When January rolls around, many of our resolutions and goals center around food and our waistlines. Eat better, eat less, eat local, etc.It’s hard enough to stick to a plan when you’re preparing meals at home. But many people on a new diet plan often avoid going out to eat, or joining in on social events because they fear (or know) that a place or an event won’t offer them choices that fit in to their new plan.
But menus and chefs in Cleveland are keeping up with diners’ increasingly complicated and conscientious eating habits. So I’ve crowd-sourced a list of tasty local establishments that offer plenty of options for people who are eating more particularly or carefully in the new year.
Townhall Offers all non GMO menu items as well as Paleo and Vegan menu nights. It’s also one of the largest menus in the city so you can go back again and again and not repeat dishes.
REBol Sister restaurant to Town Hall, they offer a 100% Non GMO menu, meats are all organic when possible, dressings and sauces are free of refined sugar and they use coconut oil for cooking.
Cleveland Vegan There’s an extensive menu, plus catering options and a bakery with GF, vegan and raw options.
The Root Cafe The community cafe and vegetarian eatery has lots of pizza and calzone options, and beans and rice to leave you feeling satisfied.
Forage Public House A large percentage of the Lakewood gastropub’s menu is GF, vegan or vegetarian, and Thursday is vegan night. But there is also a lot on the menu to appease those you’re dining with who may not need those options.
Tommy’s This Coventry institution has been meeting the needs of vegetarians for decades. As their slogan goes, “Whether you’re a vegetarian, a meat-eater, vegan, or just plain hungry, Tommy will take care of you.”
Sweet Melissa‘s Rocky River and University Heights locations has a whole line of GF and vegan pastry and a host of GF options on their menus.
Pure Vida I trust Brandt Evans to make great food (Blue Canyon, another one of his, is one of my favorite spots in town. The Public Square location offers great GF, V and Veg lunch items for those struggling to stay on your program during busy lunch hours.
Fire Food & Drink Headed by one of my other favorite chefs in town, Doug Katz, Fire is always on the cutting edge. It’s a great date spot. They use local meat whenever possible and only use sustainable seafood.
Spice Kitchen & Bar If locally sourced ingredients are of new importance to you now, seek out places like this, which creates their menu based on what Spice Acres (their farm in the Cauyhoga Valley Natioal Park) is producing.
Toast Is so proud of their locally sourced products, they actually list the purveyors on their menu. So you can support multiple local vendors with each bite.
Sustainability also ranks high on the list of priorities at places like Flying Fig, Greenhouse Tavern and Urban Farmer.
John Mango’s World Cafe This Ohio City favorite has been doing vegetarian since before it was cool. They have an entire section of their menu entitled “The Ballad of Meatless and Delicious” Vegan, gluten free and a juice bar on site too.
Cafe Avalaun In Warrensville Heights, Chef Brian Doyle’s place is the city’s first and only 100% gluten free restaurant. And they have a Fresh Meals Club that they’re running a special trial on right now. Subscribers pick up 6 dinners every Tuesday. They’re all Paleo, grain free, dairy free, soy free, low carb nearly whole30 compliant type meals.
Good to Go Cafe in the IMG building has a daily variety of raw foods and coolers full of Chef Anna Harouvis’s killer organic cold pressed juices, from her line Anna in the Raw, popular with her professional athlete and rock star clients alike (she is the juicer for the Cavs and the Indians, among other high profile clients).
If you’re goal in 2017 is to juice related, there is also Restore, and CLE Juice Box which both offer cleanses and clean eats.
When you don’t feel like going out, try Sprinly. They’re a personal, plant-based chef and nutritionist service…delivered. They have plans with 6-20 meals per week. And they’re local.
Note: Destination Cleveland also put together a great list, with some overlapping ideas, and some new bones. Check our theirs at www.thisiscleveland.com.
Please help me add to this list. Where are you finding delicious foods that meet your new needs??
Originally published on cheftovers.wordpress.com on 01/12/2017.
