John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- There were openings and closings. Of course, there were many more of the former than the latter in 2019, which saw continued growth in Cleveland’s restaurant and bar industry.
But more than that, the year marked the end of a decade that put Cleveland’s culinary and drink scenes on the national map. The city was lauded for its chefs, beers and cuisines – and a dining culture on par with the top destinations in the country.
We can point to the Cavaliers winning the NBA championship or the RNC or the Indians going to the World Series – all of which occurred in 2016 – as bolstering the psyche of the city.
John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer
But the foodie scene wasn't a temporary victory. It was sustainable and just kept on delivering year after year. The East Fourth and West 25th entertainment districts achieved critical mass. Tremont grew up and reached maturity. The Flats East Bank sprang up out of gravel and concrete to become a summer destination.
Dining and drinking became the cornerstones to the build-out and the promise of downtown, as a place to go out to see a game or an event, but also as a place to live. Long a leopard’s coat – spots of activity with empty spaces in between – the opening of bars and restaurants helped fill former dead zones between Gateway, Playhouse Square, along Euclid and Superior avenues.
“We’ve seen such growth in Cleveland because there’s so much value here,” says chef and restaurateur Douglas Katz, a mainstay in the Cleveland food scene since opening Fire Food and Kitchen in Shaker Square 18 years ago. “It’s becoming a place where people want to visit and live.”
John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer
Think small, be special
But wild growth has led to a maturation of the scene, which presents new challenges and opportunities in the 2020s. Signs of both started to appear throughout 2019.
“We’ve seen so many places come on line,” says Katz. “So it’s important to specialize and do something special -- for instance, more ethnic dishes, a place that feels smaller, where you can share a variety of small plates with friends in an intimate environment.”
That about sums up one of 2019's most anticipated opening, Zhug.
Katz’ bar-restaurant -- 12413 Cedar Road, Cleveland Heights -- rolls out more than 30 shareable samples of Mediterranean cuisine to go with an inventive cocktail and wine list. It opened in November in the Cedar-Fairmont district, home to an eclectic mix of eateries and bars.
Craft Collective at Market Hall in the Van Aken District. (Photo by John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer)
Van Aken District
Zhug was one of two openings for Katz, who also launched Chutney B., a Thai-Indian rice bowl stand in Market Hall in the Van Aken District (3401 Tuttle Road, Shaker Heights). The ambitious mixed-use developed is rolling out a variety of bars and restaurants, from the Craft Collective taproom to Sawyer's, the latest concept – an exploration of American, European and Asian stylings that uses a wood-fired grill -- by James Beard-winning chef Jonathon Sawyer.
John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer
Van Aken kicked off the year with Michael's Genuine Food & Drink. Developed by another Beard-winning chef and owner, Michael Schwartz, it boasts seasonal ingredients, unique takes on familiar dishes and wide-ranging options that make it accessible to meat-eaters, pescaterians and vegetarians.
Red opened in Pinecrest on Black Friday. (Photo by John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer)
Pinecrest ends year on a run
Just when it seemed as if the East Side was losing ground to downtown and West Side, it came on strong in 2019.
Yes, there was Van Aken District and Cedar-Fairmont.
There was also a run of openings at the end of the year in Pinecrest. The Orange Village lifestyle center welcomed Red the Steakhouse, Saucy Brew Works and Oak and Embers Tavern to its portfolio. Pinecrest also saw the closing of City Works, the big-box pub that was considered an anchor of the development when it opened in 2018. Another planned Pinecrest opening -- Dante Boccuzzi's planned Japanese fusion spot Goma – has been put on hold.
John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer
Independent spirit
Brad Friedlander has been steering the food scene long before there were foodies. The restaurateur’s run goes back to 1980, when he opened Lopez y Gonzalez (now known as Lopez).
He's been involved with a variety of concepts, from Cafe Brio to Red to his Moxie – which closed in April after a 22-year run in Beachwood. Friedlander thinks fast and always with an eye for a concept, so it's no surprise that he opened Blu in the former Moxie space (3355 Richmond Road) in July.
“Sixty-five percent of what we did was fish, so it made sense to do something new that also would appeal to our customers,” says Friedlander.
John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer
He applied a similar way of thinking when Red – located next door to Moxie – moved to Pinecrest. Ka-ching: This month, Rosso Italia opened in the old Red spot.
