New and Noteworthy
Kiln. Located in Shaker Heights’ Van Aken District, Kiln is the latest restaurant by James Beard-nominated chef Doug Katz. Kiln uses fresh ingredients to serve family-style regional classics in an elevated, bistro-inspired space.
Scorpacciata Pasta Co. This restaurant is dishing up some of The Land’s freshest pizza and pasta along Cleveland’s artsy Larchmere Blvd. Its mission aligns with the translation of its Italian name; to eat locally, abundantly and in season.
YY Time. This richly atmospheric dining experience in The Land’s AsiaTown neighborhood sits in a transformed former tire shop where guests can try Asian street food favorites from crossing the bridge noodles and buns to adventurous eats like “Sichuan brine and extreme barbecue.
The Astro Restaurant. This “space restaurant” opened in 2024 in Cleveland’s iconic downtown Tower City Center. The restaurant brings guests a cosmic dining experience that transcends the ordinary through the vast universe of iconic sci-fi movies. With themed events, movie characters roaming the floor and surprises at every turn, dining at The Astro is like stepping into your own sci-fi adventure.
Bad Medicine. This “Hi-Fi Listening Bar” brings a distinctly Cleveland perspective to the Japanese listening bar tradition, serving up cocktails and a solid dinner menu along with two turntables playing a curated vinyl collection all night.
Sacred Vortex Teahouse and Kombuchery. Located inside a former brewery facility, this teahouse offers beverages that aim to aid rather than impair personal health and wellness. The shop is the first kombuchery and botanical soda brewery in the Cleveland area and one of only a few Kratom kombucheries in the United States.
Cordelia. With a menu of sharable “modern Grandma” cuisine highlighting in-house butchering, fermentation and curing, Cordelia joined the culinary offerings of Downtown Cleveland’s East 4th Street in July 2022. Its executive chef, Vinnie Cimino, is a two-time James Beard Best Chef nominee.
Proof Barbecue. Proof Barbecue celebrated its grand re-opening in 2024, with a mission to elevate Cleveland’s BBQ scene. Proof is known for blending local flavors and culinary influences from the diverse neighborhoods and cultures around the city.
Quintessential Bites
Polish Boy. A Cleveland-creation, a Polish Boy consists of kielbasa sausage placed in a bun and covered with French fries, coleslaw and barbecue sauce or hot sauce. For a taste of this unusual, yet oh-so-good native sandwich, visitors can stop by
Beckham’s B&M Bar-B-Que,
Banter and
Whitmore’s BBQ. At
Mabel’s BBQ, the addition of pulled pork creates the Polish Girl variation.
Corned Beef. Savory, salty sandwiches piled high with brisket are a local favorite, served at notable spots like
Slyman’s, which claims to have the best and biggest corned beef sandwiches,
Mr. Brisket and
Flannery’s Pub.
Pierogi. These pillowy Eastern European dumplings are prominent on menus throughout The Land. There’s no shortage of traditional
pierogi to try, along with riffs like pierogi poutine at
Rowley Inn and pierogi pizzas at
Pizza 216 and
P.Jays Pizza.
Ballpark Mustard. Visitors catching a professional sports game in The Land will quickly notice a local favorite,
ballpark mustard, as a staple offering. The spicy brown mustard was introduced at baseball games in the 1930s and grew into a local fixture. Famed chef Michael Symon even created a BBQ sauce featuring the ubiquitous condiment.
West Side Market. The more than 110-year-old
West Side Market is one of the first indoor public markets in the country. The subway-tiled, barrel-vaulted concourse is home to a range of vendors representing Cleveland’s diverse population, many of which have been family-operated for generations. Ahead of a full renovation of its Market Hall, the West Side Market now offers a patio and beer garden for guests to enjoy outdoor seating.
Award-Winning Chefs
Vinnie Cimino. Cordelia’s Chef Vinnie Cimino has built a reputation for his creative approach to both classic and contemporary dishes, earning him recognition as a 2024 James Beard Award finalist and 2025 semi-finalist.
Liu Fang. Chef Fang landed on Plate Magazine’s “Chefs to Watch” list for her inventive and flavor-packed menu of favorites from her home country of China. After years owning a brewery in China, Fang and her partner Carl Setzer moved to Cleveland and transformed a historic diner car in the Cleveland Heights neighborhood into Abundance Culinary, an Asian dining experience.
Michael Symon. Cleveland native and James Beard Award-winning chef Michael Symon brought Cleveland’s food scene to the national spotlight. Today, Symon operates Mabel’s BBQ in Cleveland.
