Know of any Kosher bakeries in New York that have black-and-white cookies? I'll bet you can find one without too much trouble. ;-) When you do, ask if it's a "Pareve" bakery. If so, ALL its offerings will be dairy free. If not, they'll be able to point you in the right direction.

Istanbul in Tremont is wonderful, I've had two very fine meals there. I'm told that it sports the chef from the original Anatolia, before the plaza it lived in got torn down. I have many friends who've tried Frank's on W65, and they all report the exact same thing - good falafel, punitively long wait for it.

If you're going to follow the Lola suggestion, I urge you to make your reservation as far ahead as you can - one can't always simply stroll in to Lola and expect to be seated. It's worth taking the trouble to ensure you can get in, though -- there's a reason you can hardly have a Cleveland thread on Chowhound without someone name-checking Lola.

If you're looking for a decent local place, nothing fancy but great food, you absolutely have to try Melt in Lakewood. (http://www.meltbarandgrilled.com) Grilled sandwiches that defy belief, served with huge mounds of superb fries and slaw. It's on the far west side, so it won't be too huge of a trip from Olmsted.

kathrynanne's calls are both very, very good ones. There's also Don's Lighthouse, a durable place with a fine reputation for its seafood.

And best wishes for your speedy recovery!

http://www.donslighthouse.com/pages/a...

There's a fantastic cheese shop simply called "The Cheese Shop." If you're a cheese fan at all, stop there, the variety and depth of their stock is astonishing. Ask for Lisa, if she's there, she knows all.

Maha's falafel was already mentioned, so I'll second it - better falafel than I had in the Middle East, no lie.

As for bread, pretty much all the bakery stands are quite good, so snoop around a lot before you commit to a loaf, there's a lot to see.

rockandroller1 is quite correct about the produce, the WSM is not a farmer's market. It's amazing how many Clevelanders are still under that misconception. Buy only what you're can use in a couple of days, tops. The prices are great, but it's almost all on the verge of turning (of course with things like cantaloupe and avocados, that works out superbly, everything's fine to eat that day). There's an organic stand near the entrance to the left that's a wonderful and astonishingly inexpensive exception, though, be sure to find it. I can't remember if it's the aforenamed Basketeria or not.

Oh, and near Maha's there's a bakery stand that has awesome apple fritters that'll go beautifully with your City Roast coffee. And if you do get anything to eat on premises, eat it on the mezzanine. The view is fantastic.

Have fun!

I'm pretty sure Wonderbar on East 4th Street downtown serves small crocks of cassoulet during happy hour, probably during dinner hours, too. Can't say how traditional it is, but I've heard it's quite good.

The stuff they sell in discount stores is the same as the stuff they sell in their outlet stores, which is to say it's flawed somehow. That said, I got a fantastic Le Creuset 5.5 qt dutch oven for $90, and the "flaw" is a tiny, insignificant chip in the enamel on the outside near the bottom. You can find perfectly fine seconded pieces if you're patient, and you'll save a ton - the flaw could be something as trivial as the inspector disliking the color, seriously. I'd steer clear of wobbly lids, though.

This is not the first time I've heard about Shuhei coasting on reputation. Too bad, they were brilliant, once. Have you tried Aoeshi in North Olmsted?