New Foodhi Year, Almost Here

Our next menu change is arriving with the solstice, at the end of December (after our holiday break). This year has brought some big shifts—both the good and the hard—but we’re hopeful the new year will bring something spectacular for Foodhi. (And yes, we’re still searching for a new home 😬)

You may have noticed that our dessert game has changed a bit. Our baker extraordinaire, Frances, has stepped away from Foodhisattva to focus on her day job—saving animals. I can’t express how lucky we were to have someone of her caliber on our team. Honestly, I think she’s the best pastry chef in Cleveland, full stop. If we weren’t a small vegan restaurant—subject to all the tired biases, celebrity worship, and outdated snobbery that still cling to “foodie culture” here—I’m convinced she’d be a baking superstar. Her talents soar above her antiquated, lard-based contemporaries, and yet Cleveland’s food media never bothered to highlight her achievements. It’s a travesty, but also painfully on brand for this city. We celebrate the people who leave and ignore the talent that chooses to stay.

All that said, I know Frances will continue to excel, and I hope her next chapter brings her joy. She’s a superstar, through and through.

Many of you already know that Emma has stepped in as our baker—and I think it’s safe to say she’s killing it (kindly). This week’s dessert specials alone show just how much creativity, technique, and heart she brings to the table. Our desserts are in excellent hands. I’m excited to see what she dreams up next, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have her as part of the Foodhi family.

So what’s coming in the new year? As always, we’ll be closed the week of Christmas and return in January with an updated menu. I usually use that week to deep-clean the space, finish new dishes, and spend time with loved ones. I recently became an uncle, so that time feels especially precious this year. I also do the books and stare at spreadsheets trying to figure out how the hell I’m going to keep up with the ever-rising costs of running a small restaurant.

The holiday season isn’t all “Fah who doraze,” but it’s not all "bah humbug" either. It’s the middle way, Madhyamāpratipada.

Menu-wise, I’m still working on the balance between Cleveland comfort dishes, familiar favorites done well, and my own personal tastes—which lean toward traditional, nuanced takes on international fare (admittedly less popular here, but important to me). I joke about this with the kind of snark only years hunched over a burner can create, but nights off genuinely help. I get to step outside these steel-sheeted walls, try the restaurants Cleveland praises, and—if I’m being honest—those visits usually remind me that despite the struggles of being a chef and “restaurateur,” my team’s food and service are pretty damn awesome.

If you’re wondering why I have to close to get all this done, you may not be familiar with the realities of running a small scratch kitchen. Time off is a luxury many of us literally can’t afford.

Now, about the changes: I’ll be cutting some of the duds. I love these dishes, but you don’t—or rather, not enough of you to make them work. Some of the standards will stay (though, full disclosure, one of those “standards” has been slipping for years, and I might finally have the courage to cut it…). Winter craves warmth, and the menu will reflect that.

I’m also hoping to expand our tea collection. If you’re like me, you know how hard it is to find a solid cuppa in Cleveland. In this coffee town, we tea lovers are the minority—and we deserve warm hands and cozy, satisfying sips just as much as anyone else. Whether you're at a coffee shop or an affluent restaurant, the tea selection in Cleveland is lukewarm at best. Let's change that, one cuppa at a time.

See you soon! 🦥