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When you work in a densely populated area such as
downtown, grabbing a noontime meal is an especially delicate equation.
Getting out of the office can be challenge enough. Time constraints,
traffic and parking all factors into the deal.
Just Like Mom's restaurant has part of the equation right. This
take-out business, on the fringes of Cleveland's Chinatown area,
emphasizes meals-to-go, and does a fairly good job of that. It's a
good place to order a bunch of meals, or a single dinner, to take back
to your desk.
Just Like Mom's also offers sit-down dining. Customers can also phone
in take-out orders.
Around downtown, finding good fried fish is an elusive feat. You'd
think we'd be swimming in options, perched as we are on the rim of the
Great Lakes. Too often, what end up on our plates are manufactured
fillets.
I've gotten good fried fish three times at Just Like Mom's, good
enough to go back again - though I won't swear that this was fresh
catch. Twice, I shared orders of the red snapper (dinner, $10.99;
sandwich, $5.99). Plump and fresh-tasting, each time it still had that
briny, vaguely musky flavor that makes it so tasty. We got three big
fillets
We called ahead and placed an order for the white bass dinner
($10.99). When we arrived within the 15 minutes it was promised, the
dinner was ready, hot and crisp. Moist, mild-tasting pearly flakes
broke off, revealing the occasional bone. A friend who shared felt it
tasted fishy, but I didn't share that reaction. In fact, I'm afraid I
let the order of ribs I was also sharing grow a bit cold as I doted
over the fillets.
Colleagues ate up the Polish Boys ($4), a sandwich filled with an
enormous and tasty link. The rib dinner combination ($10.99) made
decent eating. The bones were thickly clad in fairly tender meat; they
were the fall-off-the-bone kind you always hope for. Sweet, sticky
sauce coated each bite - not bad.
Where I'm really loved the side dishes. The french fries ($2) were
fine, and the cole slaw ($2), a dish that can be so zesty, was
delicious. The macaroni and cheese (side, $3) is cheesy, and thanks
for the generous portion of greens ($3). As for the corn bread muffins
($3), though they're huge, Mom's are fairly sweet and buttery.
Just Like Mom's is on a winning course. |
