So, what's good in Cleveland?

Nothing?

That's sad. I guess I'll end up at McDonalds. :(

Lotz good in Cleveland but at thr airport or the city?

Johnny's on Fulton Funky decor eceltic good food, very expensive.

Visit West 6th warehouse district many choices. Anything you would want.
Sushi, steak, seafood....

Vivo in the Hyatt (its not typical hotel fare).


Tremont is a good area. Michael Simone owns Lola, Farenhiet is another spot.

Giovanni's on Chagrin (4diamond) upscale northern Italian. Not pasta and meatballs.

Little Italy has some great places.

We also have a China town with plenty of offerings. Boo Long is famous.

Inside the Ren. Hotel is San Souci. Excellent choice. We also have a Mortons.

The selections are plentiful and the food pretty good. We aren't NY or Chicago....

Try this site

www.cleveland.citysearch.com/bestof/categories/

Nothing?

Easy, It is a holiday weekend! :)

From the Midwest Forum

Chinese: http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=309148&highlight=cleveland

Cuban/Puerto Rican: http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=309147&highlight=cleveland

enjoy

How much should I expect to spend at Vivo for two people, probably one bottle of wine?

Thank you.

How much should I expect to spend at Vivo for two people, probably one bottle of wine?

Thank you.


Lets say $100 for two no wine. Don't know your wine tastes. $100 gets you appetizer, entree and dessert for two. Thw wine prices are not out of sight so your can add maybe $30-50 for wine. They are building a House of Blues across the street.

I ate at a wonderful restaurant called Theory...fabulous food. Everyone that I dined with had an impressive meal. The concierge had recommended the restaurant accross the street, but they didn't have a table. Sorry...I've forgotten the name of that one.

There is a really good restaurant in the carriage house of the Glidden Mansion which is now a bed and breakfast. It is about the size of a shoe box and very busy but the food is really, really excellent.

Also, Barichelii Inn? (don't remember the spelling) also has really great food.

And for a surprising outcome, a client said, lets go get a sandwich for lunch. I thought, lets go someplace better. It ended up being this hole in the wall place where they make their owned pastrami and corned beef fresh and then shave it in front of you to make the sandwich. I wish I remember the name as it is better than any deli I have ever been to including New York.

This and a hole in the wall place in Austin named Amaya's Tacos are probably the two most surprising meals I have ever had. Low expectation, super high quality food.

I was in Cleveland a couple times over the summer. I ate at a place called The Rocky River Brewing Company I think. It's nothing fancy, but IMHO the food was pretty good and it wasn't expensive. I think the only other place I recall eating at was the Hard Rock..but those are pretty much the same everywhere...

Lunch at Corky & Lenny's .... a great deli, great cornbeef sandwiches :)

Some of the places I like are:

Metropolitan Cafe in the Warehouse District.
Hyde Park Grille(s) on Prospect and Beachwood for steak.
Mallorca in the Warehouse District for Paella / Spanish
(there is a sister restaurant in Beachwood).
Vivo in the Arcade (Hyatt).
Charley's Crab in Beachwood is good for seafood.
Fat Fish Blue on Prospect where the food is okay rather than great cajun
but live jazz on many evenings.
Corky's and Lenny's for Deli.

Other nice places that I did not visit are:
Giovanni
San Souci

Very short update on CLE dining:

Sunday afternoon went to Cleveland Orchestra (the Severance Hall reno is spectacular and the orchestra sounded great). Decided to hit dinner in the 'hood and went to That Place on Bellflower. Service was amateurish but very friendly. Had salad, a bottle of Tuscan wine, and steak, followed by dessert and drinks. Food was quite good -- much better than expected.

Monday afternoon we went to Vivo for lunch (we were staying at the Hyatt). Service was very very bad, but the power lunch is a great value: salad, pasta, and wine (Chianti) for $20. Food was superb: smoked mozzarella and escarole salad (slightly warm), Linguini (I think) Bolognese. Excellent food, awful service.