“Red was doing a variety of Italian type dishes, so I figured we’d expand it and explore the Italian fully and do something fun with it,” says Friedlander.
He chose familiarity versus opening them in a development or lifestyle center.
“Those might be ‘A’ locations, but the rents are usually too high for independent operators,” he says. “I would rather move into a ‘D’ location and develop it into a ‘B’ location. The restaurant business is all about building an audience and relationships with people – and it’s going in that direction more and more with the opening of all these new places.”
John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer
Tastes like Cleveland
Archie's Hough Bakery (3365 Richmond Rd, Beachwood) hit the ground running when it opened in the same shopping area in September. Archie's, which reprises the recipes of beloved Hough Bakery, was selling out of its cupcakes, cookies, coconut bars, rolls and Russian tea biscuits as soon as it opened its doors. The back-log on holiday cakes was so long that Archie's stopped taking orders by the second week of December. Archie's is looking for bakers just to keep up… proving that there's nothing sweeter than nostalgia in Cleveland.
Voodoo Brewery on Lee Road. (John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer)
East Side growth
Even mature East Side dining districts saw high-profile openings. The Cedar Lee entertainment district, which has been enjoying a revival for three years, welcomed two new tenants. Voodoo Brewery (2279 Lee Rd, Cleveland Heights), located in a former dry cleaner, pairs brews and food with rustic, well-worn décor that makes this place feel it's been around for decades. The Kensington Pub (2260 Lee Rd, Cleveland Heights), located in the old Tavern Company spot, is recalls the pub & grub days of bars on the street. Seven-tenths of a mile northeast, the Asia-fusion Foodhisattva (2158 S Taylor Rd, Cleveland Heights) became a popular stop with vegans and vegetarians.
John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer
The Southside foodie scene became a foodie destination in no small part because of Michael Symon, who opened the original location of Lola on Literary Avenue. The bar-restaurant, which became Lolita after Lola moved to East Fourth, closed after it caught fire in 2016. Symon promised to reopen the location as Sherla's Chicken and Oyster – until October, when Symon ditched the plans and sold the building. A piece of old Tremont did make a comeback in 2019 – when the beloved Literary reopened three years after it had closed. Rechristened the Literary Tavern, it comes with a exterior facelift and a complete renovation that included installing a full-on kitchen.
John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer
Meanwhile, SalsaRito (2399 West 11th Street) brought what it calls Indo-Mexican cuisine to a space that has hosted a carousel of eateries, including Merchant Street, Ligali's, Porcelli's, Sage.
John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer
Downtown
The city core has been at the center of the food scene throughout the decade. In 2019, it was not only left out, it actually experienced contraction for the first time in years. The most anticipated openings? Shake Shack (1965 East 6th Street), in June. In February, Republic Food and Drink moved into the old Otto Moser's spot (1425 Euclid Avenue). Meanwhile, Sittoo's opened in Playhouse Square and Whistle & Keg moved into the Caxton Building in the former home of Prospect Music, a downtown mainstay since 1941.
One of Cleveland's top dive bars, Ontario Street Cafe, closed in 2019. (Photo by John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer)
On the other side of the ledger? There were the closings of beloved dive bar Ontario Street Café and the always dependable A.J. Rocco's. Zack Bruell's long-running Chinato on East Fourth shut its doors for good in May. Take 5 Rhythm and Jazz pulled the plug on the Warehouse District, in July. Hodges, which opened in 2012, is set to close before the end of the year.
A Chinese sensation hits Cleveland: Dagu Rice Noodles. (Photo by John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer)
Asia Town
One of the biggest opening stories of 2019 is a fast-food place? Check out Dagu Rice Noodles (3710 Payne Ave, Cleveland). The Chinese chain – 600 stores – is expanding into North America and Cleveland is one of three American cities to have one. Lucky us. The soup shop pairs a variety of broths with big, thick, white rice noodles. The result: hot meals that are chewy and delightful, full of taste and body. Served in a heated pot, the steaming soups hit the spot when it's cold outside.
John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer
The opening of Ball Ball Waffle (Asia Plaza, 2999 Payne Avenue) expanded the culinary sensibilities of AsiaTown by serving up bubble waffles – delicious treats made out of egg batter that are soft on the inside and crisp on the outside and served with sweet or savory toppings. The neighborhood added a third new spot, Pho Lee (3820 Superior Avenue), which brought Vietnamese cuisine to the scene.
