSO covered in that lovely sauce... Oof. A good, hearty, sinful little meal, and at a good price! These wings are very addictive, a good amount of sweet and heat, as with everything. And Joe is just an awesome guy. I can't help but come get some when I can.
...Whoops. I did it again.
Cajun Joe's again! This time, some honey spicy wings with some crisp, delicious french fries, ALSO covered in that lovely sauce... Oof. A good, hearty, sinful little meal, and at a good price! These wings are very addictive, a good amount of sweet and heat, as with everything. And Joe is just an awesome guy. I can't help but come get some when I can.
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So, there's a shop next door to ours called Cajun Joe's that is a little barbecue spot, chicken, ribs, wings... It's damn good! And the owner is just a sweet guy, a real friendly and helpful neighbor. His sauce is a delicious savory with a good amount of spice that gives a little heat that keeps you coming back for more! Coleslaw, mac'n'cheese, collards, sweet potatoes, cornbread... All of the best goodies, hearty home-cooking. I wish I could afford to come patronize him more, his food is SO GOOD.
So, there's this really cool spot called Steelyard Commons, and, in the most Cleveland of fashions, it's a strip mall right next to a steelworks, the sheer industrialist vibe is pervasive everywhere, from the ex-quarry it's situated in to the architecture of the mall itself -- AND IT'S A NICE ONE! Walmart, Target, Home Depot, some restaurants, fast food joints, GameStop -- lots of really useful things in one very convenient spot. Among those restaurants is a Steak 'n Shake, which I mentioned I had never been to, although my father had always spoken of very highly.
So my roomie decided to help me fix this. I ordered a Jalapeno Burger (because of course I did), and it was a pretty solid burger! The fries were nice and crispy, the aesthetic was FANTASTIC (I'm a sucker for a vintage diner, especially one with an open kitchen) and the milkshakes were well deserving of their praise. Thick, creamy, but not so thick that I feel you gotta get a spoon out to actually eat the thing, but not so thin that you can suck half of it down without thinking of it. WE CRUSHED IT. It was fucking tasty, and I definitely get the hype! The crew were awful obliging and friendly, considering I was geeking out and taking so many pictures. Like, the guy working the expo station especially was happy to answer all of my ridiculous questions and was very amused by obnoxiousness. I want to blame the sugar from the milkshakes, but really, it was the aesthetic I was geeking out about. I really like retro diners, okay? It's a weakness. Mmm... Pizza. We spent the day at the Tremont Arts & Cultural Festival in Lincoln Park -- my roomie's boyfriend is part of a local commedia dell'arte troupe, and they were doing a few performances as part of the festival, and it was a lot of fun! We ended up having dinner after at Rascal House as a collective party, and it's... Well, it's not exactly impressive. It reminds me of Pizza Hut's pan pizza, a fairly economical, easy-to-acquire pizza house that is decent enough, especially when fresh. Service was slow, actually, but not terrible. And it came out fresh and hot, and after a day at the park where I was pretty damned hungry, it definitely did the job, but cheap pizza is still cheap pizza.
And fantastic or not, pizza is pizza! Can't complain. Especially when I wasn't paying for it, hehehe. Now, full-disclosure, I was NOT prepared for this. But as soon as I got to Cleveland and told people I was a foodie, EVERYONE was telling me about the Night Market. Located in the heart of Asiatown on the last Friday of the month, it's part cultural festival, food festival, and crafts market. There's music, food, art, performance, music... EVERYTHING. I was having a very bad day this particular Friday, and decided to just GO to the thing, even though I wasn't prepared, just because I needed the pick-me-up. And it breaks me, because there were SO MANY GREAT VENDORS THERE, and I only got a few shots off before the phone I had on hand died, but I did see a really cool 'tour bus' for Tour de Cleveland, had some AMAZING little bonbons from Sugar Bomb Confections (those ladies were a HOOT), a jolly man from J. Gumbo's selling THE BEST CRAWFISH ETOUFFEE I'VE EVER HAD, a firetruck-turned-food truck from Firehouse Grilling Co., a Korean-style hot dog... God, SO much food, and I only had $20 to really enjoy it, which is NEVER ENOUGH at a food festival, as you well know. I've since bought myself a digital camera, but moments like this were times I legitimately mourned my poverty.
Oh man... I haven't had Rally's in YEARS. We used to get Checkers down in Orlando, and we had a Rally's at home (there was one across the street from the big bus depot in downtown Norfolk that I used to hit now and again), but in Tucson we got Checkers COMMERCIALS, but there wasn't a shop in town. I imagine there was one nearer to Phoenix or something, but it was TORTURE for me, because I just wanted some of those fries and we just didn't have any. So when I get into town and realize there's a RALLY'S AROUND THE CORNER, I legitimately squealed.
Burgers aren't my most favorite, but boy howdy do I love these seasoned fries. They're also apparently one of the only places in town that have Dr. Pepper, which is PROBLEMATIC for me. Hells yeah. Varsity.
I had an ex, who will not be named (maybe he will be, but not here) that spent some time in Atlanta, and when we went to visit he HAD to introduce us to the Varsity. Varsity is a little fast food joint stuck between the underside of the highway at the edge of college country, but the drive-thru line is AROUND THE BLOCK. They specialize in greasy goodness, hot dogs and chili cheeseburgers and onion rings... I went all out with a sampler pack, and even an apple pie just because. This isn't the proper Varsity, but any time I get a chance to have to fly somewhere, I like to pick the route that has a two hour layover in another city so I can get a taste of the town. Varsity has an outpost in Terminal C that I hit for lunch en route to Cleveland. Last time I hit here was me coming home from Tucson back in like... God. 2013? It's been a minute. Still good, but BOY HOWDY is it greasy, hahaha! Be prepared. Address on the map below is to the real deal, pics are from the airport! One thing I've really bought into here in the southwest, is the CUISINE. Sonoran dogs are a bit beyond me with my kitchen atm (BUT OH GOD HOW I ADORE THEM), but the simple treat of a well-toasted, crispy and gooey quesadilla in the toaster oven is just... EURGH. It's one of those little things that just make you feel all happy on the inside. I love it! It's legit one of my favorite dinners to make. AND LOOK AT THAT GORGEOUS CRUST. You know you want to steal a slice. These are made with the mexican cheese blend and a little onion, then served with salsa on the side. It's honestly a really cheap, fairly filling, and not even necessarily too bad for you meal!
Sooooooo... There's a Krispy Kreme in town now. And it's like, right next door to my work. I mean, I'm here early and the manager isn't here yet, so I walked next door and grabbed a coffee and donuts. This is dangerous, you guys. I can sit here and watch the hot, fresh ones come off the line, dip them in your coffee, melt in your mouth goodness... Or they have a whole assortment of already made ones that you can grab. I will be over here SO MUCH, and my waistline will not thank me.
Had a rough day, needed some comfort food, and to get out of the house a bit. Walked down to the Denny's down the way to stretch my legs and get some quiet time, late at night. Club sandwich, onion rings, and a strawberry milkshake, that I had certainly earned. Self care is important, kids. As it was... I ate half the milkshake before my food came out (as you can see) and I think I ruined my appetite. That, and sometimes onion rings SOUND like a great idea, and then I start eating them and wonder what on earth I was thinking. Which happens more than you might think, heh. I had originally wanted something else, but late night menus tend to get limited, alas. You live and you learn.
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Brunch w/ BlakeHalf-boricuan, half-corn fed Indiana hick. Stir in a taste of the southwest and serve in LA, on the rocks. #BrunchWithBlake #FoodPorn #LAFoodie Archives
July 2021
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