I talked ethnic eating today on WCPN’s Around Noon, sharing the microphone with host Jim Goldurs, and three of the food folks featured in the book: sausagemaker extraordinaire Kris Krieger of Chef’s Choice Meats in Berea; Alma Alfonzo from Lelolai Bakery and Cafe, the place for Puerto Rican pastry and Cubano sandwiches; and Chef Sergio Abramof, owner of a pair of fantastic restaurants, Sergio’s, with a Mediterranean menu, and Sarava, which specializes in Brazilian fare. Thanks to an exchange between Jim and Sergio, I finally learned how to correctly pronounce feijoada, a traditional stew. Spelled phonetically it’s feh joo ah da.
Back Row, left to right: Sergio Abramof, Jim Goldurs, Front Row, left to right: Alma Alfonzo, yours truly LT, and Kris Krieger
We all had great fun and got some interesting phone calls from listeners. Two people mentioned new places I have to try- an Argentine restaurant in the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood called La Boca, and Ararat on Chardon Road serving Armenian food. Anyone been to either of these?
But my favorite call was from the guy who told me that he used Cleveland Ethnic Eats to court the woman who is now his wife. He said he picked unusual, out of the way places to take her and she was quite impressed by his epicurean tastes, so impressed she married him. I’m delighted to think that all my eating and writing contributed to bringing them together!
If you missed our conversation and want to hear it, here’s a link to the audio of the show
