7 Delicious Cleveland Foods Found in Local Grocery Stores

The Cleveland food scene extends far beyond our amazing restaurants. Sure, we have culinary titans who have made their mark in Cleveland: Michael Symon, Angie Jeter, Jill Vedaa and Doug Katz, to name a few. But our culinary scene also lives on grocery store shelves too. These food product companies showcase The Land’s diverse offerings.

Flour Pasta Co.

When Flour Restaurant opened in 2011, it became an instant hit, growing a loyal customer base over the years. Once they perfected their fresh pasta recipe, that clientele expanded to local chefs who wanted to offer something special to their patrons. Flour Pasta Co. was born so people could enjoy Chef Mytro’s pasta at home — with growth and expansion led by Ryan “Mick” McLean. Imported bronze dies from Italy give their pastas a rustic, sauce-gripping texture, while American-grown semolina gives it a heartiness that’ll have you going back for seconds. The brand took off in local Heinen’s as well as smaller, specialty stores. You can find their newly rebranded dry and fresh varieties at 15+ retail locations around Ohio, including local Giant Eagle Market Districts and wholesale through various regional distributors.

Maraq Gourmet Soups

Leslie Elston and his wife met when Cleveland was a Continental Airlines hub. He was in terminal operations, and she was a flight attendant. After an airplane accident, his wife was bed-ridden for years. Leslie wanted to find a solution for her low iron and other ailments, so he started making soup. Not only was it a big hit with her, but he noticed these nutrient-packed recipes were getting compliments left and right from family and friends. After years perfecting his recipes, Maraq Gourmet Soups started selling its line of 18 soups in local stores. You can snag six of his top sellers at Fairfax Market in their freezer section.

Llamacita Sauces

Llamacita sauces were born out of a deep passion for sharing good food. Having grown up in the industry, Bianca Beach initially intended to avoid culinary arts as a career. Though, it simply became unavoidable. After developing her green sauce (avocado tomatillo serrano), she told her mom it would buy her a Jaguar one day. She spent years trying to get a game plan together, and after having a baby plus dealing with the pandemic, she felt it was time to share her Latin-inspired sauces with the world. You can find her tomato guajillo, avocado tomatillo serrano, honey habanero, and pineapple mango sauces at six markets around town or delivered right to your door.

Tony Pino’s

Tony Pino started his food cart in Virginia, selling homemade meatballs and garlic rolls to bar-goers and loyal clientele. After moving to Cleveland, he started thinking about how to bring his recipes to folks looking for something a little healthier (but still delicious). So, he dove deep into the consumer packaged goods (CPG) world and even got an MBA to supplement his degree from the Culinary Institute of Virginia. The first run of Tony Pino’s original meatballs, Swedish meatballs and falafel were available in the freezer section at some Giant Eagle locations, Metropolitan Market and the local product-driven Fairfax Market. He's currently working on a second run of the tasty bites, which will hit shelves in the near future.

CHUTNI PUNCH

Sahithya Wintrich is a software engineer turned food product founder who wanted to put Indian spices on the Cleveland map. Inspired by her upbringing in India, CHUTNI PUNCH’s three blends are vegan, gluten free, and made with sustainability in mind (with paper labels, glass jars and compostable sealing bands). The problem she faced developing her Spicy Peanut, Super Sesame, and Savory Chana blends was making products that taste great, are convenient, and are good for you. CHUTNI PUNCH does just that. You can find these flavorful finishing spice blends at seven locations around Cleveland or purchase them directly from their site.

Phenomenal Foods

Phenomenal Foods Co. is changing the hot cereal game. Veronica Blue became frustrated dealing with chronic fatigue and endless doctor’s visits without solutions, so she took matters into her own hands and switched up her diet. She missed some of her comfort foods, like Cream of Wheat, so she came up with her Creamy Keto Hot Cereals line initially for herself, but knew she had to share it with others struggling with the same issues. Available in three flavors (Original, Cinnamon Bun, and Blueberry), her Cream of Wheat substitute is low carb, gluten free, vegan, packed with protein, and diabetic safe. If you’re here in Cleveland, you can purchase her products at Fairfax Market. Otherwise, order online through Amazon.

MacAttack

Alia Edwards started her mobile food business, MacAttack, during the 2022 food truck season. The recipe was simple: high-quality noodles, a delicious blend of cheeses, butter, and cream. People instantly loved it, and the demand for her mac and cheese skyrocketed. She knew she had to create a way to get her products to customers throughout the year, so she created MacAttack To-Go. MacAttack can now be found in 18 retail locations (and growing) throughout the Greater Cleveland area. While she doesn’t consider herself a chef, she puts a lot of love into making her version of the ultimate comfort food.