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Cleveland Cuisine

A Full Plate of Dining Options

January 21, 2021

Cleveland’s culinary scene blends influences from the more than 100 diverse ethnicities found throughout the city with traditional cooking techniques as well as modern twists. Nationally recognized and award-winning chefs create deliciously memorable experiences that bring visitors back for seconds.

New and Noteworthy

Building on the success of the EDWINS Leadership & Restaurant Institution, which offers formerly incarcerated adults a comprehensive hospitality training program and a pathway to employment, founder Brandon Chrostowski has introduced EDWINS Bakery and EDWINS Butcher Shop. The newest offering opened in November 2020, EDWINS Too, and focuses on fine-dining and prix-fixe menus developed with a rotating chef-in-residence.
Fried chicken fanatics will flock to the Ohio City neighborhood with the addition of Chicken Run, a new fast-casual spin-off from the popular Soho Chicken + Whiskey. Opened in November 2020, the new concept features “fried chicken and fixins”, in addition to buttermilk biscuit sandwiches, chicken and waffles and classic whiskey cocktails.
Visitors to Yonder are welcomed by the smells of bacon and maple syrup to start the day right. The restaurant opened in November 2020 in the St. Clair-Superior neighborhood and features classic breakfast and lunch staples that include French toast, pancakes, deli sandwiches and more.
Chef-owner Matthew Spinner replaced his fine-dining Japanese bistro in the Tremont neighborhood with a more casual, Japanese sports bar, Bar Oni. Opened in October 2020, Bar Oni offers beer, cider and cocktails along with skewers of grilled meat, tempura fried vegetable and other Japanese pub specialties.
Cleveland native chef Victor Morenz relocated his popular Chicago restaurant Home Bistro to Cleveland’s Little Italy neighborhood in August 2020. The New American-style bistro features seasonal, ingredient-driven fare for dinner and weekend brunch.
Known for his wood-fired Neapolitan-style pizza at Citizen Pie, chef Vytauras Sasnauskas opened Citizen Pie Roman Café on East 4^th Street – a popular entertainment destination in Downtown Cleveland – in August 2020. Roman Café is modeled after Italian eatery Bonci and specializes in light-as-a-cloud, Roman-style Pizza al Taglio. The Café also partnered with local coffee brewer Six Shooter Coffee to provide a variety of espresso beverages, cold-brew coffee on tap and more.
Located at the Kimpton Schofield Hotel, Betts serves classic American dishes with an emphasis on freshness and whole foods in a colorful, casual dining space. Opened in August 2020, the restaurant serves all meals and offers grab-and-go coolers with fresh sandwiches, healthy snacks, craft beer and wine. Lucky guests will be seated at a table with a Bubbles Bell for on-demand sparkling wine service.
The nautical-themed cocktail bar and restaurant, Sixth City Sailor’s Club, brings a touch of whimsy to Downtown Cleveland’s cocktail scene. Opened in August 2020, the menu features alcoholic slushies, draft cocktails, and seafood classics like a lobster roll and poke bowls while an expansive courtyard patio, arcade games and billiards tables add to the fun.
The Glenville Circle North retail incubator opened in early 2020. The space features seven businesses including Black Box Fix, a gourmet sandwich shop by chef Eric Rogers; fresh seafood specialties at Pipe ‘N Hot Grill; and locally made small-batch cold brew at Cleveland Cold Brew.

