Ukraine

Red Borscht, $3-$5 | Olesia's Place

While growing up in Ukraine, Olesia Pochynok used to separate the fat from meat in her grandmother's borscht. So when Pochynok opened her North Royalton restaurant, she eliminated the meat to make her borscht healthier. The chef and owner's rich, hot soup is served with a dollop of sour cream and packs the vitamins with beets, onions, carrots, celery, potatoes, shredded cabbage, peppers and tomatoes. "You can eat a lot of it, and it's not going to go to your butt," she says.

11204 Royalton Road, North Royalton, 440-877-9054, olesiasplace.com