Dave's Cosmic Subs moved into the old Barking Spider space. (John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer)
Uptown-University Circle
Twenty-nineteen was a year of churn, with new places moving into the former locations of placees that had closed. Out: Corner Alley and Trentina. In: Tacologist, Indian Flame, BurgerIM and Dave's Cosmic Subs in the old Barking Spider location.
Ohio City Pizzeria brings an old-style concept to Lorain Avenue. (Photo by John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer)
Ohio City and Detroit Shoreway
The August sale of Platform Brewery to Anheuser-Busch was the big story in beer-heavy Ohio City. Is this a sign of a market top or growth? The mature district did see some openings, however: the old-style Ohio City Pizzeria (3223 Lorain Avenue) and the Mediterranean-tinged Alea (2912 Church Avenue).
Battery Park Pub closed in 2019 and All Saints Public House is moving in. (Photo by John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer)
In Detroit Shoreway, Good Company (1200 W. 76th Street) brought modern takes on comfort foods and a sturdy cocktail list to Battery Park. The neighborhood lost Battery Park Pub (1261 West 76th Street). But worry not. All Saints Public House will move into the space, which has hosted a myriad of eateries, including Graffiti, Reddstone and Snickers.
John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer
Flats East Bank
The Flats East Bank stayed in place in 2019. The plug was pulled on the much-anticipated Rascal Flatts-themed bar and club that was slated to go into the space next to Beerhead. Lindey's Lake House moved into the old Coastal Taco.
John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer
Another Flats East Bank operator -- the dive-bar-themed Truman's Day and Night Bar opened in the old Flipside spot (which closed in 2017). Within a month, it morphed into more of a sports-bar-concept.
The area appears to be waiting for Phase III of its development, which is looking for a 2020 rollout.
John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer
Parma
Yes, there are lot of pierogis, a fish frys and potato pancakes. But Parma's food scene offers a wide range of cuisines, underscored by the opening of two stellar spots in 2019. Annapurna (7464 Ridge Road) opened in January and quickly become the go-to place for fans of Indian and Indo-Chinese cuisines.
John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer
Empanadas Latin Street Food (5543 Ridge Road) brought a new flair to Parma's Polish Village with a wide range of comfort food and Puerto Rican staples. Must emphasize: The empanadas are delicious.
John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer
Lakewood
Rood Food & Pie (17001 Madison Ave, Lakewood) might be 2019's most charming opening. The vegan- and vegetarian-friendly spot rolls out delicious pies… Like the Brandy Banana Crème. Yes, there are a variety of sliders on the menu, including several unique vegetarian options. But the pies are killer. The just-opened Dang Good Foods (13735 Madison Avenue) is a brick-and-mortar version of the Singapore-style street-food truck.
John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer
Hola Tacos (12102 Madison Avenue) – a new concept by Barroco – opened rolled out its West Coast-style stand in December. It's tailor-made for summer -- yes, with its selection and layout, but also because it boasts a patio that's perfect for an afternoon in July.
John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer
Other notable openings and closings
Hot Chicken Takeover (in Crocker Park), a Columbus-based company, brought its take on Nashville-style chicken to Westlake in October.
John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer
Irie Jamaican Kitchen (4126 Pearl Road, Cleveland), a tasty fusion of traditional and modern elements of Jamaican cuisine, expanded the worldly map of Old Brooklyn's food scene with its December opening.
John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer
Moonglow Lounge (85 W Aurora Rd, Northfield), a snazz-pad loaded with retro cocktails and vintage vibes, brought some much-needed style and panache when it opened in August in what has been an area starved for nightlife.
John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer
Thyme Table (583 Dover Center Rd, Bay Village) brought its upscale tavern concept, cozy vibes and lighting, eclectic sharable plates, sandwiches and entrées to the old 583 Bistro spot in April.
John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer
Gually's (6201 Denison Avenue, Cleveland), a quick-serve Puerto Rican bakery and restaurant rolled out a variety of breakfast, lunch and dinner items when it opened in October.
John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer
Marta's (800 East 222nd Street, Euclid), a beloved Czech restaurant renowned for its classic Cleveland milieu, timeless décor and delicious Old World staples, closed in September. A sad day.
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