Taste of the NFL

Fans of Northeast Ohio’s finest fare will gather Monday, September 14 for the Cleveland Browns Taste of the NFL 2009 Celebrity Dinner to benefit the Cleveland Foodbank.

The 11th annual fund-raiser features 26 food stations with culinary creations from the areas most talented chefs, who spend the evening away from their restaurants to gather at the stadium and prepare signature dishes for guests to enjoy all while supporting a great cause. The event also offers the opportunity for guests to mix and mingle with Cleveland Browns alumnus and current players, as well as the chance to bid on one-of-a-kind auction and raffle items.

Tickets are $150 each and all proceeds benefit the Cleveland Foodbank, which for every dollar donated can provide enough food for four nutritious meals. For more information or to attend, visit www.cleveland.com/tasteofthenfl or call 216-738-2126

Vegetarians in Cleveland

Vegetarian Chili
Photographed by Julianne Gentile.

Our family are vegetarians and sometimes it is a challenge to find great restaurants that provide delicious meatless fare.

Fortunately, I enjoy cooking and I love creating meatless versions of traditional dishes. I share my recipes on my recipe blog.

However, I really enjoy dining out, and I appreciate knowing in advance whether a restaurant has vegetarian options, other than vegetable soup and a side salad.

There is a fantastic site called VegOhio.com that offers a printed guide to vegetarian-friendly restaurants and stores around Ohio. They also have detailed listings for restaurants, stores, and organizations in our area. We have noticed that some of the restaurant listings are outdated, however, so I would recommend calling ahead.

One of our favorite restaurants is Aladdin's Eatery. They have several locations in Northeastern Ohio and they offer a nice variety of vegetarian food on their menu. The food is fantastic, the environment is cozy, and everything is available for carryout, too!

There are more area restaurants listed on my Cleveland Dining page, too. I try to include the vegetarian options in the descriptions.

I run the Vegetarians Headquarters on Squidoo and I'm also working on a lens called Northeastern Ohio Vegetarians. The goal is to create a useful local guide for vegetarians in our area while attempting to raise money for our local animal shelter.

I'd love to hear suggestions from other vegetarians in our area.