Ohio's best: Cities, schools, and foods

by: Talia Naquin

Posted: Jun 7, 2021 / 10:45 AM EDT

Updated: Jun 4, 2021 / 10:00 AM EDT

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CLEVELAND, Ohio (WJW) – Claiming the best is certainly a matter of opinion, but if you’re looking at metrics, here are some of the best-ofs in Ohio for 2021.

BEST PLACES TO LIVE
Niche ranks best cities by crime, job opportunities, public schools, and cost of living. Only one Northeast Ohio city made the list.

Oakwood, Suburb of Dayton
Ottawa Hills, Suburb of Toledo
Shaker Heights, Suburb of Cleveland
Maderia, Suburb of Cincinnati
Granville, Licking County

All of the communities received an overal A+ ranking.

You can get into the details here.

BEST SCHOOLS
The U.S. News Best High Schools ranks based on performance, state assessments, and how well the schools prepare students for college.

Walnut Hills High School, Cincinnati
Ottawa Hills High School, Toledo
Wyoming High School, Wyoming
Bexley High School, Bexley
Solon High School, Solon

See the complete Ohio rankings here

BEST FOOD AND RESTAURANTS
This could easily be the most controversial category on the list, so we’re sticking to the foods and restaurants that come up most on recommendations for out-of-towners. All of these are too good to be ranked in order.

Buckeyes, Malley’s Chocolates, Mitchell’s Fine Chocolates – We may be the Buckeye State for the tree nut, but the candy version is a bit tastier. It is peanut butter fudge dipped in chocolate, with a little peanut butter “eye” to look like the nut. You can find them at any local confectionary, the only problem will be deciding how many to buy.

Corned beef sandwich, Slyman’s (Cleveland) – Great year-round but it is a staple on St. Paddy’s Day in Ohio. You’ll get corned beef piled high. Slyman’s says its sandwich is the biggest and the best.

Pierogis, Pierogi Palace (Cleveland, Willoughby)
You can debate about who has the best pierogis. They’re not hard to find. A lot of people recommend Pierogi Palace. Their website says they make “the world’s best” pierogis. You can also ship them anywhere in the U.S.

Polish boys or Po’Boys (Cleveland)
A true Cleveland invention. It’s a city staple that became popular in the 1970s. You start with a bun, add kielbasa, fries, coleslaw, and barbecue sauce or hot sauce. Many recommend grabbing one at “Hot Sauce Williams” and “Mt Pleasant BAR-B-Q.”