The University Inn for Ultimate Cleveland Dining

Cleveland, you've got to be tough. That has been the saying for years. To be tough, you have to start with being well fed. We Clevelanders are lucky in that respect. We have some of the finest dining in the region if not the nation. After all, we are home to Iron Chef, Michael Symon .

Where to Eat

The title of this assignment was "Your Favorite Cleveland Restaurant". Pretty close to an impossible task. As I already said, we are home to Iron Chef Michal Symon with his great restaurants. His signature place, Lolita , in the Tremont neighborhood is a destination spot. Seven Roses Deli and Café in Slavic Village is Polish heaven. Jerusalem Grill in South Euclid has a Shwarma pita that is to die for. When the cast of The Avengers come to Cleveland to film, where would I tell them to go for the quintessential Cleveland dining experience? It has to be Sokolowski's University Inn .

Why Sokolowski's?

Where do I start? Sokolowski's is a long time Cleveland institution. As their website states, they have been catering to the working man and the business person since 1923. If you live in the Cleveland area and have not experienced the University Inn, shame on you. If you are from out of town, you will be following in the footsteps of presidents, movie stars and sports greats that have dined here.

What to Eat

They are very unfair here. Service is cafeteria style. They put the desserts first! When my kids were little and I would take them here this would make me pull out my hair and laugh at the same time. I knew my Dan would want to pick two desserts. Pies and cakes, they both would catch his eye. The only thing that kept me sane was knowing that what he didn't finish I would get dibs at after eating my own fantastically rich rice pudding.

Next in the line come the meal choices. Chicken paprikash better than what I can make, the measure of a good restaurant. Stuffed cabbage as big as a baby's head, this would be Alison's choice. Breaded walleye, meat loaf, bratwurst, kielbasa, Maryland crab cakes, the choices are dizzying.

If you get stuck, default to the old standbys, the pierogi, 5 for $8.95 or the Beer Battered Lake Erie Perch for $11.95. To me, these are Sokolowski's signature dishes. Pierogi at its finest in a bastion of Eastern European cooking. Boiled as they should be then lightly grilled, with a generous bath of butter and onions as the finishing touch, in my own personal search for the best, this ranks right up there.

If you have never had Lake Erie perch, you are missing out on some of the earth's best. The University Inn takes this light, sweet fish and coats it in a magnificent beer batter. After tasting this, you will know why it is a regional favorite.

Remember the side dishes. Mashed potatoes, fantastic potato pancakes and some of the best cabbage and noodles you will ever have. Just the right blend of cabbage, a lot!

Did I mention the atmosphere? Stunning views of the Cuyahoga Valley and Downtown Cleveland, old wood paneling, a fireplace and at night a piano player who plays old standards and takes requests. Cleveland at its best, beefy and muscular.

Sokolowski's University Inn is located in Cleveland's Tremont neighborhood at 1201 University Road, Cleveland, Ohio 44113.

The phone number to dining heaven is 216-771-9236

Click this link for the website Sokolowski's University Inn

Prices are moderate especially considering the amount and quality of food. You will not go away hungry.

Good selection of beer and wine. Sit at the bar during a Cleveland Indians firework night for a spectacular show.

I hope I'm there when the Avengers hit town. Hope to see you there Scarlett Johansson.

Michael Symon

Lolita

Seven Roses Deli and Cafe

Jerusalem Grill

Sokolowski's University Inn