Northeast Ohio: An inspiring culinary survival act

Northeast Ohio remains one of the very best areas in the country for a road trip built around great food, said Jane and Michael Stern in Saveur. “Sure, there are prettier places,” but the corridor between Cleveland and Canton is one of the few old-time culinary hotbeds left where “local traditions and ethnic enclaves” haven’t been eroded by passing years. Here, many residents have Central and Eastern European roots, and that heritage still generates “spectacularly good cooking.”

Hot Sauce Williams Cleveland. “It’s a feat to get out of Cleveland with any appetite at all” if you indulge in a Polish Boy, the city’s signature “soul food sandwich.” This humble joint serves the quintessential Polish Boy—a hot dog bun “piled high with kielbasa, french fries, and coleslaw, and slathered with a spicy barbecue sauce.” 12201 Buckeye Road, (216) 751-0440

Babushka’s Kitchen Northfield Center. Don’t miss the soup at this “Polish gem,” where choices include chicken with “pillowy” egg noodles and czernina—a “magical sweet-and-sour brew made with duck blood, prunes, and handmade dumplings.” 9199 Olde Eight Road, (330) 468-0402

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Belgrade Gardens Barberton. Legend has it that the original owners of this restaurant outside Canton created “Barberton chicken,” a celebrated regional dish, based on a recipe from their native Serbia. Lard-fried, it boasts a “wonderful crunchy coating.” 401 E. State St., (330) 745-0113