And for a surprising outcome, a client said, lets go get a sandwich for lunch. I thought, lets go someplace better. It ended up being this hole in the wall place where they make their owned pastrami and corned beef fresh and then shave it in front of you to make the sandwich. I wish I remember the name as it is better than any deli I have ever been to including New York.you may be talking about Slyman's - best corned beef in the city, and piled mile-high. Corky&Lenny's which has been mentioned in this thread is a good all-around deli, but it is expensive for what it is.

Favorite restaurants: Giovanni's for fine Italian (our "special-occasion" restaurant); Blue Point (seafood); Pier W (seafood and great view of the city)

Corky & Lenny's is crap.
If you want a good corned beef sandwich go to Slyman's on St. Clair.

Hunan by the Falls in Chagrin Falls is good chinese, as is Ho Wah at La Place in Beachwood.

Yours Truly has great hamburgers on the east side.

Yours Truly has great hamburgers on the east side.and great milkshakes! They have locations in Beachwood, Mayfield, Mentor, and Chagrin Falls.

If you want great milkshakes (and lively atmosphere, plenty of veg/vegan/non-veg options), go to Tommy's (Coventry). It's a great place to get good food for under $15 a person.

Siam Cafe (across the street from Bo Loong) is also very good (although it is not open until 2-3 AM on the weekends).

I usually don't mind Aladdin's (many locations, including Cleveland Heights) for a quick bite, either.

Corky & Lenny's is crap.
If you want a good corned beef sandwich go to Slyman's on St. Clair.

Hunan by the Falls in Chagrin Falls is good chinese, as is Ho Wah at La Place in Beachwood.

Yours Truly has great hamburgers on the east side.

Being a yankee in Alabama, I'm pretty corned beef-deprived so I used to enjoy Corky & Lenny's. That was before the food poisoning last year. Gawd, don't you hate getting sick away from home?

I do like the pizza place around the side of the same shopping plaza, DeGaetanos is the name, I think.

Thanks for the heads up on Yours Truly. I drive past it monthly and have meant to stop and try it. Maybe tonight!

I think Charley's Crab is my favorite in Beachwood, but tried Mitchells in the Eton Center and liked that too.

I can't afford a Giovannis dinner on my expense report but am still hoping someone will take me there or to Moxie.

I do like the pizza place around the side of the same shopping plaza, DeGaetanos is the name, I think.I can't think of what pizza place you are referring to. But hands-down the best pizza in Cleveland is at Geraci's in University Heights - just south of Cedar Road on Warnesville.

I can't think of what pizza place you are referring to. But hands-down the best pizza in Cleveland is at Geraci's in University Heights - just south of Cedar Road on Warnesville.

At the moment, Pizza isn't on the list of things I can eat. :( I will try Geraci's when I've lost another 15#.

DeGaetanos (I think one sign identifies it as Village Pizza) is on the right side of the plaza where Corky & Lenny's is located on Chagrin, around the corner. It's pretty invisible from Chagrin. I used to order a large with meatballs and green peppers, eat half for dinner and the leftovers for breakfast. Mmmmmm.

But hands-down the best pizza in Cleveland is at Geraci's in University Heights - just south of Cedar Road on Warnesville.
make sure you bring Cash. And Old man Geraci is a jerk... but the food is good.

Yours Truly has great hamburgers on the east side.
and great milkshakes! They have locations in Beachwood, Mayfield, Mentor, and Chagrin Falls.

Neither of which would make a complete meal without the Notso Fries, with extra sour cream of course. If you go to the one in Mayfield Village, make sure to say hi to my favorite server -- Kerry -- for me!

Neither of which would make a complete meal without the Notso Fries, with extra sour cream of course. If you go to the one in Mayfield Village, make sure to say hi to my favorite server -- Kerry -- for me!

OK, this place does not sound like a dieters paradise, but I've been good all week so I'm gonna try it tonight - the one in Mayfield. I'll send your regards to Kerry if she's working. Will she know you as "bankingconsultant on Flyertalk" ? :confused:

make sure you bring Cash. And Old man Geraci is a jerk... but the food is good.I haven't seen Mr. Geraci up there in two years. I'm not sure if he has passed away, or just in failing health. He was a curmudgeon, though. Mrs. Geraci, however is a sweetie, and I still see her up there on weekends.