Award-Winning Chefs

Cleveland native and James Beard Award-winner chef Michael Symon brought Cleveland’s food scene to the national spotlight. Today, Symon continues to operate B Spot Burger and Mabel’s BBQ.
Chef Zack Bruell is known for his fusion cuisine and his ability to cook a wide variety of styles. His restaurant portfolio includes Collision Bend Brewery and Alley Cat Oyster Bar in the Flats East Bank, French restaurants Cowell and Hubbard and L’Albatros, Japanese restaurant Parallax and American restaurant Table 45.
James Beard-nominated and acclaimed chef Doug Katz showcases his expertise in ethnic cuisine with his latest concept, Zhug. Named one of Esquire magazine’s “Best New Restaurants in America, 2020”, Zhug features Mediterranean and Middle Eastern sharables and small plates. Katz also delights foodies with two ghost kitchen concepts, including Amba, featuring Indian-themed dishes, and the South American-inspired concept Chimi. Visitors to the Van Aken District can also enjoy Katz’ fast-casual Indian and Thai-spiced rice bowl restaurant, Chutney B.
Chef Karen Small at The Flying Fig was a local pioneer of creative, farm-to-table cuisine when the restaurant opened in 1999. The focus on supporting small family farms and local food artisans while creating critically acclaimed menus that evolve seasonally remains strong.
Two-time James Beard semifinalist chef Jill Vedaa brought specialty small plates back to the forefront of the Cleveland food scene with her nationally recognized restaurant, Salt+. Featuring locally sourced, farm-to-table ingredients, Vedaa focuses on vegetable, meat and fish small plates, rounded out by expertly crafted cocktails and curated wines.
Known for his innovative work in foraging and fermentation, Jeremy Umansky opened Larder Delicatessen and Bakery – a James Beard semi-finalist – in the historic Ohio City firehouse. This modern-day version of an old-world delicatessen offers house-made breads, pastries, koji-cured pastrami, root beer fermented in-house and locally sourced dairy, eggs and produce.
Miami-based James Beard Award-winning chef Michael Schwartz brings his electric and spicy flare to Cleveland with Michael’s Genuine Food and Drink. The 65-seat neighborhood bistro serves up a globally inspired, seasonal menu offering dishes like classic deviled eggs and house-smoked bacon cheddar burger to more adventurous plates, such as crispy pig ears and wood roasted octopus.

Quintessential Cleveland Food

Located in the Ohio City neighborhood is the more than 100-year-old West Side Market, one of the first indoor public markets in the country. Visitors can put their taste buds to the test by trying food like pierogi and falafel from one of the nearly 100 vendors, some of whom can trace their roots back to the inception of the market.
Since 1964, Slyman’s has caught the attention of presidents and celebrities with the best and biggest corned beef sandwiches in Downtown Cleveland.
A Cleveland-creation, a Polish Boy consists of a link of kielbasa 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 numerous spots around town, including Hot Sauce Williams (the granddaddy of Cleveland barbeque for more than 50 years), Seti’s Polish Boy food truck in the Ohio City neighborhood, Al & B's Barbecue, Beckham’s B&M Bar-B-Que and Banter Beer and Wine.
With multiple locations in Northeast Ohio, Melt Bar and Grilled features a menu with 20 different gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches like the pierogi-filled “Parmageddon.”

Neighborhood Noms

For a casual dining atmosphere, visitors can head to the Ohio City neighborhood and choose from pizza and house made pasta at Bar Cento, Mod-Mex cuisine at Momocho, French-inspired dishes at The Black Pig, Mediterranean-inspired cuisine at Alea or a sweet treat at Mitchell’s Ice Cream.
In the Tremont neighborhood, guests can enjoy a range of different meals from a delicious brunch at Lucky’s Cafe or Grumpy’s Café to fine dining at establishments like Dante, and Fahrenheit or dinner and drinks at Prosperity Social Club and the New Orleans-style Bourbon Street Barrel Room.
If visitors are craving Italian cuisine, then Little Italy on Cleveland’s east side is the place to go. Visitors can dive into traditional pizza and spaghetti at Mama Santa’s or enjoy reinvented Italian favorites at Nora and Mia Bella. Plus, visitors need to save room for gelato or cannoli at Presti’s Bakery.
For an eclectic mix of food, art and theater, visitors can venture to Cleveland’s Detroit Shoreway neighborhood and feel like they’ve traveled the world by sampling cuisines from Italy at Il Rione Pizzeria, Asia at Ninja City and the Mediterranean at Astoria Café & Market. For a sweet treat, visitors can complete their journey at Brewnuts to enjoy doughnuts, beer and the delicious combination of doughnuts made with beer!