Cleveland Cooks Who would have thought that Cleveland would become a food mecca and home to some of the best chefs and restaurants in the world?  We would!  With almost 120 distinct ethnic groups in Cleveland it was inevitable that the great recipes and techniques that have been passed down for generations would surface. ClevelandCooks is geared toward:
  • Chefs
  • Home cooks and wannabe chefs
  • Foodies
  • People who like to dine out and try new things
  • Food industry entrepreneurs
  • And more
ClevelandCooks features the best restaurants and chefs in Cleveland and NE Ohio and lists our favorites in a variety of categories (looking for great dim sum anyone?)
  • The videos on ClevelandCooks will educate and entertain.
  • The tips will help you prepare and enjoy food better.
  • The Food Adventurers will let you join like-minded people to enjoy local restaurants together
  • And more

Featured this Week

Explosive Diarrhea? Not from Aladdin’s

I think we were all a little shocked when we heard about some lettuce products causing what they called “explosive diarrhea.” The current outbreak in the U.S. is caused by the parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis, with over 10,468 lab?confirmed cases as of August 4, 2026, and linked primarily to contaminated iceberg lettuce recalled by Taylor Farms. But people are understandably avoiding produce, especially lettuce products. For example, I always get a salad at the summer Greek Festivals (I love feta cheese!) but skipped it this year. The volunteer said nobody was getting the salads! But here’s some good news and a safe way to get some tasty and healthy food. We are fortunate in NE Ohio to have about 15 Aladdin’s locations. In 1972 Fady Chamoun arrived in the US from Lebanon with a dream of opening a restaurant featuring healthy Lebanese fare. In 1994 Fady and his wife Sally opened the first Aladdin’s Eatery in Lakewood. Lebanese and other Middle Eastern food was still new to many back then but Fady made educating his guests a priority. Now everyone knows the basics like hummus, falafel, and shish kabob but they have introduced so much more of Lebanese cuisine – including Lebanese salads.
Aladdin's Tawook Salad
Aladdin’s Tawook Salad
 
You can rest assured that the lettuce in Alladin’s cooking does not contain the parasite. You can read all the details on their blog.But essentially, the lettuce in their salads comes from an Ohio-based greenhouse called Fresh ‘n Crisp Farms. Their practices are designed to create the cleanest possible environment for lettuce from seed to harvest, helping reduce the risks commonly associated with traditional field-grown produce.While most lettuce is grown outdoors, exposed to changing weather, soil conditions, wildlife, and environmental contaminants, Fresh ‘n Crisp takes a different approach. Their lettuce is grown indoors in a carefully controlled greenhouse environment that is:
  • Free from dirt and soil
  • Grown without pesticides, preservatives, or GMOs
  • Protected from outside pollution and contaminants
  • Produced using highly automated systems that minimize human handling.
One of the most important safety features of their operation is water quality. All water used in the facility comes from on-site wells and is purified through reverse osmosis. This advanced process helps remove impurities and contaminants. They say, “Combined with strict sanitation and hygiene practices throughout the facility, these safeguards help maintain exceptionally high food safety standards.”  
Aladdin's Greek Chicken Salad
Aladdin’s Greek Chicken Salad
   
So feel free to enjoy one of their specialty salads like my favorite (below), the classic Aladdin’s Salad with mixed greens, calamata olives, sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, feta, scallions, and Aladdin’s dressing.  
Aladdin's Salad
Aladdin’s Salad
 

Cleveland Cooks Favorites!

We are working with our sister site Cleveland101.com to list our Local Favorites. As native and lifelong Clevelanders we have favorite places to go for a variety of food and drink. We are having a blast sampling and testing foods (it’s a tough job but…) and then posting our Favorites. Check out our Cleveland Favorite Foods page to see our favorite:
  • Boxty and Shepherd’s Pie
  • Bubble Tea
  • Corned Beef Sandwich
  • Dim Sum
  • Diner
  • Egyptian Street Food
  • Ethiopian Food
  • Fresh Seafood from Live Tanks
  • Hot and Sour Soup
  • Indian Food
  • Italian Wedding Soup
  • Lizard Wings
  • Pączki
  • Pad Thai
  • Pierogi
  • Samosa
  • Sausage Sandwich
and much more.  Agree?  Disagree? Let us know.  And let us know your favorites.