Also, good tip on bringing cash (or check). Like most here, I like to earn miles with my cc, but trust me - this place is worth paying cash for!

I haven't seen Mr. Geraci up there in two years. I'm not sure if he has passed away, or just in failing health. He was a curmudgeon, though. Mrs. Geraci, however is a sweetie, and I still see her up there on weekends.

Also, good tip on bringing cash (or check). Like most here, I like to earn miles with my cc, but trust me - this place is worth paying cash for!


As a east sider growing up I certainly miss the pepparoni pizza from Geraci's. In fact, my parents regularly tote some to my new home on the west side.

There are a multitude of great dining options here in Cleveland, with most of my favorites being in Little Italy, Tremont and Ohio with a smattering in the suburbs.

Some ideas:

Gusto! in Little Italy for amazing italian
Mama Santo's in Little Italy for cheap italian and pizza

Tremont:

Lolita
Paralax
Fahrenheit
Southside

Ohio City:

Great Lakes Brewing Co.
Flying Fig
Johnny Mango
Fulton Avenue Cafe

Lakewood:

3 Birds
Player's

OK, this place does not sound like a dieters paradise, but I've been good all week so I'm gonna try it tonight - the one in Mayfield. I'll send your regards to Kerry if she's working. Will she know you as "bankingconsultant on Flyertalk" ? :confused:

She should be able to figure out who it is. If she can't, then I should tell my parents to check whether that A in Logic on her Mount Union transcript looks like it's drawn in by hand. :p

Let us know if you felt it was worthy of blowing a diet! Living an hour+ away from Cleveland, I don't get to any of their locations as often as I'd like, and that's probably a good thing since I find it rather easy to go off the diet there.

She should be able to figure out who it is. If she can't, then I should tell my parents to check whether that A in Logic on her Mount Union transcript looks like it's drawn in by hand. :p

Let us know if you felt it was worthy of blowing a diet! Living an hour+ away from Cleveland, I don't get to any of their locations as often as I'd like, and that's probably a good thing since I find it rather easy to go off the diet there.

Sorry, no Kerry last night. Tess, Peggy, Alysia (bore a physical semblance to the manager - her daughter maybe?) and one other.

I didn't completely blow the diet. I ordered a pita burger and a side of spinach & onions. Drank decaf. I sat next to the cash register and shared the counter with a row of hearty eaters - big young guys with huge appetites. One guy bragged about having eaten 4 burgers on a previous visit. I enjoyed their meals (especially the chili and notso fries) vicariously.

Impressions: Tiny place, maybe 6 tables and room for 10 at the counter. I thought 4 servers were overkill until I saw the carryout business. Excellent service - you can tell servers are "permanent" because their names are embroidered on their shirts. Good selection on the menu, including unique items like spinach and onions cooked in lemon juice and notso fries with sour cream. The restaurant seems to have a greek heritage? I thought I had made a mistake sitting next to the register until an attractive woman had to wait 10 minutes there for her order and it turned out her standards were sufficiently low enough to converse with me while she waited. The burger: tastes homemade. I would have enjoyed more seasoning but the grilled onions were a treat. The pita was too thin to hold all the contents so I ate it with a fork and knife and looked like a pansy (I was the only guy in there wearing a necktie too). I'll definitely come back next month for another try. Maybe I can afford to blow the diet a little more by then.

Impressions: Tiny place, maybe 6 tables and room for 10 at the counter.you must've gone to the one on Chagrin (next to Giovanni's), rather than to the one in Mayfield Village. That is by far their smallest location. It has a lot of charm to it though.

Congrats on keeping your diet!

you must've gone to the one on Chagrin (next to Giovanni's), rather than to the one in Mayfield Village. That is by far their smallest location. It has a lot of charm to it though.

Congrats on keeping your diet!