Zach Bruell. Chef Zack Bruell is known for his fusion cuisine and ability to cook a wide variety of styles. He shows off his mastery at French brasserie L’Albatros and contemporary, global restaurant Table 45.
Doug Katz. James Beard-nominated chef Doug Katz showcases his expertise at Kiln, a new, American bistro; Amba, a stylish Indian fusion small plates restaurant; and Zhug, which features Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flavors.
Karen Small. A pioneer of the local food movement and farm-to-table before it was trendy, James Beard-nominated chef Karen Small highlights fresh and refined dishes at Juneberry Table.
Jeremy Umansky. Known for his innovative work in foraging and fermentation, Jeremy Umansky opened Larder Delicatessen and Bakery – a James Beard semi-finalist in 2024 and 2025 – in the historic Ohio City Firehouse. The modern take on an old-world delicatessen offers house-made breads, pastries, koji-cured pastrami and root beer fermented in-house.
Alexandra La Valle. Also of Larder Delicatessen and Bakery , Alexandra La Valle has previously earned a James Beard nomination for “Best Chef” in the Great Lakes category and is currently a 2025 semi-finalist for “Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker.”
Dante Bocuzzi. With experience working at Nobu/Milan and restaurants in Italy, France and England, chef Dante Boccuzzi mastered his craft abroad before returning to his hometown. Twice nominated for a James Beard Rising Star Chef Award and awarded a Michelin Star, Dante now operates multiple restaurants in the Cleveland area, including Japanese fusion at Goma, modern American restaurant DANTE, underground sushi spot Ginko and live music venue CODA.
Neighborhood Noms
Downtown. Downtown Cleveland offers a range of standout dining spots. Marble Room serves upscale steaks in an elegant setting, while Blue Point Grille is known for fresh seafood. Zanzibar Soul Fusion delivers bold Caribbean and soul food flavors, and Johnny’s Downtown is a cozy favorite for Italian classics. For modern steakhouse fare, Cleveland Chop is a must-visit, and Hofbräuhaus Cleveland offers hearty German food and beers in a lively atmosphere.
AsiaTown. A few blocks east of Downtown, visitors will find the bustling markets and restaurants of AsiaTown. A beacon for foodies, restaurants and shops offer savory dumplings, spicy Szechuan dishes and sweet and chewy Hong Kong waffles. Popular destinations are YYTime for modern Chinese street food, Li Wah for dim sum, Superior Pho for warming bowls of the namesake dish, Ball Ball Waffle for dessert treats and Koko Bakery for steamed buns, green tea mousse and Japanese style cheesecake.
Detroit Shoreway. The hip and hungry can seek out the latest bistros and bars in the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood. The theaters and stages of the Gordon Square Arts District are joined by eclectic restaurants such as Il Rione Pizzeria, Ninja City Urban Asian Cuisine and Astoria Café & Market. For a sweet treat, Brewnuts offers the delicious combination of fresh doughnuts made with local craft beer.
Little Italy. The Little Italy neighborhood is known for its family-owned restaurants and bakeries, intimate art galleries and a Feast of the Assumption celebration that fills the streets with music, food and wine. Visitors can dive into sprawling pizzas at Mama Santa’s, classic dishes at Guarino’s and contemporary Italian at Mia Bella and La Dolce Vita. Saving room for cannoli at Presti’s Bakery or cassata cake at Corbo’s Bakery is a must.
Ohio City. One of Cleveland’s oldest neighborhoods, Ohio City is located just across the Cuyahoga River from Downtown. Known as the unofficial brewery district, it is a craft beer lover’s paradise with Great Lakes Brewing Co. starting the trend in 1988. The area is home to the historic West Side Market, one of the country’s largest urban farms and diverse eateries like Larder Delicatessen and Bakery, jaw-dropping barbecue at Real Smoq’d BBQ, modern Mexican at Momocho, Italian aperitivo small plates and cocktails at Patron Saint, cravable breakfast sandwiches at Roaming Biscuit and the headquarter kitchen for Mitchell’s Homemade Ice Cream.
Tremont. With a blue-collar legacy, the Tremont neighborhood features onion-domed churches, remarkable downtown views, independent artists’ galleries, award-winning restaurants, laidback pubs and boutique shops. One of the city’s original foodie hot spots, visitors can enjoy a leisurely brunch at Lucky’s Cafe or Grumpy’s Café, fine dining at STEAK, a visit to neighborhood fixtures like Prosperity Social Club, The South Side and Fat Cats, or a specialty vegan cocktail at the moody and decadent Cloak & Dagger.