Gougere at Luna Bakery and Cafe, Cleveland Heights: 50 Things to Eat and Drink

Gougere at Luna Bakery and Cafe, Cleveland Heights: At once airy yet delicately chewy and substantial, these Gruyere cheese-laced puffs of choux pastry are sumptuous and addictive. Open the bottle of wine before your first bite, or you'll never wait to sip while you nibble, which is the perfect way to enjoy these seductions. 2482 Fairmount Blvd., Cleveland Heights. lunabakerycafe.com 216-231-8585. -- Joe Crea, Northeast Ohio Media Group (Photo: Allison Carey, The Plain Dealer)

(Allison Carey, The Plain Dealer)

One of the most fun parts of reviewing restaurants and writing about chefs (apart from the pleasure itself) is discovering all the really cool stuff that's out there — then sharing the word.

I always like finding truly exemplary versions of classic favorites, like the really great handmade daiquiri cocktail at the Velvet Tango Room. Or how much I loved the puffy-chewy gougeres at Luna Bakery and Café in Cleveland Heights — one of those timeless French snacks that put almost anything-in-a-bag to total shame.

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Or twists on convention: what an awesome, unorthodox innovation, putting corned beef hash and melting Gruyere cheese over a beef pattie, then dubbing it "The Michael Slyman Burger" over at Streat Burgers in Lakewood.

But sometimes the most fun is turning up unexpected indulgences, like the truffled sweet corn at XO Prime.

Still, I've gotta tell you, each time I run through this year's "gang of 50" list — make that "Fifty Things To Eat and Drink In 2014" — I find another batch of ways to pile in some fresh calories.

And though it means another hour on the treadmill, count me in. Seems like there's an endless parade of good eats and drinks to try, all around the CLE.

1. Gougere at Luna Bakery and Café, Cleveland Heights: At once airy yet delicately chewy and substantial, these Gruyere cheese-laced puffs of choux pastry are sumptuous and addictive. Open the bottle of wine before your first bite, or you'll never wait to sip while you nibble, which is the perfect way to enjoy these seductions. 2482 Fairmount Blvd., Cleveland Heights. lunabakerycafe.com 216-231-8585.

2. The Daiquiri at Velvet Tango Room, Cleveland: Long before the Cuban Missile Crisis, daiquiris were a distillation of everything sexy about the early Sixties. Then came cheap bottled mixes with all the refreshing integrity of St. Joseph Baby Aspirin. Your first taste of one of the hand-crafted daq's at Velvet Tango (made with fresh-squeezed citrus juice and simple syrup) is a puckery flashback to that tart-sweet-timeless refreshment. Not cheap, but you'll savor every sip. 2095 Columbus Rd., Cleveland. velvettangoroom.com, 216-241-8869.

3. Sweet Potato Fries at The Brew Kettle, Strongsville: Like a high school memory. I can't remember the last time I sat down to a meal and could have happily just polished off the fries. These were the best I've had all year: crisp and crunchy outside, perfectly finished, plump and creamy flesh within. Wow. 8377 Pearl Road, Strongsville. thebrewkettle.com, 440-239-8788. Joe Crea, Northeast Ohio Media Group

4. The Croque Monsieur at the Blue Door Cafe & Bakery, Cuyahoga Falls: The "Croque Monsieur" is the French term for a fancy ham-and-cheese sandwich on buttery, eggy brioche bread. In the hands of skilled chef Mike Bruno, an excellent real butter croissant stands in (superbly) for this sublime seduction of fine, thinly sliced ham oozing melting Gruyere cheese an a smear of grain mustard. A year after my first bite, I still recall it yearningly. 1970 State Road, Cuyahoga Falls. bluedoorcafebakery.com., 330-926-9774.

5. Michael Slyman Burger at Streat Burger Bistro and Beer, Lakewood: How can any food-curious Clevelander ignore something called a "Michael Slyman" burger? It's a towering, cooked-to-order, Gruyere-topped beef burger on a substantial-yet-fluffy whole wheat bun with a corned beef hash brown patty topped by sweet-and-spicy mustard, cola-candied bacon and a drift of seasonal greens. Total yum. 16300 Detroit Ave., Lakewood. streatburger.com, 216-226-0056.



6. Vegan Curried Lentil Soup at Katz Club Diner, Cleveland Heights: On a menu as tempting as Katz Club's it's easy to skip past what sounds like an obligatory nod to vegetarian diners. Wrong. Here's a lush, lusty cupful of rich texture you'd swear came from cream. Instead, it's cashew butter. Distinctive scents of curry belie an almost hushed blush of heat, piqued by a dash of green chile chutney to liven things up. 1975 Lee Road, Cleveland Heights. thekatzclubdiner.com, 216-932-3333.



7. Tamales at El Carnicero, Lakewood: Forget those flaccid, microwavable gas station messes. These are big, plump masses of corn masa heaped with an array of different meat, seafood, poultry or vegetarian fillings that are cunningly spiced and zesty. A pair makes a meal, though good luck ignoring the other luscious temptations among chef Eric William's imaginative plays on traditional Mex fare. 16918 Detroit Ave., Lakewood. elcarnicerolakewood.com, 216-226-3415.



8. Truffled Sweet Corn at XO Prime Steaks, Cleveland: Too many side dishes are afterthoughts, the mealtime version of comic relief — mostly there to make the main player look even better. Not so at XO, where the generous pool of creamed corn combines chewy texture, sweet richness and that haunting aroma of truffles. It just might draw your attention from the great steak on the big plate. 500 W. St. Clair Ave., Cleveland. xoprimesteaks.com, 216-861-1919. Also at 29425 Chagrin Blvd., Pepper Pike. 216-378-8988.