Ah! I am not familiar enough with the area to know where the heck I am most of the time. Yes, it was the one on Chagrin. Too many little towns, not enough signage. Maybe I'll look for the Mayfield Village location next month since it's bigger. That way, maybe I'll find Kerry. :)

the mayfield one is not as good as the others, the Chagrin Blvd one is the best, followed by the one in chagrin falls. (IMHO)

the owners, The Shibleys, are not greek AFAIK, but they could be...

the mayfield one is not as good as the others, the Chagrin Blvd one is the best, followed by the one in chagrin falls. (IMHO)that's an interesting observation. I find the food and service to be good (and not discernibly different) at all the locations. If you are talking about atmosphere or charm, I would probably agree with you.

Just breezed over this thread and didn't read every post thoroughly but...

I'm shocked noone mentioned the Cleveland Chophouse. The gf and I loved it. We stayed in Cleveland for 2 days and had dinner there both days. Wonderful! I think it's in the "Warehouse District"? :confused: Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

We want to go back just for that place.

Btw, the R & R hall of fame is a waste of time. Well, it's fine enough if you're already in Cleveland but don't travel there mainly for that.

I'm shocked noone mentioned the Cleveland Chophouse.The Chophouse is fine. I've been there many times, mainly for lunch, but on several occasions for dinner. For a similar experience you might want to try John Q's which is right on public square. Neither place is quite a Morton's or Hyde Park, but good cow nonetheless.

edited to add: re the R&R HOF, I go about once a year, as they change up the exhibits from time-to-time. It's not someplace you need to spend all day at, though, and I agree that I wouldn't make it the focal point of a trip to Cleveland. But since I live here, I'm glad that I get to enjoy it regularly.

they're all good, I think the quality of the cooking is just slightly worse at the mayfield one...

Just breezed over this thread and didn't read every post thoroughly but...

I'm shocked noone mentioned the Cleveland Chophouse. The gf and I loved it. We stayed in Cleveland for 2 days and had dinner there both days. Wonderful! I think it's in the "Warehouse District"? :confused: Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

We want to go back just for that place.

Btw, the R & R hall of fame is a waste of time. Well, it's fine enough if you're already in Cleveland but don't travel there mainly for that.
I really enjoy the Cleveland Chophouse, I've mentioned it in a CLE thread elsewhere sometime. I also prefer it over John Q's and Mortons (can hit Mortons in too many other cities). Most of our client entertaining ends up at the Shoreby, but if I'm taking just one or two people, or on my own, Cleveland Chophouse is usually where I/we end up.

Lunch at Corky & Lenny's .... a great deli, great cornbeef sandwiches :) :eek:
The Cuyahoga County Board of Health has confirmed six cases of salmonella infection and is investigating four more suspected cases in which people were sickened, allegedly after dining at the popular Woodmere restaurant Corky & Lenny's.

"We don't have any positive assurance, but we're investigating the restaurant as one of the only common links between the 10 people who got sick," said John McLeod, the health board's director of environmental health.

The first case was reported Monday, and no cases have been reported since Wednesday, McLeod said. Two people were hospitalized and have since been discharged.

The likely culprit is the restaurant's matzo ball soup, which is made with eggs and chicken fat, although health officials are checking every item on the menu, as well as testing the restaurant staff, McLeod said. http://www.cleveland.com/medical/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1139563946314050.xml&coll=2

Being a yankee in Alabama, I'm pretty corned beef-deprived so I used to enjoy Corky & Lenny's. That was before the food poisoning last year. Gawd, don't you hate getting sick away from home?


I told you I was sick.

Mama Santo's in Little Italy for cheap italian and pizza



Definitely my favorite. Be warned that they close for 2 weeks immediately after the Feast of the Assumption in mid-August.

When I went to CWRU back in the early 90s we ate at Mama Santo's every weekend. I went back to visit for the first time in 12 years in 2004 and found it to be just as I remembered -- heaven. :)

Unfortunately, Presti's Doughnuts went upscale and became a deli/upscale bakery. I couldn't believe that I couldn't go there at 4 am and get fresh, hot donuts anymore. :( Ahhh, progress.

Little Italy is worth a trip. :)