Cleveland’s favorite Deli: LArder delicatessen

When people ask me what’s good to eat around Cleveland, I always seem to point them in the direction of Jeremy Umansky’s eclectic and intuitive deli and healthy bodega, Larder. Based in the hinge town neighborhood of Ohio City, just a stone’s through away from Great Lake Erie and the neighborhood I grew up in, Larder is truly a place to be in Cleveland.

The staff of the deli always makes you feel welcome inside the firehouse turned eatery, greeting you at the counter with warmness and carefully directing bother newcomers and avid followers to the newest creation of Jeremey and his team! When you sit down at a table, your experience is carefully curated from the fresh local flowers on the table, to the most local grab and go refrigerators carrying their brownies and cheesecake. The place is reminiscent of a 90’s New York deli, with hints of Cleveland history all around.

Jeremey is a certified wild mushroom expert and offers seasonal foraging expeditions in Ohio’s abundant surrounding forests. Larder is home to tons of local Cleveland products, as well as a processor for local farmers and food producers. Nominated in 2019 for Best New Restaurant and 2020 for Best Chef by James Beard Awards, the culinary innovation of Larder reaches far beyond Cleveland.

Although his Koji fermented Pastrami is to die for, I’m quoted often by my friends and family saying “Larder has the best chicken sandwich in town.” The portion is truly made for a growing boy/girl, which a thick portion of housemate slaw and in house baked buns! If you’re a fan of the chicken sandwich, you can’t miss out on Larder!